Reunion!

Heading back to my inn as I intended to before I rudely got stopped by the Pres., I glanced at my status screen while walking.The skill and feature I obtained were certainly interesting, but what truly stunned me were my rising base stats.My strength had climbed to 25, and agility made a jump to 30—probably from all the running I've been doing lately.Perception hit 25 as well, while intelligence rose by just five points, now sitting at a steady 25.Lastly, and perhaps most exciting, magic had reached a solid 25, making it my most balanced stat set so far.What amazed me most was that I hadn't even leveled up, yet my stats had improved—that alone felt like an achievement.Soon enough, I returned to the inn, but I didn't plan on staying long, especially with a quest looming at sunrise.I gave a quick wave and greeted the missus who helped run the inn, realizing her name was Rift.Slipping into my room, I decided to leave behind my cloak, knowing the wolves would rip it to shreds if I brought it.That cloak cost me a small fortune—I wasn't going to risk letting them tear it into scraps.As I hung it on the coat hanger—or cloak hanger in my case—a familiar piece of paper fluttered to the ground.It was the same paper I had found near Val's shop, and though I was dying to read it, I held myself back."No time for that now," I muttered, tucking the paper into the corner of my desk for later.Grabbing my short sword and fixing it to my waist, I took a deep breath and headed for the door.The sky was beginning to dim with the promise of night, but I had no time to waste.Excitement fluttered in my chest at the thought—maybe this quest would net me a new skill."Alright. No more distractions," I said to myself as I stepped into the cool evening air.My footsteps echoed softly in the quiet street, the town feeling hushed, as if watching.I passed by a flickering lantern and gave a small nod to its glow like it was an old friend.There was something oddly comforting about heading into danger with purpose.Every quest, every challenge, brought me closer to something—maybe not just power, but meaning.Still, I couldn't help but wonder what was written on that paper I left behind.But tonight wasn't about curiosity.It was about action.And so I pressed on, short sword ready, and heart open to whatever came next.

And yet, I still didn't know where I could find them, so naturally, I asked around, desperate to hunt them down. Soon enough, I was on my way, and I wasn't leaving until those wolves lay dead. The location was beside the meadows, deep within the forest—the kind of place wolves are known to roam. As I entered, the wolves' howls filled the air, each cry sending an electrifying thrill down my spine. The sound echoed through the trees, stirring something deep within me, something far beyond what I had ever felt before. A joy unlike anything in my past life—pure, untamed, and addictive. No amount of wealth could ever bring this sensation; in that moment, I'd gladly trade my very soul to keep it, and then rip it back from the devil himself just to bask in this bloodlust. The thought of the wolves' blood on my hands made my heart race with anticipation. They were just a warm-up for something much darker to come, but for now, all I could think about was their deaths. Suddenly, I was in a trance—a smile creeping over my face, no thought except for the kill. Out of the darkness, the wolves appeared—five of them, at least. But the number of wolves didn't matter. The emotions flooding my mind were irrelevant. All I wanted was to tear them apart, to make them feel what true fear was, to show them the terror of death itself. And yet, they dared to approach me like we were equals. "You animals are nothing compared to me. Know your place," I whispered with a cold smirk. "Skill: 'Parallel Thinking,' Feature: 'Steel Leaves.'" My left arm twisted into a sharp, razor-edged leaf. Normally, I might have been unsettled, but in that moment, I felt nothing but exhilaration. My mind was consumed with a singular purpose: to kill. Parallel Thinking kicked in, activating a part of my brain that worked autonomously. Before I could even blink, the leaf shot forward with brutal precision, slicing a wolf's head off in one fluid motion. The others didn't even notice until its lifeless body hit the ground, blood spilling toward me in a delicious arc. The remaining wolves faltered, backing off, their confidence crumbling. Some tried to hide behind the trees, others turned to run. "Oops, looks like you dropped your head, you filthy animals. Come on, I'm just getting started." With another swift swipe, I severed the heads of the remaining four wolves. All five of their heads now lay in the palm of my hand, a grim trophy. Before I could savor the moment, the system's voice pierced the silence: "Skill: Decipher has been activated. Which skill and feature would you like from the Wolf Abomination?" The system had read my mind, responding to my unspoken desire to take the wolves' claws for myself, to experience their power up close. "Give me the Feature of the Claw, and a skill fit for slaughter." "Skill: Stealth, and Feature: Wolf Claw have been bestowed onto the user." Now, with these new powers in hand, the wolves were nothing more than prey—insignificant creatures who existed only to fuel my insatiable hunger for the kill.

I saw more wolves out in the distance. So far, I had only killed five of them, and it wasn't enough for me or the quest. The wolves ahead were more than enough to finish what I started, and that was perfect. A perfect reason to kill, I thought. But the only thing that was circulating through my head was my intent to kill.

I activated my skill, 'Sprint.' This skill had proven to be an excellent ally for me, always there through thick and thin. Since 240 seconds had passed, I could switch my feature once again. I shouted:

"Skill activate: Decipher from Steel Leaf to Wolf Claw on my right arm. Left arm, convert back!"

To my surprise, it really worked. I marveled at how my arm had turned back to normal. Now I had a much stronger arm with a claw big enough to impale at least one wolf. I leapt forward with great force and stabbed one wolf in the neck from behind.

Attacking from behind wasn't noble, especially when you know your opponent is weaker. It's not considered chivalrous, but I don't believe in following the conventional rules of battle. I fight to win, no matter the cost. I killed two more wolves, making the count rise to eight. They were easy enough to take down. But when they surrounded me from every direction, using their stealth skill to sneak up from behind, I realized I had to adapt.

I grinned with malicious intent, raising my wolf arm to my face, almost horizontally, and quickly spoke:

"Skill: Stealth and Determination."

In an instant, I vanished. This skill covered my scent, breathing, footsteps, and even my presence, allowing me to remain undetected. I hadn't understood where the wolves had been coming from, but once I attacked, the skill deactivated. I had one chance at this. I needed to kill them all in one go.

I didn't even need the last minute of Sprint. In the blink of an eye, all their heads were on the ground, exactly where they should be: rotting in the dirt. How did I do it? Well, if my math was right, to reach ten minutes, you first had to get through eight minutes. I used that to my advantage, turning my right arm back into Steel Leaf and slicing their necks with one swift movement.

The blood of those insects sprayed everywhere, still spilling from their necks. I bowed to the empty forest, having completed something great. After canceling Decipher, I turned off Determination, but I couldn't do anything about Sprint. I had become used to the exhaustion, the feeling of passing out. This time, I managed to stay on my feet—barely.

I smirked and spoke up to the person hiding behind a tree.

"I know you're up there. Don't pretend you've been following me since I left the capital. Show yourself."

The person was startled, but they seemed amused.

"You've gotten sharper since the last time I saw you, brat. Looks like you might be useful after all."

It was none other than Lai. She jumped down from the tree and patted my head.

I tried to wave her hand off, signaling that I wasn't a child.

She grinned and replied, "I know you better than anyone else, Kai. You can trust me. I won't expose your soft heart."

That was the first time she said my name, and I knew she was serious.

I finally let my guard down and said, "You better not pull any funny business while I sleep. Also, take him and bring back twenty wolf heads. Let him submit them to get his pay."

She nodded in agreement, and I switched off like a light.