The beast leapt forward, its claws ready to tear into Alex.
But Alex reacted instantly, activating the skill he had copied from the beast.
In a flash, he found himself above the creature, winded and slightly disoriented by the effect of this new skill.
Surprised, the creature vanished in a flash only to reappear above Alex, ready to strike a fatal blow.
Its fangs nearly reached him, but Alex teleported downward, now beneath it in midair.
He unleashed a jet of acid.
"That almost hit me…" Alex thought.
The beast teleported with lightning speed and landed on the ground, now surrounded by even more intense lightning, dodging the acid with surprising agility.
Without hesitation, it lunged at Alex, claws extended and fangs bared, ready to strike.
Alex charged as well, hurling a rain of flaming spikes toward the beast.
Agile, it dodged in a flash, disappearing and reappearing to attempt a strike on Alex. But Alex teleported immediately, evading the attack with pinpoint accuracy.
Their battle turned into a furious dance, moving through the dense forest, illuminated by the intermittent flashes of their exchanges.
Around them, other monsters retreated, terrified by the speed and violence of the duel.
The ground shook, lightning crackled, and the air sizzled with tension.
Alex fired a burst of static lightning that crackled through the electricity-charged air.
The beast reacted instantly, disappearing in a flash of light to teleport out of range.
A massive tree, struck by lightning, wobbled and then crashed to the ground with a dull thud.
Just as Alex caught his breath, the creature appeared above him again, claws crackling with thunderous lightning.
With a swift move, Alex vanished, teleporting out of the deadly path.
Frustrated, the beast smashed another tree, splinters flying from the force of the blow.
Without pause, Alex shot another stream of corrosive acid that hissed through the charged air.
The beast, fast as lightning, dodged with a fluid motion. The acid hit a trunk, eating through it until it creaked ominously.
With a sudden leap, the creature lunged at Alex, fangs ready to crush him.
But at the last second, Alex teleported, disappearing in a flash right before impact.
Carried by its momentum, the beast bit into a massive tree, ripping off a large section of bark. The tree trembled, then collapsed with a low rumble.
Flapping his wings to stay airborne, Alex struggled to catch his breath. His muscles ached, and his body began to feel the toll.
"I need to find a solution… I'm starting to wear out."
He launched into the sky, wings beating with force, slicing through the air like a living arrow.
The beast suddenly reappeared in a flash of light, teleporting just above him in a surprise attack.
But Alex reacted immediately. He teleported again, gaining altitude and flipping their positions.
The creature tried another offensive, but its heavy breathing revealed growing fatigue.
On his side, Alex felt his energy draining. His wings trembled, his body grew heavy. He faltered, about to fall.
But before he lost balance, the beast, suddenly catching its breath, prepared to teleport once more.
Without hesitation, Alex spat a jet of acid into the sky.
In the same motion, he activated Black Stone Shield, surrounding his body with a mineral armor ready to absorb the coming blow.
The acid rained down in a corrosive shower, covering a wide area around them like a curse from above.
The acid droplets hammered his body, slowly eating through his dark armor despite the Black Stone Shield.
The stone hissed under the chemical assault, steaming with every impact.
Grimacing, Alex clenched his teeth. His hoarse voice cut through the air, filled with pain and rage:
"Let's see who lasts longer!"
But the rain spared no one.
The panther, too, was caught in the acidic downpour.
Its fur smoked, its muscles contracted from the burn, and patches of skin began to melt under the liquid's effect.
It let out a beastly roar — a cry so piercing it shook the entire forest.
Its hind legs gave out…
And with a mighty crash, it collapsed to the ground, unable to keep fighting.
This was the moment.
Alex dove, wings folded, right paw aimed at his feline target.
He activated the skill copied from the ant queen:
Poison Stinger
A sharp stinger erupted from his paw, dark and glistening.
At full speed, he drove it deep into the panther's side.
The creature screamed in agony, too weakened to even think of fleeing.
Its bloodshot eyes locked onto Alex with hatred.
It made one last attempt: opening its jaws to bite him.
But Alex let out a furious cry, and in a final effort, he drove the stinger even deeper into the panther's side, piercing muscles and bones with a sickening crack.
The beast let out a muffled gasp, its legs trembled, and its body tipped over.
It crashed heavily to the ground, kicking up a cloud of dust and dead leaves.
Its body slumped down, the stinger stuck in the scorched earth.
Alex landed hard, completely exhausted.
His armor shattered, falling off in dark fragments around him.
He collapsed to his knees, gasping, his chest burning.
"Fuck…" he whispered, eyes locked on the smoking corpse.
His body burned everywhere. Every breath was a trial, and the slightest movement tore through him with sharp pain.
But still, he moved forward, step by step, guided by iron will. His gaze remained fixed on the still-smoking corpse.
Reaching the carcass, he knelt down with difficulty. His breath was short, ragged.
A few minutes later, he sank his fangs into the still-warm flesh… and began drinking its blood.
A wild, primal taste.
Exquisite.
The most delicious thing he'd ever known.
It felt like every drop restored a piece of his life force.
Suddenly, a familiar interface appeared before his eyes:
[Skill: Blood Acquisition – Activated]
You are drinking the blood of your target…
Skill acquired: [LIGHTNING CHARGE]
Description: You can charge part of your body with lightning energy to amplify your attacks.
[Level +7!]
Current Level: 22
Instantly, Alex felt a surge of energy course through him.
His muscles tightened, his nerves buzzed, as if filled with pure electricity.
His strength returned in full force.
A grin appeared on his bloodstained face.
Alex slowly licked his lips, savoring the last warm drops of blood.
A shiver of satisfaction ran down his spine.
"Thanks for the meal…" he whispered, a predatory smile curling on his lips.
His gaze glowed darkly.
He grinned like a demon.
"With this… I'm going to forge some incredible stuff."
At that moment, the system appeared again as a floating screen:
[SYSTEM]
Would you like to store these materials?
[YES / NO]
Alex instantly hit "YES," eyes gleaming with excitement.
[SYSTEM]
[Lightning Sylvan Feline – LV 25] Stored.
Alex shot into the sky at full speed, wings beating with renewed strength.
His body thrummed with a new power, as if every cell was singing victory.
From above, he scanned the area.
What he saw made him pause.
Their battle had left a permanent mark: uprooted trees, scorched earth, smoking craters.
The silence was unnatural. It was the silence of fear.
A smirk tugged at his lips.
"Tch… Still no fire-breathing monster in sight…"
He took off again, determined to hunt a new prey.
But what he didn't know was that in this forest, monsters didn't just live like animals.
They communicated. Watched. Feared.
And above all… they followed a hierarchy.
By killing one of the forest's kings, Alex had shattered a decades-old balance.
The news spread like wildfire.
The weak creatures, terrified, fled while crying out their fear, passing the news from bush to bush, cave to cave.
The rumor reached even the forgotten depths.
And soon, the most powerful lifted their heads.
Some growled. Others smiled.
Stability had collapsed.
And in the gap left behind, a new power could rise.
The great monsters of the forest began to move.
Some came to hunt and destroy the intruder.
Others, intrigued, sought to recruit him to their cause.
But they all knew one thing:
A battle for dominance had just begun.