Dred's Killer

Elion stared at the glowing screen of his status window, the numbers almost surreal. He couldn't help but feel pride welling up inside him.

[Status Window]

Name: Elion Viro

Level: 75

Age: 14 years

HP: 7,500/7,500

IP: 7,500/7,500

Strength: 251

Intelligence: 493

Stamina: 254

Agility: 235

Skills: [Creation Lv. 3] [Inventory] [Taekwondo Lv. 2] [Sword Lv. 3]

Five months ago, those numbers would have seemed like a cruel joke. Five months ago, he had been nothing but a weak, terrified boy who couldn't even defend himself.

Now, his body was lean and strong, and his muscles honed from countless battles and daily quests. His once-timid hands now wielded a blade with precision, leaving trails of blood on the battlefield.

Yet, despite the progress, a knot of anxiety twisted in his chest.

"I've come so far…" he muttered, clenching his fists. "But that thing—the Dred that killed me—what if it's still stronger than me?"

The system's voice broke through his thoughts like a cold slap.

[Why are you standing there like an idiot?]

Elion rolled his eyes, his frustration bubbling over.

"Oh, c'mon! You know this isn't just some small matter. That thing killed me!"

[Don't stress it. Just focus on what you have to do right now.]

Elion sighed deeply, closing his eyes to steady himself. "Fine."

As he stepped out of the crumbled walls of his room—the place he'd called home for the past five months—the morning air greeted him with a brisk chill. His breath clouded in front of him as he walked toward the forest on the outskirts of the city.

The closer he got, the louder his thoughts became. He couldn't help but reflect on how much had changed since the last time he had been here. The first time he entered this forest, he was nothing more than a scared boy, fumbling with a knife.

But this time was different.

This time, he was ready.

At the edge of the forest, the wind picked up, rustling the leaves and filling the air with the faint scent of decay. The trees loomed tall and dark before him, their twisted shapes almost menacing.

[This is it. That Dred is somewhere in there.]

Elion took a deep breath, exhaling slowly as he summoned his Inventory. A swirling portal appeared in the air, pulling at his hair and clothes as it spun. He reached inside and pulled out his blade—a long sword with a black handle, modeled after the katana he had once seen in an old samurai movie.

He ran his fingers along the edge of the blade, feeling its sharpness. It was his creation, forged with his skill and imagination. This sword would carry his resolve.

With one last glance at the dense forest, he stepped inside.

Elion's boots crunched against the forest floor, his senses on high alert. The eerie quiet was broken only by the occasional rustle of leaves or the distant chirp of birds.

After several minutes of walking, he stopped abruptly, his eyes widening in surprise.

"What the… it's still here," he whispered.

In a clearing ahead stood the house he had built on his first day of survival. The structure was crude and worn, its bloodstained walls a stark reminder of the day he had died.

Elion's chest tightened. His grip tightened on his sword.

The memories came rushing back—the searing pain of the needle piercing his back, the sensation of his stomach splitting open, the helplessness of watching his own blood pool on the ground.

He still remembered everything clearly.

"I swear on my life," he muttered, his voice low and steady, "I'm going to kill it."

[Calm down, Elion. There's a Dred moving towards you.]

Hearing the system's warning, Elion turned quickly, his eyes catching a creature moving among the trees.

It was one of the Dred, manifested in the form of a rabbit with shark teeth. Its movement was fast. In one jump, the Dred moved from one tree to another.

Elion thought, I'm not sure what that Dred is up to, but I'll wait until it's about to strike.

As the Dred began to reveal itself, coming out from behind the trees and jumping zigzag towards Elion, Elion's eyes moved quickly following his enemy's movements.

"Come closer..." Elion muttered, not taking his eyes off the Dred. His hand was ready on the sword handle at his waist.

As the Dred leaped towards Elion, he quickly drew his sword, steadied himself, and sprinted forward at full speed to confront the Dred.

The creature was surprised and jumped back, trying to dodge, but Elion was faster.

In one motion, he pulled the sword from its sheath, then made a lightning-fast swing, cutting the rabbit-like creature in two.

The Dred's body dropped to the ground, blood spilling and soaking Elion's shoes.

[You have successfully killed a Dred]

Seeing this sight, Elion smiled slightly. "Too easy."

But his victory was short-lived.

[Careful. More Dreds are coming.]

From the shadows of the trees, a low rumbling noise filled the air. Heavy footsteps shook the ground, and strange, guttural growls echoed through the forest.

Elion turned to see a group of Dreds emerging from the trees.

They were massive, their hulking forms resembling ogres from fantasy stories. Their muscles bulged under their mottled, leathery skin, and their glowing red eyes burned with malice. The Dreds looked at Elion with intense expressions, poised to attack. They made noises that he could not understand again.

Elion's breath caught in his throat for a moment, but then his lips curled into a grin.

"So… Dreds can take the form of fictional monsters too, huh?"

Elion stared at those Dreds with awe. Apparently, Dred could also take the form of things that didn't exist in the real world.

[It's not the time to be amazed.]

The system's voice interrupted his thoughts, making him smile sarcastically.

Elion chuckled at the system's chatter, then assumed a fighting position, bending his knees.

"Well, I don't care, actually. I am going to kill them anyway," he said confidently.

With one powerful move, Elion broke the ground beneath him. His strong legs pushed him upward, soaring high above the trees that reached up to 5 meters. The wind hit his face as he jumped, making him feel a thrilling sense of freedom.

"This is kinda fun," Elion said.

In the air, Elion spotted a group of Dreds below, not knowing he was there. He quickly got into position and readied a spinning Taekwondo kick that he had practiced a lot. He spun around, lifted his right leg, and lunged at the Dred with all his strength.

His kick struck the neck of one of the Dreds, causing the creature to stagger and fall heavily to the ground.

BOOM!

A loud thud echoed as the Dred's body struck the ground, creating a deep crack. The force of his attack knocked the other Dreds away, scattering them in various directions.

"It's not over yet."

Elion whispered as his feet hit the ground, his eyes scanning around, counting how many Dreds were still left.

"Nine Dreds? Easy!"

Then, with his high agility stats, Elion moved as fast as lightning, not giving the other Dreds a chance to rise.

He moved towards those still in the air, swinging his sword swiftly, cutting the Dreds' necks one by one with incredible precision before their bodies dropped to the ground.

His sword swings flowed like water, slicing through his enemies' necks. The deaths of the Dreds strengthened his resolve, making each one he defeated feel like a move closer to escaping the pain of his past.

As the Dreds' bodies fell and their heads rolled on the ground, messages from the system popped up like waves, filling Elion's view.

[Congratulations! You have successfully killed a Dred! (10x)]

[You have leveled up!] [Lv. 75 → Lv. 78]

[Skill: [Taekwondo] has leveled up] [Lv. 1 → Lv. 2]

[Skill: [Sword] has leveled up] [Lv. 2 → Lv. 3]

"Hahaha!" Elion laughed. His eyes showed both madness and freedom. "Is this what you called freedom?"

Elion looked at his hands, covered in blood, and grinned. His golden eyes shone brightly in the darkness of the forest.

The system, observing the abnormal development in Elion's personality, sighed.

[Sigh. This kid… ]

As Elion stood in the quiet forest, surrounded by the remains of Dreds, he felt a vibration in the air. Small birds left the forest, leaving behind a deadly silence.

Suddenly, a warning message from the system popped up in the air.

[Warning! A powerful Dred is coming at you!]

A grin spread across his face.

"There you are," he said, his voice laced with anticipation. "I've been waiting for you."