Jiang felt a surge of something raw and powerful course through his body. **Tactical Strike?** It wasn't much, but it was something. He would have to rely on the system's guidance now more than ever.
The rat lunged at the pipes again, frustrated by Jiang's disappearance. In that moment, Jiang knew he had to act. His body tensed, muscles coiling as he prepared to spring forward.
With a burst of speed, Jiang darted out from his hiding place, using the element of surprise to his advantage. He slid on his belly, gliding across the wet floor, and as the rat turned, Jiang launched himself upward, slamming his hardened beak into the rat's side with a force he didn't know he possessed.
The rat let out a pained howl, stumbling backward as blood splattered across the ground. Its yellow eyes widened in shock as it looked down at the gash Jiang had torn into its flesh. For a moment, it looked almost human—vulnerable, afraid.
Jiang didn't hesitate. The system had activated his **Tactical Strike**, and he knew he had to finish this. He lunged again, this time aiming for the rat's throat. His beak tore through flesh, and the rat let out a strangled gasp as it collapsed to the ground, twitching in its final moments.
Jiang stood over the dying creature, his body shaking with adrenaline and shock. The rat's breath came in ragged, shallow bursts, its eyes dimming as the last traces of life left its body.
Before it died, the rat looked up at him with something almost like pity in its gaze. "You'll... be like me," it rasped, blood bubbling from its mouth. "The system... it doesn't care. It'll chew you up and spit you out."
Jiang watched in horror as the rat's body went still, its final words hanging heavy in the air. For a moment, there was nothing but silence, the oppressive darkness of the tunnel closing in around him.
Then, the system's voice returned, cold and indifferent.
*"Threat eliminated. Synchronization at 65%. New ability unlocked: Enhanced Beak Strike."*
Jiang's mind reeled. He had just killed another living being—a **human**, or at least someone who had once been human like him. The weight of that realization pressed down on him, but there was no time to dwell. The system was progressing, and so was he. But was he becoming stronger, or was he just losing more of himself?
Before he could think any further, the air in the tunnel shifted. A cold, unnatural breeze swept through the space, and Jiang felt a presence behind him—the same suffocating darkness he had felt before.
He turned slowly, and there it was: **the shadowy figure**, standing at the far end of the tunnel, its glowing eyes piercing through the gloom.
"You think killing that rat makes you stronger?" the figure said, its voice a low, guttural whisper. "You've only just begun, little bird. This is far from over."
Jiang's blood turned to ice. The figure took a step forward, its form shifting and twisting, as if it were made of pure darkness.
The system pinged in his mind, but this time, the message was different.
*"New threat detected. Evasion required. Immediate danger."*
Jiang backed away, his flippers trembling as the figure drew closer. He had barely survived the rat—how was
The stench of death clung to the air as the shadowy figure emerged from the depths of the tunnel, its eyes glowing faintly in the darkness. The rat's blood still stained the ground, dark and slick, a grim reminder of what Jiang had just done. The creature's body twitched one last time before falling still, and Jiang could feel the system's presence buzzing in the back of his mind.
"Synchronization at 63%," the system chimed, emotionless as ever. "Energy acquired."
Energy acquired from the rat. The thought made Jiang shudder—he had killed something that was once human. That rat had spoken, had cursed at him, its final words revealing the horror of the transformation: "I… was… like… you…"
Jiang shook his head, trying to push the thought away. There was no time for regret. No time for hesitation. The shadowy figure was still advancing, its movements smooth and deliberate. It glided over the ground as if it were weightless, and every instinct in Jiang's body screamed at him to run.
But where would he go? The tunnels twisted and turned like a labyrinth, and his body was too small, too slow to outrun something so fluid, so predatory.
The system's voice cut through his panic, cold and detached. "New ability unlocked: Penguin Instincts. Increased awareness of environmental hazards."
Penguin instincts? Jiang didn't have time to fully understand what that meant, but he could feel it—something primal awakening within him. His vision sharpened, his senses heightened. The air was thick with danger, and he could almost see the cracks in the environment where he might find cover or an escape route.
The creature stopped, its glowing eyes locked onto Jiang, unblinking. The sound of its breathing filled the tunnel, a deep, rhythmic growl that vibrated through the damp air. "You can't run, little bird," it hissed, its voice a whisper that seemed to come from all directions at once.
Jiang's heart pounded in his chest, but something shifted inside him. Maybe it was the Penguin Instincts, maybe it was the adrenaline, but he no longer felt completely helpless. He had survived this long, after all. The system was evolving him, helping him adapt. He wasn't the same terrified penguin from the start. He could do this.
The figure lunged.
Jiang darted to the side, his new instincts guiding him to a small gap between two crumbling walls. The creature's claws scraped against the stone, sending sparks flying as it missed its mark. Jiang pressed himself into the gap, his heart racing, but his mind clear. He needed a plan. He couldn't just keep dodging forever.
His eyes flicked toward the tunnel's ceiling. A large, rusted pipe hung loosely above the shadowy figure. It wasn't much, but it was something. He could use the environment to his advantage, just like the system had taught him.
He honked loudly, taunting the creature.
The figure turned, its glowing eyes narrowing in on him. Jiang didn't wait for it to attack again. He waddled out from his hiding place, making himself a clear target, hoping the creature's aggression would get the better of it.
It worked. The creature lunged once more, faster this time, its claws outstretched. Jiang slid on his belly at the last second, his body moving with surprising agility as he slipped under the rusted pipe.
The creature collided with it.
The pipe snapped from its brackets and came crashing down, slamming into the creature's back with a sickening crack. The force of it sent the creature sprawling to the ground, its glowing eyes flickering as it let out a pained, guttural roar.
Jiang watched from the shadows, his heart pounding in his chest. The creature wasn't dead, not yet, but it was hurt. This was his chance.