Goliath Rat Eater

The huge rat followed the trail of blood I had splattered on the wall, slowly crawling towards my hiding spot. When it reached the wall it placed paws against the cold, filth-encrusted, grey stone and began to slowly walk up until it was fully vertical, sniffing around above my hiding spot.

The sheer paranoid fear I felt as I struggled not to move while its ponderously huge snout snuffled around my hiding spot was the closest thing to normal emotion I'd felt in decades. My only guess for how it didn’t smell me was Scent Scrubber hiding my smell. I'd have to take another look at my stats once this is over: presuming I survive, of course.

As soon as that big nose passed me by and continued on to sniffing above me a massive grin spread across my snout. The behemoth's throat was unknowingly bared to me; ready and waiting to be torn into.

I leapt forward, jaws wide and claws spread; as soon as I made contact I snapped all of them shut as hard as I could and activated Death Roll. The great rat squealed in pain and fear, falling over backwards and clawing at me (and inadvertently its own throat).

I ripped and tore with my claws, shaking my head back and forth and biting down repeatedly; almost burrowing in to cause even more damage. An errant swipe from my landing platform managed to sink into me, dealing three damage and pulling me from them; I managed to fully tear out the not insignificant chunk of their trachea I had latched onto with tooth and claw as I flew through the air.

I slammed into the wall, dropping the chunks of meat in my paws as I whirled to land on them; luckily my victim's desperate throw didn't have enough force to cause damage on impact. I swallowed the chunk of meat in my mouth as I watched the beast try to right itself.

They barely managed to get to their paws before their limbs gave out on them; massive blood loss and asphyxiation doing my work for me. This battle was over before it began, just as I intended.

Wisdom +1

Evidently the system agreed with my thought process.

I watched the now much less fearsome creature gurgle it's last breath before going still with some gleeful trepidation, waiting for the system to tell me it was dead before approaching.

20 Exp gained

Level Up! 5 points gained.

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Level Up! 5 points gained.

Title Gained: Giant Slayer.

Stealth +1

I smirked, red eyes gleaming as my victory was confirmed; a thrill rushing through me as I felt myself grow more powerful. “Heh heh heh, Whitetail strikes again.” The words came out as a series of low chitters, confirming my suspected inability to speak.

Name Confirmed: Whitetail.

Title Gained: Self-Named

I blinked, really? It was that easy to get a name? I shook off my confused contempt for the world in general, deciding to take a look at my updated stats.

Name: Whitetail

Race: Plague Rat (Blight)

Level: 3/10

EXP: 5/10

HP: 9/12

SP: 5/5

MP: 16/16

Strength: 3

Agility: 9

Endurance: 3

Wisdom: 13

Intelligence: 27

Charisma: 1

Will: 11

Perception: 15

Points: 10

Perks:

Blighted: Your very essence is infused with pestilence. While this soul deep corruption influences your mind towards darker pursuits and actions, it can also be brought to the surface to add the Blight to your magical and physical attacks. It corrupts your flesh and blood, making your every cell deadly to consume. Godsblood runs through your veins.

Sociopath: You have no empathy and muted emotions. Immune to emotionally manipulating attacks.

Cast Iron Stomach: You can digest almost anything with no repercussions.

Skills:

Death Roll: Lvl 1: Can shake bladed attacks to inflict wider wounds and cause bleeding. Increase wound size and damage by 5% and adds a 10% chance to inflict bleed. Blade must be embedded in target flesh for 1 second to activate. Costs 5 SP

Night Vision: Lvl 2: You can vaguely see in low light conditions.

Stealth: Lvl 3: Increases your ability to move quietly and conceal your presence. 15% damage bonus to unaware enemies.

Scent Scrubber: Lvl 1: You can mask your scent for ten minutes.

Titles:

Cannibal: You have consumed the flesh of your own kind. Others of your race will feel uncomfortable around you but you now gain a permanent 10% bonus damage against your race.

Giant Slayer: You killed something at least thrice your size and at least two evolutions above yours. 33% damage boost against those higher level than you and those larger than you.

Self-Named: You chose your own name. 10% damage resistance from all sources and immunity to mind binding magic.

I looked over my titles, feeling a cold shudder travel down my spine at the notice that magic can apparently bind the mind in this world; though my new immunity to this mostly nullified that terror. Choosing where to put my points wasn’t that difficult; while part of me felt the call of magic and intelligence (and just a desire to make the numbers more solid), I knew where my priorities lay. The thought of not using these valuable resources immediately never even entered my mind.

I put one point in Agility, seven points in Strength, and two into Endurance; totalling to ten in Strength and Agility, and five in Endurance. I could feel the change over take me with every point I added; while gaining it normally was a noticeable difference, this was unnatural… and it felt so fucking good.

I had done many drugs in my lifetime, but none of those artificial highs came close this organic feeling of power rushing through and subtly altering me. If this was what protagonists felt in RPGs, I could see why so many would slaughter the whole world to chase that high; I'm more than contemplating it myself.

I shook my head, dispelling both the lingering tingly chills and the notion; a dead world is useless to me. I need living people to butcher so I can keep getting stronger.

I turned my gaze to my fallen foe, hunger gurgling in my stomach and a plan spinning in my head.