Alex flew through the trees at high speed. The wind whipped his face as his body streaked between the branches like a living arrow.
A strange realization came to him.
"Just before, I was more enduring… Now, I'm outright faster."
He had just drunk blood, barely moments ago, and it seemed to have further enhanced his physical abilities. Not only did he no longer feel any fatigue, but even the sleepiness that had weighed on him earlier had completely vanished.
He felt in great shape. Alive. Powerful.
He kept flying without pause until nightfall.
During his flight, he crossed paths with several monsters. Weak creatures wandering in the woods. Yet, strangely… at his sight, they all immediately moved away. As if they felt a deep instinctive fear. As if his mere presence was enough to terrify them.
"Heh… I'm so strong that even monsters flee from me now!?"
He couldn't resist having some fun. Without attacking, without throwing a single blow, he started chasing them in flight like a predator playing with its prey. The monsters screamed, fled as if crying in fear. This reaction made him chuckle softly.
This game lasted until morning.
Then, boredom overtook him.
With a beat of his wings, he gained altitude, rising high into the sky to breathe the fresh dawn air. In the distance, he spotted a lake shining under the first rays of the sun. Intrigued, he approached it.
There, he saw an old man sitting by the water, a fishing rod in hand… but apparently asleep.
"A human? Finally?"
Out of pure reflex, Alex activated his Stealth skill, then gently descended toward the old man.
"I drank monster blood… I wonder what human blood tastes like," he murmured with curiosity.
Silently, he approached his prey and tasted a drop of blood.
[You drink the blood of your target… No skill detected.]
[You copy your target's knowledge: Fishing acquired.]
[Crafting Level +1]
Current level: 2
"Hm… Not bad," Alex commented, wiping his lips. "But there's a seriously nasty aftertaste."
He raised an eyebrow, intrigued.
It was the first time he copied purely human knowledge. A mundane skill. Yet, he didn't have time to think more about it…
Something crept into his mind.
Like a flood of memories that were not his own, images of calm rivers, fishing rods cast at dawn, the line vibrating between his fingers.
In his mind, he had become a true fishing veteran. Every knot, every move, every trick… He knew them all.
And yet, he had never held a rod in his other life.
The old man suddenly woke up with a start, feeling pain in his neck. He brought his hand to the wound and grunted:
"What a filthy mosquito…"
Still invisible, Alex twitched.
"A mosquito? Seriously?"
But he didn't have time to react further.
A piercing cry split the air.
That of an eagle. A gigantic eagle, diving at full speed toward the old man. Alex looked up — and what he saw took his breath away.
[Stormbeak — Level 17]
The eagle was diving, its silver feathers reflecting the light like a celestial armor. Its pale blue eyes shone with an icy gleam, as sharp as daggers. Its black, sharp, curved beak vibrated in the air, producing a shrill whistle.
"He's going to kill him!"
Without thinking, Alex jumped and violently pushed the old man out of the attack's path.
"Get out of here!" he shouted.
The old man, eyes wide, now stared at Alex in his bat form.
"A… a monster?! A talking monster?!"
He immediately fled, panicked.
In the sky, Stormbeak straightened his wings and slowed his flight, soaring majestically. His deep voice echoed.
"So, it's you… the famous bat who defeated the panther."
Alex froze.
"You… you talk?! Wait… you're reincarnated too?"
Stormbeak stared at him for a long moment, then burst into a cold laugh.
"What nonsense are you talking about?"
Without warning, he beat his wings violently.
A powerful gust immediately surged, sweeping Alex away like a dead leaf, sending him flying through the air.