The growing bond with Lyra was not just power. It was endurance, stability, reinforcement where his body would have failed before. Years of training, running, and pushing himself finally paid off now, stacked on top of the system's changes.
"Almost there!" he shouted.
Ahead, the terrain narrowed.
"There!" Lucien pointed. "Through that path!"
The narrow passage cut between jagged stone and twisted roots, barely wide enough for two people side by side. It was uneven, dangerous, and exactly what he needed.
"Push!" he yelled. "Don't slow down!"
They forced their tired legs forward, breath coming out in desperate pants as they squeezed into the path. One of them nearly tripped, swearing loudly as another hauled him upright.
Behind them, a beast slammed into the rocks, snarling as its bulk struggled with the narrow space.
Lucien slowed.
Then he stopped.
"What are you doing?" one of them shouted back, panic flaring anew.
Lucien turned.
The others kept running, too focused on escape to stop. Only Cael slowed, realization hitting him like a blow.
"No," Cael said, stopping fully. "Don't."
Lucien cursed quietly. "Damn it."
"You're not staying," Cael said. "You can't."
Lucien shook his head. "You'll make it. All of you."
"That's not the point," Cael snapped. "You're not supposed to do this alone!"
Lucien forced a thin smile. "I didn't plan to act like a hero on my first exercise either."
He stepped back, putting distance between them.
"I'll buy you time," he said. "That's all. Then I'll catch up."
Cael's jaw tightened. "You better."
Lucien met his eyes. "I will."
For a moment, neither moved.
Then Cael nodded sharply and turned, shouting at the others to keep going. His voice cracked once, but he did not look back again.
Lucien watched them disappear down the path.
Then he exhaled.
Silence pressed in, broken only by the distant snarls and the heavy approach of something far worse than E rank beasts.
Lucien rolled his shoulders and adjusted his grip on the dagger.
"Alright," he muttered. "Time to be smart."
Lyra drifted to his side, her light steady but intense. She felt the same tension, the same resolve.
"We're doing this together," Lucien said quietly.
She pulsed in response.
The system chimed softly in his mind.
▒░ [Resonance Link Increased] ░▒▓
+2%
▒░ [Current Resonance Level: 52%] ░▒▓
Lucien felt it settle into him, a deeper connection, firmer and more stable than before.
He raised his dagger.
The Rift howled again as shadows closed in.
Lucien did not run.
Not this time.
Lucien scanned the surroundings one last time.
Good.
The group he had rescued was already far enough that their figures had blended into the Rift's broken horizon. Even if the beasts turned now, they would not find them easily. That thought loosened something in his chest.
Only then did he allow his focus to narrow.
The beasts rushed toward him without hesitation, claws tearing into dirt and stone. Lucien tightened his grip on his dagger, his face settling into a calm that had nothing to do with confidence and everything to do with resolve.
"Alright," he said quietly. "This is where we stop them."
Lyra hovered beside him, her glow steady, sharp at the edges.
"No wandering," Lucien added. "You slow them. I finish them. If one breaks past, pull it back."
Her light pulsed once.
They stood their ground.
The first E rank beast lunged straight in, reckless and fast. Lucien did not retreat. He shifted sideways instead, stepping onto higher ground where the stone rose unevenly. The beast's leap fell short, claws scraping uselessly against rock.
Lucien drove his dagger down into the exposed neck.
The body collapsed at his feet.
He moved before the second one reached him.
Lucien ran along the slope, forcing the beasts to approach from below. Their footing worsened with every step while his improved. It was a simple trick, but simple tricks kept people alive.
Lyra struck next.
Static Arc snapped out, not wide, not flashy, but precise. The lightning hit the joints of another beast's legs, freezing it just long enough for Lucien to slide beneath its guard and cut upward.
Blood splashed across his sleeve.
He barely noticed.
Their coordination felt natural now. He did not need to shout or signal. When Lyra shifted left, he moved right. When she slowed one target, he finished another. Their shared senses filled in gaps. He felt pressure behind him before claws touched his back. He knew when to duck before a strike even formed.
Every movement had purpose.
Every attack mattered.
Lucien kept count without thinking about it.
Three down.
Four.
The beasts kept coming, but they were no longer rushing blindly. They circled now, testing him. Lucien exhaled slowly and adjusted his stance.
"Smart enough to hesitate," he muttered. "That's new."
Lyra flickered with amusement.
He didn't expect this fight to last long. The flare he had fired earlier should already be drawing Riftwalkers toward this location, and the escape group would reach the anchor point soon enough to raise alarms of their own.
All he needed to do was hold.
Still, he fought like there was no rescue coming.
The next beast charged low. Lucien stepped forward instead of back, letting it overshoot him. His blade punched into its side and twisted. It fell, skidding across the ground before going still.
A familiar chime echoed in his mind.
▒░ [Essence Gained] ░▒▓
+300 EP
Lucien didn't slow.
Another beast lunged and Lyra slammed into it with raw force, pushing it off balance. Lucien followed up immediately, blade flashing once, twice.
▒░ [Essence Gained] ░▒▓
+300 EP
Sweat ran down his face now, and his breathing had deepened, but his movements stayed sharp. His arms burned, his legs trembled, yet something else carried him forward.
Momentum.
Enjoyment.
"Don't tell me you're tired already," Lucien said aloud as he sidestepped another swipe.
Lyra's glow flared brighter, almost smug.
He laughed under his breath, a short sound edged with adrenaline. "Yeah. I know. You're fine."
The last of the E rank beasts hesitated.
Lucien stepped forward.
It turned to flee.
"No," he said calmly.
Lyra cut off its escape, and Lucien ended it without hesitation.
▒░ [Essence Gained] ░▒▓
+300 EP
He straightened slowly, chest rising and falling as silence settled around him.