The forest was alive. Every leaf shimmered with dew, every shadow shifted with intent. Elias—no, Grib—stumbled from the mossy cavern into the daylight, his tiny goblin limbs trembling under the weight of a body that wasn't his own. The world felt enormous, alien, and merciless.
His stomach growled. Not a human hunger, but a deeper, gnawing need. The system's voice echoed in his mind: Consumption is required for all experience gains.
The thought made him shiver. Eat to grow… eat to survive… eat to live. And yet, nothing prepared him for the first real test.
A twitch in the underbrush caught his eye. Small. Fast. Alive. Prey.
A rabbit emerged, its white fur almost glowing in the morning sun. Heart hammering in his chest, Grib lunged. Claws sunk into soft flesh. The taste of warm meat—bloody, raw, real—filled his mouth. Horror and exhilaration collided. For the first time, he felt power.
Numbers and light exploded in his vision:
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LEVEL UP!
+10 EXP
+1 STR (2 → 3)
+1 DEX (3 → 4)
+1 Unique Skill Unlocked: Predator's Instinct (C-Rank)
> Automatically detects the most vulnerable prey within visual range. Can also sense nearby danger.
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Grib staggered back, adrenaline surging, stomach twisting. Disgust. Triumph. Fear. The rabbit lay at his feet—a life taken, a step forward in a world that didn't care for morality.
His goblin mother approached, eyes bright and calculating. She sniffed the rabbit, then Grib, and let out a high-pitched trill. In goblin terms, it was praise.
"You're… different," she chattered. "Stronger than we thought."
Grib didn't respond. He couldn't. His mind raced, calculating, analyzing. Every shadow could hide a predator, every rustle could be death.
Branches snapped. The forest froze with a silent threat. Then it appeared. A wolf, massive and scarred, eyes burning amber. Its teeth gleamed like polished knives.
Prey… predator… or meal?
The translucent status panel flared red, hovering before him:
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STATUS – GRIB
Level: 2 (0/150 EXP)
HP: 12 / 12
MP: 5 / 5
STR: 3
DEX: 4
CON: 3
INT: 10 ⚡ (Anomaly)
WIS: 10 ⚡ (Anomaly)
Skills:
APEX CONSUMPTION (S-Rank)
Predator's Instinct (C-Rank)
Alert: High-level predator nearby. Survival risk: extreme.
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The wolf growled low, a rumble that shook the air and made the leaves tremble. Instinct screamed at him to flee—but instinct alone wouldn't make him stronger. Every kill, every hunt, was a step toward survival, toward power.
Grib crouched, muscles coiling, senses sharpened. The wolf stepped closer, teeth bared, eyes locked on him. One misstep, and it would be over. One right move, and survival would taste sweet, raw, and intoxicating.
The first real test of Aerthos had begun.
And for the first time, Grib felt alive.