Dymas moved deeper into the Forgotten Forest. The trees grew closer together now, their trunks thick and dark. Branches blocked most of the moonlight, leaving only thin shafts of light on the ground. The air stayed cool and thick with qi. It came from the soil, the moss, the leaves rotting underfoot. Every breath pulled a little more into his body. The Auto-Cultivation Module kept running quietly in the background.
He carried the spear in one hand and the bandit's axe in the other. The axe felt heavier than the spear, but balanced. He liked having two weapons. Options mattered when you were alone.
His body still ached from the fight in the clearing. Bruises on his ribs had turned dark purple. The cut on his palm had closed, but the skin felt tight. The vitality points he spent earlier sped everything up. He could feel the bruises shrinking already.
The blue screen stayed visible if he focused.
Current realm progress: Qi Condensation Layer 1 – 78%
Current points: 18,467
Close to Layer 2. He needed one more push.
He kept walking. The path narrowed into a game trail. Animal tracks marked the dirt. Deer, maybe. Or something bigger. He listened. No birds. No insects. Just the rustle of leaves and his own footsteps.
After twenty minutes the trail opened into another small clearing. This one had a fallen log in the center, moss-covered and wide enough to sit on. A low boulder sat nearby, cracked down the middle. Qi gathered thicker here, pooling around the rock like faint mist.
Dymas stopped. He set the axe against the log and knelt by the boulder. He placed a hand on the stone. The qi felt stronger against his palm. Pure. Untouched by city smoke or palace corruption.
He closed his eyes and focused. The Auto-Cultivation Module pulled harder. Threads of energy flowed into his dantian. Slow, steady. His core warmed.
Realm progress: 82%
He stayed like that for a while. Minutes passed. The forest stayed quiet.
A low growl broke the silence.
Dymas opened his eyes. Three shapes stepped out from the trees on the far side of the clearing. Spirit wolves. Bigger than the first one he killed. Fur gray with faint blue glow. Eyes yellow and bright. The leader stood tallest, a scar across its muzzle. The other two flanked it, smaller but no less dangerous.
They had smelled the blood on him. Or the qi from his cultivation.
The leader snarled. Lips pulled back from long teeth.
Dymas stood slowly. He picked up the spear first, then the axe. He held one in each hand.
The wolves circled. Slow. Testing.
He did not wait for them to attack.
Dymas charged the smallest one on the left. Shadow Step activated. He blurred forward. The wolf snapped at empty air. He appeared at its side and drove the spear into its neck. Basic Sword Intent flared. The blade cut deep. Blood sprayed hot across his arm.
The wolf yelped once and collapsed.
Kill: Spirit Wolf (Mid Grade) – +1,200 Grind Points
Qi absorbed: +400
Current points: 19,667
The leader howled. The remaining wolf lunged.
Dymas spun. He blocked the bite with the axe haft. Teeth sank into wood. The wolf shook its head, trying to tear the weapon free.
Dymas let go of the axe. He grabbed the wolf's throat with both hands. Strength points surged. He squeezed. Muscle and bone cracked under his fingers. The wolf thrashed. Claws raked his forearms. Blood welled up.
Damage received: +380 Grind Points
Current points: 20,047
He lifted the wolf off the ground. Its legs kicked. He slammed it down hard against the boulder. The crack in the stone widened. The wolf's skull hit rock. It went limp.
Kill: Spirit Wolf (Mid Grade) – +1,100 Grind Points
Qi absorbed: +350
Current points: 21,197
Only the leader left.
The scarred wolf backed up a step. Eyes narrowed. It circled wider now. Smarter. Warier.
Dymas retrieved the axe. Blood dripped from his forearms. The cuts stung, but they were already closing. He felt the qi from the kills settling into his core.
Realm progress: Qi Condensation Layer 1 – 95%
Almost there.
The leader charged. Fast. Jaws wide.
Dymas met it head-on. He dropped low. The wolf leaped over him. He rolled under its body and came up behind. Shadow Step again. Cooldown reset just in time. He appeared on its flank and swung the spear in a tight arc. The blade caught the wolf's hind leg. Tendon snapped. The beast stumbled.
It turned, snarling. Limping now.
Dymas did not give it time to recover. He stepped in close. The wolf snapped. He blocked with the axe. Sparks flew from metal on teeth. He drove the spear forward. The point punched through the wolf's chest. Basic Sword Intent pushed deeper. The blade exited the back.
The wolf shuddered. Legs buckled. It fell sideways, blood pooling under it.
Kill: Spirit Wolf Leader (High Grade Body Tempering) – +1,800 Grind Points
Qi absorbed: +600
Current points: 22,997
Breakthrough detected.
A rush hit him. Qi surged through his meridians. His dantian expanded. The core inside grew thicker, brighter. Pain flared for a second, then faded into warmth.
Realm advanced: Qi Condensation Layer 2
All stats +1
New passive unlocked: Minor Qi Regeneration – Minor wounds heal 20% faster
Dymas stood over the body. His breathing stayed even. The cuts on his arms sealed shut. Bruises from earlier vanished.
He looked at his hands. The gray curse lines were almost gone now. Just faint shadows under the skin. His black hair felt thicker. His gray eyes sharper. The torn tunic hung looser on broader shoulders.
He knelt by the leader wolf. He placed a hand on the fur. The system prompted again.
Absorb beast core? Y/N
Yes.
Qi flowed into his palm. Warm. Stronger than the others. It settled in his core like a second heartbeat.
Qi gained: +700
Realm progress: Qi Condensation Layer 2 – 15%
He stood up. The clearing felt different now. Quieter. The qi in the air moved toward him in gentle currents.
He searched the bodies. Nothing useful. Just fur and blood. No cores big enough to keep.
He picked up the axe and spear. The weapons felt lighter. Better balanced in his hands.
He looked around the clearing one last time. Moonlight still fell on the fallen log. The boulder sat cracked wider now from the fight.
Dymas turned and kept walking. Deeper into the forest. The trees closed in again.
He had killed five beasts and three bandits tonight. Points kept coming. The curse kept feeding him. The system kept growing.
First blood had been drawn.