The forest was quiet…
Unnaturally quiet.
No birds. No insects.
Just…
the faint sound of wind brushing through the trees.
Kaine stood still, unmoving.
His sword remained sheathed.
His eyes shifted slowly.
"There's something here…"
"Not a normal beast."
A movement.
Too fast.
From the left.
But…
Kaine didn't turn.
He simply took one step back.
In the next instant—
a creature leapt from between the trees.
Its claws tore through the air.
If he had stayed where he was a second ago…
it would've been over.
One glance was enough.
"Height: one and a half meters."
"Weight: light."
"Muscles: unbalanced."
"Doesn't match the description."
The creature resembled a wolf…
but its limbs were longer.
Its eyes glowed red.
And its body was covered in black lines…
moving…
as if alive.
Kaine spoke calmly:
"So… this is the change."
The creature didn't attack.
Instead…
it circled him.
Slowly.
Observing.
Kaine smiled faintly.
"Nice."
"You think."
He slowly drew his sword.
He didn't rush.
Didn't attack.
He waited.
Two seconds…
Three…
Then—
The creature vanished.
A sudden leap.
From behind.
But…
Kaine expected it.
He bent down.
The claw passed just above his head.
Then—
He struck.
But not with force.
With precision.
A light cut across the beast's leg.
He retreated immediately.
Didn't try to finish it.
"Its skin is tougher than expected."
"But not uncuttable."
The creature stepped back.
It looked at the wound.
Then…
Something strange happened.
The wound…
began to heal.
Slowly.
Kaine stopped.
"Regeneration?"
"That wasn't in the file."
The system appeared.
New Trait Detected
Self-Regeneration (Low)
"So it's not normal."
The creature attacked again.
But this time…
faster.
Closer.
Smarter.
Kaine blocked the strike.
But…
The impact pushed him back.
His feet slid.
"It's getting faster?"
No time to think.
The creature didn't stop.
A second strike.
Kaine dodged…
but its claw grazed his arm.
Blood.
He stopped.
Looked at his arm.
"Surface wound."
Then raised his gaze.
"But the speed… increased."
He inhaled slowly.
Once.
Then…
Everything calmed.
"You can't win with strength."
"Then… change the method."
He pulled his sword slightly back.
Lowered his stance.
Made himself slower.
Weaker.
The creature noticed.
And charged instantly.
The moment it got close—
Kaine didn't move.
Not until the very last fraction of a second.
Then—
A small sidestep.
Smaller than necessary.
But enough.
The creature passed by him.
At that same moment—
Kaine turned.
And struck.
This time…
Deeper.
On the same wound.
A scream.
The creature staggered.
Kaine didn't stop.
He followed.
Second strike.
Third.
But…
He wasn't attacking randomly.
Every strike…
targeted the same point.
"If it regenerates…"
"Destroy one point before it heals."
But then—
The creature suddenly stopped.
Then…
It did something unexpected.
It retreated.
Kaine narrowed his eyes.
"Running?"
No.
The creature began to spin.
Faster.
Faster.
Then—
It lunged.
But not from the front.
Not from behind.
From above.
It leapt onto a tree—
Then struck from a blind angle.
Kaine didn't see it…
He felt it.
He raised his sword instinctively.
Clash.
Powerful.
The blade trembled.
His hands ached.
One knee touched the ground.
"Stronger…"
The creature opened its mouth.
Its fangs… longer now.
"Evolving during battle?"
The system appeared suddenly.
Warning
Adaptive Evolution Detected
"As I thought."
Kaine smiled.
Despite the blood.
Despite the pain.
"Then… we're not so different."
He stepped back.
Then…
Closed his eyes for a second.
"Observe the pattern…"
"The change isn't random…"
"It's a reaction…"
He opened his eyes.
"Then force a specific reaction."
This time—
Kaine attacked.
A direct strike.
Clear.
The creature blocked.
As expected.
Second strike.
Same direction.
The creature adapted.
Third.
Until…
The beast relied on the same defense.
And then—
Kaine stopped.
Suddenly.
For a fraction of a second.
Then—
He changed his angle completely.
A side strike.
Deep.
Into the neck.
The creature froze.
Blood burst out.
A scream.
Then…
It fell.
Silence.
Kaine remained standing.
Breathing.
Slowly.
Then said:
"Adaptation isn't absolute."
He sat down.
Looked at his hand.
Slightly trembling.
"I was close…"
The system appeared.
Enemy Defeated
Level Up
Skill Activated:
Infinite Adaptation (Partial)
"Finally…"
But…
He didn't smile.
He looked around.
"That was just one."
"How many are there?"
Then—
A sound.
From afar.
Not one.
Several.
His eyes narrowed.
"No…"
"That's not possible…"
Footsteps.
Fast.
Multiple.
The system appeared.
Threat Level Updated:
HIGH
Kaine stood slowly.
Raised his sword.
He smiled.
But this time…
It was different.
"Seems… this mission was never meant to be easy."