A thin mist covering the ruined plains slowly dissipated, replaced by the creeping shadows of dusk. Amid shattered stones and cracked soil, Park Ki Ran stood motionless. His skeletons stood guard, silent yet alert. Rusdi sat slouched against a broken wall, rolling up the sleeve of his torn jacket, dried blood clinging to the edge of his temple.
> "That voice earlier," Rusdi finally spoke. "It sounded human… but strange. A woman's voice, but cold. Like it wasn't human at all."
Ki Ran nodded slowly. The artifact they had discovered deep within the ruins—a shard of black stone inscribed with unreadable symbols—still pulsed with warmth inside the pocket of his cloak. Ever since he touched it, faint whispers had seeped into his thoughts. Words in an unknown tongue… yet somehow, he understood them:
> "Rise. The East has not yet been buried."
---
That night, they camped beneath the remains of an old watchtower. Ki Ran couldn't sleep. Instead, he rewrote skill combinations in a tattered logbook torn from the survivor camp's remnants. He had realized: Bone Spike could be planted directly beneath his summoned Skeletons—creating a delayed trap. Field tests on minor monsters had proven it effective.
As dawn broke, golden-orange light filtered through Moontoon's haze. They resumed their journey eastward, following the artifact's persistent whispers.
> [Side Quest Activated: Traces of the Buried East]
Objective: Find the source of the whispers.
Location: Unknown
Reward: EXP + ??? | Risk: Unknown
But while crossing a ridge of dark volcanic stone, Rusdi suddenly halted.
> "Ki Ran… look at that. Footprints. Three toes, long… not human."
The tracks spiraled across the black dust—far too neat, too calculated. Ki Ran crouched down and touched them. Suddenly, his Death Sense pulsed sharply—something had just died here.
---
From behind shadowy trees, roots and thorns snaked forward. The earth trembled. A figure emerged: Grimroot Sentinel—a towering plant-beast guarding ancient ruins. Over three meters tall, its body was a grotesque blend of rotting wood and rusted metal. A shattered human spear jutted from its back.
> [UNIQUE MONSTER – GRIMROOT SENTINEL]
Level: Elite – Lvl 6
Status: Hostile
Abilities: Root Regeneration, Thorn Assault, Passive Camouflage
Ki Ran had no time to think.
> "Skeleton—flank right. Rusdi, throw a rock at the left root bundle!"
A new tactic unfolded. Bone Spike was planted before the Skeleton advanced. When the monster attacked, bone thorns erupted from the ground—piercing its knee joint.
Grimroot howled. But not from pain.
> "It's absorbing the skeleton?!"
For the first time, Ki Ran instinctively stepped back. Something deep inside him stirred… challenged. And strangely—tempted.
---
"This is no longer about survival. It's a test… whether I can master death, or become part of it."
---
With sharp synergy and Rusdi's well-aimed stone striking the beast's eye, Ki Ran executed a final Bone Spike into its skull. The monster collapsed.
> [EXP Gained: +89]
Skill Combo Bonus: Bone Spike + Raise Skeleton → +12% Efficiency
But when the creature died, its roots twisted into glowing symbols—matching the black artifact.
---
Beneath the monster's remains, they found a small armor plate, engraved with a gear-shaped symbol.
> "Ex Machina… here? That means they've been in this area. Or… are still watching."
---
> Unseen Entity – Dialogue Transmission
"He's beginning to adapt. Log: Evolution potential increasing. Wait… if he touches the Core—the East will awaken."
---