Luis lay against the twisted roots of a glowing tree, his breath ragged, shirt torn, and skin streaked with blood and dirt. His armor was dented, one of his gloves half-melted, and his soul essence flickered faintly like a dying ember in his vision.
"I think we're screwed this time," he mumbled, trying not to groan every time he blinked.
Zyx hovered over him like a bored cloud. "Screwed is generous. You look like a crash test dummy after ten rounds in a blender. By the way, quick question—why didn't you use Misfortune's Touch during that whole hell fight?"
Luis blinked. "...I totally forgot."
Zyx gasped, floating backward dramatically. "You what?! My one signature power, the pride of my divine résumé, the ability to jinx reality itself—and you forgot it like a side quest in a farming sim?!"
Luis coughed. "I was a little busy being yeeted into trees, thanks."
Their banter was suddenly shattered by a deep, thunderous BOOM.
A war drum.
The kind that made your spine rattle.
Luis shot upright despite the pain. "What the hell was that?"
Zyx floated higher, squinting over the trees. "Down there. Look."
Across the chasm below, on a moss-covered ridge, marched a battalion of green-skinned monsters. Towering orcs, muscle-bound and armored in bone and hide, stomped forward in unison.
At the front was a monster of a monster: a Green Orc Chieftain, skin scarred, wielding a massive spiked club as tall as a man. It bellowed a war cry that shook leaves loose from the trees.
[SILVER CLASS MONSTER] - GRUK'MAAR, THE MOUNTAIN'S FIST – LEVEL 13
Behind him followed nearly a hundred smaller orcs—each still large enough to throw a horse—with levels between 6 and 8.
Luis stared. "If they find me, I'll be dead in seconds."
Zyx nodded, solemn. "Yep. And not even a cool death. Like, crushed under an orc's armpit or turned into a makeshift drumstick."
"Let's get out of here."
They crept away from the edge, moving uphill toward a massive tangle of vines that stretched toward a floating island above. Luis groaned with every step but climbed anyway, dragging himself up one branch at a time until they reached the island's surface—lush and glowing with soft moss.
He opened his Divine Blueprint, fingers shaking.
"Time to make shelter," he muttered.
He summoned a Healing Tent (Basic Blueprint)—a small dome of glowing weavecloth infused with passive healing auras. It shimmered gently as it formed.
[Healing Tent – Rest Structure]
Passive: Regenerates 1% HP per minute while inside.
Additional Effect: Sleep recovers twice as fast.
Luis collapsed inside. "We can rest here a bit. I need to recover."
Zyx floated around in small circles. "How long have we been in this jungle of nightmares? Feels like we've died four times in just the last half hour."
Luis reached for his wristwatch—but the face was spinning like a possessed compass.
"Yeah. This thing's broken."
Then he remembered something.
"The buff Yuna gave me," he muttered. "It had a timer."
He pulled up his stat screen.
Buff: Song of Divine Strength – 57 hours remaining.
Luis groaned. "It's only been three hours. And we've already nearly died twice."
Zyx clapped. "Congratulations! You've survived the prologue of pain!"
Luis checked his stats.
Current Stats – Luis Mendoza (Lv. 5)
HP: 85/170
Stamina: 93%
Soul Essence: 21,000
Attack Power: +17
Defense: +12
Movement Speed: +21%
Magical Resistance: +10%
Attack Speed: +5%
Regeneration: +10%
Buffs: Song of Divine Strength (+20% Attack Power – 57h)
Gear Equipped:
Armor: Feathered Leather Armor (Scrap Tier)
+10 Armor, +5 Magical Resistance, +10% Movement Speed
Passive: Wind Dancer
Armbrace of Feathers: +5% Defense, +5% Movement Speed, +10% Health Regen
Gloves of Feathers: +10% Resistance, +3% Movement Speed
Passive: Wind Snap
Boots of the Iron Guardian:
Passive: Guardian's Leap (+30% Jump Height)
Luis tapped his hammer, eyes narrowing. "This old thing's almost done for. Time for an upgrade."
He scrolled the Divine Blueprint again.
One item caught his eye.
SPIDERFANG HAMMER (SCRAP TIER)
Cost: 20,000 Soul Essence
Damage: +20
Attack Speed: -5%
Special Passive: Spider Bite – Inflicts 20 Poison damage per second. Stacks up to 5 times.
Luis smiled. "That's a hit-and-run weapon. Lower speed, but it fits my playstyle."
He tapped CRAFT.
The weapon materialized in his hands, its obsidian head shaped like a spider's fang, glowing with a sickly green aura.
Zyx hovered nearby, jaw dropped. "That thing is beautiful. And it's scrap tier? Imagine the silver-class versions… it'd probably cook breakfast too."
Luis chuckled. "We'll rest for now. Heal up. Then we move again."
Zyx drifted into the tent, hands behind his back like a general. "You know, if we die tomorrow, I'd like my body thrown into a volcano. Dramatic exit. Preferably while I monologue."
Luis groaned. "Go to sleep, Zyx."
"Sleep is for the living. And the less sarcastic."
The tent glowed gently under the starlit canopy, as Luis closed his eyes and let the forest hum lull him to rest. Above them, the orc drums grew distant—but never silent.