Chapter 4 – Cutting Through the Unknown
The rustling grew louder.
Something—or someone—was drawing closer to the hut.
Evan's breath slowed, but his heartbeat pounded louder than ever. Each shuffle of foliage was a nail dragged across his nerves. The air thickened with dread as the presence neared. Then came the sound that erased any doubt—sniffing. Not the curious snort of a human, but a primal, guttural sniff that sent a chill crawling down his spine.
This thing wasn't human.
As the gate creaked open, the grotesque head of a Razorlop peeked through. Without hesitation, Evan reacted. With instinct sharper than steel, he slashed downward, blade gleaming in the hut's faint light. The creature tried to retreat—but it was too late.
Schlick!
The sword cleaved through the monster's head like slicing a ripe melon. A wet thump followed as the body crumpled at the threshold, twitching once before going still.
> [ You have killed Razorlop (Level - 1) : +10 exp ]
He exhaled shakily. Relief and triumph washed over him, briefly muting the horrors still lingering outside. But the iron scent of blood now flooded the air—and he knew what that meant.
Blood attracts beasts.
Time to move.
Evan peeked beyond the gate, carefully scanning left and right. The left side looked clear. The right… not so much.
His eyes locked onto another Razorlop—not hunting, but feasting. Its claws tore into a mangled human body like it was nothing more than pulled pork. Evan's stomach lurched, and he pulled back instantly, heart hammering in his throat.
"Alright... think," he muttered. "Let it eat. Then leave."
It wasn't cowardice—it was survival. That creature was barely twenty meters away, and he knew just how fast they could move.
Time was a resource. So while he waited, Evan decided to use it wisely.
Opening his status window, he navigated to the available attribute points.
> [ Allotable Points: 2 ]
Speed had saved him once already. He didn't hesitate.
> [ Agility +2 ]
The effect was almost immediate. The world didn't actually slow down, but he sped up. His thoughts flowed clearer. His muscles felt tighter, lighter, more responsive. Like the difference between jogging and sprinting with wings on your heels.
After fifteen long minutes, he peeked again. The Razorlop hadn't moved far. It wasn't eating anymore—just… resting. Eyes open. Still alert.
"Well, crap."
He could wait forever—or take a stand. His grip tightened on the hilt of his sword.
This world wouldn't cut him any slack. Sooner or later, he'd have to face tougher foes. Why not now?
He scanned the treeline again. No other monsters. Just him and the Razorlop.
His boots crunched the soil as he stepped out of the hut.
The Razorlop didn't notice immediately. Evan could've snuck away. Could've vanished into the forest.
But he didn't.
He planted his foot hard on the ground.
Stomp.
The creature's ears twitched. Its head snapped up. Then it saw him.
A hiss tore through the clearing as it sprang up and charged.
Twenty meters. Fifteen. Ten.
It was fast. Faster than he remembered. But Evan stood firm.
Five meters. Four. Three.
Still, he didn't move.
Two. One.
Now.
He stepped forward with his left foot and swept his blade in a horizontal arc. Fast. Clean. Brutal.
The Razorlop had no time to dodge. Its momentum became its undoing.
In a heartbeat, its head left its shoulders, its body skidding past Evan and collapsing several meters away in a heap.
> [ You have killed Razorlop (Level - 1) : +10 exp ]
Evan exhaled again, slower this time. Less panicked. More controlled.
He looked down at the corpse, then at his hands. They were steady.
He was adapting.
But confidence didn't mean recklessness. He triple-checked his surroundings before even thinking of his next step.
He couldn't stay in the jungle forever. He needed a city.
A direction.
And just then, fate gave him a sign.
Behind the hut, a short distance away, he noticed something glinting in the morning sun. Water. A riverbank.
He stepped toward it—and smiled.
The water was dark. Deep black, like ink diluted in moonlight.
The Negro River.
He recognized it instantly from his last tour. His guide had told him, "The easiest way to tell the Negro from the Amazon is color—black for the Negro, muddy brown for the Amazon."
With that memory came hope.
Where there's a river, there's civilization.
And where there's civilization… maybe there are answers.