I would say I took no pleasure in burying that insect alive, but...

[You have killed: Ironmaw Lvl 2]

[Exp gained: 74]

[You have gained a level! All of your stats have been updated accordingly.]

It'd be a lie. A total, bald-faced lie. Why should I feel guilty about killing such a repulsive creature that wanted me dead?

If you ask me, he got exactly what he deserved.

I flicked my eyes between the freshly filled hole and the system screen, an evil grin curling up on my furry face as I absorbed the data.

Health Points (HP): 4.0 → 4.2

Stamina: 4.0 → 4.2

[Attributes]

Strength (STR): 1.2 → 1.3

Dexterity (DEX): 7.9 → 8.1

Constitution (CON): 1.0 → 1.1

Intelligence (INT): 11.0 → 11.1

Willpower (WIL): 4.1 → 4.2

Charisma (CHA): 0.2 → 0.3

A pleasant warmth spread throughout my body, and everything about me seemed... sharper. My thoughts a bit clearer. My body, more agile. Hell, even my fur looked shinier. Sure, it wasn't exactly exquisite or anything, yet now it had a slight shine to it, making me look a bit more... smooth.

So, this is what it feels like to level up in real life, huh?

It was pretty damn awesome. Not only had a good chunk of my earlier fatigue vanished, but I didn't even need to fight directly to get it, either. I just dug a hole, let that idiot bug fall right in, and got rewarded.

A free meal, so to speak. And let me ask you, who the hell doesn't enjoy a free meal?

"A crazy person, that's who!" I quite literally squeaked out loud, my head a bit taller than before.

Things were finally starting to look up.

Sure, I was still a strange little creature... and I would never—more emphasis on the never here—forgive that Ludus guy for tricking me. But so long as I kept pushing forward, one step at a time, anything was possible with the system.

I just needed to take my time and think everything through, using everything it had to offer.

Which brought me to the notifications. Specifically, the one I'd seen earlier about... what was it again? Proficiency? Yeah, I think that was it. Proficiency. There was something there, but I'd been too busy to check it out at the time.

Now was as good a time as any.

I decided, opening the system again and going to the events log. I'd seen the page earlier, but it had been completely empty—unsurprisingly, since I hadn't really done anything at the time. But now... things should be different.

At least, that was the expectation, anyway.

And sure enough, after I began rifling through the logs, I found a string of new information. Most of it was basic stat gains and updates, things I already knew from leveling up. However, buried at the bottom of the entries was the message I was looking for:

If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

[Proficiency Gained]

But... proficiency for what?

I scrunched my face up with one furry hand on my chin, trying to recall exactly when that notification had popped. I was pretty sure it happened when I snuck closer to that bug, hiding behind the rock. But was it the sneaking to the rock? Or maybe just being stealthy behind it that triggered it?

Honestly, I couldn't tell which. Yet what intrigued me the most wasn't these specific actions. Rather, it was the notification itself and the implication behind it.

Think about it, if I have a system that tracks proficiency for certain actions, doesn't that mean there's also a skill component tied to it? And if I keep improving this proficiency, maybe there are unlockable skills waiting down the line?"

For example, would being stealthy net me a skill related to stealth? Or attacking with claws create some claw-related attack skill?

My heart sped up at the possibility. If there really were such skills, that would definitely be a game-changer for me. Not only would they allow me to develop some sort of survival strategy from here on out, but I could also use them to get stronger.

Only then would I not have to worry so much about getting clubbed to death by villagers or torn to pieces by whatever else lives here. Seriously, every bastard in this world tries to kill me, and it hasn't even been a few hours since I arrived!

Who knows how long I'd last at this rate?

I let out a long, exasperated breath of air, turning towards my two remaining victims—the bugs. These two would allow me to at least get one more level and maybe—with a bit of luck—some type of new skill.

They still hadn't noticed the disappearance of their friend, who was now buried a couple of feet underground, not far away from their own positions. Both of them prodding around using their antennae, sifting through trash piles and small crevices in the cracked walls.

I watched them for a while, not having the faintest idea what they were looking for—perhaps some type of food? Before I finally started to move forward once again, trying to keep my pads slow and steady.

Like some stealthy Scrittle Ninja.

My mind focused on each and every movement as I stalked closer. Then, I took a pause after reaching a fairly large rock, dark green moss growing unevenly on its surface.

The dirt around here was perfect for my current needs, and since everything went so well last time, I decided to stick to the good old saying: If it ain't broke, don't fix it.

(10 minutes later)

Before long, all of the pitfalls had been dug—four in total—and I looked down at my handiwork with a sense of pride, patting myself on the back for a job well done.

These traps were perfect for those idiotic bugs. In fact, I could already imagine their despair-filled beady eyes as they fell down into them, wailing and screeching for mercy.

A mercy they would never get from me.

I squinted my eyes and let loose a lopsided grin, rubbing both paws together while checking on the Ironmaw's position one last time.

Yup, they still hadn't moved very far.

This meant that it was time to get started on plan A. Well, I call it a plan, but it wasn't exactly anything that deep. Just luring the Ironmaws towards the pitfalls while attempting to get a skill at the same time.

The target for this operation was the Ironmaw to my far right. The one who seemed totally oblivious, searching through piles of trash as if some drug addict. Its carapace had a slight tinge of green mixed with red when compared to the earlier one now buried under the soil.

I couched down low, all four paws bent with my belly almost touching the floor—ears perked for unwanted surprises. Then, I took one light step, followed by another, and began to navigate around the rim of one of the pits. I avoided a couple of larger rocks, circumventing a decently sized puddle. The water moistened the nearby dirt, which in turn cushioned each of my footsteps as I slowly but surely crept forward.

There wasn't far to go now.

I steadied my breathing, eyes on the prize.

However, just when I arrived behind a particular rock, no more than twenty meters from the Ironmaw, a slew of notifications arrived.

[Proficiency Gained]

[Skills Unlocked]

[Acquired Skill: Soft Steps (F-) Lvl 1]

I took a moment to read a few of them, wanting to jump up and down in celebration, but that would have to wait. I still had a bug to deal with and a level to get.

So I reached down and picked up a couple of pebbles. Stepping out from behind the rock, and threw one at the Ironmaw.

*Crack!*

The impact... looked more effective than I imagined it to be as it smacked the guy on top of the head. Followed by a loud screech as he turned around, looking for the daring perpetrator.

And who was I to refuse?

Since it was all part of the plan from the beginning, I jumped up and down while waving my arms. "Over here, you big smelly bug!" Gripping the other stone in my paw, I shifted backwards and cocked one arm back before shooting another stone at the bastard.

[Proficiency Gained]

Doing my best to ignore the new notifications, I bent over and slapped my furry ass. Waiting for the Ironmaw to take the bait, everything hinged on him becoming a dumbass.

However, this guy... just stood there and... hey, wait a second...

I got a bad feeling when he started to screech louder, cocking his head back in a strange stance. All of his legs were wide apart, bracing the earth.

Then, without any warning, the Ironmaw directed his head towards me and spat something out. The colour of the... projectile seemed to be some kinda green substance, but since it moved so fast, my eyes couldn't really track it.

Whatever that thing was, it screamed danger. My instincts flared, and alarm bells went off in my mind. I had no time to think, only react, as I awkwardly threw myself to the side.

*Sizzle*

The system chimed again.

Followed by the sound of some sort of liquid hitting my previous spot, bubbling and sizzling as it did. Almost as if it were some sort of... acid.

I looked at the revolting puddle of goo as my guts churned and cold sweat ran down my back. It really was acid... This Ironmaw could projectile vomit acid?

Shit.