Inlander

Two Fish One Bait

Jim gently eased Jill onto a relatively safe patch of ground, away from the scorching embers and crumbling ruins. The remnants of Byre Town still smouldered around them, the acrid stench of burnt wood and flesh stinging his nostrils. Though her colour had returned, Jill still looked fragile—her breathing uneven, her limbs trembling.

"You rest here, Jill," Jim said softly, tucking his bloodstained cloak around her shoulders.

Jill clutched at his sleeve, her grip weak but desperate. “Where are you going, Jim?”

Jim knelt beside her, gripping her shoulder firmly. “There’s something I have to do,” he said, his voice steady, despite the storm raging inside him.

Jill’s eyes glistened with unshed tears. “Promise me,” she whispered, her voice barely above the crackling of distant flames. “You have to come back. I don’t want to be alone.”

Jim hesitated for a fraction of a second before nodding. “I promise, Jill. I’ll be back.” He forced a small smile, but it did little to mask the dark resolve burning behind his eyes.

Jill’s fingers curled around his hand, her touch warm despite the cold dread settling in Jim’s chest. “You have to come back safe, Jim. You’re all I have.”

Jim squeezed her hand reassuringly. “Remember, your brother will be fine.”

He pried her fingers from his own and rose to his feet. Jill watched him go, her eyes filled with both trust and fear.

Jim did not look back.

The city was a battlefield.

As Jim moved through the ravaged streets, he took in the devastation with gritted teeth. Entire blocks had been reduced to rubble, their foundations cracked as if the earth itself had rebelled. Corpses—some burnt beyond recognition—lined the roads, their empty eyes reflecting the inferno that raged on.

Above, the sky swarmed with winged horrors—monsters with jagged talons and leathery wings that blotted out the moon. Their screeches tore through the air, shrill and merciless.

Jim clenched his fists.

"I will destroy you."

"Captain!" Jim called, shaking him lightly. "Come on, wake up!"

A groan. Klax’s eyelids fluttered.

Jim let out a relieved breath.

"He’s alive."

Without wasting another second, he summoned the translucent screen once more.

"Shop."

The menu blinked into existence.

"Item."

His fingers moved swiftly, navigating through the glowing list.

[Heal Potion - 100G]

"Purchase."

A small vial materialised in his grasp, its glass surface cool against his palm.

"This better work."

Jim uncorked the potion and carefully tipped it against Klax’s lips, forcing the liquid down his throat.

For a moment, nothing happened.

Then—Klax gasped, his body jolting as if struck by lightning.

His eyes snapped open, wild and disoriented. His chest heaved as colour flooded back into his face.

Jim let out a breath he hadn’t realised he was holding.

"Captain," he said, gripping Klax’s arm, "can you hear me?"

Klax’s gaze darted around before landing on Jim. Recognition flickered in his eyes, followed by something else—relief.

“Slavn…” Klax’s voice was hoarse, but it held its usual steel.

"Yeah, it's me," Jim said. "You look like hell, Captain."

Klax let out a rough chuckle, wincing as he attempted to sit up. "Feels like it too…" He took a shaky breath before his expression darkened. "The town… the people…?"

Jim’s jaw tightened. He didn’t need to answer. The devastation spoke for itself.

Klax cursed under his breath. He tried to rise, but his limbs trembled beneath him.

Jim steadied him. "Take it easy, Captain. You need a minute."

But Klax shook his head. “No time. The monsters… they haven’t finished yet.”

Jim’s fingers clenched around the hilt of his blade. His own fury mirrored Klax’s.

"Then we stop them."

Klax met his gaze. A slow, grim smile stretched across his face.

"You really are full of surprises, Slavn."

Jim smirked. “Stick around, Captain. There’s more where that came from.”

The sky above rumbled, and another monstrous shriek echoed through the ruins.

Jim rose to his feet, his blood burning with a singular purpose.

"Neiter… I swear on my soul, I’ll make you pay."

The battle was far from over, but Jim’s first priority was ensuring Captain Klax lived to see another day. The man was barely conscious, his battered body slumped against the ruins of a collapsed building. His breathing was laboured, and blood seeped from the gashes on his arms and torso.

"Don’t talk, Captain," Jim urged, lowering him carefully onto a stable patch of ground. "You need to rest."

But Klax wasn’t having it. He gritted his teeth and grabbed Jim’s arm with surprising strength. "Run, Jim," he rasped. "Go to Centrical. Report this to the central command—tell them Byre is under attack!"

Jim shook his head. "Not without you, Captain. We’ll make that report together, so stay with me."

Klax’s tired eyes locked onto Jim’s, and despite his pain, a faint smirk touched his lips. "Stubborn bastard…"

"You’d do the same for me," Jim replied, offering a small, reassuring grin.

Klax exhaled sharply, as if laughing hurt too much. "Thanks, Jim…" He reached out, gripping Jim’s hand briefly in gratitude.

Jim patted his shoulder before rising to his feet. "Now, Captain, sit tight. The rest is up to me."

As he turned, his fingers wrapped tightly around the hilt of the Leviathan Sword, the weight of the weapon grounding him. Two massive creatures loomed in the sky, their silhouettes cutting through the smoke-laden air.

The Evolved Eagles.

Jim’s muscles tensed. His heart pounded, not with fear, but with rage—the same rage that had been festering inside him since he saw his parents’ lifeless bodies.

"Come here, monsters. My fury burns hotter than your flames."

The creatures screeched and dived towards him, their massive wings slicing through the air. Their bodies radiated heat, embers trailing from their beaks as they prepared to unleash another fiery assault.

Jim sprinted away from Klax, leading the monsters deeper into the ruins. If they wanted him, then he'd make sure no one else got caught in their flames.

"Think, Jim—how do I take them down?"

[Agility +1]

Jim’s movements grew swifter, his reflexes sharper. But it still wasn’t enough.

"I should’ve invested more points in agility… No, wait—I have another skill!"

"Pastoralist!"

A translucent screen flickered before his eyes.

[Identification Process…]

[Status]

Name: Evolved Eagle

Level: 10

HP: (300/500)

Physical Attack: 100

Magical Attack: 300

Race: Animal (Evolved)

[Skills]

Flame Burst: Spits fire in a wide area, dealing magic damage.

[Pastoralist skill experience increases!]

[Pastoralist (Unique) (Active) Lvl 2 (300/500)]

Jim’s eyes widened.

"They’re not just monsters… They’re evolved animals?"

This was a revelation. How many other creatures in this world were not what they seemed? How many of them were once ordinary beings, twisted into something unnatural?

He shook his head. It didn’t matter now.

"I still need to kill them."

Jim darted into the remains of a collapsed house, ducking behind a half-shattered wall. The eagles circled above, searching for him.

"Alright, let’s see what I’ve got."

"Pastoralist!"

Jim used his skill again, this time on the Leviathan Sword.

[Identification Process…]

[Weapon]

Name: Leviathan Sword

HP: 200/1000

Physical Attack: 500

Magic Attack: 0

Material: Kalderan Steel

Level: C

Cost: 500G

Minimum Level: 10

[Unique Skills]

• Physical Attack increases by 5% for every 10% HP lost.

• Can unleash a wind s***h up to 10 metres, but loses 2% damage per metre.

Jim’s lips curled into a grin.

"With the sword’s current state, my attack power is already boosted. And if I use its wind s***h at the right distance…"

His grip tightened around the hilt.

"I can end this in one strike."

Jim emerged from his hiding spot, raising his sword. The eagles screeched and swooped down, fire flickering in their throats.

He smirked.

"Hey, stupid eagles!" he taunted. "You’re birds—why the hell are you spitting fire instead of pecking?"

The creatures shrieked in fury and dove at him from opposite directions.

Jim narrowed his eyes, mentally calculating the distance.

"Closer… Closer…"

The flames ignited in their beaks.

"Now!"

[Guardian: Active!]

The fire shot towards him—

[Yamaguchi: Active!]

—only to miss entirely, the flames veering away as if an invisible force had shifted their trajectory.

Jim leapt into the air, gripping his sword with both hands. His body twisted mid-flight—

"I’LL NEVER LET YOU HURT THE ONES I LOVE AGAIN!"

—And then, he slashed.

[Inevitable Twisted s***h!]

His body spun in a perfect 360-degree arc, the Leviathan Sword carving through the air like a guillotine of wind and steel.

For a brief moment, time seemed to freeze.

Then—

A deafening c***k.

The eagles’ bodies split apart in midair, their lifeblood raining down as their severed corpses crashed onto the charred ground.

Silence.

Jim landed, stabbing the sword into the earth to steady himself. His breathing was heavy, his arms numb from the sheer force of the attack.

But it was over.

Jim looked up at the sky, where the monsters had once flown. His eyes burned, but this time, not from the heat of battle.

"Goodbye, Mum. Goodbye, Dad."

A single tear traced its way down his soot-streaked face.

[Quest Complete!]

Slay the Flying Monsters [3/3]

Category: Main

Level: D

Status: Completed

Rewards:

• 5000 Gold

• 20 Ability Points

[Level Up! (14)]

[Yamaguchi (Passive) Lvl 2 (0/500)]

• This skill now has 4 activations per day.

[Guardian (Passive) Lvl 1 (50/100)]

[New Title & Skill Acquired!]

[Title: One s***h Man]

[Skill: Inevitable Twisted s***h (Active) Lvl 1 (0/100)]

• A unique sword technique where Jim jumps and spins mid-air, slashing with increased rotational force. Rotation doubles with each level-up.

Jim exhaled sharply, exhaustion finally catching up to him.

The Battle of Byre was over.

Half the town’s population had perished, including his parents.

Captain Klax limped towards him, offering a steadying hand. "You saved us again, Jim," he said, his voice filled with gratitude.

"Thanks to your help too, Captain," Jim replied, forcing a tired smile.

Klax chuckled. "Have you been hiding your strength all this time?"

Jim shook his head. "Just… luck. And vengeance."

Klax sighed, his expression darkening. "I’m sorry about your parents, Jim."

From the distance, a familiar voice cried out—

"Brother!"

Jill.

She ran towards him, her face filled with relief and joy. As she reached him, she threw her arms around him, holding him tightly.

"Thank the gods you’re alright," she sobbed. "I thought I’d lost you too."

Jim stroked her hair, his grip just as tight. "I told you—I’ll always come back."

She sniffled. "Don’t ever leave me."

"I won’t."

As the sun began to rise over the ruins of Byre, Jim and Jill turned to the grim task ahead.

There were still people to save. And the dead to bury.

But the war was just beginning.