The first rays of sunlight filtered through the dense canopy of Whispering Pines, casting golden streaks over the village. Kazuya stretched as he stepped outside his temporary hut, taking a deep breath of the crisp morning air. After the festivities of the previous night, the village was quieter than usual, though a few early risers were already bustling about.
Today, however, was different.
"Kazuya!" Lyriana called out, striding toward him with a bow slung over her shoulder. "Are you ready?"
"Ready for what?" Kazuya asked, confused.
She smirked. "Exploration. You didn't think you'd stay cooped up here forever, did you? The elder wants us to scout the outer reaches of the forest. There's been... unusual activity reported."
Kazuya frowned. "Unusual how?"
"Tracks," she explained. "Massive ones. Too large for any known creatures in these parts. The elder thinks it might be a stray beast from the northern mountains, but we can't be sure."
His heart quickened. He'd faced danger before, but the thought of encountering a creature unlike anything he'd seen intrigued and worried him in equal measure.
"Alright," he said, nodding. "Let's do it."
Lyriana tossed him a satchel filled with provisions. "Good. Let's see if you're as quick on your feet out there as you were on the dance floor."
---
They left the village shortly after, moving through the forest with practiced ease. Lyriana led the way, her sharp eyes scanning their surroundings. Kazuya followed, his senses heightened as he tried to take in every detail of the forest.
The further they ventured, the quieter it became. The cheerful chirping of birds and rustling of leaves that had filled the air near the village gradually gave way to an eerie stillness.
"We're close," Lyriana whispered, motioning for Kazuya to follow her behind a large tree.
Kazuya crouched beside her, peering through the undergrowth. In the clearing ahead, the ground was torn up, deep gouges marking the earth. Broken branches littered the area, and faint wisps of smoke rose from scorched patches of grass.
"What could have done this?" Kazuya asked in a low voice.
Lyriana shook her head. "I don't know. But whatever it was, it's not natural."
She pointed to a set of tracks leading away from the clearing. The footprints were enormous, each one at least twice the size of a human, with sharp, claw-like indentations.
"Those don't look like they belong to anything friendly," Kazuya muttered.
"They don't," Lyriana agreed. "Stay close. We'll follow the trail, but if we run into trouble, don't do anything reckless."
Kazuya nodded, though he couldn't help but feel a mix of anticipation and unease.
---
As they followed the tracks deeper into the forest, the terrain grew rougher. The trees were thicker here, their twisted roots jutting out of the ground like gnarled fingers. A faint, acrid smell hung in the air, growing stronger with each step.
"Do you smell that?" Kazuya asked.
Lyriana nodded, her expression grim. "It's sulfur. Something's definitely not right here."
Suddenly, a low growl echoed through the trees, freezing them in their tracks. Kazuya's heart raced as he turned toward the source of the sound.
From the shadows emerged a massive creature, unlike anything he'd seen before. Its body was covered in blackened scales, and its glowing red eyes burned with malevolent intelligence. Smoke curled from its nostrils as it bared rows of sharp teeth, letting out another guttural growl.
"What is that?" Kazuya asked, his voice barely above a whisper.
"A Shadow Drakkar," Lyriana said, her voice tense. "I didn't think they'd come this far south. It must have been driven from its territory."
The creature's gaze locked onto them, and it let out a deafening roar.
"Move!" Lyriana shouted, grabbing Kazuya's arm and pulling him behind a tree just as the Drakkar lunged.
The ground shook as the creature's claws tore into the earth where they'd been standing moments before.
---
Kazuya's stats board appeared in his vision, lighting up as his adrenaline surged.
Kazuya Hiyotoshi
HP: Infinite
MP: Infinite
Strength: Infinite
Speed: Infinite
Durability: Infinite
Abilities: Flight, Dash, Autoheal, Heal Others
"Stats are great, but what do I even do against this thing?" Kazuya muttered, peeking out from behind the tree.
"Stay focused!" Lyriana snapped, not noticing his stats. She nocked an arrow and fired at the Drakkar, the projectile embedding itself in the creature's thick hide. It roared in anger, turning its attention toward her.
Kazuya clenched his fists. This was his chance to prove himself, to protect someone who had trusted him. Without thinking, he activated Dash, propelling himself forward with blinding speed.
To his surprise, time seemed to slow around him as he moved. He closed the distance between himself and the Drakkar in an instant, landing a powerful punch squarely on its jaw. The force of the blow sent the creature stumbling backward, its roar turning into a pained growl.
Lyriana stared at him, wide-eyed. "What… was that?"
"Uh, lucky punch?" Kazuya offered, though he knew she wasn't buying it.
The Drakkar recovered quickly, its eyes glowing brighter as it charged at him. Kazuya jumped into the air, activating Flight to stay out of reach. From above, he could see the creature's movements more clearly, its massive form crashing through trees as it tried to reach him.
"Kazuya!" Lyriana shouted. "The weak spot is its chest, just below the scales!"
Kazuya nodded, diving toward the creature with incredible speed. The Drakkar reared back, swiping at him with its massive claws, but he dodged effortlessly, landing another blow directly on its weak spot.
A loud crack echoed through the forest as the Drakkar let out a final, pained roar before collapsing to the ground.
---
Kazuya landed beside Lyriana, who was still staring at him in disbelief.
"What?" he asked, brushing dirt off his clothes.
"You're not human, are you?" she said, her voice tinged with both awe and suspicion.
"I… it's complicated," Kazuya admitted.
Lyriana studied him for a moment before sighing. "You've got a lot of explaining to do. But for now, let's get back to the village. The elder needs to hear about this."
Kazuya nodded, though he couldn't shake the feeling that this encounter was only the beginning of something much larger. As they began their journey back, he glanced over his shoulder at the fallen Drakkar, a strange sense of unease settling over him.
Whatever had driven the creature here, it wasn't natural. And deep down, Kazuya knew that his role in this world was far from over.