The cave was silent for the most part, but there were moments when faint sounds drifted in from the entrance. The first time, he thought he had imagined it—a soft rustling, the barely perceptible crunch of something moving across dried leaves and sticks. He tensed, every muscle locking in place, his ears straining to pick up more. But the sounds never grew closer.
If he had to guess, something had been drawn in by the heavy scent of blood and death outside. Whether it was a scavenger or another predator, he couldn’t say. But given that the sounds faded soon after, whatever had come near had likely decided the feast outside was much more attractive than looking around the area. Hopefully, that meant it had moved on to feast on the remains of the Gloomkin and the Duskfang Stalker.
Time stretched. The darkness was absolute, broken only by the faint glow of the roots along the roof. He had no real way of telling how much time passed, only that the silence continued, pressing in around him like a heavyweight.
His body screamed for rest, but he wasn’t ready to close his eyes just yet. Not while there was still the chance that something was waiting. He sat there, listening, waiting. It felt like hours, though he knew time was hard to track in the dim cave. Eventually, fatigue won out. His head dipped slightly, eyes fluttering closed for just a moment.
A sound.
Kael’s eyes snapped open. It was distant, muffled by the layers of barricade and roots between him and the outside, but it was there—brief, then gone. He remained perfectly still, heart hammering, waiting for it to repeat. Minutes passed. Nothing.
Still, his pulse didn’t slow immediately. He had slept lightly, barely enough to count, but it had been enough for his mind to sharpen slightly. He wasn’t fully recovered, not by a long shot, but at least he wasn’t on the verge of passing out anymore.
Taking a slow, measured breath, Kael turned his attention inward. His Essence core was still drained, though it had regenerated faster with his active input. It was still not nearly enough. He needed it back to full capacity before he left this cave. That meant focusing on refilling it now that he had more time and nothing to do.
Closing his eyes, he fell into his core space. The void stretched before him, vast and silent, with his Essence core floating at its center. Kael didn't waste time and concentrated, starting the process like he had earlier. Visualizing the Essence spiraling inward, he willed it to flow faster. The pull strengthened, the Essence around him reacting, moving toward his core at an accelerated pace.
Almost as soon as he began his mind throbbed, a dull pressure building behind his eyes as he forced the flow to quicken. This technique wasn’t easy. He could already feel the mental fatigue creeping in, making his thoughts sluggish. Four minutes. That was all he could manage before he had to stop and let his mind recover. This time was still longer than when he first attempted it in the cave, the small rest helping.
He took a short break, stretching out his fingers, followed by his neck from how stiff it had gotten from leaning on the side. Then he started again. Another four minutes. Then another break.
The process continued for some time. Each session filled his reserves more than the passive regeneration, making the empty feeling inside him lessen with every cycle. It was slow, but it was progress. At some point, mental exhaustion dragged him under again. His body gave in to the demand for rest, his mind slipping into unconsciousness against his will.
Kael woke again to the faint glow of the roots above him, their illumination stronger than before. His first thought was that it must be morning. The roots seemed to pulse with more vibrance, casting faint blue light across the chamber.
He had made it through the night. Kael didn’t move immediately. Instead, he stayed where he was, waiting, listening. The forest had been deadly at night. He wasn’t about to step out into the open without caution. If predators were returning to their dens now that daylight had arrived, he needed to give them time to settle. Kael smiled to himself, shaking his head slightly. “At least from all this trouble, I know they actually sleep during the day.” That eased his mind at least, more concrete information was good. It would further increase his understanding of this ecosystem, if it could be called that, with monsters and all.
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While he waited, he pulled up his Status. He hadn’t checked it since his level-up, and now that he wasn’t in immediate danger, he had the chance to see what had changed.
[Status]
Name: Kael Aranthis
Level: 7
EXP: 52 / 300
Rank: Mortal
Stats:
- Strength: 20
- Agility: 22
- Endurance: 18
- Intelligence: 22
- Wisdom: 23
- Essence Control: 25
Titles:
- First Blood (Common – +3% increased damage against beasts. Awarded for delivering your first kill after System integration.)
Skills:
- Essence Shaper – Rank 1 (Allows the user to shape, reinforce, and manifest Essence-based constructs. Current efficiency: 10%.)
- Body Reinforcement – Rank 1 (Allows the user to Temporarily enhance and reinforce their body using essence. Depending on the amount of essence used.)
Equipment:
- Hunting Knife (Standard steel blade, well-used but reliable.)
Kael’s brows lifted slightly as he scanned the changes. Level 7. His battle with the Duskfang Stalker had given him a massive chunk of experience. Before he was just at level 6 with 27 exp, it the system really encouraged fighting stronger enemies—there was no comparison between the measly gains from Gloomkin and what the Stalker had given him.
He also noted that his stat increase was growing nicely, giving him an encouraging moral boost. He had been pushing his abilities more and more, refining his techniques and he was looking forward to using the new points to Essence control for further growth.
Kael also noted that his antler blade was not listed in the equipment section either along with his clothes. Kael looked down on himself. The antler blade had been destroyed in the killing of the stalker, and well his so-called cloth could barely be called that, so it made sense to him that it was no longer being listed. Closing the status screen, he sighed. It was time to move.
Kael slowly got to his feet, wincing as his thigh flared with dull pain. The wound had improved over the night, but it was still sore. The bleeding had stopped for the most part, at least. The smaller wounds from his fight had mostly scabbed over, his endurance helping him recover faster than he once would have.
He stepped toward the tunnel, removing some of the stones and dirt to get into the tunnel properly. Then manuvering carefully the uneven ground. The roots embedded in the walls provided better lighting now, making navigation easier than it had been last night.
When he reached the entrance, he stopped. The barricade he had built still stood. He crouched, carefully removing a few small stones, creating a gap just large enough to peek through. Nothing. No movement, no sound. He couldn’t see much through the limited view, but it looked clear.
Still, he didn’t move immediately. He watched for several long moments, ensuring nothing was lurking outside. Only after confirming it was safe did he begin dismantling enough of the barricade to squeeze through.
Kael emerged from the cave taking in the scene. The bodies were gone. Only dried blood and bits of flesh remained, scattered across the forest floor. He frowned at the sight, but he forced himself to focus. Something had cleaned up during the night. Not unexpected, with the amount of dead.
He started lifting his gaze upward. High above, the canopy shifted in the breeze, sunlight filtering down through the gaps. The usual stillness of the forest surrounded him. With no immediate threats in sight, Kael’s mind returned to the previous day’s plan to mislead the Gloomkin. But after everything that happened yesterday, his silly detour turning into a fight for his life, he had wasted the day and had no idea what had happened near his treehouse in his absence. Kael had a bad feeling settle in his gut.
He needed to go back. But before that he took a glance at the hidden cave entrance, realizing that it was the only other shelter he had found ever since finding himself in this forest. The cave was even more important especially if his treehouse had been discovered. It might just be his next best option for shelter. As such he needed to ensure it remained hidden, having another creature using it as a lair, or finding it for that matter was a bad idea if and when he needed it.
Thinking this, before leaving Kael worked to improve the camouflage, ensuring the entrance and the roots blended seamlessly with the area. It wasn't some professional work but it was good in his opinion. Satisfied he turned. Now, he just had to make it back.