Kael woke to a sharp, searing pain in his thigh. His body, already aching and drained, protested as he tried to move. His vision swam, his mind sluggish. Kael cracked his eyes open, and he barely had time to process his surroundings before he saw it—a Gloomkin standing over him, a crude wooden spear with a jagged stone tip raised high above its head. To the side was another one by the dead stalker.

  Looking again at the one standing over him Kael could see its black, soulless eyes glinted with sadistic pleasure, its lips curled into a twisted grin. It was preparing to drive the weapon down again, aiming for the same wound it had already inflicted on his thigh.

  Kael’s thoughts were a blur, but his body moved on instinct. He gritted his teeth and lashed out, grabbing the creature’s foot with all the strength he could muster. Even in his weakened state, he felt the difference—he was stronger than before. His level-up had made an impact, and that newfound strength was the only thing keeping him moving.

  The Gloomkin let out a startled chitter as Kael yanked its leg, pulling it off balance. It toppled backward with a yelp, the spear slipping from its grasp as it hit the ground. Kael wasted no time. Gritting his teeth against the pain, he forced himself up and lunged, throwing his weight onto the downed creature. His hands found its throat, and with a surge of adrenaline-fueled desperation, he squeezed. Hard.

  The Gloomkin thrashed beneath him, clawing at his arms, kicking, but Kael held firm. His grip tightened, his fingers digging into its thin, wiry flesh. He had no weapons, no Essence left to reinforce himself, but he didn’t need them, not for this. He just needed the strength of his grip.

  A sickening crack echoed through the air. The Gloomkin went limp.

  Kael let go, gasping for breath, his hands trembling from exertion. His body felt like lead, his muscles screaming in protest. He was still weak and still sluggish, but he had survived the stalker, and he was alive.

  A sharp chittering noise snapped his attention to the side. The second Gloomkin, the one that had been toying with the corpse of the Duskfang Stalker, had stopped its sadistic game and was now watching him. Its black eyes flicked between Kael's unsteady body and its fallen kin, then to the crude spear still clutched in its hand. A slow, eerie smile stretched across its face.

  Kael’s legs wobbled as he pushed himself upright. He felt like he was wading through tar, his limbs heavy and uncooperative. His core was still barely over empty, having regenerated a small amount, the aftereffects of using up all his Essence leaving him feeling hollow. He had nothing left to fuel his movements, no reinforcement to rely on. But he wasn’t about to lie back down and let himself be skewered.

  The Gloomkin’s grin widened seeing this, and with a gleeful chitter, it charged.

  Kael didn’t move. He didn’t have the energy to waste dodging properly. Instead, he waited. The Gloomkin sprinted forward, spear aimed for his chest, its excitement clear in its hunched posture and eager gaze. Just as it was about to strike, Kael twisted his body to the side, letting the spear slip past him. His arm clamped down on it, trapping it in the crook of his elbow.

  The creature let out a surprised shriek, but Kael was already moving. He ripped the weapon free from its grasp and, with what little strength he had left, drove it forward. The jagged stone tip plunged into the Gloomkin’s chest, tearing through flesh and out the other side. A horrid noise escaped the creature’s throat, its limbs twitching violently. Then, the spear snapped under the force, leaving a splintered shaft jutting from its chest.

  Kael staggered back, breathing heavily. His vision swam, his limbs trembling with fatigue. He looked down at himself—blood seeped from his wounded thigh, staining his torn pants. His arms were covered in cuts and bruises, and his entire body ached from the battle with the Stalker. Yet, despite it all, he was still standing.

  He glanced up at the darkening sky, realization dawning on him. The sun had nearly set. He must have been unconscious for most of the day. That meant he had no chance of making it back to his treehouse before nightfall. Not in this condition. He could also forget about his plan to ambush any Gloomkin now.

  Kael clenched his jaw. He shouldn’t have been alive. If a true predator had found him first—something more efficient, more ruthless—he would be dead. The Gloomkin were cruel and sadistic, but that very nature had given him a chance to fight back. He wouldn’t get that same mercy from something else.

  His gaze drifted toward the hidden cave entrance. For a long moment, he just stared at it. Finally, he sighed, muttering under his breath, “Better than nothing.”

  If there was something else in the cave, it would have come out by now. The fight with the Stalker, the presence of the Gloomkin, the scent of blood—it would have drawn anything still lurking inside. And right now, he didn’t have the luxury of being picky.

  Decision made, Kael forced his shaking legs into motion. He needed to secure the entrance. When something came sniffing around, he couldn’t afford to let it find him. He gathered everything he could—sticks, moss, loose rocks, even small logs. He moved slowly, deliberately, ignoring the throbbing in his thigh as he worked. He piled the debris around the entrance, wedging it between the roots to make it look like nothing was there.

  It wouldn’t hold if something really wanted in. But if he was lucky, whatever came by would take a look and move on, not realizing there was an opening beneath all the clutter and be satisfied with the meal outside. Kael took one last look at his makeshift barrier, then turned and climbed into the cave, maneuvering his way through the tight space between the roots. Then he barricaded the way he came in, finishing up he then started to move further in.

  Kael moved as quietly as he could, each step deliberate. His thigh burned, fresh blood trickling down his leg despite the crude bandage he had tied around it. The torn piece of his pants was already soaked through, but it would have to do for now.

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  The further he went, the darker it became. The faint glow of the roots embedded in the cave walls provided some light, but it was weak, barely enough to see by. As night covered the forest even more outside, the glow dimmed even more, making it harder to navigate through the tangled passage.

  His fingers brushed against rough stone as he steadied himself. The cave walls were uneven, jagged in some places, but the roots twisted through them like veins, creating an intricate network of barriers and supports. The air was cool, damp, carrying the faint scent of earth and decay.

  After what felt like an eternity of slow, careful movement, Kael finally emerged into a slightly larger chamber. It wasn’t big—he could still touch the walls if he reached out—but at least here, he could stand up straight and move without squeezing between roots. More of the glowing streaks ran along the ceiling, giving the space a dim, eerie illumination.

  He took a cautious step forward, then froze as something crunched beneath his boot.

  Slowly, he looked down. Bones. Scattered across the floor. Some small, likely belonging to animals. Others… larger. Thick, jagged. Definitely not something he recognized, but big enough to belong to something deadly.

  Kael inhaled slowly, steadying his nerves. The Stalker had been living here. That much was clear. But was it alone, or was there another way in? He needed to make sure.

  Dragging a hand along the cave wall, he began a slow sweep of the chamber, feeling for any hidden passages, any signs that this wasn’t the only way in or out. His fingers trailed along the rough stone, his mind steady but alert. Minutes passed. Then more.

  Nothing. It was just this one entrance. One way in, one way out. That would have to be enough.

  Kael exhaled, then got to work. He gathered whatever loose debris he could find, dragging rocks, and dirt toward the tunnel he had come from. He piled it up, blocking as much of the passage as possible, reinforcing it as best he could. It wouldn’t keep something determined out, but it would slow them down.

  Only when the entrance was as sealed as he could make it did he finally allow himself to relax. Just a little, right now he wasn’t in immediate danger.

  Kael sat with his back against the rough cave wall, his chest rising and falling with deep, measured breaths. His body ached, exhaustion settling in his limbs like a heavy weight, but he wasn’t in immediate danger—not yet. That was the best he could hope for at the moment. His thigh throbbed, the dull pain pulsing in time with his heartbeat, a reminder of how close he had come to being gutted while unconscious.

  With a groan, he shifted slightly, stretching out his legs and rolling his shoulders, trying to ease some of the stiffness creeping into his muscles. His hands moved instinctively to his thigh, fingers brushing against the makeshift bandage wrapped tightly around the wound. The fabric was damp with blood, but the bleeding had at least slowed.

  His gaze drifted upward to the cave ceiling, watching the faint glow of the roots embedded in the rock. They pulsed with a soft blue light, casting eerie shadows along the uneven walls. If nothing else, they gave him enough visibility to see his surroundings.

  The small chamber was still. Silent. The only sound was his own breathing. The knowledge that he had sealed himself in with only one exit was both reassuring and unsettling. If anything found him, he had nowhere to run. But at the same time, nothing would be sneaking up behind him.

  Kael ran a hand through his hair, exhaling sharply. Now that he had a moment to breathe, he needed to deal with another pressing issue—his Essence reserves.

  His core was still nearly empty. Even now, he could feel the hollowness inside him, the unsettling sensation of being drained beyond his limit. It wasn’t just physical exhaustion—his mind and soul felt sluggish like he was wading through thick mud with every thought. He needed to fix that, and soon.

  Closing his eyes, he turned his focus inward, retreating into his core space. The familiar void welcomed him, stretching endlessly in all directions. At the center, his Essence core hovered. Kael frowned. It was even worse than this morning.

  He had fully depleted himself during the fight with the Duskfang Stalker. Resulting in him passing out, which also made him lose valuable time, time that could have been spent regenerating, and enacting the plan he had set out to do before his foolish choice. His core had recovered slightly on its own, but it wasn’t enough.

  Drawing a slow breath, Kael concentrated what little he could, recalling the technique he had discovered earlier that morning. He willed it to happen, imagining the Essence swirling around his core like water spiraling down a drain. The faint energy in his surroundings responded, shifting toward his core even more. The pull strengthened resulting in the flow quickening. Slowly but surely, he felt his reserves begin to fill at an increased rate.

  A small, relieved breath escaped seeing this. But this was all straining his focus and will, his head pounding slightly as he forced the Essence to move faster. After three minutes, he let go of the technique, allowing his mind a moment to rest. His core had refilled slightly—not much, but enough to take the edge off the hollow feeling inside him. It was a start.

  Kael exhaled through his nose, shaking off the lingering fatigue. Pushing himself to his feet, he moved carefully around the chamber, his hands brushing along the walls as he searched for anything useful. A few minutes later, his hands brushed against something unexpected—a rough, fibrous material wedged between some of the roots. He pulled it free, examining it closely.

  Moss. Thick and damp, but it would work.

  Kael let out a small breath of relief. It wasn’t much, but it was something. He could use it to reinforce his makeshift bandage, hopefully it wasn't poisonous, but at this stage of the day, kael would just have to keep taking risks. Plus he could maybe even create a small cushion to sit on rather than the hard cave floor. It was a minor comfort, but in his current state, any improvement was welcome.

  Settling back down, he carefully unraveled the soaked cloth around his thigh, wincing as the dried blood peeled away from his skin. The wound was deep but not as bad as he had feared. He packed the moss over the injury, securing it in place with another strip of torn fabric from his already ruined jacket.

  That was another problem. His clothes were in shreds. His jacket was practically useless at this point—more holes than fabric. He had already discarded most of it, leaving him bare-chested. The pants were barely holding together as well. Luckily the temperature didn’t bother him as much as it once would have, thanks to his growing endurance, but he still wasn’t keen on running around half-naked.

  Leaning back against the wall, Kael let himself relax. His body screamed for rest, and though his mind wanted to stay alert, he knew some sleep might be good for him right now.

  His eyes flickered to the cave entrance, now sealed with as much debris as he could gather. Would it be enough? Probably not. But it was better than nothing. If something did come poking around, he would hopefully hear it before it got in.

  Kael stared at the faintly glowing roots along the ceiling, his mind drifting. Just over a week ago, he had been on Earth, having a morning like many others. Now, he was fighting for survival and beracading himself in a cave hoping nothing would get in and eat him.

  Even as battered and exhausted as he was, even knowing how dangerous this world was, he didn’t want to go back. This world had no expectations of him. Here, everything he gained was through his own effort, and no one could take that from him. A small, tired smile tugged at his lips. He let out a slow sigh, then closed his eyes waiting and listening for sounds.