The wind howled through the broken teeth of the outpost's battlements, carrying ash, dust, and the scent of scorched stone. Ethan sat cross-legged near the ruined hearth, half-meditating, half-dozing. His ribs still ached, wrapped tightly in a makeshift bandage soaked with a numbing salve Aelira had brewed from what little she'd salvaged. She sat nearby, sharpening her twin daggers with methodical care, her expression unreadable beneath a curtain of silver hair.
The fire crackled low.
You survived.
The System's voice echoed softly in his mind—not robotic, not human, but something in between. As if the world itself had leaned in to speak to him.
System Update Installed
[Version 1.3 - Ashen Resolve]
• Feature Unlocked: Combat Insight (Beta)
– Analyze enemy combat patterns during battle. Gain predictive indicators and behavior tags.
– Integration Level: 43% (Expect unstable feedback under high-stress conditions)
• New Sub-Skill Gained: Adaptive Reflex
– +10% evasion and block chance against previously encountered combat styles
• Optional Objective Progress Updated:
– [Confront the Scorchfang Guild] — Track Enabled
– Estimated Power Disparity: Severe
– Suggested Action: Train. Upgrade gear. Seek allies.
Ethan exhaled slowly. The cold System screen flickered in his vision, etched against the dark like a constellation of purpose.
He clenched his fists. "I'm not the same man I was a week ago."
"Talking to your invisible friend again?" Aelira asked without looking up.
"Something like that."
She smirked faintly. "Good. You'll need all the help you can get."
The Dregscale Howler emerged from the mist like a nightmare stitched from bone and shadow. Its scales were cracked and mottled, glowing faintly with residual corruption. Fangs jutted from its jaw at unnatural angles, and its eyes—milky and bloodshot—locked onto Ethan with primal hate.
[Dregscale Howler – F+]
– Behavior: Aggressive, territorial
– Pattern: Wide-arcing swipes, delayed tail strike
– Weak Point: Exposed nerve clusters near lower jaw
Ethan sidestepped on instinct as the beast lunged. A red marker blinked in the corner of his vision.
Tail Strike Incoming – Evade Left
He dropped low, rolling to the side just as the serrated tail lashed overhead. He came up with his blade raised—but too late. The Howler slammed into him with its shoulder, sending him flying.
"Still upright?" Aelira called.
"Barely," he wheezed. "This thing hits like a truck."
Combat Tip: Target's weak point—nerve cluster beneath jaw—exposed during roar phase.
Ethan motioned toward Aelira. "Blind it!"
She flicked a Flashspore Vial beneath the beast's snout. It roared in fury.
There. The exposed nerve cluster pulsed beneath its jaw.
Strike now.
Ethan surged forward, blade driving up into the glowing flesh. The beast's roar turned into a wet gurgle before collapsing.
Enemy Defeated.
+137 EXP Gained.
+1 Beast Core [F+] Acquired
Combat Insight Sync Level: +6% (Total: 49%)
Adaptive Reflex Progress: 12%
"Well," he muttered, "That wasn't so bad."
Aelira gave him a look. "You flew into a wall."
"Yeah, but I landed a win."