Adam Smith, formerly a human teenager and currently a foot-long Marsh Viper Hatchling, decided that having a system was one thing, but actually using it was a whole other ball game.
"Okay, System, show me what you've got," he thought, focusing on the blue screen.
[ Status ]
Name:Adam Smith
Species:Marsh Viper Hatchling
Level:1
EP to Next Level:0/10
Evolution Points:0/100
Skill Points:0
[ Attributes ]
Strength:2
Vitality:3
Agility:4
Intelligence:8 (Human memories have their perks!)
[ Skills ]
None
[ Shop ] (Locked until Level 5)
"Whoa, my Intelligence is high! Guess being a former honors student counts for something. But Strength 2? Agility 4? I'm a noodle with a bad attitude."
He studied the screens. He needed to earn EP (Evolution Points) from defeating enemies. Those EP would fill two separate bars: one for his Level and one for his Evolution.
Every time he leveled up, he'd get a Skill Point. But to actually evolve into a new species, he needed to save up a full 100 EP. "Slow and steady, I guess. And the Shop is locked? Typical."
His first goal was clear: reach Level 2. He needed to find something to defeat.
His opportunity came in the form of a creature about the size of his former human hand—a Dungeon Dung Beetle. It was diligently rolling a ball of... something Adam decided not to think about too hard. It had a glossy, dark blue carapace and looked slow and non-aggressive.
"Perfect! My first target! It's just a beetle. How hard can it be?"
He remembered his snake characteristics. He was a viper, which probably meant venom. He could also constrict, but at his size, that seemed unlikely. Stealth was key.
He slithered slowly, using the damp rocks and patches of glowing fungi for cover. His Agility of 4 wasn't great, but it was enough for this. His heart hammered in his tiny chest. This was it. His first battle in his new life.
He coiled himself, ready to strike at the beetle's presumably softer underside.
And then, his legendary bad luck struck.
A drop of water, condensed on a stalactite high above, chose that exact moment to fall. It wasn't just any drop; it was a heavy, perfectly aimed droplet that landed right on Adam's head with a plink. It wasn't painful, but the surprise made him flinch and rustle the pebbles he was hiding behind.
The Dungeon Dung Beetle stopped. Its antennae twitched. It turned, and its normally docile eyes seemed to lock onto Adam with sudden predatory interest. It abandoned its prized ball and charged, its legs moving with surprising speed, mandibles clicking menacingly.
"YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! A WATER DRIP?!" Adam mentally screamed, scrambling backward. "Is the universe just dedicated to making my life a joke?!"
The beetle was upon him. It was stronger than it looked. One of its spiky legs slammed into his side, and a sharp pain lanced through him. A new, red notification flashed.
[ Health: 8/10 ]
"Okay, not good! Think, Adam, think! You're a snake! What do you have?!"
The beetle tried to bite him with its strong mandibles. Adam twisted, his higher Agility finally proving useful, and avoided a direct hit. But he was on the defensive.
"Venom! I have venom, right? I have to!" He remembered the viper part of his name. It was his only weapon.
He stopped trying to flee and turned to face the charging beetle. This was it. Do or die. Again.
As the beetle lunged, Adam lunged forward too, not to bite, but to coil. He wrapped his body around the beetle's head and thorax, not to constrict it—he was too weak for that—but to anchor himself. The beetle thrashed, its hard shell scraping his scales. It was like holding onto a spinning top.
"Health: 6/10," another notification warned.
"Now or never!" With a final, desperate effort, Adam struck. He sank his tiny, but surprisingly sharp, fangs into the narrow gap between the beetle's head and its carapace.
He felt a sensation he'd never felt before—a small, hot reservoir of liquid at the base of his fangs emptying into the beetle. It was instinctual and utterly bizarre.
The beetle went into a frenzy, thrashing wildly. Adam held on for dear life, his coils tightening as much as his meager Strength would allow. After what felt like an eternity, the thrashing slowed. Then it stopped. The beetle went limp.
[ Defeated: Dungeon Dung Beetle (Lvl 1) ]
[ EP Gained: 5 ]
[ EP to Next Level: 5/10 ]
[ Total Evolution Points: 5/100 ]
"Phew! I did it! I survived!" Adam uncoiled himself, panting from exertion. The thrill of victory was a powerful, new sensation. He was halfway to his first level up. "Five more points to go."
Then, another prompt appeared.
[ Consume the Dungeon Dung Beetle? ]
[ Warning: Consumption may yield minor bonuses or skills based on the prey. ]
"Might as well go all the way. Sorry, buddy, it's the circle of life."
He began the messy process of consuming the beetle. It was tough and tasted... earthy. But as he finished, another notification popped up.
[ You have consumed a Dungeon Dung Beetle. ]
[ Vitality +0.1 ]
[ Skill Fragment Acquired: Hardened Carapace (0.1/1.0) ]
"Whoa! A stat increase and a skill fragment?" He checked his status. His Vitality was now 3.1. It was tiny, almost insignificant, but it was a start. And the skill fragment was fascinating. "So if I eat ten of these, I might get a defense skill? That's an awesome grinding loop!"
He felt a little stronger, a little tougher. He had a plan, a way to grow. His bad luck had almost gotten him killed, but his quick thinking and new snake abilities had saved him.
He looked deeper into the dungeon, a new fire in his serpentine eyes.
"Alright," Adam Smith thought, a determined grin on his face. "Let's see what else is on the menu. But maybe I'll avoid anything directly under stalactites. Just four more beetles until I level up!"