The moment Luna bolted forward, Traise sprinted after her.
Cold morning air rushed past his face while sunlight flashed between the towering trees overhead.
The forest floor blurred beneath his boots as the boost from his Enhanced Agility skill surged through his body, making every movement feel unnaturally light.
Only a few days ago, moving this quickly would have ended with him smashing face-first into another tree.
Now, though, he could actually react well enough to control himself.
Not perfectly, but enough for now.
Luna darted through the forest ahead of him like a streak of silver and black, her smaller form weaving effortlessly between roots, rocks, and fallen branches while faint wisps of shadow trailed behind her paws.
Sunlight pouring through the leaves above softened much of the darkness that was surrounding her body, causing her fur to shift to a more silver-gray than he usual nighttime black, though patches of darkness still clung to her legs and tail like drifting smoke.
Even when weakened slightly beneath the sunlight, she was still terrifyingly fast.
But for the first time since meeting her, Traise could actually follow her movements instead of simply watching her disappear.
His eyes tracked the shifts in her posture, the direction her tail flicked before each turn, and the slight lowering of her stance before every leap.
Before gaining this new skill, Luna had practically vanished whenever she moved seriously.
Now he could at least keep her within sight.
That realization alone nearly made him laugh with joy.
Luna glanced backward briefly, glowing blue eyes narrowing mischievously, before she suddenly leaped sideways onto the trunk of a tree and sprinted across it horizontally.
“What the hell—?!”
Traise tried copying the movement instinctively.
His foot slipped almost immediately, forcing him to slam both hands against the bark before he lost balance completely.
Luna’s smug satisfaction drifted clearly across the bond.
“Oh, shut up,” he said as he tried to keep moving, holding back a grin.
The fox let out a soft chittering sound that somehow felt suspiciously close to laughter while Traise pushed harder through the forest.
His boosted Dexterity and Intelligence worked together to process movement far faster than before, allowing him to react to roots and branches that would have tripped him days ago.
His body still felt unfamiliar at times, but for the first time since getting faster, he felt like he was actually beginning to adapt to the speed instead of merely surviving it.
The race continued deeper into the forest as Luna occasionally vanished into the shadows before reappearing several yards ahead of him.
At one point, she leaped cleanly over a fallen tree nearly twice Traise’s height before casually landing atop another branch without losing speed.
He sent a mental message towards Luna as he continued forward.
Show-off.
Traise smirked again before vaulting over the same obstacle less gracefully.
He wasn’t panicking anymore.
Not while sprinting through unfamiliar territory.
The realization settled quietly into his mind as he pushed through the undergrowth behind Luna.
Back when he first arrived in this world, moving this recklessly through the forest would have terrified him.
Every shadow had felt dangerous.
Every sound seemed to carry the possibility of death.
Now, though, the fear felt different.
It was still present, but less overwhelming somehow.
More controlled.
He respected the forest now, rather than blindly fearing it.
Or maybe he had simply become stronger.
Luna suddenly accelerated again, her smaller body practically vanishing between the trees ahead.
Traise grinned.
“Oh, now you’re showing off.”
Excitement surged through him as he pushed himself even harder.
Wind whipped through his hair while the grass and leaves flashed past faster and faster beneath his feet.
For the first time since arriving in this world, he genuinely felt alive.
Then Luna disappeared beneath a dense patch of shadows ahead.
Traise reacted instantly to keep up.
[Quickstep activated.]
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[Mana: 9 / 10]
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The burst of acceleration nearly doubled his speed.
For one brief moment, it actually worked perfectly.
The world blurred around him as he shot between two massive trees before trying to sharply shift directions around another trunk ahead.
Too fast.
His footing slipped the instant he attempted to turn.
The momentum violently threw his body sideways while panic flashed through his mind.
“Not again…”
Traise slammed shoulder-first into a massive tree hard enough to crack bark before tumbling violently across the forest floor.
Pain exploded along the right side of his body.
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[You have taken 8 damage]
━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━━
The world spun for several seconds before finally settling.
Traise groaned while lying flat on his back, staring upward through the canopy overhead, while pain throbbed through his shoulder and ribs with every breath.
A small silver-gray face slowly peeked over him.
Luna stared silently for a moment before amusement flooded through the bond.
Traise glared weakly upward.
“Fine, you win this one.”
The fox gave another smug little yip before lightly hopping onto his chest.
Traise immediately winced.
“Okay, maybe not directly on the bruised ribs.”
Luna tilted her head innocently despite the obvious satisfaction drifting through the bond.
Traise eventually pushed himself upright with a groan while rubbing the side of his shoulder.
Everything hurt.
His ribs throbbed painfully every time he breathed too deeply, and judging from the warm feeling running down the side of his arm, he had probably torn skin somewhere during the crash.
Still, despite the pain, he found himself laughing quietly.
Previously, something like this probably would have terrified him.
Instead, it just felt embarrassing now.
“Come on,” he muttered while slowly standing.
“Let’s head back before I break something important.”
Luna hopped down from his shoulder before casually slipping into his shadow as if it were the most natural thing in the world.
Traise still wasn’t used to seeing that.
…..
By the time they had returned to the cave, the pain had dulled slightly, though every movement still reminded Traise exactly how hard he had hit that tree.
Luna rested near the fire while he carefully adjusted the crude bandages wrapped around his shoulder and ribs.
The cuts were already stitching themselves back together from the healing.
That alone surprised him.
Injuries that should have lingered for days already felt noticeably better after only several hours.
Then the familiar system notification appeared.
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[Minor Regeneration Information Updated]
Mastery: 50 / 100
Additional Effect Unlocked:
Counteracts most non-magical poisons
Passive stamina recovery increased
Recovery efficiency slightly improved
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Traise blinked several times while rereading the notification several times.
The poison resistance alone could save his life eventually.
From all of his observations over the last week, he knew that the forest was filled with venomous plants, insects, and creatures capable of killing him slowly, even if they failed to finish him immediately.
The stamina recovery might honestly be even more valuable.
Longer fights would become far easier to survive now.
Luna trotted closer while he sat there thinking, before lightly pressing her head against his arm.
Traise smiled faintly and rubbed the top of her head.
“Guess we’re both getting stronger.”
…..
That night, the cave felt strangely peaceful.
The fire crackled softly near the wall while Luna rested, partially merged into the surrounding shadows, with only her silver-tipped tail fully visible from the nearby firelight.
Outside, distant howls echoed faintly through the forest.
Moonfangs.
Traise’s expression darkened slightly at the sound while memories of his first night resurfaced clearly in his mind.
Running blindly through the dark.
Bleeding.
Terrified.
Weak.
Back then, even a single Moonfang cub had nearly killed him.
Now, though, the fear attached to those memories felt different somehow.
Not gone entirely, but quieter.
More controlled.
He still respected the danger of the forest, but he no longer felt completely helpless within it.
His fingers tightened slightly around the wooden cup in his hands.
Eventually, he wanted another chance against them.
Not yet.
But soon.
Luna lifted her head slightly as if sensing his thoughts.
Traise glanced toward her before letting out a quiet breath.
“You hear them too, huh?”
One of her ears twitched once before she lowered her head again.
Silence settled throughout the cave afterward while Traise stared quietly into the fire.
Then another thought surfaced, causing his brows to furrow slightly while he leaned back against the cave wall.
Mimic.
He had encountered stronger monsters since the first night.
New species.
New abilities.
Entirely different creatures compared to the Moonfang cub.
So why hadn’t Mimic activated again?
Was there some condition he still didn’t understand?
Did he need direct contact?
Repeated exposure?
Or had he simply misunderstood the skill entirely?
That possibility bothered him more than he wanted to admit.
Mimic was still his strongest advantage, yet he barely understood how it functioned.
Luna suddenly stretched before casually dropping herself onto his lap.
Traise blinked in surprise.
“You really do whatever you want, huh?”
The fox curled into a ball immediately afterward, while a feeling of comfort radiated from her.
Traise sighed softly before resting one hand against her back.
“…Fair enough.”
…..
The next morning, a familiar system sound echoed through his mind the moment he opened his eyes.
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[Quest Complete]
Quest: Forest Adaptation
Consecutive Days Survived:
7 / 7
You have survived long enough to begin understanding the rhythm of the forest rather than merely fearing it.
Rewards:
+30 Experience
+2 to all Attributes
Skill Reward: Shadows
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Warm energy surged through his body immediately afterward.
[Strength increased to 17]
[Dexterity increased to 27]
[Intelligence increased to 19]
[Endurance increased to 18]
[Willpower increased to 14]
Traise slowly exhaled while another window appeared directly afterward.
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[Skill Acquired]
Shadows
Class: Initiate Mid
Type: Active / Stealth
Mana Cost: 1 per 10 seconds
Allows the user to partially merge with surrounding darkness, reducing visibility and suppressing presence.
Effectiveness increases significantly in darker environments and weakens under direct light exposure.
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Traise stared thoughtfully at the new skill.
It wasn’t directly offensive, but stealth in a forest like this could easily mean survival.
Combined with Luna’s shadow abilities, the potential usefulness became obvious almost immediately.
Before he could think further, another notification appeared.
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[Shop Function Unlocked]
You can now browse our wares, sell items, and obtain new quests.
Functions:
Items stored within your inventory may now be sold in exchange for shop currency, Dragon Coins.
Dragon Coins may be used to purchase equipment, skills, consumables, quests, and additional system functions.
Please note:
High-quality items and abilities require significant investment.
Monsters now possess a small chance to drop Dragon Coins upon death.
Best of luck hunting.
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Traise’s eyes widened slightly.
“Nice, now I can actually make use of everything I kill.”
Excitement immediately turned into disbelief the moment he opened the shop menu.
“…Ten thousand?!”
The cheapest combat skills alone cost absurd amounts of Dragon Coins.
Even basic equipment looked expensive enough to bankrupt him several times over.
The worst part was that most of the materials he had gathered so far only sold for a few Dragon Coins at most.
Still, one item immediately caught his attention.
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Beginner’s Package: 10 Dragon Coins
Designed to start you on your path toward greatness.
Luck is an essential trait for any adventurer.
Reward contents are randomized.
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Traise narrowed his eyes suspiciously while staring at the system window.
“So either I’ll get lucky… or completely scammed. What do you think, Luna?”
Luna tilted her head curiously beside him as if she somehow understood the danger hidden behind randomized rewards.
After selling extra furs, monster materials, and several unused corpses from his inventory, Traise eventually gathered enough Dragon Coins to purchase the package.
Surprisingly, full monster corpses sold for far more than expected.
At least nothing would go to waste anymore.
“Alright,” he muttered quietly.
A brightly wrapped gift box suddenly appeared inside his inventory, complete with an oversized ribbon tied neatly across the top, which seemed almost comical.
Traise stared at it in disbelief.
“If I didn’t know any better, I’d say the system is trying to screw with me right now.”
Even Luna seemed confused by the ribbon attached to it as he brought it out to examine it.
Luna stared at the colorful package with obvious suspicion while Traise carefully opened it anyway.
As soon as he opened it, a bright light shone from within, and a new notification appeared.
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[Congratulations, you have received a Special Grade reward]
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His heartbeat slowed instantly while his eyes locked onto the screen.
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[Item Acquired]
Bracer of the Fallen One [Soulbound]
Grade: Special
A relic long lost to time.
Once worn by a being remembered only as the Fallen One, this damaged artifact has survived countless ages while stripped of most of its original power.
Though weakened, traces of its former strength still remain.
Perhaps one day it may be restored.
Effect:
Mana consumption of all skills and abilities reduced by 50%.
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Traise stared silently at the reward while trying to process what he was reading.
That effect was absurdly useful right now.
His biggest weakness right now was mana.
Ten total mana barely allowed repeated use of his skills before exhaustion became a problem.
He had tested his Quickstep skill several times and eventually found that mana only seemed to replenish after resting for several hours.
Reducing all mana costs by half changed everything.
Quickstep would effectively cost almost nothing now, while Shadows suddenly became far more practical during longer hunts or escapes.
Slowly, he summoned the bracer from his inventory.
Dark metal materialized around his right forearm before tightening slightly until it fit perfectly against his skin.
Unlike what he expected from a Special-grade item, it looked surprisingly simple.
Worn black metal wrapped around his arm while faint silver markings stretched across its surface like ancient cracks.
Still, the moment he equipped it, he felt something shift subtly inside his body.
His control of mana felt easier, more natural than before.
Luna sniffed the bracer cautiously before stepping back, faint approval drifting through the bond.
Traise grinned slightly at the reaction before flexing his fingers experimentally.
“If you like it, it can’t be too bad.”
Luna flicked her tail proudly before hopping onto a nearby rock beside the fire.
Then another notification suddenly appeared before him.
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[New Quest Acquired]
A True Hunter
Surrounded by predators and danger, you have managed to survive.
Now you must learn to evolve from prey into a hunter.
Requirements:
Kill 100 Beasts of Dangerous Threat or Higher
Rewards:
+20 Free Attribute Points
+100 Experience
Skill Reward: Supernatural Instincts (Awakened Low)
Title Earned: Predator of the Jungle
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Traise reread the quest several times while Luna tilted her head curiously nearby.
One hundred Dangerous or stronger beasts.
The number sounded insane at first, but then he realized something unsettling.
The system genuinely expected him to succeed.
A strange mix of nervousness and excitement settled into his chest while he stared at the reward window.
Twenty free attribute points alone were massive, but the real thing that caught his attention was the fact that it included something new, a title.
Predator of the Jungle.
The name itself felt different from the earlier survival-focused quests.
Almost as if the system no longer viewed him as a weakling struggling to survive, but as someone adapting into the role of a hunter.
…..
The next several days passed differently from before.
Traise hunted more with Luna’s help.
Not desperately as before, but with a new purpose.
He and Luna moved throughout the forest together almost daily, slowly learning how to fight alongside one another without constantly interfering with each other’s movements.
Their first few encounters were messy.
Luna still moved too quickly for him to predict at times, while Traise occasionally reacted too slowly whenever she suddenly vanished into the shadows mid-fight.
Still, little by little, they adapted.
Luna distracted the beasts while Traise attacked from blind spots.
Other times, Traise baited creatures forward while Luna circled behind through the darkness.
The coordination gradually became smoother with every encounter until their movements began feeling almost natural.
The forest itself slowly changed in Traise’s eyes as well.
At first, he had only seen danger everywhere he looked.
Now he noticed patterns.
Monster territories.
Hunting routes.
Feeding behavior.
Ambush locations.
Weaknesses.
Like a gamer memorizing boss mechanics.
Except now the monsters were real.
And so was the danger.
Despite that danger, the hunts gradually became easier over time.
Silverhorn Hares stopped feeling threatening entirely.
Thornfang Boars became manageable so long as he avoided direct charges, while Nightcrawlers proved dangerous mostly because of their venom rather than their speed.
Even smaller Moonfang packs no longer forced him to run immediately.
That realization alone felt surreal.
Over time, Traise’s movements gradually became quieter while his reactions sharpened further.
Luna frequently hunted independently as well, often returning later with her latest kill to share with Traise as a sense of satisfaction and pride drifting faintly across the bond.
The longer he remained in the forest, the more he realized something unsettling.
He was beginning to think more like the creatures around him, like a predator.
One evening, while crouched atop a thick branch overlooking a clearing below, Traise watched Luna silently stalk through the shadows beneath the trees while a pair of grazing Silverhorn Hares remained completely unaware of her presence.
Moonlight filtered softly through the canopy overhead while faint wisps of darkness curled around Luna’s paws as she moved.
His breathing slowed instinctively while he watched.
His body stayed perfectly still against the branch beneath him.
Waiting.
Watching.
Then Luna struck.
The entire kill lasted less than two seconds.
One moment, the hare was grazing peacefully.
The next, Luna exploded from the shadows like a black blur before dragging the creature into the darkness beneath the trees.
Traise stared silently afterward while the surviving hare fled towards the undergrowth in blind panic.
A dagger flew out and pinned the fleeing hare to the ground.
Somewhere below, Luna calmly began eating, seemingly satisfied with his improvement.
At some point…
Hunting had started to become second nature.