The adrenaline from their first battle slowly faded.
Neraxis and Lilian stood in the silent small stone room.
Neraxis looked at the door, which was now scarred with ugly gouges and deep holes where the Shriekers' beaks had torn at the wood. It wouldn't survive another attack like that.
The seven-day protection period was a blessing, but it was clear that simply hiding inside their territory was not a liable long-term strategy. They needed to be proactive. They needed to increase their strength
"We need resources," Neraxis thought as numerous thoughts rang through his head.
"Wood to repair the door, stone to reinforce the walls, and more Genetic energy."
Lilian , who had been catching her breath, straightened up.
"The fog is dangerous, my Lord."
"I know," Neraxis replied, with a straight face. "But staying here and waiting for the barrier to fall is even more dangerous. We'll be careful. We won't go far."
He equipped the simple wood axe and stone pickaxe from his inventory. They felt solid and real in his hands. He took a deep breath, mentally preparing himself to step outside for the first time. With Lilian and her newfound power at his back he was less terrified
He unlocked the damaged door and pushed it open. The cold air of the Immortal World washed over him, carrying the scent of wet earth. The visibility was just as poor as he had imagined. Ghostly shapes of skeletal-looking trees loomed in the distance, their branches gnarled at him like skeleton like fingers.
With Lilian following closely behind him, her dark wings rustling softly, Neraxis stepped out of his territory and into the fog.
He immediately set to work, using the axe on a withered, dead tree nearby.
As he worked, a new System notification pinged in his vision. It was the World Chat he had been avoiding. Put of curiosity, he opened it.
[Lord_Kevin95]: OMG is this real?? I summoned a Slime! What do I do with a Slime?!
[DragonSlayerXXX]: My protection barrier is already being attacked by giant spiders! Help!
[Princess_Peony]: Does anyone have extra food? I'll trade a pretty rock I found! Please, I'm so hungry…
[Gaius_Magnus]: Fools! Cower in your huts. I have summoned a Silver-rank Minotaur! This world will be mine! I am already clearing the area around my territory. Weaklings will perish!
Neraxis quickly closed the chat. It was doled with desperate people just like him. Some might have been even luckier.
The mention of a Silver-rank Minotaur sent a chill down his spine. He was still leagues behind the truly powerful Lords.
After gathering a decent pile of wood and some rough stone, Neraxis decided to push a little further into the fog, moving cautiously from one tree to the next. It was during this careful exploration that he saw it, a tucked at the base of a large, moss-covered boulder was a small, plain-looking chest made of wood and bound with bronze straps. It seemed to hum with a faint energy.
[Bronze Treasure Chest found!]
His heart jumped. Treasure! This was a core mechanic of every game he'd ever played. Chests meant loot, and loot meant power. He approached it cautiously, Lilian at his side, her hands ready to summon a Dark Bolt at any moment . The chest wasn't guarded, and there were no traps he could see. Neraxis moved forward and yanked it opened with a grunt of effort.
Inside was a small but welcome bounty.
[You have received: Genetic energy +100, Rations (5 Days) x1, Territory Upgrade Blueprint (Wooden Wall) x1, Divination Cards x3]
The Genetic energy and rations were a huge relief, more than doubling his current supply. The blueprint was even better; it would allow him to build a proper defensive wall around his territory. But it was the last item that truly interested him. Divination Cards. They were simple, palm-sized cards, blank on both sides, that shimmered with a faint, rainbow-colored light.
[Divination Card: A card infused with the chaotic magic of fate. Use it to receive a random item, resource, or piece of knowledge. The result could be miraculous, or it could be utterly useless.]
Gambling. Neraxis wasn't usually a gambler, but in this world, he had to take every chance he could get.
Just as he was examining his loot, another notification appeared. This time it was a private trade request.
[Lord "Willow" wishes to trade with you.]
Neraxis was surprised. How did anyone even know he existed? He cautiously accepted the request, and a trade window opened up. A message from Willow appeared.
[Willow]: Greetings. I saw on the regional leaderboard that you defeated a flock of Corvian Shriekers. Congratulations on your victory. My own unit is a non-combat type, a "Moonpetal Pixie." I have an abundance of rare herbs and alchemical plants, but I am in desperate need of monster parts for a territory upgrade. I would like to trade for your Shrieker Beaks.
Neraxis considered it. The beaks were just sitting in his inventory. He had no immediate use for them. This Lord, Willow, seemed polite and direct, not like the arrogant ones in the world chat.
[Neraxis]: What are you offering?
[Willow]: I have several rare items. Given your combat prowess, perhaps these would interest you?
Willow placed several items into the trade window. Among them were glowing mosses, strange-looking fungi, and one item that caught his eye immediately: [Rare Monster Card (Rank Unknown)].
A rare card. It was a gamble on top of a gamble. It could be another Bronze-rank dud, or it could be something incredible. His SSS-skill, Ultimate Evolution, meant that even a low-rank monster had potential. It was a risk worth taking.
[Neraxis]: I will trade you all 5 Shrieker Beaks for the Rare Monster Card and a few of those glowing mosses. They look useful for lighting.
[Willow]: A fair trade. Agreed.
The trade was completed in an instant. The beaks vanished from his inventory, replaced by the card and a handful of moss that emitted a soft, silvery light. This interaction was a revelation. The world wasn't just about fighting monsters; it was about economy and diplomacy, too.
As he pocketed the new card, a subtle change occurred in Lilian 's demeanor. She had been watching the entire exchange silently. Now, she stepped closer, her violet eyes fixed on him with an unnerving intensity.
"My Lord," she whispered, her voice a low, seductive murmur that was very different from her usual tone. "You are clever. You gather power, you make deals. But these other Lords… they are your rivals. They will see your strength and seek to take it. Why share? Why not simply take what you want? I can feel the darkness in this world. It is a tool. Let me be your weapon. Let us claim all of this for ourselves. We don't need anyone else."
Her words were like honeyed poison, tempting and dangerous. Neraxis felt a cold shiver run down his spine. This was the "Fallen" part of her nature emerging. The whisper of corruption, the lure of absolute power. She was testing him, seeing if her Lord was a man who would be swayed by the easy path of darkness.
He met her gaze, his own unwavering. "Power for its own sake is a prison, Lilian . We will be strong, but we will be strong to build, not just to destroy. We will have allies when it suits us, and enemies when we must. My will decides the path, not the whispers of the dark."
His declaration seemed to resonate with the air around them, empowered by his Sovereign's Will. Lilian 's intense expression faltered, and she bowed her head slightly, the seductive glint in her eyes receding. "As you command, my Lord."
Before the moment could linger, a low growl echoed from the Fog in front of them, deeper and more threatening than the Shriekers' cries. It was followed by another, and then the sound of heavy bodies crashing through the undergrowth. A new, more powerful wave of monsters was approaching.
"Back to the territory! Now!" Neraxis commanded.
They turned and ran, the sounds of the unseen beasts growing closer behind them. They couldn't fight out here in the open, not when they didn't know what they were facing. They burst back through the doorway of their small stone room just as a massive, shadowy shape lunged out of the fog. Neraxis slammed the door shut, the wood groaning in protest. Heavy, powerful blows began to rain down on it, far stronger than the Shriekers' pecking.
The door wouldn't last a minute. They were trapped. His eyes darted around the small room, searching for an escape that didn't exist. Then he saw it. In the corner, near where he had been piling the stone, a section of the floor looked different. A faint draft was coming from it. He rushed over and scraped away the dirt and grime. Underneath was a large, flat stone with a small iron ring set into it.
A hidden cellar. A secret door.
With the monstrous roars growing louder outside, Neraxis gripped the ring with both hands and pulled with all his might. The stone slab scraped aside, revealing a dark, narrow opening and a set of steep stone steps leading down into absolute blackness. It was a potential trap, a tomb. But it was their only chance.
"Go!" he yelled to Lilian .
She jumped down into the darkness without hesitation. Neraxis followed right behind her, pulling the heavy stone slab back into place just as the main door to their room finally splintered and burst open. The last thing he saw before the darkness swallowed him was a giant, fur-covered claw swiping through the ruined doorway.