Night descended quickly upon the ashwood forest.
The sun's pale rays vanished from view before the mist transformed into complete darkness which consumed all remaining light.
Ethan continued walking for two more hours after the Mist Lurker encounter by using his kinetic grapple launcher to leap across ravines and deadfall while forcing his body beyond its limits. Yet he kept going.
The forest sounds transformed into low hisses and distant howls and the unsettling snapping of branches under unseen paws which made him understand that stopping had become essential.
Predators claimed ownership of the wilderness during nighttime hours so any collapse on the ground would result in death.
He needed a camp.
Ethan approached the terrain with careful attention while searching for a defensive location. Every tree trunk displayed claw marks which proved that ground-level camping would be fatal.
A twisted dead oak tree rose above the forest floor with branches that extended high enough for most predators to avoid. He used the grapple launcher to climb up silently until he discovered a broad fork where the branches formed a cradle-like structure.
There, he anchored rope from his pack around the thicker limbs, creating a makeshift harness that would stop him from rolling off while sleeping.
"Not comfortable," he muttered, pulling himself up into position, "but alive".
Normally, a campfire meant safety; light, warmth, a deterrent for wild animals. But out here, Ethan knew one thing; campfire meant a death beacon, visible to everything with teeth.
He instead pulled one of the scavenged flares from the ranger shack. If something climbed up during the night, he'd ignite it as both light and deterrent.
He positioned the object near his body while he secured his remaining equipment to a branch high above.
The forest floor beneath him revealed its secrets through the sounds of scurrying claws and chittering noises and the occasional wet crunch which signaled that other predators were active during this night.
DING!
~----~
[System Advisory]
[Environmental Threat Level: High – Increased Draw Probability]
~----~
The system notification disappeared after sending him a bitter realization that it was pushing him toward dangerous situations. Growth requires him to stay in safe areas. The risk of death would lead to his evolution.
The idea of resting tied to a tree with unknown predators roaming below created an intense discomfort in his body.
During the middle of the night the first danger emerged.
A deep growling sound traveled through the mist and it was quickly followed by the forest floor producing snapping noises. The creature beneath the tree was bigger than a wolf yet it moved through the underbrush with the stealth of a panther.
Ethan took shallow breaths, remaining still.
The object revealed its form through a tree opening showing six clawed legs and scythe-shaped tips. The creature displayed a spine with faint blue bony protrusions while its narrow feline head featured jaws that exceeded natural limits.
The creature moved directly beneath his tree as it used its glowing eyes to scan the forest floor. It released a soft hiss from its throat which caused Ethan's stomach to twist.
By now, it was clear; this guy was looking for him!
The wheel appeared instantly, spinning like a frantic roulette.
DING!
~----~
[Critical Threat Detected: Improvisation Draw Activated!]
…
He pressed his palm down.
…
[Improvised Gear: Resin Muzzle Trap!]
>A compact, adhesive-based trap. Deploy from above to immobilize jaws or limbs of medium-sized predators. Single use.
~----~
The crude device materialized in his hand; a palm-sized capsule with faintly glowing resin dripping from vents. Ethan gripped it tight, waiting.
The beast below circled twice, then suddenly leapt at the tree trunk, claws gouging deep grooves as it began climbing upward with terrifying speed.
BADUMP!
Ethan's pulse spiked as his heart hammered against his chest.
Yet, he didn't move, he didn't rush it, didn't want to spook the beast to his exact position. So, he waited until it was halfway up, its jaws snapping hungrily toward the branches before hurling the capsule downward.
It detonated on impact, splattering glowing resin across the creature's face.
It screeched violently, jaws stuck shut as the adhesive hardened instantly. Losing its balance, it tumbled backward, crashing through underbrush and slamming into a fallen log with a bone-snapping crack.
The forest fell silent except for its furious, muffled growls as it writhed on the ground below. After several failed attempts to claw the resin off, it limped away, vanishing into the mist.
DING!
The system flashed across his vision.
~----~
[Threat Repelled: Improvisation Points +2]
[Total IP: 7]
~----~
Ethan leaned back against the branch, trembling from the adrenaline dump. His fingers ached from clutching the rope harness too hard.
"That's twice now… wilderness wants me dead before I even make it ten miles". He murmured worryingly.
He glanced at the glowing IP counter in his vision.
Permanent tools, skills, anything that gave him a lasting edge; that was what he needed. But each night made it clearer; even planning ahead wasn't enough. The forest itself was alive with dangers he couldn't predict.
He didn't sleep much. Every creak of wood or distant shriek had him clutching the flare, ready to ignite it.
Below him Ethan observed various creatures moving through the darkness including small scavengers with excessive eye numbers and bone-white carrion feeders that pulled dead bodies through the underbrush.
The massive winged shape glided through the sky without making a sound while it blocked the red haze of the rift for multiple seconds before it vanished into darkness. The tree moved violently because of the wind gust so Ethan held the rope tightly with his white hands.
He managed to sleep only brief moments during the entire dawn period. But he was still alive.
Ethan descended from the tree using his harness as pale light began to seep through the mist. The forest floor displayed fresh claw marks together with shredded remains of smaller animals that had perished during the night.
The adaptation process showed him that predators evolved at the same speed as he did.
He reviewed his equipment while readjusting his backpack before using the grapple launcher to cross yet another deep ravine in silence.
Somewhere ahead, more dangers awaited.
The journey to the quarantine zone had just started while the wilderness already revealed its terrifying aspects to him.
Ethan observed his hands shaking while the wheel's faint glow appeared in his vision which caused a grim smile to form on his face.
The man who panicked in a ruined pharmacy days ago no longer existed. He'd learned to think like prey that could bite back.
And the next creature that tried to end him might not be as lucky.