Black Forest

The next morning arrived with the scent of charred wood still faint in the air. Ray's parents busied themselves with repairing the damage to their home. Thankfully, his mother had acted swiftly, using her magic to extinguish the flames before they could spread further. The display of her abilities reminded Ray of just how powerful and useful magic could be.

With little knowledge of construction, Ray was of no use in the repairs. His parents, understanding this, allowed him to go about his usual routine. Today, however, he had something different in mind—a plan that had been brewing in his mind for some time.

Ray decided that he would venture into the Black Forest. Named for the dark-furred creatures that inhabited it, the forest was both mysterious and dangerous. His goal was twofold: to train by hunting basic-tier beasts and to gather materials for his plan. It was an efficient approach, ensuring he gained strength while preparing for what lay ahead.

The risk of encountering an intermediate-tier beast was low, but even if he did, he had no intention of fighting. His victory against the previous intermediate beast had been fortunate, and he wasn't naïve enough to think he could replicate it against a stronger opponent. The variety of creatures was vast, and some were far more dangerous than others.

Before leaving, he gathered a bucket and his usual gear: his sword, a water flask, and some rations. After informing his parents that he was heading to the hill for training, he set off toward the Black Forest.

As he entered the dense woodland, he activated Dragon Eyes. The world shifted before him, revealing aura signatures that painted the forest in shades of yellow and red. Yellow indicated humans, while red marked the presence of beasts.

Ray unsheathed his sword and clenched it between his teeth before dropping onto all fours. This was his beast form, a stance that allowed for unparalleled speed and agility.

His first target was close. Moving swiftly, he approached a wolf beast before it even had a chance to react. In one clean motion, he slashed its neck, the blade cutting through effortlessly. The creature collapsed instantly, lifeless.

Continuing through the forest, Ray encountered more wolves and even a Crazed Monkey. Unlike the wolves, the monkey had a single horn protruding from its forehead and was far more agile, making it difficult to land a hit. The monkey's ability to swiftly climb and maneuver through trees made it a formidable opponent.

After multiple failed attempts, Ray changed his strategy. Rather than attacking head-on, he waited for an opportunity—watching as the monkey settled to eat. The moment it lowered its guard, Ray dashed forward, piercing its stomach before it could react.

A system message appeared before him:

Ray was surprised. After twenty successful hunts, this was the first crystal to drop. The randomness of the system intrigued him. Perhaps his luck against the intermediate-tier beast had been just that—luck.

He continued hunting, and after ten more creatures, another message appeared.

The randomness of the drops seemed confirmed. The system didn't guarantee a crystal for every kill.

Eventually, Ray reached the spot where Bob and Kyle had gone missing. The traces of blood were gone, but using Dragon Eyes, he could still see faint traces of aura imprints on the ground. He followed the trail until it led him to a small cave.

Peering inside, his enhanced vision detected two strong yellow auras—likely human remains—and a single faint red aura further inside.

Whatever the beast was, it was small. Too small to pose any real threat.

Ray stepped cautiously into the cave. The bodies lay before him, their flesh completely stripped away. Had it not been for the remnants of their clothing, he wouldn't have been able to identify them. He collected their clothes, placing them into his bag.

As he turned to leave, a faint whimpering echoed from deeper inside the cave.

Ray hesitated. The red aura was still there.

Curiosity got the better of him, and he ventured further. At the end of the cave, he found a tiny wolf cub, its black fur matted, its ribs protruding from its fragile body. The creature looked starved, abandoned after its mother's likely death.

Kneeling, Ray stared at the cub. He knew what it felt like to be alone.

A system notification popped up:

Ray's eyes widened. The system truly had a mind of its own.

Deciding there was no harm in it, he selected .

Ray had expected food or water to be an option. Instead, the system only allowed crystals.

This was an opportunity—to see whether crystals had any harmful effects. He selected a Basic Tier Crystal.

A small black crystal materialized in front of the cub. Without hesitation, the creature began licking it. The crystal gradually shrank until it vanished completely.