Elias, now a deadly lizard hunter, ignored the System's call to ascend. He was low on AP and high on risk. He needed to solidify his power base before facing the unknown terrors of the surface. He had 400 AP remaining and a constant, crushing demand of Extreme Hunger driving him.
Elias spent the next thirty-six hours moving deeper into the secondary tunnels beneath the university. He moved like a shadow, his Partial Internal Fire giving him just enough warmth to maintain speed. He hunted with relentless focus, his Third Eye painting the dark tunnels with the red glow of heat signatures.
He stalked and devoured everything he could find, the consumption being a necessary agony that fueled his ascent: a nest of blind, slow Cave Crawlers (insect biomass): AP Gained: 50. Two small, aggressive Tunnel Vipers (snake biomass) that tried to ambush him: AP Gained: 100. He easily dispatched them with his Crushing Jaw and a quick Toxic Bite. A solitary, slow-moving Scrap Beetle that required his full Crushing Jaw power to penetrate its thick shell: AP Gained: 80.
Each forced consumption staved off the crushing hunger and banked more AP.
[STATUS: AP RESERVES: 400 + 50 + 100 + 80 = 630 AP][STATUS: HUNGER – MODERATE (FUEL STABLE)]
With his AP reserves stable, Elias initiated the next critical Power-Up. He was tired of relying on guesswork; he needed to quantify the true danger of his opponents.
Elias committed 300 AP to unlock a fundamental new sensory ability, sacrificing immediate combat power for the invaluable advantage of information.
[300 AP SPENT: POWER-UP PROTOCOL INITIATED][CHOICE: SENSORY ANALYSIS]
The change was swift and intensely focused around his head. His Third Eye burned with a sudden, sharp heat, and the System interface expanded its capacity. It felt like a new piece of hardware was being slotted directly into his skull.
[POWER-UP COMPLETE: PREDATOR'S SIGHT][NEW POWER: PREDATOR'S SIGHT (TIER I)][EFFECT: Enables immediate assessment of any creature's Power Level (PL), primary traits, and AP potential upon sighting.]
Elias tested it on the carcass of the Scrap Beetle. Instantly, the vague shape was overlaid with cold, hard facts: [SCARP BEETLE: PL 1.5. PRIMARY TRAIT: CHITINOUS ARMOR. AP WORTH: 80.] The terrifying chaos of the world was instantly quantified. Fear and guesswork were replaced by metrics and strategy.
Elias paused, his mind calculating the data provided by his new sight. The System, recognizing the completion of a major Tier I power, presented a new, defining choice—the core of his future existence.
[EVOLUTION PATH CHOICE AVAILABLE][CURRENT AP RESERVES: 330 AP][SELECT PRIMARY EVOLUTIONARY PATH FOR TIER I COMMITMENT]
THE VIPER (OFFENSE/TOXICITY): Focus on debilitating poisons, ranged attacks, and bypassing defenses. Requires Tier I Venom Glands (300 AP).
THE PHANTOM (STEALTH/EVASION): Focus on speed, silence, and sensory deception. Requires Tier I Aetherial Sprint (350 AP).
THE JUGGERNAUT (DEFENSE/MIGHT): Focus on armor, resilience, and frontal strength. Requires Tier I Dermal Armor (400 AP).
Elias calculated his options against the anticipated threats of the surface: armored beasts and territorial apex predators. He eliminated the Juggernaut—he lacked the AP. He rejected The Phantom, knowing pure evasion would not solve the long-term food crisis. He needed a reliable counter to hard shells and defenses. He chose the path that offered the greatest strategic advantage: range and corrosion.
Elias committed to the path of the Viper.
[300 AP SPENT: POWER-UP PROTOCOL INITIATED][CHOICE: VENOM GLANDS]
The change was agonizingly focused around his jaw and throat. His internal structure rapidly reshaped the saliva glands and musculature, developing specialized ducts capable of synthesizing and forcefully expelling his corrosive toxin. The pain was searing, feeling like acid boiling beneath his skin before being redirected into potent, focused jets.
[POWER-UP COMPLETE: VENOM GLANDS][PATH UNLOCKED: THE VIPER (OFFENSE/TOXICITY)][POWER: CORROSIVE SPIT (RANGE 3M)][AP REMAINING: 30 AP]
Elias now possessed a crucial ranged weapon capable of bypassing the metal armor of any threat. He was a Viper in the dark.
With his power secured, Elias chose his base: a deep, overlooked maintenance shaft that led to an old bedrock foundation. He began the grueling, methodical work of carving out a defensible lair using his Crushing Jaw and raw force. He spent two hours tearing out sections of reinforced concrete, creating a tight, winding entry tunnel and a small, secure central chamber. The intense labor rapidly depleted his energy.
Elias was forced to use his tactical AP ability to survive the exertion: [20 AP SPENT: METABOLIC BOOST (MB) ACTIVATED] - Used to temporarily curb the Extreme Hunger and push through the final phase of digging, overriding the fatigue. [AP REMAINING: 30 - 20 = 10 AP]
He retreated into his new lair, sealing the entrance with heavy rubble. He was exhausted, but secure.
Elias rested, his newly acquired powers humming beneath his scales, the Extreme Hunger tamed for the moment. After hours of stillness, his Third Eye registered something vast and impossible in the distant sky.
Through tons of rock and soil, his sensor picked up a massive, complex thermal signature. It radiated an immense, controlled heat that defied Aetherian physics.
Elias focused his Predator's Sight upward, attempting to quantify the impossible object.
The System flickered violently, struggling to parse the scale.
[WARNING! TARGET POWER LEVEL UNSCALABLE.][ERROR! TRAITS: FLIGHT, FIRE, ARMOR (CLASSIFICATION: APEX)]
In the cold, chaotic darkness of his underground lair, Elias saw a brief, terrifying outline—a vast silhouette of something with powerful wings and a long, serpentine neck, gliding silently through the poisoned upper atmosphere. It was a perfect, terrifying image of a Dragon.
The System quickly stabilized, reducing the output to zero. But the message was clear. Elias was a lizard fighting for scraps. There were Gods in this broken world.
Elias mentally accessed his status screen, reviewing the assets he now possessed before venturing into the wasteland.
I. Current Status
Current Form: Lizard Hunter (The Viper)
Life Force: 98% (Stable)
AP Reserves: 10 AP
Evolution Path: The Viper (Focus: Toxicity/Range)
Active Powers (The Viper Hunter):
Partial Internal Fire: Tier I (35% Efficiency) - Generates internal heat to fight the cold.
Crushing Jaw: Tier I (+20%) - Massive bite strength for consumption and offense.
Toxic Bite: Tier I - Inject a debilitating, fast-acting poison upon biting.
Corrosive Spit: Tier I - Ranged attack (3m) to blind and melt armor.
Predator's Sight: Tier I - Quantifies targets, showing Power Level (PL) and AP potential.
II. Adaptation Points (AP) Functions and Unlocks
The System also displayed his spending options, including the paths he had yet to commit to:
Field Healing (FH): Cost 50 AP. Effect: Immediately regenerate 50% of the last major wound. Status: Available.
Overcharge (OC): Cost 25 AP. Effect: Temporarily double the efficiency of one power for 5 seconds. Status: Available.
Metabolic Boost (MB): Cost 10 AP. Effect: Temporarily neutralize Extreme Hunger for 30 minutes. Status: Available.
Tier II Viper Skills: Cost 500 AP. Unlocks powerful upgrades on The Viper Path (e.g., Toxic Cloud). Status: Locked.
Aetherial Sprint: Cost 350 AP. Unlocks a movement power focused on short bursts of speed (The Phantom path). Status: Available.
Dermal Armor: Cost 400 AP. Unlocks heavy defense/armor focused on resilience (The Juggernaut path). Status: Available.