The forest trail narrowed as the hours passed. The sun filtered through the canopy in streaks, warming the mist but not banishing it. The deeper they went, the more nature reclaimed the path—roots split old stones, and low branches tugged at their sleeves.
Isaac led the way with silent purpose. Lira followed just a step behind, staff in hand, eyes scanning the wilds with new focus.
They weren't just walking anymore.
They were hunting.
Earlier that morning, Isaac had stopped beside the remains of a beast they'd fought.
"This can work," he said, brushing dirt off his clawed hand. "You need EXP. I need corpses. So we trade."
Lira blinked. "I kill it, you eat it?"
"Basically." He grinned. "You grow by leveling. I grow by feeding. Win-win."
"…That's not weird at all," she muttered.
He shrugged. "You got a better plan?"
She didn't.
They came across another group of creatures within the hour—wild boars, half-corrupted by mana saturation. Their tusks glowed faintly with fractured sigils.
Isaac disabled the first one with a well-placed pulse of decay, then gestured. "Your kill."
Lira hesitated—but then stepped forward, striking with a downward smash of her staff. It cracked bone. The beast squealed—and died.
[Lira: EXP Gained – Level Up: 9 → 10]
[New Skill Option Available – Slot Locked: Awaiting Awakening Condition]
Her eyes widened. "That was it?"
"You leveled up," Isaac confirmed. "Clean and quick. Now watch this."
He crouched beside the corpse.
[Soul Devourer Matrix – Triggered]
Absorbed: +1 Strength, +1 Endurance
No skill extracted.
Not bad.
Another boar tried to run. Isaac cut it down.
[Matrix Triggered]
Absorbed: +1 Intelligence
Skill Extracted: [Beast Lunge – Rank E]
He decomposed it immediately.
[Skill Decomposed – Rank E → +1 Agility]
He stood. "See? Efficient."
Lira was still blinking at the notification window in her mind.
"This feels strange," she murmured. "Like I didn't do enough to deserve it."
"You swung. You struck. You didn't hesitate. That's how survival starts."
One last boar remained—wounded, crawling through the brush.
Isaac approached it, ready to absorb—but paused. He used Soulpiercer Sight briefly. The creature's stats were barely above 5 in any area.
"…Not worth it," he muttered. "Wouldn't even give me one point."
He knelt beside it—and instead of devouring, he snapped its neck cleanly and quietly.
Lira blinked. "You're… sparing it?"
"I'm repurposing it," Isaac said dryly. "Not every corpse needs to go into me."
Later that evening, the meat sizzled over a campfire—lightly seasoned with foraged herbs. The smell was rich and smoky.
They sat across from each other, chewing in silence. Lira's shoulders relaxed for the first time that day.
Isaac glanced at her. "See? Teamwork."
She smiled. "And you can cook. That's terrifying."
He raised an eyebrow. "You think I survived in a coffin without knowing how to live afterward?"
They laughed.
As the flames danced, Isaac looked up at the stars and felt something unfamiliar.
Stability.
It wouldn't last. He knew that.
But tonight—it was real.