Chapter 7: (CH6)THE GRIND
The City Was a Death Trap
They barely made it out alive.
After dodging collapsing skyscrapers, lightning-wielding maniacs, and something that looked like a centipede made of meat grinders, Luis and Zyx ditched the city. Not because they had a plan, but because they were out of options.
The Forest of Low-Level HorrorsIf the city was a warzone, the forest was an old-school grindfest. Less dramatic. More bugs.
Luis tightened his grip on the wrench—his trusty, slightly-bent sidekick—as he trudged through the underbrush. Moonlight filtered through the thick canopy above, casting twisted shadows across the uneven forest floor.
The trees groaned with age. Branches creaked like bones. The air stank of wet leaves, blood, and rabbit poop.
His HUD listed local threats like a creepy zoo exhibit:
Rustfang Hares (Lv. 1–2): Cute, until they lunge at your face with iron teeth.
Bramble Crawlers (Lv. 3): Like spiders, but with thorn-launching cannons. Yay.
Shade Stalkers (Lv. 4–5): Shadow wolves that bled darkness. Because regular wolves weren’t scary enough.
Zyx floated above a fern, completely unbothered. "Alright, champ. Remember: this isn’t about honor. It’s about soul farming. Think of it as morally questionable gardening."