Eryon crouched low behind a thick bush, motionless, his breath shallow. The sharp scent of human sweat still lingered in the air. Fresh, strong, and close. He shifted his weight slightly, eyes peering through the tangle of leaves.
Four men passed. Young, careless, their laughter and conversation rolling into the air without the slightest caution. Most looked to be in their early twenties, except one, who couldn't have been older than nineteen.
"...We're dead if we charge that creature head-on. But either way, we need to get our share," one muttered, frustration heavy in his voice.
"You saw it, right? What exactly was that thing guarding?" another asked.
"I forgot the details... but that hologram definitely mentioned treasure. Some kind of video game-style quest."
"Hah. Then we've got a target. Just tell Eric and a few trusted guys. If everyone hears, it'll turn into chaos."
"I agree. But are we sure it's safe? What if someone else finds it first?"
"No way. Who'd ever think to check behind a waterfall? Even Einstein wouldn't figure that out. Hahaha!"
"Fair point."
Their chuckles trailed into the distance as they walked on, heading back toward the village.
From the shadows of the bush, Eryon allowed himself a thin smile.
Treasure... behind a waterfall, huh?
The seed of a new objective took root in his mind.
He didn't move. He stayed perfectly still, waiting until the four had passed directly in front of him, their voices now drifting into bitter complaints about someone named Eric, their so-called leader. Their tone dripped with dissatisfaction, cracks of rebellion already forming.
Only after their footsteps faded did Eryon rise. He brushed dust and leaves from his clothes, eyes narrowing in the direction they had come from.
A faint, cold smile curled across his lips.
"Better I get there first."
Without hesitation, he slipped away, silent as shadow, moving toward the path they had unknowingly revealed.
---
The forest pressed in around Eryon. No trail, no guide, just wild grass brushing his knees and tangled shrubs clawing at his legs.
His sneakers, the same pair of Nikes he had worn to the office on the day Earth collapsed, were caked with mud, soaked with dew and damp leaves. Uncomfortable, heavy. But he kept walking. Clean shoes meant nothing here.
Tall trees rose on all sides, their canopies woven so tightly that sunlight fractured into faint shafts of gold. The deeper he went, the more the world seemed to shift.
Minutes passed.
The trees began to thin. The undergrowth softened, giving way to patches of wildflowers swaying in the breeze. The air cooled, brushing sweat from his brow. And then he heard it, low and steady, the voice of nature itself.
The rumble of water.
His pulse quickened. His stride lengthened. Instinct screamed that something lay ahead.
He broke through the trees, and stopped.
A river stretched before him, calm and clear. Its bed glittered with smooth stones, tiny fish darting in the current. Afternoon sunlight rippled across the surface, scattering golden reflections like broken glass.
A smile broke across his face. He knelt, scooping water into his hands, splashing it across his face. The chill shocked his skin, dragging fatigue from his body.
He cupped his hands and drank without thinking twice. No metallic taste, no strange smell, just pure, natural water. This world hadn't been poisoned by pollution and waste; his instincts told him that.
Then the impossible happened.
Blue light shimmered at the surface, curling like mist around his palms, sinking into his body.
[Essence Reap Active: You have gained 'Vital Clarity' essence from the natural spring]
[Effect: Restores 10% energy | Increases mental focus and stamina recovery for 1 hour]
Eryon closed his eyes for a moment, feeling a lightness spread from his spine to his fingertips. His awareness sharpened, his breath steadied, and his mind... felt clearer.
"Even water can be reaped…" he murmured, almost reverent. The possibilities widened in his head. His talent truly had no limits.
He stood slowly and scanned his surroundings. In the distance, following the opposite direction of the river's flow, he saw it, a towering cliff shrouded in mist, touched by sunlight. And from hundreds of meters above, a powerful waterfall surged downward, casting a faint rainbow into the air.
But his gaze fixed elsewhere.
To the side, half-hidden by trees and shrubs, lay a narrow incline winding upward. A natural path. Difficult, but possible.
His grin widened. His fingers curled around his spear.
"If the treasure really is there… I'll be the first to find it."
He moved, quick and light, every step sharpened by clarity.
In this world, being first wasn't just luck. It was advantage. Whether you gained it by sweat, deceit, or blood, it didn't matter. There were no rules. No fairness. Only winners and corpses.
And Eryon understood that better than most.
At first, humanity might still cling to the remnants of morality. They'd form groups, talk about trust, about cooperation. Pretend the old world's values still applied. But when power began to stack unevenly, when people started realizing just how far they could climb, those morals would crumble.
What would rise in their place was older. A primal instinct, long buried by civilization: the will to dominate.
It would no longer be about survival. It would be about supremacy.
Justice would lose meaning. Empathy would be seen as weakness. And faith, if it still existed, would be tested not by suffering, but by the very power one could wield.
Eryon didn't rely on concepts of right and wrong. To him, this world was natural selection in its purest form, and only those who could surpass old morals would survive and rise to the top, and he intended to be the predator, not the prey.
---
Now, he stood not far from the waterfall.
From afar, it had looked beautiful, but up close, the roar was deafening. Mist rolled in thick clouds, spraying his skin, soaking his clothes. Up close, the cascade looked less like beauty and more like a wall of living force, hiding whatever secrets lay beyond.
Eryon's sharp gaze swept the cliffside. There, half-veiled in the curtain of falling water, was a crevice. A hidden chamber.
His smirk returned. He had found it.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and plunged through.
The torrent slammed into him, cold and punishing. His clothes clung, his hair plastered to his forehead. But his feet found stone, slick but solid. He pressed through until the roar faded, until the cavern swallowed him.
Inside, it was damp and vast, the air thick with moss and stone.
His eyes adjusted to the dim light. Then he saw it.
In the center of the cave lay a jaguar.
But not an ordinary one.
It was massive, twice the size of its kind, its muscles tight even in slumber. Its coat shimmered faintly in the dim light, every breath it drew rumbling deep, calm yet menacing.
Of course, Eryon thought. This world doesn't know ordinary.
But even the beast wasn't the true prize.
Behind it, something glowed in the dark. A small plant, its trunk barely a sapling, but from it hung a single golden fruit. Light radiated from it, warm and alive, vibrating through the air. Power.
A system window appeared.
[Special Quest Activated: Fruit of Venom]
[Objective: Slay the Ancient Jaguar and claim the Fruit of Venom]
Eryon arched a brow. The words read like a video game prompt. But there was nothing playful about the weight in the air.
The jaguar stirred.
A low growl rolled from its throat. Its eyes snapped open, sharp, wild, intelligent. It rose slowly, shoulders rippling with muscle, lips curling to bare fangs.
The chamber quaked with its menace.
Eryon raised his spear. His heart pounded, each beat hammering against his ribs.
There was no room for hesitation. Not here.
He once recalled an old Japanese quote.
"Hesitation is defeat."
And in this world, defeat meant death.