Kael moved through the dense underbrush, his senses attuned to every rustling leaf and shifting shadow. The early midday light filtered through the towering trees, casting faint golden streaks along the forest floor. Even if there wasn't any real damage done, his muscles still carried the dull ache from his Essence training, but it had gotten better, and he needed to ignore it. Right now, his focus was elsewhere.

  He was retracing his steps as best as he could, heading toward the Gloomkin-infested area of the forest. Kael remembered to keep his movements careful, and measured, as well as staying low and quiet. After his training session, and having not eaten anything he knew he needed food, and if the chance showed itself maybe kill a Gloomkin and get exp. The problem was finding the right opportunity.

  As he continued, he noticed subtle signs of activity—scratches on tree bark, broken twigs, disturbed patches of dirt. He was getting close. Soon, the trees would begin to thin, giving way to the vast grassland where the Gloomkin village lay. But before he reached that point, he needed to make a decision. If he got too close, there was no telling how many of them he’d encounter.

  Then, movement ahead.

  Kael immediately ducked behind a thick bush, peering out carefully. A small group of four Gloomkin moved through the clearing, their hunched forms swaying as they scouted for something. They carried no weapons, but their sharp claws and jagged teeth made up for it. Their levels hovered at 1, according to the System prompt that flickered into view above their heads.

  [ Gloomkin (Common) - Level 1 ]

  [ Gloomkin (Common) - Level 1 ]

  [ Gloomkin (Common) - Level 1 ]

  [ Gloomkin (Common) - Level 1 ]

  Kael tightened his grip on the antler blade at his waist, his heart rate picking up. He had a chance here. Four of them, and all at the lowest possible level. He could likely take them. But could he do it quietly?

  He narrowed his eyes, analyzing the situation. Even if they were weak, there were too many unknowns. What if they fought harder than he expected? What if they ran the moment he attacked, alerting more of their kind? The last thing he wanted was for the entire hordes to come crashing down on him because he got overconfident.

  His grip relaxed slightly. Not worth the risk. He needed to be smart, not reckless. Picking the right fight mattered more than picking just any fight, that was true for a fist fight outside a bar, and that was true in the military.

  Kael shifted his weight and slowly backed away, moving through the underbrush without making a sound. He’d find another opportunity. Preferably one or two Gloomkin alone. Less risk, less noise.

  He kept his search methodically, circling the outer edges of where he had seen the Gloomkin before. But after some time, he found nothing. No lone scouts, no isolated hunting parties. Just more empty forest.

  Then, a new sound reached his ears.

  Faint at first, but unmistakable. A struggle.

  Kael froze, his head snapping in the direction of the noise. He listened intently, filtering out the usual rustling of leaves. There it was again—a deep, guttural growl followed by the shrill, chittering sounds of Gloomkin.

  A fight.

  Kael moved quickly, weaving between trees and staying low. The sounds grew clearer the closer he got—snarls, squeals of pain, the thud of bodies colliding. Finally, he reached a vantage point, crouching behind a fallen log to observe the scene.

  Three Gloomkin were engaged in a brutal skirmish against a single large beast.

  [ Stonehide Boar (Common) - Level 4 ]

  It was massive, its bristled hide dark gray with stone-like fragments embedded into its body. Large, jagged tusks gleamed in the morning light, stained dark with fresh blood. The Gloomkin attacked with savage desperation—two of them bare-handed, lunging at the beast with claws and teeth, while the third, a Level 4 Gloomkin, wielded a crude stone-tipped spear.

  Kael’s eyes locked onto that one. A type of warrior, with a simple fur loincloth.

  The boar roared in pain, trampling one of the lower-level Gloomkin underfoot with a sickening crunch. The other clawed at its thick hide, trying to find purchase between the stone plates. The battle was savage and uncoordinated—chaos.

  Then, with one desperate lunge, the boar gored another Gloomkin through the chest, sending it flying. The only one left standing was the warrior with the spear.

  Kael watched, transfixed. The boar staggered, bleeding heavily from multiple wounds. The Gloomkin warrior grinned, showing his jagged yellow teeth, and with a cruel laugh, raised It's spear.

  With a single, brutal thrust, it plunged the weapon into the boar’s throat.

  The beast convulsed, gasping for breath as blood gushed from the wound. It tried to rise, but its legs buckled, collapsing with a final shudder. The battle was over. But the Gloomkin wasn’t done.

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  Kael narrowed his eyes as the creature began stabbing the already-dead boar repeatedly, snarling with twisted delight. It was cruel, even by monster standards. This wasn’t just killing for survival—this was something else entirely.

  He exhaled slowly, considering his next move. Now was his chance. The Gloomkin warrior was alone. It was strong, sure, but it had just fought a grueling battle and was likely tired. If he struck now, he had the advantage.

  But there was risk. A Level 4 Gloomkin with a spear was a real opponent for him.

  Kael’s gaze flicked to the carcass of the boar. If he won, he wouldn’t just gain experience—he’d gain food, he'd get to eat. That alone made it worth it.

  He steadied his breathing, tightening his grip on his weapon. He needed to be smart about this. A direct charge wouldn’t work—the Gloomkin had reached with that spear. He’d have to surprise it.

  His pulse quickened, but he forced himself to remain calm. He positioned himself behind a thick tree, keeping his footsteps light, ensuring he made no noise. This was his first real fight. He couldn’t afford to make mistakes.

  He exhaled slowly, preparing himself.

  Then, with silent precision, Kael moved into position.

  Now hidden just a few feet away from the unsuspecting Gloomkin warrior. The creature was still preoccupied with mutilating the corpse of the boar, its crude spear rising and falling in a frenzied rhythm. Blood splattered across its gray skin, its ragged breath coming in chittering bursts of excitement.

  This was it. His moment to strike. He steadied his grip on the antler blade, focusing on everything he had learned about Essence control. Direct. Reinforce. Maintain. He visualized the energy flowing into the muscles in his arm holding the weapon, enhancing his strength and speed just enough to make his first attack devastating. The energy obeyed, sluggishly at first, then faster as it responded to his intent. A faint blue sheen flickered around his arm, barely visible in the dappled light of the forest. It was the limit of what he could do for now, and even that took a lot out of him. Knowing he didn't have long; Kael took a single deep breath. Then he moved.

  His legs propelled him forward.

  He closed the distance in a blink, his blade slashing through the air in a downward arc aimed at the creature’s exposed back. The Gloomkin barely had time to react before the sharp edge bit deep into its shoulder, carving through sinew and flesh.

  Pain shot through Kael’s body from the impact. He had put too much force behind it. His muscles, still unused to sustained Essence reinforcement, flared with strain. But he gritted his teeth and pushed through. He had to try to finish this before the Gloomkin could recover.

  A shrill, guttural screech tore from its throat as it stumbled forward, releasing its spear in surprise. Kael didn’t stop. He pressed his advantage, slamming his foot into the creature’s side, sending it sprawling onto the blood-soaked dirt. He got the feeling to say "THIS IS SPARTA", but that would be too much, even in this situation.

  The creature rolled to its knees, snarling, its beady black eyes locking onto him with murderous intent. It lunged, claws swiping wildly at his face. Kael barely dodged, feeling the wind from its strike graze his cheek. He twisted his body, sidestepping just enough to avoid the second attack, then countered.

  He drove his antler blade forward, aiming for its throat. But the Gloomkin twisted at the last second, and instead of a clean kill, the blade sank into its shoulder again. It howled in agony, but this time, it didn’t fall—it retaliated.

  With a burst of desperate energy, it jumped and slammed its forehead into Kael’s, momentarily stunning him. His vision blurred, and before he could regain his bearings, a clawed hand raked across his forearm, drawing blood. He hissed in pain but forced himself to stay focused.

  The Gloomkin tried to reach for its spear, but Kael didn’t let it. He stepped on the weapon, pinning it to the ground, and with a final, powerful strike, he drove the antler blade deep into the side of its neck.

  The creature let out a strangled gurgle, its body convulsing violently before going still.

  Kael exhaled sharply, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His arms trembled, both from the strain of the fight and the continued drain of Essence. He quickly willed the stream of essence to stop, resulting in the link to his core bouncing back and pain briefly flaring. But it did the job, cutting off the reinforcement before it could weaken his core further. He didn't want to risk finding out what happened when his core ran out, not now of all times.

  For a moment, the only sounds were the rustling of leaves and his own breathing. Then, the familiar chime of the System echoed in his mind.

  [ Experience Gained: +35 EXP ]

  [Skill Acquired: Body Reinforcement – Rank 1]

  Allows the user to Temporarily enhance and reinforce their body using essence. Depending on the amount of essence used.

  Kael blinked as a fresh wave of excitement filled him, a new skill or the system recognized what he had tried to do and gave him a skill for it. The System’s notifications reassured him—he was growing stronger. Every fight, every risk, was pushing him forward.

  His gaze drifted to the slain Gloomkin, then to the boar’s massive carcass. He had done it. He had taken out a Level 4 enemy, claimed its kill, and survived. He had food now. But he couldn’t linger.

  Taking out his knife he crouched beside the boar, quickly cutting through its thick hide between the stone fragments, to carve out the best portions of meat he could carry. The process was messy, his inexperience showing as he struggled against the dense flesh. The smell of blood was heavy in the air now—too heavy.

  Kael’s instincts screamed at him to move.

  He quickly wrapped the meat in broad leaves and tied it together with strips of his old shirt, securing it to his belt. He had no time to rinse away the blood like last time. Then, he grabbed the Gloomkin’s spear. The antler blade was almost as long as his forearm, it was longer than his knife, but still nothing to brag about. Even though the spear was crude, having a longer reach would be useful.

  Just as he turned to leave, a distant chittering sound froze him in place.

  More Gloomkin.

  He didn’t wait to see how many. He grabbed everything he could, his muscles burning from the exertion, and bolted into the trees. He kept his steps light, weaving through the underbrush as quickly and quietly as possible.

  The chittering grew louder behind him. They had found the bodies.

  Kael forced himself to move faster, ignoring the stinging pain in his forearm where the Gloomkin had clawed him. His lungs burned, but he didn’t stop. He wasn’t ready for another fight, not when he was carrying meat, a new weapon, and wounds that still bled.

  Minutes stretched into what felt like an eternity as he ran. Finally, after what seemed like forever, the forest thickened around him once more. The sounds of pursuit had faded. He slowed his pace, his breath coming in ragged gasps, and only when he was certain he was alone did he finally allow himself to stop. Despite worrying about the smell of blood and meat.

  Kael leaned against a tree, pressing a hand to his bleeding arm. It wasn’t deep, but it needed attention. He exhaled sharply, exhaustion creeping in. But despite the pain, despite the close call—he had done it.

  He had won.

  Kael let out a short, breathless chuckle. Then, without wasting any more time, he unwrapped the meat before using his water bag to wash it, then rewrapped it. It wasn't a perfect solution, but he had no other idea. He then turned back in the direction of his tree house and started to walk. He would head to the river, wash away the wounds, and apply bandage. He would then cook his meal, and rest. After practicing this new skill tomorrow. Kael would be even stronger.