**The First Hunt**
The Horn Rabbit's corpse twitched at my feet, its violet fur matted with blood. I knelt, pressing my fingers to the wound I'd carved into its chest. Still warm.
*"Glutton,"* I murmured, remembering Altina's smirk. *"Eat, and grow stronger."*
I tore into the raw meat without hesitation. The flesh was tough, gamey, but the moment it hit my tongue, a surge of energy crackled through me. My muscles spasmed—not painfully, but like a limb waking from sleep.
**[New Skill: Enhanced Jump I]**
*The Horn Rabbit's powerful hind legs now lend you their explosive strength.*
I flexed my legs, testing the new power. With a thought, I *pushed*—and the world blurred. I landed three yards away, leaves crunching underfoot. A laugh escaped me. *This* was power. Real, tangible, *mine*.
But the rabbit had more to give.
I skinned it with my crude dagger, fingers working methodically. The pelt would make decent insulation, and the horn… I turned the bony spur in my hands. Hard. Sharp. *Useful.*
**[Obtained: Horn Rabbit Pelt, Small Horn]**
Night was falling. The forest grew louder—chittering insects, the rustle of unseen creatures. My stomach growled, but I wasn't done yet.
---
### **The Owl's Lesson**
The first Mystic Owl nearly took my eye out.
I'd heard its wings—**[Enhanced Hearing I]** made sure of that—but I hadn't expected the *speed*. A silver streak in the moonlight, claws raking my shoulder before I could react. Blood welled, hot and slick.
*"Damn bird,"* I hissed, rolling behind a tree. My fingers dug into the dirt, gripping my makeshift spear.
The owl perched above, its glowing blue eyes scanning. It tilted its head—*mocking me*.
I waited. Let it think it had won.
When it dove again, I was ready.
**[Spell Strike] ignited the spear's tip.**
I *jumped*, **[Enhanced Jump]** propelling me straight up. The owl screeched, trying to veer away—too late. My spear punched through its breastbone, magic searing its feathers to ash.
It died silently, its body dissolving into silver mist. Only three things remained:
**[+35 EXP]**
**[Obtained: Mystic Owl Meat, Enchanted Feathers]**
**[New Skill: Night Vision I]**
I ate the meat immediately.
The world *shifted*.
Darkness became daylight. Every leaf, every insect, every swaying branch—*crisp*. I could see the veins on a moth's wings twenty feet away.
And the owls? There were *dozens* more.
I grinned.
---
### **The Camp**
By midnight, I'd killed four more owls. Their feathers became fletching for my arrows; their meat gifted me **[Far Sight I]** and **[Silent Flight I]**.
But I needed shelter.
I chose a spot near a stream, where the earth was soft and the trees thick. **[Basic Crafting I]** guided my hands as I wove branches into a crude lean-to, then lined it with rabbit pelts. Not luxurious, but it would keep the wind out.
The fire crackled, casting long shadows. I turned the spit, roasting another rabbit. The fat sizzled, the scent making my mouth water.
Then—**movement**.
A twig snapped. My head whipped up, **[Night Vision]** piercing the gloom.
A pair of eyes gleamed back at me. *Not an owl.*
Lower to the ground. *Bigger.*
The wolf emerged slowly, its gray fur bristling. Saliva dripped from its jaws. A *Dire Wolf*, if the size was any indication.
I stood, gripping my spear.
It snarled.
I bared my teeth right back.
---
### **The Wolf's Challenge**
The fight was brutal.
The wolf was faster than the trolls would be, its claws like daggers. It lunged, and I barely dodged, feeling the wind of its passage. My spear grazed its side—**[Spell Strike]** seared fur and flesh—but it didn't slow.
It *bit* me.
Fangs sank into my forearm, and I roared, driving my knee into its ribs. Bone cracked. The wolf yelped, but didn't let go.
So I stabbed it in the eye.
The wolf collapsed, twitching. I panted, blood dripping from my arm.
**[+80 EXP]**
**[Obtained: Dire Wolf Fang, Wolf Hide]**
**[New Skill: Predator's Instinct I]**
I ate its heart raw.
The rush was *instant*. My wounds knit themselves shut, muscles swelling with new strength.
**[Regeneration I]** unlocked.
I laughed, breathless.
*More. I needed more.*
---
### **The Troll's Head**
I found the first troll at dawn.
It was massive—twelve feet tall, moss clinging to its gnarled hide. It slept against a boulder, its chest rising and falling like a bellows.
I didn't hesitate.
**[Silent Flight]** let me drop from the trees like a shadow. My daggers struck true, carving into its throat before it could wake.
The troll *thrashed*, its roar shaking the forest. But blood fountained from its neck, and its strength faded fast.
When it finally fell, I took its head.
**[+500 EXP]**
**[Obtained: Troll Heart, Earth Crystal Core]**
I ate the heart.
The world *burned*.
**[Earth Affinity I]** surged through me, roots and stone whispering secrets in a language I almost understood. My skin thickened, muscles hardening like bedrock.
I mounted the troll's head on a pike outside my camp.
A warning.
A promise.
*This forest was mine now.*
---
### **The Dragon's Whisper**
That night, I dreamed.
Not of the white void, not of Altina—but of *scales*. Of a voice like grinding mountains.
*"YOU WILL DREAM OF US, THIEF."*
I woke sweating, my **[Draconic Bloodline]** humming in response.
Outside, the twin troll heads watched me with empty eyes.
I smiled.
Tomorrow, I'd hunt bigger prey.