Urban Plundering: I Corrupted The System!

Chapter 107 Plunderer

The forest was a blur. Trees, glowing vines, and moss zipped past him while the thundering sound of paws—big, terrifying paws—pounded behind him. And fuck, was the thing massive.

It wasn't just "big dog" massive. No, this beast was elephant huge—jaws snapping with fangs the size of his damn arm, each step shaking the ground like it was the final boss in some fantasy RPG. Leaves trembled, whole trees quivered, and all Parker could think was:

'I'm gonna die in a fucking dream.'

Ahead of him, Ere was tearing through the forest like she was channeling Cheptegei himself, her sleek black form darting between trees so fast she looked like a damn ninja blur.

"Ere, WAIT!" Parker shouted, nearly eating dirt as his foot clipped a root.

"Run faster, master!"

"YOU'RE NOT HELPING!" Branches slapped him in the face. Vines brushed his legs.

Behind him, the beast roared, its hot breath practically singeing his back.

A tree root snagged his shoe— "Shit, shit, SHIT—"

He skidded forward, nearly face-planting but managing to twist his body into a sloppy baseball slide under a massive fallen tree branch. The bark scraped his jacket, leaves and dirt kicking up behind him as he narrowly avoided being decapitated.

Not cool. Not fucking cool.

The wolf lunged—

CRASH!

It plowed through the same branch like it was a toothpick, shattering it into splinters. Parker risked a glance back.

Big mistake.

The wolf was right there, golden eyes locked on him, claws gouging deep into the mossy ground as it closed the gap with terrifying speed.

"ERE! DO SOMETHING!"

"Why? Is this MY fault?!" Ere called back, leaping effortlessly from one tree to another like she was auditioning for the next Jungle Book remake.

"YOU SUGGESTED EXPLORING, THAT'S WHY!"

"You're the one who spun those stupid spins!"

"THAT DOESN'T—" Parker's foot slipped.

He tripped.

The beast lunged again, jaws wide—

Parker twisted mid-fall, just barely dodging a snap that would've taken his whole head off. The wolf's claws raked along his shoulder—just a graze, but the burning pain made him hiss.

Okay, screw this. This whole dream was rigged.

"Ere! I have a fucking sword! Why am I RUNNING?!"

"Because you're scared, master! Face it!"

"YOU THINK?!"

He wasn't stupid enough to fight a monster that looked like it could eat an SUV whole. His body was enhanced, sure, but not "fight-a-wolf-the-size-of-a-house" enhanced.

"USE YOUR MAGIC, MASTER!" Ere yelled from above.

"YOU HAVE IT TOO—USE IT!" They burst through a clearing. The moss turned soft, slippery—Parker's foot hit a wet patch, and for a split second, gravity betrayed him.

"Fuuuuuu—"

He went down—

—and kept going.

Not into the ground.

Nope.

Into a hole.

A stupidly small, shallow dip in the earth—barely more than a rabbit's burrow, but just big enough for his entire body to fall in while his sword clattered to the side.

"Oof!" He landed with a painful thud, sprawled awkwardly like he'd just lost a fight to the dirt itself.

Ere skidded to a stop outside the hole, blinking.

"…Seriously?"

Parker groaned, arching his back, completely winded. His ribs ached. His pride? Destroyed.

But the wolf—

The massive beast barreled into the clearing, claws tearing trenches into the moss as it skidded to a stop.

It stared at the hole.

It stared at him.

And then, with a low, growling snarl—the thing crouched qnd started digging.

"OH COME ON!" Parker flinched as dirt and moss rained down into the hole. Claws ripped into the earth, chunks of soil flying everywhere, but the hole was just deep enough—the beast couldn't quite reach him.

"Ere... do something.

Ere blinked. Then tilted her head. "Like what? You got yourself into this."

"TRAITOR."

*****

The wolf wasn't giving up. Nope. It growled louder, digging faster—dust spraying into Parker's face. He spat out dirt, twisting to shield his eyes as bits of rock crumbled from the edges.

"This is ridiculous!" he hissed, coughing. "It's been like—what—fifteen minutes? Just go away!"

The wolf didn't care. It clawed. Dug. Huffed.

Another five minutes passed. Then ten.

Finally, after thirty minutes—

It stopped.

"The ground itself feels enhanced too...?" Parker blinked, cautiously peeking up. The wolf… just plopped down on the ground, right outside the hole.

And stayed there. A patient hunter!

Parker stared.

The beast huffed like a stubborn dog waiting for a treat.

"…Are you fucking serious right now?" He looked like a scared rabbit in a burrow.

Ere was perched up on a nearby by, smug as hell. "Looks like he's waiting you out, Master."

Parker groaned, slumping back in the dirt.

"...I need a plan." Parker sat on the dirt floor, not because he was tired but because this entire situation was... ridiculous. He needed to think. To come up with a plan.

The massive wolf, still sprawled outside the hole, hadn't budged.

The thing was straight-up camping his respawn point like some toxic gamer.

Parker exhaled slowly. "Okay... I have magic. I have... powers."

He could feel the Omni Energy thrumming inside him, alive and fierce—but he still had no clue how to actually use it besides some telekinesis. And let's be real, his telekinesis was hot garbage. It couldn't even budge a single fur on Ere, let alone deal with this steroided monster waiting outside.

But there was something he had been ignoring. "Ere... you're like... a hundred years old, right?"

Perched nearby, the cat blinked, tail swaying smugly. "Never ask a lady her age, master."

"…You're not a lady. You're a cat... My magical pet!"

"Same thing." Her whiskers twitched. "Only if you could put that fact to good use, hmm?"

Parker frowned. That sounded... suspicious. Like she was trying to get something out of him.

And then it hit him—he remembered the description from the system:

[Master's Spoils Me: The pet's growth is infinite and tied directly to the master. The master's growth and potential is her only limit. Additionally, the master may use one of Ere's abilities at will.]

That last part. He could use her abilities. Shadow Manipulation.

But there was a problem—"...I have no clue how to even do that," he muttered.

Ere grinned. "Master, I could teach you... but..."

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Parker narrowed his eyes. "But what?"

Ere gave him the most insufferable, smug expression known to man—her silver eyes practically glowing.

"I want a shared bed with you. None of those pet cushions. Where you go, I go. Also, you're now obligated to share any grilled chicken you buy and buy them when I'm hungry. Forever."

"Are you serious right now? We're in a literal life-or-death—"

"Take it or leave it, Master." This little menace.

They stared each other down.

Parker's eye twitched. "Fine! But no raw chicken. That's nasty."

Ere purred, clearly satisfied with her victory. "Deal."

It was time to learn.

****

Fifteen minutes later.

Parker slowly crawled out of the hole. His palms dug into the dirt as he hoisted himself up, heart pounding but steady.

The massive wolf hadn't moved much. Its golden eyes narrowed the second he came into view, lips curling back into a low growl.

But Parker... didn't run.

Instead, he stood.

The Phoenix Sword manifested in his right hand with a flare of crimson flame. The wolf stalked forward, one step... then another. It wasn't rushing.

It was hunting.

Parker backed up. Step by step. Calculated. Measured.

The beast followed, mirroring his movements.

Until—

His back hit a massive, ancient tree trunk, the wolf growled louder, sensing victory.

But it had missed something.

Its own shadow had begun to flicker. Tremble. Distort.

A second Parker rose silently from the wolf's shadow, materializing directly beneath the creature's thick-furred neck.

Now.

The Phoenix Sword ignited—Phoenix Flames lit up a deep yellow and golden glow and Parker plunged it deep into the beast's throat.

The wolf howled in agony, thrashing wildly as the searing flames scorched through its flesh.The Parker against the tree—

—puffed out of existence like a burst of mist.

The real Parker strained, twisting the blade deeper. Blood misted the air—until the wolf let out a final, painful whimper.

And collapsed.

Right on top of him.

"SON OF A—"

THUD.

The weight slammed him flat.

Why was everything so heavy?

He squirmed. Grunted. His legs kicked out awkwardly from under the beast's bulk as he struggled to pull himself free.

"This is stupid. Why was I even running?!" He realized the beast was weak than he had feared. The wolf was massive, sure—but Parker was a Harmonic powerhouse, for crying out loud. This thing was what, Awakened-tier?

And yet here he was.

Flat.

Embarrassed.

But... weirdly? He felt nothing after killing it.

No guilt. No horror.

He had expected killing a living thing—magical or not—to feel... something.

But there was nothing.

Just... numb.

Until—

Light.

Small particles of glowing energy drifted up from the wolf's body—golden specks of power that flowed into his chest.

[Ding! Host is now connected to the Omni Nexus Realm! Host can now enter and exit as he pleases.]

Parker blinked.

A... connection? The moment the message appeared, he felt it—like a subtle thread linking him to the entire realm around him.

But there was more.

[Ding! Killed a Nexus Beast: Awakened Shadow Wolf.]

[Absorbing unawakened power... Compatible!]

[Ding! Shadow Manipulation bond created. Host can now wield Erebus's Shadow Manipulation as his own!]

The shadows around him twitched. Just a faint ripple.

"Holy shit…"

And then—

[Ding! 10 SP (Special Points) received!]

Parker blinked rapidly. "Wait... SP? What's that?"

[SP are points host can use to upgrade a skill, weapon, or item rank.]

"...Huh. Okay. Kinda cool. Wait—"

He frowned. "What about this power absorption thing? Explain."

[Host plunderer a compatible power after killing magical beings. If incompatible, the power converts into SP and Omni Energy.]

"...WAIT, WHAT?" He stared at his hands in disbelief. Did that mean... every magical creature he killed could give him abilities or SP?

"When the hell did you give me something like that?!"

[This power is unrelated to the system. Host should investigate himself.]

"...What."

[The System has no further information.]

"You're telling me... this whole 'steal powers from dead things' ability just exists in me and you don't know why?!"

Silence, "...Mysteries. Fucking mysteries."

Before he could process the implications— A deep, guttural growl echoed from the forest.

And it sounded pissed.