[You have gained one Biomass.]

  [You have gained one Biomass.]

  I chuckle to myself as I snap down the last of my meal. Sure, I talk a big game, but how am I actually going to pull this off? I can't just let an infestation like this grow unchecked. If their population continues to increase at its current rate, they'll overrun the cavern in a matter of days, if that. Issue is, I'm not exactly the strongest monster. After my two fights, I've come to understand my limits better, and I know I'd get crushed if I acted recklessly. So, what can I do?

  Plopping down on the ground, I twirl my tail in my hands as I think. Honestly, my original plan wasn't bad. It's surprisingly easy to sneak up on the leeches, given their indiscrenible eyes, and despite their strange radius of awareness, I've proven that I can take down one with a sneak attack. With a little more practice, I could probably take one out without it noticing me at all. If I can do that, then ideally, taking a whole squad out without them knowing what's happening would be the next step.

  I think that's the angle I need to focus on for this campaign: not direct confrontations, but ambushes and... traps? Yes, traps could work. Those parasites are nearly blind, so they would likely stumble right into a pit trap. If that happens, it'll be like shooting fish in a barrel. Gradually, the outline of a plan begins to form in my mind. It's still rough around the edges, but if I utilize all the skills at my disposal, I should be able to pull it off. Before that, though, I have some Biomass to spend. Pulling up my status, I take a good, long look at my overall abilities and choices.

  [Status:]

  [Name:] Aria Drake

  [Level: 2; Tier 1]

  [Species:] Drakeling (Kentri)

  [Stats:]

  ? Health: 39/50

  ? Mana: 0

  ? Might: 20

  ? Toughness: 24

  ? Cunning: 25

  ? Will: 21

  [Skill Points:] 0

  [Biomass:] 3

  [Skills:]

  ? Bite, Level 2; Rank 1

  ? Digging, Level 1; Rank 1

  ? Echolocation, Level 3; Rank 1

  ? Hearing, Level 4; Rank 1

  ? Rake, Level 2; Rank 1

  ? Tail Manipulation, Level 1; Rank 1

  [Mutations:]

  ? Claws; +1

  ? Ears; +1

  ? Scales; +1

  ? Tail; +1

  ? Teeth; +0

  ? Venom Gland; +0

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  Things are looking good so far, aside from my health. I took a much bigger hit than I thought from that last fight, but my regeneration is doing its magic; I already feel less woozy. I'm a little miffed that my combat skills are so far behind my utilities, but that'll change in time—I just need a couple more kills under my belt. In terms of my Mutations, though, I already know what I want.

  [Would you like to purchase Claws; +2 and Teeth; +1? This will cost three Biomass.]

  Yessir! Immediately, that familiar bubbly sensation erupts on my claws and floods my mouth, like I just chugged an entire soda. Gah! Such a weird feeling. I can feel my teeth sharpening and lengthening, and my claws doubly so, their edges becoming wonderfully serrated and deadly. Delightful. This upgrade should let me grip and slice the leeches better, instead of just sliding right off them.

  I was tempted to improve my scales instead, hoping to completely prevent the leeches from latching on, but I'd likely need a much higher level of mutation for that kind of protection, possibly +4 or +5, neither of which I'll be able to afford in the near future. For now, these new, vicious claws should significantly increase my hunting efficiency, which can only be a boon.

  Mutations settled, it's time to move out. Onwards! Towards my next meal. Picking myself up and dusting myself off, I begin my trek through the cavern. For my new plan to work, I need some prime targets. I've been keeping tabs on multiple nearby patrols, using their residual echoes to track their numbers, and so far, only two swarms match what I need.

  The southern swarm is closest, but it has four leeches instead of the ideal three. The western swarm does have three, but it's dangerously close to the mound. Not promising, to say the least. I'd prefer another duo, but it took hours to find the last one, and I don't have that kind of time. So, I think my best bet is the southern group. While it does have four, I won't be fighting directly unless a win looks guaranteed; I'm primarily going to test out my trap idea and a new concept for my echolocation. If anything dangerous pops up, I'll be out of there like lightning.

  Keeping low, I make my way south, following the river upstream. Thankfully, it doesn't take long before I find my targets. Popping my head out of a bush, I find my new friends huddled around the desiccated corpse of a recent kill—a sabertooth stoat, it looks like. Four fat leeches, positively gleaming with chubby health. I seem to have caught them just before they're ready to head back to the mound. Perfect.

  Sinking deeper into the forest, I quickly orient myself between the mound and my targets. Once that's done, I start digging. For some reason, these fat bastards have incredible homing abilities, always taking the shortest, most direct path back to their nest. Luckily for me, that's usually a straight line, though that may not matter as much if my echolocation idea works out.

  I dig deep, forming the hole into a cone-shaped basin as best I can. I'm hoping this specific shape will disorient them if they try to jump out, as they won’t get a good enough grip on the bottom or sides of the pit. It's a little rough of an idea, I'll admit, but it should get the job done.

  [Digging; Rank 1, has reached Level 2.]

  Nice. I haven't had much chance to dig out my den since the worm-leeches moved in, so I'll take any level up I can get. With my new level, it takes me only ten minutes to finish the trap. Just in time. I hear movement from my targets.

  Diving into a nearby bush, I lay in wait for my unsuspecting prey. And I wait. And wait. Come on, you stupid bloodsuckers! Even after another ten minutes, there's no movement. I still hear noise from the group, but now it sounds different—more aggressive...wait, are they fighting? Dammit, no! That would ruin my tests!

  Quickly, I scurry through the underbrush toward the battling monsters. As I get closer, the sounds of combat intensify. Gnashing jaws, growling, and chittering reverberate through the forest. As quietly and quickly as I can, my head bursts from the foliage, only to be greeted by a scene of carnage.

  Bodies, both leech and stoat, litter the cold, hard ground, a gruesome tapestry of a recent struggle. All four leeches have been bisected, their thick, viscous blood—a truly repulsive shade of virulent green—streaming sluggishly from their severed halves and staining the earth. Their forms, once plump and writhing, now lie flaccid and lifeless, congealing into dark, sticky puddles.

  Nearby, two stoats lie eerily still, their normally vibrant fur matted and dull. They've been completely drained dry, their sleek bodies shrunken and brittle, almost like husks. Their once bright eyes are now dull, milky orbs, staring blankly at the cavern ceiling, devoid of any spark of life. The chill of death emanates from their stiff bodies, sharp teeth bared in a final, silent snarl. But amidst this desolate scene of carnage, one stoat remains alive, a faint tremor running through its battered frame, its shallow breaths barely disturbing the dust.

  I step from the cover of the shrubbery, and the saber stoat glares at me with raw defiance. But my gaze is already dissecting the battlefield, assessing the sheer volume of food with overwhelming greed, leech tests forgotten. There's so much here, more than I could ever eat in one sitting. What incredible wealth! Even if I only bothered with the leeches, that's four easy units of Biomass in the bank, ready for my distribution, not to mention the far more valuable stoats. And to claim it all, I just have to deal with a wobbly, injured saber stoat? This'll be child's play, even for me. At least, I'd think that if I was an idiot.

  My greed-filled eyes snap back to the saber stoat, and as our gazes lock, I can see it knows exactly what I intend. It unleashes a snarl, surprisingly full of vigor for an injured creature, and drops into a low, predatory crouch. Its massive fangs are on full display, gleaming menacingly as it stares me down, daring me to make the first move. I mirror its posture, dropping low myself, my tail sweeping lazily behind me but poised to strike at an instant. Just because this creature is injured doesn't mean I'll take this battle lightly. There's a unsettling gleam of intelligence in those golden eyes, a spark I don't much care for. I'll have to be careful.

  We circle each other for a tense moment, eyes locked in a deadly dance, before the stoat erupts into a sudden, blinding charge. It's on me in an instant, a blur of fur and fury moving so fast I question my own vision. I jerk my head back just in time, the monster's jaws snapping shut on empty air mere moments later. Fast! Way too fast, what the hell?! Was that injury an act? Bewildered by the sudden, savage ferocity, I recoil, but the stoat doesn't relent. Its claws rake out, desperate to latch onto me and drag me closer to its gnashing maw. Oh, no you don't!

  Quick as a flash, my tail lashes out, striking from the monster's blind spot. The barb plunges into the stoat's back leg, pumping it full of venom and eliciting a pained hiss. A yowl of pure rage is all the warning I get before its claws rake savagely across my left eye in retaliation. Another claw rakes down my right side, but the strike slides off my scales, barely scratching the surface. Thrown off balance by its own lackluster attack, the stoat is momentarily distracted and I pounce on the opportunity, delivering a nasty right hook that snaps one of its massive fangs clean off. That sends the little bastard reeling, forcing it to stumble backward. I seize the chance to gain some distance, jumping back to assess my injuries.

  I check my health; I'm at an even thirty, still in this fight, even with my vision slightly blurred. My opponent, on the other hand, is clearly flagging. After a full dose of my venom, a brutal lesson from my right hook about crossing me, and one of its main weapons knocked clean from its face, the stoat is visibly regretting it's decisions. Looking closer, my venom is already hard at work. A visible, spreading bald spot has appeared at the injection point on its leg, the skin underneath a sickening, spreading grey. Looks like the venom acts faster than I thought. If we keep this up, it should lose all function in that leg in about a minute. It's already starting to baby it, hobbling slightly.

  An evil grin stretches across my face, and a deep, pleased rumble vibrates in my chest. For some reason, it's incredibly satisfying to witness my venom doing its work. Buoyed by this new development, I advance, moving aggressively towards the stoat. The monster is wary now, hissing angrily as it scrambles backward, desperate for a moment's reprieve. I don't give it one, posturing dangerously with my stinger on one side and snapping my jaws on the other, forcing its attention to split.

  Suddenly, I attack with both, compelling the stoat to choose which assault to defend against. It chooses the tail. Bad choice. As the monster frantically bats away my stinger, my jaws snap shut on the back of its neck. My newly enhanced teeth bite deep, deep enough that I feel something hard crunch beneath them. Gotcha. Gripping the back of the monster's head and body, I heave with all my might. The beast screeches in pain, desperately scrabbling and scratching at my legs, but it's already over. With a sickening crack and gush of blood, I rip the spine from its neck, killing it instantly.

  [You have defeated a Level 4 Smilodon Erminea. You have gained experience!]

  [You have reached Level 3! One skill point awarded.]