The scent of blood still lingered in the clearing, thick and iron-rich, mixing with the earthy aroma of damp leaves and moss. Kael Vireon stood motionless over the dissected Gem Jaguar's remains. His fingers trembled slightly from exhaustion, but his eyes gleamed with a newfound understanding.
A cheat… a real one.
Extraction wasn't flashy. It didn't summon flames or bend the elements. But what it lacked in spectacle, it more than made up for in depth. Where others saw monsters as threats or meat sacks, Kael now saw treasure troves. Resource nodes. Building blocks for a dominion.
"Master," Tiara's gentle voice interrupted his thoughts. "You've overexerted your spirit. Please, sit down."
Kael blinked, then chuckled, accepting the waterskin she offered.
"I'm fine. Just tired… I didn't expect the Soultrait to draw so much from me."
"You shouldn't push Extraction too far at Tierless," Tiara said, kneeling beside him. "Your War Rune isn't refined enough to handle prolonged use. It could backlash."
Kael nodded but didn't respond. He was staring at the black orb hovering in his palm—the Tier-1 Monster Core. A gemstone in the other hand. And in front of him, the four palm-sized fragments from the Summoning Scroll shimmered with faint silver inscriptions.
Raikhan Vale, the Heroic Summon, returned from rinsing blood off his spear in the nearby stream. The setting sun cast long shadows on his lean figure.
"You extracted all that?" he asked in a low tone, nodding toward the fragments.
Kael offered a small grin. "Looks like I did."
Raikhan's brows furrowed, his tone sharpening. "I've seen Lords struggle to pull even one clean gemstone from a kill, let alone scroll fragments. What did you do?"
"It's my Soultrait," Kael replied. "It's called Extraction. Doesn't look like much, but it digs deep."
Raikhan's gaze flicked to Tiara, then to Kael. "That's more than a utility Soultrait, then. It's a treasure magnet."
Kael paused, then asked, "Is that a problem?"
Raikhan smiled slightly. "For you? It's an opportunity. But if anyone else finds out…"
His voice trailed off, letting the implication hang in the air.
Kael's fingers curled tighter around the scroll fragments. "Then they won't find out."
Tiara's ears twitched. "Master, your territory isn't ready for attention. We have no fortifications, no food stockpiles, and barely enough resources to maintain the protection barrier."
Kael stood, stretching his limbs as the War Rune on his hand pulsed lightly. "Then we fix that. We'll start with what we have."
He handed the Monster Core and gemstone to Tiara. "You mentioned earlier that you can appraise materials?"
Tiara nodded eagerly. "Yes. I may be a maid, but I'm also a qualified Artifact Assistant—certified by the Silverfang Guild before… well… everything."
Kael raised an eyebrow. "Artifact Assistant?"
Raikhan interjected, "That means she's trained to process and identify crafting materials, especially rare or corrupted ones. It's rare to find someone with those qualifications this deep into the Domain."
Tiara beamed with pride. "I can even stabilize Artifact blueprints. Though… I don't have access to workbenches or an anvil anymore…"
Kael's expression grew thoughtful.
"Then we need to gather blueprints. I'll try Extracting them from corpses."
"And materials," Tiara added. "With just a few cores and gems, I could potentially assemble a Tier-0 Artifact. Even a basic one could give you an edge."
Kael's gaze drifted toward the treeline.
"Raikhan," he said, "I need another kill. Something unique. Something that might drop more than just a core."
Raikhan adjusted his grip on his silver spear. "I passed a watering hole on my first sweep. There were two other Gem Jaguars there, but they weren't alone."
"Oh?"
"A Verdant Fang Lizard was stalking them. Mid-Tier-1. It had parasitic vines growing along its spine. Possibly mutated."
Kael's eyes lit up. "That sounds perfect."
Tiara looked alarmed. "Master, you're Tierless. Even with the protection barrier, if something happens to Raikhan—"
"I won't fight," Kael interrupted gently. "I'll stay near the barrier, prepare Extraction. Raikhan does the fighting."
Raikhan snorted. "Glad to see I'm your personal executioner."
"You're more than that," Kael replied. "You're the first step to making this territory mine."
Raikhan didn't argue. He just gestured with his spear and disappeared into the forest, heading toward the direction of the watering hole.
Kael sat cross-legged beside Tiara and examined the Summoning Scroll fragments more closely.
"Can I merge these?"
"Not until you have six," Tiara replied. "Four isn't enough. Once you hit six, the fragments will attempt to reform. It's a dangerous process—if you interrupt it, the scroll shatters and you lose everything."
Kael exhaled slowly.
"So I need two more. Do we know what kind of summon I'll get?"
"No," Tiara said. "Summoning Scrolls are random, but based on the monster that dropped them. Gem Jaguars are fast and intelligent… maybe a scout-type or beast companion."
Kael leaned back against a tree, staring into the rustling canopy above.
"I need more bodies."
A pause. Then he muttered to himself, "And faster growth. This ten-day buffer… it's not enough."
Tiara stood up, brushing off her knees.
"Master, may I suggest something?"
"Go ahead."
"Tomorrow, we establish a core resource routine. I'll identify harvestable plants and possible farming soil, and you'll begin crafting storage. We need a Resource Den, a Workshop—and a proper sleeping chamber."
Kael laughed. "That's a lot of work for two people and a Hero with a spear."
"We'll start with three," Tiara said cheerfully, holding up the scroll fragments. "And maybe make it four soon."
As if answering her optimism, a distant roar echoed from beyond the trees.
Kael and Tiara turned in unison.
"That's Raikhan," Kael murmured, the War Rune flaring faintly in his palm. "Looks like he found our lizard."
The tension crackled in the air.
"Let's hope he brings it back in one piece," Kael said. "I've got loot to extract."
And with that, the clearing fell quiet once more—only the soft thrum of his War Rune and the whispers of the forest veil remained.