I made my way through the dense forest, my sticky body dragging softly over roots and uneven ground.
The sun had sunk low, staining the sky orange and red between the trees.
Late evening.
Night was coming.
A distant howl echoed through the forest.
Then another.
Farther away this time.
I took a deep breath.
The howls kept fading, each one more distant than the last.
Relief crept in.
…I've managed to escape him.
For now.
But my thoughts didn't stop there.
The first wolf I killed had been level ten.
That meant the alpha had to be higher.
Much higher.
I swallowed.
I need more abilities.
And I just have to hope they don't come with side effects that kill me before something else does.
The forest began to thin.
Trees gave way to open grassland, and only then did I realize I'd been running straight for a while.
I slowed as the trees finally fell away behind me.
Grass brushed against my sides as I moved out into open land.
I let my pace ease, shifting from a run into a careful walk.
I kept my focus on the grass ahead—the uneven ground, the rise and fall of the land—watching for anything that might lunge from cover.
Nothing moved.
Nothing made a sound.
Then—
Something brushed the air above my head.
Not wind.
My body tightened before my mind caught up.
Something… wrong.
What was that?
I looked around.
Nothing.
It happened again—stronger this time.
A ripple in the air, high above me.
Panic flared.
I tilted my head back.
And saw it.
Something circling far overhead.
That's bad.
I scanned the land and spotted a small cluster of trees nearby.
I bolted.
The creature swooped.
This time, I was ready.
I zigzagged wildly, forcing erratic movement.
The shadow dove low—
—and missed.
It swept past my left side, flying low—far too low.
Its head turned as it passed.
It was looking straight at me—
not hunting blindly.
Choosing.
And it had chosen me.
An ugly bird-like monster, its long, spear-shaped beak angled toward me.
Blood-stained eyes tracked every step I took.
Wrinkled, sickly skin stretched tight over its frame.
If I could vomit, I would have.
I kept running.
The tree line rushed closer.
I glanced back.
Two more shapes joined the first, circling above.
…Great.
One dove.
I darted right.
Another followed.
I cut left.
Then the larger one—
came straight at me.
I dropped and rolled beneath its claws.
Pain tore through me as one talon raked across my side.
The thing's talons were massive—curved, hooked, built to tear flesh apart.
If it had landed cleanly, I'd be dead.
Even a glancing scratch was enough.
HP: 7 / 30
Unbelievable.
That barely grazed me.
My body clearly disagreed.
I pushed forward.
The trees rushed toward me.
Something swooped low behind me—
I leapt, throwing myself beneath the canopy just as claws tore through the air where I'd been.
Branches scraped across my body as I slid into cover.
I turned in time to see the bird pull up hard, wings beating as it climbed back above the trees, squawked in frustration.
I edged closer to the treeline and tilted my head back.
One bird still circled above the canopy.
The other two were nowhere in sight.
I moved slowly through the trees.
Easing through brush.
Lifting myself over roots instead of stepping on them.
No snapped sticks.
No shaking leaves.
I kept my position as quiet as I could.
Then I saw them.
Both birds perched above.
Restless.
Shifting.
Watching.
I studied them.
The larger bird was confident.
These two…
weren't.
They kept glancing toward the sky.
I stayed still.
Watched.
Listened.
My gaze flicked from trunk to branch, from roots to fallen logs, mapping the ground around me.
I glanced back toward the open grassland.
No cover.
No shelter.
If I tried to leave now, they'd spot me instantly.
I couldn't outrun them out there—
not with wings overhead.
That meant one thing.
I either scared them off…
Or I dealt with them here.
My attention returned to the trees.
The low branches.
The uneven ground.
An idea began to take shape.
A faint, humorless smirk tugged at my face.
…Let's see if they fall for this.
I gathered stones and tossed them upward.
The stones barely reached the lower branches.
Leaves shook loose and fluttered down around me.
One bird squawked sharply.
Both heads snapped down toward me now.
They knew I was here.
They wanted to chase me—
but neither of them wanted to fight down there.
I scoffed under my breath.
There's more where that came from.
I moved quickly, grabbing stones, sticks—anything.
I kept throwing.
Never hitting them.
Never even close.
But always striking the tree.
Branches trembled.
Leaves rained down.
Both birds squawked now, agitated.
I threw one last stone.
This one left my stubby hand cleanly—faster, higher than the rest—
and struck the branch they were perched on.
Hard.
They exploded into furious screeches.
I watched them tense.
Then they lifted—
For half a second, I thought they were leaving.
Then both birds dropped.
Wings slammed into the ground as they landed, dirt and leaves bursting outward.
They wobbled as they folded their wings, claws digging into the soil.
Eyes sharp.
Beaks low.
Frustrated.
Angry.
Ready to kill—
but ready to flee just as fast.
Their weight shifted back, claws digging for traction.
They began walking toward where I'd been.
But I was already gone.
Hidden.
I stayed still, watching.
One of the birds looked away—
just for a moment.
I leaned out from behind the tree and threw.
The stone skipped once—
and clipped its leg.
They shrieked—
and surged forward.
I didn't run away.
I circled them.
Jumped between trees.
Stuck to bark.
Dropped low, then shot upward again—
forcing them to turn, to miss, to overcorrect.
Claws sliced past where my head had been.
A beak snapped shut inches from my side.
I slipped between attacks by speed alone.
The rush of air—
and the hot reek of their breath—
brushing past me every time.
Wood exploded where I'd been moments earlier.
They couldn't catch me like this.
And they hated it.
Then—
A much louder scream ripped through the trees.
I stopped.
Hid.
Heavy wings thundered down from above.
The larger bird dropped down hard.
It squawked sharply at the other two, wings flaring wide.
I didn't understand the sound—
but I understood the intent.
They'd made a mess of the hunt.
And it wasn't pleased.
The smaller birds panicked and fled, flapping back toward the canopy.
The larger bird didn't leave right away.
It paced, peering around trunks and through brush, wings half-spread as it searched for me.
Finding nothing—
it finally turned to leave.
I waited.
Watched it relax.
Then, as it turned and started to lift—
I moved.
I sprinted, jumped, and twisted—
my body catching the trunk as I ran several steps up the bark midair.
The bird's head snapped toward me.
Our eyes met.
Its wings flared, claws lifting—
too late.
There was no room left for doubt.
Claw Slash.
The attack tore through the air.
The bird never had time to react.
The slash severed its wings and ripped through its torso.
Yellow-green blood sprayed across the grass and dirt.
The remains hit the ground in wet, uneven thuds.
The two smaller birds circled back moments later.
They landed cautiously, heads snapping side to side, searching the trees for me.
Finding nothing.
Then they noticed the body.
The blood.
The stillness.
They squawked once—sharp and panicked—
and fled before they could share its fate.
Only after they were gone did I step out from hiding.
I waddled toward the body.
Then I watched the light fade from its eyes.
My body didn't react.
No rush.
No relief.
Just the steady awareness that I'd done what I had to—
and that I would do it again.
You gain 50 EXP
Level Up
You have reached Level 10
I stood there, breathing.
…I'm lucky that scared the other two off.
I don't know how I would've dealt with them.
I checked my stats.
HP: 5 / 32
MP: 0 / 9
Attack: Lv.3
Defense: Lv.2
Speed: Lv.5
Vitality: Lv.2
Perception: Lv.4
Resolve: Lv.3
…No MP.
I looked at the corpse.
Dammit.
I worked too hard for this kill.
Then paused.
System.
Is there a time limit on Mimic Copy after a kill?
Yes. You must use Mimic Copy within four hours.
Hope sparked.
If I can rest…
I looked up.
The sky was darkening fast.
It'll be night soon.
I hauled the bird's body up onto my back.
It stuck easily—
too easily—
and I adjusted until the weight settled.
I didn't like how natural it felt.
I didn't run.
I moved carefully across the grassland, pace slow and deliberate.
As the light faded, sounds began to rise—
clicks, skittering movements, distant calls I didn't recognize.
The day was ending.
And things were waking up.
I didn't want to know what they were.
Half an hour later, I found something usable.
Not a cave.
But a small cubby hole carved into stone.
It didn't look natural.
The edges were fractured, scorched in places—
as if something had struck the rock with enough force to hollow it out.
I wondered what kind of monster had done that.
I dragged the corpse to one side and leaned against the wall.
Before resting, I checked my abilities.
Mimic Copy adjusted automatically.
MP cost recalculated: 4 MP
Based on the EXP…
it was higher level than the wolf.
That makes sense.
I settled in.
Let's hope I can pull this off.
I closed my eyes.
System—wake me up before the time runs out.
Do you think I'm your alarm clock?
I sighed.
No.
I need this ability.
…Fine.
Night settled in around me, heavy and still.
I lay against the stone, the corpse set off to the side of the cubby hole.
I should've smelled it.
Blood.
Rot.
Something.
But there was nothing.
No stench at all.
I didn't know if that meant I couldn't smell—
or if my body just didn't care.
It was dangerous.
Dead monsters attracted attention—
scavengers, predators, things far worse than the birds I'd just dealt with.
Things that wouldn't hesitate.
But I needed it.
That ability was my only chance to survive what was coming.
I shifted slightly, forcing exhaustion to win over fear.
Tomorrow, I'll deal with the consequences.
For now—
I slept.