The forest was far too quiet.
Kael walked slowly between the towering trees, each step careful but uncertain, his senses still overwhelmed by everything around him. The ground beneath his feet was uneven, tangled with roots and patches of damp earth that shifted slightly with his weight. Every sound felt amplified—the faint rustling of leaves, the distant cracking of branches, even the soft brushing of wind against the canopy above. It wasn't just that this place was unfamiliar. It was alive in a way he had never experienced before.
And that made it dangerous.
Kael exhaled slowly, trying to steady his breathing as his eyes scanned the surroundings. His mind was racing, but not chaotically like before. Something had changed. The panic from earlier was fading, replaced by a strange clarity.
Mente Analitica Suprema…
Even without fully understanding it, he could feel it working. His thoughts were sharper, more organized, almost unnaturally efficient. Every detail he noticed seemed to lock into place, forming patterns, possibilities, outcomes.
"…Okay… think," he muttered under his breath.
Step by step, he began to analyze his situation.
Unknown world. No civilization in sight. No weapons. No food. No idea what kind of creatures lived here.
Conclusion?
"I'm in serious trouble."
A faint, dry laugh escaped him, but it didn't last long.
Because at that exact moment—
A sound.
Crack.
Kael froze instantly.
His body reacted before his mind could finish processing it. Every muscle tensed, his breath stopped, and his eyes snapped toward the source of the noise.
Bushes.
About ten meters away.
Something had moved.
"…Not good," he whispered, barely moving his lips.
His heart began to beat faster, each pulse loud in his ears. His instincts screamed at him to run, but something else held him in place—something colder, more rational.
Observe first.
His gaze narrowed slightly.
The bushes shifted again.
Then—
It emerged.
A creature roughly the size of a large dog stepped out slowly, its movements cautious but deliberate. Its body was lean, covered in dark, coarse fur that seemed to absorb the surrounding light. Its eyes glowed faintly red, locked directly onto Kael with a predatory focus that sent a chill down his spine. Its jaws parted slightly, revealing rows of sharp, uneven teeth, and a low growl rumbled from deep within its throat.
"…A monster," Kael breathed.
The word came naturally, as if his mind had already accepted the reality.
The creature lowered its body, muscles tensing.
It was preparing to attack.
Kael's thoughts accelerated instantly.
Speed: moderate. Strength: unknown. Behavior: aggressive. Escape probability… low.
He swallowed.
"…Great."
The creature lunged.
Fast.
Much faster than he expected.
Kael barely had time to react. His body moved on instinct, throwing itself to the side as claws tore through the space where he had been standing a split second earlier.
"—!"
He hit the ground hard, rolling across damp soil before scrambling back to his feet, his heart racing wildly now.
"That's not 'moderate' at all!"
The creature turned immediately, not giving him a moment to recover. Its movements were precise, efficient—this wasn't its first hunt.
Kael's mind raced.
I can't outrun it. I don't have a weapon. If I get hit once… I'm done.
His gaze flicked around desperately.
Stones. Branches. Nothing useful.
The monster lunged again.
This time Kael didn't dodge immediately.
He waited.
Timing… now!
He shifted at the last second, narrowly avoiding the claws again, but instead of retreating, he moved forward, grabbing a fallen branch from the ground and swinging it with all the strength he could muster.
Crack!
The branch struck the creature's side.
It barely reacted.
"…You've got to be kidding me."
The branch snapped in half.
Useless.
The monster growled louder, clearly irritated now.
Kael stepped back, his breathing uneven.
Think. Think. Think.
Then—
A realization.
Assorbimento Totale…
He hadn't tested it properly yet.
He didn't even know how it worked.
But right now—
It was his only option.
"…Guess we're doing this," he muttered.
The creature charged again, faster, more aggressive.
Kael didn't run.
He planted his feet.
Focused.
Analyze.
In that instant, everything seemed to slow down slightly. Not time itself—but his perception of it. The monster's movement, its muscle tension, the angle of its attack—everything became clearer.
There.
He moved.
Not away—but into the attack.
The creature's claws grazed his shoulder, tearing through fabric and skin, sending a sharp jolt of pain through his body.
"—Tch!"
But he didn't stop.
His hand shot forward—
And made contact.
For a fraction of a second, nothing happened.
Then—
Something shifted.
The creature froze.
Its body trembled violently as a strange, dark energy began to flow from it into Kael's arm.
"What the—?!"
Kael's eyes widened as information flooded his mind.
Instinctively, he understood.
Absorption… in progress.
The monster struggled, thrashing wildly, but it was too late. Its form began to distort, breaking apart into fragments of energy that were drawn directly into Kael's body.
Seconds later—
Silence.
The forest stilled once more.
Where the creature had stood… there was nothing left.
Kael staggered back, nearly losing his balance as he stared at his own hand, his breath coming in sharp, uneven bursts.
"…I… did that?"
His heart pounded violently in his chest, but it wasn't just fear anymore.
It was something else.
Shock.
Disbelief.
And beneath it—
A faint, growing realization.
The voice returned.
"Absorption complete."
Kael froze.
Then the information came again, clear and undeniable.
Skill Acquired: Enhanced Bite (Lv.1)
Skill Acquired: Minor Physical Reinforcement
He clenched his hand slowly, feeling something different within his body.
Stronger.
Sharper.
Alive in a way he had never felt before.
"…This is insane."
He looked at the empty space where the monster had been, then back at his hand.
Then, slowly—
He smiled.
Not out of joy.
Not out of relief.
But because, for the first time since arriving in this world…
He understood.
"This isn't survival…"
His eyes darkened slightly, a new determination settling within them.
"…This is growth."
The forest was no longer just a threat.
It was an opportunity.
And Kael had just taken his first step into becoming something far beyond human.
Unaware—
That this single act had already set him on a path he would never be able to turn back from.