The tent’s lantern flickered, casting shadows that danced like Fiol’s two moons were mocking me. Sayaka slept on her cot, breathing softly, while I sat by the flap, gripping my trusty rock. Outside, the witches’ camp was quiet, save for Mimika’s snores and Poko’s occasional huff. The elder’s words echoed in my head: ritual, prophecy, join us. Yeah, right. I wasn’t signing up for a cult without a fight.

  “Crime Much, electrician, not cultist,” I muttered, checking my status. HP: 85/100, MP: 40/60, EXP: 8. No level-up, but Victory Streak was ticking along. My Worn Cloak and Basic Cloth Armor made me look like a medieval hobo, but it beat running naked. I needed a plan: get Sayaka out, avoid Mimika’s bear, and figure out this prophecy nonsense.

  A rustle outside. I tensed, peeking through the flap. A young witch, maybe sixteen, tiptoed past, carrying a glowing vial. She glanced around, then slipped behind a cauldron. Suspicious. If anyone knew about the ritual, it’d be a sneaky kid like her.

  “Sayaka,” I whispered, nudging her. “Wake up.”

  She stirred, rubbing her eyes. “What? Is it Mimika?”

  “Nope. Spying time,” I said. “You in?”

  Her eyes widened, but she nodded, a spark of determination replacing her usual panic. “Let’s go.”

  We crept out, sticking to the shadows. The camp smelled of herbs and something acrid, like burnt magic. Cauldrons bubbled softly, and spellbooks floated lazily above tents. The young witch knelt by a crate, muttering to herself as she sorted vials.

  “Stay low,” I whispered, crouching behind a barrel. Sayaka followed, quieter than I expected. Maybe she wasn’t just a damsel after all.

  The witch pulled out a red vial, inspecting it. “Too weak for the summoning,” she grumbled. “The elder’ll kill me.”

  “Summoning?” I mouthed to Sayaka. Her face paled.

  “That’s… what they want me for,” she whispered. “To call something big.”

  “Like Poko big?” I asked. “Or Dark Prince big?”

  She shook her head. “Worse. I don’t know what, but it’s bad.”

  Great. I motioned for silence, straining to hear more. The witch pocketed the vial and scurried toward the elder’s tent. I weighed my options: follow her or snoop around. Snooping won. If we found proof of their plan, we could bargain or bolt.

  “Let’s check those crates,” I said. “Quietly.”

  We crept to the crate, dodging a sleeping witch sprawled on a rug. Inside were vials, scrolls, and a dusty book labeled Ritual of the Starborn. Jackpot. I flipped it open, scanning the pages. It described a ceremony to summon a “Celestial Harbinger” using a “chosen vessel” born under a rare star alignment. The vessel? Sayaka, no doubt.

  “This is bad,” I said, showing her the page. “They want to use you to summon some cosmic monster.”

  The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

  Sayaka’s hands trembled, but her jaw tightened. “I won’t let them. I’m done running.”

  “Atta girl,” I said. “But we need leverage. Got any magic tricks up your sleeve?”

  She hesitated. “I… might. My village taught me some herbcraft. Nothing big, but I could mix something.”

  “Like a bomb?” I grinned. “I like bombs.”

  “Not a bomb,” she said, rolling her eyes. “But maybe a distraction.”

  We grabbed a few vials: red for fire, blue for smoke, green for stench. Sayaka mixed them in an empty flask, whispering, “This’ll make a cloud. Big one.”

  “Perfect,” I said. “We set it off, grab the book, and run while they’re coughing.”

  A growl cut me off. Poko loomed at the edge of the clearing, sniffing the air. Mimika staggered behind him, wand glowing. “Found ya, princess!” she slurred. “And you, naked knight!”

  “Clothed now!” I snapped, shoving the book into my cloak. “Sayaka, now!”

  She hurled the flask at the ground. A cloud of green smoke erupted, reeking like a sewer. Mimika coughed, waving her wand blindly. Poko roared, charging through the haze. I grabbed Sayaka’s hand, sprinting toward the forest.

  Achievement Unlocked: Saboteur (Disrupt an enemy plan). Reward: +10 EXP. My status pinged: EXP: 18. Still level 1, but close.

  Witches shouted, spells lighting up the smoke. A fireball whizzed past, singeing my cloak. HP: 80/100. “Keep moving!” I yelled. Sayaka stumbled, but I pulled her along, dodging roots and thorns.

  The forest thickened, slowing Poko’s charge. Mimika’s curses faded, but I didn’t trust the quiet. “We need a hideout,” I said, scanning the trees. A cave loomed ahead, half-hidden by vines. Good enough.

  We ducked inside, catching our breath. The cave was damp, with glowing mushrooms casting a faint blue light. Sayaka slumped against the wall, clutching the stolen book. “What now?” she asked.

  “Read that thing,” I said. “Find a way to stop the ritual. Or at least fake it.”

  She nodded, flipping through the pages. I kept watch at the entrance, rock in hand. My MP was down to 20/60 from Basic Heal earlier. If Poko found us, we were toast.

  “Crime,” Sayaka said, her voice shaky. “This says the Harbinger could destroy Fiol. Or save it. It depends on the vessel’s will.”

  “So, you’re the key,” I said. “Can you, like, will it to take a nap instead?”

  She laughed, a small, nervous sound. “I don’t know. But I can try.”

  “That’s the spirit,” I said. “Any chance the book mentions a way out of this?”

  “There’s a counter-ritual,” she said, pointing to a page. “It needs rare herbs and a blood oath. But it’ll break the summoning.”

  “Blood oath?” I groaned. “This world loves drama.”

  Footsteps crunched outside. I tensed, signaling Sayaka to hide. A figure appeared: not Mimika, but the young witch from earlier. She held a glowing vial, looking nervous. “I saw you take the book,” she whispered. “I… want to help.”

  “Trap?” I asked, gripping my rock.

  “No!” she said. “I’m Lila. The elder’s wrong. That ritual’s dangerous. I heard you talking about stopping it.”

  Sayaka stepped forward. “Why help us?”

  Lila glanced at the cave entrance. “Mimika’s reckless. If the Harbinger goes wild, we’re all dead. I know where the herbs are.”

  I lowered my rock, but not my guard. “What’s in it for you?”

  “Freedom,” Lila said. “I’m tired of this coven. Help me, and I’ll get you the herbs.”

  “Deal,” I said. “But if you double-cross us, my rock’s got your name on it.”

  She smirked. “Fair.”

  Achievement Unlocked: Recruiter (Gain an ally). Reward: +5 Intelligence (temporary, 1 hour). My Intelligence ticked to 17. Maybe I wasn’t such a bad negotiator.

  “Lila,” I said. “Lead the way. But if Poko shows up, you’re distracting him.”

  She nodded, slipping out of the cave. Sayaka tucked the book under her arm, looking at me. “You trust her?”

  “Nope,” I said. “But we’re out of options. Stick close.”

  We followed Lila into the forest, the purple sky darkening as Fiol’s moons rose higher. The air buzzed with magic, and every snap of a twig made me jump. This counter-ritual better work, because if it didn’t, I’d be fighting a cosmic monster with a rock and a bad attitude.

  “Dataris,” I muttered, glancing up. “If you’re watching, throw me a bone. Or a sword.”

  A distant roar echoed. Poko. Or something worse. I tightened my grip on the rock. Time to be a hero, or at least fake it.