Castor was barely conscious when his mind was shocked awake; the awareness of another waking mind grazing his flooded his perception. The other mind recoiled from Castor’s shock, enfeebling itself to make it look small.

Blue? His head perked up, and he looked right at Castor, despite him not saying his name. “So it wasn’t a dream.” Castor summoned his status, opening every menu he could muster.

Castor Dark Human

POW:0.4

MND:0.1

ATM:1.4

Twilight: 175G

RP:8/8

Abilities: Aural Synesthesia

Skill List: Alter (Ra), Blunt Weapon Proficiency (Ba), Intuition (Uc), Bond (Inc),

Blue Canine

RP:7/7

Skill List: Guard (Ba), Bite (Ba), Bond (Ra)

Congratulations, Survivors.

Day 2

Reap those who have fallen,

More shall grow in their place.

Achievements shall

be calculated for rewards.

22,303/37,471 Survivors

Survival Rating: Low-Medium

Paths Revealed!

Attunement Integration (0/30), Bonded (0/75)

Twilight: 175 Glint

The new menu and the boost to his Attunement proved that what happened before he passed out wasn’t a fever dream. It even answered a few questions he gained; the only negative was his resource seemingly divided itself among himself and Blue, effectively cutting his resource pool in half.

Well, it’s not like I was using it anyway, but it’s the principle.

The energy Castor swore he could feel was more of a cup than pool now, divided and split between his bond. If he closed his eyes he could almost see it, sloshing in its small container. He tried holding his breath, clenching his buttcheeks, grasping at an invisible muscle, anything and everything to get it to move.

But nothing worked.

“Finally! You’re awake.” Micah yelled from the back of the tunnel. The supplies and equipment that Castor collected laid strewn across the ground haphazardly.

“Why didn’t you tell me you had these awesome items?” Interestingly, the bone clubs and kobold armors were far from within hands-reach for him. Instead, it was the robes and brazier that he had in his hands. “The stats on these things are insane for newbie stuff.”

“These things have stats?” Castor asked. “Wait, more importantly, teach me how to see them.”

“I don't think I can. It seems like something to do with my Sprite.” Micah sighed. “Anyway, there are only two things in here that have stats; everything else is basic.”

Two prompts appeared in Castor vision. “Did you just send this to me?”

“Yep,” Micah answered, returning to cataloging everything to his specifications.

Valindor Robes

(Tattered)

The uniform robes of the Valindor Empire

Magic Academy. Prolonged exposure to

the elements have changed this item’s status

-Minor increases in Magic Defense

-Minor increases in Mana Limit

-Lowers Charisma

Torch of Providence

(Neglected)

The flame of Providence shall light the way

???

-Solid increases in Magic Control

-Flame Ball Sigil (34%)

“Is this also because of your Sprite?” Castor asked after thoroughly inspecting the items’ information.

“Last night—while you were sleeping—I got a notification saying my Sprite’s functionality has reached 50%. This is me testing everything out.” Micah stood abruptly, finishing his organization of the supplies in loose piles. The robes billowed on his shoulders at the sudden movement, becoming worse as he waved the brazier wildly.

“Stop swinging that thing like that. You’re gonna hurt somebody.” Castor yelled.

“My bad, I got excited,” Micah said sheepishly. “I also learned a couple of other things last night.”

“Like what?”

“That my [Mana Bolt] isn’t a skill, but a spell. I didn’t know the difference earlier.”

“Isn’t a spell just a magical skill?” Not that Castor was an expert in games.

“Not really. You can get scores from improving your skill level—you probably saw some of that yourself, you bastard—but spells are only scaled by the grade. The hint you gave me last night helped with that one.”

Micah raised a palm in the air. Castor expected him to show a slightly bigger bolt than last time, that may or may not have burned brighter—

Mana swirled in the air, rapidly accumulating into a cluster nearly twice the size of his hand. The once charged but still bolt transformed into a potent whirl that whistled in that air. The revolutions reverberated through the air, and sent a wind pulsing down the sewers for the first time in hours, maybe ever.

Castor might have been thankful, if the light from the [Mana Bolt] wasn’t blinding him. Even the emitted static felt abrasive as it washed over his skin.

“I was so surprised you didn’t wake up from this,” Micah yelled over the high pitch drone. Then as suddenly as it came, it disappeared. Only black lines painfully seared into Castor’s eyes remained.

“You figured all this out last night?” Castor asked doubtfully.

“I still am figuring it out,” Micah said, taking slow and deep breaths. “You were only asleep for a couple of hours. Four hours tops.”

Four hours? But Castor woke up feeling refreshed, so much so that he thought he might’ve slept for as long as half a day.

“I can only do that much, maybe once or twice at most,” Micah said, interrupting Castor’s thoughts. “And I can only do it while I’m using this equipment. My level of [Magic Control] isn’t high enough yet.”

“A new skill?”

“Yeah, pretty self-explanatory, although I don’t think I can do anything with the skill alone.”

“Mhmm,” Castor replied noncommittally. Maybe that was just the type of skill he needed for his resource. It would be good to finally put his RP to use. “Oh, I think I found out how to use the rewards we got for the quest.”

“Really?!” Micah jumped, his exhaustion forgotten.

“Calm down,” Castor chuckled. Even Blue perked up and wagged his tail from Micah’s reaction. “It’s only a theory, but a new screen should open when you hit 1.0 on a score or hit level ten in a skill. You should be able to spend those points there.”

“Did you already do both of those things?”

“[Attunement] and [Bond], the skill I got from you trying to teach me how to use my resource,” Castor answered, rubbing his head in embarrassment. Micah was already doing amazing things with his powers.

All Castor could do was swing a bat good and understand his dog better.

“That’s amazing! I only got my [Magic Control] to level five, but I’ll only need to level it once to get my score to 1.” Micah sat down at once and summoned the original, less impressive version of [Mana Bolt]. He wiggled his fingers in acute movements, and the ball of light hovered in the air in lazy loops.

Leaving the excited teenager to his own devices, Castor checked the supplies one by one and sighed. Only 18 bottles of water left and no food; 17 after sharing a bottle with Stella. Worrying in its own right, but it was better than yesterday. I need to distract myself.

Paths Revealed

Attunement Integration (0/30), Bonded (0/75)

Twilight: 175G

Castor put one Glint into Attunement Integration, leery of choosing a more expensive path. There were no sudden hallucinations or pain, much to his surprise, but he was unable to invest any Glint into Bonded. It seemed like he would have to see a path through the end to choose another. Only after Castor invested thirty points did something happen.

Congratulations, Traveler!

You, who have walked a long way, have only

taken your first step. Beware the journey

is long and your path longer still.

Your Attunement Deepens

Castor felt a twinge in his chest—almost like a pinch—but nothing else changed. Summoning his status screen showed the same results.

“Maybe it’s like a hidden effect, or something.” Castor whispered to himself before standing up with a stretch. The supposed distraction didn't work for long, making him feel more stuck than before.

Micah was still practicing loops with his spell when Castor went to check on him. The small orb of light looked a lot more fluid as it traveled through the air than when Micah started practicing.

“Sorry to bother you while training, but we need to find food while we still can move,” Castor pointed out. “You said we can buy food at the Obelisk. Do you know where to find it?”

“Just look for a giant monument. It shouldn’t be that hard.” Micah stood up, cracking his neck in preparation.

“We might need to hunt down a better spot too—don’t want to get trapped by monsters in here—but the main point is to look for the Obelisk and secure a food and water source.” Castor donned a Kobold armor, the stained bone club seated in the leather loop on his right.

The leather armor pinched in some places, and definitely reduced his flexibility, but having another layer between him and danger made Castor feel safe. He raised a spare club to Micah’s face to grab his attention. “Here.”

“What’s this?”

“You need a better backup than a metal cone when you run out of mana.” Castor thrust the club forward.

“Ugh, fine.” Micah took the club and lugged it on the ground in a classic caveman hold

“Wait a second,” Castor bolted to the supplies and back, another armor in hand. “Here, take this. Those ripped-up robes aren’t gonna protect you that well.”

“You're just adding more and more,” Micah complained.

“It’s better you suffer now than die later.” Castor said wisely, “Besides, the armor comes with a loop for the club.”

Castor pushed the rest in a dark corner, and the two—three! Blue corrected—guys crept through the sewers. They moved slowly, on the lookout for any walking lizards, but the stroll to the destroyed manhole was uneventful.

He was a little worried about how they would get Blue out, but was surprised by how light he was as he carried him in one arm up the ladder with one hand. Once again, Castor traded the constant black of the tunnels for the intermittent bursts of light above.

Dust covered the roads in full sheets, much like pure, pristine snow before morning traffic. The ever-present lightning in the churning storm clouds was as silent and unnerving as ever. The few flashes above revealed a desolate wasteland and ruined buildings as far as the eye could see. Occasionally, Castor could see huge shadows loom in the distance.

“Where to now, Mr.Howhardcanitbe?” Castor whispered sarcastically.

“We should start around the city, then circle around, I guess.” Micah shrugged. So they picked a random direction and proceeded forward.

A few spots on the road were scuffed up—Blue even sniffed a few of them—but the tracks always led into a store or alleyway. Tight spaces with too many dark corners and places to hide. Neither Castor nor Micah was keen on following them, so the two continued searching

It was one of the few times Castor saw the teenager so silent.

Blue walked next to Castor, sticking to his leg as they searched for any trace of an Obelisk. He seemed tense, looking down every street for threats. The few times Castor brushed his awareness against Blue’s, the canine would mute the connection between them—something Castor hasn’t even learned to do—doubling down on his self-imposed job. It would’ve been cute if it was a regular Tuesday; instead, it just served to remind Castor they weren’t safe here.

Maybe they wouldn’t be safe anywhere…

They walked silently—Castor sticking strictly to the center of the road and Micah followed—through the ash-filled streets, taking a left once when there was no way forward. A look back revealed black footprints and paw prints fifty paces back before being recovered by dust, coming from who-knows-where.

“How hard is it to find a giant stone monument?” Micah complained loudly.

“Be quiet,” Castor commanded. He paused, scanned the area for any movements, and kept walking. “You never know what’s out here.” Just the thought of that monster that appeared the moment they got here still made him tremble.

Micah was about to complain when Castor raised a hand; his [Intuition] ticked, quickly followed by Blue’s whine. Blue was unsure why, but everything felt wrong. “Quick, get in here.” Castor ran to the nearest door and tried the knob, kicking the door open when that failed.

The door gave way to a surprisingly not filthy and destroyed mudroom. Micah proceeded to go further in, clearly misunderstanding why they were there. Castor grabbed his shoulder. “Where do you think you’re going?” Blue growled as he sat next to Castor.

“Didn’t you say we need food? Plus, this place isn’t too bad.” From his innocent expression, Castor would've never thought Micah was talking about looting and occupying another person’s home.

“We’re not here for that.” Castor pulled Micah to the entrance. “Sit here and wait.” Repeatedly, his eyes were drawn to the silent storm above. Flares of lightning zapped across the sky, gracing them with an extended period of light. Under the burst of light, Castor could see hundreds of pinpricks falling through the air, until the light disappeared and the shadows with it.

Intuition Expanded!

Unranked 4

Soft thuds of rain hitting concrete swept down the street. Instead of falling into the usual calm, he was overwhelmed by a sudden queasiness. The pollution in the water was clearer now than ever as Castor watched the liquid pool and move in streams. It emitted an otherworldly aura, and—despite never having felt an aura before—it felt absolutely alien.

The first time, it was wispy to Castor’s eye, like steam. Now, the luminescent rain dropped in a straight line and blocked his view beyond the door like a cosmic curtain. Not one raindrop fell into the apartment.

“It’s like being in a hurricane,” Micah whispered as he reached out to touch the rain.

“Stop!” Castor hissed, snatching Micah’s hand out of the air. “Can’t you see that shit isn’t safe?” He gestured beyond the doorway.

“What are you talking about?” Micah tugged his hand loose, stumbling deeper into the house. “I can’t see anything in the dark like you.”

Can only l see it? Castor looked at Blue beside him; he pressed into his leg, trembling in fright of the storm. Opening the connection between them revealed that although he couldn’t see what he could, Blue felt the same stale dread he did. Some bits of information must’ve been leaking through their [Bond].

A creak echoed beyond the front corridor through the dark apartment—barely a whisper compared to the downpour outside, yet Castor and Blue perked up.

The dog’s left ear was raised high, while his right twitched once, then twice. He rang their connection, and a spike of pain embedded itself into Castor’s skull along with a wave of information; most of which was lost on him, but he understood the gist of it.

Two-legs. Danger.

Another creak reverberated, much closer in the halls. The stench of death followed on its heels. Micah flinched and audibly gulped. Blue growled—so deeply it resonated in Castor’s chest—baring his fangs at the shadow.

A mass of black in the darkness rounded the corner; the only thing discernible were its eyes, the sclera was sanguine with veins popping in a deeper crimson.

Ghoul

Level 3

A deadly silence occupied the corridor, broken by a small gasp. “Be careful,” Micah warned him. Another window popped into Castor’s vision.

Ghoul (Berserk)

Level 3

The window floated in front of Castor, distracting for a mere second. The Ghoul closed the few feet between them in that instant.

Black claws flashed with the lightning outside. Castor fumbled to get his club out of his loop, but it was stuck. The Ghoul was going to slash his throat—

A blue flare slammed into the Ghoul’s chest, blasting it into the wall behind it. The bolt briefly illuminated its ghastly, blood-covered figure; it’s skin was entirely bald and gray, except for the black veins bulging across its face and limbs. The destroyed wall did little to conceal its large body; one hit would’ve been enough to cave in his rib cage.

His back suddenly dripped in a cold sweat.

“Get a grip, man!” Even Micah was prepared to fight, with his torch in one hand and on the other an outstretched finger, crackling energy swirled at his fingertip.

Get a grip, Cas. He carefully unknotted the loop and held his weapon in the best form he knew—which, at best, resembled a baseball batter—staring down the crumpled form of the monster.

The walking corpse visibly rearranged itself as it stood up, every muscle popping and bone cracking for a single, revolting moment. Then, it stopped.

The rain poured steadily outside, the storm alighting the hall for a brief second.

The instant the hall transitioned from flooded in light back to drowning in darkness, the Ghoul lounged at Castor.

Castor swung with both hands, trying to use its momentum to smash its head in, but was blocked by the Ghoul’s arm. They clashed, and Castor was thrown on his back by the sheer weight of the Ghoul. It would’ve crushed him if Castor had not continued to roll backward and threw the monster past Micah and Blue, through the door.

The rain poured around the both of them as they stared each other down once again, sapping his strength with every drop that landed on his skin.

Despite all of that, Castor still guarded the entrance of the building, a lone sentinel against the monster, against the world. Prompts manifested for a moment while his bond hounded for his attention, before Castor shut everything out.

Nothing mattered, except him and the red-eye monster.

Concentrate. Castor tightened his grip on the slippery club. The glow diffused in the water shone around the Ghoul, outlining the monster as a dark spot. Concentrate on what’s in front of you. Its scarlet eyes pierced through Castor and confined him to a single spot.

Then it lunged at him again, cutting the distance between them in less than a second.

Castor leaned to the right, dodging a claw strike, and heaved his white club overhead. Before he could slam the club into its head, the Ghoul shoved its rotten shoulder into Castor’s chest. The air was driven out of his lungs in sputtering coughs as he fell back onto the concrete.

Castor turned on his knees, struggling to breathe in the noxious rain. “Get…up.” He whispered to himself despite the aches and cuts all over his body—

A tug on his armor jerked him off his feet.

Castor was airborne for three seconds, all but weightless in the air. It was a surreal moment, the glow from the rain cascading into an aurora around him until it all crashed alongside him—into a building. His head rocked so hard he could only see stars; the taste of copper flooded his mouth, mixing with the dust and bitter rain.

When Castor regained his sight, a shadow loomed over him—his weapon still laid in the middle of the street; his armor crumpled in the front and back, restraining his lungs and breath.

He gritted his teeth; that wasn’t enough to stop him. So, Castor jumped and threw his fist at the monster's head. It dodged his first strike, then the second, and stilled for the third. His fist pounded weakly against the Ghoul’s chest.

At that split-second, Castor could feel the difference between them. That this thing was toying him; his resistance was futile.

He shut his eyes to the death whistling through the air. Instead of being pierced through by the Ghoul’s claws like Castor expected, a bone-rumbling boom pounded his ears. A wave of force washed over him and something more than just rain splattered all over him.

When Castor finally gathered the courage to open his eyes, a pair of legs without a torso fell to the ground beside him, without the slightest hint of life.

The rest of the Ghoul’s gray flesh and black blood scattered in the rain. Castor’s wobbling legs gave out, unable to hold himself without a proper need.

His vision darkened—around the edges at first, then altogether. The heat he generated while he fought disappeared, leaving him cold and thoroughly exhausted. A sharp coughing fit seized his lungs, worsened by the fat droplets filling the air.

It didn’t take long for Castor to collapse in a gasping, shivering heap.

Deathly Chills afflicted!

Blunt Weapon Proficiency Expanded!

Unranked 4

Intuition Expanded!

Unranked 4

Warning! Deathly Chills

accumulates beyond resistance

Skill Gained!

Unarmed Combat Proficiency (Basic)

Skillfully wield your own

body to defeat foes

Score: POW

Skill Gained!

Perseverance (Uncommon)

Push forward through obstacles

Continue despite limits

Score: ???, MND

Perseverance Expanded!

Unranked 2

Warning! Deathly Chills permeates

your body. Death Imminent.