Luis climbed across the swaying vine bridges connecting the floating islands, his breath tight with urgency. He glanced behind him—the girl and her dragon circled the island far above.
"Okay, so she probably thinks we're still up there," Zyx said. "Nice bait and switch."
Luis glanced up. "Should we head upward or down?"
Zyx crossed his arms mid-air. "Let's go back to the orcs. She probably thinks you're climbing to kill the final boss. She'll wait for you at the summit."
Luis nodded. "Alright. We head down."
He descended the massive jungle-like vine spiraling toward the lowest island. The air thickened with the scent of moss, blood, and iron. As his boots hit solid ground, a sudden rustle in the undergrowth snapped him to alert.
A guttural cry tore through the trees.
Three green-skinned orcs rushed out, axes gleaming, eyes wild with coordinated bloodlust. Two more flanked from behind, and a sixth, larger than the rest, barked orders in a harsh tongue.
Luis didn't hesitate.
He hurled himself into the fray, ducking the first axe and slamming his Spiderfang Hammer into an orc's chest. The poison coursed instantly through its veins.
Seeing the odds, Luis reached into his Soul Essence and activated Mind Construct—a compact autocannon turret sprang to life beside him, stabilizing on two metal limbs as it locked onto targets. It would last only 10 seconds, but he intended to make them count.
The first burst of force-rounds ripped through an orc's shoulder, dropping it mid-swing. Another dove behind a tree, only to get flanked by Luis's counterattack.
"Formations," the lead orc snarled, and two others closed in from both sides.
Luis activated Misfortune's Touch. Instantly, one orc tripped mid-swing, another dropped his weapon by accident.
Luis exploited the chaos, sliding low and cracking the hammer against a kneecap while the turret continued to suppress from the side.
The orcs regrouped quickly. A spear whistled past his face. He flipped behind a tree for cover, turret rotating to keep pressure on their line.
Zyx hollered, "Watch your left!"
Luis spun, blocking a mace with the haft of his hammer. The force jarred his arms, but he used the momentum to whip around and cave in the orc's jaw with a backswing.
The leader orc growled and charged with a spiked blade. Luis dodged left, barely avoiding the swipe, then drove his hammer into the orc's ribs. The autocannon turret caught another orc trying to flank him, downing it with three shots to the chest.
One last orc lunged—Luis caught him mid-air with a rising strike, hammer cracking the jaw and sending teeth flying.
The forest stilled. The turret let out one final mechanical hiss before dissipating in a flash of ether. The 10 seconds were up—and the battlefield was quiet.
Luis stood panting among the corpses, bleeding from the shoulder but alive.
+1,000 Soul Essence Gained
Luis wiped sweat from his brow. "Okay… we survived."
Zyx snorted. "Barely."
Luis sat against a stump. "What if I farm the orcs here? Level up. Gather essence."
Zyx tilted his head. "Yeah, sure. Like they'll politely line up and let you farm them."
Luis smirked. "These things aren't bulletproof. What if I use Infinite Construct to build drones? Small flying bots. Burst fire. Clean, coordinated kills."
Zyx raised an eyebrow. "Technically not a bad idea. Loud. But effective."
Luis focused. He imagined them: slim airborne machines, twin rotors, lightweight plating, mini submachine guns attached underneath.
[Infinite Construct: Drone Type-A (Auto-Gunner)]
—Flying Assault Unit
—Armament: Dual SMG burstfire
—Mobility: High
Cost: 10,000 Soul Essence
Zyx coughed. "You do realize guns are loud, right? Crazy dragon girl might hear."
Luis sighed. "You're right. Too loud."
He tried again. "What about a knight mech? Humanoid, sword and shield, durable."
[Infinite Construct: Knight Mech Prototype]
—HP: 100
—ATK: 20 / DEF: 20 / RES: 0
—MOV SPD: 10 / ATK SPD: 10
Cost: 10,000 Soul Essence
Luis squinted. "Too weak. Easy to destroy in groups."
He tweaked it again.
[Updated Knight Mech v2]
—HP: 200
—DEF: +30
New Passive: Self-Repair Drones – Regenerates +2 HP/sec
Cost: 18,000 Soul Essence
Zyx smiled. "Now we're talking. Tanky. Durable. Tactical."
Luis slammed his hand into the air and triggered the creation. Twin Knight Mechs shimmered into existence—gleaming with polished steel, shields raised, blades humming softly with kinetic energy.
He grinned. "My soldiers. Come with me."
The next hour was a blur of calculated slaughter. The Knight Mechs tore through orc squads like armored dancers, holding the line while Luis finished enemies off. They were efficient. Ruthless. Beautiful.
Zyx whistled. "You know... if you had an army of these things, each one as strong as a Host, you'd be unstoppable."
Luis smirked. "Being an Engineer in this death game? Everyone thought I'd die on Day Two."
Zyx floated proudly behind him. "And now look at you. A one-man faction.
Luis looked to the horizon, watching mist roll through the trees. "It just feels right."
Current Soul Essence: 30,000
Buff: Song of Divine Strength – 45hrs remaining