Night had descended over Ravelhollow, and with it came a stillness that was almost suffocating. The air was thick with an unnatural weight, the kind that wrapped around the bones, tightening with every passing second. Kail sat just outside the half-finished longhouse, his back against the cool stone wall, staring out at the forest line. The village, broken and forgotten, felt like an island in the middle of a wilderness that no longer cared for its existence.
The wind whispered through the trees, but it wasn't the usual breeze that stirred the leaves. This wind carried something else—a sharpness, a biting edge that made Kail's skin crawl. It smelled like sweat and moss, but underneath that, there was a musky, wet scent, foreign and wrong. Something alive. Something dangerous.
Kail couldn't sleep. He hadn't felt truly safe since the day they arrived in this forsaken place. Every creak of wood, every rustle of leaves, sent his mind into overdrive. The fact that the wind had shifted so suddenly only heightened his unease. The forest, which had once seemed so full of promise, now felt more like a predator stalking its prey.
Rin had gone quiet hours ago, curled up in a bundle of furs inside the longhouse after sharpening sticks into crude spears. Kail had watched her work earlier, impressed by her focus, the way she handled the makeshift weapons with a sense of purpose. They both knew that the world they had entered was not the kind to show mercy. But still, the silence between them tonight felt different. She wasn't anxious or on edge; she was just… tired. She had seen too much.
Kail glanced down at the spear he held in his hand. It wasn't much. A crude thing, made from a sharpened branch with no real weight to it, no finesse. It was more for comfort than actual defense, a fragile extension of his fragile confidence. But in this world, even the most basic tools were worth their weight in gold.
His eyes turned back to the forest. The shadows between the trees seemed to stretch unnaturally, as if something lurked just out of sight, watching, waiting.
Then, the System pinged.
Threat Detected:Proximity Alert – Wild Graxhound PackLarge quadrupeds. Aggression rating: Medium–High.Local defense below recommended threshold.
Suggested Response:Basic Trap Construction or Defensive Perimeter.
Kail cursed under his breath. Graxhounds. Of course, it had to be Graxhounds. The first time he had seen one, it had been a blur of sinew and muscle—like a twisted mix of hyena and wolf. The thing had eyes that glowed faintly in the dark, a predator's gaze. And its howl, that shrill, bone-chilling screech… Kail shuddered at the memory.
The wind howled again, and Kail tightened his grip on the spear. His mind raced, calculating, assessing the situation. Graxhounds didn't hunt alone. They were pack animals, and if the System was detecting them, it meant they were close. Too close.
Rin stirred inside the longhouse, her voice breaking the silence. "I heard something," she said. Her voice was soft but sharp, the tone of someone who had learned to listen closely to the world around them.
Kail didn't look back. "I heard it too. We've got company. Grab your spear. We're building defenses."
He didn't need to explain further. Rin knew what needed to be done. They had discussed this before—the things they would have to face, the plans they would make. But now, there was no time for strategy meetings. This was survival.
They moved quickly, the urgency of the moment propelling them into action. The moonlight cast long, ghostly shadows over the remains of their camp as they worked to fortify their position. Kail's mind whirred with the knowledge of what they would need to do. He had no tools—nothing but the remnants of a cart frame, ropes, and stakes—but he was used to making do. He had learned to survive by thinking fast, improvising, and never expecting things to go according to plan.
"First trap," Kail muttered under his breath, pacing around the perimeter of their camp. "Pitfall."
He dropped to his knees, clawing at the earth with his hands, using a sharpened stick to carve out a deep hole in the ground. He remembered the trenches he had built back on Earth, how they had to be reinforced to prevent collapse, how the walls had to be angled just right. He wasn't sure if this world's soil would hold the same weight as Earth's, but he was willing to risk it. They didn't have the luxury of waiting.
Rin worked beside him, gathering stones and tying ropes to sharpened stakes. She moved with an efficiency that impressed Kail. She had become a warrior in her own right since they arrived here—practical, strong, and focused. She'd been through hell in this strange world, but she was still here, still fighting.
Trap 1/3 Complete – +1 KP
"That should hold," Kail said, wiping his brow as he stood, surveying the pit. His muscles ached from the labor, but he knew they didn't have time to waste. "Next."
The second trap was simpler but no less effective: a spring-snare designed to catch anything that ventured too close. Kail lashed two trees together with a length of rope, pulling it taut and securing it in place. He took one of the sharpest branches he could find, rigging it to spring upward when triggered, sending anything caught in the snare into a stone-lined ditch.
Trap 2/3 Complete – +1 KP
They worked without speaking now, both of them focused entirely on the task at hand. The air felt heavier with each passing moment, as if the world itself was holding its breath. Kail glanced up at the trees surrounding them, watching for any movement, any sign that the Graxhounds were closing in. His heart raced, adrenaline surging as the seconds ticked by.
Finally, the third and most important trap: the tripwire. Kail threaded a rope across the entrance to the camp, attaching it to a heavy stone that hung just above the ground. The idea was simple: when triggered, the stone would fall, crushing whatever was unfortunate enough to walk into its path.
Trap 3/3 Complete – +1 KPObjective Completed:Primitive Defense – +4 KP
Kail's KP total flashed on the screen:Current KP: 4 (previous) + 3 (trap builds) + 4 (reward) = 11 KP
A sense of quiet satisfaction settled over him, but it was fleeting. The wind had died suddenly, and with it came a sense of stillness that felt wrong. Everything was too quiet. Too calm. They were waiting for something. He could feel it in his bones.
Then it came.
The first Graxhound broke from the trees, its shape a blur of muscle and teeth. Kail barely had time to react as it charged toward them with unnatural speed, its growl a guttural, bone-rattling sound. It was only the first of many. Rin's shout came a split second before Kail could move, but she was already reacting, her spear raised in defense. The creature lunged, its claws outstretched—but it never reached them.
The first Graxhound hit the pitfall with a sickening crunch. It let out a high-pitched scream that made Kail's heart race. The animal writhed, its limbs twisting in unnatural angles, but it was trapped, caught in the earth.
The second Graxhound veered off, its eyes flashing with a mixture of fear and anger. It sprinted toward the entrance, charging straight for the tripwire.
Snap.
The heavy stone fell, crushing the Graxhound beneath it with a sickening thud. It let out one final screech before its body went limp, the fight leaving it in an instant.
The last Graxhound hesitated, its ears flicking back as it surveyed the scene. Kail could see the hesitation in its eyes, the understanding that the fight was over. It turned and bolted into the trees, disappearing into the darkness with a final, frightened yelp.
For a moment, there was only silence.
Then, a breath. A deep, trembling exhale.
Kail dropped to his knees, his heart still pounding, his breath coming in ragged gasps. His palms were slick with sweat, his fingers trembling from the adrenaline. They had done it. They had survived.
New Trait Acquired:Calm Under Pressure (Tier 0 – Leadership Foundation)Boosts ally trust when facing danger. +2 Trust with Rin.Rin Trust: 17/100
Behind him, Rin's footsteps approached slowly. Her voice was quiet, barely above a whisper. "You actually saved us."
Kail chuckled weakly, shaking his head. "No. We did. We're alive because we fought together."
Rin didn't say anything at first, and for a long moment, Kail wondered if she even understood what he meant. The weight of what they had just survived, what they had built together, was heavier than the night air itself. But when she finally spoke, her voice was softer, almost reflective.
"I think you're right. We're alive because we did it together."
Kail stood, his legs unsteady, but he was determined. "We'll survive, Rin. We'll build something here. A home. A future."
She didn't respond, but the look she gave him—her steady gaze—told him everything he needed to know. They weren't alone in this. Not anymore.
End of Chapter 7