Chapter 45 – Shards of the Hunt
The afternoon sun crept through the curtains, painting lines of gold across Peterson's face. He blinked slowly, sitting up. For a moment, he forgot where he was—then the ache in his muscles reminded him.
Everything that had happened came back in flashes: the Great Demon Hyena, the blinding light, Lili's voice, the strange dreamlike voice of the Midnight King.
He rubbed his temples. "That was… not a normal day."
A soft knock came from the door. "Come in," he said.
Lili stepped in quietly, a satchel slung across her shoulder. Her hair was tied up in a loose braid, a faint glow still clinging to her skin as if she hadn't quite left the Loa's world behind. "You're awake," she said with a small smile. "Good. You look less dead."
Peterson groaned. "Thanks. That's comforting."
She tossed the satchel onto his bed, and it landed with a heavy clunk. "Here. These are yours."
He blinked. "Mine?"
"Yeah." She sat at the edge of the bed. "The crystals from the demon hyenas you and I fought—including the big one."
Peterson unwrapped the satchel's flap and stared. Inside were glowing shards of different colors—greens, blues, purples, and one fiery orange that pulsed softly like a heartbeat. "Whoa… these things are beautiful."
"And deadly," she added. "Don't drop them unless you want your house to catch on fire."
Jean-Daniel, Wilkens, and the twins entered just as Peterson was turning a blue crystal over in his hand. They all gathered around like curious kids staring at forbidden candy.
Amanda tilted her head. "Okay, um… why does your bag look like a rainbow exploded?"
Miranda added, "Yeah, and why is that one pulsing? Is it alive?"
Lili laughed. "No. Not alive—just active. These are demon beast crystals."
"Demon what now?" Jean-Daniel frowned. "You mean those monsters you were talking about?"
Peterson nodded. "Yeah, we fought a whole pack of them. Trust me, you don't want to see what they looked like."
Wilkens raised an eyebrow. "But… those things are real? I thought it was just Loa-world stuff."
Lili leaned forward, serious now. "They're very real, and very organized. Demon beasts are ranked just like players in the system—E to S. E-rank are small and weak. S-rank…" She paused, eyes narrowing. "You don't survive those. You just stop existing near them."
That got everyone's attention.
Peterson's sisters glanced at each other, wide-eyed. "E to S… like game levels?" Miranda asked.
"Exactly," Lili said. "Each rank is stronger and rarer. But there's another way to judge them—by the crystals they drop when they die. That's what you're looking at."
She reached into the satchel and began laying them out one by one on the blanket, arranging them like colorful marbles under sunlight. "See these? The colors tell their rarity."
She pointed to the smallest white shard. "Uncommon."
Then a green one. "Common."
A larger blue one. "Rare."
Next, a purple with faint silver lines. "Epic."
Finally, the glowing orange heart of the bag. "Legendary."
"And above that?" Peterson asked.
Lili hesitated before answering. "Two more. Mythical—that's red—and God-tier, rainbow. But those…" She shook her head. "Those are more myth than truth. People talk about them like ghost stories. I've only heard of one being seen, never confirmed."
Wilkens whistled softly. "So these things are like… loot drops?"
Lili chuckled. "Exactly. But unlike games, they don't respawn. Once you kill one, it's gone. And each crystal carries part of the beast's essence. You can use it to strengthen weapons or armor—if you know how."
Jean-Daniel's eyes gleamed. "So, we can fuse them? Like… add their powers?"
"Pretty much," she said. "Insert a crystal into your weapon, and it gains a bit of that beast's power. A fire beast crystal can make your blade burn. A shadow beast's can make your armor absorb light. The Great Demon Hyena's crystal…" Her eyes flicked to the orange gem. "…might make you unstoppable for a short time."
Peterson turned the crystal in his hands. "So that's what I felt in the fight. It wasn't just rage—it was power trying to get out."
Lili nodded. "Exactly. That's why the system awakened further. Your Veve's Path reacts to the energy of the Loa's world. These crystals feed it."
Amanda leaned closer, curious despite herself. "But if these things are that strong, how come we've never seen any around here?"
"Because," Lili said softly, "they exist between worlds. Only when the barrier weakens—like it has lately—can they cross into ours. You wouldn't recognize one until it's already tearing through your neighborhood."
Jean-Daniel grimaced. "Fantastic. So we're living between two worlds that hate boundaries."
Wilkens tapped his chin. "And we just happen to be the idiots standing in the middle."
Lili smiled faintly. "Pretty much."
The group fell quiet for a moment, staring at the rainbow spread across Peterson's bed. Then Lili stood and brushed her hands. "All right, that's the crash course. I've got to head home to the Loa's world—my family's expecting me. Keep those crystals safe. Don't try using them yet. They need purification first."
Peterson nodded. "Got it."
She slung her bag over her shoulder. "I'll come back tomorrow night. And, Pete… take it slow. You're growing fast, but you're not invincible."
He smirked. "I'll keep that in mind."
As she opened a shimmering portal in the corner of the room, the light danced across the walls. The twins waved goodbye, Wilkens gave a casual salute, and Jean-Daniel muttered, "She's way too calm for someone who just walked out of a nightmare."
"Practice," Peterson said. "Lots of practice."
When the light faded, the room felt strangely quiet again. The boys excused themselves—Jean-Daniel heading home to check on his sisters, Wilkens promising to drop by later. The twins stayed behind, glued to their phones, giggling at videos.
Peterson stretched and let out a deep breath. "Guess it's just me and the crystals now."
He sat at his desk, opened his system interface, and scanned the translucent windows that hovered before his eyes.
> [Player: Peterson Joseph]
Level 14 – XP 120 / 2000
HP 240 / 240
Mana 190 / 190
Titles: Voodoo Clan Leader, The Fearless Devil
New Skills: Weapon Mastery II, Veve Mantle
Stat Points: +15 Unassigned
He rubbed his chin thoughtfully. "Okay, let's do this."
He opened his stat allocation menu and began assigning points, muttering as he worked.
"Five to Strength… because smashing stuff felt good.
Four to Willpower… helps me hold the Veve form longer.
Three to Agility—because dodging is life.
Two to Defense, one to Intelligence."
The system blinked.
> [Stats Updated]
Total Power Increased by 15%
He leaned back. "Not bad."
Then he opened the descriptions for his new skills.
> Weapon Mastery II:
Faster transformations between weapon types, greater precision, bonus +20% damage when chaining three or more transformations in battle.
Veve Mantle:
Temporarily enhances physical and spiritual defense. Scales with Willpower. Lasts 60 seconds. Cooldown 5 minutes.
He grinned. "So basically, I'm becoming a human blender."
"Talking to yourself again?" Amanda said from behind her phone.
"System review," he said. "You wouldn't understand."
"Try me," she teased.
He laughed. "Maybe later."
After finishing his review, fatigue caught up to him. He stretched, yawned, and flopped onto the bed beside the pile of crystals. The faint glow lulled him into sleep.
---
He woke just before sunset. The scent of food drifted up from the kitchen—fried plantains, beans, and rice. His stomach growled loud enough to wake the dead. He headed downstairs to find his mother already serving plates.
"Look who's finally alive," she said, smirking. "You were out cold since morning."
"Yeah," he said, scratching his head. "Guess training hit harder than expected."
"Training," she repeated. "That better mean school work too."
"Of course," he lied with an innocent grin.
She rolled her eyes but smiled. "Eat, then go help me wash the dishes before you disappear again."
"Yes, Manman," he said automatically, taking his plate.
Dinner felt normal—comfortably, wonderfully normal. The noise, the teasing, even Miranda stealing the last plantain. For a moment, the world of Loa, crystals, and demon beasts felt far away.
After helping his mother, Peterson stepped outside. The street was cooling, painted orange by the last of the sun. A familiar whistle came from down the road—Jean-Daniel and Wilkens waving.
"Took you long enough!" Jean-Daniel shouted.
"Some of us have chores," Peterson shot back.
They met near the old soccer field behind the school, the same place they'd trained before the chaos started. The grass was damp, the air heavy with the scent of rain. Wilkens stretched lazily, shadows flickering around his feet.
"So," he said, "you gonna tell us everything or do we need popcorn?"
Peterson chuckled and told them. About the fight. The endless waves of demon hyenas. The transformation. The Great Demon Hyena. Lili's arrival. The Midnight King. Everything—except the fear.
When he finished, Jean-Daniel whistled. "Man, you've been living an entire season of anime while we're out here doing homework."
"Speak for yourself," Wilkens said, cracking his knuckles. "I was practicing shadow warps. Almost teleported into my fridge."
"That's not training, that's hunger management," Jean-Daniel said.
Peterson laughed. "Let's see what you've got then."
They squared up in the field, using the moonlight as their witness. Jean-Daniel's aura flared red, raw power buzzing at his fists. Wilkens' shadow swirled beneath him, stretching like living tar. Peterson gripped his staff, letting it flow through sword, axe, and whip forms in one fluid sequence.
Jean-Daniel smirked. "Try not to break the field this time."
"No promises," Peterson said.
They clashed.
Grass flattened beneath their feet, the air humming from each strike. Wilkens vanished into shadow and reappeared behind Peterson; Jean-Daniel lunged forward with a fiery punch. Peterson spun, shifting his staff into a whip, snagging Jean-Daniel's arm, then twisting to block Wilkens' kick.
For a few minutes, it was all movement—shouts, laughter, the rhythm of training that felt less like a fight and more like a dance. They weren't trying to win; they were trying to remember who they were.
When they finally collapsed into the grass, breathing hard, Wilkens chuckled. "You ever think about how insane this all sounds?"
Jean-Daniel wiped sweat from his forehead. "We're fighting monsters and talking to gods, bro. I stopped thinking three chapters ago."
Peterson lay back, staring at the stars. "We're not just fighting monsters. We're getting ready for something bigger."
Wilkens looked at him. "You think it's coming soon?"
"Yeah," Peterson said quietly. "I can feel it. The Loa world's shifting. And the Midnight King isn't done with me yet."
Jean-Daniel sighed, rolling onto his side. "Then we better be ready too."
Peterson smiled faintly. "We will be."
They lay there in silence for a while, the stars bright above them, the world feeling almost peaceful again.
But deep down, Peterson knew peace never lasted long in his story.