“What the hell is happening? Where were you guys? Who’s he? What’s that sheep?” Sam’s voice was an exhausted mixture of demand and exasperation.
The group, knowing they owed him an explanation, took turns relaying everything that had happened. They explained how the dungeon had triggered unexpectedly due to five people being near, how they met Kei inside, and the series of brutal battles they endured. From the Stormbringer Fellhorn’s emergence to the Frost Tyrant Fellhorn’s overwhelming domain, they detailed every twist and turn.
As they spoke, Kei—who had been standing slightly apart—felt something stir within him.
Then, a system prompt flickered into view.
[ You have chosen to form a contract of equals with this creature. ]
[ You have acknowledged the Ardent Eclipse Fellhorn as your equal. ]
[ As a result, it benefits from your strongest stat: [Will]. ]
[ Please assign a name for the Ardent Eclipse Fellhorn. ]
Kei blinked. Then, slowly, his lips curled into a grin.
“Wooloo,” he muttered under his breath, amusement clear in his tone.
[ Name Assigned: Wooloo. ]
A soft pulse of Ebb & Flow Force rippled outward from the Ardent Eclipse Fellhorn, shifting in waves, neither fully stable nor wild. The creature bleated softly, not as a subordinate, but as an equal acknowledging the pact.
Meanwhile, Sam was still trying to process everything. “So you’re telling me… you fought a lightning-powered sheep, then a dungeon boss that turned the place into an ice age—”
Talia groaned, rubbing her temples. “Yeah, basically.”
Reese muttered, “Strangely… this feels on-brand for whatever this guy is.”
Owen, now recovered, took a longer look at Wooloo. Unlike the Stormbringer Fellhorn, which crackled with raw, unstable lightning, this one held an eerie stillness—like the quiet before a tide shifts. Its black wool and marble-white horns gave it an otherworldly presence, its energy subtly pulsing in unseen rhythms.
“What… is that?” Owen asked cautiously.
Kei grinned. “Meet Wooloo.”
“…What.”
“Yeah, Wooloo.”
Talia groaned, burying her face in her hands. “For the love of—STOP NAMING THEM.”
[ Ardent Eclipse Fellhorn - Wooloo ]
Species: Fellhorn Variant
Force Alignment: Ebb & Flow Force (A Dual Force derived from Lunar and Tidal energies.)
Unlike other Fellhorns, Wooloo embodies the push and pull of celestial and oceanic forces, shifting between calm serenity and overwhelming surges of pressure and gravity.
Its horns, instead of being purely marble white, had a natural sheen, as if carved from solid stone, while its wool remained midnight black, absorbing the light around it subtly, making its form appear almost shifting in darkness.
Kei, now sitting cross-legged next to Wooloo, casually tossed a bone projectile into the air and caught it between his fingers, twirling it absentmindedly.
“So,” Sam muttered, staring blankly. “I almost died fighting that thing… and now it’s just standing there, letting him pet it?”
“Yep,” Reese confirmed.
Owen shook his head. “You get used to it.”
“I really don’t think I will.”
Kei, still focused on Wooloo, turned back to the group. “Anyway! We’re done here, right? Let's head back.”
Talia scowled. “We just got out of a dungeon, and you already want to leave?”
“Do you want to sit around and watch the sheep?” Kei tilted his head.
Talia opened her mouth, then closed it. “…Let’s go.”
Sam crossed his arms, his expression sour. “Wait a minute, don’t you think you owe me an explanation for taking my dungeon spot? You should at least give me your dungeon rewards since you weren’t even supposed to be there.”
The rest of the group stiffened instantly.
Reese and Kai exchanged nervous glances, already sensing something was about to go terribly wrong.
Talia subtly inched away from Sam.
Owen, however, did not move—as if frozen in place by sheer secondhand dread.
Kei stood there, motionless. His expression remained unreadable, as if he couldn’t be bothered to even acknowledge Sam’s complaints.
And yet—
Kai’s eyes flickered downward.
A bone projectile was already twirling between Kei’s fingers.
A wave of pure survival instinct slammed into Kai like a freight train. He immediately stepped forward, hands raised, his voice strained with forced calm.
“H-Hey, Sam, buddy. You should probably just, uh… let it go.”
Sam scoffed, rolling his eyes. “Why should I? This guy waltzed into our dungeon, took my spot, and now he’s walking off with rewards he doesn’t even need.”
Talia took a sharp breath, glancing at Reese.
Reese nodded slightly.
Both of them flanked Sam, subtly positioning themselves between him and Kei.
“Listen, we all went through hell in there,” Reese said carefully. “And we barely made it out alive. Maybe we should just—”
“Sure.”
The single word shattered the tension.
Kei casually tossed his dungeon reward—a weapon and armor set—into Sam’s arms as if they were nothing more than trash.
Everyone froze in shock.
Even Wooloo, who had been standing nearby, let out an unimpressed bleat—as if it, too, felt like Kei was being scammed.
Sam blinked, momentarily caught off guard, before a wide grin spread across his face. “Heh, now that’s more like it.”
The group stared in sheer disbelief.
Then Kei spoke again.
“Don’t look at me like that.” His voice was as calm as ever, but there was a laziness to it—like he was explaining something that should’ve been obvious.
“You saw what I was able to do with just a tree branch and bones. If some trash wants to rely on gear he didn’t earn just to stay alive, who am I to be selfish?”
“He clearly needs it more than me.”
The silence was suffocating.
Kai swallowed hard.
Sam, however, was still completely oblivious. He smirked, fastening the armor onto himself. “Hah, that’s right. Better gear makes all the difference—”
CRACK.
A bone projectile whizzed past Sam’s face, embedding itself into the tree behind him.
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His breath hitched.
A second later—
Another bone projectile grazed his ear, burying itself deep into the dirt.
Sam froze.
Kei, still twirling a third projectile, tilted his head slightly. His eyes—burning orange with aether—locked onto Sam.
“Let’s get one thing straight.”
His voice was quiet, but it carried weight.
“I didn’t give you that because I had to. I gave you that because it means nothing to me.”
The air itself felt heavier.
“I don’t need armor. I don’t need weapons.” Kei’s voice was eerily calm, as if he were stating a simple fact. “I could kill you with a stick. Or maybe just my hands.”
The third projectile flipped into the air, spinning before Kei effortlessly caught it.
“So don’t assume you’ve taken anything from me.”
A chilling wind swept through the clearing.
Even Wooloo stood perfectly still, its glowing horns flickering subtly as if acknowledging the shift in the atmosphere.
Sam, now visibly sweating, took a slow step back. “…R-Right. Uh. Thanks… for the gear.”
Kei let out a mockingly friendly hum. “No problem. Enjoy.”
Sam—sensing his own mortality—swiftly turned and walked away, doing his best to pretend he wasn’t about to have a heart attack.
Reese exhaled, rubbing his temples. “That could’ve gone so much worse.”
Talia shook her head. “No, you don’t get it. The fact that Kei let him live? That’s worse.”
Kai muttered, “I don’t even think it’s about letting him live. I think Sam was so beneath his concern that he didn’t even see the point.”
The entire group turned to look at Kei.
He was already petting Wooloo, acting as if the entire interaction never even happened.
Kei stretched his arms, letting out a yawn before casually turning to leave, Wooloo trailing behind him.
Reese, however, narrowed his eyes, something not sitting right with him. “Hey, wait. Where are you going? The settlement is back that way.”
Kei paused mid-step, blinking as if caught off guard. “Huh?” His gaze flickered toward them before he scratched his cheek, clearly trying to come up with an excuse. “Uh… I’m just gonna go explore a bit. Rest. Collect more plants for medicine and stuff.”
Talia frowned. “You’re not coming back with us?”
“Nah,” Kei waved a hand dismissively. “I’m not good with crowds.”
That was enough for most of them to accept, but Sam—who was still trying to shake off the earlier near-death experience—couldn’t help but blurt out, “Wait a second. Have we ever seen this guy at the settlement?”
That gave everyone pause.
A beat of silence passed as they all thought about it.
Now that it had been brought up—none of them had ever seen Kei around.
Not once.
Despite the fact that the settlement had at least 10,000 people, someone as absurdly strong as Kei should’ve at least been heard of.
And yet—
“…That’s really odd,” Talia muttered, a chill creeping down her spine. “Even if we’ve never met him, we’d at least see him in passing. And knowing what he’s capable of, people would be talking about him.”
Kai crossed his arms, brow furrowed. “And yet, no one has.”
Reese looked toward where Kei was walking away, something nagging at him. “Just who the hell is he?”
Before they could discuss further—
A breeze picked up, soft but noticeable.
Then—
Kei’s voice carried through the wind, perfectly clear despite the growing distance.
“Oh, and do me a favor,” he called out casually. “Don’t mention anything about what happened today. Or that you saw me.”
The way he said it wasn’t a request.
It was a statement.
“I like to stay lowkey. I hate attention.”
The group froze.
For a brief second, it almost felt as if Kei was standing right next to them, despite being far away.
Sam gulped, nodding instinctively despite Kei not being there to see it. “Y-Yeah, sure.”
Kai, Reese, Talia, and Owen exchanged looks.
Then, as if coming to a silent agreement, they all nodded.
“…Yeah,” Kai finally said. “We never saw him.”
And with that—Kei disappeared into the forest, Wooloo at his side.
“Wait, what happen to your shirt?” Sam shot owen a confused look
As Kei strolled through the dense forest alongside Wooloo, he absentmindedly scrolled through his Status Screen, glancing over his attributes and skills.
The quiet rustling of leaves and the soft crunch of his footsteps were the only sounds in the otherwise tranquil atmosphere. Wooloo, now accustomed to its new not-master-but-definitely-influencer, trotted beside him, its marble-white horns glinting under the dappled sunlight.
Kei hummed in thought as he looked at his stats.
[Status Screen]
[Name]: Kei Yuichi
[Title]: He Who Denies Fate | Hidden Title (Yet to be accepted)
[Class]: Locked
[Force Alignment]: Breeze
[Level]: 0
[HP]: 40/40
[Aether]: 80/80
[Attributes]
- Strength: 17
- Dexterity: 16
- Agility: 18
- Constitution: 15
- Intelligence: 20
- Will: 20
- Charisma: 20
[Remaining Stat Points]: 0 + 3 (rewarded for gaining a hidden title)
[Force Progression]: 50%
[Skills]
[Skill Name]: Advanced Projectile Mastery
[Description]:
Through extensive experience and refined control, you have developed an advanced understanding of thrown weapons. By integrating Aether, you can manipulate projectile speed, trajectory, and impact force, adapting seamlessly to environmental factors and exploiting enemy weaknesses.
[Effects]:
- +10% base accuracy when throwing small and medium-sized projectiles.
- Trajectory Manipulation: Allows subtle mid-air adjustments, enabling curved throws and precision ricochets.
- Wind Adaptation: Automatically compensates for air resistance, gravity, and environmental interference.
- Ricochet Awareness: Predicts impact angles to bounce projectiles off surfaces for indirect attacks.
- Aether Infusion: Projectiles gain increased damage and speed proportional to the Aether infused, enhancing penetration, impact force, and potential secondary effects.
[Additional Notes]:
- The strength of Aether Infusion directly influences projectile properties, increasing impact force, speed, and kinetic energy.
- Force-based projectiles can develop minor homing properties and increased kinetic damage with refined control.
- Overuse of Aether may lead to rapid depletion, requiring careful resource management.
- Further upgrades may unlock additional traits, such as multi-target tracking, piercing effects, or explosive properties.
[Skill Name]: Aether Control
[Description]:
You have learned to harness and control the lifeblood of reality. Aether bends to your will and responds to your command.
[Hidden]
Potential Multiplier: Unable to calculate at this moment.
[Skill Name]: Phantom Breeze
[Description]:
By embracing the nature of Breeze Force, the user moves in a way that is neither hidden nor overt—simply overlooked. This technique allows the user to blend into the environment effortlessly, making their presence as unremarkable as the passing wind. Unlike invisibility, this does not mask the body but instead influences perception, making others instinctively disregard their presence unless directly focusing on them.
[Effects]:
- Passive suppression of presence while moving.
- Decreases the likelihood of detection by creatures and individuals unless actively searched for.
- Enhances footwork, making movements fluid and silent.
- Pairs exceptionally well with agility-based techniques and evasive maneuvers.
[Additional Notes]:
- The effect becomes stronger the more naturally the user moves. Forced or aggressive actions break the illusion.
- Those with heightened perception or strong willpower may resist the effect.
- Can be further refined through increased understanding of Breeze Force.
[Skill Name]: Tempest Convergence
[Description]:
Harnesses wind currents and external Aether flow, allowing the user to momentarily merge with natural storm phenomena, enhancing movement speed, agility, and environmental adaptability.
[Additional Effect]:
When utilized in combat, this skill amplifies projectile-based attacks, increasing their precision, speed, and impact force depending on surrounding wind conditions.
[Equipment]
- Beginner Sword [Uncommon] (Broken, unusable)
- Tattered Cloth Hood [Uncommon] (The only thing holding his dignity together)
Kei hummed in thought, closing the screen.
“You know, Wooly, this Charisma stuff is actually pretty useful. Seems to give my Aether a kinda… charming influence. Like, it makes Aether more willing to listen to me, and it even seems to have some sort of infatuating effect when I use it.” He tilted his head, considering the implications. “Really cool.”
Wooloo let out a low, lazy bleat, seemingly uninterested in the deeper mysteries of Aether manipulation.
Kei, however, glanced again at his mental stats. Each one—Intelligence, Will, Charisma—capped at 20.
He exhaled through his nose. “Kinda a shame, though.”
Wooloo flicked an ear in his direction.
“My real mental capabilities aren’t even displayed. Would be nice to actually see what they’re really like…” His fingers drifted over the numbers, knowing full well that if the system actually reflected them properly, he’d likely be looking at values beyond what it could measure.
His voice dropped slightly, turning distant.
“Maybe that’s why those people from my childhood were always so hesitant around me.” Kei tapped his fingers against the side of his status screen. “Maybe they knew this Aether stuff existed… Maybe that’s why they tried to keep me in the dark.”
His gaze sharpened, but the smirk remained. “Doesn’t matter. I’m not the type to let things slide.”
He let the status screen fade away, flexing his hand as if already feeling the weight of future retribution.
"I’ll get my revenge though. I promise them that."
Wooloo, sensing the shift in energy, let out a small, confused bleat.
Kei glanced down at his new companion and smirked, the intensity in his eyes fading into something far more amused. “Relax, buddy. That’s for later.”
The two of them continued forward, disappearing into the depths of the forest—one man, one sheep, and a future that had no idea what was coming.