Chapter 16 – Quiet Sparks, Honest Steps & New Winds
Morning crept into the clearing like a shy guest, dappling the grass with golden light. The fire had long gone cold, but the warmth between them lingered. Kuro sat with his back to a tree, polishing his blade with slow, deliberate strokes. His eyes flicked toward the others.
Alice was already awake, crouched near the riverbank as she washed her hands. The edge of her knife glinted beside her, always within reach. Yumi hummed softly to herself while stretching near a sun-dappled patch of grass, her hair catching the light like silk.
Kuro cleared his throat. "Sleep well?"
Yumi beamed. "Better than usual. Dreams were soft this time. No screaming or lightning wolves."
Alice snorted. "What kind of life did you live before?"
Yumi blinked. "The best kind. Unpredictable."
Kuro smirked and leaned forward. "We're heading east today. There's something… interesting in that direction."
Alice looked at him with her usual narrowed gaze. "You found something last night, didn't you?"
He shrugged. "Maybe."
Yumi tilted her head. "You're being cagey again."
"I'm mysterious. It's a vibe."
Alice rolled her eyes. "It's a warning sign."
But there was no venom in her tone — only familiarity. Kuro noted it. A week ago, she wouldn't have joked. A week ago, he wouldn't have trusted either of them to guard his back.
And yet, here they were.
They sat for a while without speaking. Just the sound of leaves rustling, the occasional chirp of birds, and the soft murmur of the river.
Yumi finally broke the silence. "Can I ask something weird?"
Kuro raised an eyebrow. "I'd be offended if you didn't."
She looked between them. "Do you two… feel different now? Like, after meeting each other?"
Alice was silent for a moment. Then she said, "I trust him to watch my back. That's new."
Kuro blinked. "High praise."
"I didn't say I like you," she added.
"Now it feels normal again."
Yumi giggled. "I think we're good for each other. All three of us. Like a weirdly balanced triangle. Logic, chaos, and... sarcasm."
Kuro grinned. "And which one am I?"
"All of them," she said without missing a beat.
They laughed quietly, the kind of laughter that heals. For a moment, there was no dungeon waiting, no strange powers humming beneath their skin, no unspoken questions about who they were or why they'd been pulled into this world.
Just three people. A small camp. And the promise of a road ahead.
Kuro looked toward the rising sun and felt something settle in his chest. A quiet spark — not fire, not lightning — just… steady warmth.
"Alright," he said, standing up and brushing off his coat. "Let's pack up. We've got a path to walk."
Alice sheathed her knife. Yumi slung her satchel over her shoulder. The trio began moving eastward, footsteps light on dew-kissed grass.
Behind them, the clearing grew still once more.
The sun was just starting to rise when they set out, its amber light spilling across the forest floor in dappled warmth. Kuro walked ahead, his gaze focused and posture relaxed, though his hand rested near the hilt of his blade. Yumi walked beside him, her soft steps almost soundless on the dirt path, while Alice brought up the rear, vigilant and quiet.
They traveled in comfortable silence, the kind that comes after a shared fire and a long night of conversation. Every now and then, birdsong would break the stillness, or the distant rustle of branches would hint at life deeper in the trees. It would've been a peaceful morning—if not for the tension humming under their skin.
Yumi glanced at Kuro. "So this dungeon… why now?"
"Because we need to know what we're up against," he replied. "We've been coasting. If we want to survive, we need to understand this world—and ourselves—on more than just instinct."
Alice nodded. "Testing our strength in real combat isn't optional anymore."
They walked for another hour before the forest began to change. The trees grew denser, the air heavier. Moss thickened on the trunks, and every shadow seemed to lean a little longer than it should.
Kuro raised a hand. They stopped.
From the underbrush, a low growl rippled outward.
Five wolves stepped into the clearing—sleek, lean, and wrong. Their fur shimmered faintly with iridescent patterns, and their eyes glowed with a phase-blue hue. One was nearly twice the size of the others. A Phase 4 Pack.
"No sudden moves," Kuro muttered.
The largest wolf lunged.
Chaos followed. Alice intercepted the first strike with her knife, redirecting the momentum as Kuro swept low to strike at another. Yumi raised a ward just in time to deflect a claw from slashing through his back. But these weren't like the beasts they'd fought before—smarter, faster, coordinated.
Kuro was forced to use every trick he'd learned so far. Alice moved like a blur, cutting tendons and vanishing into the trees. Yumi kept shields flickering around them, breath strained as the energy cost piled up.
It was brutal.
When the last wolf fell, silence returned with a weight. Kuro leaned on his sword, panting. His cloak was torn. Alice's hand bled. Yumi dropped to her knees, gasping for breath.
"That… wasn't a win," Alice said, wiping blood from her chin. "That was survival."
Kuro looked at the fallen beasts. "And we barely managed that."
Yumi didn't speak. She just stared at her trembling hands.
The group sat there in the aftermath, the high of battle fading into sobering clarity. For all their talk, all their promise—they were still just starting.
Kuro opened his system in silence:
[Status Overview] Level: 34 Phase: 3 EXP to Next Level: 6,210 IP: 160,000 AP: 58,500 EP: 21,000 SP: 70,000 Equipped: Pulse Phase Blade, Shadow Cloak Mk I Companions:
Yumi (Summon)
Alice (Independent Ally) Active Scan: • Dungeon – 2.2km East • Threat: Moderate
He closed the window and looked up.
"We get stronger. Together. Or we die alone."
Neither girl argued. The only answer was the sound of rustling leaves as they stood up and pressed forward.