The rat's corpse was gone by morning.
Not because it rotted away, but because the lizard had stripped it clean—bones, fur, flesh, all devoured in a frenzy of hunger. Even with his belly swollen, he didn't feel satisfied. The ache in his gut lingered, gnawing constantly.
It wasn't human hunger. It wasn't the emptiness of skipping a meal. It was primal, monstrous, endless.
It was instinct.
Feed. Kill. Evolve.
The words echoed in his mind with every breath.
He dragged his body through the cavern, his claws scratching faintly against stone. His tail swished low, balancing his awkward movements. He had no time to sit still. The dungeon was alive, and every noise whispered danger.
Squeaks of unseen rodents. Buzzing of insects. The low growl of something larger, deeper in the tunnels.
This place is a pit. A pit of predators. And right now… I'm at the bottom.
The thought made his chest tighten, but it also lit a fire in him.
No. I won't stay weak. If this dungeon thinks I'm just prey, then I'll prove it wrong.
His tongue flicked instinctively, tasting the air. A sharp, bitter tang hit his senses. Prey. Small. Close.
He crept toward a faint glow. A cluster of pale-blue mushrooms clung to the cavern wall, their light spilling across the floor. Dozens of insects—cave beetles the size of his claws—were crawling across them, gnawing on the fungus. Their hard shells gleamed faintly.
The lizard's stomach growled.
They're weak. Perfect.
He crouched low, tail twitching. Muscles tensed. His eyes locked on the nearest beetle.
He pounced.
Jaws snapped shut around the insect, crunching its shell. Bitter fluid spilled onto his tongue. The beetle twitched, then went limp. He chewed and swallowed greedily.
The other beetles scattered, their tiny legs clicking across stone. The lizard lunged again, claws swiping, tail slamming. He crushed two more, devouring them in messy gulps.
It wasn't glorious. It wasn't filling. But it was survival.
---
[You have consumed Cave Beetle.]
[Minor Stamina restored.]
[Evolution Path: 1.2% unlocked.]
---
The message burned into his mind, sharp and undeniable.
Again… this world has rules. A system. Every kill, every meal pushes me forward.
He licked his snout, savoring the bitter taste. For the first time since awakening, he felt almost steady.
But then—he heard it.
A wet, sloshing sound.
The lizard froze. His body stiffened, his tongue flicking rapidly. The air carried a sour, acidic tang that burned his senses.
From a crack in the wall, it emerged.
A slime.
Its body shimmered faintly in the mushroom light, a quivering blob of translucent green. Acid dripped from its form, sizzling as it touched the stone. It pulsed, almost alive, stretching tendrils of liquid as it slid forward.
The lizard's instincts screamed. Run. Hide. Escape.
But he clenched down on the panic.
No. If I run from everything stronger, I'll never grow. I killed a rat. I killed beetles. This thing… I can kill it too.
The slime quivered, as if sensing his challenge.
It lunged.
Slow, but relentless, its body splashed forward, leaving behind trails that hissed and ate into the stone.
The lizard darted sideways, claws scraping. The slime followed, sliding endlessly.
He circled carefully, eyes locked on its movements.
Then he struck.
His jaws clamped onto the slime's body, tearing off a chunk.
Agony exploded through his mouth.
His tongue, gums, and throat burned as acid poured into his flesh. He screeched, thrashing wildly, spitting out the slime chunk. Smoke rose from his jaws, scales bubbling.
Damn it! My bite… doesn't work!
The slime pulsed. A tendril whipped out, wrapping around his foreleg. Acid burned into his scales instantly. He shrieked, clawing frantically.
No no no! If I let this thing cover me, I'm dead!
Desperation sharpened his mind.
The walls. The rocks. Crush it.
He slammed his body sideways, smashing the slime against the cavern wall. Acid splattered, stinging his skin, but he didn't stop. Again. And again. Each slam made the slime quiver violently, its form distorting.
Finally, with one last smash, the slime lost shape completely, collapsing into a bubbling puddle that hissed weakly before going still.
The lizard collapsed beside it, panting heavily. Pain radiated across his body—burns, blisters, wounds. He could smell his own flesh sizzling faintly.
Damn… I almost died. Just one slime, and I was nearly nothing but bones.
Then the light came.
---
[You have slain Dungeon Slime.]
[Exp gained.]
[Skill awakened: Poison Resistance (Lv.1)]
[Evolution Path: 2.4% unlocked.]
---
He froze, blinking as the words echoed in his head.
Poison Resistance…? I gained a skill. Because I suffered through its acid. Because I survived. This body… it learns by pain. It adapts.
A laugh, broken and rasping, escaped him.
So that's it. This dungeon isn't just a cage. It's a forge. A place to break weaklings and sharpen survivors. If I can endure… I can grow.
His body trembled, exhausted. Yet hunger roared again. His eyes drifted to the slime's remains, the puddle of half-dissolved goo.
Disgust churned in his gut. But instinct was louder.
He crawled forward, lapping at the slime remains. The taste was bitter, acidic, revolting. It burned his tongue, but his stomach accepted it eagerly.
Strength trickled back into him. His wounds still ached, but faintly, his body was repairing.
And deep inside, something stirred.
A spark. A whisper.
Keep going. Feed. Fight. Evolve.
The lizard raised his head, eyes glinting in the mushroom light.
I may be weak now. A crawling beast, fighting rats and slimes for scraps. But if every battle, every bite makes me stronger… then I'll climb. Higher. Stronger. Until nothing can kill me.
His tail lashed against the stone.
I'll devour everything in this dungeon… and one day, I'll take the throne.
---