Chapter 67: Spawn Point

As Niko and his companions made their way back to the castle, the air was thick with tension, a silent understanding passing between them as they replayed the battle with the Protectors in their minds. The quiet of the castle felt almost oppressive after the chaotic noise of the skirmish. The soft creak of the wooden floors beneath their boots, the distant whistle of the wind through the stone halls—everything seemed louder in the stillness. Each of them carried their own thoughts, their expressions shadowed with lingering concern and exhaustion.

NIko was coming to understand how useful the trees around his territory were for ambushes, topped with the fact that these ratmen had high agility and were capable assassins he could truly catch many off guard. The protectors truly had no chance from the beginning. He also understood how difficult it would have been to conquer Grayrock Castle in the past if one were to go up the mountain. Niko was fortunate to have his spirits scout ahead and rid the trees of any hidden ratmen, but past adventurers or protectors might've not been as lucky.

The obvious hint of intelligence also gave these ratmen an edge, and if Niko didn't have the support from his spirits and teammates, despite his level, he would still have issues battling two ratmen at once, let alone if they ambushed him.

Ivanic, ever the pragmatic one, broke the silence first. His voice was steady, but the worry was clear in his tone. “That was just the beginning. You realize that, don’t you? The Protectors won’t stop. We dealt with them today, but they’ll come back, and next time, they’ll bring more people, stronger people.” His eyes darted between the group, gauging their reactions.

Zheng nodded slowly, the weight of the truth settling over him. “We need to get stronger, and fast,” he said, his voice low but firm. His wild, unkempt hair and fierce gaze made his words seem all the more serious. “Next time, we might not be so lucky.”

Ivanic sighed and rubbed his forehead, visibly fatigued. “I’ll get started on a meal. We’ve got some meat that’s close to going bad. No sense in letting it rot when we need our strength.” He excused himself, his tall frame disappearing down the corridor that led to the kitchen.

Fumito, leaning against a nearby wall, wiped the blood from his face with the back of his hand. His movements were slow and deliberate, clearly feeling the toll of the fight. “I’m heading down to the underground levels. Something tells me there’s more to this castle than we’ve found so far. Who knows what secrets lie beneath?” There was a glint of curiosity in his eyes, a hunger for discovery that mirrored his desire to grow stronger.

Zheng, flexing his claws as he looked out a nearby window, added, “I’m heading back to the forest. That fight got me close to leveling up to thirteen. If I push myself, I can hit it today.” He turned to Niko, his tribal mask hanging loosely around his neck. “By the way, I’ve been meaning to mention something. This mask—the Wild One title I got from it—it’s got a unique effect. When I’m in a forest or dense area, my movements become more unpredictable, harder to read. I can feel it during combat. It’s a small edge, but it could turn the tide in the right situation.”

Niko nodded in agreement. “That’s… interesting. I’ve noticed it too—your attacks have been sharper, harder to anticipate. It’s a minor advantage, but one that might make a big difference.”

Zheng shrugged, a slight grin tugging at the corners of his mouth. “I’ll take every advantage I can get.”

As Zheng left, Niko found himself alone, his thoughts already spiraling toward the history of the castle and its strange, forgotten past. The others had their missions—to train, to explore, to prepare—but Niko’s mind was fixated on something else. He felt the weight of leadership, the responsibility of understanding their new world, pressing down on him.

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Niko wandered through the silent halls, making his way to the library. It was a vast room, the walls lined with shelves filled with dusty tomes and ancient scrolls, many of which had likely not been touched in centuries. The flickering torchlight cast shadows that danced along the floor as he entered, the scent of old parchment and leather binding filling the air.

He had been spending a lot of time here lately, piecing together the story of the castle. It had once been the center of a long-forgotten conflict between humans and ratmen, their battles for dominance raging over this very land. But there was something more, something deeper. The records in the library alluded to a calamity—a mysterious event that had abruptly ended the power struggles. It was a calamity that wasn’t described in detail anywhere else, and that was what gnawed at him.

He thumbed through the worn pages of an old volume, his eyes scanning the text for clues. The idea that parts of the world—this world—had been summoned here was unsettling. Could it be possible that this strange land, this vast labyrinth of territories and dungeons, was made up of fragments from countless other worlds? Were the layers simply different realities, stitched together by some unknown force?

Niko’s fingers trailed across the text as his mind wandered.

After hours of reading, his head buzzed with unanswered questions. He sighed and leaned back in his chair, staring up at the vaulted ceiling of the library. He pulled up his stats, the familiar glow of his status window appearing before his eyes. Level 13. He was stronger now, but still nowhere near powerful enough to face the true dangers of this world. He placed more points into mana, knowing that his strength came not from physical prowess but from the power of his spirits.

Satisfied for the moment, Niko closed the window and decided it was time to explore more of the castle. There were still rooms he hadn’t ventured into, corridors left unexplored, secrets hidden behind closed doors. He had been avoiding it before, too focused on survival, but now, with the looming threat of the Protectors, every inch of this castle needed to be understood.

Days passed, and Niko’s routine remained much the same—exploring, reading, strategizing. The Protectors hadn’t returned, but he knew it was only a matter of time. He needed answers, and more than that, he needed power.

One afternoon, as Niko sat in the library, a soft chime rang in his mind. His heart skipped a beat—messages in this world often came with significant news. He opened the notification with a sense of caution, unsure of what to expect.

[Spawn Point Activated.]

The words floated before him in glowing letters. Niko’s brow furrowed. A spawn point? He hadn’t set one. His mind raced as he quickly pulled up the map, tracing the edges of his territory until he read a message that popped up in front of him.

The message indicated that deep within the mountain, a spawn point had been activated—potentially bringing new people into his territory. Newly summoned individuals from Earth, just like he had once been.

Niko’s stomach churned at the thought. His gut reaction was to view them as a threat. His spirits were the only companions he could truly trust—humans had only proven themselves to be dangerous, selfish, and unpredictable. But he also understood that this spawn point had always been here, meaning, whenever people were summoned, they never truly left the spawn point, otherwise, people would be around already.

Niko stared at the map for what felt like an eternity, weighing his options. He couldn’t just ignore the situation, it further proved that many parts of his own castle still needed to be explored. He sent a mental message to Fumito who had been exploring the castle.

Maybe they were becoming food for a powerful monster, or strengthening other threats that one day could place his own territory in jeopardy.

Niko knew better. The world had a way of bringing threats to your doorstep whether you wanted them or not. He would have to decide soon how to deal with this news.