The forest had beco silent.
Too silent.
Kael stood beside the corpse of the Dark Fang Boar, breathing heavily as rain continued pouring from the sky.
His body felt strange.
Lighter.
Sharper.
Every sound around him now seed amplified.
The dripping rain.
The swaying branches.
The movent of insects beneath the soil.
Even the cold wind felt clearer against his skin.
“Is this… the effect of the system?”
Kael slowly clenched his fist.
Strength surged through his arm.
Not overwhelming.
But compared to before—
He felt reborn.
The glowing screen hovered before him once more.
====================
Host Status
Na: Kael Draven
Level: 1
Rank: None
Strength: 8
Agility: 11
Vitality: 7
Shadow Compatibility: 5%
Skills:
Shadow Sense
Shadow Regeneration
Predator’s Instinct
====================
Kael stared at the numbers in confusion.
He had no idea what most of it ant.
But one thing was clear.
He was growing stronger.
Fast.
A low growl suddenly echoed nearby.
Kael instantly turned.
Predator’s Instinct activated automatically.
A sharp warning sensation stabbed into his mind.
Danger.
Close.
Kael’s breathing slowed.
The shadows around him trembled slightly.
Then—
CRACK.
A branch snapped sowhere behind him.
Kael spun around.
Nothing.
Only darkness.
Yet the feeling remained.
Sothing was watching him.
Slowly…
Very slowly…
A massive silhouette moved between the trees.
Kael froze.
The creature was enormous.
At least four ters tall.
Its body resembled a wolf, but its flesh looked partially lted into shadows.
Black mist leaked constantly from its fur.
Two crimson eyes glowed within the darkness like blood-red moons.
The mont Kael saw it—
His entire body scread in terror.
====================
WARNING
High-Level Entity Detected
Threat Level: UNKNOWN
Survival Probability: 0.03%
Recomnded Action: ESCAPE IMDIATELY
====================
Kael’s face went pale.
Zero point zero three percent?
That wasn’t survival.
That was hopelessness.
The monster slowly stepped forward.
The ground cracked beneath its claws.
Kael instinctively took a step backward.
Then another.
The creature tilted its head slightly while staring at him.
It wasn’t attacking.
It was observing him.
Like a predator deciding whether prey was worth eating.
Kael’s heart pounded violently.
Run.
Every instinct told him to run.
But his legs felt frozen.
The crimson-eyed creature suddenly inhaled deeply.
Its eyes narrowed.
Then—
It smiled.
Kael’s blood turned cold.
Monsters weren’t supposed to smile.
A deep voice echoed directly inside his mind.
“You carry…the scent of the Administrator.”
Kael’s eyes widened.
It could speak?
No—
Not speak.
The voice was inside his head.
The creature stepped closer slowly.
“You are incomplete…”
“Weak…”
“But interesting…”
Kael forced himself to speak.
“What… are you?”
The monster remained silent briefly.
Then the shadows around its body twisted violently.
“I am what remains.”
The forest trembled.
Trees bent unnaturally.
Even the darkness itself seed afraid of the creature.
Kael felt suffocated.
The pressure alone nearly forced him to his knees.
Then suddenly—
The system screen flashed red.
====================
Ergency Administrator Protocol Activated
Warning: Forbidden Entity Detected
Authority Restriction Engaged
====================
For the first ti since awakening—
The system sounded alard.
The crimson-eyed creature stared at the glowing screen floating before Kael.
Its smile widened slightly.
“So… it truly chose you.”
Kael’s mind raced.
Chosen?
What was this thing talking about?
The creature suddenly lifted one massive claw.
Kael’s body tensed instantly.
He couldn’t survive even one attack.
Not from sothing like this.
But instead of striking—
The monster pointed toward the deeper parts of the forest.
“There is a relic buried beneath this land.”
“Find it.”
“Grow stronger.”
Its crimson eyes glowed brighter.
“Because when the sky breaks…”
“Even death will pray for rcy.”
The mont those words ended—
The creature’s body dissolved into shadows.
Gone.
Just like that.
The pressure disappeared instantly.
Kael collapsed to one knee, gasping heavily.
Sweat mixed with rain across his face.
“What the hell was that…?”
The system remained silent for several seconds.
Then—
====================
Hidden Main Quest Triggered
Objective: Obtain the Shadow Relic hidden within Darkwood Forest.
Quest Rank: Unknown
Reward: System Update Material
Failure: Administrator Candidate Survival Probability Reduced
====================
Kael clenched his fists tightly.
Another suicidal quest.
Of course.
But his eyes slowly hardened.
The old Kael would have despaired.
Would have cried.
Would have accepted death.
But that boy died the mont the assassin stabbed him.
Now…
Only survival mattered.
Kael slowly stood up.
The rain finally began weakening.
Far away, faint light started appearing beyond the horizon.
Sunrise was approaching.
The system screen appeared one final ti.
====================
Primary Quest Complete
Remain alive until sunrise.
Reward Granted: Shadow Step
Skill Description: Allows short-distance movent through shadows.
====================
Dark energy flowed into Kael’s body instantly.
Information flooded his mind.
Instinctively—
Kael stepped backward.
His body suddenly dissolved into darkness.
WHOOSH!
He reappeared several ters away instantly.
Kael’s eyes widened.
“…Teleportation?”
No.
Not exactly.
But close.
A slow smile appeared on his face.
This power…
Was terrifying.
And sowhere far away—
Within the Draven Estate—
An elder suddenly opened his eyes in shock.
“The boy…”
“…is still alive.”
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