They stepped out of the cathedral without speaking, the heavy doors closing behind them with a low, echoing thud that seemed to seal away the stillness of the Monolith. Outside, the town resumed its quiet rhythm, but something about it felt different now—less like a refuge and more like a place that simply delayed the inevitable. Kael rolled his shoulders as if loosening tension he hadn't noticed building, while Arin's attention drifted across the street with quiet intent. It didn't take long for him to spot a familiar figure leaning casually against a wall, watching them with that same unreadable expression. Chrome.
Kael followed Arin's gaze and let out a short breath. "That guy again." But Arin had already started walking toward him, his steps steady, his purpose clear. Kael had no choice but to follow.
Chrome didn't move as they approached. His posture remained relaxed, but his eyes were sharp, studying them as if measuring something beyond the surface. "Back already?" he asked, a faint hint of amusement in his voice.
Arin stopped in front of him. "We need information."
Chrome's smile deepened slightly, not out of friendliness, but interest. "Of course you do," he replied, then added after a brief pause, "And information comes at a price."
Kael exhaled softly, almost amused. "Yeah… figured."
Arin didn't argue or negotiate. Instead, he turned his head slightly toward Kael. "Summon a gun."
Kael blinked, caught off guard for a second, but quickly understood. This wasn't about combat—it was currency. He focused, forming the image clearly this time. No instability, no excess detail. Just a simple, functional firearm. The manifestation was smooth, almost effortless compared to before. The gun appeared in his hand, solid and real.
Arin took it without hesitation and extended it toward Chrome. "Will this do?"
Chrome's eyes flickered briefly to the weapon, assessing its value in an instant before he gave a small nod. "For now," he said, pushing himself off the wall. "You're looking for goblins."
Arin didn't confirm it, but he didn't need to.
Chrome turned slightly and pointed toward the far edge of town. "Head east. There's a forest out there. Goblins are weaker in that area, and they move in smaller groups." His gaze sharpened just a little. "Good for beginners."
Arin gave a small nod. "Understood."
Chrome's expression didn't change. "Try not to die too quickly."
Kael smirked faintly. "No promises."
With that, the exchange ended as simply as it had begun. No wasted words. No unnecessary trust. Arin turned away, and Kael followed, both of them already shifting their focus forward.
They crossed the barrier once more, and the change was immediate. The air grew heavier, colder, pressing subtly against their bodies as if reminding them where they truly belonged. Kael exhaled slowly, discomfort evident on his face. "Still hate that feeling."
Arin said nothing. His attention had already shifted ahead, locked onto their destination.
The journey east took nearly an hour. As they moved further away from the town, the terrain began to change. The barren rock gave way to patches of dry vegetation, and eventually, twisted trees began to appear—thin, crooked, and unnatural, their branches stretching like skeletal hands toward the dim sky. The forest felt wrong, not because it was dense, but because it wasn't. There were too many gaps, too many shadows, too many places for something to hide.
Kael glanced around uneasily. "This place feels worse somehow."
Arin nodded slightly. "Less open. More places to hide."
Which meant more danger.
They slowed almost at the same time, both sensing it before seeing it. A presence. Close. Arin raised his hand slightly, signaling Kael to stop. Kael froze immediately, his body tensing as his eyes scanned the area.
Then they saw them.
Five goblins moved between the trees, their small, twisted forms restless and alert. They were leaner than the ones before, quicker in their movements, their glowing eyes scanning constantly.
Kael's grip tightened. "Five."
Arin's gaze shifted from one to another, calculating distance, angles, timing. "We engage," he said calmly.
A faint grin appeared on Kael's face. "Finally."
He closed his eyes for a brief moment, focusing. The memory returned instantly—the weight of the greatsword, the balance, the execution. When he opened his eyes again, the weapon was already forming in his hands, solid and familiar, as if it had always been there.
Arin, meanwhile, reached behind him and drew out the short dagger he had taken from the corpse near the Monolith. It was simple, unremarkable—but sharp. Enough.
Kael moved first. His step turned into a lunge, faster than before, driven by instinct rather than thought. The goblins reacted, but not quickly enough. The greatsword came down in a wide, decisive arc, splitting the first goblin cleanly in half.
He didn't stop.
The motion flowed naturally into the next, his body adjusting without hesitation. It wasn't learned. It wasn't practiced. It was remembered.
The remaining goblins screeched and turned toward him, charging with reckless aggression.
That was when Arin moved.
There was no warning, no signal. One moment he was there—then he wasn't.
A distortion in space, subtle but unmistakable.
Then he appeared behind one of the goblins.
Close enough that it never had a chance.
The dagger moved once, clean and precise, opening its throat before it could react. The body collapsed without a sound.
Kael stepped forward again, his blade cutting through another goblin with controlled force. But the last two adapted quickly, splitting their focus—one lunging toward Kael, the other toward Arin.
Arin didn't retreat.
He blinked.
The world shifted for a fraction of a second, and he was behind it again. Another precise strike. Another body falling.
Kael turned just in time to face the last one. The goblin leapt at him, claws outstretched, desperate and fast. But Kael adjusted instinctively, his grip tightening as he brought the greatsword down in a single, clean motion.
Silence followed.
Five bodies lay scattered across the forest floor.
Kael exhaled slowly, lowering his weapon as the tension drained from his body. "That felt… different."
Arin remained still for a moment, his eyes scanning the surroundings before finally responding. "It should."
Kael glanced at him, a faint smirk forming. "We're not reacting anymore."
Arin's gaze shifted deeper into the forest, where shadows moved faintly between the trees.
"We're hunting."
He didn't deny it.
Instead, he simply said, "Again."
And this time—
Kael didn't need to be told.