ALL NOVEL Chapter 4: Chapter 4: The First Hunt
Chapter 4: The First Hunt
His eyes gleamed with determination as he crouched low on the jagged ground. The faint growls of the Clawstalker echoed in the distance, but this time, he wasn't trembling.
He glanced at his claws, flexing them experimentally. They were short, stubby, and dull—barely capable of scratching the ground, let alone inflicting real damage. His lips curled in frustration.
These claws are useless. How am I supposed to fight with these?
His gaze shifted, falling on the shards of his egg scattered around him. The jagged pieces glinted faintly in the sunlight, their sharp edges catching his attention.
He reached out, picking up one of the shards. It was heavy and solid, the uneven edges sharp enough to cut into his scaly palm.
Curious, he called out to the system. "This… tell me something about it."
The glowing text appeared immediately before his eyes.
[System Alert]
Item Identified: Dragon Egg Shard.
→ Description: Fragments of a dragon egg, renowned as the hardest natural shell in the world. While they can be cracked, they cannot be digested by most predators due to their durability and sharpness.
→ Potential Use: Can be wielded as a makeshift weapon.
"Perfect."
The Clawstalker lunged from the grass, its yellow eyes blazing with hunger. Its claws tore through the ground as it charged, faster than anything he could match.
But this time, he didn't freeze. He didn't run.
He swung the shard as hard as he could.
The jagged edge caught the Clawstalker's hide, but the force of its leap knocked him backward, slamming him into the dirt. His claws scrabbled against the ground as the beast tore into him, its claws raking down his sides.
Blood poured from his wounds, the metallic tang filling the air. He screamed as the Clawstalker's teeth sank into his belly, ripping through scales and flesh.
But through the haze of pain, he noticed something: the shard had left a faint scratch along the Clawstalker's side.
The system chimed.
[System Alert]
Damage Dealt to Target: -1 HP.
A guttural laugh tore from his throat, raw and broken. Even as the Clawstalker began feasting on his entrails, he couldn't stop laughing.
I did it. I actually hurt it.
Darkness consumed him, but he died with a smile on his face.
…
He blinked into the harsh sunlight of the reset, his body trembling as the memories of his brutal death faded. Blood pooling beneath him. The sound of claws raking against flesh. The darkness swallowing him whole.
He shivered but didn't falter. Slowly, he turned to the scattered shards of his egg. His claws traced along their jagged edges, and his mind began to race.
A scratch isn't enough…
Hmm…
If I can't kill it from the outside… maybe there's another way.
This time, he wasn't planning to escape. He was planning to sacrifice.
The growls echoed across the rocky terrain as the Clawstalker closed in, its yellow eyes glowing with predatory hunger. The hatchling crouched low, his breathing heavy but steady.
He clenched his right claw tightly, blood trickling down his palm as the sharp shards bit into his scales. He winced but didn't loosen his grip.
The predator circled him, its claws scraping against the dirt as it moved closer.
The hatchling's gaze locked onto the beast's maw, sharp teeth glinting as it growled. Slowly, he raised his right arm, holding it out deliberately. His tail swayed behind him, but he didn't move.
The Clawstalker froze for a moment, its glowing eyes narrowing.
"Come on," he whispered, his voice trembling. "You want it, don't you?"
The beast lunged.
Pain exploded in his arm as the Clawstalker's teeth sank into it. He screamed, but he didn't pull back. Instead, he shoved his arm deeper into its mouth, forcing the shards further into its throat.
The beast growled, its jaws snapping shut as it tore the limb from his body.
He collapsed onto the ground, blood pouring from the stump where his arm had been. His breathing was ragged, his vision swimming, but he forced himself to watch.
The Clawstalker swallowed, its growls turning into a low whine as it stiffened.
The system chimed.
[System Alert]
Damage Dealt to Target: -1 HP.
The beast's body jerked, its claws scraping against the dirt as it thrashed.
[System Alert]
Damage Dealt to Target: -1 HP.
A weak, bloodied laugh escaped the hatchling's throat.
The Clawstalker roared, its movements frantic as it tried to dislodge the shards cutting through its insides. Blood dripped from its jaws, its growls growing weaker with each passing moment.
The hatchling's vision blurred, darkness creeping in at the edges. He collapsed onto his side, his breathing slowing.
"Hurts, doesn't it?" he whispered, his voice faint.
The system chimed one last time before the darkness swallowed him.
[System Alert]
Damage Dealt to Target: -2 HP.
Light returned, and this time, he didn't hesitate. He gathered the shards of his egg, carefully spreading them across the ground. He focused on the rocks and the terrain, arranging the shards in a pattern that would force the Clawstalker to step on them.
"This time… it's the legs."
The system chimed again as he worked.
[System Inquiry]
Weakness Identified: Clawstalker has low stamina. Delicate legs are vulnerable to damage.
He nodded grimly, the plan falling into place.
When the Clawstalker charged, he didn't run. He stood in the open, waiting.
"Come on!" he roared, his voice echoing across the rocky terrain.
The Clawstalker's yellow eyes blazed with fury as it lunged at him, its claws tearing into the ground.
The first shard pierced its paw, drawing blood.
[System Alert]
Damage Dealt to Target: -2 HP.
Another shard tore into its other leg.
[System Alert]
Damage Dealt to Target: -3 HP.
The Clawstalker howled, collapsing onto the rocky ground. It struggled to rise, but its delicate legs gave out as more shards pierced into its flesh. Blood pooled around its feet, staining the ground.
For the first time, the predator looked vulnerable.
The system chimed repeatedly.
[System Alert]
Damage Dealt to Target: -1 HP.
Damage Dealt to Target: -2 HP.
The Clawstalker's eyes flickered with desperation as it thrashed, unable to move.
And for the first time, it felt terror.
The hatchling stepped forward, his claws gripping several shards.
"This is for all the times you killed me," he growled.
He drove the first shard into its eye, the beast screaming in agony.
ROARRRRRRRR
[System Alert]
Damage Dealt to Target: -5 HP.
He drove another shard into its neck, then another into its belly. Blood poured from its wounds as its growls turned into pitiful whines.
The system chimed one last time.
[System Alert]
Target HP: 5/20
He climbed onto the beast, gripping the largest shard he could find.
"This is the end," he snarled, driving the shard repeatedly into its throat.
"Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die."
The Clawstalker's body twitched, then stilled.
But he didn't stop.
"Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die. Die."
He continuously stabbed it at least 50 more times.
[System Alert]
Target Defeated.
Breathing heavily, he stepped back, blood dripping from his claws. The predator that had killed him so many times lay motionless at his feet.
He let out a guttural laugh escaped his throat, raw and triumphant.
"Hahahahahahahahahahaha!"
"I told you I'd kill you."
[System Alert]
The player has killed a Level 4 Clawstalker.
[Level Up]
→ Current Level: 2
[Inventory Unlocked]
[Achievement Unlocked]
Relentless Survivor
→ Effect: Increases damage dealt by 10% after receiving a fatal injury.
[Title Unlocked]
Hunter of Predators
→ Effect: Increases critical damage by 15% against enemies of a higher level.
[Reward Granted]
New Skill Acquired: Trap Mastery
→ Description: Enhances the effectiveness of traps, increases the durability of materials used, and provides a minor detection bonus for enemy weak points.
The only thing that was left after reading this messages was a taste of victory.
[System Note]
→ The checkpoint of reset has been adjusted to the current moment.