Chapter 2 HUNTED BY MY OWN FRIEND

I continued running through the forest, my breath growing heavy. My legs burned, and tree branches whipped at my face and arms, leaving thin scratches.

Behind me, the sound of footsteps could still be heard. They were really chasing me, not to scare me, not just to chase me away. They were intent on killing me.

I chuckled amidst my ragged breath.

"Great."

"Just moved to another world, and already made an enemy."

Come to think of it, my life has consistently been devoid of tutorials. Kevin's voice came from behind.

"DON'T LET HIM GET AWAY!"

With a loud noise, I jumped over a fallen tree trunk. I nearly slipped on the slippery ground. Damn, this body did feel a little stronger than it used to be. But I'm still no athlete. I glanced around, and the three people at the front were approaching. Kevin, Reno, and a kid named Dimas, the Archer class. A frustrating combo: fire, lightning, and arrows. Not good for my long-term health.

"Shoot him!" Kevin shouted.

The sound of the bowstring being pulled rang out, and my reflexes kicked in. I dropped to the side.

HAPPY!

An arrow whizzed past my cheek. Too close, I rolled to the ground and immediately got back up. Okay, they were serious. I gritted my teeth, if this kept up, I'd get caught, and if I got caught? It was over. No save points, no respawns. I had to find a way. Quickly, my eyes glanced at my status.

Name: Raka

Class: One Tree Branch

Level: 1

Skill:

Devour Root (New)

It's just one skill, and I don't even know how it works yet. It's great, a truly hardcore game. I tried to focus on that skill, and as soon as I thought about it, the information automatically appeared.

Devour Root

The ability to absorb the essence of targets that have been killed by the user.

Effect:

Absorbing some attributes

Absorb some energy

Chance of acquiring certain traits

I almost stopped. What? I reread, absorbing the power of the target I killed? My eyes widened slightly. Okay, this isn't weak, this isn't weak at all. This is absurd and broken, it doesn't make any sense. The only problem is, I have to kill something first. Preferably something weaker than me. The second problem: I don't know if there's anything weaker than me. An extraordinary situation.

As the sound of footsteps drew closer, I turned sharply into a darker area. The deeper I went, the denser the trees became. The ground became rougher, and the air felt colder. Strangely, the birds' voices began to fade. This forest felt different, not normal. But that might be my chance. Dangerous areas usually make normal people hesitate. Unfortunately, Kevin didn't seem so normal.

"He went deeper!"

"Chase!"

Amazing, the dedication of an amateur killer. I finally arrived in a more open area. A small depression, filled with a light mist, tree roots spreading everywhere, and in the middle, something was moving. I stopped immediately-a monster. Finally, the creature was small, about the size of a dog, its body like a mix of a wolf and a lizard, gray skin, red eyes, too many teeth, and frankly, it wasn't aesthetically pleasing.

A notification appears.

Gray Fang Cub Lv.1

I almost smiled. Level 1? Perfect, the monster saw me too, growling low and aggressive. Good, we need each other. I gripped my branch, still feeling absurd. My first weapon was just a tree branch. The monster lunged at me quickly, faster than I expected. I reflexively dodged to the left, barely. Its claws scraped my arm, stinging.

"Ah, damn!"

I quickly backed away, and the monster turned around. Ready to attack again. Okay, focus. My body felt lighter than before. My reflexes also felt better, possibly due to the new world or adrenaline mode. The monster attacked a second time, and this time I waited. Just a little bit more, just a little bit more.

NOW.

I twisted my body, dodged and hit the monster's head with my branch.

TOK.

...

Silently, I stared at the branch. The monster stared at me, both of us looking offended.

"That's embarrassing," I said.

The monster looked angry, I agreed. The attack had barely done any damage. But at least I'd learned something. My strength was pathetic, so I had to get creative. The monster charged again, and I retreated behind a tree. The monster gave chase, and just as it circled the trunk, I stabbed a branch into its eye.

SQUELCH.

The monster screamed, a critical hit. Finally, I couldn't wait, I stabbed again and again. A wild, inelegant, uncool movement, survival mode. But it worked. After a few seconds, the monster finally fell. Its body stopped moving. Silence, I was panting, my hands shaking; I had just killed something.

For the first time. The feeling was... strange, no heroism, no drama, just relief. Then the stalk in my hand glowed a dim green, tiny roots sprouting from its surface. Stabbing the monster's body, I instinctively recoiled.

"What else now?"

The roots absorbed something from the monster's corpse, a thin light flowing up the branches and directly into my body. Warmth. Energy flowed throughout my body, my fatigue lessened, and my wounds healed slightly.

A notification appears.

Gray Fang Cub has been absorbed

Strength +1

Agility +1

EXP gained.

Level Up!

Level 2 reached.

I widened my eyes.

"Oh."

"Oh this is crazy."

Not only could I absorb it, but the effects were immediate and noticeable. I felt my body a little stronger, a little faster, my heart beating faster. Not out of fear, but out of excitement. I stared at the twig; its shape had changed slightly. Just a little, the surface of the stalk seemed darker, harder, sharper at the tip. A small improvement, still ugly but promising.

Suddenly, footsteps could be heard. Oh right, I wasn't alone. Kevin and the others appeared from behind the trees. They stopped when they saw the monster carcass and me still alive. Kevin narrowed his eyes.

"You killed that?"

I smiled a little.

"Yes."

Kevin didn't seem to like seeing me calm. Good. Reno took a step forward.

"I'm done playing around."

A small bolt of lightning appeared in his palm. Oh, good. The battle royale continued, and I gripped the branch tighter. I was now level 2, still weak. But no longer helpless, and most importantly, I knew this class wasn't trash. This class was a monster; I just needed time. Kevin drew his sword, and flames erupted.

"Kill him."

Five people started to move. I smiled faintly, coldly.

"Okay."

I take a position.

"If you keep insisting..."

My gaze swept over them one by one.

"...I will start to think of you as a resource."

Their expressions changed slightly. Good, let's start the real game.

[END CHAPTER 2]