The forest was different here.
Tighter. Darker.
The trees leaned in close, their branches tangled like they were whispering above me.
Ferns brushed my sides as I followed the cracked old path. Every few steps, moss gave way to smooth stone—flat, carved, and wrong.
Human, once.
Now swallowed by the Green.
The air smelled heavy. Damp earth and old bark.
Lake Wyrdwell, I thought. Please don't live up to the name.
Then—
Rustling.
To the right.
[Listen]
Grunts. Hooves. Weight shifting on dirt.
A shape stumbled out of the brush.
Short tusks. Stocky build. Bristling fur.
For a heartbeat, I froze.
I'd seen it before.
A little bigger, a little meaner—but I knew that face.
[Appraisal]
[Status]
Species: Boarlet
Level: 5/10
HP: 85 | MP: –
Stats: Vit – E+ | Str – E+ | End – E | Agi – E- | Int – F | Wis – F | Lck – E-
Skills: [Charge Lv.4], [Tusk Jab Lv.6]
That same squat little monster that once fought a stag while I hid in the bushes, praying not to sneeze.
Guess we'd both grown up.
It snorted, pawing the dirt. Eyes mean. Angry.
Last time I was a spectator.
This time?
It charged.
The earth shook. I darted aside—[Hop Step]!—its tusks carving the space I'd just left. Bark splintered as it crashed into a tree.
How was that! Let's see who's the underdog now.
It turned, bellowed, and lunged again.
I waited—just long enough to make it think I'd frozen—then cut right.
[Hop Step]!
Its tusks sliced empty air as I slipped past its flank. My horn flashed out, quick and clean.
[Thrust]!
The strike hit deep along its shoulder. It squealed and staggered, legs skidding, but didn't fall.
Strong. Tough hide.
Figures, I thought, backing off. I can only expect so much without a crit
It shook itself and came again, faster this time.
I sprinted toward a nearby trunk, heart hammering.
Let's see if you were worth the purchase.
At the last moment—
[Wall Hop]!
My paws hit bark, kicking me sideways. I twisted midair, eyes locking on the Boarlet's charge.
Another tree—close enough.
[Wall Hop] again—this time off a low branch. The rebound launched me downward like a spring.
[Thrust]!
[Critical Hit]
The impact rocked through me. The Boarlet's legs folded as it slid to a halt, motionless.
The forest went still.
[EXP Gained!]
[Wall Hop Lv.1 → Lv.2]
[Thrust Lv.3 → Lv.4]
I landed lightly beside it, panting, my reflection flickering in its still eyes.
Woohoo, it actually worked! How about that, porky? Not so scary anymore, huh?
With this the Grandforest wasn't just a backdrop anymore—it was an advantage.
And I planned to use it.
*
*
*
Some more time passed. The forest thinned, then closed in again.
Light flickered through the leaves like broken glass.
That's when I saw him.
Thin frame. Sharp antlers. Familiar.
The other one.
The Small Stag.
[Appraisal]
[Status]
Species: Small Stag
Level: 5/10
HP: 85 | MP: –
Stats: Vit – E | Str – E- | End – E | Agi – E+ | Int – E- | Wis – F | Lck – E-
Skills: [Charge Lv.4], [Tusk Jab Lv.6]
Well, if it isn't the other guy from the clearing, I thought. Sure you want to do this?
The stag snorted and lowered its head.
Challenge accepted.
It dashed forward, hooves tearing the earth.
I hopped sideways—[Hop Step]—just in time. Its antlers sliced the air where I'd been.
The wind of its charge brushed my whiskers.
It turned fast. Faster than I remembered.
Okay. Speed's your thing. But so is mine.
Another rush.
I feinted right—then pivoted hard left. [Hop Step] again.
Our paths crossed, and I struck.
[Thrust]!
A glancing hit. The stag stumbled, but recovered, kicking out.
I ducked under the blow, dirt spraying across my face.
My lungs burned. My heartbeat roared in my ears.
Then I saw it—the rhythm.
It lunged. I met it head-on.
[Parry]!
The impact rattled my skull, but I twisted with it, redirecting the force down.
Its head dipped low—open neck, clear shot.
[Thrust]!
The stag jerked once, then fell.
[EXP Gained]
―――――――――――――――――
[Level Up!]
[You have reached Lv.8.]
[Attribute point gained]
[Skill point gained]
―――――――――――――――――
[Parry Lv.2 → Lv.3]
[Hop Step Lv.5 → Lv.6]
Two monsters.
Two fights.
No panic. No running.
Just… me.
Not long ago, they'd felt untouchable.
And now—
I'm two for two, I thought. Guess this bunny's finally moving up in the world.
Somewhere ahead, the sound of water called again.
Lake Wyrdwell waited.
*
*
*
The trees began to thin, and then the path opened.
I stepped out into light.
Before me stretched a lake—vast, still, impossibly blue.
The air itself seemed to glow.
Sunlight slipped through gaps in the canopy, spilling across the surface until the water looked alive—shifting, glittering, breathing. Tiny motes of light floated above it, drifting lazily like fireflies.
At the far end, waterfalls spilled from a stone arch high above, the streams scattering into mist before rejoining the lake in quiet ripples. The sound was soft—half whisper, half hymn.
Near the center, a broken statue rose from the shallows, half-submerged and worn smooth with age. Its face was gone, erased by time, but the posture remained—solemn, gentle, like someone waiting.
Around the shore, ancient pillars jutted from the moss, cracked and leaning. Flowers had grown over their bases in wild color—violet, crimson, pale blue that shimmered faintly under the light.
It didn't feel like the rest of the forest.
I took a cautious step closer. The air felt different here—thicker, but lighter somehow. A quiet hum under my skin.
Lake Wyrdwell, I thought. Guess you really are something special.
Then I felt it.
A pulse.
Faint, but there.
Something nearby. Watching.
Every hair on my body stood on end. My heart skipped.
No—no, not again. That pressure, that weight—was it that thing? The one that had marked me?
I froze. The world felt like it was holding its breath.
Then, slowly… the fear faded.
The pressure wasn't heavy.
It was… calm.
Soothing, even. Like sinking into warm water.
[Title Trait Activated: Fractured]
[Passive Triggered: Spirit Sense]
I blinked.
Wait—what?
Oh thank god. It wasn't that one. It was just the ghost one instead—
—Wait. The ghost one!?
My ears shot up. My tail fluffed out.
Hold on, hold on—ghost one!? What does that even mean!? Is something in the lake? Behind me? Inside me!?
I spun in a circle, pawing at the air. Nope. Nope nope nope. I take it back. Beautiful lake, haunted lake—same thing! We're leaving!
I froze mid-rant.
The calm feeling pulsed again, soft as a sigh. Like… someone whispering at the edge of hearing.
Not danger. Not hate.
Something else. Something… curious.
A pull tugged faintly at my chest—strange, weightless. Not physical at all. Just a soft sensation, somewhere between thought and instinct.
It felt… aware.
Whatever this was, it wasn't done with me.
Then—
Rustle.
My ears perked.
Instinct took over. I dove into a nearby bush, activating [Stealth].
From the treeline, a creature stepped into view.
Two legs, long neck, feathers dull brown.
A bird—like an ostrich that had lost a bet with evolution.
It strutted toward the water, head bobbing. When it reached the edge, it leaned down and dipped its beak.
The surface rippled—
—and I heard it.
A muffled sound. Wet. Deep. Moving.
Then—
THWIP!
A giant, fleshy tongue snapped out of the water and latched onto the bird's body.
Wha—!?
The bird shrieked, thrashing, wings beating madly. It actually started to pull back, feathers flying—then two, three, four more tongues shot out, coiling around its legs and neck.
With a sickening yank, it vanished beneath the surface.
Silence.
Just bubbles.
My fur stood on end.
What the hell was that!?
For the love of god, Dumbledore, what part of this says tutorial!?