The days that followed blurred together in the rhythm of survival and growth.
Morning hunts.
Midday ambushes.
Evening meals under stars neither of them could name.
What began as cooperation quickly became coordination.
On the first day, Lira struck clean with her staff and watched in awe as a ripple of electricity danced across the beast's spine. It hadn't come from her weapon.
[Level 10 Achieved – Choose One Skill]
[Skill Selected: Stormlash – Rank A]
The first time she invoked it, it came as instinct. The second time—intention. A bolt of coiled lightning struck a charging predator mid-leap and left its bones glowing white.
Isaac had whistled softly.
"Now that," he said, "was satisfying."
She beamed through the steam rising from her palms.
That night, they roasted meat from the carcass she had fried.
By the third day, Lira had reached Level 13. Isaac, thanks to frequent support and finishing moves, reached Level 12, and passed Level 14 by the week's end.
[Isaac: Level Up – Stat Gains: +1 to all base stats per level]
[Level 14 Reached – Bonus Gained: +4 STR, +4 AGI, +4 INT, +4 END]
[Passive Triggered: System Override – Bonus stats triggered: +3 STR, +2 INT, +2 AGI]
His stats swelled. His body was lighter, faster, more reactive.
He was growing—not just from the kills he claimed, but from the System itself rewarding progress.
On the fourth day, Lira hesitated during a hunt—only to throw herself in front of Isaac when a venom-tipped beast lunged from the brush.
Her Stormlash shattered its jaw midair.
He pulled her back with wide eyes.
"You shielded me."
"You were too busy finishing off the other three," she snapped, panting. "One of us has to cover your blind spots."
He laughed, breathless. "Fair point."
Each night, Isaac knelt beside corpses—absorbing, processing, and refining.
[Soul Devourer Matrix Triggered]
+32 Strength
+41 Agility
+28 Endurance
+29 Intelligence
+26 Willpower
+19 Charisma
+??? Luck (Unseen)
[Skill Extracted: Lightning Pounce – Rank C] → Decomposed → +100 AGI
[Skill Extracted: Bone Plate Guard – Rank B] → Decomposed → +1,000 END
The numbers were becoming staggering.
And yet he knew—they were just the foundation.
By the seventh day, they no longer moved like a mismatched pair of survivors.
They moved like a unit.
Isaac struck wide with Rot Pulse, and Lira finished enemies off with crackling precision.
She called it "Thundercleaning."
He rolled his eyes and pretended it wasn't clever.
They laughed more.
Shared rations.
Even made camp side by side without speaking, in a silence that felt… comfortable.
By the seventh day, Isaac reached Level 14. Lira stood beside him, crackling staff in hand, now Level 17 and wielding her lightning with quiet confidence.
That night, beneath a crescent moon, Isaac stared into the campfire and asked the question that had been lingering for days.
"Do you ever wonder if this—us—was meant to happen?"
Lira glanced at him, confused.
"I mean… not just meeting. But becoming this strong. This fast. Together."
She looked back at the fire.
"I don't think fate makes the road," she said. "I think it watches who survives the walk."
Isaac chuckled lowly. "Philosophical."
"I've been leveling."
He smirked. "I noticed."
She nudged his arm lightly with her elbow. "Don't fall behind, corpse-boy."
His grin widened.
"I won't."