On the next morning, with droopy eyes, Ray woke up as he had been thinking lots of stuff in his mind.
The events at the ruin still played in his mind—the crystal, the awakening, the system's evolution. His hands curled unconsciously, a faint tremor running through his fingers.
He wasn't just different now. He was changing, and that change carried weight.
He spent most of the morning gathering supplies from the wild. Berries, dried roots, and some strips of meat from a rabbit he had trapped with a snare.
He knew the area wouldn't remain safe for long. If something as ancient as that ruin existed nearby, then other things—things that hunted the ruins—might not be far behind.
The system had remained silent since the collapse. Ray suspected it was adapting too, the same way he was. Learning, Waiting & Preparing him for something greater.
After eating and stretching, Ray descended the rocky slope and entered the dense treeline. He needed to test the passive—Echo of Adaptation.
The system claimed he could learn from combat, but theory meant little until it was proven by fire and blood. Deeper in the woods, away from paths and prey animals, predators roamed like wolves, boars and much worse.
He travelled with careful steps. Each movement is deliberate. He didn't want to waste energy or reveal his presence unless necessary.
The light dimmed as branches thickened overhead. The forest grew darker, colder, and quieter. That's when he heard it—a rustle that didn't belong to the wind.
Ray dropped low, slipping behind a large root. His ears strained. There—again—a sharp breath, followed by a sniff. Then two low growls. Yellow eyes blinked open in the darkness.
Not one, but three shapes emerged: wolves, each nearly the size of a deerhound, with silver-streaked fur and lean muscle under thick hide.
They circled him before he moved.
---
[System Alert – Combat Initiated]
Threat Level: Moderate – Wildsilver Pack (3x)
Passive Echo Progress: 0/3 hits received
Skill Available: Reactive Insight Lv. 1
System Tip: Receive and survive three direct attacks to unlock combat patterns for this species.
---
Ray steadied his breath. He had a sharpened spear, but it was made of wood and stone—not ideal for creatures like these. One lunged before he could finish forming a plan.
Ray threw himself sideways, the beast's fangs catching his arm. Pain flared sharp and hot, but he didn't panic. He forced his body into a roll, using the wolf's weight to send it tumbling past him.
The second wolf pounced. Ray spun and blocked with the spear, but the crude weapon cracked under the pressure. The beast slammed into him, sending him skidding through the dirt. His side burned from the impact.
---
[System Update: Echo of Adaptation – 2/3 Hits Recorded]
He gritted his teeth and rose shakily to his feet. Blood dripped down his arm. One more hit with one more risk. The third wolf darted in, jaws wide.
Ray didn't dodge this time. He turned and let the creature clamp down on his shoulder. The pain was blinding. But he stabbed it in the eye with a broken piece of the spear as it bit down, sending the beast yelping away.
The system flared brightly.
---
[Passive Unlocked – Echo of Adaptation: Wildsilver Combat Pattern ]
Reflexes enhanced. Prediction threshold engaged. Incoming attacks from this species were now visible 0.4 seconds before impact.
Energy Reserve Cost: 2/turn
---
Ray's vision sharpened. The wolves looked slower now, their movements outlined by subtle trails of light. It was like his body knew their rhythm, their tells.
When the first one lunged again, Ray ducked before it even moved. His fist snapped out and struck its throat. The wolf crashed to the ground, choking.
The second attacked from behind. He pivoted, using the beast's leap to flip it sideways into a tree trunk.
The third hesitated, growling. Ray stared at it, his body trembling from adrenaline. But his eyes were calm.
The wolf turned and fled.
Ray collapsed to one knee.
The fight was over.
Blood soaked through his shirt, and each breath came ragged. Still, he was alive. And more than that—he had won against a threat that should have killed him.
The system had taken three blows. But in return, it had turned their ferocity into his advantage.
---
[Level Up – 2 → 3]
+3 Attribute Points Gained
Skill Slot 2 Available
New Skill Options Unlocked
Energy Pool Expanded: 6 → 10
---
Ray leaned against a tree for support, letting the system guide his recovery. He poured two of the attribute points into Vitality and one into Reflex.
A soft warmth spread through him—minor, but meaningful. Enough to stop the bleeding. Not enough to erase the pain.
He remained still for nearly an hour, listening. Waiting. When no more creatures came, he stood and limped away from the clearing.
He needed shelter. And he needed time to digest what had just happened.
By late afternoon, he found an abandoned hunter's shack half-buried in ivy. The place smelled of age and rot, but the walls were intact. A small fireplace still held dry ash. He checked the corners for threats, then collapsed onto the wooden floor with a groan.
As the sky dimmed to twilight, the system spoke again.
---
[Skill Slot 2 Options Available]
1. Predatory Rush (Lv. 1) – Short burst of speed and power for close-quarters combat. Costs 4 Energy.
2. Phase Veil (Lv. 1) – Momentarily blur body to pass through a physical strike. High cooldown. Costs 5 Energy.
3. Hunter's Mark (Lv. 1) – Marks a target to track and increases awareness. It lasts until cancelled or the target is killed. Costs 3 Energy.
---
Ray read each carefully. He imagined the wolves returning. Imagined stronger things—bandits, monsters, or worse. Survival was about options. Not always strength. He selected Phase Veil.
The interface shimmered, and the skill appeared on his HUD, dim but ready.
He watched the last of the daylight fade with his hungry state. His wounds throbbed, though they were already beginning to close thanks to his increased Vitality. Still, he didn't sleep.
He thought of the system, of the ruins and his arrival in this world. Why him? Why give him such power but throw him into the wild without explanation?
He wasn't a chosen hero. He wasn't on some divine mission. He was just a quiet, lonely student who had fallen through a crack in reality.
Yet here he was.
Fighting monsters.
Bleeding.
Learning.
Surviving.
He looked at his hand. It no longer shook. The pain reminded him he was still here. And the system whispered of more challenges yet to come.
---
[World Path – Adaptive Class Route: Initiated]
Next Goal: Seek Advanced Shard – Unlocated
Current Sync: 17.2%
Note: Observation has begun.
---
Ray frowned at that last line. Observation has begun. By what? Or who?
Whatever was watching… it knew he was no longer prey.
He was something else now.
Something evolving.
---