Despite his intense hunger and the beast side steadily taking over, Arthur forced himself not to eat the goblins. Their grotesque appearance and the lack of any meat on their scrawny bodies made them thoroughly unappetizing.

But to be honest, the real reason he refused to eat them was because they looked somewhat human. That alone was enough to kill his appetite.

Arthur might have been living as a beast in the wild for quite some time now, but deep down, he was still human.

He was constantly bothered by the feeling that he did not belong in this body, nor in this beastly way of life.

Besides surviving in this strange world, he had only one goal, to regain his human form. And if possible, obtain an ability that would allow him to return to his original world whenever he wished.

Of course, he had no intention of abandoning this world despite everything he had gone through. Honestly, who in their right mind would? Right now, he was living a dream... no, an opportunity countless people would wish for.

A fresh start in a completely different world. Better yet, he possessed supernatural powers far beyond human understanding.

It was exciting. If not for the fact that he was still restricted by his low Rank, he would have gladly explored this world like the adventurers in the fantasy stories he loved.

These thoughts drifted through his mind and faded just as quickly, his troubled mental state leaving him little room to dwell on them.

A heavy killing intent radiated off him. Even after killing so many goblins, his thirst for blood was still far from satisfied. He wanted to hunt desperately—not only for food, but for the thrill of it as well. That was nothing like his usual self.

"My condition is getting worse. Every minute that passes, it becomes harder to stay rational. I can’t wander around the forest like this. I should go back to my den."

Even after saying that, and knowing exactly what he should do, he couldn’t suppress his instincts. On his way back, he drifted away from his original path after discovering a set of fresh tracks.

The trail led him to a small herd of strange beasts that looked somewhat like emus. He hid himself and tried to hunt them, but unfortunately, he failed once again to secure his dinner.

That infuriated him. It felt as though the forest itself was challenging him. He completely forgot about returning to his den and rushed off in search of another prey, hoping he could catch something this time.

But he failed again. After spending the entire day roaming from one place to another, chasing beasts across the forest, all he managed to catch was a Rankless squirrel and a small wild chicken.

By sunset, both his body and mind were in terrible condition. Exhaustion weighed him down. His thirst for blood reached its peak. His eyes had turned red, and his head felt as though it were burning.

His instincts toyed with his thoughts like an evil devil trying to possess him. Resisting the madness became increasingly difficult, yet he still struggled to make his way back to his den. It simply wasn’t wise to remain outside at night.

He forced his exhausted body to keep moving. On the way, he came across a stream and stopped for a short rest. He lowered his head into the clear water, trying to calm himself and clear his mind.

A long sigh escaped him, sending bubbles rising to the surface. When he lifted his head again, clear droplets slid down his gray fur before falling back into the stream.

He stared at his wavering reflection and thought. ’This is bad... really bad. I know this is only temporary, but damn it... what’s actually happening to me?’

Amid his confusion and worry, he suddenly remembered that he had never asked the system about his condition. That was understandable. The system rarely answered his questions anyway.

Still, he had nothing to lose. He focused his mind on the system and asked, "System, do you have any idea what’s happening to me? Am I sick or something? Say something."

He deliberately kept the question broad, hoping the system would give him some kind of answer. Contrary to his low expectations, the familiar blue screen appeared before him. And this time, instead of the usual responses like "Unknown" or "Insufficient data," it actually answered him.

[ You are currently experiencing the initial symptoms that precede the Full Moon Frenzy. You will return to normal by tomorrow morning. ]

"Full Moon Frenzy?" The moment Arthur read those words, he quickly looked up at the darkening sky. A massive full moon already stood proudly overhead, ready to bathe the land in its pale light as soon as the last rays of the sun disappeared.

Unlike Earth’s moon, the moon of this world was enormous. It was bluish in color, with certain parts tinged with violet. A hazy ring of multicolored celestial dust surrounded it, making it look several times more beautiful.

Arthur had no idea what Full Moon Frenzy actually meant. Still, it immediately reminded him of the werewolf legends from Earth. That alone gave him a rough idea of what was about to happen.

He closed his eyes, took a deep breath, then let out a frustrated sigh. "This is going to be a very long night."

The sun disappeared below the horizon.

Night finally arrived.

The moment the moon became the sole ruler of the sky, his fears came true. He rapidly began losing control over himself. At the same time, noticeable changes spread across his body.

He tried to resist. He activated "Iron Will". He relied on his bloodline. It was useless. Within barely two minutes, his beastly instincts completely took over.

He slowly opened his eyes. They had turned crimson.

The first thing he did was stand upright. He raised his head toward the sky and let out the loudest howl he could. It was the first time he had ever howled.

Awoooooo!

His powerful howl echoed through a large part of the forest. Many weaker creatures trembled in fear and shrank into hiding. Even the insects nearby fell silent. Only the sound of flowing water remained.

When the howl finally faded, every trace of rationality had already disappeared. Only savagery and brutality remained. His body had changed as well.

He grew noticeably larger. His fangs became longer. His fur darkened. Even most of the bruises and minor wounds he had received while fighting the goblins had already healed.

Ding!

[ Alert ]

[ Full Moon Frenzy has been activated. All basic Attributes have increased by 12%. Rationality has decreased by 45%. ]

[ Warning ]

[ Due to the negative effects of the Primal Predator bloodline, the effects of Full Moon Frenzy have been doubled. ]