[Warning!]

  [Warning!]

  [Warning!]

  [The dungeon’s difficulty has increased greatly because of recent events and changes from outside sources!]

  The alarms did not sound like ordinary notifications.

  The *dings* were much louder than usual and sounded like a screaming goat.

  The sound tore through my skull like metal scraping against bone, sharp and unbearable, echoing inside my head with violent insistence.

  I jolted awake as if someone had poured ice water down my spine, lungs dragging in air in a harsh, panicked inhale.

  Sunlight stabbed straight into my eyes.

  It was blinding. Like blinding, blinding, enough to make me blind if I stared at it just for a couple more seconds.

  A white gold beam pierced through the canopy above and hit my face directly, forcing me to throw an arm up to shield myself. I scrambled to sit upright, heart racing, vision swimming as I tried to adjust to the brightness.

  For a moment, I did not know where I was.

  The forest slowly came back into focus. The smell of smoke lingered faintly in the air. The damp earth beneath my palms felt cold and real.

  I ran a hand through my hair, fingers tangling in knots as I tried to piece everything together.

  Then it hit me.

  The pressure.

  That crushing, invisible force that had driven me to the ground and stolen the air from my lungs like I was nothing more than an insect beneath a boot.

  I had passed out.

  But I was still alive.

  Which meant whoever or whatever had that monstrous aura had not bothered to kill me.

  Or worse.

  I grimaced slightly at that possibility, pushing myself fully to my feet.

  My muscles still felt sore from the collapse, faint bruises of pain lingering in my ribs when I inhaled too deeply.

  My gaze drifted back to the warning text hovering faintly before fading.

  The dungeon’s difficulty has increased greatly.

  Because of outside sources.

  That was not comforting.

  Not even remotely.

  The thought sat heavy in my chest.

  I absolutely did not want to encounter someone stronger than that elf mage from yesterday. The image of that massive fireball obliterating the town replayed in my mind with brutal clarity. The way the buildings had disintegrated. The sheer density of that spell.

  If I evaluated it honestly, that mage was probably Rank B at minimum.

  Possibly higher.

  And I was still Rank C.

  Without my units, I would not even stand a chance against something like that head on.

  I exhaled slowly, steadying myself.

  Regardless of my fears, standing here overthinking everything would accomplish nothing.

  The smoke in the distance was growing thicker. Darker. It coiled upward in heavy spirals that were impossible to ignore now.

  By the time the scent reached me fully, acrid and unmistakable, I could already hear noise drifting through the trees.

  Cheering.

  Laughter.

  Loud, guttural voices overlapping one another in chaotic celebration.

  Some voices carried sharp, high pitched tones. Others were deeper, rougher, filled with savage amusement.

  A few were laughing.

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  Others were grunting.

  I lowered myself carefully and crept forward until I reached a massive bush dense enough to conceal even the elf brute’s towering frame.

  Slowly, cautiously, I parted a section of leaves just enough to see through.

  What I saw made my stomach tighten.

  The clearing ahead was massive.

  Dozens of camps had been erected across the area, scattered in a semi organized formation. Tents of varying sizes were planted into the ground, some stitched from rough animal hides, others constructed from heavier, darker fabrics that looked reinforced.

  Even the smallest camps were large enough to house several men comfortably.

  And at the far end of the encampment stood something far more imposing.

  An extreme camp.

  Larger. Taller. Structured with deliberate authority.

  It dominated the area like the heart of the operation.

  “-and then she started screaming the moment she saw my young cousin in the academy!”

  The voice was sharp and animated, cutting through the crackling of firewood and the low hum of overlapping conversations.

  A group of elves sat in a loose circle around a blazing campfire, its flames leaping high and feeding the thick column of smoke that spiraled upward into the sky. The scent of burning wood mixed with cooked meat drifted lazily through the encampment. Sparks floated upward like dying stars.

  On the largest tree stump, elevated slightly above the rest like some self appointed storyteller king, sat the elf who had spoken. He had sharp features, pale skin reflecting the firelight in flickers of orange and gold. His silver hair was tied back loosely, a few strands falling over his forehead as he gestured dramatically with one hand.

  A couple of elves seated nearby burst into laughter, while others merely chuckled, shaking their heads as if the story was both amusing and exhausting.

  He sighed heavily, leaning back with theatrical frustration. “Racism’s going wild. My cousin doesn’t even hate humans and he is such a young boy with huge potential. My brother told me that he was a Rank A too!”

  That got a reaction.

  Several elves widened their eyes in surprise. One of them even straightened in his seat, eyebrows raised.

  “Rank A?”

  “No way.”

  “Already?”

  A few clapped in impressed approval, murmuring among themselves about talent, bloodlines, and wasted potential. The firelight danced across their faces, illuminating expressions that ranged from pride to irritation.

  I remained crouched behind the bush, listening.

  Then I blinked.

  This was a distraction.

  I exhaled slowly, tightening my grip on the dirt beneath my fingers before shifting my weight backward.

  Without another second of hesitation, I slipped out from the bush’s cover and moved low and fast along the outer edge of the encampment. My footsteps were silent against the soil, weaving between tents, crates, and stacked supplies.

  I reached the backside of one of the medium sized tents where shadows pooled thickest.

  No guards.

  I pressed my ear gently against the canvas.

  Nothing.

  No rustling. No breathing. No quiet conversation.

  Empty.

  If I was going to survive this shit, I needed resources. Information. Anything.

  I prepared to follow my survival plan.

  Anyways…

  I gripped my branch as hard as I could and breathed slowly.

  Three.

  Two.

  One.

  Strike!

  I drove the sharpened edge of the branch forward and sliced a clean, vertical tear into the canvas. The fabric parted with a soft ripping sound, just wide enough for me to slip through without knocking over whatever might be inside.

  I ducked immediately, stepping in low and careful, eyes trained downward so I would not collide with a table, a crate, or some stupid metal object that would clang and alert the entire camp.

  And that was a massive mistake.

  The moment I straightened and lifted my gaze, I locked eyes with her.

  An elf.

  She looked around my age. Maybe a year older. Her hair was tied back tightly, a few loose strands framing a sharp, focused face. Her posture was disciplined even while seated. She had been sharpening a katana, the blade resting against a whetstone in her lap. The steel caught the dim tent light and gleamed faintly.

  Her hands froze mid motion.

  Her eyes widened.

  Shock.

  Pure, unfiltered shock at seeing a human standing inside her tent.

  For half a second, neither of us moved.

  my smart side told me.

  I did not hesitate.

  I lunged forward and drove the branch straight toward her abdomen, aiming precisely where her mana core should be. The sharpened tip pierced through fabric and sank in with enough force to disrupt the flow of energy inside her body.

  Her breath hitched violently.

  The katana slipped from her fingers and clattered against the ground.

  She gasped, body locking up as the sudden disruption stunned her, muscles seizing just long enough.

  I did not give her a second chance.

  I grabbed her by the collar and slammed her head sideways into the wooden shelf beside her. The impact echoed dully through the tent. Once.

  Twice.

  Her body went limp.

  Silence followed.

  I stood there for a moment, breathing steadily, making sure she was truly unconscious.

  Then I exhaled.

  “I swear, if only this branch could actually do something useful on the first damn hit…”

  It was sharp, yes. Functional, barely. But it lacked that killing edge. That decisive power.

  And then, almost as if the system had been waiting for my complaint, a notification appeared before my eyes.

  [Enchanted Branch of Nature has gained a new ability!

  A single leaf will now grow on the sharp edge. It will regrow every thirty seconds and when the weapon is used to stab hard enough into something, the leaf will explode causing fungus to grow in the injury, dealing more damage and becoming more painful.]

  I blinked.

  Then blinked again.

  “Holy shit.”

  That was not a minor upgrade.

  That was disgusting.

  And extremely useful.

  A regrowing leaf that exploded into fungus inside the wound? That meant lingering damage. Internal infection. Pain amplification.

  That meant even if I failed to kill something immediately, it would suffer.

  And suffering often led to mistakes.

  A faint blue panel flickered again.

  [You have killed Rank C Elf Samurai. Would you like to consume her soul?]

  I looked down at her still body.

  “Sure.”

  The answer came without hesitation.

  As the system processed the command, I quickly moved around the tent, grabbing whatever I could reach. Dried food. A waterskin. A small pouch that clinked faintly, possibly coins or mana stones. I stuffed them into my bag with efficient movements.

  Another notification appeared.

  [Consumed Elf Samurai: Rank C & Soldier Grade’s soul successfully!]

  A familiar sensation surged through me.

  My body felt warm, like how I felt when I was surrounded by my old friends and… parents.

  It also felt heavy.

  Powerful.

  It flooded into my chest and spread outward, settling into that growing space within me where my army waited.

  “Oh let’s go…”

  That was even better than I expected.

  Now I have two blade users.

  Two disciplined fighters capable of close combat precision.

  And a massive brute who could crush skulls like fruit.

  My army was evolving faster than I anticipated.

  A small grin tugged at my lips before I suppressed it.

  No.

  No celebrating yet.

  This was only the beginning.

  I glanced toward the direction of the largest camp at the far end of the encampment.