The darkness of night had fully blanketed the city. Benedict wasn't heading toward the Veritas mansion.
Instead, his steps took him elsewhere. Toward a darker, quieter path.
The forest.
The air grew colder and damper as he reached the city's edge. Towering trees loomed above, their shadows forming a wall of blackness that even the moonlight couldn't pierce.
This forest, according to the information in the movel, was home to low-level monsters like Grunts and Brutes.
Clutching a small but sturdy hatchet he'd bought from a weapons shop earlier, Benedict stepped into the thick underbrush.
Each step crunched the dry leaves beneath him, the sound sharp and jarring in the silence of the night.
He felt tense.
After all, he wasn't a fighter. He wasn't trained to kill.
He was just an ordinary office worker thrown into the body of a villain.
He was only looking for a Slime, because to unlock a system called System Essence, he had to kill monster.
And Slimes, based on the descriptions from the novel he read in his original world, were the weakest creatures out there.
Hopefully I get lucky and trigger the system now, he thought, though he knew the odds weren't exactly in his favor.
Benedict scanned the forest carefully, eyes moving across every bush and shadow.
He stayed alert. Every rustle made him glance over his shoulder.
He didn't want to run into goblins, wolves, or anything stronger than a Slime. Right now, he was still weak, with no real combat experience in this world.
His only advantage? The knowledge he had from the novel, and the single skill in his arsenal
SSS Hypnosis.
After wandering through tangled roots and thick undergrowth, Benedict finally spotted a cluster of Slimes.
They were bluish-green blobs, gelatinous and slow-moving, leaving sticky trails behind them. Harmless, just like the novel had described.
Benedict pulled out his hatchet. He stepped forward and swung.
Splat!
The first Slime burst apart, oozing sticky liquid. One by one, he finished them off with a few quick hacks.
Unfortunately, there was no reward or chime of success. System Essence remained locked.
He knew it was based on luck, only a very small chance of activating it after a monster kill.
Just one Slime left now.
A faint spark of hope lingered in his chest.
He raised the hatchet again and struck.
The final Slime exploded into goo.
And… nothing.
"Damn it!" The curse slipped from Benedict's mouth before he could stop himself, laced with pure frustration.
He kicked the Slime remains in irritation, completely forgetting where he was.
Because deep in a monster-infested forest, yelling wasn't the smartest move.
Somewhere in the shadows, a pair of yellow eyes opened. The quiet sound of Benedict's curse had drawn attention.
A Wolf.
Larger than any household dog, its dark gray fur blended with the night. Its body moved soundlessly, stalking the source of the voice.
Benedict immediately recognized it.
A Wolf. Stronger than anything he could handle right now.
Suddenly, a loud rustle came from the left. The Wolf lunged with terrifying speed, aiming straight for Benedict's throat.
Shit! A Wolf? What the hell is it doing here?!
GRRRRAAAWWL!
Benedict felt hot breath graze his neck. His body reacted on instinct, pure survival taking over.
He dove to the side just in time.
The Wolf's claws slashed through empty air where his head had just been.
His heart pounded in his chest, adrenaline flooding his veins.
He turned to face the beast as it circled him, red eyes glowing, fangs bared in the dark.
All this… just because he lost his temper.
Damn it. I should've been more careful.
Benedict gripped the hatchet in his hand. It felt heavy now.
He had to do something. If he hesitated, he'd die.
Closing his eyes for a split second, he centered his mind.
Suddenly, Benedict's red eyes began to glow with an intense light, a powerful aura pulsing from his body.
[SSS Hypnosis skill activated. Target: Wolf Lvl-10.]
Level 10?!
Shit. Can Hypnosis even work on something this strong?!
[SSS Hypnosis partially successful. You may command the Wolf. However, it won't fully obey you.]
The Wolf's blazing red eyes dimmed, now glowing faintly pink around the edges. A clear sign that the hypnosis wasn't fully effective.
It still growled, low and threatening, but the sound was muffled. Its movements had slowed.
Partially successful… but does that mean I can still control it?
The creature stood there, blinking those pink-tinged eyes. This was the moment.
Benedict raised his voice, firm and commanding.
"Stay still."
The Wolf froze. Its body tensed, paws locked to the ground. The hypnosis worked.
Didn't think that would actually work…!
Benedict didn't waste the opportunity.
He lunged forward, swinging his hatchet with full force. The blade sliced through one of the Wolf's front legs, tearing flesh and muscle in a single brutal strike.
GRRRRAAAWWWL!!!
It howled in pain. The hypnosis shattered instantly.
Its pink eyes turned crimson once more, burning with rage and agony. It lunged forward, this time faster and more vicious than before, aiming straight for Benedict.
Benedict jumped back, dodging the deadly fangs that could tear a man in half.
But now, fatigue hit him like a wave.
The adrenaline began to fade. Scratches from thorns and bushes, wounds he had ignored earlier, started to sting. Every breath felt heavier.
I can't keep this up… If this goes on, I'll collapse. Think, Benedict. THINK!
He reached out to his Hypnosis System.
"System… can I hypnotize myself while keeping the Wolf under control?"
A red interface appeared, golden letters flashing across it.
[Yes. Self-hypnosis is possible. But caution is advised. This requires extreme concentration. Side effects may impact your body afterward.]
That was enough for Benedict.
Risky? Sure. But high risk high rewarda
He took a deep breath, blocking out the Wolf's growls. Then he turned his Hypnosis inward, toward himself.
[SSS Hypnosis Skill Activated – Target: Benedict Veritas]
"Don't feel tired. Don't feel pain," he commanded himself, letting the words echo in his mind.
A brief stab of pain jabbed through his skull, like needles piercing his brain. But it faded quickly.
Then came the shift.
The exhaustion disappeared. It was like he had just woken up after hours of peaceful sleep.
The cuts on his skin didn't sting anymore. The chill of the night, the fear in his chest now gone. Replaced by an eerie calm.
Benedict could move freely again. His body felt light, his thoughts razor-sharp.
His crimson eyes glowed brighter.
The Wolf charged again, claws gleaming—deadly and sharpened for the kill.
But Benedict slipped past the strike with ease, his movements smooth and fluid.
At the same time, he swung his hatchet, slashing through the Wolf's other leg.
Splat!
Another direct hit. The monster staggered, wounded and howling in agony.
But it wasn't done.
A red aura began to shimmer around the Wolf's body. Its claws grew longer, darker, sharper. Muscles swelled, body enlarged, power radiating from its frame.
What the hell… is that? A skill…?
Benedict wasted no time.
"Stay still."
The Wolf paused again. The hypnosis clung on, forcing its body to lock in place mid-attack. Its eyes still burned red, but it couldn't move.
Benedict dashed forward, hatchet ready. But just as he closed in, the Wolf lashed out. A sudden counterattack.
He ducked, smooth and instinctive, dodging the lethal swipe. Then he rammed his hatchet straight into the beast's jaw with all the strength he had left.
The blade tore into flesh and bone.
GRRRRAAAWWL!!!
Another bloodcurdling scream.
The Wolf's massive body collapsed forward, crashing onto Benedict.
It should've crushed him. Should've broken his ribs.
But he felt nothing.
That was the power of hypnotizing himself, his body was desensitized to pain and pressure.
He yanked the hatchet from the Wolf's jaw and, without stopping, unleashed a flurry of slashes. Targeting joints, muscles, anywhere vulnerable.
Each strike hit deep, and blood sprayed.
The Wolf tried to retaliate, to throw him off, but Benedict was relentless. Every twitch, every move the monster made was met with another brutal hack.
Then, finally. He aimed for the neck.
It was thick and tough. Muscles layered over muscle.
He drove the hatchet in. Again. And again. Swinging with savage force.
The Wolf shrieked and thrashed. Its claws tore into Benedict, trying to rip him apart.
But he didn't feel a thing.
He had shut all of that off.
And with one final blow, a powerful swing that cleaved deep the Wolf's neck was severed, a sickening snap echoing through the forest.
Its body spasmed, then collapsed.
Right on top of him.
Benedict calmly pushed the corpse aside and stood up.
No exhaustion, just glowing red eyes in the dark.
He had won.
And now… in his vision, just beside the Wolf's heart, a small orb floated into view. Ash-gray and faintly glowing.
The item he needed.
The key to unlocking his Essence System.