“Stay close,” she murmured, voice low but earnest. “The Wilds are unpredictable—both land and beast.”
Kael nodded, every sense alert. The path ahead wound between gnarled trees whose bark glowed faintly with bioluminescent lichen, casting an eerie emerald light over the underbrush. Mist curled around their boots with each step, and somewhere beyond the treeline, a distant roar rattled his bones.
He inhaled sharply. The system’s objective list still glowed in his mind:
1. Survive Threats from Obsidian Order (1/∞)
2. Discover System Mechanics (0/100)
3. Locate First Safe Haven
No mention yet of leveling up or skill points—yet Kael sensed something had changed. The adrenaline from the patrol encounter rushed through him in frosty tingles, a promise of growth.
“Virelle,” he asked, “how far to this safe haven?”
She glanced over her shoulder. “The village of Hartwood—about ten kilometers north. Small folk, wary of strangers, but honest.” Her tone softened. “If we make it there by nightfall, you might rest—and I can teach you to scavenge supplies.”
They pressed on, passing half?buried ruins of an old watchtower. Ivy choked its broken stones; birds nested in its hollows. Kael’s mind wandered: civilization’s ghost, now reclaimed by nature. Even the strong fade with time.
A sudden snap of twigs made him stumble forward. Virelle froze, dagger drawn. A pair of yellow eyes glowed from beneath a log nearby. When the creature stepped into the green lamplight, Kael’s breath caught—two wolf?like beasts, each as large as a hunting hound, covered in mottled gray fur and baring razor teeth.
“Dire Wolves,” Virelle whispered. “Young pack—hungry.”
Kael’s pulse spiked. He backed toward Virelle, notebook half?visible beneath his cloak. “Can your dagger stop them?”
She shook her head. “Not alone.”
Kael fumbled for the notebook. Skills, he thought. The page flickered open:
|————— SKILL LIST —————|
| 1. Barrier (Active) Level 2
| 2. Flash Step (Locked)
| 3. Detect (Locked)
| 4. Nullify (Locked)
| 5. Mana Bolt (Locked)
|————— AVAILABLE POINTS: 1 —————|
His heart thundered at Available Points: 1. He had leveled up—likely from surviving the flintlock ambush. Below, a new entry:
[00:35] Gained 1 Skill Point for “Survive patrol encounter.”
“Mana Bolt,” he whispered. The name pulsed in his chest—a simple spell: a projectile of arcane energy. Perfect for testing in a fight he could not avoid.
Virelle spoke softly. “Can you cast it?”
Kael swallowed. He’d never used an offensive spell before; his Barrier was defensive, reactionary. Now, facing two snarling beasts, he had to choose: stand his ground, or flee—and risk being tracked by the Order’s magic sensors.
He took a breath and tapped the page: Allocate 1 Point to Mana Bolt? [Y/N]
His finger trembled, but he pressed Y.
Instantly, the “Locked” tag vanished:
5. Mana Bolt (Active) Level 1
A line glowed beneath the list:
The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.
Skill Points: 0
Use [CAST] to activate.
“Now,” Virelle hissed, eyes fixed on the nearer wolf. It sniffed the air and crouched low, coiling for a pounce.
Kael steadied himself. “CAST Mana Bolt.”
A sphere of pale blue light formed in his palm, humming with contained energy. The wolf leapt—muscles rippling, jaws open—and Kael hurled the bolt.
It streaked through the moss?draped branches, striking the wolf in mid?air. The creature yelped, disintegrating into motes of silver light that drifted like embers.
The second wolf snarled, pouncing on Virelle. She rolled aside, dagger flashing, cutting shallow furrows into its flank. It snarled anew and lunged at Kael.
Kael’s breath caught. He conjured another bolt, but the beast was too close. Its maw snapped at his shoulder. Pain flared, burning like cold iron. He retreated, those he’d cast spent.
Mana: 8/10
His lips curved into a grim smile—he still had mana left. But an unspent Barrier could buy him time. He dove to the side, chanting, “Shield.”
The dome of silver light erupted around him, just as the wolf’s claws tore through the grass. It shook its head violently, trying to rip him free. Kael reached inside the barrier, summoned another bolt—this time at point?blank range.
The lightball shattered against the wolf’s chest, and the noise echoed like thunder in the woods. The beast collapsed, its form unraveling until only twitching fur and a pained snarl remained. Then even that faded.
Kael staggered upright, chest heaving. The barrier vanished, and he dropped to his knees. Blood trickled from a shallow gash on his right shoulder. His fingers shook as he touched the wound—it stung, but wasn’t deep.
Virelle knelt beside him, tearing a strip of cloth from her tunic to bind the cut. “Well done,” she said quietly. Her tone held respect—and a hint of something else, perhaps relief.
He managed a nod, tasting metallic blood on his tongue. Healer’s herbs, he realized. He’d need them soon.
The forest was silent again, save for Kael’s ragged breaths and the distant rustle of leaves. Two shattered corpses lay where the wolves had fallen, their forms fully dissolved by the system’s disintegration effect. He rose slowly, eyes hooded against nausea.
“Pace yourself,” Virelle advised, voice gentle. “You used two points of mana and your barrier—only half your resources. In a prolonged fight, you’d deplete yourself before an enemy even draws breath.”
Kael’s chest tightened. I need better control. He held out his hand, summoned the notebook open to Status:
|————— STATUS —————|
| Level: 2
| EXP: 100/200
| Health: 60/75
| Mana: 8/10
| Strength: 5
| Agility: 7
| Intelligence:9
| Skill Points:0
|————— LOG —————|
| [00:00] System Initialized.
| [00:02] Host awakened.
| [00:05] Objective: SURVIVE.
| [00:35] +1 SP: survived patrol.
| [00:40] +1 SP: defeated dire wolves.
His blood pounded as he read the new log entry. Defeated dire wolves—he’d earned XP again. But at what cost? His heart ached from fear, adrenaline, and the weight of killing—even in self?defense.
Virelle studied him. “Every skill use, every victory, comes with a toll. But without these moments, you won’t grow.” She handed him a small leather pouch. “Eat one of these.” Inside: dried red leaves. “Healing oaks. Chew if the wound bleeds too much.”
Kael crushed a leaf between his teeth. A warm rush swelled through his shoulder, and pain eased to a dull throb.
He nodded. “Thank you.” His gratitude was sincere—and heavy with unspoken fear.
They pressed on, following a winding deer trail that hugged a shallow creek. Virelle moved with quiet confidence; Kael limped beside her, sampling mushrooms she pointed out, filling his satchel with roots and bark. Soon the forest thinned, giving way to rolling hills dotted with wooden cottages in the distance.
“See those smoke trails?” Virelle pointed east. “Hartwood.”
Kael’s chest tightened at the sight of chimneys curling into the afternoon sky. Civilization loomed again—safety, perhaps, but also the risk of Order agents. He glanced at his torn shoulder cloth and the faint glow of his notebook through his coat.
Virelle noticed his hesitation. “Once inside, you’ll find shelter and supplies. But remember: the Order’s influence extends far beyond the city walls. Keep your system hidden.”
He swallowed. “Understood.”
They approached a rutted road leading into the village. A rusted gatehouse marked the entrance—now abandoned, its sentinel towers crumbled. A single villager—a woman carrying firewood—glanced at Kael and Virelle, mistrust flickering across her lined face. Kael forced a friendly smile; the woman averted her eyes.
Virelle dropped to one knee beside a stone marker. “Leave your coats here,” she said, unfastening her own cloak. “Blend in. I’ll take us to the inn; you rest and gather your strength.”
Kael hesitated, but the weight of armor—both physical and emotional—weighed him down. He shrugged off his soaked cloak and draped it over the marker’s mossy top.
“Good,” Virelle whispered. “Now follow me—but no magical displays. Not yet.”
He nodded, heart pounding. He had survived his first real test, unlocked an offensive skill, and taken a wound that would scar. Tomorrow, he would wake in a stranger’s home, and the real learning would begin: reading scrolls, practicing spells, forging a reputation that might keep the Obsidian Order at bay.
Together, they slipped through the gatehouse—two shadows among many—toward the hearth and rumors awaiting inside Hartwood’s inn.