Tyler breathed in with a sharp, jagged hiss, his teeth clamped together as he fought to hold back the agony. Hot blood tracked a thick path from his palm down to his elbow, dripping steadily from his arm as he kept his hand pressed over the hollow ruin of his eye.
A spear materialized in his left hand. *“Everything... it just hurts. My whole body’s screaming,”* he thought, but the surge of adrenaline began to drown the sensation. He could hear the creatures moving, a frantic, dry rustling in the surrounding brush. He shifted, trying to track the sound, but the gashes behind his knees flared with a biting pain at every movement.
A high-pitched shriek erupted behind him. He threw himself to the side, feeling a sharp displacement of air as a dark shape streaked past. The strike only grazed his ribs, the claws snagging and tearing through the fabric of his white shirt.
The creature landed several meters away. It was the Level 12 Shadow claw. *“I dodged it,”* he realized, a flicker of surprise cutting through the panic.
A searing jolt shot through his legs as he steadied himself, forcing a low, guttural grunt from his throat. *“There it is... but where’s the other one?”* His good eye darted from side to side, searching the heavy shadows.
The bunny rose onto its hind legs in front of him. Its long ears stood rigid, its red eyes, marked with those thin, black slits, fixed intensely on his face.
SHADOW CLAW HAS ACTIVATED SKILL: SHADOW STRIKE.
Before he could process the notification, another shriek pierced the air from his left. Tyler stumbled backward, his balance wavering. The Level 20 Shadow claw blurred past his face, missing his remaining eye by a fraction of an inch but carving a shallow, stinging line across the bridge of his nose.
He squeezed his eye shut against the stinging blood, and as he forced it open, the Level 12 was already airborne, lunging straight for his chest with a frantic cry. Tyler fought to find his center and lunged with the spear, but the point passed an inch wide of the mark.
The creature’s heavy, solid form slammed into his sternum, the impact driving every lungful of air from his chest. Before he could be thrown back, he felt the sharp, crushing pressure of teeth sinking into the center of his chest. The bunny braced its paws against his ribs and kicked off with a violent surge of power, tearing a ragged chunk of flesh away as it flipped backward into the dark.
Tyler let out a strangled scream, the spear slipping from his numb fingers. He clutched at his chest, hot blood geysering between his fingers and spilling down over his abdomen, turning the bottom of his shirt a deep, soaking crimson.
A system panel manifested in the air before his blurring vision:
THE USER HAS FALLEN UNDER: EXCESSIVE BLEEDING EFFECT.
THE USER’S HP WILL DECREASE DEPENDING ON THE AMOUNT OF BLOOD LOST.
Tyler’s vision blurred, the system panels becoming nothing more than illegible smears of light as the agony in his chest and face took hold. He gasped for air, his lungs struggling to expand against the crushing pressure of the bite wound. *“It hurts so much,”* he whispered, the words trembling. *“Why? Am I really going to die here?”*
As the cold reality of the forest pressed in, a hollow note of despair settled in his chest, numbing his heart. It felt like a heavy, suffocating blanket. *“That’s it. You’re just going to die, never achieving a single thing.”* The voice that echoed in his mind was familiar, sharp and jagged like broken glass. It was his aunt. *“Honestly, your life is pathetic. If you’d have just died with your parents, it wouldn't have even made a difference.”*
The memory of those words stung more than any physical thrashing he’d ever endured from his uncle. They cut deeper than the Shadow Claw’s claws, a psychological weight that made his current suffering feel inevitable. *“Why is this happening?”* he thought, his spirit buckling. *“My life was already a struggle. Why bring me to this hell just to suffer more?”*
He sniffed, a single crystal-clear tear rolling down the bridge of his nose. *“Maybe it’s better this way. Dying in the middle of nowhere... I wouldn't be a burden to anyone else.”*
But then, a flicker of light broke through the mental dark. He saw Mike. *“Man, that’s tough,”* the memory of his friend’s voice reached him. *“But you’re the hardest working person I know, Tyler. I’ll help you. You just have to keep trying, and someday you’ll pull through. You just have to have hope.”*
He remembered the feel of the cool air as they sat on the edge of that building in the construction site, legs dangling over the sprawling city lights. He could almost feel the phantom pressure of Mike’s fist bump. *“You’re the toughest person I’ve met, considering everything you’ve been through. You’re still fighting. If it was me... I would’ve thrown in the towel a long time ago.”*
In the memory, Tyler nudged Mike’s shoulder playfully, the two of them chuckling as the sun dipped below the skyscrapers. Mike’s expression had turned serious then. *“But really, don't give up. Keep trying. Don't let your aunt or anyone else who called you pathetic be right. Prove them wrong. Oh, and thanks for the help. This work's pretty hard to get used to. So Thank you.”*
A piercing, high-pitched shriek tore through the silence of the forest, shattering the memory. Tyler’s instincts flared; he rolled just as a dark blur streaked through the space where his head had been.
He scrambled into a sitting position, his pulse thundering. *“No. Mike was right. I have to do this. I have to keep fighting.”*
He grunted with the effort, his left hand tightening around the spear as it shimmered into existence. He used the shaft as a crude cane, bracing it against the dirt to haul himself upward. His other hand remained clamped over the wound in his chest, his fingers slick and warm.
A clear tear tracked down his face from his good eye, while a thick, crimson one trailed from the ruin of the other. They met at the curve of his chin, merging into a single, stained drop before falling into the dirt. *“I won’t give up this easily. Not like this.”*
The system panel flickered in the dark, the numbers pulsing a warning: HP: 8.
Another shriek erupted. A blur of black fur launched straight at him. Tyler lunged with the spear, but his depth perception faltered; the point whistled through empty air. The Shadow Walker slammed into his frame, its claws carving a deep, ragged trench into his shoulder.
He spun around, the motion causing a flare of agony to radiate through his legs and shoulder, but he forced the sensation aside. He searched the darkness desperately, trying to locate the creatures. His HP panel flickered in his peripheral vision:6.
*I'm dying if I don't kill a monster soon.*
Another high-pitched cry cut through the air. He spun and lunged with his spear, but the Level 20 Shadow Claw used the flat of the spearhead as a platform, it stepped on it, propelling itself closer to his head. Tyler jerked his neck to the side. A sharp, stinging cold followed as the creature opened a shallow gash along the side of his throat.
Find this and other great novels on the author's preferred platform. Support original creators!
He pivoted again, his teeth ground together. His battered frame throbbed with a heavy ache, but he fought against the physical failure of his limbs. He had survived physical hardship before; this wasn't the first time he had been forced to endure.
He remembered the sting of piercing nails and the throb of a broken finger that he had ignored, continuing his work until he was forced to leave. He had built a tolerance for pain, a resilience born from the weight of not wanting to be a burden or bother anyone by asking for help.
*I can fight it,* he thought. *I always have.*
A rustle came from the surrounding brush. A sudden realization took hold, cutting through the haze of the fight. *I can't hit them by thrusting. It's impossible. They're too small.* To him, the effort felt like trying to strike a small ball with a needle in total darkness. The spear was too long for that kind of precision. If he wanted to land a blow, he had to swing the weapon.
*“I can’t swing it. It’s too long,”* Tyler realized, his mind working frantically. *“If anything, maybe I can break it—”*
The thought was instantly cancelled out by a second, sharper realization. The spear shimmered a faint blue and vanished from his grip. Tyler shifted his weight, pulling his hands back near his shoulder as if he were gripping an invisible bat.
As the Shadow Claw lunged, he swung with full force. A roar tore from his throat. In that instant, three branches materialized in his hand. They struck the Shadow Walker squarely in the forehead.
The collision of the monster’s momentum against the swing created a heavy, hollow thud that vibrated through the air. The force launched the creature backward, sending it crashing to the floor several meters away.
Tyler’s eyes widened in surprise, but he didn't stop. He scrambled toward the beast. A system panel hovered over it LV 20: SHADOW CLAW but he ignored the text entirely. He hammered the branches down onto the creature again and again, his strikes rhythmic and desperate.
A shriek erupted from behind him. Tyler tried to sidestep, but the Level 12 Shadow Claw streaked past his side. Its claws carved a deep, jagged furrow across his ribs. Blood spilled instantly, soaking into his clothes. Tyler let out a sharp groan, the branches slipping from his fingers as he collapsed to the forest floor.
From the dirt, he heard a sharp, dry scrape against smooth bark. His one good eye caught a flicker of motion as the Level 12 creature launched itself from the height of a tree, its ink-black form descending straight for his throat. But just as it moved, the Level 20 on the ground gave a final, violent twist and went slack.
A blue radiance began to pulse from Tyler’s skin, not just a light, but a rhythmic surge of heat that felt like molten glass pouring through his veins. The system panel manifested in the air, its light sharp and steady against the dark:
LEVEL UP!
He threw his body into a desperate roll, the dirt scraping against his skin as the Shadow Claw’s claws struck the forest floor exactly where he had been lying a second before. He pushed himself up onto one knee, gasping for breath as he faced the creature.
He blinked, his vision suddenly sharpening. He froze, his hand trembling as it rose to touch the right side of his face. *“Huh?”*
The agonizing, pulsing ruin was gone. He could see again, the dark trunks of the trees, the shimmering leaves, and the black-furred monster in front of him were all visible in crisp detail. The heat of the level-up had finished its work, sealing the jagged rift in his forehead and closing the horizontal gashes behind his knees. Every scar and raw wound had vanished, leaving his skin smooth and whole beneath his blood-stained clothes.
A wide grin spread across Tyler’s face. He pushed himself up from the dirt, his muscles feeling firm and reinvigorated.
The Level 12 Shadow Claw launched itself at him once more, its red eyes fixed on his throat. Tyler didn't hesitate. He swung his left hand in a powerful arc, and at the peak of the motion, the three heavy branches materialized in his grip. The wood met the monster mid-air with a heavy, jarring impact that sent the creature spiraling to the side.
As it hit the ground, Tyler sprinted forward. He gripped the bundle of branches with both hands and slammed them down into the creature’s face with a rhythmic, crushing force. The Shadow claw let out a high-pitched, piercing cry as it collapsed under the weight of the blows. He struck a second time, then a third, the wood thudding against the soft fur until the creature went still.
Tyler let out a long, heavy breath of relief, the tension finally draining from his shoulders. “I survived,” he rasped. “I actually survived.”
A new system panel manifested in the air before him:
CONGRATULATIONS. ACHIEVEMENT UNLOCKED: A HUNTER’S BEGINNING.
THE USER HAS KILLED A TOTAL OF FIVE MONSTERS.
REWARD: +1 EXTRA STAT POINT.**
*“So I’ve killed five monsters already?”* Tyler thought, scanning the text. *“I didn’t even realize.”* He looked at the extra point notification. *“I want to allocate my points, but I have to get out of here first.”*
He turned his gaze toward the two fallen Shadow Walkers, the word EXTRACT hovering over their ink-black forms.
“Extract,” he muttered.
The hides of both creatures shimmered with a faint blue light before they vanished. The process left the two small, exposed carcasses resting in the dirt, their muscle exposed as their hides were pulled into his inventory.
Tyler continued his pace through the dark, the branches he had gathered vanishing into his inventory with a thought. He eventually slowed, his breath hitching slightly as he surveyed the lightless woods. *I don't think I'm going to reach the camp tonight. It’ll have to be the morning.*
He scanned the looming canopy, searching for the highest point in the immediate area. He located a trunk that seemed to pierce further into the star-filled sky than the others and began the ascent. His hands found purchase on the unnaturally smooth bark, his movements practiced and rhythmic as he climbed until he broke through the upper leaves.
From his new vantage point, he looked toward the horizon. The pillar of smoke was more prominent now, a thick, grey smudge rising steadily against the deep blue of the night. *The smoke is bigger. It’s probably because it’s night, that’s when they’d really need the fires.* He squinted, searching for a structured glow, the flicker of electricity, or any sign of modern light, but the distance remained dark.
He looked down at his feet. His shoes were battered, the fabric worn and torn from the jagged edges of the many branches he had scaled. Twigs were tangled in his laces, small remnants of the forest he had been too preoccupied to clear away. *Right. I’m staying up here. I’m going to sleep in this tree until morning. If I continue walking now, I might meet those monsters again, and I’m not confident I can face them.*
He studied the layout of the limbs around him. A memory surfaced, sitting beside Mike, watching a reality survival show. On the screen, a man had been constructing a treehouse out of nothing. Tyler had mocked the show, calling it staged and fake, while Mike had argued that the mechanics were real. Now, that memory provided a blueprint.
He reached out and began snapping branches directly from the tree around him. He worked carefully, wedging the fresh wood across two steady limbs that sprouted from the main trunk. He layered them one by one until he had created a flat, interlocking raft. He then stripped as many of the long, dark leaves as he could reach, piling them onto the wood for padding.
He studied the makeshift platform, tilting his head. "Well, it looks sturdy enough," he muttered. "Might be the most uncomfortable bed I'll ever sleep in, but at least it won't kill me."
He crouched down, cautiously shifting his weight onto the structure bit by bit. The wood held firm. He curled into a fetal position, tucking his hands under his cheek to serve as a pillow. *It’s not so bad,* he thought, the night chill beginning to settle into his bones. *A bit cold, but I can handle it.*
He closed his eyes, waiting for the pull of sleep to settle in. Minutes stretched by as the wind caught the high canopy, causing the branches to sway and the long leaves to brush against one another in a steady, dry rhythm. But no matter how long he kept his eyes shut, rest remained out of reach.
He opened them, shifting his weight. He pulled his knees up and laced his fingers behind his head, staring up through the gaps in the dark foliage. The stars were alien, strange, yet beautiful in their sprawling, unfamiliar clusters. Even the moon, with its impossible scale and the five jagged lines carving out from its central crater, held a unique, cold grace.
He let out a long sigh, a flurry of questions and thoughts racing through his mind. *Is this going to be my life now?* he wondered.
*I almost died more times than I can count. And I've killed some things I can't even describe.*
The memory of his arrival triggered a sudden, sharp curiosity. His eyes narrowed, and he muttered a single word to the dark: "System."
"Why did you bring me here?"
The translucent panel manifest with steady text: **SOME ANSWERS CANNOT BE PROVIDED AT THE USER'S CURRENT LEVEL.**
Tyler’is jaw tightening as he studied the glow. *Thought as much. This thing just wants me to level up. It’s holding the answers hostage until I get stronger.*
"What level should I be to get these answers?" he asked.
The panel flickered, repeating the same lines: **SOME ANSWERS CANNOT BE PROVIDED AT THE USER'S CURRENT LEVEL.**
"Damn it," he whispered, the sound lost to the wind.
A second question surfaced in his mind, one that had been gnawing at him since he first saw his status. He looked at the glowing interface, his pulse ticking in his throat. *Will it even answer this one?* he wondered.
"System," Tyler said, his voice a low rasp against the quiet night. "Why did you say 'error' before? You described my species as human, but..."
*Even when it scanned me back at the house,* he thought, *it was talking about an anomaly. There were so many errors.*
The current system panel dissolved. In its place, a new interface manifested, its surface initially blank. Then, a sudden cascade of unreadable text began to scroll upward at a frantic, jagged pace. The symbols were distorted, flickering like a corrupted signal:
???????? ??????? ????? ????? ???? ??? ???? ????? ??? ?? ???? ?? ???? ?? ???? ??? ?????? ???? ???? ??? ? ???? ??? ???? ??? ???????? ?? ??? ?????? ? ???????? ?? ????? ???? ????? ?????? ?? ?????? ????????? ??????? ?????? ??????? ??? ???? ?? ??????? ??? ?????? ?.
????? ?????. ??????? ????????????. ???? ?? ?????????? ???? ?? ???????. ???? ??... ?????? ??... ?????? ?????
*What is this?* Tyler thought, his eyes tracking the symbols as they blurred and shifted.
The chaotic display vanished. A single word appeared in the center of the dark: *Error.* The panel updated instantly:
THE SYSTEM HAS ENCOUNTERED AN ANOMALY. USER WILL BE RESET TO LEVEL 1.
Tyler immediately bolted into a sitting position on his makeshift raft. "What?"
The panel vanished, replaced by another:
SYSTEM REBOOT.
He gripped his head, his fingers digging into his scalp. "I'm going to be reset to Level 1?"
The light of the interface vanished for a long, silent second. Then, it manifested once more: SYSTEM REBOOT SUCCESSFUL.
His status panel appeared automatically. Tyler’s eyes widened as he scanned the lines. He let out a long, shuddering sigh of relief.
TYLER EVANS:
SPECIES: Human
NAME: Tyler Evans
RANK: G
LVL: 6
CLASS: Craftsman
HP: 40/40 MP: 40/40
STR: 20 AGI: 21
DEF: 18 STM: 21
SKILLS: Weapon Craft-Lv1,
PASSIVE SKILLS: None
Extra Points: 1
His stats were unchanged. He was still Level 6.
"Oh, thank God. I thought I was reset to Level 1. But i wasn't. Did the system reboot before it happened? I don't want to lose all those levels. " He slumped back, a frown deepening on his face.
*It encountered an error again just because I asked a simple question. It rebooted... it almost reset me to Level 1. Just what the hell is wrong with this thing?*
The system panel disappeared and he muttered, "I guess I'll avoid asking this question for now. Who knows? Maybe next time it really will set me back to the start."
