Ansh leaned heavily against the rough bark of a nearby tree, his breath coming in ragged, shallow gasps. Blood seeped through the fresh tears in his tunic where the wolf's claws had raked him. He tore a strip from his already ruined shirt and pressed it hard against the wound on his chest, wincing as the makeshift bandage soaked through.
"That was dangerously close," he muttered, forcing a dry chuckle. "Fun while the adrenaline pumped, but hell when it fades."
One skeleton rat remained standing near his boot, its bony frame still twitching with residual energy. Ansh wiped sweat from his brow.
"I need more skeletons. Now that I have Undead Energy, I can actually build a proper squad."
-----------
[Regional Chat - Zone 7]
DragonBlood_Kai: "Already killed 10 of them with my E-Rank dragon whelp. The upgrade cost is freaking high, though."
DarkMage_Ruk: "What's high, dragon boy? My zombie only needs 150 energy to go from F to F+. Let's see how our scaled friend upgrades his troops. Hahahah."
MechBuilder_Go: "I survived, barely. Lost seven gear bots in the process. But thanks to my B-Rank talent [Energy to Health], I'm still standing. Pretty solid, right?"
HolyKnight_Leo: "Wait… what about the rest of you? Did anyone else get a talent? I didn't."
DragonBlood_Kai: "Got [Dragon Affinity]. S-Rank. Boosts all stats by 30%. Baby."
DarkMage_Ruk: "[Necromancy Boost]. C-Rank. +15% to undead summoning success and efficiency. At least it's something."
ElfArcher_Lina: "[Forest Blessing]. A-Rank. Regenerates allied troops in wooded areas. Pretty good."
-----------
[SYSTEM NOTE: Defeat the Regional Mini-Boss, Goblin Chief, to unlock World Chat]
[0 Zones have unlocked World Chat]
[Upon Defeating unlock, Trading, Alliances, and Auctions will become available]
MechBuilder_Go: "World Chat? That's huge. Anyone know the boss's rank or location?"
ElfArcher_Lina: "It's too strong for us right now. We should form a temporary alliance."
Unknown_09: "You really think strangers will trust each other when it's life or death?"
BeastMan_Grok: "I'm ready to fight, but we don't even know where we are or how we'll link up with the boss."
HolyKnight_Leo: "We lack the troops to take it down. We only have seven days to prepare. We need more time."
DemonLord_Ash: "Focus on upgrading your troops to F+ or E- first if you want to survive. I've already got one E- Fire Demon. With its presence, I can stay invisible. I'll be able to recruit another one tomorrow."
-----------
"So many people actually pulled talents," Ansh murmured, scrolling through the log.
[Talent:none]
'....'
He typed quickly.
Death_LordAn: "Does anyone know how to upgrade the Lord Hall and Bunker to Tier 1?"
Humankind69: "From what I've seen, it takes 20 Wood, 15 Stone, and one F-Rank Beast Core to upgrade Lord Hall."
Death_LordAn: "Thanks, Heads up to all Lords,don't trust anyone too quickly."
----------
"F-rank beast core, wood, stone… I'll have to gather the rest myself."
Ansh gripped his rusted sword and marched his small skeleton unit toward the tree line. He hacked at low branches with careful swings, knowing every piece of timber counted.
"No idea if branches will register as 'Wood,' but I'm out of options." He piled the snapped limbs and gathered fist-sized stones from the damp soil, his fingers scraping against rough grit.
"Just the core and I have extra Undead Energy left. Need to push past the daily summon cap."
[Lord Interface: Troops]
[Type: Undead]
[Available Unit: Skeleton Rat]
[Daily Summon Cap: 5/10]
"I can summon 5 for free, but I need to spend 5 UE for another 5."
He activated the bunkr. "Summon ten Skeleton Rats."
[Consuming 5 UE to Summon...]
Ten more bony rodents materialized from the dark pool, joints clicking as they fell into formation. Eleven in total now. Ansh adjusted his grip on the sword. Time to hunt.
The canopy thickened as they pushed deeper. Sunlight fractured through dense leaves, casting dappled shadows on the mossy floor. Near a shallow creek, five foxes lowered their heads to drink. Their fur shimmered with an unnatural, faint green tint.
[Forest Fox]
[Rank: F]
[HP: 384]
[STR: 21 (F)]
[AGI: 34 (F)]
[DEF: 10 (F-)]
[Trait: Keen Senses (Detects even the slightest disturbance)]
"Not corrupted. Stats are manageable," Ansh whispered. "Skeleton rats, surround them. Cut off escape routes. Don't let them scatter."
The rats moved with eerie coordination, slipping between roots and ferns to form a loose perimeter. Ansh stepped forward, sword raised.
"Attack."
He charged the nearest fox, but his injured chest flared with pain. The creature bolted, its movements a blur. Too fast. Ansh swung wide, missing by inches. The fox pivoted, jaws snapping toward his leg. He twisted, taking the impact on his thigh instead, the teeth grazing fabric and drawing a fresh line of blood.
Two skeleton rats lunged from the side. The fox dissolved into a patch of shadow, reappearing behind them with a sharp yip.
"Skill activation," Ansh noted. "System didn't flag it,it will keep the pressure!"
The other four foxes were already engaged. Rats darted in packs, biting at flanks and hamstrings. The foxes spun and leapt, but the undead didn't tire. Every time a creature broke free, another rat closed the gap, forcing it back into the fray. The grass grew slick with dirt and crushed leaves.
Ansh wiped sweat from his eyes and adjusted his stance. He couldn't rely on speed. He had to use numbers. He feinted left, drawing the lead fox's attention, then drove his shoulder into its ribs. The impact rattled his own bones, but the beast stumbled. Two rats clamped onto its hind legs.
"Now!" He brought the rusted sword down in a heavy arc.
[Bleeding Effect Activated]
"Due to the rats' bite skill, things got easier, but only one forest fox was affected by it."
The blade bit deep. Dark blood sprayed across the moss. The fox thrashed, but Ansh didn't pull back. He wrenched the sword free and swung again, this time catching the creature across the shoulder. It yelped, collapsing as the rats swarmed its neck.
[Forest Fox has been eliminated]
No time to breathe. He kicked the nearest downed fox away from a rat's grip and charged the next. His boots slipped on wet stone, but he caught himself, driving the pommel of his sword into the creature's muzzle. It staggered. Three rats converged, pinning it to the earth. Ansh finished it with a downward thrust through the chest.
The skeleton rats were heavily injured. Ansh also swung his sword slower than usual at times, so he targeted the fox's joints and eyes, using his body weight to drive each strike.
[Forest Fox has been eliminated]
[Forest Fox has been eliminated]
[Forest Fox has been eliminated]
[Forest Fox has been eliminated]
[Skeleton rat destroyed ×2]
[You have gained 15 Undead Energy]
The creek ran quiet again, save for Ansh's ragged breathing. He dropped to his knees, sword clattering against the dirt. Every muscle trembled. His chest wound throbbed in time with his heartbeat.
"Damn… that was exhausting." He forced himself up, leaning heavily on the hilt. "No rest. Head back before dark."
The trek back felt longer than the hunt. The forest stayed still, offering no other threats, only the crunch of leaves and the distant call of unfamiliar birds. By the time the Lord Hall came into view, twilight had bled into full night.
Ansh collapsed onto the dirt floor outside the structure. He dragged the largest fox carcass forward, its fur matted with dirt and dried blood.
"First time eating fox meat. Hope it doesn't poison me."
He scraped together dry leaves, twigs, and dead grass. Using a strip of vine, he fashioned a friction bow, spinning a hardwood stick against a flat stone until smoke curled, then caught flame. He fed it carefully until a steady fire crackled.
Two skeleton rats paced the perimeter while the others sat motionless around the fire's edge. Their eye sockets glowed with faint blue soul-fire, reflecting the flames.
"First day on the continent of Orin," Ansh said, voice rough but steady. "Started completely alone. Still am, technically." He glanced at the rats. Their heads tilted in unison. "But… I've got you. For now, anyway." A short, tired laugh escaped him.
[Time until Protection Ends: 6 Days, 14 Hours, 20 Minutes]
He skewered a strip of meat over the fire, watching the fat drip and sizzle. Tomorrow, he'd upgrade. Tomorrow, he'd push deeper. For tonight, he just needed to heal, eat, and survive.