I assumed the crow form once I was out of sight and took flight, making my way toward the trap area. With stats equal to that of a level 30 awakened, and about five corpses I could devour to earn even more [Attribute points], I wanted to know how much my [Strength] changed once I called my phantom form.
I had to become stronger to face the challenge. The bear I knew of came to my mind; despite looking bigger than usual that bear would be at level 30 max at best, which meant I could technically take it on using my weapons unless it turned out to be a monster or had any skills.
Once I arrived at my snares, I began scanning them for any potential victims and found a large wolf, level 17. It didn't take long to kill, and I earned 8 [Attribute Points] and 20 [Dark Matter] from it. Then, I flipped my wings rapidly, soaring higher into the skies, looking for the bear.
Embarking on a glide through the air, the breeze caressed my head and body as I scanned the forest below. Over four hours, I meticulously navigated and observed the landscape beneath me, yet my search yielded only sightings of ordinary animals devoid of significance. Fatigue set in with time, my quest for the elusive bear proving fruitless. Weary and determined, I chose to redirect my course toward the territory of wolves, creatures I now felt confident enough to confront.
I completed my journey to the pack as I could easily see them from where I was. Spotting the largest wolf, I initiated a rapid wing flip, accelerating my speed through the air. Gaining remarkable velocity, I altered my trajectory towards the targeted wolf, hurtling towards it in a dive.
Approximately 10 meters from the ground, I transitioned back into my human form, retrieving my axes from my domain. My descent culminated with a forceful landing on the wolf, shattering its bones and rendering it unconscious with a resounding thud. The impact generated a sizable shockwave, enveloping the entire landing area in a cloud of dust.
Descending, I brought my foot down upon the wolf beneath me, simultaneously transforming into my formidable [Phantom Form]. I obliterated its head, reducing it to a gruesome meat paste. Rising from the spot, I brushed the dust off my shoulders. The low growls of the surrounding wolves reached my ears as the dissipating dust unveiled their watchful presence. Surveying the area, I sought another formidable target, shaking my shoulders in preparation for the impending hunt.
(You've killed a level 14 adult wolf and gained 7 Exp)
'Too bad, that's hardly any [Exp] to accelerate my growth,' I mused, pushing aside my thoughts. Redirecting my attention, I scanned the pack members encircling me.
The wolves orchestrated a circular dance around me, effectively sealing off every escape route. Unperturbed, as escape was not my intention, I brought the carcass of the vanquished wolf into my domain. Seizing the opportunity, I sprinted toward my chosen target as the encircling wolves tightened their formation. Some gave chase, but my swiftness outpaced their pursuit.
My rapid advance brought me to the wolf. With one axe raised and the other casually resting on my shoulder, I accelerated, executing a forceful swing as a brave wolf lunged toward me. The precision of the strike led to a headshot, instantly shattering the courageous wolf's skull leading to its demise.
(You've killed a level 16 adult wolf and gained 9 Exp)
I swung my second axe horizontally as I wheeled around, forcing the surrounding wolves to retreat momentarily. This tactic granted me precious moments to dislodge the axe stuck in the wolf's skull. With two lifeless bodies on the ground and five contained within my domain, I resolved to conclude the hunt with one more kill.
I surveyed the wolves around me, singling out the largest one. If its level fell below 12 then none of the remaining wolves would surpass its stature.
With a resounding roar, I launched a threatening display at the wolves, initiating a march towards my prey. The younger ones instinctively yielded, moving out of my path to clear the way. Advancing menacingly, I observed the targeted wolf's escalating fear, causing it to grow and step back, eventually breaking into a sprint in the opposite direction.
I chased after it, throwing both of my axes to the floor, and quickly caught up. I grabbed it by its tail, lifted it into the air, and swung it vertically, smashing it down against the floor. The sound of bone creaks traveled through the air as it made contact with the ground. The wolf died from the massive damage caused by my savage act, ending this hunt at last.
(You've killed a level 14 adult wolf and gained 6 Exp)
I carried the corpse on my shoulder and went back to the one I killed earlier. Then I picked it up and lifted it onto my free arm. After that, I headed to the first one I killed and entered my domain, keeping the bodies inside, forming a small mountain of corpses with the kobold at the base.
I went out, heading toward my axes while the remaining wolves that didn't leave stared at me in unease. I took the axes off the floor, threw them into my domain, and left their territory.
'Why! Why do you keep killing innocent creatures?'
The echoing voice spread traveling all around me as my vision captured my younger self coming into existence. It invaded my reality, appearing in front of me and blocking my way.
'Oh no, not again! we had taken about this already?'
With a forceful shove that extinguished his form and made him cease to exist, I continued walking forward, only to witness him reforming once again in front of me.
'Haven't you eaten enough? How far does your greed for power extend to?'
'Please stop, we've already agreed once. now move on, purge this innocence holding us back!' I gave him my words as I marched forward trying to ignore him.
'Your actions almost resulted in no less than fifteen innocent kobolds and orcs' demise! How far do you plan to go in your pursuit of revenge!'
'SILENCE' Turning around I let out a scream of annoyance directed at manifestation haunting me as I marched slowly in his direction.
'Orcs? Kobolds? They are nothing more than stepping stones in our path.'
'Or what about all the animals we hunted down?'
'There were just animals, The kobolds and orcs were intelligent creatures! You can't just eat them!'
'intelligent? This is laughable. I assure you we will do worse on the way!' I continued as we stood face-to-face
'Have you forgotten your helplessness as you were betrayed by your best buddy?' I sneered at the annoyance as I gripped him by the neck, lifting him assuming my phantom form.
'Or...did you forget our vows? the ones we did less than a week ago!' I gave him my final words bringing this whole situation to an end.
'NOOOOOOOOOOO' A scream traveled echoing far through the distance as he started transforming and took on our phantom form.
'That's right...let that hatred guide you! let it show you the light!' I continued lecturing what looked like a mirror standing before me.
'Yes, that's who you are. Keep your humanity deep down hidden under your skin.'
'Never think once about being human to anyone who isn't kind to you!'
Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.
Ah, finally, he disappeared. Letting my mind rest in peace.
It was late afternoon, and sunshine rays lit the forest. I accessed my domain after walking for a bit, then I came to the mountain of corpses, pulled down the wolf on top, and began to separate its limbs, eating them one by one—crunching the bones and consuming them as well.
Both [Predation] and [Mindevour] activated as I finished the entire corpse, earning 70 [Dark Matter] and 6 [Attribute Points]. Now aware of how much [Dark Matter] I had, I proceeded with the rest of the corpses.
I transformed, adopting the form of a cobra and allowing my size to expand until it reached its limit. A self-inspection revealed that I now measured almost 7 meters in length, adorned with thick, pitch-black skin. Initiating my meal, I commenced with one of the kobolds at the bottom, deftly pulling it off and beginning the process of consumption.
It didn't take more than a couple of minutes, and it was completely devoured. I did the same with the rest of the bodies, swallowing all of them in under one hour, leaving the kobold bones behind, which were rough and strong enough for some use.
I gained a total of 30 [Attribute Points] and 260 [Dark Matter] from the corpses, as one of the kobolds didn't meet the requirements for [Predation] and only gave me [Dark Matter]. I had a total of 49 [Attribute Points], so it was just the right time to power up a little.
I called my status and immediately added 22 points to [Heal], making it 62, which raised my [Health] limit to 310. Then, I threw 10 into [Darkness], making it 32 and increasing the [Dark Energy] capacity to 192. Finally, I added the remaining points to [Strength], making it 76. My total [Dark Matter] was 680, and my stomach expanded, making my [Food] limit 272 and halfway to the next level.
[Name: Arteus]
[Health: 161/310]
[Food: 250/272]
[Class: Hybrid Predator]
[Level: 7 | Exp: 102/202]
[Dark Matter: 680 | Dark Energy: 6/192]
[Strength: 76 | Dexterity: 20 | Heal: 62 | Darkness: 32]
[Ability Points: 0 | Attribute Points: 0 | Skill Points: 1]
I came up with a plan after a few minutes of hard thinking. The best idea to find the bear was to terrorize this forest. It seemed like a good plan, an easy-to-execute one. I headed out of my domain and started running forward. Then I jumped into the air, morphing into a crow.
I waved my wings in a quick motion, accelerating my speed. Once I was high in the sky, I called [Shift], allowing my size to enlarge to the limit. Then I continued gliding in the air and started screaming down at the forest, letting out a terrifying shriek that shook the forest. I kept repeating the process, attracting the attention of all the animals as I glided through the air, patrolling the area.
Two hours passed, repeating the same thing, the moment arrived and finally, I found the bear near a cave entrance. I roared at the target, having already garnered its attention. Accelerating rapidly, I adjusted my trajectory towards the bear.
I came down flying at it, morphing into my human form and activating my [Phantom Form], pulling my axes out. To my surprise, the bear uprooted a tree, delivering a powerful strike that caught me off guard. Forced into a defensive stance, I braced myself with my axes, colliding with the massive tree and propelling me across the forest, crashing into every tree in my path. As I soared, I found myself lost in contemplation, struggling to process the abrupt turn of events.
Upon colliding with the tree, the sensation of bones yielding under the crushing impact sent shockwaves through me as I was forcefully propelled away. Each small tree I careened into inflicted additional damage, my body absorbing the blows and leaving a trail of destruction. The ordeal didn't relent; the continued rolling on the ground extracted more injuries.
The momentum gradually dwindled until the journey concluded with a final, jarring collision against a towering tree. What made matters worse is that I failed to manage my [Dark Energy], resulting in a failure to maintain my form and causing me to take more damage. Thankfully, I had my axes out in a defensive state, reducing the damage a little.
(Warning: Your Dark Energy is too low! Reverting to base form in 5 seconds)
(You've taken 15 damage from a level 31 spirit bearer)
(Warning: Health below 25%)
Dismissing the intrusive messages, I commenced the arduous task of wresting my body from the unforgiving ground. Gritting my teeth, I suppressed a pained scream with each attempt to move. Every inch of my body bore the weight of misery, with my arms and chest experiencing the brunt of the damage. While my legs suffered, they fared better than the rest.
Managing to rise onto my knees, I swiftly assumed my crow form. Gradually flapping my wings, I ascended into flight, the imperative to vacate the area pressing upon me. My survival instincts screamed, 'ESCAPE.' I had a family, a life—more than just a hungry monster. That was a spirit beast, not a bloody animal. I couldn't take it on either way because it must have no less than 3 skills unlocked already, putting me at a disadvantage.
Spirit beasts were more than just monsters; they posed a threat way higher than regular monsters. They may resemble animals but were distinctly different. They were intelligent to a certain degree, and some of them could speak. A small number could even take humanoid forms after reaching certain stages of their lives, while others could directly use elements, similar to mages. Unlike monsters, spirit beasts didn't go through evolutions every 25 levels. Additionally, most of them didn't attack creatures that weren't of their kind, unlike monsters, which often attacked strangers.
Gaining a slight elevation from the ground, the rumbling sound of heavy stomping reached my ears. Urgently flapping my wings, I swiftly altered my direction. Soon, the spirit bear emerged into my view, and I changed course in the opposite direction. It stood motionless, observing as I soared away, eventually fading from sight. My only assumption was that my level was too low for it to care about me.
Heading south toward the cave where I had been sealed, I endured two hours of relentless flight before finally reaching the entrance atop a hill. Exhaustion overwhelmed me, and I couldn't sustain my form any longer, promptly reverting to my base form upon landing. Limping, I moved deeper into the cave, leaning against the wall for support until the entrance was no longer visible.
Driven by fear of an intrusion, I pressed on as far as I could manage before succumbing to a thud, collapsing to the floor, and slipping into unconsciousness.
A long time passed while I was unconscious, and I finally woke up later with a yawn. I stretched my body and checked my status. My [Health] had increased to 200, which was an improvement. However, I had consumed a significant amount of [Food] and [Dark Matter] to heal my injuries, and I wasn't completely healed.
I could still feel pain in some parts of my body. At least, I could move normally now, but engaging in combat wouldn't be a good idea, probably. My body absorbed the darkness from the surroundings, allowing my [Dark Energy] to recover faster, reaching 106.
Emerging from the cave, I transformed into my crow form, venturing into the forest in search of sustenance. The recollection struck that I had a couple of animal bodies stored in my domain. Alighting on a tree, I accessed my domain, reaching the bodies and commencing my meal. Only two wolf corpses were present, insufficient to satiate my hunger. Unsatisfied, I exited my domain and resumed my flight.
Soon, I found ample food, swiftly satisfying my appetite after an hour of hunting and laying waste to numerous forest inhabitants. With my stomach now brimming, a sense of contentment settled within me.
A potential threat loomed, capable of causing harm. Though it seemed indifferent to my presence, I harbored skepticism, unwilling to place trust in its current disposition, uncertain of whether it might change its mind at a later time.
The moment had arrived to depart from the forest. With stats equivalent to someone at level 38, my goal was to navigate towards the human-occupied area. The desire to return to Requies Empire, my former residence, fueled my determination. Lingering in the forest any longer would only prove to be a waste of time.
I skipped the idea of checking my appearance in the [Phantom Form] form as it wasn't so important, but I decided to check my status in it. I called the ability and waited until my transformation was complete, then I dismissed it. I found out that my [Strength] increased significantly from 79 to 98. Nothing else changed about my stats, so I just called off my transformation then returned to my base form, and dismissed my status as I advanced to the orc village.
Nothing worth mentioning happened as I marched through the forest until I arrived at my destination. I greeted the guards I was familiar with, even though only one of them was able to recognize me in my human form since the rest didn't see me the first time I came for my request and trade. I was stopped by the other orcs patrolling nearby, and I had to explain myself. I acted dumb and asked them about what was going on as if I was unaware of it. After a few talks with the guard, I expressed my sadness for what they had gone through.
I was asked why I was late three days, as the coat was done two days ago already, and I told them I had forgotten about it as I was trying to hunt for food with no success whatsoever. Finally, I was offered a snack which I gladly accepted. How couldn't I when the food was just too tempting for them? I ate my snack in front of the gate, waiting for one of the guards to bring the coat from inside. At last, I took my coat and bid my farewell as I left.
Once beyond the orcs' line of sight, I seamlessly transformed into a crow and ascended into the sky, heading north. Gliding for two hours, I eventually escaped the confines of Gloom Woods. In the distance, diverse mountains of varying heights and shapes stretched across the horizon. Progressing a bit farther, I located a river, crossed it, and finally reached the road imprinted in the kobold's memories.
The road, weathered and aged, presented a choice: a journey westward or eastward. Lacking additional information, I opted for a random direction, setting forth on my chosen path.
Traveling west along the road for an hour, I eventually encountered what appeared to be a small city. Enclosed within protective walls, the city boasted towering buildings visible beyond the fortifications. Opting to descend, I assumed my human form upon landing on the road.
I walked my way until I finally reached the entrance. I was not let inside easily by the guards, as I had to pretend to be a hunter looking for a merchant to trade some items with. I even went as far as showing them some of the kobold bones I had. I finally went inside with a sigh.