After emerging from the gloomy underground chamber, Darwin stepped outside and, for the first time, laid eyes on the open world. Daylight greeted him, piercing through the gaps between towering trees. A dense forest surrounded him like a giant guardian, hiding the world from human eyes. The wind blew gently, carrying the scent of leaves and damp earth. Darwin inhaled deeply.
"Finally... freedom," he murmured softly. A small smile formed on his face.
Zero, as usual, appeared in his mind. "You made it out alive. All thanks to our teamwork, of course."
Darwin chuckled. "Yeah, if it weren't for you, I might've gone insane in there."
Suddenly, Darwin asked, "Zero, really... why am I in this world? Is there a purpose? Am I supposed to defeat a Demon King or something?"
Zero paused for a moment before answering, "I'm not sure. Maybe you came here by accident, or maybe... someone sent you here intentionally to disrupt the world's balance. Just imagine, a hundred people like you, able to grow stronger so quickly. This world could be destroyed in a month."
Darwin winced. "That's a scary thought. But don't worry, I don't plan on causing chaos."
After resting for a while, Darwin decided to look for a settlement. He climbed one of the tallest trees, its branches strong enough to support his body. From the top, he saw a seemingly endless stretch of forest. But in the distance, his sharp eyes caught the shape of small buildings. A village.
"Finally, civilization," he muttered. He climbed down and began walking briskly toward the village.
Along the way, he came across a group of goblins roaming around. Without hesitation, Darwin drew his twin daggers and ambushed them. His attacks were quick and precise, slashing through throats one by one.
"One, two... three... six in total," he said after all of them lay dead.
Zero appeared, sighing. "You didn't even give me time to comment on them."
"Too bad none of them dropped any skills," Darwin complained.
"You're too greedy," Zero commented.
They continued on their journey, slaying minor monsters along the way. Some time later, Darwin suddenly stopped. In front of him was a sight that instantly caught his attention.
A woman stood in the middle of the road, surrounded by a group of shady-looking men. She was beautiful, with long pointed ears and golden hair cascading down to her waist. She wore a dark green robe. Her emerald eyes glowed sharply.
"Couldn't be more cliché," Darwin whispered while hiding behind a bush.
"Jackpot!" one of the bandits shouted with a laugh. "We can sell her at the slave market!"
"Yeah! But before that... let's have some fun with her," said another with a grin.
"Don't be stupid! If she's damaged, her price drops!" barked the man who seemed to be their leader.
The elf glared at them angrily. "Just kill me. I'd rather die than be touched by scum like you."
Laughter erupted. One of the bandits grabbed her cheek. "Still got the nerve to talk like that, even though you're already mine."
From behind the bush, Darwin whispered to Zero, "So slavery's normal around here?"
Zero replied, "In some continents, yes. Including for elves."
The elf stared at the bandit with a terrifying glare. "The others... you sold them off like this too?"
"Of course. Their screams... so satisfying," the bandit replied with a sick grin.
The elf's eyes turned red. "I see..."
Suddenly, a sharp sound rang out—Craack!—the bandit's hand that was holding her face was severed instantly. A scream of pain followed. Blood sprayed, and the other bandits froze in shock.
"W-what the hell!?" one of them shouted.
"She's armed!?"
"Don't just stand there, attack her!"
But before they could move, the elf dashed forward like a shadow. Her movements were fast and deadly. Every slash meant death. Heads flew, bodies split, blood soaked the earth.
In seconds, only the wind remained.
The elf stood in the middle of the corpses. A single drop of blood stained her cheek. She touched it, then sneered. "Tch... the blood of lowly creatures on my face. Disgusting."
Darwin, still hidden, could only stare wide-eyed. "That... was way beyond my expectations. She was just pretending to be caught...?"
Zero simply chuckled.
Darwin narrowed his eyes, intending to quietly back away, wanting nothing to do with the crazy elf who had just slaughtered the bandits like cutting through weeds. But before he could activate his Stealth skill, a sharp, icy voice rang out from the direction of the elf.
"I know you're there. If you don't come out now, I'll tear you apart like those bastards."
Darwin froze mid-step.
He slowly stepped out from behind the tree with both hands raised halfheartedly. "Whoa, easy girl," he said with an awkward smile. "I'm just passing through. Seriously. No intention of helping those bandits."
The elf glared at him, her blonde hair flowing in the wind, emerald green eyes sharp with suspicion. "You don't look like them, but I don't trust humans."
With a flick of her finger, she motioned for Darwin to turn around and leave.
Darwin raised an eyebrow. "Yeah, I get it. Can't blame you for being cautious. Alright, I'll go."
But before he could take a step, the ground suddenly trembled, and the air vibrated.
GRAAAAAAAUURGH!!
A giant wolf burst from the bushes, nearly two meters tall, with steel-gray fur gleaming like metal and a massive lightning-charged horn jutting from its head. Hot steam billowed from its mouth as it stared menacingly at both the elf and Darwin.
Darwin gaped. "Well… that's unexpected."
Zero whispered in his mind, "That's a Thunderfang, a highly dangerous beast. If you want to strike, now's the time."
But before Darwin could react, the elf leapt back and shouted, "I don't need help from a human!" Then she took off running, but Thunderfang locked onto her and gave chase like a fired arrow.
"What the hell?! Why is it only chasing me?!" the elf shouted in panic.
Darwin stood casually with his arms crossed. "Maybe it's attracted to all that fresh blood on you…"
Zero clicked his tongue. "You activated Stealth, that's why it can't see you."
Realizing she couldn't outrun it, the elf finally drew her magical bow and fired a barrage of glowing arrows. But Thunderfang easily deflected them all with lightning from its horn before charging and slamming her into a tree, sending her tumbling to the ground, battered and bloodied.
"Nggh…" she groaned, trying to get up but her body gave out.
Darwin strolled up and asked, "Need a hand?"
The elf glared. "No… I'd rather die than accept help from a human."
Darwin looked at her for a long moment. "Why do you hate humans so much?"
Zero answered calmly in his mind, "Humans enslave elves, Darwin. In some regions, they're sold like cattle. Maybe her people are at war with humanity right now."
Darwin sighed. "Huh… so this world's just as messed up as my old one. Same cruelty. Same hate."
He stepped forward, locking eyes with Thunderfang as it glared at him, then turned back to the elf. "You really want to give up now? What about the person you're searching for?"
The elf's eyes widened. "H-how did you…?"
"You let those bandits capture you on purpose to get info about the other captured elves, right?" Darwin said, eyes steady. "So don't give up yet, idiot."
The elf froze. Her heart pounded. Something strange stirred inside her. She stared at Darwin, standing protectively in front of her with calm, confident eyes. Why… why does he look so cool right now? What's happening to me? In a moment of life and death like this… why is my heart racing?
"So, that's a yes?" Darwin grinned. "Alright, time to go wild."
The battle began.
Darwin vanished instantly using Stealth, then reappeared behind Thunderfang with two flaming daggers in hand. "Hellfire Slash!"
Sreeeegh! Blood mixed with fire sprayed from Thunderfang's back. The beast howled in rage, electricity crackling from its horn as it unleashed a blast of lightning in a wide arc.
Darwin bent his knees, dodging quickly with Speed Boost, then leapt to the side, crossing his daggers to block the lightning wave. His body was slightly scorched, but quickly healed thanks to Regeneration and Zero draining energy from nearby small monsters.
"Now, Intimidation…" Darwin activated his aura, a dense black energy shrouding his body, forcing Thunderfang to flinch under the mental pressure.
Darwin didn't waste the moment. He dashed forward again, throwing one Hellfire-coated dagger straight into Thunderfang's chest. The wolf roared and lashed out with an electrified claw, nearly taking Darwin's head off.
But with lightning-fast reflexes, Darwin leapt onto Thunderfang's head, yanked out his dagger, and said, "Sleep tight, you lightning-furred bastard."
BRAGHH!! With one blazing slash from both daggers, he stabbed into Thunderfang's neck, burning it from the inside.
The giant beast let out a final, guttural cry… before collapsing.
Duargh!
Its massive body hit the ground, kicking up dust and shaking the earth slightly.
Darwin landed softly, breathing a little heavy but smiling in satisfaction.
The elf stared at him, speechless. For the first time… she felt that this human… was different.