Reeve stood before the gathered orcs and villagers, calmly explaining what each group had to do—who would cut wood, who would build shelters, who would clear land for farming. There was no shouting, no force. Just clear words and quiet authority. When he finished, Tsukiyra opened the white wall once more, and one by one, they returned to work inside that world.
Soon after, Reeve and Tsukiyra resumed their journey toward Grimfang Wastes.
---
Night fell.
The land grew silent, stars stretching endlessly above. Reeve sat near a dying flame, his thoughts drifting, when Nyx's voice echoed inside him.
> Nyx: "Reeve… there is something you should know."
He frowned slightly. "What is it?"
> Nyx: "You possess the skill—Gluttony."
For a moment, Reeve froze. Then… he smiled.
"…Gluttony?" he repeated softly. "Then tell me. How do I use it?"
Before Nyx could answer—
Reeve's body suddenly lost strength.
He collapsed.
Tsukiyra reacted instantly, opening the gate to his world and pulling him inside before his body hit the ground.
---
Darkness.
When Reeve opened his eyes, he wasn't in Frostveil. He floated in a quiet void—endless, calm, familiar.
Nyx stood before him.
"Welcome back," she said gently.
"This place again…" Reeve muttered.
> Nyx: "Focus. Gluttony is not hunger. It is authority over consumption."
She explained slowly—how Gluttony devours mana, skills, energy, even remnants of power. Not through flesh, but through will. When Reeve activated it, his hand did not change. Instead, mana itself bent toward him, drawn into an invisible core.
He tried.
The flow responded.
And he understood.
---
Reeve woke with a sharp breath.
Tsukiyra was kneeling beside him, watching carefully.
"…How long was I out?" he asked.
She blinked. "Three hours. Why?"
Reeve exhaled in relief. "Good. Last time it was three days."
He stood up, steadied himself, and stepped outside his world—
Astra Nox —the name echoed naturally in his mind, as if it had always existed.
Not far away, a giant spider crawled through broken stone.
Reeve raised his hand.
Gluttony activated.
The spider's mana was torn away instantly, dissolving into light and flowing into him.
"Nyx," he asked, "how do I use what I absorb?"
> Nyx: "I already told you."
"…Ah," Reeve said sheepishly. "Sorry. Forgot."
Suddenly, Nyx's voice shifted—cold, mechanical.
> [System Notification]
Skill Acquired: Spider Web
Sub-Function: Adaptive Transformation
Reeve froze.
"…Huh? What did you just say?"
Nyx immediately returned to her calmer tone.
"It means you can now create spider webs—stronger than natural ones. Controlled by mana. Shape, density, and range depend on your focus."
Reeve looked at his palm as thin, glowing threads formed effortlessly.
"…This is dangerous," he murmured.
"But useful."
Far away, unseen eyes opened.
And something ancient felt hunger awaken.