Max stood frozen, the beast's guttural growls echoing in his ears as the power of the Combat Mode surged through him. His heart pounded in his chest, his hands shaking as the countdown in his mind ticked away. 40 seconds.
Just 40 seconds. The reality of the situation hit him harder than the beast's breath. He was no fighter—just a normal guy who barely survived life in the real world. And now, here he was, facing a beast that could tear him apart with a single swipe of its claws. The fear was suffocating, but the system's mechanical voice reverberated in his mind, keeping him grounded.
"Combat Mode activated. 40 seconds remaining."
He could feel the surge of power coursing through his veins. His muscles were tense, his mind racing to catch up with his body's new abilities. But despite the boost, Max was still terrified. He wasn't a warrior, not even close. How could a normal guy like him fight something like this?
The beast, sensing Max's hesitation, lifted itself onto its hind legs. Its fur bristled, its eyes glinting with murderous intent. A bloodthirsty snarl ripped from its throat as it charged forward with terrifying speed. 34 seconds left.
Max's heart skipped a beat. Panic gripped him, but he forced himself to focus, even as his legs trembled beneath him. He couldn't think. He could only react.
The beast lunged, its claws slashing toward him. The golden barrier of Combat Mode flared to life, pushing the creature back with an invisible force. The wolf collided with the barrier, its body bouncing off with a yelping screech. It was furious, its eyes burning with a primal rage. The beast had been injured, but it wasn't giving up.
Max's breath hitched. 30 seconds left.
25 seconds.
The beast, enraged by the barrier, let out a deep, bone-shaking growl, then reared back. Its muscles coiled, ready to strike again. Max's mind scrambled, his pulse racing.
"What the hell am I supposed to do?" he thought, almost pleading with the system.
20 seconds.
Max looked down at his hands. I'm not ready. I'm not—
Then, a thought broke through his fear—his only chance. He couldn't run. He couldn't wait for death to take him. He had to fight back.
Max clenched his fists. 10 seconds.
Without thinking, without any knowledge of martial arts or even a proper stance, Max lifted his foot and kicked the beast. Yes, he kicked the beast.
The moment his foot made contact, the sheer force of Combat Mode's power exploded through his body. The impact sent the beast flying backward, its neck snapping with a sickening crack. The wolf's body careened through the air, crashing violently into a nearby tree, its momentum bending the trunk and sending branches splintering into the air.
Max stood there, breathing heavily, wide-eyed and shaking. Combat Mode deactivated.
For a moment, he didn't know whether to laugh, cry, or scream. His mind couldn't comprehend what had just happened. He had just killed a demonized beast—a beast.
"I did it… I actually killed it…" His voice came out as a trembling whisper, but his heart swelled with disbelief. He had actually done it. The terror still gripped him, but now, it was mingled with something new—pride? Or maybe insanity. Could a normal guy like him really do something like that?
Sweat streamed down his face as his legs buckled beneath him. He collapsed onto the ground, his body trembling uncontrollably. His hands were slick with sweat, his heart hammering like a drum. What had just happened? He was no longer the guy who delivered packages on a bike. He had killed a beast, something dangerous and terrifying, and he had done it with nothing but a kick and sheer luck.
Max took a few moments to catch his breath, wiping the sweat from his brow. But then, a rancid, overpowering smell hit him—a smell that made his stomach churn.
The beast's corpse lay before him, its blood pooling onto the ground, sending waves of stench into the air. Max's gut twisted in disgust, but the thought that followed was even worse.
"Other beasts will smell this…"
His eyes widened as realization dawned on him. The putrid stench would attract others. Beasts, predators, and possibly even more demons. He needed to leave. He needed to get out of the forest, now.
"Ding!" The system's voice rang out in his head again, cutting through his thoughts.
"Host, congratulations on killing a Pre-First Star Demonic Beast. Due to the host's current weakness and lack of survivability in this environment, the system will kindly reward you for your achievement."
Max's face lit up with a grin. "Rewards?" he muttered, his heart racing for an entirely different reason now.
The blue, transparent interface flickered to life in his vision, and Max's smile grew wider. "So, give me the rewards, my dear system!"
The system's voice seemed to hesitate. "For killing a Pre-First Star Demonic Beast, the host is rewarded with a Black Wolf Concealment Technique."
Max stared at the words on the screen, then back at the wolf's bloody carcass. Black Wolf Concealment Technique? His grin widened even more. Concealment? That was perfect! With this, he could avoid more beasts, hide from danger, maybe even escape this damn forest.
The system wasn't just giving him random rewards—it was thinking. For the first time, Max felt like he wasn't totally alone in this strange new world. The system was…kind? Maybe? For now, it seemed like it had his back.
Max rubbed his hands together, his nerves still jittery, but the excitement started to seep in. This was a start. A crazy start, sure, but a start nonetheless. He had power now. Maybe it wasn't much, but it was a damn good beginning.
"Alright, time to get out of here," he muttered to himself, wiping the sweat from his brow as he rose to his feet. "Before the next beast comes to finish what this one started."
The forest was still silent for now, but Max knew he didn't have much time. And for the first time in what felt like forever, he didn't feel quite so helpless.