William's legs moved before his brain could process what was happening. He sprinted away from the forest's edge, heart pounding in his ears as the creature's roar echoed behind him. The ominous text warning still hovered at the edge of his vision, mocking his complete lack of preparedness for whatever was pursuing him.
"Shit, shit, shit," he gasped, risking a glance over his shoulder.
The thing that emerged from the treeline made his blood run cold. Standing nearly nine feet tall, it resembled a grotesque hybrid of bear and man—muscular limbs covered in matted black fur, a broad chest crisscrossed with old scars, and a head that was mostly animal but with disturbingly human eyes. Blood-stained claws extended from massive paws, and when it opened its mouth to roar again, William saw rows of yellowed fangs.
The Godhand System's text updated:
[HOSTILE ENTITY IDENTIFIED: BLOOD REAVER (LVL 3)]
[THREAT ASSESSMENT: LETHAL TO CURRENT HOST]
[RECOMMENDATION: EVADE AND ACQUIRE WEAPON]
"No fucking kidding!" William shouted at the floating text as he ran. The open grassland offered nowhere to hide, and the distant Tower—his apparent destination—was impossibly far. His only hope seemed to be outrunning the beast.
That hope died quickly. The Blood Reaver dropped to all fours and charged, covering ground with frightening speed. William could hear it gaining, heavy paws thudding against the earth behind him.
Desperate, he changed direction sharply, nearly losing his footing. The creature's momentum carried it past him, buying precious seconds. William's eyes darted across the landscape, searching for anything he could use as a weapon or shelter.
About fifty yards away, a cluster of large boulders jutted from the grass. His only chance.
William pushed his body harder than he ever had in his life, lungs burning as he sprinted toward the rocks. The Blood Reaver recovered quickly, changing course with a snarl of rage. It was gaining again, so close William could smell its fetid breath.
He reached the boulders just as the creature swiped at him, claws catching the back of his hoodie. The fabric tore as William dove between two rocks, squeezing through a gap too narrow for his pursuer. The Blood Reaver slammed into the boulders, howling in frustration as it tried to force its massive bulk through the opening.
William scrambled deeper into the rock formation, finding himself in a small natural enclosure formed by four large boulders. He pressed his back against the farthest one, gasping for breath as the creature paced outside, occasionally ramming the rocks and roaring.
"Jesus Christ," William wheezed, sliding down until he sat on the ground. "What the hell is that thing?"
The System responded unprompted:
[BLOOD REAVERS: PREDATORY ENTITIES NATIVE TO THE FIRST FLOOR]
[CLASSIFICATION: BEAST/HUMANOID HYBRID]
[NOTABLE TRAITS: ENHANCED STRENGTH, TRACKING ABILITY, BLOODLUST]
[WEAKNESS: POOR EYESIGHT, VULNERABLE THROAT REGION]
William stared at the text. "Great. Super helpful. Now I just need to somehow reach the throat of that monster with my bare hands."
He examined his surroundings more carefully. The enclosure was about ten feet across, with gaps between the boulders too small for the Blood Reaver to fit through. On the ground near one of the rocks lay what appeared to be bones—human bones, picked clean and partially crushed.
"Fuck," William muttered, the reality of his situation hitting him fully. "I'm going to die here."
The System's text changed again:
[HOST SURVIVAL PROBABILITY: 17.8%]
[RECOMMENDED ACTION: UTILIZE ENVIRONMENT]
[SCANNING AVAILABLE RESOURCES...]
William followed the System's implied suggestion and looked around more carefully. Among the scattered bones, he spotted something metallic. Crawling forward, he reached between two fragments of what had once been a human ribcage and pulled out a dagger. The blade was about six inches long, its edge still sharp despite the rust spots marking its surface.
"Better than nothing," William said, testing the weight of the weapon in his hand. He'd never held a real dagger before, just plastic props in theater productions back in high school. The weight felt awkward, unfamiliar.
Outside, the Blood Reaver continued its attempts to reach him, its massive paws occasionally appearing through the gaps as it tried to claw its way in. Each failed attempt seemed to enrage it further.
William's mind raced through options. He could stay here, trapped but safe for the moment, until the creature eventually gave up—if it would give up. Or he could try to use the dagger, somehow kill or at least wound the beast enough to escape.
The analytical part of his brain—the part that had always excelled at strategy games and probability calculations—knew the odds were terrible either way. He had no combat experience, no training, no real strength to speak of. Just a rusty dagger and the mysterious "Godhand System" that so far seemed more like an unhelpful video game HUD than an actual advantage.
The Blood Reaver suddenly grew quiet. William held his breath, listening. The silence stretched for nearly a minute.
Cautiously, he crept toward one of the gaps and peered out. No sign of the creature. Had it given up?
A massive paw suddenly thrust through a different gap behind him, claws raking across William's back. He screamed, stumbling forward as hot pain bloomed across his shoulder blades. The attack had been calculated—the creature had silently moved to a different position.
[DAMAGE SUSTAINED]
[MINOR LACERATIONS DETECTED]
[BLOOD LOSS: MINIMAL]
[WARNING: BLOOD SCENT WILL INCREASE REAVER AGGRESSION]
"It can think," William realized aloud, pressing himself against the center of the enclosure, away from all gaps. "It's not just a mindless animal."
The Blood Reaver resumed its assault with renewed vigor, now rotating around the rock formation, testing each gap methodically. It was only a matter of time before it found a way in—or before William grew too weak or tired to stay vigilant.
His hand tightened around the dagger. If he was going to die, he wouldn't do it cowering.
William looked at the symbol on his palm, the strange eye-like marking that supposedly represented this "Godhand System."
"Hey, System," he said, feeling slightly ridiculous talking to thin air. "You said something about 'skill acquisition.' How exactly does that work? Because I could really use some skills right about now."
[SKILL ACQUISITION PROTOCOL: HOST MUST DEFEAT ENTITY TO ABSORB AVAILABLE SKILLS]
[CURRENT TARGET: BLOOD REAVER]
[POTENTIAL SKILL REWARD: BLOOD SCENT (TRACKING ABILITY)]
"Defeat to absorb," William muttered. "So I have to kill that thing first, which means your power is completely useless right now. Fantastic."
The Blood Reaver suddenly went silent again. This time, William didn't fall for the trick. He remained in the center of the enclosure, dagger ready, turning slowly to watch all gaps simultaneously.
Minutes passed. The silence stretched uncomfortably.
Then, without warning, one of the massive boulders forming his shelter began to move. The Blood Reaver had managed to get enough leverage to push one of the rocks, widening a gap. Dirt and pebbles showered down as the boulder shifted inch by inch.
William backed away, raising the dagger as the gap grew large enough for the creature to squeeze part of its body through. A massive, fur-covered arm thrust in, claws slashing at the air.
In that moment, something clicked in William's mind. The System had mentioned a weakness—poor eyesight and a vulnerable throat. The creature was hunting primarily by smell and sound. And it was exposing its arm completely...
William didn't give himself time to reconsider. He lunged forward and drove the dagger into the creature's extended limb with all his strength.
The Blood Reaver howled in pain, trying to withdraw its injured arm. William held onto the dagger, twisting it deeper. Hot, dark blood gushed over his hands, making the grip slippery. The creature thrashed violently, its movements pulling William closer to the gap.
For a terrifying moment, William found himself being dragged toward the widening opening where razor-sharp teeth waited. Making a split-second decision, he released the dagger, leaving it embedded in the creature's arm, and scrambled backward.
The Blood Reaver retreated, taking the dagger with it. William could hear it snarling and whimpering just outside the rocks.
[DAMAGE INFLICTED TO HOSTILE ENTITY]
[BLOOD REAVER STATUS: INJURED, AGGRESSION INCREASED]
[WARNING: ENTITY WILL RETURN WITH GREATER CAUTION]
William looked down at his blood-covered hands, trembling with adrenaline. He'd wounded the creature, but also lost his only weapon. And according to the System, he'd only made it angrier.
"Think, William, think," he muttered to himself. "What would actually work against this thing?"
His eyes fell again on the human remains scattered around him. Someone else had sought shelter here and died anyway. The thought chilled him, but also sparked an idea.
If the Blood Reaver hunted by scent, perhaps he could use that. The bones, the blood on his hands, the creature's own injury—all created a scent profile. William began to move quickly, gathering loose bones and pieces of tattered clothing from the previous victim.
Outside, he could hear the Blood Reaver pacing again, more cautiously this time. It had learned from its mistake. William would have to be smarter.
The System's text updated as he worked:
[HOST STRATEGY ANALYSIS: POTENTIAL VIABLE]
[CAUTION: BLOOD REAVER ADAPTATION DETECTED]
[RECOMMENDATION: PREPARE FOR IMMEDIATE ACTION]
William positioned himself near the widest gap, clutching a femur bone like a club in one hand. In the other, he held what remained of his torn hoodie, now wrapped around smaller bones and soaked in the creature's blood from the ground where it had dripped.
"Come on," he whispered, heart pounding. "Let's see how smart you really are."