Hearts Resolve

The treasure in front of Malvorrak wasn't just coins. It glittered with tomes, jewelry, and all sorts of valuables. These were things he had spent most of his life gathering—from looted human encampments or scavenged from the bellies of beasts that had devoured them.

Though he'd only gained true wisdom two days ago, he had always possessed a deep, primal sense if his treasures were incomplete. It was an intuition carved into his very being.

"I..." the first goblin's voice cracked as he stepped back, fear clear in his eyes as Malvorrak's gaze burned into him.

He had been caught red-handed. How did Malvorrak know? There wasn't much of a difference between the treasure here and what they'd stolen—just a few odd bronze statues and tomes.

"This is plenty, no?" the white lizard commented, glancing down into the hole. The treasures impressed him. He never thought Malvorrak, a dumb brute, could amass such wealth, but it was ridiculous to expect every penny back.

"Tell me now, or else," Malvorrak growled, completely ignoring the white lizard. His demeanor had changed. The old him would've slaughtered the goblins the moment they lied. But now, he found it easy to use threats instead. It was second nature.

"I... it was the Yolan chief's son, Qarc!" the goblin immediately confessed, shaking. He explained what had happened: while hauling the loot back to their hideout, they encountered a team from Yolan village, led by the chief's son. Qarc demanded a 'tribute' and took everything in their bags.

The Yolan village, west of Malvorrak's cave, was a powerful settlement of mixed races. In this region, they were one of the strongest forces, especially with their formidable village chief, a beast in battle. The goblins feared that Malvorrak would only send himself to an early grave if he went after them.

"Hmm..." Malvorrak groaned in annoyance. The Yolan village was full of greedy, pretentious hypocrites. They looked down on others but would still covet whatever they could get, striking down anyone who opposed them.

None of them knew, but Malvorrak had encountered the Yolan village chief before, during a hunt. The scars she left still ached across his scales.

"Pack up all my treasures," Malvorrak ordered the goblins. He sat and watched as they scrambled to gather every penny, coin, and valuable, placing them into bags and loading the majority onto his back.

When they were done, they began the journey back to Malvorrak's cave. He had reclaimed most of his hoard and needed to rest before even thinking about retrieving the rest.

---

"Pretty good stash you've got here, big guy," the white lizard commented, sitting near the mountain of gold and treasures in Malvorrak's cave. His eyes glinted with greed. "Ever thought of flipping this bag into something bigger?"

The white lizard, scheming silently, saw this as an opportunity. If he could convince Malvorrak to let him manage the riches, he could take advantage. However, his plotting went unnoticed as Malvorrak sat at the cave entrance, gazing at the hologram screen before him.

[Name: Malvorrak]

[Current Species: Mutant Terragor]

[Wisdom: 30/100]

[Gene Points: 0/25]

[Rank: Level 2]

[Evolutionary traits: Devour, Greed Eyes]

Malvorrak knew that this interface, this system, was the source of his newfound power and wisdom. The ethereal glow of the screen captivated him. But it wasn't just the interface on his mind.

He had lived under Yi Mountain for so long, enduring struggle and strife daily. His survival had been driven by pure grit, and even then, he had been overpowered time and time again. But now, he wanted more. He wanted peace, strength—an end to the constant fear.

This system could make him stronger, fast and much more capable of handling the constant threats.

The first stepping stone would be Yolan village. He would utterly destroy the Yolan family and take back what was his. It would be a message to all who dared cross him.

With a grunt, Malvorrak stood on all fours, stretching lazily before heading toward the entrance of his cave. The system allowed him to gain powers from the beasts he consumed. In this region, there was only one type of creature that could harm the Yolan village chief.

It was time to go hunting.