Dawn broke over the Eternal Wilderness, painting the sky in hues of pale green and gold. Karl stirred within the Treehouse Sanctuary, the living wood beneath him pulsing faintly with a soothing warmth that had knitted his body back to strength overnight.
The air was crisp, scented with blooming vines and the faint musk of earth, a reminder of the world waiting beyond the Sanctuary's walls. He sat up on his woven mat, the soft glow of the chamber's walls casting long shadows across the floor. His stats flickered into view, restored by sleep and the lingering effects of the Sunfire Fruit he'd eaten the night before:
[Status Panel]
Name: Karl Varn
Lord Level: Bronze II (0/10)
• Strength: 10
• Agility: 11
• Vitality: 14
• Intelligence: 9
Abilities: Breath of Spring
Skills: Herbal Resonance, Vital Touch
Good enough to start the day, he thought, a spark of determination igniting in his chest.
Karl's gaze drifted to the hatchling's nest, where the tiny creature stirred, its feathers ruffling as it let out a soft chirp. Its vitality pulsed stronger now, a steady glow under his Breath of Spring, no longer flickering on the edge of death. The hatchling's beady eyes locked onto him, bright with trust, and Karl felt a tug of responsibility.
Can't keep calling you 'little guy,' he thought,
a faint smile tugging at his lips. "Ember," he murmured, testing the name. It fit—the creature's green-brown feathers shimmered like a spark in the forest's twilight. He dropped a grub into its beak, watching it gulps eagerly, its vitality flaring brighter.
You're growing fast. Maybe you'll be more than a pet someday.
He stood, brushing moss from his jacket, and checked his pouch. Six Essence Crystals remained, their faint green glow humming against his fingers.
His gaze shifted to the Summoning Gate, its emerald frame thrumming with quiet power, whispering of strength, of allies, of survival. Karl drew a steady breath. It was time to act.
Karl descended the vine ladder, the Sanctuary's tendrils warm and responsive under his grip. The Summoning Gate stood sentinel on the eastern rise, its arched frame of braided vines pulsing with emerald light.
The air around it crackled, heavy with potential, the translucent energy field at its center rippling like water disturbed by an unseen stone. Karl's heart thudded, anticipation mixing with nerves.
Time to call forth my first ally.
He pulled a Level-1 Essence Crystal and a summoning shard from his pouch, its warmth tingling against his palm. The summoning mechanics burned in his mind: 90% chance for a Bronze I, 9% for a Bronze II, 1% for a Bronze III.
He needed something strong—something that could hunt, scout, or fight.
Please, don't be a dud.
He pressed the crystal into the gate's rippling field. The vines flared, light surging through their veins like blood through arteries. The air vibrated, a low hum rising to a resonant pulse that shook the ground beneath his boots. The energy field shimmered, then parted, and a shape emerged.
A sleek, plant-infused creature stepped through, its fur a tangle of thorns and moss, glowing green eyes locking onto Karl with feral intensity. A Vine Wolf, Bronze I, its lean frame taut with muscle, vines coiling along its flanks like living armor.
Its vitality pulsed in sync with the Sanctuary, loyal yet wild, a predator bound to his will. The connection made him feel as if someone touched his soul gently. It was warm and soothing.
Karl exhaled, a grin tugging at his lips. "Not bad," he murmured, crouching to meet its gaze.
He rested his hand against the wolf's thorn-laced fur.
"I'll call you Thorn."
The word fitting the creature's sharp, untamed edge. Thorn's ears flicked, its head lowering in acknowledgment, a soft growl rumbling in its throat. Karl's grin widened.
The forest's hum shifted, a subtle warning. Karl's Breath of Spring flared, sensing Thorn's vitality—wild, fierce, but tethered to him, a partner. It can hunt. Scout. Fight.
Relief flooded him, but the weight of responsibility settled heavier. Another mouth to feed, but one that could save his life.
"Let's see what you can do," Karl said, gripping his bone-tipped spear. He led Thorn toward the barrier's edge, staying within its shimmering safety to avoid the wild wolf, the Bronze II beast that haunted his thoughts.
Its singed fur and amber eyes lingered in his memory, a constant threat circling just beyond reach. For now, he'd test Thorn's skills inside the barrier, hunting smaller prey to gauge its strength.
The forest hummed softly, the morning mist curling through the trees like ghostly fingers. Karl scattered a handful of Sunfire Fruit scraps near a snare, their honeyed scent drifting in the air.
Thorn crouched low, its thorned fur blending with the underbrush, eyes locked on the bait. A rustle broke the silence—two rabbit-like creatures hopped into view, their leafy ears twitching. Thorn's muscles tensed, a silent coil of power.
Snap! The snare caught one, vines whipping tight around its leg. The rabbit squealed, thrashing, but Thorn was faster. It lunged, jaws closing on the creature's neck with a sickening crunch.
The second rabbit bolted, but Thorn didn't pursue, returning to Karl's side with the kill dangling from its mouth. Blood dripped onto the moss, the coppery scent sharp in the air. Karl's grin widened. "Good boy, Thorn."
He knelt, carving into the rabbit's body with a bone shard. A faint glow pulsed within—a Level-1 Essence Crystal. He pried it free, its warmth humming against his palm. Another for the Gate. Thorn's tail flicked, its vitality steady, unfazed by the hunt. Karl scratched behind its ears, the thorns surprisingly soft under his fingers.
This could work. With Thorn, I can hunt, gather, maybe even face—
But the forest's hum shifted again—sharper, heavier, a chorus of predatory vitalities closing in. Karl froze, Breath of Spring screaming in warning. Not one. Multiple.
His eyes darted to the tree line, where amber eyes glinted through the mist.
The lone wolf wasn't alone anymore. It was a pack of two Bronze II, three Bronze I wolfs. The leader, its singed fur and scarred flank visible, tested the barrier with a paw, its gaze locking onto Thorn with predatory intent.
Karl's throat tightened. The pack's anger pulsed through his talent, raw and vengeful, likely from the barrier's earlier expulsion.
They know I'm here. They should have smelled the blood. Thorn bared its teeth, thorns bristling, but Karl grabbed its scruff, pulling it back. "Not yet," he hissed.
A direct fight was suicide—five against two, with the Bronze II wolves outmatching Thorn's strength. He needed to be smarter.