Adam spent the next stretch of time in a state of exhilarating discovery. His new Prey's Tremor ability was a game-changer. He could now "see" through solid rock, feeling the approach of predators long before they were a threat.
He used it to effortlessly avoid the patrol routes of the Rock-Armored Toad, whose heavy, plodding steps sent unmistakable vibrations through the stone. He became a ghost, a whisper of scales against stone, his Dungeon Camouflage making him one with the shadows.
He found that his hunting grounds had expanded dramatically. He was no longer confined to the beetle-rich beginner tunnels. He ventured deeper, into areas where the air grew colder and the glowing fungi cast longer, more menacing shadows.
His first major encounter in this new territory was with a Cave Fisher, a nasty, spider-like creature that clung to the ceiling and dangled a sticky, phosphorescent lure to catch unsuspecting prey.
Adam felt its subtle, waiting vibrations from thirty feet away. He watched from a camouflaged position as it snagged a hapless Glow-Pede.
"Okay, no flying lunge attacks for you," he noted, filing the information away. He gave the Fisher a wide berth. It wasn't worth the risk for a creature that was essentially a ceiling-mounted trap.
His new strategy was one of efficient, low-risk farming. He used his tremor sense to locate lone Fang-Rats or clusters of Crystal Shard Spiders.
He would then use his camouflage to get impossibly close, his Agility allowing for a swift, silent strike before the prey even knew he was there. His venom, now working in concert with his Constrict skill, made short work of anything his size or smaller.
The EP trickled in steadily.
[ Defeated: Crystal Shard Spider (Lvl 2) ]
[ EP Gained: 5 ]
[ EP to Next Level: 30/30 ]
[ Ding! Level Up! ]
[ You are now Level 6! ]
[ EP to Next Level: 0/35 ]
[ Skill Point: +1 ]
[ Total Evolution Points: 67/500 ]
He allocated his new Skill Point without hesitation, upgrading Constrict to Level 2. The increase in crushing power was immediately noticeable.
His consumption of these diverse monsters continued to yield small, cumulative bonuses. His Keen Nose fragment finally completed after another rat, merging with his Acute Smell skill to enhance it further.
His Web Resistance fragment reached 0.8, and he found he could now break through weaker webs with barely a slowdown.
He was a well-oiled machine, a perfect predator in his specific niche. But the dungeon, he was learning, always had a way of breaking routines.
He was tracking the vibrations of what felt like a lone, large rodent when the tremor sense suddenly became chaotic. There was a rapid, panicked scurrying, followed by a much heavier, thunderous vibration that made the very ground shudder.
"What in the world...?"
He slithered quickly to a vantage point, camouflaging against a stalagmite. The scene before him was a hunting ground. A creature he hadn't seen before—a hulking, boar-like beast with thick, stony tusks, an Ironhelm Badger—was tearing up the floor of a wide cavern, digging for grubs. Its brute strength was terrifying.
And it was not alone. A pack of three Dire Cave Weasels, sleek and vicious-looking, were circling it, looking for an opening. They were too fast for the badger to catch, but their teeth seemed unable to pierce its stony hide. It was a stalemate.
Adam watched, fascinated. This was the dungeon's food chain in action, a tier above anything he'd dared to engage.
"That badger is way out of my league. But those weasels..." He assessed them with his senses. They were Level 5 or 6, fast and agile, but probably no tougher than he was. If one strayed too far from the pack...
As if on cue, the badger let out a furious bellow and charged one of the weasels, scattering the other two. One of the weasels, disoriented, darted directly towards Adam's hiding place, seeking cover in the stalagmite field.
It stopped mere feet from him, panting, its back turned as it watched its packmates harry the badger.
It was the perfect opportunity. A clean, isolated target. But it was also a risk. This wasn't a slow rat or a predictable spider. This was a fellow hunter, built for speed and violence.
"This is it, Adam," he thought, the old excitement mixing with a new, calculated coldness. "Time to see if you can hunt the hunters."
He remained a statue, letting the weasel's own panic mask his presence. He waited for the perfect moment—when the weasel took a step, its weight shifting, its attention fully on the distant fight.
Then, he struck.
It was the Viper's Strike he had imagined back during his evolution, executed with the body of a Shadowscale. There was no warning, no coiling, no hiss. Just a blur of motion and the satisfying impact of his fangs sinking deep into the weasel's flank.
The creature shrieked in surprise and pain, whipping around to bite, but Adam was already coiling, his Level 2 Constrict wrapping around its body, pinning its legs.
The weasel thrashed, its teeth snapping inches from his face, but his venom was already at work. The neurotoxic elements took hold, causing its movements to become jerky and uncoordinated. Within seconds, the fight was over.
[ Defeated: Dire Cave Weasel (Lvl 6) ]
[ EP Gained: 20 ]
[ EP to Next Level: 20/35 ]
[ Total Evolution Points: 87/500 ]
[ You have consumed a Dire Cave Weasel (Lvl 6). ]
· [ Agility +0.5 ]
· [ Skill Fragment Acquired: Weasel's Sprint (0.3/1.0) ]
He consumed the weasel quickly, the lean meat granting a nice boost to Agility.