Chapter 4 – Fire, Blood, and Evolution
After securing a new companion, Zarya, Renji knew he couldn't rest. The mission's timer was still ticking—only four days to complete the Beast God's trial or face certain death.
Without hesitation, he left the cave with Zarya by his side. The forest loomed ahead, its towering trees swaying under the weight of the fading sunlight. Shadows stretched long and ominous as dusk approached, but Renji didn't slow his pace. Every second mattered.
Back in the thick woods, the chirping of insects echoed like whispers, and the leaves rustled under their feet. Zarya moved beside him with feline grace, her silver fur almost glowing in the twilight.
Suddenly, movement ahead.
Four goblins emerged, snarling, crude weapons gripped tightly in their clawed hands. Their eyes glimmered with feral instinct.
Renji didn't hesitate. With a sharp breath, he burst forward like a drawn arrow.
His katana gleamed in the dim light as he struck the first goblin cleanly across the neck. The creature's head flew into the air, spinning before landing with a dull thud. Without missing a beat, Renji twisted his body, narrowly avoiding the rusty blade of a second goblin.
— Too slow.
He countered with a powerful kick to the creature's legs, bones snapping on impact. The goblin screamed, collapsing in agony. Renji didn't hesitate. He thrust his blade forward and pierced the goblin's eye, silencing it instantly.
The two remaining goblins panicked.
Seeing their comrades fall in mere seconds, they turned to flee, fear overtaking bloodlust.
Renji's eyes locked onto their backs.
— Mistake.
He lunged toward one, his blade sinking into its heart from behind. The goblin choked and fell forward, dead before it hit the ground.
Then only one remained.
Renji began to sprint after it, determined to finish the job—but just as he closed in, a sudden flash lit up his vision.
A ball of fire.
— Shit!
He saw it—too close, too fast.
In a split second of panic, Renji realized he was too slow to escape the explosion's radius. His heart pounded.
But then—a thought.
— My unused attribute points!
With adrenaline flooding his body, Renji slammed open his status window mid-run. His fingers moved fast.
+4 to Agility.
+4 to Strength.
A surge of raw energy coursed through him. Muscles tightened. Blood flowed faster. His mind sharpened.
Suddenly, everything slowed.
The fireball, once racing toward him, now seemed to float.
— Agility boosts my reaction time too…!
Renji didn't waste the chance. He leapt out of the way just as the fireball struck the ground behind him with a deafening blast. The explosion ripped through the earth, sending debris flying and leaving a smoking crater in its wake.
Breathing heavily, Renji steadied himself and looked toward where the fireball had come from.
His eyes narrowed.
Standing among the trees was a goblin unlike the others. It wore a tattered robe and clutched a wooden staff. Arcane symbols glowed faintly around its wrists. Its yellow eyes sparkled with intelligence—and cruelty.
Above its head: Level 5.
Renji sighed, almost amused.
— Don't tell me… you got a letter from an owl too?
The goblin screeched and raised its staff.
Another fireball began to form.
Renji bolted forward, weaving between trees as more fireballs rained down. The air grew hotter with each explosion.
— Damn it. If only I had a distraction—just one second, I could end this. Mage defenses are always weak...
He darted from side to side, waiting for the right moment.
And then—a blur of silver.
Zarya.
With speed, she pounced on the goblin from behind, her claws slashing across its back. The goblin shrieked, losing focus and halting its spell.
— Now!
Renji's feet pounded the ground as he dashed in, his enhanced agility making the world seem slower. In one smooth motion, he slashed upward, severing the goblin's head cleanly from its shoulders.
Silence returned.
The goblin's headless body slumped to the ground.
A new notification appeared:
Level Up!
You reached Level 4.
+8 Attribute Points.
But something was off.
Unlike the others, this goblin's body didn't dissolve into light. It remained there, motionless and intact.
Renji raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
— Why didn't it vanish?
He looked at Zarya, then back to the corpse.
— Might be worth taking back...
He bent down, grabbed the goblin mage's body, and slung it over his shoulder with a grunt.
— Come on, Zarya. Let's figure out what secrets this guy's hiding.
The forest was growing darker. Twilight had given way to night, and the stars began to peek through the canopy above. With a steady pace, Renji and Zarya returned to the cave that had become their temporary shelter.
Once inside, Renji laid the goblin corpse on the stone floor and began checking its robes. He rifled through the pockets and belts until his hand brushed against something stiff—a scroll?
No.
It was a map.
Unfolding the worn parchment, Renji saw the crude drawing of a forest, a river… and a symbol of a castle marked deep within the territory.
— So that's where this thing came from…
Before he could say more, he heard a low growl beside him.
Zarya.
She crouched over the goblin's body and suddenly bit down into its chest. With a wet, cracking sound, she tore into the flesh and pulled something from the goblin's heart.
A green gem, pulsating with mana.
Without hesitation, she bit into it and swallowed.
Renji blinked.
— So that's how monsters evolve in this world…
His mind recalled countless anime and manga. In those stories, beasts devoured other creatures to grow stronger, to level up.
— Makes sense now. That's why this one didn't disappear. Maybe from level 5 onward, they become real in this world... Their bodies remain even after death.
He looked at Zarya, now lying down contentedly, her fur glowing slightly with new energy.
— So this is how you'll grow, huh?
He gently picked her up, cradling her in his arms like a loyal pet finally resting after a long day. She was warm, almost radiating life.
Renji leaned against the cave wall, laying Zarya on his lap.
With one last glance at the map, he sighed.
— A castle, huh...? Looks like our real journey is just beginning.