I barely had time to brace myself before the Bloodfang Stalker launched itself at me.
Its jaws snapped inches from my face as I swung my sword in desperation, catching the side of its neck.
The beast howled in pain but didn't slow down.
It circled me, its glowing red eyes full of murderous intent.
I could feel my pulse quickening, the heat rising in my body as adrenaline surged.
This thing wasn't going to let up.
Every time I thought I had a moment to breathe, it darted in again, its claws swiping at my legs and forcing me to stumble backward. It was testing me, looking for a weakness.
I gritted my teeth. The system might have ranked it as a "high threat," but I wasn't going down without a fight.
"Come on, you overgrown rat," I muttered under my breath, trying to keep my focus sharp. My sword felt heavy in my hand, but I couldn't afford to show weakness now. One wrong move, and I was finished.
The Bloodfang lunged again, its fangs flashing in the dim light.
I sidestepped, bringing my sword down hard on its flank. This time, I felt the blade sink in deep, and the beast let out a guttural growl as it staggered to the side.
[Combat Skill Activated: Combat Basics (Rank E).]
My movements suddenly felt smoother, more instinctive.
The system's skill was kicking in, guiding my body through the motions as if I'd trained for years.
I pressed the advantage, stepping in close and delivering another strike across its exposed side.
The Bloodfang barked its red eyes flashing with fury as it spun around, lashing out with its claws.
The blow caught me in the shoulder, knocking me to the ground.
I gasped as pain shot through my arm. My armor had taken the brunt of the hit, but the force was still enough to rattle my bones.
I scrambled back to my feet, my vision swimming for a moment as the Bloodfang advanced on me, its jaws dripping with saliva.
I couldn't let it end like this.
With a roar, I charged forward, plunging my sword straight into the creature's chest.
There was a sickening crack as the blade pierced through bone, and the Bloodfang's eyes widened in shock before the light in them slowly faded.
It let out one last breath before collapsing to the ground in a heap.
I stood there, panting, my sword still embedded in the monster's body.
My legs were shaking, and my arm throbbed from the blow, but I had done it. The Bloodfang Stalker was dead.
[Kill confirmed: Bloodfang Stalker defeated. 2/3 apprentice-level monsters killed.]
I collapsed against a tree, wiping the sweat from my brow as the system notification flickered in front of me.
Two down, one to go. The reward was within reach, but I wasn't sure how much more I could take.
My entire body ached, and I could feel the blood seeping through my armor from where the creature's claws had caught me.
"System," I rasped, "how much longer until the edge of this cursed forest?"
[Estimated distance: 4 miles.]
[Time remaining: 15 hours.]
Four miles. That didn't sound too bad, if I wasn't bleeding and exhausted.
I glanced at the sun's position in the sky, realizing I had most of the day left, but nightfall would come quickly in this dense forest. The system had given me a deadline of 24 hours, and I had already burned through a chunk of that.
I forced myself up, wincing as pain shot through my shoulder.
I needed to keep moving, but first, I had to patch myself up.
My healing ointment was gone, used up in the earlier fight, but I still had a few rations and water left. They wouldn't heal my wounds, but they'd keep me going for now.
As I bandaged my shoulder as best as I could, I couldn't help but reflect on how far I had come.
Just a day ago, I was barely able to handle a wolf.
Now I had taken down a Bloodfang Stalker, an apprentice-level monster that would have torn me apart if I hadn't leveled up.
The system had pushed me, and though I hated its brutal methods, it had forced me to become stronger.
But was it enough?
…
The hours passed as I trudged through the forest, the oppressive weight of the trees pressing in from all sides.
Every sound felt magnified, the crunch of leaves beneath my boots, the distant calls of creatures lurking just out of sight.
I knew another fight was coming. With my luck, I knew I wouldn't get through this place without facing one more challenge.
As the day wore on, I stumbled upon a small stream trickling through the trees.
I knelt by the water's edge, splashing my face and drinking deeply.
The cool water did wonders for my spirit, refreshing me after hours of walking. I felt a bit more alive, but my injuries were still dragging me down.
[Time remaining: 10 hours.]
I sighed, looking at the darkening sky. I needed to find shelter soon, preferably a place where I wouldn't get ambushed by another Bloodfang or worse.
As I scanned the area, my eyes caught sight of something unusual in the distance.
A stone structure, half-covered by vines and moss, nestled between the trees. It looked ancient, like a shrine or temple that had been abandoned long ago.
"Well, that looks promising," I muttered, heading toward it.
The stone temple was in worse shape up close. Its walls were crumbling, and the roof had caved in long ago, but it still felt... safe.
I stepped inside, sword ready, just in case.
The air was cool, and there was no sign of monsters, at least, not yet. I found a corner near the entrance where the walls were still intact and set my pack down.
"Finally, a place to rest."
As I leaned against the wall, the familiar hum of the system rang in my ears.
[New system task: Defeat the temple guardian.]
[Reward: Weapon Enhancement Scroll.]
I groaned, slumping against the wall. "Temple guardian? Seriously?"
Of course, I knew I wasn't about to catch a break. I had not even been here five minutes, and already encountered another monster.
I could feel my body protesting, my arms, legs, and shoulders were still aching, but I knew there was no point in complaining.
Before I could gather my thoughts, a deep rumble echoed through the temple.
The ground beneath my feet trembled, and I could hear the unmistakable sound of stone scraping against stone.
I glanced up just in time to see a figure emerging from the shadows at the far end of the temple.
It was huge, a hulking creature made of stone and vines, with glowing blue eyes set deep in its rocky face. Its arms were thick as tree trunks, and every step it took shook the ground.
[Enemy detected: Stone Guardian.]
[Threat level: Very High.]
I swallowed hard, gripping my sword tightly. This wasn't going to be easy.
The Stone Guardian lumbered toward me, its massive fists dragging along the floor.
I could feel the weight of the fight ahead pressing down on me, but I wasn't going to run. Not now.
"Alright, big guy," I said, my voice barely more than a whisper. "Try me."