12. Reunion
Moon was running—no, blazing—through the forest with a speed that nearly broke the sound barrier.
He didn't know how or why, but his body suddenly felt lighter, faster, and explosively powerful. His legs moved like pistons, wind howled in his ears, and trees blurred past him like shadows. All he knew was that his brother might be there—and that single thought overpowered everything else.
A thick column of smoke had caught his eye from over 300 kilometers away. Somehow, his vision had sharpened enough to see it. His instincts screamed Kai is there. And so, he ran without stopping.
It took him 15 minutes to cover that distance. Now, just 15 kilometers from the source, Moon's body finally gave out. His muscles were trembling, his lungs burning, and his stamina almost gone. He stumbled forward, barely able to stay upright.
But he didn't stop.
He kept walking. Step by step. Breathing heavy. Stubborn as ever.
And in exactly 5 more minutes, Moon crossed that final distance—dragging himself to where the smoke rose into the sky.
---
Meanwhile, at the same clearing, Kai was keeping a close eye on the five explorers he had just met. Every step they took, every whisper, every flick of their fingers—Kai watched it all with calculated focus.
But then... he heard it again.
Footsteps. This time from the north.
Kai's body stiffened. His hand immediately convulsed with energy, and he slid into a low fighting stance. His expression turned cold and serious. The group behind him noticed and also summoned their weapons without hesitation.
There was a thick silence in the air.
Then—slowly—a shadow emerged from the bushes.
It was hard to make out the figure clearly. The dim lighting and broken sunlight filtering through the trees made it difficult to identify. The face was hidden in the shadows. The clothes barely existed—torn, leaf-wrapped, and dust-covered. But something about the way he moved… was familiar.
Kai didn't blink.
He narrowed his eyes.
Could it be...?
---
Moon, on the other side, gently pushed aside some large leaves. His legs were trembling, his breath shallow. But as the golden glow of the clearing reached his eyes, he felt warmth. He saw figures in the distance.
Please... let one of them be Kai, he thought.
His heart was racing—not from exhaustion, but from hope.
---
Finally, as the shadow stepped into the clearing, Kai's eyes widened.
He saw the messy black hair , the green brilliance of his green eyes. The familiar face, tired but fierce. The broken leaf outfit. And the same determined expression he had seen a thousand times before.
It was Moon.
Kai felt a rush of emotions crash into him—surprise, disbelief, relief, guilt, joy. His heart swelled. His lips parted, but no words came out.
He dropped his stance.
Without a second thought, he ran forward and threw his arms around Moon.
Moon flinched, instinctively trying to resist, but then he inhaled.
That familiar scent. That warmth. That soft but firm grip.
And then he heard Kai's voice whisper near his ear.
"It's me, Moon... it's me."
Moon's body relaxed. His arms rose slowly and hugged Kai back.
Tears welled up in both their eyes, falling silently down their cheeks.
No words were exchanged for a moment. Just that raw, quiet embrace between two brothers who had faced death—and found each other again.
---
The group of five explorers stood in stunned silence.
They had no idea who this ragged, half-naked boy was. And now they were watching one of the coldest people they'd just met cry openly, hugging this stranger like he was the most precious thing in the world.
They didn't interrupt. They didn't speak.
Some moments were too sacred for words.
---
The system notification quietly chimed in both Kai and Moon's minds.
> System Update: Complete
But neither of them noticed. Their thoughts were still drowning in the intensity of reunion.
They finally let go of each other, but the silence remained.
It wasn't awkward—it was deep. A rare kind of silence only shared between those who had survived something unexplainable.
---
Kai wiped his tears and took a deep breath. That's when he finally noticed Moon's condition.
His brother's body was battered, scratched, and dirt-covered. But more importantly...
The leaf outfit had completely failed.
Kai's protective instincts kicked in immediately.
He stepped forward and gently stood in front of Moon, shielding him from the group's line of sight. "Uh… do any of you have more clothes?" he asked, half embarrassed, half commanding.
Nate, always the cheerful one, quickly pulled out a black tracksuit from his storage ring and handed it over.
"Here—this should fit," he said.
Kai nodded and, as always, thoroughly inspected the tracksuit before accepting it.
Even though none of the explorers commented, they couldn't help but feel a little strange every time Kai checked their items like this. But they understood. The world wasn't safe anymore, and trust had to be earned.
Kai handed the clothes to Moon. "Here. Go change," he said softly.
Moon took them gratefully and disappeared into the bushes.
---
While Moon was away, something clicked in Kai's head.
Wait… that notification earlier—system update…
He immediately tried to open his system.
> System Opening…
This time, it worked.
But something was different.
The interface wasn't the familiar blue anymore.
It was black—sleek, metallic, and almost premium in feel.
Kai blinked.
---
SYSTEM INTERFACE - KAI
Name: Kai
Lineage: Alhuwalia Clan (Not Awakened)
Race: Human
Body: Asphaleios
Level/Stage: Planetary / Rookie
Combat Mastery: D-
Elemental Affinities:
1. Hydro 🌊
2. Void (Unable to Use)
Essence Points:
Rookie: 6 / 150
Fighter: 0 / 150
Professional: 0 / 150
King: 0 / 150
Saint: 0 / 150
Form: [Poseidon Form] – Unable to Transform
Requirement: Insufficient Energy Reserves
---
Kai stared at the new layout. "Asphaleios body? Poseidon form? What is this…?" he murmured.
This wasn't here before.
The term "Lineage" instead of just "Clan." A completely new body type. A form locked behind some unknown energy level.
Combat Mastery instead of the stats.
There were so many changes… and so many questions.
Just then, Moon returned—now fully dressed in the black tracksuit.
Kai gave him a meaningful look and whispered, "Moon… check your system."
Moon blinked. He had forgotten about the system entirely. But now that Kai reminded him, he remembered hearing a notification when they hugged earlier.
He focused.
> System Opening…
The interface blinked to life.
---
SYSTEM INTERFACE - MOON
Name: Moon
Lineage: Alhuwalia Clan (Not Awakened)
Race: Human
Body: Vajra Body
Level/Stage: Planetary / Rookie
Combat Mastery: E++
Elemental Affinities:
1. Electro ⚡
2. Void (Unable to Use)
Essence Points:
Rookie: 4 / 150
Fighter: 0 / 150
Professional: 0 / 150
King: 0 / 150
Saint: 0 / 150
Form: [Dragon King] – Unable to Transform
Requirement: Insufficient Energy Reserves
---
Moon stared at the interface. His mind raced with the same questions as Kai's.
What is a Vajra Body? Dragon King Form? Void element?
So much had changed… and none of it made sense yet.
Before he could speak, Lisa, curious but polite, finally asked, "Umm… how did you two get separated in the first place?"
Moon hesitated, opening his mouth to answer honestly, but Kai cut in quickly.
"We were fighting a beast," he said smoothly. "A big one. And suddenly, a herd of creatures that looked like bulls rushed toward us. We had to split up. Moon got caught in the chaos. That's all."
Moon looked at Kai, surprised—but silently grateful.
Kai gave him a small nod, as if to say "not here, not now."
---
As the fire crackled nearby and the tension began to ease, Moon and Kai shared a glance.
A storm was brewing inside both of them—but for now, they were alive, reunited, and together again.
To be continued…
---