Chapter 12: A Night in the CaveAfter an entire day of relentless hunting and searching for the Shadow Creeper without any success, Lucas and his companions decided to take a break. They found refuge in a small cave at the edge of the forest, concealed by rocks and dense trees. The night had fallen, and the cool breeze carried the eerie sounds of the wilderness—chirping crickets, distant wolf howls, and the fluttering of nocturnal birds.

  Inside the cave, Lisa struck two mana-infused stones together, sparking a small fire that flickered with a warm orange glow, casting long shadows on the damp walls.

  "Alright… let’s go over today’s gains," Elena said as she sat on a ft rock, flipping through a small notebook where she recorded their battle details.

  Lucas, lying on his back near the fire, zily raised his head. "Gains of the day? Extreme exhaustion, sore muscles, and mental fatigue. I think that’s plenty, don’t you?"

  Lisa chuckled as she rotated a piece of monster meat over the fire. "Don’t forget, we also have a feast tonight. I mean, technically, that’s part of our rewards too."

  Elena ignored their banter and focused on the numbers. "We took down 20 Copper-rank beasts and 8 Bronze-rank ones."

  While Elena was calcuting their progress, Lucas decided to check his status screen. As the glowing interface appeared before his eyes, he focused on one particur number.

  [Talent Shards Avaible: 89]

  His eyebrows raised slightly. He hadn't paid much attention during battle, but now he realized just how much his ability had accumuted throughout the day.

  "Eighty-nine Talent Shards…" he muttered, trying to analyze the pattern behind this number.

  Through experimentation, he had begun to understand the mechanics behind his ability:

  Beast Rank: The higher the beast’s rank, the more Talent Shards it provided.Talent Grade: Stronger beast talents yielded more shards.Final Calcution: The number of shards was determined by multiplying the talent’s rank by the base shards granted by the beast’s rank.

  However, after consuming numerous hearts today, he had amassed a total of 89 shards, proving that the system was more complex than he initially thought.

  After reviewing their gains, the group decided to unwind. Lisa, still tending to the cooking meat, turned to Lucas with a teasing smile.

  "By the way, Lucas, how does it feel to have heart-eating as your new favorite hobby?"

  Lucas rolled his eyes and replied sarcastically, "Ah yes, just as I always dreamed… becoming a heart-eating monster. A childhood ambition come true!"

  Lisa burst into ughter, handing him a piece of roasted meat. "Well, don’t worry. We’re not judging you… much."

  Elena, who had been quietly observing, added, "Your ability is unsettling, though. It’s not normal for someone to consume beast hearts without side effects."

  Lucas smirked, taking a bite. "What can I say? I’m not exactly normal."

  Once dinner was finished, they started preparing for sleep. Elena set up traps outside the cave as a precaution, while Lisa curled up beside the fire, wrapped in a thick cloak.

  Lucas, however, remained awake for a little longer, staring at his status screen, thinking about his ability.

  He had just realized something important—he couldn’t store stolen talents indefinitely.

  When he first devoured the Bck Panther’s heart, the system had given him a choice: absorb its Speed Talent or convert it into shards. But he had hesitated, unsure of what to choose.

  However, after a certain period, the choice disappeared, and the talent automatically converted into three Talent Shards.

  This meant one thing: he couldn’t keep hoarding stolen talents and use them ter at will. There was a time limit, and if he didn’t decide quickly, the talents would turn into mere shards.

  "This makes things harder…" he murmured, closing the screen. He would need to be more decisive in the future.

  As the group settled into sleep, the cave fell into silence. The only sound was the gentle crackling of the fire and the soft breathing of the exhausted hunters.

  But they didn’t realize that something else was watching them from the darkness.

  The Shadow Creeper, the beast they had spent the whole day hunting… had now become the hunter.

  It had noticed the disturbance in its territory. It had seen them sughtering beasts within its domain, tracking it as if they ruled the forest. But it was no mere prey.

  It was patient. It was intelligent.

  Hiding in the shadows, its crimson eyes glowed faintly, its breath blending with the wind. It was waiting for the perfect moment.

  And as the night deepened, the hunters unknowingly transformed into the hunted.