Chapter Ten – Embers in the Dark
"Huu… huu…"
Breathing raggedly, Seth wrenched the sword from the creature's chest. The red-eyed cat twitched once, then lay still, its life bleeding away onto the cracked pavement. A sphere of light drifted from the corpse, sinking into him, followed by the cold clarity of a notification.
[You have absorbed the soul of a Level 8 Initiate Being.] +0.8 SP
His chest rose and fell like a bellows. Cuts burned across his body, his arms and legs trembling from strain. The deep gash on his forearm had only stopped spurting blood because it clotted thickly over exposed bone. Every muscle screamed. Every nerve cried out.
Yet his mouth stretched into a grin—wide, unrestrained, almost feral.
That… was fun.
The thought itself startled him, but he didn't deny it. He was starting to enjoy the fights, even the pain that came with them. A dangerous realization—yet intoxicating.
Dragging himself upright, Seth ignored the protests of his battered body. He yanked the blade free from the cat's chest, then hacked into its skull until he pried out the shimmering core. His hands shook, but he kept moving. A few paces away, the scattered remains of earlier battles waited. He stooped and gathered them: ten more cores from the beasts he had slain.
He had stopped short at 93% saturation, wary of crossing into a new stage out in the open. He didn't know what state he'd be in when it happened, and being helpless in this world he had woken to was a death sentence. Better to hold back.
A low rumble interrupted his thoughts.
He blinked, looking down. His stomach growled again, louder this time. Heat rushed to his face as if he'd been caught in some embarrassing act.
"…I forgot to eat," he muttered, letting out a short, awkward laugh.
Somewhere between the trill of fighting, he had forgotten his own basic needs.
Wondering what to eat,
He turned toward the cat's corpse. Its massive thigh was thick with muscle, more than enough to keep him fed for a while. He summoned the One Sword again and sliced a slab of flesh from it. Blood dripped down, staining the ground.
"I hope this isn't poisonous," he whispered, more prayer than statement.
Scanning the area, he spotted a partially intact building. It would serve well enough as shelter. He gathered wood, sparked a fire, and set the meat to roast over the flames. Smoke drifted into the darkening sky, and Seth finally allowed his body to sag, exhaustion threatening to pull him under.
Beyond the Forest
Far south of the ruined town, past the endless stretch of forest, rose a city unlike anything Seth had seen.
Towering walls surrounded it, bristling with cannons, energy weapons, and armored soldiers whose very presence radiated power—power that would make the serpent Seth glimpsed days ago seem tame.
Inside, sleek towers pierced the sky, glowing with lights. Flying cars weaved between them, the air alive with energy. It was a world of technology and magic fused together, the kind of place Seth might once have mistaken for heaven.
At the peak of the grandest tower, a single vast office occupied the top floor. Men and women in sharp suits bustled through the lower levels, but here only silence reigned.
A butler in immaculate attire bowed, holding a sealed file.
"Sir, this is the most recent report from the watchers monitoring the Forbidden City and the surrounding forests. It is marked urgent."
The man seated in the reclining chair didn't answer at first. Smoke curled lazily from the cigarette in his hand. His hair was short and blond, his beard neatly trimmed, his tailored suit pressed. He looked to be in his late thirties, with an expression that suggested eternal boredom.
At length, he extended one hand. The butler placed the file on it with practiced precision.
The man glanced at the seal, then broke it. His eyes scanned the contents—and his demeanor shifted. Laziness gave way to severity, boredom replaced by grim resolve.
"Prepare a fighter," he said, voice low but hard. "I'm going to the for a walk."
The butler's composure nearly faltered. "Yes, sir." He withdrew quickly, mind racing at what report could make even the Administrator serious.
Left alone, the Administrator stared southward, towards the forest. Ash fell from the dying cigarette as he muttered, "I need to make a call." Then he strode out of the office.
Meanwhile, Seth crouched beside his small fire, rotating the slab of beast meat on a stick. Fat sizzled and popped, sending a greasy aroma into the air. His stomach growled again, louder this time, but his attention was on the glowing panel hovering in his vision.
He scrolled through the notifications he'd ignored during the hunt and tallied his gains.
11 Level Two beasts slain.
7 Level Three beasts slain.
2 Level Four beasts slain.
1 Level Five beast slain.
1 Level Eight beast slain.
His grin returned, though weariness dulled its edge. He was still technically Level One, yet he had felled something that was far above his level—literally. By the rules he now understood, each level should grant an extra point in stats. But here he was with Physique: 6 and Spirit: 5—far beyond what they should be.
"Am I the only one like this?" he whispered. "Or is everyone…?"
The firelight reflected in his eyes. He would need to meet another human to know for sure. Until then, the question would gnaw at him.
His gaze shifted to his Soul Points.
SP: 7.7.
A day's worth of blood, sweat, and pain—yet the reward felt meager. Too meager. He sighed, frustration pressing on him. But there was nothing he could do about it.
Beside him, the pile of beast cores glowed faintly in the firelight. He reached toward them, determination hardening in his chest.
It was time.
Time to level up.