The thrill of victory faded quickly.
Kai sat panting next to the fading dust where the Forest Lupin had collapsed. The satisfaction of his first real fight in this strange world was already being replaced by the chill of something else.
Fear.
He wasn't a gamer. Not really. He'd played some stuff, sure—classics, mostly—but none of it had ever made him feel this real, this alive, or this close to dying.
"I actually almost got torn apart," Kai muttered, blinking at the floating system screen.
[EP: 10 / 100]Abilities: [Keen Senses], [Minor Flame Gland]Next Evolution: 90 EP Remaining
"Great," he muttered. "Just ninety more near-death experiences, and I get to stop being baby lizard edition."
He shook out his claws. They were still trembling from the rush. He looked around, finally taking in more of the world beyond the Tree of Life's glow. Now, the forest felt… different. Wild. Alive. Dangerous.
Massive roots jutted from the soil like natural barricades. Thick fog hung between the trees. Strange, glowing insects buzzed through the air, occasionally getting zapped by arcane plants that shimmered with electricity. Everything looked like it wanted to eat something else.
Including him.
Kai's stomach growled.
"Okay. Food. Shelter. Safety. One step at a time."
He moved cautiously through the undergrowth, making sure to avoid noisy twigs or overly suspicious mushrooms. Several times he saw shadows darting between trees. Once, he heard a scream echo from somewhere in the woods—high-pitched, not human. Maybe some other beast getting ripped apart.
He didn't want to end up like that.
He kept moving until he found a slope in the terrain. It led down into a shallow basin where the roots of several massive trees twisted together to form a natural hollow. A stream trickled through it, clear and sparkling.
"Perfect," he murmured. "Shelter and water."
He crept down into the hollow and sniffed the air. Nothing nearby. His Keen Senses didn't pick up any heat or magic fluctuations.
So he settled in.
He drank from the stream—it tasted crisp and sharp, like mountain air—and curled up in the root nook, letting his wings wrap around him for warmth.
For a while, everything was quiet.
Then came the mistake.
His eyelids had just begun to close when he heard it.
Chittering.
Dozens of clicking noises. Fast. High. Like claws on stone.
He bolted upright.
The ground shook.
[Danger Detected]
The system's warning flashed just in time for him to leap away as the earth beneath the stream exploded upward.
Dozens of black chitinous creatures burst out. Each one was the size of a large dog, shaped like a centipede made of obsidian, with glowing blue cracks running through their bodies. Their eyes were pale, milky. Their mouths opened vertically, revealing rotating teeth.
The system identified them instantly.
[Burrower Swarm]Level: 3-5 (Group)Threat Level: High
"Why does everything want to eat me?!" Kai shouted as the swarm closed in.
He turned and ran.
His claws tore at the dirt. His tail whipped behind him as he sprinted through roots and underbrush. Chittering echoes rose behind him, joined by screeches as the swarm followed like a black tide.
He dodged left, then dove under a log. One Burrower slammed into it and shattered into pieces, but five more crawled over its body without slowing down.
He wasn't fast enough.
One of them leapt—and bit his leg.
"AAAGH!"
Kai spun and lashed out, tail smashing the thing into a tree. It cracked open like a rock, but three more replaced it. Claws. Teeth. Screeches.
This was bad. This was really bad.
His flame gland sputtered out a burst of fire—one of the bugs caught flame, flailing and screeching as it died. But the rest didn't stop.
Kai was bleeding. Weak. Low stamina. He tripped—fell—and a Burrower lunged for his throat.
In that instant—his instincts screamed.
Something inside him clicked. Not logic. Not even strategy.
Survival.
He opened his mouth and bit into the creature mid-lunge, clamping down on its skull with everything he had. Its legs clawed at his face—but he didn't let go.
Crack.
Its head split.
He spat it out.
Blood dripped from his jaw. His limbs ached. His vision blurred.
But then—something new happened.
[Instinct Skill Unlocked: Devour]You gain additional EP and absorb a trace of your enemy's essence when consuming slain prey.
Without thinking, he tore into the bug's body. It tasted horrible. Like molten rock and acid.
But the system pulsed.
[EP +15][Temporary Trait Gained: Carapace Resistance (5 min)]
Immediately, the pain dulled. His body hardened. His limbs moved faster.
He had stolen its toughness.
Kai's eyes burned with new fire.
The next Burrower lunged.
This time, he met it head on.
He ducked, rammed his horns into its underbelly, and rolled, throwing it over his back and smashing it into a stone. Another came from the side—he bit its leg, yanked, and crushed it under his weight.
The fight turned.
He tore through the rest. Not cleanly. Not easily.
But when the last one collapsed, screeching and twitching, he stood over a field of twitching black bodies, covered in blood, cuts, and sap—but breathing.
Barely.
[Combat Complete]Burrower Swarm Defeated (Total: 7 kills)+80 EP[New Trait Acquired: Hardened Scales (Minor)]
[EP: 105 / 100]Evolution Available
He collapsed.
His limbs trembled.
But he was alive.
"Almost died," he whispered, voice hoarse in his mind.
He dragged himself back to the stream, washed the blood from his face, and curled again in the root hollow—this time deeper, eyes wide open.
Sleep didn't come easily.
But at some point, exhaustion claimed him.
When he awoke, the system screen was pulsing.
A new window hovered before him.
[EVOLUTION READY]You have reached the required threshold of Evolution Points.Select a path.
Three glowing options appeared.
[1. Ember-Scale Whelp]Focus: Fire Affinity, SpeedBonus Trait: Fire BurstFlavor Text: Your inner flame burns hotter. You race toward your prey with heat and fury.
[2. Ironhide Hatchling]Focus: Defense, Close CombatBonus Trait: Armor PlatingFlavor Text: You embrace the strength of the earth. Nothing breaks you. You break everything.
[3. Venomfang Drakelet]Focus: Poison, StealthBonus Trait: Toxic BiteFlavor Text: You strike from the shadows. One bite, one kill. The forest remembers your venom.
Kai stared at them.
Each path was powerful.
But his heart beat faster when he looked at the first.
Ember-Scale.
It wasn't just about stats. It was the feeling.
The fire inside him. That instinct to rise, to burn brighter, to never be caged again.
He reached toward the choice.
[Ember-Scale Whelp Selected]Evolution in Progress…
His body trembled.
Flames surged through his veins. His scales cracked—and glowed. His wings grew. His teeth sharpened. His flame gland pulsed like a second heart.
And when the light faded, he stood taller. Stronger.
[Evolution Complete: Ember-Scale Whelp]Level: 2EP Reset: 5 / 200New Ability: Fire Burst (Short-Range Explosive Flame Attack)Passive Bonus: Flame Resistance Increased
He took a breath—and exhaled a wave of glowing red fire.
It lit up the hollow, scorching the rocks.
Kai grinned.
"Now we're talking."
But before he could celebrate, a sound reached his ears.
A distant roar.
Massive. Shaking the earth.
Something powerful.
Something coming closer.
Kai turned toward the sound, fire burning in his throat.
He'd almost died.
But next time?
Next time, he'd be ready.