Baruc's footsteps echoed through the long corridor as he navigated the vast complex of crystal processing machines. Their incessant humming created an indecipherable symphony of noises. The corridor stretched out before him, intersected by perpendicular passageways at regular intervals. The entire complex was immense, capable of producing elemental energy of any kind in large quantities. Occasionally, sparks and glimmers danced through the air, but the environment lacked any scent or fragrance, appearing completely sterile. Baruc enjoyed walking there to gather his thoughts and devise new strategies. He strolled leisurely, knowing that he wasn't likely to be interrupted in this place. Not that he was inaccessible or disliked interpersonal interactions, quite the contrary. His position demanded extensive dialogue, numerous meetings, and countless negotiations. However, there were moments when Baruc felt the need to isolate himself.

Being the most influential person in the world had its pros and cons. People always wanted to know his opinion on various matters, diplomatic conflicts hinged on his stance, and many sought to please him for personal gain. All this pressure generated an overwhelming burden that manifested physically. Baruc was an elderly man, but he didn't look very old. His hair was already completely gray, though his modern haircut made him look slightly youthful. His deep blue eyes were serene, contrasting with his thick mustache that lent him a serious and authoritarian air. He always dressed in a sober manner, wearing comfortable yet formal clothing, even in his everyday life. His days were entirely devoted to work since he had no spouse or children. He had severed ties with all his relatives from an early age.

One of the reasons for his isolation stemmed from the disdain with which he was treated by his own family. Coming from a lineage where everyone developed their Classes at an early age and displayed great mastery of their abilities, it was expected that Baruc would be a proficient Mage or a Monk with unwavering concentration. However, to everyone's surprise, he didn't manifest any Class. His parents raised him with love, but he was regarded as a pitiful failure by everyone else. The disappointment of the family, the failure of the bloodline. This prompted Baruc to dedicate himself to studies and research. His astuteness and creativity always outshone the rest of his kin, allowing him to see the world differently. Since childhood, he conducted experiments with crystals, creating complex machines even in his adolescence. In the early years of adulthood, Baruc had already developed the first techniques for energy extraction, followed by numerous discoveries and inventions. Fame and wealth came swiftly, placing him in a position of prominence and power in society.

Baruc made his way towards his quarters, his mind focused on the upcoming trip and meeting. Negotiating with regional leaders was always a power game, requiring him to keep his cards close to his chest, deciding what to give up and what to bargain for. Today's negotiation involved the installation of another mine in an incredibly vast deposit. Baruc had already determined what would be offered and what would be requested, but there was always a need to prepare for excessive greed or sudden naivety. Thus, depending on the situation and behavior, the offers and counteroffers could change in the blink of an eye. However, today's meeting promised to be straightforward and direct, with little deviation from the expected outcomes. Baruc remained calm and confident.

"Excuse me, sir," a staff member wearing an impeccable uniform and a serious expression approached Baruc. "Everything is prepared for the trip."

"Thank you, young lad. I'll finish getting ready and join you shortly," Baruc replied amiably.

Baruc turned around and headed towards his quarters, while the staff member silently left the area. This would be a short trip with a brief stay, so there was no need for much luggage. However, this trip would be of utmost importance and highly productive. As he organized his belongings, Baruc mentally rehearsed the speech he would deliver and the arguments he would use. Once everything was ready, he left his room and passed through a chamber adorned with multiple screens, monitors, and files. This was the control center of his entire system, his operational base. The amount of information present there was staggering, capable of yielding great gains or causing destruction, even leading to wars. He looked around, remembering the only time there was an intrusion and data loss. The most valuable information he possessed was stolen, leaving him impressed by the audacity of the perpetrator. But even as he recalled the magnitude of the loss, he merely smirked and shook his head. His admiration outweighed his indignation.

With a pat on one of the workstations, he departed, carrying his suitcase. He had more important things to do than dwell on the past. Hunting down Hiner was one of them.

***

Aestus opened his eyes, his vision extremely blurry and with an overwhelming brightness. He managed to see a figure moving in front of him, with shades of white and red. "So, this is what happens when we die," he thought. "We go to the clouds and see colors." But as time passed, he quickly focused on what he was seeing, also beginning to hear a voice.

"... Can you hear me? Hello? Kairos calling, strong lad." The person spoke, snapping their fingers. "I think your friend almost bit the dust for real, you know? He's taking quite a while to react." Aestus blinked a few times and tried to sit up, catching the attention of the person speaking. "Oh, he's really waking up now, no need to worry."

Aestus managed to stand up, propping his elbows on the ground and lifting his torso. He could see someone quickly approaching, realizing it was Orkan. The Rogue embraced his friend, relieved to see that he was alive. Aestus was still confused, not understanding what had happened. He vividly remembered being attacked by the necrobear, feeling its teeth tearing into his neck and its putrid breath in his nostrils. But as he looked around, he saw no sign of the Creature and didn't sense its scent. Orkan let go of him, holding his shoulders and looking into his eyes, as if to confirm that everything was indeed fine.

"What happened, Orkan? Did you manage to defeat the necrobear?"

He saw his friend look away, with a mixed expression of shame and anger. Aestus heard a soft chuckle to his right. He turned and could see a peculiar figure. It was clearly a Light Mage, as he wore a white robe with green trimmings and a hood, tied at the waist with ropes. This was the standard attire for the Class, recognized by all. What made him different was the vibrant red hair, which contrasted with the greenish tones of his outfit. The Mage had full, wavy hair that even showed beneath the hood on his head. His face was youthful and cheerful, but it was clear that he was not as young as Aestus and Orkan. His small, upturned nose was surrounded by light freckles that framed his green eyes. He stood a few meters away from the two friends, both arms behind his back and his head slightly tilted, looking curiously. He then spoke:

"I think your friend is a little embarrassed to admit that he didn't defeat the necrourso. I've already told him there's no reason for him to feel that way, but it doesn't help. Seems like Orkan (that's his name, from what I understood) is quite stubborn."

The Mage spoke the words at a faster pace than usual, with a friendly smile on his face. He didn't seem to judge Orkan, but the Rogue rolled his eyes, feeling uncomfortable. Aestus knew that the Mage's effusive personality was something Orkan didn't appreciate. Combined with the fact that Orkan had "lost" a battle to him, his friend had no other possible reaction. Before Aestus could ask any questions, the Mage started speaking again.

"By the way, my name is Spes. I'm a Light Mage, as you might have noticed. You're lucky that I was collecting some medicinal herbs around here today. Silvi's clinic is running out of potions, so I volunteered to gather some ingredients. And here I am, talking non-stop again. Sorry, I promise I'll control myself." Spes said, spreading his hands in front of him and then looking at the Knight. "And what's your name?"

"I'm Aestus, nice to meet you." He said, standing up and tidying his clothes a bit. His armor was still stained with blood, but there wasn't much he could do about it for now. "I just haven't been able to fully understand what happened."

Spes, trying to control his excitement and keep his hands busy, removed his hood as he began to speak. A pair of moderately long ears covered in reddish fur, slightly darker than his hair, emerged. Aestus then realized that the Mage was a Lagomorph, a race very similar to Humanoids but with traits resembling a rabbit. The most distinctive and different attribute were their ears. The Lagomorphs were spread throughout the planet of Kairos, but more concentrated in Silvi. They were a race known for their connection with nature and a strong affinity for crystals. They were pioneers in developing the first energy extraction techniques and were extremely peaceful and non-combative. Perhaps for this reason, most Lagomorphs became Light Mages, although individuals from other Classes could also be found. Before Aestus could fully grasp that he was dealing with a person from another race, the Mage was already speaking rapidly.

"So, I was around there," Spes pointed in a direction over his shoulder, "when I heard a necrobear roar. Then I thought someone might be in danger, and bam! I found a blonde guy lying unconscious and a tough guy becoming a necrobear's 'meal'." Spes made a quotation gesture with his hands, with a cheerful tone that didn't quite match what he was saying. "I say 'meal' because they don't really eat, right? But I think you get it. So, I defeated it and used my magic to revive you. That's it. If I had arrived a few seconds later, I don't know if I could have done it. This magic only works shortly after the heart stops completely."

The Mage had a smirk on his face as he looked at Aestus, who was still processing the flood of information. He couldn't yet understand how someone so seemingly harmless managed to defeat such a fierce and devastating Creature. Spes had a materializer in his right hand, so he must have known how to fight or at least defend himself. Orkan still maintained the same expression on his face, apparently restraining himself from saying something rude and offending the person who had just saved their lives. Aestus looked at Spes again and could only ask:

"How?"

"Oh, you don't know how to defeat a necrobear?" Spes asked, raising his eyebrow and ears, which quickly lowered down into his hair." It's actually quite simple. I think any Hunter would know. Or at least they should know, no offense." He quickly added. "The Creature is called a necrobear, and 'necro' means death. So, it's undead. And every undead Creature is highly susceptible to healing spells or potions. So, all you had to do was throw one of your healing potion vials at it, and 'poof', the necrobear would be defeated."

Spes gestured a lot as he spoke. A beam of sunlight illuminated him from the waist up, giving him a more ethereal and magical look than usual, and also making his hair appear extremely red. He found the situation amusing but didn't want to laugh and offend the two young men. They were clearly novice Hunters, so young. Spes quickly thought of ways to appear friendlier and win the boys over.

"I think you guys were heading towards Silvi, right?" Aestus nodded, and before he could reply, Spes continued. "Great, I was actually heading back there. If you want, I can accompany you and show you the way. I can also introduce you to the city and point you to the local Guild."

The Lagomorph turned towards the road and started walking. Orkan took a deep breath and followed, while Aestus gathered his thoughts. He picked up his backpack that was nearby, put it on his back, and joined the other two. He had literally died. Even with the warm morning air present in the forest, a shiver ran down his spine. They needed to better prepare themselves from now on. Thankfully, Spes was around this time; otherwise, his long-awaited adventure would have ended before it truly began. The Rogue and the Mage made a physically contrasting pair. Their personalities were also quite different. While Orkan was also cheerful and lively, Spes's exuberance and excessive friendliness were traits his friend did not possess.

"What an annoying guy, huh?" Orkan whispered when Spes walked a little ahead of them.

"I actually found him quite friendly." Aestus spoke, looking ahead, suppressing a laugh. Orkan was truly predictable. "Besides, he just saved our lives, literally. The least you can do is not be ungrateful."

"I know, I know. But he talks as if he's better than us, like underestimating us, you know?"

"But Orkan, he really knows more than us." Aestus looked at his friend. "He taught us how to kill an undead Creature. Relax, we'll just follow him to the Guild, and you won't have to deal with him anymore."

Orkan fell silent, accepting the facts. The three continued walking along the winding road toward Silvi. The day had progressed well, nearing lunchtime. The heat had increased significantly, but it was still bearable. The trees in this area were very tall, obstructing the view. However, they heard a distant noise coming from above. The boys looked up at the sky and saw a small fleet of aircraft descending a little ahead.

"They must have landed in Silvi. Looks like we have some visitors in town." Spes said in a wary tone.

The sound of animals had diminished, and they could already hear voices and city sounds in the background. The three men continued walking in silence for a few more minutes, catching glimpses of civilization soon after. The western boundary of Silvi had no gate or wall, making it easily accessible on foot by anyone. There were some small houses with well-tended gardens. As they advanced, they could see that the city was well-maintained, with trees and vegetation integrated into the buildings. While Comanse was a peaceful little village, Silvi was larger, exuding an air of tranquility and harmony. The residents greeted the three of them, but Spes seemed to receive a warmer reception. "Perhaps he's some kind of celebrity around here," Aestus thought.