Two weeks passed. Aeron's body grew leaner, tougher. His skin tanned from the mountain sun. The system gave him daily challenges—chop wood, hunt small prey, meditate for energy control.
> [Daily Quest Complete: Primitive Hunt. Reward: 1 Basic Skill Point.]
[Skill Tree Unlocked. Choose First Skill: Stealth | Energy Sense | Enhanced Strength]
He chose Energy Sense. A warm pulse filled his chest. His ears rang for a moment—and suddenly, he could sense the energy flowing in the world around him. Even the trees seemed alive.
"I feel everything," he whispered.
The cave was no longer just a shelter—it was a base. He carved out walls, added traps at the entrance, and used mud and branches to create crude furniture. A few creatures tried to enter—none made it out.
The system guided him to an underground stream. Fresh water. Next, it pointed to a sealed stone door hidden behind vines. Inside? A forgotten ruin—an old outpost from a lost civilization.
> [Ruins of the Old Creator Detected. Partial Authority Restored. Basic Blueprint Acquired.]
Aeron explored it cautiously. Strange symbols glowed on the walls—symbols that responded to his presence. He felt something deep inside stir, like it belonged to him.
Using the blueprints, he began crafting his first advanced item: a core crystal torch that never extinguished.
At night, he meditated.
> [Meditation Efficiency: 87%. Mental Recovery Boosted. Spiritual Roots Forming.]
He wasn't just surviving anymore. He was building. Learning. Awakening.
"Let them look for me," he said one night. "Let them think I'm dead. I'll return—not as the boy they betrayed—but as the power they'll kneel before."
The system blinked:
> [Underground Base: Phase 1 Complete. Begin Recruitment Protocols: Y/N?]
Aeron smiled.
"Yes."
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