"Additional skill 'Regeneration Lv.1' has upgraded to 'Regeneration Lv.2.'"
"Additional skill 'Regeneration Lv.2' has upgraded to 'Regeneration Lv.3.'"
"Additional skill 'Regeneration Lv.3' has upgraded to 'Regeneration Lv.4.'"
Just as Fang Chang was about to leave the cave, a series of glowing notifications popped up before his eyes.
He froze, his heart racing. This seemingly insignificant skill—gained from devouring Slimes—had initially felt almost useless. Recovering only 3 HP per hour hardly seemed worth paying attention to.
However, after leaping off a cliff and shattering all eight of his legs in a near-death experience, Fang Chang realized the true value of this skill.
The real strength of "Regeneration" wasn't its raw recovery rate but its ability to provide sustained self-healing. As long as a single sliver of HP remained, the skill could fully restore him over time—even regenerating lost limbs.
Of course, he thought, if only it healed faster, it'd be perfect.
Eagerly, Fang Chang checked the upgraded skill's description.
Regeneration Lv.4: Restores HP slowly after taking damage (Restores 24 HP per hour).
From Lv.1 to Lv.4, the recovery speed had improved eightfold, from 3 HP per hour to 24 HP per hour.
If this trend continues, Fang Chang calculated, Lv.5 might restore 48 HP per hour, Lv.6 could hit 96 HP, and Lv.7 might even approach 200 HP!
Even better, upgrading the skill wasn't particularly difficult. Slimes were abundant in the Star Dou Forest, making the process straightforward.
This is basically a god-tier skill!
Taking advantage of the moment, Fang Chang glanced at his status panel:
Name: Fang Chang
Species: Dark-Armored Demon Spider
Soul Power: 3001 years
Evolution Points: 10,220
HP: 791/791
Strength: 173
Attack: 189
Defense: 299
Speed: 227
Skills:
Racial Skills: Poison Web, Spider Spear, Stealth
Innate Skills: Devour, Poison Resistance, Harden
Additional Skills: Regeneration Lv.4, Fire Armor, Fire Immunity, Leap
After a day of relentless hunting, Fang Chang's soul power had increased significantly, along with his other attributes. The biggest wins, however, were acquiring Leap and upgrading Regeneration.
Yet compared to the Giant Demon Ape, the gap remained vast.
Still, Fang Chang's soul power had reached 3000 years, making him eligible to evolve into a Ghost Armor Demon Spider—as long as he found a Ghost Tiger to devour.
As for the Dragon Spider evolution path, it still seemed out of reach. After an entire day of searching, Fang Chang hadn't encountered a single soul beast with dragon lineage.
"Sigh..." Fang Chang sighed as he activated his Leap skill, launching himself far from the cave.
He landed gracefully back on solid ground, resuming his hunt for the night.
Meanwhile, under the starry canopy of the Star Dou Forest, a small group of humans had gathered in a clearing.
They had cleared the underbrush, set up makeshift tents, and lit a fire, clearly planning to spend the night there.
Unbeknownst to them, eight crimson eyes were observing them intently from a nearby tree, less than three meters away.
Fang Chang, perched silently on a high branch, had initially been preparing to ambush an injured 200-year Wind Eagle Owl.
But these humans had appeared out of nowhere, their torches startling the owl into fleeing.
Fang Chang clicked his mandibles in annoyance, considering whether to attack these intruders.
However, as their voices carried up to him, he decided to eavesdrop instead.
"Hey, Blackie, don't you think the folks from the Spirit Hall are too overbearing?" grumbled a bearded man by the campfire. "Who gave them the right to seal off the Star Dou Forest like they own the place?"
"What can you do about it?" replied the man called Blackie with a shrug. "Go challenge their Pope? You got the guts for that?"
"Nope, nope," the bearded man laughed sheepishly.
Nearby, a man with a broad face chimed in while adjusting a tent. "You know, the Pope of the Spirit Hall is supposedly the most beautiful woman in the world. If it were me... I'd be reluctant to lay a hand on her."
His sly chuckle left no doubt about his meaning.
"Give me a break." The bearded man shot him a withering look. "A level 35 shrimp like you, daring to dream about the Pope? Go take a nap."
"Can't a guy fantasize?" Broad Face sighed dramatically.
The group fell into silence, their conversation seemingly ending there.
Up in the tree, Fang Chang's curiosity was piqued.
The Spirit Hall wants to seal off the Star Dou Forest? he wondered. What's going on here?
After a long pause, the bearded man broke the silence.
"Say... what exactly is this 'Soul Hunting Convention' all about? They're making such a big deal, even closing off the entire forest nearby."
Soul Hunting Convention? Fang Chang's interest sharpened.
He adjusted his hearing, straining to catch every word.
Broad Face replied, "Not entirely sure, but I heard from a buddy in the Spirit Hall that the Pope herself might show up for this."
"That makes sense!" Blackie scoffed. "You two idiots couldn't figure it out? What else could a Soul Hunting Convention in the Star Dou Forest be about? It's obviously a competition to hunt soul beasts!"
He continued, "Didn't the Spirit Hall's announcement say that anyone under 25 years old could participate? Isn't it obvious? They're organizing a hunting contest for young soul masters."
"Of course!" Broad Face slapped his forehead. "Why didn't I think of that?"
The bearded man frowned. "But why would the Spirit Hall organize such a thing? They don't exactly need more soul rings."
Blackie sighed in exasperation. "You're as clueless as ever."
"Think about it. The Spirit Hall can gain so much from this. First, they'll recruit the most talented young soul masters—perfect for expanding their influence. Second, if one of their participants takes down a 10,000-year soul beast, imagine the fame it'll bring them."
He grinned. "And if any unaffiliated genius performs well, they'll just recruit them into the Spirit Hall. It's a win-win!"
Hearing this, the bearded man finally understood. "Ah... so that's the plan."
From his perch, Fang Chang also pieced the puzzle together.
The Spirit Hall was organizing a Soul Hunting Convention in a few days, inviting soul masters under 25 to compete in the Star Dou Forest by hunting soul beasts.
Wait... hunting soul beasts?!
A chill ran down Fang Chang's spine.
Should I run for it now?
He hesitated. But where could he go? There was no telling which areas the hunters would sweep through.
Then again... what if I followed them instead? Wait until they fight the stronger soul beasts, let them weaken each other, and then swoop in for the leftovers...
Fang Chang's eight eyes twinkled with mischief.
Classic web novel protagonist move.