Aethryon looked at the notification in surprise.
"So this is how points are earned…" he thought.
Once again, the system gave no response. The same silence remained. But Aethryon didn't bother with it anymore. By now, he had already realized that the system didn't possess any kind of consciousness.
At the very least, he had learned something important.
There was a way to gain points.
This realization filled the small snake with a strange sense of determination. If this was how points were earned, then the answer was simple.
Hunting.
Just thinking about it was enough to excite Aethryon. Even though his stomach was already full, eating a little more wouldn't hurt.
With that thought, Aethryon began hunting again. However, even though he was a Spirit Beast, he didn't fully understand the limits of his own strength. Because of this, he decided to act cautiously.
Along the way, he encountered several groups of mice, but he didn't approach them. Killing a single mouse was easy, but dealing with several of them at once could be risky especially with such a tiny body.
So Aethryon patiently moved forward, waiting for opportunities and targeting prey that was alone.
After about ten minutes, Aethryon finally found another one. It was a mouse wandering alone.
Without wasting any time, he used the exact same tactic as before. With his small but swift body, he moved forward, coiled around the mouse, and drove his venomous fangs into its skin.
Everything happened very quickly once again.
The mouse struggled for a few seconds, but the powerful venom soon took effect. Before long, its body went limp and completely still.
This time, eating the mouse was much faster. There were two reasons for that. First, this mouse was only about twelve centimeters long. Second, Aethryon wasn't eating slowly to enjoy the taste anymore. His goal now wasn't pleasure it was to hunt and grow stronger as quickly as possible. Because of that, he hurriedly swallowed every piece he could, trying not to waste time. Even so, for his tiny body it was still a long process, and finishing the meal took about an hour. But in the end, he immediately received his reward. The familiar system notification appeared in his mind once again.
[System Points +0.1]
Even though Aethryon already felt extremely full, the excitement inside him was still stronger. Because of that, he kept hunting. One more… then another… and another. The small snake spent the entire day hunting without stopping.
By the time the sun began to set, he had eaten a total of ten mice that day.
His stomach now felt like it was about to burst. His tiny body wasn't used to holding so much food. Because of that, he decided that moving around any more wouldn't be a good idea.
Looking around for a place to rest, he noticed a small hollow between the roots of a tree. He quickly slithered inside and coiled his body comfortably.
Sometimes, being small had its advantages.
When Aethryon opened his eyes the next morning, the very first thing he did was open the system panel. In the very first seconds of the day, the familiar screen appeared within his mind.
[System Points: 1]
The small snake stared at the number for a few seconds. He thought about the mice he had hunted the day before. It seemed that all of them together had amounted to exactly this.
One point.
It wasn't a large number, but it was still better than zero.
However, the system points weren't the only thing that had changed on the panel. When Aethryon looked more carefully, he noticed another difference.
A small "+" symbol had appeared next to the Cultivation section.
The tiny snake stared at the symbol for a few seconds. It wasn't difficult to guess what it meant. Most likely, it indicated that he could increase his cultivation.
"So the points aren't only for the shop…" he thought.
It seemed that system points could also be used to increase his strength.
Without thinking for even a moment, Aethryon pressed the "+" symbol. After all, he had nothing to lose. With only 1 point, he couldn't buy anything from the System Shop anyway.
The panel immediately reacted.
[System Points: 1 → 0]
[Cultivation: 1-Year Spirit Beast → 2-Year Spirit Beast]
At that moment, Aethryon felt a slight but noticeable change within his body. A thin stream of energy seemed to flow through him, and his muscles felt a little stronger than before.
The change wasn't dramatic, but it was real.
He was now a two-year spirit beast.
However, Aethryon had no intention of stopping here. Because of that, he continued hunting. The small snake moved patiently, hunting in a slow but steady manner. Each day, he targeted mice that wandered alone and avoided unnecessary risks.
This mouse hunting continued for nearly two weeks. The days began to blur together hunt, eat, then rest. With his tiny body, he slowly grew stronger and gained more experience with every passing day.
By the end of those two weeks, the total system points he had earned were:
[Total System Points: 14]
Without hesitation, Aethryon decided to spend all of his points on cultivation. At the moment, it was clearly the most logical choice. Without growing stronger, surviving in this forest for long would be impossible.
He repeatedly pressed the "+" symbol on the panel.
3… 4… 5… 7… 9…
Each time, he felt a slight increase in strength within his body. His muscles grew stronger, and the venom within his fangs felt a little more potent.
Finally, the system updated once again.
[Cultivation: 10-Year Spirit Beast]
Aethryon had now become a 10-year Datura Snake.
His body length had reached nearly twenty centimeters, and he looked far more muscular and solid than before. His scales were more defined, and his movements had become faster and more controlled.
Just as Aethryon was about to spend the remaining 4 points, a notification suddenly appeared from the system.
[Congratulations, Host. You have become a 10-Year Spirit Beast.]
[From this point onward, each level increase will require 3 points.]
"…"
Aethryon remained silent for a few seconds.
Then he grumbled inwardly.
"I wish you'd never speak… the world would be a better place for me."
Naturally, the system gave no response.
After thinking for a moment, Aethryon decided to save the remaining 4 points for later. It seemed smarter to accumulate more before spending them.
Then the small snake looked around the forest.
"Looks like the mouse hunting ends here…" he thought.
For a ten-centimeter snake, mice were a good start. But now he was a twenty-centimeter spirit beast. Continuing to hunt the same prey didn't feel very impressive anymore.
"I need to find stronger prey."
He paused for a moment before adding another thought.
"…preferably something that doesn't try to eat me first."