'Well, this just keeps getting better and better,' I thought as I stared at the hostile snake in front of me. It was slightly larger than me, and from the looks of it, definitely more experienced at being a snake.
The system had been kind enough to give me a status check on my enemy:
[Enemy detected: Snake (Lv 5)]
[Name: Unknown]
[Rank: Unranked]
[Status: Hostile]
'Great. Not only is it stronger, but it's probably better at this whole snake thing than I am. I've been a snake for, what, two hours?'
The other snake raised its head slightly, flicking its tongue as it locked eyes on me. I felt the familiar pulse of venom glands, instinct kicking in. But there was no way I was winning a straight-up fight.
'Okay, Sam. Think. You're not the biggest, and you're definitely not the strongest. But maybe you can be the smartest.'
I quickly flicked my tongue, tasting the air for any advantage I could find. The ground beneath me felt solid, but a bit of wet moss coated some of the nearby rocks. I didn't know how snakes worked in battle, but maybe I could use the environment to my favor.
The larger snake slithered closer, its body weaving through the undergrowth with a predatory grace I definitely didn't have. It was sizing me up, waiting for the right moment to strike.
'No pressure, Sam. It's only your life on the line.'
I backed up a bit, pretending to be scared—well, pretending and actually being scared were pretty close in this case—and waited for it to get closer. The moment it lunged, I'd need to act fast.
[Enhanced Sensory (Basic) activated.]
[Tracking enemy movement: 2 meters to strike range.]
The other snake's body tensed, and before I could even blink, it lunged forward with deadly precision.
[Enemy using Bite Lv 3.]
I dodged to the side, my body slipping over the wet moss just in time. The larger snake missed its mark and hit the ground with a thud, its fangs digging into the dirt instead of my scales.
'Got you!'
Before it could recover, I slithered around to its side and sank my fangs into its exposed neck.
[Bite Lv 2 activated.]
[Venom Lv 2 activated.]
[You have inflicted poison. Enemy health decreasing.]
The larger snake hissed angrily, its body coiling in pain, but I knew I wasn't out of the woods yet. My venom wasn't nearly strong enough to kill it instantly, and if it got another chance to strike, I'd be in serious trouble.
'Come on, venom, do your thing!'
The other snake twisted violently, trying to shake me off. I bit down harder, holding on with everything I had, my fangs pulsing more venom into its body.
[Enemy health: 40%.]
It was working, but not fast enough. I had to finish this before it could recover.
Just as it started to twist toward me, I let go and quickly slithered back onto the wet moss. I needed to make it lunge again, to make it miss one more time. If I could get it to hit the moss, maybe it would lose its balance completely.
The larger snake turned, its eyes burning with rage. I could feel the hostility radiating off of it. No more sizing up. It was going to end this, and fast.
[Enemy preparing Bite Lv 3.]
It lunged, faster and more desperate this time. I barely managed to throw myself sideways, my body slipping easily over the moss as I heard the other snake crash into the wet ground behind me. This time, its head hit the moss hard, and I could hear the satisfying sound of it losing its grip.
'Now!'
I coiled up and struck again, this time sinking my fangs into its soft underbelly.
[Bite Lv 2 activated.]
[Critical hit.]
[Venom Lv 2 activated.]
[Enemy health decreasing rapidly.]
The other snake flailed violently, its body writhing in agony as the venom coursed through its bloodstream. I quickly slithered away, watching from a safe distance as it struggled, its movements becoming weaker and slower with each passing second.
[Enemy health: 5%.]
Finally, with one last feeble hiss, the larger snake collapsed, its body going limp. I let out a sigh of relief.
[You have defeated Snake (Lv 5).]
[You have gained 50 XP.]
[You have leveled up.]
[Level: 4 → 5]
[Hunger decreased by 30%.]
'Well, that was terrifying. But hey, I'm alive, and now I'm stronger. I'll call that a win.'
I cautiously approached the defeated snake, half-expecting it to spring back to life and try to kill me again. When it didn't move, I bit into it carefully, making sure it was truly dead before I started to feed.
[Skill: Devour unlocked.]
[Description: By consuming defeated enemies, you can absorb their skills and traits, provided certain conditions are met.]
'Wait, what?!'
I stared at the message in shock. Devour? That was new.
I focused on the skill for more details.
[Skill: Devour (Condition: You must be in Black Scale form to fully absorb skills and traits.)]
[Currently unavailable. Transformation required.]
'Black scale form? What in the world does that mean? I'm a baby snake with basic scales!' I couldn't help but feel a bit frustrated, but there was no denying that Devour was going to be an insanely useful skill later on.
'Alright, one step at a time. I'll figure that out later.'
For now, I focused on the important part—eating. The larger snake was a decent meal, and as I fed, I could feel my body growing stronger. This was a key step to my evolution, I was sure of it.
[Hunger decreased by 50%.]
[Bite Lv 2 → Lv 3]
[Venom Lv 2 → Lv 3]
[Slither Lv 1 → Lv 2]
'Nice. My skills are leveling up, and I feel a lot better after that meal.'
I coiled up under the tree, feeling more confident than before. I was still weak, but I was getting stronger, one fight and one meal at a time.
'Black scales, huh? Guess that's something I'll need to unlock down the road. I'm starting to think I might not be such an ordinary snake after all.'
With my body stronger and my mind sharper, I settled in to rest, keeping one eye open for any more unwanted visitors. The forest might be dangerous, but with every battle, I was getting closer to surviving—no, thriving—in this world.