Expert hunter Samuel

The body of the Predator Snake and its blood currently on his person both turned into mottles of light surging towards Samuel's body, causing a tingling sensation to fill his mind. His injuries were healing at a speed visible to the naked eye, and his blood retracted back into his body.

"It might not be very comfortable, but it sure is handy. My exhausted and sore muscles are also fully recovered. I guess I should carry the corpse of a weak creature with me in case I need to recover in the midst of battle."

"Since I need to stay here for 24 hours and I receive rewards for killing beasts and potentially for finding other treasures, I should go hunting. Expert hunter Samuel is reporting for duty."

Doing a very awkward salute to himself, he decided on a direction and started walking towards it with rapt attention. He would not let himself be sneakily attacked again, as it is a recipe for disaster. If anyone was going to sneak attack someone, it was him attacking beasts, not the other way around!

"I hear the chirps of birds and crickets alike, indicating the plethora of fauna present in the forest. This hunt will prove bountiful. The question is only where to begin."

Samuel continued to walk for what felt like hours but was in fact mere minutes before finally coming face to face with a toad-like creature. The only difference between it and a common toad was its size. It stood at a height of three meters and was more than one and a half meters in width. It was quite menacing in appearance, yet that did not deter Samuel in the slightest. 'I need to finish it as fast as possible, preferably without taking damage. If I turn its attention in another direction, jump out silently, and then attack with my spear, I should be able to kill it in record time. Its aura is that of a level five Superior Mortal stage beast, so I should be able to win even if it discovers me. Okay, time to hunt!"

Throwing a pebble he found next to him towards the north-east of his position, Samuel waited with bated breath for the toad to turn towards the sound.

"Croak?"

The toad was confused at the sound of a pebble hitting a tree. Were its companions back from their hunt? Thinking along those lines, the toad became energetic, ready to jump its way towards the sound. But before it ever could, it sensed the threat of death coming from the back of its head. Without the time to properly react, its brain was skewered by the black spear in Samuel's hands, which he named Black Spear. A great name for a great spear.

Ding!

[Congratulations on killing a Level 15 Hunter Toad! Your reward has been calculated and will be distributed to you after your return.]

[Congratulations on unlocking the Common Hunter Toad Slayer achievement!]

[Common Hunter Toad Slayer: You killed a common Hunter Toad above your level, embarking on your journey of hunting the hunters.]

[Perks: Increases senses by 20% when in the presence of a forest. You will also be able to make out traces of beasts, like footprints and sounds, more easily.

[Current level 15]

[Evolution to (Rare Hunter Toad): Kill a Rare Hunter Toad or level 30 required]

"This is great! It seems there will be a different achievement for every new species I hunt, and their effects are not always only applicable to beings of the same species. This one also requires a lower level to evolve than the other one, making it easier to level up. With this, my time here will become even easier."

[Would you like to turn the kill into bonus rewards?]

[Yes/No]

"Does it change to bonus rewards when I am in peak condition? Yes, please."

Instead of turning into mottled light, this time the corpse simply vanished from where it was lying. Samuel was marveling at the sight and wondering if this place was a dungeon of some kind when the weak sound of croaks echoed from the distance. One, two, three... Samuel estimated a group of at least 20 Hunter Toads were moving towards his position. Knowing when to give up, he turned around to run, leaving as few tracks as possible. It was thinkable that the perks he received from killing the toad were some kind of innate ability, hence their name, meaning he would take no chances with his tracks.

And boy, was he right. A few minutes after he left, a group of over 30 Hunter Toads, led by a unique, extra-big one, were caught by surprise at what they saw upon their return. Their weak newborn was nowhere to be seen! Croaks of varying intensity started rampaging the nearby region, stunning most of the beasts in it, including Samuele. Their rage was palpable.

"Thank God I got out of there in time! They clearly realized someone killed their mate, and they have greater strength than I do, and extreme numbers. I would stand no chance. If this were the previous me, I would not be afraid of anyone, even if they were three or four stages above me, but now? I am not even at the Superior Mortal stage, and I have no power or talent to speak of yet. I can't be so cavalier with my life any longer.

Ding!

[Congratulations! You have received the Survivor achievement]

[Survivor: You want to stay alive at almost all costs, choosing to dictate your future decisions by logic and probability rather than impulsivity.]

[Perks: You will have a weak innate sense of what can cause you a lethal threat, as well as a subconscious pull towards the decisions that will allow you to stay alive.]

[Current Level 1]

[Evolution to (Innate Survivor): Survive ten life and death situations]

"Let's go! This sounds like a really good one! But I can also see some problems with the fact that it will pull me towards what makes me stay alive, which often times is just being at home cultivating. I need to keep one of my three disables from the Opportunist achievement free for this one."

"No time to waste; let me hunt as many beasts from as many different species as I can!"