The cold, hard tree welcomed my body. My head spun, my back cracked, and I almost lost consciousness. The sheer strength that the monster possessed was overwhelming.
Perhaps because of my high defensive stats, I managed to stand again, right before the ridiculously powerful Ratabo could slam into me once more. What was once fear of the monster was now replaced with a rush of adrenaline pumping through my veins.
I quickly activated Space Distortion and dodged to the left. The massive body of the monster slammed into the tree. I took this chance to unleash my Kinetic Slash.
The black crescent moon attack flew toward the monster's neck, leaving a deep, ugly cut. Blood splattered, and I saw the monster sway for a second. I knew I had to strike it down now or I might never get another chance.
I'll take a gamble!
Spinning my scythe in circles, I used Space Distortion to dash through the monster, leaving its headless body to hit the ground.
"Haaa... Haaa..."
I could barely catch my breath, but my face was full of smiles.
"My first kill! Hell yeah!"
-You have slain rare monster Ratabo-
-Congratulations, you have acquired a new achievement-
-First Kill- Slay 1 enemy-
-2 skill points have been granted-
-Congratulations, you have acquired a new achievement-
-Fighting Above Your Level - kill an enemy above your current level-
-4 skill points have been granted-
-Congratulations, you have acquired a new achievement-
-First Rare Monster Kill - Kill a rare monster-
-3 skill points have been granted-
-Your experience has increased by 50%-
-You may now use Soul Harvest-
Wow, so many skill points! I didn't expect to gain so much experience right away. Maybe it's because I killed a rare monster?
I felt overjoyed. I mean, who wouldn't? I wonder how other people are doing in this world and how many of them there are. I have a feeling not everyone I meet will have kind intentions.
I couldn't help but remember that ugly bastard who tried to boss me around before. I hope he's still alive so I can punch him again someday, just to release some tension.
I wonder why the corpse is still here. Shouldn't it have disappeared by now?
Inspect!
I used my Inspect skill on the corpse to see if there was any new information.
-Corpse of Ratabo. Low-grade material. Can be skinned manually.-
What does it mean it can be skinned manually?
I was confused. Wouldn't the loot normally drop on the ground where you could pick up whatever items the game system set?
"System help."
-Welcome to Customer Service, Lee Gaon. How may we serve you today?-
"I wish to know why this monster isn't disappearing, and what does it mean that it can be skinned manually?"
-All monsters in this world have real flesh and blood. After slaying a monster, you can skin it or butcher it however you prefer. This world is no different from your old world.-
Gag
My insides rolled, and I felt nauseous. Did I kill a real creature? I've never even killed a mouse in my life. What the hell?!
I could feel my hands shaking, and I almost fell to the ground. The cruel reality of this world finally caught up with me, and I felt conflicted. I had imagined that only other human players would be made of flesh and blood, but to think all creatures here are alive...
A sudden message snapped me out of my depressed state.
-You have 30 seconds left to use Soul Harvest-
Should I really harvest that soul? It was alive, an actual living being... I...
Growl
I guess my stomach made the final decision, as I remembered the most important detail about my Role: I must consume the souls of monsters to survive. I didn't want to, but I had no other choice.
"I'm sorry, big fella. May you rest in peace now..."
Soul Harvest.
A spectral ball of light left the Ratabo's body and flew into my mouth. But what shocked me was not the process—it was the flavor of the soul. The taste was otherworldly. Juicy and tender, it felt like the most expensive pork in the world.
"So delicious!"
I couldn't help but exclaim. Even if only for a second, the flavor had me hooked.
For some reason, I no longer feel so bad about killing that creature.
I laughed.
Maybe I should hunt more. I feel hungry.
I looked again at the corpse and contemplated for a minute on what to do with it.
I could try to use my scythe to butcher it, but I have nowhere to store it. I wonder if there's a storage skill in this game?
"Hey system, is there a storage skill in this game?"
-Storage skill may be obtained by basic Role abilities, achievements, or learned as you level up-
"What kind of achievement gives me storage skill?"
-Your question exceeds your access level-
What a pity.
I figured it wouldn't be so easy to get information from the system, but it was worth a shot.
I wonder...
My gaze fell on the nearby monster again.
Maybe if I butcher it first and have nowhere to store my items, it will count as some sort of achievement.
Just as I was about to step forward, a pack of howls came from a distance. Six wolf-like creatures crawled out of the thick woods. However, they looked different from wolves. Their sharp fangs were completely sky blue, and their fur was green, unlike anything I'd seen before. But what stood out the most was a pair of sky-blue horns on their foreheads and scales on their nose bridges. And those golden eyes gave an enchanting feeling.
Our eyes met, and I froze. I slowly backed away as the pack of monsters surrounded my Ratabo.
Inspect.
-Green Frost Wolf. Level 1. Agile and fast predator. Always moves in packs.-
Crap... There are too many of them. Should I just try to back off and let these wolves have my prey?
I was outnumbered, slightly scared, and unsure if I would make it out alive. I wanted to protect the Ratabo I killed, but in this situation, I had to be rational, so I backed away slowly, wanting to leave.
However, that didn't go according to plan. The Green Frost Wolves dashed toward me and cut off my escape path. I was blocked. It appeared they wouldn't let me go without a fight.
"Listen, you all, I wanted to leave you this Ratabo and leave peacefully, but if you want a fight, I'll give you one!"
I shouted at the wolves and summoned my weapon. The golden blade of the scythe shone brightly. My battle spirit rose, and I was ready to make my move.
There were six of them. If I managed to take out one or two in the first move, I might be able to win this.
I was encircled, and I used this to my advantage. Activating my Space Distortion, I dashed to the closest wolf on my right. It only took a second to close the two-meter distance, as my sharp scythe took the first head of the pack.
Five left!
-You have slain a common monster: Level 1 Green Frost Wolf-
-Your experience has increased by 10%-
Perhaps because they could sense the danger coming from me, or maybe because their comrade died, the wolves instantly dashed toward me together, as if they were a coordinated, military-trained troop. I kept my Space Distortion skill active, stepping to the left side.
This skill is truly amazing! It lets me move instantaneously and pass through objects.
I used my Kinetic Slash to attack the pack of monsters at the same moment they landed on the ground. Two of them fell...
Three left!
-You have slain a common monster: Level 1 Green Frost Wolf-
-Your experience has increased by 10%-
-You have slain a common monster: Level 1 Green Frost Wolf-
-Your experience has increased by 10%-
Around seven seconds had passed since I started using my Space Distortion.
I should have 47 mana left if my calculations are right... I must stop using Space Distortion.
I was forced to cancel my skill, and now I was left with only one attack and one defense skill to rely on.
The monsters noticed the change quickly. They looked even more ferocious. Their teeth were so tightly clenched that it looked like they could break at any moment.
I held my scythe as tightly as I could. The three remaining wolves cautiously surrounded me but didn't attack. Around five seconds passed in this stalemate before one of the wolves broke it and dashed toward me, aiming for my legs. The other two wolves soon followed with their attacks as well.
One of them leaped into the sky to attack my neck from behind, while the last one stood in place, its horns shining brightly, which soon produced an ice-cold beam that shot toward my chest.
I had to think fast. I knew I couldn't dodge their sudden attacks, so I chose to use my Space Distortion to make the first wolf miss my legs and block the second and third attacks with my Kinetic Shield. But what I didn't expect was for the wolf I dodged to quickly jump at me again.
I felt the icy embrace of fangs wrapping around my left leg as it went completely numb from the pain and cold that I believe was the special skill of the wolf's fangs.
The sudden rush of adrenaline numbed the pain a little, but I couldn't help but scream in agony.
Immense rage overtook me as I used my scythe to end my attacker's life. As its body fell to the ground, the wolf's head was still clamped onto my leg, teeth deep in my skin. I was left with only one leg to use for the time being.
For the first time in my life, I'd been hurt this badly. Not even in my wildest imagination did I ever believe that one day I would have to fight to survive.
Two left!
-You have slain a common monster: Level 1 Green Frost Wolf-
-Your experience has increased by 10%-