[Essence Reap successful, acquired D-tier skill: Berserk]
[Description: Increases strength, endurance, and agility by 2x the user's stats. Effect doubles again when engaged in intense combat]
A talent that could absorb other skills with such ease. The guilt that once lingered in Eryon after killing Wyatt had now vanished—replaced by an undeniable sense of satisfaction.
It had been roughly an hour since he left the village, and although he hadn't encountered a single monster, he'd already gained one skill. Not bad for a first step.
His gaze swept the area—blood spattered everywhere. Five human corpses lay across the ground with gruesome wounds. A massacre had clearly taken place here, but it wasn't his concern.
What caught Eryon's attention was a single point: a blood-soaked sword stabbed halfway into the ground. He stepped closer, pulled the weapon out, and examined it carefully. An idea surfaced—a small experiment.
"If Essence Reap isn't limited to living things... worth a shot."
He brought the tip of his spear close to the blade of the sword, focusing his intent into the act. And—
[The sword's sharpness essence has been transferred to the spear tip. Sharpness +25% for 10 minutes]
Success.
A faint smile formed at the edge of Eryon's lips. Even if the effect lasted only ten minutes, he was starting to understand his talent's potential. After all, an SSS-tier couldn't possibly be ordinary.
He just needed to get used to it—and dig deeper.
In that moment, realization dawned on him. A wilder idea surfaced.
"Why not?" he muttered, stepping toward one of the human corpses.
His brows furrowed as he knelt. He wasn't yet used to this sight—human lives ended so violently. But he knew he had to grow numb to it.
In a world where laws hadn't yet formed—no police, no judges—you could easily be the next victim.
Eryon simply gestured his hand toward the body and...
[Reap failed]
He exhaled slowly. So it was true—he had to defeat, claim, or engage the target himself to activate his talent.
He couldn't just reap anything without being involved.
In the end, Eryon turned his back on the scorched clearing—but not before retrieving a dagger left behind among the scattered debris, its edge still glinting faintly beneath the fading light.
---
Another ten minutes passed. The temporary sharpness buff on his spear had now faded. As Eryon explored the forest, he found nothing. He was completely alone.
And that frustrated him. A world supposedly teeming with monsters—yet not a single one in sight?
But in that instant, a rustling noise reached his ears, followed by a sharp stench that was unmistakably not human. He turned toward the bushes on instinct, his senses sharpening.
Eryon stayed still, bracing for whatever would come. And—
A white creature, nearly a meter tall, suddenly shot toward him.
It lunged and sank its teeth into the shaft of his spear—a giant white rat, roughly the size of a small child. Its crimson eyes burned with bloodlust, and its jagged fangs locked onto the wood with shocking strength. Eryon nearly lost his footing, his arms straining to keep the weapon steady against the wild attack.
But his trained body held firm. With a sharp tug, he broke the deadlock and created several meters of space between them.
At that moment, Eryon raised a hand and activated Reap.
A faint shimmer, like wisps of mist, drifted out from the rat's body—not enough to kill, but enough to weaken. The creature staggered, a portion of its vitality drained. Simultaneously, Eryon's body felt lighter, his reflexes heightened.
[Essence Reap active. Absorbed partial vitality from target]
[Effect: +5 Agility for 10 seconds | Target -20% movement speed and reaction time for duration]
Eryon's eyes sharpened. He moved laterally with a speed hard to follow. The rat tried to adjust, but its movements were sluggish now, its ferocity dulled.
With lethal precision, Eryon drove the tip of his spear into the creature's upper body. A sharp squeal split the air, followed by a spray of blood—then the beast collapsed, lifeless.
[You have slain a Blood Rat | +15 EXP]
Eryon inhaled deeply, chest rising and falling. This was his first monster kill—and it felt... gratifying.
And he didn't stop there. He crouched down and placed a hand on the rat's body.
[Reap successful. Acquired E-tier skill: Heightened Smell]
[Description: Enhances the sense of smell tenfold]
As the system notification faded, Eryon took a slow breath—savoring the moment. He could already feel the change in his nasal passages, catching scents from much farther away.
Though just an E-tier skill, it was more useful than it looked. He could sense danger before it struck—smell monsters to avoid them… or to hunt them first.
A satisfied grin carved itself across his face. This was just the beginning. In time, he would gain far greater skills than this.
Eryon's gaze returned to the blood rat's corpse. Another idea crossed his mind. He gestured once more.
[Reap failed]
He frowned, trying again.
[Reap failed]
A sigh escaped him. It seemed he could only use Reap once per target. Whether that limitation could be overcome remained to be seen.
Eryon turned his eyes forward again. With his new skill in hand, it was only a matter of time before he found his next prey.
---
The mysterious system's beginner trial truly left no room for mercy.
It didn't matter if you suffered from a chronic illness, had special needs, or could barely walk—if you stayed still, you would die. And not just from monsters. The system itself would take your life in seven days.
Several hours had passed since the entire village population was thrown into the wilderness. They were forced to hunt—whether monsters, wild animals, or even fellow humans. Most people moved in groups, trapped in the illusion that numbers meant safety.
Some groups swelled to dozens of people, some reaching fifty, seventy, even a hundred. And yet, among them were those who chose to walk alone. People who depended on no one.
They were independent. Focused. And dangerous.
Eryon was one of them.
Thud!
His body slammed into a tree trunk—hard and brutal. The air was knocked out of his lungs, pain flaring across his back. But he didn't have time to complain.
With a push of his heel, he rolled to the side—just before a stone spear struck where he had been. The tip of the weapon embedded itself into the trunk, just inches from his face.
Eryon saw an opening.
With a sharp breath, he twisted and drove his spear into the neck of the unready goblin—quick and precise. Green blood spurted out, a wet gargle escaped the creature's throat before it collapsed to the ground.
[Successfully killed a Goblin | +10 EXP]
Eryon stood, panting—his breath heavy but steady. This was the seventh goblin he had faced in the past two hours. Small wounds marked his body, but none were fatal.
And as always... he raised one hand, aiming his palm at the lifeless goblin.
[Essence Reap activated]
[Acquired +1 Agility (Permanent)]
A satisfied smile crept onto his face. This was the fifth time Reap had granted him a direct attribute boost. Not much… but for someone who knew how to make every point count, it was treasure.
System interface, he thought.
[Name: Eryon Cain]
[Age: 25]
[Level: 1 (85/100)]
[Strength: 21]
[Agility: 15]
[Endurance: 16]
[Constitution: 17]
[Energy Point: 34]
[Talent: Essence Reap (SSS-Tier)]
[Skills: (D-tier) Berserk, (F-tier) Heightened Smell]
In just a few hours, Eryon had made decent progress. But he wasn't satisfied. Surely, there were others out there growing even faster than him. His eyes hardened, his grip tightening on the spear.
But at that moment, his enhanced sense of smell kicked in—his brow furrowed.
He caught the sharp, musky scent of sweat—human.
And more than one.
Three… maybe four.
And they were coming straight toward him.