We move through the forest at a steady pace, following the path that will eventually lead us toward Aldencrest.
The trees are dense here, their canopy filtering the afternoon sunlight into dappled patterns on the ground. The air is cool and fresh, filled with the sounds of rustling leaves and distant bird calls.
And the sound of monsters fleeing.
A Steelhide Warboar crashes through the underbrush ahead of us, takes one look in my direction, squeals in terror, and bolts in the opposite direction.
Vesper stops mid-step, staring after it.
[Vesper] "Did... did that monster just run away from us?"
[Wright] "Yeah. They do that."
[Vesper] "But we didn't even do anything! We just walked near it!"
Another monster peers down from a tree branch, meets my eyes, and immediately scrambles higher into the canopy, disappearing into the leaves. Hm, that one I haven't seen before.
[Vesper] "Okay, that's just weird. Why are they so scared?"
Eldrin walks beside me, completely unbothered.
[Eldrin] "Monsters have strong instincts. They can sense danger. Wright here registers as something far more dangerous than anything around here, so they flee."
[Vesper] "That's... actually kind of sad. We're not going to fight anything, are we?"
[Eldrin] "Probably not."
Sylphaeris floats alongside us, grinning with amusement.
[Sylphaeris] "It's not just monsters. Strong individuals can sense it too. That's why Rhevan and Eldrin never challenged Wright, even when they first met."
Eldrin nods.
[Eldrin] "The moment I saw him, I knew. Picking a fight with Wright would be... unwise."
Vesper looks at me with new eyes.
[Vesper] "You're that strong?"
[Wright] "I get by."
Sylphaeris laughs.
A thought occurs to me. I probably should have asked this earlier.
[Wright] "How long will it take to reach the capital of Aldencrest? That's where the summoned kids are, right?"
Eldrin considers for a moment.
[Eldrin] "At this pace? About two weeks."
I stop walking.
[Wright] "Two weeks?!"
[Eldrin] "The capital is quite far from here. We're on the opposite end of the kingdom."
I didn't realize it was that far. That's... a long time. Those kids could be in danger.
[Wright] "Wait, how did you get back from the conference so quickly? You were only gone a few days."
Eldrin smiles.
[Eldrin] "Wind magic. I can enhance my speed significantly. It takes me less than a day to make the journey."
[Wright] "Let's do that."
Eldrin blinks.
[Eldrin] "You want to run there?"
[Wright] "Yeah. I can mimic the technique. Show me how you do it, and I'll follow."
Eldrin looks uncertain.
[Eldrin] "Are you sure you can keep up? It's... very fast."
[Wright] "Don't worry about it."
I think about my stats. Agility is at 8,579. Vitality 9,845. I'll be fine.
Vesper raises her hand.
[Vesper] "Um, what about me? I can't run that fast."
She grins mischievously.
[Vesper] "Unless Wright wants to princess carry me the whole way?"
I give her a flat look.
[Wright] "No."
Eldrin sighs, walks over to Vesper, and hoists her up over his shoulder like a sack of grain.
[Vesper] "Wait, what—HEY!"
[Eldrin] "This will be faster. Wright, follow me."
He takes off. I follow.
—
We move fast. Really fast.
The forest blurs around us. Trees whip past. The ground is a streak beneath my feet. Wind magic flows around Eldrin, reducing air resistance and propelling him forward with each step.
I watch carefully, analyzing the technique. It's not just speed. He's using wind to smooth his path, to push off the air itself, to carry momentum between strides.
I replicate it.
Mana flows through my legs, my core, extending outward. Wind wraps around me, and suddenly I'm moving even faster.
Eldrin glances back and his eyes widen.
[Eldrin] "You're keeping up?!"
[Wright] "Told you not to worry!"
Sylphaeris floats beside us, riding the wind effortlessly and laughing with delight.
[Sylphaeris] "This is fun!"
Vesper, bouncing on Eldrin's shoulder, looks distinctly less thrilled.
[Vesper] "I'M GONNA BE SICK!"
[Eldrin] "Don't throw up on me!"
We burst out of the forest and onto a road, continuing our sprint. The landscape blurs past us.
Hours pass. The forest gives way to rolling plains, then farmland. Some fields are still being worked, but many are abandoned—crops left to wither, farmhouses empty.
As we get closer to the heart of Aldencrest, we start seeing more people on the road. Not many, but a steady trickle heading in the opposite direction.
Families with children. Merchants with carts. Elderly couples walking with canes.
We veer off to the side to avoid running into anyone. I look at the stream of people moving along the road.
[Eldrin] "These must be the refugees. People fleeing the kingdom."
[Wright] "More than I expected this close to the capital."
[Eldrin] "The collapse is spreading faster than anticipated."
We continue speeding along the side of the road. After another few hours, we hear shouting ahead.
[Voice] "Help! Someone help!"
I look over. A group of people are huddled together on the side of the road. Three large wolf-like monsters circle them, snarling and snapping.
—
[Appraisal]
Grey Wolf
Medium-sized wolves typically found in forests. Fangs can bite through leather. Hunts in groups.
—
[Wright] "Let's help them out."
I step forward. The monsters turn toward me.
Their snarling stops. Their ears flatten against their heads. And they run. All three of them bolt into the forest, tails between their legs, whimpering as they go.
I sigh. I'm never going to get a chance to level up at this rate.
The group of people stares at the spot where the monsters disappeared, then at me. An older man speaks up, his voice shaky.
[Merchant] "What... what just happened? Why did they run?"
[Wright] "They got scared."
[Merchant] "Of you?"
[Wright] "Monsters don't tend to like me."
The group exchanges confused glances. Then one of them notices Eldrin and Vesper approaching, and Sylphaeris floating beside them.
[Merchant] "High elves? And... is that a spirit?"
Sylphaeris grins and waves.
Eldrin sets Vesper down. She staggers slightly, looking pale.
[Vesper] "The world is spinning..."
The man takes a moment to compose himself.
[Merchant] "Thank you! Thank you for saving us!"
A woman with two children clutching her skirts steps forward.
[Woman] "We thought we were done for. Those monsters came out of nowhere."
[Wright] "Glad we made it in time. Are you all heading away from Aldencrest?"
The man nods.
[Merchant] "Yes. We're fleeing. The whole kingdom is falling apart."
[Wright] "Because of the oracle?"
[Merchant] "That, and worse. The city we came from was attacked last night."
Eldrin steps forward.
[Eldrin] "Attacked? By what?"
[Merchant] "Vampires. They came at night. Dozens of them, walking right through the city like they were out for a stroll. Said they were looking forward to drinking some noble blood while heading straight to the Lord's mansion. The city guard couldn't stop them."
[Wright] "Vampires? Are they a type of monster?"
Sylphaeris chimes in, her playful demeanor fading.
[Sylphaeris] "Vampires aren't monsters. They're a nomadic race that prefers to inhabit old, abandoned castles. They're actually followers of Spirit Queen Nocturna."
She crosses her arms, frowning deeply.
[Sylphaeris] "It's very uncommon for them to be this far from their usual territories. This might be Nocturna's doing."
I glance at her. She looks suspicious, like she's putting pieces together.
The vampires are targeting nobles specifically. I wonder what's going on.
I turn back to the man.
[Wright] "Which city?"
[Merchant] "Ashton, the capital of Duke Vareth's territory. It's about half a day's walk from here."
[Wright] "We should check it out."
Eldrin looks at me.
[Eldrin] "You want to investigate?"
[Wright] "Sylphaeris says it's not normal. We should find out what they're doing there."
Sylphaeris nods, still frowning.
[Sylphaeris] "I agree. This feels... deliberate."
[Eldrin] "Alright. It's on the way to the capital, so we can stop by."
Vesper perks up, her earlier queasiness apparently forgotten.
[Vesper] "Vampires. I've read they excel in dark magic and are very obsessive with their hobbies."
[Wright] "Sounds like an eccentric bunch."
[Vesper] "I'd love to observe them. This is way more exciting than I thought it would be."
[Eldrin] "Exciting isn't always a good thing."
The group thanks us again before continuing on their way.
Eldrin hoists Vesper back over his shoulder.
[Vesper] "Again?! Can't I walk for a bit?"
[Eldrin] "We need to move fast. Hold on."
We break into a sprint, heading toward Ashton.
Mysterious vampires attacking nobles. A Spirit Queen potentially making moves. Summoned heroes in danger.
This is starting to feel like a real adventure.