Jelo was pressed against the boulders, now free from his class and the teacher. His heart pounded in his chest, and he could feel every beat echoing in his skull, intensifying the headache that had been plaguing him all day. He took a moment to catch his breath and steady himself, even though the pain made it difficult to think clearly.
He was out. He was alone.
Now what?
He looked around, trying to figure out where he should go if he wanted to hunt Dabba. The landscape stretched out before him, endless sand, scattered ruins, clusters of rocks and debris. Somewhere out there, Dabba were wandering. He just had to find one.
But he knew he had limited time. Very limited time. Before long, the teacher would notice he was missing. She'd start asking questions, organizing a search. And if they found him fighting a Dabba, or worse, eating one…
No. He couldn't let that happen.
He decided to go right.
Jelo started moving, walking quickly across the barren terrain. His legs felt weak beneath him, his balance off. He stumbled sometimes, catching himself on rocks or against the uneven ground. The headache had grown so much worse. It felt like his skull was being crushed from the inside, and every step sent jolts of pain through his body.
He kept walking. Minutes passed. Or maybe it was hours. Time felt strange, distorted by the pain and exhaustion. His vision blurred at the edges, and he had to blink constantly to keep things in focus.
And then, finally, he found them.
A group of Dabba.
Jelo stopped in his tracks, his breath catching in his throat.
They were giant wolves, but unlike any wolves he'd ever seen. They stood at least six feet tall at the shoulder, their bodies covered in thick, wooly fur that was a deep, electric blue. Their fangs were massive, so large they protruded from their lips and mouths, jutting downward and upward like tusks. The fangs were too big to be covered, giving the wolves a perpetually snarling, monstrous appearance.
But it was their eyes that disturbed Jelo the most.
They were completely blue. No pupils. No irises. No retinas. Just a solid, glowing sea of blue, like staring into an ocean with no bottom.
Jelo counted them quickly.
Three.
Three giant wolves, prowling slowly around a cluster of rocks, sniffing the air, their heads low and movements predatory.
There was no way he could take on three at once. Especially not in this state, where he was so weakened he could barely stand. One of those things could probably kill him in seconds.
He needed to find one by itself.
Jelo turned and kept walking, moving as quietly as he could. He circled wide around the wolves, keeping low, using the ruins and boulders for cover. His heart hammered in his chest, but he forced himself to stay calm.
After a while of walking, he finally came across another Dabba.
This one was alone.
It was a tall, flightless bird. It stood at least eight feet tall, with a sleek, muscular body covered in black and gold feathers that shimmered faintly in the harsh light. Its beak was long and curved, filled with rows of serrated teeth that looked like they could tear through metal. And its talons, sharp, curved, deadly, scraped against the sand as it moved.
Jelo stared at it, his stomach sinking.
He didn't think he could handle it. Not in his current state.
But he had no choice.
The headache was unbearable now. The system's warning was still flashing in his mind. He was losing HP. If he didn't eat a Dabba heart soon, he'd collapse. He'd die.
So he steeled himself and moved forward.
The fight was brutal.
The bird noticed him almost immediately. Its head snapped in his direction, those serrated teeth clicking together as it let out a sharp, screeching cry. Then it charged.
Jelo barely had time to react. He threw himself to the side as the bird's talons slashed down, raking across the sand where he'd just been standing. He scrambled back to his feet and sent a dragon claw at it.
The translucent claw-shaped energy struck the bird's side, but the creature barely flinched. It spun around and lunged at him again.
Jelo dodged, but not fast enough. One of the bird's talons caught him across the shoulder, tearing through his uniform and raking across his skin. He gasped in pain, stumbling back.
The bird pressed the attack. It was fast, much faster than Jelo had expected. Its beak snapped down at him, and he barely managed to activate his scaled guard in time.
His skin hardened, scales rippling across his body like armor. The bird's beak clanged against the scales, unable to pierce through.
But the impact still hurt. Jelo was knocked backward, landing hard on the sand.
The bird screeched again and came at him.
Jelo rolled to the side and sent another dragon claw. This one hit the bird in the leg, making it stumble. He scrambled to his feet and sent another, then another, each one wearing the creature down bit by bit.
The bird was relentless. It slashed at him with its talons, snapped at him with its beak, screeched in fury every time he landed a hit. Jelo got beaten up badly. His uniform was torn and bloodied. His body ached. His vision swam.
But he kept fighting.
Finally, after what felt like an eternity, he wore the bird down enough. It was slower now, its movements sluggish. Blood dripped from multiple wounds across its body.
Jelo gathered everything he had left and sent one final dragon claw.
It struck the bird square in the chest.
The creature let out one last screech, then collapsed to the ground, its body going still.
Jelo collapsed too, falling to his knees from relief and exhaustion. His chest heaved as he gasped for air. His entire body trembled.
But he'd done it.
He'd killed it.
Now he just needed the heart.
Jelo looked around quickly, searching for something sharp. He found a jagged piece of metal sticking out of the sand, probably debris from some old structure. He grabbed it and crawled over to the bird's body.
He plunged the metal into the bird's chest and began carving, his hands shaking. Blood soaked his fingers as he cut deeper, digging through feathers and flesh until finally, he found it.
The heart.
It was large, still warm, pulsing faintly even though the bird was dead. Jelo pulled it free and stared at it, his stomach turning.
The idea of eating it raw disgusted him. He wondered if there was any way he could roast it, cook it, make it at least somewhat palatable.
But he was losing HP. He could feel it. The system's warning was still flashing.
He didn't have time.
Jelo brought the heart to his mouth and bit into it.
He was surprised.
He could chew it. His teeth, which should have struggled with raw, tough muscle, cut through the flesh easily. He felt them shift, change, becoming sharper, stronger. A set of teeth capable of biting and chewing raw meat.
He swallowed, expecting to gag, to feel sick.
But he didn't.
His digestive system handled it easily, almost like it had been designed for this. He felt no nausea, no discomfort. Just… satisfaction.
He finished eating the Dabba's heart, swallowing the last piece.
And then the system notification appeared.
[You have consumed one Dabba heart. HP replenished.]
[You have gained +1 stat point in Speed.]
[You have gained +1 stat point in Strength.]
[You have gained +1 stat point in Stamina.]
Jelo let out a long, shaky breath and slumped back against the sand. The headache was gone. The weakness was gone. He felt… better. Not great, but better.
He closed his eyes for a moment, just enjoying the relief.
-----
Meanwhile, Mira had been following him the entire time.
She'd trailed him as he walked through the wasteland, staying hidden behind rocks and ruins. She'd watched as he found the Dabba wolves and wisely avoided them. She'd followed as he found the bird.
And when he'd started fighting it, she'd thought he was suicidal.
But then she'd seen his strength.
He wasn't fighting like a rank F super. He was too fast, too strong, too skilled. He used abilities she'd never seen him perform before, like the dragon claw, which tore through the air with deadly precision. And his skin… it had changed. Hardened. Scales had appeared across his body, deflecting the bird's attacks.
Mira's eyes had widened in shock.
This wasn't the weak, stumbling boy she'd seen in class. This was someone else. Someone much more powerful.
And then he'd killed the Dabba.
And then he'd eaten it.
Mira watched, her face a mixture of shock and disgust, as Jelo carved out the bird's heart and bit into it like it was the most natural thing in the world.
What the hell was he?
She couldn't just stand there anymore.
She stepped out from behind the rock and walked toward him.
"Jelo," she called out. "What are you doing?"
Jelo, who had just been relaxing, enjoying the relief of finally eating, was startled. His eyes snapped open, and he saw her standing there, staring at him.
Panic surged through him.
She'd seen everything.
Before Mira could say another word, Jelo rushed at her.
He moved faster than she expected, his newly replenished stats giving him speed he hadn't had before. His fist shot out, connecting with the side of her head with brutal force.
Mira's eyes rolled back, and she crumpled to the ground, unconscious.
Jelo stood over her, breathing hard, his fist still raised.
What had he just done?