I peered at the forest looking for prey as I spread my wings gliding through the sky. I didn't need them to be five levels ahead of mine, as I was here for the [Exp]. Killing any intelligent beings would give triple the [Exp] I gain from normal animals, just like the kobold I killed earlier; the ones with any [Class] that specializes in combat would give four times the [Exp] just like monsters, but they would be harder to take on contrary to monsters that only acted based on instinct.

I located and observed some potential targets. One of the orcs was cutting wood in what seemed to be a small courtyard. I assumed he had no combat [Class], as he wouldn't be here if he did. Thus, I picked him for the hunt. My body shrank slowly until I was close to a normal crow, but a little larger. Then I accelerated downhill crashing into the pile of wood, causing some stir. I fell to the ground with a thud, catching the orc's attention. I acted dead, and soon I heard the orc's footsteps approaching me. Soon, I was picked up by the orc through my wings.

My eyes snapped open as I came to life calling my domain and pulling us inside. My body expanded as it morphed into my base human form knocking the confused orc away. I wouldn't risk wasting time in fear of someone coming to the orcs courtyard, so I immediately took the action. I felt my instinct taking over as I transformed, but I managed to resist it and act clearly.

I charged the defenseless fellow, which left its axe before picking me up. With swift determination, I seized the terrified orc by its shoulders, my large jaws split open widening as far as possible, and then, with a forceful motion, I chopped down on its head as the crunching sound echoed through the air as I swallowed it whole.

(You've killed a level 17 adult orc and gained 42 Exp)

I switched back to my crow form as I shrugged the feeling caused by what was left of my human conscience as I pierced the veil of reality placing my foot on the ground. I spread my wings taking off into the sky as fear assaulted me, I didn't want to get caught by the other orcs.

I left the village flying into the woods, and landed on the tree branch where I left my clothes. I recalled my domain and started to eat the orc corpse in my cobra form, as it was faster. It was delicious and encouraged me to go for another orc. Shortly after I finished my meal, [Predation] triggered, giving me ninety [Dark Matter] and eight [Attribute Points].

I jumped down, shifting to my human form, and landed on the ground. I put on my clothes and pulled my axe from the floor. I left in the direction of the wolf territory, carrying the large axe on my back. I stopped soon enough when I was far away from the village. I began chopping some of the smaller trees and placing them on top of each other, making a big pile as time passed by. After cutting about seven trees, I started processing them into thinner and smaller parts.

I finished the process and began digging down large holes around the area. I planned to use them as traps to capture and kill animals purely for food. My stomach must have grown larger with the increase in [Dark Matter], and I'd need more food. It was true for the future as well, so having extra food wasn't a bad idea.

I spent about three more hours working and setting up all my traps. Some were just done differently than others to carry some baits to trap predators, and some were light and deep enough for just animals passing by.

I finished my work late during the day, and the sunset was approaching soon. I took my crow form and flew into the sky, looking for some valid bait. Small animals or birds could do the deed. I spotted what seemed to be a rabbit hole and went down on a tree branch near it. I waited and observed the hole patiently, and soon, a relatively big rabbit with a mix of yellowish and white fur came running along with another one in grey fur. Both entered the hole.

I took my cobra form and went down the tree and then into the ground. I slithered my way into the hole, killing both rabbits, then grabbed them and went to my traps. I severed each into two parts, ensuring the bloody scent spread. I placed each part on top of a trap and left the area. I wasn't going to sit waiting next to traps; I didn't want to waste my time doing that. Both rabbits were just level 2, so I haven't gained any [Exp] from killing them.

It was night by now, and most of the orcs should be going to sleep, if not already asleep. I went back to the village; the streets were lit by torches attached to tall wooden stands. Not everyone was sleeping yet, but some huts were silent, and I failed to notice any activity, so I kept observing for a little more time. Not all houses were perfect; the roofs were not fully covered from above, and I could easily see if they were lit or not. I picked one small hut and slowly flew down toward it.

I landed next to the entrance and shifted to my cobra form, then slithered my way into the hut. An orc was sleeping peacefully on its bed, and next to the bed, I could see a small table. There was nothing else besides that; the orc was relatively smaller compared to the guards and the one I ate earlier.

I crawled up the bed, constricting the orc and keeping its mouth shut. Then I began to squeeze it, damaging it in the process. The orc was suddenly awoken, making muffled sounds in an attempt to scream as the pain caused by my actions was intense.

I felt no remorse or regret about what I was doing to the animals. I didn't know why; perhaps because I was just part human, or maybe because most of my emotions were dulled as a monster. I continued to squeeze, hearing the sound of bones cracking in the process. A few minutes passed like that, and finally, the orc was dead.

(You've killed a level 10 young orc and gained 24 Exp)
(You've leveled up!)
(You've earned 5 Attribute Points!)
(You've earned 1 Skill Point!)

I opened my mouth and began to swallow the orc from his feet until I had him entirely eaten. Thanks to the rapid digestion speed, I didn't feel weighed down by it. It took an hour to finish my meal. [Predation] triggered again, giving me another ninety [Dark Matter]. Sadly, I didn't get any [Attribute Points] from this one. I compressed my size and went out of the hut quietly, sneaking around the other huts. I found a couple of sleeping young orcs, killed them, and then pulled them into my domain, gaining seventeen [Exp].

I kept repeating it again and again. I wanted to continue, but I was spotted by one of the orcs that were still awake. After I was spotted, I was being pursued, which forced me to take my crow form and fly into the sky, escaping that orc's pursuit. It was dawn, and the daytime was approaching soon. I took a look at my status to know the changes. My [Health] was 113, and I was level 5 now with 62 [Exp], and [Dark Matter] was two hundred and forty. [Dark Energy] was recovered to twenty-four, and [Food] was fifty-six. I earned 1 [Skill Point] and had eighteen [Attribute Points].

I spent 8 [Attribute Points] on [Strength] and 2 on [Darkness]. I used the remaining on [Heal]. My [Health] limit increased by 40, and my [Dark Energy] limit increased to 90. [Skill Points] were used to upgrade skills, and one point was given every five levels. I had no use for it now as I had no skills. I finally dismissed my status after I finished.

[Name: Arteus]
[Health:113/185]
[Food:56/96]
[Class: Hybrid Predator]
[Level: 5 | Exp: 62/90]
[Dark Matter: 240 | Dark Energy: 24/90]
[Strength: 44 | Dexterity: 20 | Heal: 37 | Darkness: 15]
[Ability Points: 0 | Attribute Points: 0 | Skill Points: 1]

Exhaustion gripped me relentlessly after the labor, rendering me incapable of further action. As my senses dimmed, an unfamiliar sensation overcame me, accompanied by the nagging realization that I had forgotten something important.