The snake and the wild boar had given me a taste—just a taste—of what Evolution Devourer could do.
But it wasn't enough.
Not even close.
If I wanted to survive in this brutal world, I needed more. More strength. More power. More traits.
Which meant one thing.
I had to hunt.
But first—
I needed to check my progress.
I focused, calling up my stat window.
With a faint ding, the glowing blue panel appeared in front of me.
Name: Sylas Stone
Level: 1
Class: Babarian
HP: 475/475
Stamina: 230
Rage: 75/100
EXP: 200/300
I scanned my stats, but one thing immediately caught my eye.
Rage.
That's right—I was a Barbarian.
I wasn't sure exactly how it worked, but before I could even form the question in my mind—
A notification popped up.
Ding!
Rage: A combat-driven state fueled by the user's heightened aggression and survival instincts. As the user sustains damage or engages in prolonged battle, Rage accumulates, reaching its peak at 100 points, triggering an uncontrollable surge of raw power.
While active, the user experiences a temporary increase in Strength (+5), heightened resistance to damage, accelerated Regeneration, and immunity to pain-induced incapacitation. However, once the effect subsides, the body enters a brief state of fatigue, temporarily reducing physical capabilities. Rage can be manually activated but will ignite instinctively when the user's survival is at risk. It lasts only 30 seconds, but the time will increase with higher levels.
Hmm…
So Rage was a resource—one that built up when I took damage or fought.
Once it hit 100/100, I could activate it at will or let it trigger instinctively in battle. When that happened, my strength, endurance, tenacity, and regeneration would all get a massive boost, for a short time.
I nodded to myself.
Yeah… that was definitely going to come in handy.
I flicked my gaze back to my EXP bar.
200/300.
Just 100 more XP.
One more fight or a couple more kills, and I'd level up.
And in this forest, filled with hungry creatures lurking in the shadows?
That wouldn't take long.
I flexed my fingers, my stomach already growling in anticipation.
I was ready to hunt.
I kept moving, eyes sharp, ears tuned to every tiny sound.
The forest was alive with movement—branches swayed, leaves rustled, and distant growls echoed through the trees.
But one sound stood out.
A faint shuffle.
I crouched low, instincts flaring.
There.
A rabbit.
No—a mutant rabbit.
It wasn't the fluffy, harmless kind from back on Earth.
This one was bigger, its legs packed with muscle, built for insane bursts of speed.
[Thumper Paw - Lvl 2]
"Runs faster than your will to exercise."
My will to...
That makes no sense.
Its rabbit ears twitched, sensing danger.
Its red eyes locked onto me, filled with animal wariness.
The second I so much as breathed wrong—
It bolted.
I lunged after it, crashing through the underbrush, claws tearing into the dirt.
The damn thing was fast.
Too fast.
If I didn't act now, it would escape.
I swerved hard, cutting off the rabbit's escape path.
It tried to pivot—too late.
BAM!
I lunged, but instead of grabbing it, I miscalculated and slammed straight into the ground.
Pain shot up my arms, dirt filled my mouth, and for a split second, I thought I'd lost it.
But the impact had sent the rabbit rolling forward, tumbling across the forest floor.
It scrambled, dazed, trying to recover—but I reacted faster, pouncing on it.
CRUNCH.
My claws sank deep into its throat.
The rabbit twitched.
Then, it stopped moving.
I exhaled. That short burst of motion had took a lot out of me.
Ding!
[You have killed ThumperPaw.]
[You have received 100 XP]
[You have leveled up.]
A wide grin spread across my face.
Level 2.
I was progressing.
But my stomach was also complaining.
So I ripped into the rabbit's flesh, chewing through fur, bone, and sinew like a starving wolf. The metallic tang of blood coated my tongue, but I didn't care.
Food was food.
By the time I swallowed the last bite, only a faint stain of blood remained on the dirt.
Warm blood flooded my mouth, thick and metallic, the primal taste of victory.
Then I got another notification.
Ding!
[Congratulations! You have reached Level 2.]
+2 stat points to distribute
+1 Strength (Racial Bonus)
+1 Constitution (Racial Bonus)
+1 Ability Point
I froze mid-thought.
Ability Point?
I frowned. That was new.
But before I could even ask, the system answered.
Ding!
[Ability Points: Unlock & Upgrade Skills]
Ability Points are used to unlock new abilities or enhance existing ones and traits, allowing the User to grow stronger by gaining new combat techniques, survival skills, or special traits.
Obtained Every Even Level: Level 2, Level 4, Level 8, Level 10.
Points Needed:
[Basic New Abilities] – 1 Ability Point
[Ability/Traits Upgrades] – 2 Ability Points
[You Have 1 Ability Point Available]
[You Can Purchase a New Class Skill]
A list of skills then appeared in front of me, each one tempting in its own way.
Class Skills Available for Purchase:
1. [Savage Blow] (Passive) - 1 Ability Point
Each consecutive melee attack increases damage by 3% per hit, stacking up to 3 times. If the user pauses for more than 3 seconds, the stacks reset. This skill rewards relentless aggression and prolonged combat.
Effect: Increases sustained melee damage output in battle.
2. [Brutal Charge] (Active) - 1 Ability Point
The user sprints forward at high speed and slams into enemies with immense force. Targets hit by the charge are knocked down or staggered based on their size and weight.
Effect: Ideal for closing distance, breaking enemy formations, or initiating fights.
3. [Feral Instincts] (Passive) - 1 Ability Point
Taps into the user's primal senses, sharpening reflexes and environmental awareness. This skill grants a 10% boost to reaction speed, improves detection of enemies within a short radius, and enhances the ability to sense danger.
Effect: Increases survival chances in ambushes, improves dodging and combat awareness.
[Would you like to purchase one of these, or do you want to hold on to your point?]
I was definitely going to purchase one.
Right now, I lacked any real offensive skills—just raw strength and instincts. That wasn't enough.
If I wanted to survive, I needed something that could help me hit harder, fight smarter, and stay alive when I faced stronger enemies.
I scanned the options again, weighing my choices.
Savage Blow was tempting—stacking damage sounded brutal in a drawn-out fight.
Brutal Charge was powerful. Rushing down my enemies and knocking them flat could give me the edge in a fight.
Feral Instincts gave me better reflexes, faster reactions, and early danger detection.
I clenched my fists.
I needed raw power, but I also needed to stay alive long enough to use it.
After a moment's thought, I made my choice.
I decided to go for...