Ability Stealer

The notification from the system flickered into Andrew's vision like a persistent mosquito, unwanted and irritating.

[You have gained the ability: Super Jumping]

His lips curled in frustration as he stared at the words. Super Jumping? What kind of scythe-armed monstrosity wasted its evolutionary potential on jumping high? He had hoped for something offensive—sharp, devastating, lethal. Scythe-crickets should have scythe-related powers, shouldn't they? It made no sense.

A thought crossed his mind. Maybe not all monsters of the same species shared abilities. Humans didn't. He quickly dismissed the idea; it wasn't worth dwelling on. What mattered now was staying ahead of Hames and his lackeys, who wouldn't hesitate to finish them.

Still, another concern clawed at him—Mella. Would she sell him out to save herself? He glanced her way, trying to decipher her thoughts.

To his shock, she wasn't calculating or scheming. She was trembling. Her eyes darted nervously as she hugged her arms, her posture screaming fear.

"Mella," Andrew asked, his voice laced with impatience, "what's going through your head?"

Her gaze snapped to him, wide and vulnerable. "I don't want to die."

Andrew blinked, taken aback by her honesty. He nodded slowly. "Me neither."

The desert stretched out endlessly around them, a brutal expanse of golden sand shimmering under a sun that felt malicious in its intensity. There was nothing to hide behind—no trees, no rocks, just the oppressive void of the realm.

He cleared his throat, trying to keep them focused. "You need to pull yourself together," he said, gesturing at the nearby carcasses of the crickets. "Those things… look."

Mella followed his line of sight as the crickets' remains began to disintegrate into wisps of black vapor, evaporating into the air.

"That means Hames were here recently," Andrew continued. "I'm wondering, will more monsters show up there? Or are they normally spaced out all over?"

Mella hesitated. "I don't know," she admitted. "I'm new to this, remember? And this is a higher-ranked realm—it might have different rules."

Andrew exhaled sharply but nodded. "Fair point. Either way, I think we should stay put and wait until Hames and his crew kill enough monsters to diffuse the realm."

Mella's fear morphed into something sharper. "And when they end up in the same spot as us back on Earth?"

"We run," Andrew said without hesitation.

She stared at him incredulously. "Run? You think Hames won't kill us on sight? He'll think I told you everything—he'd have to get rid of both of us."

Andrew's tone hardened. "Then we escape."

Her breathing quickened, her voice climbing an octave. "How?! Run, escape? It's the same thing! Are you mocking me?"

"It seems so. I'm saying the only thing we can do is run." Besides I have a plan. Kinda."

He kept the specifics of his abilities that would be part of the plan to himself.

Mella swallowed and nodded, still jittery but slightly calmer. The panic in her eyes dulled.

Andrew's body tensed as an unexpected sensation rolled over him. A dense, electric fullness spread through his limbs, like static building before a storm. Then, the system chimed again.

[Your body is evolving into a Second-Tier Human.]

The Monsters' energy was being absorbed, but this was the first time he felt his body being changed by it. His body was internally changing, adapting to the realm's harsh demands. But there was no time to process it; the desert sun was bearing down harder, the heat turning unbearable.

Their armor felt like furnaces strapped to their bodies, radiating the sun's energy back at them. Andrew's skin prickled under the intense heat, his mind racing for solutions.

"How many monsters does Hames have to kill to diffuse this realm?" he muttered aloud, frustrated.

Mella groaned, tugging at her armor. "I don't know, but this heat is…"

Andrew grimaced. His slippery secretion crossed his mind—could it help? The substance seemed slick and insulating, but if it was oil-based as he suspected, it might make things worse under the relentless sun. He shelved the idea for now.

Scanning the horizon, his eyes landed on a massive white cactus in the distance. "There," he said, pointing. "Shade."

Together, they moved cautiously toward the cactus, every step dragging through the burning sand. Sweat clung to them like a second skin.

Finally, they reached the cactus, collapsing under its sparse shade. For a moment, they allowed themselves to breathe, their bodies desperate for respite from the brutal heat. Andrew leaned back against the cactus, its cool surface a sharp contrast to the blazing desert. Mella let out a shaky sigh, her eyes closing for a brief moment as she gathered her composure.

Andrew spoke, "Hopefully we don't have to stay here for long."

Mella nodded, though her breathing slowed, and a semblance of calm returned. They sat in silence, the desert's quiet only broken by the faint rustle of wind over sand.

Suddenly, the peace shattered.

A hulking purple scorpion scuttled out from the sand, its tail impossibly long and poised to strike.

Its eyes glinted with malice as it charged, far faster than something so large should move.

A hulking purple scorpion scuttled out from behind the cactus, its tail impossibly long and poised to strike. Its eyes glinted with malice as it charged, its multiple legs moving with a surprising, almost terrifying fluidity for something so large.

"Quiet!" Andrew hissed, his eyes locking onto the scorpion's movements.

Mella wasted no time, summoning a spear of gleaming metal, her fear melting away into a steely focus.

Andrew drew his sword, the two dashed at it. The scorpion lunged. The tail whipped toward them, forcing both to dive in opposite directions.

Andrew rolled across the hot sand, his eyes never leaving the creature. He darted forward, slashing at the scorpion's side, but his blade merely skidded off the armored exoskeleton, leaving a shallow scratch. He gritted his teeth, frustrated. The beast was heavily armored—precision strikes were their only chance.

Mella kept her distance, her spear jabbing in rapid, thrusts aimed at the creature's joints. One strike managed to catch the base of its pincer, forcing the scorpion to recoil, the limb momentarily paralyzed. She took the opportunity to press forward, her spear aimed at the vulnerable spots between the plates of armor.

The scorpion hissed, its tail swinging towards her. Mella barely managed to duck under it, the stinger passing inches above her head. She countered with a quick upward jab, her spear scraping against the tail and leaving a line of ichor in its wake.

Andrew saw his opening. With a burst of speed, he darted around the scorpion, his heart pounding as he aimed for the base of the tail. His sword came down in a powerful arc, slicing cleanly through the appendage. The severed tail thudded to the ground, twitching violently, and the scorpion let out an ear-splitting screech, its body thrashing in pain.

"Now!" Andrew shouted, his voice urgent.

Mella didn't hesitate. She lunged forward, her spear plunging into the creature's eye with a powerful thrust, scrambling its brain too.

The scorpion's legs twitched once, then stilled, its body collapsing in a heap. Mella pulled her spear free, her chest heaving with exertion.

The two of them stood panting, their bodies trembling from the adrenaline. Andrew glanced at Mellla, and she met his gaze.

She said, "You fight... really good, you know that?"

"Blame that on my brother. But you too. You fight hella good."

"Blame?"

Their brief relief was shattered by a low growl.

Above them, a massive lion came dashing at them. Its golden mane shimmered with light as it descended, its roar echoing across the desert.

Mella's terror erupted into action. She conjured a barrage of metal spears, each the size of a forearm, larger than before. She must have also evolved.

The projectiles struck the lion midair, forcing it to the ground.

When it landed, its form blurred, the massive beast dissolving into a human figure.

One of Hames's men stepped forward, smirking. "We were starting to wonder how long it'd take for the rift lightning to fix itself and bring you two back."

Andrew tensed as the man's mocking gaze swept over him. "Thought you could just run, huh?"

Andrew tried to keep his tone steady. "Let me go, and I won't say anything."

The man barked a laugh. "You think we're worried about you? No, you're not the problem here." His eyes flicked to Mella. "Shame you didn't stick with family, kid. If you'd just played along, Hames wouldn't want you dead. But no, you had to make things difficult, didn't you? Always thinking you could handle things your own way, always—"

Andrew moved. His super-jump catapulted him toward the man at blinding speed, his sword slamming into the man's chest. Though the armor absorbed most of the blow, the sheer force sent the man flying backward, crashing into the sand with a grunt of pain.

"Keep talking," Andrew snarled. "You're making this easier for me."

Without waiting, he smeared his body with the slippery secretion, the thought of being discovered as a multi-ability user pushed aside in the chaos.

"Fire!" he shouted.

Mella unleashed another volley of metal spears, and Andrew prepared to strike again, his body coiled like a spring.