Noah ran. His breath was short, his steps uneven. Muddy ground and strange trees seemed to mock every step he took. He tried to get out of the forest, but the more he ran, the deeper he went into its heart.
He didn't know the way out.
"I must… go back… mother needs me."
He repeated those words like a mantra. No buildings, no lights, no roads. Only an unfamiliar forest. The dark sky was filled with stars. Damp air, and dozens of pairs of eyes staring at him. Hunting his life.
Noah kept running. Without direction. Crashing into branches, falling, getting up again. He still hoped that what he was experiencing was only a nightmare. He stopped, trying to stab his own body. Hoping that if he died in this world, he would return to Earth. But it was a futile hope.
Then something emerged from behind the fog.
A monster.
A tall creature with a black body dripping saliva. Its eyes sharp, filled with murderous intent. Uneven teeth. Its height around two meters. It locked eyes with Noah.
Noah only stood there, staring at the black wolf. The wolf opened its mouth and immediately attacked. Noah's body moved on its own—reflexively raising his hand, forming a sharp blood blade from his wrist. He dodged the wolf's strike, leaping to the left.
The fight began. Noah was already exhausted, and the wolf before him was no equal opponent. His hand was crushed, his head bitten by the wolf, and even after his body was swallowed and his head destroyed, his entire body regenerated.
This was a curse.
Noah grew angry at himself. He couldn't die. Even though he wanted death, hoping it would return him to Earth. Unfortunately, that didn't happen.
Noah kept fighting. He managed to stab one side of the wolf's neck. But the difference in strength between them was too great. In the end, Noah was torn apart repeatedly.
Fangs pierced his stomach. His body collapsed. His organs spilled out. The wolf did not waste this opportunity. It devoured Noah's entire body.
He ended up swallowed by the wolf in small pieces.
***
Adventurers were dispatched by the guild to the southern side of Rosewihte city. More precisely, into the Blood Forest. A forest infamous for being terrifying because many rank C and above monsters resided there. A place that should not be entered.
But recently, it was reported that slave traders had entered the forest. Not once or twice, but several times. According to rumors, the traders had found a safe route through the Blood Forest to reach the city on the other side.
Firzt and his party's mission was to investigate. To uncover the truth behind these rumors. This was a rank A mission. The pay was high, but the risk was enormous. They could be killed if they encountered some rank S monsters there.
"Are you sure we're going in?" asked Alice.
She was a Mage in this party. Highly skilled in elemental magic. She could use almost all elements. She was an A- rank mage. There were two Mages in the party. The other was Snow Elvaneira. A terrifying ice sorceress. Her mastery of ice magic was the best. She was an S- rank adventurer.
Snow was a quiet woman. She rarely spoke, only doing what she deemed necessary. Often, she would disappear without being found anywhere. Until finally, Firzt and the others would continue without her.
Then she would appear suddenly. Firzt's party nicknamed Snow The Ghost because of her actions.
"Are you scared?" mocked Joel Arkwright.
He was a strong Knight with a huge shield. The living wall of the party, blocking frontal attacks and protecting his companions from danger. A man full of spirit and bravery. Too brave, to the point of troubling the others.
Beside Joel was another member, Maria Caelwyn. A Cleric who served as healer and support. Gentle but spiritually strong, she had advanced healing and curse dispelling abilities. She was quiet but always there for her team.
Alice, hearing Joel's words, grew angry. "What do you mean? Are you mocking me?" Her voice rose.
Joel laughed loudly. "Am I wrong?"
The two stared at each other. Firzt, seeing this, only shook his head. This was nothing unusual in his party. Almost every day Joel and Alice argued. Firzt ignored them and began walking toward the forest. Snow and Maria followed behind.
"If you two keep fighting, you'd better go back to the guild!" Firzt scolded.
Alice and Joel stopped arguing and began walking after Firzt. Though, a few times they still shot sharp looks at each other. Firzt could only shake his head repeatedly at what was happening between Joel and Alice.
They stepped into the forest. Their investigation began.
***
The black wolf sat down and curled up. It had just eaten a large meal. It wanted to rest. But just as it was about to close its eyes, it suddenly felt something strange in its stomach. The wolf howled loudly. It stood up.
But before it could move, suddenly its stomach tore open. Something crawled out from within. At that moment, the wolf died instantly.
A human figure crawled out of the wolf's stomach.
"I'm still alive," said Noah.
He stood with an intact body. In his hand, he held something. A glowing blue crystal. He wanted to throw it away, but the crystal turned into particles of light and entered Noah's body. That confused him.
[Level Up]
[Level Up]
The notifications appeared repeatedly. Noah frowned as he looked at them. He had often seen things like this in his friends' litRPG stories, but seeing it firsthand felt strange—as if he were living inside a novel.
Noah wanted to ignore it, but another notification appeared. This time more interesting than the level-up notices.
[You have absorbed the soul crystal of Lone Wolf level 50]
[Reward: Random item, rare skill, and exp]
Noah didn't want to believe it, but an item really appeared in his hand. It was a pair of iron boots. He frowned. He waited for a while, hoping that more than just boots would appear. But that hope was in vain.
[Nighthowl Boots]
[Description: -15% movement speed, +200 def.]
Noah didn't care much. He immediately wore the Nighthowl Boots. As soon as he put them on, his body felt heavier. Just as described in the item description.
Even so, +200 def was an interesting stat. That meant he would be harder to injure—probably. Noah wasn't entirely sure, but he felt confident enough in his assumption since, back on Earth, he often played games before his mother was hospitalized.
[Skill acquired: Instinct (passive)]
[Description: Enhances awareness of situations within 200 meters.]
"This will be useful to me."
Noah nodded. This was a good start for him.