Titan spent the next several hours stalking through the undergrowth, his golden eyes locked onto the strange, elemental creatures that roamed the jungle. He moved with careful precision, his body still as a stone, but his mind worked tirelessly. He needed to understand these beasts—their habits, their weaknesses, and most importantly, how he could use them to his advantage. The magical creatures he had encountered before were clearly in a league above normal animals, their strange abilities giving them an edge he couldn't yet counter.

  A fire-tailed lizard basked atop a sun-warmed rock, its body radiating heat, the flickering fmes at its tail warning off potential threats. Not far off, a vine-covered panther prowled, its form blending seamlessly with the shifting shadows of the jungle floor. Titan’s cws flexed instinctively. He couldn’t fight these creatures head-on—not yet. But what if he didn’t have to?

  ‘If I can’t overpower them, I need to make them fight each other.’ The thought took root in his mind, but the challenge remained—how?

  He considered various possibilities: provoking one, luring another into the other's territory, maybe stealing from one and leaving a false trail to the other. The risk was high, but if he could pull it off, he might weaken one enough to have a chance.

  His first opportunity came when he spotted a stag, but electricity crackled through its antlers pulsing with wild energy as it grazed. Titan had never seen one before, and his curiosity piqued. He activated his skill.

  [Inspect: Thunderhorn Stag (D): Lvl 5]

  He crouched lower. Nearby, a serpent that seemed to be made out of a block of ice coiled near a shimmering pool, the air around it misting as it absorbed the chill. Two creatures, two elements—opposing forces. Titan analyzed the terrain. If he could startle the stag into charging the serpent, the two might csh. He slowly picked up a loose stone with his teeth, inching forward before flicking his head and sending it tumbling into the brush near the stag.

  The creature’s ears flicked up. It let out a warning snort, stamping a hoof. The serpent uncoiled slightly, its tongue flickering to taste the air. Titan held his breath. If this worked—

  A sudden gust of wind rustled the foliage, and Titan felt a surge of pressure in the air. A massive, blurred shape dropped from above, smming into the jungle floor only a few yards away.

  [Inspect: Ironhide Monitor (E-): Lvl 6]

  Titan’s fur bristled. The beast was nearly twice his size, its thick, armor-like scales glinting beneath the dappled sunlight. A juggernaut lizard type. Worse, its dark eyes locked onto him immediately.

  [New Mission: Overcome the Odds!] [Objective: Defeat your opponent] [Reward: New Skill - Crunch, +3 vitality, +35 XP]

  Titan barely had time to react before the monitor lunged. He sprang sideways, the ground shaking as the creature’s powerful limbs smmed down where he had stood. Its cws raked through the dirt, inches from his tail. Titan scrambled onto a root, his smaller size his only advantage.

  [Rake!]

  His cws scraped across the monitor’s hide but barely left a mark. The beast swung its tail like a hammer, catching Titan in the ribs.

  [-5 HP]

  Pain fred through his side as he tumbled, but he forced himself back to his feet. He couldn’t trade blows with this thing—he had to fight smart. As the monitor lunged again, he feinted right, then sprang left, aiming for its eyes.

  [Rake!]

  The monitor jerked its head just time, smming into him. The force of the blow sending him crashing into the dirt.

  [-4 HP]

  Titan gasped for breath. He couldn’t afford another hit like that. He had to think—had to find an opening. Then he saw it, the creature’s exposed throat. Titan tried to use his predatory roar ability, but the monitor was unaffected by it. It growled in response of the challenge, its body tensing for another strike.

  Desperation drove him forward. He lunged, swiping his cwed paw across the soft flesh beneath its jaw.

  [Target afflicted with bleed!: Takes 5 damage over 5 seconds]

  The monitor now looked panicked, blood gushed from its throat, but was not deep enough for an insta-kill. It circled around Titan much more cautiously waiting for the right time to strike. Titan prowled in a circle with it keeping his guard up waiting for a chance to counter. The bleed effect ended, the monitor dizzy on its feet lunged at Titan. He leapt out of the way and ricocheted back at the monitor closing his teeth around its neck. He cmped down and shook his head violently. The monitor frantically tried to escape and yanked as well until a loud pop was heard, the monitor now y still.

  [50 exp]

  [Enemy Defeated: Ironhide Monitor (E-): Lvl 6, exp gained: 35, Vitality +3, New Skill Unlocked: Crunch][Crunch: A powerful bite attack that can fracture bone and has an armor piercing effect.][Piercing Effect: Ignores a percentage of targets armor/defense. Amount increases with skill rank]

  [Level up! +1 to primary attributes, +3 stat points]

  A rush of raw strength surged through him. He clenched his jaw harder.

  Titan staggered back, panting. His body hurt, he took more than half his total health in damage, but he had done it. He could feel his combat prowess advancing, he was becoming a warrior, he was growing.

  ‘Is this what evolution feels like?’

  He gnced at his bloodied paws, feeling the slow, creeping rise of power within him. It wasn’t enough. He needed more. He turned to the system.

  "Allocate a stat point into defense, endurance, and perception."

  Titan exhaled sharply. Now that the thrill of combat has ended, he didn't realize just how hurt he was.

  'Maybe after my meal its better to y low for the rest of the day and try to heal up.' He thought before lowering his head to sink his fangs into his fallen prey.

  [Inspect Skill has leveled up!] [Inspect II: Now provides more detailed information about creatures.]

  As he fed, the distant roar of another predator echoed through the jungle. Titan’s ears perked. Another challenge echoed throughout the jungle but he would have to return when he was ready, every movement sent sharp pain ncing through his ribs. His breathing was shallow, each inhale fring pain through his bruised side. He went looking for a pce to recover in solitude.

  Moving was agony. Every step was careful, calcuted. He didn't want to run unless he had to, he felt like he couldn't afford another fight either. He kept his body low, weaving through the jungle as he searched for a den, a hollowed tree, anywhere to hide. Eventually, he found a small cavern nestled within a tangle of roots. It smelled faintly of old bones, but no fresh scent of a predator. He forced himself inside, wincing as he curled up, his ribs aching with each motion.

  Time passed in slow agony. The first day, he could barely move, his body screaming in protest. He barely left the cave, only to get his fill of water before drifting back off to sleep, his only comfort. Drifting in and out of a haze as his body worked to heal itself. Hunger gnawed at him, but he cked the strength to hunt. By the second day, the pain had dulled to a deep, lingering throb. He tested his legs, stretching cautiously. He was still sore, but the system noted he had returned to full health.

  _____________________________________________________________________________________________

  Level: 4/10

  HP: 20/20Strength: 10Defense: 6Agility: 10Charisma: 9Wisdom: 6Intelligence: 5Perception: 7Tenacity: 7Endurance: 7Vitality: 10