My SSS-Rank Gluttony Talent: I Can Evolve Limitlessly

Riley straightened, his hand drifting down toward his dagger. His gaze never left the strange orc, and the smirk that tugged at his lips turned cold.

[Red Orc Shaman]

[Level: 15]

[H/P: 250]

"A new type, huh?"

His stomach rumbled again.

This time, louder.

The bushes behind the orc suddenly rustled again, this time not just from one direction, but every side.

Four more of the robed orcs stepped into the dim clearing, moving through the rising smoke like specters.

Their bodies were gaunt, arms covered in the same twisting red tattoos—thin, almost surgical in their precision. Like cursed veins atop their dark gray skin.

Each one locked its eyes on Riley, their gazes burning with fury.

In their hands was a similar long brown staff, looking somewhat like a dried piece of wood one could just pick up from the ground.

However, the faint trace of magic pulsing at their tips said otherwise.

Riley tilted his head slightly and let out a dry chuckle.

"Huh," he muttered, running a thumb across the blade of his dagger. "There’s more of them.

One of the orcs raised its hand, palm facing Riley.

A sudden surge of heat twisted the air in front of it. Sparks gathered. Flames coiled.

Then—

FWOOM!

A massive fireball roared to life and hurled itself toward him with blistering speed.

The force behind it was far greater than the first.

Riley dashed to the side, muscles snapping like a spring as he threw himself out of the line of fire.

At the same time, he activated [Stealth], blending in with the surroundings in the blink of an eye.

BOOM!

The fireball detonated against the earth where he had stood a heartbeat earlier, scorching the forest floor and sending charred fragments of bark and dirt into the air.

Flames surged outward, turning grass to ash and smoke to cover.

But to Riley, it was the perfect screen.

The smoke cloaked him like a lover’s embrace, and he completely vanished from the sights of the orcs.

They scanned the area, peering through the haze with narrowed eyes, staffs gripped tightly in their thin hands.

Then—

A flash of silver.

Riley appeared behind the one closest to him, a whisper in the chaos, and with one clean motion, sliced across its neck.

The orc twitched, mouth opening slightly—but it never had the chance to process what had happened.

It dropped with a soft thud, blood pouring silently from the wound as its staff clattered beside it.

The nearest one spun toward the noise, but before it could even call out, a thin brown spike—barely visible in the haze—embedded itself directly between its eyes.

Its body froze.

The spell on its staff flickered out.

Then—

Riley appeared again, blades flashing.

Swishh!

A clean slash across the neck.

Another corpse hit the ground, throat carved open like a scroll unrolled mid-sentence.

Three left.

Riley didn’t stop.

He twisted mid-step, one hand already releasing a throwing dagger.

The blade whistled through the smoke.

THUNK!

It sank hilt-deep into the skull of the third orc.

The creature’s eyes went wide for half a second—and then its body slumped, limp and lifeless, crumpling to the earth like a discarded robe.

Only two remained now.

They whirled in place, scanning the dissipating smoke, panic beginning to infect their movements. Their hands twitched. The magic on their staffs wavered.

Where?

Where was he?

They had sensed no approach, heard no footsteps.

Ever since their supposed prey vanished, they couldn’t even catch sight of his shadow, only the dying gasps of their comrades.

One of them turned its head sharply at the faintest rustle from behind—a bush shifting slightly in the breeze.

It reacted instantly.

Its hand surged forward, hurling a fireball toward the sound.

BOOM!

The bush was obliterated in a blast of flame and smoke, bark splintering and burning in a thousand directions.

The leaves were vaporized, leaving nothing but scorned dirt.

However, there was no scream, like its attack had hit nothing.

Then—

"Looking for me?"

The orc froze, but it was already too late.

Riley appeared behind it, voice low and cold.

His dagger slid smoothly across its throat, severing windpipe and spine in one stroke.

Blood erupted in a dark fountain as the creature fell forward, crashing face-first into the blackened soil.

The last orc’s body trembled.

It turned slowly, heart pounding in its chest, eyes wide and frantic.

It had seen none of what happened.

Only the aftermath.

It raised its staff, lips trembling—ready to scream.

But it never got the chance.

SHUNK!

A sharp brown spike shot out of the darkness, piercing straight through its neck, cutting off any attempt at sound.

And then—

CRACK.

Riley’s dagger drove into the back of its skull, pushing bone aside like butter.

The orc twitched once.

Then went still.

Silence fell once more over the clearing.

Only the sound of crackling flames remained, and the faint rustle of the wind through scorched leaves.

Five corpses.

Five clean kills.

Not a single sound made until it was already too late.

Riley stood tall amid the smoke, exhaling slowly. His eyes were half-lidded, calm. Almost disappointed.

"Was that it?" he muttered, cleaning his blade on one of the gray robes. "I’ve grown even stronger... these orcs are barely any match for me."

[You have killed level 15 Red Orc Shaman]

[+130EXP]

[You have killed level 14 Red Orc Shaman]

[+120EXP]

[...]

[...]

[Level up!]

[Level up rewards: +2 Attribute points, +1 Skill point]

[Congratulations! You have reached Level 6!]

A couple of notifications flashed across his eyes, and Riley nodded in satisfaction.

His stomach suddenly groaned again, the the edges of his lips curled up slightly.

Then, with quiet steps, he approached the nearest corpse, crouched low, and let his hunger do the rest.

The devouring began.

And with it, more notifications started appearing before him—

[You have devoured: Red Orc Shaman]

[Acquired: Strength +16, Agility +19.3, Endurance +20.7, Vitality +17.9, Mana +23.1]

[You have devoured: Red Orc Shaman]

[Acquired: Strength +17.5, Agility +18, Endurance +21, Vitality +19.2, Mana +25, Skill: Fireball(E-rank)]

[...]

[...]

[...]

Riley slowly stood back up, his lips curled into a wide, sinister smile.