The compass in Kyren's vision spun wildly before snapping to the east, pulling him deeper into the forest. He summoned his weapons, his armor forming around him as he stepped forward. The pale moonlight barely illuminated ten feet ahead, the shadows stretching and shifting like unseen eyes watching from the darkness.
He had been walking for almost an hour when the sound of snapping twigs made him freeze. Ahead, something moved.
A fox? No—it was taller, more slender, its mist-like fur shimmering, shifting between deep gray, silver, and blue as if phasing in and out of reality. Its large, luminous violet eyes locked onto him for a moment before it turned, sprinting effortlessly through the trees.
Kyren tried to follow, but the fox was too fast. After a few steps, he noticed his compass had adjusted, now pointing north instead. He let out a breath, shaking his head as he watched the strange creature vanish.
"What kind of crazy new species is that?"
Curious, he opened the system menu. Below the compass, a new line of text had appeared:
1,000 feet to ?????
A jolt of energy ran through Kyren's body. Unlike his usual interactions with the system—ones filled with tension and uncertainty—this felt… exciting.
A Forest Warped by Magic
As he ventured deeper, the forest around him changed. The trees twisted unnaturally—some forming full loops before stretching skyward, others bending at impossible angles. The air was thick with mana, so strong he could almost feel it against his skin.
It reminded him of the stories his mother used to tell—tales of dragons and forgotten lands where magic shaped reality itself. He chuckled at the thought.
"A dragon? That'd be something else. Might have a full breakdown if I actually saw one."
Glancing at the system again, he saw an
update:
250 meters to ?????
Then, a sound shook him to his core.
A deep, monstrous roar tore through the night, unlike anything Kyren—or anyone—had ever heard before. His head snapped up as a figure perched atop a rock.
It looked like a lizard, but too large—at least six feet long. Its limbs were too long for its body, like it wasn't finished growing. Its scales shimmered with a faint metallic sheen, and its eyes burned with an ember-like glow.
And on its back… wings. Small, underdeveloped, but definitely wings.
Kyren barely had time to process what he was seeing before the creature charged.
It was fast—unnaturally fast. In an instant, its razor-sharp teeth sank into Kyren's armored forearm. Gritting his teeth, Kyren slammed the hilt of Lion's Requiem into its skull, forcing it to release its grip—but not before tearing a chunk out of his armor.
The lizard lunged again, this time at his leg. Kyren braced himself, expecting the same bite force as before—but the pain that shot through him was far worse.
It had pierced his skin.
With a desperate slash, Kyren extended the mana blade from his dagger, striking the lizard's neck—but his attack barely did more than crack one of its scales.
His leg was damaged, slowing him down. He had to lure it in.
Kyren feinted, pretending to lunge forward. The lizard took the bait, diving for his leg. At the last moment, Kyren yanked his leg back and drove Lion's Requiem downward.
The creature's jaw snapped shut around the blade.
Its greed was its downfall.
Before it could escape, Kyren smashed his dagger into the fractured scale, piercing deep into its throat. The lizard thrashed violently—but after a few moments, it went still.
Kyren exhaled, feeling the blood trickling down his leg. He withdrew his weapons, finally getting a better look at the creature.
"Those are wings. I'm sure they're wings. It's not quite a dragon yet… but soon, it would have been one."
Limping forward, Kyren followed his compass.
Discovery of a Sprite
At last, he found the source—a stump, its hollow center emitting a soft golden glow.
Kyren knelt down, peering inside.
Curled in the hollow was a tiny humanoid figure—no more than three inches tall. Her golden skin shimmered, and her hair, a radiant gold, cascaded in delicate waves. Her translucent wings had thin golden outlines, twitching faintly as she slept.
She looked… frail.
Without thinking, Kyren reached inside, carefully lifting the tiny being into his palm. As he held her, he felt his mana flowing toward her in shimmering golden wisps.
Instinctively, he pushed more mana into his hands.
Specks of golden energy rose around the sprite, swirling toward her. As they touched her body, she stirred, stretching as if waking from a long slumber.
Then, she stood, dusting herself off.
Her wings stretched, catching the ambient mana in the air. Her golden eyes locked onto the floating mana specks around her. With a delighted grin, she reached out, grasped one of the specks, and hugged it close to her chest—absorbing it into her body.
Then, without warning, she flew up and hugged Kyren's face.
A warmth spread through him. His wounds mended instantly.
A familiar ding rang in his mind.
Mission Complete.
Kyren opened the system menu, watching as a small new tab blinked into existence.
Wayfinder's Kin Unlocked
Recruit Kin: Liora the Light Sprite?
Yes/No
Kyren barely hesitated. Yes.
The new Wayfinder's Kin tab opened, revealing a 3D model of Liora along with her stats:
Liora - Adolescent Light Sprite
Magic: A+
Strength: D
Speed: A
Mana Pool: B
Abilities:
Heal Pulse – Sends a pulse of mana through your body, healing wounds.
Strength Pulse – Temporarily enhances physical abilities with mana.
Kin Improvement Plan
Requirements: 300 Skill Points
Before Kyren could process everything, a voice rang out in his mind—lighthearted but filled with energy.
"Hey, silly! It's me, the one on your shoulder. I'm Liora! Who are you?"
Kyren smirked. "I'm Kyren. Nice to meet you. I'd like to be your friend."
"Oh, we're gonna be great friends! Your mana feels amazing—almost like mine!"
"Thanks for healing me, Liora. But we should get back to camp."
Kyren turned, beginning his journey back, his new companion fluttering beside him.