Adrenaline spiked, his hand instinctively grasping for the restored mattock lying in the dirt beside him, but the sound wasn’t the footfalls of a beast. It was water. Heavy, viscous droplets, colored a deep, translucent indigo, were hammering the violet canopy overhead. The massive leaves of the Ironbark tree caught the brunt of the deluge, but a fine, chilling mist had begun to soak through the opening of his sleeping bag.
He unzipped the thermal casing, shivering as the damp air hit his skin. A rectangle of neon blue light flickered into existence, hovering in the gloom like a digital ghost.
[SYSTEM ALERT: WEATHER EVENT - INDIGO RAIN] Effect: Mana density in the air +20%. Visibility: Reduced by 50%. Stamina Recovery: +10% (The sound is soothing).
He blinked the sleep from his eyes, focusing on his internal diagnostics.
[STATUS] Stamina: 115 / 115 (MAX) Mana: 75 / 75 (MAX) Hunger: 20% | Thirst: 45% (Parched)
"Good morning, Noah," Cortana’s voice echoed in his skull, crisp and devoid of morning grogginess. "I’ve been analyzing the precipitation. It’s not toxic, but the sensors indicate it’s 'Mana-Heavy.' If you stand out in it too long without a shield, your skin might start to phosphoresce. Also, our water situation is sustainable but finite. You have 4.5 bottles left from the original pack."
A holographic wireframe of the immediate area, the Mini-map, superimposed itself over his vision. It showed the crude, U-shaped earthen wall he had built yesterday, glowing faintly green against the grey fog of the forest.
"The berm held up," she continued. "The trench you dug is currently filling with indigo runoff. It’s not drinkable yet, it’s full of silt and mud, but it’s raw material. We have a decision matrix to resolve: do we burn the mana pool to secure a permanent water source, or do we save it for defense?"
Noah sat up, sliding his feet into the black foam sandals. He rubbed the grit from his face. Water first. Always water.
"We secure the base," Noah muttered, his voice raspy. "I'm not dying of thirst in a magical rainforest."
He focused on the muddy depression of the trench near the inner wall. He didn't just need a hole in the ground; he needed filtration. He needed a well. He pulled up the [Dominion Manipulation] interface, the grid lines projecting onto the wet soil.
He visualized the structure: a deep, narrow shaft lined with compressed stone to prevent collapse, tapping into the groundwater that the indigo rain was replenishing.
[Skill Activation: Mana-Well] Cost: 40 Mana.
The sensation was immediate, a sudden, hollowing ache in his chest as the energy left him. It wasn't like lifting a weight; it was like having blood drawn.
In front of him, the earth groaned. The mud in the trench began to swirl, not from wind, but from a force pushing it outward. The soil compressed, hardening instantly into a crude, stone-like ceramic. The shaft bored down, two feet, four feet, six feet, until it hit the water table.
[MANA: 75 -> 35]
Clear, cold water began to seep up through the filtration layer of sand he’d willed into existence at the bottom.
"Great," Noah breathed, wiping sweat from his forehead despite the chill. "Now, to get it out."
He reached into his inventory and pulled out the Stainless Steel Long-Handled Spoon he had purchased the night before. It wasn't a bucket, but it was a tool.
He dipped the spoon into the new well, bringing up a small, shimmering scoop of water. He took a sip. It tasted metallic and earthy, but it was clean.
[Thirst: 45% -> 42%]
"Better," he said. "Now, breakfast."
His stomach growled, a hollow reminder that he was out of MREs. He checked his balance.
[Balance: $2.21]
"I'm broke," Noah sighed. "Cortana, what can I afford? I need calories."
"You have two dollars and twenty-one cents," Cortana noted dryly. "The luxury menu is closed. However, the System Shop has a 'Staple Goods' section. Raw Russet Potatoes are currently trading at $0.99 per pound."
"Potatoes it is," Noah said. "Buy two pounds."
[Item Purchased: Raw Russet Potatoes (2lbs)] Cost: $1.98 [Balance: $2.21 -> $0.23]
A small mesh bag containing four large, dirt-covered potatoes materialized in his lap with a soft thump. It wasn't much, but it was food.
"Twenty-three cents," Noah whispered, staring at the number. "One emergency away from bankruptcy."
"Actually," Cortana interrupted, highlighting the spoil pile of mud that his [Mana-Well] skill had ejected from the earth. "Look closer at the debris you just excavated. The deeper soil layers in the Silvershade are rich in crystalline deposits. I'm detecting a resonance in that mud pile."
Noah knelt by the wet earth. He shifted the muck with his spoon until he heard a clink. He pulled out a fist-sized lump of rock. It wasn't grey like the surface stones; it was a deep, throbbing blue, veined with silver.
[Appraise]
Item:Properties:System Value:
"The System wants it," Cortana said. "It’s not enough to retire on, but it’s a buffer."
"Sold," Noah commanded.
[Transaction Complete] [Balance:$0.23 -> $3.41]
With the rain dampening everything, a traditional fire was going to be difficult. He gathered a small pile of dry twigs from the underside of the Ironbark roots, shielding them with his body. He pulled the Ferrocerium Rod from his pocket.
He struck the rod with the back of his knife-edged spoon. Scritch.
A shower of sparks hit the tinder. It smoked heavily, the damp wood protesting, but eventually, a small orange flame licked upward. He skewered two potatoes on a sharpened stick and held them over the heat.
The smell of roasting starch began to waft through the humid air, a scent of comfort that felt incredibly out of place in the violet jungle.
"Noah," Cortana’s tone shifted instantly. The sarcasm was gone, replaced by a sharp, warning frequency. "Movement. South perimeter. Distance: 15 meters."
"Something large responded to the pulse. It didn't flee like the Skulkers. It... repositioned. It’s staying low, but it's moving closer to the edge of the rain-line. And Noah? It's not a beast. It's bipedal."
Status:
- Mana: 25 / 100 (Regenerating faster in the rain!)
- Stamina: 100 / 130
- Balance: $3.41
- Inventory: 5lbs Potatoes, Ladle, Mattock, Mace, 2.5x Water.
"I’m calling out to it, whatever it is, Cortana!” Noah whispered.
He climbed onto the flat top of his four-foot earthen rampart. The indigo rain was cold, and as it hit his skin, a faint blue luminescence clung to his black beard and bald head, a side effect of the high mana density. He looked like a shimmering, bearded titan standing guard over a tiny, impossible fort.
"Hello?!" he shouted, his voice projecting with an unexpected, resonant weight. Within his Domain, his voice seemed to carry further, vibrating with the authority of the [Lord] class. "Who’s out there? I know you're there!"
The forest was silent for several heartbeats, save for the rhythmic drum-drum of rain on violet leaves. Then, the ferns 60 feet away rippled.
A figure stepped out from behind a slate-grey tree.
It was small, barely five feet tall, and wrapped in a tattered, sodden cloak made of dull green fabric. As the stranger stepped into a patch of dim magenta light, the hood slipped back. Noah saw a pair of large, tufted ears that twitched nervously, and wide, amber eyes with slitted pupils. A long, slender tail tipped with black fur flicked back and forth behind them, agitated.
[Appraise]
Name: Miya
Race: Nekomata (Beastkin)
Level: 4
Status: Hypothermic, Malnourished, Terrified.
Disposition: Wary / Confused.
The girl (she looked barely into her early twenties in human terms) stared up at him. She was shivering so hard he could see her shoulders shaking from sixty feet away. She clutched a small, rusted dagger in one hand, but her grip was weak.
"Noah," Cortana whispered, her voice a tactical hum. "The System is kicking in. I’m processing her vocalizations and translating them through your HUD. It’s a passive [Lord] perk, Diplomatic Tongues. You’ll hear her in English, but she’ll hear you in the Common Trade language of this realm."
Miya took a hesitant step forward, stopping just outside his golden 30x30 border. She looked at the stone-lined well, then at the mesh bag of Earth-potatoes sitting near Noah's feet.
"Are you... a Mountain Spirit?" she called out. Her voice was high-pitched, melodic, but cracked with exhaustion. "Or a Wizard of the Grey? I seek... I seek only shelter from the indigo sting. I did not know this was a Great One's territory."
"She thinks you're a high-level magic user," Cortana noted. "To be fair, you built a fortified stone-well outpost in a death-forest overnight. In this world’s terms, that’s 'Archmage' behavior. Also, look at her feet. She’s barefoot, and the indigo rain acts like a mild acid on Beastkin skin if they don't wash it off."
Status:
- Mana: 32 / 100 (Regenerating)
- Stamina: 115 / 130
- Balance: $3.41
- Inventory: 5lbs Potatoes, Ladle, Mattock.
"Girl! I mean you no harm if you mean the same," Noah called out. "I have some food and water here, although meager. Please come in and get out of the rain."
The Nekomata girl flinched as his voice boomed over the wall, her tufted ears pinned back against her skull. She looked at the golden line shimmering in the mud at her feet, then up at him.
She saw a man in strange, thick-woven brown trousers and strange footwear (flip flops), standing atop a wall that shouldn't exist, offering food in a voice that resonated with the weight of the earth itself.
"Meager...?" she whispered, her eyes darting to the stone-lined well. To her, a clean, private water source in the Silvershade was the height of luxury.
She took a tentative step. As her foot crossed the golden boundary of his [Dominion], a shiver ran through her, not from the cold, but from the sudden shift in atmospheric pressure. Inside his borders, the "Indigo Sting" of the rain seemed to lose its bite. The air felt filtered, intentional.
[SYSTEM NOTIFICATION]
New Entity Detected in Domain: Miya (Nekomata)
Status: Guest
Telemetry: Enabled (You can now see her HP/Stamina bars in your HUD)
She scrambled over the two-foot section of the wall near the entrance, her movements surprisingly fluid despite her exhaustion. She collapsed near the glowing violet embers of the fire pit, curling her tail tightly around her legs. She looked at Noah with a mixture of reverence and primal fear.
"Thank you... Great One," she rasped, her teeth chattering. She hid the rusted dagger in the folds of her cloak, a gesture of submission, though her hand still trembled.
"Noah," Cortana’s voice was a sharp whisper in his mind. "Look at her health bar. It's flashing red. She's suffering from 'Mana-Saturation', the indigo rain is literally clogging her pores with raw energy she can't process. She needs to get dry and get some calories in her system immediately."
Miya looked at the mesh bag of potatoes. "I... I do not know these brown stones. Are they a type of earth-root? Do they require a spell to open?"
"She’s never seen a Russet potato," Cortana noted dryly. "In this world, most tubers are bitter or toxic. You’re about to introduce her to the glory of the Earth-standard carbohydrate. While you prepare the food, I’ve unlocked a new administrative tab in your HUD."
[LORD INTERFACE: POTENTIAL SUBJECT]
Miya (Level 4)
Allegiance: 0% (Neutral/Wary)
Current Need: Warmth, Food, Safety.
Subject Benefit: If she pledges herself, you will gain +5% Mana Regeneration and a 'Scout' telemetry feed.
"First, let's get you warm," Noah said gently. "Don't be scared, girl, come close to the fire." He paused, thinking to Cortana, "Purchase a space blanket."
"Processing transaction... Space Blanket (Emergency Mylar) added to inventory. Balance is now $0.91. You are officially 'vending machine' levels of broke, Noah," Cortana quipped.
Noah reached into the air, and with a soft, digital shimmer, a small, folded square of silver foil appeared in his hand. To him, it was a cheap survival tool. To Miya, it looked like he had just plucked a piece of the moon from the sky.
"Here," Noah said, stepping closer. He shook out the blanket. It made a loud, crinkling metallic sound, crack-snap, that made Miya jump, her tail puffing up to twice its normal size.
"Is... is it a skin?" she asked, her eyes wide as she stared at the reflective silver surface.
"It's a gift. Wrap it around yourself, silver side in. It will catch your body’s heat," he explained.
She took it with trembling fingers. As she wrapped it around her sodden green cloak, the change was almost instantaneous. The reflective material stopped the indigo rain from touching her fur and began to bounce her own heat back at her. She let out a long, shaky breath, her shivering slowing down.
"It... it is warm," she whispered, looking down at her own reflection in the silver. "I have never felt such a thin thing hold so much fire."
[STAMINA RECOVERY (MIYA): +1/min]
[ALLEGIANCE: 5% -> 12%]
Noah handed her the ladle, filled with the cold, sweet water from his new well. She drank greedily, her ears twitching with every swallow. While she drank, he took three large Russet potatoes from the bag, washed the dirt off in a small puddle of indigo rain, and dropped them into the stainless steel pot over the violet-flamed embers.
"Salt and ketchup," Cortana mused. "I'll add them to the 'Wishlist,' Noah. But for now, the starch and the clean water are doing wonders. Her heart rate is stabilizing."
Miya watched the pot. The smell of the boiling potatoes, earthy and sweet, filled the small camp. She seemed to relax slightly, the "Space Blanket" crinkling as she tucked her tail inside the silver warmth.
"You speak the common tongue with a heavy accent, Great One," she said softly, watching the violet flames. "But your magic is... quiet. Most Lords of the Forest scream their power. They build towers of bone or iron and demand tribute. You build a wall of dirt and give silver to the cold."
She looked at him, her amber eyes searching his face.
"The Grey Wolves are hunting my pack," she said suddenly, her voice dropping to a whisper. "They want our 'Mana-Essence' to feed their Alchemist. I am the only one who broke through the thicket. If they find this wall... if they see your silver magic... they will come with fire."
"Threat assessment updated," Cortana said, her voice turning sharp. "The 'Grey Wolves', I’m cross-referencing. Likely a mercenary band or a high-level beastkin pack. If she’s the 'only one who broke through,' we might have a tracking party headed our way."
Status:
- Mana: 45 / 100 (Regenerating)
- Balance: $0.91
- Potatoes: Boiling (5 minutes until ready)
- Miya: Stable but fearful.
Noah lifted the stainless steel pot from the embers using the end of his Ironbark club, the water inside still bubbling. He speared a large potato with his ironbark spoon and offered it to Miya. It was steaming, the skin slightly cracked to reveal the white, fluffy starch inside.
Miya took it tentatively, blowing on it as she’d never seen food hold heat quite like this. She took a bite, her amber eyes widening.
"It is... like eating a warm cloud," she whispered, her ears swiveling forward in delight. "It is not bitter. It is full of life-weight."
[ALLEGIANCE: 12% -> 18%]
[MIYA STATUS: HYPOTHERMIA CLEARED / MALNOURISHED -> WEAK]
She ate with a desperate, practiced grace, her tail flicking with every mouthful. Between bites, her face hardened, and she looked toward the South wall, the one that was still only two feet high.
"The Grey Wolves," she began, her voice trembling slightly. "They are not beasts, Great One. They are a company of men and beast-glass hybrids from the Iron Marches. They serve an Alchemist who calls himself Vane. He believes that the blood of the Nekomata and the Rhino-kin, when distilled under a Blood Moon, can grant a man eternal mana."
She shuddered, pulling the silver blanket tighter.
"They carry crossbows tipped with 'Mana-Sinker' bolts. They have three 'Iron-Hounds', constructs of metal and muscle that can smell a drop of fear from a mile away. They were ten in number when they ambushed my camp. I do not know how many are left, but their Captain, a man named Drax, does not stop. He will follow my scent until the indigo rain washes it away... and the rain is stopping."
Cortana’s voice rang in Noah's head, cold and sharp. "Analyst's summary, Noah: We’re looking at a Tier 1 Mercenary Squad. If they have Iron-Hounds, those are likely Level 5 or 6 constructs. 'Mana-Sinker' bolts are a direct threat to you, they disrupt your ability to use [Dominion] powers if you're hit."
She projected a tactical overlay onto the ground.
"The rain is indeed tapering off. The indigo mist is clearing. Drax and his men will be able to see the smoke from your fire, and your 4-foot wall, very soon. You have roughly 30 minutes before they reach your perimeter."
[MISSION LOG UPDATED]
- Objective: Defend the Outpost.
- Threat: The Grey Wolf Mercenaries.
- Complication: Miya is too weak to fight; you are the only combatant.
Current Status:
- Mana: 52 / 100 (Regen: +2.0/5min)
- Balance: $0.91
- Inventory: 5lbs Potatoes (3 left), Restored Mattock, Ironbark Mace.
"Noah," Cortana added, "If we win this, the 'Loot' from a mercenary squad could jumpstart your economy. If we lose... well, let's not lose."
"Cortana, anything that enters my domain is under my control," Noah mused. "Could I potentially manipulate light? Make an illusion that shows that my domain is just a big boulder?"
"Manipulating photons directly is a 'High Lord' skill, Noah. You're more of a 'Landlord' right now," Cortana said, her voice humming with the effort of calculating the physics. "But... we can cheat. You don't need to bend light perfectly; you just need to confuse the observer's brain."
She projected a schematic of the indigo rain still clinging to the trees and the "Mana-Spores" floating in the air of his 30x30 square.
"The air inside your Dominion is thick with your signature. If you spend 40 Mana, you can trigger a [Refractive Veil]. By vibrating the mana-particles in the air, we can create a 'Mirage' effect. It won't look like a boulder to someone standing right in front of it, but from fifty feet away, the light will wrap around your walls. To the mercenaries, your Outpost will look like a solid, boring mound of slate-grey Ironbark and shadows."
[NEW SUB-SKILL UNLOCKED: DOMINION MIRAGE (IMPROVISED)]
- Cost: 40 Mana (to activate) + 2 Mana/minute (to maintain).
- Effect: Obscures the contents of the Domain from outside view.
Miya watched him, her eyes wide as he stood in the center of the camp, hands raised. "Great One? What are you doing? The wolves... they have Iron-Hounds. They track by smell and sound as much as sight."
"It only needs to hold up till the first strike," Noah muttered.
He closed his eyes and focused. He didn't push the earth this time; he pushed the air. He visualized the indigo mist thickening, turning into a lens. He felt a massive, cold drain on his chest, 40 Mana vanished instantly.
[MANA: 52 -> 12]
A shimmering ripple washed out from the center of his camp. To Noah and Miya, nothing looked different, but at the golden border of his 30x30 square, the air began to wobble like heat rising off asphalt. The violet light of the forest outside became blurred and distorted.
"The Veil is up," Cortana whispered. "We’re effectively invisible to the naked eye for now. But Noah, your mana is at 12. You can only maintain this for about six minutes before you hit zero. And Miya is right... the Iron-Hounds don't use eyes."
On his Mini-map, three red blips appeared. They were 100 yards out, moving fast.
"They've reached the point where the indigo rain was heaviest," Cortana warned. "I'm picking up mechanical clicking. The Iron-Hounds. They’ve picked up the scent of Miya’s blood... and the smell of boiled potatoes."
The forest outside the Veil was silent for a moment, then he heard it: the heavy, rhythmic clank-thud of metal paws on wet earth. A low, metallic growl echoed through the trees, vibrating the very ground of his Domain.
"They are here," Miya whimpered, clutching her silver blanket. She drew her rusted dagger.
[THE MERCENARIES HAVE ARRIVED]
Outside his "boulder" illusion, three figures in grey leather armor and iron-reinforced cloaks emerged from the ferns. Leading them was a tall man with a jagged scar across his eyes, Captain Drax. Beside him were two snarling constructs: wolves made of rusted plates and glowing blue "mana-core" eyes.
They stopped forty feet from his wall. To them, they saw a massive grey rock.
Drax frowned, holding up a hand. He looked at a glowing compass-like device in his palm. "The scent ends here," he growled. "But there is nothing but an Ironbark outcrop."
One of the Iron-Hounds stepped forward, sniffing the air near Noah's "boulder." It let out a sharp, metallic bark and began to scratch at the air where his wall should be.
"Noah," Cortana said, her voice tense. "The Hound knows something is wrong. Its sensors are piercing the illusion. Drax is reaching for a heavy bolt on his belt. If he fires a 'Mana-Sinker' into the Veil, the whole illusion will shatter and you'll be stunned."
Status:
- Mana: 11 / 100 (Dropping by 2 per minute!)
- Stamina: 110 / 130
- Miya Allegiance: 22% (Inspired by your magic)
Noah scooped up a jagged fragment of Ironbark-fused stone near his well. It was small, no larger than a golf ball, but heavy, dense with the magic of the forest.
"Noah, wait, " Cortana’s voice was sharp in his mind, but her warning was drowned out by the thrum of his own pulse.
Noah didn't think about "skills" or "levels." He thought about physics. He focused every remaining drop of his mana into a single, localized point of kinetic potential. At Level 1, he had pushed a rock. Now, with the finesse of an analyst who knew exactly how to break a system, he was accelerating it.
He visualized the air in a straight line toward Drax’s face becoming a vacuum. He pictured the stone not as a rock, but as a railgun slug.
Push.
The world lurched. The drain on his system was instant and violent, like someone had pulled the plug on his own life force. His [Refractive Veil] shattered, the illusion of the boulder vanishing like smoke in a gale, but he didn't care.
There was a sound like a whip-crack—the stone breaking the subsonic barrier. A blur of grey light streaked from his hand, crossing the forty-foot gap in a fraction of a second.
Drax was a veteran; his instincts were honed by years of mercenary work. He sensed the sudden vacuum of mana and began to tilt his head, but biology could not compete with a supersonic projectile.
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CRACK.
It was a wet, ugly sound. The stone slug slammed into the side of his iron-reinforced leather helm, and the metal crumpled like tinfoil. The force didn't just hurt him; it obliterated his equilibrium. Drax was spun off his feet, his body flipping mid-air before he crashed into the mud with a heavy, final thud. His helm was sheared open, blood spraying onto the violet ferns.
The silence that followed was deafening.
The two mercenaries behind him froze, mouths agape as their leader was taken down by an invisible "God-bolt." But the cost hit Noah a second later. His knees buckled. The "Mana Burn" wasn't a status effect; it was a migraine that split his skull and a weakness that turned his limbs to lead. He was visible, he was empty, and he was exhausted.
And then, the wolves howled.
It was a sound of grinding metal and shrieking steam. The Iron-Hounds' blue eyes flared a violent, glowing red.
"One down!" Cortana screamed, her voice losing its cool, analytical detach. "But you’re empty, Noah! The veil is down and you just kicked a hornet's nest made of sentient steel!"
He could barely hear her over the blood rushing in his ears. The "Mana Burn" had turned his vision into a blurry tunnel of gray static. He tried to raise his hand, but it trembled uncontrollably. Noah was a Level 3 Lord in flip-flops and a t-shirt, standing exposed in the mud, facing monsters that didn't feel pain.
The two mercenaries recovered their wits. "Witchcraft!" one yelled, leveling a heavy crossbow. "Kill the giant! Take the cat-girl!"
The Iron-Hounds didn't bother with threats. They were machines of rusted plating and hydraulic fury. They launched themselves into a sprint, their metal claws tearing up the turf. They would hit his four-foot earthen wall in three seconds.
Miya stood beside him, her "Space Blanket" discarded, a rusted dagger held in a white-knuckled grip. "Great One!" she cried, her voice cracking. "Use your lightning! Use your fire!"
I have no lightning, he thought, panic tightening his chest. I have nothing.
His mana pool was a dry well. He couldn't cast. He couldn't hide, but the Dominion was alive. The ancient marker beneath his feet pulsed, feeding him just enough, one single point of mana, to make the crucial connection for capital.
His eyes locked onto the heavy, black-steel crossbow lying in the mud next to the unconscious Drax. Even through the migraine, his analyst brain fired a desperate command.
[Inventory Pull!]
He didn't wait for a prompt. Noah reached out with a mental hand that felt frighteningly real. A shimmer of blue light enveloped the weapon. It flickered, a glitch in reality, and vanished.
[Sell.]
"Cash injected," Cortana barked, catching up to his train of thought instantly. "Three hundred dollars. We have a war chest."
Noah didn't browse the store. He didn't check the prices. He screamed the requisition in his mind, visualizing the items with the clarity of a man about to die.
Shield. Taser. Now.
The transaction was faster than a heartbeat.
There was no delivery drone, no delay. The air in front of Noah displaced with a sharp pop.
The weight hit him first. One second his hands were empty, clawing at the air; the next, his left arm was dragged down by forty pounds of reinforced polycarbonate. The handle of a tactical riot shield materialized in his grip, slick and cold. In his right hand, the blocky, rubberized grip of a Vipertek heavy-duty stun gun solidified instantly.
Noah staggered, his feet sliding in the mud as his center of gravity shifted violently. He wasn't a warrior. He was a guy holding riot gear he’d never used, staring down a mechanical wolf that had just launched itself into the air.
"Brace!" Cortana yelled.
The first Iron-Hound slammed into him with the force of a speeding motorcycle.
Noah planted his lead foot, the foam sole of his flip-flop instantly compressing and tearing under the pressure, and tucked his shoulder behind the clear, reinforced plastic of the shield.
BANG.
The sound wasn't a clang; it was a dull, sickening thud that rattled his teeth. The construct’s metal claws screeched against the polycarbonate, carving deep white gouges into the plastic, but the shield held.
The physics, however, were unforgiving. Even at Level 3, with his enhanced durability, the kinetic energy transfer was brutal. The impact lifted him off his feet and threw him backward. He skidded three feet through the slick mud, his bare heel digging a trench in the earth as he fought to stay upright.
His left shoulder felt like it had been dislocated and shoved back in. A grunt of pain was torn from his throat.
The Hound was now pinned against the shield, its rusted snout inches from his face on the other side of the transparent plastic. Noah could see the madness in its optical sensors, red, flickering, and driven by a predatory algorithm. Foul-smelling black oil dripped from its jaws, splattering against the barrier. It snapped its jaws, trying to find an angle to bite his head off.
He didn't give it the chance.
Noah didn't wait for an opening; he made one. He jammed the Vipertek stun gun, a black, rectangular block of Earth-tech, directly into the gap between the Hound’s iron neck-plates and its main chassis. He shoved the metal prongs deep into the exposed cabling.
He pulled the trigger.
CRACK-ZAP!
A blinding arc of blue electricity erupted. In a world of subtle mana and mystical flows, this was pure, violent amperage. The Iron-Hound’s internal mana-circuits were designed to resist spells, not billions of volts of direct contact discharge.
The machine let out a sound like a dying modem, a high-pitched, electronic screech that grated against his bones. Its red eyes flickered to white, then went dark. The entire metal frame convulsed, blue sparks jumping from its joints as its nervous system was fried instantly.
The weight of the beast went dead. It slumped against the shield, sliding down into a heap of scrap metal at Noah's feet.
"Target neutralized!" Cortana shouted, her voice cutting through the ringing in his ears. "But don't celebrate yet! The second one just cleared the North wall! And the crossbowman has a bead on your legs!"
"Incoming!" Cortana screamed.
Noah didn't have time to think. He just raised the shield.
THWACK.
A heavy crossbow bolt slammed into the polycarbonate face of his shield, inches from his nose. It didn't just hit; it hissed. Spider-web cracks fractured the transparent surface as the bolt’s enchantment tried to drink mana that he didn't have. A jolt of unnatural coldness shot up his left arm, numbing his fingers, but the barrier held.
But he was already moving. The second Iron-Hound had cleared the North wall and was scrambling over the moss, its claws tearing up the earth as it pivoted to charge.
He had no mana. He had no weapon that could pierce that armor. But he had the corpse of the first machine at his feet, and he knew exactly what powered it.
Noah focused on the dead Iron-Hound’s chest. He didn't ask the System nicely. He reached out with his mind and grabbed.
[Inventory Pull].
It wasn't a gentle levitation; it was a dimensional vacuum. He didn't just pull the core; he ripped it.
Metal shrieked as the blue-white sphere, sparking and screaming from the electrical overload he had just fed it, tore free from the chassis. It flew toward his open hand like a baseball returning to a pitcher.
But he didn't let it enter his inventory.
As the unstable, white-hot core streaked toward him, Noah planted his feet in the mud. He pivoted on his heel, engaging his hips and shoulders in a motion that had nothing to do with swordsmanship and everything to do with physics.
He swung the riot shield like a massive, clear tennis racket.
CRACK.
The impact shuddered through his entire skeleton. The core hit the polycarbonate face of the shield, and for a micro-second, the world paused. Then, the momentum reversed. His physical strike combined with the core's magnetic velocity, sending the unstable "battery" hurtling toward the second Iron-Hound.
The construct was mid-air, its red eyes widening, if a machine can feel surprise, as the glowing heart of its brother slammed into its throat.
BOOM.
The explosion was silent for a heartbeat before a wall of blue light and pressure slammed into his ears. It wasn't a chemical fire; it was a mana-collapse. A shockwave of azure energy rippled through his outpost.
The second Iron-Hound didn't just break; it unspooled. Its front chassis was vaporized in a flash of white light. The rear half was sent tumbling across the moss, hitting the stone rim of the well with a heavy clack before sliding into the dark water.
The blast wave caught the swordsman halfway over the southern wall. He was thrown backward as if a giant hand just swatted him, disappearing into the forest with a sickening crunch of impact.
Then, the feeling hit him.
It started in his chest, a sudden, rushing sensation of cool water washing away the grit and the heat. The migraine vanished. The leaden weight in his limbs dissolved into a hum of pure energy.
His mana wasn't just back; it was overflowing.
[LEVEL UP! LEVEL 3 -> LEVEL 4]
- HP: 150 -> 180
- Mana: 100 -> 125
- Stamina: 130 -> 150
- Stat Gain: Your "Mana Burn" is cleansed by the level-up surge!
- New Power Unlocked: [Dominion Bind] - Within your territory, you can now manifest spectral chains to restrain a target.
The steam began to clear, revealing the carnage. Noah stood in the center of a scorched circle of moss, the riot shield still smoking in his hand. The air smelled of ozone, burnt pine, and the copper tang of blood.
Miya peered out from behind the Ironbark tree. Her large ears were flattened against her skull, and her amber eyes were wide, not just with fear, but with something new. A heavy, religious awe. She looked from the vaporized remains of the Iron-Hounds up to him, and for the first time, she didn't just see a savior; she saw a force of nature.
"The..." Her voice trembled, a whisper in the silence. "The Great One has unmade the iron-beasts."
She didn't run to him. She fell to her knees in the mud, bowing her head low. He didn't need a status window to tell him that her allegiance just spiked. He could feel the shift in the air; she wasn't just following him anymore. She was devoted.
But he didn't have time to process the theology of it.
Movement caught his eye near the wall. The crossbowman, the only one left standing, stumbled backward. He had dropped his weapon. He stared at the smoking wreckage, then up at Noah. To him, Noah was a nightmare: a glowing, bearded giant wielding a shield of transparent glass and lightning.
He broke. With a strangled cry, he turned and scrambled over the moss, sprinting toward the tree line.
Twenty feet away, Captain Drax was face-down in the mud. He groaned, his hand clawing weakly at the dirt. The railgun slug didn't kill him, but he was broken, bleeding, and helpless.
"Noah," Cortana’s voice rang out, a triumphant chime in his mind that vibrated with the fresh energy flooding his system. "You’ve hit Level 4. Your mana is topped off, the burn is gone, and the archives just unlocked a new localized skill: Dominion Bind."
Her tone shifted from celebration to cold calculation.
"That runner is about to disappear into the woods," she warned. "If he brings reinforcements, we lose the element of surprise. And the Captain... he's breathing, which means he’s a fountain of intelligence waiting to be tapped. What are your orders?"
The mercenary was only inches from the golden line of the perimeter, his boots slipping in the indigo mud as he lunged for the safety of the deep forest. He thought he was free.
"Going somewhere?" Noah muttered.
Noah reached out with his right hand, fingers spread. He felt the surge of 125 Mana, a reservoir deeper and more potent than ever before. Instead of a "push" or a "pull," he visualized the very air of his Domain thickening, weaving itself into something solid.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: DOMINION BIND]
[MANA: 125 -> 105]
From the ground beneath the mercenary’s feet, three chains of translucent, glowing blue light erupted like striking cobras. They aren't made of metal; they were solidified intent. One wrapped around his ankle, the second around his waist, and the third snapped tight across his chest, pinning his arms to his sides.
The man was jerked backward with a violent yelp, his momentum slammed to a dead halt. He hit the mud hard, the spectral chains humming with a low, resonant power that seemed to drain the very will to fight out of him.
[TARGET RESTRAINED: GREY WOLF MERCENARY]
"Clean catch, Noah," Cortana said, her voice echoing with a satisfied hum. "He's within the borders. He's not going anywhere. And since he's 'Restrained' within your Dominion, I’m getting a full biometric read. His name is Kael. Level 3. Heart rate: 180 BPM. Conclusion: He is absolutely terrified of you."
Noah stepped over the four-foot wall, the riot shield still held low. The indigo rain had slowed to a drizzle, leaving the forest dripping and quiet. He stood over Kael, who was squirming in the blue chains, his eyes wide as he looked up at Noah's towering, bearded silhouette.
"Please!" he gasped. "I was just a hire! I didn't know this was a Great Lord's sanctum! Drax... Drax said it was just a rogue beastkin!"
Miya walked slowly toward the wall, peering over the edge. She looked at the man who was hunting her, now bound in glowing light. Her expression wasn't one of hate, but of profound disbelief.
"The Grey Wolves do not fall," she whispered. "And yet... you have broken them like dry twigs."
"Noah," Cortana interrupted. "We have a logistical situation. You have two prisoners, one conscious and talking, one critical and bleeding out. You also have a small mountain of loot scattered in the mud. And most importantly, you have a Level 4 Lord's status. It's time to decide how this 'Nation-State' of yours handles 'Enemy Combatants.'"
The Spoils of War:
- Drax's Gear: Enchanted Plate-Leather, a Longsword, and a 'Blood-Compass.'
- Kael's Gear: Leather armor, a pouch of silver coins, and a backup dagger.
- Iron-Hound Scraps: High-grade enchanted iron and two shattered mana-cores.
Noah let out a quiet sigh. "I'm no killer," he muttered. "Not unless strictly in self-defense." He walked over to Kael and held out his taser.
(Cortana, time for a bluff), he thought. Aloud, he announced in a booming voice, "I am the great wizard Zinthorr, lord of this land!" He brandished the taser. "This artifact produces a living spark." He pulled the trigger, letting out a jolt of electricity. "The spark shall follow you, silent and invisible, and will shock you, stopping your heart, just as it destroyed the mana beast, unless you do exactly as I say. Do you understand?"
The atmosphere in the Silvershade Forest thickened. The indigo rain had slowed to a rhythmic dripping from the violet leaves, and the air smelled of ozone, burnt iron, and fear.
"Zinthorr? Really, Noah? We're going with the 'Z' names?" Cortana’s voice dryly commented in his ear, though she immediately shifted into a supportive tactical mode. "Adjusting HUD output. I’m projecting a localized static-blur around your hand to make the taser look like it’s bleeding lightning. Let's give him a show."
Noah stood over Kael. As he pulled the trigger of the stun gun, the blue electrical arc, CRACK-ZAP!, was amplified by the damp air and his own [Lord's Presence]. The blue light reflected in his eyes and off the polycarbonate riot shield, making him look less like a man and more like a vengeful storm deity.
Kael’s eyes went wide. He stared at the sparking device, then at the smoking remains of the Iron-Hounds, and finally at Noah. He began to hyperventilate.
"Yes! Yes, Lord Zinthorr!" he shrieked, pressing his head into the mud as much as the spectral chains would allow. "I understand! The invisible spark! I will not move! I will not breathe without your leave! Just... please, do not unmake me like the hounds!"
[INTIMIDATION SUCCESSFUL]
[STATUS: KAEL IS NOW 'BROKEN']
[ALLEGIANCE (MIYA): 45% -> 52% (She is half-convinced you actually ARE a Wizard named Zinthorr)]
"Noah, the bluff worked better than expected," Cortana whispered. "But we have a timer. Drax is at 5% HP and fading. If he dies, his 'Blood-Compass' and his knowledge of Alchemist Vane go with him. We have the $110.91. We need to stabilize him if you want the intel."
Noah looked over at Drax. The mercenary captain was deathly still, the mud around his head stained a dark, wine-red.
"Orders, Lord Zinthorr?" Cortana asked, a hint of digital mischief in her tone.
Noah reached out and tapped the taser. CRACK-ZAP.
"The Spark is now in your blood. It is silent. It is patient. If you speak of me, if you tell Vane anything other than 'beasts of the forest tore us apart', the Spark will find your heart. It will find Drax’s heart. And it will not be merciful. Do you understand?"
"Yes! Yes, Great Zinthorr!" Kael cried, tears mixing with the rain on his face. "Beasts! The Shadow-Stalkers! The Treants! We saw nothing else! I swear it by the Old Gods!"
[SKILL ACTIVATED: LORD'S DECREE (IMPROVISED)]
[MANA: 105 -> 95]
Noah waved his hand, and the spectral blue chains of the [Dominion Bind] dissolved into motes of light. Kael scrambled to his feet, nearly falling in the mud. He grabbed Drax by the underarms, hauling the unconscious captain with a strength born of pure, unadulterated terror.
He didn't look back. He dragged Drax into the thick violet ferns, the sounds of his panicked breathing fading into the distance.
[ALLEGIANCE (MIYA): 60% -> 55%]
Miya stood by the well, her tail lashing back and forth. Her eyes were wide with confusion, and a hint of betrayal. "You... you let them go? They are wolves, Great One. They will return with more hunters. Why did you not end them?"
"She doesn't understand 'Information Operations,' Noah," Cortana noted. "To her, survival means killing the predator. To you, survival means controlling the narrative. You've just sent a terrified man back to lie to your enemies. If he succeeds, Vane will think his men were incompetent, not that they found a rival Lord."
The Spoils in the Mud:
- 1x Enchanted Longsword: (Steel-blue blade, radiates 'Slowing' magic).
- 1x Blood-Compass: (A brass device with a needle made of a dried finger-bone. It points toward the Howling Crag).
- Drax's Enchanted Leather Armor: (Scorched but repairable).
- 2x Wrecks of Iron-Hounds: (High-grade scrap metal).
Current Status:
- Mana: 105 / 125 (Regenerating)
- Stamina: 140 / 150
- Balance: $65.91
- Condition: Wet, tired, but victorious.
Noah looked down at Miya, his expression softening from the "Zinthorr" mask to something more human. He leaned his damaged riot shield against the Ironbark tree and sat on the edge of his stone well.
"Miya, listen to me," Noah said, his voice calm and analytical. "If I killed them, their master, this Alchemist, would send a full company to find out who murdered his men. He would bring fire and scouts. But a man who thinks he’s been cursed by a ghost? He will go back and tell stories of monsters and shadows. He’ll tell Vane the forest itself ate them. It buys us time. And in a world like this, time is more valuable than blood."
Miya tilted her head, her tufted ears twitching as she processed his logic. The "Earth-logic" of information warfare was foreign to her, but the results were undeniable.
"You... you weave fear like a seamstress weaves silk," she murmured. Her tail settled, no longer lashing. "To kill a wolf is simple. To make a wolf a messenger of his own fear... that is the magic of a True Lord."
[ALLEGIANCE (MIYA): 55% -> 65%]
[NEW TRAIT UNLOCKED (MIYA): 'Squire in Training' - She is starting to learn your tactical sensibilities.]
"Cold, calculated, and cost-effective," Cortana chimed in. "I like it, Noah. Now, let’s clear the 'workspace.' I’m initiating the mass-upload of the Mercenary gear."
Noah looked at the mud-caked longsword, the glowing bone-compass, and the piles of jagged, enchanted iron from the Hounds. He gave the mental command. With a series of rapid shimmers, the mud was suddenly empty.
[TRANSACTION REPORT]
- 1x Mercenary 'Slowing' Longsword: $65.00
- 1x Alchemist's Blood-Compass: $40.00
- 1x Set: Damaged Enchanted Leather: $20.00
- Bulk Scrapped Iron-Hound Parts: $85.00
- Total Earned: $210.00
- New Balance: $275.91
"Two hundred and seventy-five dollars," Cortana said, her voice rich with potential. "That is enough for a serious upgrade. We could buy a Solar Power Station ($200) or a Tactical Crossbow ($150) of your own, or even a Basic Greenhouse Kit ($100) to start a farm. Or, more importantly... we can buy real shoes for you and Miya."
The indigo rain had officially stopped. The magenta sun was breaking through the high canopy, making the steam rising from the wet forest look like violet smoke. The "Fog of War" on his map had been pushed back significantly by the combat encounter.
Current Status:
- Mana: 105 / 125 (Regen: +2.2/5min)
- Stamina: 140 / 150
- Balance: $275.91
- Outpost: North Wall (4ft), South Wall (2ft).
- Population: 1 Guest (Miya).
"First of all, this has taught me the importance of weapons," Noah said, shaking his head. "Cortana, I need a rifle. See what you can find me on the used market. I want a hunting rifle, 30-06 or .308."
"A hunting rifle. The 'Great Equalizer' of the 19th and 20th centuries," Cortana said, her voice humming with the speed of her search. "I'm scanning the 'Pre-Owned' sections of the Shop. A .30-06 is classic, but for this world, I’d recommend a .308 Winchester. It’s slightly more compact, has excellent stopping power for Tier 1 and Tier 2 threats, and the ammunition is marginally cheaper."
Several windows flickered in his vision, scratched stocks, blued barrels, and grainy photos of rifles from Earth.
"Found a listing," Cortana announced. "A used Savage Axis in .308. It’s a budget bolt-action, but it’s a workhorse. The previous owner was a deer hunter in Pennsylvania. It comes with a 3-9x40mm Weaver scope already mounted and boresighted. It’s not a sniper's masterpiece, but at 200 yards, it'll put a hole in a Mercenary before he knows you're there."
[SHOP REQUISITION]
- Item: Savage Axis Bolt-Action Rifle (Used - Good Condition)
- Caliber: .308 Winchester
- Optic: 3-9x40mm Scope
- Accessories: 20-round box of Federal Soft Point Ammunition, basic cleaning kit.
- Total Cost: $265.00
[TRANSACTION COMPLETE]
New Balance: $10.91
The weight materialized in his hands instantly, the cold, black synthetic stock and the heavy, matte-finished barrel. It felt incredibly real, its oily, metallic scent cutting through the floral, ozone-heavy air of the Silvershade.
Miya flinched, her ears twitching at the metallic clack-clack of the bolt as Noah checked the chamber. She stared at the rifle with a mixture of terror and curiosity. "Is... is that a staff of iron, Great One? It has no runes. No gems. How does it channel the lightning?"
"She thinks it’s a catalyst," Cortana said. "She’s never heard of gunpowder. To her, this is just a very strange, heavy pipe. I suggest you don't fire it until you absolutely have to, the sound will carry for miles in this damp air, and we only have twenty rounds."
[EQUIPPED: SAVAGE AXIS .308]
- Tier: 2 (Long Range)
- Ammo: 20/20
- Note: Extremely loud. Causes [Deafened] status to nearby enemies without ear protection.
He stood there, a Level 4 Lord in work pants and flip-flops, holding a modern hunting rifle in a world of swords and beast-kin. The "Wizard Zinthorr" persona just got a massive upgrade in firepower.
"Noah," Cortana interrupted the moment. "You have $10.91 and 105 Mana. Your stomach is at 25% hunger, and your feet are still essentially bare. We also have that goal of yours, the six-foot walls. With the mercenaries gone, you have a window of peace to finish the fort."
Status:
- Mana: 105 / 125
- Stamina: 135 / 150
- Balance: $10.91
- Current Inventory: Savage Axis (.308), 20 rounds, Riot Shield (Damaged), Stun Gun, Mattock, Mace, 3x Potatoes.
(Cortana, before anything can you confirm that the ruse worked?) Noah thought.
"Confirmed, Noah," Cortana said, her voice echoing with a sense of relief. "My long-range scans show the mercenary heat signatures moving steadily North-East. They’re putting distance between themselves and 'Zinthorr' as fast as their legs can carry them. You've successfully cleared the immediate board. Now... we build."
The violet sun was beginning to sink toward the horizon, painting the sky in deep shades of plum and charcoal. The indigo rain had left the air crisp and full of the scent of damp earth and crushed ferns.
"You have 105 Mana and $10.91," Cortana noted. "If we're going to make this a home, and not just a campsite, we need to finish that wall before nightfall. A six-foot barrier changes the psychology of this place. It turns a clearing into a fortress."
He spent the next two hours in a state of rhythmic, meditative labor. Noah didn't just use magic; he used the Mattock. He dug the ditch deeper on the South and West sides, and then, with a focused push of his Mana, he commanded the earth to rise and pack itself.
[SKILL ACTIVATED: TERRITORY MANIPULATION - FORTIFY]
[MANA: 105 -> 45]
The ground groaned and heaved. The walls rose to his eye level, then past it. He used the Ironbark twigs as internal "rebar," weaving them into the mud before the mana petrified the soil into something as hard as low-grade concrete. He left a single, narrow opening in the South, a "Doorway" that he could eventually fit with a gate.
By the time he was done, Noah was standing in a 30x30 foot courtyard enclosed by six-foot-high, stone-hard earthen walls.
[OUTPOST STATUS UPGRADE: THE STONE-SOIL FORT]
- Perimeter: 120ft (All 6ft height).
- Defenses: 2ft Exterior Ditch.
- XP GAINED: 25 (Level 4: 25/300 XP).
Miya walked the perimeter, her hand trailing along the unnaturally smooth surface of the walls. She looked up at the top of the rampart, then at him. The fear in her eyes had been replaced by a quiet, burgeoning respect.
"In the Marches," she said softly, "it takes a dozen laborers a fortnight to raise a wall of this strength. You did it in a single afternoon... with a song of the earth."
"Noah," Cortana interrupted, "the light is failing. You’re at 45 Mana and $10.91. Your hunger is at 30%, and Miya is still wearing nothing but a tattered cloak and a 'Space Blanket.' Also, your feet are literally bleeding from doing heavy construction in $1.99 flip-flops."
"I want to buy two pairs of canvas deck shoes," Noah said. "It's not much, but both I and Miya will have protected feet."
"Transaction complete, Noah. Deducting $10.00. Balance: $0.91. I’ve selected 'Unisex Black Canvas Slip-ons', they’re flexible, breathable, and frankly, anything is an upgrade over flip-flops in a construction zone," Cortana said.
Two pairs of simple, sturdy black canvas shoes appeared on the leveled earth by his "bed." Noah handed one pair to Miya. She looked at the rubber soles and the woven fabric as if they were holy relics. Following his lead, she slid her feet into them.
"They... they grip the earth," she whispered, standing up and testing her weight. "My claws can still feel the ground through the bottom, but the sharp stones do not bite. Truly, the Great Zinthorr thinks of everything."
[STAMINA RECOVERY (MIYA): +5%]
[ALLEGIANCE: 65% -> 70%]
The sun had fully set now, and the interior of his 30x30 fort felt like a private world. The 6-foot walls blocked out the prying eyes of the forest, and the violet fire cast a warm, flickering light against the stone-hard earthen ramparts. Noah placed the last three potatoes in the steel pot.
As the water began to hum toward a boil, he sat across from Miya. The heavy Savage Axis rifle leaned against the Ironbark tree behind him, a silent, black sentinel.
"Tell me about yourself, Miya," Noah said softly. "Beyond being hunted. Who were you before the Grey Wolves came?"
She pulled the silver space blanket tighter around her shoulders, though she looked much warmer now. She watched the steam rise from the pot.
"I am of the Whispering-Paw tribe," she said, her amber eyes reflecting the violet flames. "We lived in the high canopies of the Eastern Silvershade. I was not a warrior, as you can see." She gestured to her slender frame. "I was a Wayfinder. It was my job to find the rare herbs that grow only in the 'Mana-Bleed' zones and to scout the paths that the Treants leave behind."
She looked up at him. "I can smell the difference between a poison root and a healing one from twenty paces. I can hear the heartbeat of the forest when the wind is right. But my tribe... we were small. When the Alchemist offered gold for our 'essences,' the mercenaries burned our high-homes. I am the only one who stayed on the ground long enough to lead them away."
"A Wayfinder," Cortana noted, her voice full of analytical interest. "Noah, that is exactly what a Level 4 Lord needs. She’s a natural Herbalist and Scout. If you give her the right tools, she can map the surrounding mile of forest while you focus on the construction. She basically functions as a biological sensor array."
[SUBJECT PROFILE UPDATED: MIYA]
- Role: Scout / Herbalist
- Specialty: [Floral Intuition] - Can identify magical plants without Appraise.
- Trait: [Agile] - 30% faster movement in forest terrain.
"I thought I would die in the rain," Miya continued, looking at the shoes on her feet. "But you... you are unlike any Lord the stories speak of. You have no servants. No crown. You dig in the dirt with your own hands, yet you possess the power to move mountains and bind men in light."
She looked around the 30x30 square. "What is this place to be, Lord Zinthorr? Is it a tomb for your enemies, or is it something more?"
Status:
- Mana: 65 / 125 (Regenerating)
- Stamina: 145 / 150
- Balance: $0.91
- Potatoes: Ready to eat.
"For now, it's a safe place to sleep," Noah said, glancing around his domain. "But in the future, I can foresee it being so much more. Tomorrow, we will venture out beyond my domain and explore this land. You will come with me, and together we will explore and hunt. I need to eat more than just potatoes."
Miya nodded solemnly, the silver blanket rustling as she took the last potato he offered. The starch was filling, but the lack of protein, salt, and fat was beginning to take a toll on his palate. His body was screaming for something that didn't come out of a mesh bag.
"A safe place is a rare thing in the Silvershade, Great One," Miya said, her amber eyes reflecting the dying violet embers. "I will show you the paths. To the South, where the indigo rain gathers into the Silver-Run stream, there are Glimmer-Hogs. They are stubborn and their hides are thick as leather, but their meat... it tastes of the sun and the earth. One hog could feed us for a week."
"Glimmer-Hogs," Cortana mused. "My database on Earth-pigs won't help much, but based on Miya's description, they're likely Tier 2 or 3 herbivores. Perfect target practice for that .308, Noah. But remember, one shot from that rifle is going to sound like a thunderclap. It’ll tell everything within five miles exactly where we are."
Noah spent the rest of the evening prepping. He used 15 Mana to create a temporary "Gate", a thick slab of Ironbark-reinforced earth that he could slide into the 3-foot gap in his South wall. It was heavy and awkward, but when it was in place, he was completely enclosed.
[MANA: 65 -> 50]
He fell asleep on his leveled earth platform, the heavy weight of the Savage Axis rifle lying within reach. For the first time since he arrived, Noah didn't feel like a victim of the forest. He felt like a hunter.