DAY 6
Luis woke to sunlight warming his face and the sound of birds outside. He stretched—and for the first time in days, his body didn't scream in protest.
"Morning, Sleeping Ugly," Zyx said, floating cross-legged at the foot of the bed. "Congrats on not dying in your sleep. I had it at 50-50."
Luis rubbed his face, groaning. "You're a terrible alarm clock."
Zyx shrugged. "And yet, I'm still the best thing in your life."
Luis rolled his shoulders. "God… I actually feel good."
"Yeah, yeah, welcome back to the land of the semi-functional," Zyx muttered. "While you've been snoring, the outside world's been busy burning."
A muffled voice echoed from the next room.
THE LIONS-BANE
The family was huddled around a small TV, their faces drained of color. The broadcast showed something that shouldn't exist: a golden-maned titan with six wings and a scorpion's tail, ravaging the city like a divine judgment.
[GOLDEN-CLASS MONSTER: LIONS-BANE][LEVEL: 47][STATUS: RAMPAGING]
Guild forces charged and died in waves. Plasma bolts, enchanted blades, even high-tier magic—all useless. Entire blocks disappeared under its onslaught.
"—GFH in full retreat—Crimson Blades HQ has fallen—estimated casualties exceed 10,000—"
Click.The screen went black.
Rain stood beside the power outlet, her hand still on the plug. "That's enough for today."
Luis stared at the blank screen. "That thing's wiping the city off the map."
Rain's voice was quiet. "Watching won't stop it. Recover. Fight when you're ready."
Zyx floated nearby, arms folded. "She's got a point. You're not even a mosquito to that thing."
Luis stood abruptly. "I need air."
THE GRIND BEGINS (AGAIN)
Outside, Luis opened his status screen.
[LEVEL 2: ENGINEER][NEW ABILITY UNLOCKED: RE-CREATION]Summons a permanent humanoid construct.Cost: 10,000 Soul EssenceLimit: 1 active construct
Luis blinked. "Permanent?"
Zyx gave a low whistle. "Well, damn. A sidekick? A turret? A mech-buddy? That's... actually useful." He paused. "Of course, you'll need to kill a small country's worth of bunnies to afford it."
Luis shut the screen. "I'm going hunting."
The mountain trails below the village teemed with weak monsters—but Luis wasn't weak anymore.
A Rustfang Hare lunged.CRACK.One swing. One corpse.
A Bramble Crawler hissed, spat thorns.Luis dodged, swept its legs, crushed its thorax.
Zyx hovered nearby, watching. "Look at you—actually winning. All grown up and committing casual slaughter. So proud."
Luis didn't break stride. "Your approval fills me with deep, echoing shame."
By sunrise, he'd earned 3,000 Souls. Not enough—but closer.
RAIN'S OFFER
Rain was waiting for him at the village gate, her silver hair glowing in the morning light.
"You've been hunting," she said.
"Yeah," Luis replied, panting slightly.
She studied him, then gave a small nod. "Come to my garden tomorrow. I have something that might… accelerate your progress."
Zyx raised an eyebrow. "Oho. Is the flower girl offering performance enhancers?"
Luis ignored him. "Thanks. I'll be there."
Rain smiled faintly. "Then try not to die before breakfast."