Not Alone Anymore

The forest stretched on forever. The deeper I went, the weirder it got. Trees glowed different colors, the air grew thicker, and some parts of the ground pulsed like it was breathing.

It didn't feel like a game anymore. It felt like something alive was watching every step I took.

I stuck close to the shadows, dagger in hand, senses on edge. The system said I had a passive that let me feel hostile intent, but that didn't mean I could dodge a sneak attack. So I trusted my gut more than anything.

Then I heard it.

Voices.

Real voices.

I froze behind a tree, heart racing. Not monsters. Not system echoes. Actual people.

Two of them, male, talking low.

"Level one, just like us. Fresh. Probably clueless."

"We follow him, wait until he's hurt, then take his loot."

Of course.

Other players.

I moved fast, climbing up into a tree, hiding in the thick branches. A few seconds later, they stepped into view; both guys around my age, both wearing system-generated starter gear. One had a crude spear. The other had some kind of stone club.

I waited until they passed under me.

Then dropped down behind them.

"Looking for someone?" I said.

They spun around, eyes wide. The one with the club raised it fast, but not fast enough.

I kicked him in the stomach, grabbed his arm mid-swing, and slammed his face into a tree. He dropped.

The other guy tried to stab me. I sidestepped and drove my dagger into his shoulder. He screamed and dropped the spear.

I yanked it away and kicked him to the ground.

"Wait! Wait!" he begged. "We didn't mean anything, man. It's just the system. It messes with your head."

I didn't say anything. I just watched his health bar flicker in the air, already low from something else.

I pressed the dagger to his neck. "How many others are out here?"

He swallowed hard. "Not many. Maybe ten? It's random who gets picked. Some spawn in different zones."

"And what happens if I kill you?" I asked.

He looked like he might cry. "I don't know."

I stared at him for a long second. Then I pulled back and walked away.

He didn't follow.

Didn't even breathe.

Just sat there shaking.

I wasn't a killer. Not yet. But I wasn't going to let anyone take from me again.

The system pinged.

[Hidden Trait Progression Updated]

Path Chosen: Lone PredatorKill Bonus: Increased XP from solo killsThreat Level: MediumNote: Your actions shape your evolution

So it was watching everything. Not just kills. Choices.

I liked that.

I kept moving, deeper into the forest, away from wannabe thieves and toward something bigger.

And as the sun dipped behind the glowing trees, I heard something huge moving ahead.

Not a player this time.

A beast.

And I was ready for it.

The trees opened into a clearing bathed in silver light. Everything was quiet again, too quiet. The kind that makes your skin crawl and your instincts scream.

I wasn't alone here.

The moment I stepped into the open, the ground trembled. A deep growl rolled through the air like thunder, and a massive shape stepped out of the dark.

Easily ten feet tall. All muscle and armored hide. Two tusks curved from its jaw like spears, and its eyes glowed with burning blue light.

[WARNING: Elite Trial Beast Detected]

Name: Gorefang RavagerTier: 1 (Trial Class)HP: 600Strength: 28Defense: 35Speed: 12Status: TerritorialBonus Reward: First Blood Evolution

"Perfect," I muttered, gripping my dagger.

I was Level 1 with garbage gear and half my stamina.

It should've been a death sentence.

But I didn't run.

I dashed left just as the Ravager charged, its massive hoof crashing down where I'd just been. Dirt flew. Trees shook. If that hit me once, I was paste.

I didn't wait. I sprinted at its side, slashed at the joint behind its leg. The dagger barely scratched it, but it bled, and that was all I needed.

[5 DMG Dealt | Weak Point Bonus]

The beast roared and spun faster than it should've. A tusk sliced through the air inches from my face. I ducked and rolled, breathing hard.

It chased me in circles, trying to corner me. Every time it missed, I cut again, ankles, knees, tendons. Small cuts. Dozens of them.

I wasn't winning with strength.

I was bleeding it out.

[Void Instinct Triggered: Incoming Attack!]

I didn't hesitate. I dropped flat, just as the Ravager lunged forward. Its tusks slammed into a tree behind me, stuck.

I jumped on its back and drove the dagger into the soft spot behind its skull.

Once.

Twice.

Over and over.

It screamed and bucked like crazy, throwing me off. I hit the ground hard, but didn't stop moving. I grabbed the fallen spear from earlier and ran straight at it.

The beast turned too slow.

I jammed the spear into its throat with everything I had.

The Ravager gurgled, staggered, then collapsed with a final crash that shook the whole forest.

[Elite Enemy Defeated: Gorefang Ravager]

+150 XP+2 Attribute Points+2 Skill PointsBonus Achieved: First Blood Evolution

I dropped to my knees, gasping.

Then the real message came.

[System Update Unlocked: Evolution Path Chosen]

Trial Class: Void Predator (Rare)Core Perk: Absorb enemy traits through kill thresholdsEvolution Tree: ActiveNext Tier Goal: 10 Unique Kills

A new panel popped up. A black tree with branching icons, each one glowing faintly.

I wasn't just leveling up now.

I was mutating.

And that's how it started. A broke nobody from the slums, dropped into a kill-or-be-killed world by some godforsaken system.

Now?

Now I had power.

And I wasn't giving it back.

The Ravager's body faded into black mist, but this time it didn't just disappear.

Something stayed behind.

Hovering above the spot where it fell was a pulsing black shard, like obsidian, but alive. I didn't touch it right away. My instincts were on high alert. But the system was already reacting.

[Evolution Shard Detected]

Origin: Gorefang RavagerTrait: Brutal MomentumRequirement: Trial Class - Void PredatorAbsorb Shard?

That last part made me pause.

Absorb?

I didn't know what it would do. But I knew one thing; in this world, hesitation got you killed.

I gripped the shard.

It dissolved into smoke and slammed into my chest like a punch. My muscles spasmed. My vision blurred. I could feel something changing inside me, like my body was being rebuilt from the core out.

[Trait Acquired: Brutal Momentum (Passive)]

After a successful hit, next attack gains +10% damageStacks up to 5 timesDuration: 10 seconds per hit

I stood there, breathing hard, as the last of the pain faded.

This was real power.

Every fight now had a reward that made me stronger. Permanent upgrades. Passive perks. Not just weapons or stats, real evolution.

I checked my panel again.

[PLAYER PROFILE: VAELRIC]

Level: 2XP: 180 / 300HP: 100 / 120Stamina: 90 / 110Mana: 0

Strength: 10Agility: 12Endurance: 9Intelligence: 5Luck: 2

Unspent Attribute Points: 2Unspent Skill Points: 2

Traits:- Void Instinct (Passive)- Reaper's Flow (Passive)- Brutal Momentum (Passive)

Trial Class: Void PredatorEvolution Progress: 1 / 10Equipment: Rusted Fang Dagger, Bone SpearStatus: Stable

I put one point into Agility, one into Strength. I needed speed just as much as hitting power right now.

Then I opened the skill list.

[Skill Selection: Tier 2 Unlocked]

Limb Splitter - Targeted strikes have a chance to cripple enemy movement

Void Step - Short-range dash, can pass through physical objects (5s cooldown)

Predator's Call - Mark a nearby enemy to reveal HP and weak points for 20 seconds

Frenzied Edge - Deal bonus damage for each second spent in combat

Bloodthirst - Recover small HP for each enemy killed in under 10 seconds

I hesitated between Void Step and Bloodthirst.

But I picked Void Step. It gave me mobility. An escape tool. Or a way to ambush.

Skill Unlocked: Void Step (Active)

Blink forward up to 5 metersPass through objects or enemiesCooldown: 5 seconds

A new heat settled in my legs, like something was ready to fire the moment I called it. I tested it, blinked forward straight through a tree.

No resistance. No delay.

Just... teleportation.

I grinned.

This world might be brutal. But now I had options.

The wind shifted. I felt it again; that tingle on the edge of my senses.

Something was watching me.

I turned slowly.

It wasn't a beast this time.

It was a girl.

She stood on the far side of the clearing, half-hidden in the dark. Cloak torn, blood on her hands, eyes sharp and calm.

Another player. And she was armed.