The ruins of River Fen smoldered behind us, black smoke curling into the morning sky. What once was a village was now nothing but broken stone and corruption-stained soil.
The Nerulians stood in silence, their belongings strapped in bundles across their backs. Children clutched their parents' hands. Old warriors carried cracked spears and broken pride.
I shifted uncomfortably. Their eyes kept flicking to me.
Right. Because I'm "the Protector."
Elira called the group to order. "We march east. The council at Eridale must hear of this."
Bran nodded. "If anyone can help us rebuild, it's the frontier capital."
Eridale. The name made my stomach tighten. Bigger city. More people. More problems.
I muttered under my breath, "So much for grinding mobs in the starter zone."
---
The march was slow. Survivors limped. Carts creaked. Every so often, someone would stop and look back at the ruins, faces shadowed with grief.
I tried to lighten the mood.
"So uh… anybody else hungry? Because I swear this system doesn't feed me."
Lyra giggled weakly. "Protector… you really are strange."
Elira gave me the side-eye. "Strange is one word for it."
"Hey, I'm comic relief and main character. I multitask."
---
At midday, we rested under the shade of twisted trees. I stretched my arms, secretly testing how much stronger I felt after the Alpha fight.
One punch into the dirt..
BOOM!
A crater three meters wide gaped at our feet.
The Nerulians gasped. Some even dropped to their knees.
"Protector! His strength rivals the legends!" one cried.
My face went red. "Wait, WAIT, I didn't mean to ..."
Elira smacked me on the head. "Idiot. You're going to level the forest next."
[Observation: Host remains incapable of subtlety.]
"Advisor, I'm begging you-shut up."
---
We marched on. The forest began to thin, revealing hills and winding roads. Signs of civilization appeared stone mile-markers, worn trails, even the distant sound of wagon wheels.
Bran exhaled. "We're close to the main trade route. From there, Eridale is three days."
A buzz of relief rippled through the Nerulians. For the first time, hope flickered.
But I couldn't shake the feeling of eyes watching us.
---
That night, campfires flickered. I sat apart, staring at my glowing hands.
"Body Evolution Progress: 11%," I whispered
"What am I turning into?"
No answer came. Only the crackle of firewood.
Then a Nerulian child crept up beside me, eyes wide. "Protector?"
I blinked. "Uh… yeah?"
He handed me a carved wooden charm, rough and simple. "Mama said… give this to you. For keeping us safe."
My chest tightened. "…Thanks, kid."
When he left, I clenched the charm in my hand.
If the system wanted me to evolve into something scary… fine. But I wasn't going to let these people down.
---
A howl echoed in the distance. Not corruption this time. Just wolves. Normal ones.
For once, the sound didn't scare me.
Because now? I was the scarier thing in the dark.
---