Prey or Predator

Alan rustled around in the low-quality sleeping bag.

He was wide awake.

He tried sleeping, but he couldn't.

Whenever Alan closed his eyes. A slight feeling of unease haunted him keeping him wide awake. He felt a premonition that something is going to happen.

It was frustrating! He was not a psychic, so how can he sense danger.

'What the f*** is going on?' Thought Alan.

Just to double-check everything, he summoned the status screen.

[STATUS]

Human: Normal (only with the help of system)

Strength:10

Dexterity:10

Mind: 10

Energy:10

Comment: Alive and healthy. But, a feeble life form.

Ability

• Energy assimilation: Can digest all forms of energy.

• Energy sense: Sense the energy around the host.

[601/1000]

There was no change whatsoever!

Alan became disappointed seeing the screen. But then he focused on the two skills displayed in the lower part of the status screen. It showed energy assimilation and energy sense. These skills can work passively. Maybe it was the reason for his feeling.

Reading it again, he could see that it never showed any data about how he absorbed energy from plants or animals other than possible guessing that it was related to mana present in organisms. Simply put, the system was very uncooperative in its ways.

Every unit of energy absorbed was used for the awakening of the system. That means until the system awakens. Alan was just like any other normal person. Other than having a slightly high amount of physical strength. He had nothing to show for.

And the ability to sense and find higher quality energy manifests as hunger to Alan. This was the skill that perplexed Alan the most. There was no additional data other than his own experience to deduce anything about the skill.

But Alan had this hunch that the cause of his unease was this skill. Somehow it had amplified Alans' senses to sense danger.

Now that he could not sleep even if he wanted to. He made up his mind to go outside and keep watch with the guards.

'Let's use these superior senses for something other than being a sitting duck.'

Alan still remembered the feeling he got when looking down the waterfall.

It was surely not a good feeling.

Looking outside the tent, in the dim light of the burning campfire. Alan could make out the silhouettes of the guards on watch nearby. There were two of them each looking in the opposite direction. Waiting patiently like a kingfisher zoning onto his prey. They were ready for any unexpected thing that may come towards them.

'They sure are diligent!' thought Alan in his mind. He always respected diligent and determined people from the bottom of his heart. They may be trained to be like this, a veteran in what they do. That didn't mean the scarifies that they made to ensure his and the safety of everyone in the camp is worthless.

He didn't want to disturb them. So, he slowly made his way towards the water cans. He made himself completely noticeable so that he would not startle anyone.

Rustle, rustle...

Suddenly Alan heard some soft rustling noise coming from the forest. It was very mild, but the alarm in his mind was going off like crazy. His palm started sweating and became more and more restless.

Looking at the frozen Alan and his panicked reaction. The guard turned around and pushed some button on the radio to warn others. His muscles flexed and became taught like a bowstring ready to jump into action at any moment.

Swish…Swish….

Figures of another four guards appeared before Alan. Their eyes were looking into the depth of the forest trying to sense any movement with their eyes. Armed with assault rifles, they were ready to attack anything that comes out of the forest.

Alan was perplexed. Weren't they overreacting? Just based on his reaction, they were going into fight mode.

What if it was a false alarm?

Wouldn't their preparation go to waste?

But Alan clearly knew that everything he was feeling now is as real as it gets. He felt like prey being stared upon by a tyrannosaurus rex. He was feeling extremely unwell like he lost all control of his life. Alan absolutely loathed this feeling.

Even after standing like that for over a minute, nothing came out of the forest. The thing inside the forest seemed to have sensed something. It was waiting for the perfect opportunity like a patient hunter. A bite to the neck is all that it would need.

Seeing the abnormal reaction of Alan, the guard became more cautious. The atmosphere descended into absolute silence. This was a stand-off between the two forces capable of killing each other. The one who gets distracted first will become the prey.

Suddenly the fear that Alan lost after seeing the guards ready and equipped came back.

'It's behind us!!!'

Before Alan could turn.

"Swish…" came a noise from behind him.

He turned as swiftly as he could.

'A guard was missing.'

The only thing he could see was a reptilian tail flashing into the forest.

Then there was silence.

There was no expected scream nor the sorrowful wail of the guards.

There was no reaction from anything.

Only bleak silence covered the camp.