After accepting his new identity, Arthur spent several minutes examining his body.
Once he finished, he looked at the forest around him and considered wandering a little to explore his new home.
But he hesitated. He didn't dare stray far from his cave, especially since he had no idea what kind of creatures he might encounter along the way.
'What if some ferocious beasts attack me? I really don't want to die on my first day in this world'
A shiver ran through him involuntarily. Still, he decided to take the risk. He wasn't that much of a coward, and sooner or later he would have to venture deeper into the forest to look for food and water anyway. There was no point in delaying the inevitable.
Sigh!
"Well, I'm not completely defenseless. My fangs and claws can count as deadly weapons. Besides, this is a good chance to try out the skills I obtained."
Most of the Skills he possessed were Support-type, which wouldn't help him much if he faced a deadly threat.
Without overthinking it, Arthur focused all his attention on activating the "Enhanced Senses" Skill.
Contrary to his expectations, he succeeded on the first try.
It seemed that his new Skills had become part of him, almost like additional limbs, allowing him to control them with ease.
The moment the Skill activated, the world around him changed—or rather, it became much clearer.
His vision improved by several magnitudes, allowing him to see the intricate details of insects several meters away.
His other senses were also greatly enhanced. He could now detect various scents in the area and pinpoint their sources. The same applied to sounds.
'This is truly amazing. With this skill, I'll be able to avoid many dangers.' A small smile appeared on his face, and he felt like a superhero.
Because controlling the "Enhanced Senses" Skill was so easy, he got excited and tried out his other Skills.
Fortunately, he didn't encounter any obstacles. However, what he hadn't expected was that using his Skills consumed both his physical and mental energy.
Eventually, he ended up sitting on the ground, panting from exhaustion.
'Phew… this was exhausting. I'm already drained after just half an hour, and I'm starting to feel hungry and thirsty.'
Arthur let out a long sigh. Without thinking, his mind wandered to various delicious foods, making his mouth water.
Unfortunately, he was no longer able to eat human food, and even if he wanted to, his new body wouldn't allow him to cook.
He shook his head in disappointment and pushed all random thoughts out of his mind.
'Now, I have a good understanding of my abilities. There are limits to what I can do. I can't keep my Skills active for too long, and I can only use two Skills at the same time.'
It made perfect sense that there would be some restrictions on his skills, so he wasn't bothered, and his morale remained high.
After resting for a bit, he yawned and stretched lazily. Then he stood up, ready to start the exploration he had planned. But he froze in his place.
He spotted a strange creature, resembling a giant squirrel, walking cautiously between the trees about 600 feet away from him.
He was surprised, and quickly scanned it using the "Evaluation Skill".
[ F-rank Burrow Squirrel ]
'Good, it's the same rank as me.' His expression relaxed.
He thought seriously.
'This creature doesn't seem dangerous. I think it will make a suitable target for hunting.'
In reality, his body trembled with excitement and fear. Without any intention of backing down, he calmed himself, took a deep breath, and activated the "Primal Predator" Skill.
The moment the effects of the "Primal Predator" Skill appeared, all his anxiety vanished.
His mind went blank, and he focused on only one thing: hunting and preying.
This shocked Arthur severely, yet he found no time to express his astonishment. His instincts completely took over, and he became incomprehensibly bloodthirsty.
With extreme caution, like a true predator, he began to stalk the squirrel, following his instincts.
His steps were almost soundless, and he prevented his scent from spreading by walking against the wind.
Because of this, he managed to approach the squirrel without it noticing him.
When only a few meters separated him from his prey, he felt it was the right time to strike.
Fortunately, due to the effects of the "Primal Predator" Skill, he didn't hesitate. He unleashed his full power and pounced on the squirrel savagely.
Screech!
The squirrel noticed him and tried to flee in panic, but it wasn't fast enough.
As soon as it took two steps forward, Arthur reached it. He plunged his sharp claws into its back, then bit it with extreme force, tearing a large piece of flesh from its body, sending blood flying everywhere.
It was disgusting, yet Arthur felt nothing; the "Primal Predator" Skill had suppressed his emotions, making him resemble a true beast.
The squirrel screamed in pain and began running and leaping frantically, trying to escape his grasp, but it was futile.
After two minutes of futile struggle, it finally weakened, and Arthur bit its neck, finishing it off.
[ +3 XP ]
"Huff"
Once all signs of life had disappeared from the squirrel, Arthur regained his rationality.
His thirst for blood subsided, and with an excited expression, he stared at his bloody prey and thought.
"Did I really succeed?! I didn't expect this. The "Primal Predator" Skill is amazing, but it's somewhat dangerous. It made me lose control of myself. This is not acceptable, I need to learn how to control my instincts."
He licked his lips and tasted the metallic blood. Contrary to his fears, the taste wasn't too bad.
Gathering his courage, slowly leaned down, bit a large piece of raw, bloody meat, and swallowed it.
"That's disgusting."
Despite his complaint, Arthur continued eating until he felt full. When he finished, the System screen appeared before him.
[+2XP]
[You have obtained 1 Evolution Point]