The crude wooden walls loomed ahead as we approached the entrance to Vermilion Post. Two guards stood at the gate, their faces weathered and stern. They looked us over briefly, their expressions bored, and waved us through without much interest. I could tell they didn’t care who came or went; they were just stuck in this miserable place, and they weren’t happy about it.
Once inside, it was clear Vermilion Post was even less of a town than the port we’d just come from. The settlement was little more than a scattering of tents and ramshackle structures. Fires burned in open pits as people gathered around to cook meals or repair their gear. The sound of metal scraping on metal filled the air as weapons were sharpened, and the whole place reeked of sweat and smoke.
Without any clear direction, Lance and I exchanged a look. We hadn’t discussed where we were going to stay or what we were supposed to do next. We stood there awkwardly for a moment, unsure of our next move, but the girl kept walking ahead, her pace as brisk as ever.
I shrugged, and we followed her.
She stopped at a makeshift stand serving beer, slamming a few Copper coins on the counter before downing her drink in one go. I could see Lance bristling beside me, his annoyance clear in every sharp glance he threw her way. But before he could say anything, something caught his eye, and he nudged me.
“Look,” Lance whispered, nodding toward another stand—or what passed for one. It wasn’t much more than a man sitting on the ground with a piece of cloth laid out before him, displaying an assortment of goods.
I wandered over, curious. Though Lance’s enthusiasm dropped at the display of things. Among the items, I spotted a few crude, empty glass vials. I pointed at them. “How much for three of these?”
The man raised an eyebrow, his face lined with skepticism. “Optimistic brats, huh? One Silver Pup each.”
Lance let out a frustrated groan. “I’m tired of these stupid prices. One Silver Pup for all three.”
They bantered for a bit, the man eyeing us with amusement, but eventually, we settled on one Silver Pup and eight Copper Deer for the three vials. I paid up, and as we walked away, Lance couldn’t help but ask, “What do you need those for?”
“In case we get skills from monsters,” I said with a grin. “Better to be prepared.”
Lance chuckled, shaking his head. “Yeah, I guess.”
I glanced around at the makeshift camps and tents scattered throughout the post. “Where do you think we’ll stay? Doesn’t look like there’s an inn.”
Lance sighed, rubbing the back of his neck. “We’ll probably need to get a tent for the both of us. We can take turns sleeping. I don’t want to risk getting robbed again.”
I chuckled, shifting my pack on my shoulder. “You think I’m worried about comfort? I’m used to being uncomfortable. You’re the noble, remember? Shouldn’t you be worried about yourself?”
Lance smirked, amused. “Says the king himself…”
We both laughed, the tension from earlier easing as we made our way back to the girl, who was still sitting at the makeshift bar, nursing another drink. She barely looked at us when we approached, her focus on the half-full mug in her hand. Lance’s irritation flared again, but before he could say anything, I stepped forward.
“You know, you could pay us back by being helpful for a while,” I said. “We’re new here, and you clearly know your way around.”
She sighed, clearly not thrilled by the idea. “Fine. But there’s not much to know.” She set her mug down, finally looking at us properly. “These posts? They’re built as bases for expeditions. This one’s a few years old. The whole point is to go deeper, find the damn tree that’s causing all these monsters to appear, and report back to the kingdom.”
I frowned. “Don’t they know where it is? The tree should be massive, right?”
She shrugged. “That’s the issue. These expeditions have been going on for ages—get in, find the monsters, find the tree, and report back. At least, that’s how it’s supposed to work. Some kingdoms have found a few in the past, but not here. No sign of it, despite the sheer number of monsters.”
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Lance interrupted, clearly impatient. “That’s all well and good, but what should we know about this post? What do we need to do to survive here?”
The girl leaned back against the bar, her eyes scanning the camp. “Claim a spot. Don’t let anyone see weakness. Always be prepared. That’s about it. Everyone here hunts monsters—either for parts to upgrade their gear or to sell. And everyone’s hoping for a blessing or two so they can leave this place with a pocket full of coin.”
I raised an eyebrow. “Is it really that easy?”
She smirked. “If you’re clever enough. Get one blessing out of here, and you can live comfortably for a few years. But no, it’s not easy.”
Lance looked around, frowning. “And anyone we should know about?”
“Don’t underestimate the ones without marks,” she said, nodding toward a group of rough-looking men sitting around a fire. “Some of them might be newbies looking for their own blessing, but others… they don’t carry one for a reason. They’ve survived out here without one, and that makes them more dangerous than any kid with new claws.” She glanced at me pointedly.
I felt a shiver run down my spine but managed a smirk. “Duly noted.”
Night came, and as we moved away from the center of Vermilion Post, Lance and I found a quiet spot near the edge of the camp to set up our tent. The structure itself was laughably small—barely big enough for one of us. After a bit of struggling with the stakes and rope, we finally got the tent to stand, though it sagged a bit in the middle. It didn’t matter. It would be enough.
Outside the tent, we started a small fire, the flickering flames providing just enough light and warmth to stave off the evening chill. We sat by the fire, the crackling of the wood filling the silence as we stared into the flames.
“As you know,” Lance said, breaking the silence. His tone was thoughtful but firm, already focused on what we’d do next. “Our priority should be skill advancement.”
I nodded. That much was obvious. Every minute we spent here needed to be dedicated to getting stronger, more capable. Lance leaned forward, his eyes still on the fire.
“You still need to improve your healing. Archangel’s Touch will get more powerful as you train, but you’ll need my help for that. We’ll keep working on it. And Soul Bond—you should be practicing every chance you get.”
I smirked. “Yeah, yeah, I know.” I couldn’t deny how useful the bond had been, but Lance wasn’t wrong—advancement meant more allies, or at least it should.
Lance eyed me knowingly. “You should really think about who to bond with once you advance again.”
I chuckled, rubbing the back of my neck. “We didn’t exactly have a lot of options back there. Besides, I like my new claws.”
Lance glanced at my hands, his eyes lingering on the barely covered ring-like marks around my fingers. “They’re useful, but they also make it hard to hide your extra marks. If you keep shredding your gloves every time…”
I laughed. “I’ll try to take them off first next time.”
The conversation settled into a more relaxed tone as the fire crackled between us. I reached over and grabbed my sword, the one I had barely used since we arrived at Vermilion Post. I held it out toward Lance, who looked at me, confused.
“What’s this for?” he asked, raising an eyebrow.
“I’m not going to use it,” I said plainly. “Not when our lives depend on it. I can’t fight with a sword, not the way you can. In your hands, it’ll be more useful.”
Lance gave me a skeptical look as he took the sword, smirking slightly. “You’re not worried I’ll run off with it?”
I chuckled, shaking my head. “Why would you? I’m not lending it to you. I’m giving it to you.”
Lance blinked, his smirk fading as he processed what I was saying. He stared at me, his fingers brushing the hilt of the sword almost hesitantly. “You’re… giving it to me?”
“Yeah,” I said, smiling. “Without you, I’d be dead. Or worse—still trapped in that palace while the nobles plotted ways to kill me. I never got the chance to properly thank you.”
Lance stared at the sword, his expression stunned. “I don’t know what to say,” he muttered.
“You don’t have to say anything,” I replied, leaning back against the small tent. “Besides, we both know swords aren’t for me. They’re cool, but they don’t fit me.”
Lance chuckled softly, his smirk returning as he glanced at the sword again. “Well, if you insist.”
We shared a laugh.
The firelight flickered, casting long shadows across the ground. It was getting dark, the stars starting to peek through the gaps in the canopy above.
“I’ll take first watch,” Lance offered, standing up and stretching. “Get some rest. In the morning, we’ll go on our first official hunt.” He grinned, his excitement clear. “After all, we both need to train Champion’s Physique.”
I nodded, the exhaustion of the day finally catching up with me. “Sounds like a plan.”
As I crawled into the small, cramped tent, I couldn’t help but smile. We were here to get stronger, to train, to survive. I could only feel excitement at what would come tomorrow. This time, I felt ready.