The Veilstalker lay defeated, its neck still in Duke's grip. Jason was amazed at how realistic the trial felt; despite being a projection, the blood pooling around the creature looked disturbingly real. 'Sorry, Veilstalker. But it's either you or me,' Jason thought.
But before he could process it fully, the Veilstalker's body began to glow. The blood and corpse disintegrated into light, fading into nothingness.
"Woof?" Duke looked puzzled, clearly expecting his "trophy" to stick around.
Jason watched as the light condensed into a tiny, glowing orb that floated toward Duke, merging into him. Duke perked up, and Jason sensed a subtle strength flowing into his companion.
"Destroy monsters and grow stronger?" Jason thought, watching Duke. After inspecting the card, however, he noticed Duke was still marked as Level 1. 'So, it seems one Veilstalker isn't enough to level up… how many would it take?'
Jason's initial plan had been to play it safe, avoid unnecessary fights, and focus on survival. But realizing that defeating creatures could actually strengthen Duke, he wondered if it was worth taking a few risks here.
After all, the final rewards in the trial depended on their performance. Simply surviving might yield lesser rewards compared to actively engaging with the creatures here. 'Maybe this isn't just a survival test but an opportunity to train and improve…' he thought.
Of course, it was also possible there were more dangerous creatures out there. But for now, he felt confident that Duke could handle another Veilstalker or two.
Duke pawed at the ground, clearly looking for another creature to challenge.
"Hold up," Jason said. "That thing's completely gone. Rest a bit and recover your energy."
Duke tilted his head, looking both puzzled and slightly disappointed.
Jason took the time to experiment with his new ability, Data Sight. It provided basic information about nearby plants and resources, and after some searching, he made an exciting discovery.
He found a patch of strange, vibrant fungi growing under a twisted tree root.
[Name]: Crimson Cap
[Level]: Basic
[Description]: A medicinal fungus that can be mashed into a salve to help heal minor wounds. Not edible; ingestion causes dizziness and mild hallucinations.
Nearby, Jason also found clusters of odd greenish fruit hanging from a small, gnarled tree.
[Name]: Spirit Apple
[Level]: Basic
[Description]: A juicy fruit that restores some physical stamina and quenches thirst. Spirit Apples are favored by mistbugs and may contain an added protein boost if mistbug eggs are found inside.
"Good thing we didn't leave," Jason muttered as he picked some of each. "These might be all we need to get through the day." He knew food and water would be crucial to maintaining their strength, especially if they needed to engage in more battles.
Just as he was about to harvest a few more Spirit Apples, he heard Duke sniffing around curiously. Duke trotted over, eyeing the Crimson Caps with his usual interest in snacking.
"You literally just ate before we got here," Jason said, raising an eyebrow.
"Woof!" Duke barked back, clearly thinking he'd earned a treat.
"Sorry, buddy, but these aren't edible. They're medicinal, for wounds only," Jason explained.
After convincing Duke to back off from the medicinal plants, Jason collected as many Spirit Apples and Crimson Caps as he could carry. He was glad to have the resources but was starting to wonder why they hadn't encountered any other creatures.
"Maybe we need to move to find more enemies," he muttered. Just then, a faint rustling sounded from the trees, breaking the silence.
Duke sprang to his feet, his ears perked and his eyes sharp.
"More visitors?" Jason muttered with cautious excitement, but as the sounds grew louder, his anticipation faded. The rustling was coming from multiple directions. They weren't dealing with just one creature this time.
Sweat beaded on Jason's forehead as he watched five figures emerge from the underbrush.
He took a deep breath. 'Is this really supposed to be a "simple" novice realm?'
Jason felt his scalp prickle. One, two, three, four… five!
Emerging from the fog were five Veilstalkers, their yellow eyes gleaming in the dim light. But that wasn't all. One of the Veilstalkers stood out, larger and more muscular than the others. This one seemed to be their leader, with a strong, commanding presence.
The smaller ones looked similar to the Veilstalker Duke had just taken down. But the leader—its size rivaled Duke's original form before his upgrades.
[Species]: Veilstalker Alpha
[Level]: 3
Jason's mind raced. "There's no way Duke can handle all of these alone," he muttered to himself.
Despite Duke's fighting spirit, Jason knew they couldn't take on five opponents at once, especially with one of them being an advanced Veilstalker. The pack had surrounded them, and escape didn't look like an option. He briefly considered urging Duke to enter his berserk state—a hidden potential within Duke that turned him into a frenzied fighter. But Jason hesitated. That state left Duke exhausted and vulnerable afterward.
"Let's play it carefully, Duke. Focus on taking down as many as you can, but watch that leader," he instructed, feeling the tension mount.
Fortunately, while gathering Spirit Apples, Jason had also found a hefty branch that served as a decent club. Combined with his enhanced strength, it gave him a chance, albeit slim, to fend off one of the smaller creatures if needed.
To Jason's surprise, the Veilstalker Alpha didn't attack right away. It let out a low growl, and the four smaller Veilstalkers leapt forward, circling Duke. They saw him as the bigger threat and went after him first.
Jason didn't hesitate. He took aim and hurled a rock at one of the creatures, hitting it square on the head and momentarily stunning it.
Duke lunged forward, meeting the charge of the three remaining Veilstalkers with a fierce bark. His powerful jaws snapped shut around the neck of one, taking it down instantly. But as he did, the other two slashed at him, leaving deep gashes along his side.
Duke growled in pain, his eyes flashing with renewed fury. He rammed into one of the Veilstalkers, sending it stumbling back.
Meanwhile, Jason focused on the Veilstalker he'd stunned. It regained its footing, turning its deadly gaze on him. With a determined grip on his makeshift club, Jason swung at the creature as it lunged at him. Using the length of his weapon, he dodged its claws and landed a solid blow, knocking it a few feet back.
"Could've used a sharper stick…" Jason muttered. But the creature was tough—it sprang back up and advanced on him once more.
Just as Jason readied himself for another round, a sudden roar echoed through the forest. The Veilstalker leader's call made the creature stop, as if awaiting further orders. Jason tensed, expecting an attack, but to his shock, the leader didn't charge. Instead, it fixed him with an almost calculating gaze, then turned away, vanishing into the mist.
The two surviving Veilstalkers followed, disappearing into the shadows as well. Only the creature Duke had just defeated remained.
Duke let out a frustrated bark, ready to chase after them, but Jason held him back. "Wait, Duke. Let them go."
Obeying reluctantly, Duke kept a watchful stance as the Veilstalkers retreated.
As the mist swallowed them, Jason exhaled deeply, feeling the strain in his arms and the tremor in his hands. The pack retreating was an unexpected stroke of luck—continuing the fight would've been disastrous for both him and Duke.
"Woof," Duke grumbled, clearly frustrated he couldn't take them all on.
"Sorry, buddy," Jason said, giving him a scratch behind the ears. "We'll get our chance. But this place is too dangerous to let loose."
Just then, Jason noticed a change in Duke's stats.
[Species]: Snowstar Hound
[Level]: 2
Unbeknownst to him, Duke's strength had just increased from his recent skirmishes, giving him even more power than before. Jason's mind raced with the implications. *Maybe the Veilstalker leader sensed Duke's growing strength and decided not to risk a direct fight,* he thought.
"Looks like you're only going to keep getting stronger," Jason said, pleased.
Duke gave a proud bark, clearly sensing his own power. Jason reasoned that, like natural predators, these creatures probably gauged their targets carefully. While aggressive, they likely understood the risks of a direct confrontation with an unknown opponent.
"Alright, Duke. Let's patch you up." Jason took out a Crimson Cap, the medicinal fungus he'd gathered earlier. "Let's see if this stuff works as well as it says."
Just as Jason prepared to apply it, Duke stopped, staring at Jason's neck with an oddly fixated expression.
Jason glanced down. His family's old heirloom pendant, the small deer antler, was glowing with a faint golden light. He felt a strange warmth radiating from it.
His Data Sight, previously only able to scan things in the realm, unexpectedly displayed information about his pendant.
[Name]: Sacred Antler of the Eternal Deer
[Level]: Epic
[Description]: The antler of a legendary creature, imbued with the power of the forest. It has absorbed natural energies, granting it a faint healing aura capable of soothing wounds and fatigue.
The golden glow pulsed gently, and Duke seemed mesmerized, as if he were encountering a natural predator, yet also soothed by its presence.
Jason stared, stunned. His family heirloom—a gift he thought was purely sentimental—held a latent power that could help them survive this ordeal.