The eyes didn't blink.
They moved—low and fluid—gliding with a hunter's grace. I tightened my grip on the Kunai, which felt like a toothpick in my hand. The jungle had gone deathly quiet, the rustling breeze giving way to a thick, taut silence that screamed ambush.
I tried to slow my breathing.
Didn't work.
The leaves parted.
It lunged.
A blur of muscle and fur burst forward—gray hide streaked with bone-like ridges, jaws opening with too many teeth. I dove to the side, hitting the ground hard. The beast skidded past, digging clawed feet into the dirt with a harsh screech that rattled the trees.
It was fast. Too fast.
And tall. Almost shoulder-height to an adult, with a body like a corrupted wolf and a spine that curled unnaturally. Its yellow eyes shimmered faintly with light—not reflection, but mana.
My first mana beast.
Heh..
Lucky me.Or unlucky me.
I scrambled to my feet, legs trembling. The thing was already circling. It wasn't rushing anymore.
It was toying with me.
I took out the Compass of Truth from the inventory for any kind of help . It spun erratically, the needle twitching like it was having a nervous breakdown.
"Useless," I muttered.
The creature snarled, and I moved.
Not with a plan. Not with confidence.
Just instinct.
I hurled a rock at its face—not to hurt it, but to blind it, distract it. As it flinched, I dashed low to the right, heart hammering. It roared and swiped wide, claws carving through empty air.
Too wide.
I ducked under the swing, slashed upward with the Kunai—felt it drag through fur and flesh—and staggered back as the beast shrieked.
Blood. Real blood. Thick, hot, and red.
But I hadn't trained for this. Not in this body. Not in this world.
So how did my body know to dodge? Why did that footwork feel practiced?
'Guess the assimilation is going smoothly huh..'
I didn't have time to think.
It came again—wounded now, enraged.
This time, I waited.
Waited for it to lunge at me.
At the last second, I dropped flat, sliding under its snapping jaws.
It soared over me, just slightly.
The Kunai came up on reflex—right under its jaw.
Crunch.
We both hit the ground.
It didn't get up.
"Heh..hahahahhahahah" I laughed like a madman.
"That was scary. I thought I was gonna die."
The silence returned. Heavy, final. My arms were shaking, my knees weak. The Kunai slipped from my fingers, bloodied and chipped.
I staggered backward and collapsed against a tree trunk, gasping. My breath came in short bursts, panic clinging to the edges of my awareness like fog.
I had just killed something. Something real. Something dangerous.
My first fight.
And yet—
I should be dead.
So why wasn't I?
The timing of my movements, the angle of the blade, the fluidity of it all—they weren't mine. Not entirely. That wasn't panic-driven flailing. That was... calculated.
No system window popped up to congratulate me.Just blood on my hands and a corpse cooling at my feet.
"Fuck, I could have died ." Realisation washed over me.
The Essence inside me stirred faintly. Like it had observed the fight. Judged it.
Still nothing unlocked. No new stats. No power-ups.
Only that humming presence in my veins, warm and dormant.
Waiting.
I pulled out my sturdy backpack and dug into the ration box. A protein bar—chalky but edible. I chewed slowly, eyes never leaving the beast's form.
The jungle remained still.
But I could feel it now—something deeper. Something watching. Not the same presence as the beast, but older. Wiser. Further away.
As if the forest itself had taken notice.
I stood up and walked over to the creature. Its fur was coarse and dense. One of its eyes had gone glassy; the other was already fading.
I reached toward its chest, half-expecting something to happen—a drop, a crystal, a magical core.
Nothing.
Except...
There. Nestled beneath its ribs, obscured by bone, was a faintly glowing lump.
I carved it out with the Kunai. It resisted—flesh hardening as I worked—but eventually it gave way, and I pulled free a faintly glowing shard.
It pulsed softly in my palm.
A beast core.
"So this really was a mana beast." I thought aloud.
I stared at the core for a long time, as if the truth would leap out at me.
It didn't.
But something else caught my eye.
Behind the body, near a tree's base, was a stone. Rectangular. Half-buried beneath roots and moss.
I stepped closer, heart skipping.
It was manmade.
I brushed away the dirt. Faded markings adorned its surface. A triangle over a circle. Then, three interlocking rings.
I froze.
That symbol.
[See A.N]
I'd seen it before.
Not in this world.
But in a novel.
I didn't remember the name. Just the vague outline of a story. Mana beasts. Magical academies. Kings. Dungeons. A man who...
Nah.. It's just a coincidence....
.
.
.
... Right?
I shook my head. The memory slipped away again.
But it was there. Just out of reach.
I looked at the stone one last time, then back to the jungle beyond.
I need a place to rest to gather my thoughts
Sigh....
---
I sat on a boulder and pulled out the tofu from my Gacha haul. Still warm, bizarrely enough.
Still good.
Then I brought up the status screen.
---
[Name: Kael]
[Race: Human]
[Character Assimilation: Loid Forger(3.4%)]
[Powers: Unassuming Presence, Common Sense (Upgraded)]
[Inventory: Kunai, Backpack, Compass, Ration Box, ]
[Summons: Hiro Protagonist, Samwise Gamgee]
The assimilation has gone up to 3.4%.
Maybe earlier fight helped in increasing this.
I mused to myself.
So this comfirms that I need to do spy thingss to complete assimilation quickly.
"Do spy things to increase assimilation,huh.." I muttered, popping the last tofu bite. "Of course. Because that's so helpful."
I glanced at the trees. The jungle was still watching.
"Alright, jungle. Let's play."
I slung the backpack over my shoulder and walked.
Not toward safety.
But toward answers.
-------------------------------
CHAPTER END
A.N
Assume that symbol is Adventurer Guild's symbol.
Anyways 1000 word long chapter what do you think about the story, am I improving or not? And give me ideas related to the story and the gacha rewards.
One more thing I released two chapters today because I am busy tomorrow so I will not be uploading, so as a compensation I posted two chapters today;).
Thank You .