The forest was silent.
Too silent.
The moment Kael stepped past the outer boundary of the Black Forest—
He felt it.
A shift.
The air grew heavier.
Thicker.
Like something unseen was watching from the shadows.
"…So it begins."
Kael exhaled slowly.
His grip tightened around his sword.
In his past life—
He had avoided this place.
Called it reckless.
Suicidal.
Now—
"…Perfect."
Danger meant growth.
And growth—
Was survival.
Crunch.
A twig snapped.
Kael's body moved instantly.
He twisted—
Blade flashing—
Clang!
Something collided with his sword.
Hard.
Heavy.
A low growl echoed.
From the bushes—
A creature emerged.
A wolf.
No—
Not a normal one.
Its body was larger.
Twice the size of a regular wolf.
Dark fur.
Glowing red eyes.
Fangs dripping with saliva.
"…Shadow Fang Wolf," Kael muttered.
A low-level monster.
But still dangerous for beginners.
Especially—
In groups.
"…Which means…"
Kael's eyes narrowed.
Rustle.
Rustle.
More movement.
Three more wolves stepped out.
Surrounding him.
"…Four."
Kael adjusted his stance.
His current body was weak.
Level 1.
No real skills.
But—
"…I remember."
Their movements.
Their patterns.
Their weaknesses.
The lead wolf lunged.
Fast.
But—
Kael was faster.
Step.
Shift.
He moved just slightly to the side—
Slash!
His blade cut across the wolf's neck.
Blood sprayed.
But—
It didn't go down.
"…Of course."
Too shallow.
His strength wasn't enough yet.
The other wolves attacked.
Left.
Right.
Behind.
Kael's eyes sharpened.
"…Core Sense."
The world slowed.
Not physically—
But in his perception.
He saw it.
The flow.
The movement.
The wolves' muscles—
Their intent—
Their cores.
"…There."
He stepped forward—
Not back.
Forward.
A dangerous move.
But the right one.
The wolf on the right lunged—
Kael twisted—
And drove his blade—
Straight into its chest.
Into its core.
"—!"
The wolf let out a strangled cry—
And collapsed instantly.
One down.
But—
Pain surged through his chest.
"—Ghk!"
His vision blurred.
[Warning: Core overload detected.]
"…Damn it…"
Too much.
Too fast.
He forced himself to endure it.
No time to stop.
The remaining wolves circled.
More cautious now.
Smarter.
"…Good."
Kael steadied his breathing.
"…Come."
One attacked.
Then another.
But this time—
Kael didn't hesitate.
He moved with precision.
Not wasting energy.
Not panicking.
Every step—
Every strike—
Calculated.
Slash.
Dodge.
Counter.
One fell.
Then another.
Until—
Silence returned.
Kael stood still.
Breathing heavily.
Four corpses lay around him.
"…Not bad."
But—
He wasn't smiling.
His hand pressed against his chest.
"…The cost is worse than I thought…"
That pain—
That instability—
If he pushed too hard—
"…It might kill me."
Then—
A notification appeared.
[Mission Progress Updated]
[Survival Time: 1 Hour / 7 Days]
[Enemy Eliminated: Shadow Fang Wolf x4]
[Reward: Minor Energy Absorption]
A faint warmth spread through his body.
His fatigue eased slightly.
"…So I can recover through combat…"
Good.
Very good.
But then—
A second notification appeared.
[Hidden Effect Activated]
[Memory Fragment Consumed]
Kael froze.
"…What?"
His mind—
For a brief moment—
Went blank.
Something—
Small—
Insignificant—
Was gone.
"…What did I just lose…?"
No answer came.
Only silence.
Kael's expression darkened.
"…So this is the price…"
Not just pain.
Not just strain.
"…It takes pieces of me."
His grip tightened around his sword.
"…Fine."
If that was the cost—
"I'll pay it."
As long as—
He could change the future.
A distant roar echoed through the forest.
Deep.
Heavy.
Not like the wolves.
Something bigger.
Stronger.
Kael slowly lifted his head.
A faint smile appeared on his lips.
"…Perfect."
His eyes sharpened.
"…Let's see what else this forest has."
He stepped forward.
Deeper into the darkness.
Unaware—
That something…
Was already watching him.
[To Be Continued…] 🔥