[Information Revealed!]
[Quest: Defeat all monsters]
[Time Remaining: 59 minutes]
[Failure to complete will result in a penalty!]
Yafi's eyes widened. In the middle of the forest, a horde of bizarre monsters stood before him, resembling a mix between tigers and snakes. Their fangs, claws, and piercing gazes were all fixed directly on him.
The group of monsters began to roar, preparing to pounce on Yafi.
"Tch... Is this the work of that damn system?" he growled, quickly turning around and sprinting as fast as he could.
As he ran, he glanced at the timer ticking away in the corner of his vision. Frantically, Yafi swiped through the system screen to check his abilities. He sighed in frustration.
[LVL: 1]
[STR: 2]
[AGI: 2]
[VIT: 3]
[INT: 2]
[DEX: 2]
"Damn, this is far from what I imagined…"
Suddenly, one of the monsters spat a fireball directly at him. Yafi felt the heat near his ear and reflexively jumped to avoid it. The fireball narrowly missed, but his cloak got singed, leaving a burn mark that would slowly consume the fabric.
Gasping for air, Yafi searched for something like a weapon, anything, through the system. He hoped to find a tool to defend himself and escape this strange place as soon as possible.
But there were no weapons at all.
The system vanished from his sight just like that.
He turned around, his eyes widening. From the bushes to his left, the sound of the approaching horde echoed closer.
Panic set in. His mind went blank. But his body kept moving.
He quickly turned, glaring at the monsters drawing nearer.
"Tch, damn it! Is there really no weapon I can use!?" he shouted in panic.
With his body trembling and breath hitching, Yafi continued to run. Meanwhile, the sound of the monsters' footsteps thundered behind him—like an unavoidable threat.
His vision was slightly impaired by the darkness of night, often getting snagged by thorny roots and brushed by low-hanging branches.
But Yafi kept running, even as his breath became ragged. His body was drenched in sweat, soaking the cloak that now felt heavy and hindered his movements. Each step became more difficult, slower.
Finally, he stopped.
He bent over, trying to steady his racing breath.
In one swift motion, he shrugged off his cloak and threw it to the ground. His body shivered in the night wind, but the burden no longer restrained his steps.
[Time Remaining: 20 minutes]
The system notification appeared cold, silent, emotionless.
Time was running out. And Yafi hadn't defeated a single monster yet.
He was just running… running from reality.
His eyes sharpened. His jaw clenched.
"If you force me to fight…" his voice rose, filled with rage, "Then I'll do it, damn it!"
His shout echoed. There was a wound in his words—a mix of anger, exhaustion, and pride ignited by feeling belittled by a system he didn't understand.
[Loading...]
[Survival Bonus: 40 minutes]
[Weapon Shop Access Unlocked]
[Bonus Coins: 1500]
Yafi smiled. He swiped the system panel and found the Weapon Shop menu. Wasting no time, he sprinted, scanning the list of weapons that suited his fighting style and, of course, his coin balance.
He was still confused about what to choose. None of the weapons or magical relics truly caught his attention. However, one item managed to captivate him. Unfortunately, its price was way beyond his coin count. Yafi clicked his tongue in annoyance, gritting his teeth as he was forced to look elsewhere.
Finally, he chose two small daggers for 550 coins. The remaining coins were exchanged for a protective spell to bolster his defenses against the monsters. And some poison immunity, status boosts, and endurance enhancers.
[Buying this item...]
[Yes]
[Yes]
With the purchase complete, drinking a potion, Yafi turned around. In an instant, he shot off, his speed seemingly increased thanks to the system. His agility felt sharper than before.
[Potion Effect Activated!]
[Speed Increased by 5%]
He charged toward the nearest monster.
The sound of the knife tearing through the beast's skin was harsh and terrifying. Blood sprayed everywhere, splattering Yafi's body and face. Quickly, his arm moved, wiping the blood that obstructed his vision.
One by one, the monsters in the forest—whose names and positions Yafi didn't even know—fell to his hands. He had misjudged; the number of monsters he had defeated didn't match what he had seen before.
[Loading...]
[Monsters Defeated: 15]
[Status Upgrade Bonus Received]
[LVL: 2]
[STR: 5]
[AGI: 5]
[VIT: 5]
[INT: 5]
[DEX: 3]
[Bonus Item: Stamina Recovery Potion]
Yafi grinned at the system notification hovering before him. A small bottle appeared out of thin air, shimmering green. He quickly grabbed it, opened the cap, and drank it without hesitation.
Green light enveloped his body. He watched as his stamina bar slowly filled, hitting the one hundred mark.
Suddenly, a thought crossed his mind. Does this system upgrade… have no limits?
[Warning]
[Time Remaining: 5 minutes]
Yafi groaned as he glanced at the remaining time. He stepped forward, traversing the forest, searching for any lingering monsters that might still be hiding in places even he didn't know how vast they were.
He walked back and forth, but found nothing. He groaned again. Since arriving in this strange forest, there had always been monsters chasing him or intent on making him their prey.
But now, the forest was silent. Ominous. His vision was also hindered by the darkness that swallowed everything.
"Does this forest have something to do with the world I transmigrated to?" he mused inwardly.
Refusing to give up, Yafi continued his steps. He pressed deeper into the forest with heightened caution, ready to face monsters that could suddenly ambush him from behind. His steps abruptly halted. He turned, his eyes fixated on the tall bushes to his right.
His pupils dilated, staring intently at the subtle movements behind the foliage. Something was approaching.
Suddenly, a hoarse, chilling laugh echoed. Yafi flinched. He gripped his knife tightly and aimed it toward the bushes.
"Wahhhhhh…!"
Fear gripped him instantly. Yafi ran for his life, thinking the sound came from a ghost. In his original world, Yafi was indeed terrified of ghosts.
"Damn!!!"
His scream reverberated among the trees.
Something zipped by at high speed from the bushes beside him. Yafi quickened his pace, fear gripping every inch of his body.
A loud explosion of smoke erupted. While he was still running and looking back, a claw suddenly shot from the front, hurtling toward his face.
Reflexively, Yafi parried it with the knife in his right hand. His steps halted as he beheld the figure now standing before him.
"Who are you?" he panted.
Strangely, even without an answer, Yafi felt as if the figure before him was the last enemy—or perhaps a boss he had to defeat if he wanted to escape this place.
The system reacted immediately.
[Warning]
[Tropical Forest Boss Has Appeared]
"So… I have to defeat this person? Is he human or a monster?" Yafi stared at the still figure in confusion.
It looked human, but its hands bore sharp little claws, its tail swished back and forth, and it had ears like a wolf.
"Excuse me… Are you a monster or a human?" he asked, half-joking, half-afraid.
Of course, there was no answer. Instead, the figure lifted its hands—claws emerging from both palms—and in an instant, its attack was aimed straight at Yafi's face.
[!Warning!]
[Enemy Information Revealed]
[LVL: 8]
[STR: 10]
[AGI: 10]
[VIT: 10]
[INT: 8]
[DEX: 8]
[Class: Dreadclaw Panther — Territory Boss (Tropical Forest)]
[Type: Beast / Shadows Attribute / Assassin Role]
[Bonus will be awarded after defeating the Tropical Forest Boss.]
Yafi stared at the enemy's status displayed before him, far surpassing his current abilities. Cold sweat trickled down his forehead. He could only manage a bitter smile, realizing how formidable the opponent he had to face was.
[!!Warning!!]
[Killing Aura Detected!]
In an instant, the Tropical Forest Boss leaped like a shadow with its sharp claws ready to tear into Yafi's body. He tried to dodge reflexively, but the claws still struck his left arm, ripping into it and causing blood to spurt.
"Ughh…!"
Blood spilled from his mouth. Deep down, Yafi knew that defeating this boss wouldn't be easy. But he wouldn't give up; he started brainstorming, looking for a way to immobilize the monster's movements.
What?!
The boss moved as fast as a gust of wind, difficult to catch with the naked eye. Its claws became deadly weapons, and its speed was nearly impossible to track.
But Yafi smiled instead. He dashed sideways, his fingers quickly swiping through the system interface. His eyes locked onto the inventory where he had stored the items he had previously purchased.
His hand plunged into the holographic system. He grabbed a dagger and threw it at the boss. But, as expected, the weapon failed to hit due to being destroyed by the claw.
[Speed Boost: Activated]
Yafi's body was enveloped in a light aura. His speed surged sharply; the effect lasted only one minute. And he still had two buff potions left.
[Time Remaining: 2 Minutes!]
"Huh! Still enough time, right?" he murmured. He spun quickly and threw the second knife, aiming straight for the boss's eye.
However, that knife missed too. But Yafi wasn't disappointed. He smiled wider. The boss had fallen into his trap.
The boss's large body became ensnared by thorny roots that erupted from the ground. Its hands were bent by the immobilizing spell from the item Yafi had bought from the system shop.
The previously purchased item had expired, leaving him with just two buff potions.
He approached his enemy with steady steps while the monster boss continued to struggle. But the more it moved, the tighter the thorny roots and spell circle locked around its body.
"Sorry…" Yafi whispered softly.
His gaze was sharp. The boss closed its eyes, accepting its fate.
Sring…
The sharp sound of the knife slicing through the air and something was cut cleanly.
[Tropical Forest Boss has been slain]
[Status Upgrade Bonus Received]
[STR: 6]
[AGI: 6]
[VIT: 6]
[INT: 6]
[DEX: 5]
[Bonus Quest will appear shortly]
[Loading...]
[Class Bonus: Assassin Received]
[You have received a Random Relic — Shadow Fang]
[Ability to erase the body.]
Yafi stared at the system notification hovering before him, then scratched his cheek lightly as a confused expression etched across his face.
"Assassin, huh...?" he whispered.
It sounded cool, but before he could process the meaning of it all, the boss's body lying on the ground began to emit a deep purple aura.
Dark smoke hissed from the wound he had inflicted. The air around him grew cold and tense. The boss's eyes opened again, this time wilder, darker… and more ferocious than before. A purple aura enveloped its body.
"…Hey, hey," Yafi murmured quietly, his brow furrowing.
His eyes widened as he watched the large body slowly rise again, its fur now blackened, and steam wafting from its fangs as if infected by a curse.
"Are you serious...?"
The atmosphere fell silent for a moment.
The gentle forest wind that had been there before now felt heavy and stifling, as if all of nature was aware that something that should have died… had not truly died.
[Warning!]
[Tropical Forest Boss: Deadclaw Panther has evolved into Cursed Fang Shadows]
[Curse effect detected. Beware of new attack patterns.]
Yafi took a step back. His breath quickened.
His hand touched the weapon at his waist that had just emerged through the system: a dark knife gleaming purple.
[Active Relic: Shadow Fang — adds Speard effect to Assassin's attacks.]
"…This is bad."