Awakening Of The Forgotten World

The night was silent.

Too silent.

Dain stood near the village's outer barricade, gazing at the dark treeline beyond. The wind whispered through the branches, rustling leaves that glowed silver under the moonlight.

Something felt off.

His Dungeon Sense (Lv.1) had been tingling ever since the sun had set. It wasn't a full warning, not like when the system had detected the hobgoblin warband.

But it was a sign.

Something was out there.

Something watching.

A notification appeared.

[Unknown Presence Detected]

• Threat Level: ???

• Distance: 300 meters west of Eldrin's Hollow.

Dain's grip tightened on Silverlight's hilt.

This wasn't a mistake.

Something was coming.

And this time, he wouldn't wait for it to strike first.

Dain moved swiftly through the village, heading toward the training grounds, where some of the militia were still finishing up their practice.

Edric noticed him immediately. "Something wrong?"

Dain nodded. "The system is warning me. Something's out there."

Edric frowned. "More goblins?"

"I don't think so," Dain said. "It feels… different."

That was the only way he could describe it.

The hobgoblins had been brutish, their attack predictable. This?

This felt calculated.

"We need to check it out," Dain said. "Get a few men. We're going in."

Edric nodded, turning to call over Rowan and Gareth, two of the more competent fighters from the militia. Both men had been training hard, and while they weren't experienced, they could at least hold their own in a fight.

Dain led the way toward the western treeline, where the system had detected the presence.

The forest was thick, the air still.

Too still.

Then—

A branch snapped.

Dain froze.

His eyes scanned the darkness.

Something moved between the trees.

Then, a system notification appeared.

[Enemy Identified: Shade Stalker (Lv.9)]

• Health: 180/180

• Threat Level: High

• Status: Concealed

Dain's breath caught.

This was no goblin.

This was something far deadlier.

A low growl rumbled from the shadows.

Then—a blur of motion.

Dain barely had time to react before the creature lunged from the darkness, moving unnaturally fast.

A black-furred beast, its elongated limbs ending in razor-sharp claws. Its body was lean, muscular, and covered in dark mist, making it almost impossible to track in the dim light.

Its eyes—glowing a deep, unnatural violet—locked onto Dain.

Then it moved.

Dain's instincts screamed.

Dodge!

He barely twisted aside as the Shade Stalker's claws ripped through the space where he had stood.

The wind pressure alone was enough to send his cloak fluttering.

Too fast!

It wasn't just strong.

It was intelligent.

It wasn't attacking blindly like the hobgoblins.

It was toying with him.

A notification appeared.

[New Quest Unlocked: Hunter in the Dark]

• Objective: Defeat the Shade Stalker before it escapes.

• Reward: ???

Dain gritted his teeth.

If it got away, it could report back to whatever force it served.

That couldn't happen.

They had to kill it here.

"Form a perimeter!" Dain shouted. "Don't let it slip past us!"

Rowan and Gareth hesitated only for a moment before following his orders, raising their weapons.

Edric drew his blade, eyes locked on the beast.

The Shade Stalker grinned.

Then it vanished.

Dain's heart pounded.

It was still there—but now it was using its stealth abilities.

His eyes scanned the darkness.

Then—his Dungeon Sense flared.

Dain twisted instinctively.

The beast lunged from behind.

He raised Silverlight just in time, blocking the deadly claws.

Sparks flew.

A notification appeared.

[Silverlight's Holy Aura Weakens the Shade Stalker]

-5 Defense to the enemy.

Dain's eyes widened.

So this sword was effective against it.

Good.

Now he just had to land a hit.

Dain lunged, swinging Silverlight in a sharp arc.

The Shade Stalker dodged effortlessly, its movements unnatural, almost like liquid shadow.

Then it struck back.

Dain barely managed to block, but the sheer force sent him skidding backward.

A new notification appeared.

[Skill Activated: Combat Awareness (Lv.1)]

• Improves reaction time against high-speed enemies.

Dain's body responded instantly.

His mind slowed the movements around him, letting him see the exact moment the Shade Stalker prepared to strike again.

There!

He dodged to the side—then countered.

Silverlight flashed.

The blade sliced into the Shade Stalker's side.

A shriek echoed through the forest as black mist burst from the wound.

[Direct Hit! 32 Damage Dealt]

Dain's confidence soared.

It could bleed.

It could be killed.

The Shade Stalker staggered back, its glowing violet eyes narrowing.

It knew it was losing.

Dain could feel it preparing to retreat.

He wouldn't let it.

A final notification appeared.

[New Skill Activated: Relentless Pursuit (Lv.1)]

• Grants temporary speed boost when chasing a wounded enemy.

Dain moved.

Faster than before.

The Shade Stalker turned to flee—

Dain was already there.

He drove Silverlight straight through its chest.

The beast howled, its body convulsing as the silver glow of the blade burned through its dark mist.

Then—it collapsed.

A chime echoed in his mind.

[Enemy Defeated: Shade Stalker]

+180 Experience Gained

[Level Up!]

Level: 9 → 10

Dain exhaled sharply, stepping back as the creature's body dissolved into black mist.

It was over.

Rowan and Gareth stood frozen, their faces pale.

"That… that wasn't a goblin," Gareth muttered.

"No," Dain agreed, sheathing Silverlight. "It wasn't."

Edric exhaled slowly. "I've seen a lot of things in my life. But nothing like that."

Dain nodded grimly.

This wasn't just another monster.

This was a hunter. A predator.

And if there was one…

There could be more.

A final system message appeared.

[Quest Updated: The First Protector - 40%]

• You have eliminated a scouting threat.

• But more dangers await.

Dain tightened his fists.

The system was right.

Something was coming.

And next time, it wouldn't be just one hunter.

It would be a pack.