The morning mist hung thick over the forest.
Dew dripped from leaves, turning every sound sharper every step, every breath, every distant flutter of wings.
Eunha moved quietly ahead, brushing aside the low branches. Haneul followed close behind, his faintly glowing Gen 1 orbs orbiting him like lazy stars. Each pulsed weakly with pale light, no brighter than a candle.
It had been a few days since he'd made the Gen 2s orbs capable of channeling elemental magic. He hadn't used them in real combat yet. Today, that would change.
"Are you sure about this?" Eunha whispered, glancing over her shoulder. "The monsters here aren't like the ones near the river. They're bigger… faster."
"I need to know what I can handle," Haneul said, voice calm but firm. "It's better to find out now than when it's too late."
She exhaled, her breath clouding in the cold. "You're either brave… or stupid."
He smirked faintly. "Probably both."
They stopped at a small clearing, half-shaded by trees, the soil soft and dark.
Eunha crouched and pointed at deep claw marks carved into a nearby log.
"Dire wolves," she said softly. "They hunt in small packs."
Haneul nodded once. "That'll do."
The Gen 1 orbs spread out around him, drifting like dim lanterns. The newer Gen 2s five in total hovered closer to his body, faintly humming with elemental energy: flame, wind, lightning, stone, and frost.
He could feel his mana core pulsing in rhythm with them. His control was still clumsy, but improving.
Slowly, he raised a hand.
A low growl echoed from the left.
Then another, from the right.
Three shapes emerged from the fog, eyes glowing amber thick fur, black as ash, and fangs gleaming with saliva.
[Forest Dire Wolf — Level 6]
[Forest Dire Wolf — Level 6]
[Forest Dire Wolf — Level 7]
They spread out in a half-circle, their steps slow, calculated.
Eunha tensed beside him. "Three of them. We should"
"Stay back," he said, his tone sharp. "Let me test something."
He pointed at the ground. "Illuminate."
One of his Gen 1 orbs flared white-hot, bursting into light. The clearing flooded with brilliance.
The wolves howled, eyes squeezed shut momentarily blinded.
"Now."
The fire orb and wind orb spun forward. Haneul clenched his fist.
"Disperse."
The orbs collided midair a sudden cyclone of flame erupted outward, scorching leaves and soil alike. One of the wolves vanished in the blast.
[You have slain a Forest Dire Wolf.]
[+240 EXP]
[EXP: 800 / 1000]
The other two wolves staggered back, singed and furious.
Haneul steadied his breathing, mana still humming in his veins.
He whispered, "Orbit Formation B."
His Gen 1 orbs snapped into motion circling him faster, forming a loose barrier of light. The second wolf lunged.
The moment it crossed the orbit's edge, the orbs pulsed simultaneously, releasing a shockwave of pure mana. The wolf slammed into a tree, ribs cracking.
"Strike."
A lightning orb shot forward a flash of blue, followed by the scent of burnt fur. The creature convulsed once and fell silent.
[You have slain a Forest Dire Wolf.]
[+260 EXP]
[EXP: 1340 / 1200]
[Level Up — 4 → 5]
[Stat Points +5]
Only one remained.
It paced in a slow circle, growling, uncertain. The flames around them burned low, smoke curling in the mist.
Haneul flexed his fingers. "Let's finish it."
The remaining Gen 2s flared earth, wind, fire forming a swirling triad around him.
"Converge."
The orbs pulsed once, then merged midair into a spinning lance of molten air and rock.
The beam tore through the wolf in a blinding flash. The impact cracked the ground beneath it, leaving a charred streak in the soil.
> [You have slain a Forest Dire Wolf.]
[+280 EXP]
[EXP: 340 / 1500]
Silence fell. Only the fading crackle of flames and Haneul's steady breathing filled the clearing.
Eunha lowered her dagger, staring at the scorched earth. "That… was overkill."
Haneul's shoulders rose and fell slowly. He watched the smoke drift upward before murmuring, "No such thing as overkill if you're alive after."
She gave him a look halfway between disbelief and amusement. "You're terrifying, you know that?"
He smiled faintly. "I've been told worse."
They spent the rest of the day dragging carcasses back to camp. Eunha worked to clean pelts and teeth, while Haneul sat by the fire, checking his status.
> [Level: 5]
[EXP: 340 / 1500]
[Mana Efficiency: +6%]
[Mana Satellites: Gen 1 — 10 | Gen 2 — 5]
He rubbed his temples, feeling the dull ache of mana drain in the back of his skull. "So it's exponential," he muttered. "The stronger the monster, the more energy I need to sustain control."
One of his Gen 2s the fire orb dimmed faintly. He held it out, focusing his mana into it.
The dim glow brightened again, steady and alive.
Eunha looked up from her work. "They recharge?"
"Seems like it." He gave a small smirk. "They're basically… power banks."
Eunha snorted softly. "You and your weird words."
"I'll teach you someday," he said, smiling faintly. "When we're not surrounded by things that want to eat us."
That night, the cave felt a little warmer.
The orbs floated above them like quiet stars, spinning in a gentle rhythm.
Eunha was already asleep, curled under the rough blanket they'd made together.
Haneul sat cross-legged, watching the orbs hum softly.
"Gen 1s for control," he whispered. "Gen 2s for power."
He leaned back against the cave wall, staring at their glow. "Next time… Gen 3s."
He closed his eyes.
Outside, the wind carried distant howls faint, but heavier, deeper. Not wolves this time.
Something larger.
And for the first time, Haneul wondered if even his orbs would be enough.
[Zone: 07 — Day 19]
[Remaining Survivors: 525]
The world kept shrinking.
But inside the cave, surrounded by flickering light, Haneul finally felt something close to peace the calm before another inevitable storm.