Liam woke to the sound of rustling leaves. The forest was alive with the chirping of birds and the distant calls of unseen creatures. He uncoiled his body, stretching as much as a serpent could, and peered out of his rocky crevice. The morning light filtered through the dense canopy, casting dappled shadows on the forest floor.
"Another day, another chance to grow stronger," he muttered to himself.
He checked his system interface, a habit he was quickly developing.
Host: Liam
Current Form: Serpent (Low-level Beast)
Evolution Points: 25/100
Skills: [Venomous Bite]
Talents: None
"Twenty-five points down, seventy-five to go," he thought. "Time to get to work."
Liam slithered out of his hiding spot, his senses on high alert. The forest was both his hunting ground and his battlefield, and he needed to be cautious. He could feel the faint vibrations of small creatures moving through the underbrush, and his tongue flicked out, tasting the air for scents.
His first target was a small rodent, nibbling on a fallen fruit. Liam moved silently, his scales brushing against the leaves without a sound. When he was close enough, he struck, his fangs sinking into the rodent's neck. The creature barely had time to squeak before it went limp.
"Ding! Host has defeated a Level 1 Forest Rat. Gained 5 Evolution Points. Current progress: 30/100."
"Not bad," Liam thought. "But I need bigger prey if I want to evolve faster."
He continued his hunt, taking down a few more small creatures. Each kill brought him a few more Evolution Points, but progress was slow. He needed something more substantial.
As the sun climbed higher in the sky, Liam came across a clearing. In the center of the clearing was a large boar, its tusks gleaming in the sunlight. The boar was busy rooting through the dirt, searching for food, and didn't notice Liam's approach.
"Ding! Host has encountered a Level 3 Forest Boar. Proceed with caution."
"A Level 3 boar," Liam thought. "This could be the challenge I need."
He circled the clearing, staying hidden in the underbrush. The boar was massive, easily ten times his size, and its tusks looked deadly. But Liam had his [Venomous Bite], and he was determined to make it count.
He waited for the right moment, then struck. His fangs sank into the boar's hind leg, injecting venom into its bloodstream. The boar roared in pain, thrashing wildly, but Liam held on. The venom worked quickly, weakening the boar's movements.
The boar charged, trying to shake Liam off, but he clung tightly. His small size was an advantage here—he was harder to dislodge than a larger predator would have been. The boar's movements grew slower and more erratic as the venom took effect.
Finally, the boar collapsed, its massive body shaking the ground as it fell.
"Ding! Host has defeated a Level 3 Forest Boar. Gained 20 Evolution Points. Current progress: 50/100."
Liam released his grip, panting from the effort. The boar's body began to dissolve into glowing energy, which flowed into him. He could feel himself growing stronger, his scales becoming tougher, his body more resilient.
"Halfway there," he thought. "Just a little more, and I'll evolve."
Liam continued his hunt, taking down a few more creatures. Each kill brought him closer to his goal, and he could feel the changes in his body. His movements were faster, his strikes more precise, and his venom more potent.
Finally, after taking down a Level 2 Forest Lizard, he heard the system's voice.
"Ding! Host has reached 100 Evolution Points. Evolution available. Proceed with evolution?"
"Yes!" Liam hissed, his excitement barely contained.
A warm, tingling sensation spread through his body as the evolution began. His scales shimmered, growing thicker and more pronounced. His body elongated, becoming more muscular and powerful. His fangs grew longer, and his venom glands expanded.
When the process was complete, Liam looked at himself in a nearby puddle of water. He was no longer a small, green serpent. His body was larger, his scales a darker shade of green with hints of gold. His eyes glowed with a faint, golden light.
"Ding! Evolution complete. Host's new form: Basilisk (Mid-level Beast).
New Skill unlocked: [Petrifying Gaze]
Evolution Points reset: 0/200"
"Basilisk," Liam muttered, testing the word. "Not bad. And a new skill, too."
He focused on his new skill, [Petrifying Gaze]. The description appeared in his mind.
[Petrifying Gaze]: Temporarily paralyzes a target with a gaze. Effectiveness depends on the target's level and resistance.
"Now we're talking," Liam said with a grin. "This could be a game-changer."
Liam decided to test his new skill on a nearby creature—a Level 2 Forest Rabbit. He focused his gaze on the rabbit, activating [Petrifying Gaze]. The rabbit froze in place, its eyes wide with fear.
"It works!" Liam thought, slithering closer. He struck quickly, his fangs sinking into the rabbit's neck. The paralysis wore off as the rabbit died, but it was too late.
"Ding! Host has defeated a Level 2 Forest Rabbit. Gained 10 Evolution Points. Current progress: 10/200."
Liam felt a surge of confidence. With his new form and skill, he was ready to take on bigger challenges. The forest was no longer a place of danger—it was his domain.
As the sun began to set, Liam heard a low growl behind him. He turned quickly, his new senses on high alert. Emerging from the shadows was a creature he hadn't seen before—a large, wolf-like beast with glowing red eyes and sharp claws.
"Ding! Host has encountered a Level 4 Shadow Wolf. Proceed with extreme caution."
"A Level 4 Shadow Wolf," Liam thought. "This is going to be tough."
The wolf lunged at him, its claws slicing through the air. Liam dodged, but barely. He activated [Petrifying Gaze], but the wolf shook off the effect almost immediately.
"Not strong enough," Liam realized. He needed a new strategy.
He struck quickly, his fangs sinking into the wolf's leg. The wolf roared in pain, thrashing wildly, but Liam held on. His venom coursed through the wolf's body, weakening it with every passing second.
The battle was fierce, but Liam's new form gave him the edge he needed. Finally, the wolf collapsed, its body twitching as the venom took its toll.
"Ding! Host has defeated a Level 4 Shadow Wolf. Gained 30 Evolution Points. Current progress: 40/200."
Liam felt a surge of energy as the wolf's essence flowed into him. He could feel himself growing stronger, his scales becoming slightly tougher, his movements more agile.
"This is working," he thought. "I just need to keep going."
As the stars began to appear in the night sky, Liam found a new hiding spot—a hollow tree trunk. He coiled up inside, his mind racing with thoughts of what lay ahead.
"If I can keep defeating stronger creatures, I'll evolve quickly," he mused. "But I need to be careful. One mistake, and I'm done for."
He opened the system interface, checking his progress.
Host: Liam
Current Form: Basilisk (Mid-level Beast)
Evolution Points: 40/200
Skills: [Venomous Bite], [Petrifying Gaze]
Talents: None
"Not bad for a second day," he said with a hint of pride. "But I've got a long way to go."
As he drifted off to sleep, Liam dreamed of the future—of soaring through the skies as a mighty dragon, his enemies trembling at his feet. It was a distant dream, but one he was determined to make real.