Superiority.

Solvyr sat on the thick branch of a towering tree, his back pressed against the rough bark. He was waiting—waiting for his wounds to fully heal, waiting for his body to regain its strength, and most of all, waiting for the perfect moment to strike. The battle with the Venomous Titan Python had left him drained, but his recovery was swift, thanks to the souls his soul leveling system gained. He had begun to understand the mechanics of his ability—unlike others who relied on predetermined stat growth or fixed abilities, his system granted him raw experience. Every soul he gets from hunting a beast added to his overall stats.

His eyes locked onto the Dreadfang Boar below, the same kind of beast that had blindsided him before. However, things were different now. After devouring the Titan Python's soul, he had gained insight into its battles—the creatures it had fought, their strengths, their weaknesses. And one of those battles had been against the Dreadfang Boar.

Now, Solvyr knew how it moved. He knew its weak points.

'Damn you, boar,' he thought, his fingers tightening around the handle of his sword. 'Just wait a few more minutes… I'll kill you.'

His face remained blank, but his eyes—his eyes reflected something darker. A thirst not just for survival but for domination. And the souls he had consumed, those remnants of fallen creatures, all carried the same instinct.

A thirst to eradicate life.

His grip tightened.

'Time's up.'

Without hesitation, Solvyr leaped from the tree. He descended swiftly, the wind rushing past his ears, his blade poised for a lethal strike. The Dreadfang Boar sensed his presence at the last moment and lunged forward, attempting to skewer him with its bone-like tusks.

But Solvyr had already seen this move before.

He twisted mid-air, narrowly avoiding the strike, and landed with a roll. The beast immediately turned to charge again, but Solvyr was faster. He sidestepped, using the knowledge from the previous battle to predict its next move. However, despite his advantage, he wasn't invincible—he couldn't see the future. The Dreadfang Boar still had the edge in sheer speed and brute force, relying on pure instinct and explosive power.

What followed was a battle of reaction time, precision, and control.

The beast charged at him relentlessly, its hooves kicking up dirt as it attempted to run him down. Solvyr danced between its attacks, barely avoiding its tusks while lashing out with his blade. His fighting style was a chaotic mix—dirty tactics from his street fights, the unrelenting aggression of the Crimson Reaper, and the calculated precision of the Titan Python.

Blades clashed against armored hide. Hooves slammed into the earth, shaking the forest floor. The two combatants were almost equal.

Almost.

"You might be faster than me…" Solvyr muttered, his breath steady despite the intensity of the fight. He sidestepped another charge and spun around, delivering a deep slash across the beast's shoulder. The Dreadfang Boar howled in pain.

"But aside from that…" he smirked.

"I am superior."

In an instant, the battle shifted. The once evenly matched fight became a massacre. Solvyr's movements became sharper, more precise—his attacks relentless. He no longer fought with hesitation. He had already memorized the Dreadfang Boar's movements, already seen every possible variation of its attacks.

And so, he struck.

With ruthless efficiency, he countered every charge, every swipe, every desperate attempt the beast made to fight back. He became a blur of calculated destruction, his blade carving through the air with deadly intent. The boar, once the predator, now found itself prey to something far deadlier.

Its death was inevitable.

As the beast collapsed, gasping its final breath, Solvyr stood over it, watching the light fade from its eyes. He crouched down, staring at the defeated creature.

[You have succesfully Hunted a Beast]

{+2 Souls}

(Soul Detected)

"At the end of the day…" he muttered, gripping the soul orb that floated above its body.

"You're just prey."

Then, he smirked.

"And I am the hunter."

Without hesitation, he lifted the orb and devoured it. As the memories of the Dreadfang Boar surged through his mind, he couldn't help but wonder—

'I wonder what kind of life you lived.'

The answer came instantly.

It had been a life of endless survival, constant battles, and primal hunger. It had known nothing but instinct and the will to live.

Solvyr leaned back, exhaling.

'Still the same, huh?' he thought.

But deep down, he knew the truth—every life he consumed, every soul he took in, was shaping him into something far more dangerous.

And he welcomed it.