Ezekiel stood over the pile of lifeless wolf corpses, his chest heaving slightly from exertion. The adrenaline had long since faded, replaced by a strange, simmering calm.
The forest was quieter now, except for the chain of familiar pings that constantly rang in his ears as a string of notifications unfolded in front of him like a holographic banner.
{Level Up! Level 2 Reached!}
{Level Up! Level 3 Reached!}
{Level Up! Level 4 Reached!}
{9 Free Stat Points Available}
And then—
{Congratulations! You are the First Player to defeat 10 Level 5 Wolves Within Five Minutes!}
{Title Earned: "Wolf Nemesis"}
{Wolf Nemesis: Attack Damage and Movement Speed against all Canine-type beasts +25%. Stat Bonuses: +3 Strength; +3 Agility}
Ezekiel felt something subtle shift within him. Not physically, not exactly. It was like his body had synced closer to the game's laws, reconfiguring around his accomplishments. With a quick gesture, he called up his status screen.
He skimmed through it, eyeing the new stat bonuses, then turned his attention to his free stat points.
"No more gasping after every jog," he muttered, recalling the breathlessness that had nearly made him collapse earlier.
He assigned five points to Stamina, watching as the stat updated in real-time. Then, without pause, he funneled the remaining four into Agility. The world of ReLife was incomprehensibly massive. He had neither the time nor the luxury to crawl through it.
The effect was immediate. His lungs cleared. The subtle ache in his legs dissipated. It felt like someone had injected a dose of vitality straight into his blood.
Rested.
Energized.
He could probably sprint back to Fwerah without breaking a sweat.
Ezekiel opened his inventory and stored the Reger branch. It took up one of the fifty available slots. He hoped it was enough to accommodate his harvest. So far, his haul from the wolf massacre had been shockingly fruitful.
He turned back to the corpses. Thirteen bodies. Thirteen perfect, methodical kills. ReLife was too real, too bloody.
Perhaps he should've felt something. Guilt? No. He couldn't afford it. But empathy would have been an appropriate alternative.
Yet, Ezekiel felt none. Only a reminder that it was a game, and these beasts were the first stepping stones for his goals.
He kneeled beside the nearest wolf and rested his hand on its fur.
{Would you like to butcher this corpse?}
He selected Yes, and a soft light blanketed the wolf. After two seconds, the light faded, leaving behind neatly sorted loot in a pile of blood and fat. It was a sight gruesome enough for any normal person to cower in disgust.
The smell was pungent enough to make one dizzy.
Ezekiel had no choice but to swallow the bile rising up his throat and focused on his harvest instead.
{You have received: Pristine Wolf Hide x1, Raw Wolf Meat x12, Wolf Bones x4}
He repeated the process with each of the fallen beasts. With each corpse processed, the forest reeked with blood, rot, and the iron tang of death.
It was not a sight suitable for the weak-hearted.
When he was finished, his inventory showed:
Wolf Hide x13 (3 full stacks of x4 and 1 extra)
Raw Wolf Meat x160 (3 full stacks of x50 and 1 stack of x10)
Wolf Bones x52 (5 full stacks of x10 and 1 stack of x2)
His inventory was almost half-full now. A good reminder to find a storage vendor once he got back.
Only one thing left to do here.
The cave.
He stepped forward cautiously, mindful of loose stones and the growing scent. It wasn't like anything he knew.
Wild. Musky. It clawed into his nose and settled there, offensive and undeniable.
The space itself was dim, but not completely dark. Bioluminescent fungi glowed faintly along the walls, casting blue and green hues over the stone.
Ezekiel spotted the chest almost immediately—a crude wooden container shoved into a corner, half-covered by an old pelt. Nothing ornate. But it pulsed faintly with a low, golden shimmer.
He crouched before it and placed a hand on the lid.
{Bronze Treasure Discovered! Would you like to open it?}
His eyebrows rose. A bronze-tier chest? In a Level 5 area? The drop rate on these was one in a hundred, and it was also the highest tier chest one would find near a starter village.
If this was his luck stat at play, it was loud and blatant.
Ezekiel took a mental note to prioritize his luck stat when he could.
As soon as he confirmed to open the treasure, light erupted from the chest, momentarily bathing the cave in gold. Ezekiel shielded his eyes with a forearm. When it faded, he peeked into the now-open container.
Inside lay three items:
Iron Sword (Common): ATK +2. Durability: 90/100.
Skill Book: Stealth (Active)
Skill Book: Parry (Active)
The sword was nothing special—you could buy better from the Fwerah smithy for a few coppers. But the skill books...
Excitement bubbled up in his chest. He had hit the jackpot!
He picked up the first of the two books.
{Would you like to learn the active skill "Stealth"?}
He accepted without hesitation.
{Skill learned: Stealth (Active)}
He did the same with the second.
{Skill learned: Parry (Active)}
A soft hum reverberated through his body with each acquisition, as if his soul was being tuned.
{Stealth (Active)}
Conceals user from all perception for 60 seconds.
• Movement Speed +15%.
• Ends on taking damage.
• MP Cost: 10
• Cooldown: 45 Seconds
{Parry (Active)}
• Evades up to 3 physical attacks with damage up to 150% of user's attack.
• MP Cost: 20
• Cooldown: 2 Minutes
Ezekiel smiled. The skill 'Stealth' belonged to the Assassin class, while 'Parry' belonged to the Swordsman class. Had he found these books after his targeted class change, he wouldn't have been able to learn either.
Taking on the Pseudo-Epic Quest first had been the best possible choice for him. It had already been so bountiful, and he had yet to even turn in the quest for its actual rewards.
He equipped the iron sword and opened his status again:
Name: Ezekiel
Age: 22
Level: 4 (19%)
Title: Wolf Nemesis
Class: {Empty}
Sub-Class: {Empty}
HP: 50/50
MP: 100/100
Vitality: 10 [1 VIT = 5 HP]
Intelligence: 20 [1 INT = 5 MP]
Strength: 2 (+3)
Stamina: 7
Agility: 7 (+3)
Wisdom: 18
Dexterity: 5
Luck: 9
Charm: 5
Skills: Stealth (Active); Parry (Active)
Equipment: White Tunic (Cloth); Brown Pants (Cloth); Leather Boots (Common) – Durability: 85/100; Iron Sword (Common) – ATK +2, Durability: 90/100
Inventory: 15/50
He was satisfied. More than satisfied.
He had barely scratched the surface of the game, yet he already had two active skills, a powerful title, and a small fortune in materials. Most players were probably still trying to figure out how to punch a rabbit.
Ezekiel turned and exited the cave. The forest was bathed in the soft light of a spring morning—a design choice that gave this zone its name: Whispering Vale.
He took one last look at the massacre he had caused. It was brutal. Clinical. Efficient. Everything he needed to be in this new life.
As he started his journey back to Fwerah, one thought pulsed in his mind.
This world is brutal. But at least here, I get to fight back.