[System Rewards]
[You have acquired primal energy of Mid-level Feral Beast: Scaled Spider]
[Essence Absorbed: +4 EXP]
[Blood Points: +2]
[Experience Points: 9/50 EXP]
[Level-up Progress: 18%]
---
As the system's notice flashed in front of him, Kael straightened and let out a breath. His body hummed with the absorbed power, veins still tingling from the fresh influx of energy.
"Efficient kill," he muttered, voice echoing softly in the empty corridor.
However, the improvised stone fragment he'd used as a weapon was already wearing down. Its surface showed cracks in several places, edges dulling from repeated impacts against chitin and bone. He needed something better if he wanted to survive deeper floors.
Kael crouched next to the spider's corpse, studying it with a thoughtful eye. The exoskeleton was tough but too bulky to fashion into a useful weapon. However, its legs...
He traced his fingers along the jagged bone-like sections close to the joints. They were sharp by nature, hard, and surprisingly durable, better than stone, at least. He wedged his current stone shard into a joint and pried, breaking one leg free with a sharp crack.
The result was a rough, jagged bone dagger almost as long as his forearm. The edge wasn't perfect, but it had a wicked point and felt solid in his grip.
---
[Weapon Acquired: Bone Dagger]
Grade: Common
Durability: Medium]
---
He tested the weight, adjusting his grip. It was lighter than he expected, easier to handle, and definitely sharper than his makeshift stone. His lips curled into a satisfied smirk.
"This will do."
Kael moved deeper into the first level of the labyrinth. The tunnels were gradually widening, transitioning from cramped corridors to something more open.
Human skeletons lined parts of the path, old adventurers who hadn't made it out. Fresh claw marks scarred the walls, evidence of larger beasts prowling nearby.
His Night Predator trait kept his senses sharp. Every shadow and sound registered with crystal clarity.
Moments later, he caught sight of them.
Three Wild Wolves blocked the path ahead, their lean bodies covered in coarse, patchy fur that made them look half-starved. Two were roughly the same size, Mid-level Feral Beasts. The third, standing in the center, was noticeably larger with a vicious scar cutting across one milky eye. A High-level Feral Beast. The alpha.
Their eyes gleamed with predatory hunger as they spotted him.
Kael immediately slowed his movements, controlling his breathing. Wolves were pack hunters, coordinated, intelligent, and ruthless. If they sensed weakness, they'd swarm him without hesitation.
His mind worked quickly, assessing threats and angles. One mistake here meant death.
The Alpha stood in the center, muscles coiled and ready. The other two flanked it on either side, forming a loose semicircle. If Kael attacked one, the others would converge immediately. He needed to break their formation first.
He reached down slowly and picked up a loose rock. Then, with a casual flick of his wrist, he tossed it to his right.
Clatter.
The closest wolf's ears snapped toward the sound, body tensing. But the Alpha remained still, scarred eye fixed on Kael. It wasn't fooled.
'Smart.'
Kael's grip tightened on his bone dagger. "No more tricks then. Time to move."
He stepped forward, not cautiously, but decisively.
The wolves reacted immediately, all three snarling as they surged toward him. But Kael was already gone from where he'd been standing.
He sidestepped left in a blur of motion, closing the gap with the nearest wolf before it could adjust. His blade flashed in a horizontal slash across its throat.
Blood sprayed hot across his face. The wolf's legs buckled mid-stride, collapsing as it choked on its own blood.
"One down."
The second wolf twisted mid-charge, claws extended as it lunged for his exposed back. Kael dropped into a roll, feeling the air displaced above him as claws raked empty space. He came up inside the wolf's guard and drove his blade upward in a vicious arc, tearing through its belly.
The beast yelped a high, sharp sound, but Kael didn't stop. He twisted the blade savagely, then ripped it free and stabbed again, this time into the side of its neck.
Crunch.
The wolf dropped into a spreading pool of its own blood, legs twitching once before going still.
The Alpha was the last one left.
The scarred wolf didn't charge recklessly like the others. It paced in a slow circle, yellow eye locked on Kael, muscles coiled tight beneath its fur. This one had survived long enough to learn caution.
Kael exhaled slowly, centering himself. This would take more effort.
The Alpha lunged, but not at his upper body. It went low, aiming for his legs, trying to cripple him first.
Kael's instincts screamed danger.
He leaped back, but not quite fast enough. Fangs grazed his thigh, tearing through fabric and skin. Pain flared hot and sharp. Not deep, but enough to slow him down if he didn't finish this quickly.
The Alpha pressed the attack immediately, sensing the opening. It came in fast, jaws snapping toward his throat.
Kael feinted left, then spun right at the last second. The wolf's momentum carried it past him, just for a heartbeat. That was all he needed.
Gripping his blade with both hands, Kael pivoted and drove it down with all his enhanced strength. The bone dagger punched through the Alpha's skull with a sickening crunch, sinking deep into brain matter.
The wolf's body seized violently. Then, with one final shuddering breath, it collapsed.
Kael pulled his blade free, panting. Blood dripped from the weapon, mixing with the pooling crimson beneath the three corpses.
---
[System Rewards]
[You have acquired primal energy of Mid-level Feral Beast: Wild Wolf]
[Essence Absorbed: +4 EXP]
[Blood Points: +2]
[Experience Points: 13/50 EXP]
[Level-up Progress: 26%]
---
[You have acquired primal energy of Mid-level Feral Beast: Wild Wolf]
[Essence Absorbed: +5 EXP]
[Blood Points: +2]
[Experience Points: 18/50 EXP]
[Level-up Progress: 36%]
---
[You have acquired primal energy of High-level Feral Beast: Wild Wolf Alpha]
[Essence Absorbed: +7 EXP]
[Blood Points: +2]
[Experience Points: 25/50 EXP]
[Level-up Progress: 50%]
[Breakthrough: Level 4 Primal Warrior]
[New Trait Acquired: Predator's Instincts (Enhanced)]
---
Power surged through Kael's body like lightning through water. His breathing steadied almost instantly. The wound on his thigh stopped bleeding, flesh knitting together at an accelerated rate.
But that wasn't all.
His senses sharpened dramatically. The darkness became clearer, not just visible, but 'readable'. He could sense the faint movements of air currents, the minute vibrations in the stone floor, the barely audible skittering of something small fleeing in the distance.
His muscles felt more responsive, movements more fluid. The bone dagger in his hand no longer felt like a crude tool, it felt like an extension of his arm.
Predator's Instincts was a passive skill that enhanced reaction time, battle awareness, and the ability to anticipate enemy movements before they happened. Not precognition, just heightened perception pushed to its absolute limit.
Kael flexed his fingers, feeling the new trait settle into place. "This power..." He looked down at his bloodstained hands. "It's addictive."
He wiped his dagger clean on the Alpha's fur and straightened.
A few meters ahead, the air shimmered as a swirling sphere of violet energy that pulsed with an eerie resonance appeared.
A floor portal.
Kael steeled himself and stepped through. The sensation was strange, like wading through thick, icy water that pressed against every inch of his body. A heartbeat later, reality shifted.
The cold stone corridors of the first floor vanished, replaced by something entirely different.
The second floor was vast, not a cramped dungeon hallway, but an underground forest.
Twisted trees with ashen bark stretched toward a cavern ceiling so high it vanished into shadow. Their leaves were black, rustling softly despite no visible wind. The air smelled thick with damp soil and something faintly metallic, decayed blood perhaps, or mineral deposits.
Pale luminescent moss clung to the tree trunks and rocks, providing just enough light to see by. The ground beneath his feet was soft, covered in a layer of dark mulch that muffled his footsteps.
Kael's grip on his bone dagger tightened. "Status Window."
The translucent system interface flickered into view.
---
[STATUS WINDOW]
Name: Kael Veyne
Level: 1
Race: Human (Eldritch Hybrid)
Bloodline: Eldritch Devourer
Rank: Initiate Devourer
Affiliation: House Veyne
Experience Points: 25/50 EXP
Cultivation: Level 4 Primal Warrior
Blood Points: 9 BP
[Attributes]
> Strength: 11
> Dexterity: 14
> Constitution: 8
> Mental Cognition: 12
> Stamina: 8 (95%)
> Devourer Corruption: 0.6% (Increases with overconsumption—mutation risk at 10%+)
[Abilities]
> Devour Essence (Active): Absorb 50% of the primal energy of slain foes one realm above. Increases by 2% with every system level up.
> Assimilate Traits (Passive): 10% chance to steal abilities from devoured enemies. Increases by 5% with every system level up.
[Traits]
> Night Predator (Trait) – Enhanced stealth, vision, and reaction speed in darkness.
> Adaptive Regeneration (Trait) – Minor wounds heal quickly. Large wounds require BP.
> Predator's Instincts (Enhanced Trait) – Heightened battle awareness, improved reaction time, and ability to predict subtle enemy movements.
---
Kael absorbed the information quickly. Nine Blood Points accumulated already. He could save them for emergencies or invest in stat improvements now.
"Let's test my limits first."
He crouched low, scanning his surroundings. The second floor was strangely quiet. There were no howling wolves, no scuttling spiders. Just the soft rustle of leaves and the occasional drip of water.
But something felt off. The forest was too still. Too quiet.
Suddenly, he heard something. A faint rustling sound came from the left. Then the right. Then from above.
Kael's Predator's Instincts flared a warning.
He rolled forward just as a dark shadow dropped from the trees above, landing exactly where he'd been crouched a moment before.
He came up in a defensive stance, dagger raised, and got his first clear look at the predator.
A Scaled Serpent, at least ten meters long with a body as thick as a man's torso. Its scales gleamed dully in the moss-light, mottled green and black for perfect camouflage. Yellow eyes with vertical slits fixed on him with cold intelligence.
More rustling sounded. Two more serpents slithered forward from the darkness, forked tongues flickering as they sized him up.
Three total. Two High-level Feral Beasts and one Peak-level Feral Beast, the leader, judging by its size.
Kael's jaw tightened. Serpents were ambush predators, but these ones hunted in coordinated packs. Smart, patient, and deadly.
His mind raced through scenarios. Fighting three at once was suicide. He needed to separate them or take one out immediately.
The lead serpent struck first.
Its body snapped forward like a coiled spring released, fangs bared, each one as long as Kael's hand.
But his Predator's Instincts kicked in.
Time seemed to slow. He could see the serpent's muscles tensing a fraction of a second before it moved, telegraphing its attack. He twisted sideways, the fangs missing his shoulder by inches.
Before the first serpent could recoil, the second one attacked from his blind spot.
Kael spun, bringing his dagger up in a defensive arc. The blade caught scales, scraping but not penetrating. The serpent's head snapped back, hissing.
The third serpent, the largest of the trio, coiled its body, preparing to strike.
Kael made a split-second decision. Offense was his only option.
He feinted left toward the second serpent, then pivoted hard right, closing the distance with the first. His bone dagger flashed in a downward arc, aiming for the softer scales behind its head.
SLASH!
The blade bit deep, tearing through scales and muscle. Blood sprayed hot across his arm. The serpent writhed in agony, thrashing wildly.
But the third serpent was already moving.
Its tail whipped around faster than Kael could react, slamming into his side like a battering ram.
Pain exploded through his ribs. The impact sent him skidding across the forest floor, bark and mulch scraping his skin. His vision blurred for a moment, stars dancing at the edges.
He grimaced, tasting blood. "That was reckless."
The serpents didn't hesitate. All three converged, sensing his weakness.
Kael's breathing steadied despite the pain. His Adaptive Regeneration was already working, mending the cracked ribs, but not fast enough.
He needed an edge.
"Use 3 Blood Points on Dexterity."
---
[Blood Points Consumed: 3]
[Dexterity Increased: 14 → 17]
[Remaining BP: 7]
---
Power flooded his tendons and muscles. Not with strength this time, but speed. His nerves fired faster, his limbs responded quicker, his balance sharpened to a razor's edge.
The first serpent lunged.
Kael sidestepped effortlessly, his movements almost casual now. His dagger flashed out, opening a deep gash along its throat. The serpent collapsed, blood pooling beneath it.
The second serpent coiled and struck.
Kael didn't dodge, he leaped, using the creature's own body as a springboard. He landed on its back mid-strike, driving his blade down with both hands into the base of its skull.
CRUNCH.
The serpent spasmed once, then went limp.
The leader tried to retreat, finally recognizing the threat.
But Kael's Predator's Instincts guided him. He closed the gap in three swift strides, blade already moving. The dagger punched through scales at the base of the skull, severing the spinal column.
The serpent hissed one final time, a long, rattling sound. Then silence.
---
[System Rewards]
[You have acquired primal energy of High-level Feral Beast: Scaled Serpent]
[Essence Absorbed: +7 EXP]
[Blood Points: +2]
[Experience Points: 32/50 EXP]
[Level-up Progress: 64%]
---
[You have acquired primal energy of High-level Feral Beast: Scaled Serpent]
[Essence Absorbed: +6 EXP]
[Blood Points: +2]
[Experience Points: 38/50 EXP]
[Level-up Progress: 76%]
---
[You have acquired primal energy of Peak-level Feral Beast: Scaled Serpent Alpha]
[Essence Absorbed: +8 EXP]
[Blood Points: +3]
[Experience Points: 46/50 EXP]
[Cultivation: Level 4 → Level 5 Primal Warrior]
---
Warmth flooded Kael's body as the breakthrough completed. His wounds finished healing, ribs snapping back into place. His muscles grew denser, bones harder. Energy coursed through his veins like molten fire.
He rolled his shoulders, testing his new strength. He'd advanced again.
He wiped his dagger clean and glanced at the dark forest stretching ahead. More challenges awaited deeper in.