The forest waited.
It didn't whisper, or tremble, or bow to him.
But it watched.
Noah stood at its edge before sunrise, Mira beside him, bow slung over her shoulder. She had insisted on coming.
"I don't need a babysitter," he said flatly.
"You need someone to make sure you don't kill a deer and bring back a god," she replied without missing a beat.
He didn't argue. His emotions had grown quiet lately—less anger, more… processing.
[System Directive: Begin Combat Reintegration. Objective: Slay 1 Lifeform | Utilize Trait: Echo of the Dead]
[Reward: Trait Stabilization | Causality Drift Integration +4%]
He stepped into the forest.
The moment he did, something shifted.
The animals grew silent. Wind stalled. Light dimmed, even though the sun had risen.
Mira noticed. "That's not normal."
"Neither am I."
An Hour Later
They tracked hoofprints—light, clean. Deer. Good meat, swift, cautious.
Then they stopped.
The trail ended—no blood, no prints leaving the spot. As if the animal vanished.
Noah narrowed his eyes. "Something's wrong."
"Yeah," Mira said, drawing an arrow. "Look up."
In the branches above—hung like trophies—were three deer. Gutted. Twisted.
Clawed.
And watching from below the trunk of a hollow tree, a pair of yellow eyes blinked once.
Then lunged.
[Threat Detected: Ravager-Class Spirit Beast – "Hollow Maw"]
The thing moved like smoke and shadow. No roar. No warning. Just speed.
Noah didn't hesitate.
He rolled aside, hand brushing the soil—
[Echo Triggered: "Reflex Memory – Bandit Duel, Year 3017 A.F."]
His arm moved before his mind caught up. A clean jab with two fingers struck the beast's shoulder mid-lunge. It hissed, spiraling off-target, slamming into a tree with a screech.
"What the hell—?!" Mira shouted.
"Don't stop moving," Noah snapped, eyes glowing faintly violet.
The Hollow Maw disappeared again.
But Noah felt it. Not with sight. Not with hearing.
With memory.
Like the shadows of warriors still whispering in his bones.
[New Combat Pattern Synced | Movement Prediction: 67% Accuracy]
He twisted, ducked, kicked off a stump—and slammed his palm into empty air.
The beast was there before it knew it had been seen.
A shockwave rippled out.
Bones cracked.
Blood splattered the grass.
The Hollow Maw whimpered, body shaking as it collapsed, twitching. Dying.
Noah stood above it, breathing steady.
[Echo Absorbed – Hollow Maw: Hunting Instincts +3 | Auditory Range +12m]
[Causality Drift: 17%]
The forest was silent again.
But this time… it respected him.
Later
Mira stared at him as they skinned the carcass. "That wasn't human."
"I'm not sure I am anymore."
"That supposed to be comforting?"
Noah gave a half-smile. "You stayed. That says something."
She didn't answer.
[System Directive: Physical Sync Rate Increasing | Spiritual Instability: Contained]
[You have entered the 'Becoming' Phase.]
Back in the Village
He didn't show the body.
He showed the meat.
And no one questioned it.
They felt it. A ripple in the wind. A silence that wrapped around him like armor.
Even Yarik didn't make eye contact.
Noah was no longer the quiet kid from the farm.
He was the one who walked into the deep woods—and came back with the forest watching his back.