[Opening Scene: The Dawn of Suffering]

  Morning broke, painting the sky in hues of crimson and gold. The crisp scent of the forest filled the air, birds chirped a melody of peace, and the soft rustling of leaves whispered secrets to the wind.

  And in the middle of all this natural beauty...

  Ameer lay on the ground like a corpse, stomach growling, face buried in the dirt, soul barely hanging on.

  Ameer: "I have known true suffering." ????

  System: "Correction: you have known mild hunger."

  Ameer: "SAME THING." ??

  System: "No, it's not. One is actual suffering. The other is you whining because you missed one meal."

  Ameer: "Bro, I am a TUNISIAN. We don't do 'missing meals.' This is a crime against my entire lineage." ??

  Ding!

  ?? [Skill & Lineage Update!] ??

  ?? New Skill Unlocked: 'Fennec Instincts'!

  Boosts agility and sensory perception.Enhances hunting reflexes.

  ?? Lineage Perk Unlocked: 'Ancient Spirit Fox Awakening (Stage 1)'!

  Enhances spiritual power.Boosts physical abilities slightly.First awakening triggers at 1% rage.

  Ameer: "Uggghh... I feel like my body is on fire... What is this?!" ????

  System: "Dunno. Probably just gas." ??

  Ameer: "...I swear, if I ever get the ability to slap intangible entities, you are SO dead." ??

  What Ameer didn't know was that his skills and lineage had just awakened.

  What Ameer also didn't know was that the System was fully aware of this... and just chose not to tell him.

  System: "Hehehe~" ??

  And what the System itself didn't know was that Ameer's frustration was slowly filling a hidden rage meter.

  ?? [Rage: 1%] ??

  [A Wild Rival Appears!]

  After a long, dramatic, and utterly useless internal monologue, Ameer forced himself to move.

  Stolen story; please report.

  His goal? Find food. Eat food. Survive.

  Ameer stalked through the grass, his tiny fox paws moving with surprising grace.

  Ameer: "Alright... this time, I won't fail. I am the apex predator. I am speed. I am—"

  WHOOSH!

  Something blurred past him, so fast it nearly knocked him over.

  Ameer: "Huh?! What the hell was—"

  Then he saw it.

  A dark-furred fox, slightly bigger than him, with piercing golden eyes and a smug expression, standing a few feet away.

  Ameer: "Oi. Who's this punk?" ??

  System: "Ohhh, this is getting interesting." ??

  The black fox flicked its tail arrogantly, eyes gleaming with pure superiority.

  ???: "Oh? A newbie in my territory?"

  Ameer: "Wait, wait, WAIT. DID THIS FOX JUST TALK?!" ??

  System: "Yeah, some animals in this world are intelligent. Didn't I tell you?"

  Ameer: "NO, YOU DIDN'T!!" ??

  System: "Oh... whoops. My bad." ??

  Ameer: "I hate you."

  The black fox smirked.

  ???: "What's wrong, little one? Never met a real fox before?"

  Ameer: "EXCUSE ME?! WHO YOU CALLIN' 'LITTLE'?! I'LL HAVE YOU KNOW—"

  Before he could finish, the black fox snatched a rabbit from the grass, bit into it effortlessly, and began eating right in front of him.

  Ameer: "..." ??

  Ameer: "HOLD UP—THAT WAS MY PREY!" ??

  Black Fox: "Oh? I didn't see your name on it." ??

  Ameer: "YOU—!"

  System: "Ooooooooh, you gonna let him disrespect you like that?" ??

  Ameer saw red.

  ?? [Rage: 2%] ??

  [The Fox Duel: Ego vs Hunger]

  Ameer lowered his stance, eyes burning with determination.

  Ameer: "Alright, you smug piece of fur, LET'S THROW HANDS—Wait, crap. I don't HAVE hands." ??

  System: "LMAO." ??

  Black Fox: "Hah! You don't stand a chance."

  Ameer: "We'll see about that!" ??

  And thus, the most ridiculous fox fight in history began.

  Ameer charged forward, paws slipping on the grass, barely keeping balance.

  Black Fox sidestepped easily.

  Ameer: "HAAAH—wait, where did you—"

  Before he could react, the black fox swiped his paw, knocking Ameer flat on his back.

  Ameer: "ACK—!" ??

  System: "Wow. That was embarrassing." ??

  Ameer: "SHUT. UP."

  Black Fox: "Pfft. You don't even know how to fight, do you?"

  Ameer: "...Listen here, you discount Pokémon, I SWEAR I'LL—"

  Before he could finish, the black fox stepped on his tail.

  Ameer: "AAAHHHH!! MY TAIL! MY GLORIOUS TAIL!!" ??

  Black Fox: "I suggest you leave. This is my hunting ground."

  Ameer: "YOU WANNA RUN THAT BY ME AGAIN, YOU EDGY-LOOKIN' RAT?!" ??

  System: "Ohhh boy, this is fun."

  [Epilogue: The Flame is Lit]

  Ameer lay on the ground, defeated, humiliated, and starving.

  Ameer: "..."

  System: "Hey, at least you didn't die."

  Ameer: "..."

  System: "Ohhh, are we doing the 'silent treatment'? That's fine, I'll just—"

  Ameer: "Mark my words."

  System: "Huh?"

  Ameer slowly got up, eyes burning with newfound determination.

  Ameer: "I don't care how long it takes... I'm coming back for that fox. And when I do... I'M GONNA MAKE HIM SUFFER!" ????

  System: "Oooooh, now we're talking."

  Deep inside Ameer... something stirred.

  ?? [Rage: 3%] ??

  The first ember of vengeance had been lit.

  End of Chapter 3??