A cold wind whispered through the trees, stirring the branches overhead.
I exhaled, watching my breath curl in the damp air.
The place where I had left the ogre to fight the humans wasn't far now.
My heartbeat raced.
If the ogre wasn't dead. I was going to make sure it was.
This time, I wasn't running.
I wasn't the same starving, desperate troll that had fled before.
I was stronger.
Okay—maybe not ogre-level strong just yet. But strong enough to stand my ground.
The trek back hadn't been wasted.
With every hunt, my power had grown.
New improvement.
New traits.
I flicked my fingers, and my stat window materialized before me in a faint, glowing display.
Name: Sylas Stone
Level: 3
Class: Barbarian
HP: 575/575
Rage: 85/100
Stamina: 345/355
EXP: 0/1200
[Stats]
Strength: 25
Dexterity: 18
Constitution: 23
Intelligence: 7
Wisdom: 10
Charisma: 6
Stat Points: 0
[Skills]
Innate: [Evolution Devourer]
Passive: [Regeneration], [Camouflage], [Nightvision], [Iron Gut], [Savage Blow]
Active: None
[Traits]
[Venomous Bite] [Boar's Tough Hide] [Enhanced Leg] [Sharp Vision] [Cragdrillo Scale] [Wolf's Prowess] [Rockhide Lizard's Scales] [Gill Adaptation]
I had gained enough experience points to level up once again, with one point getting added to my strength and constitution, and one free stats point to distribute.
With the free stat points, I had immediately pumped two into Strength, raising my strength from 23 to 25.
A surge of raw power rippled through my muscles, making my arms feel heavier, denser, stronger.
But stats weren't the only thing I had gained.
I had also acquired three new traits, each from a different kill.
The first trait had been gotten from consuming a lone wolf—scarred, massive, and mean.
It smelled me first, ears twitching, nostrils flaring.
But I had seen it before it could flee.
With one well-aimed large rock, slammed straight into its skull, the wolf was dazed..
Then I lunged forward, grabbed its head, and...
SNAP.
Its spine twisted with a sickening pop, body slumping instantly.
A few minutes later, after tearing through muscle and bone, I absorbed its essence.
Ding!
[Evolution Devourer Activating]
[You have consumed Dire Wolf]
[You have acquired Trait: Wolf's Prowess]
Wolf's Prowess enhanced my reflexes and tracking ability, making my movements feel smoother and sharper.
My balance also improved, with my footsteps lighter and my reflexes a fraction faster.
It also increased my dexterity by +1.
And that was a welcome bonus.
The next was a Rockhide lizard.
Stubborn little bastard.
Its armor-plated body made it ridiculously tough. My claws barely scratched its hide, and even slamming a rock against it did nothing.
But brute force always had a solution.
So I grabbed it by the tail and swung—hard.
CRACK!
The first impact against a tree barely dazed it.
The second? A sharp hiss of pain.
The third? Its skull caved in with a sickening crunch.
The lizard twitched once before going limp.
And then I ate.
The meat was chewy, tough as leather, but that didn't matter.
Ding!
[Evolution Devourer Activating]
[You have consumed Rockhide Lizard]
[You have acquired Trait: Rockhide Lizard's Scales]
Rockhide Lizard's Scales increased durability against blunt attacks.
Making my skin hardened in certain areas, the texture rougher, like small plates forming just beneath the surface. It also added +1 point to my constitution.
A strange sensation spread through my skin—not quite armor, but denser, sturdier.
I clenched my fists, flexing.
My body felt heavier, more solid.
With Cragdrillo Scale and Rockhide Scales, blows wouldn't rattle me as much anymore.
Then came the river.
I recognized it instantly as the same one I had leaped over when testing Enhanced Jump.
All of a sudden, I felt thirsty.
The cool, flowing water was almost too inviting. making my throat feel like it was as dry as sandpaper.
I crouched at the edge and cupped my hands, gulping down mouthfuls of crisp, fresh water.
And then—I saw them.
Fishes.
Big ones. Fat, silver-scaled things drifting lazily near the surface.
My stomach growled.
Could I even catch one?
I crouched lower, eyes locked on the fish.
My fingers twitched, ready to strike.
Five minutes later, the answer was yes.
After an embarrassing amount of misses, splashes, and curses, I finally snatched a fat one right out of the water.
It flailed, gills opening and closing rapidly.
Then I bit down without hesitation.
Ding!
[Evolution Devourer Activating]
[You have consumed Gill Adaptation]
Something shifted at the sides of my neck. A faint, tingling sensation.
I ran my fingers along the skin—nothing visible, but I could feel it.
A new ability.
Gill Adaptation allowed breathing underwater. So If I ever got dragged into deep waters, I wouldn't drown.
I grinned, licking the last traces of fish blood from my lips.
Then I decided to test it.
So, without hesitation, I dunked my head into the water.
There was no choking.
No burning sensation in my lungs.
I could breathe.
The realization sent a thrill through me.
This… this could be useful.
And I used it.
I stayed submerged, using my newfound ability to hunt and devour more of the fishes lurking beneath the surface.
By the time I emerged from the river, I had gained enough EXP to push me into the next level.
I then made my way toward the place I had abandoned earlier—where I had left the ogre to fight.
And as I neared, I activated Camouflage, my body blending into the surroundings.
Step by step, I moved forward.
Then, the smell hit me first.
Blood.
So much blood.
The battlefield was a mess.
Twisted limbs lay scattered across the dirt. Shattered weapons glinted under the fading sunlight. And the stench of death hung thick in the air, clinging to my skin like a second layer.
This wasn't a fight. This was a massacre.
The clearing where the ogre fought the humans looked like someone had gone overboard with a paintbrush dipped in red.
Chunks of flesh.Splintered bones.
And in the center of it all?
The ogre.
It stood hunched over, heaving for breath.
Its massive, spiked club was planted firmly in a mound of bodies, as if it had used them to prop itself up.
Blood—some its own, most belonging to its victims—dripped from its wounds, mixing with the crimson lake beneath its feet.
Its beady eyes flickered, unfocused, like it was about to drop at any second.
But the humans…
All of them were dead.