He ate it raw. The boy didn't care how disgusting the raw fish-man tasted—his hunger blinded him. He ate relentlessly, without thinking about whether it was safe to consume the monster's flesh. The sour, tough taste didn't stop him—half of the fish-man's body was already devoured, except for the head and legs. But the more he ate, the stronger his thirst became. His exhausted mind began forming a new plan to approach the river. He knew the fish-men had likely taken extra precautions, so he needed to be even more careful now.
As he filled his stomach, a strange sensation started to build within him, as if energy was gathering inside, ready to be unleashed. This feeling was new and astonishing. He recalled his previous attempts to use the flickering ability—unsuccessful, awkward tries. But now, a barely perceptible warmth began to spread through his body, and he decided to try again. His body, almost instinctively, started to pass through the tree branches, becoming nearly invisible. It all seemed impossible, yet real. He wondered if his past failures were due to exhaustion. If so, he now understood that nourishment was the key to developing his ability.
As he chewed the tough meat, his mind reminded him of the system. He opened it and glanced at his stats:
**Race:** Human
**Soul Essence:** Edge Seeker (Beginner)
**Essence Core:** [2/500]
**Relics:** Lich Crown, Forgotten Sword
**Ethereal Shadows:** None
**Attributes:** [Talentless], [Doomed to Die], [Cursed], [Ethereal Sense]
**Essence:** Doomed Ghost
**Essence Rank:** Awakened
**Essence Abilities:** [Flickering Burst]
"Two points to the essence core for killing a monster? What does that mean?" he pondered. "What are these points for? Will I gain something when I reach 500? That seems like a lot..." He shook his head, dismissing unnecessary thoughts. Now wasn't the time to delve into the intricacies of the system.
Once the boy had eaten his fill and rested a bit, it was time to act. He had no elaborate plan—just a simple desire to kill as many fish-men as possible and reach the river. He considered chasing down those who went back to their camps, but he realized it could be a trap. So, he decided to wait until nightfall when uncertainty would become his ally.
Night descended suddenly, plunging the forest into pitch darkness. The boy even considered abandoning his plan but then noticed a faint light coming from the fish-men's spears. "Here's my chance," he thought. The spear he had stolen also glowed, but in a different, unfamiliar way. He didn't understand how it worked, but he knew one thing: he couldn't miss this opportunity.
This time, he acted without the Lich Crown. First, he started a fire near the trees, knowing it would attract the fish-men's attention. Even for them, it would be foolish to leave the fire unattended, as it could attract other, more dangerous creatures. When some of the fish-men noticed the fire and headed toward it, they saw that it was burning in three different places, even engulfing the trees, forcing them to split up in pairs.
When the third group approached the trees, the boy decisively attacked them from hiding, trying to deliver a fatal blow with the spear, but it was easily blocked. The boy didn't lose his composure over one failure.
All his subsequent actions were very resolute. Quickly throwing the spear aside, he hid in the thick bushes. The fish-men quietly communicated with each other, clearly realizing they had fallen into a predator's trap. Moments later, one of them was killed—the boy used his ability, passing through the bush and delivering a strike that the monster didn't even have time to react to.
The second fish-man began to retreat slowly, but met the same fate. The boy slashed his back, and the monster fell dead. Their chances were slim. Humans, especially those capable of using their intellect, are sometimes scarier than any monster. The boy theorized that the main weakness of these creatures was their inability to scream or make loud noises. This made them vulnerable to him, and now he intended to wipe out the majority of them before dawn.
This night turned into a hunt where he was the predator and the fish-men were his prey. He understood that now was the best time to eliminate most of them...