97 out of 100.
The number was a constant, thrilling drumbeat in Adam's mind. He was so close he could almost taste the evolution, a sensation he imagined would be like the world snapping into sharper focus.
His Acute Smell guided him through the tunnels, a mental map painted in odors. He bypassed the faint, acidic trail of Glow-Pedes and the musky scent of a Fang-Rat from a parallel tunnel.
He needed something specific, something that would grant him the final, precious points without a protracted, dangerous fight.
His forked tongue flicked out, sampling the air, and he found it: the rich, earthy, and utterly familiar scent of a Dungeon Dung Beetle. It was close. A mere 3 EP. That was all he needed.
"Perfect. One last takeout order, and then it's upgrade time," he thought, a giddy excitement cutting through his usual caution.
He slid silently around a corner, his dark scales blending with the stone. There it was, its iridescent blue carapace gleaming under a patch of fungi, pushing its prized ball. It was Level 1. A complete non-threat.
This was his mistake. Overconfidence, the classic killer. He was so focused on the beetle, on the finish line, that he neglected his surroundings. He didn't notice the subtle shift in the air currents, the way the smaller insects in the area had fallen silent.
He moved in for the routine takedown. But just as he coiled to strike, a shadow fell over him.
A shrill, chittering screech echoed through the tunnel, so loud it felt physical. From an alcove high above, a creature dropped. It was the beetle's natural predator, and now, it saw Adam as competition—or a more interesting meal.
It was a Giant Cave Mantis (Lvl 7). It stood on four spindly, barbed legs, its two massive, scythe-like forelimbs raised and clicking. Its triangular head swiveled, large, compound eyes locking onto Adam with chilling intensity. It was a full level higher than the Crystalfang Serpent, and built for one thing: swift, dismembering kills.
"OH, YOU HAVE GOT TO BE KIDDING ME! A BODYGUARD BEETLE?!" Adam's mind screamed in a frenzy of panic and sheer indignation. "My luck is not just bad, it's creatively malicious!"
The mantis was between him and the beetle. There was no time for strategy. The mantis lunged, its scythes whistling through the air. Adam threw himself backward, the sharp tip of a claw grazing his side. A searing pain flared.
[ Health: 14/20 ]
"One hit! It took off a chunk of my health in one hit!"
He was the prey now. The hunter had become the hunted. The mantis was faster, stronger, and its reach was terrifying. Adam dodged and weaved, his Agility the only thing keeping him in one piece. He tried to strike at its legs, but his fangs glanced off the hard, chitinous armor. His venom was useless if he couldn't pierce its shell.
"Think, Adam, THINK! You're not stronger, you're not faster. What are you?!"
The mantis pressed its attack, herding him toward a dead end in the tunnel. Its scythes slammed down, and Adam barely slithered out of the way. The impact chipped the stone floor.
"I'm smarter! I have to be!"
His eyes darted around, desperately searching for anything—a weakness, an environmental advantage. Then he saw it. The mantis, in its aggressive advance, had positioned itself directly beneath a large, heavy-looking stalactite. It was the same cruel geometry of his bad luck, but this time, he could use it.
It was a insane gamble. But it was all he had.
He stopped retreating. He reared up, hissing, making himself look like a bigger, more threatening target. The mantis, predictably, took the bait and raised its scythes high for a final, crushing blow.
"Now!"
As the scythes started their descent, Adam didn't dodge sideways. He used every point of his Agility to launch himself forward, directly between the mantis's legs. It was a move so suicidal the mantis hadn't anticipated it. He slid through the forest of spiny legs, the world a blur of chitin and shadow.
The mantis, committed to its strike, brought its scythes down with tremendous force onto the empty space where Adam had been. The impact was jarring, a solid THWACK against the stone floor.
And above, the vibration was just enough.
There was a sharp crack.
The Giant Cave Mantis had just enough time to look up before the three-foot-long stalactite broke free and plunged down, spear-like, directly through its thorax, pinning it to the ground. The creature let out a horrific, gurgling shriek, its limbs flailing uselessly.
Adam didn't hesitate. He spun around, coiled up the dying creature's body, and delivered a final, vengeful bite to its vulnerable neck joint, ensuring the kill.
[ Defeated: Giant Cave Mantis (Lvl 7) ]
[ EP Gained: 30 ]
[ EP to Next Level: 15/30 ]
[ Total Evolution Points: 127/100 ]
[ Ding! Evolution Available! ]
The messages flashed before his eyes, but Adam was too busy breathing, his body trembling from adrenaline and relief. He had done it. Using his environment, his wits, and his own cursed luck against a superior foe, he had won.
"I... I did it," he panted, the reality sinking in. "I actually did it."
He consumed the mantis, the tough meat yielding a satisfying boost.
[ You have consumed a Giant Cave Mantis. ]
[ Strength +1 ]
[ Agility +1 ]
[ Skill Fragment Acquired: Scything Claw (0.5/1.0) ]
But all of that was secondary. His entire being was focused on one, glowing, monumental notification.
[ Evolution Available! ]