Alex woke before dawn, his body aching but his mind clear. Today was the day. Hunt or be hunted.
Three days in this world. The old me would've died on day one. But I'm learning. Adapting.
He checked his status:
[ALEX PROCTOR - LEVEL 1 SUMMONER]
[HP: 28/45]
[STAMINA: 30/30]
[EXPERIENCE: 10/100]
Still level one. Still weak. But he had Ember now.
The fire bird was perched near the cave entrance, watching the pre-dawn forest with alert eyes. Through their bond, Alex could feel her readiness.
Revenge for her injured wing? Or just survival instinct?
Probably both.
Alex gathered his supplies. His crude spear. The flint and steel. A waterskin he'd made from the crystal hare's hide. And Ember.
"Okay," he said aloud. "Here's the plan. That alpha wolf has to have a territory. A den. We find it, scout it, and pick the best place to fight."
Ember chirped in agreement.
"We're not going to charge in like idiots. We're going to be smart. Use terrain. Make it fight on our terms."
Just like a video game boss. Learn the patterns. Exploit the weaknesses.
Alex had fought plenty of bosses in his gaming career. Some had taken him dozens of attempts. But he always beat them eventually, because he learned. Adapted.
This is just another boss fight. Except if I lose, I don't respawn.
That thought should have terrified him. Maybe it would have, three days ago. But three days of constant survival had burned away some of his fear.
I'm not the same person who died in Seattle. That Alex was soft. Betrayed. Beaten.
This Alex fights back.
They left the cave as the first rays of sunlight filtered through the massive trees. Alex moved carefully, using his new survival knowledge to read the forest. Tracks. Broken branches. Scent markers.
The alpha had been here yesterday. But where had it gone?
Alex followed the tracks, Ember flying ahead to scout. Through their bond, he could see through her eyes. A strange double vision that took getting used to. But it was invaluable for spotting danger.
The trail led north, away from the stream, into denser forest. The trees here were older, their trunks so wide that ten people holding hands couldn't encircle them. Less undergrowth, but more shadows.
Ambush territory. I need to be careful.
Ember chirped a warning. Through her eyes, Alex saw movement ahead. He crouched behind a tree trunk and waited.
A venomwolf emerged from the shadows. Not the alpha. One of the younger ones from yesterday. It was moving with a limp, favouring its left hind leg.
Injured. Separated from the pack. Vulnerable.
This was an opportunity. Not the main target, but valuable. Experience. Essence.
Can I take it? One-on-one, with Ember's help?
The smart play was to avoid the fight. But the smart play was also to gain power wherever he could find it.
Every fight is a risk. But every fight I avoid is a missed chance to grow stronger.
Through the bond, Ember felt his indecision. She sent back determination and confidence. She thought they could win.
Alright. Let's do this smart.
Alex circled wide, staying downwind. The survival knowledge told him wolves relied heavily on scent. As long as he stayed downwind, he was invisible.
He studied the terrain. The injured wolf was near a ravine. Not deep, maybe fifteen feet, but enough to hurt if something fell in.
Terrain advantage. Just like the plan.
Alex picked up a rock and threw it past the wolf, toward the ravine. It clattered against stone. The wolf's head snapped toward the sound, ears perked.
It limped in that direction, investigating.
Come on. Just a little closer to the edge.
The wolf reached the ravine's lip and peered down, searching for whatever had made the noise.
"Ember, now!"
The fire bird shot from the trees like a missile. Her flame burst caught the wolf square in the face. It yelped and reared back.
And its injured leg gave out.
The wolf teetered on the ravine's edge for one heartbeat. Two. Then gravity won.
It fell with a yelping howl that cut off abruptly when it hit the bottom.
Alex ran to the edge and looked down. The wolf was sprawled on the rocks below, not moving. Its neck was bent at an unnatural angle.
[VENOMWOLF DEFEATED]
[ESSENCE ACQUIRED: WOLF SPIRIT CORE]
[EXPERIENCE GAINED: 10]
Holy shit. That actually worked.
He'd just killed a level two creature without even engaging in direct combat. Pure positioning and terrain advantage.
This is it. This is how I survive. I can't match these things in strength, but I can outthink them.
Alex carefully climbed down into the ravine. His hands were shaking slightly. Adrenaline, not fear. The wolf was definitely dead.
"Absorb," he said.
Silver light seeped from the corpse, forming into a sphere that drifted up to Ember. She chirped happily as the essence flowed into her.
[ESSENCE ABSORBED: WOLF SPIRIT CORE]
[EMBER EVOLUTION: 2.5/10]
[EXPERIENCE: 20/100]
Two and a half essence now. Making progress.
But more importantly, Alex had proven his strategy could work. He didn't need to be stronger than his enemies. He just needed to be smarter.
Ember landed on his shoulder, radiating satisfaction through their bond.
We make a good team.
Through the bond, Ember agreed enthusiastically.
They continued tracking the alpha. The trail was easier to follow now. The creature was moving with confidence, not bothering to hide its passage.
Overconfident. It thinks it's the apex predator here.
Time to prove it wrong.
Around midday, they found it.
The den was in the hollow of a massive fallen tree, worn smooth by time. Bones littered the entrance. Pray the alpha had dragged back. Some of the bones were disturbingly humanoid.
The previous owner of this body. This is where he died.
Through the bond, Alex felt Ember's anger spike. She understood, somehow. This creature had killed her bond-mate's predecessor.
The alpha wasn't at the den. The tracks led away, probably on a hunt.
Perfect. I can scout the area, set up advantages, and wait for it to return.
Alex spent an hour examining the terrain around the den. There. A steep slope about fifty yards away, loose rocks that would slide easily. And there. A narrow gap between two boulders that would force the wolf to slow down.
I can work with this.
He positioned himself on high ground, overlooking the den. Ember perched nearby, ready to strike.
Then they waited.
The sun crawled across the sky. Alex's stomach growled. His legs cramped from staying still so long.
But he waited. Patience. Like waiting for the perfect moment to engage in a teamfight.
Finally, as the sun began to sink toward the horizon, the alpha returned.
It was dragging something. Another crystal hare, its back legs limp. The wolf deposited the kill at the den entrance and began to settle in for the evening.
Now or never.
"Ember," Alex whispered. "Get its attention. Lead it toward the slope."
The fire bird launched silently. She circled once, building speed, then dove at the alpha's den.
Her flame burst wasn't aimed at the wolf. It was aimed at the fresh kill. The hare's corpse caught fire immediately.
The alpha's head snapped up, snarling. Its dinner was burning.
Ember chirped tauntingly and flew toward the slope. The alpha, enraged, charged after her.
Good. Come on. Follow her.
The wolf was fast, but Ember was faster in the air. She stayed just ahead, leading the alpha exactly where Alex wanted it.
The wolf hit the slope at full speed. Its paws scrambled for purchase on the loose rocks. The slope gave way.
The alpha tumbled, snarling, rocks cascading around it. It crashed to the bottom in a cloud of dust.
But it wasn't dead. Not even close. It was just angry.
The alpha climbed to its feet, shaking dust from its fur. One eye found Ember circling overhead. The other eye found Alex, standing on the high ground with his spear.
The wolf's lips peeled back in a snarl that promised death.
Alex gripped his spear tighter.
Round two. Let's finish this.