He laid on the road, the pain still pouring in waves.The fragments from before his death tried to rise again. Tribulation lightning. Figures waiting at the edge of the storm, striking only after the heavens had already done the work.His fingers clenched into a fist.“If even one of you survived the backlash, pray I don’t find my way back.”Then a set of foreign memories pushed through his head.“What are all these strange memories flowing into my mind?” Ravan thought to himself as fragment after fragment pushed through. He had lived for thousands of years, so a few decades of someone else’s life was nothing he could not sort through. But what caught him was not the volume of the memories.It was the world itself.This was not any of the seven realms.“I have never heard of a place like this…” Ravan continued to absorb Max’s memories and organize them. Because of the strength of his soul, he could recall everything Max had ever seen or done. Even things Max himself had forgotten. The

The tutorial marker led Ravan away from the instructor area and toward the far end of the village.A small training room sat beside the main yard. The door opened when he reached it and closed behind him.Stone floor. A weapon rack along the wall. One training dummy in the center.No instructor. No guide. No skill book.Ravan looked around the room once, then read the tutorial objective again.Objective: Create or demonstrate one Arank combat technique.He walked to the weapon rack and picked up a practice sword. He swung it once slowly. Light, dull, badly balanced. He adjusted his grip and turned to face the dummy.He did not move immediately.Wrist. Shoulder. Footwork. Breathing.The body was still weak in places, but it responded well enough.He raised the sword.The first swing landed clean against the dummy’s center.42The dummy rocked.Ding! Combat pattern detected. Registration incomplete.Ravan reset his stance. He adjusted his grip slightly lower and breathed once.The secon

The group followed the forest path until the noise from the village thinned behind them.The road narrowed after a few minutes. Tree roots broke through the dirt underfoot and the canopy closed overhead. Other players were still nearby but most stayed close to the village entrance, fighting over the safer mobs.Garrick kept walking.Tobin glanced back. “We’re going this far?”“You want to fight over rabbits with everyone else?”“I didn’t say that.”“Then keep walking.”Tessa adjusted her grip on her staff. “There are still boars closer to the village.”“And ten parties waiting for each one,” Garrick said. “We came out early for a reason.”Ravan said nothing.Garrick looked back at him. “You fine?”“Yes.”“Combat experience?”“When needed.”Tobin laughed. “Quiet one.”Tessa looked at him. “Better than you.”“Wow. First hunt and I’m already being attacked.”“You started it.”Garrick raised a hand before Tobin could answer.The brush ahead moved.A heavy shape pushed through the undergro

The Shadowfang Wolf King lowered its body.Lyra saw it first. “Pounce!”The wolf launched.Ravan stood in the open line but Hale moved before anyone else could.“Sun Shield!”Gold light flashed across the shield as Hale cut in front of Ravan and braced.BOOM—The wolf crashed into the shield and drove Hale back across the dirt. His boots dragged two lines through the ground before he stopped.96 HPLyra lifted her staff. “Light Mend.”+74 HPHale rolled his shoulder. “Still hits like a damn cart.”“Then stop taking it straight,” Lyra said.“I had a shield up.”“Barely.”The wolf landed and turned. Its claws scraped the ground as it reset.Garrick looked at Hale, then at Ravan. “Hale, make me party leader.”Hale kept his shield raised. “Why?”“I want to put Ravan back in. His damage is higher.”Tobin clicked his tongue. “So I’m out?”“For now. You can still shoot.”Lyra looked from Garrick to Ravan. “If he’s taking the risk, put him in.”Hale was not happy about it, but the wolf was al

Lyra’s eyes moved from Ravan’s sword to the wolf.“You want to handle the wolf yourself?”Ravan looked at the Shadowfang Wolf King.It was wounded but not weak. Blood darkened the fur around its shoulder and its claws dug into the dirt as it circled, eyes focused on Ravan [World Boss]Shadowfang Wolf KingLevel: 10HP: 560/2,800“Yes,” Ravan said.Hale let out a tired breath. “Of course.”Lyra glanced at him. “Can you still move?”“Barely.”“Good, we’re sitting this one out.”Hale looked at her. “That’s your plan?”“That’s my advice.”Ravan stepped forward. “Stay out of it.”Hale’s eyes moved to him. “You sure?”Ravan did not answer.The wolf moved first.It rushed low, aiming for his leg.Ravan shifted back and cut down across its snout.-74The wolf jerked aside, then swiped immediately.Ravan caught the claw on the flat of the Nameless Blood Sword but the force still pushed him back.-28 HPHe planted his foot and cut across the wolf’s foreleg before it fully recovered.-69Hale’s