(Sam's POV)
I coiled up in the small cave, feeling the cool rock pressing against my scales. This place was a hidden gem—a secret corner of the forest, nestled away from the chaos.
'Finally. A place to breathe.'
I flicked my tongue, tasting the air. The buzz from absorbing the Poisonous Essence and the Shard of Mana Core hadn't worn off yet. I could feel it coursing through me, charging me up like a battery. But as much as I wanted to relax, my mind was already jumping to the next challenge.
'This forest isn't done with me yet. And I'm sure as hell not done with it.'
The Poison Affinity (Intermediate) I had gained from that essence was impressive—way better than the basic resistance I'd been relying on. And the Shard of Mana Core had given me a much-needed boost to my Magic Power. But if there's one thing this world has taught me, it's that getting comfortable is a one-way ticket to becoming someone's dinner.
'Poison Affinity (Intermediate), new magic power—what's next? Fire? Lightning? Maybe I can start shooting lasers from my eyes. Who knows at this point.'
I flicked my tongue, half-joking, but there was a truth in that. Last time I evolved, my traits changed and leveled up. Enhanced Sensory had jumped straight to Advanced, and now I had the feeling the same could happen with my next evolution. It wasn't about fearing it—it was about taking advantage of it. If evolution could boost my traits, I needed to prepare. Every trait, every skill had to be pushed to its limit before I hit Level 24.
I pulled up my status window. Time to see what all these recent power-ups had actually done.
[Status Inspection Lv 3 Activated]
[Name: Unnamed]
[Species: Predator Snake]
[Level: 22]
[Rank: F]
[Skills:]
– [Bite Lv 9]
– [Venom Lv 9]
– [Slither Lv 4]
– [Stealth Lv 5]
– [Status Inspection Lv 3]
– [Devour Lv 1]
– [Harden Lv 2]
– [Burrow Lv 4]
– [Frenzy Lv 1]
– [Fire Breath Lv 1]
– [Tail Whip Lv 4]
– [Charge Lv 1]
– [Enhanced Fangs Lv 1]
– [Quick Dash Lv 2]
– [Water Jet Lv 1]
– [Wind Slash Lv 1]
– [Dive Lv 1]
– [Breath Holding Lv 1]
[Traits:]
– [Cold-Blooded]
– [Predator's Intuition]
– [Enhanced Sensory (Advanced)]
– [Enhanced Physical Strength (Basic)]
– [Heat Resistance (Basic)]
– [Basic Regeneration]
– [Pain Resistance]
– [Water Affinity (Basic)]
– [Night Vision]
– [Wind Affinity (Basic)]
– [Enhanced Endurance (Basic)]
– [Poison Affinity (Intermediate)]
[Status: Rested]
Not bad, but not great either. Sure, Bite and Venom were sitting at Level 9, which was nice, but a lot of my other skills? They were lagging behind. Fire Breath, Wind Slash, and Water Jet were still at Level 1—pathetic, honestly.
'Seriously? I can literally breathe fire, and I haven't leveled that up once? What kind of lazy fire-breathing monster am I?'
It was clear to me that I wasn't pushing these abilities nearly enough. If I wanted to make the most of my F-rank evolution, I had to stop coasting. Level 24 wasn't far off, and evolving without sharpening my current skills would be stupid.
'No way am I evolving with half-baked abilities. That's how you end up dead in this place.'
The thing about evolving was... well, it was unpredictable. My last evolution from a Baby Snake to a Predator Snake had come with some pretty sweet bonuses. Enhanced Sensory (Advanced)? That was a game-changer. But this time, I wanted more. I didn't want to rely on luck or chance; I wanted to walk into my next evolution as prepared as possible. Because if my traits could advance with evolution, then there was no telling what kind of power I'd unlock next.
'Imagine if I could max out my Poison Affinity or level up my magic abilities before evolving. I'd be unstoppable.'
I glanced back at my status window. Some skills were really pulling their weight, but others? Not so much. Stealth was only at Level 5—kind of embarrassing for someone who spends most of his time hiding in bushes. And Slither? Stuck at Level 4like a basic movement skill that I'd never bothered to improve.
And don't get me started on Fire Breath. Level 1? Really? I should be setting the whole forest on fire by now. Instead, I'm out here, barely able to cough up a spark.
'No way am I walking into evolution half-prepared. Time to hit the grind.'
The last thing I wanted was to face some beast in the middle of the forest and realize that my skills were lacking. If I couldn't push myself now, then I had no business trying to evolve. Every skill needed work—Harden, Stealth, Burrow. I had to max out my abilities if I was going to make the most of my evolution. And then there was magic—now that I had more Magic Power and Poison Affinity (Intermediate), I had to find ways to incorporate it more into my fights. It wasn't just about surviving; it was about mastering every tool I had.
'I'm gonna need every bit of power I can scrape together. The forest isn't exactly sending weaker monsters my way anymore.'
I coiled up tighter, feeling the rock beneath me. Tomorrow, I'd get started. I wasn't about to wait around for some predator to find me. I'd hunt, I'd train, and I'd make sure I was ready when Level 24 hit.
'The forest thinks it's got me figured out, but it's got another thing coming. If it wants to see a nightmare, I'll show it one.'
Training wasn't just an option; it was necessary. I'd been fighting at Level 22 for a while now, and while I'd racked up some decent skills, they weren't anywhere near their potential. Fire Breath could turn me into a walking furnace if I leveled it up. Stealth could let me slip by even the most dangerous predators if I pushed it higher. And Harden? That might save me from being gutted by a pack of wolves the next time I screw up.
I flicked my tongue again, catching the faint scent of the forest outside. No more messing around. Tomorrow was training day. I'd push my skills, level up my abilities, and when the time came to evolve, I'd be ready for it.
'The next time this forest tries to throw me a curveball, I'll be the one taking it down.'
For now, though, I let my body rest. Basic Regeneration was already patching up the wounds I'd gotten from the fight with that centipede earlier. Tomorrow would be tough, but if I wanted to get stronger—no, if I wanted to survive—this was my only option.
'Let's get stronger. No more holding back. It's time to show this forest what a real apex predator looks like.'
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Author's Note:
Hey everyone! As Sam's journey continues, I'm curious to know what you'd like to see next! Do you want me to write detailed chapters showing Sam's training, leveling up, and skill development? Or would you prefer to skip ahead to where he's done with the training and ready for evolution?
Let me know what you think by commenting your preference below! And don't forget to vote for Snake's Survival Guide: From Noodles to Nightmare with your Power Stones to help the novel grow. Your support means everything! 😊
Thanks for reading and looking forward to your suggestions!