The forest behind me was a sea of shadows and whispering leaves, but I didn't dare look back. My legs trembled beneath me, each step more forced than the last. The high from Predator's Insight had long faded, leaving behind a sharp, biting ache in my muscles and a cold void in my chest. My vision pulsed with each heartbeat, colors bleeding into one another as the world spun.
The forest was quiet now.
Too quiet.
Every branch I stepped on, every breath I took, felt deafening. The lingering aftershock of the skill still burned under my skin. I was only rank E and could barely control or sense my mana and had no way of controlling the amount used by Predators Insight, a skill far above my rank meant for at least C rank awakened.
I stumbled forward, vision doubling. My muscles twitched unnaturally, like they couldn't decide whether to move faster or collapse. A deep ache pulsed in my head, behind my eyes, and I realized this was the cost. The backlash of pushing myself beyond my limits. I was just an E-rank, and I'd survived a boss monster.
Barely.
I should've died.
The thought kept circling in my head, louder than the wind. I could still hear the Warden's roar echoing behind me, even though it was long buried. My hands were shaking, bloodied and raw. The memory of its eyes those crimson, endless pits clung to me like rot.
But I had won. I had something now. A skill. And while raising your senses and granting you a ominous aura in the game wasn't very useful, in this world it was a lifesaver.
I kept moving.
Eventually, the trees began to thin, the wild overgrowth giving way to the rail fencing that marked the edge of the forest. My knees nearly buckled when I saw the distant shimmer of the walls. The capital of the Empire. And the towering spires of the Hero's Academy were barely visible past the layers of fog.
And then I heard voices.
A group of students was gathered at a ridge near the forest's edge, likely on some exploration exercise to gain experience before the academy started. One of them a tall boy with silver hair and a regal posture turned toward me first. Valen a character from the game.
He was a noble, son of a S ranked hero. However he was born with only A rank talent and would eventually turn into a villain and form a demonic contract. Either way he was someone I couldn't afford to mess with right now.
I tried to step back, to hide, but it was too late.
His eyes locked onto me, more than just the blood and ragged clothes, but the unstable glow of Predator's Insight flickering across my vision.
His expression shifted. Wariness at first then confusion as why someone from the Academy came from the woods in such a state. And then something colder.
Fear and Suspicion.
He said something I couldn't hear. The others turned. They whispered. And I turned away, pushing myself into motion, staggering towards the city.
I didn't look back. I needed medical attention soon and I didn't trust Valen to give it to me without strings behind it.
By the time I boarded the train and reached the outer gates of the Academy, my vision was fading.
A guard shouted something.
I collapsed before I could respond.
The cold stone beneath me pressed into my cheek as my vision faded, muffled shouts echoing around me.
When I came to, the sterile scent of antiseptic filled my nose. I was lying on a bed, white sheets bunched beneath me.
The Academy infirmary.
Clean white walls. Magic-powered equipment. Dozens of beds. A few nurses passed by without noticing I was awake.
Thank god, I almost thought it was all a dream. I thought I was back to my old life.
I groaned.
A middle aged healer approached calm eyes, tired smile.
"You're lucky," she said, examining a crystal tablet. "Strained mana channels. Multiple light gashes. Minor internal bleeding. What were you doing trying to clear a dungeon?"
"…Something like that."
She raised an eyebrow but didn't press further. "You'll live. But don't push yourself like that again. You've only got one body."
She handed me a small cheap healing potion, then left me to rest.
I drank the potion and rested for a bit. I didn't stay long.
Night had fallen by the time I left the medical wing. My body was still sore, but functional. The campus streets were mostly empty, lanterns lining the cobblestone walkways, casting long shadows against the polished stone buildings.
The Academy wasn't just a school it was an entire city within the capital. Grand towers, lecture halls, training fields, and dormitories spread out across districts divided by student rank and division.
I made my way to the dorms assigned to lower ranked students, ignoring the occasional glance from late night staff or early arriving students.
What was my rank in the academy anyway? I suppose I should check my exact info around Lucian now that I have a skill I can use.
The distant hum of late night chatter and soft footsteps bounced off the stone walls, but I was too drained to notice.
I reached my room, locked the door, and leaned back against it, sliding to the floor.
Still alive.
I exhaled, then brought up the system screen, eager to see if my efforts had paid off.
System:
User: Lucian Valric
Rank: E
Potential: B+
Unique Skill: Death Flag Collector
Skills: Predator's Insight
States: Click to see individual stats.
System Shop: Unlock for 1 Death Point
My reflection stared back from the faintly glowing text. Tired. Pale. Blood still crusted under my fingernails.
But I was stronger now. I went up from E- to E rank small but still something. And most importantly I gained a skill one that certainly seemed more powerful that I expected.
Something had changed in me, in more ways than one.
I closed the screen and laid back on the small bed, eyes staring at the ceiling.
The game hadn't even started.
But I wasn't the same player anymore.