Four days had passed since Ren first opened his eyes in this strange new world.Four days of silent mornings, of gathering herbs and roots, of fixing walls and weaving roofs, of teaching seven small souls how to live again.
The once broken hut had begun to look like a true home — small, humble, but alive.Thin smoke rose each morning from the small clay stove he built; laughter replaced silence; the faint blue light of the hung magic core painted every night in soft comfort.
[Brother Mission Tracker: "Family Sustenance" – Progress: 4 / 7]
Objective: Maintain household stability for seven continuous days.
Hidden Evaluation: Ongoing…
Ren wiped the sweat from his brow as he hammered in the last wooden brace. "Good," he muttered, admiring the new corner wall. "It's holding."
Mira came running up, holding a bundle of woven leaves. "Brother! These are the herbs you said were good for fevers, right?"
He smiled and nodded. "That's right. Keep them dry, and they'll last a week."
For a brief moment, he allowed himself peace — the kind he'd never known in his first life. But peace rarely lasted. And the Brother System seemed to sense that.
[System Notification: Evaluation Triggered — Combat Capability Assessment Required.]
[Optional Mission: Hunt a pack of magical beasts without outside help.]
[Reward: Experience Bonus + Hidden Reward (Skill Adaptation).]
Ren exhaled softly. "So, you want to see if I can defend what I've built, huh?"
He looked toward the forest. It was time.
The forest canopy whispered as Ren walked deeper, light filtering down like shards of gold. His steps were steady, each crunch of leaves deliberate.
He carried his knife and a makeshift wooden spear. The Forestry skill had allowed him to sharpen and balance it with remarkable precision.
Soon, he noticed the signs — claw marks against a tree, paw prints pressed into the mud.He crouched down, eyes narrowing."Three sets," he murmured. "Size… about that of wolves, but heavier."
[Tracking Activated.]
Mana signature identified: Forest Fangwolves (Lv.6 – Group of 3)
His heart began to beat faster. Unlike the wounded boar, these were healthy, territorial, and hungry.
Ren took a breath, grounding himself. "No retreat."
A rustle — then a growl.
The first wolf burst from the underbrush, its body shimmering faintly with silver streaks of mana through its fur. Its eyes glowed faint green.
[Forest Fangwolf – Lv.6]
HP: 180 / 180
Ren gripped his spear tightly, lowering his stance.
When it lunged, he stepped sideways, thrusting the spear toward its neck. The creature twisted, the blow grazing its shoulder.
[Hit Registered – 22 Damage]
[Target HP: 158 / 180]
The wolf retaliated, claws slicing across his arm.
[Damage Received – 14 HP Lost]
[Ren HP: 106 / 120]
Pain flared, but Ren didn't retreat. He ducked low, spun, and drove the butt of his spear into the wolf's ribs. The beast howled, stumbling back — just in time for two more to emerge from the brush.
Three against one.
[Detected: Additional Targets — Forest Fangwolf x2 (Lv.6)]
[Formation Behavior: Coordinated Pack Attack Initiated]
Ren's breathing steadied. "Alright," he muttered, "let's see how much I've improved."
The wolves circled him, low growls rumbling in unison. The leader darted forward; Ren blocked with the shaft, barely avoiding the snap of its fangs. The second came in from the side — claws catching his shoulder.
[Damage Received – 18 HP Lost]
[Ren HP: 88 / 120]
He staggered but held his ground, countering with a powerful forward thrust.
[Critical Hit!]
[Damage – 42]
[Target HP: 116 / 180]
He swung the shaft sideways, striking the second wolf across the snout. Blood splattered, and both creatures backed off momentarily.
His chest heaved. The Field Adaptation trait reduced fatigue, but the wolves' movements were fast — too coordinated.
Then the third wolf leapt from behind. Ren dropped, rolling through the dirt, and jammed his spear backward instinctively.
[Hit Registered – 38 Damage]
[Target HP: 142 / 180]
The wolf yelped in pain, thrashing. Ren seized the moment — he stabbed forward, pushing through fur and bone until the creature fell limp.
[Forest Fangwolf (Lv.6) defeated!]
[EXP +120]
[HP: 74 / 120]
The remaining two wolves growled, now cautious. Their leader's eyes gleamed with primal fury. It leapt again, mouth wide, fangs catching Ren's arm.
[Damage Received – 20 HP Lost]
[Ren HP: 54 / 120]
Ren's face twisted in pain, but his body moved with practiced instinct — a quick pivot, his knife slicing through the wolf's exposed throat.
[Critical Damage – 65]
[Target HP: 51 / 180]
The creature whimpered, stumbled, then collapsed. The last one hesitated — then lunged blindly.
Ren caught it mid-leap with a thrust straight through its chest.It struggled weakly before falling still.
Silence. Only Ren's heavy breathing and the fading hum of mana filled the air.
[Forest Fangwolf x3 defeated!]
[EXP +360]
[Level Up!]
[Name: Ren — Level 6]
[EXP: 490 / 1000]
[Stat Increases:]
Strength +2
Endurance +2
Agility +1
Vitality +2
Updated Attributes:
Name: Ren
Level: 6
HP: 140 / 140
Strength: 15
Endurance: 15
Agility: 12
Intelligence: 8
Vitality: 16
System Activation
[Brother System Evaluation Complete.]
Combat Capability Assessment — Satisfactory.
Adaptability Rating: High.
Reward:
Skill Gained — Combat Instinct (Basic), Efficiency Bonus: 100 EXP
[Skill: Combat Instinct (Basic)]
Allows momentary perception boosts during melee engagements, reducing reaction delay.
Ren fell to his knees, chest rising and falling rapidly. Blood dripped from his arm, his body trembling with exhaustion. But even through the pain, a faint smile crept onto his face.
"If this world wants to test me…""…then I'll pass every time."
He bound his wound with a strip of cloth, collected the three pelts and a single glowing Mana Core, and began walking back toward the village.
Behind him, the forest was quiet again — save for the whisper of wind carrying faint traces of his resolve.
The forest's rustle faded behind him as Ren pulled the last strip of hide from the Forest Fangwolf's carcass. His hands, though trembling with fatigue, moved with precision—each cut cleaner than before.
[Skill: Skinning Lv.2 → Exp +70%]
[Proficiency threshold reached — Skill has leveled up!]
[Skinning Lv.3 unlocked]
[Bonus: Material yield +5%, hide damage reduced]
The notification flashed before his eyes, and he smiled faintly. The repetitive motion of his knife against the hide had become smoother, almost rhythmic. He stacked the fur neatly beside the cart, wiping the sweat from his forehead with the back of his wrist.
But he wasn't done yet. The last of the three Fangwolves still needed to be processed. With steady breaths, he repeated the task—this time faster, cleaner, sharper.
[Skill: Skinning Lv.3 → Exp +100%]
[Proficiency threshold reached — Skill has leveled up!]
[Skinning Lv.4 unlocked]
[Bonus: Material extraction +10%, minor chance of discovering rare sub-materials]
Ren exhaled deeply, flexing his sore fingers. The piles of fur gleamed faintly under the morning light filtering through the canopy, while the neatly packed meat rested in leaves soaked with salt from his pouch. The fangs, glinting white, clinked together as he stored them carefully in a side compartment of his cart.
"Not bad," he muttered softly, inspecting his work. "Even low-grade beasts have their worth if handled right."
The faint sting on his arm—where one wolf had grazed him earlier—had already begun to fade.
[Due to leveling progress, Vitality Regeneration triggered][Minor wounds healed]
He looked at the notification with relief. The dull ache in his ribs eased. The pain, the exhaustion—it all seemed to dissolve beneath that gentle warmth spreading through his body.
By the time Ren exited the forest, the sun had begun its climb toward noon. His cart creaked under the weight of furs and meat. The familiar outline of the village appeared ahead—its simple rooftops and dusty roads strangely comforting.
He headed straight for the Adventurer's Guild. The wooden doors opened with a low groan, the chatter of adventurers echoing inside. The smell of ale and metal was stronger than usual.
Kara, behind the front counter, looked up immediately as he approached—eyes widening slightly at the sight of his haul."Ren? You look like you've been through a war. What did you drag in this time?"
Ren placed the bundle of Fangwolf hides and the bag of fangs on the counter. "Forest Fangwolves. Three of them."
Kara blinked. "Three? You? Wait—these are Fangwolves, Ren. That's a D-rank mission, not one of the beginner hunts."
He shrugged. "Didn't see any signs posted, so I didn't take the quest. They attacked while I was gathering herbs. I fought back… and won."
Her lips parted slightly, disbelief etched across her face. "You fought a pack alone? Without backup?"
He nodded. "Didn't have a choice."
For a moment, Kara simply stared at him. Then, she shook her head and sighed, pulling the materials toward her. "You're either reckless or lucky—maybe both. Still, you handled the hides well. Not a single tear." She flipped one over and inspected the cut lines. "You've got a knack for skinning. Who taught you?"
Ren smiled faintly. "The forest did."
Kara raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. She reached under the counter and began tallying his goods. "Alright… three quality hides, nine intact fangs, and about six kilos of meat. The Guild will take the meat for rations, and you'll get a fair price for the rest. That comes to—let's see—forty bronze coins."
Ren nodded. "Fair enough."
She slid the coins toward him in a small pouch. "But next time, register before going after something like that. The Guild doesn't issue rewards or records for unregistered kills."
He smirked. "I wasn't after rewards."
Kara leaned forward slightly, folding her arms. "You should be. That's how you build reputation and rank. But… I get it." Her voice softened. "You're still new here. Just—don't get yourself killed."
He gave a short nod of acknowledgment. "I'll keep that in mind."
As he turned to leave, his vision flickered.
[Brother Mission Tracker: Quest Completion Detected][Calculating Efficiency Evaluation...]
[Result: S-Rank Efficiency — All objectives completed without registered quest assistance]
[Bonus Reward 1: Skill Upgrade Token (1)]
[Bonus Reward 2: Trait Fragment — Field Proficiency (Basic) x1]
Ren froze mid-step. S-Rank Efficiency? He hadn't even taken the quest. So, the system evaluated his performance, not just completion. That was… dangerous knowledge to have.
He slipped his hand into his pocket, feeling the faint weight of the reward crystal that materialized there—a cool, glassy shard pulsing with blue light.
"Skill Upgrade Token… huh."
He glanced back at Kara, still busy tallying paperwork. She had no idea what he'd just received.
"If the system rewards efficiency…" he thought, eyes narrowing slightly, "…then I'll make sure every mission I take counts."
He gripped the handle of his cart, the faint smile on his lips hardening into quiet determination.
"For them… I'll keep getting stronger."
Outside, the sun's light washed across the village road as Ren made his way home—his mind already planning his next step, unaware that the faint pulse of the Brother Mission Tracker on his wrist had started to hum stronger, syncing with his heartbeat.
[Mission Progress Updated — "Family Sustenance" 42% → 51%]
[New Chain Quest: "Foundations of Growth" unlocked]
The faint glow faded just as the wind picked up.
Ren's journey had only just begun.