The faint glow of the system menu hovered in the air, its shifting runes and faintly luminous icons spilling blue light across the dim inn room. Loid leaned forward at the table, elbows braced, one hand rubbing his temple as the other scrolled slowly through the shop interface. His eyes flicked over dozens of lists, equipment, spells, passives, summons. Each shimmered with possibility, yet each also carried the same problem: cost.
Selvara sat across from him, silent. She rested her forearms on the edge of the table, silver eyes fixed on Loid rather than the interface. The faintest crease touched her brow, not of impatience, but of concentration, as though she were watching not the shop, but him, studying the lines of worry across his face.
Loid exhaled slowly. "Alright… I think we can rule out a few things right away."
Selvara tilted her head slightly. "Such as?"
"Mounts. Pets," he said bluntly, tapping the menu to close an entire section. "I wanted to go for one, believe me, I really did. But you don't even have an active slot for them yet. I checked twice. Even if I bought one now, it would just sit locked in limbo. A complete waste."
A flicker of something unreadable passed through Selvara's expression. "What kind of creatures?"
Loid gave a soft, rueful laugh. "Oh, don't tempt me. The options at rank F are already better than I expected. There's a dire wolf, massive thing, costs forty coins. Would've been worth every bit if we could field it. And an armored warhorse, thirty coins. Just imagine you riding into battle on something like that, half the goblin horde would scatter before you even drew your blade."
Her lips twitched faintly, almost a smile. "And?"
"Don't get me started on the pets or companions," Loid muttered, running a hand down his face. "A bloodhound, perfect for tracking wounded prey, sniffing out ambushes. There's a hawk, too, trained to scout the skies for miles. With those, we'd never be blind to the terrain. We could've covered so many weaknesses." His voice softened, frustration bleeding into it. "But without a slot… it's just out of reach."
He sat back heavily, sighing through his nose. "So that dream's shelved. At least for now."
Selvara regarded him steadily. "You seem… disappointed."
Loid gave a half-shrug. "Of course I am. Having a reliable mount or a scout animal would've given us leverage in ways brute strength can't. But…" He waved his hand through the glowing icons, dismissing them. "I can't afford to make choices based on what I want. It has to be what you need. And right now, pets and mounts are off the board."
Selvara leaned back in her chair, crossing her arms loosely. "Then weapons? Armor?"
Loid hesitated before answering. His eyes skimmed the lists one more time, the light from the runes reflecting in his tired gaze. "They're… not bad. Plenty of solid choices. Iron-forged blades enhanced with runic edges, hardened cuirasses that would make some soldiers jealous. But…" He shook his head. "They don't scale. Thirty coins for a weapon you'll outgrow in a month? Armor that gives only a marginal increase over what you already endure? It's not worth it. Not now. You're already leagues ahead of ordinary steel."
He gestured vaguely at her. "You don't need sharper metal. You need… sharper edges elsewhere."
Selvara considered this, then gave a single nod. "Fair."
Loid swiped through another tab, his voice steady but thoughtful. "The passive and artifacts options are even worse. All of them are just flat boosts. Ten percent here, a tiny push there. It looks good on paper, but when you're facing a horde that multiplies overnight, ten percent won't tip the scales. It'll just keep you a little less dead for a little longer."
He let the menu hover still, then folded his arms, thinking aloud. "That leaves skills."
Selvara leaned forward slightly, her interest sharpening. "Skills."
Loid gave her a sidelong glance, lips twitching at her bluntness. "Yes, skills or abilities. And this is where things finally get… interesting." He tapped the air, pulling up three icons side by side. Each shimmered with faint inscriptions, descriptions scrolling beneath them. "There are a lot of F-rank skills, but most of the really promising ones are still out of reach, sixty, seventy coins at least. That said… there are three we can afford right now and all three are designed for mobility. Which, frankly, might be exactly what you need."
He turned the screen slightly toward her, even though she couldn't see the system text. He explained anyway, careful and precise.
"First: Momentum Shift. It costs thirty coins, our exact budget. It lets you store kinetic energy from one step and pour it into the next. Each stride amplifies the next, meaning your sprint becomes a chain of near-leaps. It even allows zig-zagging movement sharp enough to throw off enemy aim. It's… essentially controlled chaos. A rhythm breaker."
Selvara's gaze lingered on him. "Dangerous to master?"
Loid smiled faintly, almost impressed by the question. "Oh, absolutely. It would demand balance, precision. Misjudge the release and you'd lunge off-course or stumble. But in your hands? I think it could be devastating."
He flicked the first icon aside and tapped the next.
"Second: Fleetfoot. Same cost, thirty coins. A subtler option. Grants you a kind of light-footedness. Lets you run across mud, shallow water, even unstable rubble as if it were solid, flat ground. It comes with a small speed increase, twenty percent. Nothing dramatic, but incredibly reliable in bad terrain."
Selvara gave the barest hum of approval. "Practical."
"Exactly," Loid agreed. "It's not flashy. It won't win duels. But if you're forced into a swamp, or chasing enemies through collapsed ruins, it guarantees you'll never be slowed. That reliability is… tempting."
He dismissed the second and brought up the last.
"Third: Haste Step. Same cost again. This one's straightforward but potent: a burst of speed, fifty percent movement boost, thirty percent faster reactions, for fifteen seconds. Perfect for dodging arrows, weaving through spear lines, flanking. But when it ends, there's a catch. Mild fatigue. You'd be slower, briefly."
Selvara's eyes narrowed slightly. "Trade-off."
"Exactly." Loid leaned back, exhaling. "So. That's the set. Three paths. A constant trickle of reliable mobility… a sudden burst at a cost… or Momentum Shift, which plays with physics itself."
He rubbed his eyes, muttering. "All good. All viable. And yet…"
Selvara tilted her head again. "And yet?"
Loid looked at her then, steady. "Momentum Shift. It fits you. It takes precision, discipline, courage to wield it without breaking your own stride. You've already proven you can move through a battlefield with rhythm, cutting through the chaos. This amplifies that. Makes it unpredictable. Makes you unpredictable. It doesn't just give speed, it gives control of space."
A silence followed, the faint hum of the inn outside their room filling it. Selvara studied him, her gaze neither cold nor warm, but intent. At last, she spoke. "You sound… certain."
Loid chuckled softly. "I've been wrong before. But this time… yes. I'm certain."
He tapped the icon firmly. The glow shifted, and a chime rang faintly as thirty gold vanished from the counter. The skill's sigil flared, then dissolved into the air, into her.
Selvara inhaled slowly. A faint shimmer passed across her skin, gone in an instant. She flexed her hands once, then stood without hesitation.
"Test," she said simply.
Loid blinked, then scrambled to his feet. "Right. Let's, uh, take this outside. I'd rather not pay for broken walls."
---
They stepped into the empty courtyard behind the inn. The moon hung pale above them, clouds dragging like torn banners across the night sky. The ground was uneven, patches of mud and scattered crates left from the battle's aftermath.
Selvara stood at one end of the yard, blade sheathed, posture calm. She drew one slow breath, then began to move.
Her first step was ordinary. Her second carried a faint shimmer of momentum, her stride stretching unnaturally long. By the third, she was covering twice the distance she should have, her body surging forward like a drawn bowstring loosed. She twisted, changed direction sharply, and the stored force snapped sideways, flinging her into a darting leap. To Loid's eyes, it was as though she flickered across the yard, her steps chaining into something almost inhuman.
She stopped after a final bound, landing with both feet dug deep into the earth. Dust scattered. She straightened, silver hair drifting loose around her face, her expression as composed as ever.
Loid's jaw hung slightly open. "Well. That… was terrifying."
Selvara glanced at him. "Efficient."
"Efficient?" He laughed, shaking his head. "That was more than efficient. You just turned the ground into a weapon. Arrows won't touch you, and foot soldiers won't even follow your rhythm. It's like watching a storm take form."
She flexed her hand, frowning slightly. "Cost?"
Loid tilted his head. "Mana draw, you mean?"
She gave a single nod. "Felt… weight. Small, but present."
Loid's expression sobered. "Right. I should've guessed. Skills like this chew through spirit reserves, and yours aren't exactly… abundant." He tapped his chin. "We'll need to prioritize raising your spirit attribute from here on. No point giving you weapons if your body collapses after three bursts."
Selvara's gaze lingered on him, steady and unwavering. "You choose."
Loid gave a soft huff of laughter, almost disbelieving. "You trust me that much, huh?"
"Yes, yes I do." The answer came without hesitation.
For a moment, Loid simply stared at her. The quiet certainty in her tone made something in his chest tighten. He looked away, scratching at his cheek. "…Alright then. Spirit it is. I'll make sure your body can keep pace with what we give you."
---
Back inside, Selvara lowered herself onto the bed again, her movements slower now, the faintest edge of fatigue touching her frame. Loid extinguished the system screen, the glow fading until only the inn's lantern remained, flickering against the wooden walls.
She leaned back against the headboard, eyes half-lidded. "Useful choice."
Loid sat at the chair again, arms folding. "Glad you think so."
She regarded him quietly. "You are… thorough."
He chuckled, rubbing his eyes.
For a moment, the room was still. Loid's chest rose, then fell with a slow breath. "…Thanks."
Selvara closed her eyes, exhaling, the faintest trace of weariness slipping into her posture. "We sleep now."
Loid smiled faintly. "Yes, Commander."
He dimmed the lantern, leaving only the soft hush of night outside. Selvara's breathing steadied into rhythm, her body easing into rest. Loid sat a while longer, watching the shadows play across the room, mind still buzzing with lists and choices, before exhaustion claimed him as well.