---
Chapter 4: The Warning No One Believed
Ren noticed the silence first.
It crept in slowly, subtle enough that no one else paid attention. The chirping insects faded. The rustle of small animals vanished. Even the wind threading through the leaves seemed to hesitate, as if the forest itself were holding its breath.
They were close to the village now.
Stone walls peeked through the trees ahead, moss-covered and uneven, unmistakably primitive. Wooden watchtowers leaned with age, and narrow dirt paths cut through tall grass toward the entrance.
Excitement spread through the group.
System windows flickered to life one after another—stamina bars, location hints, skill cooldowns.
Ren saw none of it.
He walked near the back, his eyes scanning the terrain instead of invisible screens. And that was when he saw it.
Movement.
Far ahead, beyond the visible path, near a cluster of jagged rocks half-hidden by brush.
At first, he thought it was just shadows.
Then it moved again.
Low to the ground. Quick. Too coordinated to be an animal.
Ren slowed, his heartbeat picking up.
No… that's not random.
He focused harder.
More shapes appeared. One became three. Three became many. They weren't wandering—they were circling, repositioning, vanishing and reappearing from the same area.
Ren swallowed.
A nest.
His palms went cold.
"Kaito," Ren said, breaking the chatter.
Several students turned, surprised to hear his voice.
"What is it?" Kaito asked, already half-distracted as a blue interface hovered near his eyes.
"There's something wrong ahead," Ren said. "Left side of the path. Past the rocks."
A boy snorted. "What, your gut feeling?"
Ren ignored him. "There are goblins. A lot of them. This isn't a patrol—it's their nest."
The air shifted.
People checked their systems instinctively.
"No warnings."
"My detection skill says nothing."
"Same here."
Kaito frowned and looked ahead. "My interface shows a safe route."
Ren clenched his fists. "They're farther out. Watching us. If we keep going straight—"
"That's enough," someone interrupted. "You don't even have a system. Stop pretending."
Laughter followed, uneasy but sharp.
Ren felt heat rise in his chest. "I'm not pretending. Just slow down. Go around—"
"That'll waste stamina," another said.
"And daylight," someone else added. "If there was danger, the system would tell us."
Kaito studied Ren for a moment. Then he shook his head.
"We move forward. Stay alert."
The group advanced.
Ren stayed tense, every step heavier than the last.
The smell hit him first—rotting meat, damp earth.
Then the forest exploded.
A shrill cry pierced the air.
[WARNING!]
[GOBLIN NEST DETECTED]
[MULTIPLE HOSTILE ENTITIES APPROACHING]
Too late.
Goblins surged from the rocks, from hidden holes, from narrow trails masked by leaves. There were dozens—small, hunched bodies swarming with crude weapons and wild eyes.
"FORMATION!" Kaito shouted.
Chaos followed.
Skills flared. Fire erupted. Steel clashed against rusted blades. Screams rang out as the group struggled to keep their footing.
Ren backed away, heart pounding.
I told them, he thought bitterly.
A goblin lunged from the side.
Ren dodged barely in time, grabbing a fallen branch from the ground and swinging it like a club. The impact sent a shock through his arms, but the goblin recoiled with a shriek.
The wood cracked.
Another goblin rushed him.
Ren turned and ran.
He didn't have stats to rely on. No stamina bar to warn him. Only burning lungs and instinct.
The fight ended as suddenly as it began.
Once enough goblins fell, the rest retreated back toward the nest, screeching angrily but unwilling to pursue.
The group staggered away, battered and furious.
Fear turned into blame.
"You said you warned us?" someone shouted at Ren. "Then why didn't you insist harder?"
Another snapped, "If you knew, why didn't you do something useful?!"
Ren stared at them, stunned. "I tried."
A voice cut deep. "You don't fight. You don't level. You don't even have an interface. You're a freeloader."
The word stuck.
Freeloader.
Murmurs spread.
"He risks nothing."
"He gains nothing."
"He's dead weight."
Kaito raised a hand, but even he hesitated.
The healer girl stepped toward Ren, her expression torn. "You were right," she said softly.
Ren shook his head. "That doesn't matter now."
She swallowed. "They need me. If I stay—"
"You'll die," Ren said gently.
Tears welled in her eyes. "I'm sorry."
"When you go," Ren said quietly, "don't run. Walk. Save your stamina. If something chases you, head for the rocks."
She nodded, biting her lip. Then she turned away.
One by one, the group left.
No farewell.
No apology.
Ren stood alone.
He turned and walked into the forest.
The trees swallowed him quickly.
The ground grew uneven, grass brushing against his legs. His body ached. His mind felt hollow.
That was when he heard it.
A low growl.
Ren froze.
From the tall grass ahead, two shapes emerged.
Wolves.
Lean. Scarred. Starving.
Their eyes locked onto him with desperate intensity.
Exiled, Ren realized. Driven out. No pack.
The worst kind.
Ren's gaze dropped to the ground. His hand closed around a thick fallen branch, heavy and splintered at one end.
A club.
Not a weapon.
Just enough to delay death.
The first wolf lunged.
Ren swung.
The impact staggered it, but pain exploded through his arms. The second wolf struck immediately, teeth tearing into his leg.
Ren screamed and fell.
He kicked, swung, rolled—pure instinct. The club cracked again.
Blood soaked into the grass.
The wolves circled.
Ren dragged himself upright, breathing raggedly.
I can't run.
The wolves knew it too.
They attacked together.
Ren raised the club, vision blurring, body screaming—
And the forest seemed to close in around him.
No system window appeared.
No warning.
Only the certainty that if he fell again—
He would not stand back up.
---