Kaiden and Nao returned to the mayor of Hollowmere, their bodies still tense from the battle with the Mandrake Reaper. The older man let out a relieved sigh as he saw them approach, his lined face brightening with gratitude.
“You actually did it,” the mayor said, folding his arms. “The Bio Threat has been taken care of. You Dayslayers have done this town a great service.” He reached into his coat, retrieving two small metal badges, each embossed with the emblem of a thorned vine wrapped around a sun.
“Nice,” Kaiden murmured, flipping the badge in his palm before storing it in his inventory.
“If you ever need stronger gear, I suggest coming back to fight the Bio Threat again,” the mayor advised. “But, I suppose that can wait. There’s something else I need to tell you.” His expression darkened slightly. “Word has spread that something similar to what happened with the Buyer occurred in the next city over: Cindralis.”
Kaiden and Nao exchanged glances.
“You mean someone else turned into an insect creature?” Nao asked, disbelief tinging his voice.
The mayor nodded gravely. “At first, people dismissed it as nonsense. But after what you saw with the Buyer, well, I think it’s worth investigating. If something like that is happening again, it could be the start of something much worse.”
Their HUDs updated:
[Main Quest Updated: Travel to Cindralis and Investigate the Reports]
Kaiden barely heard the notification chime, his focus shifting to another thought entirely. Cindralis… That was where CrimsonCrow had his residence. The one person from Alex’s squad who might have answers. His gut tightened with anticipation. This was it. This was a step toward the truth.
“Looks like we’re heading to Cindralis,” Kaiden said, excitement creeping into his voice.
Nao smiled. “Yeah. And at the rate we’re going, we’re progressing pretty well.” He hesitated before adding, “Do you want to take a break before heading out? We’ve been at this for a while now.”
Kaiden shook his head. “No. I’m not stopping until I find out what happened to Alex.”
Nao’s expression softened in understanding, but he didn’t press further. Instead, he pulled up his menu. “Alright, but before we go, I have an idea on how we can get there faster.”
Kaiden raised a brow. “What do you mean?”
“Mounts.”
Kaiden perked up at that. “Wait, we can get those already?”
“Yeah,” Nao nodded, swiping through his menu. “After we cleared the Bio Threat, a side quest became available. If we complete it, we get a basic mount.”
“What kind of mount?” Kaiden asked curiously.
“Not sure yet,” Nao admitted. “But it’s an animal that eats plants, which makes sense for the world we’re in.”
Kaiden thought for a moment before smirking. “Alright. Let’s do it. Might as well make our journey easier.”
The two opened their quest logs and saw the newly available side mission.
[Side Quest Accepted: Taming the Verdant Wilds]
A new marker appeared on their maps, directing them toward a different part of Hollowmere.
“Looks like it starts near the west side of town,” Naō noted. “That’s where a bunch of side quests popped up when we first got here. It’s not too far.”
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“Then let’s not waste time,” Kaiden said, already making his way forward.
The two navigated through the town, passing by players tending to their own missions. The atmosphere had grown slightly livelier since they had defeated the Bio Threat, but there was still an air of unease lingering over Hollowmere.
As they neared the west side, Kaiden spotted a gathering of NPCs near a wooden post adorned with various quest listings. The moment they approached, an older man wearing a tattered leather vest turned to them with a hopeful glint in his eye.
“Ah, Dayslayers. Just the help I was looking for,” the man greeted them. The name above him read.
Kaiden and Naō exchanged knowing looks. To make their journey to Cindralis easier, they had mounts to tame.
[QUEST COMPLETE]
[Reward: Mount Unlocked]
Two flashes of green light pulsed from the earth. Emerging from the glow came their mounts each a majestic, plant-themed beast that exuded primal energy. Kaiden’s was a Verdant Raptor, a sleek, dinosaur-like creature with moss-covered scales, serrated leaf-shaped talons, and glowing amber eyes. It looked like a velociraptor bred in a greenhouse. Naō’s mount was a Bloomback Capyra, a sturdy, goatlike creature with flowered horns and bark-textured fur. Vines trailed from its haunches like a living saddle.
Kaiden stepped forward, hand outstretched. The raptor sniffed once before lowering its head. As his hand touched the beast’s snout, a new window appeared:
[Verdant Raptor – Speed: High | Trait: Solar Resilience (Reduced solar hazard damage)]
“Okay, this is pretty sick,” Kaiden said, grinning. “Looks like the upgrade was worth the pain.”
Naō patted the Capyra’s side. “It looks like it smells like chamomile.”
Kaiden’s own Charger was watching him warily, ears twitching as it assessed him. He took a step forward, raising a hand slowly, but the Charger let out a sharp huff and stepped back, its Eyes glowed in challenge.
Harvin chuckled. “Looks like yours wants a real test.”
Kaiden frowned. “What kind of test?”
Harvin pointed toward the field they had used for the endurance trial. “A race. Your Charger won’t accept you unless you can match its speed. That means keeping up with it, no shortcuts, and no fancy tricks. Run, and if it sees you as worthy, it’ll let you ride.”
Kaiden let out a slow breath, rolling his shoulders. “Fine. Let’s do this.”
His Charger stomped the ground in response, already poised to take off. Naō watched closely, his own Charger still standing near him, observing more calmly.
“Alright, Nyte,” Harvin said, a grin creeping onto his face. “Show me you’re not all talk.”
A countdown appeared on Kaiden’s HUD: 3...2...1...Go!
The Charger bolted forward, a streak of green and gold. Kaiden took off in pursuit, his AGI stat kicking in, but the beast was fast, far faster than he anticipated. His boots kicked up dirt as he strained to keep up, weaving between trees, dodging branches, and leaping over scattered rocks. His HUD flashed warnings of stamina depletion, but he pushed through.
The Charger glanced back mid-run, eyes sharp, as if assessing Kaiden’s resolve. He narrowed his eyes, pressing forward despite his aching legs.
“You’re not getting rid of me that easy,” Kaiden muttered.
The Charger sped up, talons pounding against the earth. Kaiden grit his teeth and surged forward, his muscles screaming in protest. As the Charger reached the peak, it leaped into the air. Kaiden knew he had to follow.
With one final push, he launched himself forward, fingers grazing the creature’s mane. The moment his grip tightened, a prompt appeared on his screen:
[Bond Accepted: Verdant Charger Tamed]
Harvin whistled from a distance. “Well, well. That’s some determination right there.”
[Completed: Taming the Verdant Wilds]
Their HUDs flashed, awarding them EXP and a new notification:
[Mount Unlocked: Verdant Charger]
Kaiden ran a hand through his mount’s mane, still catching his breath. “Alright, I admit… that was kinda fun.”
Naō grinned. “Now we can finally travel faster.”
Harvin approached, giving them both an approving nod. “You two did good. These Chargers will serve you well. Take care of ‘em, and they’ll take care of you.”
Kaiden and Naō shared a glance before nudging their mounts forward, setting their sights on the horizon. As they rode forward, Kaiden took a moment to appreciate the bond he was forming not just with his Verdant Charger, but with Naō as well. They had come a long way from being two random players thrown into a chaotic world. Now, they were allies. Maybe even friends.
“Where to next?” Kaiden asked, adjusting his grip on the reins.
Naō checked his HUD. “The second city is still a bit of a ride, but on our Chargers it should cut down time in half. We should keep an eye out for potential threats on the way.”
Kaiden smirked. “Sounds like an adventure.”
