I dusted myself off, trying to ignore the miniature crater where the village used to be.
Suddenly, a sharp clang echoed from the ground.
A sword—floating upright, glowing faintly—spoke.
> "Hey! Watch where you're walking! Some of us have reputations to uphold!"
"Uh… you can talk?" I asked, still wobbling from yesterday's chariot incident.
> "Of course I can talk! I'm a Legendary Blade of Eternal Destiny, and I demand respect! Now, carry me or die."
Great. My first companion was already yelling at me.
The sword hovered in front of me, spinning slightly as if practicing gestures.
> "Also, I'm allergic to water. And sunlight. And polite greetings. And—"
I raised an eyebrow.
"Wow… that's a lot of allergies."
> "Exactly! Now, pick me up!"
Reluctantly, I grabbed the hilt. A jolt of energy shot through me.
> [COMPANION BOND LEVELER – Companion acquired: Bladion, The Complaining Sword]
Bladion immediately started criticizing my stance, my hair, my existence.
> "Do you even lift, mortal? You call yourself a hero? Pathetic. I should just fly away and leave you to the moss-eating floor!"
I sighed.
"Well, at least you didn't explode the village… yet."
> "YET?! You're going to get us killed with your Arcane Cooking Experiments again, I can feel it!"
Perfect. My first companion hated me immediately.
I guess we'd get along just fine.
And somewhere in the distance, the three suns winked at me again.
I shivered. Something told me this was only the beginning…