Beom Seok was determined to survive in the Rain Monster Forest. If the system wanted him to kill one hundred monsters, then he would kill one hundred monsters. But he understood one truth immediately: charging in blindly would only get him slaughtered. Strategy would keep him alive.
He spent the first day moving cautiously through the forest, marking landmarks in his mind, memorizing clearings, and noting which areas reeked of beasts.
He crouched behind thick ferns to observe the goblins that prowled the terrain. Small, sharp-faced, and vicious, they wore scraps of leather and rusted metal, clutching crude daggers and axes that gleamed with dried blood. Watching them, Beom Seok clenched his fists. I'll have to fight them sooner or later. Better to fight on my terms.
That night, he worked relentlessly with what the forest gave him. Stripping bark, binding vines, and shaping stone edges, he crafted crude armor: a hardened vest for his chest, makeshift guards for his arms and legs. His hands blistered as he worked, but the pain kept him awake.
He refused to sleep until he had something to shield himself. By dawn, he had also built traps—snares and a crude net strung high above, designed to catch anything that wandered too close.
The following day, he put his plan into motion. Perched on the thick branch of a towering tree, Beom Seok crouched in the shadows, dagger in hand, heart hammering against his ribs.
Hours dragged by, every rustle of the leaves sharpening his nerves. Then he heard it: faint footsteps crunching on wet earth.
Two goblins shuffled beneath him, grunting to each other. Their hunched bodies moved straight toward the tree where his net hung. Beom Seok's breath hitched. The trap snapped shut with a satisfying crack, hoisting both goblins into the air as they shrieked in surprise.
Beom Seok didn't hesitate. He dropped from the branch like a striking hawk, landing hard. Before the goblins could thrash free, his dagger flashed. Two quick slashes opened their throats, and their heads lolled before falling limp in the net.
Panting, Beom Seok stared at the twitching corpses. "I waited four hours just for this?" he muttered bitterly. His chest heaved, not just from the fight but from the realization. At this pace, I'll be here for weeks. He clenched his jaw. No. I need something faster. Something that brings them to me.
Then a memory surfaced, a detail from a novel he once read: human blood was irresistible to monsters. His pulse quickened. "Human blood attracts them… I'll just need one drop."
With a shaky breath, he nicked his finger with his dagger. A single crimson drop fell to the earth.
The forest responded instantly. The ground trembled. Distant shrieks and howls echoed through the trees, growing closer and closer until the undergrowth exploded with motion. Shadows poured toward him—goblins, beasts, things with claws, fangs, and glowing eyes.
Beom Seok's body trembled. His instincts screamed at him to run, to hide, but he stood his ground. "Well… that worked," he whispered, forcing a grim smile as the horde surrounded him.
The first monster lunged. Beom Seok swung the axe in his left hand, splitting its skull. He pivoted, slashing another with his dagger. His crude armor deflected a claw that would have gutted him, though the impact rattled his ribs. He planted his traps, shoving one goblin into a spiked pit, tangling others in vines that bought him precious seconds.
Blood sprayed. His arms grew heavy. His vision blurred. Yet he fought on, snarling with every strike. "I refuse… to die without a fight!"
Hours bled away. The battle was endless. Every time Beom Seok thought he had cleared them, another wave came crashing from the forest. His body screamed in agony, every limb battered, every breath searing his lungs. But one by one, the monsters fell.
When silence finally came, Beom Seok was standing atop a mountain of corpses, swaying, barely able to lift his weapons. His entire body dripped with blood—his own and theirs. For the first time since the nightmare began, he almost allowed himself to breathe.
Then pain lanced his back.
He gasped, twisting just in time to see a small goblin clinging to him, its dagger buried in his flesh. Beom Seok roared in fury, tearing it off and driving his axe through its chest. The creature crumpled, but the damage was done. Warm blood gushed from the wound, and his legs buckled beneath him.
Beom Seok collapsed atop the heap of monsters, his vision narrowing into a tunnel of black. His dagger slipped from his fingers. Not like this… I can't…
The system's voice rang cold and final.
"Sending host back…"
The world dissolved into light as Beom Seok's eyes shut, his consciousness fading.