Ares crouched on the damp cave floor, his fingers brushing against the cool stone. The faint glow of bioluminescent fungi cast eerie shadows along the walls, creating a silent, ever-watching audience. His body ached from exhaustion, but he knew he couldn’t stop. He had survived against the spider, gained his exoskeletal armor, and discovered the ruins’ secrets—but survival wasn’t enough. He had to grow stronger.

  His stomach growled. Eating the spider had been a brutal experience, but it had taught him something vital: consuming monsters altered him. His body had absorbed the spider’s chitinous structure, reinforcing his skin with a thin but durable exoskeletal layer. If eating one monster had changed him, what would more do?

  Ares needed to evolve.

  The system had been eerily silent since their discovery in the ruins, as if processing everything. But it still responded to his scans, feeding him fragmented data on nearby creatures.

  [LIFEFORM DETECTED]

  [ANALYZING...]

  [SPECIES: CAVERN CRAWLER – SMALL PREDATOR]

  [THREAT LEVEL: LOW]

  A small predator—perfect.

  Ares clenched his fists, stepping cautiously toward the creature's location. He had no weapons, just his wits, his exoskeleton, and whatever advantages he could scavenge. He had studied predator behavior in his world, and the same rules likely applied here. Ambush predators waited for prey. Scavengers were timid. Pack hunters could be dangerous.

  His target was a Cavern Crawler—a dog-sized, centipede-like creature that hugged the rocky walls, waiting to lunge at unsuspecting prey. It had sharp mandibles, venomous spines, and excellent camouflage. But Ares had something it didn’t: strategy.

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  He took a deep breath, scanning his surroundings. The cave had plenty of stalactites hanging from the ceiling. Some looked loose—and that gave him an idea.

  Ares carefully maneuvered himself onto a ledge above the Cavern Crawler. He needed to bait it out. Using a small rock, he tossed it near the creature's hiding spot.

  Clatter.

  Instantly, the creature twitched, its many legs shuffling forward. It sensed movement but couldn’t see him. It was reacting on instinct. Perfect.

  Ares scanned the ceiling, locking onto a large, loose stalactite above the crawler. He exhaled slowly, gripping another rock. He aimed carefully and threw—

  CRACK.

  The impact loosened the stalactite, and for a split second, the Cavern Crawler hesitated. Then—

  CRASH!

  The rock impaled the creature, pinning it to the cave floor. The crawler thrashed violently, screeching in agony as a dark, viscous liquid oozed from its wounds. Ares wasted no time. He jumped down, grabbed a sharp stone, and drove it into the base of its skull-like structure.

  The creature twitched—then went limp.

  [LIFEFORM TERMINATED]

  [ANALYZING...]

  [POTENTIAL GENETIC TRAITS DETECTED]

  Ares exhaled, shaking from the rush of adrenaline. The fight had been short, but it had gone exactly as he planned.

  Now came the hard part—eating it.

  Ares sat beside the dead creature. The system had already identified potential adaptations, but he had to consume it to trigger them.

  He grimaced. The spider had been disgusting. This would be no different.

  He carved into the crawler’s exoskeleton, tearing away thin, muscle-like strands of fibrous tissue. He chewed slowly, ignoring the bitter, rubbery texture.

  [ANALYZING BIOLOGICAL COMPONENTS...]

  [GENETIC ADAPTATION IN PROGRESS]

  The system’s text flickered as it processed his body’s response.

  [TRAIT ACQUIRED: MINOR POISON RESISTANCE]

  [TRAIT ACQUIRED: ENHANCED NIGHT VISION]

  Ares wiped his mouth, feeling a faint warmth spread through his body. His eyes tingled, adjusting to the dim cave light. When he blinked, he could suddenly see more clearly, the shadows less murky. His stomach clenched as the venom in the creature’s flesh entered his system—but instead of pain, he felt... numbness.

  It was working.

  He clenched his fists, determination flaring in his chest. He was getting stronger.

  And he wouldn’t stop here.

  Over the next few days, Ares hunted relentlessly. He took down more Cavern Crawlers, small bat-like creatures, and even a blind cave rat the size of a cat. Each time, he ate, endured, and adapted.

  The system's analyses became more refined:

  [Cave Bat: Enhanced hearing]

  [Blind Rat: Heightened sense of smell]

  His body was changing, subtly but surely. His senses sharpened, his movements became more fluid, and his awareness of danger improved.

  And for the first time since arriving in this world, Ares felt something other than fear.

  He felt hope.