Darkness slowly descended, swallowing the last rays of light still lingering among the towering treetops.
The crimson glow of dusk gradually faded, giving way to a thickening night creeping in from the horizon. The world was bathed in a mysterious shade of black, with only flickering shadows swaying gently in the evening breeze.
The chirring of insects echoed throughout the forest, forming a monotonous yet persistent rhythm.
Somewhere within the thinning mist, low, indistinct sounds reverberated, the rustle of leaves, soft scrapes against the earth, and the occasional faint growl, like the breath of a giant beast just waking from slumber.
Ren gritted his teeth, forcing each step forward across the uneven ground. Every muscle screamed in protest, but he tightened his grip, holding Yuna on his back with one arm while supporting Nautilus with the other.
Neither of them had woken. Their steady breathing merged with the icy night wind, amplifying the eerie silence surrounding him.
He couldn't stop. Not here.
He needed safety, a hidden, wind-shielded space, not too exposed but still near a water source.
The more secluded, the better. The less likely they'd be attacked by monsters in the middle of the night.
Ren pressed on, eyes scanning every dark crevice between the trees. At last, he spotted a shallow rock alcove nestled along a hillside, surrounded by thick underbrush. Not spacious, but enough for three people to take refuge for the night.
He gently laid Yuna and Nautilus down on the soft earth, then dropped to one knee, propping himself up with his sword for balance. Cold sweat trickled down his back, his breathing labored, but his eyes stayed sharp.
They weren't safe yet. He had to check the area.
Ren bit his lip, forcing himself to stand again. He slowly circled the perimeter, inspecting the ground for tracks and listening closely for the slightest noise in the air.
Only when he was certain there were no signs of monsters or lurking threats did he allow himself a brief moment to relax.
He let out a breath, wiping the sweat from his face. His heart was still pounding, adrenaline not yet fully faded.
He knew how exhausted his body was, but he couldn't let fatigue delay the next crucial task.
Before night fully fell, he needed to do one thing...
Start a fire.
Not just to ward off the bone-chilling cold of the night, but more importantly, to keep the wandering forest monsters at bay.
Ren tightened his grip on his sword and turned away from the alcove. He needed to gather wood.
He stepped out of the shelter, leaving behind his two unconscious companions. The moment he left the small bubble of light provided by the system, darkness swallowed his figure whole.
The forest behind him loomed like a massive beast with jaws agape, ready to devour any who wandered into its domain.
Ren's eyes gradually adjusted to the night, but his visibility remained limited. The dim glow from the system could only light up a short distance ahead, not nearly enough to ensure safety.
He needed a real fire. A strong, visible source of light. A barrier to keep the monsters away.
Every step he took sent numbness shooting through his calves and shoulders, remnants of the battle etched deep into his muscles.
His entire body ached, like every fiber had been stretched past its limit. But Ren refused to let himself stop. He clenched his jaw and pushed forward.
Fire.
Fire would keep the monsters at bay.
The fire could keep Yuna and Nautilus from freezing when night fell.
The fire could also help him feel a little less alone in this forest.
Ren crouched down, fumbling along the ground, gathering the dry branches scattered at his feet.
Each time a light breeze passed by, he could hear the rustling leaves above, blending with strange sounds echoing from deep within the woods, the noise of unseen creatures.
Beings he couldn't see, but knew for sure were out there somewhere, lurking in the shadows, watching him.
He shook his head slightly, trying to dispel unnecessary thoughts. This wasn't the time to panic.
Within minutes, Ren had gathered a small pile of firewood. He returned to the rocky alcove and placed the branches on a bare patch of ground in front of him, carefully arranging them in a cone shape for easier ignition.
Now came the hardest part.
No fire-making skill, no lighter or matches, he had only the most primitive method to rely on.
He was starting to feel annoyed. At first, Ren had assumed flint tools were reusable items, but they had broken instantly after just one use.
"Figures... why would I put any faith in something worth less than a loaf of rye bread?" he muttered with a shake of his head.
Ren drew the sword at his hip, picked out a coarse stone, and began scraping the blade against it.
His heart ached as he saw the durability of the weapon drop by a single point.
Tiny sparks flickered out the moment they appeared.
He repeated the motion, patient as a hunter waiting for his prey to spring the trap.
One... two... three...
Finally, a spark flared up and caught on the dry leaves beneath the pile.
Ren held his breath, leaned in, shielding the wind with both hands as he gently blew, coaxing the faint flicker to life.
Just a little more...
The flame trembled, teetering between vanishing and igniting, but then, it stretched upward, catching on the thinner twigs. The warm orange glow slowly spread, reflecting on his face.
Ren exhaled softly.
The fire was burning.
The warm light gradually pushed back the cold, dark veil surrounding the three of them. He held his hands over the flame, feeling the warmth seep into his fingertips.
His heart was still pounding, his breath still uneven, but at least, he had done it.
He had ensured a safer night for the three of them.
Ren leaned back against the stone, letting his body relax a little. He closed his eyes for a moment, listening to the quiet crackling of firewood.
Thankfully, nothing disturbed them.
No monsters wandered near.
No shadowed figures crept through the woods.
Only the deep night and the flickering fire remained, mingling in the rare silence of this world.
He glanced at his HP bar, the max value had returned to normal.
The Hollow Brand effect had vanished.
It disappeared the moment the worm shattered into red pixel fragments, scattering into the air like a silent rain of dust.
Ren furrowed his brows. A weightless pressure that had once shackled his body suddenly lifted, leaving behind a strange sense of emptiness.
He realized he was standing straighter, his shoulders no longer weighed down by that vague, oppressive force.
Perhaps it had been the thick fog emitted by the monster that caused the debuff, an invisible shackle binding the mind, eroding thought, driving him into a hollow, disoriented state.
Now, the chain had been broken.
But the relief didn't last.
In its place came an even heavier burden.
It was as if the moment he realized he could breathe more easily... was also the moment he realized how utterly exhausted he was.
Ren wanted to sleep.
His eyelids felt heavy, waves of fatigue crashing over him like a rising tide, dragging his consciousness into the depths of the night. His body ached from battle, every muscle sore, and his mind was drained as if it had been wrung dry.
But he couldn't.
The darkness in this forest was too deep, too thick, and worse, it was too silent. A silence that stirred unease, as if the moment he let his guard down, something would crawl out from the void, slither closer, and strike when he was most vulnerable.
Ren bit the inside of his cheek, forcing himself to stay awake. He couldn't afford to collapse.
To distract himself, he opened his inventory and scrolled down to check the newly acquired gear.
Under the cold, bluish light of the system, two items appeared before him—floating like fragments of a forgotten story.
[Shattered Faith]
Durability: ???
Attack: ???
A sword that once symbolized loyalty, now reduced to remnants of betrayed vows.
The deep cracks carved into the blade could never be mended, as if it too had given up on the hope of being whole again.
[Cloak of the Fading King]
Type: Light Cloak
Durability: 20/20
Stats:+4 AGI+1% Physical Damage Resistance+10% Stealth Skill Effectiveness
Effects:
Veil of the Forgotten: After standing still for 3 seconds, the wearer's presence fades, reducing enemy detection by 50%.
Phantom's Step: While moving without attacking, sound produced is reduced by 30%, suitable for evasion or ambush tactics.
A faded cloak that once rested on the shoulders of a proud monarch.
But time had worn away both the glory and the existence of that person, leaving behind only a relic, nothing more than a faint shadow of days gone by.
When worn, the user too would begin to fade from reality, as if they had never existed.
Ren quietly stared at the two items.
A sword no longer whole, scarred with wounds that would never heal.
A cloak that concealed not just the body, but the very presence of its wearer.
These weren't just battle rewards.
They were fractured memories, remnants of a forgotten past.