Seth took several deep breaths, forcing himself to focus. Nightmare might have been injured by that gut-twisting force—or worse, driven outside and back toward the Inferno Bear. I need to find a way out, and fast.

The runes etched on the cave's walls around Seth pulsed with a soft, rhythmic light, brightening and dimming as if the cave itself were alive and breathing. He reached out, only for his fingers to meet an invisible barrier of aether that kept him from touching the stone itself. Frustration bubbled in his chest and he pulled back, ready to kick the wall in anger, when a faint sound echoed from deeper within the cave.

I'm not alone.

Dropping into a crouch, Seth instinctively drew out his bow and nocked an arrow. As he inched forward through the twisting tunnel, the muffled noise became more distinct, turning into clear clinks and soft thuds of footsteps. Reaching a turn, he peeked around the corner.

A vast stone hall loomed ahead, and inside, something was lurking in the shadows, staying away from the glowing runes. Seth squinted and examined the… man—no, that thing was definitely not a man.

The creature had a bulbous belly, lanky arms and legs, with the gray skin of a putrid corpse. An overly large head stood above its skeletal frame, grotesquely contorted with two bulging bloodshot eyes, cropped ears, and a huge mouth filled with razor-sharp black teeth. It crept around on all fours, clawed feet and hands clattering their way through the scattered bones; its spine jutted through its curved back, stretching its pallid skin as if it hadn't had a decent meal in years. The only shred of clothing it wore was a ragged leather loincloth over its crotch.

What in the fucking hell is that? Seth thought, spinning back behind the cave's wall, his throat tightening.

He glanced at the dead end and shut his eyes for a moment, trying to think. Fighting that monstrous thing was his only option to find a way out. Unless...I wait for Nightmare to find me—absolutely not, he snapped to himself.

How could he even consider that? The direwolf could be hurt or in danger at this very second, and here he was, cowering like some frightened little kid, waiting to be saved. Like a goddamn damsel in distress.

No wonder the gap between me and Nightmare is growing every day, Seth thought, clenching his fists. I've been relying on him too much.

When they'd first met, Seth had been the one doing most of the work, fighting beasts head-to-head, putting himself in danger and letting his core's instinct drive his every move. And now, he was about to hide like a coward and wait for being rescued, without even knowing his enemy's goddamn Rank.

Being so cautious had made him weak, turning him into someone overly scared of mistakes and injuries. Had he forgotten his goals? Healing Renwal's arms, making Lucius pay, crushing the Faertis House, and freeing Sunatown from their oppression.

The current Path he was following wouldn't lead him there.

Primalists needed to thrive through the dangers of the wild and embrace its challenges, battling like beasts to grow stronger. He wasn't supposed to stay at a safe distance and cast spells like a freaking Elementalist. Risks were supposed to be part of his life—and part of his Path.

Seth's core stirred in his chest, sending waves of fierce energy surging through him as he readied his bow and peered at the ugly creature. His bowstring bent under the steady pull of his fingers, and tiny lightning arcs began dancing around the enchanted arrow.

I'm the predator. And that's my prey.

The world narrowed around him as Seth took aim. His breathing stopped and his heartbeat slowed, preparing for the moment. Then, with a sharp snap, he released his arrow.

The projectile flew and soared like death itself straight toward the beast—the monstrosity jerked its head up, likely sensing something amiss, which caused the arrow to plunge into its shoulder rather than its head. Lightning surged through the creature's body, and it screeched in pain before crooking its oversized head toward Seth, fixing him with a red-eyed gaze. With a fierce growl, it then charged on all fours, its black teeth bared and ready to tear him apart.

Seth quickly fired another arrow, sending it straight at the creature's snarling face, but the thing easily sidestepped and pounced at him with terrifying speed.

Almost instantly, Seth's core burst open, flooded him with its mysterious energy, and made him leap out of the way, dodging the creature's claws by mere inches. Mid-air, he threw aside his bow and yanked his dagger out, casting Shocking Strike once more. The moment his feet touched the ground, he charged, pushing aether into Quick Step's grooves and thrust the electrified blade toward the creature's throat.

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The hideous beast reacted quickly, meeting the dagger with a claw swipe that sent sparks flying. Letting out a guttural snarl, it drew back as teal aether spread around its inky-black claws—then pounced again.

Seth dodged and rolled to the side. Springing back to his feet a second later, he lunged forward, his dagger leading the way. But the creature was ready and spun to dodge, its razor-sharp claws whipping through the air and ripping through Seth's shoulder. An intense pain seared through his arm and he stumbled back, clutching the bleeding wound with a wince.

The monstrosity then leapt back and crawled into the shadows, its deep growl reverberating through the room like the laughter of a madman pleased by the sight of its victim's blood.

"Hiding yourself, bastard?" Seth bellowed, gritting his teeth through the throbbing pain while his eyes tracked the creature.

Ghoul

 

Potential: Copper Tier

Rank: 15 (High-Copper)

Affinity: Undead

 

Strength: 31

Arcane Power: 18

Toughness: 16

Well Capacity: 27

Agility: 27

Regeneration: 22

It's killable. Everything is killable, he thought, tightening his grip on his dagger's handle. "Come at me, coward!"

The Ghoul skulked around, avoiding the glow from the walls' runes while likely preparing for another assault. Seth's core pulsed again in his chest, and waves of primal energy surged out violently.

Seth exhaled slowly, briefly closing his eyes as he pushed aside all thoughts, just like he had done against the Boreal Wolves, surrendering his mind for a chance to survive—for a chance to win. The fierce energy rushed through him, taking control of his body and merging with his instincts. With each heartbeat, his gaze sharpened, and the intense pain in his shoulder faded. Aether flowed from his Well into Quick Step's grooves, deepening and bending them to its will before storming into his muscles and his nerves. The crippling fear in his chest vanished and gave way to pure excitement.

Thrive and rise… or die trying.

That was the law of the wild, the way of the beasts—and the only Path he should follow. Challenges existed to be overcome. Danger to be conquered. He was ready to fight. Ready to stand at the top.

As Seth remained still in the hall's center, the Ghoul suddenly lunged from the shadows behind him, its claws outstretched and wrapped in teal aether. Snapping his eyes open, he spun to the side, using the motion to slash the creature's exposed flank with his dagger.

The Ghoul howled in pain and turned around with a swing of its claws. Seth immediately stepped back, dodging its attack again. Momentarily surprised, the creature retreated back into the darkness and started circling around him, its claws scraping against the cave's floor.

Seth grinned, raising his dagger. Come. Come die to my blade.

The hideous thing launched another assault, and Seth met it head-on. Picking up every tiny move of the beast, he reacted without thought, stepping left and right, twisting his torso to avoid the slashes. His body could barely keep up with his instinct as the deadly claws clashed against his dagger over and over again, some swipes barely missing his face—and yet his smile didn't waver.

Sweat dripping from his brow, Seth channeled lightning arcs into his unarmed hand while completely ignoring the burning pain from his shoulder's wound. The Ghoul whipped and thrusted its claws, frustration etched into its putrid face. With a bursting growl, it then raised its arm and swung it down toward Seth's face with brutal force.

Now.

Seth deflected the strike with his dagger then lunged forward, driving his electrified fist into the creature's bulging abdomen. Lightning surged through the Ghoul's body, causing it to roar in agony and stagger backward. Without missing a beat, Seth sprang forward, his dagger gleaming in the dim light of the cave's runes. The beast tried to counter, but Seth was ready and ducked under the blow before slicing the beast's side and darting out of range once again.

The Ghoul let out a deafening cry, eyes seething with rage. Seth's lips curled up into another smile and he bent his knees, ready for the next clash.

With a snarl, the undead beast dashed forward, forcing Seth to bring his dagger up to fend off the oncoming claws. But as he parried the attack, his instinct screamed—something was off. Out of the corner of his eye, he noticed the creature's feet lifting up from the cave's floor.

It's trying to tackle me!

Before he could react, the Ghoul rammed into him and knocked him to the ground before pouncing immediately, aiming its sharp claws straight at his face. Seth barely managed to raise his blade in time to block the right set and catch the creature's other arm with his bare hand. Pinned down beneath the hideous beast, he fought desperately to keep the claws from inching closer to his face. His arms shook under the overwhelming force, and his eyes stung from the Ghoul's putrid breath, its jagged teeth looming closer. Then, a sudden idea sparked in Seth's mind. Conscious thoughts fused with Feral Instinct, and he forced aether into Shocking Strike's grooves.

"Eat that, asshole," Seth hissed through his grin as lightning bolts whizzed from his arm and swept across the Ghoul's repellent body, causing it to screech in pain.

In a flash, Seth then yanked out the arrow still lodged in the creature's shoulder and drove it into its eye. A bloodcurdling scream tore through the Ghoul's throat and filled the hall as it clutched its face. Seizing the opportunity, Seth poured aether into his arm and buried his dagger hilt-deep into its chest. The creature's cries abruptly ceased, and a final, guttural gasp rippled out of its maws while its lifeless body fell on him.

Trying to catch his breath, Seth lay still beneath the corpse, ignoring the Ghoul's cold blood trickling down onto him. His heart was still furiously pounding in his ears. I… I did it. I won.

This was the first step on his new Path. And many more would follow. Until he reached the top. Until nothing stood above him.

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