The forest was nothing like anything I had ever experienced. The air was damp and heavy, and the silence felt unnatural, as if the world itself was holding its breath. I tried to steady my own breathing, but it came out in short, uneven gasps.
I wasn’t used to this. At all.
My boots squelched against the soft earth with every step, and I flinched at the sound. Each snap of a twig underfoot felt like a scream in the silence. My hands were clammy, gripping the sword I’d taken from the jail like it was the only thing tethering me to sanity.
I was trying to focus, trying to remember anything that might help me navigate this place, but nothing came. What did I know about forests? Nothing. The closest thing I’d ever seen was the neatly trimmed hedges outside the estate. This was chaos. It was too wild, too unpredictable.
Branches snagged at my clothes as I pushed forward, their sharp edges scraping my skin. The shadows danced in ways they shouldn’t have, making me whip my head around more times than I could count. I couldn’t tell what was real anymore.
“Where am I even going?” I muttered, the sound of my voice barely breaking the oppressive silence.
I kept walking, but the further I went, the worse it got. Every direction looked the same—just endless trees, shadows, and the faint glow of moss underfoot. My heart pounded harder with each passing minute, and a horrible realization started creeping in.
I was lost. Completely and utterly lost.
My breathing quickened as the panic set in. "No, no, no," I whispered, shaking my head. My steps became quicker, more frantic, as if I could outrun the fear. "This isn’t happening. This can’t be happening."
Branches snapped behind me. I spun around, sword raised, but there was nothing there. My hand trembled as I lowered the blade. Was something following me? Or was my mind just messing with me now?
I stumbled forward, tripping over a root and crashing to the ground. Mud smeared across my hands as I scrambled back up, my heart pounding like a drum in my chest.
“Stop it. Get a grip,” I hissed to myself. But I couldn’t. My legs felt like they were moving on their own, like every step was a desperate attempt to escape the crushing weight of this place.
Time didn’t make sense anymore. Had it been minutes? Hours? I didn’t know. My throat was dry, and my muscles ached from the constant tension. I felt like I was suffocating, even in the open air.
I kept walking—no, running—like something was chasing me, hunting me, ready to devour me. It felt far scarier than facing that massive opponent earlier. The sheer thought of being alone in this dark, unending forest was enough to make me act without thinking.
Cling!
A sudden sound broke through the chaos in my mind, and a glowing screen appeared before me.
[Congratulations on escaping the prison alive!]]
Rewards: 20 XP [Current XP: 30 → (+20)]
Current XP: 50/99. Reach 100 to move to the next rank!
The timing couldn’t have been better. It snapped my attention away from the suffocating darkness around me and onto the glowing screen. For once, I felt a sliver of relief—something to distract me from the fear threatening to consume me.
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I focused on the numbers. 50 out of 99. It wasn’t much, but it was progress. At least it felt like something was moving forward, even if I wasn’t sure where I was going in this forest.
I kept walking, my steps slow and cautious, the weight of the dark forest pressing down on me. Every sound felt amplified, every rustle of leaves or snap of a twig making me flinch. My sword was still gripped tightly in my hand, though my arms ached from holding it for so long.
Then I saw them.
At first, it was just one—a blob of shimmering blue mass wobbling in the faint light. Its form pulsed slightly, as though it were alive and breathing. And then, more appeared. Five of them, gliding and bouncing over the mossy ground toward me.
Slimes.
I didn’t know much about them, but the memories of this body told me they weren’t supposed to be too dangerous. Still, that didn’t mean I could afford to be careless. My heart pounded as I tightened my grip on the sword and took a deep breath.
"Alright, let’s do this," I muttered to myself, stepping forward.
The first slime lunged—or as much as something so gelatinous could lunge. I swung the sword, slicing cleanly through its body. The creature quivered for a moment before dissolving into a puddle of goo.
Cling!
[Slime defeated! 1 XP earned.]
I barely had time to process the notification before another one bounced toward me. I dodged to the side, the creature missing me by inches. I swung the sword again, but my form was sloppy, the blade wobbling slightly in my grip. Still, it hit its mark, cutting the slime in half.
[Slime defeated! 1 XP earned.]
The remaining three slimes came at me together. I stepped back, trying to create space. My movements felt clumsy—I wasn’t used to this body, to the weight of the sword, or to the rhythm of a fight. One of the slimes managed to graze my leg, and I hissed as a burning sensation spread across my skin.
"Focus!" I told myself, raising the sword again.
This time, I steadied my breathing. With a quick swing, I took out one of the slimes, its body splattering on the ground. The other two lunged simultaneously, and I barely managed to dodge, slicing one as I moved and quickly finishing the last with a downward strike.
Cling!
[Slime defeated! 1 XP earned.]
[Congratulations! Total XP earned: 3 XP. Current XP: 53/99.]
[Swordsmanship Mastery: 10%. No improvement.]
I stood there, panting, looking at the mess of slime goo around me. My arms trembled from the effort, and my leg still stung from where the slime had touched me.
"Guess I’ve got a long way to go." I muttered, glancing at the mastery notification.
I wiped the sword on the mossy ground, trying to clean off the sticky residue. But as I looked ahead, I froze.
More slimes.
At least ten of them, bouncing and shimmering in the dim light, blocking my path. My grip tightened on the sword as I let out a shaky breath.
"Here we go again."
The first two slimes lunged simultaneously. I sidestepped, my boots sliding slightly on the damp ground. With a swift swing of the sword, I sliced through both of them in one clean motion.
Cling!
[Slime defeated! 1 XP earned.]
The remaining slimes started closing in, their movements more aggressive than before. I stepped back, raising the sword in a defensive stance. My breathing was steady now, my focus sharper.
Two more slimes bounced toward me. I ducked under one and brought the sword down in a heavy arc, cutting it cleanly in half. The second slime was already coming at me, but this time I took a chance. I activated a skill I barely knew how to use.
The blade shimmered, a faint outline of its shape slicing forward ahead of me like a shadow. The skill struck the slime dead-on, splitting it apart instantly. My chest tightened as the energy drain hit me, but the move was worth it.
Cling!
[Slime defeated! 1 XP earned.
[Phantom Slash improved: 15% → 16%.]
The remaining six slimes hesitated for a moment, giving me just enough time to catch my breath. They didn’t stay still for long, though, and soon, three of them lunged at me together.
I swung the sword in a wide arc, hitting two of them but missing the third. Before I could react, the missed slime hit my arm, its acidic touch burning through my sleeve. I winced, gritting my teeth against the pain, and quickly countered with a horizontal slash that finished it off.
Cling!
[Slime defeated! 1 XP earned.]
The last three slimes circled me, their movements more erratic. I shifted my stance, trying to predict their next move. They attacked one by one this time, forcing me to dodge and counter each lunge. My swings were getting slower, but I managed to cut them down one after another.
Cling!
[Slime defeated! 1 XP earned.]
[Total XP earned: 5 XP. Current XP: 58/99.]
[Swordsmanship Mastery: No improvement.]
I stood there, panting and drenched in sweat, surrounded by puddles of goo. My arm throbbed from the burn, and my grip on the sword felt weaker than before.
But despite the exhaustion, a faint smile tugged at my lips. My active skill "Phantom Slash" had improved, even if it was by just one percent. Progress was progress.
I wiped the blade on the ground, trying to clean it off, and glanced ahead. The forest stretched endlessly in front of me, but I felt a small flicker of hope. I was getting stronger, little by little. My fear slowly fading, and that was enough to keep me moving forward.