The Devouring Knight

A ripple of energy swept through the training yard as Krivex's transformation finished. The faint, oppressive aura that now radiated from him drew instinctive shuffles and wary glances from the surrounding goblins and kobolds.

For a moment, no one spoke, then a chorus broke out.

"Warlord Krivex!"

"No, Warmarch now!"

"That's the High Marshal for you"

"Congratulations!"

Even Skitz gave a toothy grin, clapping once in approval. The captains thumped their chest in a warrior's salute.

Lumberling stepped forward, his gaze meeting Krivex's. "You've done well."

Krivex bared his teeth in a grin. "I suppose I should thank you, my Lord. Without your help and training, I'd probably still be half the goblin I was… or dead in a ditch." He chuckled, then lowered his head slightly, not in mockery, but in genuine respect. "I think my bones still remember every one of your drills."

A few nearby goblins laughed. Lumberling's lips curved faintly. "You'll live."

From within his satchel, Lumberling pulled a slim, leather-bound book and handed it over. "This is for you. It's a copy of the book Thessalia gave me, contains the method for forming a mana heart and some basic magecraft principles."

Krivex's eyes lit with genuine gratitude. "As always, my Lord… thank you," he said with a respectful bow of his head.

As Krivex flipped the first page open, Lumberling's gaze lingered on him. 'I wonder what element he'll awaken…'

…..

The week passed in a steady rhythm silence. Lumberling spent his days ranging deep into the forest, bow in hand, each step a lesson in patience and control.

Leaves whispered under his boots as he melted from tree to tree, the faint shimmer of his Shadow Glide carrying him unseen through shafts of sunlight. Every arrow he loosed struck true.

(Beginner Shadow Glide has reached Level 6. Power +249)

(Beginner Bowmanship has reached Level 2. Power +120)

It was just after he'd downed a deer with a clean shot through the throat that he decided to turn back. Slinging the carcass over his shoulder as he crossed the village's gate.

He'd barely taken three steps inside when Vice-Captain Karnark strode toward him, tail flicking with barely contained excitement. The beast tamer's scaled cheeks were flushed, his breathing quick.

"My Lord," Karnark reported, his voice tinged with pride, "almost all of the lizardmen eggs we brought back… they've hatched."

Lumberling's brow lifted. "Already? Let's go see them."

Karnark led him down a narrow earthen ramp at the edge of the village, past woven reed fencing and a pair of goblin guards. The air grew warmer as they descended, the scent of damp soil mingling with faint charcoal smoke. At the bottom, a wide door of packed clay swung open, revealing the underground hatching chamber.

The room had been cleverly designed by his subordinates weeks before. Thick mud-brick walls and packed-earth insulation kept the temperature stable even through the chill of night. Along one wall, a shallow pit of glowing charcoal radiated a low, steady warmth. Stone-lined vents in the ceiling carried away the smoke while keeping heat trapped below.

For light, the chamber used simple electric bulbs strung along the ceiling, powered by a storage battery. Their steady glow cast warm halos over the rows of straw-lined nests, making the damp, earthen walls glisten in the humid air.

Lumberling's eyes scanned the chamber. Dozens of tiny lizardmen hatchlings scuttled about, some still slick from the egg, others already exploring with squeaky chirps. Their translucent scales caught the lamplight like wet glass.

Near the far nest, four mottled eggs remained unbroken, resting in the warm straw. A goblin attendant gently turned them with gloved hands, checking for signs of life.

"They've been slow," Karnark said quietly, noticing Lumberling's gaze. "But they're still warm, and I can feel movement. I think they'll make it."

Lumberling crouched beside one nest, his shadow stretching over a hatchling that blinked up at him. "Good work," he said, his voice low. "Make sure the charcoal stays burning through the night. No sudden changes in heat."

Lumberling stepped deeper into the chamber.

As he approached, one hatchling turned its small, horned head toward him. The moment their eyes met, a shiver ran down his spine. Power, not raw strength, but something far older and more dangerous brushed against his senses. It was the same suffocating, chaotic presence he had felt when battling Naxxiriss' high priest… the pulse of the chaos element itself.

His brow furrowed. 'This might be trouble…' The thought curled in his mind, heavy with uncertainty.

"Karnark," he said evenly, not taking his eyes off the small creature. "Keep an eye on that one. Day and night. I want to know everything it does."

Karnark followed his Lord's gaze to the small lizardman. He didn't know why this particular hatchling drew such attention, but he still inclined his head in obedience.

"Understood, my Lord."

Lumberling lingered for a moment longer, watching as the hatchling in question climbed over a sibling and nestled into a warmer spot, unaware or perhaps uncaring of the weight of his stare. 'Or maybe… this is a blessing. He could become like Skitz,' Lumberling mused.

Around them, the soft scratching of claws against straw and the faint hiss of the charcoal fire pit blended into a steady rhythm.

Finally, he straightened, his mouth curling into a faint smirk. "We'll need to start thinking about where to put them once they grow. They won't fit in here for long."

Leaving the humid chamber behind, Lumberling climbed the stone steps, each breath cooling as he emerged into the open air.

…..

Nightfall.

The night sky stretched above, a tapestry of silver stars scattered over deep velvet. Lumberling stood in the quiet clearing just beyond the village walls, his breath clouding faintly in the cool air.

With a slow exhale, he willed the familiar status window to appear before his eyes.

Name: Lumberling

Race: Human

Age: 26 years (4 months, 1 week)

Level: 10

Essence Point: (12,424 / 26,000)

Power: 6,042 (Skills: 4,636 | Level: 1,406)

Fragment of Divine Blessing: Qi Adaptation

(A trait bestowed upon beings from the Martial Realms, allowing them to thrive in foreign energy systems.)

Fragment of Naxxiriss' Blessing: Blessing of the Pale Dream

(You become resistant to illusion and fear. Your own aura causes low-level terror in the weak-minded. (Effects weakened))

Cultivation Realm: Unranked

Beginner Imperial Mindseal Meditation Level 1 (508/1000)

Beginner Ironblood Tempering Scripture Level 1 (422/1000)

Knight Stage: Quasi-Knight

Active Skills

Beginner Sprint Lv2 (0/1000)

Beginner Hammer Shock Lv1 (0/1000)

Beginner Thundering Lunge Lv.0 (1/1000))

Beginner Essence Weave Lv0 (893/1000)

(Derived from Essence Devour. Allows the user to bind the essence of a fallen enemy and channel it into another chosen vessel.)

Passive Skills

Essence Devour

Beginner Spearheart Doctrine Lv10 (26/1000)

Beginner Shadow Glide Lv6 (0/1000)

Beginner Flowing Edge Lv3 (672/1000)

Beginner Bowmanship Lv2 (0/1000)

Beginner Shield Bash Lv1 (495/1000)

Beginner Bonecrush Method Lv1 (0/1000)

Beginner Dual Wielding Axe Lv0 (769/1000)

Resistances

Beginner Poison Resistance Lv1 (441/1000)

Elements

Fire Element Lv.0 (1/1000)

Earth Element Lv.0 (1/1000)

Chaos Element Lv.0 (1/1000)

He dismissed the status window with a blink, the faint glow fading from his vision. His preparations were complete, every skill sharpened, every scrap of strength squeezed from the long weeks of training.

'Not where I want to be… but enough to survive. Maybe.'

The village was different tonight. Even through the walls he could feel the charged air, hear the muted clatter of armor being checked one last time, smell the faint tang of oil and steel. Tomorrow, or perhaps the day after would be the start.

The war they had all been preparing for was no longer a distant shadow on the horizon.

It was here.