The night was dark. It was the kind of night where time seemed to freeze, and the weather was getting colder. It felt like rain would fall at this very moment. Samuel was entering deep inside the forbidden forest. Due to the beasts living here, no one was allowed to enter without guards. The Crimson Clan had posted warnings everywhere. Danger . Wild Beasts.
No Entry.
And here he was—a boy with no mana and no aura. Even the guards looked down on him. If he got caught, he would not be able to explain how he suddenly was able to use magic. They would call him a spy. Or worse, a demon.
"Where is the beast? Night is getting more dark and colder," Samuel spoke to himself while searching for the beast. His breath came out in white clouds. The cold was seeping through his black cloak.
"System, where is the beast? Can't you show me the location? The forest is so big. How will I be able to explore the whole forest in a single night?" Samuel said to the System. His voice was barely a whisper.
[Host, The Beast Is Within 200 Meters]
A red panel showed in front of Samuel. The glow was faint, but enough to see in the darkness.
[Warning! Beast Is Moving Toward You, Host]
"What? I need to hide. I can't fight an E-Rank beast with my meager strength alone." Samuel climbed a tree quickly and waited for the beast to appear in front of him. His hands gripped the bark. His heart was beating fast.
The wind was getting colder. It felt like someone was whispering in his ears. The night was getting darker. Due to this, it was hard for both the beast and Samuel to find each other. The trees swayed with wind.
The silence was heavy.
But Samuel had the advantage of knowing from which direction the beast was coming. A low growl was heard in the silent forest. Heavy steps could be heard. Crunching leaves. Breaking twigs. Then, red eyes appeared. A black-furred wolf with sharp n
Claws that could easily tear Samuel into two pieces stepped into the clearing.
[Target Identified: E-Rank Gale Wolf]
[Warning ! Target Is Faster Than Host]
"Here it comes. I need to attack it first to have the upper hand here." Thinking that, Samuel made a fireball and compressed it to the limit he could. He read in a magic book that compressing a spell would give that spell piercing power, and the damage dealt would increase.
Samuel aimed for its head and shot the fireball. The fireball moved at a speed so fast that the wolf was not able to understand it. He was already prey, not hunter today.
It hit the wolf's head with great pressure. The wolf's head felt dizzy, and it growled loudly, searching for the imposter who attacked it head. The fur was burning. The smell of cooked meat filled the air.
Fire was burning the wolf's head, but with the tenacity of an E-Rank beast, it was still alive. Samuel took the chance. He jumped from the tree. Before jumping, he pulled out the knife that he bought from the kitchen. It was small, but sharp.
"It's going to hurt a lot." That was the last thing Samuel thought before jumping onto the wolf.
"With the help of gravity, he stabbed the wolf in its head where the fireball landed. Because the skin was cooked by the fireball, the knife easily pierced the wolf's head. Samuel tried to keep his distance from the wolf after jumping and landing the blow. He rolled on the ground and stood up quickly.
But due to the fall, his body was trembling, and his forehead was covered in sweat. The wolf, seeing the imposter, launched an attack on Samuel. Its eyes were filled with rage.
"Even with such a wound, the wolf is still alive?" Saying that, Samuel started to conjure fireballs one after another. Each fireball landed on the wolf. His mental power was draining fast.
Due to the wound from the previous fireball and the knife wound on the head, the wolf was slow to react and got hit by one fireball after another. The fur was burning. The flesh was cooking. But the wolf did not stop.
With the last attempt, the wolf charged at Samuel, knowing that it would die, wanting to take Samuel with it. It was a death charge.
Samuel tried to dodge, but the wolf was faster. Its claws tore Samuel's black cloak, and blood was oozing from there. The wolf tried to bite Samuel with its mouth open. Saliva dripped from its fangs.
But Samuel fired a fireball and pulled out the knife in the time he got after the wolf got hit by the fireball in its mouth. He picked up the knife and stabbed the wolf six times in the abdomen. Only then did the wolf lose its life.
The wolf's eyes lost their sharpness, and only fear was in its eyes. The body fell on the ground, making a sound as if a boulder fell from the sky. The earth shook slightly.
Seeing the wolf fall, Samuel lost all the energy in his body and fell on the ground weakly. He was breathing hard. His chest was heaving. His hands were covered in blood.
"System, can the stamina potion heal the wound?" Samuel asked the System. His voice was weak.
[Host, Stamina Potion Can Heal Wounds, But Host Still Needs To Be Treated By A Healer Later]
[So That No Hidden Wound Shall Be Left]
[Host Killed The E-Rank Beast: Gale Wolf]
[Reward: 5% Increase In Rank]
[Reward: 1 Beast Core]
[Reward: 10 Skill Upgrade Points]
[42%... 45%... 53%... 55%]
[Host Has Reached Mid-Rank Of F-Rank]
[New Skill Acquired: Fire Dash]
Samuel took the stamina potion and drank the whole thing in one sip. It smelled like herbal tea but tasted like bitter medicine. He grimaced. The warmth spread through his body. The pain lessened.
"System, the penalty you said—was that a joke, right?"
[Host, System Never Jokes About Penalty]
"Dammit. System, at least I got stronger. System, show me my status."
A blue screen appeared in front of Samuel.
[Status]
[Name: Samuel Crimson]
[Human Rank: None]
[Spirit Rank: F (55%)]
[Spirit Skills: Fireball, Fire Immunity (F), Fire Dash]
"System, why did my rank increase by an extra 10% when the reward was only 5%?"
[Host, Due To The Life-And-Death Battle, Rank Progression Increased By Extra 10%]
Samuel laughed weakly. He lay on the ground. The rain started to fall. Small drops at first. Then heavier. It washed the blood from his hands.
"Life-and-death," Samuel whispered. "So this is what it feels like."
"But System, you told me that wolf's name was Gale Wolf, but he didn't use any magic while fighting me," Sam asked the System.
[That is because Host's fireball hit the head of the Gale Wolf, and it was dizzy. The Gale Wolf needed time to conjure the wind blade from its mouth, and his fireball didn't give it any chance to fire it]
He stood up slowly. His body was still sore. But he was alive. He had won. He took the beast core from the wolf's chest. It was black and pulsed with energy.
"Five days left," Samuel thought. "I can pass the pre-exam now."
He started walking back to the manor. The rain was heavier now. But Samuel did not run. He walked with purpose. He had killed an E-Rank beast. He had defied fate again.
The forest was silent. The night was dark. But Samuel was not afraid. He had fire in his hands. And fire does not fear the dark.
[Good Luck, Host]
Samuel smiled.He disappeared into the rain. The hunt was over. The real battle was just beginning.
While Sam was gone, a figure hiding in the forest appeared, surrounded by purple flames. The figure checked the wolf's body before disappearing.