I looked at the dense forest spread below. Then— taking a deep breath, trusting myself— I jumped straight down from the mountain.
By now, I was certain that the body I had received was not ordinary. It was inhuman— and definitely not something that could be destroyed easily.
As I fell, I kept estimating my surroundings. The direction of the scream was becoming clearer. When I landed, the ground cracked, but my body took no damage. Then, within a few moments, I reached close to that place.
And the sight I saw—
was blood-chilling.
A wolf— large in size, with hunger and madness in its eyes— was pouncing on a young woman.
That beautiful young woman had black hair, and she was wearing pink clothes.
She was lying on the ground— helpless, injured, and frozen in fear.
Without wasting even a moment, I extended two of my fingers forward. My mental power reacted. A fireball formed by magic burst from my hand— and rushed toward the wolf.
The very next moment— the wolf couldn't even scream. It was engulfed in flames— and was reduced to ashes in an instant. I immediately went to the young woman.
Seeing me, she became slightly frightened— her body was trembling, and disbelief and fear were clearly visible in her eyes.
In a slow, calm voice, I said— "Don't be afraid. I won't hurt you."
There were many wounds on her body. Her clothes were torn, and blood was flowing from her injuries.
Then— from deep within the forest, the sounds of multiple wolves echoed.
Not one…
Not two…
A whole pack.
I understood immediately. This was a pack of man-eating wolves.
And within this pack— there could be extremely strong E-Rank wolves as well. The young woman, terrified, moved behind me and shrank back. Her fingers were gripping my back tightly.
But the truth was— at that moment, my condition wasn't much better either. There was a slight fear inside me as well.
Because I had never won a real battle before.
I… often used to tremble in fear just like this young woman, standing aside and watching other hunters fight.
Then— the young woman standing behind me placed something into my hands. A shining sword. For a moment, I froze.
"A sword…?"
"Where did this come from…?"
But there was no time to think.
More than ten wolves had surrounded us from all sides. Their eyes were glowing in the darkness. Their teeth were bared— saliva dripping.
A question echoed inside me—
"If I can't even fight these pests… how will I take my revenge?"
Blood rushed into my eyes.
And then—
a voice echoed in my mind.
"The sword in your hand,
when combined with the Underworld Fighting Technique,
will give you the strength to fight."
"Although it is the weakest technique— but for now… it is enough for you."
I gripped the sword tightly.
Planted my feet firmly on the ground.
And looking straight ahead— in a cold, challenging voice, I said— "Come."
The wolves lunged at me from all sides. Madness burned in their eyes, sharp fangs were bared, and their claws were raised as if they would tear my body apart in the very next moment. The air trembled with their growls.
As they came closer— I swung my sword with all my strength.
Along with the sword, my magical power burst forth.
Tearing through the air, a massive slash of fire emerged— filled with red-orange flames.
In a single instant— four wolves were swallowed by that blaze. They didn't even get a chance to scream. Their bodies burned and collapsed onto the ground.
I stood there, stunned.
"So… this powerful fire magic?"
My hands trembled slightly— not from fear, but from sheer astonishment.
Then my gaze shifted behind me.
Four more wolves had turned and leapt toward the young woman. Their fangs were heading straight for her neck. Something reacted inside me.
Without thinking, I swung the sword again— this time with absolute intent.
Another slash of fire roared through the air.
All four wolves were cut down at once— engulfed in flames, burning as they fell to the ground. The smell of scorched flesh spread through the forest.
Now only two wolves remained. They saw the scene— the destruction of their entire pack. A shrill, fear-filled howl escaped their throats, and without hesitating for even a moment— they turned and fled into the dark forest.
Silence returned to the woods once more.
Only the crackling of burning fire… and the sound of my heavy breathing.
Just then, a voice echoed in my mind three times— "Level up, Level up, Level up."
I immediately opened my magical status screen. And what I saw left me stunned.
Magic — 12
Speed — 11
Stamina — 11
"This rate of leveling up… it's like that of a god."
My eyes were fixed on the screen, unable to look away. Then suddenly, a sound came from behind me. I turned around— and saw that the young woman had collapsed unconscious. Her wounds were severe, and the blood loss was far too much.
"What should I do now…?"
That question echoed in my mind.
The cold here was intense. The night wind descending from the mountains pierced straight to the bones. If I left her here like this, it wouldn't be her wounds—this cold itself would take her life.
"I have to carry her to a safe place," I told myself.
"And I need to arrange some medicine too… otherwise, she'll die right here."
I bent down and lifted her into my arms. Her body was light— frighteningly light. Her blood-soaked clothes dampened my arms. Her breathing was extremely faint, as if every breath could be her last.
I looked around and noticed a cave not too far away. I carried her there, gathered dry wood inside, and lit a fire.
The flickering flames cast trembling shadows along the cave walls. The cold eased a little, but the worry still weighed on my chest like a stone.
I was just about to step outside— to look for some medicine or herbs— when my eyes suddenly fell on her wounds. I froze.
Her wounds… they were healing on their own.
The bleeding had stopped. Torn flesh was slowly knitting itself together, as if an invisible power were touching her. For a moment, I couldn't even speak.
"How… is this possible?"
The words slipped from my lips in a whisper.
Then a thought struck my mind like lightning— "Could she be… a healer-type mage?"
Yes. That had to be it.
Only such people could heal their wounds like this— without chants, without magical symbols.
The tension inside me eased a little.
I let out a sigh of relief and sat near the fire, warming my hands. Now all that was left was to wait for her to regain consciousness.
The soft crackling of the flames, the whistling of the cold wind outside, and the stillness of the cave— all of it slowly wore me down. My eyes grew heavy.
"Just… I'll close my eyes for a bit," I told myself.
Leaning my back against the cave wall, I sat there. And before I realized it, sleep took me.
Inside the cave, in front of the burning fire,
I fell asleep.
The sound of people arguing reached my ears—and my sleep broke.
Waking up at that moment felt no less than a punishment. It was probably the first time I had slept so deeply and peacefully.
After the night's exhaustion, fear, and sudden changes—this morning sleep felt like a blessing.
My eyes slowly opened.
The sword placed on the ground beside me was faintly gleaming. The fire that had been burning was now reduced to ashes, and the pale morning light was seeping into the cave.
That was when I understood—
That voice… it belonged to the same young woman from the night before.
She was arguing with someone.
I jumped to my feet in an instant.
Immediately gripping the sword in my hand—
without wasting a single moment, I rushed out of the cave.
I saw it— a young man, about my age, shouting angrily at the young woman. There was little concern in his voice, far more accusation.
"Where were you all night?" he roared.
"Bringing firewood doesn't take that long!"
He wasn't giving her even a single chance to speak. The young woman tried again and again to say something, but every time her words were crushed beneath his shouting.
I stepped forward and asked— "Who are you?"
He turned toward me. Hatred and rage instantly filled his eyes. Grinding his teeth, he snarled—
"Bastard! Who are you? And what are you doing here with my elder sister?"
His gaze snapped back to the young woman. His face flushed even redder. Shouting in a trembling voice of fury, he yelled—
"Who is this guy? Did you spend the night with him?" His fists clenched tight.
"I'll kill him!"
The very next moment, he lunged at me.
And then— A sword suddenly appeared in his hand.
My eyes widened.
"A sword…?"
"Is this some kind of magic too?"
There was no time to think. He struck at me with full force, a lethal blow. The air screamed along with his blade. I reacted instantly— raising my own sword to block it.
Clang!
Both swords collided. Sparks flew as the impact echoed through the cave and the surrounding forest.
From behind us, the young woman's frightened voice rang out—
"Stop! Please, stop!"
But in that moment, her words carried no weight.
I understood it clearly— this wasn't going to be settled with words. This trouble would have to be dealt with in its own language.
Rage surged inside me as well. I clenched my teeth, tightened my grip on the sword, and roared— "Worthless fool! Looks like I'll have to teach you a lesson right now!"