The creature stepped out of the bushes.
Arin's breath caught in his throat.
It looked like a wolf.
But much bigger.
Its body was covered in dark fur, and its teeth were sharp like daggers.
A monster.
The creature growled.
Saliva dripped from its mouth as it stared at Arin like prey.
Arin instinctively stepped back.
"Great… I just got reborn and now I'm about to die again."
The blue system window suddenly appeared.
[Analyzing target…]
[Target: Shadow Wolf]
[Level: 3]
[Threat Level: Moderate]
Moderate?
Arin nearly laughed.
"For me it's definitely deadly."
The wolf suddenly lunged forward.
Arin's instincts screamed.
He rolled to the side just in time.
The wolf's claws slammed into the ground where he stood seconds earlier.
His heart pounded violently.
"This body is weak…"
But then another message appeared.
[New Mission Generated]
[First Hunt]
[Objective: Kill the Shadow Wolf]
[Reward: Beginner Skill + 100 EXP]
Arin stared at the window.
"Kill… it?"
The wolf attacked again.
Arin dodged and grabbed a broken branch from the ground.
"If I want to survive…"
His grip tightened.
"I have no choice."
The wolf charged.
Arin waited.
Closer.
Closer.
At the last moment—
He moved.
The branch stabbed straight into the wolf's eye.
The monster howled in pain.
Arin didn't hesitate.
He grabbed a sharp stone and slammed it into the wolf's skull again and again.
The creature struggled violently.
Then—
Silence.
The wolf collapsed.
Arin stood there, breathing heavily.
Blood covered his hands.
For a moment, he simply stared at the dead monster.
Then the system window appeared again.
[Target Eliminated]
[+100 EXP]
[Level Up]
A bright light surrounded his body.
Warm energy flowed through his muscles.
His wounds disappeared.
His strength returned.
Arin's eyes slowly widened.
"So this is… leveling."
The system spoke again.
[Reward Granted]
[Skill Unlocked: Absolute Analysis]
Arin smiled faintly.
For the first time since his rebirth—
He felt something he hadn't felt in a long time.
Power.
But deep inside the forest…
Something else had sensed the system activation.
And it was watching him.