Aaron stands at the edge of the wild forest, eyes narrowing as he studies the tangled trees and undergrowth. A low breeze stirs the leaves, carrying the scent of damp earth and moss. His hand drifts instinctively to the hilt of his sword.
"Do you know where we might find the slimes?" he asks, voice low.
Alice shakes her head, her gaze drifting into the shaded path ahead. "We'll have to go in," she says. "Mana runs stronger inside these woods than back in White River Town. Slimes feed on that energy, so they should be easier to spot once we're under the canopy."
Aaron nods, swallowing as he steps forward. He tightens his grip on his sword, raises his shield, and moves past Alice into the dim forest light. Each footfall crackles on fallen leaves, and the air hums faintly with magical energy.
Sunlight filters through the branches in thin shafts, lighting up floating motes of mana like tiny fireflies. Aaron pauses to adjust the strap of his shield and glances at Alice, whose calm expression never wavers. He breathes deeply, letting the forest's pulse settle his nerves.
Together, they press onward, senses alert. Somewhere ahead, the soft, gelatinous shapes of slimes await, and the hunt has begun.
Aaron and Alice walked quietly through the thick forest, the path ahead dimly lit by scattered rays of sunlight. Suddenly, a rustling noise broke the calm. Both of them stopped, eyes narrowing as they stared at the nearby bushes with caution.
Then, a wild boar burst out.
It was huge and fast, hooves thudding against the earth as it charged. Alice's face paled. "This is bad luck," she muttered, shifting into a ready stance. "Wild boars are tough. Usually it takes at least three people to take one down."
Aaron didn't answer.
His attention was locked on the beast. But something strange was happening.
The boar looked like it was moving in slow motion, every motion stretched unnaturally. Even Alice's voice felt sluggish, like it was dragging through thick syrup. A frown formed on Aaron's face. His instincts flared. Something was off, and he wasn't sure why.
Meanwhile, Alice didn't notice anything wrong. She saw only the roaring beast getting closer, fear flickering across her eyes.
And then, a gust of wind brushed past her cheek.
In an instant, Aaron was gone from her side.
He now stood directly in front of the wild boar, the sword already buried in its skull. The boar barely twitched before collapsing with a heavy thud that echoed through the forest.
Alice stared in shock.
She'd expected a fierce fight, maybe even retreat. Instead, the battle had ended before she could move. Her opinion of Aaron shifted drastically. Just moments ago, she'd seen him as a beginner, someone from an ordinary background like her. They were supposed to be equal, newbies on their first real outing.
But the speed and power he displayed weren't normal. Definitely not what someone fresh from the Awakening Ceremony should be capable of.
That ceremony, meant to awaken hidden potential and assign a profession, usually gave people around one attribute point. The lucky few might get one and a half, depending on what they awakened into.
Yet Aaron felt… beyond that.
She looked at him again, this time with a mix of respect and curiosity.
Aaron stared at the wild boar lying lifeless beneath him, the sword still lodged deep into its skull. He hadn't expected to move that fast, hadn't even fully understood how he'd gotten there. The moment still felt unreal, as if the world had snapped into clarity after a long blur.
Then it happened.
A surge of strange energy pulsed through his chest. His vision flickered for an instant, and something like a message appeared in his mind, clear, direct, and impossible to ignore.
Wild Boar (Level 1) defeated
+10 Experience Points gained
+0.5 Blood Energy acquired
Aaron's eyes lit up with excitement. He had finally discovered that killing living creatures could give him Blood Energy. With it, he could begin his journey to becoming stronger.
Just then, Alice stepped up beside him and said, "Aaron, we should go. The smell of blood from the boar might attract wolves… or even goblins."
Aaron snapped out of his thoughts and gave a quick reply, "Then let's go."
He glanced one last time at the boar's body before turning away. Though he had defeated the beast with ease, he couldn't fully explain how he did it. The sudden burst of speed, the strange sense of slowed time, it all felt unnatural, like someone else had moved through him.
Deep down, he didn't feel good about killing the creature. Something about it unsettled him. The weight of taking a life, even one that had attacked, was heavier than he'd expected.
But when he thought about what could've happened if he hadn't acted, his guilt began to fade. The wild boar was charging at them. If he'd hesitated, either he or Alice could've been seriously injured… or worse. That thought settled his heart.
Right now, survival comes first.
He quietly followed Alice through the trees, his grip still tight around his sword. As they walked deeper into the forest, Aaron knew one thing for sure: strength wasn't just about power. It was about making hard decisions and being ready to face what came next.
Alice glanced at Aaron, her mind buzzing with questions. How had he moved so fast? How had he killed the wild boar in a single strike? It didn't make sense. She wanted to ask him, to understand what kind of strength he was hiding. But she hesitated.
They weren't close. Just two newcomers tossed together by coincidence. So she stayed quiet, unsure how to break the silence without sounding awkward.
Aaron, meanwhile, was completely focused.
His eyes scanned the forest ahead, alert for the smallest movement or sound. One hand rested on the hilt of his sword, the other steady on his shield. He didn't speak, but his body language said everything, he was prepared for whatever came next.
His thoughts were calm on the outside, but inside, he was still trying to understand what had happened. That strange burst of speed, the sensation of slowed time, and the message in his mind… none of it was normal. Something inside him had awakened, and now, he had to figure out what it meant.
Without a word, the two of them continued walking deeper into the forest, side by side but lost in their own thoughts.