Nova's eyes cracked open once more. A soft, pale luminance had begun to creep into the cave, seeping through the narrow opening like a whisper of dawn.

The "morning" as he decided to call it, had finally arrived, not through the presence of a sun, but from the faint blue glow that spread across the sky, casting the Expanse in shifting hues of blue and violet.

He stretched, the dull stiffness in his body less prominent than before. Beside him, Lunaris stirred, yawning silently, its silver-black fur catching the faint morning light like rippling liquid metal.

"Alright," Nova said, rubbing his temples and exhaling. "Time to see what this place has to offer."

Lunaris tilted its head, letting out a soft, almost questioning sound.

"Don't look at me like that," Nova said with a smirk. "You're coming too."

He stepped outside. The first thing that struck him was the sheer scale of Beastaria's landscape. The Expanse stretched endlessly in every direction, an alien wilderness alive with shifting color and motion.

Jagged stone spires jutted from the earth like fractured bones, their sides glowing faintly with embedded mana veins. Floating shards of rock drifted in the air, defying gravity, and patches of luminous moss crept over everything.

The air was heavy with mana. He could taste it, dense, raw, and unrefined. Lunaris padded silently beside him, its tail swaying lazily, eyes constantly scanning the horizon. Occasionally, it would pause and sniff the air, ears twitching at sounds Nova could barely perceive.

Their path wound through uneven terrain, past hollowed stones and crystalline pools that reflected distorted images of the world.

Nova crouched by one of them, dipping a finger into the liquid. It was cool to the touch, yet the moment he drew his hand back, faint sparks of mana danced along his skin.

"Mana pools," he said. "Pure, unfiltered energy." He looked at Lunaris. "You'd probably love to drink that, huh?"

Lunaris meowed softly, then promptly dipped its paw into the pool, licking it clean. Its fur shimmered brighter for a moment, and Nova chuckled.

"Figures."

The peaceful moment didn't last. A sudden rustle echoed through the crystalline thickets nearby. Nova turned sharply, instinctively raising a hand as faint red sparks gathered in his palm.

A pair of small creatures emerged, spherical bodies covered in fur, eyes like glowing beads. They hovered a few inches above the ground, chirping in strange, melodic tones.

Lunaris immediately crouched, ready to pounce, but Nova extended a hand. "No. Let's see what they do."

The creatures floated closer, chirping curiously. Then, as if sensing his lack of hostility, they circled him twice and drifted away, vanishing into the glowing underbrush.

"Not everything here wants to kill me," Nova said under his breath. "That's new."

But Beastaria, as he quickly learned, had balance only in appearance. For every calm creature, there were ten that lived by tooth and claw.

Further ahead, the path split through a canyon lined with razor-like stones. From the shadows, elongated shapes began to stir, serpentine beasts with obsidian hides and jaws that could split open like petals. Nova's eyes narrowed as they hissed, their scales gleaming with a sickly green sheen.

"Venom Serpents," he murmured, instinct recognizing danger. "Persistent, territorial, and definitely not morning people."

Lunaris arched its back, fur bristling. One of the serpents lunged, lightning-fast. Nova sidestepped smoothly, slamming his palm against its side. A faint crimson flare burst out, and the creature was sent sprawling into a nearby boulder.

The rest of the serpents slithered back into the shadows, hissing in unison.

Nova dusted off his hand, muttering, "That's what I thought."

He continued onward, the terrain gradually changing. The jagged stone gave way to fields of faintly glowing grass that swayed even without wind.

Small insectoid creatures, translucent and delicate, hovered above the stalks, emitting gentle tones that resonated in the air like chimes. It was strangely calming, almost sacred.

Lunaris bounded ahead, chasing a few of the flying creatures in silent curiosity. Nova couldn't help but smile at the sight.

Hours passed. Nova climbed over a ridge and stopped. From his vantage point, he could see vast plains stretching out below, dotted with clusters of trees whose leaves shimmered like molten glass.

Massive beasts roamed the land, creatures resembling both ox and dragon, their hides thick and reflective, horns glowing with inner fire. Others looked like birds made of shadow, gliding silently across the horizon.

But what caught his attention wasn't the grandeur; it was the faint trail of smoke rising from a distant hollow.

He narrowed his eyes. "A settlement?"

Lunaris meowed softly, hopping onto his shoulder. Its golden eyes are fixed on the same point.

"Let's take a look," Nova said, descending carefully from the ridge.

The closer they got, the more the air changed. It became heavier, fouler. The scent of rot mingled with cooked meat and crude metal. The terrain here was harsher, muddy ground littered with bones, makeshift wooden stakes, and primitive traps.

Lunaris hissed suddenly, fur standing on end.

"I smell it too," Nova muttered, crouching low as he peered through the brush.

Below them lay a village, if one could call it that. Crude huts made of bark and bone surrounded a central pit of fire.

Dozens of small, green-skinned humanoids moved about, carrying rusted blades and wooden spears. Their movements were clumsy, their chatter guttural.

"Goblins," Nova said flatly. "D-rank monsters."

One of the goblins was roasting something on a spit, a creature that looked vaguely like a bird, though deformed by Beastaria's wild mana. The smell hit him immediately, and his stomach growled audibly.

"Alright," he said quietly. "We're eating."

Lunaris tilted its head, confused.

Nova smiled faintly. "Don't worry. I'm not sharing their food."

He reached into a pouch at his belt, a fragment of his divine storage still active, and withdrew a small piece of preserved beast meat from before he arrived in Beastaria.

It was dry but edible. He tore it in half, handing the other piece to Lunaris. The cat sniffed it suspiciously, then took a careful bite. Its tail flicked approvingly.

"See? Not bad." Nova leaned back against a rock, chewing thoughtfully as he watched the goblin village below. "D-rank, huh? Pathetic on the scale of power, but still organized enough to survive here."

He finished eating, wiping his hand on his cloak. The faint crimson glow in his palm flickered again. "I'll rest for a moment. Then we'll decide if we go through them or around them."

Lunaris purred quietly, curling up beside him. But as Nova's gaze lingered on the goblin settlement, he felt a strange pulse of mana ripple from its center. His expression darkened.

"Something's off," he muttered. "That's not just a D-rank village."

He stood slowly, eyes narrowing as Lunaris looked up alertly, its fur bristling again.

"Looks like we found more than breakfast," Nova said quietly.

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