Alphonse bit down onto the freshly cooked, leaf covered tiger breast. The juices contained within the large leaf sprayed down his chin. With the juices locked inside, the taste tingled his taste buds. It was an explosion of soft, juicy tasting meat.

[ Chef’s Kiss activated ]

Recipe: Fire Branded Tiger

Fire Branded Tiger: Delicately cooked in its own juices, encased within an aromatic palm leaf. Seasoned with terral flowers and nottair roots. Learn how to cook it yourself, lazy.

Shut it, system. Alphonse spat inwardly.

Rating B

| 27.3 -> 32.6 extra dexterity added

| 19.7 -> 23.6 extra intelligence added

| 13.2 -> 15.8 extra strength added

10% increased damage bonus to fire based spells for 5 hours.

Hunger's Evolution is taking place…

Form part obtained - Fire Brand Tiger’s scales: Grants minor fire resistance.

Hunger is satisfied

Skill extracting…

Un-common skill extraction successful.

Skill - Fire Brand: Brand your weapon or body part with fire.

With a thought, just like he was moving his own foot. Red scales grew out of his skin. It didn’t hurt… It just felt strange. Like something was naturally growing out of his own skin. Then Alphonse activated [ Fire Brand ]. It was different to his fire control. He didn’t need to channel it, or control it. The fire covered his arm effortlessly.

So it’s more like a passive thing? Alphonse thought. His arm waved around, the fire sticking to his limb like molten glue.

He picked up his cleaver; the flame attached to the blade, with a thought. Alphonse slashed the tree to his side. Activating [ Brutal Slash ] it tore through the air and chopped straight into the jungle tree. Effortlessly cutting through, leaving a trail of blazing recent fire behind it.

Alphonse concentrated on the residual flame that he left behind. He wanted to test something. He could feel a faint connection with swaying flames. Sweat formed from his forehead. He walked back further. The connection was weakening. Eyes turning bloodshot, small crackles of white light budded forth from the flame. The air was sucked out of his lungs as the crackles of light turned chaotic, and then blew up. Sending fragments of wood hurtling in all directions.

“What the bloody hell are you doing?” Julian shouted at the crazy young man, specs of blood trickled down his old arms.

“Sorry, I was testing something.” Alphonse dabbed the sweat with his shirt.

“Mind giving me an ounce of warning next time?”

"I forgot you had old brittle skin."

"That may be so, but at least I don't have a pea for a brain."

"You're hurting my feelings, old man." Alphonse shook his head. "Ready to move?"

Julian nodded, walking carefully behind Alphonse, potion in hand.

They walked until they heard a groaning sound, it resembled something human.

Alphonse stopped behind a push as he activated [ Ground Perception ]. The image of a human entered his mind. The outline looked similar to what he was wearing, but he couldn't get a clear picture.

"I think it's someone from the mission." Alphonse whispered.

"We should be careful. We do not know if they have been turned." Julian said.

"Based on your words, I take it you don't have another one of those potions?" Alphonse asked.

"No," Julian shook his head. "I'm still on the lookout for the plant I need for it."

They listened to him for a while, he just stood there. Grunting.

Alphonse and Julian looked at each other.

"You stay here. I'll see what's up." Alphonse said, standing up and about to walk through the bush.

"Wait… what are you planning on doing?"

"Talk or kill." Alphonse walked through.

"Crazy bastard." Julian spat behind his back.

Alphonse’s newly armoured form exited the dense bush as the man looked straight at him with wriggling eyes.

His mindless body launched towards him. He unsheathed his sword from his waist as a sharp blade of energy hurtled, aiming for Alphonse's neck.

Alphonse’s eyes widened as he ducked to the ground and sent a kick forward, a dull sound of bone meeting bone transmitted into his leg. The man was sent backwards, rolling onto the jungle floor.

Another blade of energy swiped towards him as he quickly dodged to the side. The fight should have been serious, but a thought was coursing through Alphonse’s mind…. It was too predictable.

Alphonse didn’t use any abilities, he just relied on his fighting technique. The attacks were vigorous, but awkward. Making them easy to dodge.

Is someone controlling them? The thought sprung into his thoughts.

Alphonse shifted his weight to the side, razor-sharp blades suddenly appeared from his arms and he swung his arm forwards using [ Brutal Slash ]. The man struggled to dodge in time. The spikes just missed, but Alphonse’s cleaver contacted his throat. Separating the head from his body.

“It’s done.” Alphonse said, as his grubby fingers disappeared into the man’s pockets.

“You don’t waste a minute, do you?” Julian’s eyes roamed around the jungle.

“Not one to wait around.” Alphonse looked at Julian. “Same goes for you?”

“I just know that noise drags attention in this place.” Julian said. “So hurry and finish what you’re doing.”

Alphonse looked for any jewellery around his neck, but it was bare. He stripped the man of his clothes, leaving nothing but a pair of boxer shorts.

“Didn’t know you swung that way.”

“You’re a funny guy.” Alphonse placed the clothes into a bag he had taken from Julian’s secret bunker.

His eyes rested on a ring, tightly hugging his finger.

“He was married?” Julian asked.

“How would I know?” Alphonse said. He grabbed the ring and pulled, but it wouldn’t budge an inch. Picking up his cleaver, he swung at the hand with lacking accuracy. The blade separated all the fingers from its bony hand.

“You’re a damned scavenger.” Julian spat.

“Wastage is terrible for the environment.” Alphonse chuckled before stopping, thinking.

“You’re capable of thought?”

“Just wondering whether you would view me as a monster if I ate him.”

“Eat him?”

“Yes for my skill,” Alphonse said. “I have an idea. Do you have a way to cook the parasites?”

“You’re deranged.”

“I asked you a question.”

Looking at Alphonse’s eyes, Julian sighed. “No, but if you cook the eyes where the parasites are in, it’ll be the same.”

Alphonse nodded. Claws grew from his fingertips as he dug them into the man’s eye sockets, scooping out the eyeballs from within and slicing off the optic nerve. He placed them in Julian’s hands. “Cook them. I’ll cook this.” His cleaver descended into the man’s leg, cutting it clean off the bone.

Julian looked at him. “Alright.” He said through gritted teeth.

“We’ll quickly cook it and then we’ll be off.” Alphonse said, as he started a fire. The gentle flames licked his face.

Alphonse lost his train of thought as it absorbed him into the bright fire. Something about it was mesmerising. They danced so carefree, nothing else existed but the fire that wanted to destroy everything around it. Despite that, he controlled it. Confined to the limits of the fire pit he had created.

“Gluttony, where are you?” Alphonse’s words fell into the fire. There was no answer. His mind wandered to the words he had received at the end of the first mission. The war. He was destined for more, just like the fire in its pit. He sent his leg forward as it kicked apart the stones. The fire caught onto the jungle floor and spread.

Julian rushed forwards, he was about to stamp on it when Alphonse caught his leg.

“Don’t.” Alphonse said. He watched the fire catch and spread. It wanted to consume and decimate everything in its path. “It’s beautiful, isn’t it?”

“You’ve lost it, Alphonse.” Julian frowned.

“Maybe.” The light of the flame reflected in his eyes as it spread into a wildfire.