Raven walked silently through the large forest, the golden hues of the setting sun filtering through the dense canopy of trees. The air was cool, carrying the subtle scent of moss and earth. He glanced up, watching the sun dip lower toward the horizon. Long shadows stretched across the forest floor as twilight took over, and darkness began to creep in.
After a few moments, Raven paused, his gaze sweeping the area. All he could see were towering trees, their branches swaying gently in the breeze. A thought crossed his mind, and he turned toward one of the larger trees nearby. Without hesitation, he grabbed a low branch and began climbing, his movements agile and confident.
Once he reached the top, Raven settled on one of the thick branches, leaning back against the trunk. The stars had begun to appear, scattered across a vast, beautiful night sky. Raven tilted his head back and stared, mesmerized by the sight. For the first time in a long while, a sense of calm washed over him.
His hand drifted to the bracelet on his wrist, the only memento left of his mother. Gripping it gently, he whispered to himself, "I won't become weak."
Closing his eyes, Raven allowed himself to drift into a light sleep, the faint rustling of leaves lulling him into rest.
A few hours later, Raven jolted awake, his instincts flaring. A noise—no, two noises—echoed through the darkness below. He sat up quickly, his crimson eyes scanning the forest floor.
Looking down, Raven spotted two monsters locked in combat. Their growls and screeches echoed through the trees as they attacked each other relentlessly. His lips curled faintly in intrigue.
"Skill: Appraisal," Raven whispered, his voice barely audible.
Two glowing status screens appeared in his vision, displaying the creatures' stats in detail:
Name: Quillback Hedgehog
Level: 4
Health Points (HP): 120/120
Strength: 15
Agility: 18
Defense: 20 (Spiked Armor)
Abilities:
Quill Barrage: Launches sharp quills in all directions.
Roll Defense: Rolls into a ball, increasing defense but reducing mobility.
Name: Howler Wraith Pup
Level: 5
Health Points (HP): 150/150
Strength: 20
Agility: 25
Defense: 10 (Ghostly Form)
Abilities:
Howling Fear: Emits a paralyzing howl that stuns nearby enemies.
Shadow Step: Teleports short distances through shadows.
Raven's eyebrow twitched slightly as he processed the information. "Their abilities… These would be useful for my future skills," he murmured.
Without wasting time, Raven opened his hands, and the two broken sword fragments materialized in his palms. He tightened his grip, the sharp edges glinting faintly in the moonlight. With deliberate focus, he drew his arm back and hurled the shards downward.
The fragments cut through the air, slicing straight toward the two battling monsters. A moment later, they struck their marks with pinpoint accuracy, piercing both creatures.
Raven smirked faintly. "Bullseye."
Raising his hand, he commanded softly, "Unique Skill: Gluttony."
A swirling grayish-black vortex burst forth from his palm, descending upon the fallen monsters. The vortex expanded, engulfing both creatures completely as their bodies dissolved into the swirling darkness. Within seconds, the monsters vanished, leaving no trace behind.
A series of dings rang out in Raven's head—five times in quick succession. He blinked as the familiar glowing status screen appeared before him, detailing his updated stats and abilities.
Raven's Updated Status Screen
General Information
Name: Raven Cross
Age: 17
Species: Human
Gender: Male
Level: 7 (Leveled up from absorbing Quillback Hedgehog and Howler Wraith Pup)
Nickname: The Lone Crow
Occupation: Adventurer
Title: Predator of the Forest
Unique Trait: Survivor's Resilience (Enhanced recovery when critically injured)
Health and Energy Health Points (HP): 450/450
Magic Points (MP): 250/250
Stamina: 350/350
Attributes
Strength: 40
Agility: 50 (Boosted by Howler Wraith Pup)
Defense: 35 (Boosted by Quillback Hedgehog)
Attack Power: 50
Magic Resistance: 15
Perception: 30 (Heightened sensory awareness)
Intelligence: 22
Endurance: 35 (Improved stamina and physical tolerance)
New Skills
1. Quill Barrage (Active)
Effect: Launches sharp quills in all directions, damaging multiple enemies. Cooldown: 15 seconds
2. Shadow Step (Active)
Effect: Teleports Raven short distances through shadows. Range: 10 meters Cooldown: 10 seconds
3. Howling Fear (Active)
Effect: Releases a paralyzing howl that stuns nearby enemies for 3 seconds. Cooldown: 20 seconds
4. Roll Defense (Passive)
Effect: Temporarily increases defense when Raven takes damage.
Unique Skill Gluttony
Effect: Absorbs stats, abilities, and traits from defeated enemies. Current Absorptions: Quillback Hedgehog and Howler Wraith Pup.
Boosts: Strength (+10), Agility (+10), Defense (+5).
Skills Learned: Quill Barrage, Shadow Step, Howling Fear, Roll Defense.
Abilities
Survivor's Resilience (Passive)
Predator Instinct (Passive)
Enhanced Reflexes (Passive)
Items
Quillback Spines
Shadow Essence
Health Potion (x1)
Mana Potion (x1)
Broken Sword Shards (x2)
Raven smirked faintly as he reviewed his new stats and skills. He dismissed the glowing screen with a flick of his hand and looked back at the empty forest floor.
"Interesting," he muttered, his voice cold and steady. Looking up at the night sky once more, he leaned back against the tree trunk.
"Let it begin again," he said softly, the stars glimmering above as his adventure continued.
Raven woke up at dawn, the first rays of sunlight filtering through the thick canopy of trees. He blinked once, then stretched, his expression as cold and unreadable as ever. Without hesitation, he jumped off the branch he had slept on, landing silently on his feet with precision.
Raven began walking down the faint forest path, his crimson eyes focused on the distance. His cold, stoic personality remained unchanged, and his steps were calm, deliberate, and calculated.
A few hours later, Raven came to a sudden stop. His senses sharpened as a faint scent of burnt firewood drifted through the air. He narrowed his eyes, a thought crossing his mind.
Humans? Or monsters? he wondered. Let's check it out.
Without wasting time, Raven dashed toward the source of the smell, his speed blindingly fast thanks to his newfound abilities. The forest blurred past him as he ran, each step silent. Minutes later, he slowed and crouched, hiding behind a thick bush. He peered through the leaves and froze.
Two creatures were before him.
"Skill: Appraisal," Raven whispered under his breath.
Two glowing screens appeared, revealing the stats of the monsters before him:
Name: Flameclaw Lynx
Level: 11
Health Points (HP): 350/350
Strength: 45
Agility: 55
Defense: 25 (Light Armor)
Abilities:
Flame Swipe: A fiery claw attack that burns the target on contact.
Fire Roar: Releases a burst of flames in a cone, burning everything in its path.
Name: Blightwood Guardian (Deceased)
Level: 13
Health Points (HP): 0/400
Strength: 40
Agility: 15
Defense: 55 (Wooden Armor)
Abilities:
Root Grasp: Summons roots to trap the enemy. Nature's Resilience: Temporarily increases defense at critical HP.
The Flameclaw Lynx stood victorious, its fiery claws extinguishing as it towered over the lifeless Blightwood Guardian. Raven tilted his head, impressed but unmoved.
Half of the job is done, he thought. Time to finish the whole job.
Without warning, Raven dashed forward, his speed blinding. The Flameclaw Lynx turned its head just in time to see him, but before it could react, Raven called out:
"Skill: Howling Fear!"
A haunting, paralyzing howl echoed through the clearing, washing over the Lynx. Its body froze in place, its fiery eyes wide with fear. Raven smirked faintly, nodding to himself.
"Skill: Quill Barrage x4!"
Raven extended both hands, and hundreds of sharp quills shot forth like a deadly storm. The projectiles struck the Flameclaw Lynx's body, embedding deep into its fur, face, and eyes. The creature screeched in agony, its cries echoing through the forest.
Not stopping there, Raven tightened his stance. He gathered strength in his legs, the earth cracking slightly beneath his feet.
"Skill: Charge Impact!"
With explosive force, Raven dashed forward and slammed into the Lynx. The sheer impact sent the monster flying backward, crashing hard into the nearby trees. The force drove the quills deeper into its body, silencing the Lynx with a final, muffled cry.
The forest grew quiet once more.
Raven exhaled sharply and nodded again, satisfied. He extended one hand toward the fallen Lynx and the other toward the charred remains of the Blightwood Guardian.
"Unique Skill: Gluttony," he commanded calmly.
A grayish-black vortex erupted from both of his palms, swirling like a dark storm. The vortex expanded and engulfed the two monsters, their bodies breaking apart into energy before being absorbed completely. Within moments, they vanished without a trace.
The forest fell silent again—except for the sudden ding sounds echoing in Raven's head. Not one, but nine dings rang out in succession. Raven's eyes glimmered faintly as a glowing blue status screen appeared before him.
Raven's Updated Status Screen
General Information
Name: Raven Cross
Age: 17
Species: Human
Gender: Male
Level: 19 (Leveled up multiple times)
Nickname: The Lone Crow
Occupation: Adventurer
Title: Predator of the Forest
Unique Trait: Survivor's Resilience (Enhanced recovery when critically injured)
Health and Energy
Health Points (HP): 1,200/1,200
Magic Points (MP): 800/800
Stamina: 700/700
Attributes
Strength: 120
Agility: 115 (Boosted by Flameclaw Lynx absorption)
Defense: 100 (Boosted by Blightwood Guardian absorption)
Attack Power: 130
Magic Resistance: 40
Perception: 60 (Heightened awareness of surroundings)
Intelligence: 30
Endurance: 90 (Improved stamina and resilience)
New Skills
1. Flame Swipe (Active)
Effect: A fiery claw attack that burns the target on contact. Cooldown: 10 seconds
2. Fire Roar (Active)
Effect: Releases a burst of flames in a cone, dealing fire damage. Cooldown: 15 seconds
3. Root Grasp (Active)
Effect: Summons roots to trap and immobilize enemies. Cooldown: 20 seconds
4. Nature's Resilience (Passive)
Effect: Temporarily boosts defense when HP drops below 30%.
5. Predator Dash (Active)
Effect: Increases speed temporarily, allowing for quick repositioning. Duration: 5 seconds Cooldown: 12 seconds
Abyssal Devourer (Formerly Gluttony)
Effect: Absorbs stats, skills, and abilities from defeated enemies with greater efficiency.
New Bonus: Increases stat boosts from absorption by 20%.
Current Absorptions: Flameclaw Lynx, Blightwood Guardian. Abilities Survivor's Resilience (Passive)
Predator Instinct (Passive)
Enhanced Reflexes (Passive)
Nature's Resilience (Passive)
Items:
Flameclaw Fur
Blightwood Bark Fragment
Health Potion (x2)
Mana Potion (x1)
Quillback Spines
Shadow Essence
Broken Sword Shards (x2)
Raven read through the status screen carefully, his cold expression remaining unshaken. He closed the screen with a flick of his hand, then turned his gaze back toward the forest.
"This is just the beginning," he murmured to himself before continuing on his path, the forest now silent in his wake.