A few hours zipped by. Nox was already getting the hang of that mana stuff. He wasn't just letting his regeneration skill do its slow thing anymore; he was actively trying to push mana into his aching body parts.

It kind of worked. His leg didn't throb as much, and overall, he felt a bit more solid, less like he'd fall apart. He even tried to push some of it into his muscles while he ran. 'Maybe this will make me stronger, faster, or something,' he figured.

He was running through the city, or what was left of it, the map blinking away, supposedly leading him to this princess. The sun was up now, which was something. But as he ran, his brain wouldn't shut up.

'Why am I even doing all this?' he thought. 'Yeah, getting strong is cool, no more getting my ass kicked. But is that it? Just so I'm not weak anymore?'

Then he remembered what Ava yelled at him back in the gym. Stuff about him being a pathetic loser, just scared. 'If I'm only getting strong to not be scared, or to get back at people, then she was right, wasn't she? I'm still that same weak kid inside.' He hated that thought. Hated it a lot.

It made his stomach churn more than the bad candy bar he'd eaten earlier. He tried to shake it off, but Ava's words just kept bouncing around in his head, mixing with memories of Mark and the classroom.

'Damn it.'

He was so caught up in his own head, he didn't even see it coming. One second he was jogging down a busted-up street, the next, a massive car was flying right at him, like someone had yeeted it with a giant slingshot.

'Oh, shit!'

He reacted on pure instinct, diving sideways. The car smashed into a building right where he'd been standing a second before, making a hell of a noise. He scrambled up, heart hammering. 'That was way too close.'

He looked to where the car had come from. Not far off, there was some kind of monster. It was big, ugly, and definitely not one of those gobdogs. This thing was new. And it was fighting someone. A woman, it looked like.

She was fast, moving around, and then he saw it. Pointed ears.

'Hold on a second,' he thought, his brain catching up. 'Pointed ears? That's got to be her, right? The elf princess the system was blabbing about?' The blinking marker on his map seemed to agree, pulsing right over where she was fighting.

The monster roared and swiped at her. She dodged, but it looked like she was having a tough time.

'Well, guess this is my stop.' He wasn't about to let his payday get eaten. He started running towards them, pulling out that Sunstone Blade. It felt pretty good in his hand, balanced.

The princess stumbled as the monster lunged again. Nox put on a burst of speed. He got there just as the monster was about to bring a massive claw down on her. He didn't even think, just swung the sword. It sliced clean through the monster's neck. The head, ugly as sin, plopped onto the ground with a wet thud. The body stood there for a second, then crashed down.

"Huh," he said, looking at the dead monster. "First time seeing something that wasn't a gobdog. These things are getting weirder."

He let out a breath and started to turn around. Big mistake.

Suddenly, there was something cold and hard against his throat. He froze. There was a sword ready to end him anytime.

"Identify yourself, human," a voice said. It was the woman, the elf. Her voice was sharp, and she talked kinda… stiff. Like she'd learned English from a really old, formal book.

'Yup,' he thought, not moving a muscle. 'Definitely not from around here.' This princess gig was already more complicated than he'd figured.

He didn't move an inch. That sword felt way too close to his neck. 'Great, just my luck. Save the princess, get skewered by the princess.'

"Easy," he said. His voice was steady, even if his heart was beating faster than he liked. "Not looking for a fight."

The elf didn't react. The sword stayed put. "Who are you, human? And why are you here?"

'Right to the point. Okay.' He thought about how to explain this without sounding like a total nutjob. "Name's Nox," he told her. "And as for why I'm here... well, someone mentioned you might be in a serious jam, Princess Serian Feselian."

He dropped her full name. He figured that had to get a reaction.

It did. The sword at his throat lowered a fraction. That was a good sign.

"You know my name?" she asked. Her voice was still stiff, but maybe a tiny bit surprised.

"Yeah," he said. "Got some intel that you were, uh, being hunted. Looks like it was accurate." He nodded towards the dead monster without taking his eyes off her.

She finally pulled the sword away. Nox let out a quiet breath. He could feel the spot on his neck where the blade had been. He took a proper look at her now.

She was definitely an elf. The ears were a dead giveaway. She looked young. And her outfit… well, it was something.

'That's what she fights in?' he thought. It looked like it was made for combat, sure, with places for weapons and stuff. But it was also the kind of gear that guys would probably stare at for a whole other reason.

'Practical for fighting, but also... really gets your attention. Guess that's how elf royalty rolls into battle.' He figured it probably worked, one way or another.

"Who sent you?" she asked, her eyes still on him, like she was trying to figure him out.

'Here we go with the explanations.' "It's a long story," he said. "Let's just say I got a mission. Said a princess needed help. That was you, right?"

The elf princess looked at the monster's corpse. "That was one of Gorok's hounds," she said, her voice tight. "They have been pursuing me relentlessly."

"Gorok?" he asked. 'Sounds like a typical bad guy.'

"A chieftain from the Shadow Wastes," she replied. "He desires my capture. For leverage against my kingdom, I presume."

'So, a kidnapping attempt.' He felt a little bit of satisfaction looking at the dead monster. "Well, he's one dog short now."

She looked at him then, really looked at him. He knew he was a mess – covered in dirt and old blood, clothes torn. Not exactly hero material.

"You faced that beast by yourself?" she asked.

"Just finished the job," he said. "It was about to make you its chew toy."

He thought he saw something shift in her expression, but it was gone fast. "I am Serian Feselian," she said. She did this formal little nod thing. "I extend my gratitude for your intervention, human… Nox."

'Human Nox. Catchy.' "No problem," he said. "So, what now? You got a hideout, or are we gonna stand around here waiting for more of Gorok's fan club to show up?"

She straightened her shoulders. "There is a sanctuary. A place of safety established by my people. However, it is a considerable distance, and the route is fraught with peril."

'Of course it is,' he thought. 'Nothing's ever simple.'

"Alright then," he said. "Lead on, princess. Let's get out of here before something else decides you look tasty."

She gave another small nod. She still looked a bit suspicious of him, he could tell. But at least she wasn't threatening to slice his throat anymore. That was definitely an improvement.

They started walking. Nox kept an eye out. He figured this Gorok guy wasn't just going to give up because one monster got taken out. This was probably just the start of another long day.