Cold-Blooded

Derrick walked forward with confidence while staying alert and watching from where potential attacks could come from.

He was stark naked and had no defenses whatsoever, meaning that a single slip up would be his end. The only thing he could hear was his frantic heartbeat and muted footsteps.

*Thu-Thump* *Thu-Thump* *Thu-Thump*

It was beating faster and faster, but it wasn't from fear... No... It was from sheer excitement.

He had to say, hunting was a thrilling experience. His loner personality had caused him to hunt alone when it came to feeding himself.

He loved the activity, since some animals would threaten your life if you weren't careful enough. The adrenaline rush it gave was truly an addictive experience.

Meanwhile, the reptile had remained hidden, not making any sound or movement.

The valley appeared to be at a standstill, like a calm ocean before a storm.

Io was diligently watching Derricks' rear, hidden in his shadow and waiting for the opportunity to strike.

As he kept walking, Derrick found a fallen piece of stalactite on the ground.

"Better than nothing!"

After grabbing it, he continued forward and descended in a U-shaped depression. It was the perfect trap to lure it out.

With practically no way out, he was like a sitting duck.

"Come out you bastard... I know you've been watching for a while..."

Derrick had been feeling an apprehensive gaze for quite some time, which had slowly turned quite vicious the more cornered he made himself.

He knew the reptile was about to make its move. He could sense the tension in the air.

"Get ready, Io, we're about to have some fun!"

Derrick's pupils narrowed, and his muscles expanded, gorged with newly oxygenated blood.

Io also got excited, with his shadow slightly trembling.

Suddenly, two large emerald eyes appeared in the darkness and a long slender tongue exploded in his direction.

The tongue was terrifying, with rows of inverted bones designed to ensnare its prey and kill it in one fell swoop.

"HERE WE GO!!! COME AT ME, YOU UGLY BASTARD!!!"

Derrick sprinted forward, only armed with his makeshift stone pike.

A split-second after the tongue reached him, he dove over it and, using all his weight, thrust his weapon down in order to impale it.

However, his poor timing caused his right shoulders' flesh to be mercilessly ripped apart.

"AHHHH THAT HURTS"

*SCREECH*

The chameleon let out an ear-piercing cry while black blood spurted everywhere, covering Derricks' entire body.

''IO, IT'S YOUR TURN! GO FOR IT!!!''

As if acting like a portal, Derricks' shadow let out a creature that flew straight at the reptile, with no other thought than ripping it apart.

The Nightmare Bat, covered in black mist, blazed across with its shining red eyes before lacerating the poor chameleons' face while it continued to shriek like a dying pig.

The two beasts fought for a few minutes before the chameleon fell, reduced to a state that could only be qualified as gory.

Its eyes were missing, its tongue had been ripped apart, and it missed two of its limbs. It was lucky to be still alive.

''Enough Io... It's my turn...''

While holding his shoulder, Derrick walked forward and looked at the beast in front of him.

''You thought you had an easy meal... Not this time''

His eyes were burning with anger and his face had contorted in a devilish way. He then looked around and found a stone that seemed sharp enough to be used as a knife before once again walking in the direction of the wounded animal.

The reptile kept crawling forward as it sensed the imminent danger. It was letting out small cries, imploring for mercy.

When Derrick arrived next to the creature, he ruthlessly stabbed in Io's previous inflicted wounds before carving out its skin from its twitching muscles.

The dark blood kept gushing out everywhere until its already weakened heart gave out.

Silence returned to the cave, giving the impression that the fight had never occurred.

After the fact, Derrick became surprised by his bloodthirsty behavior and nonchalance towards death.

Were these the side effects mentioned? Either way, he barely felt anything after savagely finishing off the monster.

[Would you like to make a <Contract > with Dark Furcifer Pardalis? You only have 1 contract remaining]

Derrick declined.

Even if the creature had interesting abilities, it wasn't worth investing his remaining spot. There were surely more powerful foes out there, and it would be a shame if he couldn't 'recruit' them.

He continued to carve out every useful piece before starting to craft equipment. His hunting skills were coming in very handy.

A few minutes into the ordeal, a prompt suddenly appeared in Derricks' consciousness.

[You have developed the skill <Craftsman >! Every weapon you make will have a higher chance of granting abilities! This skill will evolve with its users' growth]

''That's it! We're getting somewhere now...''

After a few more hours of labor, he was done.

''System, appraise the weapon and armor I made''

After butchering the entirety of the animal, Derrick had managed to obtain a weapon, armor, clothes, food and a bag.

[Sorrow of Furcifers' Lance]

[Grade : Unique]

[Attack Power : 3.0]

[Abilities : Stealth Hit (Able to disappear from sight while in combat, allowing for faints and deceit)]

[Description : Made out of the bones of a Dark Furcifer Pardalis. The torture it received while still alive granted the bones one of its innate abilities]

[Pardalis Vengeful Armor]

[Grade : Unique]

[Defensive Power : 3.0]

[Abilities : Camouflage (Allows the user to disappear from sight if moving slowly), Cold Blood (Allows the user to lower its temperature)]

[Description : Skin of a Dark Furcifer Pardalis repurposed into armor. With its strong desire for revenge, the beasts' skin evolved, keeping its abilities even after death]

''I've done well. These items are insane to hunt and ambush monsters with. We might have to reevaluate what we do next. Hunting the remaining entities in the cave has become an option for us''

After the fight, Derrick decided to set up camp and rest. He had to nurse his injury, or he'd be essentially throwing his life away. The harsh conditions allowed no room for error.

He was also lucky that his new body was sturdy and healed fast.

''This cave really has nothing... No vegetation of any kind, no wood... That means no fire, too. I'm going to have to eat this meat raw... Even if I don't really need to, I'm sure it'll help me heal a little faster''

He grabbed his newly made medium-sized skin pouch and laid it bare on the floor.

Copious amounts of red meat appeared, and he couldn't help but salivate, as the smell was quite enjoyable. It had been awhile since he had eaten anything substantial, and he hoped it would be tasty.

''Here goes nothing!''

After getting a mouthful and swallowing it whole, another prompt appeared in his consciousness.

[Ingestion of raw Dark Furcifer Pardalis meat... Hosts' abilities are being enhanced! Recalculating...]

A warm feeling suddenly erupted from his stomach before rushing to his entire body. The massive amount of energy caught him unprepared, and he fainted, again, on the spot.

After a few more hours, he woke up with another small headache and found that Io was still there, standing guard.

''System, what the hell just happened?!''

[Host's stats have all increased! Would you like to see the result?]