Kael could see everything now. The wind wasn't just a breeze; it was a vector with a specific speed and direction. The Shadow Wolf's claws weren't just weapons; they were arcs of motion with precise degrees of trajectory. As he dodged each lethal swipe, his eyes caught a pulsating crimson glow on the beast's throat. There, he realized. That is its fatal flaw.
He immediately formulated a plan. Using the dense surroundings to his advantage, Kael attempted to leap onto the creature from a nearby tree. However, the wolf was faster—with a single, powerful swipe, it shattered the trunk. But Kael's calculated gaze caught something: the wolf's claws had become momentarily wedged in the splintered wood.
Seizing the microsecond, Kael grabbed nearby vines and lashed them around the trapped limb, securing the beast's arm to the fallen tree. Without hesitating for a heartbeat, he scrambled up the creature's own arm, vaulted onto its back, and drove the jagged branch deep into the crimson mark on its throat.
The Shadow Wolf thrashed in agony for a few moments before dissolving into a dark, ethereal mist. Silence returned to the forest, leaving only the rhythmic patter of rain and the whistling wind. Then, the cold, familiar voice resonated as a blue screen flickered into existence:
[ BATTLE CONCLUDED ]
Target: Shadow Wolf (Level 3) - SLAIN
Experience Gained: Calculating...
[ LEVEL UP! ]
Current Level: 2
Attribute Points Received: +5 (Unassigned)
[ SPECIAL ACHIEVEMENT: FIRST BLOOD ]
Description: You have slain your first supernatural creature with a weapon of opportunity.
Reward: Passive Skill - [ Analysis Eye ] Unlocked.
Reward: Item - [ Shadow Wolf's Fang ] (Rank: F) added to inventory.
Suddenly, the excruciating pain vanished. Kael looked down at his body; his wounds had sealed, and the crushing fatigue had evaporated. He felt entirely renewed, his very cells reconstructed by the system's energy. He stared at the five unassigned points, his mind already made up.
"System," he commanded, his voice steady. "Allocate all points to Intelligence."
[ ACCESSING ATTRIBUTE INTERFACE... ]
[ PROCESSING... ]
Intelligence (INT): 15 ➔ 20
[ WARNING: Neural synapses are optimizing. Processing speed has increased. Cognitive load is stabilizing. ]
As the points were distributed, a wave of absolute clarity washed over him. Kael turned his gaze back toward the cave where everything had begun. He activated his new skill, [ Analysis Eye ], and watched as the world shifted—faint, glowing trails of mana appeared, weaving through the cave like luminous veins.
He pulled his phone from his pocket, only to find the screen shattered and dead. With a silent shrug, he tossed the useless piece of plastic into the mud; his old world was gone. Since it was the dead of night, he decided to retreat into the safety of the cave.
Before drifting into a deep sleep, he whispered to the shadows, "Let's see if this is just a dream... or if I've truly been reborn into a new world."