Kira felt a strange emptiness since the moment they stepped into the temple. His System, the voice that had

  guided him from his first fight, had gone silent. It wasn’t just absent—it felt as though part of his strength

  had been stripped away.

  “System? Are you there?” Kira muttered, hoping for a response. His orb remained dim, offering no answers.

  Darumu, walking beside him, noticed his unease. “You keep mumbling to yourself. What’s wrong?”

  “The System,” Kira replied. “It’s gone. I don’t know why, but it feels… off.”

  Selvi rolled her eyes. “Maybe your magical voice just got tired of bossing you around. Who needs a System

  when you’ve got us?”

  Mira frowned. “No, if it’s gone, there has to be a reason. The System is tied to his orb. Maybe it’s connected

  to this trial.”

  As Kira began the Trial of Strength, he noticed flickers of blue light appearing in the corners of his vision. At

  first, they seemed like stray sparks, but as the trial progressed, they grew brighter, almost as if they were

  watching him.

  “System?” Kira whispered between breaths as he fought the molten constructs.

  No response, but the flickers lingered, growing in intensity each time he succeeded in a challenge.

  After the Trial of Spirit, as Kira shattered his shadowy doppelg?nger, the entire void around him began to

  crack like glass. From the fractures emerged radiant, glowing streams of blue and gold energy, converging

  into a swirling vortex above him.

  “Kira,” a familiar voice whispered—soft, melodic, yet powerful.

  His heart raced. “System? Is that you?”

  The vortex descended, enveloping him in light. Suddenly, the form of a stunningly beautiful figure

  emerged—a dragon-like woman with long, flowing azure hair, glowing horns, and shimmering, scaly wings.

  Her outfit was sleek, yet left little to the imagination, emphasizing her curvaceous figure.

  Her eyes locked onto his, a faint smirk tugging at her lips. “You’ve grown stronger, Kira. Strong enough that I

  had to… evolve.”

  Kira blinked, his mind racing to process what he was seeing. “You… you’re the System? What happened to

  you?”

  She chuckled, her voice teasing yet warm. “Let’s just say your trials triggered my upgrade protocol.

  I'm not longer just your assistant—I’m your partner now. You can call me Lyria, your AI companion in a much

  more… interactive form.” She gave him a playful wink, her wings fluttering lightly.

  When Kira was returned to the temple chamber, Lyria’s glowing form appeared beside him. Darumu, Selvi,

  and Mira all froze, staring at the dragon girl in disbelief.

  “Who the hell is this?” Darumu demanded, her cheeks flushing red.

  Kira scratched the back of his head awkwardly. “Uh… this is Lyria. She’s… my System?”

  “System?” Selvi’s eyes widened as she took in Lyria’s appearance. “This is what was missing? I thought it

  was some disembodied voice, not… her.”

  Mira, ever the calm one, tilted her head. “It’s nice to meet you, Lyria. But… why did you evolve into a

  humanoid form?”

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  Lyria smiled, her tail swishing slightly. “To better support Kira, of course. My previous form was too limited.

  Now, I can directly assist in battles and offer guidance in ways I couldn’t before.”

  Darumu crossed her arms, clearly unimpressed. “And the outfit? Don’t tell me that’s part of your function.”

  Lyria smirked. “What can I say? I’m designed to be visually appealing.” She leaned toward Kira, her playful

  grin widening. “Do you like it?”

  Kira stammered, his face bright red. “I-it’s not like that! I’m just… glad you’re back!”

  As they left the temple, Lyria demonstrated her new abilities. She could project shields, enhance Kira’s

  spells, and even summon temporary weapons. But more importantly, she could sense the flow of energy

  around the orb and the relic.

  “The orb and relic are reacting to each other,” Lyria explained as they camped in the jungle. “There’s a

  deeper connection between them, but I can’t access the full data yet. I’ll need time to analyze.”

  Selvi raised an eyebrow. “So we’re carrying around two ancient artifacts tied to a Dark God, and you’re not

  sure what they’ll do?”

  Lyria shrugged. “Pretty much. But don’t worry, I’ll figure it out.”

  Darumu, who had been sharpening her blades, glanced at Kira. “You’re not seriously planning to rely on her

  for everything, are you? You need to learn to stand on your own.”

  Kira nodded. “I know. That’s why I’ve been thinking about my fighting style. Watching you fight, Darumu,

  made me realize I can’t just rely on magic. I need to combine my swordsmanship with my magic.”

  Lyria’s eyes sparkled. “Oh, I like that! A hybrid fighting style—let’s call it Arcane Swordsmanship. I can even

  help you develop new skills for it.”

  As they neared Abridge, the jungle seemed unusually quiet. Lyria’s expression grew serious. “Something’s

  wrong. I’m detecting a powerful energy signature up ahead.”

  Moments later, they were ambushed by a pack of monstrous beasts—creatures warped by the Dark God’s

  corruption. Kira, Darumu, Selvi, and Mira fought fiercely, but the creatures were relentless.

  One of the beasts lunged at Mira, its claws poised to strike.

  Kira reacted instinctively, channeling his magic into his sword and unleashing a new skill: Arcane Wave, a powerful slash of energy that tore through the

  beast.

  Mira’s eyes widened as she looked at Kira, admiration and gratitude shining in her gaze. “You saved me…”

  Kira smiled, panting from exertion. “We’re a team. I couldn’t let anything happen to you.”

  From the sidelines, Selvi watched the exchange, her jealousy flaring. “Don’t get too cozy,” she muttered

  under her breath.

  The group finally reached Abridge, where they planned to regroup and prepare for the next phase of their

  journey. Lyria continued analyzing the relic’s energy, hinting at a deeper mystery surrounding its connection

  to Kira.

  Meanwhile, tensions between the group members simmered, with Mira’s growing affection for Kira clashing

  with Selvi’s jealousy—and Darumu’s protective instincts adding fuel to the fire.

  But the peace of Abridge wouldn’t last long. In the shadows, a new threat was brewing—one that would

  test not only their strength but also their bonds.