The morning light spilled gently into Grim's room, painting the rough wooden walls with gold.
He blinked his eyes open and smiled — an uncharacteristically wide grin.
Even his reflection in the cracked mirror seemed confused.
When he walked into the kitchen, Mira nearly dropped her cup.
"Whoa, who are you, and what did you do to my grumpy brother?"
Grim smirked. "Maybe I just had a good dream."
His mother raised an eyebrow while stirring the pot. "You, smiling this much? That's not normal, dear. Did something good happen in town?"
"N-no, nothing like that," Grim stammered, waving his hands quickly. "Just… slept well for once."
He stuffed his mouth with breakfast, did his chores in record time, and before anyone could ask another question, he grabbed his cloak and bolted out the door.
"Don't go too far!" his mother shouted after him.
"Yeah, yeah!" he yelled back, already halfway down the path.
The Druis Forest greeted him with its familiar, damp scent. Shafts of light pierced through the leaves like silver spears.
He stopped at his usual training spot — a wide clearing surrounded by mossy stones — and summoned his screen.
A faint hum followed, and the blue interface bloomed before him.
Grim's excitement dimmed for a moment as his eyes caught the numbers.
[Status – Goblin Slayer: Lv. 1]
Strength: 16
Speed: 10
Agility: 14
Intelligence: 18
Mana: 26 / 26
He frowned. "Wait… what? My stats dropped?"
The system's text shimmered briefly:
Rank recalibrated to Goblin Slayer level. System stability achieved.
Grim sighed, running a hand through his hair.
"So basically… I got stronger but also weaker. Great."
Still, the stability made him feel lighter. The pulsing in his veins — that odd instability — was gone.
He took a deep breath. "Alright, let's try this again."
[Summon: Celestial Foot Soldier – Mana Cost 3]
The air shimmered, and with a flash of silver light, the Foot Soldier appeared — tall, armored, and radiant with ethereal lines pulsing along its metallic frame.
"Still creepy," Grim muttered, stepping back slightly.
The soldier's glowing eyes flickered once, awaiting command.
[Unit Stats: Lv. 1 | STR 67 | SPD 64 | AGI 61 | INT 70 | MANA 0]
Grim circled it, fascinated. "So… no mana, but everything else is insane."
Then another icon blinked.
[Evolve available – Requirements: Celestial Domain 10 / Current: 1]
He chuckled. "Figures. The game never gives the cool stuff early."
Testing his new authority, he gave a few commands.
"Step forward."
The soldier obeyed.
"Attack that tree."
The soldier smashed a trunk in half effortlessly.
Grim blinked. "Okay, definitely not using this near home again."
He scratched his chin, thinking. "So it can fight, but not think. Probably needs a stronger Ethereal Authority level to process complex commands."
Satisfied with the test, he commanded softly, "Return."
The soldier dissolved into dust-like particles, fading into the air.
The forest was quiet — save for the rhythmic crunch of leaves beneath Grim's boots and the gentle hum of mana that danced through the morning air. He'd been training again, sweat clinging to his shirt, his breathing steady. The light filtering through the canopy painted streaks of gold across his face.
Then, a voice broke the silence.
"So this is where you sneak off to."
Grim froze, spinning around. "You—!"
Princess Leena stepped out from behind a tree, her hair catching the sunlight like molten silver. She was dressed differently this time — tight leather gear fit for combat, two short daggers strapped to her waist. The faint smirk on her lips carried the confidence of someone born to stand above others.
"Relax," she said coolly. "I didn't come here to arrest you for cutting trees."
Grim frowned. "Then what are you doing here, princess? Don't you have royal duties to attend to?"
She shrugged, walking closer, every step measured and elegant. "I got bored. Besides, I heard a rumor about a strange boy who trains alone in the Druis Forest every morning."
"Rumor?" Grim's brow furrowed. "Who told you that?"
"Does it matter?" she said, stopping just a few feet away. "I wanted to see if the stories were true. The weak boy with an unknown class... who suddenly acts different."
Her words stung, even though her tone was playful. "You came all this way just to mock me?"
Leena tilted her head, eyes narrowing slightly. "No. I came to see why you're different."
Grim met her gaze evenly. "Maybe I just don't like being weak anymore."
"Good answer." She smiled faintly. "Then show me."
"Show you?" Grim asked, puzzled.
"Show me how much stronger you've gotten," she said, drawing her daggers. The air shimmered faintly with her mana as she spun one blade in her hand. "A duel. You and me."
Grim blinked. "You're joking."
"I never joke about fights," Leena replied, lowering her stance. "Unless you're scared."
He scoffed, trying to mask the small flutter in his chest. "Scared? Of you?Ha! Not a chance."
"Then you won't mind proving it." She smiled challengingly. "Unless, of course, you're afraid of losing to a girl."
Grim exhaled sharply, rubbing the back of his neck. "You're really not gonna let this go, huh?"
"Nope."
He sighed, glancing at her stance again — balanced, graceful, deadly. "Fine. But if I win, you owe me an apology."
Leena's smirk widened. "If you win, I'll apologize... in any way you want."
Grim blinked. "W-what does that mean?"
She only smiled mischievously, eyes sparkling with excitement. "You'll have to find out."
He muttered under his breath, "is she really eight?"
"Still talking?" she teased, taking a step forward. "Or are we going to fight?"
Grim clenched his fists, his grin returning. "Alright, princess. You asked for it."
"Good." She twirled her dagger, her mana flaring like rippling heat. "Try not to disappoint me, Grim."
The wind stirred between them, and the world seemed to hold its breath.
Then Grim launched forward — and the forest erupted into motion.
Then Grim launched forward—
and the forest exploded into sound.
Leena sidestepped gracefully, her boots skidding across the dirt as Grim's fist shot past her face, the gust ruffling her hair. She twisted mid-spin, her dagger grazing his sleeve with a sharp shhk!
"Fast," she noted, landing lightly. "But still sloppy."
Grim straightened, grinning despite the near miss. "Guess I'll take that as a compliment."
Her eyes glinted. "Take this instead!"
She vanished.
At least, that's what it looked like.
A blur shimmered through the air — her Assassin's Cloak, a class skill that bent light around her. But Grim's reflexes had sharpened since his evolution. He could feel her presence, the faint ripple of mana disturbing the wind.
"Too predictable," he muttered, ducking just as she reappeared behind him.
Her dagger slashed down, missing his neck by a breath. Grim kicked off the ground, twisting midair and bringing his leg down in an arc. Leena crossed both blades in defense — clang! Sparks flew as their strength collided.
"Not bad," she said through a grin. "You're stronger than before."
"I could say the same," he grunted, pushing against her guard. "Didn't think a princess could swing that hard."
She smirked. "Royal muscles. You wouldn't understand."
They broke apart, circling each other. The forest around them was a blur of motion — leaves scattering, twigs snapping beneath their feet, every movement filled with youthful fire.
Grim rushed again, feinting a punch before pivoting and sweeping at her legs. She leapt cleanly, twisting midair and kicking him square in the chest. He hit the ground with a grunt, rolling backward and spitting dirt.
"Ouch…" Grim rubbed his ribs. "Okay. That one hurt."
"Good," she said smugly. "You're supposed to feel it."
Her teasing tone made his jaw tighten. "Fine then. No more holding back."
He exhaled, summoning his system. The blue interface flickered behind his eyes, invisible to her. His stats were low for a Goblin Slayer rank, but it didn't matter.
He'd been training his body and will — not just relying on numbers.
A faint, golden shimmer rippled across his skin — his first real test of the ability. His speed surged.
Leena blinked. "What the—?"
Before she could react, Grim blurred forward, his movement sharper, cleaner. His fist grazed her cheek; she barely blocked the follow-up punch.
"That's new," she breathed, backing off. "You've got some kind of magic after all."
"Maybe," he said, panting lightly, "or maybe I'm just that good."
She chuckled, eyes burning with excitement. "Then prove it."
They clashed again — blades and fists striking like thunder. Each move they made was sharper, faster, more desperate. The earth beneath them tore with each impact. Grim ducked, swung, dodged, countered. Leena danced like fire, her every step flowing with practiced grace.
And in the midst of the battle — both of them smiled.
It wasn't about winning anymore. It was the thrill of the clash, the release of something wild neither of them could show anywhere else.
Minutes later, they broke apart, both panting. Sweat dripped down Grim's brow. Leena had a small cut on her shoulder, but her grin was radiant.
"Not bad," she said. "For someone who can't even use mana properly."
Grim wiped his mouth. "You're not bad either… for someone who talks too much."
She laughed softly, sheathing her daggers. "You've changed, Grim. You're not the weak kid I remember."
"Guess people do change," he said quietly.
For a brief second, their eyes met — not as princess and commoner, but as equals.
Leena stepped closer, voice dropping. "Next time, I won't hold back."
Grim smiled faintly. "Neither will I."
The forest wind stirred again, scattering leaves between them like falling embers.
And as she turned to leave, Grim's system flickered once more—
Strength +8
Agility +5
Speed +3
Intelligence +2
He exhaled deeply, watching her disappear into the trees.
"Guess I'm not the only one getting stronger," he murmured.