Chapter 4 First Battle 1

  After using [Quick Step] four times to cover around 12 meters (36 feet ), I saw the lake approaching fast, so I stopped, looked around, and stayed hidden in a tree, looking for monsters. My eyes and ears were much sharper due to [Predator's Body]. Soon, I took notice of three goblins as I [Appraisal] the three, and there were two LV 2 goblins with clubs and an LV 5 with a rusty sword in his hands, commanding the other two.

  MP:80/120

  Looking at how much mana I had left after 4 [Quick Steps], I was pretty happy as I used to deal with way less mana, as I was only feeling slight fatigue due to my lower but better stats as named systems scale their stats double to a normal one. Hence, 11 Agi is basically 22 for a Standard system user.

  Drawing out my combat knife, I focused on the level 5 goblin as they were a few meters away. Still, due to the darkness of the leaves, they would only notice me a little if I made lots of noise. Throwing it with all my might, it sailed straight into its skull as blood started to gush out. To the surprise of the lackeys, who were lost entirely, it was killed on the spot, desperately looking for where the knife came from, let alone who could kill their leader.

  ~~Killed an lv:5 goblin Earned 50 EXP~~

  Drawing my sword next, launching myself at the closest goblin, pricing my blade into his neck from the momentum, making it slide through like butter as I rolled with the body, shooting towards the knife in the dead leader's skull as I charged the last scared goblin, grabbing the hand that held the club in its hands before quickly slicing it neck open.

  ~~Killed an lv:2 goblin Earned 20 EXP~~

  Dropping the corpse, noticing only getting one notification for one LV 2 kill, my eyes fell on the one impaled in the neck with my sword. Seeing the piercing was too good, leaving it just barely alive, I walked over to it, slowly grinning wide as I saw it struggle and choke. Probably begging for mercy with its bloodshot yellow enlarged eyes and tears running down its face, but it would get no mercy from me.

  I learned early on in life that it's kill or be killed, and I took great delight in killing and watching others suffer if they so deserve it. This was no different, turning the knife down in my hand for an easy stabbing position, towering over this prey of mine.

  "Hey now~... hey now~... don't look at me like that. There's an old saying about you, vermin. The only kind of a good goblin is a DEAD goblin ~! I said with reverie, stabbing below its left collarbone down to his abdomen as it let out a bloody, gurgly scream. I was busy digging into the cavity. Before ripping his heart free with ease as the light finally left its eyes.

  ~~Killed an lv:2 goblin Earned 20 EXP~~

  After harvesting the two other hearts, I took a deep breath, calming myself down from the bloodlust I felt after all of this. My heart was racing like mad and my hands and skin were buzzing with a surgery rush of energy. I could only madly grin before I snapped back to my senses. I stored the hearts in my storage, and I was surprised. The system flashed in my face, and the purple screen was now much more intricate. It was still a dark royal purple but had black and red embroidery with white roses on the top and bottom.

  This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

  As it was set to the [storage] tab, it showed two hearts, one a lv5 goblin heart and another next to it saying lv2, with times two next to it. It was basically stacking them and sorting them automatically, as I'd assumed I would have to use some of my mental strength to look and sort through it, but no. It was very user-friendly and much more helpful than a storage item alone.

  Dragging the lv5 body with me into a safer part of the woods, throwing it into a bush, before going in with it, as my system claims I'll get stronger by eating flesh and hearts, but how much was needed was the question.

  So I started with the neck, sinking my fangs deep into its neck and ripping off flesh as I began to eat it. It was the worst tasting thing in my life, having to hold back throwing up and gagging before finally swallowing it after chewing it to where I'd all go down.

  Feeling a strong impulse in my body, I soon ate more and more as it slowly started to taste better in my mouth. I was salivating, and only after eating about a pound of its neck and upper body flesh did I get a way better notification that only left me grinning with a bloody smile.

  ~~Devoured the flesh of an lv5 goblin killed by the user Awarded 25 bonus EXP~~

  Seeing that I could earn half the max EXP from eating only a pound of meat and that there were absolutely no side effects after waiting a full hour, I went back, quickly eating the other two. Raw meat was always hit or miss in regards to taste, but I could feel no meat would ever taste bad to me now, cooked or uncooked. I would always have a means to survive, as I could eat meat with seemingly no drawbacks.

  ~~Devoured the flesh of two lv2 goblin's killed by user Awarded 20 bonus EXP~~

  ~EXP135/500~

  Seeing that everything the system said was true and only benefited me, I summoned up the courage to eat a heart, as it could be way worse tasting or a delicacy. I took out the level 5 heart first as if the others didn't count towards my quest. I should eat the best first, as it was roughly the size of an apple in my now bloody hand.

  I started to eat away at it. Soon, a pleasuring heat washed over my body as this was the juicy, sweetest meat I've ever had in my life. I quickly wolfed it down until nothing was left licking up the tasty blood in my hand.

  ~~User has eaten an lv5 goblin heart + 1Agi, 2Con, 2 Str~~

  ~~Hidden quest eat three sentient hearts (1/3)~~

  Quickly taking out the remaining two hearts, eating away like a madman. I waited for the system notification with a bated breath...

  ~~User has eaten two lv2 goblin hearts + 2Con, +4 Str~~

  That was all it said. I couldn't be disappointed, as I was still given so many stats. By eating the hearts, I'd gain a random total of stats equal to the level, and eating multiple wouldn't give me any bonuses.

  "Well, this changes my plans a lot. Hehehe. So I'll have to kill a fishman and another monster. Not many are this far from the entrance." I muttered to myself. So I'll have to go deeper where higher-level enemies to find something, not a goblin. My gut tells me the highest monster I can easily kill is level 5, even with higher stats.

  Monsters do tend to grow smarter past LV 5, so I couldn't underestimate a beast and make sure whatever plan I came up with was well thought out. Storing the clubs and rusted sword in my [storage] to sell them later, I sheathe my sword and knife in their holsters as I was upset I didn't generate a knife-throwing skill, but it was no issue if I kept it up.

  I'll learn it on my own as I wasn't in any shape mentally, to try and force myself to remember my old spells or boost myself with mana, as my reserves were more than double. That, and I still felt an intoxicating bloodlust to eat more hearts soon and fast. To kill more, have blood running off my body to taste it! It wasn't like I couldn't hold this feeling back, but I knew it was the system's doing to make me actively want more to finish this quest. Sighing, I continue my soon-to-be long day of hunting with a somber grin on my lips.

  _Status_

  Blaze Nights

  Race: lower werewolf

  Bloodline:-----

  lv:1

  Exp:135/500

  Gold:300

  HP:100/100>140/140

  MP:80/120

  Str:6>12

  Int:12

  Agi:11>12

  Con:10>14

  Luck:19

  Stat points:0