My arms trembled, the dull blade still clenched in both hands. The Ratacorn's corpse lay beneath me, twitching once, then still. My chest heaved. Blood trickled down from a shallow slice on my shoulder and soaked into my shirt.
But I'd won.
You have leveled up! x2
Stat Points gained: +10
I blinked and stumbled back, wiping my brow with my sleeve.
"Status," I whispered.
Name: Marcus Haymon
Race: Human ★
Age: 17
Class: N/A
Level: 3 (EXP: 50 / 400)
Health: 85 / 100
Mana: 80 / 80
Stamina: 60 / 100
Karmic Level: Neutral
STR: 8
AGI: 14
END: 8
INT: 8
SPT: 10
Stat Points (Unassigned): 0
Skills: N/A
Dao: N/A
Gifts:
• Great Comprehension [Epic]
• Godly Learning [Unique]
Effects:
+200% EXP gain
Increased skill and Dao learning speed
Easier comprehension and weapon mastery
I whistled low. Fourteen Agility already. I could feel the difference. My body felt lighter, like each step needed less force, less thought. My reaction time had been fast before — now it bordered on superhuman.
Still, one kill didn't mean I was safe. There were more of those things out here. I needed real skills, not just raw stats. That Ratacorn had nearly gutted me.
"Let's test something," I muttered, kneeling beside the corpse. Its spiraled horn jutted out of the skull, still glistening. My hands closed around it. "Come on, loot system… drop… something."
Nothing happened.
No shiny window. No auto-loot. No inventory.
"Tch. So it's not a game. Guess I have to carry everything the old-fashioned way."
I didn't bother trying to pry the horn off. Not yet. I'd come back if I lived long enough. Right now, I needed experience. Fast.
I moved.
The next hour was hell.
I found another Ratacorn ten minutes later — Level 4. Then two more — a Level 2 and a Level 5 working together. They chased me through glowing brambles, over mossy roots as thick as fenceposts, and under low-hanging canopies of shimmering ferns. They didn't go down easy. My sword chipped, my arms throbbed, my shoulder ached with every swing.
But I adapted.
Each fight taught me something.
When the Level 4 tried to circle behind me — I used a fallen log to control the space. When the Level 2 jumped at my neck, I ducked and used its own momentum to fling it into a tree.
And slowly, the notifications came:
You have defeated a Ratacorn (Level 4).
Base XP earned: 180
Godly Learning (x3 XP): +360 XP
Total Gained: 540 XP
You have defeated a Ratacorn (Level 5).
Base XP earned: 240
Bonus: Skill-Based Kill (+25%)
Total Gained: 900 XP
You have leveled up! x3
Stat Points gained: +15
Skill Acquired: Instinctive Footwork (Lv. 1)
Skill Acquired: Momentum Slash (Lv. 1)
Skill Acquired: Battle Focus (Lv. 1)
I dropped to one knee, panting, blade red with gore.
"Skills… real skills." I laughed weakly.
Instinctive Footwork (Lv. 1)
Rarity: Uncommon
Type: Passive — 0 Mana
Effect:
+10% evasion
+5% movement control
-2% stamina cost for dodging
Description:
Your combat instincts guide your body without conscious thought. You react faster to threats, move more fluidly in tight spaces, and waste less energy with each shift in position. Improves agility-based evasion and positioning in melee combat.
Momentum Slash (Lv. 1)
Rarity: Uncommon
Type: Active — 15 Mana
Effect:
+10–25% bonus damage (scales with movement speed and AGI)
Minimum bonus: +10% damage even with minimal momentum
No stagger or bleed chance at this level
Description:
Strike while moving to convert kinetic force into raw impact. The faster you move, the harder you hit. Useful for ambushes, hit-and-run tactics, or breaking enemy posture. Especially effective with high Agility builds.
Battle Focus (Lv. 1)
Rarity: Uncommon
Type: Active — 10 Mana
Duration: 4 seconds
Effect:
+15% mental clarity and focus
Description:
You silence distractions and sharpen your concentration. In the heat of combat, this clarity lets you read your opponent, plan your next move, and remain emotionally grounded. Excellent for duels and clutch moments.
I spent the new stat points immediately — 10 to Agility, 5 to Strength.
STR: 13
AGI: 24
Twenty-four Agility.
Now I really moved like lightning.
The next two Ratacorns died so fast I barely broke a sweat. I ducked and weaved around their lunges, letting their speed work against them. I used trees for cover, then dashed out and slammed into them with Momentum Slash active — snapping necks, cracking ribs. My sword felt lighter, faster, an extension of my body.
You have reached Level 6 (EXP: 0 / 1,200)
Stat Points gained: +5
Skill Up: Instinctive Footwork → Lv. 2
Skill Up: Momentum Slash → Lv. 2
I hadn't even noticed how much I'd improved until I stood over five bodies. My breathing was steady. My stance balanced. My footwork sharp.
But I wasn't alone.
A shadow shifted behind a fern.
I froze.
Then I heard it — laughter. Harsh, guttural, and close.
"Gkkkhhh…" Something hissed.
A green face peeked from behind the foliage. Beady red eyes. Snaggle teeth. Pointed ears.
Goblins.
Three of them emerged. Each about four feet tall, wiry, with sharp claws and makeshift armor — leather strips, bones, bark. One had a rusted cleaver. Another a jagged spear.
Species: Goblin
Level: 6
Aggressive. Low intelligence. Group tactics. Weak individually, dangerous in numbers.
I stepped back.
"Three on one…" I muttered. "Let's see what you've got."
They shrieked and charged.
I surged forward. Speed — that was my edge.
I slipped past the spear's thrust, ducked low, and slashed the kneecaps out from the first goblin. It collapsed with a scream. The cleaver-wielder swung wild, but I was already behind it. My sword came down in a diagonal arc — Momentum Slash flared — its spine cracked.
The third tried to flee.
I didn't let it.
You have defeated 3x Goblins (Lv. 6)
Base XP: 3x 270 = 810 XP
Godly Learning Bonus: +1,620 XP
Total: 2,430 XP
You have leveled up! x2
Current Level: 8 (EXP: 630 / 1,600)
Stat Points: +10 → Applied as 7 AGI / 3 STR
Updated Stats:
STR: 16
AGI: 31
Battle Focus → Lv. 2
Instinctive Footwork → Lv. 3
The fights kept coming.
I ran into two more goblins — Levels 7 and 8. Then a group of four. I used the trees, misdirection, speed, and precise strikes. When surrounded, I baited one into overextending, countered, then faded into the foliage. The forest became my battlefield.
You have reached Level 9 (EXP: 200 / 1,800)
Stat Points gained: +5 → STR +1 / AGI +4
STR: 17
AGI: 35
But then I made a mistake.
I followed a set of goblin tracks into a thicker part of the woods — darker, quieter.
That's when I heard it.
A heavy step. Then another.
A massive shape lumbered into view.
It was at least six feet tall. Muscular. Green skin hardened like leather. Its eyes glowed faintly. A massive iron club was slung over one shoulder. Bones were tied to its arms and neck like trophies. Its ears were torn from past battles.
Species: Hobgoblin — Level 10
Evolved Goblinoid. High strength. High health. Combat instinct. Capable of basic martial tactics.
Mini-Boss Class: XP x2
Warning: This enemy is stronger than you.
My heart dropped.
"…Shit."
It saw me.
Roared.
And charged.
I didn't wait. I darted left, Instinctive Footwork guiding me around a thick root. The club came down where I'd been — smashing the earth like a bomb.
I flanked, came in low — Momentum Slash ready.
Mana -15 → 65 / 80
My sword bounced off its shoulder.
It grunted, twisted, and backhanded me with what felt like a brick. I flew five feet and slammed into a tree, gasping.
Health -25-15 → 60 / 100
Pain flared across my ribs. I rolled, barely dodging the follow-up swing that shattered the bark inches from my skull.
I forced myself upright. Blood ran down my side. Everything hurt.
Not going head-to-head.
I sprinted sideways, fast. Circling.
It turned to track me, slower.
Battle Focus surged through me. Time stretched. My breath steadied. The world sharpened.
Mana -10 → 40 / 80
It lunged.
I ducked under its swipe, dashed to its right, Momentum Slash again — this time to the back of its knee.
Mana -15 → 25 / 80
The blade bit in.
It roared and staggered.
I kept moving. I couldn't let up.
Instinctive Footwork kept me just out of reach as the club swung again, whistling past my head.
Too slow.
The club clipped my shoulder.
Health -18 → 42 / 100
I rolled with the impact, tucked into a sprint, and pushed distance. My body burned. I couldn't take many more hits.
I circled again, breath ragged, eyes locked. The Hobgoblin followed, more cautious now. Blood dripped from its leg.
I had to finish it — and fast.
I surged in, Momentum Slash, high this time, slicing at its face.
Mana -15 → 10 / 80
It raised its arm — I redirected mid-swing, going low again.
Steel cracked bone. The Hobgoblin bellowed and dropped to a knee.
I leapt, blade overhead.
One final strike.
My sword sank deep into its neck.
After what seemed like forever — it fell. Dead.
You have defeated Hobgoblin (Level 10) — Mini-Boss
Base XP: 450
Mini-Boss Multiplier x2: +450 XP
Skill-Based Kill (+25%): +225 XP
Godly Learning Bonus x3: +1,125 XP
Total Gained: 2,250 XP
You have leveled up!
Current Level: 10 (EXP: 650 / 2,000)
Stat Points Gained: +5
Skill Up: Momentum Slash → Lv. 3
Skill Up: Battle Focus → Lv. 3
Everything went black.