The howl from the night before was still ringing in Draven head when he woke. It was an unanswered question, and Draven hated unanswered questions. He rose before the sun, the kiss from the night before a phantom warmth on his skin. It was a new variable, one that felt less like a complication and more like an anchor.
Grayfang was already up, a silent mountain of muscle and ancestral power, his silver eyes locked on the valley. The keep was quiet. Jaxon's snores, Kara's steady breathing. This was his to protect.
The Automated Trap System was a pending unlock in his UI, but it was worthless without intel. The howl came first.
"Morning," Kara's voice was husky with sleep as he stoked the fire. She blinked the sleep from her eyes, and for a second, she wasn't a deadly scout, just a woman waking up in a dangerous world. He handed her a waterskin.
"That howl," he said, no preamble needed. "We find it today."
She just nodded. Jaxon woke with a grunt, and over a quick meal of roasted meat, the plan was set.
The descent into the valley was a quiet, methodical process. Grayfang moved ahead like a ghost, his Scent of the Ancients ability tasting the air. They moved like a single organism: Kara on point, Jaxon on flank, Draven as the central nerve.
Grayfang froze. A low growl rumbled in his chest. Draven signaled a halt, and through the trees, he saw it. The source of the howl wasn't a pack; it was a single, massive beast with matted crimson fur and horns like twisted iron, pacing around a nest of shimmering eggs. Territorial.
The System pinged, an unsolicited tactical brief.
[Scan: Crimson Thornbeast – Tier 4 Wild Entity]
[Status: Aggressive | Protecting Clutch]
[Abilities: Horn Charge, Venom Spray, Territorial Roar]
Challenging, but manageable. "New plan," Draven whispered. "We don't fight it. We delete it. Kara, get its attention. Aim for the flank, make it mad. Grayfang, you're the disrupter. Jaxon, you're the hammer. I'll be the scalpel."
Kara's Essence Fang arrow was a perfect shot. The Thornbeast roared and charged, a freight train of muscle and fury. It was exactly what Draven wanted. Grayfang's Spectral Charge hit it like a ghost, making it stumble. Jaxon's Essence-Infused Sword came down in a brutal, cleaving arc. And Ethan was a blur, his dagger finding the soft spots—joints, belly, neck—with cold, calculated precision. It was over in thirty seconds of controlled violence.
[Combat Log: Crimson Thornbeast Defeated]
[Resource Drop: Thornbeast Hide x1, Venom Glands x3, Shimmering Eggs x5]
"Now that's a clean kill," Jaxon said, breathing hard.
Draven was already kneeling by the nest. The eggs pulsed with a faint, magical energy. "These are the real prize," he said, carefully stowing them. Potential new summons. New assets.
Back at the keep, the spoils were processed with practiced efficiency. While Jaxon rendered the venom glands and Kara planted some edible roots they'd found, Draven took the eggs to the forge. The anvil's whispers reacted instantly. Hatch the potential. Bind the bloodline.
A new quest appeared, unbidden.
[Quest: Incubate the Clutch]
[Reward: New Summon Variant Unlock]
He started a slow, controlled infusion of energy from a mana crystal, turning the forge into a makeshift incubator. Later, they climbed Jaxon's newly completed watchtower. The sun was setting, painting the valley in shades of blood and gold. From this vantage point, their small, fortified island of sanity looked out on an infinite, hostile sea. Kara leaned against him, a silent, solid presence.
And as the first stars appeared, a new sound drifted up from the east. Not a howl. Not the roar of a beast.
Drums. Rhythmic, organized, and getting closer.
Draven eyes narrowed. The realms were sending them a new problem.
He looked down at his UI, at the notification of their latest achievement.
[Milestone Achieved: Valley Secured]
[Unlock: Territory Mapping Interface]
Good. He was going to need it.