As he paused his reflection on the nature of physical stats and their influence on the body, his gaze shifted toward his mental stats. He noted that, despite being his highest attributes, all three seemed to be capped at 10 stat points each.
No longer one to be arrogant, he considered the possibility that his Will and Intelligence should have been much higher. His Charisma? That didn’t matter much to him—whether he was charming or not… or at least, that’s what he convinced himself of.
Others would have mocked his vain attempt at humility.
Glancing at his four remaining stat points, he considered experimenting with Will to determine whether the cap at 10 stat points was a hard limit or simply an illusion.
Just as he was about to commit, something stirred—a faint sensation, as if his Breeze Force had awakened for the first time.
A strange awareness settled over him, tugging his attention elsewhere.
A low, guttural rumble drifted through the air, subtle at first—just a vibration beneath the silence. It was deep, steady, and laced with an unspoken warning. The sound curled around him, primal and deliberate, growing in volume with each breath, as though something just beyond his sight had finally taken notice of him.
And then it stepped forward.
Step by step, head hung low, as if preparing to meet its meal’s gaze.
----------------------------------------
[Fangcub – Level 3]
A wolf barely past its pup stage.
----------------------------------------
Kei blinked.
"Such a strange world this is… to consider such a large beast a cub."
The creature before him resembled a wolf but larger, bulkier, its fur uneven and wild, with hints of unformed strength still maturing in its frame. Despite its classification as a mere cub, it was already more imposing than any wolf he had ever seen on Earth.
Still, rather than feeling fear, Kei found himself more curious.
The Fangcub circled him, its growls low and deliberate, rumbling in its throat like a young predator still practicing its intimidation tactics.
It was almost comical.
Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
"Fear me, I’m scary," its posture seemed to say, but Kei found it more amusing than anything else.
Kei remained perfectly still, his instincts clinging to a familiar movie troupe—if he didn’t move, the predator might lose interest.
Was that true for wolves? No. Absolutely not.
Wrong as he may be, Kei still commended himself for not flinching, despite the very obvious fact that the cub was a wolf, not a dinosaur.
The Fangcub, apparently entertained by its strange, unmoving prey, tilted its head in curiosity before launching forward with a burst of speed Kei wasn’t ready for.
Teeth met flesh.
Pain flared.
Kei yelped.
"Jurassic Park lied to me!"
The Fangcub’s bite sank deep, but he managed to keep his balance, stumbling backward instead of outright collapsing. His breathing was sharp, adrenaline flooding his system as he forced himself to ignore the pain.
His first real injury in this world.
The Fangcub, pleased with itself, pranced lightly on its paws, as though celebrating its successful attack.
Kei, however, had no intention of standing around waiting for another one.
He quickly assessed his situation.
Weapons? None.
Armor? Also none.
Options? Barely any.
His only choice was the environment.
As the Fangcub continued to bask in the glory of its first bite, Kei made his move—turning and sprinting away, grabbing small pebbles off the ground as he ran.
----------------------------------------
[HP]: 12/15
----------------------------------------
"Three damage? Not bad," Kei noted, mentally filing the information away.
Noticing his attempted escape, the Fangcub playfully bounded after him, its head bobbing up and down in an oddly gleeful rhythm.
Almost as if it were singing about its meal.
Kei gritted his teeth. He didn’t like how unbothered it seemed.
Without stopping, he hurled a pebble at its head.
THWACK!
The Fangcub jerked back, momentarily confused. A moment later, it turned to face him again, blinking in surprise—more puzzled than angry.
Then another rock came flying.
The Fangcub tilted its head, barely dodging the next pebble.
Kei cursed inwardly, realizing his aim was terrible, and kept running.
Rather than enraged, the Fangcub seemed entertained.
This was just a game to it.
Realizing he had no better option, Kei sprinted toward the nearest tree, leaping up and gripping the lowest branch for dear life.
A familiar situation.
A too familiar situation.
For the second time since arriving in this world…
He was back in a damn tree.
----------------------------------------
The Fangcub plopped itself down at the base of the tree, looking up at him with gleaming, hungry eyes. Its posture was relaxed, patient—because it knew.
It had already won.
It had already tasted him.
Blood still dripped from its maw, staining its fangs a deeper red. It licked its lips, savouring the aftertaste, its instincts roaring with something it didn’t fully understand.
Something had changed.
A shiver ran through the cub’s small frame, a rush of something powerful thrumming in its veins.
It had bitten many things before. Prey. Packmates.
But never had a single bite left it feeling stronger.
And yet…
Kei’s blood was different.
It was as if his very essence provided nourishment, a fortune it had never encountered before.
It wasn’t just prey anymore.
It was a treasure.
The Fangcub’s eyes darkened with something new.
Hunger.
True hunger.