Night fell like a soaked wool blanket, heavy and suffocating as it pressed down upon the forest.
Inside the outpost, silence reigned.
Aside from the faint crackle of dying embers and the occasional footsteps of night watchmen, only the deep, exhausted breathing of sleep remained. Seven days of relentless labor had drained everyone to their limits. They lay where they could, curled into themselves, slipping into dreamless rest.
But Colin did not sleep.
He stood alone atop the newly raised rampart, unmoving, like a statue carved into the night. The cold wind tugged at his dark, unkempt hair, keeping his overworked mind just clear enough.
Below him stretched the "fortress" they had built.
Deep trenches yawned like the jaws of a beast, ready to swallow any careless charge. The reinforced walls of wood and stone, though crude, carried a weight of security they had never known before. Stacked logs and boulders lined the heights, gleaming faintly under moonlight—silent promises of violence.
All of it had been forged by blood and effort.
Yet Colin felt no peace.
He knew their limits too well.
Walls could stop common soldiers—but not armored knights.
Traps could kill the careless—but not halt a determined army.
When those defenses inevitably failed, only one thing would matter—
The sharpest blade.
And he had to become it.
"System," he murmured.
A pale blue interface unfolded before his eyes.
[Host: Colin][Race: Werewolf (Subspecies)][Strength: 18][Agility: 16][Endurance: 11][Spirit: 8][Kill Points: 32][Skills: Wolf Claw Bite (Beginner), Tracking (Beginner)][Blueprints: Basic Treatment, Structural Reinforcement, Healing Potion Recipe]
This was everything he had.
The dying warhorse had granted him twenty additional points. Now, only thirty-two remained—the last remnants of that brutal fight.
He had considered saving them.
For tools.
For potions.
But not anymore.
Time was something he didn't have.
What he needed now—was power.
Immediate. Absolute.
"Add fifteen points to Strength. Fifteen to Agility."
No hesitation.
[Confirm consumption of 30 Kill Points?]
"Confirm."
Pain exploded.
A violent heat surged from his chest, flooding his entire body.
"—ugh!"
Colin dropped to one knee, muscles convulsing. Bones groaned as if crushed and reforged from within. The agony tore through him, raw and overwhelming.
Sweat drenched him instantly.
He clenched his teeth, refusing to scream.
This was the cost.
The price of power.
Then—silence.
The storm faded.
The energy settled deep into his flesh.
Colin rose slowly, breath heavy.
He clenched his fist.
Power surged through him—dense, explosive, undeniable.
He felt like he could shatter a wild boar with a single strike. His body coiled with potential, every movement ready to erupt with speed and force.
[Strength: 21][Agility: 19]
A flicker of something wild passed through his eyes.
Still—
Not enough.
Strength without mastery was meaningless.
He dropped from the wall and walked to a corner of the outpost. A massive hardwood log lay there—too dense to split, meant for structural support.
Colin stepped forward.
Lowered his stance.
Drew his arm back.
Fingers tight, aligned.
"Wolf Claw… tearing bite."
A blur.
Thud.
His hand slammed into the wood.
When he pulled back, five shallow grooves marked the surface.
Blood seeped from his knuckles.
He didn't stop.
Again.
And again.
Step. Twist. Strike.
Over and over.
Not for destruction—
But perfection.
How to channel force more cleanly.
How to strike faster.
How to kill with less motion.
The system gave him the skill.
But mastery—
That was his alone.
Time lost meaning.
Sweat fell. Blood cracked and healed, only to break again.
Endless repetition.
Endless refinement.
Until—
Sssshk!
The sound changed.
No longer dull impact—
But tearing.
Five deep claw marks carved into the hardwood, as if ripped by a beast.
[Proficiency increased: Wolf Claw Bite → Intermediate][Effect: Attack speed +20%, armor penetration +10%]
Colin stopped.
Looked at his hands.
This—
This was real power.
He leaned back against the wall, breathing hard.
But even in exhaustion, he did not sleep.
Instead, he closed his eyes.
And sank inward.
Something shifted.
His awareness drifted through his body like a ghost.
He could feel his blood flowing.
Hear the steady thunder of his heart.
Then—
Beyond.
The world opened.
He could hear dew forming on leaves.
Smell herbs lingering on Goff's clothes.
Sense the faint warmth of Lina's breath carried on the air.
His senses stretched, sharpened, transformed.
Not sight.
Not yet.
But something deeper.
Instinct.
The awakening of something ancient within his blood.
Colin opened his eyes.
Moonlight reflected in his dark pupils.
He looked at his hands again.
By day—they built.
By night—they killed.
He knew one thing with absolute certainty.
This power—
Was still not enough.
Somewhere beyond the forest, the Earl's army was already moving.
And it was getting closer.