The air in the forest had changed. It felt heavy, charged with a static tension that made the hair on my arms stand up. The Blood Moon was no longer a warning; it was a looming reality.
I spent the entire day working like a man possessed. Using the last of my timber and a few heavy boulders, I constructed a makeshift barricade at the mouth of the cave. It wasn't pretty, but it narrowed the entrance so only one or two monsters could squeeze through at a time—the perfect bottleneck for my Frost Nova.
As the sun began to dip below the horizon, turning the sky a bruised purple, I sat down to check my final preparations.
[Status Window: Silver Crowshadow]
Level: 8 (Exp: 386 / 12,800)
HP: 375 / 375
MP: 470 / 470
Attributes (Even Distribution + Rare Gear Bonuses):
Strength: 20 (+1 per level + gear)
Constitution: 21 (+1 per level + gear)
Vitality: 22 (+1 per level + gear)
Agility: 34 (+1 per level + gear)
Spirit: 64 (+1 per level + gear)
Intelligence: 101 (+1 per level + gear)
Wisdom: 85 (+1 per level + gear)
[Familiar Window: Rose]
Level: 8
Strength: 31 | Constitution: 29 | Vitality: 28
Agility: 38 | Spirit: 20 | Intelligence: 20 | Wisdom: 21
My Intelligence had finally broken the 100-point mark thanks to the Rare Spider Silk set. I could feel the mana humming beneath my skin, cold and ready. Beside me, Rose was restless. Her eight eyes were fixed on the barricade, her fangs dripping with a clear, paralyzing venom.
"We're as ready as we're going to be," I whispered.
Then, it happened.
The last sliver of sunlight vanished, and a sickly, crimson glow began to bleed over the world. The moon didn't just rise; it stained the sky.
[SYSTEM ANNOUNCEMENT: THE BLOOD MOON HAS RISEN]
All monster spawn rates increased by 500%.
All monsters gain the [FRENZY] buff (+10% Attack).
Survival is the only objective.
In the distance, the first howl went up. It wasn't the normal howl of a forest wolf; it was distorted, echoing with a hungry, unnatural rage.
Then came the scratching. Dozens—no, hundreds—of claws against the stone outside our barricade.
"Rose, get ready," I said, my voice surprisingly steady. I raised my wand, the tip glowing with a frosty light. "Here they come."
Suddenly, above the growls of the wolves and the chittering of the spiders, a new sound pierced through the night. A high-pitched, desperate yelp—half-human, half-animal—followed by a frantic pounding on my wooden barricade.
"Hey! Blue-hair! If you're in there, open up! I'm about to become a chew toy out here!"
My heart skipped a beat. That voice... it was cheeky, even when terrified.