"Oh, this is something new..."

I quickly accepted the system's offer, and in front of me, two skills on one of the signs began to merge.

[Pacification - Slowdown: Skill evolution = 20%… 30%… 43%…]

With excitement, I watched as this process of evolution unfolded before my eyes.

Ding!

And finally, after 20 minutes, I saw the result of this creation.

[Improved skill obtained: Reduction]

[Reduction — halts everything within your field of vision, reducing movements but not time. Works on strong opponents until mana depletion. After mana depletion, the ability is nullified. Radius of action — contact with others' eyes.]

"What?"

I was surprised, pressing my wings to my beak. I couldn't use this skill because I was too weak for it.

"Seems like I've mastered this branch too early..."

I awkwardly scratched my head. Though I was happy to have gained a powerful ability, my motives to continue fighting only strengthened.

"I need to somehow enhance this skill. Without a huge amount of energy, I'm nothing..."

I folded my wings together, contemplating my next plan.

"Train, kill, gather. Isn't that the plan? With each monster killed, I grow stronger..."

"Phew!"

I sighed heavily, looking at my new skills. A smirk formed on my beak.

Titles: [Demon 1st lvl], [Voracity 1st lvl]

Your skills: [Quiet Planning 1st lvl], [Predatory Bird Flight 1st lvl], [Beak Strike 2nd lvl]

Learned abilities: [Raven Gesture 1st lvl], [Reduction 1st lvl], [Sand Manipulation 1st lvl], [Tough Hide 1st lvl]

[Sand Manipulation — basic elemental magic, allows you to control sand.]

[Tough Hide — strengthens your body during battles. After development, it can not only absorb heavy blows but also block sharp objects.]

"Hooray! Time to hunt monsters!"

I, like a little penguin, set off, wings to my side, hopping from one foot to another. I hadn't even walked a kilometer.

"Can I have human legs, please?" I shouted to myself while trying to move away from the lake.

Meanwhile, three days had passed since I broke out of the nest. For the past two nights, I had been hiding in the trees, falling asleep in the small nests of other birds.

I hadn't seen others, so I figured it was okay to steal someone else's bed. I fed exclusively on beetles, most of the monsters were several times below my level.

Strength: 10

Intelligence: 7

Defense: 8

Agility: 6

Endurance: 9

Wisdom: 5

All I managed to do in three days was eat insects, earning one experience point each. I managed to push my strength up by ten. It's a pity my efforts were so slow, I tried my best with what I had.

"Strength of 10? How do I even test it?"

I would want a lot more beetles, at least 60 small ones to distribute ten points to each characteristic. But these stupid beetles were too few!

Rustle!

I heard something moving in the bushes, briefly pausing to observe. I expected someone to emerge from the bushes, pondering my next steps to raise my levels and skills.

Yes, I had acquired magic, but I had very little energy to use it.

Rustle!

Out of the bushes came a pair of ants the size of me, carrying several twigs on themselves. They were gray with red eyes, I had never seen such in my world.

They were so cute as they continued their leisurely journey. Their antennae moved, communicating among themselves.

Behind one of the gray ants was a small ant running quickly with two human-like fingers, while the others were much larger.

"How cute..." I thought, then a grin spread across my beak.

— Click-click!?

The little ant turned towards me, signaling something to its parents.

"Oh! Sunbae, don't look at me like that, I'm not in a romance..."

 I covered my face with my wings, revealing only my gray eyes.

The ant parents also turned towards me, throwing small twigs back. They opened their large red mandibles, emitting loud chattering.

— Click-Click-Click!!

Together, they quickly ran towards me, intending to tear me into several pieces, while the little ant watched its family of hunters. Seeing the ant parents heading towards me with obvious intentions to attack, I grinned with delight.

They were the same size as me, which amused me. I needed to make a decision quickly. 

I could try to scare them by flapping my wings and making threatening sounds, or I could try to run away before they caught up with me.

Ah! Who am I kidding, there was a beast inside me, it wanted to tear these creatures into tiny pieces. With a grim smile on my beak, I prepared for the confrontation.

First, I looked at the characteristics of the ants themselves; they were identical. Who would have doubted it, they looked like two peas in a pod.

[Ashen Ant] Level: 8

HP: 30/30

Energy: 5/5

Strength: 18, Intelligence: 1, Defense: 16, Agility: 1, Endurance: 5, Wisdom: 1

"So, they're strong? Their defense is also significant, the shell is obviously tough..."

The ants didn't have many skills, they were weak overall. They attacked more out of the principle of defending their little child and seeing a big chicken in me.

Skills: [Bite Level 4], [Hardened Skin Level 2], [Digging Max. Level]

It was funny that they had a maximum level skill that wasn't related to attack or defense. All these mindless creatures could do was dig their tunnels. "How stupid these bugs are, wasting so much potential..."

Seeing the ants heading towards me with aggressive intentions, I quickly assessed my capabilities. My skills and level were lower than theirs, and their strength and defense looked impressive.

However, I wasn't about to give up just like that. With confidence in myself, I decided to use my new skill - Reduction.

I concentrated and attempted to activate it.

"Freeze..." - I uttered inwardly, folding my wings and focusing on my energy. However, I found that my energy was insufficient to activate this powerful ability.

The unsuccessful attempt left me feeling powerless and slightly disappointed.

[Energy: 5]

"It didn't work..." - my vacant gaze looked through the ants.

"Well, screw you, ants..." - I thought, stepping back.

The ant tried to pin me down with its mandibles. I had no choice but to fight without using magic.

"Dude, chill..." - I thought to myself, flying over the two ants.

"I need more points!"

At that moment, I found myself near the small ant. It couldn't even attack, I understood that, as this little guy was very small even for me. "Little one... forgive me..."

The ants turned towards me, watching as I devoured their own child. My eyes stared directly at them, awaiting their next move.

"And he's tasty!" - I licked my beak, looking at the ant parents.

[Received 2 experience points]

— Kra-a-a-ah!

The ants' gazes filled with rage, they experienced the agony of despair as they saw me eating it.

They began to move faster, getting closer to me with each passing second. I realized that time was on my side, and I had to use it to the fullest.

"Oh yes! Experience despair!"

A mad grin sat on my beak, I was simply delighted by their anger.

Quickly spreading my wings, I soared into the air, leaving the enraged ants behind. They thrashed about in disarray, not understanding where I had vanished.

Flying high above the trees, I looked back and saw the ants still frantically trying to find me.

Then I dove down, flying past the ants, kicking up huge clouds of dust around the insects.

I wanted them to lose sight of me until I had magical energy. I wanted to kill them in physical capability.

When I flew close enough to the ants for them to see me, I suddenly darted forward, heading straight for one of them.

My wings rustled in the air, creating a wind that stirred the grass below. The ant, seeing the danger, tried to dodge, but it was already too late.

My beak rapidly approached it, I felt excitement and adrenaline coursing through my body. The collision was inevitable.

At the last moment, the ant leaped aside, avoiding my beak. I had already turned and darted towards the next ant.

My cruelty was astonishing, I felt my strength growing with each of my movements.

[Title activation, Sadism has been activated!]

"Ha! What a silly title!"

I pursued them, darting between them, landing blows. I intimidated each ant. 

Their skin was very tough, I had to peck them several times to finally crack them open.

I forgot that ants could also attack, one of them managed to grab me twice, squeezing my wing until it was unbearable pain.

— Kra!! — I forcefully pierced the ant's eye with my beak.

"Go to hell!"

The ant opened its mouth, screaming in unbearable pain, drops of blood falling onto the damp ground, forming a crimson puddle.

[Haemorrhage invoked!]

[You have killed the ashen ant.]

[Received 4 experience points!]

[Received 3 white runes!]

[Level up!]

[+5 HP] [+5 Energy]

[Received 4 experience points]

"Whew! Damn, my wing hurts, I need to deal with the last one..."

The ant, standing stupefied, probably wanted to flee. I had 16 health points left, just as that bastard bit me.

As soon as my level increased, health and energy were restored like new.

"Oh-ho-ho! Now I can enjoy your demise..." — I thought, raising my wings high like a mighty eagle.

Sand tendrils burst from the ground, seizing the ant by all its limbs. I spent twenty energy to see how this thing worked.

The ant screamed through the forest, trying to escape the sand pulling it underground.

The sand tendrils, firmly holding the ant, slowed its resistance attempts. I watched with pleasure, enjoying the moment.

The ant helplessly shrieked, its attempts to break free futile. The sand tendrils, obeying my will, reinforced their gripping knots, making it a prisoner.

"Darn, too much expenditure..." — I thought to myself, watching my energy slowly decrease by ten times.

"You thought you could bite me and get away with it?" — I hissed, observing the ant from above.

I became the next killer, my beak striking blows to the ant's head. I beat this bastard for 3 hours, its defense was so strong that I couldn't even crack its stupid shell in half.

My beak kept pounding, and when the first crack appeared, the ant simply gave up, dropping its head to the ground.

"What? That's it? Dead?"

I scratched my head with my wing, examining it from different angles.

[Level up!]

[Level up!]

[+10 HP], [+10 Energy]

[Received 14 experience points] (new levels for 5 points each, 4 points for monster kill.)

[Received 4 white runes.]

I instantly spent my points, like a man chasing after another beer bottle.

Strength: 10

Intelligence: 12

Defense: 17

Agility: 6

Endurance: 9

Wisdom: 5

The next attributes were [Intelligence] and [Defense]. I raised what I needed, I didn't really understand what they did. Still, they seemed useful to me.

[Intelligence exceeded 10 ]

[Energy increased by +20]

"What?"

"How does this even work?"

I pressed my wing to my beak and pondered the next parameters.

"Maybe they also gave something..."

"Gorgona, answer my question, what do these attributes give? I could have not asked, just got curious..."

[Strength — The primary indicator of attack in both ranged and melee combat. When using any weapon, the effect is summed with your strength. Your strength +10.]

[Upon increasing strength by the next 10 points, you will additionally receive 15 points to strength.]

[Intelligence — The primary indicator of magical power. Each point increases magic power, magic control, enhances the chance of obtaining magical abilities, titles, resistances.

[Upon increasing intelligence by the next 10 points, you will additionally receive 15 points to intelligence and +15 to energy.]

[Defense increases resistance to physical and magical damage, strengthens your body with every +10 points.]

[Upon increasing defense by the next 10 points, you will additionally receive 15 points to defense.]

[Agility — The main indicator of speed, allows the use of magic, chanting mantras very quickly. Your movement in battle increases, using large weapons, bows, staves, and magic when increasing agility allows you to use all of this several times faster. Affects the speed of all your skills, combat style, and weapon attacks.]

[Upon increasing agility by the next 10 points, you will additionally receive 15 points to agility.]

[Endurance — The main characteristic of aspects of your life. The ability to efficiently perform various tasks, increases the strength of your body, making you more agile and healthier. A healthy body means a healthy spirit!]

[With each increase in endurance by the next 10 points, you will additionally receive 15 points to your health.]

[Wisdom — Increases the ability to study, read, memorize, and articulate. With sufficient increase in this characteristic, you will be able to summon powerful spells with your thoughts. Wisdom increases the damage of your abilities. The more wisdom points, the stronger your aura, magical power, and you.]

[Every 10 points of wisdom add 15 points additionally. Your aura increases with every 50 points.]