Kade watched the creature, unblinking. Silver hurt it—that much was clear—but the wound was barely a scratch. More insult than injury. And judging by the way its eyes narrowed, it had taken it personally.
He stayed perfectly still. Eventually, the monster's gaze slid past him, as if it had lost track of where he stood.
His eyes swept the surroundings. Rocks. Trees. Not much else. But enough.
Only then did he notice his own wound was gone. Convenient.
From deep inside the cave came a sound—faint, quick, human. Elian.
And just like that, the plan fell into place.
Kade lunged. A clean slash—perfectly timed. The thing's right arm hit the ground with a wet thud."Don't get distracted now, big guy…"
The reply was a blur of motion. A blow slammed into him, launching him backwards. He rolled with it, landing on his feet. Perfect. He sliced both palms open, the sting sharp and deliberate.
Blood streaked across one tree. Then another. Three, four, five—just enough that even he could smell the trail when his wounds closed again.
So the trash heap had its uses after all.
He scrambled into the branches, buying a pocket of time. "What now…" he muttered.
A shape at the cave mouth caught his eye—small, hesitant. A boy.
First thought: Poor kid. The thing's going to eat him.Second thought: Wait… Elian.
Of course. The idiot just had to ruin it.
Kade moved, silent across the branches, shadowing the boy's slow steps.
The beast spotted movement and charged.
The moment it passed under him, Kade dropped. Landed behind it. Blade into the gap at the base of its neck. Surgical. Precise.
The monster collapsed without a sound.
Kade straightened beside the corpse. "Well. Look at that. Useful after all."
Elian's hands trembled, barely visible. "Is… is it dead?"
Kade nudged the carcass with his boot. "Pretty sure."
A hairline crack split the skin. Then the rest followed—flesh flaking into weightless ash, the wind scattering it until only a black smear remained.
Guess I wouldn't have made it without Soulbond. Sharpened senses, regeneration… His lip curled faintly. …Not bad for something I didn't want in the first place.
[SYSTEM MESSAGE]Congratulations. You have defeated: { Snuffrat }
Reward pending.
Pending complete:
Rare Artifact: { Greta's Protection } – Obtained
Common Relic: { Blood Dagger } – Obtained
"Really? All that for a… Snuffrat?"
The system helpfully supplied details:
Greta's Protection(Rare Artifact)
A faintly glowing, silver-threaded charm. Emits a soft warmth.
Effect: Reduces physical damage by 15%. Negates the first lethal blow once per day.
Flavor text: Greta died clutching this. It didn't protect her—maybe you'll have better luck.
Blood Dagger(Common Relic)
A crude blade, stained with blood that never washes off.
Effect: Slightly increases attack speed. Inflicts minor bleeding for 5 seconds.
Flavor text: It wants to drink. It doesn't care whose blood.
Kade eyed them. A charm that failed its last owner and a dagger that might kill him for a taste. "Yeah. Totally worth it."
Still usable. Probably.
"Inventory."
A shimmer appeared—two items hanging in the air. He took the charm first—light, warm against his skin when he fastened it around his wrist. The dagger was heavier, longer than Sera's, the bloodstain permanent.
Elian was watching—not the loot, but him.
"…You can talk, kiddo."
"Where did you learn to use a dagger like that?"
Kade's lips twitched. "I used to be a butcher. Cutting was my job."
Almost the truth.
"I've never used two daggers at once, though. You want one? Can you fight?"
"You should know. Didn't you check my status?"
Right. He'd skipped it earlier, too annoyed by the kid's ability.
"Hey, don't pout." He ruffled Elian's hair, mock-affectionate. "Come on, show your status for your favorite uncle."
"You're hardly an uncle," Elian said flatly. "And call me Elian."
The window appeared.
[STATUS SCREEN – ELIAN]Class: Stray Puppy – Follows people and hopes they don't kick him.Rank: –Stamina: 10Intelligence: 13Agility: 10Strength: 8Perception: 12
Trait: Light Fingers – Can take what's in your pocket without you noticing. Sometimes even gives it back.Special Ability: Soulbind – Effects: +Focus, +Regeneration, +Shared FateRestriction: Activates instantly upon eye contact.
Kade huffed a laugh. "Stray Puppy… yeah, that fits. Following me around, hoping I don't kick you."
His eyes moved down the list. "Light Fingers, huh? So you can pickpocket."
He glanced at Elian, brow raised. "How come? You don't seem like the type who ever had to steal to survive."
"Yeah, I—?"
"Forget it. I don't care what you take—unless it's from me. Then you lose a hand or two."
A thought struck him. "…Wait. One of my bottle caps went missing earlier."
He was already walking when he asked, casual over his shoulder:"Hey, you got my bottle cap?"
"Yeah."
"Give it back."
Elian handed it over without slowing his pace.
"Kade…"
"Yeah?"
Almost hysteric: "What does it say on your class?"
For a moment, Kade actually stopped. "…You don't wanna know."
Kade twirled the bottle cap between his fingers as they walked, the forest underfoot damp and smelling faintly of rot.
Branches swayed above them, blotting out most of the light.
Somewhere far off, a bird—or something pretending to be one—screeched once and fell silent.
They kept moving, boots crunching over fallen leaves. The quiet between them stretched, filled only by the muted thump of their steps and the faint rustle of unseen things keeping pace.
Then—A scream. High, raw, cut short mid-breath.
Both of them froze.
It came again, sharper this time, closer.
Kade's head tilted, his gaze narrowing. "Guess we're not the only ones working."
Kade's head tilted, his gaze narrowing. "Guess we're not the only ones working."
They followed the sound, the trees parting just enough to reveal her—
She stood with her back half-turned to them, head bowed, hands red to the wrists. The boy at her feet twitched once, then twice, before going still.
For a moment, she didn't acknowledge them at all. Just that quiet stillness, broken only by the faint drip of blood into the moss.
Then she looked over her shoulder. Slow. Unhurried. Her eyes found theirs, calm as still water—yet carrying a trace of something that almost resembled pity.