Margaret "Really? Another act without any fight scenes. It's getting boring, granny!"

Gala "What's up with kids these days craving violence? You aren't hanging out with a bunch of sketchy kids, are you?"

Margaret "No, it's just that our era is too peaceful. I wish I had lived in more exciting times, you know... to earn some glory."

Gala "Do not treat war lightly, Margaret! Glory comes at the cost of lives, and one of those lives can be yours! Maybe... I've spoiled you too much."

Margaret "W-W-Wait... I'm... sorry, Grandma. I didn't mean it."

Gala "My dear... I'm sorry for raising my voice. I forget that kids say the wildest things sometimes. Shall we move on to the next act?"

Margaret "Yes, please do."

Gala "Alright then, a new day dawns upon the heroes...

A young Soulen senses a sudden change in the air— it's warmer, and habit forces the girl to wake up from her sleeping bag. She glances over to her two friends, sound asleep and safe... Lisa can't help but smile. Then, a sudden realization hits, and panic sets in, reminding her that Soulan isn't the place to be complacent. She runs off to find the wreckage of the cargo of thugs they fought yesterday. She rummages through the debris, hoping to find a specific item they might have had, but alas... it's not there. Disappointed, she walks back to camp and finds her friends wide awake.

Amelia "That was quite nifty sprint you did, lass."

Mina "Yeah, we thought you were going to abandon us. Hey, I can tell by your look that something's wrong. Tell us."

Lisa "Okay, I'll be brief, but we need to be very careful. There are things far more dangerous than fellow Soulens in this place."

Amelia "Whatever it is, we've brawled with far worse. I can promise you that."

Lisa "You don't understand! There are creatures here with powers beyond imagining. Not even Lord Alma would mess with them."

Mina "Sounds scary, but I'm now curious."

Lisa "You see, we Walterans quantify days into Monday, Tuesday, Wednesday, Thursday, Friday, and Sunday. This set makes up a week. Four weeks make up a month, and 12 months make up a year."

Mina "What the fuck? We also use the same calendar metrics. Do you name your months?"

Lisa "No, we don't. We refer to them as Months 1 to 12. Anyway, the point is that each day of the week has a pair of dangerous beings of unknown origins. Hell! I don't even think they were made from the power catalyst because of how different their powers work. One takes the day, and the other takes the night. Here, take a look."

Lisa draws an upright fan shape on the ground and splits it by making an upside-down "Y."

Amelia "I spy three sections. I assume where they spawn is random for each creature."

Lisa "Yes, which makes them really hard to predict. Good thing that Soulens had a long history with these things, which gave us good insight into them. Check this out."

Mina "Is that a brass pocket watch? There are the normal hands telling time, but there's also a small one. It tells the day, doesn't it?"

Lisa "Yep. It also works as a telecommunication device, but I have only one, so I think... I should share ownership with you two. All you have to do is draw your blood onto the backside of the watch."

Lisa is stunned by their smiling faces as the heroes easily bleed a drop of blood onto the device's freakish backside, which is made of flesh.

Lisa "Doesn't that hurt? Aren't you guys disturbed that it's made of flesh?"

Amelia "As I said before, we've faced far worse."

Mina "Yeah, tell us more about these creatures."

Lisa "I'll tell you about the two that will appear today. They are The Seventh Silence Day and The Seventh Blaring Night."

Mina "Those are some ominous but kinda badass names."

Lisa "You can thank Lord Alma for that and his weird cryptic naming sense. When The Seventh Silence Day appears, an entire section of Soulan darkens, and a low chiming noise can be heard. It takes about one to two hours to manifest. Seeing that it's 7 am, we're somewhat in the clear for now. The creature can detect anything that makes noise within its section and makes its way there. It would smack the target with its lantern, teleporting them to a random location in Soulan. However, that can be dangerous since you could end up stuck in a wall or falling from the sky."

Amelia "Is there any way to harm the darn bastard?"

Lisa "That's unlikely. Records say the creature moves so fast that most Soulens never even see its true form."

Mina "You said it has a lantern, right? Is it similar to the ones we have? I mean the normal ones, not the severed head that Amelia carries."

Lisa "No, the Soulens who encountered the beast described it as a branch of a glow hand tree with a palm clutching some kind of glowing cage."

Amelia "Sounds quite dodgy. Let's just hope that creature doesn't show up in this upper right region."

Lisa "Yeah, hopefully... might as well talk about its partner, The Seventh Blaring Night. We know quite a bit about this monster. It's a huge black bird, the size of a mountain, with a round body and two large eyes containing countless yellow pupils. It carries a similar lantern, but it doesn't glow— some say that it is filled with teeth and jaws. When it manifests, it will make its way to Soulens who were hit by The Seventh Silence Day, regardless of which region it appears in. Its beak is rumored to kill anything in one strike, and it has the ability to teleport though part is a bit unclear since it doesn't use it when chasing a target in direct line of sight."

Amelia "Looks like we're going to have our hands full with those two. I'm going to charge up power in case we bump into either of them."

Mina "Sounds like a great idea, Amelia! Hey, Lisa. What do we do now?"

Lisa "Well, to become a Trilix, I need to beat up more people and take their land. This means we have to move a little more inland."

Mina "Okay, let's do this!"

The girls agree, and they pack up the camp supplies. Glancing at her pocket watch, Lisa points southward, and the group marches, the forest growing denser with each passing minute. Not long after their departure, they stumble upon a large wooden shed with a door splattered in blood. On the side of the building, a pile of corpses intoxicates the atmosphere, each body sliced perfectly in half. A loud chopping noise can be heard from the other side of the shed. Mina prepares her rapier and charges, but she steps on a twig. The noise stops, and a shadow leaps over the shed to greet the group.

It is a large, muscular male Soulen with bloodshot eyes and a crudely drawn mouth with sharp teeth over where a mouth is supposed to be. The man holds a large, chipped wood-cutting axe and wears a bloodied butcher outfit with a belt made of various Walteran heads and different ages.

??? "Ah! Another three juicy Kelpies ready for the slaughter—

The huge Soulen's face becomes pale, and so does Lisa's, as a low chime is heard.

Mina tries to say something, but Amelia quickly covers her mouth. The butcher looks around nervously, then back at the group, giving them a shushing gesture before quickly retreating into the shed. A low-locking noise can be heard from beyond the door. Mina frowns and shakes her fist at his cowardly action. Amelia looks at Lisa with concern, wondering what they should do next.

Lisa takes out her pocket watch and presses a button on the side, which emits a holographic text box. She uses it to silently instruct the girls to follow her and not make a sound. The girls comply and they quietly walk past the wooden shed, moving deeper into the forest.

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

After a long walk, they hear the sound of an ongoing battle, which casts a confused look on their faces. Curious, they approach the noise and witness two groups locked in a fierce struggle. Amelia remarks that the battle's clamor drowns out the low chime they had heard earlier. Mina watches with amusement as armored warriors clash without a care in the world.

Lisa recognizes the banners of the opposing factions. One bears the symbol of a glowing white triangle with a red droplet inside—a hallmark of Lord Alma's faction, known as "The Red Sacrifice." This is further evidenced by the warriors' red metal armor, spiked designs, and the large swords they wield.

The other banner displays an upside-down black pyramid with a grey cloud at its center. This symbol represents "The Grey Salvation," a faction led by a newcomer who swiftly rose to power a few years ago. Their goal is to defeat Lord Alma and seize control of Soulan. The warriors of this faction wear silver armor with a bulky style that matches the heavy mauls they wield in battle.

The Red Sacrifice believes that sacrifices are essential to build a future, while The Grey Salvation holds that sacrifices are necessary to preserve the past. Similar yet fundamentally different—however, in the end, they are merely insects in the face of monsters. As the group watches, something dashes from the canopies towards the battle, and then—

A warrior vanishes then another... and another.

The realization dawns upon them— some warriors manage to keep their composure and remain silent, while others cannot help but scream, leading both types to be swiftly whisked away. Soon, the battlefield is empty like a husk. Throughout the entire spectacle, the heroes catch no glimpse of the creature responsible.

Lisa manifests her armor and readies her long sword, taking soft, controlled breaths. Mina approaches her and casts a white glow on her armor. Lisa looks puzzled, but Mina responds with a reassuring smile. Meanwhile, Amelia utilizes her powers to blur their appearances before conjuring a copy of herself where the battlefield once stood.

However, nothing approaches the clone.

Anticipating this, Amelia commands the clone and channel "False Movement" and "False Touch" on its entire body. Instantly, the clone begins to move and emit actual noise as it stomps on the ground. A low whoosh passes by, but the clone remains unaffected. Another whoosh attempts to teleport the clone, but it stubbornly stays in place.

Confused and angry, the creature finally reveals itself. Surprisingly, it is a small black bird resembling a crow but with notable differences— it has six pairs of wings and no legs. Its beak is segmented into four sections instead of two, and each eye has two red pupils. In its beak is the lantern Lisa described, and they can see that the cage is crafted from roots and holding glowing ears.

The little bird flies around the clone, repeatedly smacking it with the lantern. Abruptly, it halts and looks around, sensing something amiss.

A squeak is heard from behind the group, and they turn to see a small marsupial crunching on a nut. Before they can silence it, it's too late— the blackbird rushes toward them. Amelia pushes the others away and narrowly dodges the lantern, thanks to her blurred form. The marsupial retreats from the scene, and the creature then eyes its new targets— Mina and Lisa. With all her strength, Mina grabs Lisa and pulls her behind a tree and the lantern strikes the trunk.

The bird quickly circles around and slams the lantern down again.

Amelia snaps her fingers, and the girls' forms flash in a brilliant light, stunning the attack and causing the bird to miss. They regroup but quickly spread out, putting distance between themselves. The bird eyes them with contempt, pausing briefly before swooping down towards Lisa. She readies her rapier to parry, but as the bird is about to strike, it unexpectedly swings up and hurls the lantern toward Mina!

It hits! Lisa's armor glows, indicating that she was struck instead, and so she disappears.

The lantern spins back to the bird's beak, but it notices a crucial detail— the roots of the cage are slowly deteriorating, causing the cage to fall apart. The glowing ear breaks into pieces as they hit the ground like fragile glass. Amelia seizes the chance presented by the bird's stunned state. She jumps forward, striking the bird with a frying pan and slicing through two pairs of its wings with her knife. Injured for the first time ever, the bird trembles in fear and quickly flies out of sight.

Amelia "That little shite ran away!"

Mina "Never mind that! We have a bigger problem! Where is Lisa?!"

Amelia "Best-case scenario is that she got sent somewhere nearby and hopefully on land. Worst-case scenario she's far away and either stuck to the ground or high in the air."

Mina "About that last part, is this place submerged in water? It's hard to tell because of Neptunez's blessing."

Amelia "Try swimming upward, lass."

Mina tries to move upward but her body remains rooted to the ground.

Mina "Yeah... this is weird. Maybe we're inside some kind of giant bubble. It would explain why the thug we tossed over the edge yesterday felt like sinking rather than falling."

Amelia "We can try to find her, but we might risk facing someone beyond our league. Or... we could return to her cabin and hope she finds her way back."

Mina "What if she doesn't come back?"

Amelia "I don't want to entertain that thought, but... let's give it until tomorrow. If she's not back by then... she's dead."

Mina "Damn, that's a bit harsh but I understand."

The girls retrace their steps, passing the shed without incident, and return to Lisa's cabin. The journey is uneventful, and they enjoy their wait in peace.

Meanwhile, on the other side of the land, Lisa is plummeting from an unprecedented height, her life flashing before her eyes as she anticipates the impact that will surely shatter her body. Filled with a fierce will to survive, she extends her rapier and aims as she descends closer and closer— until it strikes the trunk of a tree, transforming the impact area into gold and halting her fall. However, this miraculous save comes at a cost— her left arm is now broken from the force of the impact.

She grabs a nearby branch and bites down on it to stifle any cries of pain, fearing that the little blackbird may still be nearby. After confirming the coast is clear, Lisa takes a deep breath and consults her pocket watch, clicking another side button that projects a map.

Lisa "Whew! I'm on the left corner of Soulan. If I hug the border and head east, I should avoid most fights and make it home. Hopefully, the girls are smart enough to wait there too. Still... now, there's a bigger issue."

She executes her plan, traveling along the northern border and narrowly evading patrol groups from The Grey Salvation. Eventually, Lisa reaches the border of the upper right section of Soulan. Exhausted, she decides to rest and wait out the remaining hours of the day.

As night falls, Lisa sprints east with all her stamina, but the ground trembles behind her with enormous growing thumps.

Lisa "Shit! That monster is already here!"

Desperate, Lisa runs closer to the trees, cutting them down as she continues. Despite her efforts, the footsteps behind her don't cease and only draw nearer. Lisa is halfway to safety when she spots a large group of soldiers belonging to The Red Salvation. One of them catches sight of her.

Soldier "Hey, you! Stop right there!"

Lisa "RUN! THE SEVENTH BLARING NIGHT IS HERE!"

Soldier "What?! Oh, fucking hell! Men, prepare for battle!"

Lisa leaps over the group of soldiers and glances back at the unfolding battle as she continues to sprint away.

They surround the massive beast with great coordination, swinging their great swords in unison, but their attacks bounce off the creature's massive feathers. A chilling screech emanates from its beak as it pecks down, quickly picking off the soldiers one by one until none remain. The heavy thuds of its footsteps continue relentlessly after Lisa. Summoning a sudden surge of courage, the young Soulen decides to stand her ground. The beast halts, locking eyes with its prey, its beak poised to strike.

As it lunges forward to peck, Lisa anticipates its move and ducks underneath before sprinting up to its enormous legs.

Lisa "Have a taste of gold, you fucker!"

Lisa strikes the creature's legs, turning them into gold with her sword. Despite not piercing its flesh, she smiles as she continues thrusting at its feathers, noticing a slight bend in the beast's knee. With each strike, the creature's knees gradually hit the ground, causing it to screech in pain. Lisa realizes that the sound reverberates in a wave mysterious, causing its feathers and legs to revert to normal.

On a counter, the giant bird kicks Lisa, sending her flying and crashing into several trees. Despite the impact and the re-gilded leg, the monster continues its pursuit. Lisa struggles to her feet, feeling a sharp pain in her legs. Desperate, she heads deeper into the forest, hoping it might conceal her— but the shadow of the beast looms larger with each passing second. Feeling hopeless, Lisa accepts her fate and lies down on the forest floor.

Suddenly, she spots a small blackbird, missing its lantern and a few wings. Summoning her last reserves of strength, Lisa leaps and captures the little bird before pressing her longsword against its neck. Turning around, she faces the approaching beast, which pauses in its tracks.

Lisa "Ha! If you don't want this little guy to get killed, you better back off!"

The Seventh Blaring Night obediently takes a few steps back at Lisa's demand.

Lisa "Damn it. What now? I can take this little dude as a hostage until the next sunrise but that would be annoying. Maybe..." "Hey, you little shit! Can you remove the mark on me? If you do, I'll let you go."

The little bird understands Lisa's words and pecks her right arm, dispelling an invisible symbol. True to her word, Lisa releases the bird and immediately makes a run for it, glancing back anxiously. Fortunately, the beast does not give chase, and she successfully reaches her cabin. Her friends are relieved and overjoyed to see her, but Lisa is too exhausted to respond... she falls asleep immediately. Amelia examines Lisa's injury and administers three injections— two for her legs and one for her arm. Mina then carefully tucks her into a sleeping bag.

Amelia "Poor, lass. It must have been quite a scare."

Mina "Hmmm, I guess we just have to wait for her to wake up. What should we do now?... Oh, I know! Let's try changing clothes."

Amelia "I don't see the point in that, lass. I'm quite content with my current attire... although these slippers are a bit outdated and uncomfortable. I wouldn't mind trying on some red sneakers."

Mina "See, some of our clothes are out of wack!"

Amelia "But where exactly can we get new clothes?"

Mina "We'll ask Claire, of course! That is if the others can contact us or we somehow get in touch with them. I'd like to keep the red scarf but change out of this explorer outfit. Maybe something fantastical, like a witch's outfit— white hat, gray boots, robe with yellow trim. And maybe a cute headpiece on the hat, like a gear, to match my whole 'Time shenanigans!"

Amelia "Yeah, contacting the others is unlikely... Wait, do you hear that beeping?"

Mina"Yeah, it's coming from the pocket watch!"

Amelia takes the watch out of Lisa's pocket and notices a familiar name engraved around its surface.