Kealix jolted upright, heart hammering as the ground rumbled beneath him. The tremor wasn't just noise—it was pressure, rolling through the earth like a living thing, waking every nerve in his body. His mind was still fogged with sleep, disoriented by the abrupt awakening. For the third night in a row, something had interrupted his rest.
Seriously? Can't I get through one night without something crashing through the trees?
He turned instinctively, reaching to wake the others—but Thalia was already awake. She sat in perfect stillness, her body upright and composed, facing the source of the sound with the calm intensity of a blade waiting to be drawn.
Kealix blinked, surprised. Then his eyes shifted to where Leo should've been, but his bedroll was empty.
"Hey… Thalia," Kealix whispered, voice hoarse from sleep. "Do you know where Leo is?"
Thalia didn't respond immediately. She simply lifted one gloved hand and pointed ahead.
Kealix followed her gesture.
Leo was there—low to the ground, his body tensed like a coiled spring. Hands splayed in the dirt, knees bent, muscles taut beneath his cloak. He looked like he was preparing to launch forward, like a predator who'd found its prey. His eyes never left the treeline.
He's really going to fight it… whatever it is?
Kealix's voice was barely a breath. "Is he seriously planning on going head-to-head with that thing?"
Thalia gave a slow, measured nod. "He can handle himself," she said quietly. "And you'll see, we can handle ourselves too."
Kealix wasn't so sure. His eyes locked onto Leo's crouched form, nerves fraying with every second. Cold sweat slid down the back of his neck, clinging like a warning. The rumbling grew louder, heavier, as if something massive was forcing its way through the forest—something that didn't belong to this world.
And then, suddenly, it stopped.
The silence was worse than the noise.
Why did it stop? Where is it?
He barely had time to ask before the forest split open.
A wall of leaves and branches exploded outward as a monstrous pale shape burst through the treeline, hitting the ground with a force that shook the air. The impact sent a wave of dust and broken twigs sweeping past them. The beast was massive much bigger than the other pale beasts Kealix had faced so far. Its body was layered in thick muscle, its limbs built for power. Long fangs jutted from its gaping maw, and though it had no visible eyes, its movements were precise, almost intelligent.
Kealix's breath caught in his throat.
He's up against that?
Panic surged through him sharp and sudden. His instincts screamed at him to run, to hide, to disappear into the trees and never look back. But Leo didn't move from his crouch. His usual grin was gone. So was the cocky gleam in his eyes. What remained was focus pure, lethal focus.
Then he moved.
Leo shot forward like a bolt of lightning, the ground cracking beneath him as he launched himself at the beast. Kealix could barely track the motion it was a blur of motion and dust, too fast for his tired mind to follow.
The creature reacted, head jerking as it twisted aside. Somehow, despite having no eyes, it sensed the incoming attack. It let out a roar that tore through the clearing, rattling Kealix's bones and leaving his ears ringing.
But Leo didn't falter.
He twisted in midair, adjusting his momentum with impossible precision. His blade came down in a sweeping arc, slicing deep into the creature's flank. A spurt of dark ichor followed, and the beast howled a guttural, pained sound that echoed into the night.
Leo landed hard but steady, skidding back into a ready stance as the beast recoiled.
Kealix stood frozen, blood pounding in his ears. His body was still, but inside, everything trembled. The fear hadn't passed but for the first time, he saw it clearly:
Leo wasn't just reckless.
He was dangerous.
And this world… this world didn't wait for you to feel ready.
It demanded everything now.
Kealix watched the battle unfold, completely transfixed. His eyes stayed locked on Leo, unable to look away. The way he moved fluid, deliberate, powerful it was unlike anything Kealix had ever seen. Not that he'd seen many fighters in his life, but even without experience, he could tell: Leo wasn't just skilled. He was exceptional.
Every movement had purpose. Every strike had weight. Leo didn't just fight the beast he controlled the battlefield.
The creature growled, its wounded flank pulsing with strange energy. Kealix narrowed his eyes. The torn flesh was moving rippling, shifting. Then, right in front of him, the gash began to close. Muscles knitted back together, layers of skin reformed, and in mere seconds, the beast stood tall again, fully healed.
How is that even fair?! Kealix thought, a chill running down his spine.
With a guttural snarl, the creature hurled itself at Leo with renewed fury. Its speed was unreal—faster than before, faster than Leo had moved.
It launched into the air, claws extended, ready to crush him.
But Leo didn't move.
He didn't even flinch.
Kealix's breath caught. His whole body tensed.
The beast was almost on him only meters away, claws outstretched, pale hide gleaming under the fractured moonlight.
Then, in the blink of an eye, everything changed.
Time didn't exactly stop… but it slowed. Kealix could feel it his senses heightened in the sheer tension of the moment. He saw it happen with a strange clarity, like his mind wanted to remember every detail.
Leo shifted.
Just a single, precise sidestep so fluid it was as if he'd been waiting for this exact moment.
The beast soared past him, and before it could even register the dodge, Leo's blade was already rising.
With an explosive upward strike, the sword sliced clean through the creature's neck.
In one swift, devastating motion, the beast was decapitated.
Its momentum carried the lifeless body forward before it collapsed onto the ashen grass with a thundering crash. Blood pooled rapidly, soaking the brittle soil beneath it. The forest fell silent once more, save for the faint crackle of broken branches and the fading echoes of the beast's final roar.
Kealix stared in awe.
He… he really did it. Just like that.
There was no fanfare. No triumphant yell or dramatic pose. Leo simply stood there, sword lowered, chest rising and falling with quiet control.
He really is incredible.
Kealix's admiration swelled into something more than awe. It was a quiet resolve. He needed to become strong too. If he didn't want to drag the others down, if he wanted to stand by their side instead of behind them, he had to reach that level. Somehow.
Without thinking, he began running toward Leo. The battle was over now he just wanted to stand next to him, to say something, anything.
But halfway there, Leo's body suddenly wavered.
Then he collapsed.
Kealix's heart jumped into his throat. "Leo!"
He sprinted the rest of the distance, dropping to his knees beside him. Panic surged in his chest as he checked for injuries, for movement for anything. But when he reached out, he found Leo… breathing.
Asleep.
"What…?" Kealix murmured, confusion and relief crashing together.
"Don't worry," came Thalia's voice behind him. She approached slowly, calm as always. "This happens when he fights an opponent stronger than himself, in any meaningful way."
Kealix turned, frowning. "He… passes out after?"
"In a way," she said, kneeling beside Leo. "He enters a hyper-focused state a kind of controlled overdrive. It pushes his body beyond its normal limits, increases his physical output exponentially. But it drains his energy fast. He can only sustain it for about ten seconds, maybe less."
Kealix looked down at Leo's unconscious face. Despite everything, he looked peaceful like he was just taking a nap under the stars.
"That's… pretty incredible," Kealix said softly.
Kealix stood still for a while, heart slowly settling, letting the moment sink in.
The battle had ended. The world had gone quiet again. But the tension hadn't left him yet. His gaze drifted to the corpse of the massive beast sprawled across the ashen ground.
It was enormous.
Twice no, maybe three times the size of the pale worm-tigers they had encountered before. Its hide was thicker, its limbs more heavily muscled. Even now, lifeless and still, the sheer presence of the creature radiated power. The very air around it felt heavier.
Kealix took a hesitant step toward it.
"It's a queen, if you're curious," came Thalia's voice, low and calm.
Startled, Kealix turned and nearly jumped.
Her mask was right beside his. She had moved so silently, so suddenly, that he hadn't even felt her presence. Her voice was like a whisper carried by the wind.
"They lead the worm-tiger packs," she continued. "This one must've been enraged because you wiped out her kin."
Kealix's eyes widened. A queen? That explained everything the size, the rage, the unnatural regeneration. His mind raced to compare the beast to the others. If the typical worm-tiger was monstrous… this one was a behemoth. He estimated it at nearly ten meters in length, maybe more. Three, three and a half meters tall at the shoulder. In the fight with Leo, it had towered over him like a creature from myth.
And yet, as he stared at its lifeless form… he didn't feel fear.
He didn't feel curiosity, either.
There was something else. Something deeper. A strange pull in his chest, a whisper in his blood. An instinct.
Reach out.
He took another step forward, slowly.
"Thalia," he asked without looking away from the queen's body, "what do you plan to do with it?"
"Destroy it," she replied, her tone still quiet but firm. "A corpse like this left out overnight would only attract stronger predators. We can't afford that."
Kealix tilted his head slightly, a small grin creeping across his face. There was a flicker in his eyes, the spark of an idea risky, but powerful.
"I might have a better option," he said, voice trembling slightly as if his body sensed the danger even before his mind fully grasped it.
Without waiting for a response, Kealix stepped closer to the fallen queen and extended his right arm.
The metallic surface of Dying Star gleamed faintly in the moonlight.
He exhaled slowly, centering himself. The noise of the world faded—no rustling leaves, no shifting wind, no heartbeat. Just silence.
Then he placed his hand on the corpse.
The moment he made contact, a surge of energy passed through him like a pulse. Doubt, fear, hesitation they all evaporated. His mind sharpened into a singular focus, and Dying Star responded instantly.
His metal arm began to shift.
With a quiet whir, the segmented metal began to disassemble, breaking apart in a smooth spiral. At its core, a bright, pulsing light emerged a sphere of violet energy, radiating with otherworldly intensity.
The Aether Core.
The hovering fragments circled it like planets around a sun, casting an ethereal purple glow across the battlefield. The ground lit up beneath him. Shadows danced against the trees.
Then the core reached out.
Tendrils of light stretched from its surface, weaving toward the queen's body. The moment the light touched the corpse, it began to dissolve, its massive form breaking apart into shimmering particles of violet light, as if being pulled into another realm.
Thalia watched silently, her expression unreadable beneath the mask. But her posture had changed subtly leaned forward, intrigued.
The process took only seconds, but for Kealix, it felt longer like time stretched around the ritual. The queen's form gradually faded into the glowing tide until nothing remained.
And then, just as it began, the process reversed.
The Aether Core pulsed one final time, brighter than before, before the metal fragments swiftly spiraled back into place, reassembling into the form of Kealix's arm. The glow faded, and the forest dimmed once more.
Kealix staggered.
His knees buckled for a moment, but he caught himself before falling. Sweat dripped down his brow. His breath came in ragged gasps. The exertion had taken its toll—but he'd done it.
Then, a familiar shimmer flickered before his eyes.
A soft chime echoed in his ears, and the translucent blue interface of the system appeared, hovering silently in front of him.
His heart skipped a beat as he read the words.
[Congratulations, Shining Star Kealix.]
[Your Aether-Bound Relic: Dying Star has successfully absorbed a Rank 3 Aetheric Beast.]
[Relic Evolution Complete: Dying Star is now a Rank 2 Aether-Bound Relic.]