Phoenix Vanguard: Legends of Astravera

An Unseen Watcher

The next morning, Andres woke up feeling refreshed and energized, eager to start the day. His mind buzzed with excitement from yesterday’s hunt, and he quickly added his hard-earned points into Strength, Agility, and Endurance, feeling the surge of power course through his body.

"Let’s see what we got," he muttered to himself, recalling that Haruki was managing all the loot. A mischievous grin crept onto his face as he looked over at his friend, still fast asleep.

Unable to resist, Andres shook Haruki’s shoulder. "Hey, slave, wake up!" he called out playfully, trying to rouse him.

But Haruki, exhausted from the battles the day before, didn’t stir. His soft snoring was the only response.

Growing impatient, Andres remembered the little trick Haruki had pulled on him back in the cave when he was fast asleep. Revenge had never felt so sweet. Without a second thought, Andres leaped into the air and landed squarely on Haruki’s head, letting out a loud, obnoxious fart that almost engulfed his friend’s face.

Haruki shot up in bed, fury blazing in his eyes. "Joke with a drunk, not someone who’s just woken up!" he snarled, glaring at Andres.

Andres burst out laughing, clutching his sides. "Back at you, slave!" he howled, the laughter escaping uncontrollably from his mouth.

A few minutes later, once the stink had faded and Haruki’s glare had softened, Andres wiped away his tears of laughter and nudged him. “Alright, let’s see all the treasures we got from yesterday’s grind.”

Haruki, still shaking his head but clearly amused, sat up and opened his inventory. He began listing their spoils, his voice losing its sleepy edge as he spoke.

“Here’s the tally:

376 Enhancement Crystals

241 Wolf Bones

162 Spirit Dust

3 Wolf's Wisdom

2 Spirit Blades"

He handed over Andres’s share of the loot as they had previously agreed.

Andres received:

188 Enhancement Crystals

121 Wolf Bones

81 Spirit Dust

2 Wolf's Wisdom

1 Spirit Blade

Andres examined the Spirit Blade, twirling it between his fingers before tossing it back to Haruki with a casual shrug. “I don’t need this. You keep it.”

Haruki didn’t hesitate, catching the blade with a grateful nod. “Thanks, man,” he said, adding it to his inventory with a satisfied smile.

Andres looked over his growing inventory, filled with items he and Haruki had collected from their various battles.

282 Enhancement Crystals

17 Stone Fragments

13 Treasure Maps

14 Cricket Wings

111 Spirit Dust

126 Wolf Bones

2 Wolf's Wisdom

Scratching his head, Andres felt a little lost about what to do with it all. “What am I supposed to do with all this?” he asked, looking to Haruki for guidance.

Haruki gave a small laugh, sensing his friend’s confusion. “We can sell some of it for gold and start saving up for refinement,” he explained. Seeing Andres’s blank expression, he decided to break it down. “Take this Spirit Blade, for example. It’s an epic tier weapon. If I want to upgrade it to the legendary tier, I’ll need: