Aarav stood still, his eyes fixed on the lifeless body of the beast.
His chest rose and fell rapidly.
"I actually… killed it."
A strange mix of fear and excitement filled his heart.
But then—
A cold breeze passed through the forest.
Something felt… wrong.
Very wrong.
Aarav's smile slowly faded.
"…Why do I feel like I'm being watched?"
The forest had gone silent.
Too silent.
Even the sound of insects had disappeared.
Ding!
[Warning: Danger Detected]
Aarav's body froze.
"Danger…?"
Before he could react—
A low, deep growl echoed from the darkness.
Grrrrrr…
It wasn't like the previous beast.
This sound was heavier… more terrifying.
Aarav slowly turned his head toward the dense trees.
His heart started pounding uncontrollably.
"Don't tell me…"
Two glowing eyes appeared in the shadows.
Bigger. Brighter. Deadlier.
[Target Found: Level 3 Shadow Beast]
Aarav's face went pale.
"Level 3…?!"
His legs trembled.
"This… isn't something I can fight…"
The creature stepped forward.
Its massive body emerged from the darkness.
Sharp claws. Thick fur. Blood-red eyes.
Every step it took shook the ground slightly.
Aarav instinctively stepped back.
His mind screamed—
Run.
But his body… didn't move.
The beast suddenly charged.
"SH*T!"
At the last second, Aarav rolled to the side.
The ground where he stood cracked under the beast's attack.
Dust rose into the air.
Aarav coughed, struggling to breathe.
"I'll die… if I don't think fast!"
Ding!
[Emergency Skill Unlocked]
[Skill: Speed Boost (Level 1)]
[Duration: 10 seconds]
Aarav's eyes widened.
"A skill?!"
Without wasting a second—
"Activate!"
A sudden surge of energy rushed through his legs.
His body became lighter.
Faster.
The beast attacked again—
But this time—
Aarav disappeared from its sight.
Whoosh!
He appeared a few meters away.
"What the—?!"
Even he was shocked.
"This… is insane!"
But the timer started ticking.
[Time Remaining: 7… 6…]
Aarav clenched his fists.
"I can't defeat it… but I can escape!"
He turned and sprinted out of the forest at full speed.
The beast roared loudly and chased after him.
The ground trembled.
[Time Remaining: 3… 2…]
Aarav's vision blurred.
"Almost… there!"
[Time Remaining: 0]
The speed boost vanished.
His body felt heavy again.
But—
He had reached the edge of the forest.
The beast stopped.
Its red eyes glared at him from the darkness.
It didn't come out.
Aarav fell to his knees, breathing heavily.
"I… survived…"
But his eyes slowly turned serious.
"That thing…"
"…I'll kill it one day."
---