A few seconds passed, and the monstrous fiend had vanished.
"Eh?" Julius looked around, eyes darting rapidly. "The monster-."
"It was simply an illusion. This place likes to play tricks on people, as it slowly wittles them down... And attempts to consume them." Kaelan breathed out, also seemingly affected by the illusion. "Anyways, the best thing we can do is continue, and not look back."
They walked for several minutes, but that event only worsened Julius' mood.
Julius looked up at the endless grey sky. He felt utterly useless.
Noticing the dreary look on Julius' face, Kaelan told him to sit down with him.
"On these rocks, let's talk for a bit." He pointed down.
"Alright." Julius shrugged his shoulders. What does he want to do?
Kaelan sat Julius down and began to make his point. He pulled out a notebook in his hands.
The man barely glanced up as he spoke, his voice casual, almost bored.
"You think leveling is all about getting stronger, right?" Kaelan muttered, tracing a finger down a list of handwritten notes. "That's the rookie mistake."
Julius frowned. "What do you mean?"
Kaelan sighed and, without hesitation, tossed the notebook into Julius' hands. "See for yourself. Usually people visit appraisers to see their boons, but I keep mine on me since I spend most my time here."
Julius hesitated. Kaelan was level 239. A man at his level wouldn't just show someone his weaknesses—unless, of course, he didn't see them as a threat at all.
Julius flipped the book open, scanning the neatly written entries under a heading that read: BOONS.
1. Can't cry
2. Drowns more easily.
3. Left foot is slightly weaker than right.
4. All food tastes sweet.
5. Occasionally sneezes at the worst possible time.
6. Worse heat resistance
8. If chasing someone, must always run slower than them.
Julius's eyes snapped up. "Wait, what?" He jabbed a finger at the last one. "How does that one even work?"
Kaelan smirked. "That one's a pain."
Julius gawked at him. "You're telling me that if you're running after someone, you're just… forced to be slower than them?"
Kaelan shrugged. "Yeah. No matter how fast I am, if I'm the one doing the chasing, I can't outrun them." He reached out, flipping a page. "Every 30 levels, you get a boon. Random. Could be nothing, could be crippling. The only way to know?" He tapped the notebook. "Experience it. Write it down. Hope it doesn't screw you over at the wrong time. This is just the law of the world."
Julius stared at the pages, the implications settling in. "So high-level people… they're just walking landmines of minor annoyances?"
Kaelan chuckled. "Mostly. Until it's not so minor. At around level 200, your annoyances end up paying off."
Julius closed the book and handed it back. "And what happens at level 200?"
Kaelan didn't take the book immediately. His expression shifted, just for a second—like he was debating something. Then he took it, flipping the cover shut.
"You get a Supreme Value," he said simply.
Julius waited. "And?"
Kaelan met his gaze, eyes unreadable. "Mine's a secret, I can't tell you."
Julius felt a chill creep up his spine. "What's that supposed to mean?"
Kaelan grinned, but there was no warmth in it.
"You don't need to know that yet."
"Well, that's mysterious."
I guess levels aren't entirely blessings.
They walked for a few more hours.
Julius sighed.
Ahead of him, shimmering with an otherworldly light, Kaelan cleaved another monstrous griffin in two with a single, effortless sweep of his luminous blade. The beast let out a final, distorted screech before dissolving into scattered particles of light.
Julius swallowed hard. He hadn't killed a single one. He hadn't even tried.
"Another one down!" Kaelan called back, his voice bright, as if this were all some grand adventure. "You watching? Almost had that one yourself. Last-hitting kills is key if you want to level up properly."
Julius forced a weak smile. "Right. Almost."
Kaelan meant well. But after a full week of this routine, it was obvious—no matter how many creatures he struck down, he was still… Level 1.
"Appraisal."
He cast Appraisal, watching as the familiar blue light flickered over his body.
[Level 1]
No change. No progress. Nothing. No matter how hard he stared.
Kaelan frowned, running a hand through his perpetually windswept golden hair. He looked the very image of a hero—strong jaw, piercing blue eyes, an aura of unwavering goodness. He belonged in a painting, standing on a cliffside, blade held high in the sunlight.
"That's strange," he said, scratching his chin. "Even a complete beginner should have leveled up by now. These creatures are weak, sure, but they still give experience." His brow furrowed, his usual confidence slipping just a little. "Maybe it's because you're from another world. Your essence might be… incompatible with how this realm distributes power."
"So even worms gain EXP, but not me..." Julius said gloomily.
Julius exhaled sharply. Of course. Of course, I'd be incompatible. He was a gamer back home—a man of culture, not battle. Adventure was something he read and fantasized about, not something he lived. The fact he wasn't able to level up meant even the laws of this world had rejected him.
"I suppose that's possible," Julius sighed. A bead of sweat trickled down his temple. This whole situation was absurd. Just keeping up with Kaelan's walking pace was a challenge.
They pressed forward. The land stretched ahead of them—an endless wasteland of jagged rock formations and skeletal trees. The sky never changed from its bleak, iron-grey hue. The air carried a faint metallic tang, and an oppressive silence blanketed everything, broken only by the crunch of their boots and the occasional distant shriek of unseen creatures.
Julius hated the silence. It gave him too much room to think.
Then Kaelan stopped. His expression darkened.
"A Revenant?" he muttered. "This close to the border?"
Julius followed his gaze.
A Dark Knight loomed before them. Jagged obsidian armor wrapped its towering frame, its body exuding black smoke like living shadows. Twin violet flames burned in the depths of its helmet.
Julius shivered. He could feel the presence radiating off it—an unnatural pressure, something wrong.
"Another day, another group of adventurers to kill." It said, whilst polishing it's blade with it's dark hands. "Never a break for the the working class monsters."
Then it moved.
A blur of black metal.
Its sword howled through the air, a massive slab of death aimed straight for Kaelan's neck.
CLANG!
Kaelan's blade met it in a burst of light and sparks. Steel screeched against steel, painting brief constellations in the dim air.
"Foolish," the Revenant rasped. Its voice wasn't loud, yet it dug into the mind like claws. "You cannot stop the inevitable."
Kaelan didn't answer. He pushed back hard, forcing distance between them.
"I don't think you know who you're talking to." Kaelan snapped.
The Revenant didn't pursue. It raised a gauntleted hand—fingers curling into a slow, deliberate motion.
A deep, eerie hum filled the air.
Julius' stomach twisted. Something was wrong.
Kaelan stiffened. His breath hitched. His heart twisted—something inside him clenched like an iron vice.
"A curse. A heart explosion curse. I need to end this fast."
Kaelan lunged. Light surged.
A blinding flash swallowed the vicinities' shadows, momentarily erasing all darkness. The Revenant barely had time to react before Kaelan's blade plunged into its chest, slicing through armor and smoke alike.
The creature froze.
Then, with a sickening hiss, its body began to unravel—darkness peeling away like burnt paper. All that remained was a hollow suit of armor.
The violet flames flickered. Dimmed. Died.
Kaelan exhaled, his sword still gleaming with holy light. It was over.
Julius stared, heart hammering.
"What… was that? It wasn't after me right-."
"Of course not. It was after me." Kaelan spoke quietly. "It sensed my power."
Kaelan glanced at the fallen armor, then back at Julius. "Got lucky," he said simply. "It was a weak one."
"Yeah but what was it's goal?"
"To warn us... That we shouldn't be here." Kaelan grimaced. "But don't worry, we'll be fine."
Julius wasn't so sure if we applied itself correctly in that context.
"Yeah we'll be fine..."
They continued walking, Julius just couldn't understand how Kaelan could walk so composed as if nothing could scratch him.
"Agh-." Julius tripped on the rough floor, he hit the ground hard.
"Are you alright?" Kaelan's voice was hazy in his mind. His hands touched the dirt calmly.
"Everything... Hurts... Will I make it?"
"Julius. Did you trip on… air?" Kaelan asked imperatively.
Wait-. I can't say I tripped. This guy already thinks I'm worm level.
"Something bit me." Julius muttered. "There was killing intent."
"Strange, I don't sense any creatures nearby."
"It was fast... Like a flash of lightning. Or maybe invisible."
"Well let's keep going, the longer we take the stronger our scent will become and the more monsters we'll attract."
Kaelan kept an extra eye out for these lightning-fast creatures as they continued their journey.
They found a valley nestled between jagged peaks and set up camp. The fire crackled, casting restless shadows against the stone walls. Julius sat against a rock, exhaustion pressing down on him. Kaelan, meanwhile, gathered fallen branches with practiced ease, eventually roasting a piece of what looked suspiciously like griffin meat over the fire.
"This place is terrible, I would've died a while back if you weren't there." Julius huffed, watching the flames dance. "How long until we're out?"
Kaelan shrugged. "A few more days. You'll know when we cross over. The sky will be blue. The air will smell of flowers. You might even want to sing a song."
Julius scoffed. "Doubt it."
Kaelan grinned. "Yeah, you don't seem like much of a singer."
They ate in silence. The meat, though from a dubious source, was surprisingly palatable.
It's not like food poisoning exists in this world, because why would anyone want to include that in their realm?
Julius found himself appreciating Kaelan's presence—his easy confidence, the way he never made him feel small, despite how useless he was.
After they finished, Kaelan stretched, his muscles shifting beneath his leather and cloth garments.
"Alright," he said. "You get some sleep. I'll take watch."
Julius blinked. "Take watch? Shouldn't we split it? I feel bad with you doing all the work."
Kaelan chuckled. "Heroes don't really need sleep."
Julius frowned. "That's biologically impossible."
Kaelan grinned. "Got a skill for it. Keeps me alert, regenerates stamina. Makes guard duty a breeze." His smile faltered for just a moment. "Used to do it all the time for my old party. Before they—"
"Before they?" Julius felt the air grow shrewd, lines appeared on Kaelan's forehead as he gulped slowly.
He stopped. Laughed, but it didn't quite reach his eyes. "Well, before they died. This place claims adventurers every day. Hundreds, probably. I was heading further in alone, but then I saw you." He shrugged. "Figured I should at least make sure you got out alive."
Julius hesitated. Kaelan always carried himself like an unstoppable force, but now… there was something else. Something heavier.
"You didn't have to do that," Julius said quietly. "You're too kind."
Kaelan waved him off. "Yeah, well. It's what heroes do, right?"
Julius lay back, staring up at the dull sky. The fire's warmth lulled him into a drowsy haze, but Kaelan's words stuck with him.
Heroes don't need sleep.
Heroes don't hesitate.
Heroes don't lose. Or was that last part a lie?
Because Kaelan had lost before. Because his party clearly hadn't survived.
He drifted off with that thought, slipping into uneasy dreams of endless grey landscapes, faceless monsters, and trying—always trying—to follow in Kaelan's footsteps.
Julius woke to Kaelan's voice.
"Morning. Sleep well?"
He rubbed his eyes. "As well as I could. We definately could have chosen some softer ground. But it's not the end of the world."
"Good. Time to move."
They walked in silence, the grey expanse stretching on forever.
Julius bit his lip. He couldn't keep this up. "Kaelan… maybe we should rest. I'm slowing you down."
Kaelan stopped. He turned, meeting Julius's gaze with a serious expression.
"Don't say that," he said. "You're not slowing me down. And besides…" His lips quirked into a smile. "Who else would I talk to about ancient history?"
No-. I'm going to die trying to keep up with this freak of nature-.
Kaelan had misinterpreted Julius' plea for a break as an act of self-diminishment.
Julius let out a breath. He didn't know why he'd been summoned to this world. He didn't know why he couldn't level up.
But Kaelan was right about one thing.
He couldn't turn back now.
"Fine. Let's keep going." Julius spoke with a little more confidence than before, and so they kept going.
Suddenly, Julius felt his foot hitch and he began to descend towards the ground. The last thing he saw was the blur of grey soil beneath his feet before-.