Noah hesitated for a fraction of a second, his legs quaking as he moved in. The wolf was massive, and up close, it radiated a terrifying presence. But he gritted his teeth and tightened his grip on the longsword.

  He raised it high and, with every ounce of strength he could muster, slashed at the wolf's exposed neck.

  The blade cut deep, a spray of blood staining the forest floor. The wolf let out a final, haunting howl before collapsing with a heavy thud, its glowing eyes dimming.

  For a moment, no one moved. Their breaths came in ragged gasps, and the silence of the forest seemed even more dangerous.

  Then, a faint azure mist rose from the wolf's body, swirling into an orb before splitting into uneven parts. The mist was drawn toward each of them, sinking into their bodies.

  "What… was that?" Emma whispered, her voice shaky.

  Noah's hands trembled as he wiped the blood off his blade. "I… I think we survived…"

  Daniel fell to his knees, laughing hysterically. "That's it? Just one monster and I'm ready to quit. What fucking world is this?!"

  Victor groaned, clutching his shield arm. "Shut up and thank your luck you're alive." But his lips twitched into a weak, relieved smile.

  Noah soon felt surprised as he sensed his body being rejuvenated, filling with energy. He raised his hand as he felt himself getting noticeably stronger than before.

  The others had similar reactions as they looked at their own bodies getting stronger.

  "Is this what Garrick said about us being granted a chance?" Leah softly said.

  Noah clenched and unclenched his fist. "Looks like this is the so-called Soul Energy he was talking about. We need to kill more beasts to get this."

  Daniel took out a throwing knife and aimed at a tree. He threw it with all his strength.

  Boom!

  The knife flew through the air before strongly hitting the tree, making a loud noise. "Woah! Looks like we are really getting stronger," Daniel said in a surprised tone.

  The others flexed their weapons as well, and everyone noticed clear improvements in their strength, agility, endurance, and perception, among other things.

  "What should we do about this wolf?" Victor asked, pointing toward the giant wolf lying down.

  Daniel collected all of his throwing knives from the body of the wolf while saying, "What else? We leave this shit here and move on to fight something else. This feeling of improvement is really crazy."

  Victor looked at him for a moment as if looking at a moron before turning to the others. "What about you guys?"

  Noah shook his head. "We should head back for now. The sun is already setting, and we have already hunted a beast for now. That Soul Poisoning thing shouldn't happen for a while."

  Leah agreed with him. "True, and we need to find out how we can improve our strength or if we should look out for something while absorbing the Soul Energy."

  Emma nodded her head along, clearly wanting to leave the forest as soon as possible.

  Daniel also calmed down. "I guess that's true. We should leave from here for now. I was getting too intoxicated in the feeling of getting stronger."

  "Okay, now back to the first question. What should we do about this wolf?" Victor asked with a shake of his head.

  Noah looked at it for a while before saying, "We should take it back, even if it's useless. We can at least earn some respect from the villagers, and they won't see us as absolute waste of space."

  "That's good. We can show the others who got here with us who's the boss, heh," Daniel smirked and went toward the wolf. "But holy hell, it will be a pain in the ass to transfer this to the village."

  Noah and Victor reached the sides of the wolf before Victor said, placing his shield on his back, "It might have been nearly impossible before, but with the enhancement of the Soul Energy, we should be able to do it now."

  Daniel nodded before the three of them crouched down and grabbed one corner of the wolf. "Ugh, fuck this heavy bastard," he cursed, picking up the wolf.

  "We… just need to take it back to the village," Noah said as the group began moving soon.

  Leah and Emma looked at each other before following after them.

  …

  "Woah, look at those guys," the other returning people said, pointing fingers at Noah and the group as they were the first ones to return among the large groups.

  Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon.

  Others who went in smaller groups couldn't take back the prey they had killed, while some others didn't return altogether.

  The villagers stared in surprise, whispers spreading among the crowd.

  "They actually brought one back?" someone murmured.

  "They actually managed to kill a Soul Beast on the first day?" another voice said, filled with curiosity.

  Garrick approached the group, nodding his head in recognition as he looked at the wolf. "You people have done well. Killing an E-Grade Beast on your first day is commendable."

  Noah set down his part of the carcass and wiped his brow. "It wasn't easy, but we managed to do it somehow."

  Garrick's gaze moved among the group, looking at their tired yet excited expressions. "Looks like you guys have had your taste of absorbing Soul Energy. Good. This will help you all understand what's necessary to survive in this world. Follow me, we'll process the beast."

  The group followed Garrick to a makeshift processing area near the village's edge. Several villagers joined in to help skin the wolf and extract its valuable parts—teeth, claws, and fur—while another villager prepared the meat for preservation.

  Noah and Daniel looked especially closely as if memorizing how the villagers were processing the beast's carcass.

  "What's all this for?" Leah asked, watching as the villagers worked efficiently.

  "Soul Beasts have parts that are useful for crafting and survival," Garrick explained. "Fur for clothing, claws and teeth for weapons or tools, and the meat is far more nourishing than regular food or normal small beasts. Eating it also helps in nourishing your body, though the effects are barely noticeable."

  Noah's group exchanged glances, realizing that the beast was far more useful than they had thought.

  "What about the Soul Energy we absorbed?" Noah asked. "What can we do with it now?"

  Garrick's expression grew serious. "Soul Energy is your lifeline here. As you grow more, you'll eventually reach a threshold. After that, you will enter E-Grade and awaken a Class. That Class will define your combat abilities and could determine whether you survive in this world. Keep hunting, keep absorbing, and reach E-Grade as soon as possible. That's the only way to let go of the worry of dying from Soul Poisoning."

  Emma fidgeted nervously. "How do we know when we've gathered enough?"

  Garrick glanced at her. "The sigil. It will burn and transform into your Class, among other things. Your body will begin to change when you awaken. But be warned: the process isn't easy. It'll test your willpower, and if you fail…" He trailed off, his silence more ominous than any words could be.

  "Great," Daniel muttered, rolling his eyes. "My life became a fucking LitRPG game."

  Despite his sarcasm, the group couldn't deny the weight of Garrick's words. The path ahead was dangerous, but they had no choice but to walk it.

  Once the wolf was fully processed, Garrick handed them a small bag filled with the beast's teeth and claws. "Take these as proof of your kill. You can trade them with the villagers for supplies or save them for crafting an E-Grade weapon later. Either way, they'll be valuable."

  Noah accepted the bag with a nod. "Thanks. We'll keep that in mind."

  As the group left the processing area, they felt the eyes of other humans on them. Some gazes filled with envy, others with respect or curiosity. One man approached them, his expression hesitant.

  "How did you manage to take it down?" he asked, his voice filled with desperation. "We couldn't even bring back the rabbit-like thing we attacked. It was too fast to catch properly."

  Daniel grinned, "Skill issue, bitch. Get good."

  Noah shot him a stare. "No need to be rude. We wouldn't have been able to do it as well if we weren't in a group."

  Daniel turned his head away, not engaging further.

  Victor glanced at Noah, silently asking if they should share. Noah nodded and stepped forward. "You guys need coordination in your attacks," he said, addressing not only the young man but all the people from Earth who couldn't hunt down a beast.

  "We managed to kill this beast not because we were strong, but because we worked together. One tanking the beast, another distracting it, some dealing damage to it. That's the key. Coordination with your group."

  He paused, letting his words sink in before continuing, "As for you guys, your groups are far too small to do everything on your own. I would advise you to make at least a 4-man group so you can effectively hunt down beasts."

  The man nodded slowly, his eyes lighting up with hope as he hurried back to his group, eager to discuss their next plans.

  Leah looked at Noah, a smile formed on her lips. "How generous you are with your advice. I didn't think you would be one to help others so easily."

  Noah shook his head. "What else do you want me to do? We all are from the same world. The least I can do is advise them on how to move forward."

  Emma nodded her head in agreement. "T-true, it would be a pity if all of them died due to beasts."

  Noah smiled and turned back to his team. "Let's rest for now. We need to be ready for tomorrow."

  The others nodded, but everyone paused as they realized one problem. "…And where will we rest?" Leah asked slowly.

  "…"

  "…"

  Everyone got silent, looking at each other speechlessly.

  "…Umm, maybe there is like a tavern in this village? We can use the Soul Beast part to take a room," Emma slowly said, glancing at the group.

  Noah's eyes lit up. "Yes! We can look around for a tavern here. There must be one with the way they were prepared for newcomers to come here."

  "We can ask a villager for the location," Victor said, looking around to see a nearby villager.

  They spotted a man basking in the evening sun outside of his house. The group glanced at each other before Noah moved toward the man.

  "Excuse me, do you know where we can find the tavern?" he politely asked the middle-aged man.

  "Yes, go straight before taking a right turn. There, you will find a two-story building. That's one of the taverns," the man lazily replied without even opening his eyes.

  Noah nodded his head. "Thanks for the help," and soon returned to his group.

  "Let's go," Noah said before moving to the front of the group.

  …

  The group soon arrived in front of the tavern, a decent two-story building with a wooden sign saying 'open,' swinging gently in the breeze.

  "So this is the tavern or inn, huh," Leah said while looking at the tavern.

  "Let's head in and see what they'll charge us," Noah replied, pushing the door open. The group followed him inside.

  The interior of the tavern was cozy but bustling with activity. Several villagers and adventurers were seated at tables, sharing drinks and stories.

  A young woman stood behind the counter, her gentle eyes and warm smile welcoming them. She wore a simple but neat dress.

  "Welcome," the woman said, noticing their weird choice of clothes. "How can I assist you?"

  Noah stepped forward. "We're looking for rooms. What's the price?"

  The receptionist glanced at the group, her eyes briefly pausing on the bag of beast parts they carried. "Rooms here are one E-rank Beast's tooth per night per room. We provide basic accommodations, meals, and access to the bathhouse."

  Daniel raised an eyebrow. "A tooth for a room? Isn't this daylight robbery?"