The early hours of a new day brought fresh, cool air as the sun began rising on the horizon. Most of the Bastion still slept, not yet stirred into activity, yet Courage was already out of his home and heading toward the docks to venture into the wilds.
His previous hunt had presented him with a potentially big opportunity - the Silver Vice. That's why he wanted to return to the caves as soon as possible, to confirm if this opportunity was truly as good as he hoped. Having prepared much earlier than usual, he decided to depart at first light to make the most of his time. Fortunately, there was always someone operating at the docks, keeping this critical travel point functional around the clock.
After climbing onto the platform, he signaled with his token, causing the mechanism to begin its descent into the wilds below.
After reaching the base of the cliff, Courage began his eastward trek back to the caves. The two-hour journey on foot brought him to the familiar entrance, where he summoned Kabuto from his soul domain. The beetle, now fully recovered from their previous ordeal, followed closely as they retraced their path through the cavern system.
Soon they stood before the same dark lake from yesterday's encounter. This time, Courage exercised caution - he carefully surveyed the area for hidden threats like more Mirage Piper bats. Having been caught off guard twice already in these caves, a third surprise would be downright embarrassing.
After Confirming that no immediate dangers lurked nearby, he finally prepared to test his plan. From his storage boon, he produced a large cow-like meat thigh. Securing his flail's chain around one end, he heaved the makeshift bait into the water with all his strength, the heavy splash echoing through the cavern.
Courage's plan was simple: replicate yesterday's encounter. If he could fish out another Silver Vice from these dark waters, then this cave might become his personal goldmine. If not? Then yesterday's haul was just luck—a windfall never to be repeated.
Kabuto cautiously stood beside him as the meat-thigh bait sank into the inky water. The chain stretched taut in Courage's grip, his flail ready to either hook a fortune or prove this venture futile. Seconds stretched. The lake's surface remained unnervingly still.
Was there even another—
Then the chain jerked. Hard.
Something had taken the bait.
Courage gave an order to Kabuto—"Take the chain!"—learning from yesterday's mistake. No more being ragdolled by whatever lurked beneath the water . He retreated several paces, letting his beetle shoulder the strain.
Kabuto's claws clamped onto the links, muscles flexing as he began the grueling retrieval. The chain sawed through the water, shortening inch by stubborn inch. Violent tugs from the submerged creature sent spray flying, but Kabuto held firm—his strength outmatched the thrashing.
The shallows erupted in chaos. Water churned as something massive breached near the shore, its silhouette distorting the surface. Then—
With a swoosh of water, the creature finally revealed itself. Despite Courage's hopes for another Silver Vice, what emerged instead was an eel-like creature. It measured three meters in length with a half-meter diameter body—not much larger than Kabuto. Its dark, sleek scales had an oily shine, and its slithering movements gave it a repulsive, leech-like appearance.
Courage recognized it immediately: a Tar Scale Eel, a species known to inhabit lightless waters. While disappointed it wasn't his target, he acknowledged this creature belonged in this environment—this wasn't just bad luck. Still, he needed to clear his line.
The eel clung stubbornly to the bait, thrashing wildly until Kabuto finally dragged it completely from the water. Sensing threat, it prepared to lunge—but Courage was ready. He grabbed his lantern and shone the light directly at it.
He knew the Tar Scale Eel's weakness: an intense fear of light. The moment the light hit it, the creature froze in fear, giving Kabuto the perfect opening. The beetle seized the slippery creature by the neck, slammed it against the cave floor, then rained heavy blows on its head until it stopped moving.
Just like that, the threat was neutralized with minimal effort.
With the eel dealt with, Courage stashed its body in his pouch after a thorough inspection. His bait, though slightly diminished, remained usable—so he cast it back into the dark waters.
Hours crawled by in a frustrating cycle. Cast. Wait. Haul. Repeat. But instead of the prized Silver Vice, his efforts yielded only more Tar Scale Eels—each dispatched with the same light-and-pound method—and the occasional Stoneback Catfish, another common denizen of these underground waters.
By the time he paused to assess his haul, his pouch held five eels and three catfish... but not a single Silver Vice.
Courage gritted his teeth. He'd gone through two full baits now. Was his offering unappealing to Silver Vices? Were there other factors at play? Or had that first catch truly been nothing but dumb luck?
Refusing to concede defeat, he mentally reviewed everything he knew about the creatures—until suddenly, an idea sparked.
With renewed determination, Courage prepared his next cast - this time using one of the eel carcasses as bait. Working together with Kabuto, he launched the fresh bait deep into the dark lake waters. After a tense thirty-minute wait, something finally took the bait. Kabuto, now well-practiced at this task, began hauling the catch ashore, though this time the resistance was significantly stronger than before - a fact that made Courage's heart race with anticipation. When the thrashing creature finally broke the surface, his hopes were confirmed: it was indeed a Silver Vice. An inward cheer rose in Courage's chest - his theory had been correct. Either these predators preferred fresh meat or only recognized native cave creatures as prey. Now facing the familiar foe, Courage implemented his pre-planned strategy: he first commanded Kabuto to initiate the attack and gain positional advantage, then activate both [Flux] and [All Out] to deliver powerful, targeted strikes against the vulnerable joints he'd learned about from their previous encounter. This time, he wouldn't be fighting blindly .
The battle erupted in a flurry of silver and chitin. The Silver Vice swung its crushing claws like war clubs, snapping them violently to deter Kabuto's advance - but the beetle moved with precision. Horn raised, he deflected a right-handed strike, pivoted to block the left, ducked a sudden vice-grip attempt, then sidestepped as a claw slammed down where he stood a heartbeat before. The creature's wild attacks left openings - and Kabuto exploited them ruthlessly. Two piston-like punches and a spearpoint horn jab struck the shoulder joint in rapid succession, producing a sickening crack. Immediately, the Vice's movements grew labored - that claw now swung slower, the entire limb moving with obvious damage. Yet Kabuto didn't relent. He maintained the pressure, methodically battering weakened joints while mixing in shell-cracking body blows, each impact chipping away at the beast's formidable defense
After a while The Silver Vice's movements grew sluggish, its once-deadly claws now dragging through the dirt. "Not too far now,"Courage murmured, watching the beast struggle. Every desperate attack was met with Kabuto's unwavering defense—each block, dodge, and counter pushing the creature closer to defeat. Then, in a final act of desperation, the Vice abandoned all strategy and lunged, hurling its entire body at Kabuto in a crushing tackle. And that would be it's final mistake.
The beetle didn't flinch. In one fluid motion, Kabuto activated [Flurry Strike] to pinpoint weaknesses, then using [Flux] it channeled every ounce of power brought out by [All Out]'s into a single, devastating uppercut to the Vice's exposed underbelly. The impact cracked its armored shell like pottery and sent the massive beast airborne before it crashed down with a ground-shaking thud. Twitching once, twice—then stillness. The battle was over.
A beat of silence hung in the cavern as the adrenaline faded—then Courage exploded into celebration. "Hell yeah!" he whooped, rushing to Kabuto's side. With one hand, he patted the beetle's scarred shell in proud approval; with the other, he pulled out a Health Drop fruit and stamina potion from his pouch. Though this fight had gone better than the last one with kabuto sustaining fewer injuries, it is still was no easy feat as the Silver Vice was no pushover. Kabuto's labored breathing and trembling limbs proved that much.
As the remedies took effect, Courage turned to the fallen beast. His storage boon activated, shimmering as it absorbed the massive carcass. Already, his mind raced with calculations: This one's bigger than the last. Perfect condition. The claws alone—
A grin split his face. This changed everything
Back at the bastion, Courage finally sold his hard-earned score - the Silver Vice alone fetching a whopping 30,000 credits.
Inside, Courage was boiling with happiness. "I just made more than 30,000 credits in one hunt",he thought, that's almost as much as a medium-sized hunting party would make in a full season! and it was all his. No splits. No shares. Just pure, glistening profit. And what made this fact even better is that he knew he could make even more.
His face twisted into a dopey, slack-jawed grin, saliva nearly dripping as he trembled like a drunken man . "Ohhhh," he giggled to himself, swaying slightly, "Ain't no feeling better than stacks like this—"
But eventually he caught the disapproving stares from nearby people. Clearing his throat, he straightened up—but the giddy spark in his eyes refused to die. "This was the beginning of a very good life" .
And what a good life it turned out to be indeed. From that day forward, Courage settled into a perfect cycle—when his funds ran low, he'd hunt a few Silver Vices, racking up credits faster than most teams earned in months. Then with his pockets full, he'd return to the Bastion and pour everything into Kabuto's growth, buying premium cultivation materials and exclusive deals without hesitation, never cutting corners. Then, when savings dwindled, he'd simply repeat the process.
What began as high-stakes hunting soon became almost leisurely. With each iteration, Kabuto grew stronger, the hunts grew easier, and Courage's pockets stayed comfortably heavy.
Money flowed. His beast thrived.
Life, for once, was simple.
Two months of prosperity had transformed Courage's once-spartan apartment into a space of comfortable clutter. New furnishings, quality appliances, and small luxuries littered the room—proof he didn't shy from spending on himself.
Sipping coffee atop his upgraded bed, he scrolled through his interface with a satisfied smirk:
Grand Fighting Kabuto (Level 1)
- Grade: High
- Growth: 39% (▲25% in 8 weeks)
- Type: Vigor
- Traits: [None]
- Abilities: [All Out], [Flurry Strike], [Flux]
The numbers told the story. Where most beast catalysers needed four months of grinding for 10% growth on Thier beast, Courage had more than doubled that progress in half the time. The secret? A little cheat called "having money"
After finishing his beast cultivation for the day, Courage decided to take the rest of it off. He left his home and strolled all the way to the Plato District, eventually reaching the Warp Gate. The area around the Warp Gate was a large open space with several monolith like terminals scattered about, and right in the center stood the Warp Gate itself - a circular elevated platform about 30 meters in diameter.
It doesn't take much to understand the vital importance of Warp Gates to a Bastion's survival. These structures create stable bridges between the Blend and Earth. In the early days, the only way to enter the Blend was through Casam Wounds - literal tears in reality that were incredibly dangerous. Even if passing through didn't kill you immediately, it could still lead to countless horrific outcomes. Most commonly, people would be transported to random, deadly locations in the Blend: the bottom of an ocean, a monster's den, the peak of an inescapable mountain, or even directly into a creature's stomach. It's safe to say that the majority of casualties during early colonization attempts resulted from this unreliable method of travel. Fortunately, humanity eventually developed dimensional travel technology, inventing the Warp Gate system. Once stable entry points were established, it was then that the colonization of the blend really took off .
With reliable entry points into the Blend facilitating the easy transportation of workers, resources, and equipment, humanity managed to establish the first Bastions—some of which became central hubs for operations in this strange world. From there, expeditions pushed further to construct additional Warp Gates in new regions, expanding humanity range of influence across the Blend. Even Grand Cliff Bastion, Courage's starting point in this world, was established through this method.
However, despite constant improvements since its invention, Warp Gate technology still faced some limitations. The Gates didn't operate continuously; instead, they functioned within fixed time windows. For example, the Warp Gate in Grand Cliff Bastion only activated for about five days once every three months. This meant anyone entering the Blend had to wait for that brief window to leave or return. Courage didn't understand the science behind it, but all Warp Gates operated this way—though some had slightly different schedules
This cyclical operation meant Warp Gate activation days became frenetic events. The entire Bastion mobilized to exchange critical resources with Earth's Citadels - food shipments, equipment repairs, rare materials. But more than goods changed hands: information flowed freely during these brief windows, as normal communication between Earth and the Blend proved impossible.
The implications were stark - whenever the Gate closed, Grand Cliff Bastion became an isolated outpost, cut off from command structures and forced to rely entirely on its own stockpiles and ingenuity until the next activation period.
Today was the first day of the Warp Gate's activation period but Courage decided to swing by early before the connection to Earth was severed for another three months. He wasn't planning on going back anytime soon, the Blend was where the money was, after all, but that didn't mean he wanted to be completely cut off from the world he came from. News from Earth might not affect his day-to-day survival, but staying informed was still important. Who knew when some political shift, economic crash, or new technological breakthrough might ripple out and change life in the Bastions?
He approached one of the towering monolith terminals near the Warp Gate, its surface humming faintly with energy. With a mental command, his neural implant synced to the system, and streams of data flickered across his vision—headlines, bulletins, and reports from Earth's Citadels. He scrolled through the latest updates but as he read he found Nothing major. Nothing worth concerning himself with at least, still it was good to check. The last thing he wanted was to be blindsided months from now because he hadn't bothered to skim the news while he had the chance.
Satisfied, he disconnected from the terminal just as a warning chime echoed through the plaza—the Gate would be closing for today. Around him, last-minute cargo shipments were being rushed through, and a few latecomers hurried to board before the connection severed.
Courage lingered just a moment longer, watching the shimmering portal. Then, with a shrug, he turned and walked away.