I pushed deeper into the forest after the fight with the rats.
That was when I heard it.
The howl.
The same one as before.
My steps slowed—not from fear, but from recognition.
I knew that sound now.
I knew what it meant.
Another howl rolled through the trees, closer this time.
I sighed.
I can't put this off much longer.
Sooner or later… he's going to catch me.
If I could get just one more ability, maybe I'd feel ready.
That thought pushed me forward, deeper into the woods, my pace quickening despite myself.
As I moved, something nagged at me.
My stats said Attack Lv.4 and Speed Lv.6.
Speed, I could feel.
That part was obvious—every movement was cleaner, lighter, faster.
But attack?
What did that actually mean?
Was my body stronger now?
Or was all my damage still locked behind abilities?
I stopped beside a tree.
Turned.
Planted myself.
And punched.
My stubby fist slammed into the trunk.
When I pulled back, there was a fist-shaped crater buried deep in the bark.
I stared at it.
…That changes things.
I didn't need abilities every single time.
That realization settled into my core—heavy, solid, reassuring.
I moved on, more alert now.
Watching.
Listening.
Hoping I'd find something worth testing this on.
Eventually, the forest opened near a riverbank.
I looked down the slope.
And saw it.
A bear-like monster.
Huge.
Broad.
Built like a slab of living muscle.
Its fur was coarse and dust-colored, blending almost perfectly with the earth around it. Its hide looked dense—almost rock-hard.
It drank lazily from the river.
I watched it for a moment.
Then its head snapped up.
Its nose lifted.
Sniffing.
Something had caught its attention.
It turned slightly—
—and locked onto me.
For half a second, panic flared.
I turned, expecting something behind me.
Nothing.
Just trees.
Leaves.
Silence.
…It's not looking at me, is it?
The bear roared.
Straight at me.
…Yeah.
It definitely is.
It charged.
Fast.
Far faster than its earlier movements suggested.
My heart hammered.
This time, I'm not using abilities unless I have no choice.
I turned and climbed the tree behind me, hauling myself upward and gaining a bit of height.
The bear didn't slow.
It slammed into the trunk with terrifying force.
At the last second, I jumped.
The tree exploded behind me as the bear plowed through it without hesitation.
I landed squarely on its back.
Its hide felt like stone.
Rock-hard.
I spread my body slightly, pressing down, maximizing contact.
Stick.
Stay on.
The bear went berserk.
It tore through the forest at full speed—scraping its back against trees, slamming into trunks, smashing through branches—trying to rip me off.
None of it worked.
My balance held.
My grip held.
I raised my fist.
And punched down as hard as I could.
A deep, solid thump echoed.
The hide resisted—
—but so did my punch.
The bear stumbled.
Its legs buckled.
Momentum carried it forward as it collapsed and began to roll.
I jumped off.
Bounced.
Rolled.
Then watched as the bear slammed straight into the side of a mountain.
Stone cracked.
The impact left a massive dent in the rock before the bear collapsed in a heap.
I approached cautiously.
It didn't move.
Battered.
Bruised.
Bleeding.
Then the system chimed.
You gained 65 EXP
I stared at the body.
…Maybe I'm not as weak as I thought.
The bear hadn't even used an ability.
I opened my ability list.
The MP cost to copy flashed into view.
Cost: 3 MP
I stepped closer.
Closed my eyes.
Focused.
Copy.
Light flared.
Flickered.
Then—
Nothing.
…What?
Copy has failed.
I froze.
Why did it fail?
The chance to copy an ability is not 100%.
…What are the chances?
The more abilities a monster has, the higher the chance of a successful copy.
How many abilities did that bear have?
One.
I checked my MP.
MP: 1 / 12
…That's not ideal.
I exhaled slowly.
But at least I know I can kill monsters without abilities now.
Night crept in again.
I found a tall tree—taller than the ones I'd used before—and climbed up.
As I moved along the branches—
Something slashed at me.
A bird—similar to the ones before, but different in size and color—lashed out with its claw.
I dodged without thinking.
And slapped it in the face.
The bird tumbled from the tree.
It hit the ground below with a sickening splat.
You gained 25 EXP
You reached Level 15
I paused, adjusting my position among the branches.
…Level 15 already.
That tracked.
I'd fought a lot of lower-level monsters throughout the day.
I guess that's one benefit of being a Mimic Larva.
Everything assumes you're weak.
I glanced down at my body.
Branches embedded in my flesh.
Cuts where my form hadn't reconnected properly.
Makes it a lot easier to kill them.
Before resting, I checked my stats one last time.
HP: 6 / 45
MP: 1 / 18
Attack: Lv.5
Defense: Lv.3
Speed: Lv.7
Vitality: Lv.4
Perception: Lv.4
Resolve: Lv.5
…That's a lot better than a couple days ago.
A distant howl echoed through the night.
I closed my eyes.
And drifted off.
Something woke me later.
I opened my eyes.
Still night.
No hint of dawn.
I scanned the forest below.
Everything looked normal—
Until I saw them.
Green eyes.
Locked straight on me.
I scoffed quietly.
He couldn't even wait for daytime.
I leaned forward.
…Fine.
Let's finish this.