The thin needle made of pure darkness shot forward at incredible speed.
It cut through the air in complete silence, a streak of pitch-black energy that seemed to swallow the light around it. In less than a heartbeat, it crossed the distance between Adrian and his target.
Within an instant, the needle reached the creature's neck.
It pierced straight through thick fur and dense muscle, punching a clean hole through the side of its throat. A thin stream of blood immediately began to leak from the wound, trickling down its bristly dark brown fur and dripping onto the forest floor below.
For a fraction of a second, everything was still.
Then the creature reacted.
Feeling something strike its neck, it let out a sharp, enraged cry. Its massive head jerked upward, eyes widening as it tried to understand what had just attacked it. Blood continued to seep steadily from the wound, staining the earth beneath its paws.
Adrian did not waste that moment.
The instant the needle connected, he rushed forward.
He refused to give the creature time to regain its bearings. Speed was essential. Hesitation would only increase the danger.
"Shadow Bind."
Chains made of darkness erupted from the creature's shadow. They burst upward from the ground in violent arcs, wrapping around its legs and torso in an instant. The black restraints coiled tightly around its limbs and chest, locking it in place.
The creature roared in fury and confusion, thrashing against the bindings.
Adrian closed the remaining distance in a blur of motion.
His body shot forward, muscles propelling him with precision. He opened his jaws wide and sank his long fangs deep into the creature's side. His venom glands contracted immediately, injecting toxin straight into its bloodstream.
For a brief second, the plan was working perfectly.
Then the creature exploded with power.
With a violent jerk of its body, it tore against the chains. The dark restraints strained under the force before shattering apart into wisps of shadow. Despite its injuries, the beast still possessed immense strength, even more than the fox Adrian had fought previously.
Adrian felt the shift in momentum instantly.
Seeing that it was no longer restrained, the creature snapped its head toward him. Its eyes burned with rage as it located the source of the attack. It lifted its right claw high into the air, muscles bunching beneath blood-matted fur.
The claw swung downward in a wide arc.
The sound of it cutting through the air was loud and sharp, a heavy whooshing noise that spoke of raw physical power. If that strike connected, it would cause serious damage.
Adrian reacted immediately.
"Shadow Bind."
Once again, chains of darkness shot upward from the creature's shadow. At the same time, Adrian propelled himself backward with all his strength, retreating as quickly as his coiled body would allow.
The chains wrapped around the creature's body once more, restraining it, but only for less than a second.
Still, that single second was enough.
The massive claw slammed into empty space where Adrian had been moments before, tearing through leaves and soil. Dirt scattered through the air as the attack struck the ground.
The shadow chains shattered again almost instantly.
The creature roared in frustration.
Seeing that Adrian had dodged its attack, it tried to charge toward him. Its muscles flexed as it attempted to lunge forward and crush the snake beneath its weight.
But the moment it put pressure on its injured front paw, it let out a sharp yelp.
The leg trembled violently before it quickly lifted it off the ground again. Blood dripped from its earlier wounds, and its movements were noticeably less stable than before.
It was weakening.
The injuries it had sustained prior to Adrian's ambush were clearly affecting it. Combined with the wound in its neck and the venom already circulating through its body, its condition was deteriorating faster than expected.
Adrian's eyes narrowed.
This was the opening he needed.
Without hesitation, he activated Shadow Needle once more. A pitch-black, razor-thin needle formed beside him, hovering in the air like a fragment of condensed night.
He focused.
Then he fired.
The needle shot forward with deadly precision, aimed directly at the creature's head.
Distracted by pain and struggling to maintain its balance, the creature failed to notice the incoming attack.
The needle struck its right eye.
It pierced straight through, disappearing into the socket with a sickeningly clean motion. Blood spilled down the side of its face as the creature released a deafening roar of agony. It staggered backward, wildly swiping at its own head with its paw in a desperate attempt to make the pain stop.
Its vision on one side was completely gone.
Adrian did not give it time to recover.
He quickly maneuvered around the creature's body, positioning himself on the side that had been blinded. From there, he was completely out of its remaining field of vision.
The beast thrashed violently, clawing at the air and snapping blindly.
Seeing that it was still distracted by the injury to its eye, Adrian struck again.
He lunged forward and bit deep into its flesh once more. His fangs sank in firmly, and he injected a large amount of venom directly into its system. He held the bite for a moment longer this time, ensuring the toxin spread efficiently before retreating once again.
The fight continued for several more minutes.
The creature tried repeatedly to locate him, swinging its claws in wild arcs and snapping its jaws in frustration. Each movement, however, was slower than the last. Its breathing grew heavier. Blood continued to pour from its neck wound, and its blinded eye dripped steadily.
The venom was taking effect.
Its movements became sluggish. Its attempts to charge lost momentum halfway through. More than once, it stumbled over its own unsteady footing.
Adrian remained cautious.
He kept his distance, circling patiently. Whenever the creature faltered or exposed an opening, he struck again, quick bites, controlled injections of venom, then immediate withdrawal. He did not allow greed to cloud his judgment.
Eventually, the creature's legs gave out.
With one final, weak roar, it collapsed heavily onto the forest floor. The impact shook the ground beneath it, scattering leaves and dirt outward in a rough circle.
It twitched once.
Then it went still.
Silence returned to the clearing.
A familiar notification appeared before Adrian's eyes.
[+30 Evolution Points]
Adrian allowed himself a brief moment of satisfaction.
Thirty points.
Even though the creature had already been injured before he attacked, he still received the full amount of evolution points. It seemed that the only thing that mattered was that he was the one who delivered the killing blow.
That was useful information.
His gaze shifted to the massive corpse lying before him.
The body was large, covered in thick fur and soaked in blood from multiple wounds. It would have provided an enormous amount of nourishment, far more than the smaller animals he typically hunted.
But there was a problem.
There was no realistic way for him to consume something of this size. Even if he attempted to swallow it whole, the risk and time required would be enormous. It would leave him exposed and vulnerable to other predators drawn by the scent of blood.
It simply wasn't practical.
Adrian stared at the corpse for a moment longer before dismissing the thought.
There would be other hunts.
He turned away from the body without hesitation.
He would continue hunting.
Today, he would fulfill the requirements for his next evolution.