"Krrsk—krrsk!"
The sound of teeth gnashing against the dirt intensified. From behind the dense thickets and the tangled roots of an ancient banyan tree, small shadows began to emerge. One, two, ten... no, there were dozens of them!
A swarm of Grimrats had me surrounded.
Their crimson eyes flickered in the darkness of the forest like embers hungry for blood. There were at least thirty, perhaps fifty of these monster rats, all eyeing me as their next meal.
"Can I really handle this?" I whispered, my throat feeling bone-dry.
I stood up quickly, gripping the handle of the black sickle tight. If just five of them had given me such a hard time, how was I supposed to survive dozens? They were no longer just a pack; they were a tide of death ready to drown me.
[WARNING: Grimrat Swarm (Rank F) Detected!]
[Quantity: 42]
"Dammit, there are too many!" I cursed.
Instead of running—which I knew would be futile given their speed—I loosened my stance and dropped into a low guard. The black sickle in my hand began to vibrate slightly. The cold air flowing from the blade seemed to inject a surge of mad courage into my veins.
Screech!
As if by a secret command, the swarm lunged simultaneously from all directions. They leapt, baring yellow fangs ready to tear my flesh apart.
"Bring it on, you filthy vermin!"
I no longer closed my eyes. I spun my body, swinging the black sickle in every direction. I could only hope to land a hit, as predicting the movements of a crowd this large was impossible.
CLAK!
[DORMANT DEATH SOUL OBTAINED]
The crisp sound of a successful slash echoed amidst my failed swings. One more down, but I was already exhausted. I couldn't afford to swing recklessly anymore if I didn't want to die a pathetic death here.
I decided to retreat slowly to avoid losing any more HP. I had to think of a way to win. My mission target was only four more Grimrats. I kept backing away until my spine hit the trunk of a massive tree. There was nowhere left to run.
I had to gamble now. I had to kill four more and hope the system reward would save me. If not, I was finished.
"DON'T FAIL ME, SYSTEM!"
I roared and stepped forward, thrusting the sickle with the last of my energy. This time, I moved with precision. I focused on every twitch, trying to read and feel the very breath of these rats.
A rat lunged at my face. I dodged by a hair's breadth before its fangs could graze me. Holding my breath, I spotted another attack from the corner of my eye. This time, I was ready. I twisted my torso and slammed the blade home.
CLAK!
[DORMANT DEATH SOUL OBTAINED]
Now, I was beginning to read the rhythm of their attacks. I kept swinging, turning, dodging, and stabbing. Fighting on the brink of death was... surprisingly exhilarating. My fear was slowly morphing into addictive adrenaline.
CLAK!
CLAK!
CLAK!
[DORMANT DEATH SOUL OBTAINED]
Ten of them had fallen. I retreated for a moment, staring at the system screen, praying for immediate help.
[QUEST STAGE 2 COMPLETE!]
REWARD: 1 RANDOM BLACK SICKLE SKILL
[Use Now? (Y/N)]
"Use it now!" I croaked hoarsely.
Instantly, the red light of the system dimmed, replaced by an incredibly bright pale-white glow. The ten white auras floating around me—the souls of the Grimrats I had just harvested—suddenly spun violently. They were sucked into my black sickle like a ravenous whirlpool, followed by a massive explosion of frost that froze the entire swarm surrounding me.
The system screen flashed red once more.
[SKILL OBTAINED: SOUL MANTLE (LV. 1)]
I looked around. It seemed the Grimrats would be frozen for a while. I took a moment to breathe and checked my new skill.
[SKILL INFORMATION: SOUL MANTLE]
Description: Coats the Black Sickle with the pure essence of harvested souls. The aura adapts based on the type of Death Soul used.
Status: Dormant Souls converted to White Souls (Frost of Death).
[ACTIVE EFFECT: GLACIAL EDGE]
The blade is coated in eternal ice; Sharpness +30% and Armor Penetration.
Cost: 1 White Soul / Minute.
[PASSIVE: FROSTBITE AURA]
While Glacial Edge is active, the sickle emits a white aura (2m radius); 20% Slow effect and instant freezing on weak targets.
[SPECIAL PASSIVE: SOUL SUSTENANCE]
Trigger: Activates automatically when Stamina falls below 10%.
Effect: Devours 1 Soul to instantly restore 50% Stamina.
Side Effect: Every use of Soul Sustenance causes severe fatigue once the user enters a safe mode.
"So, every monster has a different type of soul, huh?" I muttered. I realized that the person I used to be—mere trash—now held the key to becoming stronger.
I gripped the sickle with all my might, watching the Grimrats as the ice began to crack.
"ACTIVATE GLACIAL EDGE!"
[GLACIAL EDGE ACTIVATED! WHITE SOUL -1]
The air froze instantly. A vortex of cold wind wrapped around my blade, forming a glossy layer of ice with a white aura that danced like frozen fire.
[STAMINA BELOW 10%. ACTIVATING SOUL SUSTENANCE! WHITE SOUL -1]
THUMP!
My muscles surged with strength, my energy refilled, and my body felt light as a feather. This recovery effect was far more potent than any healing magic I had ever seen.
"Enough small talk. It's time to pay you back for the humiliation."
I vanished. Thanks to the Frostbite Aura, the rats' movements now felt incredibly sluggish. They lunged, but I dodged elegantly and cut through them with terrifying precision.
CLAK!
One rat was sliced clean, its wound sealed in ice. The remaining rats began to screech in terror, but I had no intention of showing mercy.
"Time for a massacre."
I whispered with a look in my eyes I had never possessed before. The gaze of a loser was gone, replaced by the eyes of a reaper.
CLAK! CLAK! CLAK!
[WHITE SOUL OBTAINED]
I moved with total freedom.This feeling of bliss was beautiful. There was no more "fighting"; there was only a mass slaughter. The sound of my blade clashing against the constant stream of system notifications became the background music for the night.
CLAK! CLAK! CLAK!
[WHITE SOUL OBTAINED... WHITE SOUL OBTAINED...]
I fought with everything I had. Finally, I stood tall, gasping for air. It was exhausting, yet deeply satisfying. I had wiped them all out in mere minutes—something I had never dared to dream of before.
I checked my status one last time.
Name: Aiden Cross
Level: 0 (EXP 47/100)
Class: Harvester
Inventory: White Soul x38
[EMERGENCY MISSION]
Quest 1 & 2: COMPLETE
Quest 3: UP LEVEL (47%)
Quest 4: LOCKED
Time Limit: 2 Days 15 Hours 27 Minutes
Without realizing it, a new quest had appeared, commanding me to level up. Could I really do it?
I looked up at the sky, which was beginning to darken. This forest would become three times more dangerous at night, and I had to leave before the nocturnal predators emerged.
I stepped out from the edge of the forest, tapping my access card against the scanner at the entrance gate. A soft beep echoed, sounding almost like a welcome back from the brink of death. With heavy, dragging steps, I walked toward the guard post—toward the man who had looked at me earlier with such deep pity and concern.
Seeing my figure emerge from the dark shadows of the trees, the guard nearly jumped out of his seat.
"Hey, kid! You're still alive?" he shouted, his eyes wide with disbelief. He rushed over to me, barraging me with questions. "How on earth did you survive in there for so long on your own? You went in with almost no gear!"
I caught my breath, forcing my face to look as exhausted as possible to make my story convincing. "No... I wasn't alone," I lied. "A large party of Hunters passed by and helped me out."
I had to give him an excuse. If I told him the truth—that I had slaughtered dozens of Grimrats by myself with nothing but a rusty sickle—it would lead to a long, complicated investigation. I wasn't ready to become a person of interest for the Association or anyone else just yet.
"Oh, thank goodness! So you were backed by that large raid party that went in earlier, huh?" he said, letting out a long sigh of relief, as if a weight had been lifted from his shoulders.
I simply nodded, letting him believe his own fantasy just to end the conversation quickly.
"Officer, I'm exhausted. I should head home now," I said, cutting him off before he could pry any further.
The guard looked at me for a moment, then gave my shoulder a firm, encouraging pat. His gaze was now filled with genuine sympathy.
"Alright, young man. Go home and get some rest. Remember, you have to stay strong. Don't ever think about seeking out death like that again!"
I offered only a thin smile—a smile that probably seemed a bit mysterious to him.
"Thank you, Officer. I'll keep that in mind," I replied, before turning away and walking toward the city center.
Under the dim glow of the streetlights, I clenched my fist. The guard was right about one thing: I wasn't going to die. But he was dead wrong about my intentions. I wasn't looking for an end; I was forging a new beginning.