Kael watched the portal shimmer into existence. It was a familiar sight now—a tear in the fabric of reality, its edges pulsing with a dark, iridescent glow, a visual echo of the power that coursed through him, that had changed everything. Yet, despite the countless times he’d crossed this threshold, a knot of anxiety always tightened in his chest, a primal tremor of fear that whispered of the realms’ unpredictability. This journey was different, he reminded himself, not just because of the level four boss waiting on the other side. It was because he wasn’t alone anymore.
River Delta
Tier: Tin
Realm Boss: Level 4
No Realm Quest
The words hovered in the air, a stark blue reminder that their fragile moment of peace was about to shatter, that they were about to step into another battle. But beneath that familiar anxiety, something else was stirring—a warmth, a sense of shared purpose that he hadn’t felt in… well, ever.
Yareeth stood beside him, her scales shimmering softly in the dim light filtering through the basement's cracked window. She was a different creature now, transformed by the System’s embrace, a warrior forged in the crucible of a realm’s destruction. Yet, as she reached out to touch his arm, her scales cool and reassuring against his skin, he could feel her apprehension echoing his own.
They were both carrying burdens – she, the weight of her lost world; and he, the guilt of her loss. But now, standing at the edge of this new unknown, they shared the knowledge that they weren’t alone in this darkness, a bond forged in desperation, strengthened by shared meals and the faint glimmer of trust they’d both learned to offer.
He glanced down at her, a protective instinct surging within him. “It’s okay to be afraid,” he said softly.
“I know.” Her reply, calm. Her voice steady now. No longer halting. She lifted her chin, the movement graceful even with the scales, an echo of her lizardfolk pride. "I am ready."
They stepped through the portal.
----------------------------------------
The familiar, disorienting tug, then warmth.
Humid, heavy air engulfed them. He drew a deep breath, the scent of wet earth, fresh water, and decaying vegetation a heady contrast to the stale dust and mold of the basement. The transition from Mudtown’s shadowy alleys to the realm's vibrant greens never failed to amaze him. It was as if the world itself were breathing, its rhythms more pronounced, its presence tangible, immediate. “This realm…” He was about to comment on its similarities to her lost swamp, to the world he’d destroyed. But the guilt stopped him, the memories still too raw, his words caught in the tangle of remorse and his growing protectiveness.
"Feels different. Lighter." Yareeth spoke the words he’d been thinking, her voice tinged with wonder, a soft echo against the realm’s humid embrace.
“It’s still a swamp, though. Maybe not yours, but….” He trailed off. He couldn’t bring himself to apologize again. To voice the regrets that gnawed at him. She needed him to be strong. For both of them.
Yareeth tilted her head. He could see her taking in the details, analyzing this landscape that so closely mirrored what she'd lost. He watched her tail twitch back and forth, the scales a dull grey, and the dull ache in his chest, the guilt—it thrummed a counterpoint to his own desperate hopes for this quest, this realm. He had to get those three crystals. They both needed him to be strong.
They found themselves in a lush river delta, a world of water and life. The sun, filtered through a dense canopy of interwoven branches, painted the swamp floor in shifting patterns of light and shadow.
A gentle breeze rustled the leaves. The ground beneath their feet was a tapestry of soft sand and slick mud, a shifting surface crisscrossed by streams, each reflecting the sky in distorted patterns. His boots, sturdy, grounded him. He had to make sure she had proper boots. But not now. He surveyed their surroundings, spear at the ready, every sense on high alert.
The air was thick with the scent of wet earth and vegetation, a fertile, almost cloying, aroma that filled his lungs, reminding him of the jungle realm where he’d faced the Bloodtusk Boar. But this place, despite the humidity, felt somehow different. Lighter. More inviting. “It's… alive,” he heard Yareeth whisper beside him. “So much life.”
She was already crouching beside a patch of unusual flowering plants, the backpack he’d bought for her a dark silhouette against the vibrant greens and blues of the delta's vegetation. The System had mapped her skills, her strengths, revealed the potential she hadn't even been aware of. Now those skills— gathering, bartering, those talents she’d always taken for granted — were being quantified, rewarded with experience points, with tangible progress. It was a gift, he realized. One that was more valuable than anything the realms could offer.
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He watched her for a moment, a strange sense of peace settling upon him. “This one… It’s for healing. This one is a nerve tonic.”
Her voice, the words so precise, spoken with a newfound confidence. Each successful harvest was a small victory. He was still wary, yes, but there was a lightness to their movements now, a shared purpose that had begun to eclipse the fear. He took a deep breath, the scent of wet earth and vegetation filling his lungs, a calming influence, and a subtle warning. The air was saturated with moisture, a light mist rising from the water-logged ground. Sunlight filtering through the leaves, a fleeting touch. It was beautiful, a vibrant, untamed beauty. But it was also a reminder that every step, every movement, could be their last.
“Stay alert. I’ll keep watch while you look,” Kael said, his gaze sweeping across the surrounding reeds, the shadows deepening as the sun began to dip towards the horizon. He’d felt that same uneasy calm before, in the Grasslands. He knew, better than to relax, but this wasn’t his world.
Yareeth nodded, a flicker of excitement in her dark eyes, the usual anxiety muted as she pulled her small knife from its sheath. “This is more like… well, more like home.” Her words, a bittersweet echo.
He saw the longing in her gaze as she touched one of the plants, its leaves soft, velvety, as if the realm itself was offering comfort, a fleeting moment of peace amidst the chaos. She moved from one patch to another, a rhythmic, almost ceremonial precision in her movements. He could almost see it - her home village, a tapestry of woven reeds and fragrant herbs. It was a memory he’d stolen, a world he'd inadvertently destroyed, and he turned away.
Herbal Identification Skill +2
Level Up!
Congratulations, You Have Reached Level 2!
Stat Points Earned: 5
Skill Points Earned: 5
Skill Tokens Earned: 1
XP Until Next Level: 390
"I..I leveled up?" Yareeth whispered.
"Whoa, You leveled up! That was...quick?” His astonishment was genuine, a sense of pride mingled with a faint… jealousy. How easily she moved through these initial challenges.
Yareeth, straightening up, the satchel at her hip swaying slightly with her movements, beamed. "This… system, it’s working!” There was a joy in her voice, a glimmer he hadn’t anticipated, a ray of sunlight in the darkening shadows. Her scales shimmered.
“It’s working for both of us, right?” He said it before he could stop himself, and was surprised by the sincerity, the ease with which those words emerged. A genuine question, not a competition, not a score. Her joy, her excitement. He wanted… No.
She turned toward him. Her gaze sharp. Focused, as always. He liked it. But she’d heard the tremor in his voice. "Don't we both need to get stronger? You need to show me what these options are. Let’s allocate together. Teach me the System’s way.” The shadows of her realm were fading, replaced by this strange, seductive world. This was their world now. He had to be ready. To keep up. To lead. Or maybe just… to survive alongside her.
A low, guttural growl from the nearby reeds. It wasn't loud. Not aggressive. Just a territorial warning.
"Later. Maybe when it's safer. First… we need to deal with this.”
He felt a surge of adrenaline as the creature darted into the clearing, its scaled hide glinting in the sun’s dying rays. Its movements were swift. But he was ready, his club-hammer a familiar weight, a reassuring presence.
Swamp Drakeling Level 2
“Just a small one. Level 2. Nothing I can’t handle,” Kael boasted, already stepping forward. He met the creature’s charge, the ground shifting slightly under his feet. “Get ready, though. There might be more.”
His reflexes, honed in the unforgiving arenas of Mudtown and amplified by the System’s upgrades, reacted before he even had time to think. He saw the flicker of claws as the drakeling lunged. Sidestepped its attack, the sharp teeth just missing his arm as the creature’s momentum carried it past him. It was small, its scales barely covering its wiry, reptilian form. He swung his club, and the world seemed to slow for a moment as he felt the impact. The satisfying crunch of bone, the sudden stillness of its twisted body as it crumpled into the mud, the faint, metallic scent of blood.
Swamp Drakeling Killed
It had been so easy.