Game Of Survival

Zane's body ached, but for the first time since entering this hellish world, he had slept. Not peacefully—his dreams had been haunted by the faceless horror of the Hollow Stalker—but his stamina had finally started to recover.

A faint golden glow stretched over the horizon, marking the first light of dawn. The once-frigid air had softened, though a thin layer of mist still clung to the forest floor.

A notification blinked in his vision.

[STATUS UPDATE]

HP: 30/35 (Minor Injuries Healing)

STAMINA: 15/50 (Slow Recovery Active)

HUNGER: Moderate (-5% Strength)

THIRST: Low (-2% Speed)

COLD STATUS: Removed

REST BONUS: Gained +10% Stamina Regen for 3 Hours

Zane sat up, stretching his sore muscles as he looked toward the woman who had saved him.

She sat by the dying fire, her sharp golden eyes scanning the forest as if expecting danger at any moment. Her mismatched armor—leather and cloth, reinforced with bone—suggested she was a survivor like him.

She finally spoke without turning to face him.

"You sleep like a corpse."

Zane let out a dry chuckle. "Felt like one, too."

Her gaze finally shifted toward him, studying him like a predator sizing up another hunter.

"You're new here," she stated. Not a question.

Zane nodded. "Yeah. Few days, at most."

She tossed a small piece of dried meat toward him. "Eat. You'll need it."

[INVENTORY UPDATE]

Dried Meat (Restores 10 HP, Slightly Increases Stamina Recovery) Added.

He caught it, chewing slowly. The salty, leathery texture wasn't great, but it was food. His hunger subsided slightly, though not completely.

After a moment, he finally asked, "So… you got a name?"

The woman hesitated, then said, "Lyra."

Zane nodded. "I'm Zane."

Lyra smirked slightly. "I know. You muttered it in your sleep."

Great. Embarrassing.

She stood abruptly, grabbing her bone-tipped spear and strapping it to her back. "Come on. If you want to live through the next few days, you're going to need more than luck."

Zane frowned. "What do you mean?"

She turned, fixing him with a hard stare.

"The Bloodmoon is coming."

[NEW OBJECTIVE: PREPARE FOR THE BLOODMOON HUNT]

Survivors must either hide or fight when the Bloodmoon rises.

The Blood Pact will be hunting.

Monsters become stronger and more aggressive.

Zane's stomach twisted at the word 'hunt.'

He didn't like the sound of this at all.

Lyra led him through a narrow path, overgrown with twisting roots and moss-covered stones. She moved with practiced ease, barely making a sound. Zane, on the other hand, was a step away from tripping over everything.

His stealth sucked.

They arrived at a clearing, where a makeshift training area had been set up. Dummies crafted from straw and wood stood scattered around, some impaled with arrows or slashed to ribbons.

Zane whistled. "You made all this?"

Lyra nodded. "Trained here for months. You're gonna do the same."

Zane exhaled, rolling his shoulders. Training was better than dying unprepared.

Lyra gestured toward a nearby straw dummy. "First, your weapon. Show me how you fight."

Zane gripped his spiked club, stepping into a ready stance. His muscles still burned from yesterday's escape, but he focused.

He swung.

[TRAINING MODE ACTIVATED]

Objective: Land five solid hits on the target.

Stamina Drain: Active

His club smashed into the dummy's chest.

[-10 HP] [EFFECTIVE STRIKE]

Zane swung again, adjusting his grip. The second hit was stronger.

[-12 HP] [CRITICAL HIT!]

But his third strike was sloppy. His arms trembled, the weight of exhaustion slowing him down.

[MISS: STAMINA TOO LOW FOR FULL POWER STRIKE]

Lyra's voice cut through his frustration. "Your form is a mess. You're relying too much on brute force."

Zane wiped sweat from his forehead. "Yeah, well, brute force worked so far."

Lyra folded her arms. "Against goblins and dumb wolves, maybe. But against real threats? You need technique."

[NEW TRAINING OBJECTIVE: MASTER COMBAT BASICS]

Learn how to balance power and stamina.

Improve counterattacks.

Increase movement efficiency in battle.

Lyra suddenly lunged at him.

Zane's instincts flared. He barely raised his club in time, blocking her wooden practice spear as it slammed against his weapon.

The impact sent a vibration through his arms.

[-5 HP: BLOCKED STRIKE]

"Too slow," she said flatly.

She moved again—faster this time.

Zane had no choice but to react. Instead of just blocking, he angled his club slightly, redirecting the force. Lyra's spear slid off his weapon, leaving her slightly off-balance.

An opening.

Zane stepped in, swinging—

But Lyra was already moving back, resetting.

Successful counters now stagger weaker enemies.

Chance to negate damage on well-timed blocks.

Zane exhaled. "I could get used to this."

Lyra smirked. "Good. Because next, we work on your stamina."

Zane groaned.

After an exhausting training session, Zane finally collapsed near the campfire, rubbing his sore arms.

Lyra tossed him a waterskin, which he gratefully accepted.

Then she turned, gazing toward the reddening sky.

Zane frowned. "Something wrong?"

Lyra's expression darkened.

"The sky turns crimson before the Bloodmoon. It means… they're coming soon."

Zane's heartbeat quickened.

The Blood Pact.

He still didn't know who—or what—they were. But from the way Lyra gripped her spear tighter, he knew one thing.

They weren't just another group of survivors.

They were hunters.

And soon, they'd be coming for him.

[NEW OBJECTIVE: SURVIVE THE BLOODMOON HUNT]

Prepare for a large-scale attack.

Find safe locations or fortify defenses.

Defeat or avoid the Blood Pact.

Zane's grip tightened on his spiked club.

For the first time since arriving in this world, he realized something.

It wasn't just monsters he had to fear.

It was people, too.

And the hunt… was about to begin.