The forest closed in around Eryon.
There was no trail, no guide, only wild grass brushing against his knees and tangled shrubs clawing at his legs. Luckily, he had prepared for this. The muddy ground beneath his feet meant nothing with the trail shoes he wore, and the plants scraping against his clothes barely registered.
Tall trees rose on all sides, their canopies woven so tightly that sunlight fractured into thin shafts of gold. The deeper he went, the more the world seemed to change.
Minutes passed.
The trees gradually thinned. The undergrowth softened, replaced by patches of wildflowers swaying gently in the breeze. The air cooled, brushing the sweat from his skin.
Then he heard it.
Low. Steady.
The voice of nature itself.
The rumble of water.
His pulse quickened. His stride lengthened. Instinct screamed that something waited ahead.
He broke through the trees and stopped.
A river stretched out before him, calm and clear. Its bed glittered with smooth stones, tiny fish darting through the current. Afternoon sunlight rippled across the surface, scattering golden reflections like shards of glass.
A smile spread across his face.
He knelt and scooped water into his hands, splashing it across his face. The chill shocked his skin, dragging fatigue from his body. He cupped his hands again and drank without hesitation.
No metallic taste. No strange odor. Just pure, natural water.
This world had not been poisoned by pollution. His instincts told him that much.
Then the impossible happened.
Blue light shimmered across the surface, curling like mist around his palms before sinking into his body.
[Devil's Touch Active: You have gained 'Vital Clarity' essence from the natural spring]
[Effect: Restores 10% energy | Increases mental focus and stamina recovery for 1 hour]
Eryon closed his eyes briefly as warmth spread from his spine to his fingertips. His awareness sharpened. His breathing steadied. His mind felt clearer than it had in years.
"Even water can be harvested," he murmured, almost reverent.
The possibilities widened in his mind. His talent truly had no limits.
He stood and scanned the surroundings. In the distance, following the river's opposite flow, he saw it. A towering cliff shrouded in mist, sunlight catching the spray. From hundreds of meters above, a massive waterfall thundered downward, casting a faint rainbow into the air.
But his attention shifted.
To the side, half-hidden among trees and shrubs, lay a narrow incline winding upward. A natural path. Difficult, but passable.
His grin widened. His fingers tightened around his spear.
"Better I get there first before him."
He moved, quick and light, every step sharpened by clarity.
In this world, being first was not luck. It was advantage. Whether earned through sweat, deceit, or blood, it did not matter. There were no rules. No fairness. Only winners and corpses.
Eryon understood that better than most.
At first, humanity would cling to remnants of morality. They would form groups. Talk about trust. Cooperation. Pretend the old world's values still applied.
But when power began to stack unevenly, when people realized just how far they could climb, those morals would crumble.
What replaced them would be older.
Primal. The will to dominate.
It would no longer be about survival. It would be about supremacy.
Justice would lose meaning. Empathy would be branded weakness. Faith, if it still existed, would be tested not by suffering, but by the power one could wield.
Eryon did not rely on concepts of right or wrong. To him, this world was natural selection in its purest form.
Only those who could discard old morals would survive.
And he intended to be the predator.
---
Soon, he stood near the waterfall.
From afar it had looked beautiful. Up close, its roar was deafening. Mist rolled in thick clouds, soaking his clothes and chilling his skin. The cascade no longer felt serene. It felt like a living wall, hiding whatever secrets lay beyond.
Eryon's sharp gaze swept the cliffside.
There.
Half-veiled behind the curtain of falling water was a narrow crevice.
A hidden chamber.
His smirk returned.
Without hesitation, he stepped forward and plunged through the torrent.
The water slammed into him, cold and merciless. His clothes clung to his body, hair plastered to his forehead. His footing slipped, then steadied. Stone beneath his boots, slick but solid.
He pushed through until the roar faded, until the cavern swallowed him whole.
Inside, the space was vast and damp, the air thick with moss and stone.
His eyes adjusted to the dim light.
Then he saw it.
A jaguar lay at the center of the cave.
Not an ordinary beast.
It was massive, twice the size of its kind. Muscles coiled tightly even in slumber. Its coat shimmered faintly, each slow breath rumbling with quiet menace.
Of course, Eryon thought. This world does not know ordinary.
But the beast was not the true prize.
Behind it glowed something else.
A small plant, barely a sapling. From it hung a single golden fruit. Light radiated from it, warm and alive, vibrating through the cavern.
Power.
A system window appeared.
[Special Quest Activated: Fruit of Venom]
[Objective: Slay the Ancient Jaguar and claim the Fruit of Venom]
Eryon grinned. The quest meant for someone else was now his.
The jaguar stirred.
A low growl rolled from its throat. Its eyes snapped open, sharp and intelligent. It rose slowly, shoulders rippling with muscle, lips curling back to reveal long fangs.
The chamber trembled with its presence.
Eryon raised his spear. His heart pounded, each beat echoing in his ears.
There was no room for hesitation.
Not here.
He once recalled an old Japanese quote.
"Hesitation is defeat."
And in this world, defeat meant death.