I didn't sleep.
Couldn't.
The air in the palace was too still—too suffocating. Every hallway whispered of expectations I didn't understand. I wasn't born into this body. I was just trapped inside it.
I stared at the ceiling of the chamber I'd been given. The silken sheets tangled around me felt foreign, like the luxury was meant for someone else. Maybe it was. This body's memories were locked behind fog, but the fragments I did catch were ugly—mockery, humiliation, shadows of worthlessness.
"I'm not him," I muttered under my breath.
But I was in his skin.
"System," I said aloud. "What do I need to defeat Tatsuo in the Combat Trial?"
[Target: Tatsuo. Rank: Advanced Combatant. Estimated Power Level: 73/100.]
[Current Power Level: 41/100.]
[Recommended Strategy: EXP Grind. Combat Trials in Forest. Beast Cores required to unlock Skill Enhancements.]
"Great. So I have to grind. Just like a cursed RPG."
[Forest to the east. Distance: 11.4 km. Estimated travel time: 1 hour, 32 minutes. Stealth advised.]
I stood, already pulling on my coat. The boots still had dust from earlier. No guards were stationed outside my door. Of course not. No one cared where I went. Not even my family.
[Stealth Route Highlighted.]
I slipped out of the chamber and followed the glowing thread only I could see. It pulsed faintly at my feet, like neon veins crawling across polished marble. The palace slept. Not a soul stirred.
By the time I slipped through the east courtyard, the moon had risen high, casting a pale silver wash over everything.
I passed the outer gate easily.
No one stopped me.
They wouldn't notice I was gone.
And maybe they wouldn't care—at least not until I returned stronger.
The forest was alive in a way the palace wasn't.
Every branch creaked like bones overhead. The ground was soft, damp. I moved in silence, sticking to the path the System traced.
[Warning: First contact imminent.]
"Show me."
[Beast Detected: Ironclaw Wolf. Rank: D-Class. Hostile. 30 meters ahead.]
A red shimmer appeared just up the path—a glowing outline of a beast pacing between two gnarled trees. Its fur bristled silver, and its claws glinted like blades under moonlight. It hadn't seen me yet.
"System," I whispered. "Any tips?"
[Strategy: Aim for the eyes. Movement speed higher than yours. Use terrain.]
I didn't hesitate. I picked up a fallen branch and snapped it in two with my foot, tossing one half into the trees.
The wolf turned sharply. I lunged from the other side.
The blade I'd borrowed—thin, ceremonial—sank into its shoulder before it could snap at me. It howled, twisting, claws raking across my side.
Pain flared white-hot.
[Damage Received. Minor Injury. Adrenal Boost Triggered.]
I pulled the blade free and jammed it into its throat.
The beast collapsed, blood soaking into the leaves.
I stared at it, panting. My side burned. The coat was slashed open, skin beneath bloodied.
[Beast Core obtained: Low Tier. EXP +17.]
[Combat Skill Progress: 4%.]
"That's it?" I spat.
Then I laughed.
Because for the first time, I felt it. The thrill. The rush.
"More," I said, tightening my grip. "Show me more."
By the time dawn tinged the edge of the sky, I'd killed four more. Wolves. Razorbacks. A serpent with eyes like molten gold.
I was limping.
Exhausted.
But alive.
[Current Power Level: 49/100.]
[Skill Tree unlocked: Select upgrade path.]
I leaned against a tree, letting the cold bark anchor me. Blood dried on my arm. My hair stuck to my neck. And still, I felt more alive than I ever had in the palace.
But I couldn't stay here.
"Where's the nearest inn?"
[One available. 1.2 km north. Small village: Haerlin. Moderate traffic. Discreet lodgings available.]
"Lead the way."
Haerlin was a sleepy settlement built between two ridges. Cobblestone paths. Candle-lit windows. Farmers dragging carts.
I covered my face with the hood of my cloak and headed for the inn marked by the System.
It wasn't much—just a wooden lodge with a swinging sign that read The Winking Nymph.
Figures.
I pushed the door open.
Warmth. Laughter. Music.
And three pairs of eyes landed on me almost immediately.
Three girls sat at a round table near the hearth—young, dressed like tavern daughters, faces flushed with drink and laughter.
Their conversation died the moment I stepped in.
The blonde leaned in. "Is that…"
"The one with the hair," the brunette whispered.
"Look at his eyes," the redhead added. "He's not from here."
I kept my gaze forward, but the System buzzed.
[Target Alert: Lust Bond Candidates detected. Pheromone Response: High.]
[Passive Effect: Attraction Triggered.]
[Would you like to engage Bonding Protocol?]
"Not now," I muttered.
But the girls were already rising.
The blonde approached first, fingers twirling in her hair. "You look like you've been fighting demons."
"Something like that."
"Want a drink? A wash? A place to rest?"
The brunette joined her. "Or maybe some company?"
I should've walked away.
I really should've.
But my body was sore. My side ached. And there was something in their eyes—a hunger, yes, but also curiosity. And I hadn't been looked at like that in a long time.
[Bond Opportunity: Group Sync Possible. Benefits—Charisma Boost, Passive Recovery, Stamina Recharge.]
I raised an eyebrow. "Three of you?"
The redhead smirked. "Unless you can't handle us."
I smiled. Just a little.
"Try me."