The basement’s silence pressed in on them, punctuated by the rhythmic dripping of water, a slow, relentless beat that echoed Kael’s heartbeat. It was a sound he’d grown accustomed to, a constant reminder of the precariousness of their situation. Mudtown loomed above them – a world of shadows and whispered threats – but for now, it felt distant, muted by the sheer weight of the decision before them.
Kael sat cross-legged on the dirt floor, the System screen’s pale blue light washing over his face. Yareeth, her scaled form curled beside him, watched him with a mixture of apprehension and quiet curiosity. Her eyes, a deep, fathomless black, seemed to reflect the flickering candlelight in a way that unnerved him, a reminder of the power he'd inadvertently unleashed. But they were in this together now, bound by a twisted fate, by a shared loss. It was a responsibility that he couldn’t shake, a weight that settled heavy on his shoulders.
They’d been through a lot, he thought. Too much. It had only been a week since he'd found the Void Shard, but in that short span of time, his life had unraveled and re-stitched itself, the threads a jumbled mess of realms, battles, and betrayals. He could still smell the Blightmaw’s fetid breath on his skin, could feel the phantom ache of its claws tearing through his flesh. The memory of the lizardfolk village, a vibrant world swallowed by the Void, haunted his dreams.
Yareeth’s presence beside him was a constant, unsettling reminder of that truth. She'd lost everything—her home, her people, her sense of belonging—and he, in his clumsy pursuit of power, was the one who’d shattered her world, who'd dragged her into this darkness. It was a heavy weight on his conscience. A burden.
But a part of him, the part that was still a scared boy from Mudtown, was also grateful for her presence. It felt… good, not to be alone anymore. Not to be the only one trapped in this nightmare.
“So,” she prompted, her gaze fixed on the pulsating blue light, “how does it work? These portals? Why here?” Her question was a challenge, a demand, an implicit trust that tugged at the knot of guilt that coiled in his gut.
The words sounded foolish, like a child’s explanation. But how else could he describe it? “This… this basement is a Nexus.” He gestured vaguely, remembering the System's cryptic announcement.
“A… Nexus?” She echoed the word, testing its unfamiliar weight, the syllables rolling off her tongue. “A center point? A doorway between realms?” Her understanding was quick, instinctive. “Is that how we got to this Mudtown? Through this… Nexus?” Her questions were no longer fueled by despair, by grief, they were a tangible, tangible thirst for knowledge, and for the first time since her world’s destruction, a flicker of hope. He had to fan that flame.
He’d been so focused on his own struggles, his own fear, but she was… She was amazing. She had lost everything. Her family, her village, her entire world. And yet… here she was, standing beside him, not as a victim, but as… a companion.
She was more than he deserved, this girl, this lizardfolk. Yareeth. More than a survivor. More than a refugee. She had a will that matched his, an inner fire that burned with a brilliance that eclipsed even the Void Shard's cold energy. A shiver of admiration ran through him. They could do this together. They had to.
He looked at her. “This is how it all works. This, is what we can do. It's the only way. But if… If it’s too much—“ He paused, watching her.
“I’m ready,” she said, her voice firm, echoing his own determination.
“Are you sure?” Kael said, a wave of uncertainty hitting him. He was stronger now. But those realms… he didn’t want her to face the terror he'd endured, didn’t want her to see the darkness that had coiled within him.
She nodded, the conviction in her gaze mirrored in the steady rhythm of her tail as it swept across the dusty floor. "Yes. I've seen your world, your Mudtown, its shadowy markets. They are terrifying, but they are... predictable. In a way, at least.” The faint amusement, that edge of sardonic acceptance, in her voice, a bitter echo. Her village was gone, swallowed by a world he'd been thrust into blindly, her world shattered and recycled. He had seen it, played his role in it. Experienced the crushing weight of it, and knew her statement wasn’t entirely true.
There was a quiet understanding there, though—a shared sense of navigating this chaos together. A flicker of hope, perhaps. It was a risk, a dangerous leap of faith. But he knew, with a certainty that transcended the System’s calculations, that they couldn’t stay here forever.
He needed to make sure. No more rash decisions. “You understand that this realm, this… Tin-tier — ”
Her tail thwacked against the stone floor, a sharp, decisive beat that made him jump. “You explained it all that last night. Show me, show me how we… cleanse.” He hadn’t thought she’d use that term. But he understood what she meant, a strange shared language between predator and prey.
He pulled up his System screen, the familiar blue light illuminating his face, casting eerie shadows on the basement’s rough walls, as if the world itself were bracing for their departure.
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Void Energy: 8/10
“We should have the Void Shard Slot replenished after the Tin-tier. Unless something goes wrong. Which, you know, it tends to.” The irony was bittersweet, and he forced a smile.
He hesitated. There was a part of him that wanted to hold back, to shield her from the brutality of those shattered worlds, from the darkness he’d glimpsed within himself. He'd been thrust into this blindly, and even now, even with his stats upgraded, his skills honed, he still felt like a puppet, his movements dictated by a force he couldn't fully grasp. But Yareeth was watching him with a mix of curiosity, trepidation. He owed her this much, at least—to teach her what he'd learned, to show her how to navigate this game of survival.
Kael checked his club-hammer one last time, adjusting its weight in his hand. Her gaze flicked towards him, a silent query, then back to the screen, the blue light reflecting in those dark, reptilian eyes. She wanted to go back to a realm, he understood that, even if it wasn’t her own. It was… the way forward, in more ways than one. It felt strange to be standing there, her words echoing his own thoughts, his body aching with anticipation. There was a sense of… a shift in their power dynamic, in the weight of his responsibility. It was freeing.
He was no longer alone in this. He had found a… A teammate? An ally? Something that he was was more than just a burden to. It felt good. Dangerous, yes, but there was no escaping the darkness, not for either of them. It was a question he hadn't considered, not until that moment.
"I need to do this, Kael.” The firmness in her voice left no room for argument, the shadows shifting on her scales, her body a predator’s pose, tense and focused. She gripped her dagger, a swift, instinctive motion. Her movements now quick and precise. "It's time.”
They stood side by side. He checked his crude leather vambraces one last time, running a thumb over their surface, remembering the sharp, metallic scent of the creature he'd taken them from. Her scales brushed against his arm. He selected ‘**Y**,’ and the air around them hummed, as if drawing in all other sounds. A tremor ran through the basement. She stood by his side, watching him, her expression hard, resolute. The air around them began to shimmer, as if the very fabric of reality were being pulled apart. He focused, channeling the energy, guiding the flow, and it solidified before him, swirling colors shifting into a recognizable form.
The portal.
The portal materialized in front of them, a swirling vortex of dark purple and blue hues, its edges pulsing with an eerie light that cast strange shadows across the room. He’d seen this so many times now. But this time… It was different.
The hum intensified, the sound vibrating through their bones, through the very foundations of the building above, as if the earth itself were responding to the presence of this tear in reality. The metallic tang filled his mouth, a flavor he’d become all too familiar with. And the basement’s chill deepened, as if the portal were drawing heat away from the space around them, leaving a cold, empty void.
A shiver ran down his spine. This was… amazing. He couldn't deny the thrill of it, the rush of power, of anticipation, of excitement. It felt… right.
He watched as the portal stabilized, glowing with a steady intensity, its surface rippling like water, the edges shifting slightly, as if it were a living entity testing the boundaries of its newfound form.
And for a moment, Kael found himself lost in the simple beauty of the magic he'd unleashed, forgetting the pain, the exhaustion, the weight of the responsibility that clung to him like a second skin.
They stood side-by-side, their reflections a distorted dance in the portal’s swirling depths. Yareeth stared at the pulsing vortex, her mouth slightly open, the awe she couldn’t quite conceal mirrored in his own heart. He could hear her sharp intake of breath, could feel the warmth of her surprise, and a quiet pride, a connection he hadn’t expected, bloomed within him.
Grassland
Tier: Tin
Realm Boss: Level 4
No Realm Quest
"Ready?" He asked the question, his voice soft, almost a whisper. It wasn't a command, he realized. It was an offer, a choice he was giving her now that he had never received.
Yareeth met his gaze, and for a moment, the shadows and doubts that had been haunting her eyes seemed to fade, replaced by a tentative excitement. She was still apprehensive, he could see it, but there was something else there now, something stronger than fear—a determination. It was like a spark igniting, a tiny ember in the darkness.
“Yes.” Her tail swished excitedly. “Let’s go.”
A surge of relief washed over him. This wasn’t about him. Not anymore. This was about them, a team navigating a world they hadn’t chosen, but would conquer together.
He drew a deep breath, feeling the familiar rush of anticipation mingling with the sharp tingle of fear, and held her gaze for a moment, the pact they’d made unspoken, yet more binding than any promise. “Follow me.”
The portal’s surface rippled as they approached, casting shifting shadows across their faces, like masks of the realm’s unseen dangers. It was time to step into the darkness again. This was the path they’d chosen. There was no turning back. He held his breath.
They stepped through.