The forest was alive.
Leaves whispered above, branches creaked, and in the undergrowth, shadows slithered like ghosts.
Kenji crouched low, his breath steady, blades drawn. A wolf padded into view, muscles shifting beneath gray fur, eyes glowing faintly.
[Wolf — Lv 1]
He waited until it lunged.
One step aside. Blades flashing.
[Twin Slash]
Steel carved across its flank. The beast yelped, spun, snarled. Kenji dodged again, rolling on instinct. His stamina bar dipped into yellow.
"Too much," he muttered. He couldn't waste energy. Each dodge drained him.
The wolf leapt again. He pivoted, slashed upward. Its throat split. The body shimmered, dissolved.
[Victory: Wolf slain.][+6 EXP][Loot: Wolf Pelt (Common)]
Kenji opened his bar.
[18 / 100 EXP]
He grimaced. Hours of this, and he might not even reach level two.
A scream echoed nearby.
Kenji darted through the brush, stopping at a clearing. Two players were fighting wolves.
One panicked, flailing fists. His HP bar dropped. A wolf tore into his chest.
He collapsed, dissolved.
Light flared in the distance as he respawned back in the village.
Kenji narrowed his eyes. Something shimmered in the air where the player had fallen—then vanished.
His card.
He hadn't registered it.
The second player froze, staring at the spot in horror before bolting back toward the gates.
Kenji exhaled. The system was merciless.
Die unregistered, and your fate was erased.
Deeper in the forest, a shout rang out.
"RARE DROP! I GOT A RARE!"
Kenji moved toward the noise. A crowd of players had gathered around a boy holding up a gleaming pair of leather boots.
[Loot Acquired: Hunter's Step (Rare)]
+2 Movement Speed
+1 Dodge Chance
"First rare drop!" the boy screamed, dancing.
The crowd roared. Some congratulated, others cursed. A few tried to trade on the spot.
Kenji watched silently from the treeline. Excitement was dangerous. That boy had just painted a target on his back.
Already, whispers stirred.
DarkCrow: "Kill him. He'll drop it."
LeafCutter: "Guard the kid. He's proof gear exists."
IronBear88: "Fools. Waste your time while we grind."
Kenji shook his head. This was exactly how guild wars began.
He turned back to the trees. Another wolf prowled into view.
He stepped forward, calm. His blades struck, his stamina dipped, his breathing stayed controlled.
Minutes later, the beast fell.
[+6 EXP][24 / 100 EXP]
Slow. Brutal. Honest.
And yet Kenji's smile returned. This was no game for casuals. It was survival.
He adjusted his grip, listening to the forest's whispers.
The sun was sinking. Shadows stretched long across the clearing.
Behind him, players bickered, laughed, screamed.
Ahead, the forest loomed deeper, darker, full of secrets no one yet understood.
Kenji stepped forward, blades ready.