---
Chapter 9: Back Into the Forest
The city gates of Blackridge slowly opened as the morning sun rose higher in the sky.
Hunters walked in and out of the massive stone entrance, some returning from night hunts, others preparing for the dangers of the wilderness.
Among them was Ronan.
He stood quietly near the gate for a moment, observing the people around him.
Some hunters wore polished armor.
Others carried massive weapons that looked far too heavy for ordinary humans.
There were even a few individuals surrounded by a faint aura of mana.
Ronan watched them calmly.
One day, he would reach that level.
But not yet.
Right now, he was still at the beginning.
He adjusted the strap of the small bag hanging from his shoulder and began walking toward the forest outside the city.
The guards barely glanced at him.
To them, he looked like just another young hunter trying to make a living.
And that was fine.
The less attention he attracted, the better.
---
A Clear Goal
The path leading into the forest was quiet.
Birds chirped among the branches while sunlight filtered through the leaves.
But Ronan knew better than to trust the peaceful appearance.
This forest was dangerous.
Many hunters had died here.
Ronan stopped walking once he was deep enough inside the forest.
Then he opened his system window.
---
Name: Ronan
Level: 3
Ability: Assimilation (Unique)
Equipment:
Goblin Ring
+2 Strength
+1 Agility
Goblin Boots
+4 Agility
XP: 310 / 400
---
Ronan studied the numbers for a moment.
His goal was simple.
First: reach Level 4.
Second: collect more monster hearts.
Third: save enough money to buy a storage ring.
If he had that ring, hunting would become much easier.
He closed the window.
Then he stepped deeper into the forest.
---
The First Prey
It didn't take long to find his first target.
A small creature crawled out from behind a bush.
Green skin.
Long ears.
Sharp teeth.
A goblin.
Ronan focused his eyes.
A blue window appeared.
[Goblin]
Level: 2
The goblin hadn't noticed him yet.
It was digging through the dirt, searching for insects.
Ronan quietly drew his dagger.
He moved closer.
Step.
Step.
CRACK.
A branch snapped beneath his foot.
The goblin's head jerked up.
"SKREE!"
It rushed forward immediately.
But Ronan was ready.
He sidestepped the attack.
The goblin's crude knife sliced through empty air.
Ronan countered instantly.
Slash.
His dagger cut across the goblin's chest.
The creature stumbled.
Before it could react again—
Ronan stepped forward and drove the blade into its throat.
THUD.
The goblin collapsed.
The forest fell silent.
A blue message appeared.
[Goblin defeated]
[+50 XP]
Ronan crouched beside the body.
Then he pulled out the small knife he used for collecting materials.
Carefully, he removed the goblin's heart.
The organ still held faint mana.
He wrapped it in cloth and placed it inside his bag.
"One down," he muttered.
"Many more to go."
---
A Faster Pace
Over the next hour, Ronan continued hunting.
The battles were short but frequent.
Another goblin appeared near a fallen tree.
[Goblin – Level 2]
Ronan defeated it quickly.
Then another.
And another.
Each fight made him slightly more confident.
The goblins were weak individually.
But they were still dangerous if he became careless.
Ronan collected every heart carefully.
His bag slowly became heavier.
Then, after defeating another goblin, the system window appeared again.
---
[Goblin defeated]
[+50 XP]
[Level Up!]
---
Warm energy spread through Ronan's body.
His muscles tightened.
His breathing felt lighter.
Another message appeared.
---
[Level 4 Reached]
---
Ronan stood still for a moment, feeling the changes in his body.
He clenched his fist.
His strength had improved again.
Not dramatically.
But enough to notice.
"Level four already," he said quietly.
His progress was faster than he expected.
The Assimilation ability was clearly helping.
Every battle strengthened him.
Even if the increases were small.
Over time, those small changes would become significant.
---
A Strange Encounter
Ronan continued moving deeper through the forest.
The trees grew thicker.
The shadows darker.
After several minutes, he heard something unusual.
Heavy footsteps.
Much heavier than a goblin's.
Ronan immediately stopped moving.
His senses sharpened.
Something large was approaching.
A creature slowly emerged from behind the trees.
It was taller than a goblin.
Its body was covered in rough brown fur.
Long claws extended from its hands.
Ronan focused his gaze.
A system window appeared.
[Forest Beast]
Level: 6
Ronan narrowed his eyes.
Two levels higher.
Stronger than anything he had fought so far.
But not impossible.
The creature growled and charged.
Ronan moved quickly.
His agility from the goblin boots helped him dodge the first attack.
The beast's claws slashed through the air where he had been standing.
Ronan circled to the side.
Then he attacked.
Slash.
His dagger cut into the creature's arm.
The beast roared angrily.
It swung again.
Ronan ducked.
The claws scraped across a nearby tree.
Wood splintered.
The creature was strong.
But it was slow.
Ronan waited for the next opening.
When the beast lunged again—
He stepped forward.
Then drove the dagger deep into its chest.
The creature struggled for a moment.
Then collapsed.
The forest became quiet again.
The system message appeared.
---
[Forest Beast defeated]
[+120 XP]
---
Ronan exhaled slowly.
"That was tougher than goblins."
He crouched beside the body.
The heart of the creature was larger.
More valuable.
He placed it carefully inside his bag.
Then he noticed something else.
A faint blue glow appeared above the corpse.
---
[Item Drop Detected]
---
Ronan's eyes widened slightly.
He searched the body carefully.
After a moment, he found something hidden beneath the creature's fur.
A small crystal.
The moment he touched it, a system window appeared.
---
[Mana Crystal – Common Item]
Effect:
Can be used as crafting material or sold to merchants.
---
Ronan examined the crystal carefully.
It wasn't equipment like the boots he found earlier.
But it still had value.
"Not bad."
He placed the crystal inside his bag.
His hunt today had been successful so far.
But Ronan looked deeper into the forest.
There were stronger creatures out there.
Better loot.
More valuable materials.
However—
He wasn't reckless.
Going too deep too early would only get him killed.
Ronan turned back toward the safer area of the forest.
For now, steady progress was enough.
One hunt at a time.
One level at a time.
One step closer to the future he wanted.
And eventually—
He would return to the city.
Sell everything he had collected.
And move closer to buying the item he needed most.
The storage ring.
Ronan adjusted the strap of his bag and began walking again.
The hunt was far from over.