Chapter 3: The First Expedition and Resource Acquisition
The darkness in the Black Lands was not the absence of light, but a presence of its own—heavy, cold, and thick with residual dimensional energy. Valerius found the quiet suited his temperament. His mind, unburdened by the political theater of the capital, functioned with lethal efficiency.
They moved quickly. Elara, clad in her scorched leather armor, moved with the precision of a trained hunter, her customized iron-tube weapon held low. She navigated the treacherous, ravine-cut landscape with ease, following the minute flickers of the Shadow System's internal compass. Valerius, who carried only a short, heavy spade and a tightly stoppered canvas sack for the volatile soil, focused entirely on the metrics.
T-Minus 5 Days, 23 Hours. The timer was a constant, irritating reminder.
"The largest deposit of Shadow-Touched Soil is 200 meters ahead, Baron," Elara's voice was barely a whisper. "The System data suggests minimal sentient threat—three Grade D 'Shadow Hounds.' Their weakness is not physical, but energetic. They absorb ambient light."
"And the volatility?" Valerius asked.
"High. The moment the soil is exposed to air, the concentrated shadow essence begins to dissipate. We must extract quickly and convert immediately upon returning to the keep. We cannot risk doing it here."
This was the nature of the Shadow Seed—it was currency, but it was fragile. Valerius's unique advantage was time-limited.
They crept to the edge of the ravine. Below, nestled where a broken stream-bed met an outcrop of obsidian rock, was a patch of soil that shimmered with an unsettling, oily black sheen. It pulsed gently, drawing the already scarce moonlight inward. Near it, three creatures, skeletal and formed of swirling black mist, paced nervously. They were the Shadow Hounds.
"They will be drawn to movement and heat," Valerius assessed, stepping back into the deeper shadows of a dead pine. "If we rush, they swarm. If we use fire, we risk vaporizing the soil essence."
He quickly accessed the Forge of Ideas. He still had no System Points, but he could view the Tier 1 schematics he wished he could buy. His eyes fixed on a theoretical schematic: Basic Light Refraction Trap.
"Elara, focus," Valerius commanded. "We don't have that schematic, but we have the principle. You have the iron tubing and some rope, correct?"
"Affirmative," she replied.
"The Hounds are shadows, yes? They avoid light. We will not use light to kill them, but to contain them. We are building a temporary anti-light refraction field. Tie the reflective scraps of your armor and that rope into a wide, taut perimeter around the deposit. Use the thickest branches of that dead pine to create an aperture—a narrow entry point."
Elara didn't question the unconventional tactical decision. In two minutes of silent, efficient movement, she had strung a haphazard but functionally reflective net around the glowing soil patch, leaving only a six-inch gap facing Valerius.
"The net will not block them, Baron. They will walk through it."
"Exactly," Valerius confirmed, a predatory light in his eyes. "But they will recoil from the sudden, repeated scattering of energy. It is a perimeter of discomfort, not defense. Their focus will shift to the aperture."
Valerius grabbed a dry, dead branch and tied his remaining silver chain to it. This was his gambit.
He moved first, throwing the crude, light-reflecting net onto the ground near the hounds. As it scattered the residual moonlight, the hounds shrieked, their shadowy forms twitching in pain and confusion, immediately backing into the central deposit area. They were contained. They immediately began pacing the aperture—the only easy path out.
"Now, Elara!" Valerius shouted.
Elara executed the order perfectly. She didn't shoot. Instead, she threw three sharp, metallic shards—reflective, like mirrors—through the aperture, striking the ground behind the hounds. The sudden influx of scattered light caused the hounds to recoil violently, momentarily disorienting them.
Valerius seized the crucial two-second window. He darted toward the aperture, thrusting the spade through the gap, scooping up as much of the oily, dark soil as he could in a frantic motion. The moment the soil was disturbed, a faint, acrid smoke began to rise—the essence dissipating.
He scrambled back, shoving the spade full of soil into the thick canvas bag and sealing the stopper with frantic efficiency. The Shadow Hounds, regaining their composure, shrieked and lunged toward the gap, but Elara was ready. She fired a single, deafening shot from her iron-tube weapon—a conventional projectile, not AEM, but enough to kill one and scatter the remaining two.
RAW MATERIAL CONVERTED: SHADOW-TOUCHED SOIL (Grade B+)
SHADOW SEED GENERATED: 18
CURRENT CURRENCY: 18 SS
QUEST PROGRESS: SURVIVAL (5+ Population)- PENDING
Valerius barely registered the roar of the weapon or the panicked scattering of the surviving beasts. His focus was entirely on the System's display. 18 SP. The risk had paid off handsomely. This single, strategic victory had funded the entire defensive operation.
They retreated immediately, leaving the ravaged Marauder scout and the Shadow Hounds to their fate. As they neared the relative safety of the castle walls, Valerius made the crucial purchases.
"The time for mere defense is over. We build now," Valerius murmured.
PURCHASED: BASIC FORTIFICATION DESIGN (Tier 1)
COST: 5 SS
PURCHASED: ALCHEMICALLY ENHANCED MUNITION (AEM) FORMULA (Tier 1)
COST: 10 SS
CURRENT CURRENCY: 3 SS
He had spent 15 SP and gained two life-saving schematics. The AEM formula flooded his mind—the precise blend of alchemical stabilizers and the required Shadow Seed catalyst needed to create the explosive material. This unique weapon would make his small force deadly.
They reached the gate just as the first sliver of false dawn broke the horizon. They were exhausted, but successful.
"Elara," Valerius said, pointing to the ravine on her map, "Implement the fortifications immediately. I want trenches, reinforced positions, and clear lines of fire where the river valley bottlenecks. Use the peasant Elder's crew. They are now soldiers."
Elara gave a curt nod and vanished toward the meager sleeping quarters to retrieve the peasant crew. Valerius paused at the crumbling gate, his hand resting on the cold stone. The air smelled cleaner, lighter. The oppressive density of the curse seemed to have diminished slightly with the removal of the Shadow-Touched Soil.
Then, his blood ran cold.
He spotted a small, unnatural mark scratched into the gatepost—a crude, carved falcon with a missing eye. It was not a Marauder mark. It was the insignia of the Crown Prince's personal intelligence detachment.
"Elara!" Valerius hissed, turning to where she had disappeared.
But it was too late. He had been so focused on the Marauder timer that he missed the secondary threat. A figure stood silhouetted against the emerging sunlight near the old well—not a scout, but a professional, cloaked in dull grey, studying the castle wall with an unnerving, calculating gaze.
The figure turned, meeting Valerius's eyes with a look of professional curiosity, then melted back into the shadows of the dawn mist.
Valerius clenched his fist, the System's menu blurring momentarily. The Marauders were no longer the only enemy. The Crown Prince had sent a spy.