Von traverses the rocky wall, invisible to all but the most thorough scrutiny. His long mantis legs clicking silently as he scans the ground below him for signs of movement. In the distance, he can see the shadows of larger creatures crawling around the dark corners squeaking quietly. Reaching the ground Von spots a trail of smaller insects and moves towards the closest one. He silently creeps up behind it and slashes through its neck before it even realizes it’s not alone.

You have killed a level 2 Common Ant! +4 EXP

100% Biomass gained for killing a critter class creature!

50% skill levels gained for killing a critter class creature!

Congratulations! You have gained the Common Ant mutation!

Giving the new message a cursory glance Von dismisses it and skitters towards another ant farther from the wall. This one is dispatched in a similar manner as the first. The third ant dies silently as well, the fourth ant, however, causes a new message to flash before Von’s eyes when it dies.

Congratulations! You are now a level 2 Changeling!

Your body and mind have gained increased fortitude allowing them to take more punishment before failing!

Your soul has also grown, increasing the general performance of your body and mind.

Maximum biomass increased by 2%.

With that pleasant surprise, Von feels larger somehow, as if he carries more weight in the world than before. Continuing his hunt with even more enthusiasm than before, he kills more of the small insects in quick succession until another message interrupts him, deflating his joyous mood slightly.

You have killed 10 Common Ants! You now only gain 50% less EXP and biomass from this creature.

Though the message is unwelcome it does give Von some new information about himself, he cannot just kill the same creature over and over again if he wishes to truly grow stronger, doing so leads to a path of diminishing returns. Killing another ant that wandered to close to the preoccupied mantis, Von focuses on a large furry shape scampering by. Putting on a burst of speed Von follows behind the furry animal and sticks to the shadows as the creature comes to a stop near a patch of mushrooms. The buck-toothed creature glances around before putting its head down to nibble on the dark purple fungus. Von quietly slinks begins it, obscured by his dark grey carapace and the low light.

Launching himself at the large rodent Von sinks a scythe deep into the shoulder of the now shrieking creature. Quickly cutting deeper with his dual blades Von struggles to stay on the panicking rodent. With a final deep slash, Von vaults off it’s back and hunkers down close to the ground, relying on his natural camouflage to hide him. The large creature whirls around in circles looking for its attacker before attempting to run away. It stumbles as it’s shredded shoulder gives way and loses its balance, sensing an opening Von jumps towards the fallen creature and slashes the back of its hind legs. Dual cuts start adding dark blood to the slowly growing pool beneath the flailing animal. Struggling to its feet the creature lunges towards Von, heavily crippled by its bleeding limbs Von easily evades and once again hides in a patch of shadows. The now injured and enraged rodent thrashes around, desperately searching for the unseen threat. As the pool of blood grows larger the rodent begins to weaken. Von rushes forward when the vermin turns its back towards his hiding spot, sliding underneath it Von stabs both scythes into its underbelly causing it to screech before collapsing onto its side and flailing its limbs. Von skitters towards the now exposed neck and repeatedly thrusts his blades into the vulnerable area. Soon enough the rodent stops moving and a message appears, rewarding Von for his display of ruthless aggression.

You have killed a level 3 Brown Rat! +60 EXP

100% Biomass gained for killing a critter class creature!

50% skill levels gained for killing a critter class creature!

Congratulations! You have gained the Brown Rat mutation!

Von watches as the corpse dissipates, leaving him standing in a puddle of blood, feeling satisfied with himself. Von enjoys killing, he doesn’t find joy in it exactly, closer to a feeling of satisfaction. Knowing when it came down to life and death he was the one who came out on top.

So far the only competition he’s had are small critters but soon enough the whole world will be put to the test. When the dust settles Von knows it will be him on top.