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"String Shot!"
"Pfft pfft…"
Thick strands of sticky white silk erupted from Kael's mouth, shooting upward in a tight arc.
The dark shape in the air hadn't expected a counterattack.
It hesitated just for a moment but that was enough. The webbing hit dead-on.
To Kael's astonishment, the silk expanded on impact like it had a mind of its own, unraveling into loops and coils that tightly wrapped around the shadowy attacker.
Only now did Kael get a clear look at what he was dealing with.
The creature was roughly twice his size, covered in brown feathers. Its sharp, pale-violet beak gleamed under the sunlight a beak made to pierce and tear. Three icy-white talons clawed at the air as it struggled, slicing through it with audible whooshes. Each movement screamed lethality.
Its black, triangular eyes stared directly at Kael cold, cruel, and utterly devoid of emotion. The kind of eyes that only saw prey.
Kael's entire body trembled. His red antennae vibrated like mad.
"That's… a Pidgey?!"
His instincts screamed in terror.
It was a natural predator and he was the prey.
"No! MOVE!"
"If I don't get away now, I'll die!"
"AAAHHH!!"
Kael tried to crawl back toward the safety of his tree hollow.
But the Pidgey's gaze pierced through him like a blade.
He froze.
Why can't I move?!
No no no this can't be happening!
Panic gave way to despair.
Across from him, the Pidgey seemed to realize that brute strength wouldn't break the silk quickly enough. Its struggling stopped.
Its eyes narrowed.
Pidgey spread its wings slightly.
Transparent air currents began forming around its feathers, swirling with growing force.
Kael's body stiffened.
"Air Slash…"
The Pidgey suddenly folded its wings in tight then snapped them open.
SHH-CHKK!
Razor-thin blades of air blasted outward, slicing the webbing to ribbons.
KRSSHH!
The attack even carved deep gouges into the tree trunk behind Kael.
Pidgey glared at him.
It was puzzled.
Most Caterpie would freeze the moment it locked eyes with them. They never fought back.
This one was different. It had resisted. Ithad hit it.
Pidgey shook its head.
"No matter. It's still just a Dumb Caterpie. No threat."
It moved forward to finish the kill quickly. Forests were dangerous. The longer a hunt dragged on, the higher the risk.
A shimmering white glow radiated from the feathers on its head, trailing behind it in graceful arcs. Power surged through its body.
"Quick Attack."
Pidgey shot forward, wrapped in blinding speed, leaving a streak of white light behind it.
Kael looked up.
The predator's form was a missile of death, speeding straight at him.
He shut his eyes.
KRRAAK!
A blinding yellow bolt of lightning ripped through the air with a thunderous CRACK.
It struck the Pidgey mid-flight.
Pidgey never saw it coming. It had been too focused on its prey.
BOOM!
Electricity exploded across its body. The brown feathers scorched black. The lightning drilled into its core, searing nerves, muscles, organs everything.
THUMP.
The smoking carcass hit a branch and slumped lifelessly to the side.
Kael lay frozen, sweat pouring from his body, not daring to move or breathe.
The forest had gone quiet again.
If it weren't for the twitching, sparking corpse in front of him and the frantic pulses from his antenna he might've believed it was all a nightmare.
"Zzzzt…"
From the canopy above, a shadow descended slowly suspended by a glowing, electrified thread.
It was hideous.
Nearly a meter long, its body was covered in thick yellow fuzz, sparks of electricity crackling beneath the surface. Four blue-tipped legs extended from its sides. Its bloated abdomen bore dark blue stripes, and its spinnerets released a thread that gently lowered it down.
Its six compound eyes glimmered with malice. From its tiny mouth, two clawed mandibles clicked hungrily.
Kael recognized it immediately.
"Galvantula."
"Bloody Hell"
The electric spider hovered over the charred Pidgey, encasing the carcass in webbing to haul it off to its nest.
Then it looked at Kael.
Its six eyes narrowed. A slow, predatory twitch.
"Hmm… dessert?"
"Zzzap!"
Another flash of lightning.
Kael felt his body lock up. His vision went black.
.
.
.
.
.
.
.
When he next opened his eyes, everything was white.
Pure, endless white.
Kael blinked in confusion.
"Where… am I?"
He rubbed his eyes—
Wait… hands?
"I'm… human again?"
His chest heaved with relief. He could feel his heartbeat. His breath. His body.
Then—
Ding!
His system icon blinked in the lower right corner and opened itself with a shimmer.
[Final Evaluation in Progress…
Compiling attributes…
Analyzing battle performance…
Summarizing critical events…
Beep… beep…
Final Result: F-
Points Earned: 7
Bonus: 200 Starter Points + Trait Selection (Low Tier)]
Kael stared at the display, stunned.
"Wait… was that… my death screen?"
"And only 7 points? That's it?"
He twitched.
Still, his eyes flicked to the new option: Trait Selection.
His expression sharpened.
"Alright. Let's see what I can work with."
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Thank you so much for reading!