Titan’s body drifted with the river’s current, exhaustion creeping into his limbs as the adrenaline of his narrow escape wore off. He paddled weakly, his cub-sized paws barely keeping him afloat. His newly gained endurance point had given him a small boost, but it wasn’t enough to quell the hunger gnawing at his belly. His ribs ached with each breath, his small frame craving sustenance.

  After what felt like hours, the riverbank shallowed, and Titan cmbered onto solid ground, his wet fur clinging to his frame. His white coat was a stark contrast against the jungle’s deep shadows. He panted, ears flicking at every sound as he briefly shivered in the jungle heat. His sensitive hearing picked up the distant scurrying of small creatures and the ever-present hum of insects. None of those sounds interested him for the moment, the only sound that mattered was the growling of his empty stomach.

  His stomach twisted painfully, the hunger pangs sharp and unrelenting. He had never experienced true starvation before; on Earth food had been a guarantee. Now, every bite would have to be fought for and the realization was both daunting and motivating.

  Titan lowered himself into a crouch, ears alert, nostrils fring as he scented the air. His nose twitched sporadically as it searched the area for prey. Titan was amazed how much his sense of smell had changed from when he was a human, it was as if he could actually "see" trails of the scents and which to follow. The scent he was currently following was faint, but the musky scent of fur and earth reached him from the underbrush. He moved forward, keeping his body low to the ground, but his bright white coat made hiding nearly impossible. His natural camoufge, meant for snowy terrain, was a hindrance in this deep jungle where everything was cloaked in shades of green and bck.

  He spotted his target several minutes, a rodent-like creature, twice the size of a rabbit, with sleek brown fur and rge, twitching ears. It was foraging, unaware of the predator creeping toward it. Titan’s muscles tensed as he prepared to pounce. His instincts screamed at him to go for the throat, to secure a quick kill.

  He lunged.

  His paws barely touched the creature before it squealed and bolted. Titan snarled in frustration, giving chase, but his bright fur made him an easy target. The rodent zigzagged through the underbrush, and Titan struggled to keep up. Titan feared for his life, if he couldn't defeat an animal he considered prey, he would probably starve to death. He pushed forward, his breath coming in harsh pants, but his prey was slipping away.

  'No. You wont escape me!' He yelled internally refusing to lose.

  With a desperate surge, he leapt again, cws extended.

  [Rake!]

  His cws sshed across the rodent’s fnk, drawing blood. The creature screeched and stumbled, but it wasn’t enough to kill and it hadn't inflicted the bleed debuff on it either. It twisted, baring sharp, yellowed incisors, and lunged at him. Titan barely dodged, his small frame rolling across the damp ground. Even a mere rodent in Myrastia could fight back and he wasn’t strong enough to make mistakes, the rodent was nearly his size. His mind raced, he needed an opening.

  His tail flicked out instinctively, sweeping a small cloud of dirt into the creature’s face. The rodent flinched, its vision momentarily obscured. That was his chance.

  Titan followed up with a bite, his small but sharp teeth sinking into its neck. The creature thrashed, its squeals high-pitched and panicked. Blood filled Titan’s mouth, warm and metallic, unlike anything he had ever tasted. It was wild, primal, and oddly satisfying. He hadn’t expected to enjoy it, but the rich taste awakened something in him. It was real food, unprocessed, untouched, and it was his. He dug is sharp cws into the creatures fnk further restraining the creature as he bit down even harder.

  The violent struggle sted mere moments before the rodent went still. Titan released his grip, panting. His heart pounded, but beneath the exhaustion was an undeniable sense of victory.

  [Enemy Defeated: Jungle Duskrat (F-): Lvl 2]

  [XP Gained: 5]

  A surge of warmth flooded his body, not physical but something deeper. He could feel the experience settling into him, making him just slightly stronger. He felt alive, his heart pounded in his throat, the thrill of combat, a world of survival. He was still scared, but felt that he belonged in this world. There was no time to dwell on the sensation, his hunger gnawed at his insides. He could finally satisfy it, he savagely tore into the carcass, his body acting on instinct.

  The meat was tough and gamey, but the fvors exploded across his tongue in ways he hadn’t expected. It was richer than anything he had ever eaten, full of depth, an untamed taste of the world he was now part of. Each bite sent warmth coursing through his body, his senses sharpening as his hunger faded. He devoured it quickly, gulping down every morsel as though afraid something would come to steal it. His stomach, though still yearning for more, finally stopped aching.

  As he licked his bloody muzzle, he knew this was only the beginning. One meal would not be enough. He needed more, his keen eyes scanned the jungle canopy, spotting the silhouettes of birds nesting in the high branches. Their eggs would be an easy meal, if he could reach them.

  'Cats climb trees,' he thought.

  Titan leapt onto the trunk of a thick tree, his cws sinking into the rough bark. Climbing was more difficult than he expected; his young muscles trembled as he pulled himself higher, each movement requiring precision. He slipped once, nearly losing his grip, but his desire for food kept him going. As he neared a low-hanging nest, the scent of fresh eggs filled his nose, making his mouth water.

  Just as he reached for an egg, a furious screech pierced the air. A rge bird swooped, its sharp talons gleaming, dove at him. Titan barely managed to cling to the trunk as the bird attacked, its beak snapping dangerously close to his face.

  [Inspect][Jungle Raptor (F+): Lvl 3

  "I have skills too!" He shouted at the bird.

  He let out a fierce growl, [Predatory Roar]. Or at least, that was what it was supposed to be. Instead, a small, high-pitched yowl escaped his throat. The bird hesitated, then seemed to hesitate, now more wary of it foe.

  Titan couldn’t help but ugh at himself, despite the danger. “That was pathetic,” he muttered.

  Taking advantage of the bird’s brief pause, he tried to shed out with his rake ability, but his cws were just out of reach of the raptor’s wing. It shrieked and fpped wildly, but Titan used as much strength as he could muster and leapt from the tree. Using his tail for bance, he soared through the air and managed to sink his cws into the bird's wings. The two plummeted towards the forest floor.

  [-5 Hp]

  A sickening crunch had come from the bird's body as it collided with the ground.

  "Ouch! Good thing the raptor took the majority of the damage or I might of died." He adjusted himself before sinking his teeth into its neck. The bird struggled, but it was too injured and Titan too strong. With a final, violent shake of the head, the bird's neck snapped, the raptor stilled.

  [Enemy Defeated: Jungle Raptor (F+)]

  [XP Gained: 15]

  [Level Up!][+1 to primary stats, + 3 stat points]

  A rush of energy filled his body making him feel empowered, a feeling he knew would get addicted to. He felt his muscles firm slightly, it seemed his strength, agility, and charisma had all increased by one point, and had three unallocated stat points to use ter.

  After devouring the bird, Titan took his time reaching the nest. When he finally arrived, he carefully rolled an egg onto his tongue before crunching down. The taste was incredible; rich, creamy, and full of warmth. He made quick work of the remaining eggs before descending the tree, feeling victorious.

  Now he needed a pce to sleep, he was injured and it had been an exhausting day.

  'Its probably going to get dark soon and I do not want to be out here when it happens. First I should allocated my stats so I don't waste them in case I get ambushed. "System, stats."

  Level 2:

  HP: 5/10Strength: 8Defense: 3 Agility: 8Charisma: 7Wisdom: 5Intelligence: 4Perception: 6Tenacity: 5 Endurance: 4Vitality: 5

  'I can rule out increasing tenacity for the moment since I haven't encountered any magic damage or status effects, vitality is probably a given. I should probably increase my defense just a little since I took so much fall damage. I should probably upgrade my wisdom so my ability cooldowns decrease.'

  With the allocation settled he began wandering through the jungle, in search of a shelter. A fallen tree with a hollow base caught his eye. It smelled dry, safe. Curling up inside, Titan let out a satisfied sigh. He had survived another day. And tomorrow, he would be even stronger.

  ____________________________________________________________________________________________

  Level: 2/10

  HP: 7/12Strength: 8Defense: 4 Agility: 8Charisma: 7Wisdom: 6Intelligence: 4Perception: 6Tenacity: 5 Endurance: 4Vitality: 6