The sun bled orange through the canopy above as Ethan trudged through the final stretch of marshy woodland. Mud clung to his boots like vines desperate to hold him back, but nothing could stop him now. His muscles burned, his body cried out for rest, but his eyes, those crimson-lit orbs, remained steady.
He had survived four full days alone in the wild.
Four days of constant danger, bloody encounters with Class I and II Tartarus Beasts, limited food, rain-drenched nights, and haunting thoughts of Licia.
He had made it this far. He would not break now.
His WRATH meter fluctuated faintly at the corner of his vision, hovering at 16/30 after an earlier fight. His blade, nicked and stained, hung loosely at his side. No beasts had dared approach him in the last hour.
Until—
"Aaarghh! Somebody help!"
The cry pierced through the quiet hum of the wild.
Ethan froze, instincts firing. The shout came from ahead—just beyond the thick, fern-covered trees.
[ALERT: QUEST TRIGGERED – MERCHANT IN PERIL]
▪ Objective: Save the merchant from Tartarus beasts ambush
▪ Time Remaining: 03:20 minutes
▪ Reward: +175 EXP, food supplies, drinkable water, map access (Kingdom of Vaelond)
He darted forward, leaves brushing against his shoulders as he moved like a shadow. The air shifted, the pressure of an approaching battle hummed in his blood.
"Yeah... Let's start EXPs farming"
He burst into a clearing.
A wooden cart sat broken near a dirt trail, its wheel shattered. A middle-aged man robed, with a satchel slung over his shoulder, was cornered by two Class I Tartarus Hounds, their black sinewy bodies coiling with Abyssal energy. Behind them loomed a third beast, larger, Class II.
[WRATH CHARGE DETECTED]
[ABYSSAL RAZOR-HOUND – Class I – HP: 120/120]
[ABYSSAL RAZOR-HOUND – Class I – HP: 110/120]
[ABYSSAL GOREFANG ALPHA – Class II – HP: 250/300]
The merchant tripped over a rock and hit the ground hard.
"No! No, please! I'm just a trader!"
Ethan's eyes sharpened. Those crimson-lit obs gleamed.
Three enemies. One human life at stake. He stepped into the clearing. The Razor-Hounds turned. The Alpha snarled.
[HOST ENTERING IN COMBAT MODE…]
[SKILL: ABYSSAL LUNGE – READY]
[WRATH COST: 8]
[WRATH REMAINING: 16/35]
"I only have 16Wraths left... Only 2 Abyssal Lunge possible"
Ethan whispered, "Let's end this."
He moved first.
"ABYSSAL LUNGE!"
With a sonic boom, his body blurred into motion. A black streak of fury surged toward the nearest hound. His sword gleamed, and a moment later—
CLANG!
The blade tore through the beast's shoulder, slicing diagonally and sending it crashing into the shrubs.
[WRATH EXPENDED:8]
[WRATH: 8/35]
[WRATH LOW!! WRATH!!]
The glowing panel flickered red like and alarm for seconds.
[DAMAGE DEALT: 75%]
[ENEMY STATUS: BLEEDING
[+4WRATH EARNED]
[WRATH: 12/35]
The second hound lunged.
Ethan spun, parried with his sword, but the creature's claws nicked his shoulder. Pain burned, but it didn't stop him.
[HOST HARMED]
[HP: 10/20 – Minor Wound]
He gritted his teeth.
The Alpha growled, observing. WRATH surged.
[+2WRATH EARNED(From Rage)
[WRATH: 14/35]
He dashed again, this time toward the second hound. The beast anticipated him, leaping high—
But Ethan ducked low, slashing upward.
Blood sprayed. The hound yelped, retreating.
[DAMAGE DEALT: 65%]
[ENEMY STATUS: Stomack slashed]
[+4WRATH EARNED]
[WRATH: 18/35]
Then a gust of air warned him, the Alpha was charging.
Too fast. Too strong.
[WARNING: HIGH DAMAGE POTENTIAL INCOMING]
Ethan rolled aside as the Gorefang Alpha crashed down, cracking the earth beneath.
[+6WRATH EARNED(From Gorefang Blood lust for you)]
[WRATH: 22/35]
His breathing sharpened.
90 seconds. That's what he had. He needed to end this quickly.
He gripped his sword tighter, feeling the Abyssal energy stir.
[SKILL: ABYSSAL CLAWS–READY]
[WRATH COST: 20]
[DURATION: 90s – COOLDOWN: 180s]
"Time to show you monsters what pain feels like."
His veins surged with WRATH as his fingers transformed, clawed gauntlets wrapped in dark Leviathan steel formed over his hands. His aura deepened.
[ABYSSAL CLAWS – ACTIVATED]
[WRATH REMAINING: 2/35]
[Duration: 90s – Cooldown: 180s]
He let out a growl, not human anymore. Not entirely.
The Alpha lunged. This time, Ethan didn't dodge.
He met it. Claw against fang.
His right claw raked across the Alpha's face, three gashes slicing deep.
[DAMAGE: 45%]
[ENEMY STATUS: STUNNED 7s]
[+4WRATH EARNED]
[WRATH: 6/35]
He didn't stop. With a war cry, Ethan delivered a crushing knee to the beast's chin, then followed with a whirlwind slash of claws to its throat.
[CRITICAL STRIKE]
[DAMAGE DEALT: 65%]
[+6WRATH EARNED]
[WRATH: 12/35]
The Alpha collapsed, twitching, growling through blood-soaked Jaws. Ethan raised a clawed hand and brought it down.
[ABYSSAL GOREFANG ALPHA DEFEATED]
[+50EXP GAINED]
[+7WRATH EARNED]
[CURRENT EXP: 242/300]
[WRATH: 19/35]
The other two hounds whimpered, turned, and tried to flee.
He gave chase. He struck once—twice.
[ABYSSAL RAZOR-HOUND DEFEATED – EXP +15]
[ABYSSAL RAZOR-HOUND DEFEATED – EXP +15]
[CURRENT EXP: 272/300]
[WRATH +10 – SYSTEM BONUS]
[WRATH: 29/35]
He stood in the clearing, chest heaving. The beasts lay dead around him. Extracted the Wrath Crystal and kept in the inventory.
The merchant sat up, trembling. "Y-You... You saved me."
Ethan said nothing.
The man stood slowly, dusting himself off. "Who... who are you?"
"I'm nobody," Ethan said flatly.
"Well, Nobody just saved my damn life. Name's Kael." He extended a hand. "Merchant. Trader. Poor bastard who wandered too far without an escort."
Ethan looked at the hand, then shook it.
Kael grinned. "You're strong, kid. What are you doing all the way out here?"
"Trying to get to the nearest kingdom."
Kael's eyes widened. "You're in luck. I was heading to the Kingdom of Vaelond. I can take you there. Food, water, a ride, all yours. Least I can do."
Ethan blinked. He didn't expect kindness.
But he nodded. "Deal."
[QUEST COMPLETE – MERCHANT IN PERIL]
[REWARD CLAIMED: +175 EXP, Supplies Acquired, Travel Route: Kingdom of Vaelond Unlocked]
[Map Access(North) Acquired]
[CURRENT EXP: 447/300]
[LEVEL UP!: LVL3 > LVL4]
[CURRENT EXP: 147/400]
As the sun set behind them, Ethan followed Kael to the repaired cart. The merchant handed him a bottle of water and a wrapped loaf of bread.
"Rest easy, friend," Kael said as they rode off. "The road is still long... but it's easier with company."
[DAYS COMPLETED–4/5]
[+3EXP GAINED]
[CURRENT EXP: 150/400]
Ethan stared at the fading horizon. The forest behind him was littered with the echoes of pain, battle and blood. He would get a decent sleep for once after a long while of struggle, battle and bleeding. His aching body and muscles could finally have a rest. His eyes fluttered close in an instant. His face looking innocent, but deep down, a storm was raging within him
And ahead—
The Kingdom awaited.