Chapter Four: The First Hunt
"…Damn it."
The word barely left Vael's lips before the cave changed.
It wasn't the demons.
It wasn't the air.
It was him.
A sharp flicker burst across his vision—clean, unnatural, precise.
Then—
[Threat Detected]
[Scan Function Unlocked]
Vael froze for half a second, breath caught somewhere between panic and disbelief.
"…Now?" he muttered under his breath.
The lesser demons ahead of him shifted, their hunched bodies twitching as their hollow eyes locked onto him fully now. Two of them began to move first, stepping forward with jerky, predatory intent.
Vael's gaze sharpened instinctively—and the system responded.
[Lesser Demon]
Race: Demon
Rank: F
State: Hungry / Aggressive
Threat Level: Moderate
His heartbeat slowed.
Not because he wasn't afraid.
But because something finally made sense.
"…F-rank…" he whispered.
The same as him.
For the first time since waking up in this nightmare, something didn't feel completely impossible.
Vael slowly lowered his stance, his body shifting on instinct. One foot slid back slightly, knees bent, shoulders relaxed—but ready. His fists clenched, not tight, but controlled.
"I've been training all my life…" he muttered, voice low, steadying himself. "Running, lifting, surviving…"
His eyes hardened.
"…just without the power."
The first demon lunged.
Fast—but wild.
Vael reacted.
Barely.
He twisted his body to the side, the claw grazing past his ribs instead of tearing through them. The second demon followed immediately, snapping forward with a jagged, uneven strike.
Too close.
Too fast.
Vael stumbled back, breath hitching—
—and then he saw them.
Movement.
Behind.
More shapes emerging from the darkness.
One.
Three.
Five—
Seven.
[Multiple Hostiles Detected]
[Survival Probability: 18%]
"…Yeah," Vael exhaled sharply, already stepping back. "Nope."
He turned.
And ran.
The cave exit burst into view as he sprinted, his boots slamming against stone, lungs already burning as adrenaline surged through his veins. Behind him, the demons reacted instantly.
Shrieks tore through the cave.
Then—
They chased.
Vael burst out into the night, the cool air hitting his face like a shock. The forest stretched ahead, moonlight cutting through the trees in fractured beams.
He didn't slow.
Branches whipped past him as he sprinted forward, feet barely touching the ground.
Behind him—
They were fast.
Faster than he expected.
"…Shit," he muttered, glancing back.
They weren't mindless anymore—not in motion. Their bodies moved with raw, animal efficiency, claws digging into the earth as they closed the distance.
[Speed +1%]
His breath sharpened.
"Not fast enough…"
A rock formation appeared ahead.
Vael didn't hesitate.
He leapt.
His foot hit the surface—slipped—
then caught.
He climbed, fingers digging into cracks, muscles straining as he pulled himself up and over. His body moved awkwardly, not smooth—but desperate.
He dropped down the other side, rolling as he hit the ground and forcing himself back up instantly.
The demons followed.
Some leapt.
Some climbed.
One slipped—but the others didn't care.
They kept coming.
Vael's eyes narrowed.
"…Okay," he muttered between breaths. "If I keep running… they'll just swarm me."
His pace slowed slightly.
Just enough.
His gaze flicked around the terrain.
Trees.
Rocks.
Narrow paths.
His mind clicked.
"…Then I don't run."
He turned sharply.
The first demon reached him.
It lunged.
Vael stepped in.
Too close for the claw to extend fully.
Its strike scraped across his shoulder instead of ripping through.
Pain flared—
[Damage Taken]
[Endurance +1%]
—but he didn't stop.
His hand shot out, grabbing its arm.
Sloppy.
Unrefined.
But enough.
He twisted.
The joint resisted—
then snapped.
The demon shrieked.
Vael drove his knee forward—
once.
Twice.
Then his hand—
still shaking—
forced forward.
Straight into its chest.
Warmth exploded across his fingers.
Wet.
Thick.
He froze for a fraction of a second as his hand sank deeper than he expected.
"…What the—"
The demon collapsed.
Dead.
Silence hit him for half a second.
Then—
[Kill Confirmed]
[Strength +1%]
[Perception +2%]
[Cognition +1%]
Vael yanked his hand out, stumbling back slightly as he stared at it.
Blood.
Everywhere.
Sticky.
Warm.
"…Ew—what the hell is this?" he grimaced, shaking his hand instinctively. "That's disgusting…"
But his eyes flicked back to the system.
"…Wait…"
The numbers.
They moved.
His chest rose slowly.
"…This looks good."
A growl cut through the moment.
He looked up.
The rest had arrived.
All of them.
"…Yeah," Vael exhaled, shoulders tensing again. "This is gonna be a problem."
They didn't rush all at once.
They spread.
Instinct.
Predatory.
Trying to surround him.
Vael shifted his stance again.
"…One by one," he muttered. "I just need… one by one."
The next demon lunged.
He saw it.
Better this time.
The angle.
The delay.
He moved.
Cleaner.
Not perfect—but better.
The claw grazed his side.
[Adaptation Progress: 14%]
[Recovery +1%]
He countered.
A sharp strike to the throat—
inefficient.
The demon staggered but didn't drop.
It retaliated instantly.
Its claw tore into his arm.
Pain exploded.
Vael gritted his teeth.
Didn't retreat.
He stepped in again.
Closer.
Too close for it to react properly.
His elbow drove upward into its jaw.
Then again.
Then again.
Until it stopped moving.
He didn't even look at the notification this time.
Another came.
And another.
The fight blurred.
Each demon came faster.
Harder.
But Vael changed.
Each movement sharper than the last.
Each reaction quicker.
Each mistake smaller.
By the third kill, he was breathing heavily—but his eyes were different.
Focused.
By the fourth, he was moving before they fully attacked.
By the fifth—
[Adaptation Complete: Basic Claw Pattern]
Everything slowed.
Not the world.
His perception.
The next demon lunged—
He stepped aside effortlessly.
No panic.
No rush.
His hand redirected the arm.
His knee struck its ribs.
His palm slammed into its throat.
Clean.
Controlled.
It dropped.
Two left.
They came together.
Before—this would've killed him.
Now—
Vael moved.
Fluid.
He ducked the first strike, twisted under the second, grabbed one demon's arm and used it as a shield as the other attacked.
Claws tore into its own ally.
Vael didn't hesitate.
He drove forward—
One strike.
Then another.
Then a final blow.
The last demon lunged in desperation—
Vael sidestepped.
His hand shot forward.
Straight through its chest.
Silence.
Complete.
He stood there.
Breathing heavily.
Covered in blood.
The forest quiet around him.
For the first time since waking up—
There was no immediate danger.
Vael slowly lifted his head.
The moon hung above him, pale and distant.
"…Hah…"
A breath escaped him.
"…I think…"
He swallowed.
"…I think I can survive."
His voice was quiet.
But steady.
"With this…"
His fingers curled slightly.
"…I can fight."
His gaze hardened.
"…I can eliminate demons… beasts…"
A pause.
"…Maybe…"
His voice softened.
"…maybe this world can be peaceful."
The system flickered.
[Progress Updated]
Strength: F (15%)
Speed: F (22%)
Endurance: F (13%)
Perception: F (28%)
Cognition: F (21%)
Recovery: F (11%)
He barely noticed.
Because—
Crunch.
A sound.
Behind him.
Vael froze.
Slowly—
He turned.
A figure stood at the edge of the trees.
Still.
Watching.
Its presence—
Different.
Heavier.
The system reacted instantly.
[Target Detected]
Race: Demon
Rank: Mid Demon (D)
Threat Level: Extreme
[Survival Probability: 3%]
Vael stared.
Then exhaled.
"…Yeah."
A small, tired smile formed on his lips.
"…I'm cooked."
The demon stepped forward.
And the night swallowed the silence.