Chapter 8 — The Wandering Vagrant.

  Nix’s eyes fluttered open, his vision slowly sharpening beneath the dim glow filtering through the dense canopy. A dull ache lingered in his muscles, a ghost of the raw agony he had experienced earlier. For a moment, he lay still, simply breathing.

  Vix’s familiar voice crackled softly near his ear. “Hey, you awake?”

  “Yeah…” Nix groaned quietly, pushing himself up to a seated position. “Barely.”

  “How are you feeling?”

  He rubbed his chest, recalling the brutal sensation vividly, the pain that had torn through him like molten fire, as though his heart was being twisted inside out. After that… nothing. Darkness.

  “I only remember the pain,” he admitted, flexing his fingers experimentally. “After that, just black.”

  “You blacked out,” Vix explained, a note of worry still evident in her voice. “You’ve been unconscious for about six hours.”

  “Six hours?” Nix’s eyes widened, his focus sharpening. “How long do we have left until the test ends?”

  “Fifty-eight hours.”

  Nix immediately stood, ignoring the lingering ache. “Then we have to go. We need to keep hunting.”

  “No!” Vix’s response came swift and firm, making him pause. “Forget this test. Your health is far more important than any Adventurer rank. We can survive without it.”

  He turned to face her hovering form, quietly assessing himself. Surprisingly, despite the faint headache, he felt strangely… stronger. More stable, somehow. Curiosity rising, he knelt down, picked up a nearby stone, and closed his fingers around it. Effortlessly, it shattered in his grasp, fragments tumbling through his fingers onto the ground.

  “What the hell was that?” Vix’s voice shot up in pitch, her sensors flashing briefly in astonishment.

  “I don’t know,” Nix replied slowly, inspecting his hand. “But I definitely feel stronger, much stronger than before.”

  Vix hesitated before cautiously suggesting, “Could it be from the Monster Heart?”

  “Possibly,” Nix conceded. It seemed logical enough.

  “Tell me exactly what happened when you ate it,” Vix said, shifting into an analytical tone. “Anything strange?”

  “Not really,” Nix shrugged lightly. “I was just eating. It tasted amazing, that’s about it.”

  “Anything odd about the texture?”

  He paused, recalling the moment. “There was something small and hard in the center. I didn’t bother checking and just swallowed it.”

  Vix’s processors flared in excitement. “Could it have been a Crystal Core?”

  Nix felt his pulse jump. “A Crystal Core?!” His voice rose sharply.

  “Think carefully,” Vix urged. “Right after eating it, did you feel anything unusual?”

  “No, nothing at first,” Nix recounted, “but then it felt like something started wiggling inside me, my heart felt like it was tearing apart.”

  “That’s odd,” Vix’s voice turned thoughtful. “It doesn’t match anything I’ve read. Crystal Cores have to be embedded directly into your heart. Eating one shouldn’t cause that kind of reaction.”

  Nix sighed heavily, his mood darkening.

  Vix noticed immediately. “Hey, why the sudden gloom?”

  “If it was really a Crystal Core, we could’ve sold it for a lot of coin,” Nix muttered, shaking his head at the lost opportunity. “We might’ve finally gotten ahead.”

  Vix buzzed sharply in disbelief. “Sell it? Are you insane? That’s the kind of thing that can turn us into legends! Why would you want to throw that away?”

  “Too late now,” Nix shrugged off the thought, adjusting his gear. “No sense dwelling on it. Let’s just hunt, gather enough coin, and buy something to properly scan my body. We can worry about details later.”

  Vix sighed mechanically. “Alright, fine. But where should we even go now?”

  “Far from here,” Nix replied sharply, eyes narrowing as he glanced around warily.

  Vix floated closer. “Why?”

  “Because if that was really a Crystal Core I ate, then those eggshells belonged to a Duskrend Weaver.”

  Vix quickly processed the information. “A two-star monster, even in its infancy.”

  “Exactly,” Nix’s voice lowered. “Which means it was already powerful at birth. But that also means something worse…” His expression darkened. “Its mother.”

  Vix hesitated before running a calculation. “If an infant Duskrend Weaver starts at two stars, then that means its fully grown parent could be eight-star or higher.”

  Nix nodded. “That’s right. And if we stay anywhere near here, we’re playing with fire.”

  Vix’s usual sharp tone wavered slightly. “Alright… now I’m genuinely concerned.”

  “If the five other monsters that ran toward it were trying to consume its Crystal Core, then we just made ourselves a massive target.”

  Vix’s systems worked through the variables before she finally spoke. “The Sentinels stationed around this area would prevent the mother from rampaging through the test grounds, but other Duskrend Weavers? If they catch the scent of what happened, they will come looking.”

  Nix didn’t hesitate any longer. “Then we move, right now.”

  He swiftly collected their belongings, slung his gear over his shoulder, and turned westward. Vix, convinced by his urgency, silently followed behind as they began their careful, steady trek deeper into the wilderness.

  Nix and Vix traveled west, moving through the dense underbrush with ease. The air was thick with the scent of damp earth and lingering traces of blood from past battles. Nix remained focused, scanning his surroundings, while Vix hovered beside him, processing data and mapping the best routes.

  After a long silence, Vix suddenly blurted out, "Hey Nix, do you think we should collect your poop?"

  Nix’s steps faltered as he snapped his head toward her, his forehead creasing in utter confusion. “That’s disgusting. Why the hell would I do that?”

  “Well,” Vix continued, voice laced with amusement, “what if the Crystal Core is still in your tummy? And it gets mixed in with your poop? Didn’t you want to make some good coin from it?”

  Nix’s face twisted in horror before his skin wrinkled in thought. Then he remembered his dream—

  (Author's Note: refer to Chapter 3)

  Brushing the memory aside, he muttered, “We’ll get a full-body scan first, so let’s not talk about that for now.”

  Vix huffed dramatically. “Well, that means you’ll have to avoid pooping for the next few days.”

  Nix groaned. “Vix, shut up.”

  They continued traveling, weaving through thick undergrowth and navigating the dense forest. Suddenly, Nix spotted movement ahead, a 1-Star Razorback Boar foraging near a cluster of trees, its curved tusks glinting under the sparse sunlight.

  He stopped in his tracks.

  Vix noticed immediately. “Why are we stopping?”

  Nix’s eyes remained locked on the beast. “I want to see if I really got stronger.”

  Vix hummed. “How?”

  “I’ll fight it bare-handed.”

  Vix’s drone lights flickered. “Are you planning to waste an hour here?”

  “No,” Nix replied, cracking his knuckles. “If I can’t take it down with my fists fast enough, I’ll use my weapon to finish it.”

  Vix let out a long, exaggerated sigh. “Alright, alright. Whatever. I guess it’s better to know your limits before we head into a more dangerous place.”

  Nix didn’t wait for further discussion. He moved.

  His body felt lighter, faster. The ground barely crunched beneath his feet as he navigated the terrain. He stopped near a sturdy tree, his instincts guiding him before he even realized why. His body felt different, and now, he wanted to test how far this difference went.

  His legs tensed as he prepared to jump. That was when he noticed it, his joints were as hard as metal, and something deep within his legs felt unnatural.

  His tendons didn’t just stretch, they pulled.

  A sensation rippled through him as he flexed his muscles. The tendons in his calves, thighs, even his hips all coiled together, like a bowstring being drawn back. It was as if his entire lower body had become a loaded weapon, primed for explosive movement.

  Then he released.

  SNAP!

  The power detonated through his legs, and suddenly, he shot into the air.

  His surroundings blurred as he launched nearly thirty feet upward, weightless for a fraction of a second before he instinctively twisted his body, repositioning himself.

  His heart pounded with adrenaline. He could use this.

  Landing smoothly against another tree, he crouched low and prepared again. His newly discovered tendons coiled once more, storing immense force in the fibers of his muscles.

  Nix’s gaze locked onto the Razorback Boar below.

  He had an idea.

  Time to kill two birds with one stone.

  His legs compressed again, his entire lower half coiling like a spring-loaded weapon. Then, in one explosive movement, he launched himself.

  The world became a blur as he catapulted high into the air, twisting his body mid-flight, his eyes locked onto the unsuspecting Razorback below.

  As he reached his peak, he did it again.

  SNAP!

  His leg tendons re-engaged, slingshotting him downward like a meteor. The force compounded, and as he descended like a warhead, his foot drove downward, aiming directly at the beast’s skull.

  The Razorback barely had time to react.

  BOOM!

  Nix’s foot slammed into its head with such overwhelming force that the ground trembled from the impact.

  The Razorback’s skull shattered instantly. Blood sprayed as the beast’s body collapsed into the dirt, twitching once, then going completely still.

  Silence followed.

  Nix exhaled slowly, glancing down at his own leg.

  That… was not normal.

  Vix’s stunned voice finally cut through the quiet. “What… the hell did you just do?”

  Nix ignored Vix’s question, too caught up in his own excitement. His eyes gleamed as he clenched his fists, feeling the power thrumming beneath his skin.

  “Vix… maybe I became a Neo!” His voice carried a mix of disbelief and exhilaration.

  Vix ran a quick analysis before responding. “It’s possible,” she admitted. “But normally, it takes weeks for a body to adapt and evolve like that.”

  Nix’s excitement dimmed slightly. If it wasn’t a Neomorph transformation, then what was it? Still, he wasn’t the type to sulk over uncertainties. He was stronger, that was enough for now.

  “Alright,” he said, regaining his composure. “We really need to get a full-body scan. But for now, I’ll call this leg ability Recoil.”

  Vix hummed in agreement. “Makes sense. It fits.”

  “Good. Let’s gather the materials and get moving.”

  As Nix worked on harvesting the Razorback Boar’s tusks and hide, he instinctively reached inside the corpse, feeling for the familiar hardness of a Monster Core, but came up empty.

  He sighed, wiping his bloody hand on his pants. “Damn. No core.”

  Vix hovered beside him, running a probability check. “Looks like one in five of these creatures will actually have a Monster Core.”

  Nix exhaled sharply. “That means we need to hunt faster if we want to make any real profit.”

  “Exactly,” Vix replied. “With how fast you’re moving and how hard you’re hitting, that shouldn’t be a problem.”

  Nix nodded, pushing aside the mild disappointment. It wasn’t a big deal. If speed was the key, then he’d simply increase his efficiency.

  He stood up, adjusting his gear. “Alright, let’s put this Recoil thing to work.”

  Vix docked into his backpack, securing her drone in place. “Go for it. I’ll navigate from here.”

  He compressed his legs, storing kinetic energy, then released, launching forward in an instant.

  Within seconds, he was tearing through the forest at insane speeds.

  Vix’s voice crackled through the communicator. “Whoa! We’re moving at least 60 km/h, maybe more!”

  The best part? They were staying out of sight. Nix jumped effortlessly from tree to tree, moving like a blur through the dense foliage. Vix, safely docked, handled navigation support, calculating tree distances and angles so Nix could land perfectly on the next branch.

  With this speed, the western part of the forest was within reach in no time.

  Upon arrival, Nix vaulted up the tallest tree, using three consecutive jumps to reach the peak. The sheer height of it was staggering. He perched on a thick branch, eyes scanning the terrain below.

  Their supply situation was stable, Nix had replenished his arrows using Monster Beast claws and fangs along the way. Now, it was time to hunt a real target.

  “A 1-Star Monster Core would be fine,” he murmured. “But if I can find a 2-Star, that’d be even better.”

  Vix ran a scan of the surroundings, but before she could report back, Nix spotted something unusual.

  A girl riding a Shadowfang Lynx.

  Vix picked up on his change in posture. “Hey… isn’t that the girl from before?”

  Nix’s sharp gaze followed her movement. Something was off. “She’s running.”

  Vix adjusted her scanner. “She looks like she’s in disarray.”

  Nix shifted his gaze further behind her, tracing her possible pursuers.

  His expression darkened.

  Five men.

  One of them stood out, a skinny, tall boy wearing high-tech equipment.

  Vix immediately caught on. “Should we help her?”

  Nix hesitated, recalling something from earlier.

  Back when he was fetching water, he overheard a group discussing an ambush. Could it be them?

  Vix studied him. “What do you plan to do?”

  Nix’s eyes narrowed. “We’ll watch them closely. We need to observe first before making a move.”

  Vix hummed. “Sounds like a plan.”

  Nix compressed his legs, activating Recoil, and vanished into the trees, following them from above like a silent predator.

  The Shadowfang Lynx sprinted through the forest, weaving between trees with a grace that defied its size. Its fur, slick with sweat, rippled under the dim forest light. Perched on its back, the girl gritted her teeth, her hands gripping its mane tightly.

  Her breathing was ragged, exhaustion creeping into her limbs.

  They were still chasing her.

  She had been running for far too long.

  Footsteps thundered behind her, multiple sets, closing in. She risked a glance back, her golden eyes narrowing as she counted. Five.

  And at the front—

  A tall, man in a high-tech mech suit.

  His voice rang out, laced with amusement.

  “You’re only making this worse for yourself,” he called mockingly. “Just stop running!”

  Her jaw clenched. Not a chance.

  But her body screamed for rest.

  The Lynx beneath her was strong, but even it couldn’t run forever.

  Then, her instincts flared.

  Move!

  She yanked the Lynx’s mane to the side, forcing it into a sharp turn.

  A metallic whirr sliced through the air—

  A net launcher.

  The net barely missed, hitting a tree instead.

  Her heart pounded. Too close.

  She urged the Lynx forward, her mind racing.

  Before she could plan her next move, the mech-suited leader raised a hand, signaling his men to slow down.

  “Look,” he called out, his voice suddenly more measured, almost friendly. “You’re outnumbered, outmatched, and clearly exhausted. Just stop this already.”

  She said nothing, but her grip on her bow tightened.

  He sighed dramatically. “Fine. You don’t trust me. That’s fair. But how about this? Give us your loot, and we’ll let you go. No harm done.”

  Her jaw tightened, her expression unreadable.

  Then, slowly, she reached behind her and unstrapped her bags.

  The men perked up as she hesitated, her golden eyes flicking between them.

  Then, with clear reluctance, she tossed her bags near them.

  They landed with a dull thud on the forest floor.

  One of the thugs grinned, stepping forward to collect them.

  “See?” the leader smirked, stepping forward in his mech suit, the servos hissing softly as he moved. “That wasn’t so hard, was it?”

  But then—

  His gaze shifted.

  Not toward the loot.

  Toward the Shadowfang Lynx at her side.

  His lips curled into something greedy, something hungry.

  “Now,” he said, voice low. “Hand over the beast.”

  The girl froze.

  “…What?”

  The thugs chuckled, already forming a loose circle around her.

  “You heard me.” The leader’s smile widened. “That pet of yours? It’s wasted on you. You’re barely holding on. You wouldn’t want something bad to happen, would you?”

  She glared at him, fury igniting in her golden eyes. “I gave you my loot. That was the deal.”

  The leader shrugged. “Deals change.”

  She stepped back, body tense, her bow slowly rising. “You’re not getting my Lynx.”

  The leader sighed in mock disappointment.

  “Really?” His eyes dragged over her, but it wasn’t just about the Lynx anymore.

  A different hunger flashed in them.

  “That’s a shame,” he muttered, licking his lips. “I was really hoping to end this peacefully.”

  She felt bile rise in her throat.

  Then, she moved.

  The first arrow flew, fast and precise.

  THUNK!

  The first thug stumbled back, screaming, an arrow buried deep in his shoulder.

  The others rushed in.

  The Shadowfang Lynx vanished into the trees, only to reappear a second later, claws flashing.

  The second thug barely had time to react.

  A blur of silver and black. A flash of fangs.

  BLOOD.

  The Lynx sank its teeth into the man’s neck, dragging him down with a sickening crunch.

  “Kill that thing!” the skinny leader roared, his mech suit hissing as thrusters activated.

  He blasted forward, swinging his shock baton in a wide arc.

  The girl dodged, rolling under his attack—

  But the brute was already moving.

  A heavily armored thug wielding a dual-bladed glaive lunged at her.

  Her instincts screamed.

  She twisted—

  But not fast enough.

  The glaive’s blade nicked her side, tearing through leather and skin.

  She hissed in pain, staggering back.

  The Shadowfang Lynx attacked again, slamming into another thug, but they were too many.

  She fired again, another arrow found its mark, piercing a man’s leg.

  He collapsed.

  Only three left now—

  The mech-suited leader, the bow wielder and the glaive-wielding brute.

  She readied another arrow—

  Then her body wobbled.

  Dizziness.

  Weakness.

  The cut on her side burned.

  Weakening Venom?

  Her breath hitched.

  Her limbs grew heavy.

  The skinny leader laughed.

  “Oh? Feeling it now?”

  She staggered.

  He lifted his baton. “That’s a custom mix venom in your system. Slow-acting. Didn’t want to waste it too soon.”

  The Shadowfang Lynx growled and tried to jump forward—

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  But the leader pressed a button.

  A pulse grenade exploded at their feet.

  A deafening whine filled the air, an electromagnetic wave rippling outward.

  The Lynx convulsed, its muscles locking up.

  It collapsed.

  The girl’s eyes widened in horror.

  She turned, lifting her bow—

  But the brute was already mid-swing.

  The glaive crashed down.

  Her body screamed to move.

  But she couldn’t.

  The blade slammed her down, knocking her to the dirt.

  Her vision blurred.

  The Shadowfang Lynx twitched weakly beside her.

  The leader crouched over her, grabbing her chin, forcing her to look at him.

  “Now,” he whispered, grinning, “let’s talk about that pet of yours.”

  Her vision darkened.

  No.

  She would not let this happen.

  Even if she had to tear him apart with her teeth—

  Then—

  A gust of wind.

  A shadow above them.

  Then—

  IMPACT.

  The leader barely had time to react before a figure dropped from the trees, landing with the force of a cannonball.

  The ground split beneath him.

  The girl barely clung to consciousness, but in her fading vision—

  She saw green eyes gleaming like a predator in the dark.

  The ground cracked from the force of the impact, a shockwave sending loose dirt and debris flying outward.

  The skinny leader staggered back, his mech suit hissing as it adjusted for balance. His eyes snapped upward, locking onto the newcomer.

  A hooded figure stood before them, the dust settling around him.

  His armor was a mess of scavenged materials, reinforced with a rib bone across his chest. His boots, made from Monster hooves, landed with a dull, heavy clunk, adding to his rugged and crude appearance. A worn-out helmet covered most of his face, revealing only piercing green eyes that gleamed with something cold and calculating.

  A sword, odd and battered, was strapped across a turtle shell-shaped backpack, and in his hands, a hybrid weapon, part spear, part bow, rested with a calm readiness.

  The skinny leader scowled, fingers tightening around his shock baton.

  A vagrant? “Who the hell are you?” he sneered.

  Nix didn’t answer. He merely exhaled and cracked his knuckles.

  The brute with the glaive pulled himself up, his bloodied lip twisting into a snarl.

  “He’s alone. We kill him, then take the girl.”

  Nix looked at them with a smirk in his face, "Be careful, my Granny said, if my life is in danger.. become the danger!."

  The thugs snapped out of their hesitation, forming up behind their leader.

  Nix’s gaze flicked to the girl.

  She was still half-conscious, her golden eyes locking onto him in hazy confusion. Her Shadowfang Lynx twitched, weak from the EMP but still baring its fangs despite the pain.

  He muttered under his breath, “Vix, keep an eye on the girl and her pet. Let me know if she starts fading.”

  Vix’s voice crackled from his backpack. “Got it. But you really do look like a caveman who wandered into the wrong fight.”

  Nix smirked. “Let’s see who looks worse in a few minutes.”

  Then, he moved.

  The brute rushed forward first, his glaive swinging in a brutal arc aimed for Nix’s torso.

  Nix’s legs tensed. Recoil activated.

  He vanished.

  The brute’s glaive sliced through empty air, missing entirely.

  A blur—

  Then—

  BOOM.

  Nix reappeared in front of him, driving his fist straight into the man’s gut.

  A sickening crunch echoed.

  The brute’s body bent inward, his feet leaving the ground as the force of the punch sent him hurtling backward, slamming into a tree with enough force to snap it in half.

  He didn’t get back up.

  Four left.

  One of the thugs cursed, stepping back in fear.

  The skinny leader’s smirk faltered for the first time.

  “Tch, get him!”

  The remaining three thugs lunged.

  One wielded a chain blade, another pulled out a compact scattergun, and the last gripped dual trench knives, moving fast.

  Nix leaned forward.

  His muscles compressed.

  Then—

  SNAP!

  His legs exploded with power as he shot toward them.

  The knife-wielding thug came in first, slashing for Nix’s throat.

  Too slow.

  Nix’s left arm shot up, grabbing the man’s wrist in a vice grip.

  Then, without stopping, he twisted—

  CRACK.

  A clean break. The thug screamed as his arm snapped at an unnatural angle.

  Nix ripped the knife from his hand and tossed it into the air.

  Next.

  The scattergun thug fired.

  BLAM.

  Nix moved before the trigger fully depressed, twisting mid-dash.

  The pellets grazed past his shoulder, he had narrowly avoided the full spread.

  The chain-blade wielder swung at his exposed side.

  Nix grabbed the falling knife he had tossed earlier, twisted his grip, and jammed it through the links of the chain weapon, jamming the motor mid-swing.

  The thug’s eyes widened.

  “Wha—?”

  Nix’s free hand clenched into a fist.

  A muffled boom rang out as he slammed his knuckles into the man’s ribcage, a kinetic pulse from Recoil amplifying the impact.

  The thug’s feet left the ground, his body folding inward like a crushed tin can as he was sent flying.

  He hit a tree headfirst.

  Two left.

  The scattergun thug cursed, fumbling for another shot.

  Nix didn’t let him.

  Boom.

  He was already in front of him.

  Boom.

  His knee slammed into the man’s gut, knocking the wind from his lungs.

  Boom.

  A palm strike to the chest sent him flying.

  He hit the ground, unmoving.

  One left.

  The last thug stumbled backward, pure panic in his eyes.

  “Wait—”

  Nix didn’t wait.

  A blur of movement, a crack of bone, and the thug crumpled.

  For the first time, the skinny leader stood alone.

  His eyes darted between his downed allies, sweat beading on his brow.

  But then, his expression hardened.

  “Tch, fine. I’ll do it myself.”

  His mech suit whirred, shifting as his thrusters engaged.

  He launched forward, shock baton crackling with high-voltage energy.

  Nix dodged left, avoiding the first wide swing.

  The leader spun mid-air, using his thrusters to correct and come down with a crushing overhead strike.

  Nix’s eyes sharpened.

  Recoil activated.

  His legs tensed, absorbing the kinetic energy from his movement.

  Then—

  Snap.

  He disappeared.

  The leader’s baton smashed into the ground, sending up a blast of sparks and debris.

  Then, pain.

  Nix reappeared behind him, his fist driving into the leader’s lower spine.

  The mech suit whined in protest, its plating denting from the force.

  The leader stumbled forward, coughing violently.

  Nix stepped forward, grabbing the back of his collar and yanking him back.

  A knee to the ribs.

  Then, a hammer fist to the skull.

  The leader collapsed.

  The fight was over.

  The forest fell silent.

  Nix exhaled, shaking the tension from his hands.

  Vix’s voice crackled. “She’s still breathing. Lynx is weak, but stable.”

  Nix nodded and stepped toward them.

  “Good,” he muttered.

  Then, looking down at the unconscious leader, he cracked his knuckles.

  “Now let’s see what kind of trouble I just walked into.”

  Nix stood over the lifeless body of the skinny leader, his green eyes narrowing as he rolled his shoulders. His muscles still thrummed with energy from the fight, but the immediate danger had passed.

  The forest was eerily silent now, the only sounds being the distant rustling of leaves in the wind. The thugs lay dead around him, their bodies motionless.

  Vix’s voice crackled through his backpack. “So, what’s the plan? Loot their gear and move on?”

  Nix exhaled, shifting his gaze toward the girl and her Shadowfang Lynx.

  She was barely conscious, slumped against the forest floor, her golden eyes hazy but still filled with quiet defiance. Her Lynx twitched beside her, its body still suffering from the EMP blast, though its growls, weak as they were, proved it was at least regaining some control.

  She was alive. But she wouldn’t be moving for a while in this dangerous place if she stayed like this.

  The drug was still in her system.

  Nix crouched beside her, inspecting her face. Her breathing was shallow, her muscles sluggish.

  He let out a slow breath. “Figures.”

  The girl blinked up at him, her expression flickering between confusion and wariness.

  “Who…?” Her voice was barely more than a whisper.

  “Not your enemy,” Nix said simply. “But I wouldn’t call me a hero either.”

  Her eyes flicked toward the fallen thugs, taking in their broken forms. Realization dawned on her face. “You… did this?”

  “Wasn’t much of a fight,” Nix said, shrugging. “But whatever they drugged you with is still in your system. You need to fight it off.”

  She gritted her teeth, frustration flashing through her golden eyes. “I know.”

  She forced herself to sit up, but her body barely responded.

  Her Lynx let out a weak growl, trying to push itself up as well, but its muscles still weren’t responding properly.

  Nix clicked his tongue. “Right. You’re both useless.”

  She glared at him, clearly irritated despite her condition. “I… can… walk.”

  “No, you can barely sit,” Nix corrected while he move his turtle-shaped backpack to his front, then without warning, scooped her up onto his back.

  The girl let out a surprised grunt, her arms instinctively clinging to his shoulders. “Wait, what the hell do you think you’re doing?!”

  “Carrying you.”

  Her body was ridiculously light compared to the creatures he had been dragging around all day. Nix barely felt her weight at all.

  “You’re drugged, your pet is half paralyzed, and we’re in the middle of a monster-infested forest,” Nix explained flatly. “Either I carry you, or we both waste time waiting for you to get your strength back. Pick one.”

  The girl scowled but didn’t argue further.

  Vix hummed in amusement. “Wow, Nix. You saved a damsel in distress. Should I start calling you ‘Sir Vagrant Knight’ now?”

  “Shut up.”

  The Shadowfang Lynx struggled to its feet, its muscles still stiff, but its eyes were locked on Nix with a warning glare.

  Nix glanced down at it. “You coming or what?”

  The Lynx let out a low growl but begrudgingly followed, albeit with a noticeable limp.

  Nix adjusted his grip on the girl and turned away from the battlefield.

  “Where… are we going?” she mumbled, her head resting against his shoulder.

  “Somewhere safe,” Nix said.

  Then, without another word, he vanished into the trees, the girl and her Lynx in tow.

  As he carried her, Nix could feel the heat of her body against his back, her presence warmer than expected. This was the first time he had ever been this close to a girl, and the realization unsettled him more than he cared to admit. A faint, sweet scent lingered in the air around her, something unfamiliar yet strangely soothing. He ignored it, focusing on getting them to safety, but the sensation remained in the back of his mind.

  Nix, Vix, and the girl arrived at his base, a well-hidden shelter deep within the forest. It wasn’t much, but it provided safety and cover. He carefully placed the girl down onto a makeshift bed of fur and cloth, while the Shadowfang Lynx, limped in behind them, curling up beside her.

  “You two rest,” Nix muttered, turning away. “I’ll handle food.”

  He started preparing a small fire pit, pulling out strips of raw meat he had stored from his previous hunts. The fire crackled softly as he set the meat on to cook.

  As he watched the flames dance, a dull throbbing crawled up his fingertips. At first, he ignored it, assuming it was just lingering fatigue. But then, the throbbing worsened.

  The pain spread, crawling up his arms like burning tendrils. A sharp pulse shot through his bones, as if something inside him was trying to break free.

  Nix gritted his teeth, his hands twitching involuntarily.

  Vix’s voice crackled with alarm. “Nix? What’s wrong?”

  He didn’t answer. His focus tunneled into enduring the pain. It felt like his arms were being torn apart and stitched back together, over and over again. Every second felt like an eternity.

  Vix hovered closer, her tone urgent. “Nix, talk to me! Are you okay?!”

  His breath came in short, ragged gasps, his body locked in place. Sweat dripped down his brow, his muscles tensing like steel cables.

  The fire crackled higher, flames licking at the meat.

  “Nix, the fire—!” Vix shouted.

  Through sheer force of will, Nix managed to mutter, “Shut… it off.”

  Vix acted fast, using her drone to blow dirt onto the flames, snuffing the fire out instantly. Smoke curled up into the night air as the cooking meat sizzled on the embers.

  For what felt like an eternity, his arms burned, his nerves screaming, but finally, after what could have been an hour of torment, the pain began to recede.

  His breath steadied, his muscles unwound, and the shaking in his fingers stopped.

  “…Water,” he rasped.

  Vix didn’t hesitate. She flew to the side, grabbing a canteen from his pack and dropping it near him.

  Nix reached out, his hands trembling slightly as he unscrewed the cap and took a long, desperate drink.

  Vix hovered close. “What the hell was that?”

  Nix wiped his mouth, staring at his hands. He flexed his fingers, rolling his wrists. The pain was gone—but something felt different.

  “…I don’t know,” he admitted.

  After taking a long drink from his canteen, an itch crawled up his hands. He frowned, scratching at it absentmindedly. Then his skin tore.

  Vix’s voice crackled in shock. “What the hell is going on with you?!”

  Nix didn’t answer. He stared, wide-eyed, as he peeled away all the skin on both hands. But the most disturbing part, there was no blood.

  Beneath the removed skin, his new flesh was revealed. It looked similar to before, yet tougher, harder. His fingertips still had sensation, but they felt different, like flexible metal.

  Taking a closer look, Nix barely noticed a small, circular holes at the tips of his fingers. He experimentally moved them, flexing and stretching his fingers. Nothing happened at first. Then—

  He clenched his fists, opened them, then clenched again.

  A thin liquid seeped from the holes, glistening under the firelight.

  Frowning, Nix touched it. Sticky. Extremely sticky. He tugged at it, and it stretched, forming into a thread.

  He kept pulling. It didn’t break. The strand lengthened, seemingly endless, until he finally stopped.

  Vix hovered closer, scanning his hands. “Nix… I think you really did become a Neo.”

  Nix scoffed. “No shit, Sherlock.”

  Before they could analyze further, movement caught Nix’s attention. He turned to see the girl, now awake, staring at him, her golden eyes filled with silent curiosity. The Shadowfang Lynx was alert as well, watching him cautiously.

  Nix blinked, then sighed, shoving his thoughts about his hands aside. He could deal with them later.

  For now, there were more pressing concerns.

  “You feeling okay now?” he asked the girl.

  She hesitated before nodding.

  Nix didn’t press further. Instead, he pulled out another slab of meat and tossed it over the fire.

  A moment of quiet passed before he glanced at her again. “So, got a name?”

  The girl studied him for a moment, then exhaled softly. “Aria.”

  Nix nodded. “Nix.” He gestured toward his floating companion. “That’s Vix.”

  Aria’s golden eyes flicked to the drone. Vix let out an amused hum. “Pleasure to meet you. Try not to get yourself drugged again, yeah?”

  Aria ignored the jab, instead introduced her partner, this is Layla resting her hand on Layla’s head. The Shadowfang Lynx’s ears twitched, but it didn’t move away.

  Nix turned back to the fire, watching the meat sizzle. Nix started wondering about the new changes in his body.

  Nix, Vix, and Aria sat around the fire, the scent of cooked meat filling the air. Layla lay beside her owner, watching the flames with half-lidded eyes. The warmth of the fire contrasted with the cool night breeze filtering through the forest canopy.

  Aria glanced at Nix’s hands, her golden eyes narrowing in curiosity. “Your fingers…” she started. “What exactly is that?”

  Nix looked at her, arching a brow. “You saw that?”

  She nodded. “Are you a Neomorph?”

  He hesitated, considering the question before finally replying, “Not sure yet.”

  Aria’s gaze flickered back to his hands. “Mind showing me that thing coming out of your fingers?”

  Nix hesitated for a second before shifting his gaze to his hands. He focused, squeezing a muscle inside his fingers, and the liquid began to excrete from his fingertips. It shimmered slightly under the firelight, sticky yet flexible.

  Aria leaned in, far closer than Nix expected. “Mind if I touch it?”

  Nix froze. She was too close. Earlier had been the first time he had ever touched a girl, and now she was practically inches away from him. Sure, he had dreamed about moments like this, but reality was something else entirely. His pulse quickened as all he could do was nod.

  Aria reached out, pressing her fingers into the liquid. As she pulled her hand back, the substance stretched before suddenly turning sticky, clinging to her skin like super glue. Her eyes widened. “Oh, wait.” She tugged at it, only to find herself further entangled.

  Nix moved to help, grabbing onto the strands to free her, but the sticky webbing latched onto him as well. Before he could react, they both lost balance, tumbling over.

  Thud.

  Nix landed on his back, and Aria fell on top of him, their faces just inches apart.

  For a moment, neither of them moved. Her golden eyes locked onto his, her breath brushing lightly against his lips. A pinkish hue crept onto her face, mirroring the warmth rising in Nix’s own. His heart pounded.

  He didn’t know what to say, how to react, this was entirely new territory.

  The world around them seemed to slow, the crackling fire and rustling leaves fading into a distant murmur.

  Then—

  “Nix, I’d love to let you two have your moment,” Vix’s voice broke the silence, “but how about figuring out how to dissolve the web before you both get even more stuck?”

  Nix blinked, snapping out of the trance, clearing his throat as he averted his gaze. “Right. Uh, let’s figure this out.”

  He turned to Vix. “Find a way to break it.”

  After a few failed attempts, they discovered that as long as the liquid remained connected on his fingertips, it stayed in its fluid form. Once it left his skin, it solidified into the webbing.

  Nix exhaled and muttered, “Guess I have to run my fingers through the web to break it apart.”

  “Then do it already,” Aria said, struggling slightly.

  With careful movements, Nix ran his fingertips along the webbing, dissolving the strands. His touch trailed over her arms, shoulders, then hesitated. His hand had inadvertently brushed against her chest.

  Heat flared across his face.

  Aria, understanding his hesitation, simply whispered, “It’s okay. Just finish.”

  Nix swallowed hard and did as she asked, focusing purely on removing the web rather than the position they were in. Each second felt like an eternity.

  After several painstaking moments, the last of the webbing dissolved, and Aria finally sat up.

  She flexed her hands before looking at him. “Thanks.”

  Nix rubbed the back of his neck, still flustered. “Sorry… I still don’t know how to control it.”

  She gave him a small smirk. “It’s fine. Just don’t tangle me up again, alright?”

  Vix hummed. “Can’t promise that. Looks like the caveman’s finally experiencing human interaction for the first time.”

  “Vix,” Nix grumbled, but there was no real bite to his tone.

  Aria chuckled softly, brushing some loose strands of hair from her face. The fire crackled softly between them, filling the air with warmth.

  For the first time in a long while, Nix wasn’t entirely sure what to do next.