Chapter 5 FIRST NIGHT AS A HUNTER

The forest fell silent again, too silent. It was as if nature itself was holding its breath after the mini-massacre that had just occurred. I sat on the ground, leaning against a large tree trunk, the blood on my hands starting to dry. My arms stung. The side of my stomach still burned from Kevin's sword cut, and for the first time since coming to this world, I had time to think.

I had just killed three people. Three people I knew, three classmates or at least former friends. I stared at my hands for a long moment. It was strange, I expected to feel worse, guiltier, more shaken. But instead, I felt... calm.

Not because I'm a psychopath, at least hopefully not yet. But because the situation was so simple: they wanted to kill me. I killed them first. Survival, as simple as that. This world is surprisingly efficient at erasing moral gray areas. I chuckled.

"My adaptation was too fast."

It's a bit worrying, but I'll think about it later. The priority now is survival, I revealed my status.

Name: Raka

Class: One Tree Trunk

Level: 7

Attribute:

Strength: increased

Agility: increased

Vitality: increased

Where: increased

Skill:

Devour Root

Ember Slash

Minor Mana Sense

Weapon:

Thorny Branches

I looked at the new skill.

Ember Slash.

Information automatically appears.

Ember Slash

Infuse fire element into the weapon and increase the damage of the next attack.

Short cooldown.

I nodded, Kevin's skill, or at least a copied version. So, Devour Root doesn't just absorb stats, sometimes skills too. The more absurd, the more I like it. This class is truly like a growing machine; the more I kill, the stronger I grow. Simple, efficient, highly addictive, and dangerous.

I closed my status and looked around. It was dark, the fog was getting thicker, and now another problem arose: I was alone in the monster forest, without food, without a map, without friends. Although the latter wasn't much of a loss.

I stood slowly, my body still sore, but manageable. Minor Mana Sense allowed me to sense something vaguely around me, a flow of energy, life, danger. It was still very rough, but useful. I focused, and felt a few energy points nearby. Monsters, quite a few. Interesting. In the past, this information would have made me panic. Now? I sensed an opportunity, an unhealthy, but effective, mindset.

My stomach growled. Ah, good. My biological problem requires food, and the nearest monster might be the solution. Farming and multitasking, I walked slowly, following the nearest mana flow. The night forest was much scarier when alone. Insects chirped, leaves moved, and sometimes twigs snapped. The fog made visibility poor. Perfect, a beginner's nightmare.

A few minutes' walk later, I arrived at a small area near a stream. The water was clear and quite pleasant, and two small monsters were drinking near it. They resembled rabbits, if rabbits had evolved with evil intentions: black fur, long fangs, and red eyes. They looked unnecessarily hostile.

A notification appears.

Night Hare Lv.3

Level 3? Okay. Still manageable. I grinned.

"Hello dinner."

One of the Night Hares looked up, stared at me, and then attacked immediately, without warning. I appreciated the efficiency, the first monster jumping quickly. I activated Ember Slash. The Thorny Branch heated up, a small flame appearing at the tip. Good, I slashed.

SHRAK.

The attack hit the monster's body, small flames burning its fur. The Night Hare screamed and fell to the ground, dead. Wow, that was effective, I nodded in satisfaction.

"Reasonable."

The second monster seemed smarter, and it ran away. I didn't let it, I gave chase. My agility was much better now, and I closed the distance quickly. Stab, kill confirmed, two monsters, two absorbs. Roots automatically came out, energy entered.

A notification appears.

EXP gained.

Level 8 reached.

Agility +1

Dexterity +1

Great, I'm starting to get an unhealthy liking for this routine. Kill, absorb, grow, repeat, simple life, and I'm staring at two monster carcasses. The important question: are they safe to eat? I stare at them for a long moment. They're demonic-eyed rabbit monsters. Hmm, low edibility. But hunger is stronger, I sigh.

"If he died of poisoning after surviving an assassination attempt, it would be very ironic."

I started a small fire using Ember Slash, the utility unlocked. It was great. A few minutes later, monster meat was burning on the twigs. The aroma was... quite good, not bad. I took a small bite and paused. It was pretty good, quite tasty fantasy monster cooking. I ate while sitting by the stream. The night sky was getting darker, and the chill was getting worse.

For the first time since coming to this world, I was truly alone. There were no human voices, no classroom noise, no one calling my name. Just me and the forest. It was strange, but not bad. In fact, it was more honest; this world was at least clear. The strong live, and the weak die. There wasn't much pretense.

I finished eating, drank from the stream. Then I leaned against the rock, holding the Thorny Branch. My eyes slowly closed, I needed a few hours of sleep. Tomorrow I would begin to understand this world. Find a way out, or maybe not. Because one thing was now very clear. If I returned to the other humans too soon, I would only be hunted again. No, not yet. I needed to be stronger, much stronger. Strong enough to make everyone think twice before touching me. My eyes were almost completely closed when a new notification appeared.

Quest Triggered.

Survive for 7 days in the Forbidden Forest

Reward:

Unknown

Penalty:

Death

I stared at the screen for a few seconds, then chuckled.

"Of course."

Why not? Welcome to full-on adventure mode. Interesting, I leaned my head against the rock. A faint smile appeared. Seven days? Okay, let's see who gives up first. Me or this forest.

[END CHAPTER 5]