The cool kiss of stone against his back was the most profound comfort Rowan had felt since… he couldn't even remember when. He lay slumped just inside the entrance of the shallow cave, the oppressive weight of the desert sun mercifully blocked by the overhang of dark sandstone. Outside, the carcass of the Sand Ripper lay sprawled on the heat-shimmering sand, a testament to a fight he still couldn't quite believe he'd survived.
His breath came in ragged gasps, slowly evening out as the adrenaline ebbed, leaving behind bone-deep exhaustion and a collection of stinging cuts and bruises where the Ripper's claws had scraped against him or where he'd tumbled against the rocks. He gingerly probed a particularly nasty gash on his forearm, likely from one of the creature's obsidian-like spurs. It wasn't deep, thankfully, but it bled sluggishly onto the sand.
The runic interface flickered nearby, always present. He focused on his Status.
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[ STATUS ]Level: 3 [--------] (0 / 75 Essence) -> Lvl 4
Rank: Initiate
Condition: Injured (Minor Lacerations), Fatigued
Vitality: 68/105 (Recovering Slowly)
Stamina: 15/110 (Recovering Slowly)
Forge Mark: [Locked - Requires ???]
Attribute Allocation: Pending (Advancement Lvl 3 Ready!)
Available Points: Attrib 3 / Skill 1
Might: [10] + (0)
Agility: [11] + (0)
Fortitude: [13] + (3)
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Level 3. The 45 Essence from the Ripper and harvesting had pushed him over the threshold. Another small step on this insane ladder. He focused immediately on the Attribute Allocation Pending—three more points, limited again to Might, Agility, or Fortitude.
He considered his options. More Fortitude was always tempting for survival, but the fight with the Ripper had highlighted his desperate lack of speed and offensive power. He'd won through luck and a desperate gamble. Agility could help him dodge and react faster. Might would make his blows hit harder or maybe let him wield heavier makeshift weapons.
He decided on a split. Survival needed more than just toughness. He allocated 2 points to Agility and 1 point to Might.
He felt a subtle shift again – perhaps a lightness in his limbs, a faint thrum of increased physical potential. The interface updated:
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Available Points: Attrib 0 / Skill 1.
Might: 11,
Agility: 13
Fortitude: 13
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Still laughably low numbers, Rowan suspected, but better than before. The required Essence had increased. Of course, it had.
He turned his attention back to his injuries. Without bandages or antiseptic, infection was a real risk. He used the cleanest part of his torn shirt sleeve to dab away the blood from the gash on his arm, wincing. Spark, the wisp, drifted closer, its soft white light intensifying slightly as it hovered near the wound. It emitted a low, soothing hum. Rowan watched it, suspicious.
Was it trying to help? Or just observing? Its light felt… clean. He didn't feel any magical healing, but perhaps its presence deterred something worse or maybe it was just a floating lamp.
He spent the next hour resting just inside the cave mouth, letting his Stamina and Vitality creep upwards. He forced himself to drink the last few bitter drops of hemolymph collected earlier. Outside, the sun began its slow descent towards the horizon, painting the sky in fiery oranges and purples, but doing little to lessen the baked-in heat radiating from the sand and rock.
As strength slowly returned, Rowan began to assess his surroundings more carefully. The cave wasn't deep, maybe fifteen feet back, narrowing towards the rear. The floor was sandy but relatively level. The rock walls were cool to the touch. It offered excellent shade and concealment from the open desert.
Defensible? Marginally. The entrance was narrow enough that only one or two creatures the size of the Sand Ripper could attack at once. He could potentially block it partially with rocks.
He ventured cautiously outside again, scanning the immediate area. The rock formation was larger than he'd first realised, a jumble of weathered spurs and boulders creating numerous potential hiding spots and ambush points – both for him and against him. He noted the location of the obsidian flakes he'd found earlier – a valuable resource.
The Ripper carcass was already attracting tiny, skittering desert insects. He'd need to deal with it soon, maybe try cooking the meat if he could figure out fire, or drag it further away to avoid attracting larger scavengers. Water… there was still no sign of open water. That remained the most critical problem. But this location… it was the best he'd found. It felt… almost like a potential place- a starting point.
He suddenly remembered the [ TERRITORY ] tab on the system interface, still showing Status: Unclaimed. He focused on it now, pouring his intent into it. Claim Land?
New runic prompts appeared.
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[ TERRITORY ]Status: Unclaimed
Action Available: Establish Territory Core
Requirement: Stable Location, User Rank [Initiate] (Met), 50 Essence.
Current Essence: 0
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Fifty Essence. He'd just gained 50 from the Ripper, pushing him to Level 3, and using up that threshold. He had zero now. He needed 50 more just to claim this spot. He glared at the Ripper carcass. It had already given him 50… could he get more? He focused on the carcass, thinking,
'Harvest Essence?'
Right. Of course. Indeed. Skills again. Back to basics. He needed to kill something else. Or maybe… He looked at the resources he had harvested – the hide section, the obsidian claws. Could he offer these? He focused on the Establish Territory Core prompt and then mentally presented the harvested items.
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Material Offering Detected: [Sand Ripper Hide (Poor)], [Sand Ripper Claw (Crude)] x2.
Convert to Essence[+15]? Y/N
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Hope surged. "Yes!" he croaked aloud.
Not enough. He needed 35 more. He scanned the area frantically. What else? The beetle's carapace? Petrified wood? He focused on it.
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Material Offering Detected: [Giant Desert Beetle Carapace (Fragmented)] [Petrified Wood Branch (Common)]
Convert to Essence[+30]? Y/N
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"Yes!"
Forty-five. Still five short.
"Damn it! What else?" He looked around in desperation. The obsidian flakes?
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Material Offering Detected: [Obsidian Shard (Sharp)] x3
Convert to Essense[+6]? Y/N
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"Yes! Convert!"
He almost wept with relief. He hadn't needed another fight immediately. He'd sacrificed his meagre collected resources, his crude potential tools, but it was enough.
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Essence Total: 51.
Requirement Met: 50 Essence.
Confirm Action: Establish Territory Core at Current Location? Y/N
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He focused intently. "Yes! Establish Core!"
The System interface flashed brightly. The 51 Essence drained instantly, leaving one essence. Runic light flared within the cave. Rowan instinctively shielded his eyes. Energy seemed to gather from the surrounding air, from the rock itself, swirling in the centre of the small cave floor.
The light intensified, coalescing, taking shape.
It solidified into a smooth, dark stone, roughly the size of a human heart, half-buried in the sandy floor. It pulsed with a faint, internal warmth, and intricate, glowing blue runes slowly traced themselves across its surface before fading slightly, leaving the stone looking almost natural, yet undeniably placed.
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Territory Core Established: [Hollowreach Seed - Rank 0]
Territory Claimed: 10 Meter Radius around Core.
[ TERRITORY ] Tab Unlocked.
Basic Functions Available: Status View, Boundary Marker.
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Rowan stared at the Hollowreach Seed, feeling a profound sense of accomplishment mixed with trepidation. As for the name, he just got the ick at the very moment and behold the mighty system!
Whatever, He finally had a place. A tiny, ten-meter circle of claimed dust and rock in an infinitely hostile world, centred on this pulsing stone. It was almost nothing, yet it felt like everything.
But as the light from the Hearthstone Seed settled, another surge of energy pulsed nearby, just outside the cave entrance. Rowan scrambled back, hand reaching for the discarded petrified wood club, heart pounding again.
More runes flared in the air, brighter this time, swirling like a miniature galaxy. Sand shifted and rose, coalescing with the runic energy. Stone seemed to flow like water, rising from the desert floor just beyond the cave mouth. Within seconds, a structure formed – a simple, elegant archway of dark, smooth stone, about seven feet high. Intricate, unfamiliar runes pulsed along its frame, converging at a keystone at the apex. It seemed ancient yet newly made, radiating a quiet, dormant power.
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System Reward: Sanctuary Gate manifested.
Sanctuary Gate linked to Territory Core.
Status: Dormant.
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Rowan cautiously approached the archway. Spark zipped around it nervously, humming a low, uncertain tone. The air near the Gate felt… different. Still. Charged. He focused his intent on the structure.
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[ Sanctuary Gate - Rank 0 ]
Function: Summoning (Dormant)
Activation Requirements: Territory Core
Synchronization: [Complete!]
User Rank: [Novice] (Pending)
Item Required: [Summoning Scroll]
Status: Awaiting Activation.
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A summoning gate? Appearing out of nowhere, linked to his Hollowreach Seed? It required him to rank up and find some kind of scroll? Where would he even find a 'Summoning Scroll'? So, this was the mechanism. But dormant for now. Another tool, another mystery, another requirement demanding he grow stronger, push harder.
He ran a hand over the smooth, cool stone of the Gate. It felt incredibly solid, ancient. Where did it summon from? What kind of beings? Was it safe? More questions than answers, as always.
He retreated into the relative safety of the cave as twilight began to paint the desert sky in deeper hues of purple and blood orange. His Hollowreach Seed pulsed dimly at the heart of his modest claim, while the enigmatic, slumbering Sanctuary Gate loomed just beyond, silent and watchful. Spark hovered near the cave's ceiling, humming softly. The remains of the slain Sand Ripper were gathered, and he had risen to Level 3.
It was, he admitted to himself with a grimace, progress. Tangible progress towards… what? Fulfilling a wish? Surviving another day? Building an empire from dust? He didn't know. But for the first time, looking at the Hollowreach Seed, the anchor of his minuscule territory, he felt something other than pure survival instinct or cynical curiosity. A tiny, almost imperceptible seed of… resolve. This patch of ground was his. He had claimed it. He would hold it.
He settled down against the cave wall, exhaustion washing over him completely now. Tomorrow, he would need to find permanent water, secure the cave entrance better, and maybe even try cooking the Ripper meat. Tomorrow, the struggle would continue. But tonight, he had shelter. He had a Gate to puzzle over. He had a single, pulsing Hollowreach in the sand. It wasn't much, but it was a start.