After defeating the first monster and leveling up, Noctis ventured a little further into the forgotten forest, but before making any moves, he opened his status window.
[Status]
Name: Noctis Vale.
Race: Human
Class: No Class
Items: —
Level: 2
Strength: 5
Dexterity: 7
Constitution: 5
Mana: 7
Skills: [Skill Creation]
[Absorbed Cores: 1]
Stat Points: 5
"Hmm... I see."
Noctis, despite having leveled up, noticed that his stats hadn't increased as they did in games. Only his [Dexterity] had increased by one, but not because of the level up, but because of all the time he spent running around killing shadow goblins.
Even so, a doubt planted itself in his mind.
Hadn't his stats increased because of his 'No Class' status? Or was it the same for all awakened ones?
He had no way of knowing. He would have to ask another awakened one... if he ever came across one there.
Noctis pushed those thoughts aside and decided to spend his stat points; there was no point in keeping them there, just for show.
"Spend three points on Constitution and two on Strength."
He felt as if something in his mind was asking for confirmation. It was strange, but he mentally agreed. Then he saw his stat points drop to zero while Constitution and Strength increased.
'Heh... this is good.'
He felt the change in his body. It wasn't spectacular, but it was there, especially in terms of strength.
Noctis let out a sigh, closed the status window, and continued deeper into the forest to face his next enemy.
...
A few minutes later, Noctis found himself behind a thick tree trunk again, making as little noise as possible, because this time there wasn't just one monster; there was a large pack.
[Swift Wolf - Level 4]
They were wolves. But not like any wolves that had ever existed on Earth. They were enormous, the size of ponies, with midnight-black fur and muscles that rippled beneath their skin with every controlled movement. Their fangs glinted in the greenish light, long as knives.
Noctis could even spot one at level 7. Five levels apart. He couldn't afford to be reckless.
They outnumbered him and were at a higher level. How on Earth would he get out of this situation?
'Ha... what am I thinking? I don't have to face them.'
He looked around and saw a rock the size of a tennis ball. He threw it toward the group of wolves without much force; he just wanted to divert their attention.
When the arrow landed near the large herd, the swift wolves immediately became alert, and growls began to echo throughout the area. Noctis shuddered violently, but held the bar steady with his left hand.
He threw his body backward, using every muscle to generate as much power as possible, and hurled the bar like a javelin, just as he had done with the shadow goblin.
The bar shot forward at high speed, and the level 6 wolf, which was close to level 7, was unable to react. The bar pierced its neck with a disgusting snap.
[You have defeated a Swift Wolf – level 6]
[Level up!]
[Level 2 → Level 3]
[Swift Core absorbed]
Noctis didn't have time to look at the notifications because all the wolves had spotted him.
...So he ran.
The trees blurred past him. Roots tried to grab him. Branches whipped his face, leaving cuts he barely registered. His lungs burned.
But he couldn't stop... stopping meant death.
The howls behind them were getting closer. Noctis could hear the paws pounding on the ground in a steady rhythm.
He wasn't going to make it.
They weren't fast enough.
And then he saw it.
A tree. Massive even among the giants of the forest. Its roots rose from the ground like natural stairs, offering a chance.
The only chance.
He jumped. His fingers found rough bark. He pushed himself up, ignoring how the wood scraped his palms, how every movement threatened to make him lose his grip.
He climbed.
Higher.
And below... the wolves arrived, trying to reach them with jaws snapping dangerously close.
But they couldn't.
Noctis stopped on a thick branch, five meters above the ground, and froze, breathless, and his face covered in sweat.
He remained motionless on the branch, his back pressed against the tree trunk. Below, the swift wolves prowled, growling, walking in circles, waiting.
Waiting for him.
Sweat ran down his temple. His arms were still shaking from the effort of climbing, but he knew staying there was not an option.
"Damn..."
Then he remembered the skill.
Noctis opened the interface with a thought.
"Skill Creation."
The window changed immediately.
[Skill Creation]
[Available Cores: 2]
– Shadow Core (Rank I)
– Swift Core (Rank II)
[Do you wish to begin fusion?]
Noctis inhaled slowly.
"Yes."
[Conditions met: the skill "Skill Creation" has been activated]
The cores disappeared from the list... and the world before him seemed to overlap with another image.
Before his eyes, two spheres floated in a dark, undefined space.
One was opaque, almost liquid, like a drop of shadow. The other glowed with irregular flashes, emitting brief pulses of light, like contained electricity.
The two spheres began to rotate slowly.
As they drew closer, fine black and silver threads emerged between them, tightening, binding them together. The shadow enveloped the light; the light pierced the shadow.
[Merging in progress...]
[Affinity detected: Shadow/Movement]
[Stabilizing structure...]
The image changed.
The spheres collapsed in on themselves, crushing together to form a single dark point, pulsing softly like a heart made of shadow.
Then, it expanded.
[The skill "Shadow Step" has been successfully created.]
Name: Shadow Step
Rank: I
Type: Active
Description: "Allows you to move to a connected shadow within a limited range instantly."
Noctis barely had time to process it.
One of the wolves raised its head. Its eyes glowed. The animal took a step back... and then leaped, using the log as a springboard.
"Now..."
Noctis fixed his gaze on the shadow cast by a thick root, a few meters away.
He activated the ability.
The world went out of focus.
There was no pain. Nor resistance. It was as if his body had turned into a blurry image, dragged from one dark spot to another.
For a moment, he was neither here nor there.
And then...
He fell to his knees on another lower branch.
The air escaped from his lungs, not because of pain, but because of disorientation. It took a second for his vision to stabilize, as if he had just awakened from a dream that was too real.
"...it worked."
Below, the wolves stirred. Confused growls. Glances searching for where he had been.
Noctis leaned his back against the tree trunk, breathing deeply.
His legs felt heavy. His mana had decreased significantly. And he knew that repeating it without rest would be dangerous.
But now he had something that didn't exist before.
A path through the shadows.
And in the Abyss... that meant the difference between dying and surviving.