Alex's hand tightened around his crossbow as the figure emerged from the shadows of the treeline. His heart pounded in his chest, every muscle in his body tensing as he prepared for another fight.
The figure stepped forward, the light filtering through the trees revealing its shape. At first, Alex thought it was another twisted monster—a Sentinel or some other abomination. But as it moved closer, he realized it wasn't as massive or grotesque.
It was humanoid.
The figure was clad in tattered armor, its surface cracked and rusted. A long cloak, frayed and worn, draped over its shoulders, and its face was obscured by a hood that cast deep shadows across its features. A faint, ethereal glow emanated from its eyes, the same pulsing red light Alex had seen in the wolves and the Sentinel.
"Who… or what are you?" Alex muttered under his breath, his crossbow trained on the figure.
The figure stopped several feet away, its head tilting slightly as if studying him. Then it spoke.
"You are not of this world," it said, its voice hollow and distorted, as though it were coming from the depths of a cave.
Alex blinked, his grip on the crossbow faltering slightly. "What did you just say?"
"You do not belong here," the figure repeated. Its voice was calm, almost curious, but there was an edge to it that made Alex's skin crawl.
He swallowed hard, his mind racing. Whoever—or whatever—this was, it knew something about him. About how he'd gotten here.
"Yeah, well, I'm starting to figure that out," Alex said, his voice steadier than he felt. "Care to explain?"
The figure didn't respond immediately. Instead, it raised a skeletal hand and pointed at the Fragmented Mana Core in Alex's bag.
"That power is not yours to wield," it said.
Alex frowned, instinctively stepping back. "Pretty sure I earned this," he said, glancing at the Core. "And I'm not giving it up."
The figure tilted its head again, the glow in its eyes intensifying. "You misunderstand," it said. "That power will consume you. Just as it has consumed this land."
Before Alex could respond, the figure moved.
It was fast—too fast. One moment it was standing several feet away, and the next it was right in front of him, its hand reaching for his throat. Alex barely managed to throw himself to the side, the creature's claws raking the air where he'd been standing.
He rolled to his feet, raising the crossbow and firing instinctively. The bolt struck the figure in the chest, but it didn't react. Instead, it turned its glowing eyes on Alex, the red light burning brighter.
"Fantastic," Alex muttered, reloading the crossbow with shaking hands.
The figure lunged again, its movements almost fluid despite the jagged, unnatural way it bent and twisted. Alex dove behind a crumbling pillar, his heart racing as the creature's claws tore through the stone.
---
"Threat Identified: Corrupted Shade."
"Classification: Spectral. Difficulty: Medium."
"Weakness: Disruption via Mana Core energy or enchanted weaponry."
---
Alex cursed under his breath. "Of course it's weak to something I don't have."
The Shade didn't give him time to think. It darted around the pillar, its glowing eyes locked on him as it raised its clawed hand. Alex stumbled back, barely avoiding the swipe, and swung his knife in desperation.
The blade passed through the Shade's arm as if it weren't even there.
"Oh, come on!" Alex shouted, ducking as the creature's other arm swung toward him.
The System chimed again, its calm voice cutting through the chaos.
---
"Recommendation: Utilize Mana Core energy to disrupt spectral entities. Overload Basic Turret for area-wide disruption effect."
---
Alex's eyes widened. Overload the turret? That sounded like a terrible idea—but at this point, he didn't have a better one.
He darted toward the turret, the Shade's claws narrowly missing him as he sprinted across the courtyard. The automated device hummed softly as its barrel tracked the Shade, but its mana-powered bolts didn't seem to faze the creature.
"Here goes nothing," Alex muttered, opening the turret's housing to expose the glowing Mana Core. The System displayed a new prompt.
---
"Initiate Overload Protocol? Warning: Area-wide disruption may damage nearby structures."
---
Alex hesitated for a split second. Then he hit "Confirm."
The Mana Core flared, its light intensifying as the turret began to hum loudly. The Shade paused mid-step, its head tilting toward the turret as if sensing the change.
"Yeah, you're not gonna like this," Alex said, stepping back.
The turret emitted a high-pitched whine, the Mana Core's energy building to a critical level. Then, with a blinding flash, the Core released a wave of energy that rippled outward in all directions.
The Shade let out a shriek, its glowing eyes flickering as the energy passed through it. Its form wavered, breaking apart like smoke caught in a gust of wind. Within seconds, it was gone.
Alex shielded his eyes from the light, his ears ringing from the burst of energy. When the glow finally subsided, the courtyard was eerily silent. The turret, now inactive, stood smoldering, its Mana Core reduced to a dull, cracked shell.
---
"Threat neutralized. Mana Core depleted. Turret functionality lost."
---
Alex let out a shaky breath, collapsing onto the ground. His body felt like it was made of lead, every muscle screaming in protest.
"That was too close," he muttered, staring up at the sky.
The System chimed softly, displaying a new message.
---
"Objective updated: Recover Mana Core from Abandoned Outpost to restore turret functionality."
---
Alex groaned, dragging a hand over his face. "Great. More fetch quests."
---
Alex pulled himself to his feet, his legs shaky as he surveyed the aftermath. The courtyard was littered with debris, the faint scorch marks from the overloaded turret still glowing faintly on the ground. His hands were trembling, a mixture of adrenaline and exhaustion coursing through his veins.
The System's glowing prompt floated in front of him, its clinical detachment a sharp contrast to the chaos he'd just survived.
---
"Objective: Recover Mana Core from Abandoned Outpost to restore turret functionality."
---
"Yeah, yeah," Alex muttered, slinging his bag over his shoulder. "Would it kill you to say 'good job' once in a while?"
The System didn't respond, of course. It never did.
Alex turned his attention to the storage shed where he'd found the first Fragmented Mana Core. The faint glow he'd seen earlier still lingered in the air, but now it was accompanied by a strange hum. It wasn't loud, but it was enough to set Alex's nerves on edge.
He approached the shed cautiously, his crossbow raised. The door was still ajar from his earlier search, and the inside was just as he'd left it: broken shelves, scattered debris, and the faint shimmer of something glowing in the corner.
"Please don't be another Shade," Alex muttered as he stepped inside.
The hum grew louder as he neared the corner, and the glow became more pronounced. Alex pushed aside a pile of rubble, revealing another Fragmented Mana Core embedded in the stone.
"Bingo," he said, kneeling to examine it.
The Core pulsed faintly, its light dim but steady. Unlike the first one, this Core was fractured, its surface marred with jagged cracks. Alex frowned, wondering if it would even work.
---
"Mana Core condition: 60% functionality. Suitable for basic energy requirements."
---
"Better than nothing," Alex muttered, prying the Core free.
The moment he touched it, the hum stopped. Alex let out a breath of relief, tucking the Core into his bag. But as he turned to leave, the faint sound of movement caught his attention.
He froze, his hand going to the crossbow slung across his back. The sound came again—soft, deliberate, and too close for comfort.
Alex backed toward the doorway, his eyes scanning the shadows. "If this is another Shade," he said quietly, "I'm going to lose it."
The figure that stepped into the shed was smaller than the Shade, but no less unsettling. It was humanoid, like the figure he'd encountered earlier, but its body was covered in smooth, blackened armor. Its face was obscured by a featureless mask, and its movements were unnaturally fluid, almost mechanical.
---
"Threat Identified: Corrupted Scout."
"Classification: Medium. Abilities: Stealth, Precision Attacks. Weakness: Armor joints."
---
"Great," Alex muttered, raising his crossbow.
The Scout moved with terrifying speed, darting forward in a blur of motion. Alex fired, the bolt striking the creature's shoulder, but the armor deflected the shot. The Scout didn't even flinch.
"Of course that didn't work," Alex said, scrambling backward.
The Scout lunged, its blade-like arms slicing through the air. Alex ducked, the blade narrowly missing his head, and rolled to the side. His hand brushed against a shard of metal on the ground, and he grabbed it without thinking.
The Scout turned, its featureless mask tilting as it tracked Alex's movements. It lunged again, and Alex swung the shard of metal with all his strength. The makeshift weapon struck the creature's elbow joint, piercing the thin gap in its armor.
The Scout let out a distorted screech, its arm jerking back as black smoke poured from the wound.
"Gotcha," Alex muttered, gripping the shard tighter.
He didn't wait for the Scout to recover. Lunging forward, he drove the shard into its other arm joint, disabling it completely. The Scout staggered, its movements jerky and uncoordinated as it tried to retreat.
Alex raised the crossbow again, aiming for the small gap where its neck met its armor. He fired, the bolt striking true. The Scout let out one final, distorted screech before collapsing to the ground.
---
"Threat neutralized. Reward: 50 Resource Points."
---
Alex leaned against the wall, his chest heaving as he tried to catch his breath. His hands were trembling, the adrenaline crash hitting him like a freight train.
"That… was too close," he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.
He knelt beside the Scout's remains, examining its armor. The joints where he'd struck were thin and poorly reinforced, a glaring weakness in an otherwise formidable design. Alex couldn't help but wonder if all Scouts had the same vulnerability—or if this one had been damaged before it found him.
The System chimed, displaying a new prompt.
---
"Corrupted Scout armor fragments identified. Resource salvage available."
---
Alex frowned. "Salvage? You mean I can use this stuff?"
The System displayed a blueprint for "Scout Armor Fragment Reinforcement." The diagram showed how the salvaged pieces could be used to reinforce his barricades or crafted into lightweight armor.
"Well, that's useful," Alex said, pulling the armor fragments free from the Scout's remains.
---
"Materials acquired: Scout Armor Fragments x3."
---
With the Mana Core and the armor fragments secured, Alex made his way back to the courtyard. The sunlight filtering through the trees was brighter now, the golden light cutting through the lingering shadows.
The ruins felt different in the daylight—less menacing, almost peaceful. But Alex knew better than to let his guard down.
---
Back at the turret, Alex placed the new Mana Core into the device's housing. The Core clicked into place, its glow spreading through the turret as it powered up.
---
"Basic Turret functionality restored. Defensive capabilities reactivated."
---
The turret hummed softly, its barrel swiveling as it scanned the area. Alex stepped back, letting out a sigh of relief.
"One problem solved," he said, wiping his hands on his tunic. "Now for the next hundred."
---
The System chimed again, displaying a new objective.
---
"Objective updated: Investigate the origin of Corrupted entities. Recommended: Secure additional Mana Cores and upgrade equipment."
---
Alex stared at the glowing text, his jaw tightening. The fight against the Shade and the Scout had shown him just how dangerous this world was—and how ill-equipped he was to survive in it.
But the Mana Core in his bag, the reinforced barricades, and the turret at his side were proof that he could adapt. He could fight back.
"All right," Alex said, his voice steady. "Let's see what this world has to throw at me next."
He glanced at the forest beyond the ruins, the faint outline of distant mountains visible through the trees. Somewhere out there, answers waited.
And he was going to find them.
---