Night did not fall all at once.
It seeped into Whispering Vale like ink through cloth, darkening edges first, then swallowing depth. Colors drained into muted blues and greys, and the forest's whispers shifted in tone—less curious now, more deliberate.
Evan felt it immediately.
Not fear.
Need.
Hunger Notification
Status: Mild
Effect: −5% Stamina Regeneration
Time to Escalation: 2 hours
He exhaled slowly through his nose.
"So that's how you get me," he murmured.
He had burned calories running, fighting, bleeding. The system tracked it all with indifferent precision. HP regenerated. Stamina recovered. Hunger did neither.
He moved while there was still light enough to read the ground.
The vale narrowed again, stone pressing closer, trees leaning inward as if drawn by gravity rather than growth. The stream fractured into smaller rivulets, some vanishing beneath rock, others pooling briefly before continuing on. Good sign. Animals followed water.
Predator's Focus hummed at the edge of his perception, a subtle tightening of awareness. Sounds sorted themselves—wind, leaf, insect—until one didn't belong.
A soft rustle.
Too rhythmic for wind.
Evan crouched, easing himself behind a fallen log, and waited.
Seconds stretched. The hunger timer ticked down, unseen but felt.
Then it emerged.
A long-bodied creature slithered from the brush, scales dull green and brown, its movement smooth but unhurried. No sparks. No shadows. Just muscle and hunger.
Creekscale Serpent – Level 2
Disposition: Neutral (Provoked if Approached)
"Neutral," Evan whispered. "Lucky me."
He studied it. The serpent nosed along the bank, tongue flicking, unaware of him. It was thick enough to be meat for days if he didn't waste it. Risk versus reward, calculated without romance.
He checked his stats.
HP: 41 / 100
Stamina: 71 / 100
Sword Durability: 12 / 40
He could afford a fight.
Barely.
Evan picked up a fist-sized stone and tossed it wide, letting it clatter loudly against rock. The serpent's head snapped toward the sound, body coiling instinctively.
He moved the opposite direction, closing distance fast and low.
Predator's Focus activated fully now, the world narrowing into angles and timing. The serpent reacted late—too late—as Evan brought the blade down behind its head.
Not a clean kill.
The serpent thrashed violently, tail whipping, scales scraping stone. Evan rode the motion, teeth clenched, muscles screaming as he forced the blade deeper and twisted.
HP: 41 → 38
Stamina: 71 → 52
Finally, the body went slack.
ENTITY SLAIN
Creekscale Serpent – Level 2
EXP Gained: 90
Butchery Possible
Evan didn't celebrate.
He dragged the body away from the water, hands already working. Another interface opened, this one clinical and blunt.
Butchery Check
Success Chance: 68%
"Come on," he muttered.
SUCCESS
Meat Acquired: Creekscale Flesh (Raw) x4
Hide Acquired: Scaled Hide (Poor)
Waste Generated: Minimal
He sat back on his heels, breathing hard, hands slick with blood that steamed faintly in the cooling air.
Hunger Status: Stable (Pending Consumption)
Numbers again. Always numbers.
He needed fire.
The forest reluctantly provided—dry bark beneath fallen stone, resinous twigs snapped from deadfall. It took time. Time he spent glancing over his shoulder, every sound now a possible approach.
Fire Start Attempt…
SUCCESS
The flames were small, cautious, like they didn't trust him either.
Evan cooked the meat on sharpened sticks, turning it slowly, ignoring the ache in his leg and the dull throb behind his eyes. The smell was rich, unfamiliar, grounding.
He ate without ceremony.
CONSUMPTION COMPLETE
Hunger: RESOLVED
Temporary Buff: Well-Fed (+5% Endurance Regen for 1 hour)
Warmth settled into his gut. Strength followed.
He leaned back against stone, eyes on the fire, and for the first time since logging in, allowed himself to stop moving.
That was when the system spoke again.
HIDDEN SYSTEM UPDATE
Mark of Interest: ESCALATED
Observer Count: INCREASED
Evan did not look up.
"Yeah," he said quietly. "I figured."
The fire crackled. Shadows danced against the rock face, stretching into shapes that looked almost deliberate.
He was no longer just surviving.
He was being evaluated.
Evan wiped his blade clean, checked his remaining meat, and doused the fire until only embers remained. No sense advertising.
As he lay back, eyes half-lidded but alert, one thought settled in with absolute clarity:
If the system was watching, then so was he.
And next time, he intended to choose the terrain, the timing, and the cost.
Sleep came light and fractured.
But Evan Cole slept like a man who had learned the math of hunger.
And planned to exploit it.