The rounded leaves layered one after another above the forest canopy, determined to monopolize all the sunlight, while the clawing vines also refused to be outdone, extending from all directions, intertwining and crossing in mid-air, looking exactly like a ball of yarn torn by a cat.
A strange beast's roar echoed from the dark forest, and as the sound dissipated, it cast a mysterious and dangerous veil over the forest.
Neva crawled cautiously through the bushes, vigilant of every corner around her.
The forest environment was far more complex than that of the cave.
Towering ancient trees, strangely shaped vegetation, and mysterious, unknown forest creatures—all of these brought an extreme sense of insecurity to her, a novice entering the forest for the first time.
The thought of her future life being a constant struggle for survival in the wilderness made her even more despondent.
Neva now regretted leaving the cave; compared to the cave, the surface might be the true hellish difficulty.
At least there were no creatures like Tugatos in the underground cave...
A slight rustle came from the grass ahead.
Neva stopped, carefully pushing aside the leaves covered in tiny prickles.
Not far from her, two insect-like creatures were fighting.
One resembled a praying mantis, with two pairs of metallic, sharp scythe blades and a jet-black exoskeleton.
The other looked like a black ant, its body covered in peculiar circular red patterns.
Species: Abyssal Worm
Tier: F (Low-Tier Life Form) (Data Rating: 2.5)
Magic Energy: 4
Soul Strength: 0.7
Abilities: Perception (1/10), Concealment (2/10), Bone Armor (1/10), Extreme Speed (1/10)
Resistance Abilities: Physical Resistance (1/10)
Title: None
---
Species: Red-Striped Ant
Tier: F (Low-Tier Life Form) (Data Rating: 2.3)
Magic Energy: 3
Soul Strength: 0.6
Abilities: Thought Web, Red Stripe Infestation (4/10), Corrosive Blood (1/10), Venomous Fangs (1/10), Bone Armor (2/10)
Title: None
After learning the information about these two creatures, Neva finally breathed a sigh of relief.
Monsters like Tugatos shouldn't be common; if all the monsters were that powerful, the forest's ecosystem would collapse, wouldn't it?
She was just unlucky to have encountered it.
This must be the fault of [Misfortune]!
She thought, as a matter of course.
Blaming [Misfortune] for bad luck was a bit irresponsible, but as an ability, [Misfortune] naturally couldn't object.
Perhaps it was psychological, but every time she thought this way, Neva felt much more relaxed.
The Abyssal Worm, resembling a mantis, swung its huge scythe blades at the Red-Striped Ant.
The Red-Striped Ant did not dodge; it used its thick carapace as a shield, blocking the Abyssal Worm's attack.
The massive scythe blades only left a shallow white mark on the Red-Striped Ant's body.
The Red-Striped Ant was not to be outdone; it opened its mouthparts and charged.
The Abyssal Worm dodged the attack in time and aimed its scythe blades at the joint of the Red-Striped Ant's leg.
This time, it succeeded; one of the Red-Striped Ant's legs broke, and viscous, glue-like blood gushed out, sticking to the Abyssal Worm's scythe blades.
The strange blood corroded a large hole in the Abyssal Worm's scythe blades, and the Abyssal Worm's movements suddenly became frantic.
The Red-Striped Ant seized the opportunity and bit into the Abyssal Worm's abdomen.
The Abyssal Worm began to struggle violently but soon stopped moving.
The Red-Striped Ant let it go, intending to enjoy its spoils.
After watching the battle between the two, Neva prepared to leave.
Her injuries from fighting the mutated Worm earlier hadn't healed yet, and if she fought the Red-Striped Ant, whose entire body was covered in corrosive blood, she wouldn't gain any advantage.
For safety reasons, Neva decided not to snatch the Red-Striped Ant's food.
But just as Neva was about to turn and leave, something unexpected happened.
The Abyssal Worm, which had been lying on the ground, suddenly sprang up.
It used its fangs to bite into the unprotected neck crevice of the Red-Striped Ant.
The Red-Striped Ant struggled fiercely, constantly inflicting new injuries on the Abyssal Worm.
But the Abyssal Worm seemed not to care; even as corrosive blood flowed into its mouth, it did not release the Red-Striped Ant.
Ultimately, the Abyssal Worm ended the Red-Striped Ant's life with a slight advantage, though it itself was almost completely depleted.
Neva was also stunned by its move; this cunning Worm actually knew how to play dead!
Neva, who had originally planned to leave, now changed her mind!
Just as the Abyssal Worm thought everything was fine, a white shadow rushed out from the bushes.
Without giving the Abyssal Worm a chance to react, Neva swiftly used her forelimbs to sever its head.
The battle ended in an instant.
This was a classic case of the 'The snipe and the clam fight,The fisherman benefits' (the snipe and the clam fight, the fisherman profits).
[Killed Abyssal Worm, Evolution Value +1.1]
"Not bad. This is my first prey since coming to the surface. I wonder how it tastes?"
Saying this, Neva, who loved good food, took a bite.
Crunch, crunch...
Hmm...
The taste...
It was truly hard to describe, with a texture like tree bark.
Why was there also a sour, rotten smell like a garbage can?
Was there really no creature that tasted somewhat normal?
Neva complained discontentedly while chewing heartily.
After eating so many strange-tasting things for so long, Neva felt she might have gained some kind of resistance, enabling her to naturally stomach these disgusting things.
Could there be something wrong with her sense of taste?
The only good thing was that her picky eating habit had been completely cured.
Congratulations.
[Devoured Abyssal Worm, Evolution Value +0.3]
[Reached specified condition, Devouring Proficiency +1]
Proficiency increased again!
When her actions aligned with the characteristics of a certain ability and were maintained for a long time, the proficiency of the corresponding ability might increase.
Constantly running might increase the proficiency of [Extreme Speed], and constantly getting injured might increase the proficiency of [Healing].
Following this logic, she could also acquire certain abilities by performing specific types of actions.
Neva looked at her panel and found that her Evolution Value had once again reached 9.8.
After a brief thought, Neva decided to exchange for the [Venomous Fangs] ability.
After being stimulated by Tugatos, Neva realized that Evolution Value wasn't necessarily better the more she hoarded.
If she lacked sufficient strength, she might not even live to see the day of Evolution; she would already be dead.
As such a weak Worm, alone and helpless in the forest, if she didn't master more skills, she might inexplicably become nourishment for other creatures one day.
Wouldn't that be like 'earning money but not having the life to spend it'?
As for why she chose [Venomous Fangs], it was simply because venom was the most effective and direct weapon for self-preservation, and Venomous Fangs was also the only ability with offensive power that she could currently acquire.
[Do you choose to acquire ability: Venomous Fangs?]
"Yes!"
[Consumed 2 Evolution Value, ability "Venomous Fangs" acquired.]
Instantly, Neva felt an itch in her mouth, as if something extra had appeared; this should be the venom gland that stores venom!
At this moment, she felt like a child with a new toy, eager to try it out.
However, there was no prey here for her to experiment on.
Finally, she glanced at the Red-Striped Ant's corpse and decided to give up on it.
That thing was covered in corrosive blood; eating it would be like drinking sulfuric acid, as evidenced by the miserable state of the corroded Abyssal Worm.
This was her first time wasting food, but there was no other way.
Continuing to wander aimlessly through the jungle...
First, as a Worm with a deep obsession with housing, Neva felt she needed to find a safe, long-term dwelling place.
The sound of rushing water came from ahead.
Quickening her pace, she pushed aside the leaves obstructing her view and looked at the scene before her.
It was a clear stream, its swift currents crashing against pebbles, splashing up jade-like water droplets.
A water source meant an abundance of food.
Neva recalled the numerous pools she had seen in the underground cave, and the drops of water seeping from the cave ceiling.
It seemed the Gluttonous Worm Complete Form had also chosen to nest nearby because of the water source.
This was a good place to settle down!
Just as Neva was about to emerge from the grass, she saw a thick, long, shimmering strip-shaped object by the riverbank.
A snake-like creature, nearly ten meters long, covered in golden scales, lay lazily basking in the sun on the sandy bank.
Species: Golden Scaled Python
Tier: D (Medium Life Form) (Data Rating: 74)
Magic Energy: 65
Soul Strength: 2.5
Abilities: Intimidation (1/10), Mana Control (1/10), Illusory Breath (2/10), Venomous Fangs (4/10), Healing (2/10), Perception (1/10), Strength (4/10), Concealment (2/10), Magic Scales (4/10), Extreme Speed (3/10)
Resistance Abilities: Physical Resistance (2/10), Energy Resistance (1/10), Toxin Resistance (4/10)
Title: slayer