At the break of dawn, they got ready.
Bag in hand.
Sword at his belt.
Snowy trailing closely behind.
They departed.
The journey back had been grueling. When Maxwell had fallen unconscious, Nova had dragged him back to the cave, avoiding unwanted encounters with Neovano creatures. They had even managed to find a safe spot to rest—a win for survival. But it had come at a cost: wasted time.
Originally, Nova had intended to freeze Maxwell until he recovered, but his abnormal healing after consuming the purple flower forced her to rethink. She hadn't expected that recovery to take a day and eleven hours.
"Howl!"
The wind screamed across the barren landscape. Maxwell's hair fluttered violently, and a shiver ran down his spine.
Since he had annoyed her, Nova had released her skill to protect him from the cold—a silent, scolding reminder of his irritation. Childish.
"Did you eat anything while I was out?" Maxwell asked, clasping his hands together, shivering.
"No," Nova replied, her voice calm, devoid of pity.
Maxwell grinned, trying to lighten the mood. "Maybe you were too worried about me to remember yourself?"
Total failure. Nova didn't even flinch. "If you still have the strength to talk, then use it to work on your stamina."
The world seemed to press down on him. Maxwell groaned. "What did you do?"
"Nothing," Nova replied, her tone measured. "You have ample strength to chat—why not put it to good use?"
Maxwell frowned, suspicion rising. "Alright… but how did you do it?"
"What's stopping you from countering it if you know?" she asked, casually.
He remembered the small bell she had handed him earlier.
Supposedly for safekeeping, for discipline if he misplaced it. A simple item, or so he thought.
Nova had lied.
It was no ordinary bell. It was a Neo item—a Lost Member's Bell.
Powerful, rare, forged from the energy of a fallen Neovano. Its purpose: to instill pressure on the wearer. Gravity increased, weight doubled, and a suffocating force pressed from every direction.
The bell's effect on Maxwell was immediate. Barely ten minutes into their walk, his legs began to buckle. Muscles screaming, tendons taut, beads of sweat forming on his forehead, Maxwell strained against the invisible weight. His legs shook violently, trembling as though carrying twice his body weight.
The Lost Member's Bell was brutal, designed for high-rank enemies—but here, it was not a tool of training. It was a tool for working .Maxwell cursed under his breath, feeling every step grind him down.
Because of Maxwell's slowed pace, the group took seven hours to reach the first Neovano hotspot.
"We are finally here," Nova said, standing tall, her posture
immaculate, radiating a calm that belied the danger around them.
Maxwell collapsed beside her, gasping, clutching his sword like a lifeline. His eyes scanned the horizon, trying to recover from the relentless fatigue.
Then he saw it.
A dark, jagged line in the distance.
Instantly, his heart skipped a beat. His hands tightened around the hilt of his sword. His legs trembled under him.
"What the hell is that thing?" he whispered, dread settling deep into his chest.
The line moved with a disturbing, unnatural rhythm. Maxwell's mind raced, analyzing shapes, speed, and scale. Even with his exhaustive state, instinct screamed at him: this is not just another Neovano creature.
Nova's eyes followed his, calm but piercing. She didn't speak, letting him absorb the terror of the sight, knowing the lesson had already begun.
Maxwell's chest heaved. Every fiber of his body screamed at him to flee, but running wasn't an option.
The creature ahead was massive, its presence radiating a lethal aura.
"Snowy," Maxwell muttered, summoning the bird silently. The king of the skies stirred, sensing the unease, its sharp gaze locking on the unknown threat.
The wind carried an eerie howl from the horizon. Maxwell's stomach twisted. Every step, every beat of his heart, reminded him of the weight he carried—not just the Lost Member's Bell, but the knowledge that survival here would demand more than skill. It would demand resolve, courage, and cunning.
This was only the beginning.