Joe's eyes bored into the furry monstrosity before him, his body suddenly numb. He couldn't move a muscle.
[The Rank 4 'Small Wolflin' Has Activated The 'Passive Skill' (Intimidation)]
[-1 Rank Point To Your Psychological Attributes. The Effect Of Intimidation May Worsen]
[You Must Avert Your Eyes From The Beast To Neutralize The Skill's Effect]
Joe's gaze darted away from the Wolflin's piercing eyes, settling instead on its massive chest. He didn’t want to admit it, but Syr’s advice had saved him.
[The Effect Of (Intimidation) Has Been Neutralized.]
"Ok Syr, I've done what you asked. Now please come back, I need you!" Joe's desperate voice echoed through the towering trees. No reply came.
Instead, the Wolflin’s booming roar shattered the silence. Its colossal paws shuffled, preparing to strike.
"I'm sorry, okay! I'm sorry! I need you, Syr!"
The 19-year-old was now sobbing like a child, wiping at his tears and snot with trembling hands. His chest felt like it would burst, his heart hammering wildly.
[Now You Come Crawling Back To Me. After Chasing Me Away Like I’m Some Unwelcomed Girlfriend.]
"What? Whatever.... just help me fight that thing!"
The Wolflin charged, each step shaking the earth and threatening to topple the trees.
"Shit!" Joe spun around and bolted, running as fast as his legs would carry him.
[If You’d Just Listened To Me—]
"Yeah, yeah, I know! Now help me!"
[Open Your Attribute Window.]
"My what? I don’t know what that is! Just do it for me!"
Joe glanced over his shoulder mid-sprint. The Wolflin was gaining on him fast—he had seconds at best.
[Fine, Generating Attribute Window...]
Personal Information
Name: Joe White
Overall Rank: 3 [0/1000 Rank Points Required)]
Special Class: Outsider
Skills:
• Outsider’s Enhancement
• Predator [Unique]
• Outsider’s Perspective [Passive]
Inventory:
• Mana Tool: Black Blade [D-Class, Sealed]
Gold:
• 0 Gold Pieces
Attributes:
• Physical Attributes: Rank 3
• Mana Attributes: Rank 5
• Psychological Attributes: Rank 2
• Mana Pool: 100/???????
Joe skimmed the data quickly. He had no idea what most of it meant, but one thing caught his eye. The Black Blade.
"The blade! Just give me the blade!"
A dark glow engulfed Joe’s palm, the air crackling with energy. His heart pounded faster, the eerie sight almost too much to bear.
When the light faded, a thick black sword materialized in his hand. The blade had strange inscriptions around its handle. A grin broke across Joe’s face as he turned to face the Wolflin, pointing the weapon with shaky determination.
"Stay back! I’ve got a sword, and I’m not afraid to use it!"
To his shock, the bluff worked. The Wolflin halted, growling low but retreating cautiously.
"That’s right. Just stay there!" Joe gasped for air, inching backward to put more distance between them.
[You’re Lucky This Guy Is A Rank 4. By Mana Beast Standards, He’s Just A Baby. Beasts His Age Attack Unarmed Humans Instinctively But They Think Twice When Their Target Is Armed]
"Yeah, but it won’t take long for him to figure out I’m bluffing. If he charges again, I’m done for."
Joe’s mind raced. A desperate idea clicked. "Those skills—can i use them? If so, I want to use one. It’s my only chance."
[You Can Use Them, They're Yours After All. Which One Do You Want?]
"Whichever will keep me alive! Uh... that would be Outsider’s Enhancement, right?"
[Correct. I’m Shocked You Guessed That on Your Own.]
"Let's call it intuition." Joe smirked despite the danger.
The author's content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.
The Wolflin growled louder, its patience wearing thin.
[Skill: Outsider’s Enhancement.]
• Description: An Outsider’s Mana Is Their Greatest Strenghth. It Is A Powerful Force That Can Make Their Bodies And Weapons Unstoppable.
• Effect: Boosts Your Mana Output, Enhancing Physical Attributes and Strengthening Items. Can Lead To Devastating Ranged Mana Assaults If Used Effectively.
• Range: 10 Meters
• Boosts: +10 Rank Points To Your Physical Attributes
• +15 Rank Points To Your Mana Attributes
• Note: Boosts Multiply, For Every 25 Mana Pool Rank Points You Spend To Enhance The Skill.
• E.g Using 50 Mana Pool Rank Points Will Result In Your Boosts Multiplying By 2, Using 75 Will Result In The Boosts Multiplying By 3, Etc.
• Mana Cost (MC): -25 Mana Pool Rank Points/Minute
"That's good enough for me! Activate it, Syr!" Joe’s grin widened, his fear fading.
[You Have Activated The Skill (Outsider’s Enhancement)]
Power surged through Joe, black mana erupting like a storm. His muscles pulsed, rejuvenated and stronger than ever.
"This is incredible!"
A thick black aura enveloped Joe and his blade. Confidence swelled as he faced the beast.
[+10 Rank Points To Your Physical Attributes. (Total:13)]
[+15 Rank Points To Your Mana Attributes. (Total:20)]
[-25 Mana Pool Rank Points]
[Current Mana Pool: 75]
The Wolflin snarled but hesitated, unnerved by Joe’s newfound power.
"Aw, is the little doggy scared?" Joe taunted, his voice dripping with confidence.
Joe couldn't help but notice how much the Wolflin resembled a real-life wolf.
But when had he started comparing things to "real life"? Earth didn’t have beasts this size, and Syr’s talk about dungeons was unsettling. Joe didn’t want to admit it—but maybe, just maybe. This really wasn't earth?
“No, you can’t think about that right now,” he muttered, desperately trying to anchor himself.
He shook his head sharply, forcing himself to focus.
Something about the Wolflin gnawed at him—the glowing black orb embedded in its chest. It wasn’t large, but its ominous presence made his skin crawl. He’d noticed it earlier but tried to ignore it.
Joe knew he needed to end this fight quickly. Wasting Mana wasn’t an option. He realized it's preciousness the minute he tapped into it. He needed to save as much of it as possible.
Joe’s blade flared with black mana as the Wolflin let out an ear-splitting growl. The beast's movements grew frantic, almost panicked, before it charged straight at him.
Joe met its aggression with his own. He dashed forward, dragging his blade across the ground. His figure blurred as mana surged through him.
The Wolflin’s body pulsed with red mana, its speed doubling in an instant.
[The (Rank 4) 'Small Wolflin' Has Activated The Skill (Mana Beast Charge)]
The Wolflin struck first, its massive paw swinging with lethal precision. Its shimmering claws slashed downward, aimed straight for Joe’s head.
[The (Rank 4) 'Small Wolflin' Has Activated The Skill (Mana Beast Claws)]
The claws hit nothing but air—Joe had vanished.
From above, Joe descended like a meteor, his blade raised high. Black mana leaked from the weapon, overflowing with power.
With a mighty swing, he unleashed a massive crescent slash of pure mana, its sheer size dwarfing the Wolflin.
[You Have Activated The 'Branch Skill' (Crescent Moon Slash)]
The beast barely had time to look up, its glowing eyes wide with fear. The slash tore through it, splitting its head open in a brutal display.
Blood erupted in a violent geyser. The Wolflin’s dying howl was brief, cut off by the silence that followed.
Joe landed atop the lifeless creature, his leather boots sinking into the blood-soaked fur. He stood tall, his chest heaving as a victorious smile spread across his face.
He had won.
[You Have Slain A Grade 4 'Small Wolflin' (+1,000 Rank Points)]
[Quest Progress: 1/5 Wolflins Slain]
[You Have Ranked Up!]
[New Overall Rank: 4 (0/5,000 Rank Points Required)]
[Updated Attributes]
• Physical Attributes: 6
• Mana Attributes: 10
• Psychological Attributes: 4
[Achievement Unlocked: First Kill]
• Condition: Slay Your First Mana Beast In The New World.
• Reward: 4,000 Rank Points
[Achievement Unlocked: First Use]
• Condition: Activate Your First Skill As An Outsider
• Reward: 1,000 Rank Points.
[You Have Ranked Up!]
[New Overall Rank: 5 (0/10,000 Rank Points Required)]
[Achievement Unlocked: Punching Above Your Weight]
• Condition: Slay A Mana Beast Above Your Rank
• Reward: 3,000 Rank Points.
[Rank Up Progress: 5 (3,000/10,000 Rank Points Required)]
[Updated Attributes]
• Physical Attributes: 9
• Mana Attributes: 15
• Psychological Attributes: 6
The flood of notifications only deepened the pit forming in Joe’s stomach. Outsiders? New worlds? It was all starting to overwhelm him. The chances of this being earth like he had hoped, were plummeting—fast.
Maybe he was just being stubborn and refusing to accept reality. Joe had a fear that laid dormant in his heart—and with all these notifications, it was beginning to blossom. It was the main reason he rejected the idea of earth being deleted in the first place.
The fear stemmed from a single thought—that if he accepted that this wasn't earth—then everything Syr said must’ve been true. And if that was the case..
Chloe was truly dead.
And if Chloe really was gone...
Tears began to stream down his face.
He was all alone.
[Would You Like To Gather The Wolflin's Mana Beast Core?]
Syr’s voice broke through his despair.
“Mana Core? You mean this glowing orb?” Joe’s gaze fell on the still-radiating sphere in the Wolflin’s chest. Tears still lingered on his eyes.
[Yes. I Can Help You Grow Stronger By Converting It Into Rank Points. As I'm Sure Your Realised—In This World, The More Points You Earn—The Stronger You Become.]
[Alternatively, I Can Use It To Improve Your Current Equipment Or Create Something New Entirely. If You Want That, You'd Need A Lot More Than Just One. The Choice Of How You Use The Mana Beast Core Is Up To You. Having Heard That, Would You Like To Gather It And Place It In Your Inventory?]
“Yeah… I guess,” he whispered.
[Unique Skill: Predator.]
• Description: All Outsiders Possess A Darkness Within Them—A Darkness Fated To Devour Everything.
• Effect: This Skill Allows Your Mana To Devour Anything It Make Contact With, Including Its Mana. It Is Most Effective On Objects Or The Deceased, Though It Can Also Be Used On Living Beings, Albeit With Less Reliability.
• Range: 10 Meters
• Boosts: : +10 Rank Points To Your Mana Attributes.
• Mana Cost (MC): 0
"Just activate it, Syr," Joe said, sliding his bloody sword onto his back.
[You Have Activated The 'Unique Skill' (Predator)]
[+10 Rank Points To Your Mana Attributes. (Total: 25 Rank Points)]
A dark, ominous cloud swirled around Joe's palm, sending a tingling sensation through his hand. He crouched, pressing his now-blackened palm against the lifeless Wolfin.
His mana took over. True to the skill's name, [Predator] enhanced his energy and devoured the Wolfin's body, submerging it in a pool of darkness. The creature's form disintegrated, leaving no trace—no blood, no bones, nothing.
[+1 Mana Beast (Rank 4) Core Has Been Added To Your Inventory.]
[Due To Devouring The 'Small Wolfin's Remaining Mana, (+500 Rank Points) To Your Mana Pool.]
[Current Mana Pool: 575.]
Joe remained silent, his expression unreadable. Without a word, he moved deeper into the forest, his steps slow and heavy.
As he was about to speak to Syr, a sharp, chilling shriek pierced the air, reverberating through the forest.
His body froze, every muscle taut as his ears pricked up. The sound—a girl's voice—echoed again.
"Chloe?" Joe whispered.