The rain eased into a light drizzle, though the air in the Forest of Beasts remained heavy with the scent of wet soil and blood. Kazuki stood over the corpse of the Fang Wolf, his knees trembling. The blue screen still hovered before him, lighting the darkness with an eerie glow.
[ULTIMATE EVOLUTION SYSTEM: INITIALIZING…][STATUS Screen Unlocked]
Words he had only seen in video games now floated in his mind like absolute reality.
"Status…" Kazuki muttered cautiously.
As if obeying his voice, a new panel appeared:
◈ STATUS ◈
Name: Kazuki Arai
Race: Human
Level: 1
HP: 20/20
Strength: 3
Agility: 4
Endurance: 3
Intelligence: 5
Luck: ???
Skills: None
Titles: The Undiscovered One
Points: 0
Nothing impressive—weak, even pathetic. The numbers looked like a bad joke. Yet the title "Level Infinity" still echoed in his head.
If I can level up… then I can survive.
A faint growl interrupted his thought. Another pair of red eyes gleamed from the dark shrubs. The Fang Wolf's death hadn't gone unnoticed.
Kazuki stumbled backward, grabbing the branch again, but this time he planted his feet firmly.
"I won't die here… not like this!"
The beast charged.
Kazuki dodged slightly too slow—claws scraped his arm, tearing his school uniform and skin beneath. Pain shot through his nerves like fire. He grit his teeth and thrust the branch forward as the wolf lunged again. The wood pierced under its jaw. The beast yelped, twisting violently, but Kazuki held on, pushing deeper until the life left its eyes.
The wolf collapsed, dragging Kazuki down with it. He panted hard, vision spinning.
And then—
◆ YOU HAVE KILLED A MONSTER ◆[EXP GAINED: 50][LEVEL UP!]
Warmth coursed through his veins like a jolt of electricity. His muscles tightened; his heartbeat steadied. A rush of vigour filled his limbs.
Another panel appeared:
◈ STATUS UPDATED ◈
Level: 2
HP: 40/40
Strength: 6
Agility: 7
Endurance: 5
Intelligence: 5
He doubled in vitality. One kill changed everything. And there were countless monsters out here.
Kazuki stared into the black forest, fear transforming slowly into determination.
So this is what strength feels like…
But strength needed food, rest, and shelter.
His stomach clenched painfully. Hunger. He had eaten nothing since lunch at school—back in a world he might never return to.
He dragged the beast's body toward a large tree for cover. The rain had finally stopped, but the cold wind still bit at his skin.
"What now…?" he whispered.
Another chime sounded:
[Dismantle Option Unlocked]
You may dismantle monster corpses for materials and meat
No tools required due to System assistance
Kazuki stared at the wolf's body, uneasy. But survival demanded action.
"…Sorry," he murmured and knelt down.
His hands moved almost guided by instinct, directed by the system. He cut, sliced, and separated parts he never imagined touching. Wolf meat—dangerous raw, but edible if cooked. Kazuki gathered dry leaves and branches beneath the giant tree roots.
A tiny spark ignited—his trembling hands rubbing sticks together until flame finally caught on a patch of leaves. The fire grew slowly, flickering weak but alive. Just like him.
Kazuki skewered a chunk of meat and held it over the flames. The greasy scent made his empty stomach growl louder than any wolf.
He ate cautiously at first. It tasted rough, gamey, and metallic—but it gave him the energy he desperately needed.
His exhaustion slowly melted away.
Hours passed. The moon rose high — enormous and crimson red, bathing the forest in a bloody hue. The fire crackled gently as Kazuki leaned back, staring upward.
A different world. Different sky. Different fate.
He thought of the queen's cold voice.Takumi's insult.His friends turning their backs—again.
He clenched a fist, nails digging into his palm.
"I won't forgive you… any of you. Ryuji. Hina. Takumi… this Kingdom…"
His voice trembled not with weakness but rage.
"They threw me away… like trash. But I'll show them. I'll rise higher than any 'hero' they admire."
A fresh growl echoed. Then another. And another. Yellow eyes, blue eyes, red eyes—dozens flickered between the trees.
Kazuki's pupils contracted. He stood, gripping the branch.
"Come… I'm not afraid anymore!"
The wolves lunged from all sides.
Kazuki dodged, swung, stabbed—each kill brought another surge of heat in his body.
[EXP GAINED!][LEVEL UP!][LEVEL UP!][LEVEL UP!]
Blood soaked the dirt. Kazuki's chest heaved, burning, yet exhilarated.
He didn't know how many he had killed. The dead surrounded him like a throne of bones.
The system chimed repeatedly:
◈ STATUS ◈
Level: 7
HP: 140/140
Strength: 18
Agility: 20
Endurance: 15
Kazuki stared at the numbers… his growth was insane.
So this is my ability… infinite growth…
He collapsed to his knees from exhaustion. His entire body shook, limbs heavy like iron. Too much had happened in a single night—fear, death, hunger, betrayal… and power.
He glanced at his own hands—bloody, shaking—but alive. More alive than he had ever been.
"I… survived," he whispered with a weak smile.
Tears welled in his eyes—not from sadness nor fear, but relief.
For the first time, Kazuki felt hope.
His stomach rumbled again. With a tired laugh, he resumed cooking more meat over the dying flame. The warmth comforted him like a friend.
Yet the crimson moon above seemed to stare down—watching, judging.
Somewhere deep within the forest, a chilling howl rose—far deeper, larger, and more menacing than any he had encountered. A predator above predators.
Kazuki's fire crackled as if nervous.
He swallowed hard.
"Stronger… I need to get stronger. Today was only the beginning."
He tightened his grip on the branch, though he knew a real weapon would be needed soon.
The cold wind carried the scent of blood and fate.
Kazuki Arai, the boy abandoned by both worlds, closed his eyes briefly and rested—not because he felt safe, but because he had earned one night of breath.
Tomorrow, the hunt would continue.
And with every kill…every level…every heartbeat…
He stepped one stride closer to vengeance.
End of Chapter 2