Veyrath set out cautiously, his movements slow and unfamiliar as he adjusted to his new body, and it did not take long before he finally discovered a potential prey wandering within the dim passages of the dungeon.
It was another Sharp-Fanged Lizard monster, the same species as himself, yet noticeably larger in size, its heavier footsteps and thicker scales making it painfully obvious that it was stronger than him in almost every physical aspect.
Honestly, it was stronger than him.
However, thankfully, Sharp-Fanged Lizards were known for being both lazy and lacking strong territorial instincts, meaning they rarely guarded areas carefully or remained alert for long periods of time, which gave Veyrath a small but crucial advantage despite his weakness.
Because of that, there was only one thing he needed to do.
Wait patiently from a distance.
Suppress his presence.
And attack at the exact moment when his prey was at its most vulnerable.
Just as Veyrath had anticipated, the Sharp-Fanged Lizard eventually crawled beneath a large rock formation and slowly drifted into a peaceful sleep, its breathing steady and completely unaware of the danger silently watching from the shadows nearby.
Veyrath immediately understood that this was the opportunity he had been waiting for, the single moment that could determine whether he would survive or become prey himself, and without allowing hesitation to take root, he launched forward with all the speed his small body could muster before sinking his fangs into the creature's throat with every ounce of strength he possessed.
The Sharp-Fanged Lizard awoke in instant agony, thrashing violently as it struggled to escape, its body crashing against the rocky ground while blood began to flow rapidly, warm and thick, soaking the stone beneath them as both monsters fought desperately in a brutal struggle for survival.
Despite the chaos and the overwhelming resistance, Veyrath had no intention of letting go, tightening his bite again and again while enduring the wild movements and painful impacts, driven purely by instinct and the desperate will to live.
After nearly three exhausting minutes of relentless struggle, the movements of the larger lizard gradually weakened before finally stopping altogether, its body collapsing onto the ground as its breathing ceased completely.
Veyrath was just about to ask what would happen next when the body of the larger Sharp-Fanged Lizard suddenly began to glow with a faint blue light, its physical form slowly dissolving into countless particles before flowing directly into Veyrath's body like streams of energy being absorbed.
A warm yet unfamiliar sensation spread throughout him, filling his entire being with a strange vitality that made his muscles tremble slightly as if something within him had grown stronger.
Beep.
The familiar mechanical sound echoed inside his mind once again as the system panel appeared instantly before his eyes.
[Host, congratulations. You have gained 1 Point.]
Before Veyrath could even react, new lines of text rapidly appeared one after another.
[Host, first hunt detected. A one-time bonus has been applied: 2x rewards granted.]
Another notification followed immediately, its tone carrying faint approval.
[Host, stronger enemy defeated. First Hunt Reward multiplier increased to 3x.]
The panel flickered briefly before displaying the final calculation.
[Congratulations, Host. Total Points: 4]
Veyrath stared silently, still processing what had just happened, when yet another message appeared, this one far more important than the others.
[Evolution Condition Detected: Elite Sharp-Fanged Lizard]
[Requirement: Hunt 10 Sharp-Fanged Lizards Progress: 1/10]
Seeing the panel and the rewards displayed before him, an unexpected sense of pride slowly began to rise within Veyrath, swelling inside his chest as he realized that his very first hunt had succeeded far more easily than he had imagined, and for a brief moment he felt as though perhaps surviving in this world would not be as impossible as he had feared.
Just as his confidence began to grow dangerously close to turning into full arrogance, the system abruptly intervened, dragging his thoughts back to harsh reality without the slightest hint of mercy.
[Host, you are becoming slightly too arrogant. You merely defeated a weak mob through a morally questionable ambush. You are still a lizard.]
"…."
A long silence followed as Veyrath stared blankly at the panel, his growing pride collapsing almost instantly under the system's brutally honest reminder.
After a moment, he sighed deeply in mental exhaustion.
"…Would it really hurt you to let me be happy for at least one minute?"
The dungeon remained quiet, but somehow the lack of response felt suspiciously intentional.
Realizing that the system had absolutely no intention of replying to his complaint, Veyrath decided to drop the matter entirely, understanding that arguing with something living inside his own mind was probably a waste of energy he could not afford to lose.
With only four points available and nothing within the System Shop that he could realistically purchase, he quickly came to a practical decision and chose to invest the points directly into strengthening his own stats, reasoning that survival in this brutal dungeon depended far more on immediate power than on distant dreams of impossible abilities.
After all, if he wanted to stay alive long enough to evolve, becoming stronger right now was not a choice it was a necessity.
The system panel flickered softly as the points were distributed.
[Strength: 12 → 13]
[Speed: 9 → 11]
[Mana: 10 → 11]
A faint surge of energy spread through his body, subtle yet undeniable, as his muscles tightened slightly and his senses sharpened, making the dungeon around him feel just a little less overwhelming than before.
Even though the increase in power was objectively small, almost insignificant by any grand standard, Veyrath found himself enjoying the sensation far more than he expected, as the subtle strengthening of his body filled him with a strange satisfaction that reassured him he was truly growing stronger little by little.
For the first time since awakening in this dangerous world, the overwhelming fear inside him eased slightly, replaced by a faint but steady sense of direction.
"…Alright," he thought calmly, beginning to organize his goals with newfound determination, "then let's set a small target first."
Raising all of his stats to fifteen sounded achievable enough to keep him motivated while still pushing him forward, and at the same time, he would continue fulfilling the evolution conditions required by the system, slowly advancing step by step instead of chasing impossible power too quickly.
After all, survival in this world did not belong to the strongest from the start it belonged to those who continued growing without stopping.