Sam didn't have the luxury of overthinking the presence watching him. As soon as he felt the gaze, the [Wolf King] lunged forward with a thunderous growl, its massive claws slashing through the air with the intent to rip him apart.
"Nice try," Sam smirked, rolling sideways just in time. In one swift motion, he swung his [Primordial Sword], cutting into the beast's side as he passed by.
"GROOOAAARRR—!"
The wolf let out a howl of pain but didn't retreat. Instead, it twisted its bulky body and charged again, its claws glowing faintly with aura.
Sam blocked the attack, his blade clashing against the beast's claws with a jarring screech. He jumped back just in time to dodge a follow-up swipe.
But the [Wolf King] wasn't done.
A low rumble echoed from its throat before it howled toward the trees. The air shifted—and suddenly, ten more wolves burst out from the forest, answering the boss's [Tribe Call].
Each of them looked fierce, fast, and absolutely ready to tear Sam apart.
"All Level 3, huh?" Sam muttered with a small grin, not intimidated in the slightest. "Just as I thought."
He narrowed his eyes and focused his aura. The black mist around him thickened for a brief moment before forming ten compact shadow bullets, each one orbiting him with precise movement.
His [Soul] stat had already reached 12 despite being only level 3—more than enough to handle this.
The bullets launched.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
Each bullet hit its mark. Every wolf was taken out with a single clean shot to the head, their bodies collapsing before they could even snarl.
Heads exploded, silence followed, and Sam exhaled smoothly.
The [Wolf King] roared again, enraged that its pack was wiped out so quickly, but Sam was already moving.
He ducked beneath another claw swipe and drove his sword upward into its abdomen. Blood sprayed, but the boss refused to die easily. It kicked Sam away and pounced again.
But Sam didn't let up.
He weaved through its strikes, slashing in return. Blow after blow landed, until the beast staggered.
Then, with one final leap, Sam spun mid-air and brought his sword down like an executioner's blade.
The head of the [Wolf King] separated cleanly from its body and thudded to the forest floor.
The giant body toppled a second later, and a soft glow enveloped the remains.
"That's mine," he grinned as he grabbed the loot and tossed it inside of the [Spatial Inventory].
And then of course...
[Absorbing...]
Sam allowed the [Primordial Sword] to absorb the cores of the ten wolves and the boss. A surge of power flowed through the blade, humming with satisfaction.
Just as the light faded, he turned and stared directly toward a thick cluster of trees in the distance.
"You can come out now," he said calmly, without raising his voice.
Two figures hesitated for only a moment before stepping out from behind a tree.
One of them smiled awkwardly, while the other looked more reserved and cautious.
The moment Sam laid eyes on them, his expression changed slightly.
"...Ah, shit," he muttered under his breath.
Because he recognized them immediately.
---
[Lily Gremoire]
[Level: 3]
[Hell-Mode Analysis: The first heroine. Daughter of Oliver Gremoire.]
---
Lily had striking purple hair that shimmered under the light breaking through the trees. Her elegant, confident stance and high-quality gear gave away her identity as someone important.
Sam had no doubt. She was the daughter of the principal of [Eclypsia Academy] and one of the first major heroines in [Forsakened].
Her [Magical Archer] class was S-Rank, allowing her to blend bowmanship and magic with deadly results.
In the game, she was one of the first to join the player's party, a central figure in the early narrative.
But now… there was no "player" anymore. Sam was the player. Which meant the roles were shifting.
He didn't even have time to make sense of that before his gaze drifted to the second girl.
---
[Alicia Union]
[Level: 3]
[Hell-Mode Analysis: Another heroine. Daughter of the Union Guild Leader seen on TV.]
---
Alicia had pale white hair and golden eyes, with a sword at her hip that shone with quiet grace.
Her presence felt composed, yet deadly. She had awakened the [Blooming Blade] class—an SS-Rank that gave her incredible burst potential in battle.
She, too, was one of the game's heroines.
Now here they both were, standing before him after watching his fight.
"So… you two just like spying on people, or is this a hobby?" Sam said with a teasing grin.
"N-No, not spying!" Lily replied quickly, flustered. "We just… saw you fighting and it was… incredible."
"I agree," Alicia added bluntly. "The way you handled the boss with your sword and bullets—it was impressive."
Sam could see it in their eyes—they were shocked. Not just because he had won, but because he had done it.
The boy they had heard was "classless." The one everyone had mocked.
He wasn't supposed to be strong. He wasn't supposed to stand out.
But now he had their full attention.
"You one of those hide your power guys?" Lily asked curiously, stepping closer. She was only a few inches from his face now, eyes sparkling with interest.
"Not really," Sam replied, scratching his neck. "I just… woke up like this."
It wasn't a lie. Not exactly.
"I'm heading to the layer boss now," he added, turning away. "Probably going to be level 5, considering how jacked up this layer is."
"You sure?" Alicia asked, a bit more concerned. "I heard only the hardest versions of this place have a level 5 boss."
"If it is," Sam replied, a smirk playing on his lips, "then I'll kill it. Simple as that."
Lily and Alicia looked at one another, stunned by his confidence. Neither could say anything, so Sam just walked off.
"Wait here or follow, up to you," he called behind him. "I've got work to do."
Without looking back, he moved deeper into the forest.
But behind him, the girls hesitated—and then snapped out of it.
"Hey—wait!" Lily said, running after him. "You're seriously going alone again?!"
...
An hour passed.
Despite what they said, Sam noticed Lily and Alicia trailing behind him the entire time. Finally, he turned around and sighed.
"You two really don't have anything better to do?"
"We do," Lily said cheerfully, "but we're curious about you."
Alicia nodded. "Your method of leveling up… it's different."
Most people gained levels by simply killing monsters. But Sam? He wasn't just killing. He was absorbing. Feeding the monsters' cores to his sword, drawing strength directly from them.
It was strange. Unnatural. But clearly effective.
There was something magnetic about him now. Both girls felt it. A pull neither could explain.
And truthfully, they weren't wrong to follow him.
The forest was dangerous. No one else from their batch had made it this far.
While many stayed behind in the [Novice Ruins] to grind safely, Sam, Lily, and Alicia had pushed forward—facing high-level monsters and brutal encounters.
Yet even then, Lily and Alicia had still relied on each other to survive.
Sam had done it alone.
As more time passed, the trees began to thin, and the atmosphere changed. A subtle pressure hung in the air.
"We're close," Lily said, slowing her steps, bow already drawn.
"Close to what?" Sam asked, glancing at her.
Alicia answered with a serious tone. "The [Gate] to the Second Layer. The final part of the tutorial."
Both girls looked more tense now. Even Sam felt the shift.
He had never defeated the boss of the first layer in his past life as a player. It had always been too strong, and he had never had the right timing or tools.
But now? Now there were no retries. No resets. No second chances.
This was reality. And whatever waited beyond the forest, he had to beat it.
Sam inhaled slowly. Then he stepped forward, ready for whatever came next.
----
A/N
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