The silence after the monster's death was heavier than the fight itself. Kael's breath came ragged, his arms still trembling from the brutal struggle. The blood on his hands was warm, too warm, and the smell of iron clung to his nose.
The corpse twitched once before going still. Kael stared at it, at the cracked skull and dull eyes, and felt the bile rise in his throat. He turned and vomited into the grass, choking on the sour taste.
"Damn it…" he muttered, wiping his mouth with the back of his hand. "It was kill or be killed. Right? Right…"
But the memory of its claws tearing through his flesh, of its jaws ripping into his throat, was too fresh. He touched his neck again. Smooth. Untouched.
And yet, the phantom pain lingered.
---
A faint shimmer appeared before him, the pale-blue glow of the system screen.
> [Status – Kael Ardyn]
Strength: 12 (+2)
Agility: 11 (+1)
Endurance: 13 (+3)
Vitality: 10 (+0)
Skills: Pain Tolerance (Lv.1)
System Level: 1
Kael blinked. "Strength… agility… endurance?" His voice trembled between awe and fear. "All because I died?"
The words "Warning: Humanity Degrades" glowed faintly at the bottom.
He tried to ignore it.
Instead, he looked at the monster again. His hands clenched. If I can grow stronger every time I die… what's stopping me from becoming invincible?
The thought should have filled him with confidence. Instead, it made him feel hollow.
---
The sun dipped lower, shadows stretching across the forest. A cold wind brushed through the leaves, carrying with it distant howls. Kael flinched. If one monster nearly killed him, what would a pack do?
He grabbed a sturdy branch from the ground, testing its weight. Crude, but better than nothing. His stomach growled, a harsh reminder of his humanity.
"Food… water… shelter," he muttered. "Survive first. Think later."
He forced himself to move. Every rustle of leaves made him tense, every shadow seemed alive.
Hours passed—or maybe minutes. Time felt strange here. The forest was endless, every tree identical. Just as his legs began to buckle, Kael stumbled into a small clearing.
There was a stream.
He dropped to his knees and drank greedily, the icy water burning down his throat. Relief washed over him, though it was temporary. Hunger gnawed at his gut.
Then he saw it.
Across the stream, perched on a rock, was a girl.
Her cloak was tattered, her hair tangled, but her eyes—sharp and silver—locked on him like a blade. A bow rested in her hands, arrow already nocked and aimed at his chest.
Kael froze.
"Who are you?" Her voice was steady, cold. "Answer, or I put this arrow through your heart."
---
Kael raised his hands slowly. "Wait—don't shoot! I'm not… I'm not your enemy!"
The girl's expression didn't change. She drew the bow tighter. "You reek of blood. That thing was hunting you, wasn't it?"
Kael glanced down at himself. His clothes were splattered with the monster's gore. He looked more beast than man.
"I killed it," he said quickly. "Barely. Look—I don't even know where I am. I woke up here, in this damn forest."
Her eyes narrowed. "You're not from this land, then."
Kael hesitated. "You could say that."
The arrow wavered slightly but didn't drop. She studied him for a long moment before finally lowering her bow.
"You won't survive long," she said flatly. "Not dressed like that. Not without weapons."
"Yeah, thanks for the encouragement," Kael muttered under his breath.
The girl tilted her head, as if deciding something. Finally, she slung the bow over her shoulder. "Follow me. Or die here. Your choice."
---
Kael didn't argue. His options were limited.
She led him deeper into the forest, moving silently despite the thick underbrush. Kael struggled to keep up, tripping over roots and rocks. Every time he stumbled, her silver eyes flicked back with faint irritation.
Eventually, they reached a small camp hidden beneath a canopy of trees. A fire crackled in the center, its smoke carefully masked by the leaves above.
The girl gestured for him to sit. "Name?"
"Kael. Kael Ardyn."
"Serenya," she replied curtly.
Kael repeated it in his mind. Serenya. The name carried weight, like steel wrapped in silk.
She tossed him a piece of dried meat. His stomach growled louder than his pride, and he tore into it. The taste was bitter, but it filled the emptiness.
For a while, neither spoke. The fire popped softly, and Kael felt almost human again. Almost.
Then Serenya's voice cut through the silence.
"You fought a Crawler," she said. "Few survive their first encounter."
Kael glanced at the fire. "Yeah, I… died the first time."
The words slipped out before he could stop them.
Serenya's head snapped toward him. "What?"
Kael froze. He hadn't meant to say that. How could he explain? If she thought him cursed, she might kill him on the spot.
"I meant… I almost died," he lied quickly. "Barely made it out."
Her gaze lingered on him, sharp and probing, before she finally looked away.
"You'll need more than luck to survive this forest," she said. "The Crawlers are just the beginning."
---
That night, Kael lay awake by the dying fire. Serenya slept lightly, her bow within reach. Kael stared at the canopy above, the stars peeking through like distant eyes.
His thoughts wouldn't stop. The system's words echoed in his mind:
Each time the host dies, attributes increase by +10%.
He clenched his fists.
"If I can keep getting stronger… maybe I can find answers," he whispered. "Why me? Why this curse?"
The forest responded with silence. But in the shadows beyond the firelight, something moved.
A pair of glowing eyes.
Then another.
And another.
Dozens of them, circling just beyond the trees.
Kael's breath caught in his throat.
They're hunting us.
The fire crackled. The night air grew colder.
And the forest came alive with howls.