The forest did not welcome him.
It watched.
Kael felt it the moment the system went silent—after the last flicker of that warning message faded into nothing.
The air grew heavier.
The wind stopped.
Even the twisted trees, with their claw-like branches, seemed to lean closer… as if observing.
Judging.
"…So this is how it's going to be," Kael muttered.
No instructions.
No guide.
No safety net.
Good.
That meant no chains.
A low growl echoed through the forest.
Kael's head snapped toward the sound.
From the shadows between the trees, something moved.
Slow.
Deliberate.
Then it stepped into the dim, crimson light.
A wolf.
But not a normal one.
Its body was too large—easily twice the size of any natural beast. Black veins pulsed beneath its dark fur like something alive. Its eyes glowed faintly… empty, yet aware.
Corrupted.
Kael exhaled slowly.
"…First enemy, huh?"
[Analyzing Target…]
[Error: System Access Restricted]
Kael's eyes narrowed.
"Restricted?"
He stared at the faint flicker of the interface.
So the system still existed…
But it wasn't fully cooperating.
A grin tugged at his lips.
"Already trying to hold back information?" he murmured. "That won't work."
The wolf lunged.
Fast.
Too fast.
Kael barely had time to react. He twisted his body to the side as claws tore through the air where his throat had been a second ago.
The ground shattered under the impact.
Kael stumbled back, heart racing.
I'm too slow.
His body wasn't ready yet.
Not strong enough.
Not fast enough.
Another growl.
The wolf turned, muscles coiling for another strike.
Kael clenched his fists.
Think.
No weapon.
No skills.
A half-broken system.
And a monster that could kill him in one hit.
"…Perfect," he whispered.
The wolf attacked again.
This time, Kael didn't dodge.
He stepped forward.
At the last second—
He grabbed it.
His hand slammed against the wolf's skull.
Pain shot up his arm as raw force collided with bone.
But he didn't let go.
Instead—
He focused.
On the system.
On that flicker.
On the crack he had seen before.
"…You're still there," he said under his breath.
The interface glitched faintly.
Kael's eyes sharpened.
"Then listen carefully."
The wolf thrashed violently, claws tearing into his side. Blood spilled instantly, hot and real.
Kael didn't react.
Didn't flinch.
"I don't need your permission."
The screen flickered harder.
[Warning… Unauthorized Access Attempt]
"Access?" Kael laughed quietly, even as blood ran down his body.
"I'm not accessing anything."
His grip tightened.
"I'm taking it."
Something snapped.
Not in the world.
Not in the forest.
Inside the system.
[ERROR]
[Command Override Detected]
Kael felt it.
A shift.
Like a locked door suddenly giving way.
Information flooded in—
Fragments.
Incomplete.
Broken.
But enough.
[Skill Fragment Acquired: Energy Manipulation (Incomplete)]
Kael's eyes widened for a split second.
Then—
He moved.
Energy surged through his arm—wild, unstable, but real.
He drove it forward.
The wolf's body convulsed.
A pulse of raw force exploded from Kael's hand, sending the beast crashing into a tree with a sickening crack.
Silence followed.
Kael staggered back, breathing hard.
His body screamed in pain. His side burned where the claws had torn into him. His arm trembled from the backlash of uncontrolled power.
But he was still standing.
The wolf wasn't.
It lay motionless against the shattered tree, its glowing eyes fading into darkness.
[Target Eliminated]
The system's voice returned.
But it sounded… different.
Distorted.
Unstable.
[Reward Calculation… ERROR]
[System Integrity: 92%… 89%…]
Kael let out a slow breath.
Then he smiled.
"…So that's how it works."
He looked at his hand.
Faint traces of energy still flickered around it.
Unrefined.
Dangerous.
His.
"You weren't going to give me that," he said softly.
The system didn't respond.
Of course it didn't.
But Kael already knew the truth.
This wasn't a normal system.
It didn't want him to grow freely.
It wanted control.
Limits.
Rules.
And he had just broken one.
A new screen flickered into existence.
Cracked.
Glitching.
[New Trait Unlocked]
[Anomaly: Rule Breaker]
Effect:
Gain unstable access to restricted system functions
Increased risk of system backlash
Kael stared at it.
Then laughed.
A low, dangerous sound.
"A risk?"
He stepped toward the corpse of the wolf, eyes cold.
"I've already died once."
He crouched, placing a hand on the beast's body.
"Let's see what else you're hiding."
The screen flickered violently again.
[Warning…]
[Host is deviating from intended path]
Kael's smile widened.
"Good."
He looked up at the dark forest, at the endless unknown stretching before him.
At the world that thought it could control him.
"At least now I know I'm going the right way."
Far beyond the forest…
Beyond the sky…
Within a space that should not exist—
Something vast shifted.
Watching.
Calculating.
Adjusting.
[Anomaly Confirmed]
[Threat Level: Increasing]
And for the first time—
The System began to adapt.
Back in the forest, Kael stood alone.
Bleeding.
Smiling.
Evolving.
And the game had only just begun.