Chapter 7: Soar

I decided to go for Savage Blow.

The main reason? I refused to struggle like I did against that ogre.

Back then, I flailed. I dodged. I barely scraped by. That wasn't happening again.

Next time, I wouldn't be the hunted—I'd be the one doing the hunting.

Savage Blow was the most brutal, most direct option. No tricks. No fancy footwork. Just raw, overwhelming force—exactly what I needed. The more I fought, the harder I'd hit. I'd break through defenses, overwhelm my enemies, and crush anything stupid enough to stand in my way.

Sure, a real weapon would make this even deadlier. A war axe, a greatsword—hell, even a spiked club would do.

But for now?

I had my claws.

And if things got desperate?

I'd rip a tree out of the ground and make my own damn weapon.

[Evolution Devourer Activated.]

[You have consumed ThumperPaw.]

[You have acquired Trait: Enhanced Leg]

[Enhanced Legs]: The user's leg muscles become more powerful, granting increased agility, acceleration, and jumping ability. Movement speed is significantly improved, allowing for quicker sprints, evasive maneuvers, and higher leaps. +2 Dexterity.

A sudden surge rippled through my legs like a coiled spring ready to explode. Energy built up in my muscles, a raw, untamed force itching to be unleashed.

Curious, I bent my knees and jumped—

And holy shit.

I soared.

The world blurred beneath me as I launched into the air, reaching a height no beast my size had any business reaching.

My stomach flipped from the sheer speed of my ascent.

Then—gravity took hold.

I came down hard, but my legs absorbed the impact better than expected.

The ground cracked beneath me, a solid thud echoing through the forest.

My lips curled into a grin.

This was power.

Testing it further, I dashed forward, my steps faster, lighter. 

I spotted a small river ahead, its surface shimmering under the sunlight. Perfect.

I bent my knees and kicked off the riverbank—

And holy shit.

I launched into the air, my legs propelled me higher than I ever thought possible. The river shrank beneath me, a streak of green cutting through the dense forest.

For a split second, I felt weightless.

Then—gravity yanked me back down.

And the landing was not so smooth.

I overshot my mark, misjudging the distance and slamming straight into a tree.

Bark cracked, and the impact rattled my bones.

A dull ache flared in my shoulder, but I just laughed it off.

Damn, that felt good.

I moved to a sitting position.

Now, I had one more thing to handle—my free stat points.

I pulled up my status screen, eyes scanning my options. I was still weak. I needed to build my foundation before anything else.

As a Troll Barbarian, three stats mattered most:

Strength, Constitution, and Dexterity.

From what I knew—both from experience and video games—each stat had a specific role in survival:

Constitution boosted my HP, stamina, and resistance to damage. It was the difference between shrugging off a hit and getting crushed.

Strength determined how hard I hit. More strength meant more power in my attacks and a better chance of dominating in close combat.

While dexterity controlled my speed, reaction time, and accuracy. It made sure I wasn't too slow to dodge or too clumsy to land a clean hit.

Now the big question—what should I improve?

The answer was obvious.

I dumped both stat points into Strength.

Maybe I was still traumatized by that damn ogre, but getting bodied like that? Yeah, I wasn't letting that happen again.

Next time, I'd be the one dishing out the pain.

I pulled up my status screen to check the changes.

Name: Sylas Stone

Level: 2

Class: Barbarian

HP: 500/500

Rage: 80/100

EXP: 0/600

[Stats]

Strength: 21

Dexterity: 17

Constitution: 20

Intelligence: 7

Wisdom: 10

Charisma: 6

Stat Point: 0

[Skills]

Innate: [Evolution Devourer]

Passive: [Regeneration] [Camouflage] [Nightvision] [Iron Gut] [Savage Blow]

Active: None

[Traits]: [Venomous Bite] [Boar's Tough Hide] [Enhanced Leg]

My stats window had changed slightly.

But it wasn't enough.

I wanted more. More strength. More power. More food.

As if agreeing, my stomach growled—loud enough to scare off a squirrel.

I wiped the blood from my mouth and looked up.

The canopy above was alive with movement.

Tiny creatures skittered through the branches, and birds perched high, their beady eyes watching me with suspicion.

Then I saw them.

A troop of birds a short distance away pecked at tree bark and grazed on the greenery below.

They were fat, dark-feathered things with sharp beaks and dull red eyes. They looked slow, lazy. Easy prey.

[DuskBeak - Lvl 2]

"Even a fat bird can have trust issues."

A smirk pulled at my lips after reading the one-liner.

Seriously, whoever was writing these lines seriously needed to be arrested.

But jokes aside, these birds were my next prey.

Most of them were level 2, while the rest were level 1.

They were certainly not big enough to fill me up completely, but that wasn't the point.

I wasn't just eating out of hunger.

I was eating for power.

Any living, breathing thing was fair game.

I activated Camouflage, my body blending into the surroundings like a chameleon. I had no doubt these birds had sharp eyesight, and if I wasn't careful, they'd be gone in a heartbeat.

I moved slowly.

Each step was deliberate, my breathing controlled.

The trick wasn't just silence—it was patience.

The closer I got, the slower I moved.

Then, just as I reached a certain range—

Every single bird turned toward me.

I froze.

The motion was so sudden, so synchronized, it sent a chill down my spine.

They couldn't see me, right?

My Camouflage was still active, and they hadn't flown away.

But they definitely felt something was off.

A presence.

They were waiting, bodies tensed, claws gripping the ground. Any sudden movement, and they'd be gone.

I needed to decide—now.

If I crept any closer, they'd take off for sure.

But if I hesitated too long, they might figure out what was up anyway.

There was no perfect solution.

So, I did what any self-respecting predator would do.

I took the risk.

I lunged.

And the moment I moved, the birds exploded into the air, wings flapping wildly as they tried to escape.

But...

I wasn't the same predator I was a few minutes ago.

I had Enhanced Legs.

And as soon as they took off, I crouched low, muscles coiling like a loaded spring.

I could feel the raw power surging through my limbs, the same energy that had let me soar over a river bend in a single bound.

But this time, I wasn't just jumping over an obstacle.

I was going straight for the kill.