The air hung thick and heavy, a damp, earthy scent replacing the crisp Vermont air Ethan remembered. Gone were the familiar maple trees and rolling hills, replaced by twisted, gnarled oaks with bioluminescent fungi clinging to their bark like glowing parasites. The 'Shatter' hadn't just rearranged the world; it had fundamentally rewritten its rules.

Ethan took a tentative step forward, crunching on leaves that crackled with an unnatural dryness. He clutched the crude, bone-hafted axe the System had provided him – a pathetic weapon compared to the horrors he imagined lurked within this transformed wilderness. His single companion, the evolved Skeleton Warrior, shuffled ahead, its newly hardened bone armor gleaming dully in the filtered sunlight.

"Alright, Bonehead," Ethan muttered, giving the skeleton a mental prod. He was still getting used to communicating through the strange mental link the Necromancer class granted him. "Eyes peeled. System says there's a resource node somewhere around here. Probably guarded by… something nasty."

Bonehead, as Ethan affectionately (and somewhat unimaginatively) called him, remained silent, its empty eye sockets fixed forward. But Ethan felt a subtle shift in its focus, a heightened awareness that reassured him. Evolving it had been worth it. The original skeleton would have crumbled at the first sign of danger. This one… this one felt almost capable.

He navigated through a dense thicket, the air growing colder, the silence more profound. Even the chirping of insects, once a constant background noise, had vanished. It was a silence that screamed of predators, of unseen dangers lurking just beyond the periphery.

Suddenly, Bonehead stopped, its arm snapping up, pointing towards a copse of ancient pines. A low growl, guttural and menacing, rumbled through the air. Ethan tensed, his hand tightening around the axe.

"Showtime," he whispered. He pushed past the last layer of foliage and gasped.

Before him stood not one, but three grotesque creatures. They were vaguely ursine in shape, but twisted and corrupted beyond recognition. Matted, sickly green fur covered their hulking bodies, interspersed with patches of exposed, decaying flesh. Their eyes glowed with a malevolent amber light, and thick vines, pulsating with an unnatural energy, snaked around their limbs, acting as living whips. These were the Forest Guardians.

The System pinged in his mind, providing a rudimentary threat assessment.

*Forest Guardian (Level 3) - Corrupted Beast, Guardian of the Verdant Node.*

*Weakness: Fire.*

Ethan cursed inwardly. Fire was a weakness he couldn’t exploit. Not yet, at least. He was relying entirely on Bonehead and the limited abilities he possessed.

"Bonehead," he commanded mentally, "engage! Draw their aggro! I'll try to flank."

The Skeleton Warrior obeyed instantly, charging forward with surprising speed. The Forest Guardians reacted with a coordinated roar, their vine whips lashing out with terrifying force. Bonehead nimbly dodged the first volley, the vines narrowly missing its skull. But the second strike caught it across the ribcage, sending it stumbling back.

Ethan seized the opportunity, circling around the flank. The stench of decay and corruption was overwhelming, making his stomach churn. He had to focus. He had to stay alive.

He charged towards the nearest Forest Guardian, axe raised high. The creature turned, its amber eyes locking onto Ethan with predatory hunger. It swung a massive paw, claws dripping with viscous green fluid.

Ethan ducked under the blow, the wind whistling past his head. He brought the axe down with all his might, striking the creature's leg. The bone-hafted axe, however, proved inadequate. It chipped against the tough, corrupted flesh, inflicting only a shallow wound.

The Forest Guardian roared in pain and anger, backhanding Ethan with its other paw. He went flying backwards, landing hard on his back, the wind knocked out of him. Stars danced before his eyes.

He scrambled to his feet, realizing his mistake. He was too weak to fight these things head-on. He had to rely on Bonehead, on its resilience, and on his own tactical thinking.

"Bonehead! Utilize bone shard volley!" he commanded mentally, focusing his will.

Bonehead, still battling the other two Guardians, responded instantly. It ripped off several of its own finger bones, channeling a surge of Necromantic energy into them. The bone shards became razor-sharp projectiles, launching towards the Forest Guardians.

The bone shards struck true, piercing the creatures' exposed flesh. They howled in pain, momentarily distracted. Ethan used the opportunity to regain his composure.

He noticed something. One of the vines, severed by a bone shard, was twitching on the ground. It pulsed with the same green energy as the vines still attached to the Guardians. An idea sparked in his mind.

"Bonehead! Keep them distracted! I need to examine something!"

Ethan cautiously approached the severed vine. He focused his Necromantic energy, reaching out to it, attempting to establish a connection. He felt a faint resistance, a sense of wrongness, but he persisted.

Slowly, painstakingly, he began to exert his will over the vine. It twitched, writhed, and then, to his astonishment, began to respond to his commands. He directed it to lash out, striking one of the Forest Guardians in the leg.

The creature roared, confused and enraged. It thrashed about, trying to dislodge the vine, but Ethan held firm, pouring more energy into the connection.

This was it. This was his advantage. He might be a Necromancer, reviled and feared, but he could adapt. He could learn. He could use the very corruption against them.

He repeated the process, severing another vine and bringing it under his control. Now, he had two corrupted vines at his command, acting as extensions of his will.

"Bonehead! Fall back! Let them come to me!"

The Skeleton Warrior disengaged, retreating towards Ethan. The Forest Guardians, driven by rage and the instinct to protect their territory, lumbered forward, their eyes fixed on Ethan.

As they closed in, Ethan unleashed his improvised weapon. The two corrupted vines lashed out, wrapping around the creatures' legs, tripping them. The Forest Guardians stumbled, momentarily losing their balance.

Ethan, seizing the opportunity, focused all his energy on Bonehead. "Bonehead! Maximize bone shards! Aim for the eyes!"

Bonehead launched a barrage of bone shards, aiming with deadly accuracy. The shards pierced the Forest Guardians' glowing amber eyes, blinding them. They roared in agony, thrashing wildly, their vines flailing uselessly.

Ethan knew this was his chance. He charged forward, axe raised, and with a desperate roar, brought the axe down on the head of the nearest Forest Guardian. This time, fueled by adrenaline and desperation, the axe struck true. The corrupted skull cracked, and the creature collapsed to the ground, twitching.

He didn't hesitate. He turned to the next Guardian, and then the next, repeating the process, using the vines to disorient them and Bonehead's bone shards to weaken them. The battle was brutal, chaotic, and exhausting. But slowly, painstakingly, he wore them down.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the last Forest Guardian fell, its corrupted body lying motionless on the ground. Ethan stood panting, covered in grime and viscous green fluid, his body aching, his muscles screaming in protest. Bonehead stood beside him, its bone armor cracked and chipped, but still standing.

The System chimed in his mind.

*Level Up! (Ethan Blackwood: Level 2)*

*Level Up! (Skeleton Warrior: Level 3)*

*You have gained 3 Skill Points.*

*You have gained 120 Copper.*

*You have obtained Verdant Essence (3).*

Ethan leaned heavily on his axe, taking deep breaths. He had survived. He had killed. He had taken his first real steps in this new, brutal world.

He looked at the lifeless bodies of the Forest Guardians, at the corrupted vines twitching on the ground. He felt a pang of something akin to guilt, quickly dismissed. This world didn't reward weakness. It rewarded strength, cunning, and the will to survive.

He approached the verdant node, a small, glowing patch of earth in the center of the copse. He reached out, feeling the warm, vibrant energy emanating from it. This was what they had been guarding. This was a source of power.

He knew he had a long way to go. He was just a Level 2 Necromancer with a single evolved skeleton. But he had tasted blood. He had felt the rush of power. And he knew, with a certainty that resonated deep within his soul, that he was ready to fight. He was ready to evolve. He was ready to reign.