Kael pressed himself against the cold stone, slowing his breathing until it was almost imperceptible. The pack of Void Rats fanned out across the chamber, their crimson eyes darting through the darkness while their twitching noses searched for the scent of fresh blood.
They weren't mindless monsters.
They hunted as a pack.
That made them dangerous.
But it also made them predictable.
Kael tightened his grip on the jagged stone he had fashioned into a crude dagger. Against a stronger opponent, it would be nearly useless. Against these creatures, however, it was enough.
One of the rats wandered away from the others, following the trail of blood left behind by the one Kael had already killed.
Now.
He slipped silently behind a pillar and circled around the creature. Years of helping his father at the forge had strengthened his body more than most people realized. He wasn't a Hunter yet, but he understood patience.
The rat lowered its head, sniffing the ground.
Kael lunged.
His stone blade plunged into the side of its neck.
The beast let out a shrill screech and twisted violently, throwing him backward. Before it could recover, Kael grabbed another loose rock and smashed it against its skull.
Once.
Twice.
A third strike ended its struggle.
The familiar notification appeared before his eyes.
Void Rat Eliminated.
Devour Target?
YES / NO
"Yes."
Black mist flowed from the corpse and disappeared into his body.
Warmth spread through his aching muscles.
Vitality +1
Void Energy +1
Evolution Progress: 6%
Kael exhaled slowly.
His injuries continued healing at a visible pace. The deep claw marks across his side had nearly closed, while the stiffness in his ribs had eased considerably.
"So every kill strengthens me..."
He was beginning to understand.
This wasn't a system that rewarded experience.
It rewarded survival.
The faint screech of another rat interrupted his thoughts.
The pack had found the second corpse.
Angry cries echoed throughout the chamber.
The monsters scattered, searching every corner.
Kael immediately retreated deeper into the shadows.
One mistake now would surround him.
He needed to thin their numbers.
A narrow crack between two massive stone pillars caught his attention. It was barely wide enough for a person to squeeze through.
The rats were too large.
A plan formed in his mind.
He picked up another pebble and threw it across the chamber.
The sound immediately drew the attention of three rats.
They charged toward the noise.
Kael slipped into the narrow gap.
The first rat spotted him and lunged.
Its body became wedged between the pillars.
It shrieked furiously, claws scraping uselessly against the stone.
Kael didn't hesitate.
He drove the jagged rock into its exposed throat.
Blood splattered across the stone.
The rat convulsed before collapsing.
The second creature tried to force its way through.
It became trapped beside the first.
Kael repeated the attack.
By the time the third rat reached the gap, both corpses blocked the passage completely.
The remaining monsters circled the pillars, screeching in frustration.
Kael smiled despite his exhaustion.
"They may hunt in packs..."
"...but they don't think."
One by one, the trapped rats became easy prey.
Each kill brought another notification.
Evolution Progress: 8%
Evolution Progress: 10%
Evolution Progress: 12%
His breathing grew heavier.
His arms ached from repeatedly driving the crude weapon into the monsters.
Still, he refused to stop.
When the final rat fell, silence returned to the chamber.
Kael leaned against the stone wall, chest rising and falling rapidly.
The floor around him was stained with black blood.
Nine Void Rats.
Only then did he notice something unusual.
One of the corpses hadn't dissolved.
Instead, a faint gray crystal rested inside its chest.
Kael frowned.
"A Monster Core?"
The System answered immediately.
Void Core (Inferior)
A condensed source of Void Energy.
Can be absorbed.
Can be exchanged.
Can be refined.
"So monsters down here have cores too."
He picked up the crystal.
The moment it touched his palm, another notification appeared.
Absorb Void Core?
YES / NO
Kael hesitated.
The rats had already strengthened him through Devour.
Would this do the same?
After a moment, he selected Yes.
The crystal dissolved into pure black energy that flowed into his hand.
A wave of warmth spread through his body.
Unlike before, this energy didn't heal him.
It settled somewhere deep inside his chest.
Void Energy +10
Kael blinked.
"Ten?"
That was far more than the rats themselves had provided.
A second notification appeared.
Void Energy Requirement Reached.
System Function Unlocked.
Scan
Kael's eyes widened.
"So there are more functions..."
He looked around the chamber.
"Scan."
Instantly, translucent blue lines spread outward from his position.
Every object within the cavern briefly glowed.
The glowing mushrooms.
The strange moss.
Even the pillars displayed faint streams of information.
Kael couldn't hide his smile.
"This will make surviving much easier."
Before he could examine the chamber further, the ground suddenly trembled.
A deep rumble echoed through the tunnel beyond.
Not the light scratching of rats.
Something much heavier.
Dust drifted from the ceiling.
Each step carried enough weight to shake the stone beneath his feet.
Kael's expression immediately became serious.
Whatever was coming...
It wasn't another Void Rat.
He extinguished the glowing mushroom he had been using as a light source and slipped behind one of the massive pillars.
The footsteps grew closer.
Slower.
Heavier.
Then a massive silhouette emerged from the darkness.
Standing over three meters tall, the creature resembled a wolf carved from black stone. Jagged crystal spikes protruded from its back, and its golden eyes scanned the chamber before settling on the corpses scattered across the floor.
The beast inhaled deeply.
It had found the scent of blood.
Another screen appeared before Kael.
Void Fang Alpha
Rank: E
Threat Level: Extremely High
Recommendation: Escape Immediately.
Kael's heartbeat quickened.
The Void Rats had nearly killed him.
This creature...
Would tear him apart.
He slowly tightened his grip on the bloodstained stone dagger.
There was only one problem.
The only exit lay directly behind the monster.