It had been two full days since Nash let Hina run free in the forests beyond the city. Two days since he had been inside the body of Hina.
During that time, the System had only updated once, showing a single new line under Captured Supernaturals:
[Stored Supernatural: 1 – Murrglin, the Sporeshade Trickster]
Nash sat on a bench near a street corner, watching the holographic text hover in front of him, half transparent under the sunlight. The people passing by didn't notice the glowing interface at all. They were unable to see the interface and they are too busy with their own lives, businessmen walking fast, vendors shouting, students laughing in groups.
Nash sighed and leaned back. "Only one supernatural in two days," he muttered. "Guess these things really are rare."
He tapped the screen with his finger, scrolling through the options. One section caught his eye. Relic Core Conversion. If he placed the Murrglin's essence into a relic, he could sell it. But there was another option: Convert to Aether.
He checked his balance.
[Aether: 37]
[Puppet Summon Cost: 100 Aether]
Nash frowned. "So freaking far..."
He rubbed his eyes and leaned forward, elbows on his knees. "If I sell the Murrglin, maybe it could sell tons of money or I could use this Murrglin myself. But if I convert it, I'll be closer to summoning another puppet."
The thought of Hina wandering alone in that eerie forest flashed through his mind. She was strong, yes, but she was still alone. He remembered the way she bowed slightly before vanishing that night, chains rattling faintly.
"I should stop thinking about this. I already made up my mind two days ago anyway." Nash muttered to himself. "She deserves backup."
He swiped the screen away, and the hologram flickered out.
Two days earlier, he had spoken to Hina through the System. Her voice had echoed inside his mind, distant but clear.
"Are you doing alright, Hina?" he had asked.
"I'm doing alright, Nash. Just having a hard time finding supernaturals," she answered softly. Her tone was calm, yet there was a trace of irritation.
"That's good. I'll buy a new puppet soon, so you'll have a partner out there."
There was a pause before she replied. "Thank you, Nash. I appreciate it."
He had smiled faintly at her words. "That's the least I could do. Take care out there."
"Will do," she said before the link went silent.
Now, sitting in the middle of the bustling city, Nash couldn't help but feel strange. The world around him really looked exactly like Earth—skyscrapers, neon billboards, cars hovering slightly above metallic streets—but everything was off.
He had spent the past two days trying to understand this place, this world a bit more. Every bit of research he gathered made him realize how insane it really was.
The world was enormous, almost endless, divided into vast continents. Out of the many, only three were known to host human civilizations. The rest belonged to the supernaturals, ancient, monstrous beings that ruled their territories like gods.
One continent was dominated by a being called The Pale Matron. The records said she continuously spawned her own kind, filling her lands with an army of replicas. Nash couldn't tell if she was some kind of queen, goddess, or living disease. But her presence made that entire continent forbidden to humans.
Other continents were rumored to house sentient supernaturals, ones capable of speech, thought, and even building their own societies. Scholars debated whether they were just another race of beings or ancient humans who had evolved differently. But trying to research or discover the other continents is incredibly dangerous; that's why until now there's been barely any info about the unknown continents.
All those who tried to discover the unknown continents—about ninety-five percent of them died, and those who were able to make it back home were heavily injured. There were also not enough powerful people who wanted to risk their luxurious lives just to explore the unknown continents.
Nash then found himself staring out the window of a café, muttering to himself, "Could humanity of this world start as supernaturals? But if humanity is supernatural, then humans can also be captured in relics, which is impossible... I guess not."
He didn't even notice people giving him strange looks as he talked to himself.
And then there were the oceans.
The data he found said that crossing to the other continents was nearly impossible. The seas were infested with leviathan-class supernaturals, creatures so huge that they could swallow ships whole.
One legendary account said a supernatural so massive once wrapped its body around an entire island and dragged it under the waves.
Nash had laughed in disbelief at first, but after seeing what Hina could do, he wasn't so sure anymore.
Now, walking down the crowded streets with his hands in his pockets, Nash muttered quietly, "How the hell did humanity survive in this world?"
He wandered aimlessly until the smell of grilled meat reached him. His stomach growled, reminding him that he hadn't eaten since morning. He entered a small restaurant, the kind that had flickering neon lights and humming rune panels on the walls.
A waitress appeared as he sat down. "Welcome! What would you like today?"
"Something filling," Nash said, scanning the menu. "Uh, meat stew and water."
The hologram nodded. "That will be forty units."
"Alright," Nash said, pulling out cash and giving it to the waitress.
"thank you sir," the hologram said with a polite smile before disappearing.
As the smell of cooking filled the air, Nash leaned back in his seat. "Still got some money left," he muttered. "But the dirty cash that I stole from the gang could maybe help me live comfortably for about a year... but the expense on the relics are too fucking much."
When the steaming bowl arrived, he took a slow breath and whispered.
He wandered into another street later, brighter and filled with large screens showing news broadcasts. The moment he looked up, his expression darkened.
The news anchor's voice was calm but tense. "Reports have confirmed the appearance of a Grade S supernatural near the western ocean. Citizens are advised to remain indoors until further notice."
The screen flickered, showing grainy footage from a helicopter camera. In the distance, amidst the stormy sea, a massive silhouette loomed beneath the waves. Its sheer size dwarfed the ships around it. Even from afar, its body glowed faintly like a mountain of light moving beneath the ocean surface.
Nash's jaw went slack. "What the hell is that thing?"
The broadcast zoomed in. The creature's enormous tail broke the surface, spraying water into the sky. A moment later, the entire sea seemed to ripple.
The anchor continued, "Thankfully, the entity has changed course and is now moving away from the continent. Experts believe it to be another S grade supernatural being."
Nash exhaled slowly, shaking his head. "Good. If that thing came here, it'd wipe out millions."
The next segment switched to coverage of an ongoing war between two nations. Soldiers armed with rune-forged weapons battled amidst ruins, their attacks glowing with bursts of elemental energy. The entire world seemed trapped in endless chaos.
Nash stared silently for a moment, then muttered, "So this is how this world works. Power and survival. That's all that matters."
He looked down at his palm, the faint mark of his summoner rune pulsing softly.
"Hina's out there fighting alone, while I'm sitting here doing nothing. I need more Aether. I need more puppets."
His reflection stared back from a shop window, tired eyes, messy hair, and a faint red glow under his skin.
He clenched his fist. "I can't stay weak. Not here."
Night fell by the time he returned to the small cramp apartment he had since day one.
He lay on the bed and opened his System interface again.
[Stored Supernatural: 1 – Murrglin, Sporeshade Trickster]
[Aether: 37]
[Hina Status: Active – Forest Sector 09]
He hesitated, then opened the voice link.
"Hina, can you hear me?"
There was a pause, followed by her soft voice. "Yes, Nash. You sound tired."
He chuckled lightly. "Yeah, kinda... How are you holding up out there?"
"I'm fine. The forest is quieter now," she said. "But it feels… emptier."
He knew she was referring to the Murrglin. "You did well back there. I saw the report from the system. That thing looked creepy as hell."
"It wasn't difficult," Hina replied. "Just annoying. It hid behind illusions. I destroyed them all."
Nash smiled faintly. "That's my girl."
There was a short silence.
Then Hina spoke softly, "Nash, when you make another puppet…?"
"I'll convert this Murrglin now, hopefully my aether would reach 100 but if not you'll have to capture another one Hina," he said immediately. "I'll help you out Hina when I'm powerful enough. I promise."
"I'd like that," she whispered. "It's… lonely here."
Her tone made him pause. For a moment, he didn't know what to say.
"Hina," he said quietly. "If the murrglin is enough to summon another puppet, maybe I'll summon a protector type. Someone who can fight beside you."
She chuckled softly, a faint sound that echoed like wind. "Then I'll make sure to survive until then."
"Good," Nash said, smiling. "Take care, Hina."
"Always," she replied, and the connection faded.
Nash stared at the ceiling for a long while.
---
Somewhere far away, under the same moonlight, Hina stood silently at the edge of the forest, staring toward the distant city lights.
Her crimson eyes flickered faintly as she whispered while giggling, "I can't fucking wait to make them all pay."
The chains around her wrists rattled softly, singing in the cold night wind.