In the morning, Scias lay still for a moment, examining his body. The ache in his ribs was almost fully gone.
Vel chirped a greeting from his perch, wings stretching in a colorful display.
"I'll try to completely heal myself now," Scias said, sitting up.
He channelled mana toward his ribs as he had the previous day.
This time, he was able to fully mend the bones, leaving no signs of them being broken.
He prodded his ribs. "Like new," he announced, surprised at the result.
Before starting their journey, Scias asked, "How well do you know this forest?"
"I don't know anything. I'm too weak to be here. If it weren't for you, I wouldn't come here."
Scias felt touched and slightly guilty.
Then Vel projected more information. How he was curious when the dragon left, so he came to see its lair only to find me.
He was surprised that there was someone living in the dragon's lair. Thus, he decided to stay and observe me, all the way untill he saved me from the snake.
The guilt Scias felt for putting Vel in danger quickly left him when he sensed the feelings contained in the projections. Interest. Amusement. Bewilderment. Entertainment. And many more.
"Alright. Ready to go?" Scias decided not to discuss it further and began gathering his stuff.
Vel trilled in agreement, feathers ruffling with anticipation.
They set out, heading south.
Vel took to the sky, soaring above the trees while maintaining their mental connection.
Scias moved through the underbrush with newfound confidence, guided by Vel's aerial view.
"Two big monsters ahead," Vel projected into Scias's mind.
"They look like bears but with spines. Very strong," he added.
Scias changed course, circling wide around the threat.
"You can tell their strength?" Scias was amazed.
"Why are you so surprised? I'm no ordinary beast," Vel replied smugly.
This partnership transformed Scias's journey—where before he'd stumbled blindly into danger, now he knew what was ahead.
"Water Hare," Vel alerted him mid-afternoon. "Left of the fallen log. Alone and weaker than us."
"I know it is weaker than us. I already killed few," said Scias with pride.
"Killing those weaklings is nothing to be proud of," came Vel's response, causing Scias to deflate.
Not losing his composure, Scias crept forward, readying earth projectiles.
The blue rabbit creature sensed him too late—a barrage of earth projectiles struck it before it could react.
Scias extracted the mana core and stored it for Vel to consume later.
As the day went on, their cooperation improved bit by bit.
Vel would identify potential threats and opportunities, and together they would decide whether to engage or avoid. They dispatched several smaller monsters—another Water Hare, a trio of Grass Crawlers, emerald-scaled lizards, and a Shard Quill, bird with metallic feathers that shot needle-like projectiles named .
'It is convenient that System can show the name of last unknown killed monster,' Scias thought.
None of those monsters posed a significant challenge, but each victory added experience and mana cores to their collection.
Scias felt slight increase in his strength, both physical and magical.
As he noticed this feeling, a notification popped up.
[System Notice:
Level 6 → Level 7]
"Making progress," Scias murmured.
By evening, they'd traveled a considerable distance south.
"Feels different here," Scias observed, finding a defensible clearing between weathered boulders to make camp.
Vel perched on a nearby branch, projecting agreement.
He transmitted impressions of the monsters they'd encountered, comparing their strength to others in the vicinity.
They cooked the last creature of the day's hunt, a Grass Crawler.
Afterward, Scias offered Vel the collection of mana cores they'd gathered.
He absorbed them one by one, but unlike yesterday, no dramatic change occurred.
"No level up for you?" Scias questioned, checking Vel's information.
[Name: Vel
Affinity: Non-Elemental (Wind)
Species: Brightshade (Rare)
Level: 9]
Vel projected amusement about Scias's ignorance. "These weaklings won't increase my power. I am too strong for that."
"True, my strong familiar," replied Scias with a smirk.
"But let's not get complacent. We might be strong for those weaklings, but we are still too weak."
Vel chirped in agreement.
The next morning, they continued south, encountering increasingly weaker monsters. By midday, they'd dispatched another fifteen creatures with minimal effort.
[System Notice:
Level 7 → Level 8]
Scias felt the familiar rush of power, along with growing excitement.
"Level up!" he exclaimed. "Getting closer to awakening."
"If you kill enough of them, even weaklings will make you level up," Vel projected his thoughts.
"Yes, but how many would we need to kill for me to reach another level? Not to say two levels?" replied Scias.
"A hundred? More? If we encounter them, we kill them. But let's not seek them out. This forest is way too dangerous for that."
Vel sent his agreement.
That evening, they established another camp in a small cave that showed no signs of recent habitation.
After dinner, Scias sat cross-legged, examining his System information.
[System information
Name: Scias Tenebre
Race: Human???
Age: 17
Level: 8
Affinity: Non-Elemental
Class: Not Available (Reach level 10 to awaken a class.)
Skills: Not Available (Becomes available after awakening.)
Abilities: Not Available (Becomes available after awakening.)]
"So close," he muttered. "Just two more levels."
Scias's eyes darted on his name.
'Why Tenebre?' He wondered.
'My name is Tenebris, not Tenebre. Could it be because of this different world?' Scias pondered.
'I guess it's not important, so no need to think about it too much.'
Vel settled on his shoulder, projecting curiosity about his intentions.
"I'm torn," Scias admitted.
"Part of me wants to leave this forest as quickly as possible." He gestured toward the east. "The monsters there are weaker. We'd be safer, but..."
Vel finished the thought through their bond—it would take too long to increase their levels.
"Exactly. If we stay in areas with stronger monsters, I could reach level 10 faster. Awakening might provide abilities that would make our journey safer."
Scias traced a pattern in the dirt—a crude map of their options.
South meant leaving the forest. East meant relative safety. Going back and remaining in the more dangerous regions meant greater risk but also greater reward.
"What do you think, Vel? Do we leave or try to increase our levels?"
He considered it, then projected a compromise—continue south and adjust their course based on what they find.
"All right," Scias agreed, smiling. "We'll do it like that."
He leaned back against a cave wall, watching the fire dance.
Night descended on their small camp, shadows deepening around the cave entrance.
Scias slept against the wall, his breathing even and deep after their long day of travel.
Vel perched on a protruding rock near the entrance, feathers puffed slightly against the cool evening air.
His multicolored feathers appeared dull in the darkness, but his eyes remained bright and alert.
His head swiveled methodically, scanning the forest beyond their shelter.
Their arrangement was simple—four hours of rest for Scias, followed by four for Vel, alternating through the night. Though new to their partnership, the system worked well.
Vel detected a movement—a subtle shift in the undergrowth.
His keen senses picked up scraping of scales against grass, the whisper of multiple moving bodies.
Five creatures approached—low to the ground, moving with predatory purpose. Grass Crawlers.
Their emerald scales blended with their surroundings, but not from Vel's perspective. He observed their approach, the way they spread out to surround the cave in a practiced manner.
Vel remained motionless, allowing the creatures to come closer. These weren't the mindless animals humans often assumed—they displayed coordination and patience.
The leading lizard paused at the edge of the clearing, its forked tongue tasting the air.
Vel made his decision. No need to wake Scias for such minor threats.
Vel launched from his perch without a sound, wings barely disturbing the air.
Hovering above the unsuspecting Grass Crawlers, he gathered his mana.
Unlike Scias, who needed months of practice to master elemental manipulation, Vel possessed instinctive control over wind magic.
The first razor-sharp gust sliced through the leader's neck, nearly decapitating it before it registered the attack.
The second and third lizards died in quick succession—precise wind blades cutting through their vulnerable points where scales met flesh.
The fourth lizard hissed in alarm, attempting to retreat into nearby bushes.
Vel pursued, a concentrated blade of air piercing through its eye and into its brain.
The final monster proved slightly more resilient, managing to summon a weak earth spike that sailed harmlessly past Vel's wings before a devastating wind current tore through its midsection.
Five monsters. Five corpses. All done under thirty seconds.
Vel landed beside the first crawler, talons delicately extracting its mana core—a small, amber-tinged stone barely larger than a pebble.
One by one, he harvested the cores from each carcass. Rather than leaving them in place, however, Vel gripped the first crawler in his talons and took flight.
Making several trips, he transported four bodies deep into the forest, away from their camp, leaving one for tomorrow's breakfast.
No need to attract larger predators by the dead bodies.
Only after desposing of the final lizard did Vel consume the collected cores, not feeling any change from the small amount of energy they possessed.
As he returned to the cave, Scias remained undisturbed, his face peaceful in sleep.
Vel resumed his watch, pleased with his contribution to their partnership.
"You should have awaken me," Scias said the next morning, examining the small bloodstains near their camp.
Vel projected images of the encounter, emphasizing how easily he'd dispatched the creatures.
"You're right. Grass crawlers are no threat to you." said Scias.
"But what if they managed to slip through while I sleep?" he continued.
Vel saw his point.
With a mental equivalent of a shrug, he projected that next time, he would wake him up.
They resumed their journey southward through gradually thinning trees. By mid-morning, Vel took to the sky, soaring above the canopy to scout ahead.
"Edge of forest in sight," Vel communicated.
"Perhaps half a day's journey at our current pace."
Scias considered this information, feeling conflicted. 'How many more monsters would I need to kill to reach level 10?'
System didn't provide precise experience requirements.
"What about the monsters around us?" Scias asked.
"Are they growing weaker as we approach the edge of the forest?"
To their surprise, Vel's scouting revealed the opposite.
While the monster population thinned near the forest edge, those remaining were predominantly stronger specimens.
Vel projected images of massive boars with crystalline tusks, chitinous insect-like creatures standing taller than Scias, and serpentine forms slithering between distant trees.
"That complicates things," Scias muttered. "I expected weaker monsters, not stronger."
They paused in a small clearing to reassess their strategy.
"I'm so close to awakening," Scias said, examining his status.
"Just two more levels. If we leave the forest now, who knows how long it might take to reach level 10."
Vel perched on a fallen log, head tilted inquisitively.
"Let's continue south," Scias decided. "If we reach the forest edge without hitting level 10, we'll camp there overnight and return to hunt tomorrow.
Being close to the fringe gives us a safety option if we encounter something beyond our strength."
The brightshade agreed with a mental impression of approval, and they resumed their journey.
Throughout the day, Vel guided them around several dangerous monsters—a pack of wolf-like creatures with flame-wreathed muzzles, a massive six-legged beast with venomous stingers covering its back, and something resembling a bear but with armored plates instead of fur.
"None of these are worth the risk," Vel projected.
"Too strong for our current strength."
In the late afternoon, beyond a screen of vegetation, they found a clearing where a large black feline prowled.
The creature stood nearly as tall as a horse, its midnight fur occasionally rippling with shadowy energy.
"This is the creature I saw back then. It was fighting a bear monster," Scias breathed.
"It should have wind affinity."
Vel assessed the monster, projecting his evaluation to Scias.
The feline was indeed powerful—significantly stronger than either of them individually. But together? He conveyed his thoughts.
"High risk, but together, victory is possible."
Scias observed the creature's movements, noting its confident, almost lazy demeanor.
"It doesn't look injured or weak. Are you sure we can take it?"
Vel's response came with strategic images—himself attacking from above, Scias from the ground, coordinated assault that the creature wouldn't expect.
"If we kill it..." Scias trailed off, calculations running through his mind.
"The experience gain would be substantial. Possibly enough for both remaining levels."
The black cat stretched, unaware of their presence. Its claws extended, scoring deep marks in the earth as it yawned, revealing fangs as long as daggers.
"Let's do it," Scias decided.