A week had passed.
Neil's feet moved steadily over the leaf-littered ground, his pace a constant, even jog. He no longer pushed himself to the limit, not since his breakthrough. His body was still recovering from the immense pain that came with crossing into Rank 4: Muscle Sinew. Though his stamina had grown exponentially, his instincts warned him not to push too hard too soon. The ache in his limbs reminded him that healing, no matter how fast, still had a process.
Each day bled into the next. The landscape refused to change. The trees looked the same, the hills familiar, the sky static. Even the sounds of the forest—wind brushing leaves, birds occasionally chirping, the scampering of small critters—repeated like a broken record.
The only disruption was his hunting. Neil had developed a routine: feel the auras in the area, identify the weakest boar-like creatures, and take them down with ease. He never encountered anything strong. Nothing worth fearing. Every fight was brief, every kill methodical. A strike to the skull, a snap of the neck, or in some cases, just a reinforced punch that ended it before it began.
He ate well, if not deliciously. The meat was fresh. Cooked with fire, eaten fast. He had no way to store it. Every day required a new hunt, but it was easy enough.
Despite the mundane repetition, something kept him going.
The dome.
It was still far, but it had grown noticeably in size. Not by much, but enough to tell him he was making progress. Yet, no matter how close it got, it never revealed any detail. No buildings, no surface texture, no base or border. Just a hazy, green barrier pulsing with strange energy.
Nothing made sense.
Then everything changed.
Neil felt it first.
A flicker in his senses. No—many flickers. A mass of energy fluctuations. Wild. Violent. Alive. Somewhere ahead, not too far.
He stopped running.
He couldn't count them accurately. Ten? Fifteen? Maybe more. The energy signatures clashed and crossed, like a storm of unstable pulses.
Neil's heart beat faster. Not out of fear, but anticipation. He had felt nothing this intense since the day of the shockwave.
He moved.
Not at full speed. Not a sprint. But fast. Silent. Controlled.
He shifted through trees like a shadow, keeping his energy restrained, his breathing even. He needed to see before acting. To know what kind of threat lay ahead.
The closer he got, the more defined the sounds became.
Screaming. Yelling. Human voices. Panic. Fear.
Then beasts. Growls. Howls.
His chest tightened.
He surged forward, moving with urgency now. Leaves parted. Branches whipped past. He climbed a small ridge and came to a cliffside.
Below, chaos.
Wolves. A dozen of them. Grey-furred, red-eyed monsters with snarling jaws and snapping teeth. Red energy surrounded them—rage, aggression, hunger.
He recognized them. They looked just like the creature he had killed weeks ago. The one he had shattered with a single blow.
But there was one that stood out.
A black-furred beast. Massive. Twice the size of the others. Its energy was dark crimson, pulsing violently. Neil focused.
Coreforged.
Unlike the grey wolves. It felt strong.
Then he saw them.
Three figures. Humanoid. Fighting. Bleeding.
The first was a large male, older, sturdier. He held a long spear, stained with blood. Behind him stood two smaller ones—slimmer, younger. Wounded, but upright.
Neil focused on their auras. Green.
No hostility. But fear. Exhaustion.
The two younger ones had flickering cores—Awakened. Recently. Still unstable. Weak.
The older one—Coreforged.
Neil narrowed his eyes. There were at least five other bodies nearby, motionless, soaked in blood. Limbs twisted, faces slack.
He leaned forward, eyes squinting.
Not human.
Close, but not.
Their features were too refined. Hair long and blonde. Ears longer than human ears, tapering to subtle points. Their builds were lean, agile. Graceful. Their clothing was made of cloth and leather, dyed with deep forest colors.
Elves? Something similar?
Neil had no answer.
The wolves circled. The black one remained back, watching. Commanding.
The older warrior spoke. Neil couldn't understand the words, but the meaning was clear.
"Run now!"
A final stand.
The younger ones fled instantly.
Neil's jaw tightened. He scanned the area again. No other energy sources. No traps. No reinforcements. Just the three survivors. And the wolves.
A grey wolf lunged.
The big man struck forward, his spear piercing clean through its chest. It yelped and dropped.
"He's skilled," Neil muttered.
Still, the numbers were against him.
Neil stayed low, circling closer. He wanted to help. But he didn't want to spook them. This was first contact. First proof of intelligent life brought to this world by the gods. He had to be careful.
Another attack.
The black wolf moved.
Fast.
The big man tried to dodge. Almost made it. But the black wolf clipped him. He staggered.
A grey wolf leapt in. Sank its teeth into the man's arm.
He dropped his spear.
Neil's fists clenched.
The wolves circled. The man bled. Still, he stood.
Another lunge. Another wound.
Neil felt something snap inside him.
Enough.
He activated his core. Energy surged through him like a tidal wave. He had never drawn this much at once.
His legs coiled.
The ground cracked beneath his feet.
He launched forward.
Leaves exploded. Dirt scattered. Every step left an imprint.
He moved like a meteor. Blinding speed. Silent fury.
Fifty meters blurred beneath him. In a blink, he was there.
The black wolf had just committed to its pounce.
Neil appeared between it and the man.
His fist was already mid-swing.
Time seemed to slow.
The wolf saw him.
Too late.
Neil's punch connected.
The impact erupted.
A burst of energy exploded outward, rippling in every direction. The black wolf vanished. Its body vaporized in light and force.
The blast continued.
Three nearby wolves were caught in the wave. Their bodies broke apart, bones shattering. Lifeless.
The forest went still.
Neil stood tall.
Dust settled. Light faded.
Only seven wolves remained.
They hesitated. Growled. Confused.
Neil turned his head. Met the big man's gaze.
"Stay down," he said simply.
Then he advanced.