Chapter 4: The Dark Presence

Lin Mu staggered through the forest, his body aching from the battle with the Alpha Bonehound. His mind was still reeling from the fight, his thoughts racing between the system notifications and the realization that he had survived yet another deadly encounter. But there was no time to celebrate. Something was wrong—he could feel it.

The air had shifted, growing heavy with an oppressive presence that seemed to press in on all sides. The glowing trees that had once illuminated his path now flickered with an unsettling dimness, as if their light was being drained away by the darkness surrounding him. Every instinct told him to run, but he forced himself to keep moving, his eyes darting to the shadows, searching for the source of his unease.

System Notification:

Warning: High-level threat detected.

Lin Mu's heart skipped a beat as the notification flashed before him. High-level threat? He had barely managed to defeat the Alpha Bonehound, and now something even more dangerous was out there, lurking in the shadows. He needed to be smart—he couldn't afford another head-on fight in his current condition.

He took a deep breath, trying to calm his racing heart. His Minor Regeneration had healed some of his wounds, but he was still far from fully recovered. If he was going to survive whatever was coming, he needed a plan.

His eyes flicked to the system menu. He had 10 Evolution Points from defeating the Alpha. That was enough to activate the Bone Armor skill and maybe even boost his stats again.

Host: Lin Mu

Level: 3

Strength: 7, Agility: 5, Endurance: 7, Intelligence: 5

Evolution Points: 10

Skills: Minor Regeneration, Bone Armor (Active)

Without hesitation, Lin Mu activated Bone Armor. Immediately, he felt a surge of power ripple through him as bone-like plates began to form across his body, encasing him in a protective layer. His arms, chest, and legs were covered in hardened bone, and though it felt slightly restrictive, the added protection gave him a sense of security.

Bone Armor activated. Defense increased by 50%. Duration: 5 minutes. Cost: 2 EP.

That left him with 8 Evolution Points. He quickly opened the evolution menu, considering his options. He needed to strengthen himself further if he had any hope of surviving this encounter.

Available Evolutions:

• Advanced Agility Enhancement – Cost: 5 EP

• Basic Intelligence Enhancement – Cost: 3 EP

• Enhanced Healing (Passive) – Cost: 7 EP

He hesitated for a moment, but then his fingers hovered over the Advanced Agility Enhancement option. Agility had been key in dodging the Bonehounds' attacks, and if this new threat was even faster or more powerful, he would need every bit of speed he could get.

He selected the evolution.

Advanced Agility Enhancement activated. Agility +5.

A rush of energy surged through him, and Lin Mu felt his muscles tighten, his reflexes sharpening. His body responded faster, and his movements felt smoother, more precise. He flexed his fingers, feeling the newfound agility in every part of his body.

Agility: 10

With his enhanced agility and Bone Armor in place, Lin Mu felt slightly more confident, but the sense of dread hadn't faded. Whatever was out there was still watching him, waiting.

Suddenly, a deep growl rumbled from the shadows, and Lin Mu froze. It wasn't like the Bonehound's growl—this was different. Deeper. More primal. His pulse quickened as the darkness around him seemed to move, shifting and coiling like a living entity.

And then, it appeared.

Out of the shadows stepped a creature unlike anything Lin Mu had ever seen. It stood on four muscular legs, its body covered in sleek black fur that absorbed the faint light of the forest. Its eyes glowed with a malevolent red, and its mouth curled into a snarl, revealing razor-sharp fangs. But the most terrifying part was the aura it exuded—an overwhelming sense of power and death that made Lin Mu's skin crawl.

System Notification:

Name: Shadow Revenant

Threat Level: High

Abilities: Shadow Manipulation, Enhanced Speed, Regeneration

Weakness: Light-based attacks.

Lin Mu's heart pounded in his chest. The system's warning was clear—this was no ordinary beast. The Shadow Revenant was far more powerful than anything he had faced before. He tightened his grip on the makeshift weapon in his hand, knowing it wouldn't be enough to defeat the creature.

The Revenant moved swiftly, its body almost disappearing into the shadows as it circled Lin Mu. He tried to keep up, his enhanced agility helping him track the creature's movements, but it was fast—too fast. Every time he thought he had locked onto it, the Revenant seemed to vanish into thin air, reappearing in another spot, closer and closer each time.

Lin Mu's mind raced. How could he fight something that moved through shadows? His gaze flicked to the glowing trees around him. The system had said the Revenant's weakness was light-based attacks, but he didn't have any weapons that could produce light.

Or did he?

He quickly scanned the area, his eyes falling on one of the nearby trees. The faint glow coming from the leaves wasn't much, but it was better than nothing. If he could use the trees somehow—force the Revenant into the light—it might give him the opening he needed.

Without wasting another second, Lin Mu bolted toward the nearest tree. The Revenant snarled, its glowing red eyes locking onto him as it charged. Lin Mu dove behind the tree, positioning himself so that the creature would have to move through the glowing leaves to reach him.

The Revenant hesitated for a fraction of a second, its gaze flickering to the light. It growled, clearly displeased, but it didn't back down.

Lin Mu seized the opportunity. With a burst of speed, he darted out from behind the tree, swinging his branch at the Revenant. The creature dodged, but Lin Mu had expected that. He didn't need to land a hit—he just needed to drive it closer to the light.

The Revenant snarled, its body flickering as it moved in and out of the shadows, but Lin Mu pressed on, forcing it to retreat toward the glowing trees. As it neared the light, the Revenant's movements became more erratic, its form shimmering as if it was struggling to maintain its physical presence.

That's it. It's weak in the light.

Lin Mu pushed harder, each strike driving the Revenant closer to the tree's glowing leaves. The creature lashed out, its claws raking across Lin Mu's Bone Armor, but the protective shell held. He gritted his teeth, ignoring the pain, and swung again.

This time, the Revenant made a mistake. It stepped too close to the tree, its body partially exposed to the light. Immediately, the creature let out a shriek of pain, its form flickering violently as it tried to retreat into the shadows.

But Lin Mu didn't give it a chance.

With all the strength he could muster, he lunged forward, swinging the branch with all his might. The blow connected with the Revenant's side, sending it crashing into the tree. The creature screamed, its body writhing as the light from the leaves burned into its flesh.

Lin Mu didn't stop. He swung again and again, each strike driving the creature deeper into the light, until finally, with one last agonized screech, the Revenant dissolved into a cloud of dark mist.

For a moment, Lin Mu just stood there, panting, his body trembling with exhaustion. He had done it. He had defeated the Shadow Revenant.

You have defeated the Shadow Revenant. Evolution Points +15.

Lin Mu collapsed to the ground, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. The battle had taken everything out of him, but he had survived. And with the 15 Evolution Points he had earned, he could finally make some real progress.

But as he lay there, staring up at the glowing trees, a thought crossed his mind.

What other creatures were lurking in this world? If the Shadow Revenant was just the beginning, how much more powerful would his enemies become?

His journey was far from over.

New Mission Unlocked: Investigate the Source of the Darkness.