Chapter 3: “Predator Protocol”

"A wraith doesn't roar. It waits. Watches. Learns. Then strikes where it hurts most."

Leo moved like liquid shadow, threading between cracks in stone and forgotten bones. He'd claimed a quiet perch high in the caverns—nestled between two stalactites, blending perfectly into the darkness above.

The dungeon was a massive underworld—twisting tunnels, crystal veins, spore-choked chambers. And monsters. Dozens. All stronger than him.

That's fine. They're stupid. I'm not.

Since his evolution to Level 2, Leo had cataloged seven unique enemy types. Three were viable prey. One he could possibly bait. The other three? Death sentences.

He whispered to the System.

"Bestiary. Display vulnerable targets."

🗒 Bestiary: Tier F Prey

Cave Mites – Weak insectoids, low perception, travel in groups. Easy mana cores.

Wraithlings – Ferals like me. Stupid. Fragile. Sometimes explode on death.

Fungal Crawler – Blind, slow, toxic on contact. But predictable pathing.

"Target: Fungal Crawler. Show hunting data."

[Weak spot: Neck stem. Vulnerability: Fire, Purge Magic.][Current tools: None.][Strategy Recommended: Environmental kill.]

Leo's grin sharpened, even without a face.

Let's get creative.

He slithered into a narrow chamber where spores hung like fog. The air itched with decay and life.

The crawler approached—massive, like a bloated millipede with mushrooms sprouting from its back. It squelched across the floor, excreting black mucus that sizzled on stone.

Leo had already set the trap.

Earlier, he'd loosened a thin stone pillar with Ghoststep, wedging the top with a sharp crystal cluster.

Now, as the crawler passed beneath it, Leo shot forward and rammed his incorporeal mass into the base.

CRACK.

The pillar snapped.

SPLURCH.

The crystals drove straight into the crawler's stem. It thrashed, screeched… then collapsed in a steaming pile.

[Target defeated. +65 XP.][Level Up!]

🔹 LEVEL UP! 🔹

New Level: 3+1 STR, +1 AGI, +2 INTNew Skill: Mana Drain (Passive)Skill Effect: Passive absorption of ambient mana. Grants minor HP regen in shadows.

Leo absorbed the fading aura of the creature, cold and calculated.

"Logged. Pattern confirmed. Next."

He vanished back into the dark, dragging the corpse for analysis. He had no intention of eating it—yet. It was bait.

🔹 [2 Hours Later] 🔹

The crawler's corpse sat rotting at the edge of a moss-filled pit. Leo positioned himself above, like a spider on silk.

Eventually, a creature came to feast.

It looked humanoid at first. Bipedal. But skinless. Too-long arms. A mouth filled with slithering tongues.

[New Entity Detected: Carnivorous Revenant][Rank: E+] – Warning: Superior strength. Moderate perception. Extreme hunger.]

Leo didn't move. Not yet.

He observed. Timed its feeding rhythm.

Every 7 seconds, it tears. Then swallows. Focus weakens between bites.

Leo waited.

One… two… seven.

Then he dropped—fast.

[Ghoststep engaged.]

He slammed into the revenant's back, phasing through momentarily and forcing his mana core to surge inside its chest.

[Shadow Meld Burst: Initiated.]

The creature shrieked and staggered. Leo erupted out of its chest cavity like a spear of smoke, burning half its essence with concentrated shadow.

"Die."

[Enemy heavily damaged.]

The revenant thrashed wildly, trying to claw him. Leo phased in and out like a glitch in reality—taunting, slicing, whispering death into its bones.

[Skill Trigger: Mana Drain.]

Its energy seeped out faster now. Leo felt it. Power. Growth. Weight.

[Enemy defeated.][+110 XP. Bonus for first E-Rank kill.][Level Up! Multiple thresholds crossed.]

🔹 LEVEL UP! 🔹

New Level: 5+3 STR, +2 INT, +2 AGINew Skill: Phantom Grasp (Active)

Create spectral hands to bind or crush targets. Duration: 6 seconds. Cooldown: 30 seconds.

Evolution Milestone Unlocked: "Echo of Form"

You may now begin taking limited physical shape. Evolution Tree: Updating...

Leo collapsed beside the corpse. Not from exhaustion—but satisfaction.

I can kill E-Ranks now. That opens doors.

The System pinged again. But it wasn't XP.

[Incoming message from: Elara.]

Leo blinked. He considered ignoring it… but accepted.

Her voice came through gently, echoing like a lullaby in stone.

"You're adapting faster than I hoped, Leo."

He didn't respond right away.

"Is that good or bad?"

"Both," she said. "It means you're strong. But you're changing fast."

He stared at the body beneath him.

"Is that not what you wanted?"

"No," she whispered. "I wanted you to live. What you become… is yours alone."

He tilted his head.

"Do you care what I turn into? What if I stop being someone you'd call your child?"

She didn't answer for a moment. When she did, it cracked even his cold heart.

"Even if you became a god-killing beast… I would still wait for you to come home."

He said nothing.

Just stared into the shadows… and wondered what kind of goddess waited for monsters.