"Trying to run? Too late!"
Sakeer's gaze locked onto Hamusuke, the Wise King of the Forest, who was fleeing into the depths of the jungle.
Without hesitation, he launched forward, ready to pursue.
Swoosh!
A violent whip-like crack echoed through the air.
Sakeer's eyes narrowed, sensing danger. He swiftly released the iron sword's hilt from his grip and summoned his magic greatsword, raising it in defense.
Though powerful, this magic weapon was not something he could recklessly overuse. That was why, during his previous attack, he had switched to an ordinary iron sword—to preserve its power.
Had he used the greatsword for that attack, it might have been rendered useless by now.
BOOM!
The impact crashed into his weapon, sending a forceful tremor through the blade.
Sakeer staggered back, dispersing the residual shock.
And in that brief moment—
Hamusuke was gone.
"Did he use some kind of concealment magic?"
Sakeer's sharp eyes swept over the forest ahead, but there was no sound, no trace of movement.
Yet—
He could still sense it.
"Even if you hide your body, you can't hide your blood."
He stepped forward, crouching down to examine the ground.
There—beneath the scattered leaves—was a small, dark stain.
Blood.
Hamusuke might have vanished from sight, but his wounds betrayed him.
The curse energy suppresses natural regeneration, making healing impossible.
Moreover, Sakeer's curse was infused with the "Instant Death Curse."
For Hamusuke to resist its effects this long is already admirable.
His fingers grazed the bloodstain, his expression unwavering.
Then—
"Track!"
A special guerrilla ability activated.
Through the residual traces of blood, a faint, glowing path appeared before him, marking the direction of his prey.
Without another word—Sakeer gave chase.
The vast jungle stretched endlessly, its dense canopy blocking out the sky.
One figure fled, weaving through the terrain—
The other pursued, relentless and unwavering.
The chase disrupted the jungle's natural rhythm. Birds scattered into the skies, beasts roared and fled, startled by the passing of hunter and prey.
Hamusuke, as the territorial ruler, knew the forest better than anyone.
He led Sakeer through paths teeming with dangerous monsters—territories of hungering spiders, packs of Barghest, and other formidable beasts.
But Sakeer pressed on.
Minutes turned to hours.
Daylight faded into the depths of night.
And yet—Hamusuke was still running.
At first, Sakeer pursued with calm confidence.
But as time passed—his expression hardened.
By now, the "Instant Death Curse" should have taken full effect.
Even if Hamusuke had resistance to negative states, he should have collapsed by now.
And yet—
The beast persisted.
"His resistance is far stronger than I expected."
The jungle grew darker, its depths swallowed by an oppressive blackness.
With human sight rendered useless, Sakeer retrieved a magic monocle from his inventory.
A single-framed lens, imbued with night vision abilities.
Sliding it over his left eye, the world shifted—the suffocating darkness transformed into sharp clarity.
He glanced at the ground.
The blood trail had grown significantly larger.
"But he won't last much longer."
Hamusuke was weakening.
Even if the Instant Death Curse hadn't killed him outright, its power still lingered, eating away at his life force.
Soon—his body would reach its limit.
Sakeer had seen this before—
Just like Leinas, the effects of the curse never faded unless purged completely.
It was only a matter of time.
Rustle.
A faint sound drifted from the foliage.
Sakeer's gaze snapped up.
The surrounding shadows shifted.
From the darkness—countless glowing green eyes emerged, peering at him from the underbrush.
A pack.
Demon Wolves.
Their forms were sleek and muscular, similar to Barghest, but lacking horns or bone chains.
They had surrounded him.
"Annoying pests."
Exhaling, Sakeer rose to his feet, gripping his magic greatsword.
The wolves attacked.
Screams.
Flesh and blood splattering.
The once lively jungle fell into eerie silence again.
By the time dawn broke over the horizon—
Sakeer still stood.
The sunlight spilled through the trees, casting golden rays over the forest floor.
A new area unfolded before him—
Unlike the dense wilderness behind him, this section was remarkably clean.
Only a few weeds and low bushes scattered the ground.
Nestled within this clearing, a small mound of earth protruded slightly.
Beneath it—
A hidden cavern.
A den.
And not just any den—
This was Hamusuke's lair.
The territorial throne of the Wise King of the Forest.
Sakeer stepped forward—
The faint smell of blood still lingering in the air.
"..."
The Wise King of the Forest Hamusuke slumped against the entrance of his cave, his massive body battered and broken.
His face and chest were drenched in blood, staining his once-proud form.
His breath came shallow and ragged, each exhale barely audible.
Even so, his mighty tail, spanning over twenty meters, twitched faintly—
A lingering sign of life.
Rustle.
Rustle.
The quiet crunch of footsteps echoed through the jungle.
Emerging from the dense undergrowth, Sakeer stepped forward, his expression calm and unreadable.
His gaze fell upon the wounded beast, watching as Hamusuke clung desperately to life.
"Looks like I've won, Wise King of the Forest."
Sakeer halted a few steps away, his voice steady and cool.
He already knew that piercing Hamusuke's eye wouldn't have been enough to kill him outright.
The reason the once-mighty beast was on the brink of death now was clear—
The "Instant Death Curse" was still at work, slowly draining what little life remained.
"Damn… you… humans…"
Hamusuke's heavy eyelids fluttered open, his clouded eyes filled with a mixture of resentment and pain.
Then—
A flicker of hope surfaced in his gaze.
"Human… this King… is willing to surrender."
His voice was weak, but the words rang out clearly.
Sakeer shook his head.
"I didn't come here to negotiate."
His tone was flat, unwavering.
Hamusuke's mangled body trembled.
Perhaps it was from shame at his own plea for mercy—
Or from fury at having his submission denied.
THUD!
His tail lashed out, striking the ground with a heavy impact.
But the once-powerful beast could do nothing more.
His strength was gone.
His body refused to obey his will.
A bitter chuckle—half-choked with pain—escaped Hamusuke's throat.
"This King… never thought… I would fall to a weak human…"
His voice wavered.
"No… descendants… no one… to carry my name…"
As the last word slipped from his lips, his body went still.
Ding!
[XP Gained: 9567]
[XP Gauge: 37,933 / 60,000]
Sakeer blinked.
"Nearly 10,000 XP for a monster around level 30?"
He had expected a decent amount of experience, but this was more than anticipated.
His gaze fell upon Hamusuke's lifeless body.
A familiar character from the anime—one of the most well-received.
And yet, here he was—dead.
At his hands.
Did he regret it?
No.
If anything, Hamusuke's death only reinforced the truth Sakeer had long understood—
Power is everything.
Leaving your life in another's hands—
Begging for mercy—
It was nothing but foolishness.
Only strength could dictate one's own fate.
Beneath Sakeer's unwavering stare, something began to stir.
A ghostly figure—identical to the Wise King of the Forest—emerged from his lifeless corpse.
Its form was dim and translucent, flickering like an illusory shadow.
Sakeer remained unfazed.
This wasn't the first time he had seen something like this.
Ever since acquiring the "Shamanic Adept" passive ability, he had developed a special sight—one that allowed him to perceive the souls of slain beasts and monsters.
For now, the ability served little purpose, other than acting as a precursor to something greater.
And now—
It was time to use it.
"Be my power, Wise King of the Forest."
Sakeer's eyes flashed, and he activated—
"Totem Possession!"
He had been waiting for this moment.
The slot for his first Totem had remained vacant until now.
And Hamusuke—once the ruler of this forest—was the perfect choice.
A low hum filled the air.
Ding!
[The skill effect is activated. Please select the Totem Possession location:]
Head
Arms
Legs
Back
Chest
Sakeer glanced over the options.
There was no hesitation.
"Arms."
The moment he confirmed his choice—
A brilliant emerald glow enveloped his body.
A powerful force surged outward, pulling Hamusuke's spectral form toward him.
The phantom howled silently, its body dissolving into a stream of pure energy—
And rushing into Sakeer's arms.
In a flash—
A totemic marking appeared, wrapping around both of his arms.
The symbol of the Wise King of the Forest.
A new prompt appeared before his eyes—
[Totem Possession Successful!]
[Please choose: Flesh Enhancement or Specialty Selection.]