The forest was quiet, except for the rustle of leaves and Rihan's steady breathing.
He crouched low in the shadows, eyes locked on his prey — a creature that looked oddly familiar.
> "A boar? Just like the ones on Earth," he muttered with a smirk. "This should be easy."
He stepped silently, his body blending into the darkness. With a swift motion, his shadow claws extended — dark, sharp, and hungry.
But when his attack landed, there was no blood. No wound.
Only a dull metallic sound — clang!
> "What…?" Rihan's eyes widened. "It didn't even scratch it?"
The creature turned. Its body shimmered under the faint sunlight — crystal-like armor covered its entire frame.
It wasn't an ordinary boar. It was a Crystal Boar, almost two meters tall, its crimson eyes burning with rage. Steam hissed from its nostrils as it stomped the ground.
> "This thing's built like a tank," Rihan whispered, swallowing hard.
"Heh… I wasn't planning to pick a fight, buddy. You go your way, I'll go mine, alright?"
He slowly stepped back. The boar snorted — then charged.
> "Oh, come on!"
The ground shook as the massive creature lunged forward, faster than Rihan expected. He bolted, heart pounding.
> If that hits me, I'll end up like roadkill!
He darted between trees, shadows dancing around his feet, but the boar was relentless — each step thundered behind him.
Then he spotted it — a massive tree ahead.
> "Now or never!"
He slashed his shadow claws into the trunk, using them to pull himself up.
He climbed about four meters high just as the boar slammed into the base. The impact made the ground tremble.
CRACK!
The tree began to split.
> "Oh no, no, no—"
With a loud snap, the tree collapsed. Rihan leapt onto a nearby rock, but pain shot through his leg as he landed.
> "Tch—my leg…!"
Before he could move again, a loud crash echoed. The tree had fallen — directly on top of the Crystal Boar.
Rihan blinked.
> "Wait… did I just… win?"
A blue screen appeared before his eyes.
---
[Congratulations! You have leveled up!]
+5 Strength
+5 Agility
+5 Endurance
Skill: Shadow Claw → Level 2
Cooldown decreased by 20%
---
> "I leveled up? But… I didn't even kill it myself…"
Another notification popped up.
[Crystal Boar – Cause of Death: Crushed by Falling Tree]
[Kill Credit: Rihan (Assisted)]
Rihan laughed weakly.
> "So I got lucky, huh?"
Then something unexpected happened — the ache in his leg vanished. The wound closed before his eyes.
> "Healing… from leveling up?"
A third message appeared.
[New Function Unlocked: Shop]
[Reward: 100 Coins – First Hunt Achievement]
Rihan blinked.
> "Shop? Now that's new."
He said, "Open shop."
Two glowing icons appeared — Basic Mana Book (100 coins) and Martial Arts Scroll (100 coins).
He hesitated.
> "Martial arts… I already know how to fight. But mana…"
He tapped the mana book.
A surge of energy rushed through his body, like lightning dancing in his veins.
[Mana Vein Unlocked – 1st Circle Formed]
[New Skills Gained: Hell Flame (2 uses/day), Mana Sense, Fireball]
Rihan exhaled sharply.
> "What… was that? My senses… everything feels sharper."
He could feel the life force of small creatures nearby — birds, insects, even the faint pulse of the dying Crystal Boar under the fallen tree.
> "So this is mana…"
He limped back toward his cave, dragging half the boar's corpse with him.
> "Guess this'll be dinner."
The meat was hard and cold, but hunger won. He bit into it — raw and bloody.
Another blue window blinked.
[+1 Strength]
[+2 Endurance]
Rihan smirked.
> "So eating makes me stronger too? Hah… that's overpowered."
He looked up at the night sky, the moonlight glinting off his fur.
> "A new world, a new body, and a system that rewards me for surviving."
He grinned, eyes glowing faintly red.
> "Let's see how far I can go."
The night wind howled outside the cave — and deep within the shadows, something else howled back.