Aria's attention was fixed on the strange screen before her. She scrutinized every detail, muttering observations under her breath. "So, focusing on you brings up your stats… Focusing on myself reveals mine… Interesting." She stared intently at nothing visible to Arc.
"Are you… still hallucinating?" Arc asked dryly, twisting his head to look up at her. "Or is the chicken brain already kicking in?"
"I told you, I can see things," she replied curtly. "Details about us, our :stats,' and even something called 'titles.' It's like a floating book of information."
"Riiiight. You can continue to look at and keep reading your invisible book," Arc hissed with skepticism. "I'll be out doing something useful."
"Useful? Like what?" Aria snapped, her beak clacking irritably.
"Like figuring out how to eat, genius. Unlike you, I can't exactly live on grass." Arc slithered toward the forest, leaving Aria muttering behind him.
---
Arc ventured cautiously into the dense greenery. Each shift of his body against the earth was a strange mixture of exhilaration and discomfort. As much as he hated to admit it, the movement felt natural, as though this body, despite its limitations, was slowly becoming an extension of his will.
The forest buzzed with life. Above him, strange birds called out in shrill tones, and the rustle of small creatures filtered through the undergrowth. Arc's stomach twisted with a violent hunger that clawed at his reasoning. For the first time, he truly understood the phrase eat or be eaten.
"Right," he muttered to himself. "Carnivores need meat. Let's see what's on the menu."
He froze as his eyes locked onto a small creature darting between bushes, a rodent-like animal, roughly the size of his head. Its most notable feature was a fluffy, plume-like tail swishing through the air. Arc's human instincts recoiled slightly at the thought of eating a rat, but the sharp pang of hunger radiating through his body quickly stifled his apprehension.
Instinct took over. He slithered closer, his scales blending seamlessly with the forest floor. Each movement was calculated, deliberate, and silent. His body coiled tightly as he prepared to strike, waiting for the perfect moment.
The mouse-like creature paused for a second , sniffing the air sniffing the air as though it sensed something was off, however... It was too late.
Now.
Arc shot forward, his jaws snapping around the creature's body in an instant. He tightened his grip, his muscles constricting around it like an iron vice. The struggle was brief. Once the creature went limp, Arc stared at it for a moment, debating whether to savor his victory or feel disgusted. Hunger won out. In one smooth motion, he swallowed it whole.
The taste was… not awful. It was far better than he'd expected, but he wasn't about to admit that to anyone, especially not Aria.
---
When Arc returned to the cave, Aria was still engrossed in her invisible screen. She barely acknowledged his arrival until her focus shifted momentarily to him. Then, her eyes widened.
"Your experience bar," she said, her voice sharp with realization.
"What about it?" Arc asked, curling up near the cave entrance.
"It has a +2 next to it now. That was not there when you left," she explained. "What did you do out there?"
"I ate," Arc said simply, flicking his tail dismissively.
Aria's feathers fluffed in annoyance. "Be. More. Specific."
He sighed. "I found some mouse-like thing, killed it, and ate it. Is that detailed enough for you, detective?"
Aria fell silent, her eyes narrowing as she mulled over the implications. "If your experience bar increased after killing something, then… that must be how we gain levels. I doubt it's the act of eating since it probably hasn't been digested yet."
"Levels?" Arc questioned, suddenly more interested.
"Look," she continued, "we're classified as 'Lesser Creatures,' right? What if leveling up is the only way for us to become something stronger? Killing might be the key."
Arc tilted his head. "So, we need to hunt more?"
"Exactly," Aria confirmed. "But we need to test it to be sure. Come on, we're heading back to the forest."
---
The forest felt different this time. The light filtering through the canopy seemed harsher, and the ambient sounds felt less like background noise and more like warnings. Aria led the way cautiously, her talons clicking against the ground.
"So, birdbrain," Arc hissed from behind her, "if you're the brains of this operation, what's our plan?"
"Simple," Aria replied. "We find another small creature, you kill it, I'll observe the process to see if anything special appears like the screen and then-"
Her sentence was cut off by a low growl. Both of them froze as a fox stepped out from the shadows, its golden eyes fixed on them. It was lean but muscular, its fur bristling as it bared sharp teeth.
Aria's body reacted before her mind could catch up. A primal and overwhelming fear surged through her, her very being telling her to run. She flinched, feathers puffing out as she stumbled backward.
"Oi birdbrain, snap out of it!" Arc hissed, coiling defensively. "If you panic, we're done for!"
She took a shaky breath, forcing herself to focus. "It's just a fox," she muttered, trying to rationalize. "A predator, yes, but it's alone. We're smarter, yes it is just an animal."
"Smarter doesn't exactly mean stronger," Arc retorted. "What's the plan?"
Aria's mind raced. "We work together. It'll go after me first so I will distract it, you strike when it's not looking."
"Great plan. Hope it doesn't eat you before I get the chance," Arc muttered grimly.
The fox lunged at Aria, its jaws snapping shut mere inches from her wing. She leapt to the side, her talons raking across its flank as she dodged. The creature snarled, turning its attention fully to her.
Arc seized the opportunity. Using his natural camouflage, he slithered behind the fox, his body coiled and ready. When the fox lunged at Aria again, Arc struck. His jaws latched onto its hind leg, and he wrapped his body tightly around its lower half, immobilizing it.
"Now!" Arc hissed through clenched jaws.
Aria didn't hesitate. She leapt onto the fox, her talons digging into its throat. The creature thrashed violently, but the combined efforts of snake and chicken were too much. With one final, desperate struggle, the fox went limp.
Panting, the pair stepped back, surveying their first true kill.
Aria focused, her screen reappearing. "+10 experience points for me," she said, then glanced at Arc. "And you've got the same."
"So, it works," Arc heaved a sigh of relief, his body relaxing. "Killing equals leveling."
"Exactly," She nodded, though her gaze lingered on the dead fox. "But this also means we're not at the top of the food chain. In fact we are far from it."
Arc nodded solemnly. "Then we better climb fast."
Together, they dragged the fox's body back to the cave, their minds already planning the next hunt. Survival has transformed from an instinct to a strategy.