After eating , Raul decided to check up on the Console. He wondered whether being warped into Catalea’s domain had done anything to change it.

[

Console information.

Console level - 2

Pending quests - Create a functional wind attack spell.

Pending quest rewards - Level up points x30

New quest - Enhance efficiency of ‘ Crimson Current ‘

New quest rewards - Level up points x 50

New quest - Defeat an undead monster with a modified spell.

New quest rewards - Level up points x 40

Available level up points - 00

Current manna cap - 120/120

Console upgrade requirements - Level up points x 70

]

The interface was the same and the stats were just as he’d left them. He was starting to realize that the biggest reason complex spells were incompatible with the console at such a low level was because of the manna cap. Manna ran everything from fueling the spell casting to the spell processing in his brain by the console.

If he were to install a heavy manna intensive spell , then his brain would probably just fry. It reminded him of his gaming days back in college when he only had a low end budget laptop that overheated on almost every game he played.

Once Raul finished eating, Herring stood and muttered a spell under her breath. She waved her hand, and a thin layer of soil rose from the ground, spilling over the fire and smothering it.

The glowing embers hissed and dimmed into darkness. Raul watched, eyebrows furrowing. Using magic for something like that? Doesn’t she care about conserving mana?

He couldn’t help but wonder if she had an unusually large mana reserve to casually cast spells for minor tasks.

As she turned back toward him, her expression grew serious. “Listen, once we’re outside, you need to stay on guard at all times. The monsters out there aren’t just dangerous—they’re smart. Some of them can hide in plain sight, waiting for someone careless enough to wander too close.”

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Raul nodded, his muscles tensing at her warning. “I’ll be careful,” he assured her.

“Good.” She paused for a moment, then asked, “Were you planning to go anywhere? Or were you just wandering?”

Raul shook his head. “No plans.”

Herring seemed to consider this before giving a small nod. “Then come with me. At least for now.”

He hesitated, surprised at her suggestion. “You want me to go with you?”

She didn’t meet his eyes. “It’s safer in numbers,” she said casually, though there was a flicker of something—relief?—in her expression when he nodded.

“Why do you want me to tag along, though?” Raul asked, still curious.

She turned back to him, her lips curling into a sly smirk. “Because you have a large mana reserve. That could come in handy if we run into trouble.”

Raul blinked, suspicious. “How do you know about my mana reserve?” Only Reshia has ever been able to read that.

Herring raised an eyebrow, her tone light but her words precise. “I was taught a spell for that by my master years ago.”

Raul studied her, but her explanation seemed plausible enough. Deciding not to press further, he nodded. “Alright, I’ll go with you.”

Herring’s smirk softened, and for a moment, she looked genuinely pleased, though she said nothing to confirm it.

Instead, she slung her bag over her shoulder and gestured toward the cave’s entrance. “Let’s get moving. ”

As they stepped out of the cave, Herring scanned the barren landscape.

She pulled out a small, worn compass from her bag and held it up. “We need to head North,” she said, pointing toward a dense forest in the distance.

The trees loomed dark and ominous, their tops shrouded in mist. “That’s the direction of the kingdom’s wall. It’ll take us about a week on foot to get there. Faster if we had horses, but no such luck.”

Raul glanced in the direction she indicated. “What’s so special about the kingdom’s wall?”

Herring tucked the compass back into her bag as she explained. “When the barrier appeared, the monsters came pouring out and ravaged everything in their path. The kingdom built a protective wall to shield its core regions. It’s not perfect—some monsters still get through—but it’s safer than out here in the wastelands.”

She swept a hand over the desolate terrain around them. “Anything outside the wall? That’s wasteland territory. Monsters roam freely, and it’s survival of the fittest.”

Raul frowned, taking in her words. The wastelands certainly lived up to their name—dry, scorched ground stretched as far as the eye could see, with only the occasional gnarled tree or patch of brittle grass breaking the monotony.

“No one builds roads here anymore,” Herring said. “They’re just beacons for monsters and bandits. This compass is the only thing keeping us on track.”

As they started walking, Raul turned to her. “Why were you out here in the first place? The wastelands don’t exactly sound like a place anyone willingly visits.”

Herring’s expression hardened slightly, though she kept her tone casual. “I told you—I’m looking for someone. Someone who’s... important to me.”

Raul watched her for a moment, sensing there was more to her story but deciding not to push. Instead, he said, “I was looking for someone too.”

Her gaze flicked to him, curious. “Really? Who?”

Raul hesitated for a fraction of a second before answering. “ Someone important.”

Herring gave a small nod, seemingly unsatisfied with his answer.

“Well,” she said after a moment, “I guess that makes two of us.”

Raul nodded silently.