The ruined city slowly disappeared behind them.
Aether, Lyra, and Nyx continued toward the outskirts.
They had been walking for nearly an hour.
The streets became quieter with every step. Tall buildings were replaced by abandoned highways, overgrown grass, and scattered ruins.
Whatever had happened to the city had affected far more than its people.
The world itself felt different.
It was as if the rules everyone once knew had been replaced overnight.
Aether occasionally glanced at the Origin System.
The warning about Kael remained in his mind.
The world is adapting to you.
He still didn't understand what Kael meant.
But one thing was certain.
Kael knew too much.
He knew about Origin Beasts.
He knew about the bond between Aether and Nyx.
Most importantly, he knew Aether's name.
Aether had never told him.
That wasn't a coincidence.
"You're thinking about him again, aren't you?"
Lyra's voice pulled Aether from his thoughts.
He glanced at her.
"Kael?"
"Who else?"
Lyra walked beside him.
One hand rested near the weapon at her waist. The injury on her forehead had stopped bleeding, but the cut was still visible.
"I don't like him," she said.
"Not because he's strong. There's something strange about him."
Aether nodded.
"I noticed."
"You don't seem worried."
"I'm cautious."
He paused.
"That's different from being worried."
Lyra gave him a sideways glance.
"You really don't react normally to things."
Aether gave a faint smile.
"Maybe."
Lyra shook her head.
"We should find somewhere to rest before night gets worse."
"Agreed."
Nyx suddenly stopped.
Aether noticed immediately.
The small beast stood in the middle of the road.
Its ears were raised.
Its golden eyes were fixed on a line of trees several hundred meters away.
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A low growl escaped its throat.
Aether crouched beside it.
"What is it?"
Nyx growled again.
The Origin System activated.
[Origin Analysis]
[Multiple signatures detected.]
[Distance: 410 meters.]
[Lifeforms: 6]
[Classification: Human]
Aether relaxed slightly.
"Humans."
Lyra stepped closer.
"Survivors?"
"Probably."
"Then let's check."
They moved carefully toward the trees.
After several minutes, they found a narrow road leading toward an old roadside building.
A faded sign hung above the entrance.
Most of its letters had fallen away.
The building appeared abandoned.
Yet smoke was rising from behind it.
Someone was there.
Aether signaled Lyra to stay behind him.
He approached the building carefully.
As they rounded the corner, they found a small group gathered around a fire.
Six people.
The moment they noticed Aether and Lyra, everyone reached for a weapon.
A young man immediately stood up.
"Stop right there."
Aether raised his hands slightly.
"We're not looking for trouble."
The man kept his weapon raised.
"Then keep walking."
Lyra frowned.
"We only need somewhere to rest."
"We don't have space."
Aether looked around.
There was clearly enough room.
He didn't argue.
Instead, something else caught his attention.
A wooden box sat beside the fire.
Several strange crystals were inside.
The Origin System identified them.
[Origin Crystal detected.]
[Purity: Low]
[Function: Energy storage]
Aether's attention sharpened.
So these people had already discovered Origin Crystals.
Survivors were adapting faster than he expected.
The young man noticed Aether looking at the box.
"Don't even think about taking those."
Aether looked back at him.
"I wasn't planning to."
The man remained suspicious.
Then Nyx stepped out from behind Aether.
The entire group froze.
One survivor immediately raised a crossbow.
"Beast!"
Nyx growled.
Aether stepped between them.
"Lower it."
The survivor hesitated.
The young man stared at Nyx.
After several seconds, he spoke.
"That's an Origin Beast."
Aether's expression changed slightly.
"You know what it is?"
The man nodded.
"Not much. But we've heard about them."
"From where?"
"Other survivors."
Aether studied him.
The man slowly lowered his weapon.
"My name is Rowan."
"We've been moving between survivor groups since the disaster started."
"How long?"
"Five days."
Aether was slightly surprised.
Five days.
There were already organized survivor groups.
That meant people were learning how to survive.
Rowan continued.
"People are awakening abilities."
"Some have found weapons and crystals."
"Others have discovered safe zones."
He paused.
"But there's a bigger problem."
Aether waited.
"Beasts aren't the only things getting stronger."
The fire crackled between them.
Rowan pointed toward the northern horizon.
"There are areas where Origin Energy is becoming extremely dense."
"Every few hours, another powerful creature appears."
"Some survivors call those places Origin Zones."
Aether thought about it.
"Natural evolution?"
"Maybe."
Rowan shook his head.
"Nobody knows yet."
His gaze moved toward Nyx.
"That's why everyone wants an Origin Beast."
Aether said nothing.
Rowan's expression became serious.
"If you really bonded with one, be careful."
"People are hunting them."
"People?"
"Groups."
Rowan's voice lowered.
"Some want to tame them."
"Others want to kill them and extract their cores."
He paused.
"A few groups are searching for something called an Origin Heir."
Aether's expression remained calm.
But his thoughts immediately returned to Kael.
The Origin Heir has awakened.
Those words were still fresh in his mind.
Lyra noticed his reaction.
"You know something."
"Maybe."
She sighed.
"You really like that word."
Before Aether could answer, the ground suddenly trembled.
The survivors jumped to their feet.
Nyx moved closer to Aether.
A deep rumbling sound came from the forest.
Rowan's face changed.
"That's not good."
Aether activated Origin Analysis.
[High-density Origin signature detected.]
[Distance: 780 meters.]
[Classification: Beast]
[Estimated Rank: C]
Aether became serious.
A Rank C beast.
Only yesterday, a Rank D creature had pushed them into a difficult battle.
Now something stronger was approaching.
Yet Aether didn't feel the same uncertainty.
Origin Adaptation had already changed his body.
He could feel it.
His strength had increased.
His body reacted faster.
His Origin Energy flowed more smoothly.
But he still didn't know how far the ability could develop.
Lyra stepped beside him.
"That's stronger than the one before."
"Yes."
"Can we handle it?"
Aether looked toward the forest.
"I don't know."
Lyra smiled slightly.
"At least you're honest."
Aether glanced at her.
"But we're going to find out."
The rumbling grew louder.
Trees began shaking in the distance.
Birds suddenly burst from the forest.
They disappeared into the darkening sky.
The survivors began gathering their belongings.
Rowan looked at Aether.
"If you're planning to fight that thing, you're insane."
Aether picked up his metal rod.
"Probably."
Lyra summoned a faint spark of lightning around her fingers.
"Then I guess I'm insane too."
Aether gave her a small smile.
Nyx stood between them.
Its golden eyes remained fixed on the forest.
The three of them faced the approaching threat.
None of them knew what would emerge from the trees.
But one thing was becoming clear.
The world wasn't waiting for Aether to become stronger.
It was already changing around him.
And somewhere beyond the trees, something powerful had sensed the presence of an Origin Beast.
Something wanted Nyx.
Something might already know exactly who Aether Draven was.
The next battle was about to begin.