From Prey To Predator

"A… demonstration," I muttered under my breath, releasing what could only be described as half a laugh. At that moment, I'd confirmed it. The man before me was completely insane… he wasn't mentally stable at all.

But then again, no one was mentally stable in the Desirer's Summit.

He'd seen people much crazier than Adam. 

"Oh, are you too scared?" Adam asked. "Don't worry, I can take it from here if you want to be a wuss."

"You're fucking crazy, you know that?" I spoke with ridicule, but Adam definitely sensed the anticipation in my tone. As we lowered our weapons, the two of us faced opposite from each other, staring at the other participants and Descenders.

To them, we probably seemed like two sheep surrounded by a pack of wolves. But they couldn't be farther from the truth.

[83/100]

'I've already gotten 25 kills… I'm not sure how many Adam has gotten, but after this, we should both be above the mark,' I muttered internally. 'That means he'll complete the achievement as well.'

Adam would gain even more power.

"That I am," he replied, putting his pearly white teeth on display as he grinned widely. He glanced at me before shooting off into the crowd of bystanders. I heard screams of pain as fresh blood dropped to the ground.

I released a sigh, turning to face the peanut gallery on my side.

There were around 10-12 people on my side. The ones shaking in their boots were participants, while the ones carrying an expression of absolute confidence were the Descenders. There were about half of each.

I'd already gathered enough kills, so these were merely 'extra coins' for me.

Perhaps they would come in handy in the future.

As I tightened my grip on my sword, a single participant rushed forward, driven by overflowing vigor and fervor. The expression of exuberance was vivid on his face. It seemed he was an 'Adapter…' A misfit of sorts that enjoyed the current situation.

He was a rather muscular man, with a compression shirt tight around his bulging chest. An expression of sheer contempt engulfed his face, making it seem like he was looking down at me.

'Greenhorns are always like this,' I thought, suppressing the urge to smile. 'They feel like they're invincible… at the top of the world. I was like this at first, too, after I got over my initial fear.'

'But eventually, they realize… they're a thousand years too young to be considering themselves "strong."'

Slash!

As I formed an arc with my sword, his confident expression vanished. The man attempted to retreat, but it was already too late. The tip of my sword brushed alongside his ribs, delivering a deep gash.

Blood splurted from the wound, dying the ground crimson.

His expression paled, and an intense scream burst from his lips, which tore at their ends. His eyes rolled upwards.

I didn't miss the opportunity, bursting forward using my overwhelming agility before thrusting my sword. I pierced through his skin, instilling my sword into his heart. Another shrill scream reverberated across the arena before his body collapsed like a broken puppet.

"Does anyone else wanna try their luck?" I asked, glancing at the remaining challengers. The Descenders possessed an expression of slight shock, while the participants were pissing their pants.

I didn't expect anyone to step forth… neither did I want to continue.

I was quite exhausted after the battle with Priyank and Adam… Continuing would only put my pitiful body at risk, which I couldn't afford to happen during the Tutorial. I was only putting up a strong front in order to prevent myself from being taken advantage of.

No matter how much experience I possessed, I couldn't overcome the limits of my physical body just yet.

[92/100]

'That guy is really stepping up his game,' I thought, clicking my tongue. I would fall behind very soon unless I did something noteworthy. In the time I'd killed one person, he'd managed to kill several.

At that moment, several people stepped forward. The creases on my forehead deepened, and I released a sigh.

[Coins: 81]

'Let's get that number to 90.'

As I thought those words, I shot forward, swinging my sword crazily. I ignored my body's cries, continuing to decapitate the people I encountered. I felt the fresh blood stain my skin. 

I thought back to 17 years ago…

It was crazy how prey could become a predator. 

A terrified boy struggling to digest the sight of a bloodbath… a boy fearing he would lose his life at any moment… hiding from the predators and preserving his life in a cowardly fashion, hoping to live another day.

At some point, the urge for survival become the greed for power.

I didn't remember when it happened, but some time during those 17 years, I lost my prey mentality. I began to think like a predator… I began planning my moves, joining teams led by powerful warriors, and eventually creating a team myself.

Collaborating with Guilds… Becoming a Ranker… Thinking of a peaceful future…

I'd changed a lot in 17 years.

But then it all came crashing down.

'Leonard…' I gritted my teeth, swinging harder. My strikes became increasingly powerful and precise as time went on, my body adjusting to the complex movements I was implementing. The muscle memory had begun recovering.

I'd gained a lot of Stats, and System messages continued to flood my vision.

But I was distracted.

A few minutes passed, and my breathing became strained. 

With my shaking arms, I swung as hard as I possibly could, the edge of my sword slicing a woman's waist. The strike was obstructed by the strength of her bones, but eventually managed to shatter them.

My Strength Stat had grown a lot.

However, it was finally over.

I was exhausted beyond belief, but…

The battle had concluded.

Although there were still a few Descenders left, awaiting the opportunity to strike, they were left with nothing.

[100/100]

100 people had been eliminated.

A smile blossomed on my face as I fell to the ground, darkness threatening to engulf my vision.