Thalos did not sleep well.
The [Dermal Plating] on his skin felt heavy, digging into the thin mattress like rocks. Every time he turned over, the grey scales scraped against the fabric with a sound like sandpaper on concrete.
He woke up before the artificial dawn cycle. The apartment was silent, save for the hum of the ventilation and Elara's shallow, wheezy breathing.
Thalos sat up and rolled his shoulders. Crack. Crack. His joints felt stiff, but powerful.
He silently checked his gear.
Weapon: Bone Blade (Durability: 60%)
Armor: Mining Suit (Ruined), Canvas Cloak
Body: Mutated (Defense +3)
He ate the last nutrient bar and washed it down with a cup of recycled water. It tasted like rust and chlorine.
"System," he whispered. "Status."
[Name: Thalos]
[Level: 4 (XP: 350/500)]
[Target for Evolution: Level 10]
He needed 150 more XP just to hit Level 5. Scavenging trash wouldn't cut it anymore. Eating rats gave him 1 XP. He would need to eat a hundred rats to level up.
He needed big game.
Thalos left the apartment, locking the door three times. He pulled his hood low to hide his glowing amber eyes and headed for the Lower Ribs.
The Lower Ribs were the edge of the safe zone. It was where the Titan's calcified bone structure met the soft, rotting tissue of the "Flesh Mines." The air here was thick with spores, and the miners who worked this deep carried shotguns, not pickaxes.
Thalos slipped past the guard post. The guard, a bored man chewing on a stimulant root, didn't even look up. He didn't care if people walked into the danger zone. He only cared if things walked out.
Thalos moved into the tunnels. The walls here weren't stone. They were muscle. Dark red, fibrous strands that pulsed rhythmically with the Titan's lingering energy.
Scritch. Scratch.
He heard it.
About thirty meters ahead, gnawing on a patch of glowing moss, was a Razor-Back Beetle.
It was the size of a large dog. Its shell was black and covered in jagged, obsidian-like spikes. Its mandibles dripped with acid that sizzled on the floor.
[Target: Razor-Back Beetle (Lvl 3)]
[Threat: Medium]
[Weakness: Underbelly.]
In the past, Thalos would have frozen. A miner couldn't fight a Razor-Back without a pneumatic drill or a gun. Their shells were bulletproof to small caliber rounds.
But Thalos wasn't a miner anymore.
He drew his Bone Blade. He didn't sneak. He stepped out into the open and kicked a loose stone.
Clatter.
The Beetle whipped around. It hissed, its mandibles clicking together like shears. It saw Thalos—a lone, soft human, and charged.
It was fast. It scurried across the floor like an armored bullet, its legs blurring.
Thalos stood his ground. He didn't dodge. He dropped his center of gravity and braced his arm.
BAM.
The Beetle slammed into him at full speed.
It should have broken his ribs. It should have knocked him flying backward.
But Thalos barely moved.
His boots skidded inches back, carving grooves in the floor. The [Dermal Plating] on his forearm took the full force of the charge. He felt the impact—a dull thud deep in his bones—but his skin didn't break. His increased density made him as immovable as a statue.
The Beetle bounced off his chest, stunned by the solidity of its prey.
"My turn," Thalos grunted.
He reached out and grabbed the Beetle by its spiked horns. His grip was iron. The creature thrashed, scratching at his arms, but its claws just sparked harmlessly against his grey scales.
Thalos raised his knife.
"Eat this."
He drove the Bone Blade down.
CRUNCH.
The serrated blade pierced the gap between the Beetle's head and thorax, sinking deep into its brain. Green ichor sprayed onto Thalos's face. The creature seized up, twitched violently, and went limp.
[Enemy Defeated.]
[XP Gained: 25.]
Thalos panted. He wasn't tired. He felt... exhilarated. For the first time in his life, he wasn't the prey. He was the wall.
He looked at the dead beetle.
[Consumable Detected: Chitin Armor Plating.]
[Devour?]
Thalos knelt down. He used his knife to pry open the shell. The meat inside was pale and smelled of ozone.
He ripped a chunk out and took a bite. It was crunchy and tough, like eating raw crab shell.
[Devour Successful.]
[Evolution Progress: +2%]
[XP Gained: 10.]
[Temporary Buff: Natural Armor +1 (Duration: 1 Hour)]
"Thirty-five XP total," Thalos calculated, wiping the green blood from his mouth. "Four more kills to level up."
He stood up and looked deeper into the tunnel. The sounds of skittering and growling echoed from the darkness.
The hunter had entered the game.