Chapter 5

Kyle focused on the flickering blue window hovering before his eyes. The light from the forest canopy filtered through the thick leaves, casting dappled shadows across the translucent interface. [Status] Name: Kyle Preston Race: [Mercer Group - lvl 1] Class: [Marksman - lvl 2] Profession: N/A Health Points (HP): 130/130 Mana Points (MP): 120/120 Stamina: 111/130 [Stats] Strength: 13 Agility: 14 Endurance: 13 Vitality: 13 Toughness: 11 Wisdom: 12 Intelligence: 12 Perception: 18 Willpower: 10 Free points: 3 [Titles] [Pioneer of the New World] His Agility and Perception were his highest values, and he could feel the difference. The world seemed sharper, the rustle of the leaves more distinct, and his own body felt lighter, as if the friction between his boots and the damp earth had been halved. He didn't feel like a superhero, but he felt more efficient. He closed the panel with a thought. Noah clapped his hands together, the sound sharp enough to make a few people jump. He looked around at the small group, his face bright with a confidence that seemed out of place in a monster-infested woods. "Everyone did incredible back there. Seriously. We're figuring this out." His gaze landed on Kyle, and he gave a firm nod. "Kyle, especially you. Those shots were exactly what we needed. You kept your head when things got messy." Kyle shifted his weight, adjusting the strap of his satchel. "I just did what I could," he said. "It was more than enough," Noah insisted, turning back to the others. "Let's keep that energy up." The group turned their attention to the fallen Forest Kits—large, badger-like creatures that lay in the dirt. They couldn't carry everything. Daniel and Ethan stepped forward without being asked. They worked together to hoist two of the badger corpses, slinging the heavy, furred bodies over their shoulders. The weight made them grunt, but they didn't complain. "We can use the meat," Daniel muttered, adjusting his grip on a thick leg. "If we can find a place to cook it," Ethan added. Kyle moved to the front of the line, falling into step beside Arthur. The big man was a silent presence, his eyes constantly scanning the treeline. He walked with a heavy, deliberate gait that didn't disturb the undergrowth as much as one would expect. "You've done this before?" Arthur asked. His voice was low, lacking the usual corporate politeness. It was a question born of observation. "Done what?" Kyle asked. "The fighting. The bow. You didn't hesitate." Arthur glanced down at Kyle. "Military? Hunting?" Kyle shook his head. "No. Nothing like that. I used to go to an archery range on the weekends. It was just a hobby. Something to do away from the office." Arthur hummed, a deep vibration in his chest. "You're a natural, then. Most people with a hobby don't land kill shots under pressure." "I think the system helps," Kyle said. He reached back, his fingers brushing the smooth surface of his Arcane Quiver. He needed to replenish his stock. He focused on the mana within him—a strange, fluid warmth sitting just beneath his ribs—and pushed it toward the quiver. [Arcane Quiver (Common)] A quiver enchanted with the ability to conjure [common] quality arrows when injected with mana. Kyle felt the mana drain away, a steady pull that left him slightly chilled. Six arrows shimmered into existence inside the leather container, their fletching brushing against the fifty-four he already had. [18 mana used. 102/120 mana remaining.] [Total arrows: 60.] The process was seamless, almost clinical. He didn't have to craft them; he just had to pay the price in energy. The forest grew denser as they climbed a series of rolling, wooded hills. The progress was slow. Vines snagged at their ankles and the incline forced them to stop for breath more often than Noah liked. Kyle noticed something unsettling as they walked: the silence. There were no birds chirping, no squirrels chattering, not even the hum of insects. It was a vacuum of life, save for the heavy breathing of the humans. His Perception stat twitched. A bush twenty yards to the right shivered. It wasn't the wind; the air was dead still. "Arthur," Kyle whispered, halting. He raised his hand, signaling the group to stop. Arthur froze instantly, his hand moving to the hilt of his weapon. He didn't ask questions. Kyle pulled an arrow from his quiver and notched it. He didn't just look with his eyes; he let the Eagle Eye skill guide his focus. The world zoomed in, the leaves of the bush becoming individual serrated edges. Behind the greenery, he saw a dark, hairy mass. It was small, but it was moving. He let the arrow fly. It hissed through the air and vanished into the foliage. A sharp, pathetic squeal followed, ending abruptly with a wet thud. [You have slain [Wild Boar - lvl 1] - Experience earned. 1 Initiate Points earned.] "Just a small one," Kyle said, lowering the bow. Before Arthur could respond, a different sound erupted. It wasn't a squeal; it was a roar—a deep, guttural sound that vibrated in Kyle's teeth. The ground beneath them shuddered. The bush didn't just move; it exploded outward as something massive tore through the undergrowth. Kyle's heart hammered. "RUN!" he screamed. He didn't wait to see if they followed. He lunged for the nearest thick-trunked tree, his fingers digging into the rough bark. He scrambled up, his increased Agility making the climb feel like a frantic blur. Below him, the others scrambled in different directions, diving behind rocks and thickets. Olivia wasn't fast enough. She tripped over a protruding root, falling hard onto the forest floor. The beast charged. It was a boar, but the size of a small SUV, covered in dark, metallic-looking bristles that shimmered like armor. It ignored the smaller humans and slammed directly into the base of Kyle's tree. The impact was like a car crash. The trunk groaned and tilted, and Kyle lost his grip. He slid several feet down, his boots scraping for purchase until he caught a thick branch, dangling precariously over the clearing. Noah emerged from behind a pile of boulders, his face pale but his voice steady. "Casters! James! Hit it now! Keep it off the tree!" James, the archer from R&D, stepped out and let an arrow fly. It struck the boar's flank and bounced off the hide with a metallic clink. Daniel and another caster raised their hands, and bolts of raw mana streaked through the air. They slammed into the beast's side, singeing the hair and drawing a furious grunt. The boar turned, its red eyes fixing on the group in the open. It lowered its head, tusks the size of scythes gleaming in the dim light. Kyle hauled himself back onto the branch, his breathing ragged. He reached for an arrow, his fingers trembling slightly. He had a clear shot at the thing's back. He fired, then another, and another. This time, he aimed for the gaps in the bristles. Two of his arrows found purchase, sinking into the thick muscle of the boar's neck. It squealed, spinning in a circle as it tried to gore the invisible irritants in its flesh. The warriors moved in, Adrian Reyes and Arthur trying to draw its attention with wide swings of their weapons, retreating the moment the beast turned their way. Olivia was still on the ground, trying to crawl away. She had managed to get a few yards, but her movements were sluggish, hampered by the shock of the fall. The boar, blinded by rage and the stinging mana bolts, saw the movement. It didn't pause. It didn't lunge. It simply charged through her path. The sound was something Kyle would never forget—a sickening crunch of bone and a scream that was cut short by a gasp of pure agony. The boar's massive weight rolled over Olivia's lower body. One of her legs was torn away at the hip, a jagged mess of red, while the other was crushed into the dirt, twisted at an impossible angle. "Olivia!" Ethan shouted, rushing forward even as the boar began to turn back. Arthur didn't wait. He roared, stepping into the beast's path and plunging his blade into its shoulder. He put his entire weight behind the strike. The boar responded with a violent toss of its head. A tusk caught Arthur in the chest, sending him flying backward into a thicket like a ragdoll. Ethan reached Olivia, grabbing her by the shoulders and dragging her toward the cover of a large oak. A trail of dark blood followed them. Kyle's quiver was nearly empty. He reached back, his fingers grasping air. He had used the conjured arrows and his physical stock in the chaos. He looked down at the beast. It was bleeding from a dozen shallow wounds, its breath coming in ragged, wet bursts. He took his last arrow—the one he had been holding in reserve. He took a breath, letting the Eagle Eye skill narrow his world down to a single point: the boar's left eye. The arrow whispered as it left the string. It struck true, burying itself deep in the socket. The boar let out a final, gurgling shriek and collapsed, its legs folding as it skidded through the dirt and came to a halt. The warriors didn't give it a chance to recover. They swarmed the head, plunging their weapons into the softened flesh of the neck until the massive body stopped twitching. [You have slain [Steelhide Boar - lvl 10] - Bonus experience earned for killing an enemy above your level. Experience split with the rest of your party. 302 Initiate Points earned.] [‘DING!' Class: [Marksman] has reached level 3 - Stat points allocated, +1 free point.] Kyle dropped from the tree, his knees buckling slightly as he hit the ground. He didn't look at the notifications. He ran toward the spot where Ethan was kneeling over Olivia. It was a nightmare. Olivia was conscious, her eyes wide and glassy, her breath coming in short, sharp hitches. Her left leg was simply gone, the stump a ruin of muscle and bone. The right leg was a purple, bloated mess. "Daniel! Potion!" Ethan barked. Daniel hurried over, fumbling with his satchel. He pulled out a small glass vial filled with a shimmering blue liquid and handed it to Ethan. Ethan didn't hesitate; he popped the cork and poured the liquid over the mangled remains of Olivia's right leg and the stump of her left. The magic worked instantly, but cruelly. The skin on her right leg knit back together, the bones snapping back into place with audible cracks that made Kyle flinch. The bleeding on her left side stopped, the skin sealing over the stump into a smooth, rounded cap of scar tissue. But the leg did not grow back. It was gone. Arthur limped over, clutching his ribs. He had already downed a potion of his own, the red staining his shirt the only sign of the tusk wound. He looked at the boar, then at the blood-soaked clearing. "We can't stay here," Arthur said, his voice strained. "The blood. More things will come." Adrian Reyes stepped forward, his face set in a grim mask. He reached down and carefully lifted Olivia. She didn't make a sound, her head lolling against his shoulder in a dead faint. Kyle stood apart from them, his hands shaking. He reached for his quiver, his mind moving on autopilot. He needed arrows. He pushed mana into the leather—more this time, desperate for the security of the weight. He heard footsteps approaching through the crushed undergrowth. He looked up to see Noah and Sophia. Sophia looked horrified, her hands pressed to her mouth, but Noah's face was different. The charm was gone. The corporate mask had slipped, leaving something sharp and cold underneath. Noah stopped a few feet away, looking at the blood on the ground, then at Kyle. "What was that, Kyle?" Noah asked. His voice was quiet, which was worse than if he had been shouting. "You saw it. You shot it. And look what happened." ════════════════════════════════════════