📖 CHAPTER 2 - BAPTISM BY BLOOD

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The first one slipped through.

The crack between the stone doors was narrow—too narrow—but that didn’t stop the damn thing. It contorted, its bony frame pressing through gaps that shouldn’t exist, its flesh twitching like it was realigning itself mid-motion.

I’d seen rats before. Big ones. Smart ones. Survivors.

This wasn’t that.

Its movements were wrong. Not skittish. Not the frantic darting of a scavenger looking for scraps. Deliberate. Focused. Like it had a purpose, like it knew I was here and what it intended to do.

Its body jerked violently for half a second, as if adjusting to reality, then lunged.

I moved first.

The ceremonial rod was already in my hands, my grip tightening as I brought it down.

CRACK.

The impact rattled up my arms, bone and flesh caving under the force. The warped rat collapsed instantly, a final spasm running through its misshapen form before it went still.

Its blood pooled thickly on the floor.

I’ve never been a fan of blood, but in the heat of the moment, I barely paid it any heed.

For a single breath, everything paused.

Then—

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> [Essence Absorption: Warped Rat - 1 Unit]

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The text flashed across my vision. Not like a pop-up on a screen, not like something my brain could dismiss—it was there. A part of reality.

But somehow unobtrusive.

It was like instead of seeing the text, I just knew it was there.

My vision felt unimpaired.

I blinked, breath catching in my throat.

Absorbing essence didn’t feel like anything. It should have. No rush of power, no jolt of adrenaline. Just knowledge. Integration. Something that shouldn’t be possible. Tactical advantage? Unknown. Will have to think about it later.

The words lingered just a little too long.

Then, like they’d never been there at all—they vanished.

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“Oh wow. You got loot,” Fred’s voice broke the silence, thick with exaggerated amazement. “Too bad it’s… y’know, spiritual goo.”

I barely processed the words. Fred’s words hung distantly in the back of my mind. My pulse was hammering against my ribs, and not just from exertion.

The rat’s corpse was still there. That should’ve made it feel more real. Instead, it made it feel even more wrong.

Blood pooled slowly beneath it, dark and sluggish, its mangy fur matted from the impact. Its body wasn’t fading, wasn’t vanishing into thin air.

That should have made it feel normal. It didn’t.

The way it had moved, the way the air had felt around it, the way the system had just claimed something from it—none of that was normal.

Spark’s body coiled in tension, staring at an empty space behind me.

A shiver ran down my spine at his eerie intensity.

Then the air twisted.

A low pop, like a bubble bursting—sharp and unnatural.

I moved on instinct.

I threw myself backward just as something materialized out of thin air right where I had been standing.

Another rat.

It hadn’t jumped. Hadn’t sprinted.

It had blinked.

One moment it was across the room, half-shrouded in darkness, claws scraping against stone. The next, it was here. Mid-lunge, teeth bared, aiming for my throat.

Too fast.

My balance was off—I barely got the rod up in time. Its weight slammed into me, forcing me back, claws tearing through my jacket.

I hit the stone hard, my back screaming in protest.

The rat writhed, its body flickering, its mass shifting unnaturally as if the air itself was struggling to keep hold of it. Then, in another pulse of warped energy—

It disappeared.

It blinked again, reappearing just a few feet away, already twisting for another attack.

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Fred let out a low whistle. “Okay, I have some questions. First one—did that thing just ninja teleport?”

My fingers tightened around the rod. My heart slammed against my ribs.

I didn’t have time for questions.

It wasn’t done.

If it could teleport, then I had a much bigger problem.

I was already losing ground. And this would make it even worse.

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I barely had time to reset my stance before the next one came.

The warped rat flickered, its body shifting like a mirage as it scrambled through the gap. Too fast. Too unnatural.

I swung.

CRACK.

The rod met flesh with a wet crunch, sending the thing skidding across the stone. It twitched once, then went still.

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> [Essence Absorption: Warped Rat - 1 Unit]

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Another notification. I shoved it out of my mind. I didn’t have time to think about why it felt sharper. Why it felt like it was pressing into me.

No time to think about it.

Because the next one was already through.

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I shifted, bracing my weight against the stone wall, forcing the rats into a narrow funnel. If I let them spill out, I was dead.

The next rat lunged—I stepped into it, swinging mid-motion.

Impact. Another kill. Another notification.

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> [Essence Absorption: Warped Rat - 1 Unit]

Fred did a theatric sigh before speaking in my head again.

> “That was weird. The last one took a full second to process. This one was instant. Is there a rule to this, or am I imagining things?”

One more question that I had no answers for. But also a problem for later. Baby steps as I always say.

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My muscles burned, breath coming in sharp bursts. But they weren’t stopping.

They weren’t slowing down.

And neither was Spark.

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I almost didn’t see it happen.

One second, the rat was in motion, its claws scraping for my leg. The next—

A blur of red fur.

Spark slammed into it, snapping his teeth around its throat with a vicious shake.

The rat didn’t even get the chance to screech.

Blood splattered against the stone.

He let go. The mangled corpse hit the floor.

Spark froze for half a second, his step stopped mid-motion—just a fraction of hesitation. His tail, usually a blur of wagging excitement, hung motionless. Then he lunged, faster than I’d ever seen him move.

And he didn’t hesitate.

Didn’t pause.

Didn’t even flinch.

Another rat scurried through the opening—Spark was already there.

I saw the way he adjusted his weight, the way his paws planted with near-perfect form, the way his next bite landed like it had been trained into him.

Trained.

That word dug into my brain like a splinter.

Because Spark wasn’t trained for this.

He was a house pet. A spoiled, floppy-eared Cavalier King Charles Spaniel.

A dog that preferred sleeping in my lap over literally anything else.

And yet, here he was—tearing through these things like it was instinct.

Not just surviving. Fighting.

And worse?

Winning.

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> [Essence Absorption: Warped Rat - 1 Unit] [Essence Absorption: Warped Rat - 1 Unit]

Fred just couldn’t let me focus. He kept on, annoyingly throwing crucial information at me during the fight.

> “So, uh, you’re absorbing whatever-the-hell this is… and nothing’s happening? Feels like a rip-off, man.”

The mysteries keep growing even if I couldn’t spare the attention to them at the time.

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Something was wrong.

His body was still tense—not from fear, but like he was waiting for something. For instruction. For the next move.

Spark had always been a little too clever. But this—this was different.

I’d taught Spark tricks. I’d taught him to heel, to fetch, to roll over. I’d never taught him to kill.

This wasn’t desperation.

This was precise. Calculated.

He wasn’t panicking. He was working.

He wittled down the Warped Rats one at a time.

> [Essence Absorption: Warped Rat - 8 Unit]

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Fred let out a low whistle. “Well damn, I take it back. You’re not the protagonist. It’s him. You’re just the Essence rip-off.”

Another rat tried to slip through—Spark met it first.

His paws hit the stone, his frame twisting mid-air with almost unnatural ease. The force of his lunge sent the rat careening into a wall with a sickening crunch.

He landed too smoothly.

Too controlled.

I sucked in a breath, shoving down the uneasy feeling curling in my gut.

Adrenaline.

That’s all it was.

Nothing more.

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Another wave pressed forward.

Claws scraped against stone. Bodies squeezed through the opening, too many at once.

Fred’s voice was dry. “This is either the worst tower defense game ever, or the most immersive survival horror experience of your life.”

Another rat lunged.

Fred snorted. “Oh hey, new wave!”

I swung, barely registering the bone-crunching impact.

They just kept coming.

And Athena?

She wasn’t saying a damn thing.

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> [Essence Absorption: Warped Rat - 16 Unit]

I didn’t know how long I’d been swinging.

Time blurred into a rhythm of impact and movement. Step. Swing. Impact. Repeat.

The rod was an extension of my arms now, my grip slick with sweat and blood. My arms ached, every muscle screaming at me to slow down.

I didn’t.

Because the rats weren’t stopping.

Another one lunged—I intercepted, twisting the rod mid-swing.

CRACK.

It folded mid-motion, its skull splitting open on impact.

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> [Essence Absorption: Warped Rat - 1 Unit]

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I exhaled sharply, already pivoting toward the next, the notification barely registering.

It was automatic now. A kill. A flash of text. Another step in the cycle.

But somewhere between the ragged breaths and the endless cycle of violence, I felt something else.

My arms still burned, but the ache wasn’t as sharp as before. I could swing faster now, recover quicker. The weight of the rod felt less like a burden and more like an extension of my will.

The pain was still there. But my body was adjusting.

I was adapting.

And then—

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> [Endurance +1 | Welcome to the bare minimum of cardio competence.]

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I staggered mid-step.

Fred perked up immediately. “Wait, did you just get a—oh my god, you did. Buddy, you leveled up your stamina! Wow. You might actually be able to last a whole minute in a fight now.”

I gritted my teeth, shoving the irritation down as I reset my stance. The sarcasm could wait—because the next rat was already lunging.

Swing. Impact. Another kill.

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> [Essence Absorption: Warped Rat - 1 Unit]

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The weight in my hands wasn’t as foreign anymore. It was still too long, too ceremonial, too much of a relic to be a real weapon—but my hands adjusted. My grip shifted more naturally as I redirected a strike, controlling the force instead of just swinging wildly.

I felt it settle in my shoulders, the way the force of each hit flowed through my body instead of straining against me.

I adjusted. I compensated.

I hit harder.

The rod’s impact sent a jolt through my arms, but the strain wasn’t as sharp as before. The recoil felt manageable. I adjusted mid-swing, recalibrating faster than I should have.

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> [Strength +1 | Look at you, actually breaking bones on purpose now.]

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Fred snorted. “Okay, now you’re just showing off. What’s next? A pop-up telling you how agile you’ve become?”

I didn’t have time to respond—because the rats weren’t just lunging anymore.

They were dodging.

The next one twisted unnaturally mid-air, barely avoiding my swing before its claws lashed out toward my ribs.

I barely pulled back in time, my feet skidding across stone as I redirected my weight, adjusting my balance before the next attack hit.

The next rat came in at an awkward angle. My body twisted—not perfectly, but smoother than before. My weight shifted faster, and for the first time, I dodged without stumbling.

It wasn’t just strength that was improving.

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> [Agility +1 | Congratulations: You are now slightly better at not dying when things move unpredictably.]

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“HA! Called it!” Fred practically cheered. “Guess dodging for your life actually pays off.”

I clenched my jaw, ignoring him as I shifted my stance again. My body moved just a fraction faster than before, my balance a little tighter, a little sharper.

It wasn’t a huge improvement.

But it was enough.

Until the last one fell.

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> [Essence Absorption: Warped Rat - 1 Unit]

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🟢 Essence Reserve Summary

Essence Type Collected Spent Remaining 🐀 Warped Rat Essence +32 0 32

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The air shifted.

Not physically—not something I could touch. But I felt it. A pressure in my chest, a sensation rolling over my skin like the moment before a thunderclap.

And for the first time—

The rats hesitated.

I exhaled slowly, gripping the rod tighter. This wasn’t hesitation. It was calculation.

The rats weren’t running. They weren’t panicking.

The next wave, the ones already halfway through the gap, froze.

Their beady, warped eyes locked onto me. All of them turning their heads at the same time.

Not just reacting. Studying.

They were studying me.

And then I realized—they had already adapted.

I tightened my grip on the rod, forcing down the primal instinct to back up. My breath came fast and shallow, each inhale fighting against my own rising panic.

And then—silence. A thick, unnatural pause. Like the whole world had stopped to take notice.

They had been waiting for something.

And it had just triggered.

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I took their pause to gather myself and do a quick recap.

The interface had flickered mid battle, but I had ignored it.

> [Essence Consumption Available] Select Application Method (Costs 10 units of essence): (1) Attribute Increase – Strength, Agility, Endurance. (2) Racial Ability – Warped Rat. (3) Racial Trait – Warped Rat.

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I barely had time to register the options before Fred spoke up, his voice dry.

> “Oh good, a skill tree. Because picking talents while under siege is a totally normal experience.”

I ignored him. I had a wisp of a break before whatever was coming next arrived. I had no time to lose with banter.

I evaluated the options quickly. An attribute is a sure gain, but an ability meant potential tactical options, so it needed to be ruled out first.

> [Warped Rats Racial Abilities] Shadow Blink - The ability to teleport short distances for surprise attacks. - Or - Nesting Instincts - The instinctive awareness for environmental safety, knowing where to create a permanent foothold in safety.

Mobility to the level of teleportation was an unsurmountable tactical advantage. That made my choice too easy.

> [Ability Unlocked: Shadow Blink] [Essence Consumed: 10 Units]

I had no more time to fiddle with unknowns. I had to reinforce myself for the upcoming fight. Stamina was my greatest bottleneck, out of shape as I was.

I steeled my resolve and confirmed my choices.

> [Selection Confirmed: Endurance +2] [Essence Consumed: 20 Units]

Fred let out a low whistle.

> “Hoo boy. That wasn’t ominous at all.”

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📊 Final Stat Gains Summary

Attribute Starting Value Change New Value Narrative Justification Endurance 6 +1 7 Sustained combat, exhaustion tolerance Strength 5 +1 6 Repeated full-body swings, breaking bone Agility 7 +1 8 Dodging, footwork, reaction speed

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I barely had time to process the words before the air around me twisted.

The Alpha had arrived.

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Fred’s voice cut through the silence, flat. Too flat.

“Hey, congratulations, you hit the magic number.”

There was a beat, like he was waiting for me to process that.

Then:

“Do you get a prize? No? Oh well. I’m sure this won’t be horrifyingly relevant later.”

I swallowed hard.

That was the first time he wasn’t making a joke.

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I flicked my gaze to Spark.

His hackles were raised, his stance stiff, but his head was low—not tense in preparation for an attack, but waiting.

Expecting something.

A chill settled in my gut.

The rats weren’t charging.

They were waiting, too.

I exhaled slowly. The rats had paused, but I wasn’t sure if it was because they feared me—or if they’d just learned to be cautious.

Reacting to something yet unseen.

Thinking.

I clenched my jaw, adjusting my stance.

“Fred.” My voice came out hoarse. “What’s going on?”

Fred hesitated.

That alone was enough to put my nerves on edge.

“I dunno, man.” He sounded almost casual, but there was something under his voice—too careful.

“You ever play one of those games where the enemies get progressively smarter?”

The lead rat twitched, its muscles coiling like a spring.

Fred exhaled slowly.

“Yeah. I think you just hit the difficulty spike.” Fred’s voice was flat now, almost thoughtful. “I think something changed.”

The rats surged forward.

But this time—they weren’t just attacking.

They were hunting.

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📊 Final Stat Gains Summary

Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

Attribute Starting Value Change New Value Narrative Justification Endurance 6 +1 7 Sustained combat, exhaustion tolerance Strength 5 +1 6 Repeated full-body swings, breaking bone Agility 7 +1 8 Dodging, footwork, reaction speed

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The screeching stopped.

Not faded. Not lessened.

Stopped.

A moment ago, the swarm had been everywhere—clawing, biting, gnashing, shrieking. They had fought like mindless beasts, hurling themselves at me in a frenzy of bloodlust.

And now, they froze.

Every single one.

The stillness spread like a ripple, a wave of unnatural silence moving through the horde.

Then, they scattered.

Not chaotically. Not like prey retreating in fear.

They parted.

They were making way.

Something was coming.

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Spark let out a sharp huff, shifting beside me. His paws were still, his tail lowered—not tucked, but held just enough to show uncertainty. His ears, naturally drooped, twitched slightly, his body tense. He wasn’t growling, wasn’t whining.

He was waiting.

That might’ve been the most unnerving part.

Spark reacted to everything. He barked at reflections, cowered from plastic bags, wagged his tail even when he had no idea what was happening.

But now?

He was quiet.

> “Oh fantastic. It’s the final boss. You should’ve saved before this.”

Fred’s voice barely registered in my head.

I was already adjusting my stance.

A deep, reverberating growl filled the air.

Spark stiffened.

Then it stepped forward.

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The Alpha.

The largest Warped Rat I had seen yet, towering over its lesser kin. Its flesh was wrong, stretched too tightly over its muscular frame, jagged spines protruding from its back like crude weapons. The way it moved—measured, deliberate, aware—sent a chill down my spine.

Then, it looked at me.

Not a mindless glare.

A calculating stare.

It was waiting. Watching. Calculating risk versus reward. I’d seen that look before. In boardrooms. In negotiations. In predators who weren’t sure if they could win.

It saw me. It knew me.

And it was deciding what to do next.

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Spark’s weight shifted slightly. I felt him press against my leg—not hiding, but anchoring himself. A habit from when he was younger, something he did when he wasn’t sure what to do but trusted me to decide.

I exhaled slowly.

This was about to get bad.

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The Alpha didn’t move.

Not at first.

It just stood there, its grotesque frame silhouetted against the temple ruins, muscles coiled beneath stretched, scarred flesh. Its eyes never left me, dark and calculating.

It wasn’t just looking.

It was watching.

It was waiting.

Which meant it was thinking.

I exhaled slowly. My grip on the rod was steady, but every instinct in my body screamed at me to move. To act first.

No.

Make it move first. See how it fights.

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Spark shifted beside me, his breathing faster than normal. He wasn’t growling, wasn’t whining—just locked in place, tense and hyper-focused. His tail was held stiff behind him, fur along his back slightly raised.

That wasn’t aggression.

That was pure instinct.

> “Okay, I have so many questions.”

Fred’s voice crackled through my mind, the usual snark edged with something else.

> “First one—did we just fight a rat that did a ninja teleport?”

“We haven’t fought it yet.”

> “Oh, well, I’m sure that’ll be a stress-free experience for everyone involved.”

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I shifted my weight forward, just slightly, testing.

The Alpha’s head twitched.

It noticed.

It was reacting to movement cues. If I twitched one way, it adjusted. If I settled my footing, it re-centered.

It was assessing me, just like I was assessing it. It was the same as a job interview. Except failure meant getting eaten.

But that meant it didn’t know my limits yet either.

Which meant I had an opening.

I had to bait it.

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I took another half-step forward, faking momentum.

The Alpha moved.

Not a charge.

Not a lunge.

It vanished.

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A sharp crack of displaced air—then a flicker of movement behind me.

Behind me.

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Spark reacted first.

A deep, snarling bark tore through the silence, and before I could even pivot, I saw a blur of red fur and fangs.

Spark launched himself at the Alpha.

He didn’t hesitate. No flinching. No second-guessing. Just teeth flashing toward the monster’s exposed throat.

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The Alpha was ready.

It twisted, deflecting Spark mid-air with a swipe of its massive forelimb. The impact sent him skidding across the stone floor, his claws scraping for purchase.

I felt my breath hitch.

Spark flipped upright instantly, already regaining his stance. No whimper, no retreat.

But he was already limping.

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> “Oh, hell no.”

I didn’t even realize I’d said it aloud before I was already moving.

I turned sharply, aiming for where the Alpha had landed.

It wasn’t there.

The Alpha didn’t Blink this time. Instead, it feinted left, then stopped—watching. It was tracking my response time. Measuring me.

A pulse of air. Another flicker of motion.

It was already Blinking again.

For half a second, it felt like stepping off a ledge—weightless, untethered, then suddenly… solid ground. No momentum. No pull. Just a clean transition. My brain told me I should have staggered. My body disagreed.

The world lurched sideways.

No—I moved.

I reappeared a meter to the left. My eyes struggled to adjust—the world felt like it had shifted just a fraction of a second too late.

My arms burned from swinging, my breath was sharp, but… that teleport? Made me feel nothing.

The Alpha Rat’s claws swiped through empty space where I’d been standing.

I blinked too early—the rat’s claws swiped through empty air, but I stumbled slightly, adjusting to the sudden shift.

Instinct. Reflex. It weirdly felt as natural as breathing. Even with my own mistakes in timing.

> Fred blinked. “Huh.”

I didn’t have time to respond. The Alpha was already moving again.

Another Blink. Another dodge.

Another… something.

Something shifted beneath my skin, a pull I hadn’t noticed before. It wasn’t stamina—I wasn’t out of breath. It wasn’t pain—my body felt fine. But something had diminished.

Fred’s tone sharpened. “Wait… hold on.”

> Fred’s voice adjusted. “That seemed to have used something.” Fred squinted, his focus shifting—not on me, but past me.

He sounded distracted, like he was actively piecing it together. Then—

> “Not sure exactly what it is, but I think I’ll call it Focus for now.”

> > [New Interface Element Added: Focus Bar]

A bar appeared in my awareness, but I was too distracted keeping away from the blinking Alpha to pay it much attention.

Another Blink. Another dodge.

> “Okaaay. That number is moving, or… Is it? I’ll try to make the bar more reliable as I learn more about it.”

I barely had time to register that before the Alpha attacked again. I Blanked again, dodging on pure instinct.

> Fred whistled. “Alright, this is interesting. There’s a percentual approximation of this Focus—whatever it is. Looks stable so far.”

Meanwhile the Alpha was already blinking on the offensive again.

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> “Hate to say it,” Fred muttered, “but I think you just found a counter to Spark’s ‘charge first, think later’ strategy.”

“Noticed.”

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The Alpha was fast.

It wasn’t just using Blink to escape—it was using it offensively. Cutting angles. Attacking from unexpected positions.

I tried to keep up, pivoting, adjusting my stance—but I was too slow.

It was faster.

Stronger.

And it had already figured out something important:

I wasn’t built for a prolonged fight.

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I forced myself to breathe.

I could feel my body running out of energy with every movement, my arms already protesting from the tension in my grip. If I wasted energy chasing it, I was going to lose.

> “So, fun question.”

“Fred, not now.”

> “No, really. I just think it’s interesting that the teleporting hell-rat isn’t going full offense yet. I wonder why?” F

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…Why wasn’t it?

It had speed. Power. The ability to reposition faster than I could react. It had every advantage.

So why was it holding back?

Then it hit me.

It didn’t know my limits yet.

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I clenched my jaw, forcing down the adrenaline flooding my system.

“Fred, I need to force it to overcommit.”

> “Ah. Classic ‘make the enemy play their entire hand’ maneuver. Bold. Also potentially fatal.” Fred clicked his tongue. “But hey, did you notice how it hasn’t Blinked in a while? That’s… probably important.”

“Noted.”

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I had to make it waste its strength first.

I took a slow step back, feigning a defensive position. A stagger in my stance.

The Alpha noticed.

It hesitated for just a fraction of a second—but I caught it.

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It was watching for weakness.

It didn’t just want to kill me. It wanted to make sure it would win.

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Good.

That meant it was susceptible to deception.

> “Alright.”

I exhaled, resetting my stance.

I knew my limits.

I just had to find its.

And then?

Then I’d control this fight.

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The Alpha was faltering.

It had spent too much.

The endless barrage of Blinks—each one chasing, each one missing. It had moved too much, too fast.

And now?

Now it was hesitating.

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My breathing was still fast, but steady. My body ached, but my mind was nowhere close to taxed.

The difference between us was stark.

I had Blinked more times than it had. And I still had more left.

It didn’t.

It was out.

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Fred exhaled sharply in my head.

> “Oh, wow. You actually did it.”

I didn’t respond.

The Alpha staggered, trying to shift into a defensive stance, claws scraping against the temple floor.

It knew it was in trouble.

And now?

I had one last move to make.

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I faked a Blink.

A sudden step, a shift of my weight—the Alpha flinched.

It reacted too hard.

And that was the opening.

I lunged.

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The ceremonial rod smashed into its skull with a sickening crack.

The Alpha stumbled, body jerking from the impact.

Then, before it could recover—

A blur of red fur.

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Spark lunged, teeth flashing.

He didn’t go for the body. He was too small to take the thing down by force. He went for the throat.

Jaws clamped. A vicious, tearing shake.

The Alpha recoiled violently, body twisting in pain, claws scrambling for purchase.

It was already off-balance from my strike.

That was all Spark needed.

A wet, guttural snarl tore from him as he ripped.

A final shudder.

Then, stillness.

The fight was over.

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I took a shaky breath. My body burned from the exertion, but I forced myself to stay standing.

The air shifted.

A familiar sensation settled in my chest.

And then—

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> [Essence Absorption: Warped Rat - 10 Units]

> 🟢 Essence Reserves Summary Updated

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“Huh… I was expecting a little more humpf after all that fight. But it felt the same as any other essence I had absorbed.”

Fred let out a slow, low whistle.

> “Well. That was horrific.”

Spark finally released his grip, stepping back. His tail wagged—just a little. Not from excitement.

From relief.

I exhaled, rolling my shoulders as my vision adjusted to the Essence Absorption.

Now that the fight was over, the aches finally caught up to me. My arms felt like lead, my breath was slow, deliberate—keeping myself upright took actual effort.

Fred’s voice broke the silence again.

> “So. This whole ‘consume the essence of your enemies’ thing. How normal are we rating it on the horror scale? Asking for my own sanity.”

I didn’t answer.

Because I wasn’t sure yet.

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The last few Warped Rats scattered.

They didn’t fight. Didn’t hesitate.

The moment the Alpha fell, they turned and fled, vanishing into the darkness beyond the ruined temple walls.

That should’ve been comforting.

It wasn’t.

Because that meant they weren’t just mindless creatures. They understood something I didn’t.

I exhaled sharply, leaning on the ceremonial rod. My arms ached, my legs burned, and sweat clung to my skin despite the cool temple air.

> “So… we won, right?”

Fred’s voice was light, but not relaxed.

> “Or is this just the tutorial?”

I swallowed. “Don’t say that.”

> “What? The ‘this is only the beginning’ speech? Oh, I wasn’t going to. I figured that was self-explanatory.”

I didn’t answer.

Because I wasn’t sure he was wrong.

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Spark shifted beside me.

His breathing was fast but steady. His ears, naturally drooped, were still, but his tail had started to flick slightly—not a full wag, but an easing of tension.

I crouched, running a hand carefully over his side.

The Alpha had swiped him hard. I had seen the impact, seen the moment he hit the ground, the limp that followed.

Now?

Nothing.

His coat was matted with dust and a little blood, but I couldn’t find an injury. No open wounds. No swelling.

He huffed at me, ears flicking in annoyance as if to say, I’m fine.

I let out a slow breath.

“Looks like you’re tougher than you look, huh?”

Spark yawned.

Fred snorted.

> “Amazing. The world ends, and somehow your dog gets a power-up first.”

“Yeah, I’m thrilled.”

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I pushed myself upright, rolling my shoulders. The burn in my limbs was still there, but not as bad as it should have been.

I’d been fighting for—what? Minutes? Longer? My stamina had been bleeding out. My muscles should have been screaming.

But my mind?

It felt clear.

And my Focus…

I hesitated, flexing my fingers.

The Blurred sensation of Shadow Blink was still fresh in my mind. That moment of weightlessness, the shift from one place to another. I had used it more than I should have.

Fred’s voice chimed in again, the interface flickering slightly. > “Alright, let’s see how much of that Focus thing you burned through.”

> [Focus Reserves: 91%]

Fred clicked his tongue. “Huh. Either Blink costs almost nothing, or you regenerate stupidly fast. Neither of those make sense.”

A pause.

Then, with exaggerated amusement: > “I’m betting on stupidly fast.”

I frowned. “I thought Focus was a resource, like stamina.”

The silence that followed was not encouraging.

> “…Right. Stamina.”

“Yeah. Stamina.” I blinked. “Wait, why don’t I have one?”

The interface flickered slightly, like Fred had just tripped over a wire in his own subconscious. > “Okay, so,” Fred started, stretching the words. “We may have overlooked a minor, minor detail.”

I exhaled sharply. “Fred.”

“You know, the usual stuff. Small things. Forgetting to include an objectively critical survival metric. No biggie.”

“Fred.”

The interface glitched, then shifted, and suddenly— > > [New Interface Element Added: Stamina Bar]

A thin, green-gold line pulsed to life next to my Focus bar.

> Fred cleared his throat. “Ahem. There you go. Now, you might not fall dead from bad resource management.”

I pinched my nose. “Fred…”

----------------------------------------

I rubbed a hand down my face. “Fred, I nearly collapsed from exhaustion in that fight.”

> “Okay, okay! So mistakes were made. To be fair, you didn’t collapse. You just looked like you wanted to.”

I groaned. “Anything else missing?”

The interface flickered again.

> > [New Interface Element Added: Health Bar]

> Fred let out a slow, thoughtful hum. “Huh. Yeah, that also seems like a thing you’d need. You have no idea how much health you actually have left, do you?”

“Do you?”

> “Well, I do now.”

A new bar settled beneath my Stamina gauge, a deep red line flickering as it calibrated.

> “Alright. Focus, check. Stamina, check. Health, check. I’m an excellent interface designer.”

I narrowed my eyes. “You’re literally just fixing the stuff you forgot.”

> “Semantics.”

----------------------------------------

I took a bit of a step back from the banter and thought back to the fight.

Every time I Blinked, there had been a short moment where I was still. Half a second. Maybe two. But those gaps had been enough.

If I had stopped for a full two or three seconds between movements—

I ran the numbers in my head.

Fred got there first.

> “Oh, holy shit.”

“Yeah.”

> “You could’ve just kept spamming it indefinitely. All you needed was a pause or two to recover.”

I swallowed hard.

That… wasn’t normal.

And it meant something else, something worse.

The Alpha had run out of Blinks. I hadn’t.

Which meant it had a cost. A limit. A pool small enough that burning through it meant losing.

I didn’t.

> “So, fun thought.”

Fred’s voice had a new edge to it now.

> “If you can just Blink forever, what exactly does that make you?”

I didn’t answer.

Because I wasn’t sure yet.

----------------------------------------

The temple was quiet.

Not peaceful. Not safe.

Just… quiet.

The last of the Warped had fled, but their absence didn’t make the place feel any less wrong.

I exhaled, shifting my grip on the ceremonial rod. My knuckles ached from how tightly I’d been holding it, but I barely noticed. My body was still recovering, my breath steady but deep. Fatigue lingered in my muscles, but my mind?

Sharp as ever.

And now that I had a second to think—

I needed to see what had changed.

----------------------------------------

I brought up the notifications again, letting the system overlay settle into my vision. This time, I focused on the numbers, the choices I had made.

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> [Essence Absorption: Warped Rat - 10 Units] 🟢 Essence Reserves Summary Updated

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That had been the final piece.

I had already absorbed 31 total Warped Essence. Before the Alpha, I had been sitting on 21 units, unused, waiting. I had known I needed to spend it before the fight escalated further.

And I had, consumed a grand total of 30 Warped Rat Essence.

----------------------------------------

> [Essence Allocated: 20 Units → Endurance +2] [Essence Allocated: 10 Units → Ability Unlock: Shadow Blink]

----------------------------------------

I exhaled.

That had been my decision.

I had chosen this.

The system hadn’t done it for me. It had offered me choices, and I had spent the Essence myself.

That was important.

----------------------------------------

Fred clicked his tongue in my head.

> “So. Stat allocation, huh? Thought that was just a gaming thing.”

“Apparently not.”

> “Neat. Also mildly terrifying. What happens if you pump everything into Strength? Do you just turn into some kind of buff teleporting menace?”

“Don’t know. Not testing that.”

Fred huffed.

> “Well, let’s just be grateful you didn’t put it all into Charisma or something. That would’ve been awkward.”

I ignored him.

----------------------------------------

Shadow Blink.

I had unlocked it just before the fight, but I hadn’t fully understood it.

5-meter range. Short cooldown. Low cost.

And now that I had used it multiple times…

I flexed my fingers.

I had barely felt the drain.

My Focus was still above 90%.

I frowned. That wasn’t normal.

----------------------------------------

> “Alright, real talk—what’s up with your Focus?”

Fred’s voice had lost its usual humor.

> “I mean, I get that it regenerates, but that fight was… what? Five minutes? You Blinked, what, eight, nine times? And you’re still almost full?”

I hesitated.

“Yeah.”

> “That’s not right.”

“I know.”

----------------------------------------

That was the part that didn’t sit well with me.

The Alpha had run out. I had forced it to burn through its pool, and when it had nothing left, it lost.

I had done the same thing—spammed Blink, dodged, repositioned—but I hadn’t even gone below 90%.

I wasn’t running out.

I wasn’t even close.

And that meant something.

Something I didn’t understand yet.

----------------------------------------

Spark shifted beside me.

His tail flicked slightly, ears twitching. He had been quiet ever since the fight ended, watching me, watching the surroundings, more aware than usual.

I looked at him carefully.

The Alpha had hit him hard. But there was no sign of injury left.

No limp. No soreness.

Not normal.

Not for him.

The idea curled, uneasy, at the back of my mind.

Was he just tougher than I thought? Or… was something else happening?

----------------------------------------

Fred picked up on my hesitation.

> “What?”

I hesitated. “It’s just… what exactly did I absorb from that thing?”

A beat.

> “Well, uh. That’s a great question. Let me just check my extensive library on ‘magical essence siphoning’ real quick—oh, wait. That’s right. I don’t have one.”

“Fred.”

> “I mean it! Look, you’re acting like you just got XP and stats, but—what else changed? How do you feel?”

I frowned, rolling my shoulders. “Fine. Better than I should.”

> “Better how?”

I paused. That was the problem—I didn’t know.

----------------------------------------

Fred’s voice was quieter now.

> “What if it’s more than just stats?”

The question hit wrong.

I didn’t feel different. My thoughts were my own, my body still felt like mine.

But the way Spark had reacted. The way I had barely felt the fight’s exhaustion. The way my Focus had barely moved, like it was limitless.

I clenched my jaw.

I didn’t have an answer.

And that made me uneasy.

----------------------------------------

The temple was still too quiet.

Spark shifted beside me. Watching me. Waiting.

I let out a slow breath, steadying myself.

Questions could wait.

For now, I needed to keep moving.

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The corridor stretched ahead, deeper into the temple’s untouched stone.

No moss. No cracks. No dust.

It wasn’t preserved—it was refusing to decay.

I exhaled, adjusting my grip on the ceremonial rod. My muscles still ached from the fight, but my movements stayed sharp, controlled.

I should’ve been slowing down. I wasn’t.

That was starting to bother me.

----------------------------------------

Fred’s voice cut in, tone lighter than the mood but not quite casual.

> “So… what’s the next step here? We just keep walking deeper into the ominous ruins of doom? Or do we get a chance to actually, I don’t know, prepare?”

I flicked my gaze up, pulling up the timer on the only directive I’d been given.

----------------------------------------

> [Quest Active: Restore the Mana Wells] [Time Remaining: 1 Day 16:42:37]

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Wells? As in energy sources? Resources meant control. Leverage opportunities.

Fred let out a slow, unimpressed breath.

> “Right. That thing. So… what the hell is a Mana Well?”

I frowned.

“I don’t know yet.”

> “Oh, awesome. Love that. Just blindly restoring things we don’t understand, on a deadline we didn’t agree to. No way that goes horribly wrong.”

I ignored him.

Because he was right.

I had no idea what this thing was. No explanation. No context.

And worse?

No one was telling me.

----------------------------------------

I flexed my fingers, glancing at the empty air where a prompt should have been.

Nothing.

No guidance. No details.

Before the merging or whatever that had been, she was vocal, imposing, commanding. But now, in the moments where I have the most questions, she has nothing to say.

Athena was silent.

----------------------------------------

Fred picked up on it immediately.

> “Not to sound paranoid, but have you noticed how completely useless she is?”

I raised an eyebrow. “Elaborate.”

> “I mean, come on. You’re out here stabbing abominations, absorbing their essence, getting orders to restore mysterious magical infrastructure—and she hasn’t explained a damn thing.”

I kept walking, rolling my shoulders.

> “Like, where’s the ‘hey, this is what’s happening’ speech? Where’s the ‘good job, here’s your reward’ update? Where’s the part where we actually get information that helps us?”

I clenched my jaw.

He was right again.

Athena had been present since the start, but she wasn’t guiding me.

She wasn’t giving me context.

She was just dead silent.

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I exhaled through my nose, forcing my focus back to my surroundings.

The temple was too quiet.

Spark was still close, still watching.

Not sniffing the air. Not checking in with me.

Just tracking something I couldn’t see.

I tightened my grip on the rod.

Something was ahead.

Waiting.

----------------------------------------

The hallway ended.

Not in a collapse. Not in ruin.

But in a doorway.

A massive stone arch, smooth and intact, leading into the depths of the temple. The way it stood—untouched, unweathered—it felt less like a remnant of the past and more like a barrier between two worlds.

Spark stopped beside me.

Not tense, not aggressive. Just watching.

Something was inside.

----------------------------------------

The chamber beyond was dimly lit, the glow of faintly pulsing runes along the walls casting long, flickering shadows.

I exhaled, shifting my grip on the rod, inching forward just enough for the light to catch the figure standing near the far end.

Not a monster.

Not Warped.

A person.

Large. Broad-shouldered. Covered in simple, worn leathers, a massive blade slung across his back. His skin—where I could see it—was a deep, slate green.

Not human.

No. It can’t be.

It looked like an Orc.

> Fred’s voice jumped at the thought. “Oh, now you decide to question reality?”

I pinched my nose in exhasperation. “Not helping Fred.”

> “Not my job.” - His smug undertone was just as sharp as you’d expect.

----------------------------------------

Fred froze.

The silence stretched through an awkward amount of time. Before Fred’s voice was heard again, this time a murmor of his usual boastery self.

> “Oh. Oh, shit.”

I barely heard him.

Because the Orc wasn’t facing me.

He was studying the wall.

----------------------------------------

He wasn’t just standing there—he was examining the carved runes, fingers tracing the symbols, muttering under his breath.

Low, rough syllables.

Harsh consonants.

The words didn’t make sense to me—mostly.

But some of them?

Some of them felt just a little too close.

----------------------------------------

I blinked.

I didn’t know the language. But I knew pieces of it.

Not fully. Not consciously. But I caught fragments.

Like my brain was stitching together loose meaning from something I shouldn’t understand.

----------------------------------------

> “…structure intact… barely powered…”

----------------------------------------

The words weren’t exact.

More like… an impression. An approximation my mind could almost grasp.

That wasn’t normal.

The syllables felt familiar in a way they shouldn’t have. A long-forgotten instinct stirred in my chest. This wasn’t like recognizing a borrowed word in a foreign language. This was closer. More personal.

I didn’t speak Orcish. And yet… I had caught fragments. Not full sentences, not clear meaning—just flashes of recognition, like half-forgotten words at the edge of memory. That wasn’t normal.

----------------------------------------

Fred exhaled.

> “Alright, what’s the call? ’Cause I’m pretty sure that’s not an NPC. And he’s got a very large sword.”

I said nothing.

Because I still wasn’t sure he’d noticed me yet.

Which meant I had a choice.

Announce myself.

Or see what else I could piece together first.

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CHAPTER 2 – FINAL ESSENCE RESERVES SUMMARY & STAT CHANGES

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🟢 Final Essence Reserves Summary (After Allocations)

Essence Type Amount Collected Spent Remaining 🐀 Warped Rat Essence +42 -30 12

💡 Notes: - First Intentional Essence Consumption. - 10 Warped Rat Essence spent to acquire [Shadow Blink]. - 20 Warped Rat Essence spent to increase Endurance by +2. - Remaining 1 Warped Rat Essence is banked.

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📊 Stat Changes This Chapter

Attribute Starting Value Change New Value Notes Endurance 6 +3 9 Organic growth & Direct allocation. Strenght 5 +1 6 Organic growth. Agility 7 +1 8 Organic growth.

💡 Key Takeaways: - Endurance increase gives Rick slightly improved stamina. - [Shadow Blink] is now unlocked as his first racial skill. - Rick still doesn’t understand the full mechanics of Essence Consumption. - Fred is keeping track of Rick’s reckless decision-making.

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📜 Additional Notes for Canon Integration ✅ First real combat survival moment – bottlenecking the rats. ✅ First tactical Essence use – Rick prioritizes survival over raw strength. ✅ Foreshadowing of Orc Scout & deeper temple dangers.

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CHAPTER 2 – FINAL STATS:

Attributes

Body Attributes

Attribute Value Commentary Agility 8 “Dodging for my life? Surprisingly good for reaction speed. Also, highly recommended for avoiding teeth.” Dexterity 8 “Keyboarding speed still unmatched. Swinging a rod? Less of a disaster than expected.” Endurance 9 “Apparently, repeated near-death experiences are a fantastic cardio regimen. Who knew?” Strength 6 “I might not be breaking boulders, but I’m breaking skulls. That’s progress, right?”

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Mind Attributes

Attribute Value Commentary Charisma 15 “Years of talking down angry bosses have paid off.” Intelligence 20 “My real superpower—too bad this world lacks a functioning API.” Willpower 19 “Surviving corporate bureaucracy hardened this stat.” Wisdom 17 “Mistakes teach you wisdom. I’ve had a thorough education.”

CHAPTER 2 – FINAL TRAITS:

Learned Traits

Trait Effect Quip Unyielding Spirit Increases Endurance and Willpower by 30% in high-stress situations. “My soul is stubborn. Who knew?” Natural Diplomat Increases Charisma by 15% when engaging in persuasion or conflict mediation. “Never thought office politics would pay off.” Analytical Vision Enhances Intelligence by 20% when identifying patterns, weaknesses, or inconsistencies. “When in doubt, look for the cracks.” Moral Anchor Temporarily boosts Willpower and Charisma by 10% for allies in high-stakes situations. “Great, I’m the group therapist now.” Dogged Loyalty Enhances Wisdom and Intelligence by 15% when performing actions with trusted companions. “The goodest boy deserves the goodest friend.” Crisis Strategist Improves Wisdom and Intelligence Efficiency by 15% in emergencies. “Step 1: Don’t panic. Step 2: Fix it fast.” Empathic Observer Increases Wisdom and Charisma by 20% when detecting hidden motives or reading people. “Reading people: a skill forged in bad interviews.” Resilient Heart Enhances Endurance and Strength by 25% during rest or after injuries. “Sleep is for the weak. Or the sensible.” Humor as Armor Reduces morale loss by reinforcing Willpower by 10% in grim situations. “When all else fails, laugh in its face.” Strategic Leadership Boosts Willpower and Intelligence by 20% when leading a team. “Leadership: fewer speeches, more action.” Conflict Resolution Temporarily boosts Charisma and Wisdom by 25% when resolving disputes. “Yes, I’ll hold the group therapy session.” Mentorship Increases Wisdom and Intelligence by 15% for mentored allies. “Great, I’m the teacher now. Where’s the syllabus?”

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Innate Traits

Trait Effect Quip Adaptable Mind Enhances Intelligence and Wisdom by 20% when tackling unfamiliar challenges. “Creativity: Just code for improvisation.” Vision of Possibility Increases Wisdom and Intelligence by 10% when working toward unique solutions. “I don’t see what is. I see what could be.” Process Optimization Boosts Intelligence and Wisdom by 20% in resource and time management. “Efficiency is just laziness in disguise.” Tenacious Learner Reduces penalties for failure and improves Intelligence by 20% in repeated attempts. “Failure: free lessons with a side of pain.” Self-Taught Genius Enhances Intelligence and Wisdom by 25% when acquiring new skills or knowledge. “College of YouTube, Dean of Me.”

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Racial Traits

Trait Effect Quip Limitless Potential Removes caps on Attributes, Skills, and Magical Growth. “A literal blank slate with infinite potential. No pressure.” Mystical Resilience Increases Wisdom and Intelligence by 10% against magical or environmental effects. “Being hard-headed finally pays off.” Adaptive Mastery Grants the ability to gain racial abilities through resonance and synchronization. “Yes, I absorb cool powers now. No, I can’t explain it.” Ethereal Presence Temporarily enhances Charisma and Wisdom by 15% in social or combat scenarios. “Turns out, charisma’s not just for job interviews.”

CHAPTER 2 – FINAL SKILLS:

Skill Effect Quip Shadow Blink Instantly teleport up to 5 meters in any direction within line-of-sight. Low Focus cost. Brief cooldown. “Congratulations! You are now slightly harder to hit. Try not to Blink into a wall.”