Unfortunately, ants were a good measure to my power.

The first few enemies I fought were each newborns and weren't strong at all. As soon as I wandered into the forest, I'd hoped I'd hadn't. Beasts that looked like they were the size of buildings were wandering around, and I could even see them in my trash vision. I didn't dare to get close to one of those suckers. I bet they must be pretty tired of us little ones, a bunch of small monsters were biting and nibbling on their feet. I'm surprised some of them actually have patience.

I must've wandered too far or into one of the giant monster's territory because I turned my head around and saw a winged lizard, not too much bigger than a boulder, flapping and hissing angrily at me. I noped the heck out of there. I knew as soon as I had a quarrel with one of those things, I wouldn't stand a chance.

Oookay... how do I get stronger?! I've already leveled up 4 times, but I just can't seem to get any stronger. I've done so much stuff already, but I'm still as weak as a newborn. Okay, think. You have some skills you can level up by doing certain things. That does make me more powerful, but how do I train without monsters? I'm certainly not gonna attack one of them in the forest..

I try biting a rock. No luck, and plus my fangs aren't sharp enough and almost crack from the impact. Owww!

Wait.. the huge monsters in the forest! I saw small ones attacking their feet. Was it to level up their skills? I have to try it!

I slither back into the forest, staying under the grass just to be safe. I still didn't want to fight anything! Eventually, I found one of the big monsters. Sure enough, there were animals at their feet, trying to bite them. I slither up the backs of them. Some of them didn't like being slithered on and lashed out, only to lose their grip and fall off the leg. Soon, I reach the top of the pile. I go a little higher to not get surprise attacked.

[Level Up: Grip leveled up LV1 >> LV2.]

Makes sense. Getting on the leg was nearly vertical, and staying on was extremely hard. I couldn't even wrap around it, so I had to focus my energy on holding on. There were thick scales surrounding it's body. What kind of creature was this? Nevermind, let's try and bite it.

I open my mouth and try to puncture the scales. I fail a few times, but eventually I do end up breaking through. The monster seems to not mind being bitten, or the fact he now has venom coursing through him. Damn, he must have serious resistances!

I concentrate a bit more on trying to bite past the scales and holding myself up. After about an hour later...

[Level Up: Grip has leveled up LV2 >> LV3.]

[Acquired: Concentration LV1 gained.]

[Acquired: Targeting LV1 gained.]

[Level Up: Bite has leveled up LV2 >> LV3.]

[Level Up: Fang has leveled up LV2 >> LV3.]

It worked! This way I can get stronger without having to fight to the death! I was starting to get hungry again. I went back out of the forest cave. This place was so huge, and I lost my way often. I thought to mark the spot with something, but I couldn't find anything I could do around it. It was almost all rock, and I couldn't shift that into something else, atleast not currently.

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The pond was straight from the forest cave, so memorized that and started drinking. I was about 50% of the way to getting something "crystallized", but I didn't know what. Right now, my daily life consisted of attacking the big monster, then going back to the pond. I was starting to get tired and didn't have a safe place I could rest. I hadn't slept since I got to this world, but fainting after the lizard battle seemed to help some. I had decided to make my home near the pond, since I spent most of my time there if I wasn't biting one of the big monsters. It was the safest place for me right now, anyway.

After about 2 more days of attacking the big monster, my Bite leveled up to 5.

[Level Up: Bite has leveled up LV4 >> LV5, upgrade available.]

Upgrade?

So I can upgrade skills?

Okay, sure, I'll upgrade it.

WHOA!

What are all these options?!

A spinning vortex of text floods my brain. There are so many things to choose! There are some basic options, like increasing pierce, blunt force or general strength as well as imbuing magic into them or adding special effects. There were some complex ones, like adding an ability that increases damage based on chained attacks,or one that does more damage the more monsters are around you.

Alright. I'm a bit overwhelmed right now. Let's sort them into categories, like physical attributes, magical attributes, and complex mechanics. Some of the physical ones look enticing, but I'll look over all of them to be sure. Let's see. I could go for some increased damage potential, but there might be better ones. I still have no idea how to use magic, so most of the attributes there are gone. Plus I have no MP. That leaves the physical and complex mechanics.. Hmm. Oh! I like this one! Each time you use Bite and take damage afterwards, both your damage and defense rise. So in exchange for being hurt, I would take less damage as well as deal more damage. That looks decent, considering I'm still growing and my scales haven't come in yet.

[Confirmation: Upgrade Bite LV5 to Raging Bite LV1 for 2 Skill Points?]

Wait, upgrading skills resets their level and costs skill points? Well that sucks. But yes, I will.

[Upgraded: Bite LV5 has been upgraded to Raging Bite LV1.]

Whereas with obtaining and leveling up a skill it feels like my strength or senses increase noticably, upgrading a skill feels like the strength obtained recedes but reforms in a new way. Let's test it out! I wrap myself around one of the ants and take it away. It tries spraying acid on me, but I pointed its gland downwards so as to not get hurt by the acid. Once I make sure it's out of acid, I attack it weakly and let it hit me once. It seems any amount of damage works with the effects of the Raging Bite, so the small attacks of the ant still buffed me. After a few times of attacking it weakly I could clearly see the difference in the strength before and now. Even by only nudging it with my head, it was strong enough to knock the ant backwards quite a far distance. Eventually, the ant was close to death, but it wasn't giving up. It kept attacking me, but I felt it less and less, and I was starting to deal lethal amounts of damage to the ant. I decided to put the ant out of its misery now that I had tested enough of the skill's ability. But I sensed something strange in the air. It wasn't there before, so I tasted the air. It smelled like... the ant?! What would an ant release into the air that smelled like it?...Oh. It's pheromones.

Wait, what?!

Oh no.

I sensed further away even more smells of ants. Had this one called for help?! This is like sending an army in on a criminal base that tortured someone with a walkie-talkie! Alright, I have 2 choices. Run, or stay and fight. Well, I don't know where to run to! I could go the other way, but who knows what lies there! If it's not safe, I'm not doing it.

Guess we're fighting then. Bring it on, ants!