Snorts. Hooves. Dark shapes burst from the underbrush—four, maybe five more boars, charging out of the shadows, eyes blazing with wild fury.
"Shit—!" Karl hissed, teeth clenched. He heaved the carcass with desperate strength, muscles screaming in protest. Each step was a stumble, boots scraping against the dirt, the ground trembling beneath the thunder of hooves.
The herd closed in fast—snarling, enraged—just as the shimmering veil of the barrier flared around him, swallowing him and the kill in its protective glow.
The boars slammed into the invisible wall a heartbeat later. The ground shook with the impact. Tusks gouged at nothing, hooves churned the soil, but the barrier held. Snarls and enraged squeals split the night as they battered it again and again.
Karl's pulse hammered. His knuckles whitened around the spear. A reckless thought pushed through his panic—I can fight from here. They can't touch me.
He thrust. The spear struck against the boar beyond the barrier, the shock jarring his arms. The tip slid off a boar's hide, leaving only a shallow scratch.
Crack.
The wood splintered. His eyes widened as the shaft snapped near the middle.
The boars bellowed louder, frenzy sparked by blood. Dust and leaves flew as they rammed the barrier one final time—then, as suddenly as they came, they withdrew, their heavy steps fading into the forest.
Silence crept back in, broken only by Karl's ragged breaths. He scanned the tree line, nerves taut, but no amber eyes glowed in the dark.
Only then did he let out the air burning in his lungs. Turning back, his gaze fell on the boar's body lying at his feet, blood pooling beneath it.
But then he noticed it—something glimmering faintly within the beast's chest.
A soft green light pulsed beneath its ribs, no larger than a marble.
Karl's breath caught. An Essence Crystal.
His hands trembled as he dug into the wound, fingers closing around the orb. It was warm, thrumming gently against his skin—alive in its own way. Just like the few he had stored in his pouch. He pried it free, its glow steady, its vitality clean.
A Level-1 Crystal. Useful, though now that he had advanced, he could no longer absorb its essence directly.
Still, its value wasn't lost—it could fuel a summoning.
His gaze shifted to the pouch at his side. fifteen Summoning Shards shimmered faintly within, their fractured lights weaving together like a promise. Soon. Soon he would be able to heal the seed further—and summon his first companion.
He dragged the boar's carcass into the centre of the barrier, grunting at its weight. Not unbearable, but heavy enough to make his muscles burn.
Meat.
The word alone made his mouth water, saliva pooling at the thought. He hadn't realized how hollow his belly felt until now.
He had no fire, no proper tools. Raw? The idea twisted his gut. But hunger pressed harder. I'll figure it out.
[4 days, 15 hours, 33 minutes].
He forced himself to move, eyes scanning for dry bark or flint—anything that might spark a flame.
Then, as if drawn by the movement behind the bush, Karl turned his head.
The forest's hum shifted, no longer background noise but a sharp, insistent warning. His Breath of Spring flared, thrumming against his ribs—vitality, heavy and suffocating, drawing closer with deliberate purpose.
Then, as if drawn by the movement behind the bush, Karl turned his head.
The forest's hum shifted, no longer a backdrop but a sharp, insistent warning. His Breath of Spring pulsed hard against his ribs—vitality, heavy and suffocating, moving closer with deliberate intent.
His blood ran cold.
Between the trees, two amber eyes gleamed, unblinking. Watching. Closer this time.
The wolf.
It stepped into view, lean frame stretched taut with quiet power, every stride measured, silent. A low growl rumbled from its throat, the sound crawling along Karl's spine.
The dead boar from earlier was gone he has dragged inside, its blood a dark smear on the ground.
It's back. Karl's heart slammed against his ribs, his spear raised instinctively. It knows. It knows I killed something. It smells the blood.
The wolf paced in a slow arc, amber eyes fixed on him, unblinking, relentless. Not attacking. Not retreating. Just watching. Waiting.
Karl edged backward, boots scuffing the dirt, inching toward the barrier. His heel brushed a root, the crude deadfall trap just a few steps away. If it comes closer, it'll hit the tripwire.
But the wolf halted, ears flicking as though it sensed the danger strung across the ground. Its head tilted slightly, too sharp, too aware.
Smart bastard.
Karl's throat constricted, his Breath of Spring screaming in warning. The vitality radiating from the beast pressed against him like a weight—denser, heavier than his own. Bronze… Level 2.
The wolf exhaled, a rough snort that frosted the air, then turned away. Without sound, without hurry, it slipped back into the tree line, shadows swallowing the gleam of its eyes.
Karl stayed frozen until even the faintest echo of its presence vanished. His chest heaved, every breath a ragged scrape. That was too close.
Shoving the fear down, he turned to what mattered most. "I need fire. Now."
He scraped flint-like stones together until sparks caught on dried moss, coaxing a small flame into life. The warmth bloomed against the chill, a fragile barrier against the dark. Soon the crackle of burning sticks filled the clearing.
The smell of roasting meat drifted up as he held strips of boar meat above the fire, his mouth watering so fiercely it hurt. When the first bite hit his tongue—juicy, smoky, real—his whole body sagged with relief. He ate until his belly stopped aching, then washed it down with berries, their tart juice quenching his thirst.
Strength seeping back into his limbs, Karl knelt by the Territory Seed once more. His hands hovered over its fragile shoot, Breath of Spring flowing out in gentle waves. The cracks sealed further, its green glow brightening, the soil pulsing faintly with life. A new prompt flickered:
[Evolution Countdown: 2 Days, 00:00:00]
Karl's lips split into a tired grin. Tomorrow… maybe tomorrow it'll be whole again.
Exhaustion finally claimed him. Curling near the fire's dying embers, spear within reach, he drifted into the deepest sleep he'd had since arriving here.