Rising in the Beast World, Becoming the Apex Predator

A sharp, throbbing pain at the back of his skull was the first thing Ryker Vance felt. His heart hammered against his ribs, pumping hot blood straight to his temples. Opening his heavy eyelids felt like lifting lead. His vision was a blur, barely catching the dense green canopy and streaks of sunlight cutting through massive, oversized leaves.

"Where... am I?" Ryker muttered, his voice raspy and dry as dust.

He tried to sit up, his hands brushing the ground beneath him. Instead of his apartment's cold hardwood floor or the hard city asphalt, his fingers sank into thick moss, damp soil, and massive fallen leaves—some larger than his entire torso. The heavy scent of rich earth, a faint trace of blood, and the pungent aroma of wild flora hit his nose all at once.

Before panic could set in, a cold, clear, mechanical voice echoed directly inside his head.

[Primal World System Initializing...]

[Host Soul Synchronization: Ryker Vance — 100% Successful.]

[Location Info:] You are currently in the Primal Forest, Southern Sector of the Beast Continent. This is a primitive world inhabited by beastmen tribes and giant beasts. Strength is the ultimate law of this land.

Ryker froze, blinking in disbelief. "A system? Primal world? Beastmen?" He massaged his temples. The last thing he remembered was the blinding headlights of a runaway truck while crossing the street. Did he just get transmigrated?

Auuuunggghhh... Nggghhh...

A soft, pained whimper broke the silence of the forest, shattering Ryker's train of thought. It sounded incredibly close, just behind a thick patch of thorny brambles a few yards to his right.

Curiosity overrode his fear. Ryker pushed himself up, realizing how ridiculously out of place his t-shirt and jeans looked in this environment. Moving cautiously, he parted the chest-high thorny bushes.

When he saw what lay on the other side, his breath hitched.

Leaning against the dirt was a girl. But she wasn't normal. Atop her silver-gray hair sat a pair of limp, drooping wolf ears. A thick, fluffy tail twitched weakly on the ground from beneath her waist, which was covered only by a primitive hide loincloth. She was striking, with an exotic, sharp beauty, her sun-kissed skin slick with sweat.

Her right leg was pinned between two massive rocks—either a natural trap or the remnants of a sharp rockfall. Fresh, dark crimson blood oozed from her ankle, matting her soft fur.

Hearing the rustle of the bushes, the wolf girl snapped her head up. Her amber eyes widened with raw caution and fear. She tried to pull her leg free, but the movement only worsened the injury, forcing a heartbreaking whimper from her lips.

"Don't worry. I'm going to get you out," Ryker said quickly, keeping his voice as gentle as possible so he wouldn't trigger her wild instincts.

The wolf girl stared at him, her expression a mix of confusion and alert distrust. She had never seen a creature like him—no animal ears, no dominant tribal scent, and dressed in strange clothes she couldn't identify.

Ryker stepped forward to inspect the rocks clamping her leg. But just two steps in, the hairs on the back of his neck stood on end. A primal survival instinct screamed at him.

Ssshhhhhh!

The air around them suddenly grew cold and rancid. From behind a massive tree on the far side, a massive shadow slithered out at an alarming speed. It was a giant reptile, resembling a prehistoric Komodo dragon, but the size of a minivan. Its skin was covered in thick, dull green, iron-like scales, and its slitted eyes locked coldly onto the injured wolf girl—and now, Ryker.

Corrosive, smoking saliva dripped from its jaws, sizzling against the dirt. The reptile caught the scent of fresh blood and was ready to feed.

"Holy shit! What the hell is that?!" Ryker yelped, stepping back. His heart raced at a mile a minute. With his ordinary human body, taking on a prehistoric monster like this was a death sentence.

The wolf girl closed her eyes in resignation, a tear slipping down her cheek. She knew this iron-scaled lizard was an apex predator in these parts. Both she and this strange human were as good as dead.

'System! Think of something! Is there anything I can do? I need power!' Ryker shouted in his mind, desperate for a lifeline.

[Ding! Threat Level Detected: High. Primal Beast: Iron-Scaled Poison Lizard.]

[Notification:] The Host currently possesses 0 Stat Points and 0 System Points. However, as a Starter Pack compensation, the Host can advance-borrow System Points.

[Options:] Borrow 500 System Points to activate "Temporary Primal Combat Strength" and "Skill: Rock-Crushing Fist"? (Note: Points will be automatically deducted after mission completion).

"Borrow it! Just give it to me!" Ryker roared internally. With death staring him down, he didn't care about a points deficit.

[Ding! Loan successful. Injecting Primal Combat Strength...]