The Jungle is Not for the Weak

Aelorin's eyes darted over the notification hovering before him.

{You have received a Gift from Shayla.}

{Would you like to access this gift?}

"A gift?" Aelorin muttered, raising a brow. "Shayla gave me something? Must have happened when she grabbed my wrist." He snickered at the thought, shaking his head. Shayla was full of surprises—always had been. Curiosity tugging at him, he quickly accepted the gift, eyes glinting with intrigue.

The notifications vanished, and a new message appeared, glowing softly.

{Dragon's Will: You have gained a Beast Core aside from your Magic Core. When mastered, this will give you an upper hand over other beings.}

Aelorin's eyes widened as he read the words. "Dragon's Will? I've never heard of this—well, I haven't had access to the best reading material, granted. I remember something about 'Beast Will' from a dusty beast-taming book... but this? A gift like this would only come from the most majestic creatures."

A surge of excitement welled up inside him, but as quickly as it came, his enthusiasm waned. He didn't have the faintest idea how to tap into the power Shayla had given him. With a sigh, he muttered, "Guess that's something for another day. A beast tamer back at the village might know how this works—assuming I can even find my way back."

The thought struck him suddenly. Where *was* the village, anyway? He paused, glancing around the dense forest with a pang of uncertainty. "Maybe if I retrace my steps…"

The mountain loomed in the distance, steep and craggy, its towering peaks shrouded in mist. If he could reach the summit, he might be able to get his bearings—perhaps even spot the path that had brought him here. But Shayla had warned him about time. He scanned his body, searching for some sign of change—perhaps a sign of growth or an alteration in his magical aura. But there was nothing noticeable. "Not that I'm body-conscious," he chuckled, raking a hand through his tousled hair. "All I really need to know is that I'm handsome."

His sense of humor helped lift his spirits, and he set off with renewed determination. But he knew he had to act quickly; the forest was vast, and time was not on his side.

"Let's see… I could find a bird, touch it, and maybe evolve into it to fly up the mountain. Should be easy enough." He glanced around at the dense canopy above, leaves thick and green, obscuring the sky entirely. Birds would naturally perch up there, right? He steadied himself, focusing his energy, and leapt with all his strength.

The leap carried him high into the air, his fingertips brushing against a thick tree trunk. With a grunt, he latched onto it, bark biting into his palms. The wood was rough, prickling his skin as he hoisted himself up. He balanced on a sturdy branch, catching his breath and taking a moment to survey the area from his new vantage point.

'Magic sure does make things easier…' Aelorin thought, smiling despite the sting in his hands. But as he peered through the branches, his brow furrowed. Where were the birds? He scanned the surrounding trees, branches stretching like skeletal fingers into the foggy light, yet there was no sign of any feathered friends. Even a feather would have been reassuring, but the silence of the treetops felt… unnatural.

He activated his Insight skill, a subtle tingling sensation radiating outward as his awareness expanded. Still, there was nothing—no movement above, no chirping sounds. The only sounds he picked up were faint rustlings from the forest floor below.

"This can't be right," he muttered, rubbing his chin. "Birds are like… the most common thing in any forest. They should be everywhere! Where are they all hiding?"

Aelorin waited a moment longer, but it became clear that the absence of birds wasn't some quirk of his Insight skill; they simply weren't there. "Well, this was a waste of time," he muttered, exasperated. His gaze shifted downward, gauging the distance to the ground below. It was a decent drop, but nothing he couldn't handle.

With a resigned shrug, he leaned forward and let gravity do the rest, free-falling through the crisp air. He hit the ground with a solid thud, bending his knees to absorb the impact.

But before he could straighten, a sudden surge of danger prickled at his senses, his Insight skill flaring to life. Instinctively, he twisted to the side, his body moving faster than thought. A massive white blur shot past his head, so close that he felt the rush of wind in its wake. Heart pounding, he turned to see his attacker.

The creature stood before him, towering and powerful—a wolf-like beast with gleaming white fur, its body almost luminous in the dim light filtering through the trees. Its massive frame was adorned with jagged, rock-like spikes jutting from its elbows, and its claws were like cruel, curved daggers. But it was the creature's eyes that held his attention: two crimson orbs that glowed with a fierce, insatiable hunger.

{Beast: Silver Fang Tyrant}

*Level: Grade 3 Beast

*Warning: Dangerous beast. Proceed with caution.

*Strengths: Beware of its claws; they're laced with potent poison.

*Weakness: At your current level, you cannot see a weakness.

Aelorin's pulse quickened as he read the notification. "So, this is one of the infamous tyrants… a scourge that terrorizes every race." He took a steadying breath, a mischievous grin pulling at his lips. "Finally, some action."

"Alright, fluffy, let's see what you've got."