Alphonse felt his body become weightless as he free fell through the air, his arms flailing around. He was quickly approaching the thick foliage of the tree canopy. A sudden hot pain shot into his arm. Another arrow had managed to accurately hit its target.

The green leaves of the tree swallowed him whole. Alphonse desperately tried grabbing onto anything. The sharp sticks of the branches lashed his body and face, fresh blood dripped from the wounds.

Alphonse’s arms opened wide as they finally clutched onto a bunch of branches. His body continued hurtling and colliding with the foliage. Snapping sounds assaulted his ears. Finally, Alphonse hit the ground. His arm lay at an odd angle. Coughing up blood, he wasted no time as hobbled away from the area. It was only a matter of time before the goblins caught up.

Alphonse walked through the forest like a wounded beast. With his incredible hearing, he could dodge most of the monster’s that stalked the area. It was getting dark.

I need a place to hide. The thought repeated in his mind, if he didn’t find a safe place, and soon. He would die.

Alphonse approached a downward hill. He could feel his vision fail as weakness took over his body. He had never been so hungry before. Then, a sound entered his ears. It reminded him of human footsteps, something he was well acquainted with.

“Aren’t you one of us?” A young man rushed forward. “You’re in a rough shape. I have a safe place over there. Come on-”

Alphonse stumbled forwards as the young man caught his weakened body. A bloodthirsty glint flashed in Alphonse’s eyes, a deep abyss-like black appeared within his bloodshot iris’. His mouth opened wide as he took a massive chunk out of the 2nd year’s neck.

His face was marred with confusion and fear. Words attempted to escape from his mouth, but only the gurgling of blood was heard. Alphonse’s hand shot forward. He gripped hold of the man’s visible spine through his throat. His hand clenched like a vice, the 2nd year’s body slumped to the ground like a slaughtered pig.

Alphonse crouched to the floor as he began devouring the body.

[ Anthony Naylor, human consumed ]

| 9.8 dexterity added

| 5.4 intelligence added

| 4.8 strength added

| 4.5 constitution added

| 2.3 wisdom added

| 1.8 charisma added

Rare skill Extracted from [ Anthony ]

Ground Perception: You are attuned with the power of earth, you can feel what others cannot. Vibrations of earth are transmitted into your brain. Radius is based on wisdom.

A chuckle left his mouth as he wiped the bloodstains at the edge of his lips.

I’m a piece of shit. Alphonse wiped the thought from his mind as he steeled himself. He dragged the body to the hiding spot the man had told him about.

Alphonse’s vision fell on a crevice between two large rocks, making his body as small as possible. He crawled within.

Why does this feel familiar? Alphonse shook his head as his eyes became heavy. The faint sound of beasts roaming around and the swaying noise from the tree’s branches, caused by the slight breeze of the wind, sent him into a deep sleep.

***

Alphonse was shocked awake from his slumber. It could have been the call of the morning dew. Or the sudden harsh beaming light of the sun creeping through the crevice. His head jolted upward, smashing against the rock above. He winced in pain, crawling out of the crevice Alphonse’s hand cupped above his eyes, sheltering his sensitive iris from the awakened light above.

The familiar smell of flesh and blood had disappeared. Alphonse looked at the area he had placed the body of Anthony. They had raked the ground like a piece of farming land, ready for cultivation.

The body was missing. Only a few scraps of flesh was left, courtesy of whatever had stolen the rest of his meal.

Alphonse shook his head and let out a sigh. There goes his chance for another skill. His body was wrecked with pain but he had to find a better place. He couldn’t stay cramped up in that crevice if something found him. He’d be dead. Nowhere to run.

A spark ignited within his palm as it flickered into a small flame. A smile formed on his face as he took a breath of relief. Now that his magic was working, he crouched down, ready to test his new ability. [ Ground Perception ] activated, he could feel ripples on the ground, within his mind. It was like he was looking from above. Insects and bugs appeared in his vision like an eagle.

Incredible. Alphonse thought. He walked over to the image in his mind. Sharp claws sprouted forth from his fingertips as he thrust them to the floor. Grabbing a handful of dirt, something was squirming within. It was an insect that had a singular long-horn, a hard outer shell protecting its body from any predators it may face. Little paper-thin wings appeared. They moved fast. Alphonse’s eyes couldn’t keep up with the speed of them.

Alphonse smiled. A flame appeared in his palm. He heard the desperate struggle from the insect, the smell of cooked meat and burning shell tingled his nostrils. Throwing it into his mouth, his strong teeth crunched down. The shell resisted his biting force. With a frown, Alphonse’s teeth turned a shadowed black as they tore past the armour like scales with ease. The guts of the bug exploded within his mouth, some escaped as he wasn’t expecting it. He swallowed it.

[ Chef’s Kiss activated ]

Recipe: Titan Beetle

Burnt Titan Beetle: You used the wrong technique to cook the Titan Beetle, losing all of the flavour and nutrients. Next time think more about how to cook something, you have high intelligence. Is that just a decoration?

What… Is the system becoming more rude every time? Alphonse shook his head, his brows furrowed.

Rating D-

| 7.2 extra constitution added

| 5.4 extra strength added

Hunger is satisfied

Hunger's Evolution is taking place…

Alphonse’ eyes widened. His fist pumped in the air.

Form Obtained - Titan Beetle: Take the form of the Titan beetle’s iron-like armoured scales. +30 constitution.

Alphonse immediately willed the new form to appear. A thick-black exoskeleton grew from his skin. It shimmered a blue tint within the light. Then, a huge horn grew at the top of his head. The tip looked like a shovel.

It’s quite heavy. Alphonse tilted his head to the side. The extra weight was hard to get used to.

With his new abilities tested, he began his walk. Now and then, he would use his new skill, digging out bugs and insects. No forms or skills were gained, only a measly number of stat points. Most of the insects gave nothing. It looked like the Titan Beetle was a rarity.

***

Alphonse stood in front of the cave. It was larger than the one before. Scratches marred the wall. They were signs of life. Signs that made him want to turn away. But the faint sound of air being expelled drew him in. If he wanted to survive, he couldn’t just hide. Alphonse needed to become stronger. The sound of potential food lured him in. Alphonse held his cleaver. A thick exoskeleton covered his body. Ice formed at his fingertips and his teeth glowed a black light. The visage of a demon walked into the mouth of the cave. A grim smile formed on his face as his eyes fell onto the creature that made the noise. It was an easy meal.