The night air clung heavy to their armor as Angela and Selvara trudged back through the town gates. The streets were quieter now, torches sputtering as most townsfolk had retired. Angela's greatsword was still streaked with dried ichor, and Selvara's estoc gleamed faintly in the moonlight, freshly cleaned but not yet polished.
They moved in silence, each step echoing faintly on the cobblestones until they reached the inn. Lanterns burned low inside, casting long shadows across the hallway as they climbed the stairs. When Angela pushed open they immediately saw loid.
Loid was seated on the bed, his posture rigid, his eyes fixed on something only he could see. His expression carried a mix of awe and calculation. He barely looked up as they entered.
The UI shimmered faintly in his vision:
[ Reputation Coins: 30.40 ]
[ Reputation Points: 5567 ]
[ Units Owned: 2 ]
[ System Level: 2 ]
He drew in a deep breath. "You're back." His voice was steady but tight.
Angela planted her sword beside the wall with a dull thud. "Barely took effort. Scuttlers won't bother the miners anymore."
Selvara nodded silently, silver eyes flicking to Loid's tense frame. She tilted her head. "What's caught your focus?"
Loid's lips curled in a restrained smile. "We finally have enough to summon another ally."
Angela's crimson braid slid across her shoulder as she straightened, grin flashing. "Another warrior?"
Selvara leaned against the wall, arms crossed. "Another burden, perhaps. Or another blade."
Loid shook his head. "Not a burden. A necessity." He stood, raising his hand toward the faint window of golden light hovering above his palm. "Alright then. Let's bring her forth."
The air thickened immediately, a low hum vibrating through the floorboards. The inn's lanternlight flickered as the system activated, runes spiraling upward from the UI into visible form. The room seemed to fold inward, silence pressing on their ears until the glow coalesced in the center.
A figure stepped through.
She was small compared to Angela and Selvara, petite in frame, but her golden hair cascaded like liquid sunlight, her eyes gleaming with sharp, noble pride. Her chin was tilted just slightly too high, her expression both beautiful and imperious, as though she expected the world itself to acknowledge her.
Angela raised a brow. "She looks… delicate."
Selvara's eyes narrowed. "Looks deceive."
The girl's golden gaze swept across the room, pausing briefly on each of them before returning to Loid. Her voice was clear, confident, tinged with entitlement. "You summoned me. State your purpose."
Loid met her gaze, steady. "First, your name."
She blinked, almost offended at being asked, then answered. "Isolde."
"Your specialty," Loid pressed. "Strength, agility, endurance… or spirit?"
Her lips curved into the faintest smirk. "Spirit. Nothing else compares."
Angela's laugh was low, almost mocking. "So the little one hides behind magic."
Isolde's cheeks colored faintly, but she tossed her hair. "Better to wield true power than swing a lump of iron like a brute."
Angela's grin sharpened. "Brute enough to crush your bones."
"Enough." Loid's voice cut firm through the air. Both women fell silent, though Angela's smirk lingered and Isolde's golden eyes flared with indignation.
Loid summoned the UI again. "You'll start at level three. That gives us seven stat points to distribute. Maxing your spirit at five should be the priority---"
"All seven," Isolde interrupted, tone commanding.
Loid blinked. "All seven? You realize---"
She stepped forward, chin lifted. "If my specialty is Spirit, then it deserves every drop of investment. To hold back would be cowardice."
For a moment, Loid stared at her. He hesitated, then began adjusting the interface. The system chimed:
[ Spirit increased to 6. ]
[ Maximum reached. Further allocation denied. ]
Loid frowned. "So six is the cap… for now. It won't accept seven."
Isolde huffed, folding her arms. "A foolish limit. Still, six will suffice."
Loid exhaled slowly. "Then I'll put the remaining two into agility. Your mind should process faster, and it'll help you avoid attacks if necessary."
For once, Isolde didn't argue. She gave a curt nod, golden eyes gleaming. "Acceptable."
Angela snorted. "She accepts like a queen giving orders."
Selvara spoke quietly from the wall. "Better than whining."
Isolde glared, cheeks warming faintly. "I do not whine."
Loid dismissed the interface. "That settles your stats." He paused, his eyes widening slightly as a new window appeared before him.
[ New Feature Unlocked: Mirror Soul ]
- Choose one unit.
- Copy their stats, abilities and passive for a limited duration.
Loid's chest tightened. His first instinct was to shout, to leap up with raw excitement. Finally. Finally. But he clenched his fists, forcing calm into his expression. He couldn't look desperate in front of them.
Still, his voice trembled faintly. "We'll discuss this later. For now let's eat, and rest. Tomorrow will be hectic."
Angela grinned. "Food before war. That, I can agree with."
Selvara only inclined her head.
Isolde sniffed faintly but followed when Loid gestured toward the inn's dining hall.
Angela suddenly remembered the aether core they had retrieved from the mines. She reached into her pouch and handed it to Loid.
"We almost forgot this."
Loid turned it over in his hand, the faint glow pulsing like a heartbeat beneath the crystal surface. He frowned.
"I don't know how to use it yet."
Angela shrugged, resting her hands on her hips. "Then we keep it safe until you figure it out. Feels too valuable to waste."
Loid nodded, carefully tucking the core into his pack. "Agreed. It'll have its purpose when the time comes."
---
The morning light spilled golden through the town, but the guildhall was already buzzing with adventurers. The clatter of boots, the scrape of armor, the constant murmur of voices filled the high wooden chamber.
Loid's group stepped inside, drawing eyes immediately. Angela's towering height was impossible to miss, Selvara's silver gaze drew whispers, and Isolde's noble bearing seemed almost out of place among the rough crowd.
At the counter, the receptionist glanced up, a professional smile already forming, until her eyes fell on Isolde.
"Oh?" she said, voice carefully polite. "Another member?"
"Yes," Loid said calmly. "We'd like to register her."
The receptionist produced a crystalline orb, gesturing. "Please, place your hand."
Isolde extended her slender hand with practiced grace, pressing it lightly to the orb. For a moment, nothing then the crystal blazed bright, flooding the counter with golden-white light.
The receptionist's eyes widened. Her hands trembled. "Rank six… in Spirit?"
A few adventurers nearby turned, whispers rippling.
"That can't be right…" the receptionist muttered, then shook her head. "No—it's correct. Rank six. That's… rare. Extremely rare. Among the kingdom's elites, even."
Angela grinned, crossing her arms. "Told you she wasn't just delicate."
Isolde preened slightly, though her cheeks flushed. "Of course. Did you expect less?"
The receptionist scribbled hastily, clearly rattled. "She'll be registered… as low Diamond rank. The guild master will want to hear of this."
Loid nodded once. "Good."
The receptionist looked almost relieved to change subjects, quickly pulling two pouches from beneath the counter. "Also, your quests from yesterday. The goblin camp and scuttlers. Together, that's one hundred and ten gold pieces."
Selvara stepped forward silently to accept the pouch, while Angela's grin widened.
The receptionist's expression sobered. "Remember, falsifying quests leads to revocation of rank, confiscation, and jail time. The guild doesn't tolerate liars."
Loid inclined his head. "Understood. We don't fake victories."
Angela chuckled darkly. "Too messy killing things to waste time lying about it."
Even Selvara's lips twitched faintly.
Loid turned back to the board, scanning it with a sharp eye. After several minutes, he tapped one parchment. "Here. A high Diamond rank quest. Multiplying undead, in the ruins south of here. Half a day's travel."
Angela's grin stretched wide. "Undead. Finally, something solid to crush."
Selvara's gaze sharpened. "They multiply. That means corruption."
Isolde frowned delicately. "Disgusting creatures. Still… their numbers will make a fine stage for my magic."
Loid smiled faintly at their responses. "The reward is fifteen hundred gold. We'll take it."
He returned to the counter, registering their acceptance. The receptionist swallowed nervously but wrote it down.
As they stepped away, Loid brought up his UI again, purchasing quietly with a mental command.
[ Skill Purchased: Shock Current: Lightning Channel (100C) ]
He turned to Isolde. "I bought you something. A lightning skill. Shock Current. It scales with your Spirit. At your level, it could already rival rank D or even C."
Her eyes widened faintly before narrowing. "Buying me gifts now? How forward."
Loid smirked. "Not a gift. An investment."
Angela barked a laugh. Selvara only shook her head.
But Isolde's fingers flexed, golden sparks dancing faintly as the skill settled into her veins. Her lips curved upward despite herself. "It will do."
---
They spent the next hour preparing. Supplies of dried food, extra waterskins, replacement whetstones for Angela's sword. When they stepped out of the town gates at last, the sun was high, burning the horizon gold.
The road stretched southward, the forest looming, the ruined town waiting.
As they walked, Loid spoke again, his tone lighter. "After this quest… we should buy a mount. A large one. Something to carry us all."
Angela snorted. "Only if it can carry me without breaking."
Selvara said nothing, but the corner of her mouth flicked upward.
Isolde tilted her head. "If it's ugly, I refuse to ride it."
Loid chuckled softly. For the first time since the summoning, a strange sense of balance settled over him. They were stronger now. More complete.
And as the wind stirred their cloaks, he couldn't help but glance at the UI once more, his thoughts lingering on the Mirror Soul feature.
Finally.
But for now, his voice softened. "Let's focus on the ruins. The undead won't wait."