After eight days of silent travel through the void, the pod finally entered the atmosphere of the planet.
I pressed my hand against the inner hatch and felt the pod respond, its silver frame hissing as the door opened. A rush of cold air swept inside.
Well… looks like we made it.
I stepped out, my bare feet touching damp soil. The sky above was a deep, endless black sprinkled with unfamiliar stars. The forest around me swayed in the night breeze, thick with unseen life and threads of spiritual energy that shimmered faintly against my vision.
Good. Nighttime.
Night wasn't entirely bad. I could try using a basic technique from the handbooks Nebula had left for me—methods to survive, observe, and harness spiritual energy. One exercise stood out: if I could flow energy directly into the retina of my eyes, I could see clearly even in darkness.
I concentrated, drawing spiritual energy up from within and channeling it into my retinas. The world sharpened faintly; shadows thinned, outlines glimmered—but it was far from perfect. I can barely see.
A quiet laugh escaped me. "Hahaha… nevermind. Guess my technique isn't refined yet."
Still, the energy in this area was decent. Threads of spiritual energy pulsed faintly through the clearing and surrounding forest, enough that I could wait here until dawn to naturally replenish my reserves. Even without focusing, I felt the energy flowing through me, but I had no idea what dangers might be lurking nearby.
I need to refine this quickly. If I ever want to recharge Nebula, I have to control my energy properly. Right now, it's just enough to survive… barely.
I looked around again, noticing the subtle currents of spiritual energy weaving through the forest, the soil, and even the primitive road nearby. This would be my new home for now—untamed, alive, and completely unknown.
The first light of dawn bled slowly into the clearing, soft and pale, washing the silver pod in a muted glow. I had spent the night practicing the retina technique, but my eyes still ached faintly from the strain. Threads of spiritual energy drifted lazily across the forest floor now, clearer in daylight but wilder too, like tangled roots.
That's when I heard it—a low murmur of voices from deep within the trees. Instinctively, I crouched low and pressed myself against the trunk of a massive tree, its bark rough under my fingers. My curiosity got the better of me. Voices…? So there's life here after all.
Moving quietly, I slipped from tree to tree, following the sounds deeper into the forest until the canopy thinned enough for me to see.
They were there.
Five-foot-tall figures, their bodies lean but muscular, covered in dirt and scars. Their skin was a white, brown and black and their faces were heavy-browed and sharp-jawed—primitive but fierce. They wore crude garments stitched from leaves, animal hides, and woven grasses. Bits of sharpened stone and bone hung from their belts as tools and weapons. Their hair was matted and tied back with strands of vine.
Stone-age beings…
They moved in a group, hunched low, communicating with low grunts and hand signals. Each held a crude spear tipped with jagged stone or hardened bone. Their eyes were locked on something ahead, their bodies tense with anticipation.
What are they doing? Looks like a hunt…
Following their gaze, I saw it—a hulking beast just beyond the treeline. Its back was ridged with dark fur, and its massive tusks glinted in the early light. It moved slowly, snuffling at the ground, unaware of the hunters closing in like a Milu deer)
So this is how they survive here… primitive hunting, life against life.
From where I was hiding, I could see the threads of spiritual energy wrapping around the beast like a living cloak. It was dense, powerful, and chaotic—far stronger than anything the humans around it radiated. How could they possibly take it down?
Then I saw it. One of the hunters stepped forward, hissing a guttural chant, and thrust his hand toward the creature. A ball of fire formed in his palm, sluggish and flickering, before flying toward the beast. The impact barely scorched its thick fur.
Fire… element.
I tilted my head, analyzing. They can't use spiritual energy directly yet. It's too refined for them. They're manifesting it as elemental attacks—fire, maybe water or earth. That's why it's so weak compared to the natural flow around the beast.
The others charged in, some with sticks sharpened into crude spears, others trying similar elemental attacks. Sparks and flickers of energy bounced off the creature's dense aura, harmlessly. Yet despite their primitive methods, they moved with coordination—grunts and signals guiding each other, anticipation in their eyes.
I wonder… fire element only? Do any of them manifest water, ground, light, dark, thunder, grass?
Their physical skills were impressive for beings so small, but their spiritual output was limited and unrefined. Compared to the threads I had seen in the beast, the humans were like flickering candles in a storm.
Interesting… these early beings are using the energy around them, but in crude forms. Fire, maybe one day they will manifest more refined techniques. But for now, it's all basic and dangerous.
Their attacks only seemed to make the beast angrier. Even after throwing everything they had—spears, stones, and those sluggish fireballs—the creature stood tall, barely scratched. Its growl echoed through the forest like thunder, shaking the ground beneath my feet.
They can't defeat it like this, I thought, watching from behind the tree. That spiritual energy around the beast—it's dense, violent… far more than these humans can handle. Oh—this is dangerous. He's going for the kill.
"Wait!" I shouted, because shouting felt safer than silence. Then I launched myself forward. My feet found the soft earth and I moved faster than I thought I could, closing the distance between me and the beast in three long strides.
I hit the beast's head squarely. The impact sounded like a struck drum—deep, hollow, and horrible. Spiritual energy screamed through bone and flesh of the beast,The creature's eyes rolled up; its legs buckled; it crashed down into the undergrowth with a groan that shook the ground. For a long second there was nothing but ringing in my ears, it was my first battle and i won.