The chimera roared, its voice a symphony of every beast it had ever devoured. Its breath reeked of sulfur and decay. Bones jutted out of its hunched back like broken wings, and its claws dragged sparks as it scraped them across the crater's rim.
Kiel didn't know how to fight it.
But his body did.
[THREAT DETECTED: CLASS - CHIMERIC BEHEMOTH]
[SUGGESTED RESPONSE: KILL OR BE KILLED]
[ACTIVATING COMBAT PROTOCOL: INSTINCT MODE]
Kiel's vision sharpened instantly. His hearing stretched far past human range. Time seemed to slow, or maybe his brain was just processing everything faster. The beast lunged, and Kiel—without thinking—moved.
He ducked, rolled, and leapt away like an animal. His body responded faster than his mind.
I didn't train for this. I've never even thrown a punch.
Yet here he was, weaving through the chimera's swipes like a blur, his feet pounding the crater wall before flipping back down. Merren watched in frozen shock as Kiel moved like a veteran predator.
[INSTINCT MODE: ACTIVE]
[NEW TRAIT ACQUIRED FROM FIRST BINDING: "Void Reflexes" - Temporarily boost agility and reaction time under threat.]
The chimera roared again, frustrated. Kiel's heart pounded, his veins thrumming with something hot and electric.
Then the system's voice whispered again:
[NEARBY ORGANIC THREAT POSSESSES VALUABLE GENETIC MATERIAL]
[TARGET: CHIMERIC BEHEMOTH – MULTIPLE BEAST TRAITS DETECTED]
[INITIATE ABSORPTION UPON DEATH.]
"Big talk," Kiel muttered, side-stepping another claw strike. "But how the hell do I kill that?"
The beast lunged—mouth open, full of spinning bone-drills for teeth.
Kiel threw himself sideways and grabbed a broken spear from the debris. He wasn't strong, but his muscles felt denser, coiled like springs.
He launched himself forward, dodging beneath the chimera's massive arm, and plunged the spear deep into the soft underbelly of the beast—just above where its ribs ended.
Blood like black tar sprayed out, and the monster shrieked.
Kiel didn't stop.
He drove the spear deeper, crawling under its thrashing limbs, stabbing again and again as his body moved on auto-pilot, driven by primal instinct.
[CRITICAL STRIKE DETECTED]
[WEAK POINT EXPLOITED]
[TARGET VITALITY: 24% … 12% … 0%]
[ABSORPTION INITIATED.]
The chimera collapsed.
And Kiel dropped with it.
Then came the pain.
Again.
[ABSORBING TRAITS...]
— "Chitinous Armor" – minor physical resistance boost
— "Ironbone Claws" – increases penetration and durability
— "Adaptive Muscle Strands" – 10% strength increase
[HOST LIMIT: 3 TRAITS]
[SELECT TRAITS TO EQUIP.]
Kiel gasped, chest heaving. The choices pulsed before his eyes like a HUD only he could see.
"Ironbone Claws… Adaptive Muscles… Chitin Armor…" he whispered.
He selected all three.
[CONFIRMED.]
[CURRENT EVOLUTIONARY FORM: Primal Predator v0.2]
[WARNING: INSTABILITY AT 12%. SYMPTOMS: Low risk of hallucination.]
His body ached, but he could feel it now — raw power coursing through his limbs. His fingernails hardened into sharp, dark talons. His muscles bulged slightly. His skin prickled with something under the surface, like hardened plates waiting to burst forth.
Merren approached him slowly, wide-eyed.
"What the hell are you?" she whispered.
Kiel turned to her. His pupils were slitted. His voice, raspier than before.
"I… don't know yet."
She took a step back.
A soft chime rang in Kiel's head again.
[FIRST KILL RECORDED]
[NEW QUEST UNLOCKED: "The Food Chain Begins"]
Objective: Kill 10 unique beast species to unlock Apex Evolution Tier 1.
Progress: 1/10
Kiel looked down at his claws, then at the chimera's remains, already turning to ash.
He didn't feel guilt.
He felt hungry.