The aches and pains from the recent battle began to truly settle in, and I groaned loudly. Oncli looked over, concerned, but I shook my head and looked back at the flashing [System Message].

[Growth achieved. Status updated.]

Alright. I guess it's time for me to understand this [System].

As I focused on the display in the top right of my vision, it expanded.

[Status:

Name: Ashlani (unofficial)

Race: Juvenile Keelish Bloodseeker

Stats:

-Health: 2

-Strength: 3+1=4

-Agility: 6

-Intelligence: 2

-Magic: 0

Skills:

Bloodlust—current evolutionary progress: Unknown

Dominance—current evolutionary progress: 2/100

Evolutionary foresight

-Adult Bloodseeker: live 30 days. Progress: 2/30

-Young Bloodletter: kill 10 large organisms. Progress 2/10

-Young Alpha: acquire 10 followers. Progress: 2/10]

I guess I've gotten stronger...? How did I gain "strength"?

[The System user will gain stat points in accordance to their compliance with the basic expectations held by the Administrator of their race.]

The faint pushing feeling that entered my head when the System addressed me directly sent shivers down my spine, and I felt my tail twitch. Anyways, that makes a lot of... wait, no it doesn't. What?

[If you, the System user, do what the Administrator expects of your race, then you will gain stats.]

Ok, that makes a bit of sense. What are the expectations of the Administrator for my race?

[The Administrator has deemed it unnecessary to divulge that information. However, that decision may be rescinded, depending on your future growth.]

So... how am I supposed to grow correctly if I don't know what the [System] wants me to do? I wasn't sure if the headache I was getting was from the thrashing that demon-looking frog had given me or from trying to communicate with this damned [System].

[Grow and act as you so desire, and you will most certainly find that you will satisfy at least part of the Administrator's expectations of you.]

Fine. Then, final question for now--do all keelish have this [System]?

[No. Only one exemplary individual of a race may be granted a [System] of their own. However, all creatures with even a measure of intelligence are under the influence of the [System], and will experience growth upon their satisfaction of the expectations of the Administrator. Just as you have experienced stat growth upon the hunt of this Toothy Bullfrog, your two subordinates have as well.]

Huh. So... I don't have as much of a leg up as I had thought. But, I guess that knowledge is power, so at least there's that. I wonder what exactly the Administrator is, and if I'd ever met another System user...

Suddenly, I was snapped out of my reverie when I heard a repeated thumping approaching. I gestured for Took and Oncli to get down, but Took was still eye-deep in the flesh of the 'Toothy Bullfrog'. Oncli, on the other hand, noticed my gesture.

"What are you trying to say, Boss? Is there something you want me to do?" He excitedly asked.

Before I could respond, I heard a throaty growl coming from ahead, and then Oncli was broadsided by a massive (to me) wolfstag. I'd seen these before, and they were just as dangerous as they were mean.

Wolfstags are some strange mix of a mountain goat and a wolf, with all the predatory and powerful characteristics of each, such as the wolf's snout and teeth while retaining the horns and agility of a mountain goat. This one must have been a cub, since it was only about 90 cm long and 40 cm tall. Nonetheless, it still had its race's characteristic curling horns and thick neck. As it had come charging out of the thicker brush, it had smashed into the unsuspecting Oncli, and I heard him wheeze as he was sent flying by the larger, stronger foe. With a crack, he smashed into a nearby sapling, and, groaning, attempted to stand.

Finally aware of what was going on, Took pulled her head out of the frog and hissed at the interloper. Seeing her begin to rear up, the cub lowered its head and began growling as its hackles rose. I approached her and spoke "We've eaten our fill, and these things are never alone. Oncli is out of commission, and we may be outnumbered soon. Give it up."

Reluctantly, I could see Took begin to back away, but, in what seemed to be a fit of rage, she ripped one of the hind legs off of our prey. The wolfstag seemed to look down its nose at us and our pitiful attempt at getting back at it, as it didn't react to Took's actions but continued to approach the carcass. I had Took help Oncli up as we retreated.

...

Took was seething as we approached the den once more, but Oncli retained his usual good mood and outspokenness.

"Thanks Boss, for helping me out there. I wish I'd been able to understand what you were saying, because you knew it was coming, didn't you? You were trying to help me and I just didn't understand, right? I'm sure that's what it was, so, sorry, for not understanding."

I sighed, but allowed him to keep talking. While it was tiresome, seeing that he wasn't badly injured was somewhat of a relief.

... Wait. A relief? Am I feeling something for this keelish? No, it's just because he's going to be of use for me to evolve into an alpha and, later, to kill Viilor.

Regardless, he was going to survive, and we needed to work on our teamwork. As we, battered and bruised, made our ways back to the den, I realized that it really hadn't been that long since we had left, maybe an hour or so. It was hard to tell, as the shadows in my foggy vision truly impeded my ability to gauge time by light.

At the mouth of the den, we saw the largest pack of spawnlings that had set out. Previously, they had been about 20-25, but were now down to 16. They, most sporting wounds, strutted victoriously, carrying two complete carcasses of wolfstag cubs. Also, I could see some of the defeated looking spawnlings who had left alone, quietly licking their wounds, evidently having been unsuccessful in their own hunts. They looked enviously at the wolfstag cub bodies, but didn't dare approach.

As we went to enter the den, the leader of the large pack approached. I hadn't noticed this morning, but she had grown quite a bit overnight. Must have evolved into an alpha last night, given what the [System] had told me. She looked at our general exhaustion, wounds, and small amount of food, and laughed.

"I, Shemira, will welcome you pitiful two into my pack, so you can hunt real prey, and not be beholden to weaklings." She was obviously looking at myself and Took. She then focused on me.

"You have a killer's instinct, I'll give you that. But no leadership ability. I'll lead you to victory, so follow me." She grinned.

This was going to be a massive pain.