Empire of Blood
The forest changed gradually as they advanced, the terrain becoming less familiar, the undergrowth thicker, the paths less defined, and the movement of creatures less predictable in both direction and behavior.
“Contact,” one of the Sisters said quietly.
Jack had already seen them.
A mixed group this time.
Three Forest Stalkers (Lv.10–11) moved ahead of a pair of Ironhide Boars (Lv.12–13), the smaller predators spreading out as if to guide the heavier ones into position rather than engaging directly.
More coordinated.
Still not enough.
“Same approach,” Jack said. “Don’t let them group.”
They moved into position.
The first Forest Stalker lunged toward Sophie.
She shifted immediately, her movement cleaner than before, her body flowing around the strike instead of reacting to it, her counter landing in the same motion.
[You have defeated: Forest Stalker (Lv.10)]
The second tried to follow up.
She adjusted again.
“Right,” she said, not looking.
One of the Sisters moved, intercepting the angle before it could collapse into the line.
Better.
Jack stepped in as one of the Ironhide Boars began its charge.
“Blood Bolt.”
The projectile struck its shoulder, forcing a slight shift in its path that broke the timing between it and the remaining Forest Stalker.
That was enough.
He didn’t follow immediately.
He let them handle it.
The boar pushed through the first strike, its armor absorbing most of the damage, but the second and third hits slowed it enough that Sophie could reposition.
“Now,” she said.
The others moved.
The boar went down.
[You have defeated: Ironhide Boar (Lv.12)]
The second boar hit harder.
One of the newer Sisters misjudged the distance, stepping in too early as the creature lowered its head.
The impact forced her back, her footing slipping as she tried to recover.
Jack watched.
He didn’t intervene immediately.
Sophie did.
She stepped in from the side, using Flow Step without thinking about it, her movement sliding around the boar’s path as she struck at its flank, not trying to stop it, but redirect it just enough to buy time.
“Move,” she said.
The other Sister recovered, repositioning before the boar could follow through.
Jack stepped in then.
“Blood Scythe.”
The arc landed across the same weakened section Sophie had opened, the bleed stacking quickly as the strike cut deeper than anything they could manage alone.
The boar slowed.
Then dropped.
[You have defeated: Ironhide Boar (Lv.13)]
The rest ended quickly.
No collapse.
Jack let Sanguine Surge fade as the last of the creatures fell, his breathing steady, his body no longer strained by the fight itself.
That was the problem.
He wasn’t being pushed.
The system notifications appeared again.
[Experience Gained: 320 EXP]
Jack didn’t need to open his status to understand what that meant.
It wasn’t enough.
Not for the effort.
Sophie stepped back, wiping her blade clean against the ground as she looked over the fallen creatures.
“It was,” Jack replied.
She glanced at him.
Jack looked at the bodies, then at the forest beyond them, his attention lingering on the space ahead rather than what they had already cleared.
“We’re not getting much out of it,” he said.
Sophie frowned slightly.
“We’re winning,” she said.
“We should be,” Jack replied. “That’s not the point.”
She didn’t respond immediately.
Instead, she followed his gaze outward, toward the deeper forest, where movement was less predictable and the terrain less forgiving.
“…Then what is?” she asked.
Jack exhaled slowly.
“The return,” he said.
That was what mattered.
The effort they were putting in.
It wasn’t matching what they gained.
Another movement shifted in the distance.
Jack noticed it first.
Different again.
“More coming,” he said.
This time, no one hesitated.
They moved into position immediately, their formation adjusting without needing to be called out, their spacing cleaner than it had been even a few minutes ago.
They were improving.
Just not fast enough.
Jack raised his hand slightly, signaling them to hold for a moment as he studied the movement ahead, his attention narrowing as he considered whether it was worth engaging again.
It would be a clean fight.
It would be controlled.
And it would give them almost nothing in return.
He lowered his hand.
“We take it,” he said.
Not because it mattered.
But because they still needed it.
For now.
Chapter 62 – Diminishing Returns
They didn’t go back after the first fight.
That would have been the sensible choice if the goal had been safety, but that wasn’t why they were out here, and Jack had no interest in pretending otherwise.
They moved deeper instead.
The forest changed gradually as they advanced, the terrain becoming less familiar, the undergrowth thicker, the paths less defined, and the movement of creatures less predictable in both direction and behavior.
That should have made things more dangerous.
It didn’t.
“Contact,” one of the Sisters said quietly.
Jack had already seen them.
A mixed group this time.
Three Forest Stalkers (Lv.10–11) moved ahead of a pair of Ironhide Boars (Lv.12–13), the smaller predators spreading out as if to guide the heavier ones into position rather than engaging directly.
More coordinated.
Still not enough.
“Same approach,” Jack said. “Don’t let them group.”
They moved into position.
The first Forest Stalker lunged toward Sophie.
She shifted immediately, her movement cleaner than before, her body flowing around the strike instead of reacting to it, her counter landing in the same motion.
[You have defeated: Forest Stalker (Lv.10)]
[Experience Gained: 320 EXP]
The second tried to follow up.
She adjusted again.
“Right,” she said, not looking.
One of the Sisters moved, intercepting the angle before it could collapse into the line.
Better.
Jack stepped in as one of the Ironhide Boars began its charge.
“Blood Bolt.”
The projectile struck its shoulder, forcing a slight shift in its path that broke the timing between it and the remaining Forest Stalker.
That was enough.
He didn’t follow immediately.
He let them handle it.
The boar pushed through the first strike, its armor absorbing most of the damage, but the second and third hits slowed it enough that Sophie could reposition.
“Now,” she said.
The others moved.
The boar went down.
[You have defeated: Ironhide Boar (Lv.12)]
[Experience Gained: 420 EXP]
The second boar hit harder.
One of the newer Sisters misjudged the distance, stepping in too early as the creature lowered its head.
The impact forced her back, her footing slipping as she tried to recover.
Jack watched.
He didn’t intervene immediately.
Sophie did.
She stepped in from the side, using Flow Step without thinking about it, her movement sliding around the boar’s path as she struck at its flank, not trying to stop it, but redirect it just enough to buy time.
“Move,” she said.
The other Sister recovered, repositioning before the boar could follow through.
Jack stepped in then.
“Blood Scythe.”
The arc landed across the same weakened section Sophie had opened, the bleed stacking quickly as the strike cut deeper than anything they could manage alone.
The boar slowed.
Then dropped.
[You have defeated: Ironhide Boar (Lv.13)]
[Experience Gained: 450 EXP]
The rest ended quickly.
No collapse.
No panic.
No wasted movement.
Jack let Sanguine Surge fade as the last of the creatures fell, his breathing steady, his body no longer strained by the fight itself.
That was the problem.
He wasn’t being pushed.
The system notifications appeared again.
[Experience Gained: 320 EXP]
[Experience Gained: 420 EXP]
[Experience Gained: 450 EXP]
Jack didn’t need to open his status to understand what that meant.
It wasn’t enough.
Not for the effort.
Not for the time.
Sophie stepped back, wiping her blade clean against the ground as she looked over the fallen creatures.
“That felt easier,” she said.
“It was,” Jack replied.
She glanced at him.
“You don’t sound happy about that.”
Jack looked at the bodies, then at the forest beyond them, his attention lingering on the space ahead rather than what they had already cleared.
“We’re not getting much out of it,” he said.
Sophie frowned slightly.
“We’re winning,” she said.
“We should be,” Jack replied. “That’s not the point.”
She didn’t respond immediately.
Instead, she followed his gaze outward, toward the deeper forest, where movement was less predictable and the terrain less forgiving.
“…Then what is?” she asked.
Jack exhaled slowly.
“The return,” he said.
That was what mattered.
The effort they were putting in.
The coordination they were building.
The risk that still existed, even if it was smaller now.
It wasn’t matching what they gained.
Another movement shifted in the distance.
Jack noticed it first.
Different again.
“More coming,” he said.
This time, no one hesitated.
They moved into position immediately, their formation adjusting without needing to be called out, their spacing cleaner than it had been even a few minutes ago.
They were improving.
Just not fast enough.
Jack raised his hand slightly, signaling them to hold for a moment as he studied the movement ahead, his attention narrowing as he considered whether it was worth engaging again.
It would be a clean fight.
It would be controlled.
And it would give them almost nothing in return.
He lowered his hand.
“We take it,” he said.
Not because it mattered.
But because they still needed it.
For now.
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