The Razorclaw Spider lunged.
Kael didn't retreat.
He stepped forward.
At the last possible moment, he shifted his body sideways.
The spider's leg swept past his face.
Kael swung the metal rod.
CRACK!
The blow struck one of its legs.
The spider recoiled.
Kael's eyes sharpened.
"Too slow."
The spider hissed and fired a web.
Kael jumped.
The web passed beneath him.
He landed on the hood of an abandoned car and immediately charged forward.
Blackhide.
The skill activated.
His skin hardened.
His muscles tightened.
He jumped from the car.
The spider opened its jaws.
Kael twisted in midair.
Its fangs missed his shoulder by centimeters.
He brought the metal rod down.
BANG!
The spider slammed into the ground.
Kael landed beside it.
He didn't give it time to recover.
One strike.
Two.
Three.
The creature desperately tried to retreat.
Kael followed.
His movements were becoming faster.
Cleaner.
More confident.
The system flashed repeatedly.
[Combat experience accumulated.]
[Blackhide proficiency: 8% → 15%]
[Threat Detection proficiency: 15% → 21%]
[Enhanced Hearing proficiency: 31% → 35%]
The spider suddenly fired three webs.
Kael's eyes moved.
Left.
Right.
Center.
He saw the pattern.
He ducked beneath the first.
Stepped around the second.
And jumped over the third.
Then he was in front of it.
The spider tried to bite him.
Kael grabbed one of its legs.
His muscles strained.
[Strength insufficient.]
The system's warning appeared.
Kael grinned.
"Then I'll make it sufficient."
He twisted his body and used the spider's own momentum.
The creature crashed into a wall.
Kael charged.
He struck again.
The spider stopped moving.
[Razorclaw Spider defeated.]
[Experience gained: 80]
[Level-up requirements fulfilled.]
Kael's eyes lit up.
[Level increased.]
[Level: 2 → 3]
[5 Attribute Points awarded.]
Kael looked at his status.
[STATUS]
Name: Kael
Level: 3
Experience: 0 / 300
Strength: 10
Agility: 12
Vitality: 10
Endurance: 9
Perception: 10
Unassigned Attribute Points: 5
[Skills]
Enhanced Hearing — Level 1 — 35%
Threat Detection — Level 1 — 21%
Blackhide — Level 1 — 15%
[Unique Trait]
Adaptive Evolution
Adaptation: 0.15%
Kael immediately invested.
Strength +2
Agility +2
Perception +1
His status updated.
Strength: 12
Agility: 14
Perception: 11
Kael flexed his fingers.
"Better."
He looked at the spider.
The system displayed another window.
[Skill Acquisition Opportunity]
Skill: Web Control
Acquisition Probability: 48%
Would you like to attempt acquisition?
Kael selected Yes.
A strange sensation passed through his body.
Then—
[Skill acquisition successful.]
[NEW SKILL]
Web Control — Level 1
Allows the user to produce and manipulate a limited amount of biological webbing.
Proficiency: 0%
Kael stared at his hands.
"Interesting."
He focused.
A thin strand of webbing emerged from his palm.
It wasn't much.
But it worked.
He pulled.
The strand snapped.
Kael nodded.
"It needs practice."
He opened his status again.
A new notification appeared.
[Achievement Completed.]
[Solo Hunter]
Requirement: Defeat five hostile lifeforms without assistance.
Reward: 2 Attribute Points
Kael smiled.
He assigned both points to Strength.
Strength: 12 → 14
Then another notification appeared.
[Title Acquired: Solo Hunter]
Effect: Increases experience gained from enemies defeated without assistance by 5%.
Kael stared at the title.
"Not bad."
He looked toward the red area on his map.
The Evolutionary Energy source was still there.
But he wasn't going with the others.
He didn't need them.
Not anymore.
Kael adjusted his backpack and walked toward the deeper part of the city.
The streets became increasingly dangerous.
He passed three mutated dogs.
He didn't engage.
They were too far away.
A Level 1 creature crawled across a building.
He killed it with one strike.
[Experience gained: 25]
A Level 2 lizard attacked from a rooftop.
Kael used Web Control.
The creature became tangled for half a second.
That was enough.
Kael jumped.
THUD!
The lizard fell.
[Experience gained: 42]
He kept moving.
Fight.
Adapt.
Grow.
Fight again.
The sun slowly began rising.
Kael stood on top of an abandoned building, looking over the city.
His clothes were dusty.
His metal rod was damaged.
His breathing was calm.
He opened his status.
[KAEL]
Level: 3
Strength: 14
Agility: 14
Vitality: 10
Endurance: 9
Perception: 11
Skills:
Enhanced Hearing — 41%
Threat Detection — 29%
Blackhide — 24%
Web Control — 12%
Title:
Solo Hunter
Adaptive Evolution: 0.19%
Kael looked at the number.
0.19%.
It was still tiny.
But it was increasing.
He looked toward the horizon.
The sun was rising.
Yet the city looked more dangerous than it had during the night.
Huge plants covered entire buildings.
Creatures moved through the streets.
Far in the distance, something roared.
Kael smiled.
Most survivors would spend the morning searching for shelter.
Kael had found something better.
A hunting ground.
He stepped onto the edge of the building.
Then jumped down to the next rooftop.
His body absorbed the impact.
He landed.
The system appeared.
[Adaptive Evolution triggered.]
[Repeated impact exposure detected.]
[Impact Resistance adaptation: developing.]
Kael's smile widened.
"Again."
He disappeared into the ruined city.
And somewhere ahead—
another monster was waiting.