Winston found himself floating in a dark void, unable to move. His eyes darted around wildly as he found his lungs constricted as well. He only relaxed when he realized that his lungs weren’t crying for oxygen, but were completely fine.

  Was this the tower? He squinted his eyes, looking for anything other than the emptiness that surrounded him—had something gone wrong? Just as he began to panic once more, a screen appeared.

  Welcome to the Tower, Contender! Please prepare for initiation!

  Winston sat patiently, waiting for the next message to arrive. As time ticked by, Winston began to worry. Why hadn’t the System sent him another message? When a screen finally appeared, it did little to assuage his worries.

  *Error* Creature incompatible with Mana… Searching for alternative… Analyzing Contender data…

  Alternative found: Food Energy

  Winston felt warmth bloom from his stomach, spreading to the reaches of his body. The heat intensified, treading the line between uncomfortable and painful. Just as the heat reached its crescendo, it disappeared entirely.

  Congratulations! Initiation successful! Prepare to be transported to the 1st Floor of the tower!

  As Winston recovered from the sudden wave of heat, he tried to look over the messages, but they came faster than he could read.

  Title gained: Modified

  You have accomplished a feat that few across the Universe achieve, having the System directly modify your status screen!

  +10 Charisma

  +5 Stomach

  If Winston weren’t frozen, he would’ve stumbled in surprise. A title? He hadn’t even done anything! As he read the rest of the message, he paused. What did all of the numbers mean?

  Please prepare to be transported to the Tower! Please check your status to view the System’s modifications!

  Feeling the now familiar tug, Winston relaxed, finally entering the Tower itself.

  ?? ′?? ? ??` ??

  Just as suddenly as the feeling came, it disappeared, leaving Winston standing in the middle of a forest. Letting out a snarl, Winston put his back against a tree, shrinking down. After a few minutes of nothing, he allowed his muscles to relax. Eyes still darting around wildly, he crept through the unfamiliar landscape.

  Welcome to the first floor!

  Objective: ???

  Reward: ???

  Winston snorted. A bunch of question marks? That was helpful. What even was the point of telling him there was an objective it didn’t tell him what they were? Blinking, he refocused, remembering where he was.

  After looping the area several times, he finally plopped down on a patch of moss. He was tired, so very tired, but he had something to do first. Thinking back to what the featureless titan had said, he focused his mind, trying to bring up his status.

  Name: Winston

  Race: Corgi

  Class: Relentless Consumer (Unique)

  Rank: Initiate 1

  Titles (3/5):

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  Non-Humanoid Progenitor

  [Redacted]

  Modified

  Food Energy: 200/200

  Stats:

  Strength: 5

  Dexterity: 2

  Toughness: 3

  Charisma: 40

  Stomach: 20

  Free Points: 0

  Active Skills (3/10):

  Consume lvl 1

  Channel Food Energy lvl 1

  Charm lvl 1

  Passive Skills (2/10):

  Enhanced Stomach lvl 1

  Passive Charm lvl 1

  Winston’s exhaustion faded as he read through the screen. There was just…so much! He didn’t even understand half of it. What were ‘skills’? He thought he knew what most of the stats meant, but some of them… Winston let out a whimper, trying and failing to wrap his head around what everything meant.

  In his desperation, he tried to intimidate his status. Baring his teeth, he tried to let out a growl, but it came out as a high-pitched yelp. When that didn’t work, he let his tongue lol out as he flopped onto his back.

  He lay there for several minutes, hoping someone would come along and tell him what was happening.

  [Passive Charm lvl 1] → [Passive Charm lvl 2]

  Leaping to his feet in alarm, Winston glanced around the woods once more, trying and failing to locate anything more than a few birds. He didn’t know what the message meant, but it gave him the distinct impression that he was being watched. Spotting a small hollow in the gnarly roots of a tree, he waddled over. Squeezing himself in, he continued his experimentation.

  Despite the sense of safety the hollow provided, it was cramped, with barely enough room to move. After countless attempts, Winston gave up trying to shift around. His tiny body curled up in the hollow, he glared at the screen.

  Consume (Rare)

  Allows the user to rank up and restore energies by consuming nearly anything. As this skill grows, the user will be able to consume more items more quickly.

  Winston's eyes widened, but he had no room to move. Letting out a soft yip of surprise, he read the screen. He could consume…anything? Pushing the ridiculous thought aside, he let out a proud bark. He’d figured it out!

  In his previous attempts, he’d been so preoccupied with being intimidating or cute that he hadn’t been focusing on the text! Letting out one more victorious bark, he concentrated on each skill in turn.

  Channel Food Energy (Unique Common)

  Allows the user to channel and manipulate food energy in place of mana. This can be used in a variety of ways, from physically manifesting the energy to using it to power skills. Food energy regenerates after the user eats or uses Consume. Maximum food energy is based on the Stomach stat.

  Charm (Uncommon)

  Allows the user to charm entities. This can range from making an entity slightly less hostile to entirely docile, based on the skill rank. Also allows for less severe uses, such as imposing the user’s will or ideas on the target. Charisma significantly enhances this skill’s effects.

  Enhanced Stomach (rare)

  Creates a smaller, secondary stomach. The user’s secondary stomach can digest and remain unharmed by usually harmful materials. The ability of the user’s stomach scales with the skill rank and Stomach stat.

  Passive Charm (Uncommon)

  Passively attracts entities to the user and makes them reluctant to harm the User. This can range from nearly nothing to entities showering the user with gifts. Charisma significantly enhances this skill’s effects.

  Winston stared blankly at the description of Channel Food Energy. Baring his teeth once more, his fluffy body trembled as he tried to use the skill. When nothing happened, he plopped back down in the tight confines of the hollow and huffed. Why couldn’t the description have told him how to use the skill?

  Closing his eyes, he concentrated, this time going for a much simpler technique. He asked his stomach to cooperate. Winston’s eyes snapped open as he felt a tugging on his stomach. In front of him, a translucent golden energy floated, not quite corporeal, but still enough to obstruct his vision.

  Carefully emerging from his hole in the roots, Winston stretched. Refocusing, he willed the energy to congeal into a bone. He felt a resistance, as if the energy were fighting against him. Tilting his head, he pushed harder, and the energy bent to his will.

  Then, he remembered the description of [Passive Charm]. Did it level up because there were predators around that had just chosen not to kill him?

  Satisfied with what he had learned, he asked the energy to return into him, but found that he couldn’t. Instead, he chose to dispel it before sprinting to the hollow. He checked his status one last time. Despite his paranoia, he eventually gave in to his dreary eyes and let reality slip away.

  Name: Winston

  Race: Corgi

  Class: Relentless Consumer (Unique)

  Rank: Initiate 1

  Titles (3/5): Non-Humanoid Progenitor

  [Redacted]

  Modified

  Food Energy: 188/200

  Food Energy sounds kind of lame. Well, nothing I can do about it now. I've already written so much using it.