The morning mist clung to the forest like a living thing, wrapping around the trees and damp earth. Arienne walked ahead, her steps silent, her presence blending seamlessly with the shadows. Behind her, Caelan Veyran followed closely, his expression focused, his hand never straying far from the hilt of his sword.
He had not slept much.
Neither had she.
The Hunger System pulsed steadily in her mind, like a second heartbeat.
[Objective: Test Hunger System Combat Growth]
[Target: Bandit Groups]
[Emotional Bond Amplification: Active – Caelan Veyran]
Arienne exhaled slowly.
This was the perfect testing ground.
---
The first bandit group appeared along a dirt road cutting through the forest. Five men surrounded a trembling merchant, their laughter cruel, their weapons crude but lethal.
Caelan's jaw tightened.
"Should we—"
"Yes," Arienne said quietly.
She stepped forward without hesitation.
The bandits noticed her too late.
One lunged, swinging a rusted blade. Arienne twisted aside, her cloak flaring. Her dagger flashed once, twice. The man dropped, clutching his arm, blood soaking into the dirt.
The Hunger System chimed.
[Skill: Shadow Strike – Activated]
[Efficiency: 96%]
[Power Growth: +4%]
Another bandit charged. She ducked under his swing and struck his knee, then his throat with the hilt of her blade. He collapsed, gasping.
Caelan stared, eyes wide.
Her movements were too smooth. Too precise.
Almost inhuman.
"Watch their eyes," she said calmly. "They move before the body does."
The third bandit hesitated. Fear flickered across his face.
Fear was weakness.
She advanced slowly, letting him feel hunted. He stumbled back, tripped over a root, and dropped his weapon.
She knocked him unconscious with a single strike.
The remaining two fled.
---
The merchant bowed repeatedly, trembling.
"T-thank you! Thank you!"
Arienne ignored him, turning to Caelan instead.
"Your turn," she said.
He hesitated, then nodded and stepped forward. His movements were stiff, but he followed her earlier instructions. He assessed. He waited. When another bandit ambush emerged from the bushes, Caelan reacted instantly, parrying and countering.
He was not perfect.
But he was learning.
The Hunger System pulsed.
[Emotional Bond Amplification: +3%]
[User Combat Growth Boosted by Ally Presence]
She felt it.
Power swelling, responding to trust.
---
They continued through the forest, hunting bandit camps, ambush squads, and hidden hideouts. Each encounter was a lesson.
Arienne demonstrated how to move silently. How to predict ambushes. How to strike first.
Caelan absorbed everything.
By midday, they reached a larger bandit encampment—nearly twenty men around crude tents, laughing and drinking stolen ale.
Caelan swallowed.
"That's… too many."
"Observe," Arienne whispered.
She stepped into the camp openly.
The bandits froze.
"Who the hell are you—"
She vanished.
Shadowstep activated, her form flickering between tents. Men screamed as they collapsed one by one, unable to see their attacker.
Caelan watched, heart pounding.
This was not combat.
This was slaughter.
Yet, she did not kill unnecessarily. She crippled, disarmed, and terrified.
Fear spread like fire.
Within minutes, the camp was abandoned.
The Hunger System surged.
[Power Growth: +12%]
[Skill Proficiency Increased]
[Emotional Bond Detected: Caelan Veyran – Loyalty Confirmed]
Arienne felt the system's hunger.
It wanted more.
---
That night, they sat by a small fire. The forest was silent again, but this time, the silence felt different.
Caelan stared into the flames.
"You're… not normal," he said quietly.
"No one powerful is," she replied.
"Why help me?"
She looked at him, expression unreadable.
"Because you will become something important," she said. "And I need loyal people."
He nodded without hesitation.
"I won't betray you."
The Hunger System chimed.
[Emotional Bond Strengthened]
[Warning: Emotional Bonds Increase Power but Create Vulnerability]
She ignored the warning.
Everything was a vulnerability.
Even power.
---
Later, while Caelan slept, Arienne sat alone on a fallen tree, staring at the stars.
The Hunger System spoke again.
[New Insight: Emotional Bonds Amplify User's Growth]
[Potential Exploit: Form Additional Bonds for Exponential Power Increase]
She closed her eyes.
Bonds as fuel.
People as power sources.
It was cruel.
It was efficient.
And it suited her perfectly.
---
In the distance, she sensed something watching.
Not bandits.
Not animals.
Something stronger.
Something aware.
Her lips curved into a faint smile.
"Let them come," she whispered.
The hunt had begun.
---