The Hunt Begin's

Arthur's footsteps barely made a sound as he moved through the dense forest. His body felt different now—stronger, lighter, more responsive. The stat points he'd allocated had already started to show their effects. His Strength gave him confidence that he wouldn't be tossed around like a ragdoll. His Agility made dodging low branches feel effortless. And though he had no immediate use for his Charm, he hoped it would come in handy if he ever found civilization.

But right now, none of that mattered.

Something was hunting him.

He could feel it.

It was a primal, gut-wrenching instinct, like a sixth sense screaming at him to be on guard. Every rustling leaf, every shifting shadow—he knew he wasn't alone. His mind raced. Was it another giant boar? Something worse? He wasn't about to stick around to find out.

Ding!

SYSTEM ALERT:

Host is being targeted.

Threat Level: High.

New Skill Unlocked: Danger Sense (Lv.1)

"Oh, now you tell me?" Arthur hissed under his breath.

The moment the notification appeared, he heard it—a low, guttural growl, deep and primal, rumbling through the trees. He turned sharply, eyes scanning for the source. The undergrowth trembled, leaves shifting unnaturally, and then—

Something lunged.

Arthur barely managed to throw himself to the side as a black-furred beast burst from the foliage. It was massive, easily twice the size of a wolf, with jagged fangs glistening in the faint light. Its eyes glowed a sickly yellow, locked onto Arthur like a predator sizing up its next meal.

"What the hell is that?!"

Ding!

SYSTEM IDENTIFICATION:

Name: Nightfang Alpha

Level: 5

HP: ???

Abilities: Enhanced Speed, Pack Leader's Call, Shadow Bite

Arthur's stomach dropped. "Level five?! I just hit level two!"

The Nightfang didn't care. It charged again, blurring forward with terrifying speed. Arthur barely managed to react, throwing himself backward just as its claws sliced through the air where his chest had been a second ago. A deep gash appeared in the tree behind him, the bark shredded like paper.

"Oh, great, it's fast, too."

Arthur scrambled to his feet, adrenaline pumping through his veins. Running was an option, sure—but with Agility +2, he felt like he could fight. At least, he hoped he could fight. He reached down, grabbing the nearest rock he could find.

"Alright, time to see if 'Stone Throw' actually does anything."

With a quick flick of his wrist, he hurled the rock directly at the Nightfang's face.

Ding!

Stone Throw (Lv.2) Activated!

The rock whistled through the air, striking the beast square between the eyes with a solid thunk.

The Nightfang... blinked.

Then it snarled, clearly pissed off.

Arthur took a deep breath. "Welp. That did nothing."

The beast pounced.

Arthur rolled, narrowly dodging its razor-sharp claws. His heart pounded in his chest as he scrambled to his feet. He needed a strategy, and fast. That's when he noticed something—

The Nightfang's movements weren't random.

Every time it lunged, it favored its left leg.

A weakness.

Arthur grinned. "Alright, big guy. Let's see how you handle a little trickery."

As the beast rushed him again, Arthur sidestepped at the last second, forcing the Nightfang to overextend its movement. The instant its left leg hit the uneven ground, Arthur dropped low and slammed his fist into the weakened limb with every ounce of strength he had.

Ding!

New Skill Unlocked: Adaptive Combat (Lv.1)

The Nightfang let out a pained howl, staggering as its leg buckled. Arthur didn't waste a second. He grabbed another stone and smashed it against the beast's injured leg with all his might.

CRACK!

The Nightfang yelped, collapsing to the ground. It thrashed wildly, struggling to regain its footing.

Arthur panted, his body aching from exertion. "Holy crap... I actually did that?"

The beast glared at him, but Arthur could see it now—the hesitation in its movements, the realization that it had underestimated him.

"Yeah, that's right," Arthur huffed. "Not so tough now, are ya?"

Just as he was starting to feel confident, the bushes rustled again.

Arthur's stomach turned to ice.

More growls filled the air.

Ding!

Pack Leader's Call Activated. Additional Nightfangs Incoming.

Arthur's eye twitched. "Oh, come on!"

Three more Nightfangs emerged from the shadows, their glowing yellow eyes locked onto him. The injured alpha let out a strained growl, and the newcomers circled Arthur like sharks.

He swallowed hard. "Okay. Now running seems like a great idea."

He turned and bolted.

The forest blurred past him as he sprinted for his life, branches snapping behind him as the pack gave chase. His newfound Agility kicked in, his movements sharper, his reflexes faster. But the Nightfangs weren't just fast—they were relentless.

Arthur spotted a fallen tree ahead, its massive trunk lying across his path. No time to stop. He planted his foot down and vaulted over it.

The Nightfangs weren't so lucky.

One slammed into the trunk headfirst with a yelp, while another scrambled to climb over. Arthur gained precious seconds and used them to weave through the trees, dodging and juking like his life depended on it—because it absolutely did.

Then, in the distance, he saw it.

A cliff.

It wasn't too high—maybe a twenty-foot drop—but it was steep enough that climbing back up wouldn't be easy. The Nightfangs were gaining. He had one shot at this.

Arthur gritted his teeth. "Alright. Don't die. Don't die. Don't die."

He reached the edge and jumped.

The world tilted as he plummeted, the wind rushing past his ears. He braced for impact—

And slammed into a thick bush, tumbling through leaves and branches before hitting the ground with a painful thud.

"Ughhh... my everything hurts."

Above, the Nightfangs skidded to a stop at the cliff's edge, snarling down at him. But they didn't jump. They paced back and forth, frustrated but unwilling to follow.

Arthur let out a wheezing laugh. "I... I lived?"

The system's familiar ding echoed in his ears.

SYSTEM ALERT:

Survival Bonus: +300 XP

Level Up! (Level 3)

New Skill Unlocked: Evasive Maneuvers (Lv.1)

Arthur lay flat on his back, staring at the sky.

"Okay," he muttered between gasps. "New plan. No more fighting monsters until I'm at least level five."

Then, finally, he allowed himself to pass out.