The Brutal Snake Emerges
Day 83 of survival.
The forest was peaceful today as well. The monsters were moderately lively, moderately relaxed, and moderately ferocious.
It was a perfectly average day, just like always.
Amid this rigid routine, only I moved with purpose.
Not merely for survival like the others, nor for my own amusement.
Solely for growth.
I moved only to become stronger.
Lately, the skill I've been focusing on is Counter.
It's incredibly useful in combat, and since its rank is still low, it needs dedicated training.
Current rank: E.
My immediate goal is C-rank, but I'm not rushing it.
While Counter performs exceptionally well, failure carries significant risk.
I'll train steadily.
Day 83 ended.
Day 85 of survival.
While Counter grows steadily, Poison Resistance's rank refuses to budge.
There simply aren't enough poison-wielding monsters around.
Should I experiment with my own venom?
No. Extreme Poison is too dangerous.
Besides, I'd never fall victim to my own venom.
I need to find an opponent with poison.
Day 85 ended.
Day 88 of survival.
I spotted new hunters.
Quite unusual for these remote outskirts.
Blond hair, blue eyes. Not Korean hunters—foreign ones, apparently.
Given that this is the Seoul Great Labyrinth, one of the world's eight great labyrinths, it's not too surprising for overseas hunters to show up.
Foreign or not, they're all the same in the end.
My Instinct warns me persistently.
Observing them closely, their movements were solid.
Fortunately, they seemed to be just passing through and didn't hunt monsters specifically.
Good.
Honestly, I have no way to deal with them right now.
There were eight of them—a sizable number for a small raid team.
More than that, those Surprise Bird bastards. Cunning as ever? Ever since I stole their eggs last time, they've been on high alert.
This makes using the Surprise Birds impossible for a while.
A bit disappointing not to eat their eggs.
Day 88 ended.
Day 93 of survival.
One day, while spending every moment boosting my stats and raising Counter's rank, I acquired a completely unexpected new skill.
Tail Strike.
Literally "tail smash," its rank is low, but it packs decent power.
Thanks to my high strength and durability, perhaps.
Gaining a new attack option is always welcome.
I'm pleased.
Day 93 ended.
Day 97 of survival.
Skills that hadn't changed in a while finally shifted ranks.
Stealth and Instinct reached B-rank. And Ambush finally hit C-rank.
Feels great.
Let's keep pushing.
Day 97 ended.
Day 99 of survival.
Agility and durability, stuck at E30 for a while, finally grew to D1 today.
I half-expected evolution to handle the growth, so hitting it beforehand makes me thrilled.
Strength is E30, stamina E29.
Mana, predictably, stagnant at G10.
The boosted agility and durability are impressive. A whole different league.
In this state, rematching those past hunters would put my win rate near 100%.
I could even take on one in perfect condition.
Day 99 ended.
Day 100 of survival.
It's been exactly 100 days since becoming a snake monster.
The evolution I'd been awaiting finally arrived.
Confirmed achievements required for growth.
Evolving into a higher-rank monster.
Selecting evolution candidate based on past tendencies and actions.
Confirmed skill Limit Break C.
Reflecting in selection process.
...Selection complete.
Evolution complete.
All stats and skill ranks increased as evolution bonus.
Confirmed exceptionally sturdy body.
Skill Tough Scales G created.
Skills Predation D and Gluttony D merged during evolution.
Skill Gluttony C created.
Name: Yu Jun-young (?)
Species: Monster - Brutal Snake ▶ Details
Soul Separation SS [Unavailable], Tenacity B, Limit Break C, Stealth B, Ambush C, Constrict C, Instinct B, Rapid Regeneration B, Charge C, Extreme Poison C, Intimidation C, Counter D, Poison Resistance F, Tail Strike E, Gluttony C, Tough Scales G
Power surges through my entire body.
The numerical values dropped slightly, but the rank-ups made the strength feel distinctly different from before.
My length didn't explode like last time, but it seems I can now comfortably reach 6 or 7 meters.
I didn't measure precisely, but at a glance, it's undeniably monster-sized now.
Unlike last time, my length barely increased, but my girth bulked up significantly.
Previously sleek and slender, now I'm bulky overall—definitely more muscular.
My burrow's going to feel cramped again.
Several skills ranked up, and new ones appeared.
Gluttony and Tough Scales.
Tough Scales hardens my scales for better durability, as the name implies. Gluttony merges Predation and Gluttony.
Swift predation and digestion. It absorbs 100% of the prey's calories (energy) efficiently.
No—upon checking, it feels like even more than 100% efficiency.
Great skills acquired.
Adapting to the evolved body was tough again this time.
Strength doubled abruptly, and my size grew, requiring the usual adjustment period.
For adaptation, I lightly took on a monster.
The opponent was a Silent Wolf. I dispatched it as easily as twisting a child's wrist.
In this state, I could handle multiples with ease.
Revenge draws near.
Day 100 ended.
Day 101 of survival.
Revenge time approaches, but I didn't rush.
The enemy isn't one—it's a pack.
Plus, their leader seems D-rank like me.
Having evolved earlier, its stats and experience outclass mine.
I need a solid plan.
Plan 1: Whittle down their forces first.
The wolves mainly hunt at night but patrol daytime with some members.
Like sentries or scouts, to preempt threats.
Usually two or three together, three or four groups roaming the forest.
I'll take them out methodically first.
The plan proceeded smoothly.
Dispatching them was effortless post-evolution.
Daytime patrols can't use "howling" to call allies, avoiding mass assaults.
Today, I took out three patrol groups.
Total kills: five.
Thus begins the vengeance.
Stats rose nicely— a happy day all around.
Day 101 ended.
Day 105 of survival.
These past days, I felled every patrol on sight, stirring up the night forest considerably.
I devoured them all to leave no traces.
Waking to missing kin, the wolves must be frustrated and enraged.
Over a few days, I devoured eighteen in total.
Even I'm impressed.
Courtesy of Gluttony.
I reduced their numbers more than expected, prompting changes in behavior.
They massively increased daytime patrols—from three together to five or six per group.
Intervals between groups narrowed too.
Close enough to detect combat quickly.
Smarter than I thought.
Time for Plan 2.
Day 105 ended.
Day 106 of survival.
Plan 2: The enemy's enemy is my ally.
A classic, effective tactic. I think it's highly reliable personally.
The wolves have long clashed with the nearby swamp's Lizardmen.
Nocturnal wolves patrol daytime precisely because of Lizardmen—no need to explain their wariness.
So I thought: Can't take them alone, so borrow others' strength.
I'd considered this since using Surprise Birds before.
Of course, no burning down the house to kill bedbugs.
Revenge on wolves matters, but I can't let Lizardmen rampage the forest.
Unlike night-only wolves, Lizardmen roam day and night.
So no inviting them recklessly.
Lizardmen are potential enemies, not true allies, despite no current trouble.
This plan is purely using barbarians to control barbarians.
I exited the forest westward.
I'd planned and even moved toward it before, but delays piled up—until today.
Unlike my prior pure hunting intent, this purpose is less innocent.
Gluttony is an incredible skill.
Unlike Predation and Gluttony, which were merely nice-to-haves.
It boasts tremendous efficiency; fewer skills, yet superior results.
Most notable: digestion speed.
Previously, nearly one and a half days focused on digestion.
Post-Gluttony, it's miraculous.
Before, post-hunt, I'd save prey for next hunt.
Now, short digestion wait suffices—how could efficiency not soar?
Especially for wolf assaults; it proved its worth.
Who'd imagine devouring nearly thirty?
Large ones, bigger than big dogs.
Absorption efficiency incomparable too—can't help falling for Gluttony.
Current rank C, with room to grow—no need for more words.
Leveraging Gluttony, I hunted and devoured prey en route west.
Half a day's travel at my speed brought my target into view.
A vast swamp with a bright, open feel.
Were it not for the labyrinth's subtle gloom, it'd pass for an ordinary outside swamp.
My enhanced tongue sense revealed it's not as peaceful as it looks.
"Zuuu—aaah!!"
"Zuuu—aaaah!!!"
Bodies 1.5 times larger than a burly adult male.
Smooth scales covering their forms like reptiles.
Lizard-like faces and long, thick tails.
The Lizardmen, rulers of the Forest Zone, dwelled here.