The first gray hints of dawn filtered through the treetops by the time we reached the edge of the forest. Behind us, the village slept on, its doors barred, its people trembling in dreams they would never speak of. The drunkard still lay in the square, sprawled across the cobblestones where Landon had left him, alive and blissfully unaware of how close death had bent over him. I looked back once as we stepped into the shadows of the pines, watching the faint shimmer of morning light on his boots.
He'd wake eventually, sore-headed, terrified, and—if he remembered what he saw—forever changed. Maybe he'd tell the villagers. Maybe he wouldn't. Either way, it didn't matter. We hadn't come here for glory. Demon and beast slayers were respected across the lands, sure—some even worshiped in the border towns—but I'd learned early that the applause of mortals meant nothing when the real monsters still breathed.
The forest swallowed us whole. Mist pooled low between the roots, curling around our boots. Birds hadn't yet woken; the world was quiet except for our steps and the low whisper of armor brushing against bark.
Chloe walked beside me, her usual sharp tongue dulled by exhaustion. Landon led the way, his shoulders squared, his pace steady. He'd taken the worst of the hits last night, and though the wounds had closed, I could still see the stiffness in his movements.
After a while, he slowed, glanced back at us, and said, "We should stop for a bit."
"Rest?" Chloe asked, voice flat.
"Heal," he corrected, already raising a hand toward the air. I couldn't see his interface, but I knew what it looked like—that faint golden shimmer only visible to those linked. To me, it felt as if he were plucking something from nothing. His fingers closed around empty air, and then the nothing became a vial, pale green and softly glowing.
A healing elixir.
He uncorked it, took a careful sip, and handed it over to me. "Don't drain it," he warned.
"I know."
I tilted the bottle, the taste sharp and metallic on my tongue. It burned down my throat, leaving a trail of warmth that settled deep in my chest. The pain in my ribs eased almost instantly. I passed it to Chloe, who finished what was left.
Landon smiled faintly. "You're welcome."
"You're generous," I said.
He shrugged. "Generosity keeps the team alive."
I wanted to thank him, but before I could, the elixir's warmth deepened into drowsiness. My eyelids felt like they'd been weighted with lead. Chloe swayed beside me, yawning.
"Here we go," she murmured.
We lay down among the moss and fallen leaves, our weapons close. The forest hummed softly. I tried to fight the pull of sleep, but it was useless. The elixir did more than heal—it demanded stillness so the body could mend.
The last thing I remembered was the slow rhythm of my own breathing and the faint glow fading from the bottle beside us.
When I opened my eyes again, sunlight poured through the branches overhead. It was midmorning. The air was fresher, brighter, alive with birdsong. My cuts were gone. Even the deeper claw marks on my arm had vanished, leaving smooth skin behind.
I sat up slowly, stretching. Landon was already awake, crouched near a tree, his sword across his knees. Chloe yawned herself upright, brushing leaves from her hair.
"Morning," I said.
"Midmorning," Landon corrected. "You both slept like corpses."
I smiled faintly. "Compliment taken."
"How's the shoulder?" Chloe asked him.
"Good as new."
"That elixir's magic," she said.
"It's science," I corrected. "System-based bioalchemy."
"Which is fancy talk for magic."
He laughed, and for a moment, it felt normal—three people waking after a long night, sunlight streaming through leaves, laughter soft in the air. But normal didn't last.
Landon's tone changed when he said, "The tracker's still active."
My pulse quickened. "You're sure?"
"Positive. It's bound to my System. The vampire's on the move—or was. It's stationary now. Deep forest, maybe two hours ahead."
"Could it know we're following?" Chloe asked.
He frowned. "Possibly. Depends how much its creator told it about these trackers."
"Let's assume it's not stupid," I said.
He nodded. "Then we'll assume it's waiting."
We packed up and moved. Landon's System led the way, his gaze tracking something I couldn't see. Whatever path he followed, it took us deeper into silence. The forest seemed to hold its breath.
By the time the sun stood high, we found the house.
It rose from the earth like a ghost—a sprawling manor half-swallowed by vines and decay, its roof sagging, its windows black as sockets. The walls were gray stone streaked with moss, the air around it cool despite the daylight. It might once have been beautiful. Now it looked like a tomb pretending to be a home.
Chloe whistled softly. "Someone's been living fancy."
"Once upon a time," Landon murmured.
"The vampire's inside," I said. I could feel it—the same way you sense a storm before you see clouds. The air had that heavy stillness, that faint metallic tang that tasted like blood in the back of the throat.
We approached slowly, weapons ready. I called up my System inventory. The familiar golden glow of my armory flared to life, displaying my ten available weapons. My hand hovered over them before I chose my silver-edged falchion again. The weapon solidified in my grasp, perfectly balanced, humming faintly with System resonance.
Landon drew his greatsword, Chloe her twin daggers.
"Same rule as before," I said. "We take what comes. No running."
She smirked. "Do I ever run?"
"Last night you tripped over a barrel."
"That barrel attacked me first."
Landon grinned. "Focus."
We stepped through the doorway.
The house greeted us with silence. Dust coated the floor, disturbed only by our footprints. A grand staircase curved upward into shadow. Torn drapes hung like funeral shrouds. The air smelled of old stone and faint rot.
We moved carefully. The System's faint hum in my chest warned of danger even before it showed.
Then the first trap sprung.
A floorboard clicked under Chloe's boot. There was a hiss—then silver wires snapped up from the floor, slicing through the air like knives. She dropped instantly, rolling aside. I swung my blade, severing two of the wires before they caught her. The rest whirred past, slicing deep grooves into the wall.
"Traps," she breathed. "Really?"
"Guess they don't like guests," I said.
Landon crouched beside the trigger plate, studying it. "Old-world craftsmanship. Rewired by someone clever. Watch your steps."
We continued deeper. Another trap triggered near the hallway—a burst of alchemical gas from cracked urns. I covered my mouth, swung my sword through the cloud, scattering it before the fumes could thicken. The air shimmered faintly with toxin.
"Ventilation spell?" Chloe asked.
"No. The System says physical—chemical," Landon replied, eyes flicking toward where his interface would be. "They've mixed poison dust with bone powder."
"Lovely."
We pressed on. The manor stretched deeper than it looked—rooms leading into corridors, corridors spiraling down. Eventually we found the stairs leading underground. They were wide and old, descending into pure blackness.
"Of course they'd nest below ground," Chloe muttered.
Landon looked to me. "Night Vision?"
I nodded. "Activate."
The System obeyed immediately.
Night Vision: Activated.
Light flooded the dark. Not real light—System-rendered vision, sharp and silver, painting the world in shades of gray. Every stone, every dust particle gleamed like it was carved from moonlight.
Chloe and Landon's eyes glowed faintly as their night vision activated.
We descended.
The air grew colder, thicker, alive with faint whispering sounds that could've been the wind—or could've been something else entirely. The stairs opened into a wide underground chamber. And there, waiting for us, were ten shapes.
They stood perfectly still, pale skin luminous in the dark. The one at the center was the marked vampire—the one Landon had tracked. The others formed a semicircle behind it, eyes burning red.
"So much for surprise," Chloe muttered.
The lead vampire smiled. "We've been expecting you."
His voice was smooth, too human. "Our friend told us of your little game."
"Friend?" I asked.
"The one you tagged." He raised his arm, showing the faint shimmer where the Tracker Clasp lay invisible. "A clever device. Pity you think we don't understand such things."
"Then you should know what happens next," I said.
His grin widened, fangs glinting. "Yes. You die."
They attacked as one.
Claws flashed in the dark. I moved before thought, the System's hum rising inside me, its commentary still running in the back of my mind.
Threat proximity: high. Engage now.
I spun, blade slicing across the first vampire's chest. Blood hissed where silver met skin. Another lunged from the side—I ducked, drove my elbow back, felt bone crack. Chloe's daggers caught the one behind me, and Landon's greatsword roared through the air, cleaving two down in a single arc.
They were faster than the ones from last night. Smarter, coordinated. Every second was a blur of movement and instinct.
Warning: multiple hostiles targeting flank.
I pivoted right, my falchion catching the gleam of claws mid-swipe. The clash sent vibrations up my arm. I pushed forward, using the momentum, sliding my blade along its guard, cutting deep into its neck.
Precision increase: 7%.
Landon bellowed something—too fast to catch—and the ground shook as he slammed one vampire into the wall. Chloe darted between us, twin blades spinning, every strike leaving trails of silver.
I lost count of how many we'd cut through. They came from every direction, snarling, leaping. The System's commentary burned through my thoughts in waves of instinct.
Counter now. Shift weight. Duck. Rotate left. Strike at the spine.
I obeyed without hesitation. My blade flowed through their bodies like water. The air filled with screams and the hiss of burning flesh.
Chloe cried out once—a short, sharp sound—but she was still standing when I turned, blood streaking her cheek. "I'm fine!" she shouted, and stabbed another vampire clean through.
The leader moved through the chaos, faster than all the rest. His eyes glowed like coals. He swept at me, claws glancing off my armor. Sparks flew. I countered with a thrust that would've taken his heart—he twisted, the blade grazing his ribs instead.
Target evasion: advanced. Adjust timing.
I shifted stance, grounding my feet, and waited. He lunged again. This time I didn't retreat—I stepped in, catching his wrist, twisting, driving my knee into his gut. As he doubled over, I brought the falchion up and through his chest.
Fire bloomed. He screamed, collapsing into smoke and ash.
The remaining vampires faltered. Landon saw it too. "Press!" he roared.
We surged forward as one. Three more fell in quick succession, Chloe's daggers and my blade striking in rhythm. Landon's greatsword broke the last two like branches under a storm.
When the final one fell, silence returned. The basement stank of smoke and burnt flesh. Piles of ash glowed faintly across the floor.
My chest heaved. My arms trembled. Then the System pulsed again.
Combat complete.
Kill confirmations: 10.
Total XP yield: 857 points.
Golden script flared before my eyes.
Landon – 315 pts
Ava – 281 pts
Chloe – 261 pts
The numbers dissolved, replaced by the next pulse of energy that sank into my veins.
Allocating 50 attribute points (10 each to Strength, Agility, Vitality, Intelligence, Wisdom). Remaining points integrated into Slayer Core.
Warmth spread through me, deeper than the healing elixir had ever gone. Every muscle hummed. My senses sharpened, my heartbeat steadied, my breath felt cleaner.
I whispered, "System, display."
Fire-letters unfolded.
[ SYSTEM CODEX – AWAKENED ]
Name: Ava Monroe
Trade: Demon and Beast Slayer
Rank: Field Initiate
Level: 1
Gender: Female
Slayer Points: 343 (↑ from 112)
Health: 670 / 740
Stamina: 541 / 620
Mana: 510 / 510
Attributes (Previous):
STRENGTH: 78
AGILITY: 90
VITALITY: 63
INTELLIGENCE: 51
WISDOM: 54
LUCK: 45
Attributes (Updated):
STRENGTH: 88
AGILITY: 100
VITALITY: 73
INTELLIGENCE: 61
WISDOM: 64
LUCK: 45
Achievements
• Seasoned in the Arts of Combat
• Trained in Communion with the System
• Scholar of Arcane and Mortal Knowledge
Equipment Access
Available Armor Sets: 3
Weapons within Armory: 10
Battle Memory Replay: Locked
Healing Elixirs Remaining: 57%
Arcane Storage Vault: 35% of 100% Capacity Used
Night Vision: Activated
Focus Zoom: Deactivated
Additional Functions: [Access via Thought or Gesture Command]
[ CODEX POWER DOWN ]
The letters burned out, leaving me standing in the quiet aftermath of slaughter.
I'd learned long ago not to question how the System allocated its points. Some Slayers claimed they could influence the distribution with thought or intent, but I'd tried, and it never worked. The System had its own mind, its own way of seeing what we needed even when we didn't. Sometimes its choices made sense. Sometimes they didn't. Either way, they were always right in the long run. That was what experience had taught me.
"These upgrades…" Chloe said softly, checking her own invisible readout. "Feels good, doesn't it?"
"Feels earned," I said.
Landon sheathed his sword, the echo of the fight still in his eyes. "Let's search the rest of the house. Make sure they're all gone."
We did, moving from room to room. The air upstairs felt lighter, the shadows less heavy. No more vampires. No more traps. Just the faint rustle of wind through broken windows.
When we stepped outside again, sunlight washed over us. I blinked, the Night Vision still active, and the sudden brightness stabbed at my eyes.
"Deactivate Night Vision," I murmured.
The world dimmed to normal.
Night Vision: Deactivated.
It was late afternoon now. The sun hung low, gold spilling through the branches. Our armor shimmered faintly, smeared with soot and ash.
Landon wiped his blade clean with a scrap of cloth, then glanced at me. "We should take another elixir—from one of you this time. I used mine earlier."
I nodded, touching my ribs where faint bruises still throbbed. "We will, but not here. Let's wait until we find somewhere we can rest properly."