Kyren hopped onto Veldthar's back, then reached down to help Lydel up behind him. With a steady but not too fast pace, they set off down a narrow path leading out of the coal mining village and deeper into the plains.
They had been riding for about four hours, covering nearly forty miles, but Kyren could tell Veldthar needed a rest. The eland began to pick up speed slightly, his ears flicking forward as if he'd spotted something. Seconds later, a river came into view, its waters gleaming under the late afternoon sun.
As they neared the bank, Kyren decided it was time to come clean.
"Bro, I got something to tell you," he said, glancing back at Lydel.
Lydel turned his head, frowning. "What's up?"
Kyren exhaled, deciding there was no point in beating around the bush. "Alright, I'm just gonna say it. When I got my power, a screen popped up in front of me. It gives me missions and rewards—like all our weapons and armor."
Lydel blinked before letting out a short laugh. "Bro, did you hit your head in that fight? Liora, can you heal him?"
Liora swooped down, landing atop Kyren's head, settling comfortably in his curls. "He's telling the truth," she said matter-of-factly. "Since I'm a kin, I got my own version of the system. I can check stats."
Kyren shot her a sharp look. "Wait, you never told me that."
Liora simply fluttered her wings.
Lydel scoffed. "So, what—you're saying I can get one too?"
Kyren nodded. "Yeah, but only if you want it."
Lydel rolled his eyes. "Right. And you're just gonna push a button, and bam—I start seeing all sorts of crazy stuff?"
"Pretty much," Kyren said, dead serious.
Lydel hesitated, then shrugged. "Screw it. I'm already out here fighting lunatics. Might as well become one."
Kyren opened the system menu and scrolled down until he found the option:
Give Lydel access to the system?
[Yes] / [No]
He selected Yes—
Lydel immediately doubled over, gripping his head. A sharp hiss escaped through his teeth as he clenched his jaw, eyes squeezed shut. Then, just as suddenly as it started, the tension in his body eased. He sat up, his face shifting from relief to awe.
"Yo. What the hell—" Lydel's hands hovered in front of him, fingers flexing as he stared at the screen only he could see. "You were telling the truth… I can see my stats. Bro—I can see yours too. We're sitting pretty close, so I'm getting a good look." A smug grin spread across his face.
Kyren smirked. "Check your missions."
Lydel scrolled down. "I got one called 'Cult Crusher.' Reward's 250 stat points, a skill, and a weapon. What's yours?"
"'Cult Crusher.'" Kyren's brow furrowed. "500 stat points, a trait, and… just says 'item.'"
"'Item?' What's that mean?" Lydel asked.
"Last time it said that, I got a stone that upgraded my headband." Kyren's grin widened.
Lydel gave an impressed nod. "Okay, okay… this might actually be dope."
Kyren stood and stretched. "Well, I'll leave you to mess around with it. I'm gonna clean up and refill my canteen."
He walked over to the river, crouching at the edge as he dunked his canteen into the water. The surface was calm, the ripples spreading out lazily. As he started splashing water onto his arms and face, a deep, unnatural ripple cut through the current.
Then—
A massive jaw erupted from the river.
Kyren's reflexes kicked in a split second before the alligator's teeth could snap around him. Soundless Step activated instinctively, and his body flickered just out of reach. Water exploded behind him as the creature lunged further onto the bank.
It was huge—at least fifty feet long, its scaly body thick with ridges and old battle scars. Even half-submerged, its muscled frame loomed over Kyren, its beady golden eyes locked onto him.
Kyren's daggers materialized in his hands as the alligator lumbered forward, dragging itself onto solid ground. Its long tail still swayed through the water, its sheer mass shaking the earth beneath it.
Before he could make a move, Veldthar did.
The eland darted forward, grabbing Lydel by the back of his shirt with his powerful jaws and flinging him onto his back. Before Lydel could even process what was happening, Veldthar bolted toward Kyren, snatching him up in the same manner.
"Yo, what the—" Kyren barely got the words out before Veldthar was already in a full sprint, hooves thundering against the dirt. He didn't stop until they were nearly four hundred feet down the path.
Kyren twisted his head, breath still heavy, but the giant alligator hadn't followed. It lingered near the riverbank, watching them, before slowly sinking back into the water.
"Alright," Kyren panted, "we gotta be way more careful near water."
Lydel nodded so fast it looked like his head might pop off. "Yeah. YEAH."
Veldthar snorted and started trotting forward again, as if nothing had happened.
Kyren opened his system menu, exhaling slowly. He still had 100 stat points left. He thought about where he had struggled the most—his mana had nearly run dry in the last battle, and while his speed was on par with the man in gold, he could stand to hit harder.
He split the points:
+50 to Strength (A-)
+50 to Mana Pool (B)
A familiar surge of power rolled through him, muscles tightening, mana reserves deepening. That felt better.
They rode for another two hours, covering about fifteen more miles. Veldthar's pace slowed as exhaustion set in.
Kyren guided them toward a clearing in the plains. "We'll stop here for the night. We should reach Zafeer tomorrow for sure."
He hopped off Veldthar's back, and the eland immediately nudged him, pressing against his side.
"What's up, buddy?" Kyren asked, patting his head.
Liora fluttered down, perching on Kyren's shoulder. "He wants to rest in the realm."
Kyren nodded. Golden mana swirled around Veldthar before he vanished.
Next, Kyren summoned their tent. The sun was still barely above the horizon, so they had some time before turning in.
Their supplies were running low. They hadn't had a chance to restock since they burned down the church and fled LongFoot. Fortunately, Kyren still had some Terror Bear meat in his inventory.
"I'll get a fire going," he said, scanning the area for brush.
After gathering enough to build a decent cooking fire, he returned and pulled out the bear steak.
Lydel's eyes widened. "Oh, hell yeah. What kind of steak is that?"
"Terror Bear." Kyren grinned, tossing it onto the flames.
Lydel let out a low whistle. "Man, we eating good tonight."
As the fire crackled and the smell of sizzling meat filled the air, Kyren allowed himself a moment to breathe. They had made it through another day.
Tomorrow would bring new challenges—but for now, they'd eat.