The five days before the collab blurred together in a strange whirlwind.
Dom finally slept, really slept, no alarms blaring, no dungeon runs, no late-night spirals.
The Fracture had drained him, and he’d been running on empty long before that.
By the third day, he started to feel human again.
By the fourth, a restless energy crept in.
Yet, those days weren’t pointless.
Looking back, they played out like a training montage from an old sports movie Lucy once loved, only with less dramatic music and more quiet resilience.
***
The warehouse on the edge of Sector 4 had been Dom’s secret training ground for months—a battered shell with a collapsed roof and graffiti-stained walls.
He personally lugged in salvage: battered dummies, old tires, concrete blocks, a makeshift climbing wall crafted from rebar and broken scaffolding.
It wasn’t glamorous, but it got the job done.
As soon as they entered, the system powered up, and the chatter flooded in.
BussyBlaster9000: CATBOY GYM IS BACK xXDungeonDaddyXx: TRAINING ARC
MomsCreditCard: @Emma you look so cute today
Emma’s cheeks flushed.
“Thanks.”
“Don’t thank them,” Dom said, drawing his blades.
“They’ll get ideas.”
BussyBlaster9000: TOO LATE.
THE IDEAS HAVE ARRIVED.
The first session was grueling.
Emma’s footwork wobbled, her reactions slowed.
She stumbled, apologized, then stumbled again.
Dom pushed her—firm but fair.
When she finally collapsed onto a stack of tires, she was panting, cheeks flushed, her training top soaked with sweat.
“I’ve never trained like this before,” she admitted.
“Like what?”
“With someone who actually wants me to improve.” She hesitated.
“Dante’s people just threw me into dangerous situations, crossing fingers I’d make it.”
“Then forget what you knew,” Dom said, handing her a water bottle.
“We start fresh.”
Her pale green eyes flickered uncertainly.
“Does it ever feel normal? All this, the system, the ears, everything?”
“Not even once.”
“Good,” she said with a faint smile.
“Would be weird if it did.”
Days turned to routine, drills, sparring, obstacle courses.
Emma’s skills sharpened step by step, faster footwork, quicker reactions, less hesitation.
Dom found himself settling into the rhythm of teaching, explaining things he’d never had anyone to teach him.
And somewhere along the way, he found himself changing, too.
He started acknowledging the regulars, responding to comments, even laughing at jokes he’d ignored before.
KravenMoHead34: the catboy is almost friendly now
SaltySupp0rt: @KravenMoHead34 he has friends now.
it changes a man.
***
It happened on the third day, just after the session wrapped up.
Emma lounged on a stack of tires, gasping for breath, her training top soaked with sweat clinging to every curve.
The chatter had settled into its usual post-training lull—then someone shattered the calm.
ThirstMaster60: @Emma, that ass is unreal in those leggings
Lust_Knight: imagine those thighs wrapped around you while she heals you up
ShadeHorny: her boobs are perfect.
seriously perfect.
I can’t focus on anything else
ThirstMaster60: @Emma, you single?
Asking for a friend.
The friend is me.
Emma’s face blushed from pale to crimson in an instant.
She looked away, tugging at her top’s hem as if she could loosen it.
Yet the comments kept pouring in.
“Whoa, whoa, whoa,” Dom’s voice cut sharply through the feed, firm and clear.
He stepped closer, arms crossed.
“We’re not doing that. Not here.”
The chat erupted in support.
BussyBlaster9000: YO, CHILL xXDungeonDaddyXx: @ThirstMaster60 @Lust_Knight @ShadeHorny, read the room, you clowns
MomsCreditCard: Hey, knock it off.
Emma’s part of the team, not a piece of meat
KravenMoHead34: She just spent two hours working her ass off, and you’re talking about her ass?
Priorities, people.
StinkyRiftDiver: @ThirstMaster60 @Lust_Knight @ShadeHorny, touch grass.
Seriously.
Within seconds, the flood of support buried the offenders, but more lurked, waiting.
Then the system intervened.
The first message vanished—no warning, no comment—just gone.
ActuallyADruid: wait, did those comments just disappear?
PixelSlvt: @ActuallyADruid, the system is deleting them.
OhNoRatio: THE SYSTEM IS MODDING THE CHAT.
Rapidly, the system kept wiping out every crude, inappropriate comment—each one vanishing before anyone could react.
[The system is maintaining a safe environment for all stream participants!!]
MomsCreditCard: THE SYSTEM SAID “BE RESPECTFUL.”
F2P_And_Proud: The system just became the most powerful mod in streaming history.
Dom turned back to Emma.
“You okay?”
She nodded, flustered but calmer.
“The system… it deleted them.”
“I didn’t even know it could do that,” Dom said, glancing at the now-quiet screen.
“But honestly, I’m not complaining.”
Lume landed on Emma’s shoulder, chirping sharply at the screen.
StinkyRiftDiver: even the fairy’s mad.
F2P_And_Proud: @StinkyRiftDiver Lume said, “Not on my watch.”
Dom’s lips twitched.
“Alright. Break’s over.”
Later that day, after the stream ended,
Dom had pushed Emma harder than ever.
She’d improved—sharper, faster, more confident—but still held something back.
“Emma,” he said softly, “I want to see it.”
She froze.
“See what?”
“The combat mode. The one you mentioned.”
Her face paled.
“Dom, I can’t.”
“You can.” He sheathed his blades.
“We’re heading into a dungeon in two days. If things go wrong, I need to be sure you can fight.”
Her hands trembled.
Lume pressed against her cheek, chiming softly.
“You won’t hurt me,” Dom said gently.
“I’m right here.”
She closed her eyes, took a breath, then whispered the word that made the air turn cold.
“Nyx.”
The temperature plummeted.
Lights flickered.
And then—
A towering spectral figure took shape—limbs too long, body painfully thin.
Dozens of unblinking eyes opened across its form like wounds in reality.
It hovered above Emma, silent and ageless, radiating a cold that stole Dom’s breath.
“Holy shit,” he breathed.
Emma’s eyes squeezed shut, trembling all over.
“I can’t—I can’t hold it—”
“Yes, you can. Open your eyes. Look at it.”
“I’m scared.”
“I know. Look anyway.”
She hesitated, then looked.
Slowly, gently, she sent it back, and the creature dissolved into motes of light, fading like dawn stars.
Emma sank to her knees, gasping.
Lume darted around her, chirping franticly.
Dom crouched beside her.
“That was terrifying.”
“Y-yeah.”
“And incredible,” he added.
“We can work with this.”
Emma looked up, wet-eyed.
“You think so?”
“I know so.” He extended a hand.
“Now get up. We’re not done yet.”
While they were packing up.
“Hey,” Dom called out.
“System, can Emma have her own account? A real one?”
The system responded immediately.
[Emma’s access would be a branch of Dom’s root functionalities—limited to streaming and communication, but authentic. Her own platform. Her own chat.]
By the next day, the account was live.
The internet took notice.
The internet always did.
MomsCreditCard: EMMA HAS HER OWN ACCOUNT NOW
PixelSlvt: @MomsCreditCard THE EMMA ARC BEGINS
BussyBlaster9000: THE FAIRY GIRL GOES SOLO (sort of)
***
On the fourth day, Dom checked his bank account and nearly choked.
He strode into the living room, where Lucy was busy on her laptop.
“Lucy, why is so much missing from my account?”
She didn’t look up.
“I bought us a house.”
He stared, stunned.
“You bought a house?!”
“For us. And Emma.” She typed rapidly.
“Hunter’s residence—reinforced walls, training yard, mana-recovery suite, one room for each of us. The kitchen even has a stove that works.”
“When were you going to tell me?”
“When the keys arrived.” She met his gaze.
“Surprise!!”
Dom hesitated, then finally said, “A house.”
Lucy smiled.
“A really nice one, with hot water.” She turned her laptop so he could see the listing, a two-story home with a yard, a garage, and a training facility attached.
“It’s close to a gate hub. The seller was motivated, so I moved fast.”
He gazed at the screen, overwhelmed.
“Lucy…”
“Don’t get sappy. Just say thank you.”
“Thank you.”
“You’re welcome.” She went back to her laptop.
“Now go tell Emma. She’s in the spare room.”
Emma’s reaction was unforgettable.
He found her sitting on the bed, Lume perched on her shoulder.
“What’s wrong?” She asked.
“Nothing. Lucy bought a house.”
“What?”
“A house. For us. You have a room now.”
Her eyes widened.
“I have a room?”
“A real one, not a spare bed. A proper room.”
Tears filled Emma’s eyes.
Before Dom could react, she bolted out of the room and sprinted into the living room, lunging at Lucy, who was caught completely off guard.
“Thank you,” Emma sobbed fiercely.
“Thank you, thank you—”
“Easy, easy. You’re squeezing me” Lucy started,
But Emma threw her arms around her anyway.
Lucy sat stiff, awkwardly patting her back.
“There, there. This is uncomfortable for both of us.”
Lume zipped around excitedly, chiming happily.
“Alright,” Lucy said, trying to stay firm.
“That’s enough. Let go.”
Emma slowly pulled away, still crying.
“I’ve never had my own room before.”
“You do now,” Lucy said softly.
“So stop crying and we’ll go see it soon.”
Wiping her eyes, Emma nodded and rushed down the hall.
Lucy looked at Dom, a rare smile on her face.
“I’m never doing that again.”
“You did it once. That’s enough.”
“She’s very emotional.”
“She’s been through a lot.”
“Same with you. You don’t cry on me.”
“I don’t cry, period.”
Lucy stretched.
“Let’s go see the new house. I want to show you the training room.”
***
Noxie’s teaser hit the internet that evening, sparking excitement.
“I’m teaming up with the legendary NyaaBlade for a dungeon run like no one has seen before. One gate. Two streams. Don’t miss out!” Jess announced in a thread, causing a stir, especially with one line.
“A dungeon of Aegis choosing. We’ll be the first to discover what’s inside.”
The reaction was explosive.
#NyaaBladeCollab trended within the hour, and the chat erupted with frenzy.
Dom sat in the living room of the new house, eyes fixed on the rising view counts.
Emma was in her room, and Lucy was busy making tea.
The house now felt truly theirs.
A soft buzz from the system broke the silence.
[The system is gearing up for what promises to be the broadcast of the century!]
“Tomorrow,” Dom whispered to himself.
[the dungeon is unlike anything the host has ever faced. the system is analyzing the guild data. preparation is underway. The system still advices caution.]
Dom frowned.
“Noted.”
[the system is always ready!!]
“Uh-huh,” he replied, setting his phone down and gazing at the ceiling.
A new house, a new teammate, a groundbreaking collab.
And somewhere deep in his mind, the quiet hum of the system lingered, ever present, ever waiting.
I apologize for my absence I’ve been seriously sick.