Max came to with a splitting headache and the taste of blood in his mouth. Dust clung to his skin as he pushed himself up, wincing. Bits of rock and debris slid off his arms, his ribs aching with every movement. Blinking grit from his eyes, he looked up—and there it was. A jagged cliff loomed overhead, the ledge at least a hundred feet above where he now stood.

  That’s where it hit him.

  Memory crashed back like a broken dam, fast and cold. The fight. The Beast. A blur of fangs, muscle, and malice. One blow had launched him clean off the ledge and into the ravine. And it was still up there. Or worse—coming down.

  Max’s HUD flickered to life

  Quest Log Updated:

  Kill The Beast in the Forest

  Progress: 0/1

  Time Remaining: 1 hour, 32 minutes

  Reward: 5 Genesis Crystals, Access to Tutorial Store, Inner Tutorial Island Unlocked

  He didn’t know what it was, or why it wanted him dead. But it nearly succeeded. And if he failed, he wouldn’t just lose some experience, he’d lose everything. Those rewards better be worth it he thought bitterly.

  Max staggered to his feet, heart pounding. No plan. Nowhere to hide. Just a cracked sword, a countdown, and a monster hunting him through the trees.

  He had to move—fast.

  Status Window – Name: Max Elion [Level 5] Race [Human]

  Vitality: 16

  Endurance: 15

  Strength: 13

  Intelligence: 22

  Wisdom: 28

  HP: 9 / 210

  Mana: 20 / 200

  Weapon: SpiteFang ( Rare)

  Condition: Bleeding (Minor) Bruising ( Major)

  Max grimaced. Nine HP. One solid hit and he was finished.

  A deep growl echoed from above, low and rolling like thunder in a hollow chest. Leaves rustled. Branches cracked. The Beast was coming for him.

  Max dismissed the HUD with a blink just as a massive shadow dropped from the treeline. The impact shook the ground, sending a shockwave of dust and loose stones in every direction.

  The Beast landed on all fours—eight feet of muscle and bone armor, eyes glowing with that sickly orange light. Its massive claws dragged gouges into the earth as it rose to its full height and let out a sound halfway between a roar and a rattling engine.

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  [The Beast – Forest Guardian – Level ??]

  Status: Enraged – Damage Output +25%, Movement Speed Increased

  Max didn’t wait for the charge. Not knowing the monsters’ level was a major problem, one Max couldn’t do anything about now. His inspection only showing ??s means The Beast is at least level 10 and the difference in stats while not significant, is no little matter. At his current level that is at least 15 more stat points than he had, assuming monsters leveled up the same as humans and didn’t get any boost from the new system.

  He dodged sideways, just as the creature lunged with a howl, smashing through a boulder he’d been leaning against moments earlier. Debris flew like shrapnel. His sword was already in hand—unbalanced, chipped—but it was all he had. He swung hard at the creature but was too slow with the beast having already jumped back and starting in on his next attack.

  He ducked low and rolled under the swipe, his vision flashing red as a claw clipped his shoulder. HP dropped to 4. The pain was immense, a fire raging through his muscles. He had no choice but to ignore the injury for now.

  [You are now below 5% health – Critical Condition!]

  No time. No backup. One shot.

  He planted his foot and spun, driving the cracked blade toward The Beast’s exposed flank. The hit connected—but barely. The blade glanced off with a shower of sparks, barely scoring the creature’s hide.

  “Of course,” Max hissed, breath ragged. “What is this thing made out of”

  “System enhanced bullshit if you ask me” Max thought as he dodged another attack.

  The Beast turned, slow and deliberate, and snarled.

  Max backed away, eyes darting across the terrain. The cliff. The loose stone lining the walls. He didn’t need to overpower this thing. Not in a fair fight. An idea formed in his head.

  Now he just needed to figure out how to lure the creature close enough to the cliff for his plan to work and not take any damage in the meantime.

  The Beast roared and lunged, jaws snapping inches from his face. Max ducked just in time, dirt and hot breath washing over him as the creature barreled past. He skidded across the ground, hand flashing up as he focused every ounce of his remaining mana.

  Max didn’t know what would happen if he used his entire mana pool and decided he didn’t have time to worry about it.

  “Fireball!”

  The spell flared to life in his palm—small, flickering, and unstable. Max hurled it not at the creature, but at the cliff face above.

  The fireball struck high, exploding in a burst of flame and concussive heat. The cliff groaned—and then rumbled.

  A cascade of stone and debris crashed down in an avalanche of sound. Dust and boulders swallowed The Beast, slamming into its back and shoulders. It shrieked, pinned for a heartbeat too long.

  Max didn’t hesitate.

  He charged, both hands on the hilt of Spitefang and leapt. With a scream and the last of his strength, he drove the blade down between its eyes. The metal split bone with a jolt that nearly broke his wrists. The Beast twitched once—then went still.

  [Quest Complete: Kill The Beast in the Forest]

  +5 Genesis Crystals

  Tutorial Store Unlocked

  Inner Tutorial Island Access Granted

  EXP Gained

  Max dropped to his knees beside the creature’s still form, chest heaving, knuckles white around the sword hilt.

  The dust settled. The forest fell silent.

  And for the first time since waking here, Max had a moment to breathe.

  His gaze drifted upward toward the broken cliff where he’d fallen. How the hell did he end up here? Why him?

  He didn’t know.

  But as he stared at the blood on his hands and the fading glow of the System window, he realized this wasn’t a dream. This wasn’t a game.

  This was real.

  And it was only the beginning.