Grrr!
From the dense bushes, cold blue eyes appeared, filled with murderous intent, all focused on a group of wild deer grazing in a grassy clearing in the forest.
Like the other forest beasts, these deer weren't ordinary. They had large, muscular bodies, along with sharp, branching antlers over a meter and a half long, looking more like leafless shrubs.
Arthur's fierce eyes quickly scanned the area, and finally, they settled on the prey he had chosen—a slightly smaller deer standing not far from him.
[ F-rank tree deer ]
Arthur licked his lips greedily and began to slowly stalk it, following his instincts to avoid making any sound and suppressing his presence to the maximum.
When only a few meters separated him from his target, he released his full strength and pounced.
The force of his charge sent soil flying beneath his feet as he covered six meters in a single bound.
Before he could grab the deer, it noticed his presence and, without hesitation, bolted at full speed.
This was expected, so he didn't get tense and started chasing it since it was very close.
However, the deer quickly widened the distance thanks to its speed and agility, and within a few seconds, it was far ahead of him.
Exhausted, he stopped running, panting heavily.
'Damn it… this is the third time I've failed today. This is exhausting, and I'm starving. I can't keep going like this.'
It had been twenty days since Arthur arrived in this world. Although the first days had been tough, he adapted well, learned a lot about the forest, and hunted a fair number of prey, which allowed him to increase his Attributes and boost his strength a little.
However, things weren't going entirely smoothly. Unfortunately, he hadn't been able to hunt anything over the past four days, and he was starting to starve. His progress had stalled due to not gaining any XP.
Sigh!
'Luckily, I'm a predatory beast. I can maintain my strength for a few more days without food. But I need to raise my Rank as soon as possible. Tsk… should I risk hunting at night?'
Arthur furrowed his brows and thought seriously. After all, he was a nocturnal predator, and the darkness would enhance his senses and improve his stealth and sneaking abilities. Hunting at night wouldn't be as difficult as during the day.
These advantages tempted him a little, but he quickly remembered how dangerous the night was.
It was the time when most predatory monsters emerged—monsters capable of killing him easily. The forest was filled with roaring sounds at night, to the point that sometimes he struggled to sleep because of them.
'No… no, this isn't a good idea. I'll stick to playing it safe. Besides, the brave always die first, so being cautious is better.'
He soon changed his mind and decided to make one last hunting attempt before returning to his den. After a short rest to regain his energy, he started looking for prey again.
Contrary to his low expectations, he didn't have to search for long before spotting a fat Burrow Squirrel, plump and full of meat, kicking a massive tree to drop its large fruits so it could eat them.
[ F-rank Burrow Squirrel ]
Burrow Squirrels were herbivorous creatures, feeding mainly on wild fruits, vegetables, and tree pulp.
Due to their large size, they weren't very good climbers. They used their strong hind legs to kick trees, breaking the branches and dropping the fruits.
'This is the perfect prey.'
Arthur smiled happily, feeling a surge of excitement. Burrow Squirrels were slow creatures, easy to catch.
In fact, most of the monsters he had hunted so far were of this type, so he knew exactly how to deal with them.
Calmly, he took a deep breath, activated the "Primal Predator" Skill, and slowly crept up behind the unaware squirrel.
When he got close enough, he pounced with incredible speed. Without giving it any chance to escape or resist, he ripped its throat apart brutally.
Screech!
The squirrel let out a choked cry, and after a short moment, it fell, lifeless.
[ +3XP ]
Ignoring the formalities, Arthur began eating quickly. It wasn't good to stay in one place for too long, especially with the smell of fresh blood, which could attract nearby predators.
[ +2XP ]
It only took him a few minutes to eat half of the squirrel. Even so, he didn't feel full and continued tearing the meat with his sharp fangs, filling his stomach.
Suddenly, he froze in place, swallowing the last bite in his mouth with difficulty. Then, very slowly, he turned to the right. He then saw a large leopard with a sharp horn on its forehead, silently creeping toward him.
[ F-rank Horned Leopard ]
When his eyes met the Horned Leopard's killing intent-filled gaze, he immediately realized what would happen next—he had become the prey.
'wtf!'
As expected, the Horned Leopard bared its sharp fangs and started running at him at high speed. In the blink of an eye, it reached him and tried to bite his neck.
Arthur's eyes widened, and his body tensed, but fortunately, the "Primal Predator" Skill allowed him to suppress his emotions and act rationally. He couldn't escape or dodge the attack, so he did the only thing possible: resist and fight for his life.
'fuck!'
He gritted his teeth, unleashed his full power, and charged forward, intercepting the Horned Leopard before it could complete its attack.
His movement was unexpected, surprising the Horned Leopard, yet it did not retreat or hesitate.
The force of their collision was immense, like two sumo wrestlers crashing into each other.
Bang!
Their bodies shook violently, and dirt scattered beneath their paws. Both of them roared in anger and started fighting ferociously.
The Horned Leopard attacked first, opening its mouth filled with sharp fangs and biting Arthur's shoulder, tearing into his flesh.
Arthur didn't stay still despite the intense pain. He dug his claws into the Horned Leopard's back, ripping its flesh and skin. At the same time, he twisted, staggered, and kicked forcefully, trying to escape from the leopard's jaws.
If he kept going like this, the leopard would crush his shoulder bones, which would weaken him greatly and make him the loser of this fight.
After a few seconds of struggle, they finally broke apart, stepping back a few paces. Their bodies were covered in scars and bloody wounds, yet neither showed any intention of backing down. Instead, their ferocity and brutality intensified.
Once again, they lunged at each other, with a single thought driving them: kill.