First Glimpse of Power

The stones felt rough and cool against my back, the only solid thing in this ever-shifting desert. I stared out over the dunes, watching the last streaks of sunlight dip below the horizon, leaving the sand cast in long shadows. Every part of me was tense, my muscles coiled from the hours of staying alert, watching for the next sandworm or winged predator that might rise out of the dark.

I didn't think Turgan had a bedtime.

As the sky darkened, I noticed something strange on the sand in front of me. At first, it was just a faint glimmer, almost like a firefly's light caught between the grains. But when I squinted, I saw it—a barely-there, faintly shimmering trace, like someone had left behind an imprint of light itself. It was only a few feet away, but something about it felt… different.

I approached cautiously, the sand crunching beneath my boots. Kneeling down, I got a closer look. It was an odd glow, soft and pulsing, like a heartbeat. I reached out, hesitating. Whatever this was, it didn't look like it belonged here—not in the way everything else did.

The moment my fingers brushed against it, a sharp warmth shot up my hand, spreading through my arm and down into my core. It was faint but unmistakable. I felt… stronger, if only by a thread.

Just as I pulled my hand back, a familiar hum started in my mind, and then, as if answering some unspoken call, the System appeared before me, bright and bold against the night.

Level Up Notification:

Essence absorbed. Level: 2 reached.

5 stat points have been awarded.

The words hung there, clear and simple. The essence… it hadn't just been some strange desert phenomenon. It was part of the System, something left behind to be claimed. And now, I'd leveled up because of it. I stared at the screen, feeling a slight surge of excitement rise beneath the caution.

5 stat points.

It was the same as before—the System had neatly organized my stats: Strength, Defense, Agility, Stamina, Intelligence, and Mana. Each stat had a small plus and minus next to it, shimmering faintly, waiting for me to choose.

I thought about it, remembering how the first points I'd allocated had changed things. Strength and Agility had gotten me moving faster, feeling sharper. And Stamina… well, I was still grateful for every bit of it.

I didn't waste time overthinking. Moving through this desert, I needed the basics covered. I added two points to Stamina and one to Agility, bringing both closer to what I'd need if I had to sprint—or run—through the sands. The remaining two points went to Defense. Given what I'd seen, any little boost against an attack felt worth it.

When I closed the screen, I stretched my arms, testing the shift. It wasn't obvious, but I could feel it: a faint new resilience in my muscles, a bit more ease as I straightened up, the weight of exhaustion slipping back, just a little. I was still tired, still aware of the bruises forming from my first encounters, but for the first time since arriving, I felt more ready.

As I settled back against the stone, the glow in the sand faded, disappearing as quickly as it had appeared. My gaze swept over the dunes, half-expecting to see another glimmer of essence somewhere. There was nothing but the emptiness of the desert and the shadows stretching toward me, reaching over the sand in slow waves.

Then, the wind picked up, howling low through the rocks. The sand stirred, brushing against my face, and I squinted, peering through the haze. I hadn't noticed it before, but in the distance, maybe fifty yards from where I stood, I saw another faint light. It was weaker than the first, almost hidden by the shifting sand, but it was there.

I moved toward it, each step cautious. If this was more essence, I'd claim it. I wasn't about to leave power lying around if it could keep me alive.

Halfway to the glow, something shifted in the sand off to my right—a soft, scraping sound that froze me in my tracks. I glanced over, my eyes catching on another figure partially buried in the sand, sprawled out like it had been tossed there and forgotten. It was a person—or at least, what was left of one.

They were still, half-covered in the sand, their limbs twisted at strange angles. For a second, I considered moving closer, but a chill ran through me. I couldn't ignore the way the sand was shifting around them. It was slow, deliberate, almost like it was… pulling them under.

And then, just as quickly, I realized it wasn't the sand. The faint outline of something massive loomed beneath the surface, rippling just under the layer of sand, and I took a slow step back. Whatever it was, it was moving, the faintest tremor disturbing the sand around it as it slithered forward.

I didn't wait to see more. I took off at a low jog toward the faint glow I'd spotted earlier, pushing myself to keep silent, my heartbeat thundering in my ears. Every step, every soft crunch of sand felt magnified. I didn't dare look back.

When I reached the essence, I crouched low, pressing one hand to the sand as I gathered the glowing light into my palm. The warmth spread through me again, lighter this time, more subtle. But it was enough. The System flashed up once more, and I couldn't help the slight grin that spread across my face.

Essence absorbed.

No level change.

Not enough to level up again, but enough to remind me that I was inching forward. It wasn't much, but every little bit helped. 

The Desert shifted in swirling patterns around me, a whisper of movement that carried an uneasy tension. I tightened my grip on the rough stone behind me, scanning the horizon. The emptiness of the desert was deceptive—every shadow could hide something dangerous.

The wind brought with it a chill that bit deeper than the fading heat of the day, and I wrapped my arms around myself, trying to conserve warmth. My eyes darted to the surrounding dunes, now cloaked in deepening twilight. Shapes shifted and twisted in the corners of my vision, tricks of the fading light, but I couldn't shake the feeling that I wasn't alone anymore.

I crouched low, leaning further into the shelter of the stones, when a faint sound reached my ears—a low, guttural growl, distant yet unmistakable. My pulse quickened, every sense on high alert. The noise was different from the sandworms or the flying creatures I'd encountered earlier. This was something new. Something that felt closer.

I took a slow, steadying breath, forcing myself to think. Stay hidden or move? The stones offered some protection, but they were far from a fortress. If whatever was out there got too close, I'd have no room to maneuver.

The System's stat boosts had given me a sliver of confidence, but I wasn't foolish enough to think I could fight. Not yet. The memory of that first man I'd seen—the one who'd tried to team up with me only to be devoured—was still fresh in my mind.

The growl came again, louder this time. I froze, my hand instinctively reaching for a loose stone at my feet. It wasn't much of a weapon, but it was something. My gaze darted to the horizon, and that's when I saw it: a pair of glowing eyes, low to the ground, reflecting the faint light of the moon as it crested the dunes.

The creature was small—no larger than a dog—but its posture was predatory, its movements slow and deliberate as it prowled through the sand. Its sleek, sinewy body blended almost perfectly with the shifting shadows of the dunes, and its glowing eyes stayed locked on my position.

I gritted my teeth, my mind racing. Could it see me? Or was it just sniffing me out? I stayed perfectly still, barely daring to breathe. The creature's head tilted, its glowing eyes narrowing, and I saw a glimmer of its teeth—sharp and gleaming, built for tearing flesh.

Nope. Not sticking around for this.

With a sudden burst of energy, I sprang to my feet and bolted, darting away from the stones and down the slope of the nearest dune. The sand shifted under my feet, but my boosted Agility kept me steady, my legs pumping with newfound speed. I didn't look back—I didn't need to. The growl turned into a snarl, and I could hear the creature chasing after me, its paws pounding against the sand in a relentless rhythm.

Faster. Move faster.

The adrenaline surged through me, sharpening my focus. Every step felt lighter, every movement smoother. The wind tore at my face, and the cold stung my lungs, but I kept running, pushing myself to the limit. The gap between us widened—barely—but it was enough to keep its snapping jaws out of reach.

Ahead of me, the dunes dipped into a shallow valley, the sand smoother and less forgiving. I leapt down, landing in a roll that sent grains flying in every direction. My heart thundered in my chest, and I scrambled to my feet, glancing back for the first time.

The creature was perched at the edge of the valley, its glowing eyes locked on me. It didn't move, didn't charge—it just stared, its silhouette sharp against the rising moonlight. Then, with a low, guttural snarl, it turned and disappeared back over the dunes, vanishing into the shadows as quickly as it had appeared.

I stood there, panting, my hands on my knees as I struggled to catch my breath. My legs trembled, not from exhaustion but from the sheer rush of what had just happened. I was alive. Somehow, I'd made it through another encounter.

But the thought offered little comfort. If a creature that small had been that persistent, what would happen when something larger found me?

The answer wasn't one I wanted to stick around and find out.

I straightened, my gaze drifting back to the dark outline on the horizon. The jagged rocks I'd seen earlier were closer now, more defined. They weren't just a random formation—there was a purpose to their structure, a deliberate pattern in the way they rose from the sand.

A faint hope sparked within me. Shelter, maybe. Or something more. Either way, it was my next destination.

I started walking again, forcing myself to ignore the throbbing ache in my legs and the lingering tremor in my hands. The System had given me tools, but survival was still on me. And if there was one thing I'd learned so far, it was that this world wasn't going to make anything easy.

The desert was alive in its own way, teeming with threats and secrets. I just had to figure out which ones I could face—and which ones I needed to run from.

And maybe, just maybe, I'd find answers before the desert claimed me.