The wind in the D-Rank Parallel Dimension did not feel like wind. It felt like the breath of a dying animal—hot, wet, and smelling of copper.
Zack landed in a crouch at the base of the cliff. The ground here was soft, a carpet of decaying purple moss that muffled his heavy boots. Above him, the red moon cast long, distorted shadows through the twisted branches of the black trees.
[Location: The Shadow-Weald (Zone 1).]
[Danger Level: High.]
A howl ripped through the silence, much closer this time. It was followed by the sound of heavy paws thudding against the moss.
They know I'm here, Zack thought.
He didn't run. He didn't hide. He stood up slowly, dusting off his hands.
His stats were a perfect 50.0. He was a D-Rank (Beginner) in every sense of the word. But his skills... his skills were what made him a nightmare.
Rustle.
To his left, a bush shook.
Snap.
To his right, a twig broke.
They were circling him. Pack tactics.
"System," Zack whispered. "[Shadow's Cloak]."
A veil of smoky darkness erupted from his skin. It didn't just hide him; it suppressed his scent and sound. He vanished from the visual spectrum, becoming a distortion in the air.
The rustling stopped. The predators were confused. Their prey had just disappeared.
Zack moved. His 50.0 Agility, boosted by the cloak's 10% speed buff, made him glide over the moss. He didn't move away from the pack. He moved into it.
He saw them.
Shadow Wargs (D-Rank Beginner).
There were five of them. They were wolf-like, but massive—easily the size of a pony. Their fur was a shifting camouflage of black and grey, and their jaws were wide enough to crush a human skull. They were sniffing the air, growling low in their throats.
Zack approached the nearest one from behind. It was sniffing the ground where he had just been standing.
He didn't use a weapon. He raised his right hand, the [God-Eater] aura swirling around his fingers like black ink in water.
He thrust his hand forward, fingers stiff as a spear tip.
THWACK.
His hand pierced the Warg's thick neck muscle.
"[Energy Drain]!"
The Warg didn't even have time to yelp. The Level 2 drain latched onto its very life force. The massive beast went rigid, its eyes rolling back. In two seconds, it was a husk.
Zack withdrew his hand and let the body fall.
Thump.
The sound alerted the others. Four heads snapped toward him. The cloak flickered as he attacked, revealing him for a split second.
The Wargs roared and charged.
They were fast—40 to 45 Agility. But Zack was faster.
He sidestepped a snapping jaw, grabbing the Warg by the ear and using its own momentum to swing himself onto its back.
He rode the thrashing beast, his legs locked around its ribs.
He reached out with both hands.
One hand grabbed the neck of the Warg he was riding.
The other hand shot out, a purple tether flying through the air to latch onto a third Warg that was leaping at him.
Dual Drain.
It was an intoxicating rush. Energy from two D-Rank monsters flooded his system. The Warg he was riding collapsed mid-stride, sending Zack tumbling.
He rolled, coming up in a crouch.
Three down. Two to go.
The remaining two Wargs hesitated. They were intelligent hunters. They realized, too late, that they were not the ones hunting.
They turned to run.
"Oh no," Zack said, his voice cold. "You don't get to leave."
He sprinted. He caught the fourth one in three strides, a simple, brutal punch to the spine ending it.
The fifth one, the Alpha (slightly larger, D-Rank Intermediate), turned to fight. It breathed a cloud of blinding darkness—a [Shadow Breath] skill.
Zack ran straight through it. He didn't need to see. He could feel the energy.
He tackled the Alpha, driving it into the dirt.
It was a messy, brutal wrestling match in the dark. The Alpha bit his arm, its teeth sinking into his 50.0 Defense skin. It drew blood, but not much.
Zack ignored it. He clamped his hand over the Alpha's muzzle, shutting its mouth.
"Shhh," he whispered.
[Devour].
The forest fell silent.
Zack stood up, shaking the Warg blood off his arm. He cast [Heal], and the bite marks vanished.
He looked at the spoils.
Most of the Wargs had dissolved into nothingness, their energy consumed. But where the Alpha and one of the larger Wargs had fallen, cubes remained.
[You have defeated a Shadow Warg Pack.]
[Loot Obtained:]
[Blue Cube (Agility) x2]
[Blue Cube (Strength) x1]
Three cubes.
He picked them up. They were cool to the touch, humming with potential.
He crushed them.
The power settled into him. It wasn't the massive rush of a boss kill, but it was a solid step forward.
[Stats Updated.]
Agility: 50.0 -> 52.0
Strength: 50.0 -> 51.0
"52 Agility," Zack muttered, clenching his fist. "That's solid D-Rank."
He spent another hour exploring the Shadow-Weald, mapping the area, but he didn't fight again. He needed to save his mental energy for the Academy.
"System. Exit."
Monday Morning. 08:00 AM.
Zack sat in the back of the "Tactical Theory" classroom. He wore his gray tracksuit, his Support patch visible.
The room was divided. Combat students sat in the front tiered rows, laughing and throwing paper balls. Support students sat in the back, quiet and nervous.
Kael Vane was in the front row, naturally. He was surrounded by a group of sycophants, talking loudly about his father's guild and how he was going to "crush" the upcoming practical exams.
Zack ignored him, reading a textbook on 'Dungeon Ecology: Flora and Fauna'.
The door opened, and the instructor walked in.
It wasn't a teacher. It was a Hunter.
He was huge, bald, and wore a tank top that showed off scars that looked like they came from a blender.
Instructor Miller (B-Rank Tank).
"Books down!" Miller bellowed. The room shook.
"I don't teach reading. I teach survival. And the first rule of survival is knowing your place."
He walked to the center of the room, where a sparring mat was laid out.
"Today, we learn about Aggro Management. Combat students, your job is to keep the monster's attention. Support students, your job is to not die."
He scanned the room. His eyes landed on Kael.
"You. Blondie. Front and center."
Kael stood up, puffing out his chest. "Kael Vane, sir. D-Rank Warrior."
"Good," Miller grunted. "Get on the mat. Now, I need a volunteer from the Support section. Someone to be the... bait."
The back of the room went deathly still. No one wanted to be bait for a D-Rank Warrior.
Kael smiled, a cruel, sharp expression. He turned and scanned the back rows.
His eyes locked on Zack.
"Sir," Kael said, pointing. "I volunteer him. Cole. He's... eager to learn."
Miller looked at Zack. "Cole? Get down here."
Zack sighed internally. Of course.
He stood up slowly, putting on his nervous face. He walked down the stairs, clutching his bag straps.
"I... I'm just a Healer, sir," Zack stammered.
"Perfect," Miller said. "Healers are the number one target for intelligent monsters. If you can't dodge, you're dead."
Miller handed Kael a wooden training sword. It was weighted to feel real.
"Vane, you are the monster. Your goal is to hit the Healer. Don't hold back. Pain is a good teacher."
He looked at Zack. "Cole, your goal is to survive for sixty seconds. You cannot fight back. You can only evade. If you step off the mat, you fail. If you get hit hard enough to get knocked down, you fail. Begin."
Miller blew a whistle.
Kael grinned, slapping the wooden sword against his palm. "Just like the parking lot, trash. Except this time, I'm allowed to hit you."
He didn't wait. He lunged.
It was a clumsy attack. A wide, telegraphed swing aimed at Zack's ribs. Kael was fast—maybe 45 Agility—but his form was sloppy. He relied on his stats, not his skill.
To the class, Kael was a blur of speed.
To Zack, Kael was moving underwater.
Zack's 52.0 Agility and 50.0 Spirit (perception) made this a joke.
But he couldn't just dodge perfectly. That would look suspicious. He had to make it look like luck.
Zack shrieked—a high, panicked sound—and scrambled backward.
He "tripped" over his own feet.
He fell backward, his arms flailing.
Kael's sword swooshed through the air, missing Zack's nose by a fraction of an inch.
"Whoa!" Zack yelled, landing on his butt and crab-walking away.
Laughter erupted from the Combat students.
Kael turned red. "Stand still!"
He slashed downward.
Zack rolled to the right, looking like he was trying to crawl away in panic. The sword slammed into the mat.
Kael growled and unleashed a flurry of attacks. Slash. Thrust. Slash.
Zack was a masterpiece of acting.
He stumbled. He slipped. He ducked, covering his head with his hands.
Every single time, Kael's sword missed him by millimeters.
To the audience, it looked like Zack was the luckiest, clumsiest idiot on earth.
To Instructor Miller, who was a B-Rank veteran... it looked strange.
Miller narrowed his eyes. Once is luck. Twice is luck. Ten times?
"Stop moving!" Kael screamed, losing his temper. He channeled mana into his arms. He was using a skill. [Power Strike].
He swung the wooden sword with enough force to break ribs.
He aimed for Zack's head.
This was dangerous. If that hit a normal E-Rank, it would put them in the hospital.
Zack's eyes went cold for a split second. He's trying to really hurt me.
Zack was cornered at the edge of the mat. He couldn't roll back.
He pretended to sneeze.
"Achoo!"
His head snapped forward in a violent, exaggerated sneeze motion.
The sword passed over his head, rustling his hair.
Kael, expecting impact, over-extended. His momentum carried him forward.
Zack, still "sneezing," jerked his shoulder up.
It looked like an accident.
His shoulder bumped Kael's hip.
With Zack's 51.0 Strength, that "bump" was like hitting a bollard.
Kael spun out of control, tripped over his own feet, and face-planted onto the mat with a heavy thud.
Silence filled the room.
Kael lay there, groaning.
Zack stood up, wiping his nose. "Oh... excuse me. Dusty in here."
He looked at Miller. "Did... did I pass?"
Miller stared at Zack. He looked at the "clumsy" Healer who wasn't even breathing hard. He looked at the D-Rank Warrior face-down on the floor.
A slow grin spread across the Instructor's scarred face.
"You survived," Miller said. "Barely. But barely is enough. Get back to your seat, Cole."
Zack nodded nervously and hurried back up the stairs.
Kael stood up, his nose bleeding from the impact with the floor. He glared at Zack's back, his eyes filled with pure, murderous hatred.
"You're dead," Kael mouthed. "Dead."
Zack sat down. He pulled out his textbook.
His hands weren't shaking.
He checked his stats.
Rank: D (Beginner)
Class: Healer / God-Eater (Mythical)
Strength: 51.0
Agility: 52.0
Stamina: 50.0
Spirit: 50.0
Defense: 50.0
Keep underestimating me, Zack thought, turning the page. It makes the harvest so much easier.
[Reader's Note: Zack's Stats : ]
Rank: D (Beginner) / (System Rank: D (Beginner))
Class: Healer / God-Eater (Mythical)
Strength: 51.0(+1.0)
Agility: 52.0(+2.0)
Stamina: 50.0
Spirit: 50.0
Defense: 50.0
(Skills: [Heal Lv. 2], [Energy Drain Lv. 2], [Shadow's Cloak Lv. 2])