Goodbye

A dull ache spread through his body as he slowly drifted back to consciousness. His head throbbed, his limbs felt heavy, and his throat was parched, but the first thing he saw made all of that fade into the background.

The Assassin Taratect was right in front of his face. Its many eyes reflected dim light, watching him intently, unmoving yet unwavering.

For a brief moment, he feared it had succumbed to its wounds, but then— A faint twitch. A breath. A sign of life.

Relief flooded his chest like a crashing wave, and before he could stop himself, his lips curved into a small smile. "You're doing well. Thank goodness," he murmured, voice hoarse.

It didn't respond, but it didn't need to. The fact that it was still alive after the grueling battle was more than enough. He pushed himself up from the cold cave floor, muscles protesting against the movement, but he ignored the pain. There was something surreal about the sight before him.

The cave was eerily empty. The massive serpent corpses were gone. Not a single trace of them remained—not their scales, not their shattered fangs, not their broken bodies. It was as if the fight had never happened.

But the dried blood staining the ground and walls told another story. They cried out the truth of what had transpired, the battle that had claimed so much.

His gaze shifted. The Titan Taratects had healed, their wounds no longer fresh, but scars still marked their bodies. They were battle-worn but alive. Near them, a few hatched eggs wriggled as newly born Taratects scuttled around, ignorant of the sacrifices that had been made to protect them.

The sight made something stir deep within him. A sense of responsibility? Perhaps. A lingering attachment? Definitely.

He pulled out a piece of bread from his inventory, a simple reward from his battle. As he took a bite and sipped water, the bland taste was the best thing he had felt in ages. His stomach settled, his body felt a little less drained, and finally, he could turn his attention to the system's notifications.

A new home interface had appeared. It was more refined, structured, almost as if his very existence had been acknowledged by the system in a different way now.

[System Interface Update]

[Name] – (Enter Name) [Class] – Assassin [Title] – Predator, Silk Guardian [Level] – 40 [Martial Art] – (Locked) [Magic Type] – (Locked)

"Title?" he muttered. He remembered seeing the Predator notification but hadn't given it much thought.

Ignoring the unfamiliar Martial Art and Magic Type sections for now, he opened his stat window.

---

[Stat Window]

Level: 40

HP: 1080/1150 Stamina: 777/850

Strength: 199 Agility: 180 Perception: 105 Intellect: 150 Dexterity: 117 (+10) Vitality: 119 (+8) Endurance: 147 Luck: 25 (+2) Mana: 600/1000

Pain Resistance – Lv 10 Poison Resistance – Lv 10

His eyes widened.

"Mana?!"

Magic. It had never been part of his arsenal before. He hadn't unlocked it. So why did he have mana now?

His mind raced. There were only two possible explanations—

1. The Fairy Lotus.

2. The Unyielding Will.

He had no clue what the Unyielding Will was, but it had saved his life twice. Probably something hidden in the system. Whatever the case, this changed everything.

His Skill Map had also evolved.

[Skill Map]

Advanced Stealth – Lv 1 (Cooldown: 72s)

Triple Dash – Lv 1 (Cooldown: 20s)

Air Step – Lv 1 (Cooldown: 36s)

Phantom Stride – Lv 6 (No Cooldown)

Last Stand – Lv 6 (Cooldown: 80s)

Predator Instinct – Lv 1 (Passive)

Silk Weaving – Lv 1 (Cooldown: None)

He had two new skills.

[Predator Instinct] (Passive)

A heightened sense of awareness, pushing his perception to its peak. Additionally, against enemies that feared him, his stats increased by 10%.

[Silk Weaving] (Active)

Allows the user to create threads of silk at will. The potential applications are endless.

Both were invaluable.

He closed the system interface. There was too much to process, but this wasn't the place to do it.

His fingers curled into a fist. Could he really just walk away like this?

The Taratects had fought for their survival, for their young. They were still recovering, still weak. If another wave of serpents came, would they survive? Could he live with himself if he left them in such a vulnerable state?

But staying meant risking another assault. He had barely survived the last fight—if the serpents attacked again, he might not be so lucky. He wasn't strong enough yet. And the system's sudden changes… he needed time to understand them.

His jaw clenched. It was an ugly decision, one that left a bitter taste in his mouth. But in the end, there was only one choice.

"I have to leave."

But as he turned to go, something blocked his path.

The Assassin Taratect.

It didn't budge.

For a long moment, they simply stared at each other. The spider had nearly died for him. It had fought alongside him. It had suffered just as much as he had.

And now, it refused to let him go.

His heart clenched, a rare moment of uncertainty filling him.

"…Sorry, little guy, but I have to leave."

The Taratect tilted its head.

The moment stretched.

Then—without a word, it turned and scuttled away.

For a split second, he thought it had finally accepted his decision.

But then—

It returned, carrying something in its fangs.

An egg.

It placed it in front of him.

Shwet stared at it.

"…You're giving this to me?"

The Taratect said nothing, but it nudged the egg forward.

A gift. A bond. A silent promise.

Swallowing the lump in his throat, he reached out and took it. He placed the egg into his inventory.

"Thank you."

The Taratect tapped his foot.

Then it turned and started walking.

He blinked.

It was leading him forward.

Showing him the way out.

A small, tired smile ghosted his lips.

He followed.

The cave had been a battlefield, but now it was something else.

A beginning.

He was brought as prey, hunted and weak. He was leaving as something else—not just stronger, but changed. A predator. A guardian. A being standing on the edge of both worlds.

And so, without looking back, he stepped forward—into the unknown.