Distant howling echoed behind Chen Yu.
He kept walking deeper into the Forbidden Forest. Each step sent a dull ache through his cracked ribs. The new nail driver rested heavy on his good shoulder. Its weight felt reassuring.
The trees grew taller here. Thick roots twisted across the ground like veins. Faint blue runes pulsed on the bark, giving off just enough light to see by. The air smelled damp and metallic.
Chen Yu scanned the shadows constantly. His breathing stayed controlled. The reconstruction had reached 94%, but the bite wound on his shoulder still throbbed with every movement.
[Energy reserves: 71%.] [Warning: Larger biological anomaly now 1.4 kilometers north. Threat level remains High.]
Closer. These things don't give breathing room.
He adjusted his grip on the nail driver and pushed forward.
A small stream cut through the forest floor ahead. Clear water ran over smooth stones. Chen Yu knelt beside it. He cupped cold water in his hands and drank. The metallic taste of his own blood mixed with the fresh water.
After drinking, he washed the worst of the blood from his face and arms. The cold helped numb the pain a little.
[Minor hydration restored. Reconstruction progress: 96%.]
Chen Yu stood up. His legs felt steadier now. He looked north again. The forest grew darker in that direction. Taller trees. Thicker underbrush. Something big was waiting there.
He didn't hesitate.
The ground sloped upward. Roots became harder to navigate. Chen Yu moved carefully, using the nail driver as a walking stick when needed. Every few minutes he stopped to listen. No new howls. Only the rustle of leaves and the occasional distant screech of some unseen creature.
After twenty minutes of steady movement, the trees opened into a small rocky clearing.
In the center stood a jagged stone outcrop. Vines covered most of it, but faint glowing veins ran through the rock itself. The same blue energy as the trees, only denser.
Chen Yu's eyes narrowed.
High-density source. Jackpot.
He approached slowly. The nail driver stayed ready in both hands now.
Nothing moved. No immediate threats.
Chen Yu pressed his palm against the glowing stone. Silver threads shot out and burrowed deep into the rock.
[High-density bio-energy radiation detected.] [Conversion efficiency increased by 340%. Beginning rapid absorption…]
A strong warm current flooded into his body. The energy bar jumped fast. 75%. 82%. 91%. 98%.
Chen Yu kept his hand there. His breathing deepened. The ache in his ribs faded further. The bite wound on his shoulder closed completely, leaving only a faint scar.
[Reconstruction complete.] [Host combat capability restored to 68% of baseline.] [Energy reserves: 100%. Nano-Forge storage at 47% capacity.]
He pulled his hand away from the stone. The glowing veins in the rock had dimmed noticeably. Not gone, but weaker.
Good enough for now.
Chen Yu turned to leave the clearing.
A low, rumbling growl stopped him cold.
From the far side of the outcrop, something massive stepped into view.
It was easily twice the size of the alpha wolf from earlier. Thick armored plates covered its back and shoulders. Four long, curved horns protruded from its head. Its eyes glowed bright red. Muscles rippled under dark scales as it moved.
The beast lowered its head and pawed the ground. Stones cracked under its claws.
Chen Yu raised the nail driver without hesitation.
Phht. Phht. Phht.
Three nails fired in rapid succession.
The first two bounced off the armored plates with loud metallic clangs. The third found a gap near the shoulder and sank in.
The beast roared. The sound shook leaves from the trees.
It charged.
Chen Yu dove sideways. The creature's horn slashed through the air where his head had been a second earlier. He rolled behind a large boulder and came up firing again.
Phht. Phht.
Another nail hit the flank. The beast barely slowed.
The monster smashed straight into the boulder. Rock exploded into fragments. Shards cut across Chen Yu's arm and cheek. Blood welled up instantly.
He leaped back, firing twice more while retreating. One nail struck the front leg. The beast roared again and kept coming, faster now.
Chen Yu's back hit a tree. No more room.
The armored beast lowered its head for another charge. Horns aimed straight at his chest.
Chen Yu dropped into a crouch. At the last moment he sprang sideways. The horns slammed into the tree behind him, splitting the trunk with a deafening crack. Wood splinters flew like shrapnel, slicing across his side.
Pain flared hot.
Before the beast could pull its horns free, Chen Yu jumped onto its back.
He drove the nail driver barrel directly against a gap between the armored plates at the base of its neck.
Phht. Phht. Phht. Phht.
Four rapid shots. All point-blank.
The creature bucked violently. Chen Yu held on with one arm, but the sudden jolt threw him off balance. He lost his grip and slid down the side. Claws raked across his thigh as he fell.
He hit the ground hard. The nail driver clattered away a few meters.
The beast turned, blood pouring from the wounds under its plates. It roared and charged again.
Chen Yu scrambled for the weapon. His fingers closed around the grip just as the horns came down.
He rolled desperately. One horn grazed his ribs, reopening the old cracks. Fresh agony exploded through his chest.
Chen Yu jammed the barrel into the same neck gap from the ground and pulled the trigger until the chamber hissed empty.
The beast staggered. It took two more steps, then collapsed heavily onto the ground. The impact shook the entire clearing.
Chen Yu lay on his back for a moment, chest heaving. Blood ran from his thigh, side, and cheek. Every breath hurt. The reconstruction kicked in hard, but the damage was worse this time.
[High-value mutant neutralized.] [Significant biomass and dense bio-energy core detected.] [Harvest recommended immediately.]
He forced himself up. Pain made his vision blur at the edges.
The system voice continued.
[Warning: Multiple high-level anomalies detected. Estimated arrival in 47 minutes.]
Chen Yu wiped blood from his cheek. He looked at the massive corpse, then at the dimmed energy stone behind it.
This forest is waking up.
He knelt beside the beast. Silver threads erupted from both palms and began breaking it down. The process took longer this time. The creature was huge.
While the harvest ran, he retrieved the nail driver. The chamber was spent. The barrel showed heat stress and dents from the fall. It would need serious work soon.
[Harvest complete.] [Nano-Forge storage now at 82%.] [New materials acquired: Armored plating equivalent, dense energy crystal, high-grade proteins.]
Chen Yu stood slowly. His thigh still bled, but the flow had slowed. The new energy crystal from the beast hummed inside his storage, ready for use.
He scanned the darkening forest to the north. The howls were getting louder. Closer.
Instead of moving forward immediately, Chen Yu dragged several large armored plates from the corpse and stacked them against the stone outcrop. He used the outcrop itself as a natural back wall, forming a rough barricade.
It wasn't much. But it was a start.
The system pinged.
[Short-term objective updated: Upgrade primary weapon and establish secure forward base.] [New data: Local bio-energy density suggests possible hidden resource nodes nearby.]
Chen Yu leaned against the barricade. His grip tightened on the damaged nail driver.
"Time to get to work."