The wind rustled the leaves above as Reynar sat alone by the training post, the familiar ache of bruises settling deep in his muscles.
He tightened the leather grip around his blade and stared down at his callused palms. A week ago, those hands had never held anything heavier than a textbook. Now they shook — not from fear, but from pressure. Expectation. Desire.
But it wasn't enough.
Liora's words still echoed in his mind."You're not ready.""You'll die."
He had no delusions about his strength. He wasn't a hero. Not yet. But being told so… so plainly… cracked something inside him. Something hopeful.
He brought up his system window again.
[System Status: Reynar Vale]
Level: 1
Strength: 9
Agility: 7
Endurance: 6
Skills:– [Combat Instinct I] – Passive foresight in melee exchanges.
Quest Progress:– Objective 1/3 Completed– Next Step: Survive one dungeon trial
No shortcuts. No cheats. Just his will — and the system's cold indifference.
He took a slow breath, closed the window, and stood up.
Then he trained.
Alone.
Hours passed as he practiced Liora's drills from memory. Footwork, form, breathing. Again and again. He failed. Fumbled. Swore. Got back up.
Evening painted the sky in violet streaks when a familiar voice finally broke the silence behind him.
"You're still at it."
He turned. Liora stood just beyond the gate, a satchel slung over her shoulder. She looked surprised — maybe even impressed.
"I don't want to waste your effort," Reynar said, wiping sweat from his brow.
Liora studied him a moment, then gave a quiet sigh.
"I might've been too harsh."
He looked at her. "No… you were honest. I needed that."
She stepped closer, a thoughtful expression softening her features.
"You reminded me of someone," she said. "Someone who thought they could fight the world before they were ready."
Reynar tilted his head. "Who?"
"…Myself."
He didn't press further. But the way her voice dipped — the weight behind those two words — said enough.
Before the silence stretched too long, a shout echoed from the village path.
A young man came running up the trail, panic etched across his face.
"Liora! You need to come!"
She turned sharply. "What happened?"
"A beast came out of the ruins near the river bend! It's… it's corrupted! Someone went missing!"
Reynar's head snapped up. "What ruins?"
The messenger continued, "We think it's a dungeon, Liora! A minor one — it just cracked open!"
Liora cursed under her breath. "That's less than a mile from here…"
Reynar stepped forward. "Let me come."
"No," she said immediately. "Stay here."
"But I—"
"Reynar, this isn't a spar. If it is a dungeon, it's unstable. Wild magic. Unmapped terrain. Even low-level beasts become unpredictable."
"I know. But this is it, isn't it?" His voice was low, steady. "This is the start."
Liora looked him in the eye. And for the first time, she saw it — not the scared, desperate boy she pulled from the forest.
But something else.
Conviction.
Still fragile. Still flickering.
But real.
She exhaled. "You stay behind me. You don't act unless I say. One mistake and I drag you out myself."
Reynar nodded without hesitation.
"I'm not going to hold you back," he said. "Just… let me try."
The forest near the river bend was eerily quiet when they arrived. The trees leaned in like watchers, and a faint, pulsing glow bled through the cracked stone arch at the heart of the ruin.
A dungeon gate.
Not large — only three meters wide — but dark and shimmering like glass submerged in smoke.
"It's new," Liora said, kneeling to inspect the magic residue. "Fresh fracture. Probably unstable. Might collapse in a day or two."
She stood and drew her twin daggers, eyes narrowing.
"Stay close. If anything looks off, we leave."
Reynar's grip tightened on his sword.
They stepped through.
Inside, the air was heavy and humid, thick with spores and old rot. The dungeon's interior resembled a swampy temple — ancient stone walkways over murky black water, overgrown vines crawling along the walls.
Reynar's system pulsed the moment they entered.
[System Alert]You have entered an Unstable F-Rank Dungeon: "Mire of Echoes"
Objective: Survive until Exit Trigger is activated
Bonus Objective: Defeat the Corrupted Beast
Warning: Dungeon collapse likelihood: Moderate. Proceed with caution.
A growl echoed from the shadows up ahead.
Liora motioned for silence. "Footsteps to the left. Something's watching."
Then it pounced.
A corrupted wolf — its eyes glowing violet, its fur patchy and matted with black sludge. Too large for a normal beast. Fast.
Reynar barely raised his sword before Liora was in motion — a blur of silver as her daggers slashed across the wolf's flank.
It howled and snapped at her, teeth like broken glass.
Reynar hesitated — but his [Combat Instinct] surged. A sudden pulse of clarity.
Right side. Opening. Move now.
He stepped in, blade low, and slashed.
It connected.
Not deep — but enough to draw blood.
The wolf howled and turned on him.
Too fast—
Liora intercepted it, spinning midair and driving both daggers into its side. With a final whimper, the beast collapsed.
Silence returned.
Liora breathed heavily. Reynar panted, chest heaving.
She glanced at him. "You followed the flow."
"I… I think so."
A flicker of approval crossed her face.
"Good. You're learning."
As the dungeon's glow flickered ominously, a deep rumble echoed through the walls.
Liora tensed. "It's destabilizing. We've got ten minutes. Tops."
Reynar's system chimed again.
[System Update]✅ Objective Complete: Survive one dungeon trial
Stat Boost: +4 Endurance, +1 Intelligence
New Ability Unlocked:→ [Adaptive Focus I] — In moments of extreme stress, clarity sharpens and reaction time improves slightly.
He smiled faintly. "I did it."
Liora gave him a rare nod. "You're still alive. That's more than most."
They exited the dungeon just as the stone gate cracked and shattered behind them, releasing a gust of decaying magic into the forest.
Back in the clearing, Reynar dropped to his knees, exhaustion hitting all at once. His body screamed, but his spirit felt lighter.
He turned to Liora. "Thank you. For letting me come."
She looked at him — really looked — and for the first time, she didn't see a burden.
She saw a partner.
"You've got a long way to go," she said.
"But I'm walking it," Reynar replied.
And for once, she didn't argue.