First hunt
The growl came again—closer this time.
It wasn't just a beast's snarl. It was layered with something twisted… wrong. A sound that vibrated in Daniel's ribs and made the leaves tremble.
Riven had already drawn his blade, his small fingers tight around the worn leather grip. The kid's eyes were sharp, body crouched, ready. Behind him, the forest shifted—branches cracking, the wet thump of heavy paws disturbing the earth.
Daniel stepped forward without thinking, planting himself between the sound and the boy.
> [SYSTEM ALERT]
— Threat Identified —
[CRIMSON FANGBEAST – LVL 12 – Rank: F+]
Beast Class: Mutated Predator
Threat Level: HIGH
Weakness Identified: Neck Ridge
[PASSIVE: STAT LEECH – AUTO ACTIVATED]
Absorbing: 50% Strength, Agility, Stamina
Overload Probability: 37% and rising
Warning: Host Muscular Framework Unsynced. Proceed with Caution.
His hands clenched involuntarily as energy surged through him. The air felt… thick. Charged. Like the moment before a lightning strike. His bones hummed. Veins pulsed with a strength that wasn't his.
From the trees, the monster emerged.
It was massive. A wolf-like beast the size of a warhorse, plated in cracked crimson bone across its limbs and shoulders. Its head was too long, its maw split with jagged teeth slick with blood and rain. Six burning yellow eyes locked onto them—calculating, cruel.
Riven moved first.
The boy was fast—faster than human. In one blink, he was airborne, blade reversed in his grip as he twisted mid-jump and slashed low at the creature's knee joint. The steel struck with a screech, sparks dancing in the air.
The Fangbeast howled and whipped around. Too slow.
Riven was already gone, sliding through the mud in a practiced arc, feet barely touching the ground. The cut hadn't disabled the monster—but it had slowed it.
Daniel stood frozen. Not from fear. From power.
> [STAT LEECH: Sync Level—23%]
Muscle Density Enhanced
Reflexes Enhanced
Lung Capacity Enhanced
Warning: Overload Risk—Moderate
His heart beat like a war drum.
The beast noticed him. Eyes narrowed. It charged.
Time blurred.
Daniel's legs didn't ask for permission. They bent, moved—driven by something deeper than training. He pivoted, ducked low, and the beast lunged past, claws raking the air where his head had been.
> [Minor Laceration: Left Shoulder – Damage: -12 HP]
Daniel tumbled through mud, landed in a roll, and came up next to a blackened branch—charred by the lightning that had brought him here.
He grabbed it.
It was ironwood—heavy, strong, still warm. A makeshift weapon. Primitive, but it would do.
The beast roared, bleeding from its hind leg. Its body shuddered, rage building. Steam curled from its jaws.
Daniel didn't wait.
He ran.
Faster than he should be. Each step cracked through mud and root. The branch whistled through the air—then crashed into the Fangbeast's ribs like a battering ram. Crimson armor fractured. The creature shrieked and reeled sideways.
Daniel's arms screamed. His body wasn't built for this power. But it held.
Riven was already moving.
The boy launched from the shadows, blade glinting. He landed on the beast's back, driving his sword deep into the exposed neck ridge.
A clean, perfect strike.
The Fangbeast jerked once—then crumbled, thunderously, into the earth.
> [TARGET NEUTRALIZED]
Fangbeast Kill Confirmed
[STAT DRAIN COMPLETE]
Temporary Buff Duration Expired
Returning to Baseline…
Strain Level: 74% – Stabilizing
Internal Damage: Minor
[Combat Rating: C]
System Note: Not bad for your first dance.
Daniel stood over the corpse, his breath ragged, arms shaking. The branch fell from his hand, landing with a dull thud.
Steam still rose from the monster's cracked hide.
Riven sheathed his sword, expression unreadable. "Okay. You are definitely not just some lost dude with memory loss."
Daniel wiped blood from his nose and forced a shrug. "Good instincts."
> [Alias 'Ash' Status: Stable]
[Secrecy Level: Intact]
System advisory: Recommend low profile. Anomaly level—dangerous.
The forest was quiet again—but it felt different now.
Ash was no longer just lost.
He was dangerous.
And something deep in this world had felt it.
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