Entering the Warfront

Kyle moved through the underbrush, each step careful and deliberate. Rin trailed behind him, barely making a sound despite their small frame. The trees around them loomed unnaturally, their twisted limbs stretching toward the gray sky. The morning mist clung to the forest floor, making visibility worse, but Kyle pressed on. The village ruins were long behind them, but the memory remained fresh in his mind.

The Black Legion had tested him, measured his strength, and let him live. That wouldn't happen again. Next time, they'd come for the kill. He wasn't about to let them.

His ribs still ached from the Executioner's attack, but Blood Reclamation had worked through most of his wounds. He was getting stronger, but he needed more than just raw power. He needed information, allies, a real weapon. The worn iron sword in his hand had served him well so far, but against real warriors, it wouldn't be enough.

Rin finally spoke, their voice barely a whisper. "Where are we going?"

Kyle glanced down at the goblin child, their wide green eyes filled with uncertainty. "Somewhere safer than here." He didn't have an answer. They needed to find a settlement, but without a map or any idea where to go, they were wandering blind.

Rin hesitated. "The Black Legion… they'll come back, won't they?"

Kyle tightened his grip on his sword. "Yeah. And we won't be there when they do."

Silence settled between them as they pushed forward. The deeper they moved into the forest, the heavier the air felt. The normal sounds of the wilderness—birds, insects, the rustling of small creatures—were missing. It was too quiet.

A notification flickered in Kyle's vision.

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New Area Discovered: The Wailing Thicket

This ancient woodland is known for the spirits that linger among its trees. Many enter. Few leave.

---

Kyle muttered a curse under his breath. Of course, they had stumbled into a cursed forest.

Rin froze beside him. "This place… it's bad."

Kyle didn't need convincing. He could feel it in the air, something unseen pressing against his skin, as if the very trees were watching them.

A distant wail echoed through the mist.

Rin flinched. Kyle turned, scanning the forest. The sound wasn't human, nor was it from any animal he recognized. Another wail followed, closer this time. It wasn't a normal sound. It was wrong, something that didn't belong in the world of the living.

Kyle's body tensed. His instincts screamed at him to move, but he still couldn't see the threat. That was worse.

Another notification appeared.

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Enemy Identified: Wailing Specter

Level: 9

Threat Level: High

---

A flicker of movement.

Kyle barely dodged as something dark slashed through the air where he had stood. The shape wasn't fully formed, more shadow than substance, its jagged outline shifting like mist caught in the wind.

Rin let out a small, panicked sound, stepping backward. The specter turned toward them, its body pulsing with dark energy.

Kyle knew his normal attacks wouldn't work. He had fought something similar before—the wraith from the tower. Back then, the system had given him Spectral Rend. If this creature was anything like the wraith, he needed that ability again.

His mind focused on the memory of that fight, the way his sword had felt when it connected with something intangible. The system responded.

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Evolutionary Growth Activated: Enhancing Spectral Rend…

Spectral Rend (Lv. 2) – Your attacks can now strike creatures of pure essence.

---

The moment the update triggered, Kyle moved. His sword pulsed with a faint glow, the edges lined with an eerie, flickering light. The specter lunged, its wail rising into a piercing shriek.

Kyle slashed forward.

The blade connected.

The specter reeled back, its body twisting unnaturally, its form flickering as if struggling to hold itself together. Kyle pressed forward, his instincts taking over. He slashed again, tearing through its shadowy form.

The creature let out another inhuman scream, its wail rising into something almost desperate. It tried to retreat, its movements sluggish now, but Kyle didn't let it. One final strike, and the specter dissolved into nothingness, its body unraveling like mist in the wind.

A notification appeared.

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Enemy Defeated: Wailing Specter

EXP Gained: 300

Spectral Rend has reached Level 3.

---

Kyle exhaled, lowering his sword.

Rin stared at him, their small hands clenched into fists. "You… you killed it?"

Kyle nodded, breathing hard. "Yeah."

Rin's gaze darted around the trees, their fear still evident. "There might be more."

Kyle didn't doubt that. The Wailing Thicket wasn't just another part of The Land. It was a place where things had been left behind, creatures that shouldn't exist in the waking world.

He sheathed his sword, motioning for Rin to follow. "We need to move. Now."

Rin hesitated only for a second before stepping closer, their small frame barely making a sound as they followed him deeper into the mist.

The fight had given Kyle something valuable—confirmation that he could still grow. The Land was brutal, relentless, but he could adapt. Every fight made him stronger, every battle forced his abilities to evolve.

The Black Legion wasn't the only threat out here, but he was starting to understand something important. The Land itself wasn't just a battlefield.

It was a forge.