Chapter 16: Preparations & Departure
The scent of iron and ash lingered in the air long after the battle had ended. With the shattered remains of the Chimeras buried beneath the forest floor, Jin and Lyr returned to the base near the Southern border, saying little. The silence between them wasn't discomfort—it was simply the weight of what came next.
From there, they headed to the Numshi tribe's village without delay.
Lyr stepped forward as chieftain, his posture heavier with duty. He gathered his warriors and scouts beneath the great stone totem that marked the center of their village, announcing the presence of the two Chimeras deep within Evernight Veil's borders.
"Two Chimeras…southern region… sighted. They…not roaming beasts….were sent."
Jin, standing nearby, said nothing but quietly watched the warriors' reactions—most wide-eyed, a few already checking the condition of their spears.
Preparations began at once.
Lyr remained with his people, training them, reorganizing defensive patrols, and commanding scouts to monitor the surrounding perimeter. He assigned two of the fastest lizardmen to patrol the forest boundary and report any signs of Ostrya soldiers.
Jin, meanwhile, returned to his hidden forge base. The remains of the Chimera—bone fragments, thick black claws, and fangs like obsidian blades—were laid out in precise rows. He worked with intense focus, using mana-enhanced forging to temper and shape them into armor for the Numshi warriors and new gear for himself and Lyr. Each clang of the hammer echoed through the glade like a war drum.
Two weeks passed. Then another.
When the scouts returned with word—no threats, no sightings, no enemy movement—Lyr's village exhaled a collective sigh of relief. Still, Jin remained restless. He stood at the village's edge each evening, gazing into the unknown beyond the forest, arms folded, burdened by questions he couldn't quite name.
"I've never left this place," Jin admitted one night as the fire crackled between them. "Even if I'm ready, I keep thinking—what if I'm not?"
Lyr smirked faintly, arms resting across his knees. "The unknown is what makes the journey worth taking. We've grown strong here, yes—but we won't grow stronger if we stay hidden. It's time, Jin."
Jin nodded slowly, unsure if it was resolve or doubt that twisted in his chest.
Two more weeks passed, mostly spent refining his new armor's enchantments, gathering the last of his forged gear, and helping Lyr choose which warriors would temporarily lead in his absence.
Then, at long last—they departed.
Near the edge of the Evernight Veil, where the trees thinned and the sunlight began to bleed through the dense canopy, the sound of shuffling and muffled voices reached their ears.
Jin signaled Lyr to halt.
Through the underbrush, they spotted a group of five.
An adventuring party—worn, clearly off-course. One man was limping. A woman with a staff supported him. The others were alert, their clothes and gear dusted with grime and dried leaves. Their eyes were sharp despite the fatigue.
They hadn't noticed Jin and Lyr yet.
Lyr took a step forward, but Jin raised a hand to stop him.
"Let me handle this," he murmured.
He activated Appraisal silently, focusing on the party's member who looks like their leader.
Status
Name
Kaela Rhaskel
Gender
Female
Age
16
Race
Beastkins (Cat)
Level
14
Title
Scouting Apprentice
Beginner Adventurer (E Rank)
Status
Fatigued, mild injureed
HP
2565/3100
MP
1659/2375
Strength
29
Agility
34
Dexterity
29
Endurance
24
Vitality
29
Magic Power
24
Perception
29
Affiliation: Radiant Kingdom - Crescent Moon Adventurer Guild
They were Radiant Kingdom adventurers. Lost, possibly scared, and very alert.
Jin stepped out slowly with open palms.
"We mean no harm." - he said calmly – "It seems like you folks are lost…"
The party reacted instantly. A sword was drawn, a bow nocked, and a magical barrier shimmered into place.
"Stay back!" barked the man with the sword. "Who are you?!"
Lyr growled low in his throat, his stance aggressive.
"Lyr, calm down," Jin said sharply.
The tension crackled like dry tinder.
Kaela, standing protectively in front of the mage, narrowed her eyes. Her feline ears twitched.
"You're... not bandits, aren't you. That gear doesn't look local." "I could say the same," Jin replied. "You're far from the forest border. From the direction you're from, Radiant Kingdom I guess? we can help you get back, if that's the case."
There was a long pause.
Then, Lyr's eyes locked onto Kaela. Something flickered behind them—a spark of familiarity.
"Girl... What's your name?"
Kaela frowned. "Kaela."
"Kaela... Rhaskel?"
She took a half-step back. "Yes?"
Lyr's entire demeanor shifted. His posture relaxed as if a storm passed over him.
"You're Rhaskel's granddaughter."
Her eyes widened. "How do you know my grandfather?"
The lizardman Lyrderu took a single step forward, then exhaled with a soft, amused grunt:
"You've grown. I once held you in my arms when you were barely a day old."
Kaela blinked, stunned.
***Flashback – Years Ago in Numshi Village***
Lyr (29 years old) stood at the center of the village square, arms crossed as the sun filtered through the thick canopy. A commotion stirred the air as a familiar presence entered the clearing—broad-shouldered, fur rustling with each step, and wearing the same smug grin he always did when he'd bested a hunt.
"Lyr!" Rhaskel's booming voice broke through the sounds of training spears and war cries. "Put down that frown and look what I brought you!"
He was cradling a tiny bundle wrapped in soft moss-green cloth, barely larger than his forearms. Nestled inside was a kitten-like baby with tufts of silver hair and twitching ears, making soft mewling noises.
"This," Rhaskel declared with an exaggerated puff of pride like a little kid showing off his new toy to a best friend, "is Kaela. My granddaughter. Firstborn of my line. Strong lungs, sharp eyes. She's gonna outrun storms and silence monsters with a stare!"
Lyr blinked, utterly unprepared for such a visit. "...You came all this way for that?"
Rhaskel grinned wider. "You damn right I did. Someone had to witness perfection."
He shoved the bundle into Lyr's arms before the lizardman could argue, chuckling as he watched Lyr awkwardly cradle the infant.
"She's warm," Lyr mumbled, tail flicking nervously.
"She's fire," Rhaskel corrected, eyes gleaming with fondness.
***Back in the present***
Kaela was near tears.
"He told me about you. The lizardman who fought alongside him against the Rotfiend. Said you were a rock he trusted."
Lyr gave a quiet laugh. "And he never stopped talking, I bet."
Kaela lowered her weapon. One by one, the party eased.
Introductions were made, stories briefly exchanged. The party consisted of five members, each showing signs of fatigue but not without discipline. The one who stepped forward was the dwarf—a stout, burly figure with a fiery red beard braided in runic patterns. His name was Thaldrik Ironstep, and he eyed Jin and Lyr with cautious respect, a hand always near the Warhammer on his back.
Next was Kaela, with sharp-eyed beastkin girl, her feline ears flicking with subtle anxiety, but her stance was protective and steady. She seemed to have naturally taken the lead, keeping her party calm yet alert.
The elf, introduced as Selwyn Vaerion, stood with quiet grace and a hand hovering near his longbow. His silver hair was tucked beneath a hood, and he observed everything like a watchful hawk—suspicious of strangers, yet not hostile.
The two humans were clearly warriors-in-training. The older one, Markel Thorne, had a chipped sword and a guarded but noble demeanor, while the younger, more eager one, Reene Hallow, kept glancing around with nervous energy, her hands fidgeting near her dagger's hilt.
They explained that they were on a medicinal herb-gathering mission when they lost their bearings in the dense mist of the Evernight Veil's border.
Upon learning their peaceful intentions and hearing Kaela speak of her home, the tension began to ease.
"We're from Willowshade, a village on the edge of the Radiant Kingdom," Kaela explained. "Willowshade?" – Jin beckoned. "Rhaskel's town - a medium place bordering Radiant Kindom and this forest. very nice town…traded with them…few times" – Lyrderu responded. "I see" – Jin said – "then for now, we rest. Departure will begin at dawn tomorrow."
Dawn painted the sky in soft golds and pale blues as Jin and Lyrderu led the way, with Kaela's party trailing close behind. The once ominous gloom of the Evernight Veil now seemed gentler under the morning light, shadows retreating with every step forward.
Along the way, light-hearted chatter replaced the earlier tension. Stories were shared, laughter exchanged, and for the first time in weeks, it felt like the weight of vigilance had eased—if only slightly.
Soon, the thick trees began to thin, the mist lifting as brighter light bled through the branches. Then, finally—the forest's edge came into view.
Kaela's ears perked up, and with a sudden burst of energy, she dashed ahead. Reaching the boundary where light and meadow met, she skidded to a stop and turned back, her face glowing with joy. She waved both arms excitedly.
"We're here! We're home! Hurry up, slowpokes!" she called, tail flicking with delight. "Yeah… finally," Selwyn Vaerion murmured with a soft exhale, the elf's eyes lifting toward the open sky as if drinking in its freedom. "My energy's spent... Can I just crawl the rest of the way?" Thaldrik Ironstep grumbled, trudging forward—though the upward curl of his beard betrayed a hidden smile.
Lyrderu paused for a moment, his gaze fixed on the exuberant Kaela. A deep warmth rose behind his golden eyes.
"She's fire… through and through," he said softly. "Just like her grandfather, Rhaskel."
Jin, meanwhile, lifted a hand slowly, shielding his eyes from the golden sunlight spilling through the canopy as he stepped beyond the trees. Warmth caressed his skin—soft, dry, and unfamiliar after so many months under the cold, damp shroud of the Evernight Veil. The shift was almost jarring.
Then the wind came.
A powerful gust rushed at him from the open meadow ahead, tousling his dark hair and flaring his cloak behind him. It carried a scent he had almost forgotten—fresh grass, sun-baked soil, the distant sweetness of wild blooms. Not musty roots, not wet moss. Not the smell of darkness and survival.
He took a slow breath, and it filled him in a way nothing else had in a long time.
The sky... It opened above him in boundless blue, high and endless, a color he hadn't truly seen since leaving Earth—and perhaps not even then. Wisps of clouds drifted lazily across it, untouched by shadow or danger. Below him, the meadow rolled like waves on a silent sea, each blade of grass dancing in unison with the rhythm of the wind.
For a heartbeat—or maybe a lifetime—Jin forgot the weight he carried.
Forgot the lives he took.
Forgot the monsters he fought.
Forgot the ache in his soul that never left, even when he smiled.
He just… stood there.
Still. Quiet. Overwhelmed.
It had been over a year since he arrived in this world. Since he clawed his way through darkness, through blood and beasts and endless nights. In all that time, he hadn't seen this much light, or breathed air this clean. Not once.
And back on Earth? When was the last time he felt this alive?
Maybe never.
This wasn't just a step out of a forest. It was a step into something vast, something real—a world that breathed and lived without him, but was ready to welcome him in.
His fingers trembled slightly as he reached out to the horizon, as if to touch the sky, as if trying to confirm—yes, this is real. The sunlight was warm. The breeze was pure. The grass beneath his boots was soft and alive.
He wasn't dreaming. He wasn't trapped in some simulation.
He was here.
In another world.
In Veylashen.
And for the first time in what felt like forever… a rough, calloused hand—warm and steady—rested on his shoulder. Jin turned to see Lyrderu beside him, silent but close, his sharp eyes watching Jin with quiet understanding.
Ahead of them, the adventurers were already running down the meadow, their laughter carried by the wind.
Jin exhaled slowly. He wasn't alone. Not anymore.