The growl sent ice down my spine.

  I wasn’t alone.

  The fire had burned low, casting weak flickers of light across the forest floor. Beyond its reach, in the shifting darkness, something watched me.

  My fingers tightened around the rock in my hand.

  Stay calm. Don’t panic.

  Panic got people killed.

  But what the hell am I supposed to do?!

  Another growl, deeper this time. A shape moved just outside the firelight—a low, hunched form, circling. I caught a glimpse of glowing yellow eyes.

  And then, a System notification.

  [Identify Unavailable. Insufficient Skill Level.]

  Oh, come on!

  I didn’t need a skill to guess what it was. Some kind of predator.

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  A wolf? No, it moved wrong—lower to the ground, shoulders shifting like a big cat.

  But there was something off about it.

  The way it watched me, its eyes too bright, its body too still—like it was thinking.

  Fight or Flight?

  Running wasn’t an option.

  I didn’t know the terrain, and if I turned my back, it would pounce.

  That left fighting.

  Against a wild animal.

  With a rock.

  Brilliant.

  But I wasn’t just a helpless girl anymore.

  The System had given me skills. I had fire.

  And if I had to go down, I wasn’t going down quietly.

  The creature lunged.

  I rolled sideways, barely dodging as claws raked the dirt where I’d been. Too fast! It was smaller than a wolf, but lean, quick—like some nightmarish mix of a hyena and a panther.

  I scrambled back, swinging wildly with my rock. It missed.

  The thing growled, circling again. Testing me.

  My heart slammed against my ribs.

  I needed to change the fight.

  That’s when I saw it—

  The fire.

  Fire had worked against predators back home. And this thing, whatever it was, had stayed out of the light.

  It feared it.

  I lunged for a burning branch, gripping it with both hands. The heat seared my palm, but I didn’t let go.

  The creature snarled.

  I swung the flaming stick toward it—

  And it flinched.

  Yes!

  I pressed forward, waving the fire wildly. The creature hissed, backing away.

  But it wasn’t giving up.

  It paced just outside the reach of the flames, waiting for an opening.

  I needed to end this.

  I had one shot.

  I faked a stumble, letting the fire dip—just enough to make it think I was weakening.

  It lunged.

  I threw the burning branch.

  It hit the creature’s face.

  With a screech, it reeled back, smoke rising from singed fur. Its glowing eyes widened—and that’s when I struck.

  I swung the rock with everything I had.

  A sickening crack.

  The creature collapsed, twitching once—then went still.

  Silence.

  I stood there, panting, shaking, staring down at the motionless body.

  And then—

  [Skill Gained: Unarmed Combat (Novice)]

  [Skill Gained: Predator Instincts (Novice)]

  [Attribute Increased: Strength +1]

  [Attribute Increased: Dexterity +1]

  A final chime—

  [You Have Leveled Up!]

  The First Level-Up

  I leveled up.

  I almost laughed.

  I was alive. I had won. And the System had recognized it.

  I collapsed onto the dirt, still gripping my rock, staring up at the sky.

  Tomorrow, I’d figure out what to do next.

  But tonight?

  Tonight, I had survived.