**Chapter 2: The First Anomaly**
The darkness inside the cave wasn't empty. It had a weight to it, pressing against the skin like wet velvet.
Zayne moved in silence. He didn't have the *Stealth* skill yet, but he knew how to walk—rolling his weight from the outside of his heel to his toe, absorbing the sound of his own footsteps.
Twenty meters in, the narrow tunnel opened into a cavern.
The air here was colder, smelling of copper and wet fur. In the center of the chamber, illuminated by a single glowing moss patch on the ceiling, lay the beast.
It was a bear, but twisted. Its fur was matted with crystalline shards that jutted out like armor, and its claws were the length of forearm blades.
[Analysis.]
The violet light flickered in Zayne's eyes.
[Target: Crystal-Hide Grizzly (Elite)]
[Level: 5]
[Health: 450/450]
[Strength: 18]
[Agility: 8]
[Defense: 20]
[Weakness: The soft tissue under the jaw. The right eye.]
Zayne checked his own stats.
Strength: 9 (Base 4 + 5 from Title).
Agility: 10.
A frontal assault was suicide. The bear had double his strength and defense that would shatter his rusted dagger on impact. A normal player would need a party of five to take this down.
"Perfect," Zayne whispered.
He didn't sneak attack. Instead, he reached down and picked up a fist-sized rock. He tossed it up and down, feeling the weight, then hurled it.
*Thud.*
The rock bounced off the bear's snout.
The beast stirred. A low rumble vibrated through the floor. It opened its eyes—milky white orbs that glowed with malice. It saw the small human standing in the entrance.
*ROAR!*
The sound was deafening. The bear charged.
For a creature that size, it was terrifyingly fast. It closed the distance in three seconds, raising a massive paw to crush Zayne into paste.
Zayne didn't move.
He waited.
One second.
Half a second.
*Now.*
[Void Sovereign: Trajectory Prediction.]
Lines of blue light appeared in Zayne's vision, creating a wireframe of the future. He saw the path of the claw. He saw the air displacement.
He stepped to the left. Just six inches.
*Whoosh.*
The bear's claws slashed through the empty air where Zayne's head had been a fraction of a second ago. The force of the miss threw the heavy beast off balance. It stumbled forward, its exposed flank brushing past Zayne.
Zayne didn't stab the flank. The skin was too thick.
He pivoted on his heel, using his momentum to spin behind the beast.
"Turn," Zayne commanded softly.
As if obeying, the bear roared and twisted its massive body to face him again, its mouth wide open to bite.
That was the mistake.
Zayne was already moving. He lunged forward, not away from the bite, but *into* the creature's guard.
He drove the rusted dagger upward.
He didn't aim for the chest. He aimed for the soft, vibrating point beneath the jaw—the throat.
*Squelch.*
The blade sank in. But it hit bone. The bear thrashed, panic setting in. It swung its arm blindly, backhanding Zayne across the chest.
*Crack.*
Zayne flew three meters, slamming into the stone wall.
[HP: 65/120]
[Warning: Rib fracture detected.]
Pain exploded in his chest. Zayne spat out a mouthful of blood. He didn't grimace. He smiled.
"Got you."
The bear was thrashing, trying to roar, but only a wet gurgle came out. The dagger was still lodged in its throat, blocking the airway.
But it wasn't dead. It was enraged. It turned toward Zayne, eyes burning with a desire for mutual destruction. It charged again, slower this time, bleeding heavily.
Zayne stood up. His legs were shaky, but his mind was ice cold.
He watched the bleeding beast run at him.
[Analysis: Blood loss at 4% per second.]
[Time to unconsciousness: 12 seconds.]
Zayne didn't need to fight. He just needed to survive twelve seconds.
The bear swiped. Zayne ducked.
The bear bit. Zayne rolled.
The bear slammed its body against the wall. Zayne slid through its legs.
It was a dance of death. Every movement Zayne made was calculated to the millimeter. He was conserving every ounce of stamina, letting the monster kill itself.
*Thump.*
The bear took one final, wobbling step. Its legs gave out. It crashed to the cave floor, sliding to a halt at Zayne's feet. Its breathing stopped.
[You have slain the Level 5 Crystal-Hide Grizzly (Elite).]
[Experience Gained: 800.]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
[Level Up!]
Zayne exhaled, leaning against the cold wall. The golden light of the level-ups washed over him, knitting his fractured rib and refilling his stamina.
"Open Loot," he said.
A small, glowing chest materialized over the bear's corpse. This was the First Clear reward. The reason he had risked his life.
He kicked the chest open.
Inside lay a single book. The cover was black, bound in nameless leather.
[Skill Book: Shadow Step (Rare)]
[Description: Allows the user to blink 5 meters in any direction instantly. Cooldown: 10 seconds. Mana Cost: 20.]
Zayne's eyes lit up. *Movement.* In the early game, mobility was king. This skill usually didn't drop until the second floor of the Nexus.
"Learn."
The book dissolved into particles of light, rushing into his chest. Knowledge of how to fold space etched itself into his brain.
[Skill Acquired: Shadow Step (Lv. 1)]
Zayne clenched his fist. He was no longer just a guy with a knife. Now, he was a threat.
He walked over to the bear's corpse and retrieved his rusted dagger. The blade was chipped, almost useless now.
[Hidden Objective Complete: "The Soloist".]
[Reward: 500 Coins.]
He checked the timer.
*Time elapsed: 4 minutes.*
The first wave outside was likely ending. The "Tutorial Admin" would be arriving soon to congratulate the survivors and issue the second test.
Zayne adjusted his collar and walked back toward the light.
He wasn't going to join the survivors. He was going to hunt.