I sat down, leaning my back against the massive spine of the ancient skeleton. The wolves were relentless, clawing and digging at the blackened earth, but the skeleton was firmly rooted, its ribs barely visible above the surface. I weighed my options. Baiting them and stabbing from behind the ribs seemed safe at first, but one wrong move could spell disaster. My regeneration was barely enough to offset my injuries, and I couldn’t afford any reckless mistakes.
These creatures weren’t intelligent, but they weren’t stupid either. They wouldn’t let me attack indefinitely.
As I pondered my next move, the ribcage groaned and shifted, the fragile balance disturbed by the wolves’ frenzy. My heart raced. If it toppled, I’d be exposed. Desperation fueled my thoughts, and I focused on my manifestation skill. I morphed my hand into a slender, one-foot needle tipped with a barbed arrowhead—something quick and effective. The closer the form was to my natural body, the easier it was to control.
Steeling myself, I dashed forward. One rotwolf was wedged between the ribs, snarling as it tried to force its way inside. I aimed for its eye—an instinctual target—but the creature snapped its grotesque jaws, and my weapon slid down its throat instead.
Everything froze for a heartbeat. The wolf’s milky eyes widened in surprise, mirroring my own. Then it howled—a choking, wet sound—and jerked backward. The barbs caught on something inside, and as it pulled, I was slammed into the ribs with a sickening crack. Pain exploded in my forehead, and the skeleton tilted forward dangerously.
My arm was still outside the cage, dangerously close to the snapping jaws of the other wolves. One lunged for it, but I scrambled backward, pressing my knees against the ribcage to push myself inside. There was a sickening squelch, and suddenly, the tension on my weapon released.
I collapsed onto my back, gasping for air, as rotten flesh and coagulated blood splattered over me. I wiped at my face instinctively, only managing to smear it further.
Rotwolf (Level 5) killed! +5 EXP (+4 EXP due to level difference)
The rush of golden energy coursed through me, and I braced for another attack. But instead, the remaining wolves descended on their fallen packmate, tearing into its corpse with rabid hunger.
An idea sparked. The ribcage was unstable—what if I used that? I staggered to my feet and threw my weight against the bones. They groaned and tipped forward slightly. The wolves, too busy feasting, didn’t notice. With a final, desperate push, the entire skeleton collapsed, trapping the creatures beneath it.
I was thrown forward, tumbling across the ground, but I forced myself upright. The wolves were pinned, thrashing wildly, their claws scraping against bone.
The lead wolf was still alive, struggling to crawl out. I approached cautiously, shaping my foot into a jagged spike. The first trapped wolf snarled and snapped, but its movements were slow and predictable. I stomped down on its head repeatedly until it stopped moving.
The second wolf met the same fate.
Finally, I turned to the lead wolf. It glared at me with hateful, glowing eyes, its decayed body dragging itself inch by inch toward freedom. I planted my spiked foot against the back of its neck and leaned forward, driving the spike into its spine. There was resistance at first, but with a sickening crunch, it slid all the way through.
The world seemed to hold its breath.
I hadn’t killed anything before. Not a person, not an animal, not even a spider that skittered too close for comfort. And yet, standing there amidst the carnage I’d caused, I realized something that chilled me to my core—I wasn’t bothered.
Sure, killing zombies had always been on my bucket list, a fantasy born of movies and games. But these weren’t mindless undead. They were living creatures—monsters, yes, but alive nonetheless. Each one had been driven by hunger, fear, or instinct, just as any creature would.
The weight of it all started to settle over me like a suffocating fog. My breaths came faster, and my hands trembled, slick with blackened blood that refused to dry. I felt the first flicker of panic, the gnawing edge of guilt creeping closer, threatening to unravel me.
But before I could spiral down into that dark abyss, the sharp chime of a notification cut through my thoughts like a lifeline:
Rotwolf (Level 6) killed! +6 EXP (+5 EXP due to level difference)
Rotwolf (Level 6) killed! +6 EXP (+5 EXP due to level difference)
Level Up! Level 2 achieved! (32/60 EXP to Level 3)
Rotwolf (Level 7) killed! +6 EXP (+5 EXP due to level difference)
I approached the first corpse cautiously, the stench of decay clinging to the air like a suffocating fog. Taking a deep breath to steel my nerves, I focused on it. Looting was part of any game-like system, right? There had to be something of value—something I could use.
But nothing happened.
I frowned, narrowing my eyes as if sheer determination could coax the system into action. Still, no notification, no glowing item, not even a hint of acknowledgment. Just the lifeless, mangled body of the Rotwolf.
Frustrated but unwilling to give up, I moved to the next corpse. I repeated the process, focusing harder this time, but the result was the same. Nothing.
Utter disappointment settled over me. Looting wasn’t going to work—not the way I expected, at least. Either these creatures had nothing of value, or there was some trick to it I hadn’t figured out yet. The thought gnawed at me as I stood there, surrounded by the stench of death and my own unanswered questions.
The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.
So I distributed my attribute points as planned: one into Astral Body, and one into Astral Spirit.There wasn’t an immediate, noticeable change, but I wasn’t expecting much from just a single level. Progress would take time.
As I dusted myself off, a new notification appeared:
Skill Upgrade
Manifestation (Common) has leveled up! (Level 0 → Level 2)
So that’s what the skill points were for. Velarion must have withheld the details for a reason, but I couldn’t resist experimenting. I had 4 points to my name and was never one to hoard resources. Testing the waters wouldn’t hurt… right?
Skill Upgrade: Manifestation (Common) has leveled up! (Level 2 → Level 3)
Excited, I focused on shaping my hand into a blade. The transformation felt smoother this time, the result resembling a cheap kitchen knife rather than the crude hunk of bronze I’d managed earlier. Not perfect, but progress.
I tried extending the blade’s length. The process felt more stable, and the material held longer before dissolving. With effort, I managed just under two feet—still short for a proper weapon, but it was leagues ahead of my earlier attempts.
It hit me then: the potential of this skill wasn’t just in combat utility, but versatility. The finer I could control the shapes and durability of my manifestations, the more creative I could get with my strategy.
If one skill point could make this much difference, I wondered what further investment could do. Should I push it even further now, or hold off and experiment more first?
Velarion’s cryptic silence loomed in the back of my mind. He clearly had a reason for keeping certain things unsaid.
For now, I’d stick to the single point upgrade—just enough to get my feet wet. Anything more would wait until I had a better grasp of the system’s intricacies.
As I was playing around with the skill, another notification popped up:
Quest Unlocked!
Rot and Redemption:
What was once a proud pack of wolves roaming the forest of Amberleaf Glade has become a horde of decaying beasts, scavenging for energy.
Objective:
* Kill 100 Rotwolves (4/100)
* Kill the Alpha
Rewards:
* EXP (based on performance)
* Rare-grade item
Quests and items. The system was proving to be less linear and far more rewarding than I’d anticipated. A faint smile tugged at my lips. This wasn’t over—not by a long shot
I decided to check out my progress before moving on
Name: Alex
Titles: Ascendant (???)
Level: 2 (44/60 EXP)
Attributes:
* Astral Body: 14
* Astral Mind: 21
* Astral Spirit: 17
Skills:
* Levitation (Common): Level 0
* Manifestation (Common): Level 3
* Astral sight (common): Level 0
* Inspection (common): level 0
Active Quests:
* Rot and Redemption
Objective:
* Kill 100 Rotwolves (4/100)
* Kill the Alpha
Rewards:
* EXP (based on performance)
* Rare-grade item
Excitement buzzed through me. I was living the dream, for god’s sake! Sure, it was smellier and far more disgusting than I’d ever imagined, but I wasn’t about to complain. I activated my Astral Sight to inspect myself. My aura still resembled a flickering candle, barely stable. It was frustrating, but I turned my focus outward.
Clusters of faint, glowing light dotted the distance, drawing my attention. I honed in on the closest one and deactivated the skill to save energy. The next group of monsters was a few miles down a slope, near a frothing river. The landscape felt alien, bathed in the cracked sky’s eerie glow and dotted with strange, shimmering lights.
As I trudged forward, I noticed something peculiar: the remains of the rotwolves—the blood and filth caked on my clothes—began to evaporate off my body. Convenient. I looked down at myself, still dressed in my blue pajama pants, black socks, and oversized hoodie. It was hard to take myself seriously. I needed some proper gear—something that screamed badass.
After thirty minutes of careful trekking, I arrived at a clearing. There were six rotwolves scattered around. A quick inspection confirmed my fears: they were all around level 7. The lead wolf, however, was notably bigger, its aura denser and more oppressive. It gnawed on what looked like a hare, its growls menacing as it tore into the fresh-looking carcass. Something about it didn’t make sense—the hare appeared simultaneously fresh and days old.
The other wolves lay submissively, circling their leader, clearly hungry but too scared to challenge it. I focused on the alpha and inspected it:
Mature Rotwolf (Level 12)
Ten levels above me. My heart sank. I couldn’t afford to fight recklessly, not against that. I’d have to play this smart.
I scanned the area, formulating a plan. The key was avoiding being surrounded. Steeling my nerves, I crouched low and crept forward. The wolves were so preoccupied with their leader and the scraps it guarded that they didn’t notice me.
I positioned myself behind the nearest wolf. With a quick thrust, I drove my spike-like hand into the back of its neck, leaning my weight forward until the spike slid all the way through. The wolf collapsed without a sound.
For a brief moment, everything froze. The other wolves noticed. Their heads snapped toward me, and I bolted before they could react.
The remaining wolves gave chase, the alpha leading the charge. My legs burned as I zigzagged through the trees, forcing them to make sharp turns their jerky, unnatural movements struggled to handle.
The lead wolf was relentless, its rancid breath hot on my back. At the last second, I pivoted around a tree and swung my leg, morphing it into a jagged spike mid-motion. The strike hit its shoulder—not the neck where I’d aimed—but it was enough to stagger it.
Without hesitation, I leaped over the injured wolf and kept running. Glancing back, I saw three of the pack break off, drawn to the fresh kill I’d left behind. That made things easier—only three more to deal with.
The river loomed ahead. Two wolves were still on my heels, gaining ground. When I reached the edge, I didn’t hesitate. I jumped.
Both wolves followed, leaping into the air after me. I activated Levitation mid-fall, and the sudden shift in trajectory left the wolves helpless. One tumbled into the raging current below. The other managed to clamp its jaws around my right arm, dragging me down slightly. Pain flared as I felt the energy-draining sensation spread through me like fire.
Gritting my teeth, I morphed my free hand into a spike and jammed it into the wolf’s eye. It let out a final, pitiful growl before going limp. I landed on solid ground, shaking from the effort.
I turned to see the alpha limping toward me, its earlier injuries slowing it down. But I noticed something strange—it wasn’t regenerating. Unlike me, the damage I’d inflicted earlier still lingered, its shoulder sagging unnaturally where I’d struck it.
Taking a deep breath, I checked my status:
Total Energy: 35/170
Status:
* Rot: -1/s (5 minutes remaining)
* Injured: -1/s (1 minute remaining)
Rotwolf (Level 7) killed! +7 EXP (+5 due to level difference)
I glanced at the river. Either the current hadn’t killed the other wolf, or the system didn’t count environmental kills. Either way, there was no time to dwell on it. Four wolves were still left to kill, and the alpha wasn’t about to make it easy.