The bus convoy rumbled down the cracked highway, the weight of silence heavier than the armor they wore. Engines growled like restless beasts themselves.
Through the window, Sbu watched the countryside blur past — farmlands scorched by stray qi storms, burned-out vehicles, and the occasional flicker of something moving too fast to see.
Mandla tried to lighten the mood. "You think they'll really put us in the front? Maybe we'll just guard the border gates or something."
Banele snorted. "You wish. The border is the front."
Even Lungelo was quiet — until the radio static cut through the hum.
"…anyone… repeat, position Alpha has been overrun… repeat, beasts have—"
The signal died with a pop.
The driver cursed under his breath. "That was the outpost."
Sergeant Dlamini grabbed the mic. "All buses, halt!"
The convoy screeched to a stop near a bridge overlooking the border valley. Smoke rose in the distance — black pillars twisting into the sky.
Then they heard it.
A low, vibrating roar that made the ground itself tremble.
---
"Positions!" Dlamini barked, pulling his combat knife free. His qi flared golden, sharp enough to make the air hum.
The first beast burst from the treeline — a grotesque, four-eyed creature with skin like armor and claws that tore the asphalt. It leapt onto the first bus, sending recruits screaming.
Before fear could fully take hold, Dlamini was there.
One strike — clean, perfect. His blade cut through the beast's skull, leaving nothing but silence and smoke.
He turned, blood streaking his cheek.
"LISTEN UP!" he roared. "This is your war now! You think they'll stop at the border? You think they'll spare your families? Either fight — or die wishing you had!"
Something shifted in the recruits' eyes.
Fear didn't vanish — it hardened into resolve.
Sbu gripped his qi blade, feeling it hum against his palm. Lungelo's voice cut through the chaos.
"Control your fear, cub. Let it burn steady — not wild."
The next wave came. Dozens of Tier 0 beasts, their shrieks slicing through the air. The first volley hit like a storm — claws, teeth, and fury.
---
Sbu's world became motion.
He ducked under a swing, his blade slicing upward through a creature's chest. The resistance was like cutting through steel, but qi made it possible.
The beast fell — and the system pulsed faintly in his mind.
[+50 EXP – Tier 0 Beast slain]
He didn't stop.
Two more charged him; he rolled between them, slashing both throats in a flash. Blood sprayed, thick and steaming.
Mandla fought nearby, wild and desperate. Jobe and Banele covered each other's backs.
Screams, gunfire, the sound of bone meeting metal — it all blended into a single, terrible symphony.
Then came the Tier 1.
It was massive — four meters tall, its body glowing faintly red. The soldiers' gunfire only made it angrier.
Dlamini yelled, "Focus your qi! Aim for the core!"
Sbu felt something inside him respond — a rising pulse, like the world's heartbeat echoing in his veins. Lungelo's roar shook his mind.
"Now, boy! Move!"
He surged forward. The world slowed. His body felt weightless.
One strike — the beast's knee gave in. Another slash, across its ribs — qi flared, tearing through bone.
[+500 EXP – Tier 1 Beast slain]
Four more came.
He fought like someone possessed — every motion clean, instinctive, guided by Lungelo's voice and ancestral muscle memory.
By the time the sun dipped behind the horizon, the valley was a graveyard.
---
Mazwi stood among the bodies, breathing hard. The air was thick with the smell of burned fur and blood. His vision blurred, the world pulsing with energy as the System window flickered before him.
> [Tier Advancement Available: Tier 0 → Tier 1]
Proceed with advancement? [Y/N]
His hand trembled. The beasts lay broken around him—five of them felled by his own blade. He could feel the surge of power begging to be claimed.
"Should I…?" he whispered.
Lungelo appeared beside him, his spirit faintly glowing in the bloodied mist. His expression was calm, but his eyes carried weight.
> "Not yet, mfana," Lungelo said quietly. "Your spirit burns bright, but it is not ready to bear the full flame."
Mazwi frowned. "But I earned it. I can feel the power. If I advance now, I'll be stronger—strong enough to protect everyone."
Sbu, still catching his breath nearby, overheard and walked closer. "He's right, Lungelo. We need every edge we can get."
Lungelo shook his head slowly.
> "Strength without understanding is a curse, not a gift. The path ahead is not only of muscle and qi, but of roots. He must first return to where his blood was born."
Mazwi's brow furrowed. "You mean… the ancestors?"
Lungelo nodded, his figure flickering like smoke in the wind.
> "Yes. Until you face them again, your foundation will remain fragile. The next step isn't in the living world, Mazwi — it's beyond the veil."
The system prompt still hovered before him, pulsing faintly. Mazwi looked at it, then at his trembling hands.
He clenched his fist, closing the interface. "Then I'll wait."
Lungelo smiled faintly. "Good. The time to rise will come soon. But first—you must remember who you are."
The wind carried the scent of ash and victory, mingled with the silence of the fallen. Mazwi turned toward the ruined horizon, unaware that destiny had already begun to stir in both worlds.