Lyra held the blade aloft, mesmerized by how the morning light caught its edge. The curved tusk gleamed with an ivory sheen that seemed almost alive, pulsing with an inner radiance that matched the rhythm of her heartbeat. The monster core embedded in the handle thrummed against her palm, a constant vibration that felt strangely comforting, like reconnecting with something she'd always been missing but never knew existed.

  [Level Up! You Have Reached Level 2!]

  [Weapon Resonance Achieved]

  [Hidden Property Revealed: Primal Affinity]

  The System notifications still hovered before her, their blue-white glow casting strange shadows across her face. Primal Affinity? The term meant nothing to her, yet somehow it felt right—a name for the strange connection she'd always felt with the wild places, the untamed corners of the world that others feared.

  Before the Integration, she'd been just another city kid with wilderness survival fantasies, reading books about edible plants and animal tracking while her friends obsessed over the latest tech. Now those useless hobbies were keeping her alive, while everyone who'd mocked her was probably dead.

  Lyra shot a sideways glance at Kain, who was watching her with careful neutrality. There was something unnerving about how he processed information—too quick, too efficient, like someone who'd seen it all before.

  His lightning abilities were extraordinary enough, but his knowledge of the System itself was what truly raised her suspicions. He talked about advancement and progression as if he'd memorized some rulebook nobody else had access to.

  But I need him, she admitted silently. Without him, I'd probably be digesting in that Rift Hog's stomach right now. And he hasn't given me any reason not to trust him... yet.

  Her attention returned to the hovering blue rectangles as three distinct options materialized before her:

  [Primal Fighter Specialization Options]

  [Verdant Guardian] - Harness the regenerative aspects of primal energy to enhance your vitality and healing capabilities. Gain resistance to toxins and ability to communicate with plant-based entities.

  [Feral Rager] - Channel primal aggression into overwhelming offensive power. Gain enhanced strength and devastating combo attacks that grow stronger with each successful strike.

  [Shadow Stalker] - Embrace the predatory aspects of primal energy. Develop enhanced stealth capabilities and precision strikes that exploit enemy weaknesses.

  "What should I do?" Lyra asked, turning toward Kain. "I've got three options here—there's something called Verdant Guardian, which seems to be about healing, then a Feral Rager that's all about attacking, and this third one called Shadow Stalker that—"

  "Stop," Kain interrupted, raising his hand abruptly. "The choice must be yours alone. I cannot influence your decision."

  His response irked her. "Why not? You clearly know more about all this than I do."

  Kain's expression remained frustratingly enigmatic. "Because your path is your own. The System..." he paused, seeming to choose his words carefully, "...responds to genuine choice. Your instincts matter."

  That's convenient, Lyra thought, narrowing her eyes slightly. How does he know so much about the System already? We're barely days into this nightmare, and he talks like he's been living with it for years.

  Still, what choice did she have? Kain was clearly her best chance at survival in this transformed world. He'd already saved her life multiple times, crafted her this incredible weapon, and seemed genuinely invested in helping her advance.

  I need to trust someone, and he seems like a good enough guy. Better than those Blood Harvesters, anyway.

  Her focus returned to the three options floating before her. The Verdant Guardian path had a certain appeal—healing abilities would certainly be useful in this death trap of a forest. The Feral Rager option promised raw power, which was tempting in its simplicity.

  But as her eyes lingered on the Shadow Stalker description, something resonated within her. Before the Integration, she'd always been drawn to stories about rogues and rangers, characters who relied on wit and precision rather than brute strength.

  Living prey moves silently, dies silently, her grandmother used to say during their wilderness excursions. It's the noisy ones that end up as dinner.

  The memory brought a ghost of a smile to her lips. Poor Grandma Ruby would have hated this new world, but she might have survived it better than most.

  [Shadow Stalker] - Embrace the predatory aspects of primal energy. Develop enhanced stealth capabilities and precision strikes that exploit enemy weaknesses.

  The choice crystallized in her mind with surprising clarity. In this world of monsters and madness, the ability to avoid unnecessary fights and end necessary ones quickly seemed like the smartest approach.

  "I've decided," she announced, straightening her shoulders with newfound confidence.

  This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

  [Selection Confirmed: Shadow Stalker]

  [Primal Fighter Evolution: Shadow Stalker (F-Rank)]

  [Skills Unlocked: Predator's Gaze (I), Silent Step (I)]

  A rush of energy surged through Lyra's body, wild and primal yet somehow disciplined, flowing through her with purpose rather than chaos. The sensation wasn't entirely pleasant—a burning tingle that seemed to reshape her muscles and sharpen her senses to painful acuity. For a moment, the world around her became overwhelmingly intense: the scent of sap and leaf mold, the distant calls of transformed birds, even the sound of Kain's steady breathing beside her.

  Her vision shifted, colors temporarily bleeding away as shapes became sharper, movement more pronounced. The forest around them transformed into a tapestry of heat signatures and motion trails, predator and prey suddenly distinct in ways she couldn't quite articulate.

  [Predator's Gaze Active]

  [Enhanced Visual Perception: Movement Detection (+30%), Weakness Identification (Basic)]

  "Whoa," she breathed, nearly dropping the knife as she staggered slightly. "That's... intense."

  Kain was at her side instantly, a steadying hand on her shoulder. "First-time system integration can be overwhelming," he said, his voice betraying what might have been genuine concern. "Take a moment. Let your body adjust."

  Lyra nodded, focusing on her breathing as her grandmother had taught her. In through the nose, out through the mouth. Feel the earth beneath your feet. Root yourself.

  The sensory overload gradually subsided, leaving behind heightened awareness without the disorientation. She could still see better—movement caught her attention more readily, and she found herself instinctively cataloging potential escape routes through the underbrush.

  "That was wild," she said finally, testing the weight of the knife in her hand. It felt different now—perfectly balanced, an extension of her arm rather than a foreign object. "It's like... I can see weaknesses. Paths through the forest I wouldn't have noticed before."

  She turned to Kain, her suspicion momentarily forgotten in the excitement of her transformation. "Is this how it was for you? When you chose your lightning path?"

  Kain's expression flickered, something unreadable passing behind his eyes. "Similar, but different," he answered carefully. "Each Dao manifestation is unique to the individual."

  Lyra nodded, not entirely satisfied with his vague response but too thrilled with her new abilities to press the issue. She moved a few steps away, testing how her body felt.

  With deliberate focus, she activated [Silent Step], gasping softly as her footfalls became completely soundless. The forest floor—typically a minefield of dry leaves and brittle twigs—no longer betrayed her movement. She circled around Kain, delighting in how his eyes struggled to track her when she wasn't directly in his line of sight.

  "This is amazing!" she exclaimed, deactivating the skill and bouncing back to his side. "I can move without making any noise at all. And this—" she pointed to her eyes "—Predator's Gaze lets me see... differently. Better."

  Kain nodded, a hint of amusement breaking through his usually guarded expression. "The Shadow Stalker path suits you," he observed. "Though I'm curious why you chose it over the others."

  Lyra twirled the knife in her fingers, the movement more fluid and precise than anything she could have managed before her transformation. "My grandmother always said it's better to avoid a fight you can't win and end quickly the ones you can't avoid. This seemed like the best way to do both."

  She glanced up at Kain, curiosity overcoming caution. "Have you ever met another Primal Fighter before? Is it common?"

  The question seemed to catch him off-guard, his expression tightening almost imperceptibly. "No," he said after a moment's pause. "They're quite rare."

  Another half-answer, Lyra noted, filing away his reaction. He knows more than he's saying.

  Still, for now, their alliance served them both. She had a powerful weapon, new abilities, and a fighting chance in this transformed world.

  The mysteries surrounding her enigmatic companion could wait.

  "So," she said brightly, sheathing her new blade in her makeshift belt, "what's next, Lightning Man?"

  Kain traced his finger through the dirt, sketching a rough map of their surroundings. His movements were precise, economical—the habits of someone who had spent years surviving in hostile territory.

  "We need to focus on leveling up," he said, his voice dropping into a more analytical tone. "So far, I've encountered several species in this forest, but most won't provide meaningful experience. The ant scouts we fought were only levels two through four, barely worth the effort considering the risk they pose."

  "Risk?" Lyra asked, her brow furrowing.

  "Pheromones," Kain replied. "Kill too many scouts, and the entire colony gets alerted. Not a battle we want right now."

  Lyra nodded, filing away the information. There was that strange familiarity again—the way he spoke about system mechanics as if reading from a manual that didn't exist.

  "The highest level entity I've seen was a Riftbear—level nine." Kain continued, adding a crude bear shape to his dirt map. "They're territorial, which means predictable hunting grounds. Perfect for targeted advancement."

  He paused, glancing around the forest with narrowed eyes. "I think I might have registered other humans in the area too. Entirely possible, given how vast this place is. We're not the only survivors."

  [Predator's Gaze] activated involuntarily, Lyra's new senses suddenly alert to potential threats beyond their immediate surroundings. The forest became a tapestry of movement signatures—small creatures scurrying through underbrush, larger shapes moving with purpose through distant clearings.

  "Other humans could be dangerous," she observed.

  "Or they could be allies," Kain countered. "But that's a concern for later. Right now, we need to focus on making you stronger."

  A slight crackle of electricity danced across his fingertips as he considered their options. The Lightning Dao manifested more readily now, responding to his thoughts with increased sensitivity.

  "We could continue hunting ant scouts," he mused, "but the risk-reward ratio isn't favorable. Too many scouts killed, and we might trigger a colony-wide response."

  "So what's the alternative?" she asked, already suspecting the answer.

  Kain's expression hardened with resolution. "We need to hunt a Riftbear."

  Lyra's jaw dropped, her eyes widening in disbelief.

  A fucking bear?! she thought, her newfound confidence evaporating instantly. He can't be serious. Those things are massive—territorial apex predators transformed by the Integration into something even more deadly. And he wants to hunt one? DELIBERATELY?

  "You're insane," she breathed, but even as the words left her mouth, a different part of her mind—the newly awakened Shadow Stalker instincts—was already calculating angles of approach, visualizing weak points, mapping potential escape routes.

  Her heart raced with fear, but beneath it pulsed something new—the predatory instinct of her Primal Affinity, embracing the challenge rather than fleeing from it.

  "Okay," she said finally, her fingers tightening around the handle of her new knife. "But you're going to have to explain exactly how two F-rank Integrators are supposed to take down something that powerful without ending up as bear food."

  A faint, dangerous smile touched Kain's lips. "It's actually quite simple," he said, electricity crackling more intensely around his hands. "We're going to use the one advantage even S-rank creatures don't have."

  "Which is?"

  "A trap."