Charlie bobbed, ducked and weaved with expert precision between the low hanging branches, the thick bushes and in between the wide legs of large creatures. He was unseen and unheard, slipping past all dangerous foes with ease, and was finally rewarded for his efforts when he felt another presence.

Flicking his Mana sense on and off, Charlie was able to scout out both large and small areas more thoroughly than ever before. The breadth of information he was able to gather in a short amount of time was astonishing. Even with his enhanced sense of smell having returned to full working order, Charlie found that even the unwieldy Mana sense was simply more accurate, and provided much more information.

The ability to perceive Mana with such clarity gave him the ability to essentially see around corners, to see deep within the thick and dark foliage, to reveal all that chose to hide. It helped him find even the tiniest critter, safely tucked away in their burrows. Charlie had yet to come across a living being that didn't give off a small amount of Mana, and those that did, they were like shining beacons of light piercing through the pitch blackness of night.

Charlie's meal subsisted of three unaware rabbit creatures. He had successfully sensed them through the thick vegetation, and approached without making a single sound. The deep shadows had swallowed Charlie's body whole, not letting even a glimmer of light reach his shiny scales. Charlie always felt safer in its embrace, comforted like a child given a blanket by their mother.

Yet, he was anything but a child and instead, Charlie seemed like a true predator now. The light broke through the forests thick canopy and illuminated his targets - and that's when a serpent wreathed in shadows struck.

[Hollow Fang] found it's targets soft and supple body, sinking beneath the flesh and muscle like paper. The venom didn't even have time to work it's way through the little creature, as the fangs tore through vital organs with deadly precision.

It died without making a sound, yet the other two were suddenly alerted by their heightened senses. Their large ears perked up and their bodies froze to the ground. Charlie didn't move, even held his breath to limit his presence, waiting for the other two to relax.

Charlie's fangs were still buried deep within the first rabbit, plugging up the entry wounds and stopping any blood from leaking out. Their noses might not have been as sensitive as Charlie's sense of taste, but there was no need to take chances when he was this close.

Eventually, they let their guards down and relaxed, swiftly returning to their leisurely munch, enthralled by the vast and wonderful flavours of grass. It must have been nice to be a rabbit - food everywhere, and not a braincell to spare. Ignorance was bliss, truly, but it failed to keep them alive.

Like a living shadow, Charlie dispatched the rabbits with ease - one by one they fell to Charlie's slow and methodical hunt.

Swallowing up two rabbits, Charlie felt comfortably stuffed and with just enough flexibility left in him to have a fighting chance against any unwanted guests. The third felt a bit too much to have right now, but he didn't want to leave it either. Food wasn't plentiful or guaranteed, Charlie should take any and every chance he had to eat - it was unwise to take food for granted, it had been an issue in the past, and Charlie didn't see it changing any time soon.

Charlie hummed and erred trying to decide what to do with the corpse, he knew that he had to make some sort of decision. He could try and take it back to the hovel, hope that it doesn't attract any hungry stomachs, and munch on it the next day. That was risky - he'd have to drag it all the way back through the forest, and the added weight would definitely expose him.

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An idea dawned on Charlie, why not use it as bait for some hungry creature and use [Worm of Envy]? He was certain that he had recovered enough Mana to use it, and if he ran out Mana again, he could simply rest in the dirty hovel. As long as nothing went catastrophically wrong, Charlie didn't see any downside. It started to get a little exciting, and Charlie couldn't help but let his mind run amok with wild ideas.

How could he remain calm? The temporarily pacified curiosity had been roused from its slumber, burning with a fiery passion and filled Charlie with a myriad of questions.

Before becoming too carried away by his own antics, Charlie forcefully calmed himself down and began preparations. He would need; a safe and distant perch to view of the creature that will take the bait, a large open clearing for the bait to be easily seen, and finally, it had to be close enough to his hovel to immediately retreat to in case of danger.

Carrying the corpse in his mouth, held up by the hooked fangs lining his mouth and with the iron-clad conditions etched into his mind, Charlie set off in search of the perfect bait spot.

Throughout the journey, Charlie couldn't help but enjoy the sunshine peeking through the thick canopy - it's warmth felt extra comforting today. He didn't quite understand why he felt so elated, and so free all of a sudden.

Maybe it was because he had seen the face of death in the form of a sentient desert, and come out of that situation alive. Charlie reckoned that there wouldn't be many people that would feel amazing after surviving that. It really made question the life they had. Maybe most would have gone mad.

Charlie couldn't call them weak though, as if he hadn't already died once before, maybe he too would have lost his mind.

Still, Charlie wasn't going to question his newfound appreciation for life. Well, not any more. He did check with his Mana sense to see if he was being manipulated - and not once either.

There were many breaks taken, both because he needed to conserve his stamina and because there had been plenty of hungry creatures looking to find an easy meal. Though Charlie did not back down from the confrontations, and had gained a bit of confidence after dealing with the giant lizard.

The smarter creatures, or perhaps they were simply less hungry, avoided a fight with Charlie after he stood his ground. The sight of a long and aggressive serpent that hissed viciously was enough of a deterrent for the vast majority. Though, there were creatures both hungry and stupid enough to continue their approach.

It was not a creature beyond Charlie's capability to handle, but it wasn't going to be an easy victory either. A lone creature stood before Charlie, snarling ferociously, trying it's best to scare the measly worm that dared to stand before it. Yet, no matter how loud it barked, the snake didn't budge. Infuriated, the haggard creature lunged, it's maw agape and dripping with hungry saliva.

To Charlie's eyes, it felt like the creature moved so slowly, and in such clarity that he felt like he could see every detail on its body. The matted fur that topped the three legged creature, the sharp teeth that lined it's wide jaw were pristinely clear - yet he couldn't bring himself to take it seriously.

Maybe Charlie was still recovering from the sight of the titanic creature in the desert canyon, and thus nothing compared to that terror. Or maybe the creature was simply unimpressive. It looked weak, malformed and like a failure of a predator.

It ran awkwardly on its three legs, shaped like a dog, but instead of two front paws there was one thick leg. It wasn't fair to call it a run, it was closer to a gimped gallop. It's face was not any more impressive, either. A short snout with fleshy jowls falling over each side, covered in both fresh and dried-in saliva.

Even it's eyes and face looked pathetic - a bony and thick brow protruded outwards, covered in limp flesh. Small and droopy eyelids, with a serious look to underwhelmed etched deep into it's irises.

If it wasn't currently charging towards Charlie with murderous intent, he wouldn't have believed something so pitiful could exist. Even the rabbit held by his fangs felt more threatening, but Charlie couldn't fall into bad habits, he couldn't underestimate even the weakest, even the most foolish beast.

Dropping the rabbit to the floor, Charlie coiled his body with a satisfying power coursing through his nicely recovering muscles and prepared his strike. His maw opened to reveal two sinister looking fangs, and a frightening row of serrated bony hooks line his jaw.

Charlie could feel it, the unmistakable connection with the Mana around him take hold - and for a brief moment, felt enlightened.

Then, the System whispered.