Lin Feng was on his way to the shop, minding his own business, when a figure suddenly rushed out from the shadows.

A flash of steel.

A sharp, burning pain tore through his side.

He staggered, eyes wide, staring at the knife buried deep in his abdomen. Warm blood soaked through his shirt, dripping onto the pavement.

“W-what…?”

The robber shoved him aside and ran.

The streetlights blurred. Sounds became distant. His knees hit the ground.

The last thing he felt was the cold concrete against his cheek.

Then—

Darkness swallowed him whole.

---

When Lin Feng opened his eyes again, something felt terribly wrong.

The air was thick. Damp. Wild.

He wasn’t lying on concrete.

He was lying on soft moss.

The scent of earth and vegetation filled his senses so strongly it almost overwhelmed him. Towering ferns stretched high above like ancient trees. Strange roars echoed through the distance—deep, powerful, inhuman.

His heart pounded violently.

He tried to lift his hand—

—but instead, a tiny claw scraped against the ground.

He froze.

Slowly, stiffly, he lowered his gaze.

Green scales.

A thin, twitching tail.

Four small reptilian limbs.

“…After getting stabbed by a robber…”

He tried to speak.

Only a faint hiss escaped his mouth.

His pupils narrowed into vertical slits.

“…I reincarnated as a lizard?”

Before panic could fully consume him—

A translucent blue panel flickered into existence before his eyes.

It hovered in midair like a hologram only he could see.

---

[Congratulations, Lin Feng! You have activated the Primordial Dragon God System!]

---

His tiny reptilian body stiffened.

“You’ve got to be kidding me…”

Another panel unfolded beneath the first, glowing faintly.

---

Status

Name: Lin Feng

Age: 1 year

Level: 1

Race: Lizard

Bloodline: Primordial Dragon God (0.0001%)

Talent: Devour (Transcendent)

Skills: None

---

Another section expanded below it.

---

Attributes

Strength: 2

Agility: 3

Defense: 1

Mana: 1

(Click on Talent, Skills, or Attributes for more information.)

---

Lin Feng stared at the floating numbers.

“Level 1. Strength 2. Defense 1…”

He glanced at his tiny claws.

“I’m basically a walking snack.”

He focused on Devour.

Talent: Devour

Mastery: Beginner

Description: When you consume creatures, materials, or essences, you gain experience points (XP). There is a small chance to permanently absorb and integrate their talents or skills. Repeated consumption of similar types may gradually enhance related attributes.

His tail twitched slightly.

“Not bad…” he muttered internally. “At least it’s not some cheap, pay-to-win system like in those trash manhua I used to read.”

He hesitated before asking in his mind:

“If I kill monsters, do I gain XP?”

A new line appeared instantly.

[System Reply: Negative. XP is awarded exclusively through Devour. Direct kills without consumption grant no experience.]

Lin Feng went silent.

“…So I have to eat them.”

A sudden roar exploded through the forest.

The moss beneath him trembled.

Leaves shook violently.

His Agility stat of 3 reacted before his brain did—his small body instinctively flattened against the ground.

Heavy footsteps.

Closer.

Closer.

Something massive was moving through the undergrowth.

Lin Feng slowly turned his reptilian head.

Two enormous yellow eyes stared at him from between the ferns.

A wolf-like creature, but nearly three meters tall. Black fur. Muscles rippling beneath its skin. Fangs longer than his entire body.

A faint red glow surrounded it.

Another blue panel flashed automatically.

[Forest Dire Wolf – Level 5]

Lin Feng’s heart nearly stopped.

Level 5.

He was Level 1.

Strength 2. Defense 1.

This wasn’t a fight.

This was execution.

The wolf’s nostrils flared as it sniffed the air. Its gaze locked onto him.

Predator.

And he was prey.

“…Guess I’d better start eating before I become the appetizer.”

The wolf stepped forward.

The ground shook.

Lin Feng’s tiny brain calculated rapidly.

Agility is my highest stat.

Run.

NOW.

The wolf lunged.

And Lin Feng dashed sideways, claws digging into moss as survival instinct took over.

The forest exploded into motion.

The wolf’s yellow eyes locked onto him like twin lanterns in the dim forest light.

Fear surged through Lin Feng’s small reptilian body—electric and primal.

Their gazes met.

The wolf let out a low, rumbling growl.

“Grrrrrr…”

It leapt.

Lin Feng twisted sideways with desperate agility. The wolf’s claws tore deep furrows into the moss where his body had been a fraction of a second earlier, sending dirt and shredded leaves flying.

“I can’t kill it. Not at Level 1… Not with Strength 2.”

This wasn’t a battle.

It was survival.

Run.

He dashed into the undergrowth. Broad leaves whipped against his scales like green lashes as heavy paws thundered behind him, shaking the earth.

Faster.

The wolf was faster.

Hot breath grazed his tail when he spotted it—a narrow hollow carved into the rotting heart of a fallen tree trunk, barely wide enough for his slender form.

Without hesitation, he dove inside.

The wolf slammed into the log with bone-jarring force, snarling furiously. Massive claws raked into the opening, scraping wood and earth, trying to hook him out.

But the hollow was too small.

Too deep.

After several enraged attempts, the wolf let out one final frustrated growl and retreated, its heavy steps fading into the distance.

Lin Feng didn’t move.

Minutes passed.

Then hours.

He stayed curled in the dark, heart pounding, listening to every rustle until the forest sounds returned to normal.

Only the next morning, when sunlight filtered through cracks in the bark, did he cautiously crawl out.

Hunger burned in his stomach like acid.

He scanned the forest floor.

Nothing worth eating.

Then—

A soft rustle.

A long, scaled body slithered between gnarled roots.

A snake—nearly six meters of thick, banded muscle, tongue flicking lazily.

His pupils narrowed to slits.

“Can I hunt it…?”

It was larger. Stronger. But not as fast as the wolf.

A plan formed.

He circled quietly, staying downwind, belly low to the moss.

When the snake lowered its head to swallow a small rodent whole—

He lunged.

Teeth sank into the soft spot behind its jaw.

The snake exploded into frenzy. Its body coiled violently around him, crushing ribs with terrifying pressure. Pain lanced through his limbs; bones creaked under the squeeze.

But he did not let go.

Claws dug deeper.

Teeth tightened.

The struggle lasted only seconds.

Then—

The snake went limp.

Silence fell.

Heavy.

Absolute.

A translucent panel shimmered into view.

[Congratulations! You have killed: Forest Viper]

[Scale Points +2]

Lin Feng’s breathing came in ragged hisses.

“So killing gives Scale Points…”

He wasted no time.

He began to eat.

He consumed it completely—flesh, scales, bones, everything.

Moments later—

[Devour Successful.]

[Experience +10 XP]

For a brief moment, the forest became unnaturally still.

No insects chirped.

No wind stirred the leaves.

No distant beast moved.

It wasn’t the silence of fear.

It felt like something had been removed.

Not killed.

Removed.

Then, gradually, the sounds crept back.

Lin Feng blinked, unease prickling his scales.

“…Just my imagination.”

Another notification appeared.

[Congratulations on First Devour!]

[Newbie Pack Issued.]

[Say “Yes” to proceed.]

“Yes.”

The pack unfolded in a soft glow.

You have obtained:

• Spirit Eye (Skill)

• +3 Attribute Points

He focused on the skill.

Skill

Name: Spirit Eye

Level: 1/10

Rank: Low Silver Grade

Description:

Allows detailed information viewing of creatures and items up to 5 levels higher.

Can be upgraded using Scale Points.

Upon reaching max level, skill evolves.

“I can upgrade skills using Scale Points?”

Curiosity stirred, sharp and bright.

“If it works on others… it should work on me.”

He activated it.

“Spirit Eye—self.”

The panel shifted.

Name: Lin Feng

Race: Lizard

Bloodline: Primordial Dragon God (0.0001%)

Talent: Devour (Transcendent)

Origin: ———

The final line flickered violently.

For half a second, strange unreadable symbols replaced the blank space—twisted, ancient glyphs that hurt to look at.

The panel trembled.

Then—

The “Origin” line vanished.

The interface stabilized instantly, as if nothing had happened.

Lin Feng stared at the empty space.

“…Origin?”

No response.

The system remained silent.

After a few seconds, he shook his head.

“Probably just a bug.”

He shifted focus back.

“What are Scale Points?”

The system replied immediately.

[System Reply:]

Scale Points are earned by killing creatures.

They may be used for:

• Evolution

• Skill upgrades

• Increasing Talent proficiency

• Purchasing items from the System Shop

Note: Consumption ensures complete resource reclamation.

“Complete resource reclamation…”

The wording felt strange.

Cold.

Mechanical.

But hunger interrupted his thoughts once more.

He looked at the forest again.

Yesterday, he was prey.

Today—

He had taken his first step as a hunter.

Lin Feng distributed the three attribute points from the Newbie Pack without hesitation. Two into Strength, one into Mana. A faint, warm current spread through his small reptilian frame. His claws felt noticeably heavier, their edges keener. His breathing steadied—deeper, more controlled. After consuming the six-meter snake, something had shifted inside him. Fear no longer owned every moment; in its place grew a quiet, hard-edged confidence.

He began hunting smaller prey—insects, beetles, the occasional scurrying forest mouse. Each devour was modest but consistent:

[Scale Points +0.5]

[XP +1]

Slow. Steady. Growth.

Then, he saw it—a flash of pale white between tangled tree roots. It was a slender serpent, barely one meter long, with scales as smooth and luminous as polished jade under the dappled sunlight. Lin Feng’s pupils narrowed to thin vertical slits. "Spirit Eye."

[Name: White Wu Snake]

[Rank: Wild]

[Level: 2]

[Skill: Poison Bite]

[Description: Its venom sacs and scales are prized by humans for crafting jewelry and deadly toxins.]

“A skill…” His tongue flicked once, tasting the air. “If I kill it, I get more Scale Points than these insects. But that poison…”

He dropped low, his scales blending with the moss and shifting shadows. The White Wu Snake sensed the disturbance. It struck—white fangs slicing forward in a blinding, ivory arc. Lin Feng twisted aside just in time. The venom hissed as it hit a tree root; the wood blackened and smoked instantly. Deadly.

He circled, patient and low to the ground. The snake coiled tighter, hissing a sharp warning. Then Lin Feng moved—not for the head, but the tail. He clamped down hard and yanked backward with all his newly infused Strength. The snake’s body twisted in confusion, its head unable to reach him properly. Lin Feng's claws ripped into its midsection. It thrashed in wild panic until a single, sharp crunch echoed through the roots. The spine broke. Silence.

[Congratulations! You have killed: White Wu Snake]

[Scale Points +5]

He devoured it whole—flesh, scales, venom sacs, and all. Warmth flooded him again, but this time it carried something else. Not mere energy. Not fullness. It was a deeper, almost alien satisfaction, as though something ancient inside him had finally tasted what it truly craved. For half a heartbeat, the edges of his vision darkened, as though the world itself had thinned. Then, it passed.

[Devour Successful. XP +15]

Lin Feng exhaled slowly, his scales prickling. “What is this… rank? Wild?”

The system answered without delay:

[Monsters are ranked by Spiritual Power: Wild -> Feral -> Spirit -> Tyrant -> King -> Emperor -> Overlord -> Abyss. Lowest Wild are ordinary beasts. Highest Abyss entities can destroy nations effortlessly.]

“What rank am I?” Lin Feng asked.

[Host Rank: Wild.]

His tail drooped for a moment. “…Still trash.”

Another panel unfolded, detailing the Human Cultivation Realms:

[Qi Gathering -> Bone Hardening -> Core Forming -> Golden Core -> Nascent Soul -> Spirit Transformation -> Emperor Realm -> Saint Realm. Each realm contains 10 stages.]

His eyes brightened. “So humans can cultivate… Can I transform into a human?”

[After reaching the required level and bloodline threshold, Host will unlock Human Transformation.]

Excitement surged through him like wildfire. He darted through the undergrowth, lighter and faster, dreaming of an upright posture, hands instead of claws, and a voice that could speak instead of hiss—

Then the light died.

A vast shadow swallowed the forest floor. Wind slammed down like an invisible hammer, and Lin Feng froze mid-step. Slowly—very slowly—he tilted his head upward. High above, a colossal black bird circled. Its wingspan was wider than the canopy itself—nearly fifteen meters. Feathers gleamed like overlapping obsidian blades, streaked with deep crimson veins that pulsed faintly. Its eyes were not bright; they were thick, dense red. Cold. Predatory.

A long, hooked beak curved like a scythe forged from dark iron. One flap of those wings and the air did not stir—it compressed. This was no scavenger. This was a sky tyrant. Lin Feng activated Spirit Eye. Nothing. The panel refused to form. His heart plummeted. “I can’t see its stats…”

Which meant it was at least five levels above him.

The bird released a piercing cry—not merely loud, but authoritative. It folded its wings and dove. Lin Feng bolted. The ground felt suddenly vast and exposed. The shadow grew larger, darker. Claws descended like falling guillotines. In that frozen instant, a memory flashed: cold concrete, a knife plunging, darkness. “Am I going to die… again?”

Desperation ignited. He dumped every remaining Scale Point into his bloodline.

[Primordial Dragon God Bloodline increased: 0.0001% -> 0.0004%]

Claws were inches from his spine when the Hidden Bloodline Protection activated. Golden light erupted. A colossal dragon phantom materialized—ancient, silent, and vast beyond comprehension. Its eyes opened once. The air itself cracked like glass.

The black bird’s crimson pupils shrank to pinpricks. It wrenched itself backward mid-dive, wings beating frantically, shrieking as it fled into the clouds. The phantom lingered a heartbeat longer… then dissolved into motes of fading gold.

Lin Feng collapsed onto the grass, his body trembling uncontrollably. Far away, at the peak of Heavenly Thunder Mountain, a single chain trembled inside a sealed chamber. Darkness stirred. A single golden pupil opened slowly.

“…Found you.”