The silence stretched.

Kael stood over the buck’s lifeless body, his grip still tight around the hunting knife. Adrenaline still pumped through his veins. His muscles ached, the dull pulse of exhaustion creeping in now that the danger had passed.

The System messages still hovered in his vision, waiting for him to acknowledge them.

He let his eyes drift over them once more.

[You have slain Wildhorn Buck – Level 3]

[Experience Gained: 30 EXP]

[Title Acquired: First Blood] (+3% increased damage against beasts.)

[Essence Manipulation Achieved.]

[Unique Skill Acquired: Essence Shaper – Rank 1]

Allows the user to shape, reinforce, and manifest Essence-based constructs. Current efficiency: 10%.

[Experience Threshold Reached.]

[You have leveled up!]

Kael tried to process everything. None of it made sense.

None of it made sense.

He had seen plenty of strange things in his life, war had a way of making the world seem unnatural. But this? This was something else entirely.

And yet, the proof was undeniable. He had felt himself change. The moment he leveled up, his body had responded, a slight increase in strength, a subtle sharpening of his mind. It wasn’t drastic, but it was there.

A single level, and he already felt better.

He stared at his hands, flexing his fingers. If this was just the beginning…

Then how would it feel to gain 10 levels?

He weirdly looked forward to it, but at the same time, he dreaded it. The rush of energy and control, he imagined, would feel like drinking ten cups of coffee and a box of Red Bull but then again, the pain was there too. No pain no gain huh.

He shook his head. Focus.

Thinking too far ahead wouldn’t help him now. He still didn’t know where he was, what had happened, or what else was out there.

And that needed to change.

Kael took stock of his surroundings.

The forest was different, larger, denser, the trees towering overhead in a way that felt unnaturally grand. He didn’t recognize any of the plant life, some of the leaves had faint bioluminescence, a soft blue glow tracing their veins.

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The air was thicker too. Not humid, but charged, as if something unseen lingered in it.

He crouched beside the Wildhorn’s corpse, his eyes narrowing as he examined it more closely.

At first glance, the changes seemed subtle, more muscle, sharper antlers. But when he touched its fur, he realized it was denser, almost like armor.

Yeah, it was a good idea to let gravity work. He doubted he would have had a good time trying to slash through this fur.

And then there was the feeling he was experiencing looking at the monster/animal. The moment he focused on the dead buck, he could feel it a faint energy clinging to its body, slowly fading.

Was this the Essence the System had mentioned?

His mind flashed back to the fight specifically, the moment when he thought he felt energy rushing into his legs, making it slightly easier to move faster.

That hadn’t been normal.

Could that be this Essence… boosting my body?

Can I do it again?

Kael tightened his grip on his knife, focusing. Nothing happened.

Frowning, he tried again this time reaching for the same feeling, that overwhelming desire to run, that he had felt during the chase.

A flicker in the back of his mind, as if something was moving to his leges. For the briefest second, he felt something there.

Then pain.

Kael collapsed forward, falling onto the buck. His legs felt like they had the worst cramps of their life.

And just as quickly as it came, the pain vanished. His breath hitched. Clearly, I did something wrong. Whatever I just did… it wasn’t stable at all.

It seems today wouldn’t stop being full of sudden bursts of pain, Kael chuckled to himself, resting his head on the Wildhorn, thinking about what the sergeant would have said to him for that.

"Pain is for the weak-minded to grow strong, and don’t you forget! its also for those who buy pizza only for themselves when they invite people over.”

Kael chuckled again. Then his good mood soured.

He didn’t want to think about the sergeant now.

Especially not when he didn’t go to his funeral.

The others had come over for the first time in two years. They had told him it was his duty, even if some things couldn’t be forgiven. Practically begged him to do it for the sergeant memory, for the man he was before. And when he said he wouldn’t. They had asked him to at least come not for the sergeant, but for them. Let’s just say that Keal didn’t go.

Kael shook his head. Not now. Not here.

He forced himself up, dusting the dirt from his clothes. I need to find shelter.

He couldn’t be out here when it got dark. Not when the wildlife had turned into this.

If he was going to figure out what this essence was, then he needed to learn how to control it properly. I need practice. But before that I need a safe place, he needed to stay alive until tomorrow.

Maslow's hierarchy of needs, right now safety needs are more important than bodily needs. Shelter. Water. Food. In that order if he could help it.

Kael glanced at the Wildhorn’s antlers. Sharp. Thick. Could be useful.

He could skin and butcher it for food, but that might attract more predators. Carrying bloody meat while traveling blindly through unknown terrain was just asking for trouble.

Shelter first.

Once he had a place to hide, he could worry about food.

But the antlers those he could use now.

Without hesitating, he set to work.

His knife wasn’t ideal for the task, but after several minutes of effort, he managed to break off one of the smaller antler-blades.

It wasn’t pretty, but the edges were still razor-sharp.

[New Item Acquired: Wildhorn Antler Blade]

(A crude but sharp piece of antler, retains some Essence residue.)

Satisfied, Kael stood and looked at the forest stretching before him.

He had no map, no bearings, no idea what lay beyond.

But standing still wasn’t an option. Soon whatever horrors were in this forest, they were going to be attracted to the buck, and he didn’t want to be here when it did.

He rolled his shoulders, adjusted his grip on the knife, and started walking.

Time to find out what kind of world he had been thrown into.