Xylor[2]

I woke up to the familiar stillness of Xylor, the only sound being the distant rush of the waterfall behind our house. Stretching my sore limbs, I pushed myself out of bed and made my way to what we had come to call the kitchen. It wasn't like an Earth kitchen—there was no stove, no fridge, no neatly arranged cabinets—but with some effort, Silia and I had built something functional. A storage area carved into the stone walls, a makeshift counter, and a few shelves held our food and supplies.

I reached into a cupboard-like structure and pulled out a glass bottle filled with a thick, deep red liquid. The moment I uncorked it, a strong metallic scent filled the air. Without hesitation, I tilted my head back and swallowed. The taste was just as awful as ever—bitter, heavy, with a faint aftertaste of burnt iron. I grimaced but forced it down. This was one of the many concoctions Silia had prepared for me, an elixir made from the creatures we hunted. It was meant to enhance my strength, and over time, I had grown accustomed to it.

Placing the bottle back, I cleaned it with a piece of cloth and stepped outside. The crisp morning air greeted me, carrying the earthy scent of damp moss and distant trees. I walked to the waterfall at the back of the house, stripping off my clothes before stepping under the icy cascade. The cold water shocked my skin, jolting me fully awake. It ran down my body, carrying away the fatigue of yesterday's training. For a few moments, I stood still, letting the current wash over me, breathing in the clean air, and feeling the weight of my own existence.

After drying off and putting on fresh clothes, I walked towards the training ground—a wide, open area with no trees, just smooth, compacted soil underfoot. A large board stood nearby, displaying my weapons. Today was my 386th day training with daggers. I tapped on my bracelet, and two sleek, curved blades appeared in my hands. Unlike my previous ones, these were B-ranked artifacts—sharper, lighter, and faster. They felt like extensions of my arms, as if they belonged there.

As I prepared to train, I noticed Silia watching me from a distance. She stood still, dressed in flowing white robes that shimmered in the morning light. The wind stirred around her, making her hair dance like silver threads in the air. Her gaze was unreadable, but I could feel the quiet approval in her presence.

I started moving, slashing, and spinning, pushing my body to its limits. The daggers cut through the air with a satisfying hiss. Every movement, every twist, every strike was meant to carve itself into my muscles, making each action more fluid, more precise.

Three hours passed before I finally stopped, breathing heavily, sweat clinging to my skin. I sat down beside Silia, my body aching but my mind clear. She looked at me and nodded.

"You're improving," she said simply.

I smiled faintly. Praise from her was rare.

As I sat, I finally took in the world around me. Xylor had a strange beauty, a landscape painted in hues of gold and amber. The sky, forever yellow, stretched endlessly above, blending with the towering plants that loomed over the horizon. It was alien yet calming, vast yet strangely familiar.

Silia disappeared for a moment and reappeared with a bowl of soup. I sighed, recognizing the scent immediately—long-arm monkey soup. It wasn't the worst thing I had eaten, but it certainly wasn't something I looked forward to. Still, I drank without complaint, feeling its warmth spread through my body.

Once I was done, I tapped my bracelet, summoning a book into my hands. The Crowd Erupted—a strange yet fascinating novel about a man who did all sorts of bizarre, hilarious things to get noticed, only for the world to continue ignoring him. I was on the 27th chapter now, and though I wasn't sure what lesson the book was trying to teach me, I found myself enjoying it.

Two hours passed as I lost myself in its pages. The sun had moved slightly across the sky, casting long shadows. A soft wind picked up, rustling the giant plants in the distance.

Then, Silia appeared again. This time, she wasn't here to talk. She was here to fight.

We took our stances, and the moment the training began, she vanished. Before I could react, I felt a sharp impact against my ribs, and in the next second, I was on the ground. I groaned, rolling onto my back to see her standing over me, arms crossed.

"Too slow," she said.

I pushed myself up, gritting my teeth, and the training continued. Blow after blow, dodge after dodge, I gave it my all, but Silia was relentless. She didn't hold back, and even though I was stronger than before, she was still leagues ahead of me.

Two hours passed before she finally called it off. I lay on my back, staring up at the sky, trying to catch my breath. My entire body ached, but I had learned something new today—small adjustments in footwork, better reaction timing. Even if I couldn't beat her, I was getting closer.

After a short rest, we headed into the forest for a hunt.

The trees here were enormous, their trunks wide enough to fit entire houses inside. Some bore glowing fruits, while others had vines that slithered like living creatures. The air was thick, heavy with the scent of damp earth and something metallic—perhaps from the creatures that roamed here.

As we moved through the underbrush, I spotted our target—something that looked like a hybrid between a deer and a panther. Its body was sleek and muscular, with dark fur that shimmered like obsidian. Large, forward-facing eyes glowed faintly, analyzing its surroundings with sharp intelligence.

I crouched low, tapping my bracelet to summon my crossbow. With steady hands, I nocked an arrow and aimed. Biometric X-ray activated, allowing me to see its internal structure—heart, brain, and a faint red mark on its stomach, signaling a previous wound.

I released the arrow.

The creature leaped, but not fast enough. The arrow struck its stomach, and it let out a sharp cry. It turned its gaze toward me, and in an instant, it was charging.

I fired again, but it dodged. Before it could reach me, Silia appeared, her hand slicing through the air. The creature froze mid-step, eyes wide, before collapsing to the ground—lifeless.

I exhaled.

"Still not fast enough," she said.

I nodded, approaching the fallen beast. I knelt and took a piece of its heart. Just like before, Silia would prepare it into something consumable. These hunts weren't just for training—they were for survival. Each kill, each meal, made me stronger.

As we returned home, night had fallen. Unlike Earth, where darkness consumed the sky, Xylor's night was filled with soft, glowing lights. The plants, which had seemed normal during the day, now pulsed with a gentle blue luminescence, creating a dreamlike landscape.

Inside the house, I sat in a quiet room, cross-legged on the floor. I closed my eyes and focused, feeling the faint pulse of mana within me. Meditation had become part of my routine. It was the only time my mind felt weightless, untethered from the worries of the day.

For a while, everything was silent—just the steady rhythm of my breath and the energy flowing through me.

Then, exhaustion took over, and I collapsed into sleep.

Tomorrow, I would wake up and do it all over again.