Chương 8: Evolution

Then—hiss!

The snake lunged.

The beetle snapped its jaws—

CRACK!

A jagged shard of stone blasted out like a bullet, smashing into the snake mid-leap. Blood splattered the cave wall as the serpent crashed to the ground, thrashing and hissing with rage.

Then—SPLAT! Green venom sprayed across the stone floor, sizzling as it ate into the rock like boiling oil. Holes appeared instantly, steam rising in foul-smelling clouds.

Satou's eyes nearly popped out of his skull.

"…That snake can spit poison too?!"

The beetle shrieked and fired again.

CRACK! CRACK! Pebbles shot out in rapid bursts, hammering the serpent's scales and ripping chunks of flesh free. The snake retaliated with another spit, venom splashing onto the beetle's rocky shell. Smoke curled upward as the acid ate through its armor, leaving blackened pits.

The fight turned savage. The snake lunged again, this time coiling its muscular body around the beetle, squeezing tighter and tighter like an iron vice. The beetle flailed violently, blasting stone shards in every direction, chunks of the snake's meat flying across the mossy floor. Blood began pooling beneath them, staining the stones crimson.

Satou crouched lower, heart pounding like a war drum. I'd be dead in five seconds if I fought either of them. But if I wait… He gripped his rock tighter, eyes gleaming. Once they're both half-dead, I'll finish them. Heh. Classic strategy: let the bosses fight, then swoop in for the loot.

The beetle slammed itself against the cavern wall, its carapace cracking with a sickening crunch. Its legs twitched weakly, shots of stone coming slower, weaker. The snake bled heavily now, scales shredded and hanging loose.

Finally, the beetle collapsed on its side, twitching one last time before going still. The snake, though barely alive, slithered over and sank its fangs into the beetle's cracked shell, drinking greedily.

"Now," Satou whispered.

He crept closer, breath held, sweat dripping down his cheek. His shadow stretched over the serpent as it fed.

CRUNCH!

The rock smashed down on the snake's skull. The serpent screeched, body flailing, its massive tail slamming against the walls hard enough to shake dust from the ceiling. Satou gritted his teeth, raised the rock again—

BAM!

The second blow crushed its head into the floor with a wet crunch. The snake spasmed, coiled once, then fell limp beside its prey.

Satou stumbled back, chest heaving, hands shaking as blood stained his fingers. He looked at the two corpses lying in a pool of gore… then a wild grin spread across his face.

"Perfect. The two skills I needed just delivered themselves to me."

Without hesitation, he crouched and began tearing into the snake and beetle, forcing down the flesh. His face twisted instantly.

"Ughhh! Disgusting! Tastes like burnt rubber and rotten eggs had a baby!"

He gagged, but shoved more into his mouth, chewing furiously. Halfway through, he threw his head back and shouted dramatically:

"Why can't it ever be roasted chicken or fresh bread?!"

His voice echoed through the cave like a madman's scream, but he didn't stop. Bite after bite, he swallowed the foul meat until finally, after what felt like hours of torture, he finished. His stomach churned, bile rising, but then—

A clear prompt rang in his ears.

[Skill Acquired: Poison Fang]

Type: Offensive / Melee

Effect: Inflicts weak paralytic poison through the user's bite.

Damage: Low physical + Poison DoT.

Special: May cause muscle weakness or slowed movement.

Limitations: Must bite the target directly. Strong monsters may resist.

[Skill Acquired: Stone Spit]

Type: Offensive / Ranged

Effect: Condenses mana into stone projectile and spits it.

Range: 5–15 meters.

Damage: Low–Moderate.

Special: Can target weak points for bonus damage.

Limitations: Inaccurate at long range, drains stamina if spammed.

Satou wiped his mouth with his sleeve, groaning "I'm gonna puke."

He leaned against the wall, clutching his stomach. "But at least I finally got some combat skills… Now the problem is, how do I test them out in this cave?"

Just as he muttered that, a sound tickled his ears. His enhanced hearing picked up faint footsteps… lots of them.

"…Damn it, don't tell me—"

"Did he pass through here?" a rough voice echoed.

"Yeah, we all saw him head deeper inside," another answered.

"Then sorry for him," said a third, whose tone carried authority. "We need to cut down the others one by one."

The goblins' voices grew louder as their footsteps approached, boots scraping against the stone.

Satou's grin returned, wolfish and sharp. "From the sounds of it… ten of them. Perfect." He cracked his knuckles, eyes burning with excitement. "Time to practice my shiny new skills. Heh… Guess they'll be my stepping stones."