Kael moved carefully through the dense, thickening forest, his breath steady as he took in his surroundings. The deeper he went, the more he noticed the trees growing larger, their trunks stretching impossibly high. Their roots twisted and curled around one another like serpents, forming natural barriers and obstacles along his path. It dawned on him that perhaps he had been on the outskirts of the forest this entire time.

  That would explain why the deeper he traveled north, the wilder and denser everything became. The trees here weren’t just large—they were massive, their roots forming walls as thick as small houses. If he had unknowingly been at the edge of this forest all along, that meant he was now heading straight into its heart.

  Navigating through the increasingly tangled landscape, he kept his pace slow, eyes flicking across every shadow, every flicker of movement in the underbrush. He had to remain cautious. If this part of the forest was untouched compared to where he had been before, it was likely home to even more dangerous creatures. The Gloomkin were an issue, but he wasn’t foolish enough to think they were the worst thing that could be out here.

  As he stepped over a gnarled root as thick as his torso, he found himself staring at an unexpected sight—a sheer rock wall covered in layers of thick vegetation. The vines and moss climbing its surface made it look ancient, a forgotten piece of land untouched by anything but nature. Large roots protruded from the cracks, some winding downward as if trying to reclaim the stone into the earth.

  Kael’s gaze drifted lower, scanning along the base of the wall. That’s when he noticed something—two trees growing close together by the rock wall. Their roots intermingled in a way that seemed almost like they were one, forming a tight cluster. And nestled between those roots was what looked like a dark opening. A cave.

  He stepped closer, curiosity piqued. The entrance wasn’t obvious at first, partially hidden beneath thick shrubbery and roots, but as he moved closer, climbing over some exposed roots, he realized there was just enough space for a person to squeeze through.

  His mind warred with itself for a moment. On one hand, every bit of logic screamed at him not to enter. Caves in deep forests usually meant trouble. If it wasn’t a predator’s den, it could be home to something far worse. On the other hand…

  Kael inhaled through his nose and smirked. “It’s in every guy’s blood to want to explore mysterious caves, ” he muttered to himself. He wasn’t immune to the same impulse that made kids pretend to be adventurers. And if he was being honest, he suffered from it more than most, thanks to his childhood obsession with Indiana Jones movies. Convincing himself that, If there was even a small chance of finding something useful inside, wasn’t it worth checking out?

  Besides, he reasoned, he wouldn’t go too far in. Just enough to see if it led somewhere or if there was anything of value. If it looked too dangerous, he would turn around and leave. No unnecessary risks.

  Decision made, he took a deep breath and climbed through the tight gap between the roots, pushing aside some of the thick shrubbery blocking the entrance. The inside of the cave was dimly lit, illuminated only by streaks of glowing blue coursing through the roots that lined the walls. It wasn’t much, but it was enough to keep him from being completely blind.

  As he moved further in, carefully navigating the uneven ground, he noticed how the roots continued to crisscross along the rocky walls. From the looks of it, nothing too large had been through here. If Gloomkin or bigger creatures had used this cave, some of the roots would’ve been torn apart or cut away.

  For a brief moment, he allowed himself to relax. Maybe this place really was untouched. Maybe he had just found something—

  A low, heavy breath echoed through the cave.

  Kael’s blood turned to ice. He immediately stopped moving, every muscle locking in place as he strained to listen. The breathing was deep and measured, almost rhythmic. Something was in here with him, sounding asleep. And by the sound of it, it was not small. That was his cue to get the hell out.

  He had convinced himself that it was fine to enter because he believed nothing large would fit inside. But that was assuming he had the full picture. If something was already here, it meant either two things—it had a way in that he hadn’t noticed, or worse, it had been here all along, hidden further inside the cave, and could maneuver the roots. Either way, he wasn’t about to stick around to find out.

  Kael turned, moving as quickly and quietly as he could toward the exit, his heart hammering against his ribs. His mind raced. If it was big enough to make that kind of sound, it meant it might have a large snout, which meant it could smell him. And considering how much sweat and dirt clung to his body... Kael cursed himself and how absolutely dumb an idea this was.

  One of the arguments he had used to justify this endeavor was that, most likely if there was something here it could be a snake monster, but that snakes largely had bad eyesight, as well as a sense of hearing, and that he would see it before it heard him. But now that he thought about it, it dawned on him. Didn't they have a higher sense of smell due to this, and this was all assuming they were the same as the snakes of his old world. The more Kael thought about this, the more he cursed himself. There could have been a large snake in here, and Kael was just about to go inside like an idiot. Luckily, it wasn't a snake, and hopefully, whatever it was hadn't come into the cave through this entrance.

  His pulse quickened. He needed to get out before it caught his scent—

  A thin root snapped under his weight as he was holding it, and before he could react, a loose stone the size of his fist dislodged from the cave ceiling. It fell, striking his head with a dull thud before bouncing off onto the ground. A small amount of pain exploded in his skull, and before he could stop himself, his jaw clenched, and he bit his tongue hard. A sharp, stinging sensation flared in his mouth as blood pooled on his tongue.

  Kael didn’t cry out, but a sharp exhale left his lips through gritted teeth.

  And then, the rock hit the ground. But instead of landing on the soft dirt floor, it struck another stone, creating a loud, sharp clack that echoed through the cave.

  Kael froze.

  The breathing from deeper within the cave shifted. Something moved. A slow, deliberate shuffle, followed by a sniffing sound. Then another. And then—the unmistakable sound of something getting up. Panic surged through him. It had heard the sound. It was coming. The fear of the unknown settled in him. Kael trying to calm his beating heart.

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  He moved, this time abandoning any pretense of silence. He scrambled toward the entrance, maneuvering through the tangled roots as fast as he could. Every step felt like a lifetime, his breath caught in his throat as he cursed himself for ever stepping foot inside.

  The movement behind him grew closer, heavier. He could hear it now—paws scraping against stone, the sound of a body shifting through the confined space. Kael forced himself forward, heart pounding in his ears as he finally reached the entrance, pushing through the shrubbery. As he climbed out and turned, he saw it.

  A sleek, black-furred beast. Claws like daggers extended from its paws as it squeezed through the roots with an unnatural, fluid ease. Its glowing gray eyes locked onto him, full of intelligence. And worst of all—its movements were deathly silent. Kael’s stomach dropped. He knew this creature.

  [ Duskfang Stalker (Uncommon) – Level 10 ]

  He didn’t need the System’s prompt to tell him its name. He had seen one before—the very same type of monster that had nearly killed him on his first night in this world. And this one looked even stronger.

  The beast moved faster, still forcing its way out. Kael had no delusions—he wouldn’t outrun it. Not when it got free. His only advantage was that it was still partially trapped in the roots. If he was going to have a chance against it, this was his best and only chance.

  Taking out his antler blade, Kael looked at it; he couldn't afford to spare any expenses here, that meant no holding back.

  For the first time, Kael let Essence flow into the weapon. Veins and fractures start to appear and run along its surface. Then, it started to pulse with glowing blue energy, the Essence naturally absorbing into the material. It wasn’t a fast process—but it had to be enough.

  As the Duskfang Stalker inched closer, its powerful muscles coiling beneath its fur, Kael gritted his teeth and got into position.

  Kael’s grip tightened around the antler blade as he watched the Duskfang Stalker push its way through the tangled roots. His heart pounded against his ribs, his breath controlled but fast. He had no time to think about anything other than survival. The last time he had encountered one of these things, it had nearly torn his throat out. That had been when he was still getting his bearings in this world. Now, he had experience. He had strength. But was it enough? The answer wouldn’t matter if he hesitated now.

  The infused antler blade pulsed with glowing blue veins, Essence saturating its structure, reinforcing it beyond its usual durability. Kael had avoided doing this before—knowing that prolonged infusion caused Essence pressure to build until the weapon shattered. But this wasn’t a situation where he could afford to hold back.

  The Duskfang Stalker sniffed, muscles rippling as it tried to force its way out of the roots. Kael had to capitalize on that. He surged forward, slashing at the beast before it could fully free itself.

  The blade cut into its side, slicing through fur and flesh. The stalker flinched, but the wound wasn’t deep. Even with the strength of the attack, its hide was tough. Kael gritted his teeth, drawing the weapon back and striking again, this time aiming for its face. The creature twisted its head just in time, avoiding a direct hit to the eye. Instead, the blade carved a gash across its cheek, blood splattering onto the roots. The stalker didn’t make a sound.

  That unnerved him more than anything. Even as he cut into it, the creature remained eerily silent. Its glowing gray eyes burned with predatory intelligence, its body shifting with precision. It wasn’t just reacting—it was studying his movements.

  Kael didn’t give it the chance to counterattack. He pressed forward, hacking at it again and again, forcing it to stay trapped in the tangle of roots. The Duskfang Stalker lashed out with its claw here and there, but the confined space limited its movement. The strikes grazed Kael’s arms instead of tearing into him, drawing only a shallow cuts. Good. He had the advantage. As long as it was stuck, he could keep wearing it down.

  But that advantage wouldn’t last.

  The stalker stopped struggling for just a moment—then, with a sudden, violent burst of power, it pushed forward. The smaller roots groaned, snapping apart as the creature forced its way out. Kael cursed, swinging his blade in a desperate attempt to halt its momentum. The strike landed, carving into its shoulder, but the beast barely flinched this time. It had committed to getting free—and it had succeeded. Now, Kael was in trouble.

  The Duskfang Stalker landed in a crouch, its body low, coiled with restrained power. Its eyes locked onto him, its silence somehow more menacing than if it had growled. Then, in a blur of motion, it lunged.

  Kael barely had time to react. He twisted to the side, dodging the initial charge by a hair’s breadth. The stalker’s claws raked through the air where he had been standing moments before. Kael spun, slashing at its side, but it was already moving again.

  The gap in their levels wasn’t as vast as last time, but it didn’t need to be. The Duskfang Stalker’s natural agility put it far above Kael in terms of raw speed. If he tried to fight it head-on, he would lose.

  Kael shifted Essence from his arms to his legs, reinforcing them just enough to enhance his mobility. He couldn’t enhance all four limbs at once—not yet. But this was enough to give him a chance.

  The stalker lunged again, claws swiping toward his throat. Kael ducked low, rolling beneath the strike, then pivoted on his heel to stab upward. The antler blade connected, piercing into the creature’s ribcage.

  A direct hit.

  But the stalker twisted before the blade could sink too deep, wrenching itself free before Kael could drive it further. He saw it then—the way its muscles tensed, the way its gaze locked onto him. It was preparing to kill him in the next move.

  It was now or never. He pushed his Essence harder, forcing more out faster, emptying the last of his core in the process. His arms burned from the strain, the path the Essence took in his body hurting, the pulsating veins on the weapon growing brighter. He knew he couldn’t sustain this anymore—the pressure inside the blade was building. It was reaching the point of no return.

  The stalker lunged—this time aiming to bite his head off. Kael didn’t dodge. Instead, he let himself fall backward, allowing gravity to pull him down just as the beast closed in. As he fell from the root he stood on, he thrust the antler blade forward with all his strength, directing it toward the stalker’s exposed underbelly. The blade sank deep.

  Kael hit the ground hard, the impact knocking the breath from his lungs and making him let go of the blade. The Stalker landed on top of him just further up, having missed him. its hindlegs being by his shoulders. The antler blade hanging out from its chest area. The stalker let out its first true sound of pain—a guttural, low-pitched growl. It then jumped away, landing wobbly and trying to right itself.

  That's when the Essence-infused blade pulsed dangerously. The veins along its surface cracked more, the glow intensifying. The weapon had absorbed too much Essence. It was on the verge of rupturing, and a second later, it did just that. The antler blade exploded.

  A surge of force erupted from the weapon, the Essence stored within it releasing in an instant. The pressure pushed outward, ripping through the stalker’s flesh. The creature staggered back, blood gushing like a fountain from the new gaping wound in its chest. Its body convulsed, hind legs buckling beneath it as it collapsed onto its side.

  [ Experience Gained: +250 EXP ]

  [You have leveled up!]

  Kael saw the notifications flash in his vision.

  He exhaled shakily, his vision blurring at the edges. His limbs felt weak. His core—Empty.

  A cold wave of exhaustion crashed over him, heavier than anything he had felt before. His entire body felt drained, as if every ounce of energy had been ripped away. He had pushed too much Essence into the blade, drained his reserves to nothing. His fingers twitched, his breathing shallow.

  He had to move. He had to get away from the corpse before something else came to investigate. But his body refused to respond. His mind screamed at him to stand, to run, but darkness was already creeping into his vision.

  The last thing he saw was the Duskfang Stalker’s body, its lifeless form sprawled across the dirt, blood pooling beneath it.

  Then everything went black.