Merin walks through the forest without a trace of worry.
His biological field hums in rhythm with the earth—
Sensing every vibration beneath his feet, alerting him of any nearby movement.
As long as he walks, nothing can approach unnoticed.
The forest around him is alive, vibrant with chirping birds and the rustle of leaves.
He crosses paths with many beasts—squirrels, wolves, even a few snakes.
But all of them are normal.
Their bodies, though healthy, lack the overwhelming pressure of a giant beast.
To the untrained eye, a normal rabbit and a giant rabbit might seem like different species—
But genetically, they're almost identical.
Especially at the lower ranks, a Low-grade Inferior Giant Beast may differ from an ordinary animal by only a few genes.
The real difference begins to show as they ascend in rank.
Higher-tier beasts undergo visible changes—muscle density, bone structure, internal energy nodes.
A beast becomes a giant beast when it consumes Karst Crystal, directly or indirectly.
And over time, that energy alters their genetic structure, pushing them into evolution.
Suddenly, Merin stops.
His eyes narrow.
He senses a vibration nearby, close.
He scans the underbrush and soon spots it.
A yellow-spotted deer, standing over fifteen feet tall, its bulk rippling with unnatural strength.
To Merin, it's massive—its knee stands nearly at his head.
But he feels no fear.
He steps forward, calmly.
The giant deer notices him.
Unlike its smaller cousins, it doesn't flee.
Its red eyes lock onto him, flaring with a predatory glint.
It crouches low, muscles tensing, nostrils flaring.
Then—
It growls.
A low, guttural sound no herbivore should make.
But this is no ordinary deer.
This is a beast that has tasted Karst Crystal.
And it's ready to fight.
The deer lets out a sharp cry and rears up, raising its massive front legs high into the air.
Then it slams them down—
Aiming to crush Merin beneath its hooves.
But Merin doesn't move.
He simply raises his palm.
The deer's giant hoof lands directly on that small hand—
And stops.
Completely.
The force behind the strike disperses into the air, unable to press even a centimetre further.
The deer growls, pressing harder, straining its muscles to drive its hoof downward.
But its leg remains frozen—suspended, trembling with effort.
After several seconds of futile struggle, the beast exhales and retreats a step, pulling back its hoof.
That's when Merin moves.
In a blur, he jumps—
His fist slammed into the deer's throat with precise, explosive power.
A dull crunch echoes through the trees.
The deer staggers sideways, choking.
Its legs buckle, and the massive body crashes to the forest floor.
It thrashes violently, eyes wide in shock.
Blood sprays from its mouth in heavy bursts.
The throat is crushed—destroyed.
Merin's punch wasn't ordinary.
He had channelled his invisible true energy into his fist—
Letting it bypass the deer's thick skin as though it didn't exist.
The energy detonated inside the beast's neck—
Turning bones and flesh to pulp in a heartbeat.
This was no random animal—
It was an Intermediate-rank Inferior Giant Beast.
But against Merin, it didn't stand a chance.
He calmly pulls out his phone and dials a number.
The call rings once—
Then clicks as the line connects.
Merin says, "Hello."
A calm female voice responds, "Mr. Taylor, what can I do for you?"
Adam Taylor—that was the name given to him by his parents in this world.
Merin replies, "Send an extraction team to my location."
"Congratulations on the successful hunt, Mr. Taylor," she answers smoothly. "An extraction team will be there within minutes."
"Thank you," he says.
"It's our job, Mr. Taylor. Though, could you share details about the giant beast you've taken down?"
"It's a yellow-spotted deer," Merin replies. "Roughly fifteen feet tall."
"Noted," she says. "The team's already en route. They'll arrive shortly. Goodbye."
The call disconnects.
Merin slides the phone back into his pocket and leans casually against a nearby tree.
All he has to do now is wait.
The extraction team will arrive in semi-trucks designed specifically for forest recovery.
Unlike the dense jungles of Earth, the trees here are spaced wide apart—
Their trunks are thick and ancient, but separated by generous gaps.
Plenty of room for heavy vehicles to navigate without issue.
Merin crosses his arms, closes his eyes, and listens as the forest settles back into its natural stillness.
The trees grow far apart for a reason—
The energy of Karst Crystals flows through every speck of soil and every drop of water in this world.
It does not exist in the air; the particles are too heavy to float.
But underground, it's everywhere.
Trees absorb this energy from deep within the earth, and in response, they grow massive—
So large that their root systems dominate the soil, leaving no room for other trees nearby.
This natural spacing prevents overcrowding, giving rise to towering, isolated giants of bark and leaf.
A few minutes pass.
First, Merin feels the vibrations through the ground.
Then he hears the rumble of engines approaching.
He opens his eyes and looks toward the sound.
Five semi-trucks roll into view, making their way between the wide tree gaps with practised ease.
The convoy stops in front of him, engines humming low.
Doors swing open, and several members of the extraction team climb down.
One of them approaches—a tall man in a camo vest and reinforced boots.
"Adam, nice hunt," he says, grinning.
Merin shrugs. "Thanks. Ben, I heard some of you plan to head deeper into the forest to hunt a Colossal realm giant beast?"
Ben nods. "A week from now. Ryan, Madelyn, Black, and I, plus a few others—we're heading in deep."
"You want to join?"
Merin raises an eyebrow. "Could I?"
"Why not?" Ben grins. "You've got the skills."
"Then thank you," Merin says. "I'll join you guys."
"Great," Ben replies. "Then come to the Fire Inn on the 16th, around six in the evening. We're holding a meeting to plan the hunt."
Merin nods. "I'll be there."
He watches as the extraction team gets to work, expertly carving the giant deer into manageable pieces.
Though both transport vehicles are semi-trucks, the trees in the forest aren't spaced far enough to allow full-sized cargo trucks.
So, two smaller semi-trucks are required to carry the meat out in sections.
Once the task is done, Merin climbs aboard one of the trucks and rides back toward the town with the team.
The dirt road winds through the forest, and within a few minutes, the convoy emerges from the treeline.
Shortly after, the trucks come to a stop outside a large processing facility where several people are already waiting.
The building is equipped with heavy machinery to weigh and process the meat of giant beasts.
As the tailgates open, the workers move quickly, lifting the carefully packed slabs of meat onto the massive weighing platform.
The final weight flashes on the display—276 kilograms.
A man in a grey suit steps forward—the manager.
He approaches Merin and asks, "How much would you like to take back with you?"
Merin thinks for a moment, then replies, "Just 26 kilograms."
The manager nods and signals the workers behind him. "Pack 26 kilos of the deer meat."
Then he turns back to Merin. "And how would you like to settle the rest?"
Merin responds, "Sell 100 kilos for cash. Convert the remaining 150 into life potions."
"Understood," the manager says with a smile. "You'll receive 200,000 credits transferred to your account, and I'll have ten second-grade life potions delivered to you later today."
He pulls out his phone, taps a few buttons, and Merin hears a soft ping from his pocket.
He checks the screen—200,000 credits deposited.
He nods in approval, then waits quietly as the workers finish packing his share of the meat.
Once the wrapping is complete, he picks up the parcel, slings it over his shoulder, and begins the walk back to his cottage.
The forest air smells clean, earthy and tinged with blood.
Another day, another hunt.
Merin opens the door to his cottage and steps inside—
Only to feel a sudden impact against the back of his head.
He doesn't flinch.
No pain. No reaction.
He simply walks forward, turns around calmly—
And sees the young woman, now awake, gripping a metal rod.
It's the same tool he uses to dig small holes in the garden soil.
She's holding it like a weapon, its sharpened end raised defensively.
Merin looks at her and says, "You should've hit harder."
His tone is flat, unbothered.
"You're a Body Forging Realm martial artist—
Why strike like an ordinary person?"
The young woman stares at him, eyes wide with realisation.
"You're not one of the people who tried to kidnap me."
Merin raises an eyebrow. "You think if I were, I'd leave you alone in a bed, unrestrained?"
She exhales, her posture relaxing slightly. "Thank God."
Merin asks, "Then why did you attack me?"
"I wasn't a hundred per cent sure," she admits.
"I thought I could knock you out and interrogate you later."
Merin gives her a neutral look. "And now, can I ask who you are?"
She lowers the rod and answers, "I'm Evelyn Manford."
Merin nods and walks over to a cabinet.
He takes out a small power bank with a charging cable attached.
He had been using it to charge his phone—
But now, it'll charge her smartwatch.
Evelyn watches him and says, "You don't seem surprised by my surname."
"I figured you had one of the six major surnames," Merin replies,
"Based on the kind of watch you were wearing."
"Oh…" she says softly.
She glances at her wrist, where the sleek watch sits powered off.
"I guess I should charge it."
Merin nods. "Use the power bank."
Evelyn presses her thumb against one of the watch's side locks—
With a soft click, it opens.
The lock requires her fingerprint—designed only for her.
She connects it to the power bank, watching the small screen light up faintly.
Then she looks at Merin and asks, "What's your name? And where exactly am I?"
Merin picks up the wrapped package of deer meat and walks toward the kitchen.
"I'm Adam Taylor," he replies. "And you're in my rented cottage."
Evelyn follows him, curious.
She watches silently as he unwraps the meat and starts rinsing it in the basin.
"And this cottage is where?" she asks again.
"In Greenview Martial Town," Merin answers, voice calm as he works.
Evelyn nods slowly. "Can I use your phone? I need to make a call."
Merin pauses, rinses the blood off his hands, and dries them with a towel—
Then pulls out his phone.
After unlocking it, he hands it to her without a word.
Evelyn takes the phone and steps out of the kitchen.
Merin resumes cleaning the meat—
But he can still hear her clearly from where he stands.
Her voice is sharp, precise, and urgent.
He doesn't react, simply continues preparing the meat.
After rinsing it thoroughly, he stores most of it in the fridge—
Leaving just enough out to cook.
By the time she returns, the meal is nearly done.
An hour later, they sit across from each other at the dining table.
They eat in silence, the tension softened by the aroma of freshly cooked food.
As they finish their plates, a firm knock sounds at the door.
Merin stands, walks to the front, and opens it.
Outside stand two young men in sleek black jackets, a middle-aged man with a serious expression, and several uniformed police officers behind them.
The presence of law enforcement tells him everything.
He knows exactly why they're here.
Without a word, he steps aside and gestures for them to come in.
The three men without uniforms step through the doorway—
And the moment they see Evelyn, relief floods their faces.
They rush to her side, surrounding her, voices overlapping with urgent questions and concern.
As they speak, Merin quietly observes—
And from the conversation, he pieces together what had happened.
Evelyn had gone missing.
And earlier that morning, Merin had found her unconscious by the riverbank.
Eventually, the young man and the middle-aged man step forward, turning to Merin.
They offer him their thanks and introduce themselves—
Evelyn's brother and uncle.
Evelyn herself offers one final word of gratitude, her eyes steady and sincere—
And then they leave.
Only the remaining young man and a few police officers stay behind.
They ask Merin a few routine questions—
Who is he?
Why is he living out here?
Merin answers calmly, honestly.
Once satisfied, the officers nod and take their leave as well.
The cottage grows quiet once more.