The night passed without a second attack.
Ash woke with the dull ache of bruises and dried blood still caked to his arms. His body was stiff, his belly painfully hollow.
[Status: Hungry]‣ Max Stamina -25%‣ Passive HP Regen halted
[Status Effect will worsen in 3 hours]
The fire had burned low but not out. His shelter, though crude, had held through the chill and the wind.
Now came the next need: food.
He stood slowly, pulling his bark‑wrapped spear from where it leaned against the wall.
He didn't expect to take down another beast—not without luck or another spin from the
Wheel—but there had to be something edible nearby.
He stepped into the pale morning light, eyes scanning the undergrowth.
[Foraging Interface Activated]
Zone: Hollow Pine PocketEcho Taint: 4% (Low)
Common Edibles:
• Barkfruit Vine
• Dewroot Bulb
• Graycaps (Mild Hallucinogen – Caution)
• Fireberry Shrubs
Small Traces Detected: [Squirrel-type | Echo Rabbit | Forage Hog]
He crouched and began to harvest.
Barkfruit Vine x2
High fiber, bitter. Mild healing when boiled.
Dewroot Bulb x3
Starchy, filling. Can be roasted or crushed.
Fireberries x10
Spicy. Temporary warmth. Dangerous in excess.
Graycaps x2
Potential crafting reagent. [Toxic at 3+]
By midday, he had a small pile gathered by the stream near his shelter.
He crafted a crude spit rack from drywood and vines, building a leaf bowl to boil the dewroot over low flame. He skewered the barkfruit and fireberries on sharpened sticks.
[Cooking Skill: +1 XP]
[New Passive: Basic Campfire Chef – T1]
– Cooked food restores 10% more HP– Slight chance to remove minor status effects
As the scent of roasted fruit and roots filled the air,
Ash felt something primal ease within him. The warmth. The effort. The reward.
He bit into the cooked dewroot—bland, but earthy and filling. T
he fireberries stung his tongue, but the burn chased off the last of the night's chill.
[Status: Hunger Removed]
[Buff: Warm Stomach — +5% Stamina Regen for 2 hours]
He leaned back against a rock, chewing slowly.
He'd survived two days in Echo-marked wilds with no mentor, no weapons beyond what he could make, and no real plan—except to live.
And now he had fire. Shelter. Food.
And the Wheel.
A glint caught his eye near the stream's edge. Something moved—small, twitchy. A rabbit? No, bulkier. Fangs.
Echo Hoglet. Level 3. It rooted through leaves with its snout, chewing at barkfruit vines.
Ash's pulse quickened. It hadn't noticed him.
He gripped his spear and crept low. Every footstep mattered.
[Echo Hoglet Detected]
Level: 3 HP: 38. Behavior: Passive unless provoked
Reward:• Meat (Fresh)• Hide (Soft)• Echo Gland (Minor)
Ash crouched in tall grass, then hurled the spear.
A clean hit. The shaft struck the Hoglet's shoulder—it squealed and turned, blood already flowing. But Ash was on it before it could charge. He wrestled it down, driving the spear in again and again.
[Echo Hoglet – Slain]+22 Echo Fragments+1 Foraging XPLoot: 2x Hog Meat, 1x Echo Gland, 1x Thin Hide
He dragged the carcass back and immediately skinned it using stone shards. The meat sizzled over the fire while he washed blood from his hands in the stream.
The smell of meat reminded him of old village feasts. Back before everything had burned.
Back before the Veil tore and the world changed.
But here he was. Still breathing.
He tore into the roast meat, still a little pink inside.
[Hog Meat (Cooked)] – +25% Hunger Fill – Minor HP Regen (1/hr for 3 hrs)][Bonus: Strength +1 (Temporary – 1 hour)]
It wasn't just survival anymore. It was progress.
The HUD chimed again.
[Survival Milestone Reached: Secure Shelter + Food + Fire][Spin Token Earned]
The Wheel shimmered before him. Pale light. No sound. Just the ancient turning.
Ash didn't hesitate.
"Spin."
Outer Slot #2 — Talent Echo
Unlock Talent Tree: TIER 1 PATH SELECTED
Choose One:
Wanderer (Speed, Traps, Stealth)
Warden (Defense, Survival, Shield Skills)
Predator (Power, Tracking, Strike Skills)
Ash hovered over each one. His life had always been about running—but now, something darker stirred.
The forest had teeth. So would he.
Selected: Predator Talent Tree Unlocked – Predator Tier 1‣ +2 Power‣ Unlock Passive: Killer's Focus – +10% bonus damage against marked prey
The echo of the kill still lingered in his blood.
He liked the silence that came after. Clean. Cold.
Ash stood and looked out over the forest.
He had food in his belly, a blade in his hand, and power awakening in his soul.
Tomorrow, he'd hunt on purpose.
End of Chapter 3