The forest was eerily quiet now, the only sounds the distant rustling of leaves and the occasional drip of blood onto the torn-up earth. Jack took slow, cautious steps toward the massive corpse of the Earthborn Ursine, his breath still coming in steady, controlled exhales. The fight had been brutal, and despite the advantage he had taken, he could still feel the weight of fatigue settling into his limbs.

  His eyes scanned the body of the fallen beast, taking in its massive, stone-like fur and the deep gouges left by the Sanguine Stag’s final struggle. He had been lucky. If not for the injuries the bear had sustained before their fight, he doubted he could have taken it down so cleanly. Even now, the sheer presence of the creature was daunting. If not for the stillness of its body, he might have believed it was only resting, waiting for the right moment to rise once more.

  As he took another step closer, something caught his eye. Near the center of the disturbance, where the soil had been torn apart by the ferocity of the battle, a small, brown stone rested among the bloodstained dirt. It pulsed faintly, as though something within it was still alive. Jack furrowed his brow, stepping closer and kneeling to get a better look.

  His fingers brushed against the surface, and the moment he touched it, a familiar sensation coursed through him—a tugging at the edge of his awareness, something that felt both foreign and innately connected to him. Recognition dawned in his mind.

  Soul Trap.

  Jack exhaled sharply, lifting the stone in his palm and inspecting it more closely. The weight of it was light, but there was something undeniably potent within. As he focused, a translucent window appeared before his eyes, revealing its details:

  [Filled Soul Gem

  Rarity: Rare

  Quality: Good

  Durability: 30/30

  Material: Earthborn Ursine Soul

  Description: This Gem contains the soul of an Earthborn Ursine. It can be used to augment various items but is especially effective when used to augment Earth-aligned materials]

  Jack turned the gem over between his fingers, his mind racing through the implications. He had known about Soul Trap, of course—an ability that had manifested some time ago, but one he had little experience with. This was the second time he had successfully captured a soul without meaning to.

  He let out a slow breath. The soul of an Earthborn Ursine. That had to mean something. If he could use this to augment equipment, then a piece of gear infused with the raw might of a creature like this could be invaluable. Earth-aligned materials... He thought back to the notes he had read in the Dungeon’s book. If he combined the stone with the right kind of material, this could be the key to creating something amazing.

  Jack turned the small brown stone over in his fingers, its surface smooth yet strangely warm. A faint glow pulsed within, like the dying embers of a fire buried deep in the earth. He could feel something inside—something lingering. The essence of the Earthborn Ursine.

  A part of him hesitated. This wasn’t just a piece of the bear; it was its soul. A lingering fragment of its being, trapped within the gem by his own ability. He hadn’t even consciously activated Soul Trap—it had simply happened, absorbing the Ursine’s spirit in the moment of its death.

  His grip tightened slightly around the stone. Was this… right?

  Jack had killed before, more times than he could count. He had spilled the blood of beasts, monsters, and men alike, sometimes in self-defense, sometimes in battle, and sometimes because survival demanded it. He had stripped the hides from his kills, used their bones for tools, their meat for sustenance. He didn’t waste. He didn’t kill for sport. But this—this was different, wasn’t it?

  He wasn’t just taking the creature’s body. He had taken its soul.

  The thought sat uncomfortably in his chest, but the more he dwelled on it, the more it started to seem… meaningless. What was a soul to a beast? Did it truly matter?

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  Jack exhaled, running a hand through his hair. He had no way of knowing what death meant for creatures like this. Did they have an afterlife? Did they reincarnate? Or did their souls simply fade away like mist in the morning sun? If it weren’t for his Soul Trap, this Ursine’s spirit would have just… vanished. Now, at least, it could serve a purpose.

  He looked down at the massive carcass, its stone-like fur matted with blood. If he had simply skinned it, taken its hide to craft armor, would that have been any different? He was using what was left of the beast to make himself stronger, just as he had always done.

  That was the way of things.

  Jack let out a breath and tucked the Filled Soul Gem into his pouch. There was no use in dwelling on it. The Ursine had been a mighty creature, and now, even in death, its strength would not be wasted.

  That was enough.

  Jack stood, tightening his grip on the gem before slipping it into his pouch. His eyes turned back to the corpse of the bear. He still had work to do. If he could salvage any usable parts—hide, bones, or even remnants of its crystalline formations—he might be able to craft something truly worthwhile.

  He stepped forward and crouched beside the massive body of the Earthborn Ursine, running his fingers over its coarse, stone-like fur. Despite the sheer brutality of their battle, the bears hide had held up remarkably well. There were gashes where his spear had struck, and deep wounds left by the Sanguine Stag’s thrashing, but the thick, earthen pelt was still largely intact. It would make excellent armor—dense, durable, and resistant to damage.

  Jack exhaled slowly as he stood up again. He had some work ahead of him.

  But first, the stag.

  His boots crunched against the blood-soaked earth as he turned to examine what little remained of the Sanguine Stag’s corpse. The once-majestic creature was now little more than a ruin of shredded muscle and shattered bone, its body torn apart by the Ursine’s crushing blows and the pounding earth. The blood magic that had momentarily revived it had done nothing to protect it from the overwhelming force of the bear’s Avalanche.

  Jack sighed. There was nothing left worth salvaging—not the hide, not the meat, not even the hooves. But something else caught his eye.

  Lying amidst the churned-up dirt were the stag’s antlers, dark red like congealed blood, jagged where they had snapped off in the battle. Unlike the rest of its body, they remained pristine, as though untouched by the carnage. Jack crouched and picked one up, feeling an odd warmth beneath his fingertips. There was still power in them—subtle, but present.

  He ran his thumb along the serrated edge. These would be useful.

  However he had a problem. When he tried moving the body of the Ursine he found that it was incredibly dense. So much so, that without leverage there was no way he would be able to carry it even with his Strength.

  He scanned the area, eyes narrowing as he spotted several thick vines dangling from a nearby tree, their fibers strong enough to serve as bindings. Nearby, fallen branches—some thick and sturdy—littered the forest floor. Those would do.

  First, he turned his attention to the Sanguine Stag’s antlers. They lay a short distance away, snapped cleanly off in the battle, their deep crimson hue gleaming faintly even in the muted forest light. Jack crouched beside them, running his fingers along the jagged bases. There was a strange energy lingering in them, a faint pulse of something old and violent. He had no doubt they still carried a trace of the stag’s power.

  He needed to secure them before he attempted to move the bear.

  Jack reached for the vines, testing their durability before carefully wrapping them around the base of the antlers. He fashioned a crude harness, tightening the bindings until he was sure they wouldn’t slip free. Satisfied, he slung them over his back, adjusting the weight until it rested comfortably. They were heavier than he expected, but manageable.

  Now for the bear.

  Jack moved quickly, gathering the strongest branches he could find. He wedged them beneath the Ursine’s front legs, angling them to act as makeshift handles. It wouldn’t be elegant, and it wouldn’t be easy, but it was his best option.

  Bracing himself, he bent his knees, dug his heels into the dirt, and grabbed hold of the branches. With a deep breath, he pulled.

  The Ursine’s immense bulk resisted him at first, an unmoving wall of muscle and stone-like hide. Jack clenched his teeth and hauled with everything he had. His muscles burned, tendons straining as he forced the carcass forward inch by inch. The dirt beneath it scraped and groaned in protest, but finally, it began to slide.

  The process was agonizingly slow. Every step forward was a struggle, his breath coming in harsh, ragged gasps. Sweat dripped down his brow, soaking into his collar. His arms trembled under the strain, his shoulders screaming in protest, but he refused to stop. The Pool of Purity wasn’t far. He just had to keep going.

  The journey felt endless, but at last, the clearing came into view. The pool’s pristine waters shimmered in the fading light, a stark contrast to the blood and dirt smeared across Jack’s hands and clothes. With one final burst of effort, he dragged the Ursine’s corpse to the water’s edge and let go, stumbling back as his muscles finally gave out.

  Panting, he rolled his shoulders, stretching out the stiffness in his limbs. Then, carefully, he unshouldered the stag’s antlers, setting them down beside the fallen bear. His work wasn’t finished yet—there was still much to do. But for now, he had succeeded in bringing his prize home.

  [You have driven your body to its limit]

  [You have gained + 3 Endurance]

  [You have gained + 3 Strength]