Chapter 11: Hesitation

I stood over the ogre's massive corpse, licking the blood from my lips.

A whisper echoed in the back of my mind, dark and insistent:

Eat.

And honestly… I didn't see a reason not to.

I stepped forward, my massive feet crunching against the blood-soaked dirt.

The ogre's body slumped against a tree, the axe I'd thrown still buried in its skull.

Its wide, lifeless eyes stared past me.

I leaned in, hesitating for just a second before my instincts took over.

Then, I dug in.

Starting from the throat.

The first bite was tough—thick, sinewy flesh resisting my teeth before finally giving way.

Hot, metallic blood filled my mouth, coating my tongue.

I swallowed.

Vigor. Power. Life.

It surged through me, spreading like wildfire.

At first, the idea of eating an ogre had made me hesitate.

But the more I devoured, the stronger the hunger became.

And soon…

I wasn't hesitating at all.

I tore through muscle and sinew, devouring the ogre piece by piece.

Thick chunks of flesh, tough as leather, fought against my teeth, but I ripped through them like a starving animal.

Each swallow sent a surge of warmth rushing through my veins.

I was changing.

My arms tingled—stronger.

My legs felt sturdier, as if I could crush boulders beneath my feet.

And my heartbeat—loud, powerful, unstoppable.

I didn't stop. I couldn't stop.

By the time half the ogre's massive body was gone, something inside me shifted.

Then, a notification flashed before my eyes.

Ding!

[Evolution Devourer Activating]

[You have consumed Ogre]

[Two Traits acquired from defeating a monster twice your level]

I wiped the blood from my mouth, my grin widening.

Oh, hell yes.

[You have acquired Trait: Ogre's Muscle]

Ogre Muscle – Your physical strength has increased.

Effect: +5 Strength

[You have acquired Trait: Warrior's Endurance]

Warrior's Endurance – Your stamina has increased.

Effect: +3 Constitution, +2 Strength

A buzzing energy rippled through me, sinking into every muscle, every bone.

It was as if someone had flipped a switch inside me, flooding my body with raw power.

I clenched my fists. Flexed.

Damn.

My muscles felt denser, coiled with strength.

My skin—it wasn't just tougher, it felt reinforced, like an invisible layer of armor had fused with my flesh.

I ran a clawed hand over my forearm, feeling the subtle difference.

Oh yeah. That's what I'm talking about.

My ability was insane.

But I wasn't done yet.

The ogre's half-eaten body still lay before me.

From what I had learned so far, I needed to consume at least half of my prey to absorb its traits.

Fifty percent was a lot—especially with bigger beasts—but I had Iron Gut on my side.

And that came with a huge advantage.

According to its description, any excess intake would be converted into pure energy, automatically enhancing my physical attributes.

Translation? No wasted food.

With that in mind, I dug back in.

I tore through the remaining flesh, ripping apart muscle and cracking bones for the marrow inside.

Every bite sent a fresh jolt of strength through my body, like I was fueling up with raw power.

Minutes passed.

Then, finally—I was done.

All that remained was a pile of gnawed bones and a dark, glimmering pool of blood.

My stomach felt heavy, stretched to the limit, like I'd explode if I moved.

Then, a notification popped up.

Ding!

[Iron Gut converting excess food to energy]

[+1 Strength]

The tight, overstuffed feeling in my stomach vanished instantly.

Relief washed over me, and a grin stretched across my face.

Now we're talking.

One point wasn't a huge boost—but it was still progress. Every bit of extra strength mattered.

More than that, it confirmed something else.

Iron Gut was basically encouraging me to be a glutton.

Telling me, Eat as much as you want—I'll take care of the rest.

And honestly?

I was all for it.

Which was funny.

Because back when I was human, food wasn't my thing. I barely ate—not because I couldn't, but because it felt like a chore. Too exhausting.

Maybe that's why I had a heart attack.

And now?

Now, I was a troll.

A creature built to consume.

A walking hunger engine with an ability that encouraged gluttony. The irony wasn't lost on me.

But before I could dwell on that thought, my stomach twisted.

Not from sickness.

Not from disgust.

From hunger.

Despite devouring an entire ogre, I was already craving more.

This hunger felt… different.

Darker.

My eyes drifted toward the scattered human corpses. Five in total.

Three lay crumpled, their bodies shattered beyond recognition.

The other two? Torn apart, limbs and torsos strewn across the battlefield like shredded meat.

The sight made me wonder how the ogre had killed them.

It must have been a horror show.

And yet…

My gut growled.

Urging me forward.

I doubted I'd be able to eat enough of the scattered remains for Evolution Devourer to activate.

I needed to consume fifty percent of a body, but that wasn't happening with shredded pieces spread all over the place.

So, I focused on the three that were mostly intact.

My feet carried me forward, slow and deliberate, until I stood over the nearest corpse—a swordsman.

I had seen him briefly before I fled.

He'd seemed brave.

His armor was dented, the metal split open where the ogre had caved in his ribs. Blood pooled beneath him, dark and sticky. His sword lay nearby, useless.

I stared at the man's face.

Then, I hesitated.

Eating the ogre had been one thing—it was a beast, a predator.

A monster.

But this…

This was a human.

And I was once human.

Eating humans felt like crossing a line.

A line I wasn't sure I could come back from.

But my instincts knew something my mind refused to accept.

I needed to get stronger to survive this world.

And if eating them would make me stronger…

Then why hesitate?

Survival came first. Always.

I wasn't human anymore—I was a troll.

And trolls had no business feeling sorry for the dead.

So, I bent down and took a bite.

It tasted good.