Zarathis ran. He ran like hell.
The forest blurred around him, trees twisting into grotesque shadows under the moon's pale glow. The screams behind him didn't fade—they multiplied. Every direction carried the sound of flesh tearing, bones crunching, and desperate pleas cut short. The Fendors were feasting.
And he was next.
[System Notification]
[Survival Tip #1: Running is a valid strategy! But let's be real, you won't outrun them. Have fun dying!]
"Screw you!" Zarathis barked, leaping over an exposed root as fast as his chained feet allowed.
[Survival Tip #2: Fear increases adrenaline. Adrenaline makes you faster! So be very, very scared!]
He didn't need the damn system to tell him that.
A wet crunch to his right caught his eye. A man he'd seen in the caravan—a middle-aged traveler with a weak frame—was on the ground. A Fendor had pinned him down, its claws sunk deep into his chest, tearing through flesh with disgusting ease. The man gurgled, his eyes wide with horror, as the beast's head phased through his body—then solidified inside him.
The Fendor ripped itself free, the man's body splitting apart in two uneven halves. Blood and viscera sprayed the forest floor like a grotesque painting.
Zarathis nearly gagged.
[Survival Tip #3: Don't stop moving. I mean, unless you want to end up like that guy.]
"I KNOW!" he shouted, his lungs burning as he pushed forward.
Then, the shadows ahead of him moved.
A Fendor emerged, its form flickering between reality and nothingness. Its piercing red eyes locked onto him, hunger evident in its eerie, twisting body. The air grew heavy. It was blocking his escape.
[Major Quest Alert!]
[Quest: Defeat the Fendor]
[Objective: Kill the Fendor or die trying.]
[Failure: Permanent death, obviously.]
[Rewards: ???]
[Good luck! (Haha, you're screwed.)]
Zarathis skidded to a halt. His mind raced. He had no weapons. He had no powers. He was still chained.
"Shit. Shit. Shit!"
The Fendor growled, its mouth parting to reveal jagged, blood-stained fangs. It was toying with him, savoring his fear before making the kill.
"C'mon, do something, System! Give me a weapon! Anything!"
[Oh, you want a weapon? Why didn't you say so? Here you go!]
[Inventory Unlocked: Haha... Nothing You are a slave now lets be serious come on...]
"…You have GOT to be kidding me."
The Fendor lunged.
Zarathis barely twisted his body in time, the beast's phasing claws grazing past his shoulder. He threw himself sideways, rolling onto the damp forest floor. The sharp rock fell from his grasp and bounced away, useless.
The Fendor snarled, turning on him with inhuman speed.
Then it leapt—
Zarathis ducked—
And his hand landed in something wet.
It was warm. Sticky. A thin puddle of blood pooled beneath him—fresh from one of the corpses littering the ground. But there was another substance mixed in. Something darker. More fluid.
The Fendor's blood.
[Blood Detected!]
[Initiating First Absorption...]
[Bloodscion Ability Awakening in Progress!]
[Congratulations! You have absorbed the blood of a Level 20 Fendor!]
[Rewards: +5 Agility (wolf-like beast), +5% Magic Resistance, and...]
[New Ability Unlocked: Bloodclaws!]
[Bloodclaws: You can conjure weapons from your own blood. Your claws are razor-sharp and grow stronger the more blood you sacrifice.]
[Warning: Overuse will cause severe blood loss and exhaustion. You will pass out if you're dumb about it.]
Zarathis' body burned.
It wasn't pain. It wasn't pleasure. It was something raw and primal, as if his very being was shifting. His veins pulsed, his muscles tensed—and for the first time since arriving in this world, he felt powerful.
The Fendor lunged again, aiming for his throat.
Zarathis didn't move.
He felt it more than he saw it—his blood, responding to his will. His right hand trembled, then sharpened. Dark crimson claws erupted from his fingertips, dripping with his own essence, glistening like polished blades in the moonlight.
He slashed.
The Fendor howled.
It wasn't supposed to feel pain. It wasn't supposed to be hurt. Yet there it was, recoiling, a fresh wound tearing across its face where the blood-infused claws had struck. The Bloodclaws worked.
Zarathis exhaled sharply, his lips curling into something between a grin and a snarl. The system chimed in, as obnoxious as ever.
[Oooooh, first blood! Look at you, all scary now!]
[But heads up: You've lost a good bit of blood. Hope you can finish this before you pass out!]
The Fendor wasn't done.
It phased out of existence again, vanishing into the shadows—only to reappear behind him in an instant.
Zarathis spun, bringing his newfound claws up to meet it.
Their battle had truly begun.
To Be Continued...