Shen Yuan sat with his back against the canyon wall, staring at the meager pile of supplies laid out before him: three half-spent qi stones, a cracked talisman, and a few scraps of dried meat.
Not enough.
Not for him. Not for Yun Xue. And certainly not for what was coming.
This won't keep you alive through the purge, the System said coldly. You need more.
Shen Yuan looked across the alcove at Yun Xue. She was asleep, curled up against the stone, her breathing shallow.
"I know," he murmured.
Then you already understand what you must do.
He did. He just didn't want to.
The scavenger camps weren't hard to find. They were sloppy by necessity, constantly on the move to avoid Bone Court patrols.
Shen Yuan stalked the ridges above one such camp now, his spear gripped tight in sweating hands. There were five scavengers below, huddled around a low fire, their hollow eyes darting to the shadows at every sound.
They were the same as him: weak, desperate, clinging to scraps of survival.
You hesitate, the System said, voice a razor's edge in his mind. They would not hesitate with you.
Shen Yuan clenched his jaw. "I'm not a murderer."
You're in Grave Omega, the System said. You will either kill, or you will be killed. This is the law here.
He took a steadying breath. "I'll wait until they're asleep."
Then you'll risk them waking. Strike now. While they're distracted.
Shen Yuan's stomach twisted. He couldn't just walk into their camp and slaughter them.
Then pick the strongest. Take him first. That will break the others.
He moved silently down the ridge, every muscle taut with fear and anticipation.
One of the scavengers turned just as Shen Yuan struck. The spear punched clean through the man's chest before he could cry out.
The others leapt to their feet, scrambling for weapons.
"Who—?"
Shen Yuan ripped the spear free and spun, driving it into a second man's gut. He yanked it out and pivoted, parrying a clumsy sword swing with the shaft.
Panic flashed in the scavenger's eyes. He turned to run.
Shen Yuan slammed the butt of the spear into the back of his skull.
The man crumpled.
When it was over, Shen Yuan stood alone, the firelight flickering across blood-stained stone.
His hands shook.
He had killed before, but those had been in the heat of ambush, survival forced upon him. This time…
This time he had chosen.
Good, the System said, its tone unreadable. Now strip the bodies.
Shen Yuan's jaw tightened, but he knelt and began searching the dead.
There were two storage bags heavy with supplies: qi stones, spirit herbs, and dried meat. He found a set of half-decent boots, a few talismans, and a dagger sharper than his rusted one.
Better, the System said. These will keep you alive long enough to matter.
Shen Yuan stuffed the supplies into his own bag, feeling sick.
The System's voice was softer when it spoke again.
You know what comes next.
Shen Yuan froze. "No."
Their souls still hold energy. You can convert them. It will restore your meridians faster.
"I'm not doing that," Shen Yuan said sharply.
Then you will remain weak, the System snapped. And when the Bone Court finds you, you will die weak. Is that what you want?
Shen Yuan looked at the corpses. At the faces slack in death, the fear still etched into their features.
He had already taken their lives. Was this any different?
This is Grave Omega, the System said quietly. Survival requires sacrifice.
Shen Yuan's hands trembled.
"Show me how," he whispered.
The process was worse than he imagined.
The System guided him as he drew threads of the scavengers' remaining soul essence through the Soul-Link, feeding them into his core. Each fragment burned as it passed through him, a reminder of what he had taken.
When it was done, he felt stronger. His meridians pulsed with new vitality, the cracks knitting faster than they had in weeks.
But he also felt hollow.
He returned to the alcove with the supplies and the faint hum of restored qi in his dantian. Yun Xue was awake, her wide eyes flicking from the blood on his clothes to the bags in his hands.
"You… you found food?"
Shen Yuan hesitated. "Yes."
She didn't ask how.
She just nodded and took the strip of dried meat he offered, chewing silently.
That night, Shen Yuan sat apart from the fire, staring at his hands. They were steady now.
The System's voice broke the silence.
This was necessary. You see that now.
"I see it," Shen Yuan said quietly.
Good. Then we move forward.
"What do you mean?"
You're still not strong enough. But now you have the resources to train, and the Quest Engine can unlock techniques again.
A faint pulse of energy rippled through the Soul-Link as the System interfaced with his core.
[ SYSTEM QUEST GENERATED ]Objective: Master the Piercing Shadow Spear technique.Reward: Enhanced combat capability.Failure: None. But without strength, you will die.
Shen Yuan summoned the image the System provided: a spear technique built for precision and speed, using minimal qi to bypass the suppression field's drain.
He practiced until his arms ached, until the spear felt like an extension of his body. The technique was crude compared to what he had mastered in his former life, but it was something.
Better, the System said as dawn approached. But not enough. The Bone Court's purge will begin soon. And when it does, we must be ready.
Shen Yuan tightened his grip on the spear.
"I'll be ready," he said.
See that you are, the System replied. Because if you falter, it won't just be your life you lose.
Shen Yuan looked at Yun Xue sleeping by the fire and knew the System was right.