The smell of blood was so thick it coated the back of Ren's throat.
Ren stood over the dissolving corpse of the Shadow Mane Alpha, watching the System vacuum up the resources. The massive beast had left a dark, wet patch on the moss, but the true value lay in the floating icons and the pile of loot on the grass.
"Incredible," Merrin muttered, kneeling beside the remains. He poked the Shadow Mane Hide with trembling fingers. "My Lord, this isn't just leather. This is *Shadow-Touched* material. If I treat it with the spider silk and the adhesive I made... I can make armor that bends light."
Ren nodded, wiping sweat from his forehead. The adrenaline crash was hitting him, but the *System Notifications* kept him focused.
**[Resources Acquired:]**
* **Shadow Mane Hide (Rank A):** x1
* **Shadow Claws (Rank A):** x4
* **High-Quality Meat:** x100 kg
* **Evolution Essence:** 500 Points
"Merrin, get the hide to the cabin," Ren ordered. "Elara, help him. Jace, gather the meat. Salt it. Smoke it. We need rations that last longer than a day."
"Yes, my Lord!" The trio scrambled to obey, energized by the victory.
Ren looked at Thorne. The Arachnid-Kin soldier was sitting on a rock, cleaning his blades with a rag torn from a dead scout wolf. He was injured—a gash on his thigh, a bite on his shoulder—but he showed no pain. His rapid healing was already knitting the flesh together, but it would take time without potions.
"Thorne," Ren called out.
Thorne stood up, sheathing his blades. "My Lord."
"The Alpha was tough," Ren said. "You almost died."
Thorne looked at the ground. "I was... slow. My Lord is faster."
Ren opened the evolution menu. He had hoarded the points, waiting for the right moment. The Alpha's death had given him a massive windfall.
**[Subject: Thorne]**
**[Current Race: Arachnid-Kin (Grade 1)]**
**[Level: 5]**
**[Available Evolution Points: 550**
Ren could just boost his stats. But *Bloodline Evolution* was about changing the race, unlocking potential that simple stats couldn't reach.
He selected the *Shadow Mane* essence he had stored in his inventory.
**[Option: Hybrid Evolution]**
**[Combine: Arachnid-Kin + Shadow Mane Essence]**
**[Result: Shadow Stalker (Grade 2)]**
**[Cost: 500 Points]**
**[Warning: High Pain Threshold required. Subject may lose consciousness.]**
"Do it," Thorne said, reading the intent in Ren's eyes.
Ren pressed *Confirm*.
Thorne didn't scream this time. He dropped to all fours, his body seizing violently. The grey chitin on his arms rippled, changing texture. It turned black, shifting from a hard shell to something softer, sleeker—matted fur that felt like silk.
His spine elongated slightly, curving forward. His legs changed structure, the knees bending backward to mimic the wolf's agility.
The air around him grew cold. Shadows seemed to seep out of the ground and cling to him, forming a faint aura.
*CRACK.*
Thorne's eyes snapped open. They were no longer multifaceted grey. They were burning blue orbs, identical to the Alpha's.
**[Evolution Successful]**
**[Subject: Thorne]**
**[Race: Shadow Stalker]**
**[Class: Assassin -> Nightblade]**
**[Level: 8 (Boosted)]**
**[Traits: [Shadow Meld], [Silent Step], [Pack Tactics (Unlocked - Passive)]**
Thorne took a deep breath. When he exhaled, a small cloud of mist left his lips.
He moved.
Ren blinked. Thorne was in front of him. Then he was behind him. Then back in front. He was leaving blurry afterimages.
"My Lord," Thorne whispered, his voice echoing slightly. "I can see the vibrations of the air itself."
"Good," Ren said, impressed. "Because we need to expand."
While Merrin worked on the armor, Ren walked to the edge of the cleared zone. The death of the Alpha had cleared a significant chunk of the fog. The map was revealing itself.
He saw a ridge about 200 meters to the north. And beyond that... a faint blue glow.
"Jace," Ren called out. "Take a break. Get Merrin to give you a health potion."
Jace, covered in blood and grease, nodded gratefully.
Ren looked at his own gear. He was still wearing the starting linen clothes, now stained and torn. He had the *Chitin Iron Axe*, but he had no armor. If he took a hit from a Level 10 monster, he was dead.
He opened the **[Construction]** menu.
**[Blueprint: Shadow Silk Vest (Light Armor)]**
* *Defense:* 15
* *Effect:* +5 Agility, +10% Stealth.
* *Requirements:* Rank A Shadow Mane Hide (1), Spider Silk (10).
"Construct," Ren commanded.
The System glowed. The materials from Merrin's inventory were sucked into the air. A spinning vortex of magic and crafting occurred over the anvil in the corner of the yard.
*FWOOSH.*
A dark, black vest materialized. It was made of a material that seemed to absorb the light around it. It looked thin, like a second skin.
Ren put it on. It fit perfectly. He felt lighter.
**[Agility: 26 -> 31]**
He moved his arm. It felt like wearing nothing at all, yet he knew the tensile strength was stronger than steel.
"My Lord?" Merrin approached, holding a scroll. "While processing the claws... I found this."
Ren took the scroll. It was made of a parchment that felt warm to the touch.
**[Item: Map of the Silent Expanse (Fragment)]**
**[Description:* A crude map drawn by a previous inhabitant of this sector. It shows the location of a Resource Node.*]**
Ren unfurled it. It was hand-drawn, charcoal on hide. It showed the valley, the ridge to the north, and a marking near the ridge.
**[Obsidian Iron Mine]**
"A mine," Ren whispered. Iron was the bottleneck. He had plenty of stone, plenty of wood, but Iron was required for everything. Better weapons, better tools, structural supports for larger buildings.
"Thorne," Ren said. "Can you scout the ridge?"
Thorne appeared beside him, stepping out of a shadow as if he were part of it. "I have already checked, my Lord. The ridge is clear. There are... creatures there. Large, slow ones. Rock crabs."
"Level?"
"Level 10 to 12," Thorne replied. "They eat the minerals. They have thick shells. My daggers cannot pierce them easily."
Ren looked at the mine, then back at the cabin. He had a decision to make. Stay safe in the cabin and wait for the protection to end, or expand now and secure the resources needed to survive the long term.
He checked the Global Chat. Maybe there was news about the outside world that could help him decide.
**[Global Chat - Region: General]**
**[System Announcement]**: *Attention Lords. The first World Event will begin in 20 days. Prepare your defenses.*
**[Player_Mike]**: What? Event? Details?
**[TankCommander]**: System says it's a "Monster Wave." It hits the Green Zones first. We're trying to build walls but we don't have enough stone!
**[DoomSlayer]**: I saw a Goblin Lord today. He was commanding an army. We are not alone on the servers...
**[Merchant_King]**: **[TRADING POST]**: Buying Rank C and above materials! Offering Gold Coins and Food!
**[Lord_Ren]**: "Merchant_King, what are you buying?"
**[Merchant_King]**: Anything Rank A or higher is worth a fortune. Lord Ren? Are you still alive in the dead zone?
**[Lord_Ren]**: "I'm alive. And I have Rank A Shadow Mane materials. How much for a High-Grade Smelting Manual?"
The chat went quiet.
**[Merchant_King]**: ...Shadow Mane? That's a Core Dimension beast. You're in the Core?
**[Lord_Ren]**: "Price?"
**[Merchant_King]**: 5,000 Gold Coins. Plus the Manual. That's highway robbery, but you're desperate.
**[Lord_Ren]**: "Deal. Send the Manual."
**[Merchant_King]**: I can't send physical items yet, distance is too far. Trading hubs open in 15 days.
**[Lord_Ren]**: "I'll wait."
Ren closed the chat. 5,000 Gold. That was enough to buy a small city in the starter zones. It confirmed that while he was in danger, he was also sitting on a goldmine.
He turned back to his subjects.
"Thorne, Elara. Pack up. We're moving."
"My Lord?" Elara looked nervous. "The cabin... the barrier..."
"The cabin is too small," Ren said. "The mine is 200 meters north. We build a new outpost there. We fortify the ridge. We control the high ground and the resources."
He looked at the timer. *27 Days.*
"If we wait until the protection drops to explore, we die," Ren said, his voice hard. "We take the fight to them."
He looked at the mine on the map. Level 12 Rock Crabs.
"Thorne, take Jace. Go to the ridge. Don't engage. Just observe their patterns. I want to know how they move."
"Yes, my Lord."
As Thorne and Jace vanished into the night, Ren sat on the porch of the cabin. He looked at the **[Universal Sovereign's Authority]** talent.
He was growing stronger. But the world was getting bigger.
He summoned the axe. He needed to grind. He couldn't reach the mine if he wasn't stronger than the guards.
"Merrin," Ren said. "Make me another Strength Draft. And Thorne... make him two of them."
Ren looked at the dark forest. The Alpha was dead, but the void was already filling with new predators.
It was time to hunt again.
***