Henry moved carefully through the undergrowth, his body low, his breaths controlled. The clash of steel echoed not far away, carried by the wind. Guttural roars of beasts shook the air, mingling with the shouts of adventurers locked in desperate struggle.
Through the shifting gaps of the trees, he caught fleeting glimpses of battle. A group of adventurers drove their blades deep into the flank of a massive wolf, its fur darkened with blood. Not far from them, another group crouched beside the corpse of the beast and grabbed the floating crystal.
The voices that filled the woods were not only cries of pain or command, but anger. Shouts of accusation. Fingers pointed, insults traded, and in the blink of an eye two groups turned on one another. Spells lit the air, fire and rocks colliding in bursts of heat and sound. Their greed had consumed them, stripping away whatever bonds of camaraderie they once shared.
Henry watched for a moment, his expression calm, his sharp eyes narrowing. Then he shook his head and slipped away, whispering beneath his breath.
"Greed."
The chaos behind him faded with every step. The clamor of battle turned to muffled echoes, then to nothing at all. The silence of the forest crept back in, broken only by the occasional birdcall or the restless stirring of branches high above.
He came to a halt at the base of an oak tree whose trunk rose thick and proud. With a quiet glance upward, Henry began to climb. His small frame made the task swift, and soon he perched among the upper branches, the canopy breaking just enough to reveal the forest floor stretched out beneath him.
From here he could see farther, nearly fifty meters in all directions, though the dense foliage did its best to hide the secrets of the woods. He scanned patiently, eyes sharpening, until a flicker of movement in the distance caught his attention.
Five wild boars rooted noisily at the ground, their bristled hides slick beneath the sunlight. Their tusks jutted long and yellow, curved like knives, capable of ripping a man apart with a single thrust.
Henry's pulse quickened, excitement and nerves twisting inside him. His hand slid across the smooth wood of his bow as he steadied his breath.
[Inspect]
[Adult Wild Boar]
[Level: 7]
[HP: 40/40]
He drew back the string, and whispered to himself.
"Please… let this work."
The string twanged, and the arrow cut through the air. It buried itself into the nearest boar's flank with a thud.
[-14 HP]
"Ahuuu!"
The creature let out a furious, guttural cry, thrashing in pain as its small red eyes scanned the trees. The other boars froze, ears flicking, their snouts lifting as they tried to catch the scent of their hidden assailant.
Henry licked his lips nervously, irritation flashing in his mind.
"Only that much damage?" he muttered under his breath, already reaching for another arrow.
One after another, he loosed them, each shaft slicing downward. Arrows found flesh, sinking deep into thick hide, drawing blood but refusing to end the fight.
[Five arrows fired]
[-2 stamina]
[Stamina: 18]
Below, the boars grew restless. They stomped, growled, tusks glinting, until at last two collapsed under the relentless barrage.
[You've killed an Adult Wild Boar +15 EXP]
[You've killed an Adult Wild Boar +15 EXP]
The grass beneath them darkened with spreading crimson. Henry's chest rose with satisfaction, though it faltered just as quickly when the remaining three lifted their gaze. Their eyes found him.
"Ah… crap," he whispered.
He fired faster, the bowstring twanging again and again. Sweat dampened his grip. Two arrows missed, vanishing into the foliage.
[Five arrows fired]
[-2 stamina]
[Stamina: 16]
The boars charged. The ground shook beneath their pounding hooves. With a thunderous crash, they slammed into the base of the tree, tusks biting into the bark. The oak trembled violently. Bark splintered and fell away. Henry clung to the trunk, arms tight, legs wrapped desperately around the branch. Each impact threatened to hurl him into the air, to drop him into the waiting fury below.
"Hold… just hold…" he whispered, voice trembling with effort.
The beasts rammed again and again, but their wild rage drained them too quickly. One staggered mid-charge, its breath ragged. With one final slam, it drove itself deeper onto an arrow still lodged in its side.
[You've killed an Adult Wild Boar +15 EXP]
Henry seized the moment. His bow aiming again, arrows driving into the last two boar until they too fell.
[You've killed an Adult Wild Boar +15 EXP]
[You've killed an Adult Wild Boar +15 EXP]
"Huff" Henry let out a long breath, his body sagging with relief, before sliding down the trunk to the earth below. Above each of the fallen boars shimmered faint crystals, their faint glow pulsing like a heartbeat. Henry collected them quickly, storing the corpses into his inventory, then swallowed the crystals one after another.
[+5 Evolution Crystal absorbed]
[Evolution Crystal: 11/500]
"Anything for that flintlock," he murmured, determination glinting in his eyes.
Walking deeper into the forest he spotted another. A lone boar, but larger than the rest, muscles rippling beneath its hide.
[Inspect]
[Alpha Wild Boar – Level 10]
[HP: 60/60]
A smile appeared on Henry face, he climbed another tree, his movements deliberate, calm this time. From the shadows above, he loosed arrow after arrow.
[Five arrows fired]
[-2 stamina]
[Stamina: 14]
The beast roared, spun wildly, but its eyes never found him. With a final shriek, it toppled onto its side.
[You've killed an Alpha Wild Boar +20 EXP]
[+1 Evolution crystals Absolved
[Evolution Crystal: 12/500]
Henry dropped to the ground, chest heaving with each breath. He grabbed the crystal, and stored the body in his inventory before quickly pulling up his status.
[Status Updated]
[Name: Henry]
[Race: Goblin (High-End)]
[Class: Marksman]
[SP: 27]
[Level: 5]
[EXP: 345/500]
[Evolution Crystals: 12/500]
[HP: 35/45]
[Strength: 16]
[Agility: 29]
[Stamina: 14]
[Vitality: 28]
[Skills: Inspect Lv.2, Bouncing Arrows, Night Vision, Transformation Lv1]
[Traits: Extraordinary Body]
[All stats reduced to 50% due to Transformation]
"Time to use these points."
[Agility +7]
[Vitality +5]
[Stamina +8]
[Strength +7]
[Status Updated]
[Strength: 23]
[Agility: 36]
[Stamina: 22]
[Vitality: 33]
His lips curved into a smile as he flexed his hands, feeling the subtle increase in power.
"Perfect. The bodies will sell well enough. That flintlock will be mine."
He turned towards the village and after a few minutes walk before he could reach the edge of the forest, voices cut through the trees. Angry, loud, aggressive.
He crept closer, slipping into the shadows of the foliage.
Three men stood against two girls. The tension was thick, the air heavy with menace.
"You stole our crystals!" one man barked.
"We didn't! We just got here!" one of the girls snapped, her voice shaking.
Henry's eyes narrowed. He was already turning away when he heard the words that froze him in place.
"I know you didn't steal anything," the man sneered. His companions laughed, their voices dripping with malice. "But before we're taken to the academy… I want to enjoy myself. Let me touch you."
The girls stiffened. One tried to summon magic, but nothing came. The other managed to call forth a shard of ice, only for it to be melted away by a flicker of flame conjured by the smug leader. His grin widened as he reached out, hand closing around the girl's chest while his companions roared with laughter.
'Humans' Henry spoke inwardly.
The man pressed the girl harder against a tree, hand sliding lower. His lips parted to whisper something cruel
*TWACK!*
An arrow burst in his throat, cutting his laughter short. He collapsed with a gurgle, blood spraying across the bark.
[You've killed a Human +10 EXP]
"What the fuck?!" the second roared, spinning wildly. Another arrow slammed into his forehead.
[You've killed a Human +10 EXP]
The last man tried to retreat, panic flooding his features. The forest answered with one final arrow, burying itself deep into his chest. He crumpled beside his companions.
[You've killed a Human +10 EXP]
The girls trembled, wide-eyed, scanning the trees in desperate confusion. But Henry was already gone, his presence swallowed by the forest.
[Experience point: 375/500]
A faint smile tugged at his lips as he read the glowing words only he could see.