Kael had always thought he would die in his first Trial. Because of that, he hadn't put much effort into staying alive. However, it seemed that the first test was much easier than he had expected, and the only real concern he had was hunger.
A short while later, the ghosts appeared once again. By now, Kael had grown accustomed to their presence over the few days he had spent here.
The ghosts appeared and disappeared in a 12-hour cycle. Of course, Kael had no idea why. The only thing he could do was adapt to this cycle.
"Welcome back, my sly guide," he muttered to himself.
He had named the ghost who had been watching him since his arrival "My Guide."
The ghost gave him a quick glance before nodding and turning down the street, seemingly contemplating what they should do, where to go, and how to proceed.
Kael had no choice but to follow the ghost through this chaotic city. After all, this was the only being that truly knew its layout.
After a brief moment of thought, the ghost decided where they needed to go and shot Kael a confirming look.
Noticing the look, Kael quickly gathered his things: the first aid kit he had found earlier, the primitive spear he carved from wood, and the rusted sword he had been working on for the past few days. He strapped them all on and began following the ghost.
Kael had no doubts that part of his journey would involve fighting ghosts. Therefore, he kept his sword tight and remained alert to any changes around him.
Under the ghost's guidance, Kael had been walking through rugged and chaotic terrain for hours, growing tired. He found a secluded spot, pulled out his last vitamin bar from his bag, and took a short break.
As he ate, Kael pondered what he needed to do to avoid starving in the future while observing the other ghosts outside.
After spending several days in this world, Kael had carefully studied the ghosts and made several conclusions. First, these ghosts always kept their distance from the abnormal, cold flames that spread around them, yet showed no fear of ordinary fire.
Curious about this, Kael had asked his guide several times why the ghosts behaved this way, but the ghost always remained silent, ignoring the question.
Another thing Kael noticed about the ghosts was that they always stayed away from the city center.
Kael could guess the reason for this, and truth be told, he had no intention of going there, at least not for now.
While eating, Kael spotted a lone ghost moving through the street. There were no other ghosts nearby, so he saw it as the perfect opportunity to test whether his sword would work on them.
He couldn't ask for a better chance.
He placed his food on a stone, gripped his sword tightly, and noticed that his guide seemed to understand what he was about to do. This was, after all, the best opportunity to fight a ghost. Kael would observe the effects of his training and see if the rusted sword would work on the ghosts.
He had nothing to lose. If the sword didn't work, the worst-case scenario was that he would die, but he was ready for that.
The ghost stood in the middle of the street, watching the cold flame ahead. Kael silently crept behind it.
Lifting his sword high, Kael prepared to strike the ghost's head. He had practiced this move countless times, but this time, failure meant facing a ghost that could potentially fight back and kill him. This thought made Kael uneasy.
After taking a deep, steadying breath, he thought, "Stay calm. You've done this hundreds of times. Just do it one more time."
With that, Kael brought the sword down...
The sword struck with force, and to Kael's relief, it worked—he had killed the ghost.
A voice echoed in his mind almost immediately.
"Congratulations, you've killed your first creature. Ghost of the Fallen City."
Kael looked at his guide, his excitement growing as he learned the name of the place he was in.
The guide acknowledged him with a nod, offering a silent salute. Kael's expression shifted from frustration to strange joy.
He was frustrated because, as the ghost was dying, a rat had come from the rubble and started gnawing on part of his food.
But he was also relieved because, with the ghost gone, he wouldn't have to worry about hunger for a while. Now, all he had to do was trap more rats and begin his feast.
Then, his face twisted in disgust.
"Wait, do I really have to eat a rat?"
Kael nearly gagged at the thought, but if he had to eat one to avoid starvation, he would do it.
Without hesitation, he ran over and reclaimed his food from the rat. It was his last meal, and if he wanted to catch rats, he would need to use it as bait.
Kael examined the ruins around him and decided to set traps. He quickly constructed three cage traps and placed them around the area.
As Kael looked at the traps, a hint of sadness crossed his face as he remembered his father, an avid hunter who had once taken Kael hunting in the forest. Kael had never wanted to go and had resented his father for forcing him to learn the ways of hunting.
He pushed these thoughts aside quickly, silently wishing, "I wish you were here right now."
Now, all Kael could do was thank his father for forcing him to learn these basic trapping techniques, which might just save his life.
After a brief wait, Kael ventured out again, hoping to catch more ghosts. This time, there were two ghosts, and he planned to take them down with a single horizontal strike.
Kael took a deep breath, readying himself for the attack.
As he swung his sword, he managed to slice the first ghost, but the second ghost noticed the incoming blow and quickly dodged.
Kael's heart raced. Until now, he had killed all the ghosts with stealthy attacks, never facing resistance. But this time, it was different.
The second ghost glared at him with fury and prepared to strike.
Kael remembered his father's words.
"If you ever find yourself hunting an animal that sees you and attacks, don't panic. Dodge, and when it hesitates, shoot it with your rifle."
Kael recalled his father's wisdom, but this was no ordinary animal, and he didn't have a rifle.
He was at a severe disadvantage and facing a ghost with a sword he barely knew how to use.
The ghost lunged at him with sharp claws.
Kael narrowly dodged the fatal blow, but the claws scraped his left shoulder, drawing blood.
Wincing in pain, Kael let out a sharp cry, but he immediately clamped his mouth shut to avoid attracting more ghosts.
The ghost grinned wickedly, inching closer with its claws.
Just then, his guide noticed Kael's predicament and rushed to help.
The wild ghost seemed puzzled, as though it were questioning why the guide was helping an enemy.
The guide's gaze was unreadable.
After a brief, violent struggle, Kael gritted his teeth and, seizing the first opportunity, thrust his sword into the ghost's stomach.
Of course, the ghost didn't bleed, and it vanished instantly.
The familiar voice echoed in Kael's mind.
[Congratulations, you've killed the Ghost of the Fallen City.]