Extract from the -{ Tome of Light }- the divine scripture of the Church of Light.

"Amidst the pantheon of pretenders, I stand unrivaled in my flawless glory. Let the heavens bear witness to my supremacy, for I am the radiant beacon that guides the faithful and blinds the unbelievers." (The Perfection of Light - 2:6)

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Finally done with making a splinter for his injured arm he took a moment to rest his body.

As Asher worked, his mind raced. The hunter's rigorous training had pushed him to limits he never knew he possessed. The system's mysterious stat boosts had reshaped his very being. Even the alchemical bath, with its searing pain and bewildering effects, had played a role in his transformation. He was no longer the same person who had stumbled into this forest, wide-eyed and naive. He had become something... more.

A chorus of howls shattered the momentary quiet, reminding Asher that his ordeal was far from over. But where there should have been fear, he felt something else stirring within him. A wild, primal excitement. A hunger for the clash of life and death. His lips curled into a feral grin, teeth bared in a mirror of the beasts that hunted him.

"Come on, then," he growled, his voice hoarse and unfamiliar to his own ears. "Let's see who's the true predator here."

The forest seemed to hold its breath, the very air growing thick with tension. Asher's heightened senses picked up every rustle of leaves, every snapping twig. He moved with a newfound grace, each step calculated and silent. The wolf pack was out there, circling, waiting for their moment to strike. But Asher was no longer prey. He had become a hunter in his own right.

Hours passed in a blur of blood and fury. Asher's world narrowed to a series of life-or-death encounters, each one pushing him further beyond what he thought possible. When the red haze of battle finally cleared, he found himself sprawled in a clearing that resembled a slaughterhouse.

Four wolf carcasses lay strewn about, their blood seeping into the earth. At the center of the carnage, Asher lay in a crimson pool, his chest heaving with ragged breaths. The coppery tang of blood filled his nostrils, mixed with the acrid scent of his own sweat and the earthy smell of disturbed soil.

With monumental effort, he dragged himself to a nearby oak tree, its rough bark offering blessed support for his battered body. His gaze swept over the bodies of his fallen foes, lingering on the largest – a monstrous beast that had nearly spelled his doom.

That alpha wolf had been a nightmare incarnate. Its muscle mass had been so dense that Asher's knife had struggled to penetrate deep enough to reach vital organs. He'd been forced to target its throat, slowly bleeding it out while avoiding those bone-crushing jaws. The memory of that desperate struggle sent a shiver down his spine.

As Asher drained the last drops from his water skin, savoring the cool liquid on his parched throat, he marveled at his own survival. His enhanced physique had been pushed to its limits and beyond. Each near-death encounter had forged him anew, honing his body and instincts into something far deadlier than he ever imagined possible.

The system chimed, its familiar tone a stark contrast to the primal brutality of the past hours:

[ Physical limits surpassed, Strength +2, Dexterity +1, Agility +2, Endurance +1, Vitality +1, Mind +1 ]

[ Due to repeated bleeding and recovery, body hemorrhage resistance has increased. Endurance +1 ]

His skills, too, had evolved through brutal practical application:

[ Skill: 'Beginner Knife Master' Lv. 2 (Passive)

* Increase the learning speed of all knife techniques by 11%,

* All physical stats are boosted by 2% when a knife is used for combat. ]

[ Skill: 'Beginner Close-Combat Mastery' Lv. 2 (Passive)

* Increase the learning speed of all Close-Combat techniques by 11%

* All physical stats are boosted by 2% when Close-Combat techniques are used. ]

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But the most significant change was the new title he'd earned through this baptism of blood:

[ Title: Beast Slayer I

* Boost all stats by 2% and increase recovery by 2% against all beast enemies ]

Asher allowed himself a moment of grim satisfaction. These improvements had been the razor-thin margin between life and death. He flexed his fingers, marveling at how much stronger and more responsive his body felt, despite the wounds and exhaustion.

The darkening sky and the rumble of distant thunder spurred him into action. He had no desire to face the elements after his ordeal with the wolves. As he prepared to move on, wincing at the protests of his battered body, Asher checked his system for any missed notifications.

A new quest had appeared, seemingly triggered by his fight for survival:

[ Quest No.3: Survival of the Fittest

1. Survive until the tutorial is over.

2. Survive the wolf pack. (completed)

3. (Hidden) Kill the alpha wolf. (completed) ]

The quest offered a glimmer of hope – an end to this grueling tutorial. Even if he didn't know how long he'd have to endure, having a concrete goal energized him. Asher's mind raced with possibilities. What other challenges lay ahead? How much further could he push himself?

Noticing the option to submit completed quests, Asher decided to claim his rewards. He scaled a nearby tree, ignoring the burning protests of his muscles. The rough bark bit into his palms, but the elevation offered a sense of security he desperately craved.

With bated breath, he submitted the hidden quest. A pinprick of light materialized, dancing like a firefly before landing in his outstretched palm. It coalesced into a small, semi-transparent crystal no larger than his little finger. A faint, pulsing glow emanated from its core, casting eerie shadows across Asher's blood-stained skin.

As Asher applied pressure to the crystal, feeling its unyielding surface resist his touch, the system sprang to life:

[ Skill creation crystal detected ]

[ Timekeeper shard detected with Host ]

[ Consume Timekeeper shard with skill creation crystal to create skill? ]

[ Timekeeper shard is a high-level item; the skill level is being upgraded to match it ]

Intrigued and wary in equal measure, Asher confirmed his choice. The crystal grew warm in his hand as the system whirred into action:

[ Processing… ]

[ Skill is being created ]

[ Application 'Immortal' is running ]

[ The skill has been upgraded further ]

[ Level of skill has been increased ]

[ ****** level skill created ]

[ The skill has mutated and become a bloodline skill ]

[ Host is currently not at the level to control the skill ]

[ The skill is being partially sealed ]

[ Bloodline Skill: The Heart of Chronos (sealed)

Active ability:

* Future actions of those within the line of sight can be seen for three minutes. (Skill cooldown - 3 hours)

Passive ability:

* User intuition surpasses the time barrier and can hint to the user what the future consequences of certain choices might be. ]

[ Some parts of the skill have been sealed or downgraded ]

Asher's mind reeled as he processed this information. The mysterious 'Immortal' experiment had once again interfered, elevating a simple skill into something far more potent. The implications of a "bloodline skill" and the various levels of abilities were staggering. He felt as though he'd stumbled upon the edge of something vast and incomprehensible.

The skill itself was nothing short of miraculous. The ability to glimpse future actions would make him nearly untouchable in combat, provided his body could keep pace with his enhanced perception. The passive intuition about future consequences could be a game-changer in navigating the dangers of this world.

Eager to see what other rewards awaited him, Asher submitted his second completed quest. Another crystal materialized, its glow seeming to pulse in time with Asher's racing heartbeat. But this time, the system presented him with a choice:

[ Skill creation crystal detected. ]

[ Do you want to upgrade an existing skill using the crystal? ]

Asher's finger hovered over the 'accept' option, tempted by the prospect of further enhancing his already formidable new skill. But something gave him pause. A subtle, almost imperceptible twinge in his gut made him hesitate. It was as if a whisper of warning brushed against the edges of his consciousness.

'Is this the passive effect of the skill?' he wondered, his brow furrowing in concentration. If so, perhaps upgrading wasn't the optimal choice. The forest around him seemed to hold its breath, awaiting his decision.

Trusting his newfound intuition, Asher declined the prompt. With a deep breath, he crushed the crystal in his fist. The delicate structure shattered, sending pinpricks of light dancing across his vision. The system sprang into action once more:

[ Skill creation crystal used ]

[ Skill is being generated ]

[ Application 'Immortal' is running ]

[ Skill level is being upgraded ]

[ Application 'immortal' is requesting the creation of ****** level skill ]

[ Request denied, material insufficient ]

[ Administrative key used ]

[ Processing… ]

[ Request denied ]

[ Admin has presented Feathers of Hugin and Munin as materials ]

[ Processing.. ]

[ Material sufficient ]

[ Creating skill ]

[ ****** level skill created ]

[ The skill has been downgraded and partially sealed ]

[ ***** Level Skill 'Eyes of Odin' has been acquired ]

Asher's breath caught in his throat, his mind struggling to comprehend the magnitude of what had just transpired. Whatever this new skill was, it seemed the system had gone to extraordinary lengths to create it. His decision to trust his instincts had paid off in ways he couldn't yet fathom.

As the last echoes of the system's notifications faded, Asher found himself perched in the tree, surrounded by the deepening twilight of the forest. The wounds of his battle with the wolves still ached, a constant reminder of how close he'd come to death. The wind rustled through the leaves, carrying with it the promise of rain. Asher knew he needed to find shelter soon, but for now, he allowed himself a moment to absorb the enormity of the changes he'd undergone. He was no longer the same person who had entered this forest. He had been reforged in the crucible of battle, emerging as something both more and less than human.