Kael didn't look back at the survivors. His attention was locked on the two remaining Mid-Grade Creatures. He had spent half of his limited Stamina and barely scratched his first opponent. He could not afford to let this fight become a prolonged grind. He needed fast, clean kills and maximum experience.
He took a deep breath, silencing the clamor in his mind and the anxious whimpers behind him. The Apex System was his focus.
The two creatures, emboldened by their numbers and the visible strain in Kael's posture, charged simultaneously. The key was separating them. Kael feigned a retreat, drawing them into the narrow path between two broken support pillars. Just as the first creature committed its weight, Kael stopped abruptly, pivoting with inhuman speed.
Activate Rending Flow!
He didn't aim for a fatal blow, but a precise, crippling one. His blade flashed, a silver streak cutting across the lead creature's leg joints, severing tendons and dropping its massive frame. It crashed to the ground, its momentum wasted in a pained, thrashing snarl.
The second creature, unable to stop, barreled into its fallen comrade. This was the opening Kael needed. He channeled his remaining focus, ignoring the sharp fatigue in his shoulder. Activate Rending Flow! Activate Rending Flow!
Two rapid strikes followed. The first slammed into the neck of the standing creature, finding a small, unguarded crease beneath its chitinous armor. The second strike, fueled by desperation and the last of his Stamina, went straight through the struggling creature on the ground, penetrating its vulnerable core. Both monsters dissolved into smoke almost simultaneously, yielding a rich bounty of experience points.
A clear, musical chime sounded in Kael's mind:
[XP Gained: 40!]
[Mortal Foundation Level UP! Level 2 Reached!]
[Stamina fully recovered. Vitality stabilized. STR +1, AGI +1.]
A wave of vital energy flooded him, chasing away the exhaustion and sealing the scratch on his shoulder. Kael gripped the hilt of his sword, watching the System update his new, slightly improved stats. The difference was negligible, but the immediate restoration of his Stamina was everything. In this world, survival was measured in incremental power boosts.
He turned and faced the survivors, his demeanor cold and absolute. His performance had silenced their fear and resentment, replacing it with something akin to awe.
"The demons were drawn by the lingering power of the Guard's destruction," Kael said, his voice hard. "They will return. You cannot stay here."
Barus, the groundskeeper, stumbled forward, his hands clasped in supplication. "Sentinel Kael! We saw... We saw what you did. You are not the man they exiled. Please, tell us what to do."
Kael's eyes briefly flickered to the young woman still clutching the ledger. "Give me the ledger," he commanded. "If the Guard kept secrets, I need them."
Hesitantly, she surrendered the heavy book. Kael accepted it, tucking it into his belt. "You will travel south, avoiding all major roads. Find the nearest protected village and tell them the Celestial Guard is gone. Tell them to prepare."
"But who will defend us?" Torvin, the merchant, asked, his voice now pleading instead of accusatory.
"I will," Kael stated. "Now, tell me everything you overheard before you fled. Where is the Shadow Lord gathering his forces?"
Barus, desperate to prove his worth, spoke quickly, pointing eastward. "The Old Temple of the Silent God, just beyond the Whispering Woods. They've been dragging the bodies there for days, and the air... the air is wrong. They are performing some sort of ritual to empower their strongest Blood-Devourers."
This was the key. Kael felt a spike of adrenaline. The Shadow Lord—the architect of this massacre—was concentrating their power. If Kael could disrupt that, he could buy humanity precious time.
The System obligingly flashed a new quest based on the information.
[Urgent Quest: Disrupt the Gathering.]
Raid the Old Temple of the Silent God.
Objective: Eliminate the Ritual Master.
Reward: Apex Cultivation Tier II UNLOCKED!
Tier II. That single reward promise was more potent than any military order. He needed that power to face the true hierarchy of the Creatures.
"The Temple," Kael confirmed, the name now etched into his immediate future. "Go now. I am leaving."
"Sentinel, wait!" Barus called out. "We have supplies, water... we can help you."
Kael shook his head, already turning toward the eastern tree line. "You are slow, and you are weak. My presence will only draw greater threats. Your mission is to survive. Mine is to earn Tier II."
He moved past the survivors, his steps no longer hesitant, but purposeful and relentless. He had his objective, his weapon, and his cheat. The shame of his exile was still a dull ache, but it was being replaced by the cold ambition to climb the Cultivation ranks. He was the only one left to fight the Shadow Lord, and he would not fail the final mission. He glanced down at the old, brass-bound ledger secured at his side. It might contain secrets about the Creatures, or perhaps even a weakness of the Apex System itself. But that was a study for later. Right now, there was only one priority: the Temple, the Ritual Master, and the promise of the next stage of power.
The Sentinel had returned, and his first target was already in sight.