The light devoured them whole.
For a moment, Riley thought he was falling, weightless, across a void of bright blue. The Lumin Whelp's little bright paws held on to his chest, and its velvety fur kept his arms warm.
Then—
His feet hit solid ground.
A blast of warm sunlight hit his face, and then he heard happy voices, tools banging, and animals in the distance.
They were no longer in the Spirit Hall.
They were at the entrance to a busy village square with wooden homes, stone paths, and sparkling crystal lanterns hanging from ropes above. There were tall trees rustling at the edge of the town, and a shimmering barrier encompassed the whole region like a dome.
As soon as Aria noticed the mess, she threw her hands in the air.
"DAY ONE, BABY! LET THE CARNAGE BEGIN!"
Sofia shook her head and chuckled. "Please don't make a mess."
Riley didn't say anything.
He was too busy looking about.
Hundreds of participants, all fresh to the game, swarmed the plaza, each displaying off their newly linked Spirits.
Fire wolves barked little flames.
The stone cubs butted heads with each other.
A bubble-fish Spirit that floated around wobbled after a girl who kept saying sorry every time it got too close.
And the sound.
Oh, the noise.
Everyone was eager, pumped, and ready to take on the world. There were shouts, laughs, and bragging.
Aria popped her knuckles. "Hey, Riley, where is the task board? Let's get everything.
"Maybe... five quests," Sofia replied softly. "Not all of it."
Riley finally got his breath back. "We need to get our bearings first."
The Lumin Whelp crept up on his shoulder and coiled up around his neck, as if it heard his speech. Its soft glow shone like a lamp.
A few players who were walking by stopped to look.
A boy said to his pal in a loud whisper, "What Spirit is that?" Looks... weak.
His friend laughed. "Most likely one of the bad starters." I bet it turns into a hamster that glows.
Riley got tense. He didn't know how protective he was until then.
Aria didn't let him answer. She stood between Riley and the two boys. "Hey, glowstick-brain," she said angrily. "Do you want to talk bad of my brother's Spirit? Say that to my hand.
Both boys became pale and ran away.
Sofia let out a sigh. "Aria..."
"What? "They started it," Aria said with pride. "Our brother also has a cute Spirit." That's pretty much against the law to make fun of.
The Lumin Whelp chirped with joy.
Riley laughed even though he didn't want to.
Players gathered in clusters all over the area, like kids showing off their toys on the first day of school.
"Look! Look!" a girl yelled, "My ember fox is so fluffy!"
A bunch of youngsters congregated around a stone boar Spirit and fought over who had the best defense stats.
In the distance, someone yelled, "MY SPIRIT BIT ME! IS THAT ALLOWED?!"
Aria grinned like a crazy person and said, "This is my natural habitat."
Sofia petted her Lumen Pup, which was happily dancing next to her and gleaming with a warm golden light.
Kids stopped to look at Sofia's Spirit. "Awwww!" "Miss, your fox is so pretty!"
"It's not a fox," Sofia murmured softly, smiling as she knelt down to let them pet it. "It's a Lumen Pup." Don't worry, she's kind.
The little fox-like Spirit yipped with pride, and its tail lit up with light.
Aria's Venom Webling skittered out of her sleeve and landed on her head nearby.
A little girl who was walking by looked at the fuzzy spider—
— and screamed so loudly that a group of fire wolves ran away.
Aria freaked out. "NO WAIT—IT'S FLUFFY! COME BACK! IT JUST HAS TOO MANY EYES!"
Riley laughed before he could help it.
It felt nice.
Very good.
He hadn't laughed like this in what felt like years.
A tall person with silver hair and long, flowing robes walked up to them slowly and calmly. Not a player, but an NPC guide.
Their eyes shone a little as they said, "Welcome, new walkers." This is the settlement of Dawnview, which is where you start in Realmwalker. Here, you'll learn the basics of fighting, taking care of spirits, and exploring.
Aria gave a big salute. "YES, WISE TEACHER."
Sofia nudged her with her elbow. "Please don't make us look bad."
The guide kept on without stopping: "You will find trainers near the eastern well, vendors along the northern street, and the quest board next to the town gate." The Spirit Care Center is to the west if you need help or healing.
"We are SO going to blow this place up," Aria said in a quiet voice.
Riley clapped a hand over her mouth. "No, we're not."
The guide's blazing eyes turned to Riley. "And you, walker. Your Spirit is... strange."
Riley got tense. "Is that bad?"
"Not bad," the guide said in a sluggish voice. "Just... uncommon. I haven't seen one like it before.
Aria smiled. "Did you hear that? Uncommon!
Sofia grinned with warmth. "Look? It's one of a kind.
The NPC stepped back before Riley could answer.
"Good luck on your journey. Your first tasks are waiting for you at the quest board."
And the guide broke down into tiny pieces of light.
There were already a lot of participants on the quest board, and they were all yelling or pushing each other to get the greatest starting tasks.
Aria jumped into the crowd.
"Get out of my way; I will do all the quests."
Sofia gasped. "Aria! No pushing!
Riley held back and watched carefully.
He looked over the board.
Hunt eleven animals.
Get essence shards.
Fix fences that are broken.
Take a parcel to a farm nearby.
Basic things.
Nothing that could hurt you.
Not really rewarding.
But important.
Aria came back, out of breath, hair all messed up, and waving a bunch of glowing scrolls in victory.
"We got them!" All of the tasks for beginners!
Riley raised one eyebrow. "All of them?"
"Aria..." Sofia said with a sigh.
"What? We are now three. Aria confidently stuck her chest out. "We can do it."
Riley smiled. "Well, she's not wrong."
The tutorial field was just outside of town. A soft meadow with bright flowers and buzzing bugs that looked like small puffball animals and floating fireflies.
Other players were already out there swinging wildly, missing half of their assaults, tripping over their own Spirits, or shrieking as harmless critters chased them.
Aria rubbed her hands together.
"Yes. Yes. This is the kind of anarchy I love.
Her Venom Webling fell to the ground and ran forward, ready to hunt.
Sofia took a deep breath and raised her Lumen Rod. "Okay... um... I think I'm ready."
Riley walked in front of them, and a bow appeared in his hand like silver light forming in the air.
The Lumin Whelp stared up at him, its eyes blazing and its tail flickering in excitement. "Okay, little guy," Riley said softly. "Let's see what you're made of."
The Whelp blazed up with a delicate light, as if it were answering. It was scared yet resolute.
Aria put her hands around her lips and yelled, "KICK ITS BUTT, WHELP!"
Sofia gasped. "Don't teach him bad habits, Aria!"
Riley grinned.
This was it.
The start of their trip.
The beginning of something bigger.
Something more powerful.
Something that wasn't like his first life.
A small, round, pink, and innocuous critter rose up across the grass with a squeak.
Aria pointed with great emotion. "THERE! FIRST ENEMY! DESTROY IT!"
"It looks cute," Sofia said in a low voice.
Riley put an arrow in the notch.
"It's still a monster."
He shot—
The arrow flew forward—
The Lumin Whelp jumped off his shoulder—
And the fight for their new future began.