The air was hot and humid, and John felt the wetness of the tall grass seep into his pants legs. In the distance, he could hear the chatter of birds and the occasional rustling of underbrush.

Damn, this could get hairy fast, he thought as he observed the possible places from where he could get ambushed.

His first priority was to resummon his minions, starting with his trusted companion, the blessed stiletto.

Animate blessed stiletto!

The air before him cracked and tore apart, opening a foot-long hole shining in bright golden light, and from there, point first, flew the flying weapon he got so accustomed to.

Next, Storm wisp!

The air once again cracked and tore apart, but what was previously a bright hole became a meter-wide tear filled with crackling energy sending small arcs into the air around it.

"Mmm, the clean, crisp smell before a springtime rain," John mumbled as he breathed in the ionized air.

The football-sized crackling menace slowly floated through the opening and soon took its spot higher up above his head.

Now, the third member of my band, Desert wraith!

Another crack formed but continued stretching way over two meters. However, instead of a round hole, it merely opened a single foot up, showing a glimpse of a gleaming desert beyond. At first, a scorching wind blew only a couple of grains, but as the seconds ticked by, the flow increased a hundredfold until there was a waist-high heap of sand laying on the jungle ground.

The tear started to recede, but before it closed shut, a thumb-sized drop of silver liquid leaked through and fell on the top of the heap. As it touched down, the sand melted and gave way, letting the drop sink like a drop of water falling into a pile of sugar.

John watched the scene with bated breath as the pile shrunk to half of its size and then exploded in all directions. Standing six meters away, he had enough time to lift his left arm to protect his face as the gleaming hot sand peppered all over him.

"Argh, fuck," he cursed, shaking the burning bits off his sleeve.

After opening his eyes, he came to face a fist-sized core made out of melted glass surrounded by a swirling mass of red sand.

The whole thing was a bit over a meter in diameter and reminded him of the desert storms from the documentaries.

Except there is a floating liquid glass in the middle…

To test it out, he commanded it to float to his right and watched in amazement as it changed shape and flew forward like a comet entering the atmosphere. The whole effect was further emphasized by all the moisture that was vaporizing around it.

Smiling and taking a deep breath of the heavy, damp air, he felt the wild energy of the jungle coursing through him, and giving him confidence to advance.

As he stepped forward, leaves crackled beneath his feet, and the heat radiated all the way to his skin. Looking up at the towering trees, he felt small and insignificant but also exhilarated by the raw, primal power of the jungle.

"Let's turn the predators into the prey," he chuckled as he walked deeper, losing the light from the clearing behind him and entering into the ethereal gloom of the jungle around him.

It was the soft rustling somewhere to his left, that warned him of the impending danger a couple of minutes after he started.

Turning, he scanned the overgrown ground and fifty feet from him spotted a pair of amber eyes peeking from behind a tree.

Understanding that the game was on, the creature burst toward him like a bullet, flying in a straight line roughly a meter above the ground.

What the fuck is that? John thought as he shifted to the right, showing his shield-covered left side to the incoming enemy.

The creature looked like a foot-wide snake covered in brown fur, and it had its maw wide open as it flew right for his neck.

Oh no, you don't!

Willing his Storm wisp to deliver a bolt right between its unhinged jaws, he watched as the three-meter-long beast seized up, lost whatever power was keeping it in flight, and slid on the ground toward his feet.

Two overhead swings with his club later, and he was a proud owner of a single white pile of ash.

"Well, that was… just sad."

He had hoped for some challenge but got this pitiful bugger instead.

What he noticed though, was that there was a tattoo of a white snake formed on the back of his right hand.

Huh, is that the trophy the screen talked about?

Not a minute later, he came upon another one of those, and having more time on hand he focused on his identification card to show the name in the small pop-up above them.

Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

[Juvenile Arkalal constrictor]

The fight was finished a moment later, as his stiletto embedded itself into the top of its head and as it continued flying forward, it opened its whole body from head to tail like a hairy sausage.

It was kind of funny how the identification card worked. It would only show the name if he was able to clearly see the target, and also be aware of its precise location.

Oh wait, the upgrade, he suddenly remembered and willed his deck to open.

It took a moment to list through all the junk cards he had collected, but he eventually found both halves and willed them to combine with the rare Identify monster card.

[Congratulations!

You have collected both halves of the upgrade token for the card Identify Monster, and are now eligible to pick among three possible paths of evolution

Note: While the three choices are the same for everyone, the resulting combination is tailored to the owner of the card, resulting in a myriad of possible outcomes]

This pop-up was immediately followed by another one, granting him his three options.

[Make a choice!

1: Identify Sapient - Combines your card with an effect of a rare card Identify Sapient, creating an epic variant that can identify both monsters and sapient beings and show a wider variety of information about them

2: Identify Treasure - Combines your card with the effect of a rare card Identify Treasure, creating an epic variant that can identify both monsters and inanimate objects

3: Identify Weakness - Combines your card with the effect of a rare card Identify Weakness, creating an epic variant that can identify the weak points of your foes

Note: None of these cards can be bought from Aldruls emporium, and are only available as an exceedingly rare drop or given as a reward from the System]

John stood there, looking at the three options, and each one was promising him a unique advantage in his journey ahead. His eyes darted back and forth between the choices, his mind weighing the potential benefits and drawbacks of each.

The first option, Identify Sapient, tempted him with the ability to discern the true nature of those he encountered. With this power, he could unravel hidden strengths and uncover valuable information about the people he met. It would grant him an edge in navigating the future webs of alliances and deceptions that awaited him. The thought of having more insight into others was alluring, as it could help him make more informed decisions and potentially avoid dangerous social situations.

The second option, Identify Treasure, held the promise of knowledge. With this ability, he could identify the true worth and potential of the artifacts and treasures he stumbled upon. It would allow him to distinguish between ordinary trinkets and valuable relics, enabling him to make favorable deals and uncover hidden items. However, the allure of wealth and the thrill of unearthing ancient treasures did not fit into his current needs, making him disqualify this option and move to the next.

As he contemplated the challenges that lay ahead, he recognized the importance of understanding the monsters around him. The ability to pinpoint their vulnerabilities, to exploit their weaknesses, would give him a significant advantage in combat. It could even mean the difference between life and death in the face of the formidable monsters that he knew he would have to inevitably face. The thought of being able to navigate battles with greater efficiency and strategic precision brought a smile to his face, and he knew that choosing this option would enhance his ability to protect himself and others, ensuring survival in the perilous world he traversed.

In the end, the decision was obvious, and John made his choice.

Give me the third option, Identify Weakness!

[Excellent choice!

Your card Identify Monster has combined with Identify Weakness and evolved into the Feral intuition

Note: The card is soulbound and cannot be traded nor given to anyone else]

Opening his deck, he went through his main body cards, and just as he expected, one of the cards that were slowly floating around the main card was the new epic card.

[Feral intuition

Can be linked with your main body card to not only grant the ability to show the name and rank of spotted monsters but using your Fate-enhanced intuition and powerful affinities will also grant an insight into what areas of its body are the weakest and which affinity effects is the target most and least vulnerable to]

"Hot damn," he whistled in surprise as he finished reading the description. This required further testing, and he was in the perfect place to do so.

Following the trail of broken vegetation, he advanced further in, and mere minutes later came upon threeway conflict. At first, the vegetation and massive trees blocked his vision, making him only hear the impacts of flesh against flesh and yelps of pain followed by intimidating growls, but as he closed the distance, he came upon a grisly scene.

On the ground lay a dead monster, a broken and mostly torn apart body of a Caucasian male, and a bulky ape-like creature covered in green fur that was currently eating the remaining meat of the guy's right leg.

Focusing on it, he only got the usual screen popped up with a name in blue letters above its head.

[Adolescent Arkalal thrasher]

What followed though was a sudden gut feeling. Setting it aflame should be the most viable strategy, and as he observed its body, he believed that stabbing under its armpits would be the best place to cause serious injuries.

Neat, he thought and leaned back, throwing his javelin in a satisfying arc.

Just as the javelin impacted beneath its left shoulder, his stiletto buried itself into the right armpit, making it yelp in pain.

Spotting its attacker standing twenty meters away, it bellowed in a deep guttural roar, tossed the leg to the side, and charged.

Well, judging by what happened next, lightning was probably close to fire affinity because the hit not only fucked up its movement but also set its body aflame.

Wait, was that dry vegetation instead of fur? John wondered as he observed the burning three-meter-tall beast on the soggy ground before him.

"No wonder you are called a thrasher," he joked, as he observed it wildly flail around, desperately trying to douse the spreading flames.

It must have had some inborn trait that dried its skin because there was no way it should have this much trouble snuffing itself out in this moist climate. Unfortunately for it, he didn't give it the chance and finished it off after three more throws, earning a single blue pile.

Also, the tattoo on his right arm changed from one depicting a white snake to a blue creature looking like an ape.

Sadly, there was nothing he could do with the torn-up corpse of the fellow human, making him shake his head and move on. From the sounds coming up ahead, there was another fight taking place somewhere close by.

Taking care to step lightly, he covered the remaining distance until he gained a view over a larger clearing before him. There, five ape-things were desperately battling against a large creature covered in black gleaming scales.

[Ancient Craylisk ★]

A blue name with a large star, battling four adolescents and a single bulkier thrasher.

Finally, an opportunity to test what the wraith does, he grinned as he leaned back for a mighty throw.