Stirring in the sand brought Charlie out of his short slumber, quickly sending him into high alert. In a fraction of a second, Charlie shot his head out from under the sand and identified the small creature. Without wasting a precious moment, Charlie unleashed [Hollow Fang] in a white-hot fury.

The startled creature let out a shrill squeak and attempted a desperate escape, but Charlie refused to let go and dug his fangs deeper. The creature kicked sand around violently in a futile endeavour to free itself from Charlie’s maw, but was finding its strength suddenly vanishing.

The fury and frustration that coursed through Charlie’s veins didn’t relent when the body turned stiff. The mere fact that the creature died before Charlie could exact his revenge infuriated him even further, unleashing another [Hollow Fang] into the corpse.

The flesh of the little creature filled Charlie’s mouth, the only thing that was able to take him out of his maddened stupor. He swallowed and felt his stomach roar back to life, greedily consuming it and demanding more.

Out of breath, Charlie got off the long-dead corpse and beheld the grisly results. The creature was going to die no matter what, but this was a bit much for even him. The back of the creature was torn open with its ribs sticking out at sharp angles; the muscles and nerves had been minced into a chunky paste.

After a moment of consideration, Charlie unhinged his jaw in a swifter but still awkward motion, and swallowed the creature whole. A primal relief washed over Charlie as the meal settled into his stomach and allowed him to feel full once more. It wasn’t a large meal, by any means, but it still proved a minor nuisance. With Charlie’s strength still not having returned, the additional weight had slowed him enough to pose an issue.

Yet what didn't? No matter which way Charlie looked, there was some hidden and ferocious danger he had yet to face, some unknown force to strike him down if he wasn’t prepared. Safety was an illusion in this forest, a dream, and he’d need to wake up if he wanted to survive. It pained him to consider his own thoughts, but he needed to adapt quicker, become more like the wildlife, more like a creature.

His human side was filled with anxiety, fear and loss so great it had a permanent place in his every waking moment. It was going to get him killed, but he refused to let go of the last shred of humanity he had left. Without his emotions, would Charlie be any different from the vile creature that killed his wife?

Charlie needed to find balance, some sort of middle ground where he could be both himself, a human, and the serpent.

This was not something Charlie could delay; his survival hinged on finding a solution, nor was it something he could approach right now either. Weakened and in no shape to fight if danger were to show itself, there was only hope in finding temporary shelter.

The reeds presented temporary safety and shade, and nestled between their sharp embrace, Charlie allowed himself a brief moment to find balance in his soul. Falling into a familiar rhythm, Charlie took a deep breath.

Breathe in, and hold it. Breathe out. Stay present. Breathe in, and hold it. Breathe out.

The chaotic waters of Charlie’s soul soothed and calmed with each breath that Charlie held in. With each breath out, the claws of the past found it harder and harder to reach him.

Breathe in, and hold it. Breathe out. Stay present. Breathe in, and hold it. Breathe out.

Another breath in brought the fresh scents of the river and soothing flowers. Holding his breath was akin to tuning an old malfunctioning radio; the rushing sound of water and the wild calls of the creatures returned to the forefront.

Breathe in, and hold it. Breathe out. Stay present. Breathe in, and hold it. Breathe out.

With his final breath, Charlie could feel the world ease and his muscles relaxed, letting go of some of the anxiety they held. He was here.

Charlie was present again.

With his returned clarity, Charlie needed to find a logical approach for what needed to happen next. Night was approaching quickly and his body was still weak; he was recently fed and he didn't want to go near a body of water any time soon. Charlie figured he would be okay for the time being, his body was on the mend, but the infection was still an ever-present problem. Lacking any real medical skills, there was no way for Charlie to have a good grasp of its true condition.

Charlie would make time for thoughts later; there was no room for anything that might or might not happen. So Charlie focused on what he could do: find shelter and recover for a few days. It wasn't going to be easy, but rest was in dire need. Charlie had burned himself out at both ends of the wick and was paying the price.

With the goal set in stone, Charlie made his way through the foreign underbrush. He wasn't sure how far he had been dragged through the river, unable to recognise any of the markers along the river. The reeds were thicker here, and the pull was even stronger than before.

High and far in the distance, Charlie saw a sharp brown peak breach over the top of the canopy and reach into the sky. It was the same shape that he saw when he was flying in the air with the leathery bird. Though Charlie didn't see it properly, very few things were of that magnitude.

It might be a mountain or it might be one of those scars on the planet he had seen when he first was coming down into the planet. He’d know more in time, with how the pull seemed to be in the same direction as the mountain.

The river’s currents were flowing in its direction, but he didn't think he’d have covered this much distance to now actually see it above. It didn't change his plans; he still needed to check it out, but it was good to have an idea of what he’s going towards.

Charlie made his way to the forest once more, hiding between the growing shadows under the setting sun, and was quickly hidden in the dark forest floor. Even with the increased dexterity and strength, Charlie found it increasingly difficult to navigate the ever-encroaching vegetation.

Fights to the death were striking out everywhere now; the bleats and cries were all melding into one. It was becoming impossible to tell one from another.

The battlefield was so fierce that Charlie was eventually found in his hiding spot, when a large four-legged cattle-like creature fell on top of him. It was locked in battle with a pack of dark-furred dogs, bleeding profusely from multiple bite wounds littered all over its body. The dogs fared better, if only barely, with gory holes drilled into their bodies by the sharp and fearsome horns atop the larger creature.

Charlie was still digesting his meal, so he didn't have the time to properly dodge, but managed to mostly get out of harm's way. His tail got pinched under the heavy body, but he was able to wriggle out quickly as the large cattle-like creature started to stand up. Charlie was not going to allow the creature to get off scot-free, though, and lashed out with a lightning-fast [Hollow Fang], before slithering away. It wasn't his fight, but he might be able to return later for an easy reward, if not then just to vent his frustration at being crushed.

Charlie had found a tree with low branches and used it as a kind of stepping platform to ascend high off the forest floor. He wasn't safe here either, but the ground was a death sentence right now. The mysterious pull was bringing all of these creatures together, and he didn't think he’d fare for long among the chaos.

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The large tree had wide-rimmed leaves which gave him plenty of cover from above and below, the height he had risen to also provided him with a good vantage of the surroundings. His scales merged with the black shadows and deep greens of the tree leaves, providing ample, but temporary, camouflage.

Charlie spent the next day recuperating, gaining his strength back over time and making sure to really understand the extent of his camouflage. His white underbelly didn't feel like it posed too much of an issue most of the time; being unable to stand up, it was almost always hidden below him.

There was also a uniqueness to his scales, that seemed to aid in his camouflage, as if they didn't reflect light, or at least a lot of light. When the sun would hit his body and Charlie would feel its warmth, his scales didn't have a sheen or even a sparkle to them. Which proved to be useful since there was rarely even a cloud in the sky, with plenty of hungry and vigilant eyes all around.

Enough time had passed for Charlie to have just about finished his meal, not that [Devour] allowed him to forget. Energy poured through his body and, like before, awaited his signal. Still unsure of any other method to activate [Devour], Charlie mimicked a [Hollow Fang] and felt himself send a minor push towards the lingering power.

The energy that had accumulated in his mouth quickly turned inwards and exploded out with a dark green flame. It almost felt natural to Charlie; inhaling this flame sent it barrelling down his throat and destroying the unprotected. A hot power washed through his bones, his blood, and his muscle.

It was satisfying, it felt... addictive. The power was seductive, it lingered and called on his body, it would do anything to feel it again. Pushing the wants of his body to the side, Charlie couldn't decide if this was overall a positive, or a negative.

On one hand it made it easier for him to kill these creatures, knowing there’s a pleasurable reward at the end and the benefit of becoming more powerful. On the other hand, addictions are a powerful thing. He had seen what it had done to his father, and didn't want to start craving this pleasure like a lunatic.

He needed to be careful; right now it was easy to overcome, but it could prove to be an issue in the future. Something he’d deal with later, the future had yet to come and he had plans he needed to focus on in the present.

The treetops were so close now that there were plenty of connecting branches between them, allowing Charlie some form of mobility above the forest floor. It was slow and finding the right branch to support his weight proved to be a challenge, but he was persistent if nothing else.

The System, now being a part of him for some time, felt less alien and foreign. It didn't show any negatives yet and had only filled him with power in the last few days. If it weren't for it, he would have already died, of that he was certain. Though it was no less mysterious.

Charlie wondered if there was a way to enter that dream again, to see if that place changed or if maybe his changes would really show up. Those numbers and statistics seemed to represent him, and if his hunch was correct, they should have changed since he was last there. It was the only explanation Charlie had come to after trying to understand what happened when he ate those gems.

There must be a link between all three, and if his suspicions were correct, those gems somehow enhanced his body, but he couldn't figure out how they did so.

Like that, the first day ended and Charlie hid among some thick leaves near the middle of the tree, not too high for the flying enemies, and not too low to get caught up in some unfortunate fight. The chill in the air didn't seem as bad tonight and the forest had finally quieted down; the dark made it difficult to see why there was a lack of fighting.

As if answering his thoughts, the forest took on a soft glow. There was an ocean of glowing yellow lights dotting the canopy, accompanied by a faint buzzing sound, barely audible over the evening breeze. Little creatures with thick bottoms and chitinous wings were giving off a yellow light, adding a touch of warmth to the dark forest.

Charlie watched them float about in an unhurried flight, enchanted by their ability to make it feel, almost, pleasant to be here. He felt disarmed by these little creatures, and even the dark forest lost its edge in their presence.

Charlie drifted off to sleep pleasantly, unwilling to find the strength to fight back.

The next day, Charlie spent time slowly making his way to the mountain, exploring different ideas about his System. There was a lot to take in, and not a lot of time was provided to truly integrate it all, to make it his. Amidst these thoughts, Charlie had time to check in and see if his body had recovered, and was pleasantly surprised to see that he was doing great with even the infection almost fully clearing up.

The wound had fully scabbed over, but was taking its time healing completely, proving to him that he was one mistake away from death all this time. Whether it was a delayed decision, or not enough strength to move forward, they all would have resulted in his death. Lucky or unlucky, Charlie couldn't make up his mind yet.

As Charlie slithered from tree to tree, he thought back to the dream realm he had entered. There were still many mysteries to unravel, but two things kept creeping back up. {Evolution} and {The Challenge} still gnawed away at him. The System whispered of growth and power for both of them, so there must be a link he couldn't see.

Charlie could make wild conjectures on what it might be, but he had no way to be certain about any of it. He couldn't blindly believe one idea and have it cost him his life—if he couldn't be certain, he couldn't make the knowledge his and he couldn't make use of it.

Yet the breadth of the mystery felt too enticing to not even try. A few ideas made some strange version of sense to Charlie, but one stood out on top. If he looked at what happened with [Devour], it started to fall into place. {The Challenge} must use [Devour] to somehow steal strength or power from the gems he consumed, which in turn made him stronger.

If strength was required, which he acquired by using [Devour], then becoming stronger somehow affected {Evolution}. Or, potentially, {Evolution} granted him strength for meeting {The Challenge} as some sort of reward. Charlie’s ideas were still in their infancy and lacked a foundation, but they kept squirming at the back of his mind and he was unable to get them out of his head.

For now, Charlie didn't put any real weight behind these thoughts; instead, he focused his attention on the fast-approaching mountain. After escaping the vice-like grip the myriad of mysteries had on him, Charlie could once again feel the pull, and it was truly strong now. Just as the earth pulled Charlie to the ground, the pull of the mountain started to take on similar properties; it was almost physical at this point.

The forest sang with violence; the ground was abuzz with life and death, everything still alive scrambling towards the great pull. It was like witnessing a massacre; there was blood and viscera as far as the eye could see. Even through the blurry eyes of the serpent, Charlie knew that it was a blessing in disguise to not have to see the battlefield clearly.

The trees were starting to become hazardous too, as Charlie came upon something unpleasant hidden in the canopy. An ugly, eerie creature. It was the same spindly-legged beast, with an uncomfortable amount of beady eyes, that ambushed the other serpent. It could have also been a different one, but Charlie lacked the ability to tell them apart.

The creature blended into the environment better than Charlie did, and a strange clicking sound accompanied the horrific sight of its movements. Its legs moved in pairs, turning and bending like rigid stone, yet fluid and dexterous like the fingers of a thief.

If there was one, there were many, whether or not he could actually spot more. It would have been stupid to only keep an eye on the creature ahead; Charlie had to keep a vigilant watch all around him, as they could strike from any angle if he ignorantly relaxed.

Though it would soon prove to be an impossible task, the sun had started to set once more and Charlie didn't like his chances of spotting them before they spotted him. The knife-legged creature moved quickly between the canopy and its trees, never staying on one for long. Unless, there was something that scared even the spindly creature. Only once did Charlie make out what was in front of the creature, and he hoped there weren't many of its kind.

An uncanny furred creature with a robust-looking tail that extended from its bare bottom, powerful muscles adorned arms that looked like those of a human's with fingers that could form a vicious fist. It was large, much larger than both Charlie and the creature he followed. Fast, too, leaping from branch to branch effortlessly, as if it were the most natural thing in the world.

The law of the strong held firm at every turn in Charlie’s life, human or otherwise. Here he was restrained and required to keep his distance from the spindly creature, but there was something far scarier right ahead.

If that thing attacked Charlie, he might be able to kill it, but survival was improbable. It wasn't impossible, as he had lived through the impossible a hundred times already, but it sure as hell wouldn't be easy.

The furred creature looked... wrong. There was something so familiar about it and yet so alien. Like looking into a mirror and not being able to recognise yourself. It looked like a human, like a person, but they were also wrong in all the same ways. Their arms were too long, their legs too short, and a strange tail sprouted from its spine.

Charlie kept an eye on the creatures ahead, and made sure to cover his back as much as possible. Rest was hard to come by that night, but Charlie would need it tomorrow as the woods started to clear and the skewed mountain was within reach.