Ren crouched near the entrance of the cave, the cool night air making his breath mist in front of him. He had spent the better part of the night searching for dry wood, and now, after what felt like hours, he was finally ready to build a fire. His hands were raw from the effort, but he smiled as he watched the small flames begin to dance on the pile of wood he'd gathered.
"Finally," he muttered to himself, leaning back as the campfire crackled to life. He looked over at the wolf carcass he'd dragged back earlier. Skinning it wasn't going to be easy, but he needed food, and the idea of getting stronger from eating it filled him with excitement.
He grabbed a sharp rock and began skinning the wolf with slow, careful motions. The task was gruesome, but he pushed through. He'd seen worse. After a while, he managed to strip away the thick fur and muscle, exposing enough meat to roast over the fire. Using some makeshift skewers from the branches he had gathered, Ren set the wolf meat over the flames.
The smell of roasting meat filled the air, and his stomach growled in response. He hadn't eaten anything substantial in days. After what felt like forever, he finally took his first bite.
Almost immediately, a notification flashed before his eyes.
[+1 Agility]
Ren blinked, surprised. "Wait… what?"
He stared at the screen hovering in his vision, then looked down at the meat in his hands. A grin slowly spread across his face. If eating made him stronger, then he was going to finish every last bite of that wolf.
With newfound enthusiasm, Ren devoured the meal. Every few bites, another notification appeared.
[+1 Agility]
[+1 Agility]
[+1 Strength]
By the time he was done, his body felt stronger, faster, like every muscle had been fortified. His grin widened. He had only killed one wolf and eaten its meat, but already his stats were improving.
Once the fire began to die down, Ren leaned back against the cold stone wall of the cave. He dragged the wolf's skin and leftover bones to a corner where no one could see him. He'd need to figure out how to use those later, maybe for more gear, but for now, he needed rest.
He found a dark, secluded spot deeper in the cave and curled up. His mind raced with thoughts of power, of survival, but exhaustion soon took over, and he drifted into a deep sleep.
---
When Ren woke up, the first thing he did was pull up his system screen. He had earned 6 stat points from his earlier battles, and now he knew exactly where to put them. He quickly added 3 points to Strength and 3 to Health. His total health jumped to 150—each point gave him a solid boost of 10.
Current Stats:
Strength: 13
Agility: 13
Magic: 5
Health: 150
Defense: 6
Skill: Adrenaline (Level 2)
Feeling stronger and more confident, Ren left the cave and started down the hill. The morning sun was rising, casting a warm glow over the landscape. As he reached the base of the hill, the sounds of voices caught his attention.
A group of four people stood near a tree line, talking in low voices. Ren wasn't interested in joining them, but something else made him stop in his tracks. His eyes widened when he saw the creature lurking in the shadows behind the group.
It looked just like the wolf he had killed yesterday, but this one was different. Its fur was darker, almost pitch black, and its eyes glowed with a crazed, animalistic rage. The air around it seemed to shimmer with dark energy, and just looking at it sent a shiver down Ren's spine.
The wolf stared at Ren, its eyes filled with a hunger that was more terrifying than anything he had faced before. Without warning, it snarled and charged forward, moving even faster than the one from the night before.
Ren's instincts kicked in. "Adrenaline, level 2!" he shouted, feeling the rush of power surge through his body. He sprinted toward the wolf, fist raised to punch it before it could reach the others. But just as his hand was about to make contact, something went horribly wrong.
His punch phased through the wolf's head, like he had just tried to hit a ghost. Before Ren could react, the wolf twisted in midair and sank its fangs into his hand. A scream tore from his throat as he felt two of his fingers snap off like twigs. Blood spurted everywhere as the wolf chewed on his flesh, its eyes never leaving his.
Ren stumbled back, clutching his bleeding hand, eyes wide in shock. The wolf wasn't done. It dashed toward one of the boys in the group, biting down on his neck with a savage growl. Blood gushed from the wound as the boy's scream was cut short. The wolf dragged him into the trees, disappearing into the shadows.
The remaining three stood frozen, terror etched on their faces. One of the girls broke from the group and ran toward Ren, her hands glowing with a soft green light. "Hold still!" she yelled, placing her hands over his bleeding hand.
Ren's vision blurred from the pain, but he could feel her magic working. The bleeding stopped, and the wound closed up, but his fingers were still missing.
Your finger won't restore until probably tomorrow. Hey do you guys want to stay at the cave i think I might need some help around the place.