James's eyes lingered on Lucy's wrist. A delicate women's electronic watch adorned her arm, its sleek design and flawless appearance catching the dim light. Despite the intense battle they had just endured, the watch remained pristine, not a single scratch marring its surface.
Carefully, he unfastened the watch and placed it before him, turning it over in his hand. The date glowed softly on the screen.
"June 17, 2091."
"Fifty years..." James murmured as he turned the watch over again, letting the weight of those words settle in. His last memory was of June 16, 2041. Back then, life was routine; waking up, exercising, working, more exercise, and then sleep.
But, if there was something that stood out about that day, it was a small gesture, something so insignificant at the time, a simple act of buying an ice cream for a little girl he passed while at work.
He tried to picture her face, but it was blurry now, fading like a distant dream. The only thing he could recall was how different she seemed. She wasn't like the other children; there was something ethereal about her, an unnatural calm that clashed with her tender age. Throughout their brief encounter, she held a small straw doll in her hand, clutching it as if it was her only anchor to the world.
"That child... there's something not right about her," he muttered, tucking the watch into his jacket with a grim expression.
Without sparing another glance, James turned and headed towards the rat's nest, his thoughts still lingering on the mystery of the girl.
---
A short distance from the nest, James leaned casually against a tree, thick enough to require the embrace of two men. His hands absentmindedly fiddled with the straw-like tendrils covering his body, twisting and pulling at them out of sheer boredom.
Over the past few days, he had developed a strange connection to these straws. At first, he thought they were just odd, lifeless growths attached to him. But now, he realized they acted more like muscles, responsive, capable of moving and even repairing themselves. They could feel, too, though the sensation was dull, far less acute than real flesh.
"I wonder," he mused aloud, staring at the treetops, "if my head is full of straw too."
The thought sent a shiver through him, and he immediately dismissed it. "Not something I'm eager to find out."
Just then, a rustling noise from below pulled him from his daydreams. His eyes snapped to the rat's nest as he spotted a group of more than a dozen rats, each with long, vivid red fur streaked down their heads. They rushed into the nest, their noses twitching and sniffing madly, as if searching for something among the carcasses scattered about. Behind them lumbered four massive rats, each the size of a small calf, their beady eyes scanning the area with unsettling intelligence.
"Damn... those things really have grown too big," James grinned, but there was no humor in it. These weren't ordinary rats. The energy radiating from them was the same as his own, mid-grade G-class alien creatures.
As he watched, one of the smaller rats broke away from the pack, sniffing frantically at the ground. James's grin widened. Without hesitation, he dropped from the treetop like a shadow, his body moving faster than a breath.
With a swift motion, his hand gripped a sickle-like blade, slashing down before the rat even realized he was there. The creature split in two, its life force draining into the air.
[Host is devouring Life force, growth value +1.3]
The rat didn't even have time to squeak before it crumpled lifeless to the ground.
"Alright, who's next?" James muttered, brushing the blood off his blade. But before he could even take a step, every rat; along with the four enormous ones, had turned to face him, their eyes gleaming with predatory intent.
"Oh no..." The realization hit him hard. The plan! He had forgotten the two sisters had led a group of rats out of the nest, leaving only these stronger ones behind. And now, his attack had drawn their attention.
A pungent, sour smell filled the air, the blood from the rats he had slain. He hadn't noticed it before, distracted by the heat of battle, but now it was unmistakable.
"So that's how they signal each other," he muttered grimly.
A high-pitched squeak echoed through the clearing, distorted and filled with anger. The swarm of rats and their monstrous leaders charged at him, their red fur bristling and claws gleaming in the low light.
One of the mid-level G-class giant rats let out a roar, its massive claws flashing as it lunged at his chest, aiming to tear him apart.
James gritted his teeth, readying his weapon for the next round.
James leaned back just in time, narrowly dodging the giant rat's razor-sharp claws as they sliced through the air. With quick reflexes, he thrust his leg forward, delivering a powerful kick straight into the soft underbelly of the monstrous creature.
Squeak, squeak, squeak…
The giant rat let out a high-pitched wail, its enormous body hurtling backward. It skidded across the dirt for more than ten meters before it finally came to a halt, leaving deep grooves in the earth where its claws had scrabbled in vain for traction.
James barely paused to admire his handiwork. A smaller rat leaped at him, but he casually slapped it away with a swift strike, sending it crashing to the ground, lifeless.
"My strength... seems to be getting stronger," he muttered to himself, noticing how easily the creatures fell before him.
[Host is devouring Life force, growth value +1.5]
A sharp pain flared across his back. His eyes flashed in annoyance. One of the rats had climbed onto him, its teeth sinking deep into his straw-like flesh. Without hesitation, James reached back, grabbing the offending creature by its scruff. With a growl, he flung it to the ground and crushed it beneath his boot with a sickening crunch.
[Host is devouring Life force, growth value +1.2]
As the familiar notification rang out from the system, the pain in his body seemed to fade, replaced by the exhilarating rush that came from absorbing the Life force of his fallen foes. Despite the fact he was made of straw, the surge of energy awakened something primal in him; a bloodlust that demanded more.
"Come on, you little vermin!" he shouted, a wild grin spreading across his face. "Let Grandpa Qin show you what real power looks like!"
Without hesitation, he charged into the swarm of rats. They swarmed him like a tide, but it didn't matter. Every punch, every kick, every slash of his sickle reaped more than just rat lives, it fed his growth. Each contact, each kill, added to his strength.
As he cleaved the last rat in two, the energy around him surged. But before he could catch his breath, a giant rat pounced from behind, its teeth sinking into his shoulder with terrifying force.
Snarling in fury, James twisted, grabbing the giant rat's body. With a roar, he hurled it over his shoulder, slamming it into the ground with a bone-shattering impact. Not wasting a second, he curled his left hand; his straw-like fingers tightening into a fist and brought it down hard on the creature's skull, aiming to crush it.
But just as his fist was about to land, another giant rat lunged at him from the side, biting into his arm and halting his strike. Its teeth sank deep into his straw-flesh, and the two creatures grappled for dominance.
"Enough!" James bellowed, slamming the rat and his arm against a jagged rock. There was a sickening crack, and blood splattered in all directions. The rat's jaws loosened as it let out a pitiful squeal, its body going limp. The force of the blow was so great, the rock itself crumbled to pieces.
With a leap, James flipped backward, dodging two more giant rats that tried to pounce on him. He landed, breathing heavily, his body covered in scratches and bite marks. But the giant rats didn't fare any better; they were battered, bleeding, their movements sluggish from the damage he had inflicted.
"They're tough little bastards, aren't they?" James muttered, wiping some blood from his mouth. But he wasn't finished yet.
His eyes flicked open his skill panel, two options glimmering faintly before him: Fear and Life Harvest. He had yet to use these abilities. Fear could control an enemy, but only for a short time, it wasn't useful if he couldn't finish them off. And Life Harvest? That skill was a mystery. It had never activated, and its requirements seemed locked behind some unseen barrier.
He glanced at the corner of his interface. His growth value now sat at 97.1 just a few more points, and he would reach the G-grade upper tier.
"Tsk," he clicked his tongue in irritation. "If only there were a couple more rats left."
But then his gaze settled on the injured giant rats still struggling to their feet. His grin returned, wider and wilder than before. "No matter," he said, rolling his shoulders, "you four will do just fine."
He eyed the most severely injured of the bunch and charged forward.
As the saying goes, it's better to cut off one finger than to injure ten. James wasn't one for dragging things out. These rats were medium-grade G-class creatures, just like him. Finishing them off would surely give him the last three points he needed.
Without hesitation, he pounced at the most wounded of the giant rats, aiming to end the fight and claim his victory.