I froze.
For a moment, I thought the mist itself was alive.....shifting, breathing, watching me. Then I saw it. Emerging from the gray veil between the trees came a tiger, vast and silent, its eyes glowing like shards of ice. Black mist drifted from its body, curling and twisting in the air, swallowing the light that dared touch it.
Its fur wasn't the orange of ordinary beasts, but a pale, silvery gray marked with faint, glowing runes that pulsed like a heartbeat. Each movement was slow, deliberate....the stride of a creature that owned the forest and everything within it.
I couldn't move. The sound of my own breath was deafening. The Shadowmist Tiger loomed just behind me now, close enough that I could feel the chill radiating from its form....the air itself heavy with power and silence.
I didn't dare turn fully, but in the corner of my eye, I caught the faint gleam of those cold blue eyes...ancient, intelligent, and impossibly calm...as if the beast was deciding whether I was worth sparing.
"You are stronger than them. Wait....I know you… So, you are not dead, I see. From my power, I can tell that boy who was running and his other partner killed you by slitting your throat. But not only did you not die, you also awakened....and I feel the same affinity that I use. Ha ha ha…"
The tiger was speaking.
It wasn't shocking, though....in this world, when some monsters reach Rank S, they gain the power of speech and can even transform once they evolve further.
But my main question was....this body also died by having its throat slit, so how am I alive? When I woke up, I didn't see any blood. And if the tiger was right.
Then the one who killed me was the same bastard I was helping.
Still, that all mattered nothing compared to what I was seeing now. The sheer pressure I felt was enough to crush me. I had a sword I collected from the dead bodies, but I didn't have the courage to attack the tiger.
"Now, now, don't be so sad. Just attack me. I'm not going to kill you For ...Now. Use your skill. "
"I'm just for here to fight, but what I meet is just some children who can't even tell my rank ," the tiger said, sounding amused.
"Hey, Lord of the Forest! Please spare this pest's life!" I said, leaning weakly on the ground.
Seeing this, the tiger laughed louder. "Ha ha ha! Amusing one! I was just spouting the nonsense but you know our language...how? And how can a child from a small village know our tongue?"
Hearing him, I was completely confused.
Ding!
[The System is helping the host understand and speak the language.]
So, it was the system helping me.
"My uncle taught me all the languages. He was a traveler," I lied.
"Oh, so that's how you know our language. That's good because it took me many years to learn your language, human."
The tiger's cold eyes scanned me up and down, as if examining every inch of my being.
"Then I'll give you a chance to survive," said the mighty white tiger.
Yes, yes, I knew. No one could survive that tiger. Even if I were C-Rank, I'd still die
....and the reason was this:
> [Side Quest: Survive the Shadowmist Tiger Rank B+]
[Reward: Gain a Skill]
[Failure: Death]
The system was clear I had to survive somehow, not fight. Or I didn't even know how I had died.
"Attack me with what you've got. I'll only use my physical strength that much I can do. If you can make me bleed, even a single drop, I'll let you live. That's my promise," he said in a generous tone, but the pressure of his presence still felt like death itself.
"Come to me first," he said. "If not, then I'll come to you." His serious tone made my heart race, and out of sheer fear, I rushed toward him.
I appeared in front of the tiger; he was staring directly at me. Then I used my skill Shadow Step and dissolved into the shadows, reappearing behind him. I aimed for his leg, but my sword met nothing just air.
Shocked, I realized the tiger was now behind me.
"So, you're the one who killed that bear," he said coldly. Then he launched his claw attack. But instead of cutting, it felt like a powerful shove. I was thrown hard, crashing into a tree at high speed.
"Oh, I only used a little strength, and you're already in such a dire state. Come on, don't you want to fight? Show me more of your skills!" the tiger taunted.
I got up again and drew another sword....broken, but still usable.
"What an amusing sight! A dual-sword wielder! You're quite interesting. The other children were quiet boring and they die fast ," he said, circling me.
I didn't even know how to use one sword properly, let alone two. I don't know why I using double Sword.
The Shadow Step wasn't helping much, and Dark Pressure only drained me. I had nothing left but…
"What are you thinking so much for? If you won't come, then I'll come to you," he growled. Suddenly, he was right in front of me I didn't even see him move.
Before I could react, his paw struck me, slamming me into the ground again.
Now I understood. He was toying with me just like he did with the other children before killing them.
"Hey, why so silent? Talk, boy! I like talking," he said.
But by then, I had vanished into my shadow.
The tiger assumed I'd appear behind him again but I didn't.
Sensing around with his power, he found him running through the forest, using the Shadow Trees to move faster.
"You're just like the others! I gave you a chance, and you betrayed me!" His glowing blue eyes burned brighter as black mist surged from his body and he vanished into it.
I wasn't stupid enough to fight a psychopath. I just had to run or die.
But black smoke appeared around me again.
He caught up, his voice a low growl.
"Grrrr… I gave you a chance, and you didn't take it seriously. I'm disappointed."
He was angry really angry.
But I had no choice. Acting on instinct, I used Umbral Burst.
A silent explosion erupted, launching me into the air. Below me, a ten-meter area was destroyed trees shattered, the ground torn apart by a massive claw mark. The tiger was stunned that I had dodged his strike.
As I fell from the sky, I used the shadows of the trees to teleport behind him. This time, I struck with both swords finally connecting.
But instead of cutting through flesh, I hit something as hard as stone. The impact sent pain surging through my arms.
The tiger recovered instantly and lashed out with his tail, slamming me into another tree. This time, he didn't hold back.
I crashed through the trunk, pain exploding through my body. My vision blurred and when I looked down, I saw my arm was broken.
"Ah.....ahhh, it's f***ing...." I screamed through gritted teeth, the pain almost making me cry.
If I hadn't used both swords to block earlier, my ribs would've been crushed completely.
The tiger approached slowly, his gaze sharp.
"For a moment, I really thought you might injure me. But a human insect who doesn't even know how to coat mana on their blade, thinking they can kill me?" His voice dripped with disdain.
"Do you not feel the difference in our levels? How dare you attack me! A mere E-rank human!" He roared, stomping down hard....blood splattered from the impact.
I could feel his claws pressing against my neck.
"I was going to kill you quickly, but now I'll make you beg for death. I'll start eating you slowly....piece by piece," he growled, grabbing my leg with his jaws.
"Let's start with the leg."
He was just about to bite down when I smiled and muttered, "Umbral Burst."
A silent blast erupted. The explosion tore through the tiger's mouth.
The impact sent both of us flying. I hit the ground hard, gasping.
Through the smoke, I could see the tiger lying still.
"Yeah… f***ing hell… I killed a B-rank monster… heh…" I said weakly, blood spilling from my mouth.
I tried to stand, using a tree for support. Then I noticed...the tiger's body was gone.
A cold chill ran down my spine. I turned....and saw it. The tiger, bleeding from its mouth, standing once more.
"Ha ha ha… what kind of hell am I going through…" I muttered in defeat, preparing for death.
But death never came.
When I opened my eyes, the tiger was walking away.
"Aren't you supposed to kill me?" I asked in confusion.
Without turning, the tiger said, "We, the Shadowmist Tigers, never break a promise. Now go, human, before I change my mind."
At first, I didn't understand but then I saw it: blood. His blood.
I felt stupid for shouting that I'd killed him earlier.
I started limping in the direction that bastard had gone my broken arm hanging at my side when I heard the tiger's voice again.
Than
"Tell me your name, human." the tiger suddenly ask .
I hesitated, then said, "Tyler… Tyler Draven."
"If we meet again, Tyler, let's kill each other. Become strong, so you won't have to beg for your life next time."
His words hit me like an arrow. First, he tried to eat me. Now he was lecturing me.
The Shadowmist Tiger vanished into the mist, leaving me behind. The crushing pressure faded. I could finally breathe.
Ding!
[Side Quest: Survive the Shadowmist Tiger Rank B+]
[Complete]
[Reward: Gain a Skill]
[Failure: Death]
"So… what skill did I get? And please, let it be better this time. I nearly died three times!" I said aloud.
[Skill Acquired:]
Shadow Step
Dark Pressure
Umbral Burst
Dark Slash [NEW]
"Dark Slash? System, describe this skill," I asked in finding information about it skill.
[Dark Slash]
Coats a weapon or hand in condensed dark mana, extending the attack's reach and weight.
Effect: Adds dark-element damage and can cut through low-tier barriers.
Duration: 5 seconds.
Cooldown: 15 seconds.
Bonus: In dim light, the blade length doubles briefly.
"What in bloody hell… If I had this skill back when I was fighting the tiger, I would've already won!"
"But System, why are your interfaces and explanations clearer now?" I asked.
[The System is changing for the host's better understanding.]
"That's actually good. Now I can finally know about side effects and drawbacks."
I still felt the pain and walked toward a waterfall to drink. Then I start heading in the direction that bastard went he was my only way out of the forest.
Thinking about that man made me furious. I clenched my fists forgetting one was still broken and pain shot through my arm.
"If only I had a healing potion…"
Wait.
I did have.
I pulled it from my pocket, opened it with effort, and drank.
"Now I feel a little better… though the pain's still there."
Then I looked around....and saw the bodies of the other children.
I took the healing potions from all of them and drank. My arm mended, though it still ached slightly. I also picked up two swords from their bodies since mine were shattered. Dual wielding felt right for some reason.
I bowed my head slightly.
"Sorry, everyone," I murmured. "But I have to survive....to return home."