The dawn was gentle that day.
A cool breeze drifted across the ruins, carrying with it the scent of ash, blood, and dew. The once-chaotic battlefield now lay quiet—only the steady footsteps of kabolts disturbed the silence. They moved with surprising grace, carrying bodies one by one, laying them down in orderly rows under the rising sun.
Raghul's bloodstained corpse was placed first. His heavy axe rested across his chest like a grave marker. Next came Zeven—his missing hand had been found amid the rubble and set beside him, with his sword laid across his waist. Finally, the kabolts carried Ardan. Even in death, his face seemed fierce, unyielding. His shattered blade was set before him, its two halves aligned to form what looked like a single, whole sword.
Kairo stood silently, his arms crossed as the light of morning brushed his face. Beside him, Shiri coiled gently, his serpentine tail curling around a rock. Onyx stood to their side, his skeletal frame still, the tip of his violet lance pressing lightly into the dirt.
"These men…" Kairo murmured, his voice quiet but firm. "They were my enemies, but they fought for something. I don't know what—but they deserve peace, at least."
Shiri glanced at him, the faintest hint of a smile tugging his lips. "You still think too much like a human, boy," he said softly, folding his arms. "But maybe that's what makes you different."
Kairo exhaled slowly, the weight of his thoughts heavy but not crushing. "If I caused their deaths," he said, watching the kabolts finish their grim task, "then I'll also be the one to give them rest."
Shiri nodded, his gaze lingering on Kairo. "Then give them peace, Kairo. Let this field remember mercy, not only war."
Kairo smirked, glancing at Shiri. "You sure that wasn't supposed to be a poem? Terrible one, by the way."
Shiri chuckled, flicking his tail. "Says the man whose speeches sound like half-baked eulogies."
Both laughed, easing the heavy air.
The air around them had grown lighter, laughter fading into the soft rustle of morning wind. Shiri crossed his arms, glancing over the rows of still bodies. "Anyways," he said, his tone returning to calm seriousness, "how are you going to take care of these corpses? You can't just leave them lying around like this forever."
Kairo's smile faded as he looked at the dead once more. "I know…" he murmured, rubbing the back of his neck. "But honestly, I'm not quite sure what to do with them. I don't know the proper rituals—should I burn them or bury them?"
Shiri let out a long sigh, the kind that carried both weariness and understanding. He placed a hand on Kairo's shoulder, his golden eyes softening. "We'll figure it out after some time. For now, let them rest."
Kairo nodded quietly. "Yeah… you're right."
After some time, Kairo and Shiri began walking back toward the gates of the territory, the crisp morning air brushing against their faces. Behind them, Onyx followed in silence—his hollow frame casting long, dark shadows against the soft orange light. The kabolts had finished arranging the bodies neatly, their small claws digging into the dirt as they adjusted positions one last time.
Kairo turned around, his voice calm but firm. "You, and you," he said, pointing at a few kabolts standing nearby, "stand guard around the corpses. Make sure no scavengers come near them."
The kabolts bowed deeply in unison, their ears twitching as they took up their posts—silent sentinels around the fallen.
Just then, a faint ding came from Kairo's pocket, followed by a soft pulse of blue light. He blinked, confused, and reached in to pull out the communication orb. The smooth crystal pulsed again, and suddenly a loud, familiar voice boomed from it.
"Good morning, Kairo!" Varen's cheerful tone almost startled him. "Sleep well? Hope those bandits didn't haunt your dreams or something, haha!"
Kairo chuckled awkwardly. "Oh, uh, good morn—"
Before he could finish, another voice cut in, sharp and irritated. "Varen! This artifact is not made for idle chatter!" Lyra's tone was scolding, her irritation practically vibrating through the orb. "It's meant for important messages only!"
"Yeah, yeah," Varen replied lazily. "Cut it, will ya? You should smile more often and relax a little."
"I am relaxed!" Lyra snapped.
"Oh really? Then use this "important-message-only" orb to say something nice for once."
Kairo sighed, pinching the bridge of his nose. "Guys, do I even need to be—"
But before he could finish, Lyra muttered in a small, almost embarrassed voice, "...Good morning, Kairo."
Kairo blinked in surprise, then smiled faintly. "Good morning, Lyra. And Varen."
Moments later, another calm, composed voice joined the mix. "Good morning to you all," Claymond said, sounding relieved. "Ah, I'm glad your orb works, Kairo. These artifacts are a hassle to calibrate."
Lyra immediately chimed in again, irritated. "Claymond! You too? This is supposed to be for important communication!"
Claymond chuckled softly. "And what could be more important than building camaraderie among allies? So, Kairo, how's your territory holding up after yesterday's raid?"
Kairo laughed quietly, shaking his head. "We're still recovering from the raid," he said. "Should be done in about two days."
"That's good," Claymond replied. "But remember—repairs aren't the only thing. You need to strengthen your territory as well."
"Yeah," Varen added, his tone casual. "You should come visit us sometime. I'll show you how a real lord runs his domain."
Kairo smiled. "I'll take that as a challenge. But I've got something important to handle first."
"Understood," Claymond said. "Until next time, Lord Kairo."
The orb dimmed, falling silent.
Shiri smirked beside him. "Looks like someone's got new friends now."
Kairo groaned. "Get off my back, will ya?"
Both of them laughed lightly, while Onyx tilted his head curiously.
Then Kairo looked ahead, eyes firm with resolve. "Upgrades…" he muttered. "Yeah. I need upgrades too."
Shiri turned to Kairo, raising an eyebrow. "What did you just say?"
Kairo blinked, refocusing from whatever trance he'd slipped into. "Shiri," he said, a faint grin forming on his lips. "We've got something important to do."
Shiri tilted his head, the end of his serpent tail twitching lazily. "Important, huh?" he muttered, watching Kairo's gaze drift into thin air again. The human's eyes shimmered faintly with blue light, his expression distant yet focused.
At this point, Shiri wasn't even surprised. He sighed, crossing his arms. "Here he goes again…" he murmured, half amused, half resigned.
In reality, Kairo was staring deep into the translucent screen of the Command Nexus — something only he could see. Text and icons hovered before him, flickering in the morning light. He tapped mentally through the notifications, checking the aftermath of the battle.
"Alright… let's see what I got," Kairo muttered to himself. His eyes widened slightly as he read the message.
[Energy capacity has reached maximum limit: 500/500]
His energy capacity had reached its limit — five hundred units, completely full.
He exhaled softly. "Looks like it filled up fast… guess I didn't even get all the energy I could've from that raid." His tone was thoughtful, but also mildly frustrated. "I'll need to increase my tier if I want a bigger capacity."
He swiped the next tab open — and his eyes lit up.
[Tier Advancement Available:Dragon Blooded Kabolts—>Tier 3.5]
Requirement Achieved: Successfully defend against a mid-scale siege from an enemy with superior numbers.
[ Proceed with evolution? (Yes / No)
Kairo's heart quickened. "we did it… we actually fulfilled the conditions." A grin spread across his face. "Let's see what this new power-up brings."
He remembered the ghoul evolution — how dramatic the increase in strength had been. If this was anything like that, his army was about to become far more dangerous.
Without hesitation, Kairo selected Yes.
From the black spire at the heart of Kairo's territory, a sudden surge of light burst forth. A glowing, sphere of blue energy shimmered above it, humming with a deep resonance that made the air tremble. Then—without warning—it shot through the sky like a black comet, streaking toward Kairo's position with incredible speed.
Kairo turned, startled by the oncoming projectile, "What the–", but it was too fast.
"Kairo, watch out!" Shiri shouted, stepping forward instinctively. His tail coiled and his arm raised, a protective gesture despite lacking any defensive spells. The air around them rippled as the sphere neared, wind pressure tearing at Kairo's cloak and hair.
But just before impact, the sphere split into countless fragments of light light, each trailing blue sparks. They darted past the two and struck the kobolds standing in neat formation behind them. The creatures flinched, momentarily stunned, before their bodies shined brightly with blue and white energy.
Shiri blinked in confusion. "What… was that?"
Kairo's tense expression softened into a grin. His eyes glowed faintly as he watched the kobolds tremble with newfound power.
"That," Kairo said, voice low but proud, "was the first step of our reinforcement."
Not far from kairo's terratory,The girl with violet eyes ran through the forest, her breath ragged, her steps uneven. The roars that had chased her moments ago faded into silence—an unnatural, heavy calm. Somehow, the beasts had stopped pursuing her. She didn't know why.
Branches clawed at her arms as she stumbled into the remnants of an ancient ruin—crumbling stone, half-swallowed by roots and shadow. Her pulse slowed, but her eyes caught something in the far distance.
Blue light.
It flickered across the horizon like veins of lightning, pulsing in rhythmic waves that lit up the sky. The air shimmered, almost alive, as if the world itself was resonating with some unknown power.
Her gaze lingered too long. The ground beneath her gave way.
With a short gasp, she fell into darkness—her body swallowed by the ruins.
And as the blue lights danced above the land, fate stirred. Her arrival would change Kairo's life forever.
To be continued...