---
Chapter 12 – Fire Behind the Shadows
The once silent forest changed in an instant as that roar echoed again. Trees shook, night birds scattered, and the ground beneath our feet pulsed with vibration. Qin and I sprinted through the underbrush, breaths ragged, while a massive silhouette emerged from the morning mist.
A monster.
It resembled a wolf, but its body was twice the size of a horse. Black fur gleamed under the dim light, its eyes burned crimson, and green liquid dripped from its fangs, sizzling wherever it touched the earth. Each step crushed roots beneath its weight, each breath exhaled the stench of death.
"Second-stage evolution…" Qin murmured.
I swallowed hard. My wounds hadn't healed, but I couldn't keep running forever. If I wanted to survive in this world that kept fracturing, I had to know: could this new path—lifespan extraction—truly make a difference?
---
The First Trial
I stopped and turned to face the beast. Qin halted beside me, his expression cold.
"You're certain?"
I nodded. "If I can't face this one… I'll never be ready for greater threats."
The wolf roared and lunged. Its steps were swift, claws tearing through the air. I inhaled deeply, igniting the dark energy within me. It felt different—I could sense it clearly. After siphoning lifespan from corpses, my body was still injured, but my flow was steadier, fuller.
I dodged to the side, barely in time. Its claws raked the space where I'd stood, shredding a massive tree behind me to splinters. Shards of wood flew past, slicing my cheek.
"Now!" Qin leapt forward, thrusting his blade toward the beast's belly. But the wolf's hide was tough—his sword cut shallow. The monster roared, kicking Qin aside with brutal force.
I clenched my teeth.
"Panel!"
---
Status – Lu Yuan
Remaining Lifespan: -1.2 years (stable)
Dark Energy: 67% (fuller than before)
Condition: Severe injuries, stamina recovering slowly
---
I gritted my teeth. Fine. I still had something left.
Black energy surged through my hand, seeping into my blade. Dark light shimmered faintly, making the metal tremble. The wolf turned its fiery eyes on me and charged again.
This time, I stepped forward—not back.
---
The Battle
The first clash numbed my arms. Monster claws struck my sword, scattering sparks of black and green. I pressed with all my strength, but its raw power overwhelmed me. The wolf shoved me backward, nearly knocking me down.
Yet something felt different. Normally, this would have been the point where my body gave out. But this time… I could still stand. My breath was heavy, but I didn't collapse. The fragments of lifespan I'd taken—even if meager—truly gave me enough margin to endure.
"I can…" I muttered. "I can fight."
Kicking off a root, I rolled sideways and slashed upward. My blade sliced through its thick fur, leaving a shallow wound that oozed black-green blood. The monster howled in rage and charged again.
Qin was already on his feet, dusty but unshaken. He waited for an opening, then struck from the opposite side, forcing the beast to split its attention. We fought together—two identical shadows, one shared soul, bound by the same determination.
The battle raged fast and brutal, filled with crashes, flying dirt, and quaking trees. Until finally—I saw it. A gap, where Qin's earlier strike had left a wound on its belly.
I gathered every ounce of dark energy, channeling it into my blade.
"HAHHHH!"
My strike drove straight into the old wound. The sword pierced deeper, and black energy erupted inside the wolf's body. Its final roar shook the forest before it collapsed, convulsed, then lay still.
---
The Aftermath
I staggered, nearly falling, but Qin caught my shoulder. "You did it."
I gave a faint smile, blood dripping from my lips. "No… we did it."
My gaze fixed on the wolf's corpse, chest heaving. A thought crept into my mind—the same one I had with human corpses. If I could siphon lifespan from them… what about monsters?
My hand trembled as I pressed it to the beast's head. Faint energy still pulsed within its carcass, though its soul had already faded. I focused, trying to draw it in.
And it worked.
---
[Lifespan +0.8 years]
[Dark Energy +12%]
---
My eyes widened. Not just lifespan—the beast's energy could be extracted as well.
I stepped back, gasping, but a faint smile spread across my face. "This… this could be our path. Every battle, every corpse—it's not just risk. It's a source of strength."
Qin gave a slow nod. "But it also means… to survive, you'll have to stand on the edge of death, again and again. There's no turning back."
I fell silent. He was right. This path wasn't merely dark—it was one drenched in blood.
But I clenched my fist. "If that's the price… then I'll pay it."
I looked into the forest's shadowed depths. Distant, unfamiliar sounds echoed faintly once more. This world was far from done, and dimensional rifts could open at any moment. Yet for the first time since facing the magma tiger… I felt a sliver of a chance to fight back.
---
Closing
I closed my status panel and straightened, though my body ached with wounds. Qin stood beside me, our eyes fixed on the same horizon.
"From now on," I whispered, "every step will be drenched in blood and corpses. But it is there I will forge myself."
Far above, faint fractures shimmered across the sky, purple light trembling between the clouds. This world was heading toward ruin. And I—I would walk against its current.