The Shattered Constellations Between Stars

Two Days Later

Nyx was gearing up for another dungeon raid. Despite the repetitive nature of these excursions, she couldn’t deny that she still found a spark of excitement in them. After all, living in a vast forest with nothing but constellations and mystical creatures for company, dungeon raiding felt like her way of keeping herself sharp, prepared for anything.

After breakfast, Nyx strapped on Airy, Ori, and Rion. As she prepared to leave, Drac, ever watchful, gave his usual warning. “Be careful. And watch for the fox,” he growled softly, his red eyes narrowing at the thought of the gluttonous fox lurking around.

“I will,” Nyx replied with a determined nod, her eyes twinkling with excitement for the day ahead.

Len, along with the other Aetherlings—Ryu, Suli, Nabi, and Guerim—joined her for the trek. The dungeon they were headed to lay close to Snake’s territory, and walking gave them time to enjoy the calm before the battle.

As they journeyed, the atmosphere was lighthearted. The Aetherlings flitted about, laughing and teasing each other, making Nyx smile as they bantered.

“Ryu, I bet you can’t fly faster than me!” Nabi challenged, his wings glowing in the sunlight.

Ryu rolled his eyes. “I’m not a showoff, but if I were, you’d be in trouble,” he said, grinning.

They continued like that, playing and jesting until Snake’s territory came into view. They stopped briefly to greet him. As usual, the snake was curled up, eyes half-lidded, seemingly disinterested but still aware of their presence.

“Snake!” Nyx called, waving cheerfully. “We’re just stopping by before heading into the dungeon.”

The snake gave a soft hiss of acknowledgment but remained indifferent. “Do what you must. Just don’t bring any noise back with you.”

Nabi chuckled, whispering to Nyx, “He’s always like that.”

“True, but at least he doesn’t bite,” Guerim added with a smirk.

With the snake’s aloof permission, they ventured toward the outskirts of the territory, where the white dungeon awaited. Nyx’s heart beat a little faster as they approached—she was ready to dive in. The dungeon was familiar but still posed its own challenge.

They stepped inside, the cool air of the dungeon wrapping around them as they moved deeper in. But what they didn’t realize was that someone—or something—was watching them, hidden in the shadows, silently observing their every step.

Inside, it wasn’t much different from other slime dungeons, though there was something curious this time. Two distinct colors of slime—green and blue—oozed along the cavern floors, their gelatinous bodies glistening in the dim light.

Handing Airy to Ryu for safekeeping, Nyx set her stance. “Let’s do this,” she muttered under her breath. Activating Chrono Collapse, she slowed time around the four slimes, their movements becoming sluggish as she pinpointed their cores with her trained eyes.

She lunged, her twilight fangs dagger slicing cleanly through the first slime. Her movements were fluid, deliberate, as she used the Claw of Eternal to remove the cores, watching with satisfaction as the slimes dissolved into puddles.

This process went on for what felt like hours, the repetitive nature of slime hunting wearing thin at times. But Nyx stayed focused, pausing only to grab a quick bite with the others when they took brief breaks.

“These slimes sure like to hide,” Suli said, her tiny wings buzzing. “I’ve never seen so many packed into one dungeon.”

Nyx nodded, wiping her brow. “It’s definitely more crowded than usual.”

But she pressed on, and after what seemed like an endless onslaught of slimes, they finally reached the boss room. The air felt heavier here, more electric. Nabi and Guerim, with a grunt of effort, pushed open the massive stone doors.

Inside, the boss slime loomed larger than the others, pulsating with anticipation. Nyx felt the rush of adrenaline spike through her veins. She had done this countless times, but the thrill of a boss fight always made her heart race.

Keeping calm, she took a deep breath, centered herself, and activated Chrono Collapse once more. The boss slime slowed to a crawl as she pinpointed its core.

“Here we go,” Nyx whispered, darting forward in a flash.

She moved with precision, her dagger clashing against the slime’s thick, gelatinous surface. Every time the boss tried to push back, she countered with a deft strike, using lightning mastery to paralyze it for just a moment, enough time to strike at its vulnerable core.

It took time—back and forth exchanges of attacks, her body growing tired as she dodged and struck—but finally, with a powerful slash from her Claw of Eternal, she snatched the core, and the boss slime dissolved into nothingness.

Panting but triumphant, Nyx grinned. “Another one down.”

The others cheered for her, their wings buzzing in excitement as they gathered the treasure. Nyx placed the loot carefully into Airy and glanced around.

“Another successful raid,” she said, her voice filled with satisfaction.

The group made their way out of the dungeon, the victory fresh in their minds. Before heading back to Drac’s cave, they decided to stop by Snake’s domain for a quick farewell.

“Hopefully, he won’t mind us swinging by again,” Nabi said with a playful wink.

With the day’s adventure behind them, they teleported back to Snake’s lair, then finally made their way home, ready to rest after another successful raid.

******************************************

After they reached the Snake’s cave, they were pleasantly surprised. Something unexpected had happened. The Snake greeted Nyx with a bundle of fruits—safe for her to eat. This had never happened before, and Nyx couldn’t help but blink in surprise as he presented them to her.

“These are for you,” he said coolly, his voice like a slow hiss. He placed the bundle before her, filled with strange, shimmering fruits.

He explained each one as he pointed them out:

“Stardew Pear—glows under the moonlight, tastes like the stars, very refreshing.”

“Frostberry—tiny, ice-blue berries that chill the air around them. They have a cool, minty flavor.”

“And this one, Sunfruit—golden, radiates warmth, tastes like a blend of citrus and honey.”

Nyx was genuinely grateful, looking at the fruits in awe. “Thank you,” she said, still a bit shocked. “Why are you doing this?”

The Snake narrowed his eyes and smirked slightly, “Don’t think too much into it. Just take the fruits.”

She nodded, accepting the strange but kind gesture. Afterward, she told him about raiding the dungeon successfully and mentioned that she would be heading back to Drac. As expected, the Snake quickly shooed them away, waving a dismissive hand.

The group burst into laughter as they left, with Nyx once again thanking him for the fruits.

As they walked through the forest, chatting and enjoying the peaceful atmosphere, Nyx snacked on the fruits with a smile on her face. It was calm, the perfect ending to the day—until a familiar voice interrupted the peace.

“Nyx!” The voice called out, persistent and unmistakable. She froze. It was the Fox.

Her smile dropped, and frustration bubbled up. She turned sharply toward the voice, her eyes narrowing in a fierce glare. The fox, seeing her expression, grimaced. He could tell she was getting her attitude from the Dragon.

Len and the Aetherlings looked confused. They didn’t know who this was or why he kept calling for Nyx, but they felt the tension rise. Even though the Fox appeared calm and casual, something about him made them uneasy.

Nyx turned fully toward him, crossing her arms. She didn’t want to give him any more attention than necessary, but she had to deal with this sooner or later.

“What do you want?” she snapped.

The Fox came closer, holding up his hands in a show of peace. “I mean no harm,” he said smoothly, “I just want to talk.”

Nyx wasn’t convinced. Her defenses stayed up as she shot back, “I don’t have anything to say to you.”

The Fox tried again. “I think we got off on the wrong foot,” he began, his tone softening. “Let me introduce myself. I am the Constellation of the Nine-Tailed Fox, god of Gluttony, just like the others you know.”

Nyx and the others were taken aback, but she quickly masked her surprise. She wasn’t going to let him see how this affected her.

“And what? Am I supposed to be happy about that?” she spat back, her tone dripping with sarcasm.

The Fox was clearly caught off guard by her response. He chuckled softly, but there was an edge of irritation in his eyes. “I see now that what I did before was wrong,” he said smoothly, “So, I’m offering a compromise.”

Nyx raised an eyebrow, unimpressed. “What kind of compromise?”

“Let’s make a deal,” he said, leaning in slightly. “You give me your food, and I’ll give you a skill. What do you say?”

She scoffed, genuinely insulted. Did he really think she was that easy to manipulate?

“No.”

The Fox blinked. “No?” he repeated, as if he couldn’t believe what he was hearing.

“No,” she said again, her voice firm. “I’m not interested.”

Without another word, Nyx quickly teleported herself and the others back to Drac, leaving the Fox standing alone, a mix of defeat and strange satisfaction crossing his face. For the first time, he seemed both irritated and oddly pleased with the outcome.