Corinth's first breath came too easy.

  He jolted upright, eyes wide as if waking from a dream, but his chest rose and fell with no resistance. No ache. No burn. His hands pressed to his ribs instinctively, expecting the deep ridges of bruises and the wet stick of half-clotted blood. Instead, there was smooth, unmarred skin.

  He flexed his fingers. Strength hummed in the muscle, stronger than before—as though his body remembered the battle and thanked him for surviving it.

  "Nothing like before," he murmured, voice rough.

  A faint chime cut through the quiet.

  [ Quest Complete: The Value of Breath ]

  The window unfolded before him, text etched in light. Corinth blinked at it, a brief frown tugging at his lips. This again. It felt wrong—foreign—but there was no time to dwell on it. Below the completion prompt, three cards shimmered into view.

  Burst StepAccelerate in any direction with a short burst of speed. 3-second cooldown.

  Reaving CwEmpower strikes with a serrated force, rending flesh and armor for 5 seconds. 10-second cooldown.

  Breath StabilizationControl your breathing to regute stamina recovery and steady aim.

  Corinth exhaled slowly, studying each card. It wasn’t instinctive knowledge; it felt more like a puzzle handed to him by some unseen force. His gaze flicked between the cards, weighing options without urgency.

  Speed, power, or endurance. What kind of fighter was he?

  His fingers hovered over Burst Step, but there was no hesitation when he tapped it. Movement was survival. In the fight with the serpent, it was speed that kept him breathing long enough to see its weakness.

  The card fred, then dissolved. Corinth rolled his shoulders, feeling a faint, electric tingle settle into his bones. No pain. No fatigue. Nothing left of the battle but the memory of desperation.

  Or... most of the memory, he frowned.

  There was almost nothing in his head to define him, only his name was there and sat heavy on his tongue. Corinth. He could recall it with ease—the one thing he truly owned. Yet it brought with it a pang, an ache that had nothing to do with the fight. Bittersweet. Why?

  He rubbed his chest, feeling the steady beat beneath his palm. There was something there. Someone. But the harder he reached for it, the faster it slipped away.

  Anger stirred in his chest. Sudden. Overwhelming. Corinth's hands curled into fists, breath coming hard despite his newfound strength. It boiled under his skin, demanding release—an urge to break, to hurt, to make something suffer. The calm, collected veneer cracked, if only for a moment.

  "What is this..." he muttered under his breath. But there was no answer. Only the distant sound of his breathing.

  He pushed to his feet with a quiet huff. Dwelling wouldn’t bring the answer.

  The faint scent of stone and damp earth lingered while the air hung heavy with warmth, thick enough to cling to his skin. The space around him felt different now. The echoes of the serpent's st cries had long since faded, leaving only silence in its wake. Yet it wasn’t still.

  A cry split the air. Distant. Deep. Another beast.

  Corinth's eyes narrowed toward the horizon. He rolled his shoulders once more, testing the strength in his limbs. This time, there was no hesitation.

  "Let's see what you are."

  And with that, he started walking.

  The world stretched wider the further Corinth walked. Uneven cliffs rose on either side, forming a narrow valley of dark stone and patches of brittle grass. Each step he took echoed dully against the rock walls.

  His body felt lighter now. Limber. The ache that had once rooted him to the ground was gone, and with it came the faintest edge of something more—an ease in the way his muscles coiled when he moved. It wasn't much, but it was there.

  And he would need it.

  The cry he'd heard earlier was on his mind. Guttural. Hungry. Corinth moved with purpose, though he kept his steps quiet. No point in rushing. No point in being careless.

  It wasn’t long before the signs of life found him. A thick gouge ran through the stone ahead, as if something with cws the size of his forearm had raked the surface. Bits of shale crumbled underfoot, and further ahead, a dark smear marked the earth.

  Blood.

  Corinth crouched beside it, running two fingers over the drying stain. Still warm. He wiped his hand on his thigh and rose.

  The hunter was close.

  The grass rustled to his right.

  Corinth stilled. His breath slowed, pulse steady. Eyes scanning. The wind shifted, carrying with it the scent of musk and soil. There was a rhythm to the rustling now, like something circling. Stalking.

  He exhaled softly.

  A blur of muscle and fur lunged from the brush.

  Corinth twisted on instinct. Burst Step fred to life, and his body moved faster than his mind could keep up with—a sharp jolt forward, just enough to dodge the snapping jaws that closed around empty air.

  He spun as he nded, feet digging into the dirt.

  The beast snarled as it skidded to a halt. Its sleek frame was draped in short, dark fur that drank in the light. Muscles rippled beneath the surface, smooth and powerful, built for speed and precision. Its shoulders dipped low as it paced, each step measured and deliberate. Pale scars marked its fnk, faint against the dark hide. Its eyes, sharp and gold, tracked his every breath. But it wasn’t just watching.

  It was thinking.

  Corinth clenched his jaw. Smart, then. Smart enough to wait for an opening.

  The beast feinted left.

  Corinth didn't flinch.

  It feinted again. Another step. Testing.

  Good.

  Corinth shifted his stance, fingers curling around the rock he had picked up earlier. Smooth. Heavy enough. He exhaled slowly, centering his breath. The anger from before flickered at the edges of his chest, simmering.

  Not yet.

  The beast moved.

  Burst Step. Corinth shot forward, closing the distance faster than the creature had expected. The rock in his hand cracked against its ribs, a dull thud reverberating through bone. The beast yelped, staggering.

  But it didn’t go down.

  It spun, cws shing out. Corinth jerked back, but not fast enough. He felt the sting as one cw raked across his side. Not deep, but enough to bite. He gritted his teeth, pivoting away.

  They circled each other now. Blood dotted the ground beneath them.

  Corinth rolled his shoulder. The pain was nothing. His anger crept closer to the surface, cwing for release.

  He let it rise.

  But as he took his next step forward, the beast's ears fttened. Its muscles bunched, but not for another lunge. Instead, it spun and bolted back into the shadows, leaving only the rustle of grass in its wake.

  Corinth stared after it, breathing hard. His heart pounded in his ears. It wasn't retreating. It was regrouping.

  "Coward," he muttered. But there was no malice in his voice. Just calcution.

  He wiped the blood from his side and gnced down the narrow passage ahead. A pn already forming.

  If it wanted to hunt, he would give it something to chase.

  A faint chime echoed through the valley, gentle yet clear. Corinth’s gaze flicked up as the window unfolded before him, its light casting a pale glow against the dark stone walls.

  [Quest Detected: Earn Your Fangs]

  [Objective: Defeat the hunter.]

  He exhaled slowly, letting the words settle. Another challenge.

  He wiped his palms against his thighs, smearing the drying blood from his side. There was a faint pull in the muscle when he moved, but nothing crippling. Not yet.

  "So that’s how it is," he murmured.

  The beast was smart. It had the patience to strike, retreat, and wait for weakness. Harassment tactics. He could see it—bit by bit, it would chip away at him until there was nothing left. If he waited for it to come again, it would be on its terms.

  No. You won’t have your way.

  Corinth scanned the terrain. The narrow passage stretched ahead, the jagged cliffs funneling toward a tighter choke point where the walls pinched closer together. Only a few meters wide. It was perfect.

  He moved quickly, wincing as the sting in his side fred again. Adrenaline would keep it dull for now, but he wasn’t about to test his luck. With a gnce over his shoulder, he searched the ground—kicking at loose stones, collecting a handful of the heavier ones. Not much, but enough to make noise. Enough to sell a lie.

  A fallen branch caught his eye. Thick. Roughly the length of his forearm. He tested its weight, nodding to himself. Good. It would do.

  Once he reached the choke point, Corinth crouched low and pressed a palm to the dirt. The ground was softer here, worn from water flow or old erosion. He worked quickly, using the branch to dig out a shallow pit just wide enough for a foot to catch. Crude, but effective. If the beast charged, if it took the bait...

  He positioned himself just beyond the pit, dragging his feet over the ground to scuff up the dirt. He left a trail—a smear of blood against the stone, a staggered line in the soil. The marks of someone slowing down.

  And then he let himself fall.

  Or at least, that’s what it needed to look like.

  He hit the ground with a grunt, breath ragged, pressing a hand to his side. The stones scattered from his palm, cttering loud against the rock walls.

  Then he waited.

  Seconds stretched long. Each breath measured. Shallow. Weak.

  It didn’t take long.

  The grass rustled. Slow at first, then quicker. Stealth abandoned for speed.

  Corinth let his fingers curl around the branch at his side.

  "Come on," he whispered. His heart pounded in his chest—anticipating.

  The beast burst from the brush in a blur of shadow and muscle. Massive paws tore across the dirt, cws carving deep furrows in the earth. Its sleek, bck coat rippled with each bound, muscles coiled with lethal grace. Eyes like molten gold burned with focus—unblinking, predatory.

  Corinth remained still, body half-curled against the dirt, breath ragged. The scent of musk and soil filled his lungs as it closed the distance.

  Wait.

  Closer.

  It lunged, jaws parting wide, fangs bared.

  Now!

  Corinth twisted at the st second. Burst Step fred to life in his bones, propelling him just far enough to avoid the beast's snapping jaws. Its paws smmed down, cws raking through the soil—

  And found the pit.

  The beast's weight drove its foreleg deep into the earth. It stumbled with a snarl, momentum wrenching its body forward. Corinth didn’t hesitate. He surged up from his crouch, the branch in his hand arcing downward.

  Crack.

  The branch splintered against the beast's shoulder. It yelped, staggering to the side, cws scrambling for purchase against the loose dirt. Corinth pressed the advantage, driving forward, but the beast was faster.

  It twisted sharply, muscles bunching as it wrenched its leg free from the pit. Dirt sprayed in thick arcs as it scrambled back, nostrils fring wide. The impact of its tail missed Corinth by inches this time—a wild, desperate sh that sent a crack reverberating through the stone.

  Corinth caught himself mid-stumble, breath dragging raggedly through his teeth. His heart smmed in his chest, but he pushed it down, breathing deep, steadying.

  The beast limped now, favoring its front leg where blood slicked its dark fur. Its breaths came shallow, eyes wide with a glint of something Corinth hadn’t seen before.

  Hesitation.

  Good.

  He shifted his stance, rolling the jagged remains of the branch in his hand. Sweat beaded along his brow, but he barely felt it. His focus was sharp, cutting through the haze of pain.

  "What’s the matter?" he murmured. The words weren’t loud. They didn’t need to be.

  The beast’s growl warbled, chest heaving with each breath. It took a step back.

  Then another.

  Corinth’s eyes narrowed. This was it.

  Burst Step fred through his muscles—a sudden jolt, propelling him forward. The distance between them vanished in a breath. His arm whipped down, driving the jagged branch forward with every ounce of momentum.

  The beast twisted, but too te.

  The branch punched into its eye with a wet, bone-deep crunch. A snarl tore from its throat—high-pitched, frantic—as it staggered back, hind legs scrambling. Blood spttered across Corinth's arm, warm and slick, but he didn’t let up. He drove the branch deeper until it snapped.

  The beast thrashed, shoulder smming into the ground as it let out a warbling, pained cry. Its legs kicked weakly, cws raking at the dirt in desperate spasms before the motions slowed... then stilled.

  Corinth staggered back, heart pounding like war drums in his chest. He wiped the sweat from his brow with the back of his hand as a faint chime echoed through the air.

  [ Quest Complete: Earn Your Fangs ]

  The ache in his muscles faded, strength returning steadily and sure. The sting of his cuts dulled, then vanished entirely. His pulse slowed, breath evening out as he felt a subtle shift—a newfound strength humming through his veins.

  Corinth straightened slowly as he read the window before him. The words etched in light hovered briefly before shifting, folding into a new dispy.

  Below the message, three cards shimmered into view.

  Summon Weapon Manifest a weapon of choice suited to your combat style. Durability scales with usage.

  Crushing Palm Deliver an open-palm strike with concussive force, capable of shattering stone. 8-second cooldown.

  Keen Reflex Enhance reaction speed, allowing you to perceive and respond to attacks more effectively for 10 seconds. 12-second cooldown.

  Corinth's gaze lingered on the cards. He let his eyes drift over Crushing Palm and Keen Reflex, weighing the potential they offered—raw power or sharpened instincts. Both had merit. Both had appeal. Yet necessity pulled his gaze back to Summon Weapon. The words pulsed in his mind, carrying a weight he couldn't quite pce. It felt... right.

  He tapped the card.

  Light fred briefly before something solid and cold pressed into his palm. Corinth lifted the weapon, staring down its length. A steel broadsword—simple, unadorned, but with a weight that felt familiar. Perfectly banced. It fit his grip as though it had always been there, as natural as breathing.

  He exhaled softly, rolling his shoulder as he swung the bde once. The air hummed in its wake. No resistance. No awkward adjustment.

  It felt better than the jagged rocks and the splintered branch he had cwed to survive with. This... this was something else entirely. It fit too well, as if the bde had been his for years.

  His thoughts drifted.

  His name had returned to him the same way. Sudden. Heavy. As though it had always been there, yet carrying a weight he didn’t fully understand.

  Corinth.

  He turned the bde in his hand, watching the metal catch the light.

  The sword felt the same. Familiar. Comforting.

  But where the name left a bitter pang in his chest, this... this felt different.

  This felt like strength.