Chapter 7: The Hunt

The snake and the wild boar had given me a glimpse of what Evolution Devourer was capable of, but it was only a glimpse.

If I wanted to survive in this brutal world, I needed more.

And there was only one way to get them.

I had to hunt.

Before that, though, I wanted to see how much I’d actually gained. Focusing my thoughts, I called up my stat window, and with a faint ding, a glowing blue panel materialized in front of me.

Name: Sylas Stone

Level: 2

Class: Unknown

HP: 105/105

MP: 90/90

[Stats]

Physical: 8

Mental: 5

Social: 0

Stat Point: 9

[Skills]

Innate: [Evolution Devourer]

Passive: [Camouflage] [Nightvision] [Iron Gut] [Regeneration] [Venomous Bite] [Boar Tough Hide]

Active: None

I had nine free stat points to distribute, but I had no idea where to put them.

Physical and Mental were straightforward enough that I could make an educated guess about what they affected, but Social was a complete mystery.

I had no clue what adding points to it would actually do, and I wasn’t about to waste my hard-earned stats on blind speculation.

So, I decided to ask the system.

"System, can you explain my three attributes and their effects?"

The response came instantly.

Ding!

Physical

Description:Represents the overall condition and vitality of the body. It governs strength, endurance, toughness, speed, and natural recovery, determining how well the user performs in physical combat and survives harsh environments.

Effects:

- +10 Max HP per point.

- +5 Max MP per point.

- Increases physical strength, movement speed, stamina, durability, and resistance to physical fatigue.

- Improves natural health regeneration.

Mental

Description:Represents the power of the mind, encompassing intelligence, focus, willpower, memory, and mana control. A higher Mental attribute allows the user to think more clearly under pressure and wield abilities with greater precision.

Effects:

- +10 Max MP per point.

- +5 Max HP per point.

- Increases mana regeneration.

- Improves concentration, perception, learning speed, memory retention, and resistance to mental attacks such as fear, illusions, or mind manipulation.

Social

Description:Represents charisma, presence, emotional intelligence, and leadership. It influences how other intelligent beings perceive the user, making it easier to persuade, intimidate, negotiate, or inspire loyalty.

Effects:

- Improves persuasion, negotiation, deception, and intimidation.

- Increases leadership effectiveness, allowing allies, summons, or subordinates to fight more efficiently under the user’s command.

- Improves reputation gain and trust with intelligent NPCs and factions.

- Slightly increases resistance against coercion and manipulation by strengthening force of personality.

A quick comparison made the pattern obvious.

Increasing either Physical or Mental raised both my HP and MP, just in different amounts.

Every point invested into Physical gave me 10 HP and 5 MP, while every point invested into Mental granted 10 MP and 5 HP.

Social, on the other hand, didn’t provide anything that would help me survive a fight. Instead, it increased my charisma, which probably meant I’d be better at talking my way into or out of situations.

That sounded like a useful attribute if I ever found myself leading people, but right now my only concern was staying alive, and with that in mind, the choice was obvious.

I had no skills that required mana yet, so there was no point investing any stat points there.

Social was just as useless.

There was nobody to talk to in the middle of this forest, so increasing my charisma served absolutely no purpose.

Looking at my options, everything pointed toward Physical.

Physical not only increased my HP but also gave a slight boost to my MP, making it the most efficient stat by far.

Without hesitating, I dumped all of my points into Physical.

The moment I confirmed it, warmth flooded through my entire body as my bones let out a series of sharp creaks.

Maybe it was because I had effectively doubled my strength this time, but the transformation hurt far more than when I had only added three points before.

The sensation lingered for several long seconds before gradually fading, leaving behind a strange heaviness that settled deep into my muscles and bones.

My body felt denser, sturdier, as though every fiber had been compressed and reforged into something stronger.

I slowly balled my fists, and the raw power surging beneath my skin was impossible to ignore.

Name: Sylas Stone

Level: 2

Class: Unknown

HP: 195/195

MP: 135/135

[Stats]

Physical: 17

Mental: 5

Social: 0

Stat Point: 0

For now, I intended to keep increasing my physical stats.

My goal was simple: become strong enough to bring down an ogre.

Judging by the way that monster tore through everything with a single swing, I estimated its strength to be around fifty.

But raw strength alone wasn’t enough.

Every brain I devoured granted me new skills, which meant that the next time I faced an ogre, I wouldn’t just be physically stronger; I’d have a wider arsenal of abilities at my disposal as well.

I rose to my feet and continued searching for more monsters, my eyes remaining sharp and my ears tuned to every tiny sound around me.

The forest was alive with movement.

Branches swayed overhead, leaves rustled beneath the gentle breeze, and distant growls drifted between the trees, creating a constant reminder that I wasn’t alone out here.

As I walked, a thought crossed my mind.

Would I ever run into another goblin like myself?

And if I did, what would happen?

Would the goblin suddenly hug me and invite me into its clan, or would it call me a green bastard before trying to cave my skull in?

Definitely the latter.

Goblins across almost every story I’d ever seen weren’t exactly known for their kindness.

They were corrupt, greedy, horny, and far more concerned with self-preservation than loyalty or compassion.

Just as that thought settled in my mind, a faint shuffle reached my ears.

I stopped, dropping into a low crouch as my heart pounded against my ribs.

Was it a threat... or a feast? I wondered, my eyes sweeping across the undergrowth until they landed on the source of the sound.

A rabbit.

Or rather, a mutant rabbit, because it certainly wasn’t the fluffy, harmless kind from back on Earth.

This one was much bigger, with thick, powerful legs packed with muscle that looked built for explosive bursts of speed.

[Thumper Paw - Lvl 3]

"Hops faster than your will to exercise."

My will to...?

That made absolutely no sense.

Before I could dwell on the bizarre description any longer, the rabbit’s ears twitched, sensing danger, and its red eyes snapped toward me, filled with instinctive wariness.

The instant I made the slightest movement, as if I’d breathed one second too loudly, it bolted.

I took off after it, but damn, was it fast.

Even with my increased physical stats, I still couldn’t close the distance.

The damn thing was unbelievably quick, and if I didn’t do something now, it was going to escape.

The moment I saw it veer to the side, I changed my approach.

Instead of chasing it directly, I swerved hard into the bushes, crashing through the undergrowth before bursting out ahead of it and cutting off its escape route.

The rabbit tried to pivot the instant it saw me, but it was already too late.

I lunged and tried to grab it, but I underestimated just how agile the rabbit was.

It twisted out of my grasp with surprising speed, leaving me clutching nothing but air.

Even so, I managed to catch one of its hind legs for the briefest moment, though the awkward grip threw me completely off balance.

Before I could recover, I crashed face-first into the ground at an ugly angle, pain shooting through my arms as dirt filled my mouth. For one terrifying heartbeat, I was certain I’d lost it.

When I pushed myself up, however, I realized the impact had stunned the rabbit as well. It staggered a few steps, its body wobbling as it desperately tried to regain its footing, but I was already moving. I threw myself at it before it could recover.

CRUNCH!

My claws buried themselves deep in its throat. The rabbit jerked violently beneath me, its body twitching for a few desperate seconds before the struggle slowly faded away, leaving it completely still.

Ding!

[You have killed ThumperPaw.]

A wide grin spread across my face.

That short burst of motion had taken a lot out of me, leaving my muscles aching and my lungs burning, but it had been worth every ounce of effort because it meant I could grow stronger once again.

Without wasting any time, I tore into the rabbit’s flesh, chewing through fur, bone, and sinew like a starving wolf.

Warm blood flooded my mouth, thick and metallic, carrying the primal taste of victory, yet I couldn’t bring myself to care.

Once again, it felt as though the hunger had seized control of my body, driving every bite with an instinct far older than reason.

Strangely, I was still completely aware of everything I was doing, watching myself devour the carcass without being able to stop.

Perhaps that was for the best, because if I had been fully in control of my actions instead of simply aware of them, the sheer horror of eating a dead rabbit whole would have been enough to make me sick.

By the time I swallowed the last bite, nothing remained except a faint stain of blood soaking into the dirt. It was only then that my attention shifted to the glowing blue screen that had appeared before me, a fresh system notification waiting to be read.

DING!

[Evolution Devourer Activated.]

[You have consumed the brain of a ThumperPaw.]

[You have received +2 stats points]

[You have acquired passive skill: Enhanced Leg]