The hulk caterpillar's massive body shifted again, slower now but still dangerously powerful. Its hide remained darkened and hardened, like compressed resin baked beneath the sun. Every strike I had landed had burned it, but much to my chagrin, not deeply enough.

  For a split second, clarity cut cleanly through the panic. I needed something more decisive.

  This wasn't a game with a reload button. If I died, it would truly be over for me and I would have nobody to blame but myself. With no checkpoint available, every decisive move mattered.

  My judgement today had been reckless. I should have assessed this larger one first and waited for it to disappear completely, or tackle it when it was unaware. This was a dangerous lesson learnt, that in this unforgiving forest you had to be calculative as well as brutal.

  Next time I would wait more, test more. Be more analytical instead of rushing in.

  Right now, I could retreat. I could cling to the nearest tree trunk and scale it effortlessly. If he managed to catch me, I could even shed my tail and potentially escape while he was distracted. Then and again my stamina was low, so I'm not sure how far I would get. Point being, escaping was a potential option.But something in me resisted.

  If I ran now, after committing this far, the hesitation would rot inside me. The next time I faced something stronger, I would remember this moment. Doubt would linger.

  I refused to let caution turn into weakness.

  The caterpillar suddenly surged forward moving towards me with terrifying force. I managed to narrowly dodge at the last minute, but the throwback gust sent me flying several meters into a nearby bush. Branches snapped beneath my body. Pain flared across my ribs. My vitality was thinning, I could feel it. It was incredible how persistent this caterpillar was.

  Is this what they called a father's strength? The kind of fury that came from protecting or avenging your offspring? Even wounded, it radiated dominance. Its entire form was reinforced, armoured from head to tail in hardened segments.

  I narrowed my eyes. The armour covered everything.

  Everything but the eye area. That area remained exposed. Glossy, wet and unprotected.

  There, could this be the fatal weakness that I was looking for?

  If I could penetrate through that opening, it was possible. Insanely risky—but possible. My mana reserves were low. Another direct body burn might not be enough, and I couldn't gamble on "maybe." The caterpillar lowered its head again, preparing another charge. I needed him committed. Its attacks so far had been strong enough to break small thickets, and smash rocks, I could use something like this to my advantage.

  Several meters to my right stood an old oak tree, thick and ancient. Its base wide and sturdy, around 35mm thick. Perfect for my plan. I darted toward the tree, claws digging into soil as I sprinted. The sprint was enthralling like having a raging train chasing you from behind. Each stride drained what little stamina I had left. Behind me, the ground trembled, yet I still pushed forward..

  "BU DU BIRIRI BURU!"

  The insults—or battle cries—followed as the hulk caterpillar gained ground.

  Almost there. The caterpillar lunged. At the last possible second, I twisted sideways and launched upward, claws biting into bark as I scaled the oak in a single fluid motion. My Cling skill anchored me instantly to the trunk as the impact behind me thundered.

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  Wood exploded outward as the caterpillar's reinforced head smashed into the oak causing a deep dent to form in the tree's trunk. The caterpillar's hardened segments had drove deep into the splintered bark and became wedged.

  It thrashed violently. The same armour that allowed the hulk to ram through was now working against it. This is my window. I positioned myself two meters above the caterpillar's head, directly aligned with where its eyes would be once it pulled free and looked upward. This would be my final attack. The caterpillar wriggled and squirmed, reversing, pushing forward, forcing its armoured body loose. Bark tore. Wood cracked.

  Finally, it broke free.

  I let out a sharp hiss of provocation. It looked up. Flame Body ignited, heat rolling across my scales. Bull Strength surged through my muscles, reinforcing every fibre. One breath, then I dropped. I angled my body like a spear, gravity and intent merging into a single downward strike. The air split around me. At the last second, it tried to move.

  Too late.

  I struck directly into the eye. My fangs pierced through the glossy surface. There was resistance—then rupture.

  I forced myself forward.

  Heat exploded outward as Flame Body flared at maximum intensity. I burned through soft tissue, through nerves and into the canal beyond. The smell was unbearable. The caterpillar convulsed violently, moving and swaying in a desperate attempt to dislodge me. I did not let go... I couldn't, I had to burn everything.

  Seconds stretched into eternity.

  Then—

  Its body went slack. The massive form collapsing to the forest floor with a thunderous thud.

  Silence followed.

  I tried to stand and move my body, but it kept disagreeing with me. No longer was it functioning according to my command. Every nerve screamed for rest, culminating in my legs buckling. If the hulk caterpillar got back up I was as good as go –

  The System chimed.

  [Named Opponent Buffrey defeated.]

  [You have gained 867 EXP.]

  [Multiple level increases achieved.]

  [HP, MP and Stamina restored.]

  [Title obtained: Caterpillar Slaughterer.]

  [Description: You have slain and made enemies of the Hulk Caterpillar race. This grants you a +5 Strength buff against all Hulk Caterpillar opponents. However, they will intrinsically hate you, causing a 5% paralysis chance when encountering them. Knowledge of the Language of Bu has also been obtained.]

  I stared at the description for several long seconds.

  "So I've officially declared war on an entire species."

  Fantastic.

  A permanent strength advantage against every Hulk Caterpillar I would ever face was nothing to scoff at. Five raw strength points in a close-quarters fight could be the difference between piercing armor… or bouncing off it. Against something like Buffrey, that bonus might have shortened the battle by half.

  But a five percent paralysis chance?

  "Intrinsically hate you," I muttered. "As if they didn't already."

  So every time I encountered one of those armoured battering rams, there was a chance my body would simply lock up. Even a second of paralysis in front of something that could shatter trees was a death sentence.

  On the bright side, at least when they insulted me I'd know what they were saying as well as be able to dish it back.

  Air rushed fully back into my lungs. I lay on my back, staring up at the canopy. That had been too close, it had been a tough battle, but I had came out alive. Victorious.

  "So Buffrey was your name," I muttered. "You were a worthy opponent, Buffrey."

  After several steadying breaths, I rose and approached the corpse carefully.

  "Void Eater."

  [50% roll enabled... Unable to select skill. User already possesses a skill from this species.]

  Right. I had forgotten about the hidden caveat of this skill. Only one per evolution of a species, unless I faced a named monster from that species. In which case there was only a 50% chance of it working. To make the most of it, I would have to be a lot more careful when selecting skills along the way. Exhaling slowly, I carved away a manageable portion of Buffrey's body to carry back. Even with my stamina restored, I had no intention of lingering where that much noise had been made. As I began my journey back towards the hollow, a thought surfaced.

  "System. What were Buffrey's final words?"

  [Now that the host possesses the Caterpillar Slaughterer title, translation is available: "May the Gods strike you with misfortune."]

  I paused.

  "…That's rude."

  Then I remembered the taunts I had thrown at him mid-fight.

  Fair enough.

  But hearing that had caused a faint unease to settle in my belly.

  "Status."

  [Species: Aenyx Gecko]

  [Level: 10/10]

  [Status: Mentally Fatigued]

  Strength increased.

  Defence increased.

  Speed increased.

  Intelligence increased.

  Luck: -15

  I froze.

  "Wait."

  My luck had dropped even further into the negatives.

  "…You cannot be serious."

  A breeze passed quietly through the trees, rustling leaves high above.

  For some reason, that curse suddenly didn't feel symbolic anymore.