The forest was silent again, too silent as if nature itself was holding its breath after the small massacre that had just occurred, I sat on the ground leaning against a large tree trunk. 

The blood on my hands was starting to dry, my arms were stinging. My stomach still burned from Kevin's sword cut, and for the first time since coming to this world, I had time to think.

I had just killed three people, three people I knew, three classmates or at least former friends. I stared at my hands for a long moment. It was strange, I expected to feel worse, guiltier, more shaken, but instead I felt... calm.

Not because I'm a psychopath, at least hopefully not yet, but because the situation is so simple. They wanted to kill me, but I killed them first—simply survival. This world is surprisingly efficient at erasing moral gray areas, I chuckled.

“My adaptation was too fast.”

It's a bit worrying but I'll think about it later, the priority now is to survive, I opened the status.

Name: Raka

Class: One Tree Trunk

Level: 7

Attribute:

Strength: increased

Agility: increased

Vitality: increased

Where: increased

Skill:

Devour Root

Ember Slash

Minor Mana Sense

Weapon:

Thorny Branches

I looked at the new skill.

Ember Slash.

Information automatically appears.

Ember Slash

Infuse fire element into the weapon and increase the damage of the next attack.

Short cooldown.

I nodded Kevin's skill or at least the copied version so Devour Root not only absorbs stats sometimes skills too, the more absurd the more I like it. 

This class is truly like a machine, the more I kill, the stronger I grow. Simple, efficient, highly addictive, and dangerous.

I closed the status then looked around the dark fog was getting thicker and now the next problem appeared: I was alone in the monster forest without food, without a map, without friends although the last one wasn't much of a loss.

I stood slowly, my body still sore but manageable. Minor Mana Sense allowed me to faintly sense the energy currents, life and danger, still very rough but useful. 

I focused on several energy points around me, sensing quite a few monsters, which was very interesting. Previously, this information would have made me panic. Now? I actually felt the possibility of an unhealthy but effective mindset.

My stomach growled. Oh well, biological problems, I needed food, and the nearest monster might be the solution, and farming would be a multitasking activity. 

I walked slowly, following the nearest mana flow. The night forest was far more terrifying when alone, with the sounds of insects, moving leaves, and the occasional snapping twig. The fog also made visibility poor, making it a perfect beginner's nightmare.

A few minutes' walk later, I arrived at a small area near a stream with clear water. It was quite pleasant, and near the stream were two small monsters drinking, resembling rabbits if they had evolved with evil intentions. Black fur, long fangs, red eyes, an unnecessarily hostile look.

A notification appears.

Night Hare Lv.3

Level 3? Okay. Still manageable, I grinned.

“Hello dinner.”

One of the Night Hares looked up at me and attacked without a word, a feat I appreciated. The first monster leaped quickly, and I activated Ember Slash, heating up the Thorny Branch, a small flame appearing at the tip, and then I slashed.

SHRAK.

The attack hit the small fire monster's body, setting its fur ablaze. The Night Hare screamed and fell to its death. Wow, that was effective, I nodded in satisfaction.

"Reasonable."

The second monster seemed smarter, it ran away, but I didn't let it. I chased after it, my agility was much better now, I closed the distance quickly, stabbing, killing confirmed two monsters twice, absorbing, roots coming out automatically, energy entering.

A notification appears.

EXP gained.

Level 8 reached.

Agility +1

Dexterity +1

It's so good, I'm starting to unhealthy love this routine of killing, absorbing, growing, repeating. Life is simple and I'm staring at two dead monsters. 

The important question: is it safe to eat? I stared at the demon-eyed rabbit monster for a long time. Hmm, edibility is low but hunger is stronger, I sighed.

“If he died of poisoning after surviving an assassination attempt, it would be very ironic.”

I started a small fire using Ember Slash, the unlocked utility is very good. A few minutes later, the monster meat was burning on the stalk. The aroma... quite good, not bad. I tasted a little, but it was quite good.

The fantasy monster cuisine was quite delicious, I ate while sitting near the river the night sky was getting darker the cold was increasing.

For the first time since coming to this world, I was truly alone—no human voices, no classroom noise, no one calling my name—just me and the forest. It was strange, but not bad, in fact, it was more honest. At least in this world, the strong live and the weak die, there wasn't much pretense.

I finished eating and drinking from the river then leaned against the Thorny Branch rock I held my eyes slowly closing, I have to sleep for a few hours tomorrow I will start to understand this world looking for a way out or maybe not. 

Because one thing was now very clear: if I returned to being a human too soon, I would only be hunted again. No, not yet. I needed to get stronger, much stronger, strong enough to make everyone think twice before touching me. My eyes were almost completely closed when a new notification appeared.

Quest Triggered.

Survive for 7 days in the Forbidden Forest

Reward:

Unknown

Penalty:

Death 

I stared at the screen for a few seconds and then chuckled.

"Of course."

Why not? Welcome to the exciting adventure mode, I leaned my head against the rock, a faint smile appearing. Seven days? Alright, let's see who gives up first, me or this forest.

[END CHAPTER 5]

Morning came mercilessly, I woke up to something licking my face, my reflexes immediately activated, my eyes opened, my body moved before my mind. I grabbed a Thorny Branch and stabbed forward.

SRAK!

The small, furry, gray creature screamed and was thrown. I sat up, breathing heavily, my adrenaline pumping as it fell a few meters away from me. It looked like a squirrel when it decides life isn't exciting enough and grows more fangs.

A notification appears.

Stone Squirrel Lv.2

Status: dying

I looked at him he was still moving a little, I sighed.

“Morning too.”

I ended his suffering with a second stab, killing the confirmed root coming out automatically absorbing.

Notification:

EXP gained.

Strength +1

I'm getting used to this, too fast but a little worrying but there's no time for deep moral reflection. 

My stomach is rumbling again. Seriously? This body is now like a calorie-burning machine. Maybe it's the effects of stat growth or stress, or both. 

I stood up and stretched. The wounds from last night were much better, and the increased vitality had definitely helped. Okay, I'll take another look at the quest.

Quest:

Survive 7 days in the Forbidden Forest

Day 1/7

It was a fantastic first day, and I looked around. The morning mist was still thin, and a small river flowed quietly. This area was safe for a while, but I couldn't stay there for long. Predators usually follow water sources, and I wasn't interested in becoming their menu yet, so I started walking along with the river's current.

Today's goal is simple:

Search for resources

Level up

Not dead

Reasonable goals. 

As I walked, I tried to deepen my understanding of Minor Mana Sense. I focused on it and closed my eyes for a moment. A faint sensation appeared, like a small wave of energy spreading around me. 

There's a small bright spot of low-level monsters, and a larger one further north. Hmm, there's a good chance of trouble. I opt to evade the south, which is a bit safer.

The next few hours were spent hunting monsters and surprisingly I was quite talented or rather my class was too cheaty. 

Low-level monsters are truly free experience: Gray Fang, Night Hare, Stone Squirrel, and sometimes the odd, overly aggressive bird. All provide small stats, though little by little, but they add up over time.

Notifications appear periodically.

Level 9 reached.

Agility +1

Dexterity +1

Level 10 reached.

Milestone reward unlocked.

I stopped.

“Oh?”

Auto open status.

LEVEL 10 REWARD

Skill unlocked:

Root Snare

Nice new skill, I immediately read the info.

Root Snare

Conjures roots from the ground to restrain the target for a few seconds.

Duration depends on level and power difference, low mana usage.

I smiled broadly. Crowd control? That's great, finally having a more tactical use isn't so bad. Thorny Branch also seems to have changed a bit again, the thorns are longer, the stem is darker, a small evolution but it's nice to see. 

As midday approached, I discovered something interesting: human footprints. I immediately focused on them. The tracks were fresh, not many, perhaps one or two people. It was very interesting.

Classmates or locals or people who want to kill me in a different way? Unknown, I followed the trail slowly in stealth mode. 

A few minutes later, I finally heard human voices. I hid behind a bush and peeked at two people, not classmates. They were wearing leather armor, short swords, and travel bags, looking like adventurers or hunters. They were talking.

“The trail leads this way.”

“There are really humans in the depths of the forest?”

"He said young people."

I narrowed my eyes, wait, talking about me? Oh good, I'm famous, one of them sighed.

"If he's still alive, the reward is quite substantial."

Amazingly I leaned back slowly thinking about the situation, so information about my whereabouts had spread whether from last night's survivors or other factors. 

This meant I wasn't the only one hunting; now I was the one being hunted, which was incredibly enjoyable. The two hunters began to move closer to me. I readied my Thorny Branch as one of them almost passed me, and I activated a new skill.

Root Snare.

Roots came out of the ground very quickly wrapping around the first hunter's legs.

"What?!"

He fell, his friend immediately panicked.

“Cursed!”

I came out of the bushes and stabbed the first hunter in the shoulder, before he could get up the man shouted then his friend attacked with a sword that was neater than Kevin and more trained, I held it back.

CLANG.

The impact was quite strong. Okay, not an amateur, that's interesting. He quickly slashed twice, and I stepped back to avoid it. The Thorn Branch's counterattack grazed his cheek, blood flowing. The man stepped back, his expression immediately changing.

“Are you that target?”

I smiled a little.

“I'm so popular today.”

He gritted his teeth.

“Surrender.”

"No."

After negotiations were over, he attacked again, but the first hunter was still tied up in the roots. I took advantage of the poor position and moved sideways, stabbing the bound target in the neck. 

A quick, clean kill, and the Devour Root's active human energy coming in wasn't bad. The second Hunter saw that and immediately made the smartest decision of the day: flee. 

Oh, the cowardly attitude with the highly underrated survival skills, I almost gave chase but stopped, let him bring information and maybe that fear is very useful, I stared at the hunter's corpse.

A notification appears.

Human slain.

Strength +2

Vitality +1

EXP gained.

Level 11 reached.

I smiled faintly. Great, the first day was only halfway through and I was already:

Farming monster

Kill the hunter

So be a bounty target

Very productive, I peered deeper into the forest if outsiders started to enter, then this forest was not just a wasted place but there was something here, something important enough for people to dare enter. It was interesting that I turned the Thorny Branch in my hand.

"Okay."

Then the new target increases not only to survive, I want to know the secrets of this place and if necessary take everything.

[END CHAPTER 6]

I checked the body of the hunter I just killed, ordinary leather armor, a small knife, rope, a water bottle, some dry food and most interestingly a crumpled paper. 

I unfolded it, revealing a rough map of the forest area with several red crosses and a large circle in the innermost area. The target location? Very interesting, and I took a closer look at the small writing at the bottom.

Core Zone — No Entry

I chuckled.

"If it's written that it's prohibited, that's usually the main goal."

Universal rule of fantasy stories, I put the map in the loot bag, of course it is very useful, hunter items are also quite helpful.

I now have:

Knife

Water bottle

small bag

Few rations

Increase the storage a lot I really like, after making sure there is nothing useful anymore I continue the journey, the new target is clear towards the core zone. 

If many people are searching there, it means the potential for a big reward and the risk are also high. As I walked deeper, the trees began to change; their trunks grew larger, the leaves darker, and the roots protruded like giant snakes, and the fog grew thicker. 

Minor Mana Sense gave me an uncomfortable sensation the energy in this area was much denser, wilder like the forest itself was actually alive it wasn't impossible, I sighed.

"Okay."

“Hopefully no trees will suddenly start talking.”

I had just finished speaking when the stalk in my hand gave a small throb, I stared at the Thorny Branch.

“…I’m not giving ideas.” Please don’t. 

A few minutes later, I heard a rumbling sound in the distance. I immediately stopped, my footsteps heavy, very heavy. The ground shook slightly, not ideal. I crouched down and focused. 

Mana Sense caught something, a very large dot approaching. Okay, time to hide, I quickly climbed up a large root and hid behind a tree trunk. 

A few seconds later something appeared and I immediately understood why this area was called forbidden. 

The monster was almost three meters tall, a gorilla-like body, stone gray skin, large arms, short horns, glowing yellow eyes, it seemed like evolution had forgotten the ordinary.

A notification appears.

Stoneback Ape Lv.18

Danger: High

I stared at the number.

"Eighteen?"

I'm now level 11, the difference is too great, it doesn't make sense at all. A stone gorilla walks through the area carrying something, and I squint, and it turns out to be a human bone. 

Ah what a good variety of food to know, I held my breath until the monster was gone for a few very long minutes, once its steps were away from me then I slowly got down.

"Notes."

"Don't mess with the rock gorilla."

With the knowledge gained, I chose a much safer detour or at least one that wouldn't lead directly to suicide. 

The sun was starting to set in the late afternoon and that's when I discovered something else, namely the Ruins. 

I stopped in the middle of a dense forest hidden behind roots and moss was an ancient, half-ruined stone building, cracked pillars and stairs leading down to the underground.

It was very interesting to increase the level drastically, I approached slowly Minor Mana Sense immediately reacted very strongly large energy came from below. 

Oh, Jackpot? Maybe.

Death trap? High probability

I stood in front of the stairs thinking rationally: going into a mysterious dungeon alone was a bad idea. 

In terms of fantasy protagonist development: of course I'm in. 

I descended the stairs, the air turning cold, damp, and dark. I activated Ember Slash a bit, but the small flame at the end of the Thorny Branch was enough to help. 

The stone corridor stretched out, the walls filled with strange symbols in an unknown language or perhaps too old, I walked carefully, the sound of my footsteps echoing.

After a few minutes, the corridor opened into a circular room, with a stone altar in the center. Atop it lay a small, simple, minimalist, and suspicious black box. 

The mana from it was very strong. I slowly approached, but no traps were visible. This meant there was definitely a trap. I used Root Snare around the altar. The roots touched the floor, but there was no reaction. 

Hmm, Maybe it's safe? I reached out as my finger almost touched the notification box that appeared.

Hidden Trial Detected.

Condition:

Defeat guardian.

I closed my eyes for a moment.

"Of course."

It won't be that easy, a cracking sound was heard.

CRACK.

I turned to see the stone statue in the corner of the room begin to move, its eyes glowing red. Oh come on, the Guardian trope activated. The statue stood fully humanoid, with stone armor and a large sword.

A notification appears.

Ancient Stone Guardian Lv.14

I looked at him, Level 14? Still higher, but not as bad as the gorilla earlier, maybe it could still be handled. 

The guardian raised his sword, a heavy aura filling the room. I gripped the Thorny Branch and took a breath. Alright, first Dungeon, first boss fight, mysterious reward, very much in keeping with the genre. I smiled faintly.

“Let's see.”

"Is the box a corresponding trauma?"

Guardian attacks. 

The fight begins.

[END CHAPTER 7]