The Forest’s Unexpected Challenges

The morning sun filtered through the dense canopy of the forest, casting long shadows across the undergrowth. Tanuj moved cautiously, his senses heightened as he ventured deeper into the unknown. The thrill of victory from defeating the Swift Bunny still lingered in his mind, but he knew better than to get complacent. This forest, as he'd learned the hard way, wasn't going to give him any free passes.

"Alright, Lightning Mouse, stay sharp. We don't know what's lurking around here," Tanuj whispered, glancing at his small companion, who was trotting beside him with its usual spark-filled enthusiasm.

The forest around them was eerily quiet, with only the occasional rustle of leaves breaking the silence. Tanuj couldn't help but feel a shiver of unease. It was almost as if the forest was watching him, waiting for him to make a mistake.

"Let's see what we're dealing with this time," Tanuj muttered. "'Forgotten Eye,' search."

The system responded promptly, scanning the surroundings.

*DING*

**[Detected: Ninja Squirrel | Level 4 | Skills: Quick Step, Acorn Barrage, Evasion]**

Tanuj blinked, staring at the notification in disbelief. "Ninja… Squirrel? You've got to be kidding me."

He glanced up, scanning the trees, and sure enough, there it was—a small, bushy-tailed squirrel perched on a branch, staring down at him with beady, calculating eyes. The creature looked almost ordinary, but Tanuj knew better than to underestimate anything in this forest.

"Seriously?" he muttered under his breath. "I was joking! This place actually has ninja squirrels?! What's next, a flying platypus with laser eyes?"

The Lightning Mouse squeaked, clearly unfazed by the ridiculousness of the situation. Tanuj sighed, realizing that he didn't have much choice but to deal with the absurdity.

"Alright, buddy," Tanuj whispered, "this thing might look cute, but it's probably packing some serious skills. We're going to have to be quick."

The Ninja Squirrel tilted its head, its eyes narrowing as it sized up Tanuj and the Lightning Mouse. Then, without warning, it vanished, disappearing in a blur of motion.

Tanuj's heart skipped a beat. "Where'd it go?!"

Before he could react, something small and fast slammed into his side, nearly knocking him off his feet. Tanuj stumbled, barely managing to keep his balance, as he looked around frantically.

"Quick Step… of course," Tanuj muttered, trying to calm himself. "Stay focused. We can't let it catch us off guard."

The Lightning Mouse squeaked in response, electricity crackling around its tiny form as it scanned the area, trying to locate the elusive squirrel.

Suddenly, an acorn whizzed through the air, narrowly missing Tanuj's head. He ducked instinctively, his eyes darting to the source of the attack. The Ninja Squirrel was perched on another branch, its tiny paws holding a handful of acorns, ready to launch another barrage.

"Are you kidding me? Acorn Barrage? Who comes up with these names?" Tanuj grumbled, but there was no time to dwell on it. The squirrel's next attack was already incoming.

"Lightning Mouse, use Dash!" Tanuj shouted.

The Lightning Mouse bolted forward, moving faster than the eye could follow. It zipped through the underbrush, dodging the acorns with ease as it closed in on the squirrel. But just as it reached the tree, the squirrel vanished again, using its Quick Step to disappear from sight.

"Not again!" Tanuj groaned, spinning around to find where it had gone. He spotted a flicker of movement in the corner of his eye and turned just in time to see the squirrel reappear on another branch, its paws already loaded with more acorns.

"Lightning Mouse, hit it with Thunderbolt!" Tanuj ordered, hoping to catch the squirrel before it could vanish again.

The Lightning Mouse unleashed a bolt of electricity, the bright arc crackling through the air toward the squirrel. But the Ninja Squirrel was fast—too fast. It leaped out of the way just in time, the Thunderbolt missing by inches.

Tanuj gritted his teeth in frustration. "This is going to be tougher than I thought. We're going to need to be smarter about this."

The squirrel chattered, almost as if it were laughing at Tanuj's attempts to catch it. It then launched itself from the branch, spinning in the air as it prepared to deliver another Quick Step attack.

But this time, Tanuj was ready.

"Lightning Mouse, get ready to intercept!" he called out, watching the squirrel's trajectory carefully.

The moment the squirrel came within range, the Lightning Mouse darted forward, using its own speed to meet the squirrel head-on. The two creatures collided in mid-air, a flurry of fur and sparks. The impact knocked the squirrel off course, sending it tumbling to the ground.

"Now's our chance!" Tanuj shouted, rushing forward with his stick raised high.

The Ninja Squirrel scrambled to its feet, but before it could react, Tanuj brought the stick down with a swift, decisive strike. The squirrel let out a surprised squeak, its movements faltering as the blow connected.

"Finish it off, Lightning Mouse!" Tanuj commanded.

The Lightning Mouse didn't hesitate. It unleashed another Thunderbolt, this time striking the Ninja Squirrel dead-on. The electricity crackled through the creature, and with a final, pitiful squeak, it collapsed to the ground, unmoving.

Tanuj stood there, panting, as he stared down at the fallen squirrel. "We… we did it. We actually beat a ninja squirrel. I can't believe that just happened."

The Lightning Mouse squeaked triumphantly, clearly proud of its performance.

*DING*

The system chimed, bringing up the familiar notifications.

**[Congratulations! You have defeated a Level 4 Ninja Squirrel.]**

**[Experience Gained: 100 EXP.]**

**[World Points Earned: +15 | Reason: Successful Defeat of a Higher-Level Monster]**

Tanuj felt the familiar surge of energy from gaining experience, but this time, the satisfaction was mixed with a sense of disbelief. "I can't wait to tell someone that I just fought and beat a ninja squirrel… and that it almost took me out."

He let out a chuckle, wiping the sweat from his brow. "What a world. Alright, System, let's see what we got from this furry ninja."

He quickly checked his inventory, waiting to see what the system had to offer this time.

**[Dismantling complete. Items acquired: Ninja Squirrel Fur * 1, Squirrel Nut * 3, Low Rank Power Stone * 3]**

Tanuj raised an eyebrow as he looked at the loot. "Squirrel Nut? What the heck am I supposed to do with that? Make some kind of gourmet salad?"

He shook his head with a smile, pocketing the items. "Well, at least the fur and Power Stones will be useful. As for the nuts… maybe they're worth something back in town."

---

### **One Month Later**

The forest had become Tanuj's proving ground. Day after day, he hunted, trained, and honed his skills. The Ninja Squirrel was just the beginning. Over the next month, he faced a variety of small but challenging monsters, each one pushing him to adapt and grow stronger.

He encountered **Horned Bunnies**, which used their sharp horns to charge at him with surprising speed. They were tough, but Tanuj learned to outmaneuver them and strike when they were off-balance.

Then there were the **Flying Squirrels**, which attacked from the treetops, swooping down with their wings spread wide. Their aerial acrobatics were tricky to deal with, but Tanuj soon learned to anticipate their movements and counter their dives with well-timed strikes.

As the days passed, Tanuj's level steadily increased. He didn't take on any monsters above his level—he knew better than to overreach—but by the end of the month, he had climbed to Level 6. His strength, agility, and stamina had all improved, and he was starting to feel more confident in his abilities.

He also made use of the experience cards he had purchased with his World Points, accelerating his progress whenever he had the chance. The cards were limited in number, but they gave him the edge he needed to level up faster than he could have on his own.

Tanuj's relationship with the Lightning Mouse grew stronger as well. The two of them became a well-coordinated team, with the Lightning Mouse's speed and electric attacks complementing Tanuj's growing combat skills.

Finally, after a month of intense training and hunting, Tanuj stood at the edge of the forest, looking back at the path he had carved out for himself. He had survived, grown stronger, and earned a healthy stash of loot and World Points in the process.

"Not bad, Tanuj. Not bad at all," he said to himself, a satisfied grin on his face. "But I know there

's still a lot more out there. This is just the beginning."

The Lightning Mouse squeaked in agreement, its eyes gleaming with the same determination.

Tanuj checked his status screen, taking stock of his progress. He was Level 6 now, with a decent amount of experience points and a respectable collection of skills and loot. He had learned to fight smarter, not just harder, and he was ready to take on whatever challenges lay ahead.