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Understanding

Understanding

Morning. The sun was already high in the sky, and clouds lazily drifted above. Larrios still lay on the ground, his wooden sword by his side. Slowly, he opened his eyes and noticed the pop-up notifications that hadn't disappeared from the night before. With a look of amazement, he began to read them.

"Swordplay? A 5% chance to hit the enemy critically? Wow, this is new."

He continued reading with growing curiosity.

"I unlocked a class! Steel Initiate!" A devilish smirk crossed his face as he read the description.

"So, my training wasn't for nothing! Emerging warrior! Let the fame and fortune come my way! And bonuses to my stats too?"

With excitement, he opened his stats window.

[Stats]

[Strength → 6 (+5)]

[Intelligence → 8 (+6)]

[Stamina → 6 (+5)]

[Dexterity → 10 (+7)]

"These are huge bonuses. I'm not sure how this will affect my fighting skills yet, but it's definitely a lot better than before."

As he said that, the image of the wolf crept back into his mind—the way it had left him, wounded and staring back at him. His expression grew serious. There was one last notification he hadn't yet addressed.

"The Seeker… Sounds ominous." He muttered as he read through the effect description. "I need to kill one enemy before the effects are unlocked... Kill."

The wolf immediately came back to his mind. It wasn't hard to guess what Larrios was thinking. The word echoed in his thoughts.

"Kill… " muttered Larrios. This is something he never thought about too much. Slowly trying to process what was being asked of him. A strange feeling inside was telling him this time if he will do it, something will change inside his being.

"I've killed before, to eat and to survive. All the birds know me by now, but the wolf... this is different."

It was indeed something else. Hunting birds for food had been driven by pure instinct, but killing another creature for a different reason weighed heavily on him.

As he pondered this, a stench suddenly attacked his nostrils.

"Sniff-sniff—Auggh, what is that?" He sniffed his armpits, his face wrinkling in disgust. "Oh god, I need to take a bath."

Without a second thought, Larrios dashed to the river and dived right in. The stench was not leaving his body at all. He learned that by using sand gathered from the riverbank he could remove any dirt accumulated on his body and by using some green mushy flowers that were near the river, the smell will go away and be replaced by the freshness of vanilla mixed with the freshness of grass.

While he was busy scrubbing off the grime, three birds chirped around his area. With a sharp eye and without much thought, he instinctively grabbed a few stones from the riverbank and threw them at the birds, one after the other.

"Bullseye! Three in one swoop!"

The birds fell near the water, and Larrios quickly retrieved them. It was clear that his skill got better following his new stats bonus from the title. After getting out of the river, he put his rags back on and returned to the campfire, laying the birds nearby. As he glanced over to his potato patches, a sense of satisfaction filled him.

"Soon, you'll be ready to harvest!" he said with a smile.

Feeling pleased with his crops, Larrios went back to the river to fetch water for them.He was whistling a happy song that he made up but this happy mood did not last for long. A feeling made think about the birds that he just caught and as he turned around to look back at his camp, he froze.

The gray wolf was there, standing with the three birds he had just caught in its mouth.

Instinctively, Larrios was paralyzed. He hadn't expected this. It was like that day all over again—the same scenario, his food stolen by the wolf. But this time was different. He knew he was stronger.

"Get my food out of your mouth, you damn dog!"

Remembering the training he had undergone, Larrios snapped back to reality and charged at the wolf. In seconds, he was standing right in front of it, sword in hand and ready for action. As before, the wolf dropped the birds and turned to face him.

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"It's just you and me now! I won't let you take my food again!" Larrios shouted.

But as he glared at the wolf, he noticed something peculiar. The wolf's fur was patchy, and its body appeared much thinner than before. There were visible signs of injuries, suggesting it had been in a recent fight—and it had lost.

As Larrios inspected the wolf, it began snarling menacingly, its eyes narrowing with fierce intensity. The wolf was preparing for a fight. Larrios stood his ground, gripping the sword tightly and locking eyes with the beast. In the blink of an eye, the wolf lunged at him, aiming for his legs. But this time, Larrios remained calm. His mind was sharp, yet his movements were fluid. He had been waiting for this.

He knew the wolf would attack first, having lost their previous encounter. It likely saw Larrios as an easy target. As the wolf's jaws approached his left leg, Larrios instinctively raised his sword—just as he had practiced every day for the past week. There was no fear, no hesitation, only the muscle memory of countless repeated strikes. While he lacked the wolf's agility, his focus was unwavering. Just as the wolf's teeth were about to sink into him, Larrios brought his sword down in a swift, practiced motion.

The blow landed perfectly on the wolf's side, sending it flying two meters away. It was a clean, powerful hit. Unfortunately, Larrios's wooden sword couldn't withstand the force—it shattered into pieces. The constant training had weakened its durability.

Larrios stood there, stunned by the impact. He couldn't believe how fast it had all happened, or how strong he felt. Dropping the remains of the sword, he slowly walked toward the wolf's motionless body.

"I did it! I finally did it."

The fear and shame that had plagued him for so long crumbled with that single strike. But something felt off. As he neared the wolf, a sudden thought crossed his mind.

"The Class quest!"

Before checking on the wolf, he opened his stats screen. The same message greeted him.

[The Seeker]

[Effect → Kill one enemy to unlock]

"This can only mean one thing..."

Just as the words left his mouth, the wolf sprang to life, bolting toward the camp. In a flash, it snatched the three birds Larrios had caught and darted into the forest. Larrios was left speechless.

"You're not getting away that easily, you damn dog! Give me my food back!"

The wolf wasn't dead—it had only been buying time. Larrios gave chase, but in his haste, he had forgotten one crucial detail: he no longer had a weapon.

He sprinted through the dense forest, his breath ragged, branches scratching at his clothes and face. The wolf's silhouette weaved through the trees ahead of him. The uneven forest floor was littered with roots and rocks, threatening to trip him with every step.

His heart pounded as he pushed himself harder. But as he rounded a bend, the wolf had vanished. Larrios frantically scanned the area. The silence of the forest was oppressive, broken only by the rustle of leaves.

"No! No, no, no! You're not escaping me! I'll find you!" Larrios shouted, stomping his foot in frustration.

Determined, he began searching the bushes, combing through the forest for any sign of the wolf. After half an hour of searching, he found himself near the cave where he had seen the wolf when he first met it. This time, however, the wolf wasn't inside—it was waiting outside, its back to the cave.

Larrios emerged from the forest into the clearing, facing the wolf.

"This is it," he muttered, assuming a fighting stance.

His face showed a resolve that hadn't been there before. He needed to prove to himself that he could win.

But something was wrong. The wolf wasn't focused on Larrios. Instead, it was watching something in the bushes. Suddenly, the wolf arched its back and snarled, baring its teeth at whatever lurked in the shadows. Larrios slowly turned to see what had captured the wolf's attention.

From the bushes, a smirking face emerged, holding a small, gleaming dagger. The creature's skin was mottled green, covered in scars. Sharp, jagged teeth protruded from its wide mouth, and long, pointed ears framed its face. Its piercing yellow eyes gleamed with malevolence. Standing about four feet tall, it wore a patchwork of leather armour, its chest protected by a dented, rusted breastplate, and its legs covered by mismatched greaves. Around its neck hung a medallion of teeth, which Larrios quickly realised were not human—they were wolf teeth.

Larrios was awestruck. This was the first time he had seen another humanoid figure, besides the fleeting figure from his dream. But this was different—this creature was real. Though his curiosity urged him to communicate, something held him back.

[Danger] [Danger] [Danger]

[Enemy Monster Detected]

[Level 3 - Goblin]

[Class - Hunter]

[Danger Level - A]

[HP - 250]

[MP - 0]

[Rank: A]

[Hidden Quest Unlocked: Defeat the Level 3 Goblin Hunter without letting him kill anything]

[Reward: Skill - Inspect]

[Penalty: Death]

The pop-up warnings startled Larrios, highlighting the danger in front of him. And to his surprise, a quest had begun. Until now, everything he had done was driven by survival. But now, there was a new element—a Hidden Quest! As he read the contents of the pop-up windows, the goblin drew closer. The gray wolf was ready to charge, but it was weakened from its fight with Larrios and in no condition for another battle.

With a smirk, the goblin raised its dagger, casting a malevolent glance at the wolf. Larrios noticed the medallion around the goblin's neck, piecing together that this creature had likely been hunting the wolf as well.

"Yo, green toad! Look at me!" Larrios shouted.

The goblin turned its twisted face toward Larrios.

"I don't know if you can talk, and I don't care, but that wolf is mine. I've spent too many nights thinking about this fight, and I'm not going to hand it over to you. So take your creepy, ugly face and scram!"

The words tumbled out of Larrios's mouth in a rush. He had been alone for so long, and now, whether the goblin understood him or not, he just wanted to speak.

The goblin turned its face toward Larrios, its smile fading as it carefully analysed him. The expression on its face suggested that this wasn’t its first encounter with humans—far from it. While it had been relaxed facing the wolf, Larrios's presence made the goblin shift into a more guarded stance. Its sharp eyes seemed to be reading Larrios, trying to anticipate his next move.

It was at that moment that Larrios realised something crucial. Something he should have noticed long before challenging the goblin: he no longer had a weapon.

“Oh no... me and my big mouth,” Larrios muttered, sweat starting to bead on his forehead as the weight of the situation hit him.

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