One by one, Wei Long snapped the insects clean in half, the soft crunch of their brittle exoskeletons oddly satisfying.
He placed the mutilated bugs near the cave's entrance, carefully arranging them like a bizarre buffet.
If an insect could have a funeral, this wasn't it.
Sorry, buddies, he thought, though he didn't feel particularly sorry. After all, survival wasn't about being polite.
Crouching just inside the shadows, Wei Long let the darkness wrap around him like a comforting old blanket.
His heightened senses made the pitch-black surroundings as familiar as daylight, his reptilian eyes slicing through the murk effortlessly.
His camouflage melded his faint outline into the rocky contours of the cave wall.
The plan was simple—bait the bait-eaters. Fishing, but with more crunch.
Time dragged on, the silence broken only by the occasional plop of water dripping onto stone.
Then, flap-flap-flap.
The sound of wings echoed faintly.
Wei Long tensed, his claws digging into the dirt beneath him.
The creature appeared, swooping down near the cave entrance.
Its leathery wings cast shifting shadows across the cave walls, their veined surfaces like parchment illuminated by moonlight.
The beast was small but wiry, with fur the color of charred wood and a face sporting oversized fangs that seemed too big for its own jaw.
A pair of glowing, predatory eyes scanned the bait with measured intent.
Above its head, faint text shimmered into existence:
Mortal Beast Level 3: Titter Night Bat.
Wei Long smirked, his sharp teeth glinting faintly in the dark. "Titter Night Bat? Who named you? A drunk scholar?" he whispered.
Humor aside, this was exactly what he was hoping for. It was bigger, meatier, and, most importantly, not another crunchy bug.
As the bat's claws scrabbled at the ground, inspecting the insect pile, Wei Long made his move.
Like a predator born from nightmares, he leapt silently from the darkness. His jaws clamped down on the creature's wing with an audible CRUNCH.
The bat let out a high-pitched shriek that ricocheted off the cave walls like an alarm bell.
It flailed, trying desperately to take flight, but with one wing rendered useless, it stumbled awkwardly along the ground.
Wei Long hissed, his reptilian instincts sharpening.
The bat turned to flee, but he was faster. His baby dinosaur claws hooked into its scraggly fur, yanking it back with a sudden jerk.
Then, with a swift and deliberate move, he drove one of his taloned feet down hard onto the struggling bat's back.
The impact forced a pitiful growl from the creature, but Wei Long didn't flinch.
"No time for struggling," Wei Long muttered coldly.
He lowered his jaws and clamped them around the bat's neck.
With a powerful, immediate crunch, he severed the creature's life with one movement.
The bat twitched briefly, its will to fight already fading.
The harsh stillness of nature took over again.
Survival of the fittest, Wei Long mused, wiping his mouth with the back of his claw. "Nothing personal, buddy."
As he began consuming the carcass, a familiar sound chimed in his head:
Ding!
The host detected and devoured a new type of DNA.
Would you like to bioengineer it and take the most suitable ability?
Wei Long's lips curled into a grin, his sharp teeth glistening. "Do you even need to ask? Of course!"
The system responded:
Ding!
The host gained Echo Location!
Would you like to bioengineer it to its peak potential?
He didn't hesitate. "Absolutely."
Another message appeared, this time less exciting:
Ding!
To bio-engineer this ability to its peak, the host must consume 12 Titter Night Bats during the night.
During the process, the host cannot level up nor quench the thirst and hunger.
Progress: 1/12.
Wei Long froze, blinking at the floating notification. His grin faltered, replaced by an exasperated sigh.
"So, you're saying I need to turn this into an all-you-can-eat Titter buffet? Great. Guess I'll be the bat boogeyman now."
Still, the promise of fully-developed echolocation was tempting.
Even if it meant chomping through eleven more of these leathery nightmares.
He looked down at the now-dead bat, its limp body a reminder of the effort required. He tilted his head, then shrugged.
Without further ado, he opened his mouth wide and swallowed the bat whole in one grotesque gulp. He grimaced at the taste—a mix of burnt leather and raw iron. "Bleh. Bat jerky, not exactly five-star cuisine," he muttered to himself.
Settling back into the shadows, Wei Long licked his claws clean, his glowing eyes scanning the cave entrance for movement. He was ready.
All he had to do now was wait for his next unfortunate visitor.
Meanwhile, Wei Long sat back in the shadows for a few seconds, eyeing the floating notifications in front him. He suddenly lifted one claw in thought before making up his mind.
"You know what? I cancel the Bio-engineering mission," he said aloud, shrugging.
The system's response came instantly, cold and efficient:
Ding!
Echolocation Bio-engineering process is canceled.
The host must wait 10 days to Bio-engineer this ability again.
Wei Long blinked. "Ten days?" he muttered, scratching his head. "Huh, didn't see that coming." He sat in silence for a beat, then shook his head with a faint smile.
"Ah well, no big deal. What's echolocation worth if I'm out here losing my mind every time I get a little hungry? Priorities first."
His gaze wandered back to the entrance of the cave, where his carefully placed bait pile waited for its next victim.
The sight made his stomach growl.
He groaned, resting a clawed hand over his midsection.
Hunger and thirst clawed at his insides like nagging imps. If either dropped too low, he knew what would happen.
He didn't want to think about it—it wasn't just losing control. It was like losing himself, becoming a raging beast.
That feeling of emptiness, of being dead to his own mind... No, he wasn't letting it happen again.
10 days can wait.
Food and water couldn't.
And so, the hunt continues.
Soon enough, movement near the bait pile snapped Wei Long back to attention.
The rustling of leaves and faint skittering sounds signaled new arrivals. His sharp eyes darted toward the source.
Several creatures had wandered into the feast he'd laid out.
The first was a plump rodent, no bigger than a cat.
It had slick brown fur and glowing red eyes that darted nervously as it nibbled on a bug.
Above it, faint glowing text read:
Mortal Beast Level 2:
Ember Fanged Rat.
Its tiny mouth parted to reveal jagged fangs, the tips faintly glowing as if holding embers.
Wei Long's mind raced. Ember Fang Rat… Bite-enhancing flames? The thought tempted him, but he stayed put, waiting.
The second creature approached the pile, flapping down noisily and landing with a sharp caw.
A large, vulture-like bird with feathers that shimmered faintly like oil in sunlight picked at the bait.
Mortal Beast Level 4: Duskhorn Scavenger.
A tiny, jagged horn jutted out of its beak, glimmering with eerie purple energy. A scavenger bird with dark energy… Maybe a horn-based attack ability? Wei Long flexed his claws as if testing the idea.
Useful, but he stayed hidden, his focus sharp.
As if the universe was toying with him, the rustling continued, and a third creature ambled into view.
A small, lizard-like beast with moss and mushrooms growing along its spine. It flicked its tongue lazily, almost ignoring the insects entirely.
Mortal Beast Level 3: Verdant Spore Gecko.
Tiny green spores occasionally puffed out of its back, releasing a faint glow. Wei Long inhaled and recognized the subtle, sweet-smelling poison in the air. "A spore beast? Poisoned air, maybe? Interesting…"
Despite his growing curiosity, a louder growl rumbled in his stomach. His Hunger and Thirst notifications hovered in the corner of his vision, taunting him:
Satisfaction: 50.2% → 50.5%
Hydration: 40.3% → 41.1%
It wasn't enough. Not nearly. Wei Long clenched his claws. Survival now. Powers later.
Wei Long hesitated, his predatory eyes darting between the three creatures.
Each offered potential advantages, new abilities to Bio-engineer, and strength for his growing arsenal.
He chewed his lower lip thoughtfully, the tiny ridges of his developing dinosaur teeth digging into his skin.
"Ember Fang could help me with sharper bites in close combat," he muttered, crouched low as he tracked its jittery movements. "Duskhorn Scavenger? Dark energy horn attack—I could work with that. And the Spore Gecko? Could you imagine the combos with poison spores and camouflage?"
But his stomach had other plans. Another audible growl forced his priorities to align. "Food first," he grumbled, inching closer toward the edge of the shadows. No point in building powers if I'm dead before I use them. Plus, I have Bio-engineered Dinosaur Toxic Scales anyway.
Wei Long struck fast.
His small but agile form darted into the clearing.
The Ember Fanged Rat barely had time to screech before his claws pinned it to the ground.
A sharp twist of its neck ended its struggle.
Next was the Duskhorn Scavenger, which attempted to take flight, flapping its oily wings furiously.
Wei Long leaped upward, swatting it mid-air with a swipe. His claws shredded through its chest, sending it tumbling back to the dirt.
The Verdant Spore Gecko hissed, releasing a cloud of glowing toxins.
Wei Long held his breath, using a burst of speed to tackle it before the gas could spread further.
Its squirming form fell limp as his jaws crushed its neck with finality.
Breathing heavily, Wei Long dragged all three back toward the cave.
The taste of the rat's bitter blood and the gecko's earthy flesh weren't appetizing, but they filled his growing hunger.
As he worked through his impromptu feast, he noticed the notification ticking upward.
Satisfaction: 60.7% / 100%
Hydration: 47% / 100%
Leaning back against the cool wall of the cave, Wei Long exhaled in relief.
His body still craved more sustenance, but for now, the dangerous pull of madness had ebbed. He could think clearly again.
"I'll hit seventy and sixty, then consider abilities," he muttered, patting his slightly fuller stomach. Powers are no good without a sound mind.
As the quiet settled again, Wei Long felt the first stirrings of comfort.
For once, he allowed himself to relax, his body still and heavy from the meal. But that calm was shattered by a faint noise.
Crunch... crunch...
The sound of heavy, deliberate steps echoed faintly through the forest.
Wei Long's eyes snapped open, and his body froze. His senses went on high alert as he pressed himself deeper into the shadows, holding his breath.
What was out there?