โอเค ตอนนี้ของหนู "ขึ้นอีกเลเวลแล้วจริง
Kacha's breathing was still uneven.
"Pant… pant…"
He pushed forward through the forest, step after step.
The terrain—once rough and uneven—slowly began to flatten.
"…That's weird."
He slowed down, scanning his surroundings.
"…Did I go too deep already?"
Suddenly—
WHOOSH!!!
Something burst out from the bushes beside him.
"HEY—!!"
CHOMP!!!
Sharp fangs sank into his arm.
"AGH—!! That hurts, damn it!!"
The force slammed into him, nearly knocking him off his feet.
A beast resembling a hyena—
but its fur was dull, stained like dried blood.
Its eyes glowed a deep, violent red.
"LET GO!!"
Kacha gritted his teeth.
With his free hand, he grabbed his dagger.
"Then choke on this!!"
STAB! STAB! STAB!
He drove the blade into its neck again and again without hesitation.
Its growls weakened—
until its body finally collapsed.
"Pant… pant…"
Kacha shoved the corpse off him and looked at his arm.
Bite marks. Fresh blood.
"…That was too close."
DING!
Something dropped beside the body.
"Huh?"
He crouched down and picked it up.
"…Animal hide?"
He flipped it over in his hand.
"…This world really is like a game."
A faint laugh escaped him.
"…Except the pain is very real."
He wrapped his arm roughly with a strip of cloth,
then stood up again.
"I can't stop now…"
WHOOSH!
Kacha took off running again.
Leaping over roots,
ducking under low branches—
until—
"…Whoa."
He froze.
Before him, a stream cut through the forest.
The water was crystal clear—he could see straight to the bottom.
Patches of green algae drifted gently.
A thin white mist hovered above the surface.
"…That's beautiful."
He stepped closer.
"With water this clear… it should be drinkable, right?"
Kacha knelt down,
reaching out to touch it—
and—
"HEY—!!!"
SSSSHHH!!
He yanked his hand back instantly.
"HOT!!! That's freaking HOT!!"
He shook his hand, blowing on it.
"What the hell… is this boiling water or something!?"
He stared at the mist again.
"…I thought it was cold steam."
His expression froze.
"…That's clearly heat."
A dry laugh slipped out.
"…Nothing in this world is normal."
Kacha looked across to the other side of the stream.
"…Should I try crossing?"
He grabbed a branch and dipped it into the water.
SSSSSHH—
The wood instantly charred black.
"…Yeah, no."
He shook his head.
"Crossing = death."
He glanced along the stream stretching into the distance.
"…Guess I'll just follow it."
A slow grin appeared.
"Maybe I'll find something good."
Meanwhile…
At the edge of a steep cliff,
strong winds howled through the air.
Dreammy walked along the narrow edge.
The blood on his face had begun to dry—
but the madness in his eyes remained.
"Heh… now this is the kind of world I like."
SLASH!
The blade in his hand sliced something clean in half.
"Another one down."
The creature—some kind of giant insect—
its body hard like stone.
Dreammy crouched and picked up the remains.
"These things… I can sell them, right?"
A crooked smile formed.
"Making money here is easier than I thought."
He continued walking along the cliff—
until—
"…Hm?"
Someone stood ahead.
A man in plain clothing.
Expressionless.
"… "
Dreammy stared.
"An NPC, huh?"
He approached.
"Hey. You got anything to sell?"
The man slowly lifted his head.
"…Greetings, traveler."
His voice was flat—too flat to be human.
"I am a Hidden NPC."
Dreammy raised an eyebrow.
"…Hidden NPC?"
"I can grant you knowledge."
"Knowledge?"
"The languages… of the races in this world."
Dreammy burst out laughing.
"Hahahahaha!"
"What the hell is that? Sounds stupid as hell."
He turned, about to walk away—
"…But."
He stopped.
"…Might not be useless."
He turned back.
"What's the price?"
The NPC smiled faintly.
"Only… something small."
"Be clear."
"Three items… from creatures in this area."
Dreammy glanced at what he was holding.
"…That's it?"
"That is all."
Dreammy tossed the monster parts over.
"Take it."
The NPC accepted them.
Then raised a hand.
"Then… listen carefully."
Dreammy frowned slightly.
"…Don't waste my time."
The NPC spoke—
words in a language he had never heard before.
"…What the hell is this?"
But suddenly—
WHOOM—
Something flowed into his mind.
Dreammy froze.
"Wait… this is…"
The words—
started to make sense.
"…Oh."
A grin slowly spread across his face.
"…This is the real deal."
🔥 End of Chapter 4