Eren stood at the edge of the forest, staring at the message floating before him.
[Warning: The Hunter of the Unbound has located your brother.]
His fingers tightened around his sword.
Riel was alive.
That should have been enough to make him happy, but the warning made his stomach twist. Someone was hunting his brother, and Eren had no idea how strong that person was.
Lyra walked closer and looked at the System window.
"What did it say?"
Eren dismissed the message.
"Nothing good."
Lyra studied his face. "It's about Riel, isn't it?"
Eren nodded.
"He's being hunted."
Lyra became quiet.
For a moment, the only sound around them was the wind moving through the trees.
"Then we need to move," she finally said.
Eren looked at her. "I thought you wanted me to go to Ashbrook."
"I did. But if someone is hunting Riel, Ashbrook may not be the most important thing anymore."
Eren looked toward the road.
"Then where do we go?"
Lyra pointed north.
"Your brother is heading that way."
Eren frowned. "How do you know?"
Lyra touched the small crystal hanging around her neck. It gave off a weak silver glow.
"Guardians have ways of sensing changes in the world. Your brother's power is creating them everywhere."
Eren looked toward the horizon.
"Then we're going north."
They started walking.
For several hours, neither of them spoke much. Eren kept checking his System, hoping for another message from Riel. Nothing came.
Then, near midday, they reached a small village.
Ashbrook.
The village was surrounded by wooden walls, but several sections had been broken. Smoke rose from a few damaged buildings. The streets were almost empty.
Eren immediately noticed the silence.
"Where is everyone?"
Lyra's hand moved toward her dagger.
"Something happened here."
They entered through the broken gate.
A man rushed toward them.
"Adventurers!"
He was covered in dirt, and his clothes were torn. He stopped in front of Eren and looked at the sword on his waist.
"Please, you have to help us."
Eren looked around.
"What happened?"
"Monsters came during the night. They came from the old mine."
Lyra's expression changed.
"The old mine?"
The man nodded quickly.
"Something opened inside it. Since then, creatures have been coming out. We tried to stop them, but they were too strong."
Eren's System immediately appeared.
[Quest Updated.]
[Protect Ashbrook.]
[Objective: Enter the Old Mine.]
[Objective: Defeat the source of the monster outbreak.]
[Reward: Unknown.]
Eren stared at the quest.
"The System wants me to go inside."
Lyra shook her head.
"No. Something wants you to go inside."
Eren looked at her.
"What's the difference?"
"The System gives you quests. But sometimes, the System doesn't tell you why."
Before Eren could answer, a loud roar came from the other side of the village.
The ground shook.
The villagers screamed.
Eren pulled out his sword.
"Looks like we don't have time to argue."
A large creature jumped over the damaged wall.
It looked like a wolf, but its body was covered in dark stone. Red lines ran across its chest, glowing like hot metal.
[Monster: Corrupted Fang – Lv. 34]
Eren's eyes widened.
"Level thirty-four?"
Lyra stepped forward.
"Don't let it reach the villagers."
The creature charged.
Eren activated Phantom Step.
His body flashed to the side, and the monster passed him. Lyra attacked immediately, striking its leg.
The creature turned and swung its tail.
Lyra blocked with her dagger, but the force pushed her backward.
Eren rushed forward.
"Now!"
He drove his sword into the glowing red line across the monster's chest.
[Critical Strike.]
[Damage: 482.]
The creature screamed and threw him into the dirt.
Eren rolled across the ground and quickly stood.
The wound on the monster's chest was already closing.
"It can heal?"
Lyra's eyes narrowed.
"Look at its chest."
Eren focused.
Inside the creature, beneath the dark stone, he saw a small black crystal.
"There!"
He rushed forward.
The Corrupted Fang opened its mouth and released a wave of dark energy.
Eren couldn't dodge.
Lyra suddenly stepped in front of him.
Her dagger flashed.
The attack split apart before reaching them.
"Go!"
Eren didn't waste the chance.
He used Shadow Step.
His body disappeared.
A moment later, he appeared above the monster.
His sword came down with all his strength.
The blade pierced the black crystal.
The creature froze.
Then its body broke apart into dark pieces of light.
[Enemy Defeated.]
[EXP +1,200.]
[Level Up.]
[Level: 16.]
Eren landed on the ground, breathing heavily.
He looked at his System.
"Level sixteen…"
Lyra walked over.
"Don't celebrate yet."
Eren looked at her.
She pointed toward the old mine.
More red eyes had appeared inside the darkness.
Dozens of them.
Then hundreds.
Eren's smile disappeared.
"How many monsters are in there?"
Lyra slowly drew her dagger.
"Enough to destroy the village."
The villagers began running toward the center of Ashbrook.
Eren looked at them, then at the mine.
He knew he couldn't leave them.
But there was something else bothering him.
The Corrupted Fang hadn't attacked randomly.
It had been carrying the same strange energy he had felt inside the Broken Star Ruins.
The System suddenly flashed.
[Unknown Energy Detected.]
[Source: Old Mine.]
[Similarity to Code–ΔRiel: 21%.]
Eren's heart stopped for a moment.
"Riel…"
Lyra looked at him.
"What?"
Eren stared at the mine.
"This place is connected to my brother."
A cold wind swept through Ashbrook.
Then a voice came from inside the mine.
It was faint.
Almost impossible to hear.
But Eren knew it.
"Brother…"
Eren's eyes widened.
"Riel?"
The voice came again.
"Run…"
Eren's blood went cold.
Lyra grabbed his arm.
"What did he say?"
Eren looked into the darkness.
"He told us to run."
A deep roar answered from inside the mine.
Then the ground beneath Ashbrook cracked.
The System appeared one final time.
[Emergency Warning.]
[High-Level Entity Detected.]
[Recommended Action: Escape.]
Eren slowly raised his sword.
"No."
His eyes hardened.
"If Riel is in there…"
He stepped toward the mine.
"I'm not running."
And deep beneath the village, something enormous opened its eyes.