'Slither faster, Sam, come on!'
My tiny snake body wriggled through the undergrowth as I desperately tried to get as far away from the family massacre as possible. My siblings were in full survival mode, and the lucky ones had already slipped away into hiding, but the rest were either being eaten by our loving mother or by each other.
I wasn't about to join the dinner party.
Weaving between roots, rocks, and tiny shrubs, I found a relatively safe spot under the gnarled base of a tree. It wasn't much, but it was cover. I coiled up, heart pounding, trying to calm down.
My mind raced. Survive. That was priority number one. After that? Figure out what the hell is going on.
[You have entered hiding.]
[Safety increased by 30%.]
'Safety increased? By 30%? Thanks, system. That means I'm still 70% likely to become someone's snack.'
The forest was still dangerous. That much I knew. But it was quiet now, with the chaos of the snake hatching behind me. From my hiding spot, I could still hear faint crunching sounds—the unlucky ones meeting their end.
'Well, that's traumatizing. I'm pretty sure therapists don't exist here either.'
The status window blinked again, reminding me of my situation.
[Hunger: 75%]
'Oh, great. Now I get to starve too.'
Right. I needed food. But here's the thing: I had no clue what a baby snake like me was supposed to eat. Bugs? Tiny animals? Leaves? No, snakes don't eat leaves. Pretty sure that's a vegan's worst nightmare.
'Fine. Focus, Sam. Let's figure this out.'
I flicked my tongue out—something that happened automatically now—and... whoa. I could actually taste the air. That was new. The cool breeze brought hints of different scents. I could smell... animals. Small ones, probably close by.
'Okay, this might actually be useful.'
I concentrated on one particular scent. It was faint but steady, a small creature, something scurrying around nearby. If I was lucky, it was something I could actually catch—and more importantly—eat.
[Enhanced Sensory (Basic) activated.]
[Tracking scent: Small rodent-like creature, 10 meters west.]
'Well, would you look at that. I've got a built-in GPS for dinner.'
I slithered forward, trying my best to stay low and quiet. My Slither Lv 1 wasn't exactly impressive, but it would have to do. I followed the scent, moving slowly through the grass, getting used to my new snake body. It was awkward, but at least I wasn't flopping around like I had been earlier.
There. Just up ahead, I saw movement—something small darting between blades of grass. A rodent of some kind, probably the size of a large mouse. My heart sped up.
'Alright, Sam, this is it. Time for your first real meal in snake form. Don't screw this up.'
I inched closer, barely breathing. The mouse didn't notice me. I was almost within striking distance. My body tensed, instinct taking over. I felt the venom glands in my mouth pulse, ready to deliver a bite.
Closer. Closer...
Strike!
[Venom Lv 1 activated.]
[Bite Lv 1 activated.]
[You have poisoned the small rodent.]
[Target's health decreasing.]
The rodent squealed and flailed as I sunk my tiny fangs into its side, injecting what little venom I had. It wasn't a lethal dose—definitely not—but it was enough to weaken the creature. The mouse struggled, trying to escape, but I held on, my body coiling instinctively around it to keep it in place.
[Target has been immobilized.]
[Health: 5%]
The mouse stopped moving after a few seconds, and I felt its life slip away. I had done it. My first kill. And as much as it should've made me feel something—horror, satisfaction, guilt—I mostly just felt... hungry.
[You have defeated Small Rodent.]
[You have gained 10 XP.]
[You have leveled up.]
[Level: 2 → 3]
[Hunger decreased by 30%.]
'Sweet. I'm leveling up like it's a mobile game. Can I get a 'Double XP' weekend too?'
My body felt stronger already, and there was this strange tingling sensation in my muscles, as if I'd gained a tiny bit more control over them. I didn't hesitate. I started eating the mouse. It was gross. No two ways about it. But I was starving, and the moment the warm flesh hit my mouth, my snake instincts kicked in. Delicious.
[Bite Lv 1 → Lv 2]
[Venom Lv 1 → Lv 2]
'Nice. Looks like hunting actually pays off.'
After finishing my meal, I retreated back into the cover of the tree's roots to digest and think. I needed a plan. Sure, I had managed to eat this time, but what about the next time? And what about bigger threats?
The evolution system seemed like my best shot at getting stronger. But I didn't know much about it yet. I focused on my status window again, wondering if there was more to it.
[Evolution Tree available.]
[Standard Evolution Path:] Basic Snake → Adult Snake (Lv 10 required)
[Special Evolution Paths available:] Locked. Conditions not met.
'Locked? What do I have to do, eat a legendary dragon or something?'
The Standard Evolution Path seemed straightforward, but the Special Evolution Paths were grayed out, inaccessible. Clearly, I had to meet some specific conditions to unlock them. My best guess was that it had something to do with what I consumed or the creatures I defeated.
'Great. A mystery meat menu.'
At least I had options. Maybe if I devoured something stronger, or found a rare item, I'd unlock a special path. The thought was exciting. I didn't want to become just some regular snake. If I was going to survive in this world, I needed to be unique.
Suddenly, I felt vibrations in the ground, growing closer. Something was moving nearby. Something... bigger.
'Oh crap. Please don't be another snake. Or a bigger mouse. Or—'
[Enhanced Sensory activated.]
[Large creature detected: Unidentified beast, 15 meters north.]
[Level ???]
[Name: ???]
[Status: ???]
'Of course. Of course it's a higher-level creature, and I can't even see its status. Just great.'
I stayed completely still, barely daring to breathe. My Status Inspection skill was useless here—this thing was way out of my league, at least three ranks above me.
The creature passed by, its heavy steps making the ground shake beneath me. I didn't dare peek out from my hiding spot, even though my curiosity was eating me alive. Not literally. Thank God.
After what felt like an eternity, the creature moved on, and the forest returned to its eerie quiet.
'Alright, note to self: Don't go picking fights with things that make the ground tremble. Got it.'
I knew I had a long way to go before I was anywhere close to being strong enough to face creatures like that. But hey, I'd leveled up once today, and that was a start.
[Hunger: 50%]
'Great. Time to go hunting again. Fantastic. Just what I needed.'