Kai woke to the pale light of dawn filtering through the twisted branches overhead.
Nyx hovered an inch from his face, the little orb of black mist bobbing gently. Its crimson eyes blinked slowly, as if checking that he was still alive. When Kai stirred, the wisp darted excitedly around his head in tight circles, leaving faint trails of shadow that dissolved like smoke.
A small, involuntary smile tugged at Kai's lips.
He sat up, brushing dew from his threadbare coat. The novice Tamers' campfire from last night had burned to embers. The group was already packing up, their iron boars snorting and pawing the ground.
The girl with the short brown hair — the archer who had spoken to him — glanced over. Her eyes widened when she saw Nyx floating beside him.
"You actually kept that thing?" she called, disbelief clear in her voice. "I thought you were joking."
Her companions — two burly brothers with matching iron boars — stopped what they were doing and turned to stare.
Kai stood, rolling his stiff shoulders. "It's contracted."
The older brother barked a laugh. "Contracted a shadow wisp? Kid, those aren't even beasts. They're pests. Can't fight, can't carry loads, disappear in sunlight. You wasted your one slot on garbage."
The younger brother joined in, grinning. "Guess the rumors were true. The Null really is worthless."
Heat rose in Kai's cheeks, but he kept his expression neutral. He had expected this.
The girl archer frowned, looking uncomfortable. "Come on, guys. Lay off. He's just starting."
"Starting what?" the older brother scoffed. "A career in comedy?"
Nyx seemed to sense Kai's tension. The little wisp drifted forward, tendrils flaring slightly, eyes glowing brighter.
The iron boars snorted uneasily and took a step back.
The brothers noticed.
"What's it doing?" the younger one muttered. "Trying to look scary?"
Kai focused on the system interface.
[Nyx - Shadow Veil Wisp (Sealed Infant)]
Level: 3
Bloodline Awakening: 0.5%
Corruption Resonance: 3%
Skills:
Shadow Cloak (Lv.1): Merge with shadows for near-perfect concealment.
Void Whisper (Lv.1): Emit a disorienting psychic pulse.
He had tested both skills briefly in the night. Shadow Cloak made Nyx vanish completely in darkness — even Kai could barely sense it. Void Whisper caused a momentary headache when aimed at small animals.
Nothing world-shaking. Yet.
But the bloodline percentage… 0.5%. The system had hinted at evolutions tied to that number.
Kai closed the panel. "We're leaving."
He turned toward the deeper part of the low-rank Rift zone.
The girl archer called after him. "Hey! Wait up. The deeper sections aren't safe for solo newbies. Stick with us for today at least."
Kai paused. He didn't need charity, but information would be useful. And refusing might draw more attention.
"Fine," he said. "But I hunt my own share."
The brothers grumbled but didn't object. Their names were Torv and Gav — typical guild hopefuls from a merchant family, banking on their boars to earn mid-rank status someday.
The girl introduced herself as Lira Voss — no relation to Kai, just coincidence. She carried a recurved bow of decent quality and moved with the quiet confidence of someone who had hunted Rifts since childhood.
As they walked, Nyx stayed close to Kai's shadow, occasionally peeking out to stare at the iron boars. The boars kept glancing nervously at the wisp, ears twitching.
Torv noticed. "Your 'beast' is freaking out my boars. Keep it under control."
Kai said nothing.
They reached a clearing where the Rift energy grew thicker — blue mist clung to the ground, and twisted trees bore glowing fruit that novice Tamers harvested for minor alchemy ingredients.
A pack of F-rank horned rabbits — common prey — grazed at the edge.
Lira nocked an arrow. "Standard split. I soften, boars charge, we finish."
Torv and Gav grinned, directing their iron boars forward.
The boars thundered across the clearing, tusks lowered. Rabbits scattered in panic.
Lira's arrows flew true, pinning two by the legs.
It was over in seconds. Six rabbits down, clean kills.
Kai hadn't moved.
Gav wiped sweat from his brow. "See? That's how real Tamers work. Your turn, Null. Show us what garbage can do."
Kai stepped forward.
Nyx drifted out from his shadow, hovering at shoulder height.
The remaining rabbits — three that had escaped the initial charge — froze, ears twitching toward the wisp.
Kai gave a mental command.
Nyx activated [Void Whisper].
A silent pulse rippled outward.
The rabbits staggered, eyes glazing over in confusion. One hopped in circles. Another froze completely.
Kai drew the rusty dagger he'd scavenged years ago and moved.
Three quick strikes. Three dead rabbits.
The entire clearing fell silent.
Torv's mouth hung open. "What the hell was that?"
Lira stared at Nyx with new interest. "It… debuffed them? Wisps don't have skills like that."
Gav recovered first, forcing a laugh. "Beginner's luck. Rabbits are stupid anyway."
But his eyes kept flicking to Nyx uneasily.
Kai collected his three rabbits without comment. The system pinged quietly.
[Nyx gains experience.]
[Level 3 → 4]
[New passive unlocked: Shadow Sense (Lv.1) — Detect living beings within shadows.]
Small progress. But progress.
They continued deeper.
The Rift grew darker, trees more twisted. Mid-F-rank creatures appeared — shadow panthers that blended with darkness, venomous vine serpents that struck from branches.
Torv and Gav's boars handled most threats. Lira's arrows provided support.
Kai contributed sparingly, using Nyx's Void Whisper to disorient groups before finishing with his dagger. Each fight pushed Nyx's level higher.
By midday, Nyx hit Level 7.
Corruption Resonance crept to 4.2%. Kai felt occasional cold pulses in his veins, but nothing debilitating.
They reached a small ruin — cracked stone pillars covered in faded runes. The same style as the one where Kai had found Nyx.
Lira's eyes lit up. "Old sealing temple fragment. Might have harvestable crystals."
Torv grinned. "Jackpot."
They spread out to search.
Kai's [Seal Perception] flared violently.
Crimson threads converged on a half-buried altar in the center.
Something was here.
He approached cautiously.
The altar was cracked, ancient chains dangling from its edges. In the middle lay a fist-sized shard of black crystal pulsing faintly.
The system screamed.
[Warning: High-density Divine fragment detected.]
[Attempt absorption? Risk of Corruption spike.]
Kai hesitated.
Torv's voice echoed from behind a pillar. "Find anything, Null?"
Footsteps approached.
Kai quickly touched the shard.
Energy surged into him — cold, vast, hungry.
[Ding!]
[Divine fragment absorbed.]
[Nyx bloodline resonance detected.]
[Bloodline Awakening: 0.5% → 5.2%]
[Corruption Resonance: 4.2% → 12.8%]
Nyx suddenly expanded, mist thickening. The crimson eyes burned brighter. Tendrils lengthened, coiling like living smoke.
The little wisp let out a low, thrumming sound — almost a purr.
Torv rounded the corner and froze.
"What the—"
Nyx contracted back to normal size instantly, but not before Torv saw.
"Your wisp… it grew. And those eyes…"
Gav and Lira joined him.
Lira's bow half-raised. "Kai? What did you just do?"
Dark veins pulsed visibly under Kai's skin for a heartbeat before fading.
He met their stares calmly. "Found a crystal. It reacted with my beast."
Torv's greed overrode caution. "Give it here. That's guild share."
Kai pocketed nothing — the shard had dissolved — but he didn't correct them.
"It's gone."
Gav stepped forward aggressively. "Lying Null. Hand over whatever you took, or we take it."
Their iron boars growled, lowering tusks.
Lira hesitated. "Guys, maybe—"
Too late.
Torv commanded, "Charge!"
The boars thundered toward Kai.
He didn't run.
Nyx exploded outward.
[Shadow Cloak] activated fully for the first time.
The clearing plunged into unnatural darkness — shadows from every tree stretching, merging, swallowing light.
The boars stumbled blindly, crashing into each other.
Void Whisper hit at full strength.
Both brothers clutched their heads, staggering.
Kai moved.
Dagger flashed twice — precise cuts behind the boars' front legs, severing tendons.
The beasts collapsed with pained squeals.
Torv and Gav dropped to their knees, disoriented.
When the shadows receded thirty seconds later, Kai stood unharmed.
Nyx floated innocently beside him again, looking exactly like the harmless wisp from before.
The brothers stared in horror at their crippled beasts.
Lira's arrow was drawn, but her hands shook.
"You… you're not a Null," she whispered.
Kai sheathed his dagger.
"I never was."
He turned to leave.
Torv found his voice, hoarse with fear and rage. "This isn't over! We'll report you! The guilds will hunt you down!"
Kai paused at the edge of the clearing.
"Tell them whatever you want."
Nyx's eyes glowed faintly.
"But remember what you saw today. Next time, I won't hold back."
He walked into the deeper Rift, shadows parting for him like loyal subjects.
Behind him, the system pinged softly.
[Bloodline Awakening milestone reached: 5%]
[Partial evolution available.]
[Initiate First Awakening? Y/N]
Kai's lips curved into a cold smile.
Yes.
In the darkness ahead, Nyx began to change.
The trash beast was waking up.
And the world wasn't ready.