The days that followed blurred into a rhythm of exhaustion, pain—and quiet discovery.
Reynar trained from dawn until his limbs screamed for rest, and then pushed past that. Liora was unrelenting. Each swing of her blade, each correction in posture, and every scolding word was sharper than the last. Yet he found himself grateful. It meant she believed he could be more.
And he would be.
[System Update]
Progress Check: Main Quest – "Veins of Darkness"→ Dungeon Window opens in: 6 Days
Progress Check: Companion Affinity – Liora (32%)→ Relationship Trait Unlocked: "Tough Teacher"→ "Liora sees you as a student worth investing in. She won't go easy—but she won't give up on you."
Reynar exhaled heavily, dropping to his knees as sweat soaked through his shirt. His hands trembled from the weight of his sword—an iron-forged training blade, heavier than a real one, by design.
"Too slow," Liora said, arms crossed. "You telegraph your overhead swing. Any decent enemy will catch your rhythm and counter."
"Then… I'll be faster tomorrow," Reynar gasped.
She arched a brow. "If you survive tonight."
Reynar fell onto his back, eyes on the sky, and gave a strained laugh. "That's the plan…"
That evening, Liora surprised him.
Instead of another grueling drill or tactical lesson, she invited him to walk through the village market. The air buzzed with energy—merchants shouting prices, children chasing each other with glowing moss-lanterns, and elders gathered under firelit gazebos exchanging old songs and wine.
Liora bought roasted herbbread and passed him a chunk without a word. He took it with both hands, grateful for food that wasn't dried rations or bland stew.
"I thought you didn't do breaks," Reynar said between bites.
"I don't," Liora said, watching a nearby bard tune his lute. "But you needed one."
He glanced at her.
"Careful," he said. "If you keep showing mercy, I might think you're human."
A rare smirk pulled at the corner of her lips. "I'm allowed one moment of kindness per week. This is yours."
They sat on a low stone wall overlooking the valley. Torches flickered along the winding paths below, and Reynar let the silence sit comfortably between them for a while before asking:
"Why doesn't the kingdom do more about the dungeons?"
Liora's expression shifted. "Because the kingdom's too busy pretending they don't exist."
He blinked. "What?"
"The royal family controls the central guilds, but the borderlands? Villages like this one? We're left to our own devices. Dungeon activity is officially 'monitored,' but unless it affects a noble's land or tax income, it's ignored."
"That's—insane. These things can corrupt people. They nearly killed us."
She nodded. "That's why people like me exist. Unofficial gatewatchers. Unpaid. Unthanked. But necessary."
Reynar was silent for a moment.
Then: "What about adventurers? Dungeon guilds?"
"There are a few major ones," Liora replied. "The Rose Banner. The Hollow Steel. The League of Twelve. But they're spread thin. And some are… compromised."
"Compromised how?"
She didn't answer directly.
Instead, she turned her eyes to the horizon. "There are groups that want the Void to spread. They believe in its power. In what comes after."
Reynar felt a chill that had nothing to do with the wind.
"And your family… found proof of that?"
"Yes," she said, her voice quiet.
[System Update]
New Lore Fragment Acquired:"The Rose Banner once purged a city that fell to the Void. Only 8 of 100 returned."
New Concept Unlocked:"Shadow Factions" – Hidden organizations working to summon or awaken the Void King.
Side Objective Added: Investigate Guild Corruption (Optional)
Back at her home, Reynar collapsed into the wooden chair near the hearth. Liora poured two mugs of steamed pineleaf tea and set one down in front of him.
He looked up in surprise.
"No training tonight?" he asked.
She sat across from him. "Not with that limp."
Reynar smirked, then winced as his bruised thigh reminded him of a failed dodge.
They drank in silence for a moment before Reynar said, "I still don't get why you're helping me. You said it was just sympathy at first, but… this is more than that now."
Liora studied him.
"You remind me of someone," she said finally.
"Who?"
"My brother."
That caught him off guard.
She didn't elaborate. And he didn't ask.
But her gaze lingered longer this time, softer than usual. When she finally stood to clear the mugs, she paused beside him.
"You're improving," she said.
Reynar blinked. "That almost sounded like a compliment."
"Don't let it go to your head."
[System Update]
Companion Affinity – Liora: 42%→ Trait Updated: "Tough Teacher" → "Protective Mentor"
Unlocked Bond Memory (Partial):"Liora once had a brother who died protecting her. She's never let herself grow close to anyone since."
Hint: "Emotional resonance unlocks hidden memories."
The next morning, training resumed with doubled intensity.
Liora taught him how to flow mana through his limbs, how to read subtle movements in an enemy's shoulders before a strike, and how to balance his blade with breath—not just muscle.
Each lesson burned. But it also lit something inside him.
He was no longer just surviving.
He was becoming someone who could fight back.
By the end of the week, Reynar stood taller. Straighter. His blade didn't tremble in his grip. And when the [System] whispered the countdown to his first dungeon clear…
He was ready to listen.
[System Notification]
🧭 Main Quest Progress: Veins of Darkness→ First Dungeon Clear in: 2 Days
Recommended Power Rating: E-Tier
Current Rating: F+
⚠ Warning: Unknown modifiers detected in dungeon node location