The road back to Eidenweld was quiet—eerily so.
Reynar kept his eyes on the horizon as rolling hills gradually gave way to dense forest, the silhouette of Eidenweld's watchtower barely visible in the distance. With every step, the memory of Windrest clung to him: the cold, efficient cruelty of the guards, the chilling sight of those gold-and-white knights, the stone-faced indifference to the boy's cries.
Liora hadn't said much since they left. She walked ahead, arms crossed, expression tight. But Reynar could sense her focus had sharpened.
Something was changing.
When they finally returned to the village, the familiar sight of smoke rising from chimneys and villagers waving in greeting should have felt comforting.
It didn't.
Not when Reynar knew what was coming.
That night, back in the training clearing behind Liora's home, the quiet was broken only by the sound of blades clashing.
Clang.Clang.Clang.
Reynar ducked under a sweeping strike and brought his sword up in a counter-slice. Liora parried with ease, sidestepped, and landed a gentle slap on the side of his head with her free hand.
"You're still thinking too much," she said. "You've improved, yes, but instincts are what save your life when plans fall apart."
He groaned and lowered his weapon. "It's hard not to think when there's a ticking time bomb about to explode in our backyard."
Liora stepped back and gave him a look. "Then you better learn to think faster."
A smirk tugged at Reynar's lips despite himself.
Training resumed, faster and more intense than before. For the next few days, they fought like their lives depended on it—because they did. Reynar's movements were growing sharper, his system's agility stat finally translating into real speed. He was no longer the lost, frightened boy in the forest.
But every night, as they sat around the fire, the looming dread never fully faded.
By the fifth day, they stood atop a ridge overlooking the valley to the north.
"The dungeon's rift should appear near the dead glade," Liora said, pointing toward the withered patch of earth below. "That land's been tainted for years. I thought it was just decay. But now… I think it's been bleeding into our world for far longer than we realized."
Reynar nodded slowly. "And now the rift is using it as an anchor."
The system had already sent a second alert:
[Void Dungeon: Manifestation in 10 Days]Rank: Unknown. Threat Level: HIGH.
Liora clenched her fists. "No one from Windrest will come. No adventurer guild. No militia. They'll let us die. If the rift overwhelms the village… they'll simply cover it up."
Reynar looked at her. "Then we have to take it ourselves."
She nodded, slowly. "We will."
That night, the system sent another message.
[Quest Update: Prepare for the Rift]Objective: Reach Minimum Power Threshold for Rift Survival.Recommended Stats: STR 35, AGI 40, INT 30, Void Resistance: Level 1+
Reward: Bonus Skill – "Voidstep" (Rank: Rare)Failure: Death or Void Assimilation
Reynar sat in silence, staring at the glowing notification. He wasn't quite there yet. But he was close.
Too close to stop now.
He closed the screen and looked across the fire. Liora sat sharpening her blades, gaze fixed, not on the steel—but on the darkness beyond the trees.
"Do you think we'll make it?" Reynar asked softly.
She glanced up, then smiled faintly. "You made it this far, didn't you?"
That night, under the stars, the wind whispered promises of battle, blood, and something far worse.
[System Notification]New Dungeon Spawn: 9 Days Remaining.