One day passed.
Lin Feng did not wake.
The tunnel remained silent, filled only with the cold scent of iron and dried blood.
Half a day later, his claws twitched.
On the second day, his eyes slowly opened.
Darkness greeted him.
And the bodies.
He lay surrounded by Iron Shoulder Ant corpses — piled beneath him, beside him, forming a twisted graveyard of broken exoskeletons.
For a moment he did not move.
Memories returned.
The waves.
The crushing weight.
Ribs breaking.
Suffocating pressure.
He looked down at his body.
No shattered ribs.
No deep puncture wounds.
Only faint scars beneath thickened scales.
His golden eyes narrowed.
"How did I recover this fast…?"
The system responded calmly.
> [Because Host possesses the Bloodline of the Primordial Dragon God.]
> [Host's regenerative ability surpasses creatures of the same rank.]
Lin Feng fell silent.
So it wasn't just durability.
It was bloodline advantage.
He slowly stood.
The corpses shifted beneath him with heavy scraping sounds.
"System. How many Scale Points do I have?"
> [By killing 100 Iron Shoulder Ants, Host earned 256 Scale Points.]
> [Total Scale Points: 562.]
His pupils contracted slightly.
"Five hundred sixty-two…"
More than enough for future evolution.
"Just need to kill a boss… and reach Level 20."
His gaze shifted toward the piles of corpses.
A buffet of experience.
He stepped forward and bit into one.
The metallic taste returned instantly.
Dry.
Bitter.
Like chewing rusted stone.
His eyes narrowed.
"I don't care about the taste anymore."
His jaw tightened.
"If I want power… if I want to protect myself… I need to endure this much."
He tore off another chunk.
Then another.
He stopped counting.
One.
Two.
Ten.
The energy built slowly at first — then violently.
Heat surged through his core.
His muscles locked.
His jaw opened in a silent roar as his neck elongated.
His body stretched further.
Four feet.
Then nearly five.
The tunnel that once felt wide now pressed closer around him.
Minutes passed like hours.
Finally his muscles locked.
The glow faded completely.
The energy still pulsed inside him — unfinished.
And then—
He collapsed again.
A day and a half passed.
When Lin Feng opened his eyes once more, everything felt different.
He moved.
The sound of scales dragging against stone was heavier.
He slowly stood.
The tunnel felt smaller now.
His body was nearly five feet long.
His claws were thicker.
Sharper.
When he flexed them, they dug effortlessly into rock.
Spikes lined his spine from neck to tail — dark and solid like forged steel.
His muscles felt compressed powerfully beneath reinforced scales.
He was heavier.
Denser.
Stronger.
"System," he said calmly. "What happened to my body?"
> [Stored energy satisfied Minor Body Transformation function.]
> [Host's physical structure enhanced.]
He inhaled slowly.
"Open my status."
The panel appeared.
> **Name:** Lin Feng
> **Level:** 15
> **Rank:** Feral
> **Race:** Normal Lizard
> **Talent:**
> - Devour (Transcendent)
> - Hardened Scale (rare)
> **Attributes:**
> - Strength: 36
> - Agility: 28
> - Defense: 30
> - Mana: 15
> **Skills:**
> - Spirit Eye – Lv 3 (21%)
> - Venom Bite – Lv 4 (57%)
> - Spark-Sight – Lv 2 (18%)
> - Poison Resistance – Lv 4 (10%)
Level 15.
Strength 36.
Defense 30.
His lips curled upward automatically.
A slow smirk formed.
The wolves above the forest floor still believed him to be prey.
Still believed him to be weak.
His golden eyes gleamed coldly in the darkness.
"Now…"
He turned toward the upper tunnels.
"…it's time to hunt the wolves."