One Day Later…
After a long and exhausting effort, Aethryon had finally finished eating the entire Iron-Shell Forest Bear.
Not a single piece remained.
The once massive spirit beast that had shaken the forest with its roars had now completely disappeared into the stomach of a certain very determined serpent.
Aethryon lay stretched across the ground like a very full rope, his body completely still.
He was… extremely full.
Then the familiar system notification appeared.
[192-Year Iron-Shell Forest Bear consumed: +5 System Points]
Aethryon slowly blinked.
"…Only five?"
He stared at the system panel for a few seconds in silence.
Then he let out a small burp.
After thinking for a moment, Aethryon quietly made a note in the corner of his mind.
Never hunt prey that is much bigger than yourself again.
It was simply…
a huge waste of time.
Because of that, Aethryon decided to move slightly back toward the outer regions of the forest.
As one traveled deeper into the Beginner Forest, it wasn't only the strength and quality of the spirit beasts that increased…
their size increased as well.
Remembering the massive bear skeleton, Aethryon flicked his tail lightly.
"Right…"
"Big prey might be strong, but…"
He paused for a moment.
"…they take way too long to eat."
With that thought, the small serpent changed direction and began slithering toward the outer regions of the forest.
…
Two Weeks Later…
A crimson-scaled predator silently roamed between the outer and middle rings of the Beginner Forest.
Aethryon.
For the past two weeks, he had hunted almost without stopping. He was no longer hunting merely to survive he was deliberately hunting to farm system points.
In this part of the forest, smaller spirit beasts were no longer a serious threat to him.
One misty morning near the swamps, he found his first prey of the day.
An 84-Year Poison Swamp Scorpion.
The stinger on its tail dripped with thick purple venom.
But to Aethryon, that was less of a threat and more of an opportunity.
He lunged forward instantly.
The scorpion's stinger stabbed downward, piercing the air but Aethryon twisted aside at the last moment.
In the next instant, his fangs sank into the scorpion's body.
The venom flowed into him.
[Poison Hunger activated: +0.6]
[Fire Venom → Corrosive Venom: 1.6 / 100]
[84-Year Poison Swamp Scorpion consumed: +1.9 System Points]
Aethryon flicked his tail with satisfaction and continued hunting.
The next day, in a drier area of the forest, he encountered a 102-Year Black-Jaw Rat.
The creature was extremely aggressive and charged the moment it saw him.
But Aethryon had already learned how to deal with creatures like this.
He twisted sideways and whipped his tail forward.
CRACK!
The venomous spike pierced the rat's neck.
The rat struggled for a few seconds…
Then collapsed silently.
[102-Year Spirit Beast consumed: +2.4 System Points]
As the days passed, the hunts became even more brutal.
One evening, Aethryon encountered a 118-Year Crimson Venom Lizard basking on a large rock.
This creature was powerful.
But the battle ended quickly.
Aethryon lunged forward and struck directly at its eye.
The lizard roared, but the venom had already entered its body.
[Poison Hunger activated: +0.8]
[Fire Venom → Corrosive Venom: 2.4 / 100]
[118-Year Poison Spirit Beast consumed: +2.7 System Points]
Over the following days, the hunts grew even more ruthless.
[125-Year Stone-Fang Weasel consumed: +2.9 System Points]
[131-Year Swamp Snake consumed: +3.0 System Points]
[147-Year Poison Black Frog consumed: +3.4 System Points]
With every poisonous prey he consumed, Poison Hunger continued to grow stronger.
Aethryon had now begun deliberately targeting venomous creatures.
To him, they were not just food…
they were sources of evolution.
At the end of two weeks, Aethryon climbed onto a large rock and opened the system panel.
[Poison Hunger Progress: 6.8 / 100]
[Fire Venom → Corrosive Venom evolution in progress]
Then he looked at his system points.
[System Points: 219.3]
Aethryon stayed silent for a few seconds.
Then he flicked his tail with satisfaction.
"Not bad."
The moment Aethryon had been waiting for had finally arrived.
For months, he had hunted without rest, patiently accumulating system points. And now… the time had come.
Without hesitation, he spent 81 System Points.
He purchased 27 Years of Cultivation.
In that instant, a tremendous surge of power erupted inside his body.
This wasn't just an increase of 27 years.
This was…
breaking the 100-Year Spirit Beast threshold.
His entire body trembled.
His crimson scales glowed faintly as his muscles expanded and his bones strengthened.
Coiled on the ground, Aethryon could feel his body growing.
His length rapidly increased.
1.10 meters…
1.20 meters…
1.30 meters…
Finally, the growth began to slow.
Aethryon had officially reached the level of a 100-Year Spirit Beast.
At first, Aethryon didn't want to stop here.
He quickly calculated in his mind. If he spent a few more points, he could increase his cultivation even further and grow stronger.
Just as he was about to touch the system panel again
Beep…
A new notification appeared.
[Congratulations, Host. You have reached the level of a 100-Year Spirit Beast.]
[Further advancement now requires significantly more energy.]
[From this point forward, each additional year of cultivation will cost 6 System Points.]
Aethryon stared at the panel silently for a few seconds.
Then his eyes slowly narrowed.
"…Are you serious?"
He thought for a moment.
Tilting his head slightly, he muttered.
"At the beginning it cost 1 point…"
He lifted his tail.
"Then it became 3…"
He looked at the panel again.
"And now it's 6?"
Aethryon let out a long sigh.
"…If you want, I can give you my ass too."
Aethryon let out a deep sigh.
There wasn't much he could do about it.
If he wanted to undergo his first true evolution, the requirements clearly stated that he needed to reach at least a 200-Year Spirit Beast.
Which meant…
he had no choice but to continue accumulating power.
Aethryon looked back at the system panel.
He quickly calculated his remaining points.
Finally, he made his decision.
He spent the remaining 138 System Points.
He purchased 23 Years of Cultivation.
Instantly, the familiar surge of power spread throughout his body once again.
His muscles strengthened, his scales hardened, and his body began to grow.
Coiled on the ground, he could feel his length increasing.
1.35 meters…
1.40 meters…
1.50 meters…
Finally, the growth stopped.
Aethryon was now 1.5 meters long.
He could clearly feel the increase in his strength.
But in his mind, there was only one goal.
Becoming a 200-Year Spirit Beast.