Ethan Carver's eyes opened. The embers of the fire were a dull, fading orange, a perfect mirror for the energy reserves in his own system. Sleep wasn't rest; it was a maintenance cycle, a period of low-power processing. His mind was already online, running a diagnostic on the new day.
Prime directive: Establish a Base Camp. The Wanderer's Journal was not a story; it was an intel drop, a post-mortem report from a failed operator. Its faded map was a clear, logical path to a high-value objective: the ruined outpost to the north.
He rose, the stiffness in his limbs a minor debuff he'd have to work through. His supplies were critical. The last of the deer jerky, a handful of bitter roots. The journey north was a calculated risk, an expenditure of resources that had to yield a significant return on investment.
"Kael," his voice was a low, flat command. "On your feet. We're moving out."
The silver-furred wolf uncurled, his amber eyes instantly alert. The bond between them was a clean, efficient data stream. No wasted sentiment, just pure, operational synergy. Ethan packed the journal, his waterskin, and the fire-hardened spear. The Tier 2 summon slot pulsed in his interface, an unopened prize box. He'd save it. Deploying a new, untested asset in the field was inefficient without proper intel.
They moved through the forest like ghosts, a two-man infiltration unit. Ethan's path was a complex algorithm of stealth and energy conservation. Kael was his mobile sensor array, his nose twitching, his ears swiveling, processing the ambient data of the woods. He flagged a pair of aggressive, boar-like beasts long before they were a threat, allowing Ethan to reroute without wasting a single calorie on a pointless engagement.
By midday, the outpost materialized from the trees, a skeleton of crumbling stone and strangling vines. Ethan's mind didn't see history; it saw a tactical schematic. The broken towers were natural sniper nests. The collapsed main gate was a perfect kill funnel. The high walls offered excellent defensive positions but had a significant breach on the eastern flank—a primary vulnerability that would need to be addressed.
He signaled for Kael to begin a wide, silent perimeter sweep while he approached the main structure. The air was thick with the metallic tang of old blood and the silence of a graveyard. A skeleton in rusted armor was slumped against a wall, a cracked pendant clutched in its bony fingers. Ethan pried it loose. The runes were faded, but he could feel a dormant, residual energy within. He pocketed it. A potential resource for later analysis.
Kael's low, warning growl was the only sound. It wasn't directed outside, but inward, toward the shadows of a collapsed barracks.
Ethan drew his spear. He didn't need the System to tell him he wasn't alone. A figure detached itself from the gloom. Lean, weathered, with dark hair pulled back and a dagger held with a familiarity that spoke of long, hard use. It was the scavenger he'd spotted days before. Lila.
"This is a bad place to be alone," she said, her voice a low, cautious rasp.
"I'm not alone," Ethan countered, nodding toward the entrance where Kael now stood, a silent, silver-furred promise of violence. "And I'm not here for a conversation. This is my objective."
Her eyes narrowed, assessing him, processing the cold, hard logic of his statement. She lowered her dagger a fraction. "It could be ours," she offered. "There are supplies here. Herbs, maybe some gear. But there's a reason it's been left alone. Something lives in the old tower. It watches. It hunts."
An alliance. He ran a quick cost-benefit analysis. Her knowledge of the immediate area was a high-value asset. Her combat competence was an unknown variable, but she'd survived this long. The risk of betrayal was moderate, but the risk of facing the unknown threat solo was higher.
"A temporary operational merger," he stated, the words a formal contract. "We clear the primary threat, we split the resources. Agreed?"
"Agreed," she said, her lips twitching in what might have been a smile.
They moved as a three-person unit, Kael taking point. The tower was a dark maw, a place of cold stone and colder silence. As they stepped inside, a deep, guttural snarl echoed from the darkness above, a sound that vibrated in their bones.
Ethan's hand glowed with blue, summoning light. The Tier 2 interface flared to life in his mind, a menu of tactical options. The threat was close, unseen. He needed a new asset, now.
[Summoning Interface Active: Select Tier 2 Summon]
[Option 1: Shadow Wraith – Stealth, Infiltration, High Agility]
[Option 2: Stone Golem – Defense, Durability, High Threat Agro]
[Option 3: Ember Fox – Elemental Damage, Distraction, Area Denial]
The choice was a purely strategic one. The Wraith offered a stealthy scout, but they were already engaged. The Golem was a tank, perfect for holding a choke point. The Fox was a wildcard, an area-of-effect damage dealer.
Lila had already nocked an arrow, her eyes fixed on the shadows above. "Whatever it is," she hissed, "it's big."
His decision solidified. They didn't need a scout or a damage dealer. They needed a wall. He selected the Golem, the weight of command, of this new, fragile alliance, settling on his shoulders. The outpost was a battlefield. But it would become his fortress.