Pushing his will into the Void Shard again, another purple portal tears itself into existence, lighting up the dark basement with an earie light.
Rocky Landscape
Tier: Tin
Realm Boss: Level 4
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Kael stepped forward and through.
The familiar, disorienting tug of the portal, then a rush of stale, dust-laden air as Kael stumbled onto solid ground. He winced, the lingering aches of past battles throbbing in his chest and legs. Pushing aside the urge to collapse and give in to the exhaustion that clung to him, he focused on steadying his breathing, letting the world sharpen into focus. He took a moment to let his eyes adjust, the muted light of the realm casting a pale, sickly glow across the harsh landscape.
Rocky outcroppings and jagged cliffs clawed at the horizon, their jagged silhouettes twisted into grotesque shapes by the wavering light. The ground beneath him was a patchwork of cracked earth and loose gravel, each step a treacherous dance that threatened to twist an ankle or send him sprawling onto a sharp-edged rock. He was no stranger to uneven terrain, but this place… it felt different. It wasn’t just the absence of trees, the lack of any real vegetation save for a few stubborn tufts of brown grass clinging to the crevices between rocks. It was the air itself – thin, dry, carrying the faint scent of dust and minerals and something else, something he couldn't quite place. It felt ancient, primal, as if the world itself was holding its breath, watching him, judging his every move.
A sense of wary anticipation settled over him, a familiar prickle of adrenaline against the backdrop of exhaustion. He scanned the desolate landscape, his mind already working, mapping the terrain, noting potential threats, strategizing. The world beyond the portal always felt… realer than the muted, shadowed existence he’d known in the slums. It was dangerous, unforgiving, but it was also honest. There were no facades here, no hidden agendas. Just survival, stripped bare.
The air felt thin, dry, as if it were being sucked from his lungs with every breath. His cracked lips burned, and the memory of the cool spring water from the forest realm was a sharp pang of regret. He had a few drops left in his dented metal flask, the taste stale, metallic, but he knew better than to waste it. Water was precious here, a commodity that could determine life or death. He licked his lips, the metallic tang of dried blood mixing with the dust, a reminder of the cost of existence in this place.
“One step at a time, Kael,” he whispered, the words a familiar mantra, a grounding force amidst the uncertainty. He gripped his club-hammer tighter, its rough surface a familiar comfort, a reminder of the battles he’d fought, the strength he was slowly gaining. He’d leveled up, yes. His stats were higher. But numbers meant nothing until translated into action, into survival.
His gaze settled on the first challenge: a series of low caves, their entrances swallowed by the wavering shadows. He could avoid them, skirt the edges of this strange realm, searching for a less confrontational path. But his instincts, honed by the relentless grind of Mudtown and sharpened by the brutal lessons of the realms, screamed at him to push forward, to face the darkness, to embrace the unknown. Each cave felt like a wound in the landscape, a mouth waiting to swallow him whole. His breath caught in his throat, the air thin and dry, rasping against his cracked lips. He licked them, tasting the gritty residue of dust and blood, and took a cautious step forward.
He had survived the lush, deceptive beauty of the forest realm, the harsh emptiness of the wasteland. This place, with its raw, jagged edges, its silence broken only by the wind’s mournful sigh, felt different. He was wary, yes, but also strangely exhilarated, the Shard’s energy thrumming faintly beneath his skin, a promise of power, of growth, a reminder of what he could become.
He approached the nearest cave, his movements cautious, each step a negotiation with the uneven ground. He peered into its shadowed maw, the darkness swallowing the faint light. It felt like looking into an abyss, a void that held the potential to consume him. A faint skittering sound echoed from within, followed by a sharp, metallic click that made his spine tingle with a primal fear.
He gripped his club-hammer tighter, his knuckles whitening against the rough wood. His thoughts were a jumble of caution and reckless curiosity. Small creatures, maybe. But something about the clicking sound— sharp, almost mechanical—sent a chill down his spine.
“Easy,” he whispered to himself, the word barely audible above the sighing wind. He wasn’t alone in this place. There was something else here, watching him, waiting, and he couldn't shake the feeling that it wasn’t just the mindless hunger he'd encountered before, but something far more calculating.
Kael steeled himself, his gaze narrowing as he stepped towards the cave's mouth.
Stolen novel; please report.
He couldn't see anything beyond the first few feet, the shadows swirling within like smoke. He inhaled cautiously, the air cold and stale, laced with the faint scent of damp earth and something else— a metallic tang that made his stomach churn. He’d encountered this before, he realized with a jolt of apprehension. The same metallic scent, the same unsettling energy. This wasn't a simple cave. It was… connected, somehow, to the Void. He felt it resonating deep within him, a subtle, dissonant hum that made the hairs on the back of his neck stand on end, a warning whisper that echoed the Shard’s dormant power.
But fear, he’d learned, was a useless indulgence in these realms. He had to push past it, to face the darkness, or risk being consumed by it. He took another step, his boots crunching on loose gravel, and then, as if triggered by his presence, a pair of creatures darted from the shadows, their scaled bodies glinting in the dim light.
Small, reptilian forms, their eyes reflecting the pale glow like shards of chipped glass.
2x Scrag Level 3
The system identified them dispassionately, the information appearing before him like a blueprint to their destruction. He didn’t ne the notification. He could feel their aggression— a raw, primal hunger that resonated with the emptiness in his own stomach, a hunger that he understood, that he mirrored. He felt a thrill of anticipation, the grip on his club tightening as they rushed towards him, their claws scraping against the stone. This was what he’d been waiting for, what he'd come here for. A challenge, a chance to hone his skills, to prove his worth.
He wasn't the scared boy he'd been days ago. The fights, the defeats, the victories—they’d changed him, reshaped him into something harder, something more resilient.
He swung the club in a wide arc, the force of the blow sending one of the Scrags sprawling, its scales shattering with a sickening crunch that echoed through the cavern. The impact jarred his arm, a reminder of the lingering pain from his earlier battles, but he ignored it, focusing on the second creature. It lunged at him, its jaws snapping shut mere inches from his leg, the sound sharp, metallic. He sidestepped with a swiftness that surprised even him, his heart pounding, his senses a kaleidoscope of movement and sound.
The creature, snarling with a guttural rasp, spun, its claws raking against his leg, tearing through the fabric of his pants, drawing blood. Kael ignored the sting, focused on the fight. The creature was fast, agile, but it wasn’t as strong as the ones he'd faced before. It was a dance of shadows and violence, the creatures moving in and out of the light. He landed a blow against the second one, driving it back, the sound of its bones crunching beneath the weight of the club both sickening and exhilarating.
He fought them both, a desperate struggle for dominance in the confines of the cave. He dodged their lunges, countered their attacks. The faint, metallic scent intensified, filling his nostrils with the tang of blood. It was a primal, heady scent.
The System’s chime—a brief, jarring interlude in the chaos—announced his first victory.
Scrag Killed.
Kael pressed his advantage, driving the remaining Scrag deeper into the cave’s shadowy depths. He had it now, trapped, its movements frantic, its snarls tinged with a note of fear. His own breaths rasped in his chest, each inhale bringing a fresh wave of pain.
The club-hammer, a heavy blur in the dim light, connected with a final, crushing blow.
Scrag Killed.
He slumped against the cave wall, chest heaving, the remnants of the Shard’s energy a faint tingle beneath his skin. It had been… too easy.
Kael looked down at his hands, the cracked and calloused skin stained with the Scrags’ blood. The metallic tang clung to him, a scent of victory and a reminder of the fragility of this existence.
The System's announcement of the end of the battle, the ghostly blue text a stark counterpoint to the visceral reality of his recent kill. Two scrawny, scaled creatures. Hardly a challenge, but every bit of experience pushed him closer to whatever twisted form of power this shattered world offered.
The acrid tang of blood hung in the air, mingling with the pervasive dust and the metallic undercurrent that seemed woven into the very fabric of this realm. He took a deep breath, the stale air catching in his throat, a reminder of his dwindling reserves. Water would be a problem, he knew that, but thirst was a familiar companion, an ache that he could endure. For now, the need to push forward, to find those crystals that pulsed with the same strange energy as the Shard, overrode the discomfort. He wiped his bloody hands on the rags that passed for clothes, the grime ingrained in the fabric a stark reminder of his recent battles. His gaze lingered on the fallen Scrags, their bodies contorted, scales fractured, lifeless eyes staring at the uncaring sky. It wasn't a sight that bothered him, not really. Just a reminder of the stakes, the constant struggle for survival.
“Every bit counts,” he muttered, pushing himself away from the cave wall, the cool stone a momentary relief against the heat building in the realm's pale sun. He wasn't sure what that sun was, what fueled its sickly light in this shattered sky, but its presence was growing, a subtle heat that promised to make his journey even more arduous.