Day 25

  The last few days, Isaac had been exploring the valley and the hills around it, to get a better overview of where he lived.

  And from the looks of it, this wasn’t just a valley.

  He had climbed the edges of the valley. And from above it, he could see the picture that was forming in his mental map. The problem was that now he could see it was a crater… that had just taken the top of the mountain.

  What had grown out of it, however, was nature untamed.

  There was, in addition, a massive river running in the middle of it, but most was under trees and brush that blocked the sun. It snaked it’s way from his mountain hill that was the highest end of the valley. The source was somewhere under his lair cave. He noted that down.

  ‘And all of this on top of the mountain.’ Isaac shook his head. It was truly gigantic in scale.

  Below were plains and forests that were scattered around the mountain. There were some mountains in the distance that he could barely see; his mountain was huge in comparison. It did have a valley on top the size of a modern city, as far as he could see… so yeah, huge..

  He didn't climb down yet, as just the thought of climbing up made him tired… and hungry.

  He was, however, very topped up, from the last days he had hunted like no tomorrow and was stocked up on food, and he had leveled… once.

  Congratulations, you are now a Level 10 Dragon youngling

  Dragon nourishment: 25

  It’s slow but progress.

  What he was looking for now, though, was more than just frogs. It was the only living creature he had seen. Except he did remember seeing some in the valley forest when he fought the frog Matriarch.

  So he was looking around. Climbing up trees and exploring in general.

  The valley itself was a vibrant picture of nature, untouched by civilization. But it did lack a sense of animal life.

  It was then that he was playing around and testing mana sight when he saw that most of the mana motes in the area were moving fast. It condensed into a ball of mana.

  The site of so many motes in one location was blinding, and Isaac turned off his Mana sight, but the light was still there, shadowing the literal sun.

  Pop

  Baaaaaee!

  ‘Is that a two-headed… Goat?’ There was a whole flock of them, fifteen when he counted them.

  Is this monster spawning then, but why aren't there more of them around?

  Baaaaeee, was the only answer Isaac got, as a familiar tongue was shot out of the brush nearby. And hit a nearby goat.

  The new monsters, however, tanked the hit.

  That seemed to surprise the hidden frog, and no more attacks came. But the goats zeroned in on the attacking frog. And they charged as one.

  The frog that had been hidden tried to run away. But the charging herd caught up to the escaping frog surprisingly fast.

  It tried to attack some more times, but the two headed goats shrugged off the attacks. At most, they got knocked down by the frog's attack.

  The Baaaaeee was a never-ending sound, and when they got up to the frog, they started mauling the hell out of the singular frog… it was a gruesome sight.

  It also, in a twisted sense, reminded Isaac that he hadn't had anything to eat besides frogs. And now he could have a goat.

  His eyes narrowed. He was currently in a tall tree above the small battle. He could grab one of them right…

  Isaac’s eyes surveyed the herd, looking for a lone goat, and there was one. A bit outside the feast, a lone goat was wandering. it was perfectly below one of the branches of his tree, too.

  Balancing over, he pounced down, his claws outstretched. And something new happened.

  You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

  His claws cut through the goat like butter. And it was now that Isaac realized…. He was the biggest predator here. He smiled with his dragon teeth.

  Some of the goats looked over and saw Isaac’s attack. But Isaac, for once, was ahead of his prey and some quick claw strikes cut them up in pieces. 'Damn, they are way too low level for me'

  You have defeated a level 1 Findis goat

  You have defeated a level 2 Findis goat

  You have defeated a level 1 Findis goat

  You have defeated a level 3 Findis goat

  You have defeated a level 2 Findis goat

  …

  This continued until all of them were dead. It was then that he got a new type of message.

  Congratulations, you have killed off a new species. For killing a new species in the literal cradle, look at you go. You have been given 1 level.

  What!

  That was new and horrific… he still took a bit of the new food. It somehow tasted like a soft, dry jerky. It was weird. But new. And he had a bunch. Their size of them was a bit on the small side. They had only gotten up to his lower chest, and he would be the size of a truck soon.

  How much more will I grow?

  He shook his head. It was time to eat, and then. Continue to explore.

  ‘... also to note… don't kill all the food’ that one stung a bit.

  It didn't know the words to speak. The froglet, however, knew that he and his spawn sister were feeling fear.

  They had felt it approach at all, and now it would eat them all like it had eaten the biggest of them.

  The newborn froglet looked in horror as the dark green scaled monster approached them. It was cutting down another of its brothers, which it had competed against.

  It would have felt triumphant if it hadn't been for its impending death.

  The monster was the only thing it could focus on. As it approached the, pool of its spawning hummed to life Another froglet would Spawn soon, but it was doomed.

  The monster pounced.

  Darkness. It knew no more only darkness and the black eyes of the scaled one.

  Day 30

  A fast claw strike killed the last froglet. That was what had Isaac’s attention, it was the green pulsating pool, not big but enough for a froglet to bathe in, but enough of them to.. Apparently spawn in… hmmm

  He could see the magic without Mana sight on even.

  For the last few days, he had been exploring the valley, seeing more and more Spawns of monsters and animals alike. Most of them had been attacked and killed by the froglets. He had started to interfere in the fights, realizing that most of the creatures here had been overrun by the frogs. It did help that he could also grab something other than a frog to eat.

  The only thing that he hadn’t seen spawn were the frogs themselves. That had led him to start thinking. He had seen that the froglets weren’t like other monsters or animals; their mana motes were their unique type, somehow. And they didn't take in the surrounding mana like everything else. including him.

  They made a type of mana mote that was green. And so he had been looking and killing froglets for the last few days, and finally, on day five, he had found the most concentrated site.

  The pool gave him the feeling of life itself, like a beating heart.

  He moved closer to the pool; it beat and pulsed.

  He moved closer… and a frog came flying out.

  Good damn it

  The froglet tried to attack him, but it didn't do much. It was a nice snack.

  But the pool still held his eyes. I wonder?

  He got closer, lowered his head, and took a sip.

  He felt the mana motes flow down his throat. But it healed him somehow. Knots and pain all over loosened up. But most of all, he could feel the power stay in him like a second heart…

  He drank more. The pool shrank in size. And for once in his life… Isaac started to feel full.

  He kept drinking, but then he got a notification.

  Congratulations, you have killed off the Froglets Spawn pool. For killing off a species older than you, 5 levels are given to you.

  That one he kinda had expected, but not that many levels.

  And not in that context... But what he wasn't expecting was the huge hit in drowsiness and the next message

  Congratulations, your Dragon nourishment is full; you can't grow more. Go sleep.

  Yeah, the system had an attitude. But there was more.

  Congratulations, Mana nourishment: High~ {Life Attunement} has unlocked more evolution paths.

  Congratulations, Mana nourishment: High~ {Arcane Attunement} has unlocked more evolution paths.

  Congratulations, Mana nourishment: High~ {Earth Attunement} has unlocked more evolution paths.

  That…was something. He thought in his drowsy state, this wasn’t the best place to fall asleep, but—Damn, that sun spot looks sooo nice.

  He moved over, and the sunshine that hit him was something he would kill for…