ã€ŠThat Which Devoursã€‹


 Chapter 1: Going too far through Space

    The blaring siren echoed through my head as I fought to open my eyes. Red flashing lights blinked on the other side of the plastic tube I was still in. I couldn¡¯t move as the sedative slowly worked its way out of my system, but I knew something was wrong.

    The ship shook, and if it wasn¡¯t for the straps holding my body in place, it would have hurt.

    ¡°Emergency! Pilot crew, man your stations. Emergency! Pilot crew, man your stations.¡±

    The computer voice repeated the instructions several times as I tried to move my fingers. I wasn¡¯t on the pilot crew and I shouldn¡¯t be awake, even if there was an emergency. A dark shape stumbled past my tube, heading toward the doorway that was out of sight beyond the edge of my tube.

    The ship shook again, rattling my brain.

    I tried to turn my head so I could see the surrounding tubes. My family should be in tubes nearby, and I struggled to look, to see them, though the drugs still weren¡¯t out of my system. All I could feel was my pinky move.

    I was getting closer, at least I could move my pinky.

    Then the siren cut off, along with the blinking red lights. Next to go was the light in my tube. Someone screamed nearby, clearly more with it than I was.

    Pitch blackness surrounded us, then something exploded loudly in the distance. The ship rocked, and my head lightly smacked the side of the tube.

    I bit my tongue. Blood filled my mouth.

    The hum of the engines was gone.

    Then it happened, the familiar loud click. Safety doors slammed shut, cutting us off from the spine. I recognized that click from the safety videos they¡¯d made us watch repeatedly. Our section of the ship was decoupling. It only happened in the most extreme circumstances, or during landing. Gravity vanished, but the straps kept me in place.

    This was it. We were going to die.

    Travel across the universe, they said. Explore unknown worlds and create the first colony of humans after finding a suitable planet. Yeah, right. How about dying in a crash with no one to even recover our bodies?

    [Warning, you are entering an integrated section of the universe.]

    The message popped up in front of my eyes in a bright green color, almost like it had appeared on the inside of the tube.

    What the ever-living¡­?

    [Welcome to the System Universe.]

    [Integration will begin shortly¡­]

    The ship suddenly dropped as feeling came back into my body, just as my head slammed into the side of the tube and darkness took over.

    ***

    Bright sunlight hit my face and my eyes fluttered open. I still lay in the cold tube, but gravity worked again. The tube sat horizontally with my head slightly elevated, tilted to one side. More of the green writing was back. Pain lanced through my head as I tried to focus on the words, even as everything felt fuzzy.

    [Warning, you do not have the required skill categories available to unlock a class. You must explore your abilities before you can unlock class selection.]

    [Skill Categories Unlocked: Survival Skills, Self-defense Skills]

    The words faded as I dismissed them, unable to really think about what that even meant. My head pounded when I tried to figure out why the words sounded familiar. With the words gone, I could see what was beyond the clear plexiglass. Somehow, the tube I was in was outside and no longer inside the dropship. The sunlight clued me in. My stomach flipped a few times, but I focused on breathing softly to not throw up.

    Something was wrong with me.

    Everything came into focus for a few moments, and bright red blood greeted me on the tube. A small hole and crack sat right next to where my head would reach. Beyond that, my tube rested on a rock. I reached up and touched my head, thankful that I could move.

    My fingers came away with blood.

    I must have hit my head.

    Everything spun for a moment, then the sunlight vanished as something moved near the tube.

    The edges of my vision darkened as I spotted what looked like a triceratops, the giant horns forward from the huge, armored bone plate at the back of the horned snout, walking right next to my cold tube.

    Then the darkness took me again.

    ***

    The sound of rain greeted me when I next opened my eyes. It hit the clear tube, filling my space with the comforting sound. Yet, my dry mouth made me fight for awareness, clawing at clear thought. The harness held me in place, strapping running across my body in two different locations. Once across my upper chest, and then again across my waist. The straps were tight, clearly still held by the buckles attached to the back of the pod.

    I needed to get out of the tube and find the others.

    My head spun as I turned to study what was around me. Nausea washed through me and I resisted gagging. I didn¡¯t know how long I¡¯d been in the tube, but I knew I couldn¡¯t lose any more fluids. I was quickly approaching dehydration, judging by the dryness of my lips and mouth. A quick touch to my head showed me that the wound there had stopped bleeding. That was the first bit of good news so far, besides being alive.

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    I assumed I was alive, and this wasn¡¯t some weird dream in cold sleep.

    Unlatching the first buckle across my chest was easy, same with the second. Thankfully, I already partially rested on the back of the tube and didn¡¯t fall. Still, the movement it took to get the emergency releases to unlatch caused my head to spin and everything to go fuzzy again.

    ¡°Stay awake¡­¡± I whispered to myself. I couldn¡¯t pass out again, not with the rain. The water, I needed that water.

    Reaching up, I tried to push on the front of the tube. Based on my training, it should have released. Yet, despite my shoving, it didn¡¯t move.

    I needed to do something first to release it. Something I¡¯d forgotten.

    It hurt to think, to remember my training.

    There was a button, a latch, a manual release in case of emergency power loss. My fingers searched the top of the tube, wrapping around a small handle before yanking it down.

    Something clicked.

    I could do this.

    I pushed on the front of the tube, using more of my weight. It still didn¡¯t move. My heart pounded in my chest as I tried again and again.

    Nothing.

    The outside of the tube grew darker as time passed, but at least the rain continued.

    My fingers traced the crack in the tube until I found a small hole in the plexiglass. I let out a sigh of relief and pushed against the edges before stopping. Did I want to wander around in the dark, while dizzy?

    I needed water.

    A bandana held back my hair, and I dragged it off before stuffing the edge into the hole in the tube. I held it there as it soaked up the rain water falling down the side of the tube before pulling it back and sticking the end in my mouth.

    It wasn¡¯t a lot of water, but it was better than nothing. I repeated the action again and again until my mouth no longer felt dry.

    Eventually, the rain lulled me back under.

    ***

    Loud pounding on the tube reached me, but my eyelids felt too heavy to open.

    ¡°Alex! Oh, god, Alex! You have to be okay.¡± The voice was so close, yet so far away. ¡°Dad! I found her!¡±

    The tube suddenly rocked forward, and I finally forced my eyes open. It was dim, but the rain had stopped. Someone shoved on the outside of the tube, trying to roll it away from the rock. The man¡¯s brown eyes were wide open with something that looked like fear on his face.

    ¡°Alex, we¡¯ll get you out,¡± he called. ¡°Just stay awake.¡± He turned to someone in the distance. ¡°She¡¯s awake, but has a head wound.¡±

    ¡°Thank god!¡±

    ¡°You found her, John, it¡¯ll be okay.¡±

    So many voices, talking and yelling, and I closed my eyes against the sound.

    ¡°Alex, you gotta stay awake for me,¡± said the man right outside the tube.

    I opened my eyes again in time to see him jam a knife somewhere near the top. Then the plexiglass moved. Another man yanked on the plexiglass, pulling it back. Fresh air rushed in and hands reached in to pull me out of the tube. I could breathe, deeply.

    ¡°I got you, Sprout,¡± the second man whispered, pulling me close.

    Sprout. I knew that nickname.

    Images rushed through my mind. This was my Dad.

    His short dark hair, cropped close to his head, still had the same look from when he¡¯d served. The gray hairs in his beard stood out, but he was exactly like when we¡¯d gone into cold sleep.

    I glanced around, eyes wide, now seeing my brothers John and Benny. Before, they were just random people in the same outfit as me. Now, I remembered who they were, and that we looked the same. Dark hair and brown eyes, though they were all taller than me. They weren¡¯t the only ones; I recognized several colony members from pre-departure training. Names and job descriptions raced through my mind.

    Jas dashed into view with a sharp pointed stick in one hand. ¡°We gotta move, that monster is nearby.¡± His face was covered in dirt, and I could barely see any skin showing on his body.

    A roar and a scream echoed through the jungle surrounding us. Everyone went silent as I blinked.

    ¡°Everyone, we need to move down the cliff,¡± said my Dad, his arms still wrapped around me. ¡°Keep quiet and move quickly.¡±

    John and Benny didn¡¯t move as the rest of the group headed off in one direction. ¡°Benny, take Alex. I¡¯m going with Jas.¡±

    Jas nodded. ¡°We can keep it distracted.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the plan. We¡¯ll meet you at the bottom of the waterfall. Search the wreckage down there for survivors.¡± Dad moved to let go of me, but my knees trembled.

    Benny¡¯s arm went under my shoulders. ¡°Come on Sprout, we got this,¡± he whispered.

    Dad nodded at me, then took a spear from John that I hadn¡¯t realized he¡¯d been holding.

    Another roar shook the nearby trees, and everyone¡¯s head snapped in that direction. Something moved within the trees.

    ¡°Go, now!¡± growled Dad.

    An enormous head poked through the branches, looking at us from the distance. Long sharp teeth filled the giant mouth of what looked to be a T-Rex.

    My knees collapsed and my head spun as everything went dark yet again.

    ***

    I awoke as water brushed up against my lips.

    ¡°Easy, there,¡± said a soothing voice.

    My eyes opened to find myself in a wet cavern with a bunch of people laying all over. An older woman with kind eyes held out a canteen to me.

    My hands trembled as I took it from her.

    ¡°Nice and slow,¡± she said. ¡°Remember your training.¡± Her bright blue eyes studied me. ¡°What do you remember?¡± She wore the same uniform as I did, though the patch on her shoulder indicated that she was in management. Her black hair was pulled back in a ponytail, and she had a calm demeanor about her.

    I sipped on the cool water and tried to think about training. Images of class after class flowed through my mind. What to do on the ship, what to do after landing. The various tasks I could be assigned as a laborer. Laughter, and others my age, wishing we all had actual jobs instead of the lowly title of laborer. Everyone else on the ship had degrees, or military training, sometimes both.

    Then the tube with the alarms going off and¡­ we must have crashed. That, and my family: Dad, John and Benny.

    ¡°We crashed, didn¡¯t we?¡± I asked. ¡°Things are a little blurry. I don¡¯t remember your name, but I think I saw a dinosaur.¡± I reached up to touch my head and found a bandage wrapped around it.

    ¡°My name¡¯s Abby, and don¡¯t you worry dear, things will come back to you. You hit your head pretty hard.¡± She let out a sigh. ¡°We crashed on a strange planet. It has dinosaurs.¡±

    I tried to chuckle, but it turned into a dry cough that made my head hurt.

    ¡°Did you get a class?¡± she asked. ¡°During the crash?¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡±

    She frowned, then patted my leg. ¡°We can talk about that later.¡±

    I took another sip of water, feeling exhausted. My stomach growled.

    Abby pulled out a ration bar from a pocket on her shipsuit. ¡°Eat a few bites of this, it will help.¡±

    The ration bar was my favorite flavor, maple and brown sugar oatmeal. I took it with a smile and carefully opened the wrapper. I started with a small bite, but then chomped down until it was gone. It took only a moment.

    ¡°Well, getting your appetite back is good. Get some rest, it¡¯s late.¡± She patted me on the shoulder. ¡°I need to check on others.¡± With that, Abby climbed to her feet and moved toward a few people being quiet near the entrance.

    Everyone else around me slept on the ground. They all wore the light blue cotton clothes that I had on, plus the rugged boots. Everyone looked pretty grungy to be honest, and I was glad I couldn¡¯t see what I looked like. I sipped on the water, feeling a bit better but more confused than ever. Then I lay back, closing my eyes.

    I froze, remembering where I had seen the word ¡®Class¡¯ before. That green writing that had appeared. Something about how I didn¡¯t have enough Skill Categories. What the heck did that mean?

 Chapter 2: What do you mean dinosaurs are real?!

    The next time I woke up, it was bright in the cavern. Fewer people were around and I wasn¡¯t in the same spot I had gone to sleep in. That bothered me. Folks had moved me while I was out cold, and it hadn¡¯t woken me up at all.

    My dried mouth bothered me, and I found the canteen right next to me. I took slow sips as I sat up and tried to connect the dots. My head still felt off, fuzzy, like everything wasn¡¯t connecting the right way. Still, I was out of the cold tube, I had water and¡­ my stomach growled.

    I needed food.

    After several more moments of drinking water, I slowly climbed to my feet. I tossed the strap from the canteen over my shoulder and shuffled toward the entrance to the cavern. It became easier to move once I reached the wall and I could use it as a support. The rock was damp and felt cool to the touch.

    Slowly I made it toward the outside. The entrance to the cavern narrowed to a tight walkway that I barely fit through without turning sideways. I wondered how they¡¯d gotten me there, unconscious. The path opened up to bright sunlight overlooking a giant carcass. Trees took over just beyond the carcass, stretching toward the sunlight overhead. The plants were bright shades of green that my mind couldn¡¯t comprehend. The colors were just so different from the evergreen forest I¡¯d camped in back home on Earth. More vibrant and alive, somehow.

    Abby¡¯s back was to me as she cut into the giant creature, her knife flashing in the bright light. Flies buzzed around her as she worked. A campfire burned to the left, producing some smoke that the flies stayed away from, but not enough to keep them away entirely. Sticks stuck into the ground with strips of meat hanging off of them, roasting over the flames.

    That was a dead dinosaur.

    Thick leathery skin, giant body, though this looked like just the rear half with a long tail. A foot sat off to one side, and it was the size of my head, with talons longer than my fingers. My knees trembled, but I forced myself to stay standing. Traveling to an unknown world was always going to be hard, I just hadn¡¯t expected to crash on a planet with dinosaurs.

    It was almost a dream come true. I loved dinosaurs, and watched any movie that came out with them in it. Even if it was a reboot.

    I found Abby watching me when I glanced back at her. ¡°You shouldn¡¯t be standing. Take a seat near the fire, I¡¯ll grab you something cooked.¡± She climbed to her feet and set the knife down on a woven mat that I hadn¡¯t noticed. It had strips of raw meat piled on it.

    She pulled one stick hanging over the fire out of the ground and tested it with two fingers before nodding.

    I hadn¡¯t moved.

    She waved at me to get moving. ¡°Well, come on. You should sit. We need to talk.¡±

    I let go of the wall behind me and crept closer to the fire. ¡°Where is everyone?¡±

    Abby let out a deep sigh. ¡°Searching for survivors, but I think you¡¯re likely to be the last one.¡± She held out the cooked meat once I got close enough.

    I sat down on the rocky ground, trying to not move my head too fast. My vision spun if I moved too quickly. The meat tasted good. It was gamey, and it was warm.

    ¡°We found the other side of the dropship in the valley below. More survivors were there, but they had to deal with more dinosaurs than we did up top.¡±

    ¡°So they are real.¡±

    ¡°They are, honey.¡± Abby moved back to the carcass and sat back down.

    ¡°What about classes? I remember something about how I didn¡¯t unlock class selection¡­¡± I said between bites. This time I tried to slowly eat the meat, instead of just inhaling it like I had the ration bar. The outside was tough to bite through, and that helped.

    ¡°Everyone who wasn¡¯t a laborer went through class selection during the crash. All of you young adults didn¡¯t unlock it. I think there are fifteen of you in total.¡±

    My stomach roiled at that news. Our dropship had started with over fifty laborers, and we were down to fifteen? That didn¡¯t seem right.

    ¡°How? The crash?¡± Images of dinosaurs chasing after humans in the jungle made me shiver, but hopefully that hadn¡¯t happened.

    ¡°The crash killed plenty on impact. The drop ship hit the top of a mountain range and the end broke off, which is where we were. Some in the middle went flying in their cold tubes, like you. The front continued, over the edge.¡± She motioned toward the trees. ¡°It hit in the valley below. We are halfway down the cliff headed to the valley.¡±

    ¡°And my family?¡±

    ¡°John and Benny are already in the valley. Your father is helping people down the cliffs and doing rounds. Most of the survivors are fighting down below, to clear it of threats.¡± Her knife hacked into the carcass. ¡°Once I¡¯m done cooking this up, we¡¯ll head down there as well. We can¡¯t be wasting food right now.¡± She motioned to a basket near the campfire. ¡°We can¡¯t stay too long before the smell will draw things here. So, I¡¯m cutting and cooking fast.¡±

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    The food helped settle my stomach. However, it all felt too fake. We¡¯d crashed, something was wrong with my head, and the survivors were fighting dinosaurs to make a safe place to build camp. I let out a chuckle and then caught myself just before I shook my head.

    ¡°I did something to my head¡­¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°We¡¯re pretty sure the crash knocked you silly, but you''re recovering faster than I¡¯d have guessed.¡± Abby got up and took the woven mat full of strips of meat with her. She set it near the fire and tested the rest of the meat still over the flames. Each chunk that was cooked enough got tossed into the basket. Then she speared raw pieces onto the sticks. ¡°Now, we just need to wait.¡±

    The sound of a roar echoed through the trees surrounding the rock face.

    I spun to face that direction, and everything blurred into nonsense.

    Abby made a tsk-ing sound. ¡°The big ones can¡¯t make it this far down. It¡¯s the small ones we need to worry about.¡±

    The meat in my stomach felt off as I fought to keep it down. It took longer than I¡¯d have liked before I could turn my head to look back at Abby.

    ¡°What class did you get?¡± I asked, wanting to know more about this class thing she had mentioned before. That green text still puzzled me.

    Abby chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s all people can talk about when they have a moment to rest, the classes that people got.¡± She shook her head and adjusted a stick over the fire. ¡°I got some sentinel nonsense. My profession is a much better fit for me, cook. I have skills that let me cook faster, which as you can imagine is very important, until we recover more supplies from the crash sites.¡±

    ¡°Professions?¡± Now I was confused. I thought we were talking about classes.

    ¡°It''s just like a class, but don¡¯t worry about it. You¡¯ll get one after your class, from what we can tell. To be honest, we¡¯re all still figuring it out. It¡¯s not like there¡¯s a manual, and this whole thing is rather surreal. We certainly didn¡¯t train for it.¡± She waved her hand over the meat, shooing flies.

    For a second, I could smell the cooking meat, and it made my stomach growl again.

    Abby tossed another piece my way, and I thankfully caught it. It was warm, but didn¡¯t burn my fingers. This time I ate it a little faster. Each bite helped my head feel more connected to the rest of me. I felt more solid.

    I wanted to ask more questions, but the food in my stomach lulled me to sleep again. Next thing I knew, someone was shaking me awake.

    ¡°Hey, Sprout, time to get down the cliffs,¡± said my father. His dark eyes searched mine, and he nodded. Something looked different about him from before. ¡°You look a lot better.¡± He grinned at Abby. She wore a basket on her back, but she looked tired. The campfire was out.

    I got to my feet, and my father handed me a walking stick. It¡¯d been carved from a single piece of a branch. ¡°Thanks.¡± I studied him a little longer. ¡°Your beard is different.¡±

    His mouth opened then shut. ¡°Really?¡± His hand reached out and touched his chin. ¡°What changed?¡±

    ¡°The gray¡¯s gone. You had a patch near your ear, but it¡¯s all dark now.¡± At least that was what my memories were telling me. He¡¯d had gray in his beard, and only a little in his hair. His hair wasn¡¯t noticeable with how short it was.

    Abby chuckled. ¡°I guess it really made you younger.¡±

    ¡°Younger?¡±

    ¡°Your father hit level ten this morning, it sent all of us into a spin when we noticed.¡±

    ¡°Just doing my job at keeping everyone safe,¡± he growled and motioned toward the trees. ¡°We have a little walking until we get to the edge.¡± He took the lead, with Abby walking behind me. That¡¯s when I noticed the heat, and how muggy the air was. Each step took me through giant bright green ferns and towering trees. Vines dangled from the branches of some, while others had massive leaves that hung down.

    Bugs flew through the jungle as birds called from above. The sunlight drifted down in patches, but the canopy made it hard to see the sky.

    ¡°We have a small camp set up below, near the front half of the dropship,¡± said my father.

    ¡°Back to this level ten thing, what happened?¡± I asked. The walking stick helped me keep my balance as I moved through the undergrowth. The air smelled like leaves and dirt, but it wasn¡¯t bad.

    ¡°I got a skill that improved my physical body,¡± he explained. ¡°I¡¯m still figuring it out. Once I do, I¡¯ll report to everyone the specifics. I didn¡¯t realize my gray hair was gone, though. It¡¯s not like we have mirrors.¡±

    First classes, professions, and now skills. It sounded like we were in a video game or something. Level ten sounded important, since he¡¯d learned a skill that literally made him younger and more fit. Given that Dad was already at peak physical fitness for someone his age, that blew my mind. Maybe this place would be good for all of us, as long as we survived.

    More sunlight poured through the trees as Dad and Abby halted. Dad held up a hand, and I paused. The trees ended just ahead, and blue sky took over from the canopy of leaves. He motioned me to approach.

    ¡°So, I am going to tie a rope around your waist, and lower you down below.¡± He motioned toward the cliff.

    I took a small step forward, then I took in the view.

    A valley spread out below, and a waterfall was toward my left in the distance. Down below, I could see part of a drop ship, and lots more trees, plus some kind of open area around a lake, glittering in the sunlight. Tents were set up near the drop ship, and there were people. People raced around, doing who knew what, filling the spaces I could see near the crashed ship and tents.

    Farther out, I could see creatures by the lake. They almost looked like triceratops, but seemed small. A group of five stood in the water.

    This was actually real.

    Dad tied the rope around my waist and drew my attention to the other rope. ¡°I recommend you hold on to that rope and use it to anchor yourself to the wall. Then, you can walk down the cliff face. I will lower you from above with each step you take. I should only be the safety measure. Once you are down below we have more supplies to lower down, then Abby, then I¡¯ll climb down a bit later.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s a plan,¡± I replied, forcing myself to believe.

 Chapter 3: Whole New World

    Dinosaurs were amazing creatures until one tried to eat you. Then it became very clear where you stood in the food chain. I huddled in the dropship packed with other survivors while something roared and screamed outside.

    Several people were out there fighting it, whatever it was. Trying to either drive it away, or kill it so we could eat it. The last couple of weeks had been filled with me trying to stay awake long enough to help, and me failing and falling unconscious. Today was the first day I¡¯d felt steady on my feet and nothing weird happened if I turned too quickly.

    Around me were a few others my age who hadn¡¯t gotten classes yet. All of us either joined the mission with our families, or as orphans. Randy was a goofball who loved math and hoped to apprentice under the engineers. Cass¡¯s family hadn¡¯t lived through the crash, but she held up as best as she could. I knew her from the training classes; we were around the same age, and both of us wanted to make something of ourselves. They huddled on either side of me, all of us excited to start training with my father one moment, then running to hide in the ship the next as the alarm bell rang.

    ¡°Do you think everyone will be okay?¡± asked Randy. His dark eyes stayed locked on the doorway in the distance, while his fear stood out on his pale face. Abby guarded the doorway with a spear, her back toward us.

    ¡°It will be what it will be.¡± I kept my voice low and wished he hadn¡¯t asked. Cass¡¯s face paled at his question, and given what¡¯d happened to her family, I didn¡¯t blame her. I was lucky everyone I cared for had survived the crash.

    Though, right now Dad and Benny were out there fighting with the others. John worked on fixing up the one shuttle that the survivors had partially recovered from this side of the dropship.

    Finally, the sounds outside calmed down and Abby exited the doorway. That was the signal, though most people didn¡¯t leave just yet. Not wanting to wait, I took the opportunity to move first and headed out to see if I could help.

    Outside under the gray sky an enormous creature with spikes running up and down its back was dead. At one point, it had stood on two legs, and it reminded me of a Ceratosaurus. That was a meat eater that, at least on Earth, usually went after small prey. Though, this didn¡¯t look like the pictures from the museum. It had brighter colors striped along its back.

    My father stood near it with blood dripping down his spear. Several spears stuck out of the creature, though a few of them were broken off. Abby spoke with my father quietly. Other survivors stood around smiling, though one fighter had a small group around him as he held his arm. It looked like it was broken.

    People whispered about the levels they had gained. More and more were crossing that level ten mark my father had passed weeks ago. Everyone who passed it needed less food and water, not to mention less sleep. It was a huge advantage, or so I imagined. Without a class, I didn¡¯t have a level, so all I could go on was what others said.

    ¡°Alright, everyone with a good sharp knife, to me. We need to cut this up and smoke as much of it as possible. We¡¯ll be eating well tonight,¡± said Abby.

    More cheers broke out and people started coming out of the side of the dropship at the noise.

    My father headed my way with a grim look. ¡°Looks like training will start a little late,¡± he said. ¡°Can you gather up the other laborers?¡± He motioned away from the ship and closer to the lake. ¡°We¡¯ll meet up in ten. I need to clean up first.¡±

    I nodded, and he strode away toward the lake, while I turned back to the ship looking for Cass and Randy as people gathered around.

    That was what I wanted, what I needed. A class and the strength to back it up. The ability to take down dinosaurs and prove myself to everyone. I needed to figure out how to get a class as soon as possible. It was time to get to work.

    ***

    ¡°It worked!¡± John called out toward my father and I as we practiced next to the lake. ¡°The crystals can be used as energy sources!¡± He raced toward us with a big smile on his face. John had long brown hair, pulled back in a ponytail. A streak of grease sat along the left side of his face and it¡¯d been there for over a day now. That, at least, wasn¡¯t any different from how things had been back home.

    He stood taller than me, but so did everyone else in the family. My father took a step back holding up a hand to me to stop. I resisted the urge to attack when his guard was down, and instead I rested the butt of my spear on the ground. Not that it was much of a spear. More a branch with a sharpened point, but it was at least something.

    While a bunch of weapons had been within the dropship, the guns were useless with the batteries destroyed. Just like all the other batteries or explosives on the dropships, anything that was a store of energy had simply exploded. No one knew what had caused it, but it happened at the same time we crossed into this new ¡®System Universe,¡¯ whatever that was. Everything holding condensed energy went boom. The batteries in the shuttles had been drained for transport before we left Earth, which left them in better shape than anything else with them.

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    John approached us with a crystal in hand. The hunks of what looked roughly like quartz were all anyone could talk about. Somehow, they created a humming noise which kept the beasts away.

    ¡°Dad, hold on to this.¡± He held it out to him, which my father took. ¡°Now, try to make it glow.¡±

    Nothing happened for a few seconds, then suddenly it flared to life. Dad dropped the crystal to the ground. ¡°Woah¡­¡±

    ¡°Did you get the skill?¡± asked John.

    I bent down to pick up the crystal.

    ¡°Yes, that¡­ that will be handy,¡± said Dad, as his eyes flickered over something we couldn¡¯t see.

    John held out his hand for the crystal back, but instead I tried to make it glow. Nothing happened.

    ¡°You might not have the ability,¡± reassured John. ¡°Since you don¡¯t have a class yet.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes and focused on the crystal even more. If Dad and John could make it glow, so could I.

    Several minutes went by and John held his hand out again. ¡°I need to see if anyone else in the settlement can get the skill.¡±

    Yet, Dad held up his hand. ¡°Let her try.¡±

    That drove the stakes even higher, and I gave it everything I had. I pushed at the crystal. It just needed to do something.

    Then it flashed a bright yellow color, brighter than it had for Dad. It heated in my hand, and I quickly dropped it as my fingers warmed. My head felt dizzy, and I felt Dad grip my shoulder.

    [Skill Category Unlocked: Crystal Skills.]

    I blinked twice at the green words, smiling as I read them. This was my sixth skill category, if I remembered correctly. Training with the spear and a knife had gotten me those skill categories, plus cooking with Abby had gained me that category as well.

    Now, here was another.

    I¡¯d asked Cass if she had gained many categories, and she said she didn¡¯t keep track but it wasn¡¯t many. Here I was with yet another one.

    ¡°I got the Skill Category for it.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± replied my Dad, before turning toward John. ¡°John, test as many people as possible. We need to see who else can use these crystals. Who knows what you can come up with using these?¡±

    ¡°Was it supposed to get hot?¡± I asked, rubbing my fingers together. It hadn¡¯t burned me, but it had gotten pretty warm.

    ¡°It got hot for you?¡± asked John, his eyes narrowing before he bent down and picked it up. ¡°My skill says nothing about it getting hot. I¡¯ll need to experiment more.¡±

    ¡°I can help you after training,¡± I added with a hopeful look. I wanted to see what else I could do with the crystal.

    ¡°You¡¯re assigned to Abby this afternoon,¡± reminded my Dad. ¡°Don¡¯t miss it.¡±

    I nodded. I hadn¡¯t forgotten, but no one really understood how much I packed my days full of things outside of my assigned job for the day. Anything to unlock class selection. Cass had talked one of the archers into offering a lesson around noon for Randy, her and I to hopefully unlock the class. All of us felt the need to get one as soon as possible. Each day, it seemed another laborer was gone from the pool and using their new class to help in different ways.

    Maybe half of us were left at this point. It was frustrating.

    John headed back toward the shuttle, which sat near the dropship. In the distance, the sound of people cutting down trees filled the air. Different classes had unique skills which let people do various related tasks faster. Each day, we discovered more about the strange system that now guided our lives.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to it. You might be better than the others, but that doesn¡¯t mean you stop training,¡± said Dad.

    I smiled as I took a step back and readied my spear. Even though I didn¡¯t have a class, I at least had talent with the spear. It was something to focus on each day.

    By the time I finished up training with my Dad, sweat dripped down my back and I needed a break. The smell of food drifted over the trees, but instead of stopping for lunch, the three of us walked through the area toward the archery practice area for our mid-day lesson. It wasn¡¯t a big space, just a place that a tree had fallen that someone had set up targets on.

    Cass and I hurried through the trees to catch up to Randy, who had set out before us. The thud of an arrow into a tree caused us both to slow down. Adam stood next to Randy and shot another arrow into the target in the distance. He was ex-military, like my father, and stood the same way. His head was held up high and he was always watching everything. Adam¡¯s class had unlocked during the crash, like most of those with prior training. His bow was from the old world. The armory crates that had been recovered had some bows in them, but only a few. Only those who unlocked the class could use them.

    Adam noticed us joining them and gave us a nod, but turned back to Randy. Randy looked like a teenager next to the broad-shouldered man. ¡°Alright, take the bow and stand like I showed you.¡±

    Randy quickly complied, and Adam moved his limbs into the correct position. Both Cass and I copied him nearby, even though we didn¡¯t have bows. Practice was practice.

    It took ages before Adam let Randy try to shoot an arrow with his bow. The first couple didn¡¯t fly far at all. Eventually, he fired one with a little more power, and the metal arrow flew toward the target. It missed by feet, but Cass and I cheered for him all the same.

    Yet, Randy didn¡¯t move from the pose he stood in.

    Adam¡¯s eyes grew wide and he smiled, showing off a kind look. He ran his hand through his short gray hair.

    Cass stepped forward, but he held up a hand.

    ¡°I think he¡¯s in class selection,¡± said Adam. ¡°Let¡¯s give him a few moments.¡±

    All three of us remained quiet, until Randy lowered his arms, blinking. ¡°Holy shit, I¡¯m an archer.¡±

    ¡°Congrats, man! We need to get you set up with a bow. I think there might be one left from Earth. Otherwise, we¡¯ll need to get started with one of the wooden ones.¡± He set a hand on Randy¡¯s shoulders with a smile. ¡°First, though, you need to recover the arrows you shot. You might have gotten a skill to help you locate and recover them.¡±

    Randy slowly nodded then held the bow out to Adam. ¡°Yeah, it shouldn¡¯t take me long. I got one to sharpen them as well.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great progress.¡± Adam took the bow and turned toward the two of us. ¡°Well, who¡¯s next? Let¡¯s see if we can get two more archers on the crew. The more people up in the trees keeping watch, the better.¡±

 Chapter 4: Classless

    The frustration I felt was bordering on anger. After less than twenty minutes, I was able to hit the edge of the target with an arrow, but nothing. No class selection, I didn¡¯t even get a Skill Category. I¡¯d seethed, and having missed lunch hadn¡¯t helped.

    ¡°It¡¯s ok, Alex. You¡¯ll find your thing. For now, I¡¯ll keep an eye on you. You seem to be a natural with the bow, whether this system recognizes it or not,¡± said Adam.

    ¡°I know. Thanks, I¡¯ll keep trying,¡± I¡¯d said, trying to hide my bitterness. Handing him the bow back, I¡¯d gone to find food. From there, I¡¯d worked my shift with Abby, and finally returned home.

    Now it was weeks later, and no matter what I tried, I couldn¡¯t unlock the class selection. After archery had failed me, I¡¯d cycled through everyone else who had a class, trying to get them to teach me whatever they could. I tried everything, but while I gained a few Skill Categories, nothing triggered that elusive Class selection.

    In the mornings, before my work shifts, I focused on training with my father to increase my natural talents with the knife and spear. Even if it didn¡¯t lead to Class selection, the jungle was not a safe place, and some ability to defend myself made sense. Life in the small settlement had settled down a little, as everyone worked together to build a fence toward the South. It was the only opening to the forest, otherwise the cliffs protected the area, and we had enough of the weird repelling crystals that, with a proper fence, we could have a little safety.

    Still, here we were, Cass and I, the last two without classes. The only laborers left, with no end in sight. There was nothing we could do but keep trying, keep surviving, and hope. There simply were no other options.

    ***

    The jungle was hot and sweat dripped down my back. My dark hair was pulled back out of my face, but a single strand tickled me by my chin. I ignored it, not daring to move. Today was too important to be distracted by something tickling me.

    I clenched my spear in one hand out in front of me. A low hum traveled up the shaft coming from the crystal tip. That crystal spear tip was my most prized possession, and the only thing showing my importance to the colony. I could attune to crystals. Only around one in five of the survivors could, and attunement let you use the crystals in different ways. This one I could turn into something like a plasma tool, cutting through almost anything. Others could store inventory or even scare off beasts. The attunement skill ran through my entire family. My father had it, along with both of my brothers.

    Others from the colony ranged around me, hidden in the massive undergrowth. A hand signal came from Len, the leader of the hunt, then it moved through the group and I took several steps forward. Time to move into position. I crept closer to the large fern, using it to cover myself. The many leaves helped hide my cotton uniform. It was a sun-bleached, dusty gray, torn and patched more than once, but I hadn¡¯t earned enough goodwill to get anything more appropriate. Or more green and brown for traveling in the jungle. My boots were the same as the ones I¡¯d had when we crashed. Thankfully, they were still in great condition.

    A few hunters moved about the bushes, and Len crept closer to check on me, his green eyes seeing everything. His dark hair had a lot less gray in it than before we crashed, thanks to the system. I wished I had his leather armor that protected his body. Len was my buddy, since we were outside of the colony. He was a good guy, and a friend of my father. Everyone had to buddy up while in the jungle. He nodded, seeing I stood in cover and prepared, then he faded into the ferns, using some sort of stealth skill. A soft coo, sounding like a bird, echoed through the trees. Everyone was where they needed to be.

    The rest of us tried to keep silent, waiting. Only a few of us were without the experience, or an assigned class, to use skills to help. Today was hunting day, and everyone who had a class related to hunting was in the group, plus two others. My friend, Cass, and I, were both classless, even though we¡¯d been here three months. Cass was with the group who would funnel the correct creature toward us. It was up to them to make sure it was something we could handle, but that would also provide meat for the colony.

    Today was the day. We both needed to unlock classes and start leveling. The colony depended on it. I was at the point that I didn¡¯t care what class I got, only that I got one and could move up. Cass had been waiting for a hunt to unlock a hunter class, lately convinced it was her path. Meanwhile, I had almost given up hope, having tried everything I could get anyone to share with me. Without a class, I couldn¡¯t even earn a profession. It was one of the few rules that the colony had figured out after the crash which the system enforced. Still, maybe hunting would be my thing, too. I could hope, at least a little.

    If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    I resisted shaking my head to clear my thoughts of that horrible time. A buzzing sound drew closer to my ear, but I focused on the bright leafy bushes ahead. Whatever bug wanted a bite of me, it could go ahead, I¡¯d survived worse. Sunlight streamed down between the tall trees and vines in front of my spear. That was the direction that our prey sounded like it was coming from. Other members of the team would ambush the creature, forcing it into running toward our line. All we needed to do was encourage it toward the shallow ground pit, which was covered with a woven mat made by people back in the colony. The mat was covered with leaves, some standing up like they were growing out of the ground. Even though we were hunting beasts, a large patch of dirt would stand out too much in the lush jungle we were in.

    My fingers tightened around the spear and I forced myself to breathe out slowly. Everyone counted on this hunt being successful. We needed the meat, and everyone needed the experience. Something bit my neck and I flinched, turning my head hopefully enough to encourage whatever bug it was to get off me. Or squish it. Either one worked.

    Sounds of shouting came from afar, and then the heavy footsteps of something running toward us. My body tensed up as the leaves moved, then it was there, faster than I thought possible. Larger than any human, or even a cow, it had scales and ran on all four legs. It had a long tail that stretched out behind it, and a large rock-hard fin shape jutting from the top of its head. Stripes covered its back in green, yellow, and brown, while the large fin shape was a bright blue. I had to keep in mind it could walk on its back two legs just fine, and bring those front legs into a fight if it had to.

    Everyone said they couldn¡¯t be dinosaurs, but right in that instant, I swore it was a parasaurolophus. It wasn¡¯t as large as the fossils on Earth had made them out to be, but it could just be young. I wished I could identify it and see its real name, but even that simple task wasn¡¯t possible without a class. Some could even see the skills or classes of others. I just called these guys Paras for short.

    It moved fast on all fours, but slowed down as it approached, lifting onto its back two legs. Each step echoed up through the ground. It headed toward the right side of the group and I frowned. That was the wrong way.

    ¡°Come on¡­ come on¡­¡± I whispered to myself.

    We had to make this work. My stomach growled, making the point. I was always hungry.

    Len leaped out of the bushes, making large motions and movements. The not-a-parasaurolophus swerved away from him and his spear. That led it closer to me. Fear raced through me, but I didn¡¯t waiver. It needed to go more to my left to stumble into the pit.

    It was time. I would do this.

    I jumped out of the bushes, yelled, and jabbed my spear in its direction. The crystal on the tip flashed brightly as I activated the plasma tip, and the creature twisted out of range. At least it turned the way we wanted it to, and I lunged forward again, pushing the tip of the crystal into the beast¡¯s scales.

    It roared in pain, lifting on its two hind legs and getting way too close to me with its tail.

    I quickly rolled away, dropping my spear, praying the Para wouldn¡¯t step on it. My father would kill me if I needed to replace the crystal.

    Another hunter dodged out, stabbing at the creature that was still roaring into the air. That got it moving in the correct direction, away from me.

    Concerned deep brown eyes met mine as I hopped to my feet. Len flicked my spear in my direction, and I caught it.

    The sound of screaming caused both of us to twist about. The Paras had stumbled into the shallow pit trap, impaling one of its legs on a sharp spear. Len and I darted toward it, along with the others in the hunting party. The creature twisted about, trying to run away from the spear that hurt it. The spear broke off, but it stepped on another. Its scream rumbled through the trees.

    Yet, no one moved to finish it. A few people split off to face the jungle, making sure nothing was going to sneak up and steal the kill. I couldn¡¯t see Cass anywhere, but most of the other group hadn¡¯t joined us yet. I retracted the shaft of my spear, telescoping it down to a large knife handle.

    Len motioned for two other hunters to take the honor. Jas and Mary approached carefully from separate sides. Both looked the part of the hunters they were, with leather armor that covered their chests and legs. Jas jabbed a spear into the dinosaur¡¯s chest, aiming for its heart, while Mary tried to slice across its neck. Those two hunters would split the bulk of experience from its death. The single slice I had gotten in should give me bonus experience, compared to others who didn¡¯t hit the creature.

    The Paras tried to roar again, but shuddered instead as it fell to the ground, blood pooling under it. As soon as it was dead, everyone else leaped into motion, yanking spears out of the ground and pulling sleds out of hidden locations.

    Tension increased across my shoulders as I waited for the notifications. It would be now that I got my class, if this had worked. I¡¯d finally unlock my stat sheet. I couldn¡¯t wait!

 Chapter 5: Chirp Chirp

    [Your experience has been banked.]

    [You have learned the category Hunting Skills.]

    Panic filled me as I triggered my stat sheet.

    Name: Alex

    Level: 0

    Race: Human

    Traits: LOCKED

    Class: LOCKED

    Stats:

    STR: 5

    DEX: 6

    CON: 6

    INT: 5

    WIS: 5

    CHA: 5

    Titles & Achievements: LOCKED

    Skills: LOCKED

    Skills Categories: LOCKED

    Still absolutely nothing.

    My hands shook as I closed the screen, stuffing my emotions away. I swallowed and focused on what was happening around me. I told myself I hadn¡¯t really expected this to work, since nothing else had, but it was hard to make myself believe it. Right now wasn¡¯t the time to lose it, either way. Two hunters stood next to the carcass, working on cutting it up into moveable chunks. These were loaded onto the sleds, and as soon as one was full a buddy pair would begin the journey back to the colony.

    I had to stick close to the group since Len was my buddy. He wouldn¡¯t be leaving the site until everything was done. He directed a group to patrol the outskirts of the area. ¡°And find out where the other group is¡­¡± he muttered after them.

    His gaze turned to me. ¡°Any luck?¡±

    I shook my head. ¡°No class, but I learned another category, Hunting Skills.¡± I kept the disappointment off my face; this wasn¡¯t the first time.

    Len didn¡¯t look surprised. ¡°Don¡¯t worry about it. Everyone gets a class, we just need to find the right one.¡± He turned toward movement in the bushes, but then another hunter, Jenny, stepped out. Jenny had been one of the first hunters, and she was already at level 15. Dressed like the others, she fit right in. She waved at him. Cass darted out after her, her face shining with sweat or joy. It was hard to tell.

    ¡°We got another hunter here,¡± said Jenny. Her hand landed on Cass¡¯s shoulder. ¡°She did well out there, driving the beast right where we wanted it. I¡¯ll gladly have her as my buddy moving forward.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s great,¡± said Len, smiling at Cass. ¡°Welcome to the team.¡±

    Cass glanced in my direction but I shook my head no. Her smile dimmed a bit, but then returned to normal. ¡°I even leveled from my banked experience!¡± she exclaimed.

    ¡°We got her up to level 3,¡± said Jenny. ¡°It won¡¯t be long until she¡¯s over 10.¡±

    Level 10 was the next goal after getting a class. As it had with my dad, everyone who reached that milestone was changed, making it so we could go with less food, water, and sleep. Given that the colony struggled with getting enough fresh food for everyone, the leadership council''s biggest goal was to level everyone to 10 as soon as possible. For some people, it even seemed to make them younger, like my Dad and Len.

    ¡°Tonight will be a wonderful celebration then,¡± said Len. ¡°Can you two take the first load of meat back to the colony? You know I don¡¯t feel comfortable having it lying around here.¡± His eyes traveled to the trees surrounding us.

    ¡°Roger, though we didn¡¯t see any tracks of predators in the area when we scouted.¡± She shook her head. ¡°The rest of the herd moved deeper into the jungle, closer to that pond west of here.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t take long for them to move back, that''s a higher level area.¡±

    The pond was off-limits. At least two large predators stalked the area, and we all knew that was a no-go.

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    Cass scooted up next to me as Jenny and Len started talking about the beast''s habits, and changes in the jungle.

    ¡°You doing okay?¡± she whispered.

    ¡°I¡¯m good,¡± I lied with a smile. ¡°It''s awesome you got the class you wanted. Any new skills?¡±

    Her smile grew larger at the question. ¡°Stealth and Hunting! Stealth has already improved. Probably from all the hiding we did¡­¡±

    I knew what she was referring to. Everyone who¡¯d survived the crash learned stealth. It was a basic skill, and I was at least pretty sure it would be there when my sheet unlocked.

    ¡°Well, my experience is banked, still, but I got a hit in. So¡­¡±

    Her eyes grew wide. ¡°You are going to level so fast once you unlock your class!¡±

    ¡°I hope so¡­¡± I tossed my arm across her shoulder. ¡°Until then, you''re going to need to be the strong one in this friendship.¡±

    Cass smirked up at me since she stood a few inches shorter than I did. ¡°Hey, I¡¯ll have you know I¨C¡±

    ¡°You ready, Cass?¡± asked Jenny. The older woman eyed us with a grin. ¡°It looks like the first sled is ready.¡±

    I dropped my arm from Cass¡¯s shoulders and searched out the first sled. They¡¯d stacked it with dino pieces, with leather draped over the top. That was going to be heavy.

    ¡°Good luck¡­¡± I mumbled.

    Cass nodded and followed Jenny as she headed to the front of the sled. The heavy sleds were pieces of tech that had survived, since they didn¡¯t require any batteries. Two sleds had been retrofitted to use the crystals. They reduced the weight, and made it easier to slide along the pathways we had in the jungle.

    I tried to not think about all the things we had lost in the crash. All the people, and technology. Not many of those my age I¡¯d trained with made it. We couldn¡¯t even recover the bodies, because of all of the things trying to eat us.

    ¡°So, boss man, what do you want me to focus on?¡± I asked Len, needing a distraction.

    ¡°For now, keep your eyes peeled. I don¡¯t want anything sneaking up on us. It won¡¯t take long for the smell to drift through the trees.¡± His eyes narrowed. ¡°We don¡¯t want to lose anyone today.¡±

    His words caused me to pull my knife back out. I turned to face the trees, thinking about how the smell of blood would move on the breeze. It was one of the first things we¡¯d learned. Wash blood off, yours or anything else¡¯s, and stop the bleeding at all costs. The smell would lead something with large teeth toward you. Most predators had a great sense of smell.

    I stepped farther away from the meat and toward a tree with a large fern next to it. That would be a suitable location to watch from; I¡¯d have good sight lines into at least some of the jungle. I¡¯d rather climb a tree, but I was only so good at climbing. I knew at least one person had to be above us in the canopy, anyway.

    Instead, I hid next to the fern, using it to blend into the undergrowth. My eyes and ears strained toward the distance. We wouldn¡¯t lose anyone on this hunt because of me. Every person mattered to the colony. Not enough of us had survived the crash as it was, despite our trouble feeding everyone. On the bright side, we knew of at least two other sections that had broken off as explosions had rocked the main ship.

    The mining sector had made it down, but they had lost more than half their crew, and the science people had also made it. We had the biggest number of survivors, with the least number of resources to go around. At least we had the farmers, who were doing their best given the crash.

    More buzzing circled my head, but this time I swatted at the bug. I couldn¡¯t see it, but I could hear it. Nothing moved in the distance, and I settled in, trying to get comfortable in my spot. The buzzing finally vanished and I could let my thoughts wander a little.

    Somehow I still hadn¡¯t unlocked a class. This one had been in the bag, or at least everyone but me had thought so. My father had taught all of us kids self-defense, and led the training at the colony, when he wasn¡¯t farming with my eldest brother.

    Yet, I had tried to learn from everyone else before trying this. Mostly so my family would relax. When you were the youngest in the colony, everyone wanted to keep you safe. Especially after what had happened before.

    This time, I shoved those thoughts away quickly. I didn¡¯t want my mood to sour. I shifted back and forth on my feet, swaying with the fern in the breeze. The breeze that was still blowing toward the group that was working on the carcass. That was good news.

    My stomach rumbled again, and after several moments I pulled out some jerky from my pocket. I chomped off a piece and chewed it for several moments to soften it up. I disliked the jerky with a passion, but food was food. Plus, it was better than the ration bars we ate for most meals. Tonight, though, tonight everyone would feast on roasted meat and, hopefully, some root vegetables that the farmers had grown.

    I was excited. Maybe I could even eat my fill and not be hungry for once. Ever since we¡¯d gotten here, my stomach had never been satisfied.

    And then, though I had no idea why, the hair rose on the back of my neck, and I froze, searching the underbrush.

    Nothing moved as I stared forward into the dense forest, not letting my attention wander.

    Time passed slowly, and I checked behind me to see how much longer we would be here. Surprisingly, much of the dino was gone, and a stack of bones was in the pit. Anything edible was going with us. The extra bones would be left for the hunters to come back and pick up after a week or so. It wasn¡¯t worth hanging around because of the additional time it would take, and the likelihood of predators being drawn to all the blood. Len glanced around, encouraging people to move a little faster.

    The breeze shifted a little, and I snapped back to attention. It wasn¡¯t blowing at my face anymore, but more toward the back of my head. A whistle came from above, and I could hear people moving faster behind us.

    ¡°Leave the bones,¡± confirmed Len. ¡°It''s not worth it.¡±

    Someone grumbled a reply, but I couldn¡¯t make out what was said.

    My focus was on a fern in the distance. I swore it was moving the wrong way in the wind. The movement kept low to the ground, and I leaned forward to get a better look.

    Then I heard it, a soft chirp. Unmistakable.

    I whistled over my shoulder and everything went quiet behind me. That was one of the standard signals we¡¯d had to learn before we could go into the jungle. This time, the soft chirp came again from two other locations.

    Two sharp coos came from above.

    I stayed put while the people behind me launched into action. I glanced over my shoulder to see the last sled being packed higher than the others, and a group of four take off with it down the trail.

    Len caught my glance and gave me a nod. I had no clue what it meant. Someone started filling in the pit full of bones, trying to cover up the scent of blood. Mary and Jas were doing something along the trailhead that I couldn¡¯t make out.

    Several chirps and the rustling of bushes caused me to snap back to attention. The ferns moved in the distance, and then closer.

    They were coming.

 Chapter 6: Clean up

    My heart pounded in my chest as my fingers tightened on the knife and an arrow shot out of the treetops toward the moving bushes. The movement stopped, but only for a second before several small dinosaurs appeared. They were barely up to my knee, standing on two feet with narrow tails and heads. Short arms with flexible talons that were very dangerous, despite their size, flicked at their sides. They also had devilishly sharp teeth that contained a type of venom that would make their victim dizzy, and in extreme cases pass out. Compys were small, but they were deadly in a pack.

    A second arrow took out another, and I readied myself, extending my spear. One launched itself at me.

    Len joined me with his knife ready as the small creature flew through the air towards us.

    I swung the glowing crystal around and its superheated edge, like one of those laser swords from a movie, sliced through the creature with no resistance. The biggest benefit of my crystal attunement was that edge, though it left a burnt smell drifting through the air. The Compy¡¯s head went flying into the underbrush as the rest of it crashed to the ground and a few of the other creatures darted off.

    [Your experience has been banked.]

    The notification made me smile as the feeling of being good at this rushed over me.

    Len took out another Compy that launched itself into the air. A fifth dropped from yet another arrow.

    One more leaped at me, and I easily stabbed it with the spear, catching the small body on the tip of my weapon. It hung there for a moment before I tossed it off into the bushes.

    [Your experience has been banked.]

    The remaining creatures paused, one glancing at the others and hissing. It was almost like they were talking with one another, then they all vanished back into the jungle toward the dead Compys that the archers had downed. They would eat well tonight, even if it was their own dead and not us.

    I almost ran after them to continue the fight, but Len held up his hand and motioned backward. He stepped back, one step at a time, and I followed. Both of us continued to face forward, not wanting to be ambushed from behind.

    It took several moments of slowly walking backward before Len relaxed his shoulders and his spear.

    ¡°We¡¯re ready, Len,¡± said Jas in a low tone from behind us.

    The only ones left in the clearing were Len, Jas, Mary, and me. The two people in the trees would make their way back using different paths. Since the two archers had stealth skills and good perches, they would keep watch longer, helping ensure we weren¡¯t followed back by anything bit or dangerous.

    ¡°I¡¯ll cover up the trail,¡± added Mary. ¡°It¡¯s just slow going.¡±

    Len nodded.

    I resisted asking questions, but I wanted to know what skill allowed her to do that. My curiosity had gotten me in trouble before, though, and I knew now was not the time. It wasn¡¯t safe.

    ¡°We can cover you,¡± said Len.

    Mary nodded as Len and I went first down the trail, making sure nothing had changed in that direction. Jas kept off to one side, his eyes flickering all around. The air around Mary shifted, and it almost glowed as she touched each of us, and then the ground.

    [You have been affected by Invisible Passage.]

    Mary walked by each of us, taking the lead.

    A strange feeling covered my skin, but I ignored it. Invisible Passage, what a skill. I wished I could pull more info on it. I knew people could do that once they had their sheet unlocked, but mine was still locked down. I couldn¡¯t even query other people¡¯s skills until I had a class of my own.

    The trail in front of us was barely a trail. Only the passage of the sleds had made an impact on the underbrush. Len and I both kept glancing behind us to see if the Compys were following. It didn¡¯t seem like it. We must have done enough damage to make them hesitate, at least for now. The dead Compys would hopefully distract them even longer. We¡¯d done a pretty good job of burying the bones in the pit, though the Compys could probably get at them if they wanted. Everything edible had been hauled back to the settlement by those with the sleds.

    After what seemed like forever, we hit one of the actual trails through the jungle. The path was dirt and slightly wider. Hunters patrolled this trail regularly, since it led to the valley. They kept it clear of fallen branches, weeds, and roots, though there were a few spots where you could hide if something chased you. We marked them with blue strips of cloth. The same went for good climbing trees, to flee out of reach.

    Blue was the color of safety for us.

    Mary crept in front of us, still doing her strange magic. Despite that, Jas and Len both relaxed as we hit the main trail.

    ¡°So did you unlock it?¡± asked Jas, coming up next to me.

    ¡°The class? No¡­¡± I answered reluctantly.

    He frowned, shaking his head. ¡°But you are so good with your spear. Like, you chopped that head off without a problem. Not to mention, you caught one of the small things on your spear.¡± He let out a sigh. ¡°I don¡¯t think we will ever understand the system.¡±

    ¡°I think Alex is going to do great things,¡± said Len. ¡°We just need to find the correct class for her. Right now, we replicate the things we¡¯ve learned, but who knows what other classes are available.¡± He shook his head. ¡°We don¡¯t want to limit the colony''s growth by thinking short term.¡±

    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

    ¡°You sound like you do when you argue with the Council,¡± said Jas.

    I didn¡¯t know what the two were talking about. I didn¡¯t know of any arguments within the leadership group, which we called the Council. There were three of them: Len, a hunter, Sasha, a farmer, and Alexander, one of the last of the command crew, at least with our group. As far as I knew, everyone got along. They also took input from my father, though he didn¡¯t talk about his class and refused to be a formal member of the Council.

    ¡°I just become worried when we push people to choose between the relatively few classes we know of. When you think about professions, the same thing goes. We need to survive as a colony, true, but long term, how is it going to limit all of us?¡± grumbled Len. He gave off the appearance of a grumpy old man chasing kids off his lawn.

    My mouth dropped at the rant, and Jas caught my eye.

    ¡°So, Len here is hoping you unlock something different.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d be happy with something at all,¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Don¡¯t rush it,¡± said Len. ¡°Plus, maybe you can learn something from one of the other settlements. Some of them have gone in different directions from us.¡±

    I hadn¡¯t even thought of that. Our colony was in contact with two others, and at this point, no one really believed there were more survivors than those two. Heck, my brother was our only pilot to survive, and he was one of the few people that moved between settlements. So far though, he hadn¡¯t run across other humans on the planet.

    Maybe I wasn¡¯t as screwed as I thought if other settlements were discovering different classes. I didn¡¯t know what else to say as we continued. A whistle through the trees caused Len to wave toward one of the high points. That tree trunk had a blue arrow tied to it. It was one of the places the colony had someone constantly. There was a small platform to stand on part way up the tree, along with a pillow to sit on. The archers loved it.

    I¡¯d only manned it once with a buddy, and I¡¯d hated it. Lots of keeping watch and staying still.

    The next landmark was the fallen tree. It tilted over the path at an angle above our heads. The thick trunk stayed put, thankfully. We wouldn¡¯t move it, since it might limit bigger creatures from using the trail. We hoped it would, anyway. So far, the colony itself had been lucky.

    All of us picked up our pace as we headed toward the rocks that rose in the distance. The canyon that led to our valley loomed ahead. Metal poles were sunk into the ground between the towering rocks, the start of a fence. A single crystal topped the middle one, sparkling in the light.

    I could barely hear the hum as we passed by.

    As we had discovered earlier, the Crystals, quartz-like material unknown to anyone from the ship, were incredibly important. A few people could attune them, making them work in different ways. A few, like the head of my spear, were weapons or cutting tools. Some were power sources, like the ones running the sleds. A couple of the biggest crystals powered the one working shuttle we had. Only my brother, John, had been able to make that work. But even without attunement, you could set a crystal somewhere and, as long as it didn¡¯t move, it would slowly start to hum. The creatures in the jungle seemed to hate the noise and actively avoid it. That was about the only real safety we had found so far on this strange planet. And despite their usefulness, or because of it, there weren¡¯t very many crystals around. So far, we had enough, barely, but we didn¡¯t really have any spares.e

    As we approached, the valley opened before us on one side. In the distance, small beasts were in a corral. The creatures were about the size of cows and had horns and short tails, but we only had three fenced in an enormous paddock. It was the future of ranching on this planet, or so we hoped. From how my brother spoke, they were hoping to figure out when the creatures laid eggs so they could grow the herd, and eventually reduce the need to hunt in the jungle.

    The waterfall sparkled in the distance at the very tip of the valley; it spilled into a large lake that drained into some underground aquifer from what the engineers said. Either way, the safe source of water was king. Even if the valley hadn¡¯t provided natural defenses, we¡¯d have had to be here, because safe water was so hard to find. The stagnant pools in the jungle were a recipe for getting sick or being eaten.

    To the left in the trees stood our colony. The largest wooden building was the community hall. We had a few other structures, too, but not many. Plenty of reinforced tents still stood, but everyone was working to transition out of them as soon as possible. The only other standout place was the crash site, near the edge of the lake. Part of the wreck had filled with water, but most of it was dry. The ship¡¯s front was destroyed from where it had fallen from the top of the cliffs after our ¡®landing.¡¯ Everything usable had been salvaged after people had regrouped, and that had been the beginning of our Colony.

    Now it sat there, with discussions ongoing about scraping the leftovers. So much equipment had been lost, destroyed, or didn¡¯t work because of the batteries exploding. The back half of the dropship still sat somewhere above in the trees. Most people had survived from that section of the dropship, and had come to the valley. We hadn¡¯t ranged above since, with so much to do to keep ourselves alive.

    Last was the working shuttle, the only connection to the other settlements that we had.

    ¡°You coming?¡± asked Jas.

    He stood several steps in front of me, heading toward the big fire already going in front of the community hall.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I said, moving down the trail. The sleds were still stacked with meat and several giant pots bubbled, with long metal poles draped with meat chunks roasting. The smells of roasted meat grew stronger as we approached.

    My stomach growled.

    Metal grates over small heaps of coals held strips of Paras that one of the cooks had cut up. These were smoking and off-limits to everyone. More jerky, which was just great. I missed pasta, fresh vegetables, and cake. The leaders had each mentioned more than once that some baking supplies were recovered, but they were waiting until we had been here a year to break them out.

    I could drool thinking about cake, so I didn¡¯t.

    People waved as we entered the area. Everyone knew everyone, which was awesome, and also such a pain. Even the folks who had been rescued from the mining settlement knew everyone.

    Another cheer went up as the last sled came to a halt. The hunt had been successful, and everyone had survived. The mood was almost festive, as everyone got to work processing and cooking the results. I headed toward the cooks. I normally helped with dinner prep if we were having something other than rations. The assignment was based on the fact that I needed so much food. I thought it was a normal amount compared to a regular person, but as everyone made it to level 10, that wasn¡¯t the case anymore.

    Now, I was the last without a level in the Colony, since Cass got her class.

    Abby smiled at me as I approached the large wooden stump people used as a table. She had a pile of potatoes she¡¯d cut up. ¡°Grab a knife, we have proper veggies tonight!¡±

    I still couldn¡¯t believe we would have actual food tonight. ¡°I can¡¯t wait!¡± My stomach growled on cue and she laughed.

    ¡°I heard you did good out there, even getting a stab in.¡±

    I blushed. ¡°I also killed a few Compys, so I¡¯m feeling pretty good.¡±

    Her eyebrows rose, and she nodded. ¡°That''s worth celebrating.¡± She leaned closer to me. ¡°Guess what?¡±

    ¡°What?¡± I asked while grabbing a knife and a clean potato.

    ¡°We also have carrots, and some greens.¡±

    Now we were talking.

    She leaned back, dicing up the potato. ¡°All the veggies are going into a stew. Should be enough for everyone to have a taste or two.¡±

    I hoped for a whole bowl, but we¡¯d need to see. My eldest brother, Benny, approached carrying a cloth bag. His overalls were only slightly covered in dirt. For a second he reminded me of dad, with his brown eyes, short hair, and muscled build, though Benny¡¯s muscles were from farming, not soldiering. Then he spoke and he was all Benny. ¡°Hey, Sprout, heard you did great.¡± He clapped me on the shoulder with a smile.

    Man, did I hate that nickname.

 Chapter 7: Uncertainty

    I nodded, wondering how quickly the news had spread. There wasn¡¯t much to gossip about, so any little thing that was good news passed along quickly. People liked good news. Though, to be honest, bad news flew pretty fast, too. The community just wasn¡¯t that big.

    Benny emptied the bag of small carrots onto the giant stump. ¡°This will be all of them. I had to thin out the row, or the rest won¡¯t grow larger.¡± He tossed me a small one from the pile, and I chomped down on it.

    Fresh, real carrot. It shouldn¡¯t taste so good, but it did. ¡°You are amazing. Where¡¯s Dad?¡±

    Benny motioned toward the community hall, but said nothing about him. Len had gone inside after getting back as well. Hopefully, everything was good. ¡°John is working on the shuttle again, can you make sure he eats tonight before he leaves?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll get him,¡± I replied. John got sucked into work all the time. He¡¯d rather be working on his prized shuttle, or fixing the second, broken one, as much as he could. I was one of the few people who could make him stop working and do things like eat or bathe. ¡°I¡¯ll threaten to eat his stew if he doesn¡¯t show up.¡±

    Benny laughed, shaking his head. ¡°That would do it.¡±

    ¡°Did you hear Cass got the hunter class?¡± I asked, slyly. I swore the two of them had something going on, though for some reason the Council didn¡¯t encourage that sort of thing. The focus had to be on food, shelter, and survival. Procreation and relationships could come after that, they said, though I thought it was a little silly to try to stop people from forming relationships.

    ¡°Really?¡± He blushed. ¡°I¡¯ll have to congratulate her. I know she wanted that class pretty bad.¡±

    I shook my head as he wandered off.

    ¡°You shouldn¡¯t tease him like that,¡± said Abby. ¡°Young love is precious.¡±

    ¡°Maybe once I unlock a class, I¡¯ll be more interested in it,¡± I mumbled. Even before the colony ship left Earth, I hadn¡¯t had any time to figure out love. We¡¯d started training three years before the ship left, right after I¡¯d turned eighteen, on the skills we¡¯d need to survive, how to use all the tools and equipment we were taking, and what to expect when we got there. Most of the knowledge was useless now. Or at least, I felt like it was. They didn¡¯t teach us how to survive against dinosaurs in a jungle with some system creating powers and classes and stuff.

    I¡¯d wasted that time, and now I needed to focus on learning a whole bunch of new stuff, mostly without any teachers because no one really understood it, and finding my class. My hands stayed focused on the task in front of me while my mind wandered, and it didn¡¯t take long for the pile of cut-up potatoes to be larger than what was left. I shifted to dicing carrots as I ran out of spuds.

    Abby started carrying bowlfuls over to the various bubbling pots, dumping the veggies inside. ¡°Once you''re done with those carrots, go relax, or have fun¡­¡±

    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡± Though I had no clue who I¡¯d hang out with. The few folks my age all had classes and hung out according to class. Still, I should put in the effort.

    Cass was surrounded by a few others, and I headed in that direction.

    ¡°Heard you fought some dinos today,¡± said Randy with his goofy grin. He still hadn¡¯t earned any leather armor and wore the dirty blue cotton uniform like the rest of us.

    I nodded.

    ¡°Alex got a hit on the Para,¡± added Cass.

    ¡°Plus two Compys,¡± I said with a grin. My crystal knife was attached to my belt, and it drew more than one glance. No one in this crowd could attune the crystals, for weapons or for anything else. It made me stand out.

    ¡°Man, I wish I could do something like that,¡± said Randy. ¡°Instead, I¡¯m supposed to be practicing with my bow.¡± He¡¯d gotten an archery class on that hugely frustrating day weeks ago, but he was still horrible at it. He couldn¡¯t hit the target even three weeks after getting the class. It was clear the rush from getting the class itself had faded, and now he had to put in the work.

    ¡°I mean, archery is cool,¡± I interjected. ¡°Any progress with it?¡±

    Jaxon laughed, joining the group. ¡°I think he¡¯s gotten worse!¡±

    I glared at him, and he shut his mouth. ¡°Well, how about I help you tomorrow? See if maybe I can unlock the category¡­ It might help me figure my class out.¡±

    ¡°You didn¡¯t unlock a class?¡± asked Jaxon, running his fingers through his reddish hair. He smirked at me.

    The urge to punch the guy in the face rushed across me, but I resisted. He was not a person I hung around most of the time. Somehow, despite that, he always showed up and angered me.

    ¡°It must be something rare,¡± said Cass. ¡°Otherwise, Alex would have one already. How many categories are you up to?¡±

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    ¡°I think 7, but the section is locked so I can¡¯t tell for sure. I know I can remember 7.¡± I shrugged and focused on Cass, ignoring Jaxon as he rolled his eyes. ¡°But you¡¯re already level 3, right?¡±

    Cass nodded happily.

    ¡°Just because Alex hasn¡¯t gotten a class yet doesn¡¯t mean it will be useful or rare when it does show up,¡± said Jaxon. He snorted, shaking his head lightly, then added softly. ¡°If only it worked like that.¡± Tension rose in the air and I had no idea how to respond to that. It was true, I wasn¡¯t guaranteed a useful class, even though so many people hoped I¡¯d unlock something good. Randy wouldn¡¯t look at me and Cass glanced down at the ground.

    I just stood there, trying to not let my thoughts show on my face. I couldn¡¯t believe he¡¯d said out loud my biggest fear. He couldn¡¯t have known just how often I¡¯d thought those exact same thoughts in the privacy of my own head.

    Jaxon looked between the three of us before asking, ¡°So, anyone have a clue about dinner?¡±

    ¡°Stew and roasted meat. There will be actual carrots in it, along with potatoes.¡± I couldn¡¯t wait for the stew.

    Jaxon rolled his eyes again at my excitement. ¡°Ugh, rabbit food, who needs it.¡±

    ¡°How¡¯s your leveling going, anyway?¡± I asked Jaxon. He had gotten a boxing class, which was pretty useless at the moment. The Council even actively discouraged folks from trying to learn it from him. It would be pretty hard for him to level if he couldn¡¯t practice. Plus, what was he going to do, punch a dinosaur?

    ¡°Still trying to figure out what profession I want,¡± he snapped.

    I grinned, knowing I¡¯d scored a point, though it felt like a low blow.

    As Jaxon growled back about his profession, I forced myself to keep a blank look on my face. Professions were the one saving grace if you got a class you didn¡¯t click with. Like, John was an engineer, and Benny was a biochemist. It was a way to level without using your class, though it seemed to be slower. Randy still hadn¡¯t decided on his, and last I knew Jaxon hadn¡¯t either. Given how much of a tough guy Jaxon tried to be, I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if he tried to go with something that worked with his boxer class. Since leadership practically forbade him from working on it, I kind of understood his reluctance. What would I do if I got a class that I couldn¡¯t use?

    The sound of Felix pulling out his fiddle drew everyone''s attention. No one could believe it the first time he¡¯d played it after the crash. It had survived in storage within its hard case. Now, it was one of those things that everyone looked forward to. A few married couples moved toward the firelight and danced to the lively tune. Felix¡¯s class was a bit of a mystery, but whatever it was, it worked for him. He hadn¡¯t even tried to explain it to me when I¡¯d asked if I could learn it. Instead, he¡¯d just said the music wasn¡¯t in my veins.

    I stepped back from Jaxon and Randy with a grin on my face, nodding to the music. I needed to calm down and stop needling Jaxon. If we got into a fight, we¡¯d both be punished by the council, and, worse, I¡¯d have to explain it to dad. Randy broke off as well, disappearing into the crowd, muttering something about bows. Benny rescued Cass from Jaxon, approaching with a smile and then pulling her toward the couples dancing around the fire. This finally proved they had a thing going, and I was right with my guess. Maybe he¡¯d just been waiting until she had her class figured out before going public. Hopefully, they¡¯d be happy together.

    I glanced around to see if any of the leaders were about, but they all must still be inside the community hall discussing the hunt. Jugs of cold water and wooden mugs were placed on a nearby table and I headed in that direction. I picked one up, still amazed that some of the colonists could carve things out of wood. Obviously, it was possible, but back on Earth that hadn¡¯t been something anyone I knew would have done. Wood was just so expensive.

    Here, it was required for dishes, since wood was plentiful and plastic was nonexistent. There was talk we might even have clay on the shore of the lake, but so far no one had skills or experience with it. Maybe that was something I could learn, how to make dishes and such. At least it¡¯d be useful. I filled a mug with cold water and took a sip. It was refreshing.

    Mary marched my way with two sticks of roasted meat. She held one out to me like a peace offering. A smile danced on her face, and her curls bounced around trying to get free from her hair tie. She still wore her armor from earlier.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, taking it from her hand. I wouldn¡¯t turn down food, no matter the source. The first bite was amazing, and it didn¡¯t take long until the wooden stick was clean.

    ¡°I just wanted to tell you that you did a great job today out on the hunt, even if you didn¡¯t unlock the hunter class.¡± She paused, watching my face. ¡°I¡¯d be willing to be your buddy even without that.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t believe her offer. Basically, I could be a hunter without the class, learning the hard way how to do things. It would keep me busy. ¡°That would be amazing. Are you sure Len is okay with that?¡± I couldn¡¯t accept the offer without making sure it was fine with leadership. They were all that was holding the Colony together, though given Len¡¯s comments it seemed maybe the Council itself wasn¡¯t holding together as much as I¡¯d always thought.

    She snorted. ¡°Len wouldn¡¯t care, and we both see that you are good with that spear. That¡¯s what matters, not your class. We didn¡¯t have classes back on Earth, it just means you¡¯d be doing things the old-fashioned way.¡±

    I nodded, thinking about it. ¡°I¡¯d like that.¡± I paused, and then just asked my question. ¡°What was that skill you used, Invisible Passage?¡± I hadn¡¯t spent much time with Mary, and this was a perfect time to learn something.

    ¡°So far I¡¯m the only one with it.¡± Her eyes lit up. ¡°It lets me erase scent trails, so the smell of the blood, and then us going down the trail ¨C Poof! Completely gone. I think I got it because I focus more on the stealth side. It helps me remain hidden.¡±

    ¡°Woah.¡± I let the admiration show in my voice. ¡°But how does it work?¡±

    ¡°I think it dissolves the scent in the air,¡± she said with an intense look on her face. ¡°But I¡¯m just glad that I earned the skill, no matter how it works. It''s made getting our catch back to the colony so much safer.¡± Mary smiled brightly. ¡°No injuries at all today. That¡¯s a first!¡±

    The wistfulness in her voice warmed me. I got it. It was a sign that just maybe we could survive on this planet, and maybe even thrive. We¡¯d lost so many people when the drop happened that we weren¡¯t even sure if we had enough people left. The only ones who knew were the scientists, and they only spoke to the Council through messages.

    Mary clapped me on the shoulder, shaking away those thoughts. ¡°Well, enjoy the gathering, and the food. I¡¯m going to see if Jas wants to dance.¡± Mary headed off into the crowd searching for her partner.

    The music trailed off and people stopped moving. Most turned to face the entrance to the community hall, tension rising in the air. I couldn¡¯t see what was going on, but not everyone looked happy. I turned and watched, eager to find out what had kept our illustrious leaders busy so long.

 Chapter 8: Community Announcements

    Alexander stood tall on a stump. He was the last of the ship command staff still alive in the colony, and one of the leaders. His dark hair and eyes peered around the gathering group, waiting for everyone''s attention. ¡°This afternoon, we celebrate a successful hunt, returning with meat and no injuries!¡± Cheers broke out from the community members. He held up a hand to quiet people down. I spotted Len and Sasha near the stump. They were the two other members of the Council. My father stood behind them in the shadows.

    The differences between all three of them stood out, from Len¡¯s armor, to Sashas dirt covered blue overalls, and Alexander¡¯s dress jacket with metal buttons down the front.

    ¡°We also have our first crops from the farmers, and we are expecting a good harvest as time passes.¡± Another cheer broke out across the group. I kept my mouth shut, seeing the grim lines on Len¡¯s and my father''s faces.

    ¡°We are proving we can survive here. We are taming the wilds and building our colony, and on that note, we had word arrive¡­¡± He paused, glancing around. ¡°From the scientific settlement. The first generation born on this world will be due in 3 months. They are hoping to add 5 more members to our colony.¡±

    It took a moment for his words to sink in. The artificial wombs were up and running. Somehow. It was how our colony ship planned to colonize a new planet while only starting with 1,000 people. Otherwise, we didn¡¯t have enough genetic diversity to not have problems. The scientists could create kids without people needing to give birth. It was the only reason the scientific settlement hadn¡¯t joined the colony, or so they said. They couldn¡¯t move the labs from their dropship. While they¡¯d lost people, the section of their dropship with the lab equipment had come through intact, miraculously. And now, somehow, they¡¯d gotten the advanced technology of the artificial wombs working.

    Murmuring broke out across the crowd, but it didn¡¯t sound as cheerful as Alexander seemed to expect. The overall tone was more confused than anything.

    ¡°We will look for volunteers to take on the role of parents. We¡¯ll reach out to people who we believe will be suitable candidates as well, but feel free to speak up if you think you¡¯d be a good choice.¡±

    This part was expected. We all knew when we signed up that everyone would be expected to help raise the next generations. I just didn¡¯t think they would keep that schedule, with how things had turned out. We were still trying to build solid housing, for one. And for another thing, we were all subject to unknown rules of an all-powerful system that none of us understood. And technology didn¡¯t work, at least in the ways we were used to. All in all, it didn¡¯t seem like a great idea to have a lot of kids running around just yet.

    ¡°With that, let''s keep this celebration going!¡± Alexander smiled at the crowd as the music started back up again. He gracefully jumped from the stump and a few excited married couples approached him. It surprised me he didn¡¯t mention Cass unlocking her class, nor the great teamwork of the hunting crew. Usually, even Alexander tried to give props to those doing well.

    I saw Abby grab a stack of wooden bowls and took that as my signal to go find John. I placed my mug upside down near the stack to show I¡¯d used it. Then, I headed away from the music and people. The afternoon sun was creeping toward the horizon, but we had a few hours before the valley would be shaded. At that point, it would cool down a bit. It still shocked me how quickly I¡¯d gotten used to being hot and sticky all the time.

    My memories of the crash and afterward were hazy from my head injury. I was also missing spots of memory from Earth. At least none of that seemed to matter, and it seemed like the important stuff, like who I was, was all still intact. I headed around the corner of the building toward the shuttle area.

    The complete shuttle sat several yards away, with the rear ramp down. It was a small cargo shuttle that could seat five in the narrow front. The cargo area was larger than the front, almost double the amount of space if you included the area the ramp used. I peeked in the back, but John wasn¡¯t inside. Wires stretched from two large crystals, one on either side of the small cargo area, toward the ramp of the shuttle and outside. The short stubby wings jutted out from each side, looking like they should be bigger. Small boosters hung from the bottom of each wing, along the sides of the ship itself.

    The wires led me to the work-in-progress shuttle. It wasn¡¯t complete and had panels missing, and it was surrounded by random piles of junk. Muttering came from inside. I carefully started up the ramp, making sure not to step on anything that looked important. John was in the pilot area, which only had one intact seat. He fiddled with a few wires poking out from under the dashboard.

    ¡°You know, if I could get some more of that wire, I might get this running. I¡¯m hoping the miners are willing to let me check out their dropship. Alexander let me take whatever I needed from ours.¡± He paused in his ramble. ¡°I¡¯m so close to getting this thing going. Do you think you could maybe talk them into it?¡± he asked without looking over his shoulder.

    ¡°Me?¡± I asked, shocked.

    John''s head snapped toward me, like he wasn¡¯t sure why I was there. ¡°Alex! I thought you were dad. He was talking about joining me tonight.¡± The confused look stayed on his face. ¡°Why are you here?¡±

    ¡°Dude, they¡¯re serving the stew and I figured you¡¯d want a bowl before it''s all gone.¡± I glanced around the shuttle, which was way more complete than the last time I¡¯d seen it, which had to be a week ago. He¡¯d been busy. ¡°This is looking better.¡± At least it had fewer missing parts. He¡¯d taken plenty of them to get the first one airborne.

    John let out a sigh. ¡°We¡¯ve made progress, but no one¡¯s gotten the skills I need to really help me out.¡± He shook his head and stood up stretching. He towered over me by several inches. I was the smallest sibling, as well as the youngest, but I didn¡¯t care. John had four years on me, I had time to catch up. ¡°I¡¯m needed to fly the shuttle and keep searching for the equipment and housing dropships.¡± He shook his head, making his pulled back hair go all over the place.

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    ¡°Maybe someone else can learn to be a pilot,¡± I said.

    He frowned. ¡°I wish. We¡¯ll need someone to learn how to fly the second shuttle, class or not, once I get it up and running. I love flying, don¡¯t get me wrong, but I love engineering even more. Especially here.¡± He studied me for a moment, ¡°You know I can teach you to fly without skills, right? You might even learn the class.¡±

    ¡°I thought the Council wasn¡¯t focusing on you teaching anyone else,¡± I mumbled. We currently only had one working shuttle after all.

    He rolled his eyes at me. ¡°I don¡¯t care what leadership wants. We need those supplies if we are going to get everyone into better housing.¡± He started marching down the ramp. ¡°Can you imagine raising a kid in the tents?¡± He motioned to the waterproof tents under the trees. Some wooden shacks had been built, but permanent housing wasn¡¯t high on the list. The folks who had mining skills were working on a section of the mountain as well, carving tunnels and caverns for solid housing. It was slow going, though, since there weren¡¯t many of them.

    ¡°So you heard the announcement?¡± I asked, since he hadn¡¯t been in the crowd.

    ¡°It got recommended to me to concentrate on finding the dropships and stop trying to fix the other shuttle.¡± He grunted. ¡°Like it¡¯s easy to see a crash site. It took me a month to find the mining one, and that¡¯s only because they had cleared around half the crash site. The jungle grows thick and fast. It''s hard to spot things from the air, especially at night.¡±

    I patted him on the shoulder. ¡°Everyone knows you¡¯re working around the clock, and it doesn¡¯t help that you need to be careful of the fliers.¡±

    ¡°Fucking fliers,¡± he growled. ¡°If I could leave at a decent hour from here, it¡¯d be easier. Instead, taking off at dusk¡­ Sorry, you¡¯ve heard this a thousand times already.¡± He snapped his lips shut.

    ¡°Don¡¯t care, you''re my brother. Complain all you want.¡± It was better listening to him complain than me complaining. Though, this was the second offer tonight to learn a job without having a class. Learning to fly could be amazing, and once we found those drop sites it would radically change the colony for the better. Better mechanical equipment, prefabbed housing, not to mention more medical supplies, and tools, could all exist on the other dropships. It would have a much bigger impact than hunting.

    Maybe I could do both? Having a path forward put a little hop in my step, and it felt like an enormous weight was lifted off my shoulders. I wouldn¡¯t be useless without a class in the colony. ¡°So, are you leaving tonight?¡± I asked as we turned the corner around the community hall.

    ¡°Yeah, heading to the mining colony. It¡¯ll take me a day to the first drop site, then a second up into the mountains. The scientists need another giant crystal or two for the ¡®kids'' project. I¡¯m hoping to get my hands on some wire.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a busy couple of days,¡± I said, wondering when I¡¯d see him again.

    ¡°That¡¯s only half of it. After that, I¡¯m supposed to do a sweep of a new sector.¡±

    ¡°Maybe you¡¯ll find another crash site fast¡­¡± I tried to sound enthusiastic.

    He only shrugged. ¡°I hope so. I don¡¯t really expect so, though.¡±

    After that we both headed back to the gathering, which had only grown larger in the time it took me to grab John. More people were dancing, and a group was near the fire passing out wooden bowls. I poked John¡¯s shoulder and pointed in that direction. We both moved quietly through the crowd toward the food.

    Abby caught sight of us and served up two big bowls, one to each of us, with a wink. We both hurried to the edge of the crowd where some fallen logs were placed for seating. The first spoonful was spicy and thick. It had the potatoes in it, plus carrots and lots of dino meat.

    ¡°I think this is the best thing I¡¯ve eaten since landfall,¡± mumbled John between spoonfuls.

    I agreed, but didn¡¯t say anything since I was too busy stuffing my face. That ache of hunger that always seemed to be present receded a bit, which was a relief, though it didn¡¯t go away entirely. It never did, though it didn¡¯t take long for my bowl to be empty. ¡°Big time. That was awesome.¡±

    John nudged me and leaned over. ¡°So glad you help with cooking, the perks are great.¡±

    I noticed that the other bowls being handed out weren¡¯t as full. While I had worked with Abby and the others to cut up some veggies, I figured my bigger bowl had more to do with the fact that I needed more food than others at level 10. Either way, I wasn¡¯t going to complain, since having a full, or at least fuller, stomach made the night even better.

    ¡°Is Benny still dancing with Cass?¡± I asked.

    ¡°What? He finally asked her?¡± His eyes searched the crowd. ¡°I told him to finally get over himself and do something about how he felt.¡±

    ¡°Why did he wait?¡±

    ¡°Something about the age difference.¡±

    I rolled my eyes. Benny was only a year older than John, and both were huge science nerds in the best way possible. That made it five years between Cass and Benny. That was nothing. ¡°If I remember correctly, didn¡¯t Mom and Dad have ten years between them?¡± I asked. My mom was fuzzy in my mind, but I knew she hadn¡¯t been on the dropship with us.

    John nodded softly. ¡°Yeah, they did.¡± His fingers pointed to the two still dancing. ¡°I bet they haven¡¯t even eaten yet.¡±

    Both Benny and Cass had flushed faces as they danced with each other to the fast fiddle music. Then the song slowed to a stop and people started clapping.

    Felix¡¯s voice echoed out over the crowd. ¡°It¡¯s time to eat folks, I¡¯m taking a break.¡± The dancing crowd broke up, all heading closer to the fire, creating a line near the stew pots.

    ¡°Hey, isn¡¯t that dad?¡± I asked. I saw him talking to Len and Sasha, near the stump where I had last seen them. ¡°We should probably return our bowls so others can eat.¡±

    John grunted and stood up as I did. We both headed toward the dishwashing station, which was a tub of water and a guy with a scrub brush. He took both our bowls and shooed us away. Someday, everyone would have things like their own dishware, but at the moment it was all community owned. Most ate in shifts, and everyone helped when needed.

    I headed toward the last place I¡¯d seen my father. We needed to chat about the offers I had received, both from Mary and John. See if he had any input. Yet, John slowed down as we approached, like he didn¡¯t want to interrupt. I didn¡¯t care and kept moving through the crowd. As I got closer, I swore I heard my name and I paused with a few people between us to eavesdrop.

    ¡°Alex¡¯s natural abilities with the spear are useful,¡± said Len. ¡°Mary wants her to be on the hunting team, classes-be-damned.¡±

    Sasha shook her head. ¡°Alexander is big on dividing people up by class.¡±

    ¡°We don¡¯t know what that even looks like long-term,¡± answered Len. ¡°What if people¡¯s classes change even more than we have seen?¡±

    ¡°This is something to be discussed elsewhere, not at a gathering,¡± interrupted my father, glaring at Len. He glanced around at the people around them, but didn¡¯t spot us.

    Len nodded and shut his mouth.

    ¡°He¡¯s right,¡± said Sasha, holding up a hand. ¡°Too much is happening.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m proud of how she is doing, even without a class,¡± added Len, and my father nodded a smile creeping over his face.

 Chapter 9: Family Reunion

    My father¡¯s eyes landed on me, and my brother, as I stepped forward. ¡°I heard you learned a new skill category out in the jungle. Good job!¡± This was directed at me, and I blushed. ¡°It should help you unlock a better class and skills, when the time comes.¡± Skill categories were like the bucket that skills and classes touched. For example, Mary the hunter probably had a Hunting skill category along with Stealth skills. It made it possible for her to learn Invisible Passage, which seemed to be a combination of the two.

    ¡°I did, and thanks. I couldn¡¯t have done it without the others,¡± I added, stepping up to join the group of them.

    Len smiled and then excused himself. Sasha quickly followed, becoming lost in the crowd.

    ¡°That was nicely done,¡± said my dad. ¡°You understand the politics. Unlike some people¡­¡± He glared at John.

    ¡°I get them, I just don¡¯t care,¡± said John. He shrugged.

    ¡°Well, you¡¯ll like this one then. Take Alex with you tonight.¡± He stared at John like he had something to say, but couldn¡¯t. ¡°I can¡¯t leave right now, too much is happening. A week away will do Alex some good.¡±

    ¡°That could work,¡± said John slowly, as he turned to me. ¡°It will give me time to teach you how to fly¡­¡± His words came out slowly, like he was testing the waters.

    Dad nodded, a smile forming. ¡°That¡¯s perfect. Absolutely perfect. The more skills and abilities the better.¡± He paused. ¡°Make sure Greg isn¡¯t an ass. He can be harsh.¡±

    ¡°All the miners are like that.¡± John laughed. ¡°He¡¯s excited to flee back into the mines, and get back to talking to Sang.¡±

    ¡°Introduce Alex to Sang, too. Maybe see if their personalities click. The colony would love to have a crystal singer here, especially with the expansion into the cliffs.¡± He glanced between the two of us with a grin.

    ¡°I better start prepping things then, if you aren¡¯t going,¡± said John. ¡°I¡¯ll also remind Greg to be kind.¡± John hurried off into the crowd.

    ¡°Alex, walk with me,¡± said my dad. He moved toward the community house, but kept going past it instead of going inside.

    I quickly caught up with him. ¡°Do you think I could be a singer?¡± A crystal singer could sense crystals in the mountains and unlock various skills around working with them. They could shape crystals into points like my spear tip, make inventory crystals, and the other things that those with attunement could do, but the rumors were they could do other things, too. I knew John had some skills with crystals he¡¯d unlocked using his engineering class as well

    ¡°Maybe, maybe not. Either way, taking some time away from the colony is a good thing right now.¡± His answer didn¡¯t make sense, and he paused until we were away from people heading toward the lake. ¡°Some changes are coming that not all of us agree with.¡±

    ¡°Isn¡¯t that why the Council is three people, instead of one?¡± I asked. That was the whole point as far as I was aware.

    ¡°It is, but some classes can give specific individuals certain advantages.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you won¡¯t teach me yours?¡±

    He hesitated for only a moment, then continued. ¡°My class isn¡¯t something I would wish for you, but if you aren¡¯t a singer, I will teach you about it.¡±

    My eyes widened. He had sworn a month ago that he wouldn¡¯t teach his class to anyone, that this new world didn¡¯t need someone with those skills. Now, here he was changing his mind. The hair on the back of my neck rose. Something big had to be up.

    ¡°Okay, that¡¯s a plan then¡­¡± I said to fill the silence, before adding. ¡°Len thinks classes will change with time. Is that even possible?¡±

    My dad let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s already happening, Alex. Everything evolves ¨C classes, skills, even abilities and titles.¡± He rubbed the back of his neck and glanced around. ¡°It¡¯s why getting away for a week will be good.¡±

    My father kept walking down the trail in the field next to the lake. There was a log at the end, which he sat on. ¡°The colony is stable for now, and hopefully it will continue that way for a time.¡±

    ¡°I mean, things have to be going well if new kids are going to be born.¡±

    He froze. My dad, who never spooked, froze. Then his shoulders relaxed. ¡°Just focus on getting a class,¡± his voice was barely a whisper. ¡°Hopefully on this trip, or at the mines, but if not, when you arrive back we¡¯ll go on a camping trip to see if you can learn mine.¡±

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    I didn¡¯t understand, but he held up a hand, stopping my questions. Back at the gathering he hadn¡¯t seemed to mind that I didn¡¯t have a class. Now, here he was, pressing me for the first time since we¡¯d made planetfall. ¡°Everything might be better by the time you and your brother arrive back. Who knows, you might find one of the missing dropships.¡±

    Shade started hitting the valley, bringing a cool breeze to the air by the lake. The last of the sunlight reflected off the water in a multitude of colors. It caught on the tower of rocks stacked on top of each other on the far side. Our monument to the dead, and all those that hadn¡¯t made it through the crash and the early days. Burying bodies didn¡¯t work, since we needed the land, so we burned them and mixed the ash into the soil. The soil made bricks, of a sort, and we stacked them. Each was a monument, a memory, a lost soul, and one more reminder of how hard it was simply to survive here.

    ¡°John didn¡¯t seem too confident of finding one,¡± I finally said.

    My father frowned. ¡°It''s a needle in a haystack, and we don¡¯t even know if they fell before the spine blew. Which means, of course, the needle might not even be in the haystack to find.¡±

    I shuddered, thinking of being stuck in the cold-sleep tube. After our ship had dropped from the spine, I¡¯d hit my head and everything went dark. That was because the spine of the ship blew up. All the batteries exploded at once. Even having the three dropships out of five manage to bring down survivors was lucky. Very lucky.

    ¡°Well, we made it,¡± I finally said. ¡°Even me, and no one thought I would make it.¡±

    My father reached out, placing his arm across my shoulders. His voice came out choked. ¡°Don¡¯t remind me. It was the scariest moment of my life, getting to your tube. We weren¡¯t sure if you were still breathing.¡± He shuddered. ¡°It took so long to get to you.¡± His hands clenched into fists, then he released them.

    ¡°Just some head trauma,¡± I said with a smirk. ¡°It couldn¡¯t keep me down.¡±

    He pulled away and stood up. ¡°I need to chat with John about some details, since I won¡¯t be able to join you. Keep an eye on the time. You don¡¯t want him or Greg waiting on you. Greg is intense about being on time.¡±

    I nodded as he walked quickly away, heading back toward the gathering. I took a moment before standing up from the log. My focus over the last couple of weeks had been on learning skills, and potentially a class. In turn, I¡¯d missed something that was going on, something my dad knew about but didn¡¯t want to say. Something related to the tension Len¡¯s words had stirred up on the way back from the hunt.

    Finally, I got up and made my way through the field, studying the crops. This was Benny¡¯s work. His biologist background, and the seeds that had made it through the crash. The lush plants that filled the area were the crops we needed to survive and stay healthy. John flew the shuttle that connected the colony to the other settlements¡­ and dad. Dad had a military background no one would talk about. I didn¡¯t even know anything about it from before we¡¯d left; it was just a big black mystery that he wouldn¡¯t ever say a word about.

    Yet, he was sending John and me away for a week. What did he think was going to happen?

    I could guess that some people might put up a stink about welcoming kids when we all were struggling for food and dry housing. But honestly, I wasn¡¯t sure, and just kept moving as the sound of music filled the air again. Felix must be excited to play again. Harsh voices rolled out of the shuttle, sounding like John and dad getting into an argument. I wanted to detour that way and find out what was up, but for once I kept going. They could keep their secrets. I already had too much going on in my head. Before I got around the corner, I heard my name being called.

    ¡°Alex!¡± John stood in the distance. ¡°Come on, we need to prep the shuttle.¡±

    I spun around and headed toward the shuttle after all. Dad wasn¡¯t anywhere to be seen. ¡°What do you need help with?¡±

    ¡°Not much, just stick close. Greg is on his way with a cart. We¡¯ll need to strap a few things into the cargo hold, then as soon as it''s dark enough we¡¯ll be off.¡± He stomped back toward the ramp with a frown.

    Greg appeared from the back of the community hall. His dark shaggy hair looked clean while his overalls looked worn. He had to be around my dad¡¯s age, but his eyes were younger, brighter. He easily pulled a cart filled with two crates, both made from the thick plastic from the dropship.

    ¡°Looks like you¡¯re joining us.¡± Greg¡¯s eyes studied me before he continued. ¡°Should be an interesting trip. You can keep him company once I leave.¡± Greg yanked the cart up the back ramp near one side. ¡°It¡¯ll be good to get back to work in the mountain.¡±

    ¡°Couldn¡¯t you work on the tunnel project here?¡± I asked, moving to help with the crates.

    ¡°Eh, my skills are better used for finding metals and crystals, rather than carving out tunnels and rooms.¡± He shook his head, easily lifting one of the crates. That¡¯s what levels and stats did for a person, made them stronger and faster than normal.

    John grabbed a strap on one side. ¡°Alex, grab the other strap and we can lock this in place.¡± I handed over the strap to John and he quickly tightened it down, while Greg moved the other crate to the other side.

    ¡°What are we trading to the mines anyway?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Just stuff,¡± said Greg, his eyes shifty. ¡°Things they need that we have extra of.¡± He moved quickly once the cart was empty, disappearing down the ramp.

    I turned to look at John, but he was already rushing to lock the other crate into place. His eyes caught mine, and he shook his head, telling me to leave it without saying a word.

    ¡°You can take one of the back seats,¡± he said, moving toward the front of the shuttle. A seat sat behind the middle of the dashboard, then two seats to the right facing the center, plus one seat on the left. There was an empty space where a seat had been, but it was gone. I guessed it was the only seat in the other shuttle.

    I sat down, wondering what to do as John sat down in the pilot''s seat. ¡°Buckle up, I¡¯m going to get the shuttle up and running. Greg should be back in a moment.¡±

    I quickly clicked the harness in place and tried to watch what John was doing, but it was hard from this angle since my seat was behind his.

    Greg dashed up the ramp, looking out the back. ¡°Let¡¯s get this shuttle moving.¡±

 Chapter 10: Up, up and Away

    A hum rolled through the shuttle as John flicked a button, then the ramp rose until it closed. ¡°Almost there, Greg.¡±

    Greg sat down on the other side, facing me. There was enough room between us that our legs wouldn¡¯t touch. ¡°I¡¯ll be glad to get back to my moonshine.¡±

    ¡°Moonshine?¡±

    ¡°I produce it in the mines.¡± Greg laughed. ¡°Alexander the Ass doesn¡¯t want it in the colony. Just think how much people would lighten up with a little drink here and there.¡±

    I didn¡¯t add anything, since I didn¡¯t know why some adult beverages wouldn¡¯t be allowed. All it could do was help with the morale of the community.

    ¡°Hold on to your seats,¡± said John. The humming got louder as the shuttle jerked upward, before the ride became smoother. ¡°Let¡¯s fly out of the valley.¡±

    I could see the view from the front window and it was amazing. The sun was setting as we rose higher than the mountains on either side. Trees covered the land, leading to thick mountains that rose to the north and west. To the south was nothing but more jungle, a slash cutting through it which had to be the massive river John had mentioned in the past. Beyond that was more jungle, until rocks took over at the edge of the horizon.

    The shuttle moved toward the west, and John¡¯s head twisted every way. ¡°Anyone see anything flying?¡±

    The question hung in the air, and Greg moved closer to the front window. He hadn¡¯t buckled in. ¡°Nothing, we should be in the clear.¡±

    ¡°Should be doesn¡¯t mean we are.¡± John did something, and we picked up speed. ¡°Next stop, the compound.¡±

    ¡°Ugh, I hate that name,¡± said Greg, rolling his eyes.

    ¡°What would you call it?¡± my brother asked.

    ¡°No clue, but the compound just sounds weird,¡± Greg said.

    ¡°I mean, it''s a few guys surrounded by a fence, crystals, and living out of the half-broken dropship, right?¡± John replied.

    ¡°Yeah, but they keep it safe.¡±

    ¡°They have more crystals set up than anyone,¡± replied John. ¡°A dino isn¡¯t approaching that fence.¡±

    They had to be talking about the place we¡¯d be staying tomorrow. It was the back half of the mining dropship. They¡¯d had heavy losses before finding a cache of crystals. The front half had much better luck, though it had landed far enough away that the two groups didn¡¯t even know about each other for the first few days.

    ¡°I thought it was a settlement?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t call it that.¡± Greg scratched his chin, near his beard. ¡°I know Alexander does, to make it sound more impressive, but John¡¯s right. It''s big enough to land the shuttle, barely, but no one really stays there but the crazies.¡±

    ¡°Crazies?¡±

    ¡°Folks who refuse to leave,¡± added John. ¡°Nice people, just something broke in them after the crash.¡±

    ¡°Yeah,¡± said Greg sadly. ¡°So many died, they had only twenty people left when John found them.¡±

    John nodded. ¡°Yeah, only fifteen would resettle in the colony. The ones that stayed are still there.¡±

    ¡°It was rough at the other site too, wasn¡¯t it?¡± I asked. Greg was from that one after all.

    ¡°In a different way. We at least had the mountain at our back.¡± He went quiet for a moment. ¡°Then we found the crack in the rock. It saved us. We lost about half of our colonists, so about 100 people made it into the mountain. We lost some more after that.¡±

    ¡°Didn¡¯t most of those head to the colony?¡±

    ¡°Eh, less than half,¡± said Greg. ¡°Most of the people in the mountains want to do their own thing. We have crystals, safe homes, and a connection with y¡¯all, but don¡¯t need to listen to all of the rules.¡±

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    I shook my head lightly. ¡°Just think, if we didn¡¯t crash, we all were supposed to be one large colony working together.¡±

    Greg chuckled. ¡°Yeah, no matter how much they tried, I doubt it would¡¯ve lasted long term. People are herd animals. They like who they like, but people who volunteered to start a new colony aren¡¯t all going to be sheep. Right now it''s easier to have all of us close together for survival, but if this had gone according to the original plan? I bet half the colonists would have run for the hills as soon as the dropships hit dirt.¡±

    ¡°So, you float back and forth with moonshine, then?¡± I asked, half-smiling, and knowing he wasn¡¯t wrong. There had been a little talk of that even before we had left Earth.

    ¡°See, you catch on fast.¡± Greg grinned and turned back to the window. ¡°It''s a good trade. People will do a lot for a drink, especially when it''s tough living like we¡¯re doing.¡± Finally, he moved away from John¡¯s shoulder and sat back down across from me. ¡°I¡¯m gonna nap, let me know when we get close.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯ll be a while,¡± said John.

    ¡°It always is.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of, this is a good time for you to learn some stuff, Alex. Move up here,¡± he said to me.

    I quickly unclipped my harness and stood up before moving to watch over his shoulder. John motioned to the steering wheel and the various buttons. Everything had a label written in a black marker. ¡°The wheel basically controls the direction of the ship, turning left or right.¡± He showed what he meant, turning it one way softly, then the other. ¡°Up and down is controlled by moving it forward and back.¡± Again he showed raising and lowering the shuttle using the thrusters. ¡°It¡¯s easy, flying. Landing is hard.¡±

    John flicked a button before unlocking his harness and stood off to the right. ¡°Take a seat and give it a try.¡±

    The shuttle kept moving in the direction that it had been set to go. I sat down in the seat and buckled myself back in.

    ¡°Make sure to flick that button,¡± he said pointing to the last thing he had touched. It said ¡®AUTO¡¯ next to it. ¡°It locks the wheel into the current position.¡±

    I flicked it off, and then set my hands on the wheel, not moving it.

    ¡°See, easy as pie.¡± He pointed toward a tall tree in the distance. Something flickered at the top. ¡°Point us in that direction.¡±

    I slowly turned the steering wheel to face the tree, and the shuttle responded. I only overshot slightly and had to correct a bit. ¡°This isn¡¯t so bad.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty boring, which is a good thing. We¡¯ll head this way for a bit before I¡¯ll take back over. Landing at the compound is rough.¡±

    John then left me alone and went to take a seat behind me.

    After some time passed, a notification popped up in the green text.

    [You have learned the skill category, Piloting]

    The message suddenly appeared, making me jerk, but I only flinched a little. I slowly moved the wheel back into position. I had to have over 8 skills categories at this point. All of them were basic, and I couldn¡¯t even use them, really, but at least I had them.

    Still, unlocking access to my class and skills would be amazing, or at least I hoped it would. It didn¡¯t take long for the excitement of flying to wear off. John¡¯s rant about it being boring made much more sense. There was nothing to do but not touch the controls, and look at the tops of trees.

    The sun was setting, which was pretty. Pinks and purples crossed the skies, highlighting wispy clouds. There was even some neon orange. The fading light made it harder to see anything but the dark tops of the trees. Nothing else moved, which was a good thing. John had learned the hard way about flyers. He¡¯d been lucky to flee with only minimal damage to the shuttle the first time. Now, we knew that certain areas were dangerous, except at dusk and dawn. Unfortunately, that included the area around the colony, and then around the compound, plus the mining settlement in the mountains.

    It extended the trip into 2 days. Otherwise, it would have been shorter.

    The sky got darker and darker until it was hard to see. The moon would rise at some point, but I didn¡¯t know when. Movement behind me startled me, and John appeared over my shoulder. ¡°I should take over. I forgot you don¡¯t have any night vision skills.¡±

    I hit the lock and then unclipped. ¡°Nope, I was just gonna say something.¡±

    John sat down and clipped back in. ¡°Get some rest, we only have a few more hours until we¡¯re at the compound.¡±

    Once back in my seat I clipped in and tried to get comfortable. Some shut-eye would help. Eventually, I nodded off.

    ***

    ¡°What the¡­ Hey Alex! Look at that!¡± John¡¯s voice woke me up, and I twisted to look out the front window, wondering how long I¡¯d napped for.

    A shooting star flew across the night sky. ¡°Woah, I think that¡¯s my first.¡± I needed to make a wish. The only thing to come to mind was to finally unlock my class.

    ¡°First what?¡± mumbled Greg.

    ¡°Shooting star,¡± I answered. The moon has risen at some point, and the sliver that was visible provided enough light to see the top of the jungle.

    Greg stumbled to his feet to move closer to the window. He leaned forward. ¡°There are so many.¡±

    More appeared, streaking across the sky, lighting it up. Unease trickled down my spine. ¡°Has this happened before?¡±

    John was slow to respond. ¡°No, though I bet it looks amazing from the mining outpost.¡±

    ¡°How much longer until we arrive at the compound?¡± asked Greg. ¡°We have to be getting close.¡±

    ¡°Maybe three hours, though I might try to pick up the pace.¡±

    The shuttle trembled a little.

    ¡°What was that?¡± I asked, fear filling my voice as my fingers clenched the armrests of the seat.

 Chapter 11: Falling Stars

    ¡°Wind,¡± said John, but he didn¡¯t sound certain.

    I swallowed hard, my mind flickering back to when I had been stuck in the cold sleep tube and the ship was trembling. The numb feeling, being unable to move, then everything going dark when I hit my head. The worst part was waking up and not being able to breathe.

    ¡°Maybe I should land¡­ What the?¡± His voice snapped off as something crashed into the jungle in the distance. Dirt and leaves went flying.

    ¡°Fucking meteorites,¡± growled Greg, dodging back toward his seat.

    The shuttle bounced hard as a rock flew by, glowing as it flashed across the dark sky.

    ¡°Hold on!¡± John¡¯s voice was filled with determination as the shuttle cut hard to the right, and then the left.

    My fingers dug into the armrests even more, pain lancing up my hands. This couldn¡¯t happen. Not again. The harness straps holding me in my seat cut into my shoulders as I was flung in different directions. The little shuttle jerked randomly as John tried to fly us away from the worst of it. I snapped my eyes closed, but that was worse, not being able to see what was happening out of the window.

    Greg wasn¡¯t in his seat when I opened my eyes, and I saw he was struggling to get back to it and buckled down. One of the nastier twists must have knocked him off his seat, and now he was closer to the cargo in the back. Across the window I could see the sun peeking out from the horizon, but the streaks of rocks continued. The rising sun made them harder to see.

    Suddenly, one of the blazing rocks sliced into the back of the ship, spilling light into the cargo hold, which had been very dim until now. Light blazed in from a hole above and below. The holes were smaller than a golf ball, but the light of the outside made the point well enough.

    ¡°Get us close to the compound!¡± yelled Greg from that same area. It wasn¡¯t clear if the rock had hit him or not.

    The shuttle almost tilted to the right, orienting itself away from another rock that was hurtling through the sky.

    ¡°I think we got this!¡± John¡¯s voice rolled across the shuttle, and I tried to force myself to relax.

    Greg scrambled up from the back, crawling on all fours, though it looked like he¡¯d injured one of his legs. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare jinx us!¡± His voice filled with panic. Everywhere he placed his right leg he left blood behind.

    I swallowed hard, seeing the blood. Saliva filled my mouth, and I prayed my stomach wouldn¡¯t reject whatever was in it.

    The sun crested the horizon and bright red light flooded the cabin. John held up a hand, and I closed my eyes against the glare.

    A meteor slammed into the side of the shuttle, and we twisted through the air, my eyes snapping open again. A crack appeared in the window''s corner as something else hit us. John groaned as we spun about like a toy, and all the lights on the panel went out. ¡°Oh, no¡­¡± John¡¯s voice was hoarse as he frantically pounded on something. ¡°No, no, no no...¡± I only glimpsed his fist moving up and down, slamming into the dash. All the noise around me felt muted.

    The light from the sun flashed as we spun, and for a moment all I could see was the glass of the cold sleep tube in front of me as I listened to the sirens going off. Then I was back in the shuttle, just as we straightened out. The tops of the trees were getting closer, filling the view. ¡°Brace yourself!¡± John yelled.

    My hands gripped the armrests like we were going to die, but I forced myself to keep my eyes open. I couldn¡¯t watch the first time, this time I¡¯d see my death coming to me, my stomach be damned.

    Giant leaves slammed into the window of the shuttle as we skimmed across the treetops. They slowed us down a little. A long branch pierced the window where the crack had started, and small pieces of glass went flying.

    Then there was a terrible impact.

    My eyes closed as we slammed into the bottoms of trees, the shuttle still not stopping, but taking a terrible beating.

    [Welcome to Class selection.]

    The message popped up as I opened my eyes, just as we hit something and finally came to a complete halt. I was shocked to find myself still alive. The taste of blood filled my mouth, and I wanted to make sure my brother was still alive.

    But I couldn¡¯t move. Everything went suddenly white, the shuttle disappearing from view.

    I sat at an empty table with various colorful text boxes floating in the air.

    ¡°Congratulations on your journey so far. You have earned skill categories, stats, and titles that all affect what classes you are offered,¡± whispered a soft voice. ¡°Each box in the air represents a class that you may choose. Warning: whatever class you select will be your foundation for your future. Take the time you need to make the correct choice, but remember that while you are here, your body is still in the physical world, and time is passing normally.¡±

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    Panic filled me.

    The colony worked hard to make sure everyone was in a safe space during class selection. It was a hard lesson, learned during one of the first dinosaur attacks. I had only heard stories, since I¡¯d still been locked in my tube.

    I had seven boxes floating above the table. 5 were a blue color, 1 was a green color, and the last was a bright gold color. No one talked about class selection, but I knew that people usually had 2 to 5 classes to choose from. Yet, seven were here in front of me. My eyes kept going to the gold box. It almost sparkled.

    In the distance, I heard my name being called, and the table flickered for a moment.

    ¡°Oh, shit - John!¡± I thought to myself. I didn¡¯t have time for this, I had to select a class and get back to my brother.

    I selected the first blue box and the word ¡®Fighter¡¯ popped up, with the image of a sword. Then I moved on to the other blue boxes, one by one. Hunter had a spear, while warrior had an ax, rogue had small daggers, and the archer had a bow. These blue options were all pretty normal, common types of classes: fighter, hunter, warrior, rogue, archer.

    All good choices, but standard.

    I selected the green box: Close Combat Specialist. Instead of a picture, it had information.

    [Close Combat Specialist: Excels in melee combat and warfare tactics. Has leadership potential.]

    My eyes grew wide, and I held my breath. The table flickered again.

    I hit the gold box: Devourer. Nothing happened.

    All seven classes floated up in the air with the rankings next to them. Close Combat Specialist was uncommon. The green color twisted and turned, compared to the common blue class. Yet, Devourer sparkled in gold. It was a legendary class.

    An actual legendary class.

    I selected the Devourer class again, and this time the gold writing grew bigger.

    Nothing else popped up on the screen, which confused me. I¡¯d gotten more information on the other classes before I selected them. Yet nothing came up with the legendary class. Maybe it was one of those risk, reward moments.

    ¡°Alex!¡± My body shook and I could feel someone touching me. The table flickered again and I wanted to growl in frustration.

    [Do you select the Devourer class?]

    The green text popped up as I stared at the golden box.

    ¡°Yes.¡± Go big or go home, after all.

    The white room with text boxes vanished, which was unexpected.

    John¡¯s face was next to me, tears streaming down it as he shook me again. ¡°Alex, please!¡± He saw my eyes open, and a crack of a smile appeared before he collapsed to the floor.

    Notifications flooded the corner of my screen, but I muted them for the moment. I tried to catch him as he fell, but the harness stopped me.

    ¡°John!¡± As I called his name, blood dripped out of my mouth. I scrambled to remove my harness, snapping the buckle and kneeling behind my brother. Glass had cut through his uniform in three spots on his left side, along with a thick metal object embedded in his thigh.

    I froze for two seconds.

    Everything we had learned about first aid came to mind. I needed the first aid kit, to stop the bleeding. I launched myself to my feet, moving faster than I was prepared for. I slammed into the far wall as I tried to move to the cargo hold. The large med kit was on the right side of the cargo cabin.

    Greg came into view. His body was crushed under one of the cargo boxes in the far back. I wasn¡¯t sure if he was breathing. That didn¡¯t matter, all that mattered was my brother. The med kit was attached in place, right where it should be. I unbuckled the straps and pulled the case off the wall before getting back to my brother¡¯s side.

    The largest cut was bleeding into his shirt, against his left side. Inside the med kit, I took out a disinfectant spray and doused the wound, before using the glue to hold it together. Saliva gathered in my mouth, but I focused on the cut. It needed to stop bleeding. The glue and spray went to work, and I turned to the smaller cuts. Only a few still had pieces of glass to remove, and none of them were deep. The spray and glue closed them up fast.

    That left the metal object sticking out of his leg. I knew that as soon as I removed it, the bleeding would be bad. Everything in the med kit was emergency use only. The smaller cuts I should have ignored, but he was the only pilot we had left.

    The med kit had a hooked needle, and a spool of waxed thread. Tools for stitches. That learning unit during colonization prep had been the worst. People had actually volunteered to get stitches, to make sure everyone could do them in a real-life situation. Memories of John and Benny walking me through each of the steps to do the stitches whispered through my mind. Their confident voices that I could do it had gotten me through the exam. I had barely passed, which I was thankful for, because if I hadn¡¯t, I would¡¯ve been left behind.

    ¡°John, now would be the best time to wake up, but probably also the worst,¡± I whispered, checking over the supplies I needed. I wasn¡¯t sure we had enough thread to close the hole. The kit wasn¡¯t brand new, and it wasn¡¯t like we had backups to replace things. I had to remove the shrapnel and stop the bleeding, though. Stalling wasn¡¯t going to help anyone. My hand found my crystal knife still at my side, and I pulled it out with a frown. I could cauterize the hole after spraying it to disinfect the wound. It was worth a try, before trying to make stitches work.

    Making sure everything was laid out, I placed a hand on the metal bit, and yanked. I moved as fast as I could, spraying the deep hole and getting the disinfectant inside. Then I wiped the blood away and got to work with the knife. I focused on making the crystal tip glow the bright yellow, when it was hottest.

    John moaned, but didn¡¯t fully wake up as I placed the glowing crystal against his skin. The smell of burnt meat filled the air, making me shake. Blood dripped from the wound, but I closed it as fast as I could. It was like I could smell the copper puddle of blood beneath him. After what seemed like forever, but was probably only a few seconds, the bleeding finally stopped. I put my knife away to make sure I didn¡¯t lose it.

    I fell back, landing on my ass after kneeling for so long. That¡¯s when the shakes hit me, along with the hunger.

    My eyes stayed focused on the blood on my hands.

    ¡°Blood is bad¡­ We are in the jungle¡­¡± The smell filled the shuttle, and my head snapped around to the window. The corner had a large hole in it. The smell would drift. This had to get cleaned up. Fast.

 Chapter 12: Unfixable Situations

    Then I remembered Greg. This time I stumbled twice on my way back to the cargo hold. He was still under the cargo box that had come free. He was facing down, so I couldn¡¯t see if his eyes were open. I tried to feel for a pulse and got nothing.

    ¡°Fuck, Greg. I¡¯m sorry.¡± I moved the box off him and placed it to one side. It still looked pristine. That was when I realized I didn¡¯t know what to do with the body, and I really didn¡¯t want to search him for whatever he was carrying.

    I went to work after spotting a clean up label on one of the panels. It had towels, bags, and some sort of cleaning solution. The fluid made my skin tingle when I touched it. Once the puddle was gone and my hands cleaned, I turned toward the hole in the window. I stuffed one of the last clean cloths in the hole, plugging it up as best I could. Then I headed back to the hole in the cargo bay. It was small, the size of a golf ball, but it came in at a weird angle then left through the ground. Both holes got cloth stuffed in them, too. That¡¯s when I noticed the crystal on that side of the shuttle. A large crack ran through the middle of the formerly glowing crystal. It looked wrong, and it felt wrong. Cold.

    I couldn¡¯t do anything about it right now, though, and turned back to the front, allowing myself to crash on the floor next to my brother.

    ¡°Holy fuck, we¡¯re still alive.¡± I let out a deep sigh as my stomach rumbled. Somehow I needed to eat. I ignored it, and opened my stat sheet. It was time to figure out what damage I had done while trying to save John.

    The first things to pop up were the notifications that I had paused.

    [You have selected the class: Devourer. One of the oldest classes, and one of the most feared. You are what you devour. Besides earning experience for your kills, when you devour part of a kill, you might gain stats, skills and insights into the creature. Let¡¯s see what you become. +1 to all Stats and +3 Free Stat Points per Level]

    What the ever-living fuck did I do?

    I paused on the first notification, trying to figure out what class I had selected. It was a legendary class, of course I¡¯d gone with it. Yet, it had been a shot in the dark. My stomach rumbled again, and I ignored it again. I had to eat the things I killed to earn extra bonuses? I mean, it made sense, since I was hungry all the time, but that last sentence worried me. Let¡¯s see what I would become? Still, I continued. It wasn¡¯t like I had a choice.

    [You have earned a title: Jack-of-all-Trades. Earned from learning at least 10 skill categories before class selection. Knowledge is power. +1 to all Stats per level.]

    [You have earned an Achievement: Lucky Stars. You have survived two crashes that most would not walk away from, both without any lasting damage. Luck must be on your side. +3 Free Stat Points per level.]

    A title and an achievement were unbelievable. I didn¡¯t know anyone with an achievement, though I felt I hadn¡¯t actively earned that one. Both were amazing, though, and would help me level my stats faster. That would be important.

    [Skill Unlocked: Iron Stomach. Your stomach is rock solid. Eat what you will, your stomach can handle it. Devour.]

    [Skill Unlocked: Heightened Senses. Find your prey. Hunt.]

    [Skill Unlocked: Stealth. Remain hidden from those who would eat you. Grow.]

    [Skill Unlocked: Blades and Polearms. Use the claws you make. Kill.]

    [Skill Unlocked: Insight. You can study different creatures, learning basic information.]

    [Skill Unlocked: Crystal Attunement. You resonate with power crystals. You have the ability to superheat a crystal point to cut through almost anything.]

    I paused, reading over the six skills, my concern increasing with the increased commentary that made the hair stand up on the back of my neck. Insight I knew most people received. The last one I already knew about, and had used before. Five skills and only one fighting skill, one that I¡¯d been training with my dad to earn.

    [Your banked experience has been applied. You have gained 4 levels.]

    I finally opened the rest of my stat sheet.

    [Your Stats have been updated for your class.]

    Name: Alex

    Level: 4

    Race: Human

    Traits: Survivability, Adaptation, Hangry

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Class: Devourer

    Stats:

    STR: 5(13)

    QUICK: 6(14)

    FLEX:6(14)

    TOUGH: 6(14)

    INT: 5(13)

    FORT:5(13)

    WILL:5(13)

    CHA: 5(13)

    FREE:24

    Monstrosity: 0

    Titles & Achievements:

    Jack-of-all-Trades

    Lucky Stars

    Skills:

    Crystal Attunement

    Iron Stomach

    Heightened Senses

    Stealth

    Blades and Polearms

    Skill Categories:

    Self-Defense

    Knife Skills

    Spear Skills

    Crystal-working Skills

    Farming Skills

    Stealth Skills

    Climbing Skills

    Fishing Skills

    Hunting Skills

    Cooking Skills

    Survival Skills

    Piloting Skills

    I didn¡¯t understand. My stats had changed. Dexterity was now Quickness and Flexibility, while Wisdom was Fortitude and Willpower. Constitution had become Toughness. I didn¡¯t know stats could change. No one did, as far as I knew. It made the free stat points that much more important, though. I had 8 stats to level now, instead of the 6 everyone else had. Speaking of, I had 24 free points to allocate, but my head was pounding and I needed to take a break.

    Just before I closed my stat sheet I realized something worse. My traits were wrong. Humans had two positive traits and one negative. They were Survivability and Adaptability, while the negative was person specific. Hangry made sense, what made little sense was Adaptation.

    How was that possible? It was close to Adaptability, but not the same. As far as we knew, though, the positive traits were fixed to our humanity.

    No one else had a unique trait in the colony. Everyone spoke about them, and how humans must have the same advantages as each other. Yet, I had something different. What did that say about me?

    I snapped the stat sheet closed and took a deep breath. My stomach growled again, and I patted my pockets, finding some of the jerky left. The taste was worse than normal, and I had to force myself to swallow. Bite after bite I kept at it until what I had was gone. I knew the cargo hold had supplies, but I couldn¡¯t bring myself to go through them. Not until John was awake.

    I nodded off with my head leaned back, but eventually woke up again as time passed. Sweat dripped down my forehead and my back as the shuttle heated up as the day moved on. Sunlight streamed in from the window, but I couldn¡¯t get myself to stand up and look out at our surroundings.

    Eventually, John stirred. His fingers twitched, and I held my breath, then let it out slowly. ¡°John, are you back with us?¡± I asked.

    His fingers moved again, and then his eyes slowly opened. His face twisted in pain, but then he saw me. ¡°You¡¯re alive¡­¡± It came out as a whisper. ¡°I thought¡­¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m fine.¡± I motioned to his injuries. ¡°I¡¯m more worried about you.¡±

    ¡°It hurts, but,¡± his voice shook. ¡°Still alive.¡± He didn¡¯t move from his spot on the floor. ¡°How bad is it?¡±

    ¡°I cauterized a wound on your leg. You have minor cuts and one larger one across your side ¨C those I closed with glue. Greg didn¡¯t make it, he¡¯s in the back.¡± I kept my voice level for the last statement.

    ¡°Damn.¡± John closed his eyes for a moment, then they snapped open. ¡°The ship?¡±

    ¡°No clue, but one crystal is cracked. And there is a small hole through the cargo hold.¡±

    John let out a sigh. ¡°The crystals, that¡¯s why we lost power.¡±

    ¡°Please say you have a healing skill and you will be up in no time¡­?¡±

    ¡°No, I don¡¯t. It will take a few days for me to heal completely.¡± He added nothing else after that, just stared at the ceiling, thinking.

    ¡°Well, we have time.¡±

    ¡°Just give me a couple moments, then I¡¯ll look at the ship.¡± His voice sounded defeated as he closed his eyes.

    ¡°Hey, I got my class¡­¡±

    ¡°What?¡± His eyes opened wide, and he almost smiled.

    I nodded. ¡°Yep, it¡¯s a good one. Got a stealth skill and some fighting abilities. Plus an achievement from not dying again while crashing to the ground.¡± I didn¡¯t know why I didn¡¯t tell him about my class. Something had stopped me, warning me to keep silent.

    ¡°That¡¯s awesome. We have a chance¡­¡± He smiled, closing his eyes for several seconds. Then he opened them again. ¡°I got a weird achievement about Nine Lives and cats. But it will help us.¡± He put his hands on the floor and sat up.

    I quickly helped him.

    His head turned slowly, surveying the ship before landing on the cracked window and then turning toward the back. ¡°I need to see the crystal.¡±

    ¡°Let me help you get up,¡± I said, moving to my feet. While I thought he should take some more time to recover, we were in a rough spot. I looped my arm under his shoulder and helped him stand. He kept the weight off his injured leg and leaned on me.

    We slowly made our way toward the cargo hold. It wasn¡¯t far.

    ¡°Shit, the crystal is out. That crack means I can¡¯t even fix it.¡± Outrage filled his voice like he hadn¡¯t believed the damage had been that bad. ¡°I was hoping it¡¯d only chipped. Sometimes I can glue them back together.¡± He paused, looking at the small holes in the ceiling and floor I¡¯d stuffed with cloth. ¡°It must have cracked when we were hit by the bigger rock on the other side.¡± He pointed at the holes. ¡°These are only cosmetic. Nothing was hit. That¡¯s good news.¡±

    ¡°But the crystal¡­¡±

    He ignored me and instead turned toward Greg¡¯s body with a sigh. ¡°We need to see if he has anything on him. Then bury him away from the ship.¡± Another lesson learned after the crash: burn bodies as soon as possible, though in this case we¡¯d need to bury him. Burning him would only spread the smell of death further, faster.

    ¡°John, what¡¯s the plan here?¡± I finally asked, using my serious voice. The ship was down and it wouldn¡¯t fly, that much was clear with the broken crystal. He needed to use words I understood to explain what we needed to do at this point. As things were, I was barely keeping the panic at bay.

    John let out a sigh and turned to face me. He ran a hand through his short hair, sweat keeping it back. ¡°The compound isn¡¯t far, maybe a day''s travel on foot. They have crystals large enough to power the shuttle. I can get the ship back into running shape, but I can¡¯t make the trek through the jungle.¡± He paused and stared at me. ¡°But you unlocked a class, and you have skills. You can get there. It¡¯s our only chance.¡±

 Chapter 13: Crazy Plans

    It took a couple of seconds for what he said to sink in. ¡°You want me to hike across the jungle to the compound I¡¯ve never been to, and get a crystal from a bunch of crazy dudes. Then bring it back.¡± At least he had used his words. It wasn¡¯t like we could leave the shuttle behind.

    He scratched his hair again, frowning. ¡°When you put it like that, it sounds harder than it could be. The meteor shower probably caused all sorts of upheaval in the jungle. The sooner you leave, the better.¡± He sounded more confident in the plan the longer he spoke. ¡°Once we move Greg out and get his body buried, you can take supplies from the crates. I even have an inventory crystal that I can let you borrow. It will lighten your load.¡±

    ¡°What about getting a new crystal back?¡± I asked. You couldn¡¯t put a crystal inside a crystal, both would shatter.

    ¡°The guys at the compound can help you. They are used to living out here, and for them this should be easy. Plus, we have trade goods to create booze. That¡¯s in high demand.¡± John motioned toward Greg. ¡°I¡¯ll search Greg¡¯s body.¡±

    ¡°No, I got this. Just don¡¯t move.¡± I let my arm fall from under his shoulders and he balanced using the wall. I moved closer to Greg, kneeling, and then I patted each of his pockets. All I found was a lighter, and a pocket knife. I held the goods up to John. ¡°It¡¯s something.¡±

    John hesitated then spoke. ¡°There are body bags in the panel over there.¡± He pointed toward the left side of the ship. ¡°Use one. It will block the smell and make it easier to carry the body.¡±

    I didn¡¯t ask why the ship had body bags as I pulled one out of the compartment. There weren¡¯t many inside. Everything else I ignored as I laid it out next to Greg, then lifted him up and into the opening. First his feet, then his shoulders. Thankfully, he faced downward and I couldn¡¯t see his face. Somehow it made this easier. Once it was zipped up, I felt a little better.

    ¡°Can we open the ramp?¡±

    ¡°We could,¡± he said hesitantly, ¡°but I don¡¯t know if that''s a good idea. I don¡¯t know what is around us. The upper emergency hatch would be better.¡± He pointed to the hatch on the ceiling that I hadn¡¯t noticed before.

    ¡°Alright, I''ll peek out and see where we are.¡± I wasn¡¯t tall enough to reach the ceiling, so I moved a cargo container under the spot to open it up. I slowly cracked the lid, peeking out in all directions. The surrounding trees were very bare of leaves. Nothing moved as far as I could tell, so I opened it the rest of the way, swinging it flat onto the top of the ship.

    ¡°Okay, I¡¯m going to move him out and toward the side of the shuttle,¡± I said after a moment.

    ¡°Check for any exterior damage. Loose panels, wires, anything like that,¡± added John.

    I lifted the bag, surprised at how easy it was to shove it through the opening. My brother said nothing, just watched as I got it through the hatch. Then I heaved myself up out of the hole and onto the top of the shuttle. The moving air felt good on my face, cooler than it was inside the shuttle. I¡¯d never been claustrophobic before, but I recognized a slight easing of tension in my stomach being out of the enclosed shuttle.

    Again, nothing moved other than a few leaves in the light breeze. The wind blew and different odors reached me. My eyes watered almost immediately as I scented something that smelled fantastic. My mouth filled with drool. Shaking my head, I focused on what direction to go. Both sides of the shuttle had built-in hand holds that I could climb up. Behind us, trees were bent and broken where we had crashed through before hitting the actual ground. One side was more forested than the other, and not having any better ideas, I lifted the black bag and went towards the closer trees. Unfortunately, a roar in the distance caused me to flinch and drop the bag hard. It fell off the end of the shuttle to the ground.

    My knife was in my hand and I faced the south, waiting for anything else to move, or for the roar to come again. My heart pounded as I tried to guess how far away it¡¯d been. A few seconds went by, and nothing else moved. I unfroze myself and began to move faster, climbing down the side of the shuttle and then carrying the bag into the trees, but not too far. I didn¡¯t want to lose sight of the ship through the foliage. I placed him under a large downed tree where nothing would step on him, since I didn¡¯t have any real way to dig a hole. At the very least, it would provide some protection.

    ¡°Sorry, Greg, this is the best I can do. May you find peace wherever you are¡­¡±

    I hurried back to the shuttle, but before I climbed up I did a loop looking for anything broken, like John had asked. The front of the ship looked fine, though it had hit a large boulder. Some scrapes showed on the surface, but nothing looked loose. The stubby wings on either side looked intact as well. Behind us was the trail of downed trees through the jungle, which seemed longer than it should be. The rear ramp would have a hard time going down with how the shuttle rested on the base. I bet it couldn¡¯t be completely lowered in the position it was in. Based on the sun, the shuttle pointed almost directly north.

    I climbed back inside, shutting the hatch behind me. Instead of the safety I¡¯d expected, it felt like a prison. Or, like we were in a lunchbox and something was just waiting to be hungry enough to open it up and eat the juicy morsels inside. I felt the tightness in my belly come back.

    John leaned on the other side of the shuttle, the cargo box open and a small pack on the ground next to him. He was filling it with things. ¡°How does the ship look?¡± he asked without looking up.

    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    ¡°Somehow intact¡­ It doesn¡¯t make much sense.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s because you haven¡¯t spent the last month reinforcing every single panel in case you crashed the only shuttle we have. It¡¯s one of my skills.¡± He motioned toward the front of the ship. ¡°I don¡¯t know how to do it with glass yet, hence the window.¡±

    ¡°So it''s fixable, if you can get a crystal.¡±

    ¡°Easily.¡± He let out a shallow breath. ¡°I¡¯ve packed rations, the kind from the colony ship, and water jugs in the crystal. Plus some bandages, and a bottle of good booze. The compound will recognize it.¡± He pulled a cloak out of nowhere. ¡°Here¡¯s my cloak, it will help hide you.¡± It was covered in a camouflage pattern that matched the jungle. ¡°And you can borrow my inventory crystal. The pack will fit inside it.¡± John reached over his head and took the necklace off. It had been under his shirt. ¡°I know you¡¯ve got your crystal knife, which will help, too.¡±

    I took the inventory crystal that hung on the leather thread and tucked it under my shirt.

    ¡°Just think about placing the pack into the crystal,¡± John explained.

    The heavy pack vanished as soon as I picked it up from the floor.

    ¡°How will I know where to go?¡±

    ¡°The compound is north of here. You can just walk toward the mountain peak and the tall tree. You can¡¯t miss that tree once you see it. The compound is in between us and that mountain. Given where I aimed us, it should be maybe a day, but I don¡¯t know if you¡¯ll make it before nightfall.¡± Again he frowned, then shook his head and tried to smile.

    ¡°Alright, at dusk I¡¯ll climb a tree. Same if I get turned around, to make sure I¡¯m on the right track.¡± I motioned to the cargo crate. ¡°Do we have any trail markers, so I can find my way back?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good idea. It will slow you down on the way, but speed things up on the way back.¡± John dug some more in the crate but stopped. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I have anything good for you to use.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll use my knife to carve into some trees then¡­¡± It was all I could come up with. ¡°Plus stacking rocks. We all were taught to do that.¡±

    ¡°When you travel closer, you should be able to see the crystal fence. Especially if it''s dark.¡±

    I nodded.

    John¡¯s face was covered with sweat, and he looked pale.

    ¡°How about you sit down and rest for a little bit? Maybe eat some food and drink some water. It will help.¡± I helped him back to the front of the ship, over to the two chairs where Greg had been sitting for the flight.

    ¡°I already emptied my tools from the inventory crystal, but you better give that back. Dad got you the knife.¡± One perk of being able to attune to crystals was all of us siblings had our own thing. John and Benny got the Inventory Crystals, while I got a knife, as did dad.

    ¡°I will, don¡¯t worry¡­¡± I said, watching him sip some water. ¡°So, one day out, maybe a little more, and one day back. So, two nights, then I should be here with a crystal.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll give you three nights before I worry.¡±

    ¡°You know Dad¡¯s going to be searching for us,¡± I said with a smirk, imagining him searching through the jungle, calling our names.

    John shook his head. ¡°He won¡¯t know we¡¯re missing for at least a week.¡±

    I paused. ¡°I thought the compound could send messages through morse code.¡±

    ¡°Yes, they can, at night. If it''s super clear and they climb the tall tree I mentioned. But, they only do it once a week. There¡¯s a time slot and everything. The settlement doesn¡¯t have anyone up on the mountain the other nights.¡± He nodded to himself. ¡°You¡¯ll be able to see the tree no matter what if you climb high enough. It''s to the east of the compound, but it¡¯s just outside of the fence.¡± John capped the water. ¡°You need to get going.¡±

    ¡°Do you have enough supplies?¡±

    ¡°I have enough food and water to last a week. I gave you enough for four days.¡± His voice trailed off. ¡°Out of all of us, you are the one best suited for this. You can fight with your spear. You''re great at hide and seek, plus you¡¯ve wanted to level for ages.¡± John''s voice was filled with false encouragement.

    ¡°I know, I¡¯m just worried about you,¡± I lied. I was worried about him, but I also worried about how long it was going to take me to hike to the compound. I could smell something faintly around him, but I didn¡¯t know what it meant. A wrongness, something maybe acidic. It made the hair raise on the back of my neck.

    ¡°How about we check out your wounds quickly? Make sure that everything looks okay, then I''ll head out and give you space to work on your repairs on the ship.¡±

    John nodded, and I moved in front of him to check out the large cut on his side. It was doing fine and wasn¡¯t warm to the touch. Most of the smaller cuts were closed and healing already, which was another good sign.

    I moved toward his leg, but he held up a hand. ¡°Something is itching on my shoulder.¡± He stood up and turned around. He must have landed on some glass when he fell to the ground. I had missed a cut just under his shoulder blade. It had scabbed over, but was warm to the touch. I relayed the information to him and he took his shirt off.

    ¡°I bet it isn¡¯t clean,¡± said John.

    An infection could kill him, though he was at a higher level than I was. I poked at it and he winced. It was really warm. Usually that meant it was infected. That had to be the weird smell.

    ¡°No way it isn¡¯t infected.¡± I grabbed the med kit and pulled out the spray. There wasn¡¯t much left. ¡°I gotta open it back up, right?¡±

    ¡°Yep, I¡¯m gonna lean against the wall.¡± John moved closer to the wall for support.

    I pulled out my knife and got to work. Blood dripped down his back as I removed the scab and then sprayed the disinfectant on it. He whimpered as I pressed a bandage to the wound. It wasn¡¯t large, maybe two inches. The gash stopped bleeding, and I used a new bandage to cover it up. ¡°That¡¯s all I got, unless you want me to use my knife.¡±

    ¡°It might be best,¡± he muttered. ¡°I don¡¯t think I''ll be able to reach around to change that bandage.¡±

    Before I could think too hard about it I removed the bandage and I made the tip of my knife glow. I carefully pressed it to the edges, ignoring the sizzling.

    John groaned.

    Then it was done.

    I wiped up his back, cleaning the blood away before adding the dirty bandages to the rest in the bag. Once everything was cleaned up, all I could smell was the copper scent of blood.

    My mouth watered.

 Chapter 14: Chomp Chomp Chomp

    What the fuck?

    I did not want to lick blood, except that I did.

    The thought was enough to drive the brief hunger away, and I fought the urge to say something. Instead, I helped him put his shirt back on and stepped back as he sat down.

    ¡°You okay?¡±

    ¡°I will be. It already feels better.¡± He nodded to himself. ¡°Like, a lot better.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s a good sign, maybe your healing is kicking in.¡± An increase in constitution let people heal faster, and given his level, it had to help.

    ¡°You need to get moving. It¡¯s already heading toward midday.¡± He motioned toward the front window. The sunlight wasn¡¯t the soft morning glow anymore. I had noticed the sun was higher when I was outside, but I hadn¡¯t said anything because I¡¯d been worried about leaving him alone and injured.

    I patted him on the opposite shoulder, and he nodded. ¡°Alright, I¡¯ll see you in three days. The ship should be ready to go,¡± I said.

    ¡°It will.¡±

    I moved toward the cargo box after grabbing the cloak and climbed up on it before cracking open the hatch. I couldn¡¯t hear or see anything around the ship and opened it the rest of the way. The fresh air felt good as I climbed out of the shuttle. I slowly closed the hatch and then twisted the handle shut, hoping I wasn¡¯t burying my brother inside.

    The cloak swung around my shoulders even with the sun beating down on me. It would make it harder to see me within the ferns. I climbed off the shuttle and pulled my knife out, before heading north. Still, nothing moved that I could see within the underbush.

    The wind blew directly at me, which was a stroke of luck. I could smell something on the breeze, but I didn¡¯t know what it meant. When I focused on my hearing, the wind in the leaves and some birds in the distance were all I could make out.

    Once at the first tree still within sight of the shuttle, I made the tip of my knife glow. I quickly carved a ring around the tree in the bark just above my height. It was higher than the surrounding ferns. Anyone observant wouldn¡¯t be able to miss it, but the local wildlife wasn¡¯t smart enough to know what it meant. Or, we didn¡¯t think they were. Then, I turned to face the jungle again. Once I stepped into the undergrowth, I¡¯d lose sight of the shuttle.

    Taking a deep breath, I stepped next to the ferns and away. Trees towered above me with dense foliage blocking direct sunlight, while vines hung down from the tall branches. White flowers covered one of the vines and they gave off a crisp smell. Ferns and other plants with dark green leaves covered the forest floor, making my footsteps almost silent. The soft sound of birds and insects in the far distance filled the air. It was like a different world, with my enhanced senses.

    I focused on using my stealth skill, praying I could figure out how to activate it. My body shifted positions, and I walked softer on the carpet of growth below me. Automatically, I didn¡¯t step on twigs or crisp leaves, few though they were. This was nice, walking almost silently.

    I kept to the shadows while not rustling any ferns as I passed by. I kept turning back to see if I could spot the carved ring in the tree. When I figured I was far enough away, I moved to another tree and followed the same process.

    This was slow moving.

    The wind kept blowing in my direction, and that smell was still there. Just on the edges. The thing that smelled so good. It made me want to go check it out, but I was pretty sure I was already on track to run across it, whatever it was. Everything else went quiet the farther away from the shuttle I got. The jungle was usually so noisy, between the birds and other small creatures, plus the sounds of things moving within the trees. Yet, today the jungle was hushed.

    John had been right, things were all messed up out here because of the meteor shower.

    I kept going, then paused as something groaned. It was very low, and I would have missed it if I hadn¡¯t been focused on listening to what was around me.

    Before I could really think about it, I moved forward after branding another tree. The smell and sound were connected.

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    Shattered trees, cracked stone and the shredded canopy greeted me as I made my way around a larger than normal tree. Full sunlight streamed down from above. The meteor shower had hit this area hard. Large divots covered the ground, and I had to slow down to crawl around broken trees.

    The groan came again, and I moved closer with my knife out. Peeking around a fallen tree trunk, I spotted it.

    Something large was on the ground, a tree pinning it in place, and this time when the wind blew in my direction I could smell it. Fresh blood.

    My stomach growled almost silently, and I plotted. The large shape and tail indicated it was another Para, the same creature as we¡¯d caught in the hunt. This one was bigger, but it was already pinned to the ground, bleeding. A pool of blood showed it had been here some time.

    I could do this.

    Before I could think much more, I extended my knife, turning it into a spear, and crept closer. The tree trunk blocked the great beast¡¯s head and fin from view, but its long tail moved back and forth. I kept out of its reach, creeping.

    The closer I got, the better I could see that the leg under it was completely crushed, while the other pawed the ground. Another groan came from the creature, but it was weaker than before.

    Once I was close enough to stab it, I did, slicing into the side of the creature with my glowing crystal. A burning smell filled the air, and I stabbed it again, this time harder. It groaned louder, but not by much. I needed to hit something important to put it out of its misery.

    I climbed around the fallen tree, keeping near the top of the creature. Its head pointed away from me, so it didn¡¯t see me coming. This time, I stabbed it behind its skull, the crystal tip sinking in several inches. Finally, it stopped making noise and the thrashing tail stilled.

    [You have gained bonus experience for killing a Parasaurolophus above your level.]

    I paused at the notification, smiling. My first kill since I¡¯d received my class.

    My mouth watered as I moved back around the creature toward its back legs. They were the best for eating. I shortened my spear back into a long knife and cut into the entire leg. I couldn¡¯t lift it free and had to shear off a smaller piece.

    I sniffed the chunk of raw meat in my hand. My mouth opened almost without my thinking about it, then I chomped down on the meat. The most delicious taste exploded over my tongue, and I closed my eyes in pleasure.

    It took too long for my brain to catch up to what I was doing. By that point, blood and flecks of raw meat covered my hands and probably my face. I stopped and stared at the hunk of what was left of the dino meat in my right hand. My knife was on the ground beside my foot. All I could smell was the tangy scent of blood and food. It smelled so good I automatically started moving my mouth to chomp on the meat again.

    I forced myself to not move and closed my eyes, listening and thinking. Here I was next to a dead dino with blood all over. My knife was on the ground, yet I was gorging myself on raw meat. This was a dumb way to die.

    [You have devoured a Parasaurolophus. You have gained some understanding of camouflage.]

    I paused and opened my stat sheet to see if anything had changed. Stealth now had a little asterisk next to it, but nothing else had updated. The wording was even the same. Maybe once something happened from my class, I¡¯d figure out what I could do instead of having to guess. Yet, that led my thoughts back to eating more of the meat. I wanted to, badly.

    Closing my sheet I focused on trying to hear anything else around me. The birds were back, making noise, but that was it. My eyes snapped open, and I went to grab my knife, but stopped. My hands were a mess. I tossed the meat into the bushes and tried to wipe my hands off on some leaves, but it didn¡¯t work well.

    Taking a deep breath only filled me with the urge to chomp down some more of the meat, as the tangy scent of blood filled my head. I forced myself to focus and keep rubbing my hands on the leaves, doing my best to ignore the urge. Once my hands were as clean as I could get them using the leaves, I picked up my knife to cut off another piece of meat. This I put directly into the inventory crystal, resisting the urge to take a bite and be right back where I¡¯d started. I added a second hunk, then a third, resisting a little more easily each time. All three were massive, but with my increased strength I could pick them up one-handed, and they weighed nothing once in the crystal, of course.

    That had to be enough, as I forced myself to turn away from the carcass. Each step took more willpower than I thought I had, but somehow I managed it. I kept my brother in the forefront of my mind. ¡°He is counting on me. I have to get the crystal,¡± I whispered to myself, picturing him back in the shuttle all alone.

    My grip on the knife tightened multiple times as I fought to not turn back. I reached a tree on the other side of the small clearing and made myself carve a ring around it, before heading in what I hoped was the correct direction. Using just the sun, I was pretty sure I was on track, but I didn¡¯t want to take a break and climb a tree yet. Not yet. I had to put more distance between me and the dead dino.

    I also needed to find something to get cleaned up with, something better than leaves. All that went through my mind was that I had to be leaving a scent trail a mile wide behind me.

    The wind blew in my face and I paused, trying to work out what I could smell. I pushed away a fern and saw two more dead Paras. Not much was left of these. Instead of a tree taking them out, they looked shredded. Four giant craters had decimated the area, creating an even larger open space where the sun beat down.

    ¡°Where are the predators?¡± I whispered.

 Chapter 15: Dinosaur Buffet

    This many dead dinos should bring in anything that ate meat and was looking for an easy meal. Predators, maybe, but I had to admit even more curious was the lack of scavengers. If nothing else had claimed these carcasses, the place should be swarming with Compys. Coming back this way in a day or so was going to be dangerous, once things calmed down after the meteor shower. It still felt like it should be more dangerous right now. Keeping my eyes and ears peeled, I made my way around the broken area, careful to not step on any of the carnage splattered all over the place. Thankfully, my stomach wasn¡¯t growling, and the idea of eating bites of meat off the dirt didn¡¯t feel good.

    On the other side of the mess, I carved another circle in a tree. Then I only went twenty feet to the next tree before carving another one. This one was slightly different. I included another circle above it, to indicate the craters were near. I needed to remember the carnage as well, and be on guard for scavengers.

    The lush jungle quickly took over, and I tried to focus on listening for the sound of running water. Yet, all I could hear was the wind, birds, and a thud.

    I froze, focusing on blending in with the fern I was standing next to. Ever so slowly, I inched closer, lowering myself to hide within its leaves.

    The sound of something heaving moving within the undergrowth came again. The hood on my cloak was down, but I shifted my shoulders forward so more of it would cover my gray clothing. The rustling came again, and my grip on the knife tightened before relaxing. I slowly let a breath out, doing my best to ground myself. I could do this.

    Something pointed moved above the ferns in front of me. A baby dino, with tall broad spikes running along its back and a long tail, pushed through the ferns. It was barely as tall as me, plodding through the bushes and not even noticing me as it passed. Only once did it pause and let out a loud hum. It waited for a response, but no sound came and it walked on. I tried a skill I hadn¡¯t used yet: Insight.

    [Stegosaurus, level 1]

    For a moment, I thought about jumping it, but then I let it go. It was a baby with a very low level. I had meat, and I was on a mission. This wasn¡¯t just a day in the jungle. Once the young dino was far enough away, I continued. I needed to make more progress before I climbed a tree. The sounds of birds increased as I moved forward, keeping close to the large ferns and trying to not wipe blood everywhere. After another bit of not hearing any water, I pulled out the canteen from my inventory, along with the pack. I wetted a bandage using a dribble from the canteen and then used it to clean up. Once my face and hands were clean, I stuffed everything back in the bag, except for the water.

    That I sipped slowly.

    For once I wasn¡¯t thirsty, or hungry. Then it hit me. For the first time since we¡¯d crashed, I wasn¡¯t hungry. Nothing. Nada. No urge to eat at all. Completely satiated.

    All I had to do was stuff myself with raw meat. My Iron Stomach was handling it. Still, I was feeling good, even great. After a few moments, I put the canteen away and pulled the cloak closer around me. Then off I went, creeping through the jungle and trying to keep my eyes and ears open for anything different.

    It was hard being on alert so much. I¡¯d find myself admiring a tree or the shade of green on a fern. Then I¡¯d focus on listening and watching what was around me for a few moments. This was the first time I¡¯d been completely alone in the jungle, and it felt so freeing. Everything still felt too quiet, and I¡¯d get distracted again for a few seconds. Slowly, I adjusted to my enhanced senses, which made it easier to pay attention. I carved my next tree to make sure I could find my way back. The distance might¡¯ve been a little large between these two, but I had to assume it would be fine. I couldn¡¯t afford the time to go back and fill the gap.

    Finally, I gave up on walking just using the sun for direction and started searching for a good tree to climb. I had to make sure I hadn¡¯t wandered too far off track.

    I spotted a good climbing tree with vines running down it and several places I could place my feet. Finding each handhold and pulling myself up using branches was easier than expected. The increase in strength and flexibility was easy to process as I moved upward. Each additional foot in height changed the sounds I heard in the jungle, and it didn¡¯t take too long before I was high enough to peek through the canopy. The massive leaves were big enough to hide under, or use as an umbrella.

    ¡°Don¡¯t look down,¡± I whispered. While I didn¡¯t mind heights, this was higher than I had ever climbed before. I parted a few leaves and peeked out, searching for the tall tree I had aimed the shuttle at.

    I didn¡¯t immediately see it, and my heart rate increased. Turning more to the west, still nothing. The mountains in the distance were easy to spot as they framed the horizon, but they all kind of looked the same from here. Once I turned to the east, though, I saw it and frowned.

    I was badly off track and needed to head more in that direction. The tree was to the east of the compound. Though, now that I was up here I wished I had checked sooner, since then I could guess how much more hiking I still had to do. It was after midday, judging by the sun, but it couldn¡¯t be long after midday. Looking back in the direction of where I had come, I couldn¡¯t spot the crash site. Too many tall trees were between me and it, and the jungle was dense. No wonder my brother had been having a hard time finding any other crashed dropships.

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    One of the trees moved.

    I froze as another moved, right next to the first. It was big, whatever it was, though it was some distance away. All I could do was track its progress, heading toward the west by the movement in the leaves.

    Fear washed over me, and I took deep breaths to calm my heartbeat. Right now, whatever it might be was out of my league. A buzzing around my ears caused me to flinch and swing my head about. The buzzing stopped, but I didn¡¯t hit whatever it was. As long as you kept moving, you could outpace most of the bugs. Unless they were big bugs, and we didn¡¯t talk about those. The little ones, well, they weren¡¯t much more than a nuisance, unlike the thing moving through the trees.

    In the distance, a flock of birds was descending into the jungle. It had to be close to where those dead dinos were. It was the circle of life moving on in the jungle. Yet, that big thing hadn¡¯t been close to the dead dinos. I was pretty sure it had been closer to where the shuttle had gone down, but I couldn¡¯t be positive. I really didn¡¯t know where I was, but I did know where I had to go, and it was time I got back on the move. I started to climb down the tree trunk. Once back under the canopy, I took a moment to glance around the lower portion of the jungle, since I could see farther in the distance. I paid the most attention to the direction I needed to go.

    My thoughts wandered a little as I climbed down, and I missed my footing. I grabbed onto the nearest branch, just stopping myself from falling. Heart pounding, I pulled myself back up onto the thick branch and sat there, leaning against the trunk for a few moments.

    Several deep breaths later I was back on my way, slowly climbing down, testing each of my footholds before moving on. Once back on the ground, I took off heading in the correct direction, or as close to it as I could manage. I needed to cover more ground before dark, and put more space between me and the enormous creature.

    My mind still drifted as I walked through the ferns and around the trees, but I managed to keep better track of what time it was by how the sun moved across the sky. It peeked out between the long leaves of the trees overhead, casting little motes of light in the shadowed jungle. After carving a third ring in a tree after my climb, I heard something.

    It was constantly in the background, and toward the east. I crept in that direction and finally figured out what the noise was underneath all the other sounds of the jungles. Flowing water. The sound slowly increased as I went that way, this time keeping my wits about me.

    Then I saw the first bone.

    The cracked yellowed shards littered the ground, and I stopped before stepping away from the sight. If it was only one, then I should be fine.

    It wasn¡¯t the only one.

    The hair rose on the back of my neck, and I crept backward away from the sight. The sound of the flowing water decreased as I backtracked away from the area.

    Predators. No idea what kind, but they usually stuck closer to water sources. I had enough water in my inventory crystal, so I didn¡¯t need to gather any. Thankfully, my curiosity hadn¡¯t won out.

    However, I wasn¡¯t sure of the correct direction anymore. The sound of the water had to stay soft and to my right, but everything looked the same after a while. The cloak was hot, and I didn¡¯t dare pull up the hood, it muffled my hearing too much.

    The afternoon heat slowed me down, and I tried to spot another tree to climb. It took longer than I would have liked to find something I knew I could climb, but once I did, I scurried up. This one wasn¡¯t as tall as the last, and the tallest branch was thinner than I normally would use. I forced myself to climb high enough to see through the leaves, even though it felt like I might break the branch I had to stand on to do it.

    Lesson learned, I needed to be better about marking my path if I detoured out of the way. The tall tree I was aiming for was closer, though I was even farther west than before. The most shocking part was how close the sun was to the mountains in the west. I hadn¡¯t noticed the decrease in light down below. Up here, I could tell I maybe had another hour of daylight before it¡¯d get too dark down below to be safe.

    I needed to mark another tree and then find somewhere safe to hole up during the night. The sun inched closer to the mountains and tension built across my shoulders. I climbed back below the canopy, but just by a few branches as I tried to spot a good tree for sleeping in from up here. These branches were too small to sleep in overnight. I had to find something better, and quick. The real monsters came out at night, and they had the eyesight to compensate.

    I hurried down to the ground and headed north, searching each tree, looking for a thick enough branch high enough up to be above any monster. I could feel each minute pass as I kept going. My foot sank into the ground and I paused my search. The ferns had hidden a mudhole.

    The sound of water was still super soft to the right, but this was another, different, source of water. The tension across my shoulders increased again as my eyes searched the underbrush. Hopefully, the increase in water would mean better trees.

    Yanking my foot out was work, but I extended my spear, and that helped. From then on I had to use the butt of it to test the ground, slowly working my way around the edges of the mudhole. Detouring around it took time, though I tried to keep my eyes out for a tree as well. I didn¡¯t need to travel around it if I found the tree I needed. The mudhole was giant, and I took time to carve two rings into trees around the edge before I could put it behind me. I didn¡¯t find a good sleeping tree, though.

    The setting sun made it harder to see in the underbrush. The buzzing sound returned, and I swatted at the bugs I couldn¡¯t see. I turned my head toward the sound, trying to catch the fucker. Nothing.

    Yet, as I started to turn back, I saw what I¡¯d been looking for. I¡¯d found my tree!

    It had thick branches jutting out near the canopy, but not too high up. I quickly headed in that direction, almost launching myself at the first branch. Each time I moved up, my shoulders relaxed. It got harder to see faster than I would have liked, and I knew the sun must be falling behind the mountain range as I climbed. Eventually, I made it to a wide crook where two large branches met the trunk, and I took a breather. This would have to do.

    Now, I just had to make sure I wouldn¡¯t fall out while sleeping. It wasn¡¯t like I¡¯d be able to deep sleep out here, but I wouldn¡¯t be awake enough to keep my balance on an unsteady branch. It didn¡¯t take long for the birds to go quiet and the sounds of bugs to take over as twilight deepened into night. That¡¯s when I heard the bushes rustle in the distance. Not close enough to see, but I could hear something large moving about.

    The low hum of a dino filtered through the air, and I shook my head. That poor baby was going to be done in. You had to be quiet and hide at night; even I knew that.

    It didn¡¯t take long for more bushes to shake in the distance. Then lots of loud footsteps sounded. I froze, barely breathing.

 Chapter 16: You got a bug in me

    The baby dino took off away from where I was hiding high above, and something chased it. I hoped it could run for a long distance. The more space between a kill site and me, the better. The circle of life continued.

    My heart pounded until I couldn¡¯t hear the thud of the chase, then I got back to my own survival. Again, I thought to myself that I needed to find a way to make sure I didn¡¯t fall out of the tree while sleeping. My stomach growled ever so lightly and I wanted to groan. The full feeling was gone, but I hadn¡¯t noticed it had vanished. Otherwise, I would have gotten a quick bite in before climbing this tree for the night.

    The scent of the meat might linger, and I didn¡¯t want it around my safe zone. I still had the rations, and they didn¡¯t smell like much of anything. Before I could talk myself into eating meat, I took my pack out and searched inside it. The dirty bandages were on top. I had forgotten about those, and I quickly tossed them into my inventory. The ration bars were sealed, and I grabbed one. In the pack''s bottom, I found some rope. That would work to solve the non-hunger problem.

    Everything but the rope and ration bar went back into the inventory stone. The rope I tied lightly around my waist and the thick tree branch above me.

    Then, I cracked open the ration bar. The first bite was like eating cardboard, but I forced it down. The second was worse, which was strange. Normally, I didn¡¯t mind the ration bars. I checked the flavor, and it was peanut butter. Not my favorite, but in my top ten. I only made it halfway through the bar before tossing it into my inventory and yanking out the canteen to get rid of the taste.

    Did this have something to do with my class? Eat and grow were the tenets, but did I have to kill everything I ate from here on out? I realized I also hadn¡¯t wanted the meat that had been dead for a while, back near the craters. I guessed that meant I wasn¡¯t a scavenger, but more of a predator. But, what did that mean?

    My stomach didn¡¯t growl, but I felt unsatisfied. Still, the hunger was reduced enough that it wouldn¡¯t keep me up, and that was all that mattered for now. I just needed to make it to the morning and find the tall tree, and the compound. In the far distance, a cry echoed out, then cut off. It was done, and it sounded like it was far away; both were good news. Something had eaten, and the kill site wasn¡¯t nearby. That¡¯s all I could hope for out here.

    The buzzing showed up again, and I rolled my eyes. It was too much to ask that the bugs leave me alone. I swatted again, trying to take this one out, and it didn¡¯t work.

    ¡°That¡¯s just rude, you know.¡±

    I froze with my hand in the air. My eyes went wide as I tried to figure out who was talking.

    ¡°I¡¯m just checking you out. You smell familiar.¡±

    I swallowed hard. ¡°Familiar?¡± I whispered, still not being able to see who was talking.

    ¡°Like me. A devourer.¡±

    If I hadn¡¯t been sitting on the tree branch roped in, I might have fallen. My hand lowered as I tried to figure out who or what was talking. The buzzing moved, but it was too dark to see what it was. Something touched my hand, then was gone.

    ¡°You are a devourer. Different from me, but still.¡±

    ¡°Are you a bug?¡± I asked, keeping my voice as low as I could.

    ¡°Occasionally.¡± It finally answered.

    I was talking to a bug, and it was a devourer like me. The meat must finally be getting to me. This was how I went out. A fever in a tree in the jungle. My brother would die in the crashed shuttle and the colony would fail. But at least I¡¯d have imaginary company.

    ¡°You think too loud,¡± said the bug. The buzzing moved closer to my face, but I still couldn¡¯t see it. ¡°A strange one you are, here of all places. Though it¡¯s pretty safe to grow here¡­¡±

    I didn¡¯t know what to say, or what to make of its commentary, which continued but changed into a humming sound that I couldn¡¯t make out. Finally, it moved close enough I could hear words again.

    ¡°It¡¯s a protected area¡­ Hmmm. You must be smart. I¡¯ve decided.¡±

    ¡°Decided what?¡± I might as well humor my hallucination.

    ¡°That I will help you. I am a Great Blood Devourer after all.¡±

    It clicked. ¡°Are you a mosquito?¡± I was talking to a mosquito. I really was losing it, and only after being in the jungle for one day.

    ¡°Right now, yes.¡± The buzzing stopped.

    ¡°What should I call you?¡±

    ¡°Noseen.¡±

    I resisted the urge to laugh, and closed my mouth, nodding. Once I was under control again, I spoke. ¡°I¡¯m Alex.¡±

    ¡°You ate that meat, while all out of control. So you have a different path than I did, but you¡¯re still similar.¡±

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    I blinked in the darkness, wondering how it knew I had eaten the dino meat, and what did they mean out of control? Though, they weren¡¯t wrong. I had lost control of myself while eating. I went to open my mouth to ask about control when they cut me off.

    ¡°You need to rest, I will watch. Sleep.¡±

    The command washed over me, and I found my eyelids drooping. Before I could comment, I was out cold.

    ***

    I studied the creature in front of me. It was a human, of all things, so very squishy. Usually, they were pretty tasty, too. The branch I was on gave me a good viewpoint. In this form, it was much bigger than me, but the limitations of being in this place made this the best shape for me to take. They called themselves Alex, and it was clear they were young. Not to mention weak. I hadn¡¯t known humans could be under level 10, unless they were children. Yet, though young, they clearly weren¡¯t a child.

    Again, I opened my quest screen, trying to connect the dots. This had to be why I was here.

    [Quest: Visit the Sanctuary on Mondas. Take a Vacation.]

    I had been minding my own business when I¡¯d scented the human in front of me. It¡¯d taken me longer than I would have liked to track it in the jungle, but that was a weakness of this form. I could only move so fast.

    Something crawled along a branch toward the sleeping human.

    Alex, I reminded myself. It was Alex.

    My stomach grumbled for the first time in a century. Time to drink!

    ***

    Something touched my hand, and I snapped awake. The rope kept me on my branch as I glanced around wildly. A weird dream about a talking mosquito stayed in the back of my head. I couldn¡¯t figure out what had touched me, but I yanked my knife out when I spotted the bug. It was giant, covered in what looked like armored segments, and about the size of my arm. It didn¡¯t move from the end of the branch, it just sat there.

    I waved my hand, and it didn¡¯t move. Then I poked it with my knife. It crumbled into dust, floating away on the little breeze that was blowing this high up.

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± I whispered to myself as I quickly untied the rope, sticking it into my inventory. After a glance around, not seeing any danger, I climbed to the ground, wanting to get as far away from the dust bug as possible. My stomach growled as soon as my boots touched dirt, and I reluctantly grabbed a hunk of the meat. It wasn¡¯t dripping blood anymore, but it still smelled okay. Not as fresh as yesterday, or warm from the carcass, but still good. I used my knife to slice bite-sized parts off and tossed the rest back into the inventory before I could make a mess.

    Then, carefully, I ate a small piece. The flavor exploded over my tongue as I started walking through the jungle. I paced myself, demanding that I chew each bite completely before swallowing. Then I counted to five before moving on to the next bite. Everything inside me screamed to eat more, but I would not give in. I couldn¡¯t afford to lose myself again.

    Heck, my dream bug even warned me I had been out of control. By the time eight pieces were gone, my stomach felt satiated.

    [You have gained a stat point in Willpower.]

    [You have devoured a parasaurolophus. You have gained some understanding of camouflage.]

    The notification flashed by without warning, and I stopped walking, quickly opening my stat sheet. The additional point in Willpower was there, along with another asterisk next to Stealth.

    So, eating things changed my skills, though I bet the Willpower stat was from forcing myself to eat slowly and not make a mess.

    The 24 free stat points stood out, but I still wasn¡¯t sure what to use them on. It felt like a large number, but I had so many stats to increase. I could just increase everything by 3 and be done with it, but that felt like a waste. After all, the jack of all trades was the master of none, and I didn¡¯t want to end up in that trap.

    I closed the screen, doing nothing for the moment. Right now, I was still getting used to my new stats. It had only been a day. Tonight, before I slept, I resolved that I would figure out how to allocate some points. I sipped on the water after refilling the canteen from one of the bigger water jugs stashed in the inventory.

    The jungle felt different today, louder and more active. I moved slower, trying to find a tree to climb to make sure I was still on track. More creatures moved through the trees, both big and small, but either nothing spotted me, or nothing found me interesting.

    I found a decent tree and up I went, making it to the top much more easily than before.

    [Skill Unlocked: Tree Climber. Climbing a tree is like walking. Instinct.]

    The notification almost spooked me, but I hesitated only a moment before climbing a little higher to see where I was going. I swore once I spotted the tall tree I was looking for. While I had headed north this morning, I had gone way too far to the west. I¡¯d need to backtrack to my last tree mark and go north from there.

    By the time I got back to the ground, I had pushed away the feeling of defeat. It wasn¡¯t a long walk back to the last tree ring, and from there I just needed to travel north. Hopefully, I could find another tree to climb before I made the next mark, just to confirm I was on track.

    This time I spotted a tree with ease. I was up it and confirming I was correct and down it carving a ring before I could think about it. Honestly, the skill helped more than I could possibly have expected.

    Being back on track caused a smile to come over my face. I shouldn¡¯t have far to go, maybe an hour before I came across the tree or the compound. My thoughts wandered to John, and I hoped he was okay. Or at least, doing better than the last time I¡¯d seen him.

    ¡°You are rude, leaving me like that,¡± whispered a voice.

    I spun about, trying to spot whoever was talking. A soft buzzing filled the air. ¡°Noseen?¡±

    ¡°Who else would be in this jungle?¡±

    It was daylight; I was out and about and walking. I wasn¡¯t even hungry. This wasn¡¯t a dream.

    Still, it could be a fever from eating the meat.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t mean to leave you¡­¡± I tried to explain, but to be honest, I still wasn¡¯t sure if they were real. Or even how to see the blood devourer.

    ¡°Hmph. Well, I over-ate a bit with that armored bug. It was just so tasty.¡±

    The image of the giant bug that had turned to dust when I touched it with my knife flashed through my mind. That hadn¡¯t been fake. Weird as heck, sure, but not a delusion. It was before I¡¯d eaten my breakfast, too.

    My jaw dropped as my mind raced. ¡°You ate that bug? It turned to dust¡­¡±

    The voice sounded a little ashamed. ¡°I over-ate a little. It happens.¡±

 Chapter 17: You Over-ate?

    ¡°You over-ate?¡± If they were the size of a mosquito, how the heck did they drink that much blood? Goosebumps raced along my arms despite the muggy heat. I felt a little wobbly, but forced myself to straighten my spine.

    ¡°Let it be a lesson to you, don¡¯t over-eat, or lose control.¡±

    I realized we were just standing in the middle of the jungle and not making any progress toward the compound. ¡°Or I fall asleep?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You can become incapacitated. It¡¯s a hassle for me, but at your level, it can be deadly.¡±

    I nodded, but started walking again. The buzzing sound was close to my right ear, then it stopped near my shoulder. It took a great amount of willpower to not swing my hand at the sound. I¡¯d always swatted at mosquitoes, and now I had one talking to me.

    ¡°So, what wisdom can you give me, oh Great Blood Devourer?¡±

    ¡°Not much, I¡¯m on vacation. An expensive one, in fact, and I don¡¯t want to get booted before my time is up.¡±

    This time I stopped walking, and my head tilted. Words tumbled out of my mouth. ¡°Vacation? This is a vacation?¡± I was so confused I couldn¡¯t even walk for a moment. We were in a jungle filled with carnivorous predators and my people were fighting to survive, but this was a vacation? What was going on?

    Three leaves moved on my left and I went on red alert. My knife was in my hand, then I extended it to a spear. Something else moved on my right side and I crouched down. Whatever it was, it was small, and there was more than one. It chirped, and my eyes narrowed. I knew that sound.

    Two small Compys launched themselves at me from the right. I slashed with my spear, the tip glowing. I hit one and the other dodged, but I ignored it as I twisted to face the one that had launched itself at me from the other side.

    I missed that one, too, but now I could see how many I was facing. One limped off, my strike having wounded its leg, leaving three. I didn¡¯t know where the last one came from, but if this was all of the pack, I might be okay. The smallest one darted at me and I lunged at it. This had to have been unexpected, since the other two fled while I chopped into the unfortunate creature.

    [You have gained experience from the Compy.]

    [You have leveled up.]

    The dead creature looked like a featherless chicken covered in dark green scales, with a long neck. It must have been young. That left two uninjured, and one I¡¯d nicked. I¡¯d have to keep an eye out.

    I turned away from the carcass.

    ¡°You''re not going to eat it?¡± asked Noseen.

    I hesitated. ¡°Eat it?¡±

    ¡°Devour it? Grow?¡± They paused. ¡°Maybe you aren¡¯t so smart after all.¡±

    I turned back to the Compy and picked up the body. The head was somewhere in the bushes. I put it into my inventory. ¡°Not right now, maybe later.¡± My stomach growled a little on cue. ¡°You¡¯re kidding me¡­¡±

    ¡°The sooner you eat it after a kill, the more you gain.¡±

    I let out a sigh and pulled out the Compy. I used my knife, without the heated tip, to cut off a leg. Then I sat down to skin it, while trying to keep an eye out for any more. The meat didn¡¯t smell as good as the Para had, but I took a small bite. A very different flavor washed over my mouth, and it didn¡¯t take long for the leg to be picked clean. I then did the same to the other one. The center mass was mostly organs, and while I bet I could eat it, I didn¡¯t want to.

    ¡°So you consume the meat.¡± Noseen paused. ¡°You should eat the heart.¡±

    My mouth opened to resist, but I stopped myself, and then cut into the chest. I cut the heart out, keeping the mess away from my clothing. It was small and only took one bite.

    It reminded me of candy.

    Sweet, somehow, and warm.

    I wanted, no, needed more.

    [You have devoured a Compy. You have gained major insight into Venomous Bite.]

    The notification snatched the thought of more Compy hearts from my mind, leaving only a distant desire. It was the tastiest thing I¡¯d eaten on the planet, and I would definitely eat more if I could, but it wasn¡¯t a nearly mindless craving anymore. I¡¯d definitely have to watch myself, it was easier than I could have imagined to lose myself when eating.

    ¡°So, what did you get?¡± asked Noseen.

    ¡°Major Insight into Venomous Bite¡­¡± I opened my stat sheet to see if anything had changed. Under skills, Venomous Bite was listed, but grayed out. ¡°But I don¡¯t think I have the skill yet. I also leveled.¡±

    ¡°Growth is good.¡±

    My gaze landed on what was left of the creature, and I pulled out my canteen to wash my hands. Then I took several long drinks. ¡°Let¡¯s get out of here.¡± I stepped away from the area and I didn¡¯t get far before I heard chirps behind me. ¡°Eat or be eaten¡­¡± I whispered to myself.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°Nothing goes to waste in this place.¡±

    This time as I moved through the bushes I kept my senses open, trying to spot trouble before it spotted me. I also moved slower, trying to keep my stealth in place as I traveled through the undergrowth.

    I wanted to ask more questions of Noseen, but last time it had distracted me, and I still didn¡¯t know how to respond to the vacation statement. That had to mean Noseen wasn¡¯t from here. If not here, then where? Also, how could a bug talk? My next question had to be an important one, something that I needed to know right now, while traveling through this jungle.

    I spotted a good climbing tree and headed up it. Once above the canopy, I discovered I was still on track, yet I didn¡¯t move right away. ¡°Noseen, how should I use my free stat points?¡±

    ¡°However you want, though you want to focus on your class.¡± A light buzzing sound came from my right shoulder. ¡°I thought you were smart.¡±

    I opened my stat sheet, staring at the various stats. The additional level had brought things up to 15s and 16s. I was pretty even across all of them. What was going to save me out here? Being quick and flexible had been my biggest advantages, so toughness, and probably fortitude. Pretty much everything but charisma, actually. Then again, I didn¡¯t want even that to lag too far behind. Before I could second guess myself, I allocated all 30 points I had.

    Name: Alex

    Level: 5

    Race: Human

    Traits: Survivability, Adaptation, Hangry

    Class: Devourer

    Stats:

    STR: 13(18)

    QUICK: 14(21)

    FLEX:14(21)

    TOUGH: 14(21)

    INT: 13(17)

    FORT:13(19)

    WILL:13(20)

    CHA: 13(17)

    FREE:0

    Monstrosity: 0

    Titles & Achievements:

    Jack-of-all-Trades

    Lucky Stars

    Skill:

    Insight

    Crystal Attunement

    Iron Stomach

    Heightened Senses

    Stealth**

    Blades and Polearms

    Venomous Bite

    Skills Categories: +

    I closed my stat sheet as soon as I finished. My body felt a little weird as I climbed down. I had to pause halfway as I trembled. Everything ached, from my fingers to my toes, like I¡¯d overworked myself. I wondered what other changes happened that I couldn¡¯t see. A wave of tiredness washed over me, then vanished. Slowly, the pain went away.

    ¡°You hit a milestone,¡± whispered Noseen. ¡°First stat over, what 20?¡±

    I nodded, but said nothing. Instead, I held up four fingers.

    In response, they buzzed but didn¡¯t say anything. Once the trembling went away, I finished the climb down. I marked a ring around the tree and continued. I was so freaking close to the compound. The tree was nearby, toward my right, which was okay since the compound was to the west of it, and the tree wasn¡¯t within the fence.

    A strong acidic smell caused me to stop, and for a moment my eyes watered and I had to wipe away tears.

    Noseen buzzed on my shoulder.

    ¡°What is that?¡± I whispered.

    ¡°Nothing good.¡±

    I pulled my knife out and slowly moved forward. The smell blew in my face, but at least my eyes seemed to get used to it. Something in the distance looked wrong. The lines were too straight, not part of the jungle.

    The fence.

    Still, I stuck to the shadows, my shoulders hunched toward my ears, and I forced myself to relax and flow with each silent step.

    [Stealth has improved.]

    I muted notifications as soon as it flashed, keeping my eyes peeled. Though, the notification had been a potential indicator that something was out here. I crept toward the fence, a soft humming alive in the back of my mind. The fence was composed of narrow tree trunks lashed together to form diamonds, with thicker tree trunks as upright poles. Glittering crystals were lashed about midway up about every twenty feet. Yet, while the one in front of me sparkled, the next one over hung, dangling by a leather cord. The one after that looked shattered.

    Instead of rushing forward, I watched. Inside the fence, I could see a broken section of a drop-ship with a wooden wall built onto it, with a large wooden door. Beside the ship was a large clearing, big enough for the shuttle to land. Farther to the right, there was an archway in the fence with what had to be wooden doors.

    The damage was to the left. Part of the fence bent inward from a large tree leaning against the wooden structure. Glittering shards littered the ground; a broken crystal from where the tree had hit. Nothing moved inside the area, but two large whole crystals glittered near the opening to the dropship. They were the same size as the ones in the shuttle.

    Bingo. That was what I needed.

    There should be five guys still in the compound, but there wasn¡¯t a sign of anything living. The only way I could see into the fence was through the arched doorway to the right. Maybe they were dead, and I could grab a crystal and go. But, then we¡¯d need to head back to the colony with the shuttle, and that wouldn¡¯t make anyone happy.

    In the end, though, that was going to be John¡¯s call. Either way, I needed one of those crystals. Hopefully, they weren¡¯t as heavy as they looked. I wished I had one of the sleds that we used to transport goods through the jungle. I snuck along the edge of the fence line, the acidic smell still floating in the air toward the right side of the fence. In the distance, I could see the tall tree. Something moved in the highest branches, and I focused on it.

    A crystal hung on the trunk right above a wooden platform that would fit a single person. The smell increased the closer I got to the archway. Something moved on the edge of the platform, and I froze.

    Light reflected off two circles, and after a moment I realized they were binoculars. Someone was up there looking around at the forest. There had to be at least one survivor, and they were hiding in the tall tree. Now, I was torn; should I go talk to the person, or try to hike into the fenced area?

    The sound of buzzing shot off my shoulder and vanished into the jungle before I could decide. I kept my slow pace up, heading in the direction of the fence, but keeping my body angled toward the tree. Better to not get shot in the back with an arrow.

    There was a cleared area from the edge of the fence to the tree. It had to be fifty yards, and at one point small crystals had lined the path. Now, all that remained was another small crater.

    Just how far had the meteor shower reached?

    The buzzing returned to my shoulder.

    ¡°There are humans in the building within the fence. Not many, and a few are hurt. I could smell the blood.¡±

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I whispered, glad I had already decided to climb the tree and see what information I could get out of the person at the top. Stealing from the compound when there were survivors wouldn¡¯t happen, so now I had to figure out if I could talk them into giving me what I needed. It was a good thing I hadn¡¯t completely ignored Charisma, after all.

 Chapter 18: John: Back at the shuttle

    Alex climbed up and out of the hatch, while I remained standing for about three seconds before I needed to sit back down. My head spun, and I forced myself to breathe shallowly to resist passing out. Pain from my thigh and the cut on my side stabbed at me, along with the new burn on my shoulder.

    I should have tried to unlock a healing ability of some kind. All I had was the basic increase to a Common Body, and it wasn¡¯t doing a lot for me at the moment. It wasn¡¯t like my class was good for actual fighting, so it hadn¡¯t seemed important at the time. When class selection had come for most of us, during the aggressive de-orbit, I¡¯d taken Fighter Pilot. At that point, it hadn¡¯t been like any of us had known what the hell was going on, or what these choices might mean. These days, I knew just how much I''d screwed myself over by taking that class, but I couldn''t focus on that.

    The bigger issue was that I¡¯d sent Alex to hike through the jungle to the Compound and retrieve a crystal. Fixing the only link we had to other settlements was more important than my so-called class. I only hoped Alex would make it.

    A sigh escaped my lips.

    ¡°I can¡¯t just sit here,¡± I muttered. Still, I sat, waiting for the pain to recede. I leaned my head back against the wall and wondered if I¡¯d sent Alex to die. All of us had thought she¡¯d died in the crash. After I found the tube, Dad was the only one who¡¯d focused on getting it open. None of us had believed that she lived. Now, I¡¯d sent her into the jungle to potentially die. Dad was going to kill me when he found out. Then again, Dad¡¯s training could get any of us through this situation if anything could. If I could stand up for more than ten minutes I would have gone myself, but I knew I wouldn¡¯t make it. My thigh hurt too much, plus I didn''t have the same survival skills as she had developed over the last couple of months. Not to mention her talents with the spear.

    I needed to believe what the others said. She had survival skills, the hunt went well even without her unlocking a class. Now, Alex had one. It would make a difference. Heck, by the time she got back, who knew what level she¡¯d be at. At least dad¡¯s concerns about Xander''s exceptional interest in Alex could settle down. Now, she had a class like everyone else.

    Finally, I felt like I could move again and I opened my eyes. The hole in the window mocked me. That was something I¡¯d need to figure out how to fix later on. For now, the shuttle had other problems. For one, the broken crystal needed to be removed and there were literal holes to be dealt with in the body of the small craft. That all should be easy.

    The glass would be harder, and I¡¯d need to level up my Engineering skills to have a chance. My profession was the one reason I¡¯d gotten to the level I was at. Level 14, and almost all of it from working on the shuttle. Early on, I¡¯d gotten levels from flying the shuttle, but the only time I¡¯d gotten anything really good was when the Flier had attacked the shuttle.

    Three whole levels I¡¯d gotten for that. It¡¯d been glorious.

    Plus, it¡¯d unlocked skills for camouflaging the ship. If only I had an actual weapons system to use, I could do some real damage to the fliers, like when we¡¯d been back home. Instead, I¡¯d been forced to fly when they weren¡¯t in the skies, because all I could do in an attack was try to out maneuver them.

    Thinking about that wasn¡¯t going to help me, either. I pulled myself up and hobbled toward the cargo hold. The two golf-ball sized holes could be first. Then, I could take a break to deal with the broken crystal. That might be a fun project, and I¡¯d get to test out my crystal-shaping skills. All of my tools were currently stuffed in the cargo crate I¡¯d taken the supplies out of.

    My thoughts went back to Alex.

    ¡°Please, just get to the compound¡­¡± I whispered. The guys there were rough, but the shuttle provided most of their supplies. They¡¯d want to help get it fixed sooner rather than later. I could count on Hawk coming to the rescue, as long as he truly believed we had a shot of fixing the ship.

    ¡°First step, the hole in the ceiling¡­¡±

    Alex had stuffed it full of cloth, which was a smart move. I yanked out the dangling cloth and studied the damage. It wouldn¡¯t take long to fix with my metal smoothing ability. I could strengthen the armored shield on the outside as well.

    The only problem was, I wasn¡¯t tall enough. I yanked out one of my ladders and set it up under the hole. Climbing it was a problem. Pain raced down my leg as soon as I tried to take a step up while bending my knee.

    That wasn¡¯t going to help.

    I¡¯d already yanked the cloth out and needed to close the hole. Once it was done, I could rest.

    That first step up almost killed me. The second would have done me in, except I could reach the hole, resting for a moment. Using my metal smoothing skill, the ripped edges evened out. I added a small piece of metal from the supplies in my tool belt and it joined the edges easily, almost like magic.

    My head throbbed from using the skills, but the hole quickly sealed and I let the skill fade. If only I could do that with my wounds.

    I stood on the ladder for another moment to regain my breath before I needed to climb back down. Seconds later, I crashed to the floor near the cargo crate, sweat covering my face. My thigh throbbed with pain, and tears came to my eyes. I gasped for breath, hoping the pain would reduce soon. It needed to heal faster.

    [Skill Unlocked: You learned a potential skill: Masochist.]

    I forced myself not to laugh since it would just add to the pain. That wasn¡¯t what I needed right now, I needed something to help me heal quicker. Still, I found myself opening my sheet and accepting the skill in my only free slot. The pain levels in my body receded and my mind felt clear for the first time since I¡¯d regained awareness.

    This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    What the fuck had I done?

    Alex was my only hope. Especially since I¡¯d put most of my food and water into her pack. I didn¡¯t like to lie, but in this case, I didn¡¯t have a week''s worth of food and water. More like 3 days. I¡¯d need to make things stretch out as much as possible.

    And in the meantime, I had to fix this ship.

    ***

    Survivors were good news, though I couldn¡¯t steal the crystal from them, which meant talking to the locals. The only person I could easily reach currently sat in the tree. He had to be in the tree for a reason. He kept using the binoculars, glancing around at the forest, and not at the far distance but at the trees around the compound, peering over the edge of the platform.

    Either he knew someone was out here, or something else was.

    If the ones inside the dropship were injured, something must have happened to the compound, like a beast bigger than normal. Something more than the meteor shower. That acidic smell still hung around, but was less strong near the crystal-lined path. I wished the crater had just been off to one side, but these people weren¡¯t that lucky. Some of the small crystals were humming softly, but not many, and the repelling field wasn¡¯t very strong. I wasn¡¯t sure how much protection the remaining crystals would give against anything big. A Compy wouldn¡¯t go near grounded crystals, even this small, but they were a pretty minor threat.

    I eyed the distance I needed to go to travel to the bottom of the tall tree. The climb wouldn¡¯t be hard. It was mostly branches, though in a few places someone had tied rope around the trunk to close some of the gaps. The base of the trunk had been cleared so there wasn¡¯t anything for me to hide in; I¡¯d need to cross the last twenty feet without cover.

    Taking a moment, I steadied myself, closing my eyes and breathing deeply. I focused on the sounds surrounding me, but all that came to me were birds and the wind in the leaves. With a sudden jerk, I snapped my eyes open and tucked my knife into its place. This was the time to focus on speed and climbing. Maybe dodging if needed. I hoped it wouldn¡¯t be needed.

    I launched myself into the twenty-foot gap and stood at the base of the tree before I knew it. The dirt was solid under my feet and up I went. Each branch was worn smooth by the number of times people had climbed up. After about ten feet, I relaxed a little but kept up a frantic pace. The tree went on forever. After climbing for what seemed like fifteen minutes, I figured I had to be about halfway up, but I wasn¡¯t even a third when I stopped to check. So, I continued, not stopping again until the midpoint. There was a small half sign carved into the bark just off one of the branches, so it didn¡¯t cut into your hand. There was also a small wooden platform that gave a tired climber a place to sit and pause. I took a moment to glance down below me.

    Nothing moved as far as I could tell. The edges of the jungle looked the same, and I couldn¡¯t spot anything at the base of the tree. The same went for the fence, and the compound as a whole. From what I could see, and the sight lines were pretty clear, my presence hadn¡¯t changed a thing. That was good. I pulled out my canteen and took a few refreshing sips of water.

    Looking up, I could see a hole in the platform above me, and a man staring down at me, then at the canteen. When he saw I was looking, he made the hushing hand sign with a finger to his lips.

    I tried something new. This time, while looking at him I thought about wanting more info.

    [Jimmy, Level 15.]

    The info appeared over his head for a moment, then vanished. I''d completely forgotten, I''d gotten Insight as a skill right in the beginning, when I¡¯d unlocked my class. On my stat sheet, it was under skills. It was the first item, but still, I kept forgetting it was there.

    I nodded. So something was out there. Nothing came from my right shoulder, but I didn¡¯t dare whisper to Noseen any questions. I put away the water and started back up the tree. Once past the point of the canopy, the sun hit my cloak and warmed me quickly. Sweat started dripping down my forehead and down my back under my shirt. I resisted tossing the cloak into my inventory, despite the heat. It was the only armor I had.

    When I finally reached the platform, I was higher above the canopy than I¡¯d ever been before, not counting flying in the shuttle. The guy wasn¡¯t looking out the hole anymore and I pulled myself up. A large crystal sat in the crook of the tree above the platform, drawing my attention. It hummed louder than I¡¯d ever heard one hum before. The guy had given me space, sitting crouched down in the far corner. I could smell him from here. Stale sweat and fear.

    ¡°Who are you?¡± he asked with a whisper. His voice cracked and he lowered a dark green hood, but his hands shook. His hair was greasy, and sweat trails rolled down his face. Dark eyes stared at me. He looked to be around my dad¡¯s age. Old enough to have children, but young enough to still have strength.

    ¡°Alex; I was on the shuttle. We crashed some ways back,¡± I answered, not sure how honest I should be with this guy. Still, I didn¡¯t have much to lose, and it looked like he needed help. ¡°John is still with the shuttle. He injured his thigh.¡±

    The man¡¯s face relaxed at the mention of John. ¡°Good guy, I hope he¡¯s okay,¡± he mumbled. ¡°I saw the crash two nights ago, tracking your journey toward us when those damn rocks fell from the sky. Been stuck up here ever since ¡®cause of the damn cats. Name¡¯s Jimmy.¡± He paused and shook his head. ¡°You don¡¯t got any extra water, do ya?¡±

    He had seen me drink from my canteen down below, so I quickly pulled it out of my inventory crystal and handed it over. He carefully took a sip, and waited before taking another. ¡°Do you need a ration bar?¡± I asked. Clearly, this wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d dealt with dehydration, and I guessed his level to be higher than 10.

    He nodded, while very slowly working on the water.

    I yanked three ration bars out, hoping they would help. I still had plenty of meat for myself, and the ration bars were a last resort as far as I was concerned. Especially with how off they now tasted to me. However, I wondered how John¡¯s supply of food was going. I didn¡¯t want to give over all the food I had that wasn¡¯t raw.

    I forced myself to be patient as Jimmy sipped on the water, before slowly eating a ration bar. After one bite, he stopped, before tossing the bars in a box I hadn¡¯t noticed on one of the higher branches that he reached by standing up.

    ¡°You mentioned cats? Is that the smell?¡± I asked, thinking of the acidic wind that almost lingered on my cloak.

    ¡°It¡¯s a pack.¡± He shivered. ¡°They blend into the ferns and strike when you can¡¯t see them.¡± He motioned toward the fence. ¡°The tree took out part of the fence, enough that the crystals on that side aren¡¯t grounded. That let them in.¡±

    A crystal grounded in as little as an hour, but they needed to stay in a specific position. As it grounded, the crystal would slowly start to give off the hum, helping keep away beasts. Normally, to be fully charged a crystal would take a day, depending on its size. At that point, beasts wouldn¡¯t come near it, even the bigger ones if the crystal was of decent size.

    ¡°And the path to the tree is broken as well,¡± I added, thinking of the shattered crystals on the path.

    ¡°Yeah, we used scraps for it. It works decent enough, but those fucking meteors¡­¡± He leaned forward, almost growling out the last word. I caught sight of a bow over his shoulder, but he didn¡¯t have many arrows left.

    ¡°Are you the only one left?¡± I knew he wasn¡¯t, but I needed to see if he was going to lie to me. It might change how the rest of the day went, and I hoped he wouldn¡¯t make trouble.

 Chapter 19: Survivors

    ¡°Na, some of the guys are holed up in the dropship. They peek out now and again, but I know they got hit bad. Food and water have to be running low. We were gonna trade with you guys once you landed for some supplies.¡± He handed back the canteen, which was much lighter, though I didn¡¯t begrudge him the water, or the food. He was in a much worse way than I was.

    ¡°I only brought enough to hike here and back to the shuttle.¡± I scratched the back of my head. ¡°Trading supplies are still on the ship.¡±

    ¡°Back? Out there? How far?¡±

    ¡°A ways, but I made it here, so I can make it back. We have a broken crystal and hope you have a spare.¡± A weird sensation washed over me, like someone was staring at my forehead. ¡°It took me two days to hike here, but I was slow, sneaking and carving a trail to find my way back.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe it. People think we¡¯re crazy, but you aren¡¯t even level ten.¡± He must have used Insight to see my level. Thankfully, he couldn¡¯t see my class. ¡°No one survives overnight in the jungle without a partner.¡±

    ¡°Well, I made it here, didn¡¯t I?¡± I asked, feeling proud of myself. I¡¯d spent a night in the jungle, without a known trail, with a new class, and I¡¯d gained several levels doing it.

    He added nothing about that as he motioned to the dropship below. ¡°Well, you''re gonna need to talk to them about a larger crystal. I don¡¯t know what shape they¡¯re in.¡±

    I glanced at the crystal over my head. ¡°Have you heard anything from the colony or the mines?¡± I hadn¡¯t thought about anything but the shuttle and the compound until now.

    ¡°Eh, well, the mines watched the shower. It was widespread, reaching as far as the colony from what they could tell.¡±

    My mouth dropped a little at that. I hadn¡¯t a clue if that was normal. That meant the whole jungle area between the three spots could be in complete chaos. ¡°Woah, I hope they¡¯re okay.¡± I thought of my dad, but pushed the worry away. The joke was he would survive the apocalypse and save the rest of us while he was at it. I was pretty sure it wasn¡¯t really a joke.

    ¡°No clue,¡± he said with a shrug. ¡°I haven¡¯t heard a word, even after sending a message last night. Nothing from the area of their watch tower.¡±

    My dad could handle himself. ¡°Tell me more about these cats?¡± Now that I sat in the tree, I felt pretty sure I¡¯d run into them at some point.

    ¡°Armored backs, almost like a bug that can change color. Big claws that leave an infection. They move fast, and you don¡¯t spot them until they attack.¡± His fingers tapped on the wooden platform. ¡°All are between levels 12 and 16. At least four of them, maybe more if any are the same level. It¡¯s the only way I can tell them apart.¡±

    I was only level five. There wasn¡¯t a chance I could go directly at a pack of creatures more than twice my level.

    Jimmy stared out into the jungle holding the binoculars up to his face. ¡°I keep trying to spot them, but they love the twilight hours. Though, the first time they attacked it was late afternoon.¡±

    I needed to climb out of this tree before it got dark, then. Not to mention, John expected me to get back within three to four days. Today was day two, and it was clear this wasn¡¯t going to be as simple as grabbing a crystal and taking off into the jungle with someone else to help me.

    ¡°Alright, so I gotta talk to everyone in the dropship is what it sounds like,¡± I said with a frown, trying to think of the best way to do this. The hot sun still streamed overhead, and there wasn¡¯t much shade this high up.

    ¡°Yep, and I¡¯m not moving out of this tree.¡±

    I didn¡¯t need to hear that. ¡°Fine, what supplies do you have?¡±

    ¡°Rations bars and an empty canteen.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to do this. I really didn¡¯t. Still, it was the right thing to do, and Dad always said to do the right thing, even if it hurt. ¡°Give me the canteen.¡±

    He stood up and pulled it out of the box. I carefully yanked my backup jug of water and filled the canteen 3/4¡¯s of the way full. Then I refilled my own, emptying the jug out before putting both back into my inventory crystal. ¡°That should last you a few days if you change your mind.¡±

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    ¡°You really think you''re gonna make it back to the shuttle, with a crystal intact.¡± He sounded like I thought I was crazy. Yet, I wasn¡¯t the one huddled in a tree not willing to come down.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have a choice. My brother is out there, waiting on me. The colony, mines, and even you lot here need that shuttle running.¡± Those were the facts. I could hide from them, but it wouldn¡¯t change anything.

    He blinked and his mouth gapped. ¡°I¡¯ll work on making more arrows, but I am not leaving my spot.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s up to you.¡± I hoped someone else in the dropship had other ideas about going into the jungle. This place wouldn¡¯t survive if someone didn¡¯t leave the fence regularly to hunt or get water.

    He looked like he wanted to say more, but he just shook his head.

    The plan had to be to get to the dropship and figure out what they needed from me in trade for a crystal. One of the ones protecting them, of course. They were the only two crystals big enough. That bottle of booze John had stuck into my inventory would hopefully do it. Otherwise, I didn¡¯t know how else I could help them. Time was ticking. My goal was to leave the compound with a crystal today.

    Somehow.

    ¡°Can you keep an eye out for any cats as I descend?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I can do that. You¡¯d better hurry, though. The later in the afternoon it gets, the more likely they are gonna be out there.¡±

    I wiped my sweaty hands on my pants and moved toward the hole in the platform. Anything would be better than sitting up here baking in the sun until I died. Too bad that seemed to be Jimmy¡¯s plan.

    I let my feet dangle until I found my footing and then I started back down the way I¡¯d come. For some reason going up was easier. With going down, I needed to keep double-checking my footing and it was slow going. My hands kept getting sweaty and I needed to pause to wipe them off on my pants. Once at the halfway point, I took a seat for a short break. I grabbed out my water and took several long drinks.

    The tree trunk blocked the sun from beating down on me, but it was still hot. Whatever breeze there had been earlier had vanished. All I could smell was myself. Nothing moved within or around the fence as I studied it from this angle. The crystal pathway was longer than the clearing around the base of the tall tree. Probably sixty feet of clearing before the gate, which had one side standing open.

    Above that open gate glowed a crystal, still grounded. It sparkled in the sunlight. I needed to keep moving, John was counting on me. Hell, so many more were, too, but they hadn¡¯t a clue we¡¯d crashed. It sounded like the settlements were dealing with their own issues, but if we couldn¡¯t get the shuttle running again, it¡¯d be harder on everyone.

    My stomach rumbled and I glanced upward to see if Jimmy was watching me. He wasn¡¯t.

    ¡°You need to eat something,¡± buzzed Noseen.

    I rolled my eyes but didn¡¯t reply. Instead, I grabbed my knife and pulled out the massive chunk of dino meat. It didn¡¯t smell like it had the day before, but also not like it had been sitting out in the heat, either. Whatever the inventory crystal did, it helped slow down the aging of the meat. I sliced pieces off and tossed them into storage until all of it was cut up. It was drier and created much less of a mess this time. I wiped my hands on a branch, but it didn¡¯t help much with the dried blood that covered them. Finally, I grabbed out a bandage and used that to clean up a little.

    Once that was done, I pulled a cut piece out and tossed it in my mouth as carefully as possible. It was good. Not as great as yesterday, but good. Pretty soon, half of what I had left was gone and I felt a lot better.

    [You have devoured a parasaurolophus. You¡¯ve gained a major understanding of camouflage.]

    [Your stealth skill has improved.]

    My head tilted to one side as I opened my stat sheet, getting more information. The description had changed to one that sounded like the skills people in the colony frequently bragged about.

    [Stealthy Camouflage: You remain unseen at first glance, especially in the shadows. Your footsteps are almost silent, your feet moving instinctively. Your skin can blend into your surroundings making it harder for you to be spotted. This is especially effective at night.]

    I tried to remember what the skill had said when I¡¯d unlocked it. All I remembered was that it had been shorter, and the last word was grow. This should help me, big time. Too bad it only worked with my skin.

    ¡°Noseen, how dangerous are these cats?¡± I whispered.

    ¡°You are squishy, and less than half their level.¡± The buzzing paused, then continued. ¡°Don¡¯t let them touch you.¡±

    We were on the same page, which wasn¡¯t a surprise. Somehow, I needed to climb down the rest of this tree, race across to the gate, then from the gate to the dropship without being seen or attacked.

    Maybe luck would be on my side. I¡¯d made it this far after all.

    I tried to sniff myself to see if I smelled of the meat, but I couldn¡¯t tell. Instead, I braced myself and continued the climb down. I kept the cloak around me, hoping it would help me blend into the tree trunk, since I was in the shade after all.

    I paused again at around ten feet up and tried to glance around from the branch I rested on. Again, nothing moved, and I wished I could tell myself that Jimmy was overreacting. I wouldn¡¯t know until it was too late. While I couldn¡¯t jump from here, I could see exactly the path I would take toward the gate and the inner compound. As soon as I hit the ground, I¡¯d need to move at full speed, careful to not trip.

    My gaze moved upward, but I couldn¡¯t see Jimmy from this position. Then I looked back at the path, and resumed the last stage of my descent. Once I was five feet from the ground, I jumped to the dirt below, and rolled.

 Chapter 20: What the Cat dragged in

    I rolled across the ground, the crystals digging into my shoulder through the various layers. The cloak slowed me down as I leaped to my feet, running as fast as I could toward the archway and the open gate.

    Something green streaked across my vision on my left and I dodged around the crater to my right. Whatever it was, missed. So I kept going. The gate was coming ever closer when I heard something hiss behind me. I couldn¡¯t help but look back at what chased me. A cat the size of a bike, covered in layers of armored plating along its back, chased me. Bright yellow eyes stared at me as it raced forward, and it roared. An arrow slammed into its rear leg, making it hobble, slowing it down and opening a bit more distance between us.

    I sent up a mental thank you to Jimmy. He¡¯d helped.

    [Armored Jungle Cat, Level 12]

    The message appeared over its head and I moved faster. I stumbled slightly on a crystal that had been lying on the ground. It slipped under my feet, flinging backward toward the cat. I expected claws to sink into my back, but they didn¡¯t. Instead, I heard the thud of a second arrow hitting the cat, causing another growl behind me. The open gate mocked me, with the crystal glowing overhead. The humming echoed inside my head.

    I needed to get there.

    My fingers wrapped around the edge of the closed left gate, as I raced inside the right. I spun along the axis, slamming the open gate shut behind me. My heart pounded as I grabbed at the crossbar to lock it.

    The cat slammed into the already closed gate, which had a locking pole running through it vertically. It bounced me away from the sturdy fencing and I gripped the wooden slats to keep myself from flying away.

    Another arrow slammed into the cat¡¯s behind. It reared back, and I yanked my knife from my belt, slamming it through the slats in the gate.

    The cat didn¡¯t notice my movement as it crashed down onto the closed gate. The hot tip of my crystal knife slid into its neck easily.

    It only shuddered once, then died.

    [You have gained bonus experience from combat for surviving against an Armored Jungle Cat twice your level.]

    [You have leveled up.]

    [You have leveled up.]

    I yanked my knife back, hands shaking. Blood dripped down from an arrow wound on the wooden slats, filling my head with the siren song of food. My mouth watered.

    Somehow, I¡¯d done it. It was dead. It was actually dead.

    The frantic motion of something in the trees drew my eyes upward. Jimmy made some motion at me, that I couldn¡¯t fully make out.

    ¡°It wasn¡¯t alone,¡± buzzed Noseen.

    Then I remembered. Jimmy mentioned the pack was at least four cats. I¡¯d only killed one, with Jimmy¡¯s help. I spun about, turning toward the tree leaning against the far fenceline. Jimmy had warned me it provided a way for the cats to climb into the fenced area. The tree let them keep away from the crystals that were still grounded on the far side.

    The dropship wasn¡¯t far, with the two large crystals glowing brightly in front of the obviously newly added door. The hum reached me even where I stood. That zone had to be safe.

    My feet moved faster than before. My heart pounded in my chest as something green and black jumped onto the tree trunk leaning on the far side of the fence. My distance to the dropship was shorter than it had to go, but I bet it was faster than me over open ground. It leaped over the rest of the fence, landing on all four feet in the cleared area.

    [Armored Jungle Cat, Level 14]

    Its bright yellow eyes locked on me and it hissed before launching itself across the dirt.

    I did not stop, even though I was running toward it. The crystals weren¡¯t far; I just needed to make it close enough. My knife was clenched tightly in my hand as I ran, and I prayed I wouldn¡¯t stumble. The cat gained ground despite the increased speed adrenaline was giving me; I just wasn¡¯t fast enough. Somehow, I needed to be faster.

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    With a quick thought, I opened my stat sheet and tossed my free points into Quickness and Flexibility. Immediately I sped up, flying across the dirt, yet pain echoed down my spine. I groaned as I ran toward the nearest crystal. Then, my right calf locked up, pain flaring down into my foot. Tears came to my eyes and I almost stumbled. Instead, I leaped forward, sliding across the dirt like I was playing a game.

    Another hiss came from nearby, but that was all. I glanced over my shoulder just in time to see large talons swipe at my feet. Quickly I rolled over to my back to try to scramble closer to the safety of the grounded stones. This time I wasn¡¯t as lucky.

    Pain shot up my foot as two of the claws sunk into the side of my boot, and the cat yanked me away from the crystal. I slid a few inches away from safety, then swung out with my knife, the tip glowing as I swiped toward the claws.

    ¡°Not gonna eat me!¡± I screamed.

    The crystal sizzled as it touched the edge of the clawed paw. The cat¡¯s talons drew back into its paw as it jerked, growling at me. It snapped its large teeth my way, but didn¡¯t move any closer. The hot stink of its breath drifted in my direction, but I used the moment to crawl backward, getting closer to the humming crystal and safety.

    All I could hear was my beating heart and heavy breathing.

    It stared at me with glowing yellow eyes, prowling just out of reach of the crystal. The distance wasn¡¯t far; it could make that leap with no problem, but it didn¡¯t move closer.

    I swallowed and sat there watching it for a moment. My mind needed to catch up to the fact that I was alive, still breathing, and in pain.

    My foot was injured, but I¡¯d survived.

    I survived.

    Manic laughter spilled out of me, sitting there in the bright sunlight. The pain pulsing along my spine reduced, as the pain in my foot increased.

    The groan of the wooden door opening a few feet behind me didn¡¯t even cause me to turn. The survivors in the dropship didn¡¯t matter right now, my eyes stayed focused on the cat. The cat danced backward at my laughter, its eyes going wider before narrowing.

    ¡°Who do we have here?¡± asked a deep voice.

    My laughter slowly cut off, as I realized I had company. Human company. One of the survivors.

    An arrow flew over my head at the cat, who leaped farther away from the crystal. The arrow landed in the dirt, missing the cat. The cat¡¯s head stayed pointed in my direction, and then it growled once more before it sprinted toward the side of the fence with the tree. I tracked it as it leaped toward the upper branches spilling over the leaning fence, then it vanished from my sight in the dense jungle.

    ¡°Alex, my name¡¯s Alex. I was on the shuttle,¡± I said without turning around, catching sight of boots beside me. Inside, I tried to calm my heart rate down. ¡°I made it here. Jimmy¡¯s still up in the tree.¡±

    ¡°You did make it here,¡± said the man as he squatted down next to me, his bow held loosely in his hands with an arrow. ¡°I figured Jimmy''s still up there. He¡¯s keeping a good watch.¡± He didn¡¯t move closer, or try to touch me, instead his gaze went to my knife. The tip still glowed, crisping the dirt closest to it. I quickly put it away on my belt.

    His bright blue eyes searched over me, then I felt the sensation of him trying to receive info on me. Those eyes widened. ¡°Well, I¡¯ll be damned. Your Hellion¡¯s kid, and not even level ten? How the fuck did you make it here?¡±

    It took too long to realize he meant my father. Some of his old military buddies called him Hellion. That meant this man had served with my dad. Or at least, knew of him from that time in his life. That time he never talked about with us.

    Noseen¡¯s repeated comment came to mind. ¡°I was smart.¡± Carefully I moved to stand, trying to not place too much pressure on my foot. Getting that boot off to see the damage would be fun. Not to mention, the boot wouldn¡¯t be waterproof anymore. Not with the two holes in it.

    ¡°Name¡¯s Hawk.¡± The guy slowly stood up as well, towering over me. ¡°Usually, I¡¯m the one up in the tower, but Jimmy drew the short straw during duty assignment.¡± He faced the tree and held up a thumbs up. ¡°Weird how things work out like that.¡± Hawk had thin braids in his hair, and it was pulled back out of his face. Everything he wore was camo, except his boots. They were the standard-issue boots we all wore. The bow he carried with ease, clearly familiar with it. ¡°You said something about the shuttle?¡±

    ¡°Yeah.¡± I scratched the back of my head. ¡°We crashed south of here, about a day and a half going slow. Busted a crystal when we got caught in the meteor shower.¡± I lightly put some pressure on my foot and it wasn¡¯t too bad. Maybe the damage wasn¡¯t as bad as I worried it might be.

    Hawk kept his gaze on the fence line. Everything about him screamed military. ¡°Still, it''s a shock you made it here. Though I bet things are off out there right now. Never did we think the fence would be breached.¡± His lips tightened into a narrow line. ¡°If that hadn¡¯t happened, we¡¯d be fine. You got one of those cats, that¡¯ll be good leather if I can recover it.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re welcome to it, but I¡¯m not gonna go get it,¡± I said. I had no clue if the cats could climb over the far side of the fence. I didn¡¯t think so, but I wasn¡¯t going to count on it. I tried to take a step forward and limped a little, but only a little.

    His eyes shot toward me. ¡°We better get that foot looked at. Those cats carry some sort of infection.¡±

    ¡°I was gonna ask if you were gonna leave the door open all day,¡± said a different, deeper voice. In the doorway stood another guy all dressed in camo. He was rail thin, and only a little taller than me. Deep shadows hung under his eyes and his lips were cracked. ¡°Then I saw we had a visitor.¡± He waved me in. ¡°Let¡¯s get that boot off.¡±

    I carefully walked through the open door, surprised to see how bright the inside was. Small glowing crystals hung from leather straps tied to places in the ceiling. The wooden door led to an area that had to have been a large storage room before the end of the ship broke off. Two large doors were open on the far wall, leading deeper into the ship, but they weren¡¯t lit. One was blocked off by metal wreckage.

    On one side of the room were two cots. One had someone on it, bandages wrapped along his chest. His eyes were closed, but his chest moved in slow rhythm. The other side of the room had a metal table with wooden benches around it. Empty water jugs were placed near the wall. The guy I was following motioned to one of the wooden benches.

    ¡°Hopefully an infection won¡¯t set in. We don¡¯t have any way to cure it." He pointed to the guy on the cot. "Denver over there is fighting that battle, though I don¡¯t know how long he¡¯s got.¡±

    ¡°This is Hellion¡¯s kid, Alex,¡± said Hawk. ¡°Hopefully, it isn¡¯t bad. We need Alex to live.¡±

 Chapter 21: Staying Alive

    ¡°I¡¯m Doc, I try to keep these assholes alive. Sit down.¡±

    I sat on the bench, and Doc beat me to unlacing my boot, yanking it off without being careful. It hurt, and I winced. I ignored the fact that my feet smelled and instead focused on the blood on my sock.

    ¡°You haven¡¯t been taking your boots off at night, that¡¯s one way to get a fungus,¡± grumbled Doc.

    ¡°I crashed in a shuttle and have been moving non-stop to get here, with no one to watch my back,¡± I growled back. I heard buzzing near my shoulder but didn''t respond. There wasn''t a chance I''d mention Noseen to these guys. They didn¡¯t need to know.

    Doc chuckled. ¡°I like your fire, kid.¡±

    I almost said I wasn¡¯t a kid, but then he pulled my sock off. The scabs ripped off, and I swore.

    ¡°This doesn¡¯t look bad. The boots had your back.¡± He poked one of the oozing holes with a finger. ¡°It isn¡¯t warm. If I had some spray I¡¯d use it, but I don¡¯t.¡±

    I thought back to the medkit on the shuttle. I¡¯d left it there with John, he¡¯d seemed to need it more than me. ¡°Don¡¯t have any medspray with me. Only a bottle of booze.¡±

    Doc licked his lips. ¡°Booze? I¡¯d take a bottle if you''re handling them out.¡±

    Hawk stepped up behind him and smacked him lightly in the head. ¡°Now''s not the time, Doc. Is Alex¡¯s foot gonna be okay?¡±

    The Doc stood up quickly. ¡°Doesn¡¯t need stitches, holes are too small. Slap some glue on it and don¡¯t get them wet. They should heal quickly.¡± The Doc scurried out of the room and into the open door. It only took him a few moments to come back, this time with a clean pair of socks.

    My eyes widened at them. They almost looked untouched. He tossed them at me. ¡°You''re gonna want to let your feet air out and use new socks.¡±

    I easily caught them and moved to my other foot, unlacing my boot and taking it off. That foot also smelled. The sock was grungy and I tossed both the dirty ones into my inventory. ¡°Is there any way to plug the holes in my boot?¡± It felt so good not wearing my boots and stretching my toes out. The idea of a shower came to mind, and I almost groaned. I knew there wouldn¡¯t be water for it, with everyone obviously being low. Being clean was rare, but taking a cool shower and getting all the sweat off myself sounded amazing, even so.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have the right supplies to fix it.¡± Hawk shook his head sadly. ¡°So what else do you have in your magic bag of tricks?¡±

    ¡°I have some water, but I gave a good amount of it to Jimmy,¡± I said carefully. While I hadn¡¯t seen either of them use a crystal tool, that didn¡¯t mean they couldn¡¯t. If I lost the inventory crystal to one of them, I¡¯d be screwed. ¡°Same goes for ration bars.¡± I pulled out the bottle of moonshine and one eyebrow rose up on Hawk''s face. Doc¡¯s hands twitched. I set it on the bench behind me. ¡°I need a crystal big enough to replace one on the shuttle. My brother John is working on the shuttle as we speak.¡±

    ¡°You weren¡¯t the only survivor,¡± stated Hawk, leaning forward and putting his elbows on his knees. ¡°Xander isn¡¯t gonna wanna lose his only pilot.¡±

    ¡°Xander? You mean Alexander, the commander?¡±

    Hawk nodded. ¡°If you want one of our crystals, we will need your help securing the fence. I saw that plasma crystal you have. You can cut down that tree¡­¡±

    ¡°I want that moonshine,¡± muttered Doc.

    ¡°Doc, now is not the time to get drunk. I know you have needs, but we need to secure our home.¡±

    ¡°The first chance I get I¡¯m outta here. Gonna head to the mines,¡± added Doc. ¡°Fewer monsters.¡±

    My eyes narrowed as I glanced at Doc, trying to learn more about him.

    [Doc, Level 10]

    He wasn¡¯t that much higher than me, and he lived out here. It didn¡¯t make sense, though if he was a drunk, which it seemed he was, it was no wonder he wasn¡¯t in the colony. Everyone needed to pull their weight there, not to mention the rules against alcohol.

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    ¡°Do you have any antibiotics on the shuttle?¡± Hawk said, motioning to the cot. ¡°I don¡¯t want to lose Denver like we lost Marvin.¡±

    ¡°Gonna miss his cooking, that''s for sure,¡± said Doc, who took a small step closer to the table.

    ¡°Marvin was a great guy,¡± said Hawk, glaring at Doc, who stepped back. ¡°Don¡¯t speak ill of him like that.¡±

    That answered the question I hadn¡¯t wanted to ask about the fifth person who was supposed to be here. Though, with Denver down and Doc clearly not useful in battle, that only left Jimmy up in the tree and Hawk.

    Hawk turned to look at me and I realized he was waiting for an answer. ¡°I don¡¯t know. We have some spray, but I don¡¯t know if that¡¯s helpful at this point. Once the shuttle''s up and running, we can move him out of here. Either to the mines, or to the colony.¡± The scientists were the ones with a healer, like a real one with the class and everything, but I didn¡¯t want to offer that. That flight was much longer, and he might not make it. And there was no guarantee they¡¯d help, anyway.

    ¡°That could work. You could give Doc here a lift to the mines, while you''re at it.¡± He leaned back on the bench, his back resting on the table. ¡°Maybe it¡¯s time to close this place¡­¡± he sounded hesitant for the first time. He was not the hesitant kind, clearly, but he also struck me as someone better with the here and now than the longer term strategy. ¡°Especially if it''s only me and Jimmy. We can¡¯t collect water, hunt, and man the tree at night with only the two of us. Five was hard enough.¡±

    That worried me. This compound was the communication link between the mines and the colony. ¡°Maybe we can get people who will do shifts out here. The colony should be growing, after all.¡±

    Hawk''s head snapped toward me. ¡°Growing? Who¡¯s having kids in this godforsaken mess?¡±

    ¡°The scientists said five new kids will be ready in a couple of months," I said with a shrug.

    ¡°Xander has lost his mind. The colony is already stretched thin trying to figure out this planet, and he wants to add babies to the mix?¡± Hawk stood up and paced around the open area. ¡°That stuck-up bastard just can¡¯t let things lie.¡±

    Hawk grumbled several other things, but I couldn¡¯t hear them. My attention moved to Doc, who had taken a few closer steps toward the table. I snatched the bottle back into my inventory.

    His face paled and he wobbled.

    ¡°Doc, you¡¯ll get it after we fix the fence, but not a moment beforehand,¡± growled Hawk.

    ¡°Then I¡¯ll get one of the crystals out front, right?¡± I asked for confirmation.

    ¡°Yes, you can have one of them. Not sure how you''re gonna carry it back intact, but I¡¯ll have to take that risk, and you¡¯ll have to figure it out.¡±

    I didn¡¯t mention having one of them come with me, or, heck, all of them. Not yet. First, we had to figure out what we were going to do to fix the fence. I flexed my toes, spreading them far apart and then curling them in.

    ¡°Can you fill up one of our jugs halfway? That will give us plenty of water until we can make a trip out to the spring.¡±

    I nodded, and to my surprise, Doc grabbed one of the containers and set it on the table. Standing, I pulled out my last full jug and emptied half of it. My own water levels were getting low. While my canteen was full, I only had this half jug to refill it with and a long walk back to the ship, somehow carrying a not entirely light crystal.

    ¡°Where¡¯s your spring?¡±

    ¡°North of here,¡± said Doc. ¡°Not far, but we can¡¯t reach it with those cats out there.¡±

    ¡°Once the fence is secure, it won¡¯t be hard. It¡¯ll just take the three of us. You filling jugs and us keeping watch,¡± said Hawk. ¡°It''ll be easier with your help.¡±

    If the three of us went, I could fill jugs and add them to my inventory. No one would need to carry them back and we could all be on guard. But it would take longer, and I was already going to be pushing the time I¡¯d promised John.

    ¡°Let¡¯s focus on the fence first.¡±

    Hawk nodded, then sat back down at the table. Doc brought out three metal cups and filled them up with water before taking a seat at the far side of the table.

    ¡°We need a distraction,¡± said Hawk. ¡°While you deal with those trees.¡±

    Doc grinned and it looked a little unsettling. ¡°I have those crystal blasts I¡¯ve been working on. Toss a few of them out there and we might even take out the rest of the cats.¡±

    Hawk slowly frowned before shaking his head. ¡°Those aren¡¯t stable, and we still don¡¯t know why the C4 didn¡¯t blow with the rest of the batteries.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve gotten two to blow up when I wanted them,¡± argued Doc.

    So, Doc dealt with explosives, was a drunk, and knew something about medicine. Who the hell was this guy?

    ¡°No explosives, and that¡¯s final,¡± growled Hawk while slamming his hand on the metal table, which shuddered. ¡°There''s that carcass which I can snag. I can just make it look hard, like they have a shot at getting me. As long as they come from the tree side, I should be good. If they come from this side, I can rush to the tree and climb. Jimmy can keep them off me.¡± Hawk stared at me. ¡°That means you gotta cut that tree off the fence and get those crystals grounded. They can¡¯t climb through the fence in any other location. The tree and leaves are interfering with the crystals.¡±

    ¡°I bet I can sneak over," I said with a grin. My stealth had gotten better as I¡¯d traveled through the jungle. "The distraction doesn¡¯t need to start until I begin cutting. That way, you¡¯ll have less time you need to be out in the open.¡± I frowned, thinking of my foot. ¡°But it might be better to wait until we have shadows this afternoon.¡±

    ¡°They can see dang good in the dark, better than we can. I¡¯d be a sitting duck out there," argued Hawk.

 Chapter 22: Negotiation

    All of us went quiet, and I sipped on the cup of water. If that tree wasn¡¯t on the far side, all the way across the shuttle landing zone, this would be easier.

    ¡°What about sneaking along the back fence line? You made it all the way here,¡± added Doc. He pointed over his shoulder toward the darkened doorway. ¡°There¡¯s that hole toward the back of the ship. Go out that way, and stick close to the fence there. No one''s gone out that way before, the cats might not be expecting it.¡± He eyed my shoulders. ¡°You should be able to fit.¡±

    Hawk didn¡¯t say anything for a moment, but just stared at Doc, like he had questions he wanted to ask about the hole in the shuttle. ¡°I didn¡¯t know there was a hole in the back of the ship.¡±

    ¡°Just a small one.¡± Doc leaned back defensively. ¡°It¡¯s close enough to the fence that the crystals protect it.¡± Hawk''s eyes narrowed and he didn¡¯t respond immediately. Doc started to sweat and run his hands along his arms nervously. ¡°I swear, I haven¡¯t used it before. I just know about it. I follow the rules. I gotta stay with my buddy.¡±

    ¡°And who is your buddy?¡±

    ¡°Right now, Denver. I¡¯m protecting him until he gets better.¡±

    Hawk slowly nodded. ¡°You should go give him some water.¡±

    Doc grabbed his cup, spilling some water in the process, and fled away from the table toward the cot Denver was on.

    ¡°Is he okay?¡± I asked.

    Hawk snorted. ¡°Are any of us okay?¡± He turned to watch Doc dribble water between Denver''s lips.

    ¡°I mean you''re living in a compound in the middle of the jungle instead of the colony.¡±

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t be under Xander¡¯s command if you put a gun to my head. That snot-nosed brat doesn¡¯t know shit about how to lead people.¡± His hands tightened around the cup, then relaxed. ¡°I¡¯ll go to the mines if needed, but you''re right. This place is too important to us all to keep communication up, and we need this supply point for the shuttle.¡±

    Hawk was correct. We couldn¡¯t go directly to the mines from the colony because of the damn flyers. But the talk of the shuttle made me think about how much time was passing. I needed to be back to the shuttle tomorrow to make my timeline, and I didn¡¯t know how much margin John had on supplies. So, it was time to figure out a bare-bones plan and get to it.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a problem to solve for today,¡± I said. ¡°Right now, the focus is on the fence, right?¡± Yet, it made me wonder what was up with Alexander. I didn¡¯t interact with him at all, but no one seemed to like the guy. First Greg, now Hawk. Dad was the only one I knew who was close to him, along with Sasha and Len. Then again, Len didn¡¯t seem to like him either. And I hadn¡¯t ever heard Dad say good things, particularly, he just didn¡¯t say anything negative and generally supported the Council.

    I tried to refocus on the problem at hand. The shuttle first, which now meant fixing the fence. ¡°So, I sneak out the back along the fence line, staying in the shadows. If a cat comes out, Jimmy gets your attention to be the mouse, while I go to cut the tree down.¡±

    ¡°Simple plans usually work best.¡± Hawk nodded, but looked uncertain. ¡°I¡¯ll need to let Jimmy know the plan, and I¡¯ll stay out front near the crystals. The attention should be on me, either way, if any of them are about. We normally have a few more hours before they appear. They prefer dusk." Hawk stood up. ¡°Prep yourself.¡±

    He turned and opened the wooden door, leaving it open behind him. Bright sunlight streamed in, and it had to be early afternoon at this point. Hawk turned toward the tree and waved his arms. Then, after a couple of moments, he started making hand signs. With the binoculars, Jimmy should see them. If he used morse code with the crystal, I bet he signaled back. It was a brilliant system.

    The punctures in my foot scabbed over again, which was faster than normal. I bet it had something to do with my class. They didn¡¯t hurt much, and I pulled out some bandaids that John had put in my pack. One went over each of the holes. The holes in my boot were something I needed to remember, but couldn¡¯t do much about. I slowly pulled on the new socks. They felt amazing on my feet. That boot wouldn¡¯t be waterproof, and I needed to protect the two injuries. At least they were healing faster than before I¡¯d unlocked a class.

    Once both boots were back on and tightened, I stretched upward. Whatever pain had come from increasing two stats over 30 was now gone, thankfully. I hadn¡¯t been prepared for that, and it had almost killed me. Then again, without that extra speed, I would have been dead anyway.

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    Hawk poked his head in. ¡°Doc, show Alex your hideaway but be quick about it. Get back to watch Denver.¡±

    Doc got up and set the cup on the table. I quickly finished my water before following him through the doorway. It was strange to walk on a metal floor after only walking on dirt for the past three months. Not to mention being on a dropship again. Ever since Dad had rescued me from the cryo tube, I''d been living outside, or in a tent. I¡¯d only hidden once in the dropship when we were attacked. The narrow hallways felt almost suffocating as we slowly moved through the giant half-ship. We followed a straight shot that came to a crossroads. From the dust on the floor and the limited light, it was clear most people went to the right. Straight ahead, it looked like something had shredded the metal corridor.

    Dust filled the air and I forced myself to breathe through my mouth in shallow breaths. Every step reminded me of the layout of the dropship I had been assigned. The right was the way to the cold tubes. The left led to cabins for the few crew who stayed awake. There would have been a bunch of cold tubes in the back, and then another large section in the front. The ones in the front must have been the ones at the other crash site, near the mining colony. It was amazing that anyone had survived in this part of the ship at all.

    I glanced toward the right. Suddenly, I heard fists pounding on the plastic tube, trying to rescue me as I struggled.

    ¡°You coming?¡±

    Doc¡¯s voice cut through the memory. I nodded, trying to push thoughts of my entombment, and rescue, back into the box they usually lived in.

    He headed to the left, taking a big step to not leave any footprints right in the line of sight. I didn¡¯t care as I followed. Two closed doors came up on either side, then another two. Both were open, and the one on the right looked like someone had taken a crowbar to open it. Doc squeezed through the opening.

    I followed.

    The room was a small cabin with another door that led to what had to be a closet of some kind. The Doc slid the door open with ease and moved inside.

    It wasn¡¯t a closet, but instead some kind of conference room. A large table had been in the middle. Now, it was on its side against the far wall. Shelves held empty bottles everywhere. Doc headed toward the table. ¡°The table is blocking the crack.¡±

    He shifted it a few feet, and light streamed into the room from a literal crack in the shell of the dropship. Something must have pierced it during the crash and then been yanked out. The jagged edges looked sharp as the metal bent outward. Wires dangled within the four-foot passage.

    ¡°In you go.¡± He shooed me inside.

    Reluctantly, I wrapped the cloak tight around my shoulders and got on my hands and knees to climb through the hole. It was tight, but I fit, moving as slowly as possible to not cut myself. Once my feet cleared the edge, he closed it back up behind me. I paused as soon as he did it.

    I really was going to do this. I had to. John was counting on me.

    A soft buzzing near my ear reminded me that Noseen was here as well. They didn¡¯t seem to speak while others were around, and I was actually rather glad for it. ¡°So you aren¡¯t wandering the jungle hunting. You are on a quest.¡±

    They hadn¡¯t really asked a question, but I responded anyway. ¡°I need to get a crystal to fix the shuttle. Leveling is just a side effect.¡±

    ¡°You are rather squishy still, even for this zone, to be on a quest."

    My thoughts paused. This zone? It went with the offhand comment he had made about a vacation. ¡°What do you mean about this zone?¡±

    This time they sounded confused. ¡°The Sanctuary? No one is over level 25 here.¡±

    The answer made me want to ask a whole bunch more questions, but I just didn¡¯t have time. I¡¯d have to remember to ask later, because right now I needed to be sneaking along the fence and getting to the freakin¡¯ tree. Daylight was moving quickly, and if I wanted to be hauling a crystal back to the shuttle today I had to get a move on. I made a note to ask more questions about this Sanctuary later, when I had time.

    I let out a sigh, then pulled my cloak tight around me as I crawled out of the dropship into the afternoon sun. The fence loomed not even three feet in front of me. This side stood in shadows, but not for much farther, the midday sun leaving few shadows in the shuttle landing area. This close to the fence, I realized I could fit between the cross segments and head to the edge of the jungle if I wanted.

    My gaze flickered overhead to the crystals humming every ten feet. They should keep me safe if I stayed close to the fence. The choice was more shadows to hide in, or the more likely safety of the crystals.

    I stuck with the fence and stayed crouched down, moving along the base. It didn¡¯t take long for my thighs to hurt, staying low to the ground. In a few places, bushes grew near the fence and I tracked my progress by how long it would be until the next bush. Nothing reached my senses that alarmed me, and I paused at the next fern. Birds were making noise high above in the trees and a large shadow flew overhead, making me freeze. My eyes locked on one of the flyers. Its wings stretched out wide on either side as it glided high through the air.

    Everything in the forest went quiet. I huddled next to the bush and the fence, trying to make myself as small as possible. Given how high up it flew, I couldn¡¯t tell how big the creature was, but the large beak and two legs stretching out behind it made me believe it could pick me up if it wanted. It glided toward the north at a slow pace, and I didn¡¯t dare move until I couldn¡¯t see it because of the tree cover in that direction. The next bush wasn¡¯t far, and I hurried over. I reached out to one of the branches and almost jerked back as the color of my skin shifted. It was almost green. The color deepened as I touched the fern, matching it.

    Camouflage, indeed.

 Chapter 23: Blending in

    Too bad my clothes couldn¡¯t do the same thing. There wasn¡¯t a chance I would wander the jungle naked with only my spear by my side, but part of me wondered. The sun was hot overhead, but it was on my side. Each moment cast more shade toward the side I crawled along, making it harder to see me. I was only a quarter of the way around the fence, and everything ached. Still, I didn¡¯t rest long before I headed on my way to the next bush. This section was a longer section, but the next bush was bigger.

    My foot ached a little, but I ignored it, along with the pain in my shoulders. All that mattered was keeping one foot in front of the other. Time ticked by slowly as I kept going. I stopped for a moment in the shadow of the bigger bush and tried to stretch my calves out. It helped a little, then I got back on track. From this angle, I saw Hawk out in front of the dropship near the crystals. He stared up at the tree that hid Jimmy.

    Jimmy had to be sending him some message, because the crystal flashed a few times in a pattern. I didn¡¯t know Morse code well enough to figure it out. Instead, I paused to make sure nothing moved in the area I was headed toward. That was the only direction the cats could enter the fence, since I¡¯d closed and locked the gate behind me when I¡¯d entered.

    Hawk¡¯s job was to distract the cats if they entered the fence. Or, if they were nearby, to make it so they didn¡¯t need to enter the fence to ¡®get¡¯ to him. He could handle one of the cats much more easily than I could given his level.

    When nothing else happened, I moved on. I needed to keep moving along the fence and get to the fallen tree. Each step brought me closer, making it easier to see what I needed to deal with. The next gap was the largest one I needed to cross. There wasn¡¯t any cover until a bunch of ferns that strung along, giving me cover most of the rest of the way toward the fallen tree.

    I moved faster than before, staying low to the ground and not letting my cloak flap around. The shadows from the trees provided at least some cover, but I still worried. The crystals in the fence would keep anything off me; the problem would be once I was near the trees and the non-grounded crystals on that end. The more time I had to cut the tree down and fix the crystals before a cat showed up, the better.

    My heart pounded as I crawled with sweat dripping down my back, but with each breath, I got closer to the bushes. Until, suddenly, I sat there, under the cover of the large ferns.

    I took a moment to check on Hawk. He slowly made his way toward the gate and I tried to figure out why he was already headed in that direction. I couldn¡¯t spot anything in the tree line. All I could do was focus on my own task, and deal with the bushes in between me and the other side of the fence. I walked a little more upright and made great progress. The ferns almost created a tunnel growing near the base of the fence, and the long tendrils arced out toward the sunlight in the cleared center of the compound. It was a pretty solid wall blocking me from view on the other side of the fence, and I took advantage of it.

    Something flashed near the corner of my eye and I froze, searching. The flier was back. Hawk pressed himself up against the fence near the gate. Up in the tall tree, I saw Jimmy¡¯s shadow near the tree trunk under the crystal. The flier was lower to the ground, and now I could tell its wingspan was huge. If it couldn¡¯t lift me, I¡¯d be shocked. The physics behind how something like that could fly blew my mind.

    It circled high above, circling around the outskirts of the fence. The only question that came to mind was if the cats would be scared of the flier, too. It was big enough to carry one of them off, so it stood to reason they would be. The jungle had gone silent again, and I took a chance to move along the fence, trying to maintain my stealth. The crystals that sparkled on the fence-line should keep the great flying thing away, and if the cats didn¡¯t dare come out, I could make some progress.

    Maybe.

    The shadow didn¡¯t move closer to me as I kept going. Finally, it vanished over the treetops again. It took longer for the natural sounds of the jungle to come back this time, like the small birds and creatures were afraid of being fooled again. First, the sounds of insects returned, then the birds. By that point, I was almost to the area with the tree leaning on the fence. Hawk stood at the gate, facing away from me toward the carcass of the cat that hung on the fence. He was doing something to it, but I couldn¡¯t make out exactly what.

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    ¡°That¡¯s what you need, wings.¡± The sound of Noseen made me jump and I didn¡¯t dare respond to him. The voice was close to my ear, and I could barely hear it, but that was also for the best. ¡°You need to be able to fly like any good devourer can.¡±

    Noseen wan¡¯t wrong, flying would help immensely. I resisted the urge to swat at him and instead tried to study the situation in front of me. It didn¡¯t take long for me to wish I hadn¡¯t agreed to cut the tree down using my crystal knife. From the angle I¡¯d approached from, I hadn¡¯t seen the entire picture.

    Now that I was up close and personal, it was clear. This wasn¡¯t a single-tree situation.

    It was two. And they were much, much bigger than I¡¯d thought.

    A smaller tree had come down first, but it wasn¡¯t clear if that had been during the meteor shower or before, since it looked more dried out than the other. The big tree was leaning on the fence, but also against the smaller dead tree. The branches were tangled together, and the whole mess leaned toward the north. The smaller tree had several large cracks in it that looked recent, further confusing matters.

    From where I stood, I could hear the small tree groaning in the breeze.

    If I cut in the center of the small tree near one of the cracks, the whole thing might come crashing down. That would clear the fenceline, but I needed to make sure it didn''t come crashing down on me.

    In the twenty-foot section of fence the two trees were leaning on, only one crystal hummed, sitting on the southern end. The closest one north of the fall that was still glowing was over thirty feet away. No wonder the cats could climb up the bigger tree and jump in. Two crystals hung in the broken section. One was cracked in several places where the big tree hit it, and the other dangled closer to the smaller tree. It was dark, so not grounded, but looked unbroken. It hung from several leather straps and wobbled in the breeze.

    I let out a shallow sigh. Keeping that crystal unbroken had to be a major priority. If I cut the smaller tree, the bigger tree might crush that crystal, and it was all I had to protect the gap once I fixed the fence and it could ground. One crystal for that length was going to be spotty, but with the other one broken, it was what we had. There wasn''t a chance this wasn''t going to suck.

    I ducked back close to the fence and searched for a place to climb. This side of the fence leaned inward, and I¡¯d have to go outside the fence to make it possible to get up without hanging upside-down. Thankfully, the cross sections had gaps big enough for me to crawl through. As soon as I was on the other side, my nerves wavered.

    Anything could attack me here.

    I stopped that train of thought as fast as I could. I¡¯d hiked through the jungle and made it all the way here. Who cared about the fence? Not letting myself think about it any longer, I started climbing. My goal was the intact crystal. I needed to cut it down, then set it on the dirt near the base to ground it. Even from there, it would provide some protection and start getting to full strength sooner. My path would take me over the smaller trunk, and under the bigger tree leaning against it.

    Even with the cloak wrapped around me I felt exposed. The trees leaning on the fence hid me from the open area, but from the jungle side, anything could spot me. Hopefully, the flier wouldn¡¯t circle back, since I had no cover.

    The fence shuddered as I climbed higher toward the hanging crystal. As I put my weight on the smaller trunk, it trembled for a moment before it stabilized.

    Not good.

    I moved a little faster, trying not to touch the trees as I climbed. Yanking out my knife, I cut at the two leather straps holding the crystal in place. I put my knife away while I held the football-sized crystal in one hand and climbed down slowly with the other.

    It was awkward, and harder than I thought it would be. I couldn¡¯t see where I was going very well, and the cross-sections were spaced a good distance apart. Climbing down was always harder than going up, but this climb was slow, and I couldn¡¯t afford to be slow.

    Not far to go.

    The hair rose on the back of my neck seconds before teeth latched onto my leg when I was only a few feet from the ground. I shook my foot, but lost my balance. My arms wrapped around the crystal, yanking it to my chest as I fell.

    I slammed onto the ground, the weight of the crystal forcing the air out of my lungs. Something lunged at my face and I rolled away, letting go of the crystal as its sharp edges dug into my chest.

    I slapped out with my free hand, hitting the thing as I frantically climbed to my feet. All it took was a second before my knife glowed in my hand. It sliced through the first Compy that lunged at me, taking off one of its little arms. Another flew through the air, but I dodged out of the way with a single step. My knife lengthened into a spear as I stabbed at the injured one. It went down with a sizzle.

 Chapter 24: Dinner Time

    [You have gained experience from a Compy.]

    My mind was suddenly filled with the image of Compy hearts. The sweet taste, almost like candy, threaded through my mind. I reached out and swung at the next one, killing it as well. A round of chirps echoed through the air as Compys fled from me. I leaned forward, wanting to continue the fight, but I hesitated as the crystal caught my eye.

    [You have gained experience from a Compy.]

    My stomach growled and it felt like the ground shook. As I stared at the two dead Compys, my mouth watered. I crashed to my knees and used my knife to cut open the first one. It only took seconds before I shoved the sweet warm heart into my mouth.

    I closed my eyes, savoring the sweet candy taste. Everything wobbled around me, and my leg went numb. My eyes snapped open.

    [You have devoured a Compy and gained insight into Venomous Bite.]

    I¡¯d been bit. My calf bled from the bite mark. It was small, but it was enough to make me pay attention. ¡°Shit,¡± I muttered as I yanked out my pack. I tied a bandage around my pant leg, tossing the pack back into my inventory. No wonder the ground felt like it was moving.

    ¡°You got bit, I thought you were smart.¡± Noseens voice sounded strange.

    A yell came from the far side of the compound and I tried to focus to see through the fence. In the distance, on the other side of the compound and the fence, Hawk fought against a cat.

    Focus!

    I tossed the uneaten Compy body into my inventory and then I raced to the crystal. My hands slipped trying to pick it up, and I stumbled through the cross pieces in the fence to the other side.

    The midpoint, I needed to find the midpoint between the two working crystals.

    Glancing up at them, I gave it my best shot, flattening the area on the ground next to the fence before placing the crystal. I tried to wiggle it around, but it was solid. After a few seconds, it began to hum way too loud in my ears.

    I went to grab my knife, but it wasn¡¯t on my belt. Peeking through the fence, I saw that it was right where I¡¯d dropped it, next to the butchered Compy carcass. It took too long for me to make it back through the fence, grab it, then return to the relatively safe side. The humming from the crystal rang so loud and it made it even harder to focus on the next steps.

    Cutting the tree, that was next.

    I shook my head, trying to clear my thoughts as I studied the smaller tree. I had to find a way to weaken it with the goal of making the bigger trunk fall along the fence instead of into it. Gazing up at the small tree, I found a good spot to try my plan, but I needed to climb up the fence and I didn¡¯t dare do it on the other side.

    My vision wobbled as I made sure to put my knife where it belonged on my belt and started my climb up. My limbs trembled and pain shot up my leg with each step. Yet, I didn¡¯t stop. I couldn¡¯t. I was dangling from the underside of the tilted fence, but it was this or risk more Compy bites.

    Finally, I was close enough to grab the knife and focus on the tip. It took two tries before it glowed hot enough to start to burn through the wood of the smaller tree.

    The small tree shuddered before I was all the way through, and then it cracked. Pain lanced along my fingers as the trees came crashing down, scraping them. I let go at the pain, falling to the ground again, this time from almost the height of the fence. The fence spun in the air along with the clouds above me as my vision blurred.

    The sound of the trees crashing to the ground echoed through the forest. I raised my head to see that the large tree, thankfully, had fallen along the fence, landing on top of the remains of the smaller one.

    The fence still leaned in, but not as far as before.

    Everything ached, and the clouds in the sky danced as I lay there. My mind latched on to the fact that I had another Compy heart to eat in my inventory. Somehow, that got me to sit up and then find my knife, which was still on my belt. I almost lost a finger trying to force the crystal tip to glow, but, after what seemed like forever, I bit down on the heart.

    The sweetness warmed me from the inside. Then the notification woke me up from my daze, my head clearing.

    [You have devoured a Compy and gained major insight into Venomous Bite.]

    [Skill Unlocked: You have unlocked a potential skill: Venomous Bite.]

    The heat and pain coming from the bite mark on my leg lessened. I realized one of the guys could come over at any moment and find me chomping down on the raw dino, and I didn¡¯t think that¡¯d be good. Part of me felt like I should want to throw up, the other didn¡¯t care. It took every ounce of willpower I had to stop eating the meat. With effort, everything got tossed into my inventory, and I wiped at my mouth hoping that my face was clean enough to pass. The whole world still had a surreal quality to it as I looked around, but it wasn¡¯t as bad as before. At least the spinning had reduced.

    I didn''t know what a potential skill was, but now was not the time to try to figure it out. Every time I tried to think hard, a humming sound interrupted my thoughts. I climbed to my feet to see if I could leave the crystal where it was, or if I should move it closer to the fence. The humming softened a little and I took that as a sign of the venom flushing itself out of my body.

    I crept toward the fence and the large tree heap, trying to spot a better location for the crystal. The thick trunk would work. From within the fence, I pulled out my knife and carved a flat area into the top edge of the trunk to level it out. It took longer than it should have, since my hands shook and I didn¡¯t want to injure myself further. With a grunt, I finally lifted the crystal up, stopping the hum. Then, I tried to fit it into the flat area I had carved.

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    It took some more adjustment before the crystal sat in a nice carved spot, unable to move. I waited until the hum picked up again before turning back toward the dropship. This time, I didn¡¯t stick to the shadows, and instead I slowly made my way across the open dirt. My foot ached since the damn Compy had taken a bite out of the same leg that was already injured. I guess that meant at least one leg was good, though right now, that wasn¡¯t much comfort.

    Hawk sat on the ground near the two crystals, skinning a cat carcass. There was a second, larger one by his side. He glanced up as I approached. ¡°You do good work.¡±

    ¡°I got the job done.¡±

    He eyed the white bandage on my leg. ¡°You better have Doc look at that. What happened, cat?¡±

    ¡°Compy got a bite in while I was on the other side of the fence.¡±

    ¡°Little fuckers can be fast.¡±

    I nodded, still feeling off.

    ¡°You better drink lots of water, and get some rest.¡±

    ¡°No rest for the wicked,¡± I muttered as I entered the open wooden doors in search of Doc. My stomach growled again, which was strange since I¡¯d just devoured something. I ignored it for the moment, searching the dim room. Doc sat next to Denver¡¯s cot, holding a mug of water. His gaze snapped to me as I entered.

    ¡°The fence fixer returns! I¡¯m surprised.¡± He eyed me up and down, then saw the bandage. ¡°That makes more sense.¡± He stood up and moved over to the bench. ¡°Let¡¯s see your leg. What was it?¡±

    ¡°Compy¡­¡±

    His face darkened and he frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not good¡­¡± I sat down and undid the bandage before pulling the pant leg up, which had bloodstains on it.

    The bite mark was perfectly formed, and it hurt as Doc prodded it. ¡°Hmmm¡­ not too much venom, that¡¯s good. Surprisingly, you''re walking, so you must have a natural resistance. Normally, people get sleepy and unfocused.¡±

    He grabbed the water jug from the table and poured some over the wound before using the bandage to wipe away a little grime. The water felt surprisingly good, cooling the area down. ¡°No stitches, but I wish we had some glue to seal any blood in. You shouldn¡¯t leave the fenced area until this closes. If you were a higher level, this¡¯d be nothing.¡±

    ¡°I know,¡± I muttered. My head did feel a little fuzzy, but it wasn¡¯t bad. Yet, his concern about leaving the fence before it clotted up bothered me. John was waiting for me, and would run out of food and water soon if I didn¡¯t get back.

    ¡°Eat something, drink some water, and rest a little.¡± He pointed to the darkened doorway. ¡°There are more cots down the hall to the right. You should take a short nap to recover.¡± His eyes didn¡¯t leave the bite mark, and I wished I knew what he wasn¡¯t saying.

    I nodded, standing up, and then stumbled toward the darkened doorway. My calf didn¡¯t hurt as much as I thought it should, but I tried to keep my weight off it as I traveled down the dark metal corridor. Turning right at the intersection we¡¯d gone left at before, I found a bunk room set up.

    Two beds looked like they¡¯d been slept in, but the other six were clean and made. I hobbled over to one deeper in the room and sat down. The only light source was a single crystal attached somehow to the ceiling. My stomach growled again.

    ¡°You need to eat,¡± said Noseen. ¡°That doctor is a hack. Lots of food, some water, and a little nap will help, but that bite isn¡¯t anything for one of us.¡±

    ¡°I wondered if you had any comments,¡± I whispered back.

    ¡°You are mostly smart, but sometimes dumb. The entertainment value is immense. Wings would help the falling problem you have.¡±

    Great, I was entertainment to a mosquito.

    Shaking my head, I pulled out more Compy meat. This time I was able to keep my wits about me and eat it cleanly. Chunk after chunk went down without ever feeling full. The bones I tossed back in my inventory, which I¡¯d have to clean out once I left the fence.

    I also finished off the little para meat I had left, cleaning out my inventory of all the raw meat.

    I still didn¡¯t feel full, but I did feel better. Next was a few gulps of water from my canteen, then I laid back on the bed.

    ¡°Nap, I¡¯ll keep watch. I don¡¯t trust that Doc.¡±

    I closed my eyes, but I kept focusing on my hearing to try and tell if anyone was headed my way. After several minutes, I instead tried to concentrate on my breathing to fall asleep. It worked

    A buzzing close to my ear caused me to wake up in panic.

    ¡°Time to wake up,¡± said Noseen. ¡°They are talking about you.¡±

    My heart pounded in my chest and it took a few moments for my breathing to return to normal. My calf was doing substantially better, which was good.

    [Skill Unlocked: You have unlocked a potential skill: Consumption Healing.]

    Before getting up I opened my stat sheet, feeling clear-headed enough to dig into potential skills. I didn¡¯t know what they were.

    [Potential Skills:

    Venomous Bite: Grow glands in your body that let you produce a weak venom that you spread via your bite. Increase the knowledge of biological venom and poisons.

    Consumption Healing: Devour calories to slightly speed up the pace of your natural healing abilities.]

    The consumption healing skill looked overpowered as hell, though I knew most people got offered an increase to healing sometime around level ten. I¡¯d just gotten it early, and I eagerly agreed to add it to my skills.

    Next to Skills appeared a ¡®8/10¡¯. The number of skills I could learn was limited, and the more I stared at venomous bite, the less I wanted to learn it. Still, the resistance I seemed to get from it was handy. It had kept me upright already. So I left it there under potential skills for now. Maybe when I hit 10/10 skills I¡¯d need to do something with it, but for now it wasn¡¯t doing any harm.

    Finally, I got up and stretched, then headed back to the main area. The smell of cooking meat filled the air. Hawk sat at the table with a mug of water, with Doc facing him. They spoke softly. Both glanced up as I entered. I noticed coals burning near the door with a large pot sitting on a grate above them.

    ¡°I was wondering when you would get up,¡± said Hawk. ¡°Glad to see you didn¡¯t die in your sleep.¡±

    ¡°I hadn¡¯t known that was an option.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s not,¡± buzzed Noseen softly. ¡°Idiots.¡±

    Hawk glanced at the Doc. ¡°Well, you fixed the fence, and I made some progress on repairing the path to the tree. Jimmy still won¡¯t come down, but once those crystals completely ground he¡¯ll get back inside the safe zone. Everyone needs sleep after all.¡±

    I approached the pair, but stayed standing. ¡°So, does that mean I can take a crystal and go?¡±

    The Doc glanced at Hawk, his fingers tapping on the table.

    ¡°Potentially¡­¡± said Hawk. ¡°That crystal is heavy, and I doubt you can move it back to the shuttle on your own, even with your new levels.¡± He leaned closer to me. ¡°Here''s my deal. You help us fill up all our water containers at the spring, and I will let you borrow a sled to get it back to the shuttle. Plus, I''ll even toss in a shower.¡±

    A sled would speed up my progress through the jungle, especially if the crystal was as heavy as Hawk made it out to be. ¡°Let me see how heavy it is¡­¡± I headed toward the doorway without waiting for a response. The crystals in front of the door had moved. One now sat in the center of the doorway, about ten feet out from the opening. The other was off to one side, still humming softly.

    Time had passed, more than I¡¯d thought. It had to be mid-afternoon already, and my stomach lurched. This trip to the spring to fill up their water needed to be fast, really fast. Otherwise, soon after I left it¡¯d be dark out.

    I went to the crystal that was set to the side and tried to pick it up. I lifted it slowly in the air. It was doable, but not while trying not to die on my way back. I¡¯d be a sitting duck. Carefully, I set it back down and returned inside. ¡°You¡¯ve got a deal.¡± Time was ticking, and just maybe the sled would help speed things up.

    ¡°You are only borrowing the sled. We will need it back,¡± said Hawk with a dark look.

    ¡°Of course. I know how important they are, to all of us.¡±

 Chapter 25: Trials of Water

    Doc jumped to his feet, his eyes wide. ¡°I should stay here and watch Denver." He nodded frantically. "He¡¯s my buddy, after all.¡±

    Hawk growled. ¡°No chance, Doc. It¡¯ll take all three of us, since we don¡¯t know if the rest of the cats are prowling.¡± His face turned red and his hands clenched into fists as he stared at Doc.

    ¡°I thought you wanted that bottle of moonshine I had,¡± I said. Both of them turned in my direction.

    ¡°Well, I mean, if you¡¯re offering¡­¡± muttered the Doc, licking his lips. ¡°I guess I could help out. For compensation, of course.¡± He pointed at my leg. ¡°First, I gotta check you out to make sure it''s safe for you to leave.¡±

    I walked over to where he sat on the bench and placed my foot next to him with my knee bent. The bite mark looked substantially better. A few of the puncture wounds from the teeth were already closed.

    ¡°This is¡­ You must have gotten a healing skill.¡± His head bobbed. ¡°I wish I could unlock one.¡±

    Hawk snorted. ¡°Then you couldn¡¯t get drunk, dumbass.¡±

    Doc froze at the former soldier¡¯s words, like he hadn¡¯t thought of the connection between the two. He didn¡¯t say anything.

    I tucked my pant leg back into my boot and realized the dried blood from the cloth was gone.

    ¡°Smart move, cleaning up the blood,¡± said Doc.

    I nodded, but inside I wondered what¡¯d happened to it, since I¡¯d done no such thing. Buzzing came from my shoulder and Noseen chuckled.

    Well, he was a blood devourer after all. I almost glared at the little bug, wondering when I¡¯d had blood on other bits of clothing.

    Quickly, I moved to the empty containers near the wall and started stacking them into my inventory.

    ¡°The stew will be done shortly,¡± said Hawk. ¡°We should eat something before we go.¡±

    I didn¡¯t let the frustration show on my face or in my voice. ¡°Do we have time for that, and to make it back before dark?¡± After I vanished the last jug, I turned around.

    ¡°We have plenty of time,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°It isn¡¯t far. That''s the only reason we haven¡¯t left yet. I don¡¯t want to be caught out there after dark, either.¡±

    That let some of the hot steam out of my chest. Plus, free food would be good since I still didn¡¯t feel full.

    Hawk moved over to the pot and used a thick rag to pull the top off. He came back carrying two bowls. ¡°Doc, fetch your own.¡± One bowl he set near me with a grin. It was a meat stew, with chunks of something else in it. ¡°Cat stew with tubers that are native. We¡¯ve been eating them for ages.¡±

    Doc got his own bowl and came back with forks. Hawk started eating using a knife he¡¯d pulled out from somewhere.

    I took the fork gratefully, though it felt weird in my hands. The meat wasn''t bad, though it had a strong smell, and the tubers tasted a little nutty. The texture was a little strange, since the meat was cooked, and I hadn¡¯t been eating anything cooked lately. It felt weird in my mouth, but I ate it anyway. Food was food.

    [You have devoured an Armored Jungle Cat. You have gained a minor insight into stealth.]

    The notification almost caused me to pause eating, but I kept going. I didn''t think I could devour things after cooking them, but I''d take it. I didn¡¯t want to slow down, since I had a lot to do and still had to get back to John. The sooner I was done with this stew, the better, then we could get a move on. Not surprisingly I was the first one done, bowl empty. I resisted licking the inside of it; I had to admit it had been pretty decent.

    ¡°You can eat,¡± said Doc. He glanced at Hawk.

    ¡°I¡¯m not level ten yet, so I eat like we did before.¡± They would know what I meant.

    Hawk nodded, but Doc didn¡¯t look convinced.

    Surprisingly, I felt better after having eaten again. My stomach was satisfied for the moment, and I waited impatiently for the others to finish up the stew, thinking about my next steps. After the shuttle was up and running, we¡¯d need to come back here to drop the sled off and take Denver to the mines or the colony. Somewhere he could get the medical attention he needed, at any rate.

    Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.

    ¡°How¡¯s Denver doing?¡± I asked, without thinking.

    Doc brightened. ¡°I think he¡¯s gonna make it. His fever broke earlier, when you were napping. Hopefully, he¡¯ll wake up tonight. We¡¯ll feed him, and in a couple of days he¡¯ll be good as new.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good news,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°I take it, then, you won¡¯t be leaving?¡± I glanced between the two of them.

    ¡°Not a chance, ¡° said Hawk. ¡°We will keep this settlement occupied. Now, hopefully, we can recruit a few new folks. Maybe some folks who want to level, either from the mines or the colony.¡± This was a switch from what he¡¯d spoken about before, but I understood.

    ¡°Has Jimmy heard anything from them?¡±

    ¡°We can¡¯t see that far during the day. Once nightfall hits, he¡¯ll try again,¡± said Hawk, who focused on his bowl.

    I¡¯d be gone before nightfall hit; I had to be. Otherwise, I was going to be late back to the shuttle, and who knew what John would do in that case. Once we came back with the shuttle, they should have news from the colony, and hopefully the mines.

    An image of the craters from the meteor shower came to mind, and I remembered that most of the colony was still in tents. There was nothing I could do about that, though. I had to focus on fixing the shuttle, and helping my brother. To do that, I needed to fill these jugs with water.

    Their bowls were empty. ¡°You guys ready?¡±

    Hawk pushed back from the table. ¡°Let¡¯s get this done.¡± He stretched out overhead and smiled.

    I stood up, stretched, and headed toward the door, pulling my cloak around my shoulders as I walked. Maybe at the mines I could bargain for armor, or something better. All I had were my normal everyday clothes, and the cloak John had lent me. Some of the hunters had leather armor that others had made. The leatherworking profession was in high demand, but maybe now I could prove I needed something more and could request armor.

    Outside, I noticed two frames were set up along one side of the dropship. They were stretching out the furs from the cats.

    ¡°Are you a leather worker?¡± I asked Hawk, puzzled.

    ¡°Yeah, normally I don¡¯t have anything nice to work with.¡± He motioned to the frames. ¡°The miners always want more gloves. Denver is better at it.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you can make some armor, I¡¯d love to get some more protection.¡± I motioned to my linen clothes. "I don''t want to think about how I''m going to get yelled at when I request a different set of clothes from the Quartermaster."

    Hawk chuckled. ¡°The great Xander is limiting resources, huh?¡±

    I tilted my head, thinking about it as we slowly walked toward the doorway in the fence. ¡°I mean, only the main hunters currently have armor.¡± Jas and Mary wore armor, but they spent a ton of time out in the jungle. Though, given Mary''s offer, maybe the two of them were splitting up to help others level up.

    ¡°But how are those main hungers chosen?¡±

    I didn¡¯t answer, since I didn¡¯t know. There were hundreds of little things I accepted without thinking about them. My focus had been on gaining a class, and getting to level ten. I only needed three more levels to go to hit my target, and I couldn''t help but smile to myself. Now here I was, working on that goal while wondering how best to protect myself.

    During the dino hunt, Len had made the decisions on who did what, including who fought with the target. No one else had commented, but Mary and Jas had gotten the bulk of the experience for that. Why were they chosen, and not others?

    ¡°Good to see that you''re a thinker and not a follower,¡± added Hawk. ¡°You¡¯re like your dad.¡±

    That brought up a good point. Dad owned armor, and not the leather type. It was in a crate he stored in the tent we were using. Black, hardened body armor from Earth. The crate was locked with a code, and I doubted anyone else but the family knew he had it. It also held other things, like a baton and a useless rifle set. All of them were reminders of his time in the military, yet he hadn¡¯t left them behind, he¡¯d brought them with him. Just locked in the crate.

    What else was in there?

    ¡°You both ready?¡± asked Hawk, looking between Doc and me.

    My mind snapped back to the present and I pulled out my crystal knife. We were at the gate that led out of the fence. Doc stood next to me, silent, his face pale. He held a metal knife in one hand, and the other fluttered next to him in the air.

    Hawk nodded at us and removed the thick board holding the gate shut.

    I switched my attention to the tree line, moving my gaze back and forth in either direction. Leaves shifted in the hot breeze, but nothing else. I focused my hearing, trying to listen to anything that sounded different, but again, nothing stood out.

    Doc went first, turning toward the left. I followed, and Hawk brought up the rear. He shut the gate behind us, but didn¡¯t latch it before he pulled his bow off his shoulder and knocked an arrow.

    There was a trail I hadn¡¯t noticed before that wound through the treeline, heading north. Doc moved slowly down the dirt path, jerking each time he moved his head. My goal was to stay quiet, and I noticed each twig or dry leaf on the trail, avoiding them as best I could. The sounds of birds grew louder the deeper down the trail we went. Doc paused, his shoulders almost at his ears as he pointed his knife.

    I peeked over his shoulder, trying to figure out what was wrong. A smell hit me, and I wasn¡¯t sure if it was good or bad. My mouth watered, making it clear it could be food. Then again, food seemed to be a pretty broad category for me lately.

    The trail widened after passing between two trees. Several trees had fallen or been dragged off to one side, creating a circle. In the center of the trees lay two dead cats, broken in pieces and with parts torn to shreds. Small birds littered the trees and ground, some feasting on the gruesome remains of the two cats.

    Hawk moved up past my shoulder and motioned for Doc to continue down the trail. He scanned the sky, his bow held tight. Doc first moved reluctantly, then more quickly, down the path toward denser jungle. I followed, praying whatever had taken out the cats wasn¡¯t still around. I avoided bits of carnage on the path, wondering why there was so much food just sitting there. Usually, predators and scavengers would eat this up fast. Instead, all I saw were small birds.

 Chapter 26: Necessities

    After the next bunch of trees, the area opened up, with a break in the canopy though giant leaves stretched out toward the sun. Rough boulders took over creating a small gully and a narrow rocky path that led deeper into the jungle. The sound of water gurgling came from between the rocks as we moved closer.

    Doc moved to one side and sat down on a boulder near the path. He pointed toward water trickling from a crack in the biggest rocks near the top of the gully.

    Hawk took up a spot hidden in some shadows near the top of the boulder, his bow out and ready.

    Water pooled in a small area before flowing down the narrow pebbles, but I knew it was better to get it straight from the source. I climbed up the two rocks, being careful on the moss and damp surface. Finding a position to keep dry as I filled the jugs wasn¡¯t hard given the small trickle of water. I got started and pulled out the first empty jug. The sound of water filling the jug took over from the bubbling creek. Surprisingly, it didn¡¯t take long to fill each of the large jugs. The flow of water was a lot more than it seemed when it was running down into the little pool. Once I had half of their jugs filled, I filled the ones in my inventory stone, along with my canteen. I switched back to filling the rest of the jugs for the compound.

    My shoulders ached a little from the hunched-over position and the weight of each jug as it filled with water, but they quickly vanished into my inventory stone once full, so I didn¡¯t have to hold them for long once I was done with each.

    The sound of something flapping through the light breeze drew me out of my trance, watching the jug fill up. The jug I was filling I tossed into my inventory as I scrambled to pull my knife out. An arrow flew through the air, followed by a second, before I¡¯d even spotted the creature. Doc stabbed at the football-sized bird that had already been hit by the arrows. Feathers covered it, and two wicked-looking talons stuck out. It crashed to the ground and everything around us went quiet for a moment. Then the jungle sounds picked up again.

    Doc picked it up, bringing it closer to me. ¡°Care to toss this in your inventory? Looks like fowl for dinner tonight.¡±

    I added it to my inventory with a nod from Hawk. He was already searching the surroundings for anything else to hunt. I tucked my knife away and went back to filling the last few jugs. Hawk¡¯s arrows were just so useful, they¡¯d taken out the bird before I¡¯d had a chance. His reaction speed was so much faster than mine, which I hadn''t expected. It gave me something to work toward. It was clear, the whole reason I was even here was for the inventory stone. Otherwise, I wasn¡¯t really needed.

    I needed to grow. Yes, I had made it through the jungle on my own and at a low level, but this was an easy example of how much weaker I was compared to him. After a moment of thought, I realized the jug I was holding was full and about to overflow, and I went back to paying attention to my job of filling jugs, this time keeping my ears open to any change in the sounds surrounding us.

    The last thing I did was cup my hands under the water and take a deep drink. Then I washed my face and hands. If I¡¯d had more time, I¡¯d be tempted to wash the rest of me, but even just my hands and face felt great. I stretched upward and then carefully climbed down the two boulders to the dirt path below. Not as much time had passed as I¡¯d thought, I realized, as I took note of where the sun was in the sky. Hawk had been right that this would be a quick job.

    Doc snapped upright, ready to head back down the path, but he waited for Hawk. Neither man said anything, but this time Hawk took the lead. He had to be using some stealth skill as his form almost blurred in front of me, even as I focused on trying to track him.

    I changed my focus to my own stealth skill, trying to be unseen in the shadows of the trees. Hawk paused when he got to the clearing with the dead cats. He motioned me forward and mouthed for me to move fast to the other side.

    I took a glance around, seeing nothing different before I sprinted across the space, safely making it to the shadows of the far trees. I paused, waiting for Doc next to a large fern. He quickly followed, making it to my side, but then everything went quiet. The birds that had been eating all stopped making noise, and then quickly took to the air in a rush of sound and feathers.

    I clenched my knife in one hand, trying to spot what had spooked them, and kept the other out, ready to dodge if I needed to.

    Hawk made some hand motions that I didn¡¯t know from the other side of the clearing.

    Then the shadow crossed over the clearing. It stretched from one side to the other, before moving away.

    My heart pounded as I shrunk farther into the shadows of the trees. The great flier circled again over the area, before moving out of sight. It was large, bigger than I¡¯d ever seen, bigger than I thought could be possible. Its wings stretched out as it spun in lazy circles in the air. Its beak came to a sharp point, and beady eyes searched the trees. Its legs pointed down, ending with sharp talons. Those talons were holding something large.

    It spun closer to the clearing and dropped the object. The creature slammed into the ground near the edge of the tree trunks, splitting open and filling the air with the scent of blood. If it hadn¡¯t been dead before, it was now. I couldn''t tell what it had been, but still my mouth watered.

    Doc took off down the dirt path, moving quickly but quietly, and leaving me and Hawk behind. I glanced at Hawk, but he waved me on. Mouthing the word ¡®go!¡¯¡¯

    Yet, I hesitated, waiting until the flier twisted out of sight in the air. My stomach growled at the smell of the dead creature, but with effort I turned and fled. I didn¡¯t move as fast as Doc, though I probably could have. Instead, my focus was on staying under the shadows of the trees and being as silent as possible.

    [You have increased your stealth skill.]

    The notification made me smile, even though every moment I expected to feel talons piercing my shoulders and lifting me from the ground. I kept my eyes peeled, keeping my cloak around me, but the shadow didn¡¯t appear above. By the time I got to the area around the fence, Doc was nowhere to be seen. The gap between the fence and the trees made me nervous. So I waited, just watching and staying hidden.

    Time ticked by, but I wanted to be sure as I searched the sky. That thing could fly fast and silent, and I didn¡¯t want to be the next thing dropped in that clearing to splatter among the trees.

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    Finally, I moved, making my way close to the fence, and along the edge of it toward the gate. A shadow moving within the trees caused me to freeze. My heart pounded as I gripped my knife, ready to spring into action.

    Hawk appeared, his edges blurring as he approached. He moved behind me and motioned for me to continue toward the gate.

    I started walking again, but it took several moments for my body and my thumping heart to calm down. At the door, I went first and Hawk paused behind me, making hand signals to the treetop. To my shock, Jimmy appeared, climbing down from the platform. Hawk stayed at the open gate with his bow out and an arrow notched, keeping watch.

    Jimmy didn¡¯t take long to reach the bottom of the tall tree. He was covered in sweat as he carefully walked down the pathway, his head darting to either side with his bow out and an arrow ready. A few of the sections that had been missing crystal shards now had them; Hawk must have been busy while I¡¯d napped.

    Once Jimmy stood inside the fence, Hawk closed it with the wooden brace.

    ¡°The flier landed to eat,¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°I saw,¡± replied Jimmy. ¡°It looks like it''s closer than the last one.¡±

    My mouth dropped, but I followed silently, still tense. Hawk had stuck around to watch the flier, and waited until it¡¯d landed before coming back.

    ¡°It''s a bigger concern than those cats,¡± muttered Hawk once we were near the dropship. ¡°Can¡¯t catch a break out here.¡±

    Doc appeared at the opening, noticing Jimmy. ¡°Finally,¡± he said. Then he pointed at me. ¡°You owe me a bottle, which I need after that fright. I shouldn¡¯t have been out there to begin with. What could I do against that thing?¡± Doc shook at his own words, whether from fear or withdrawal I couldn¡¯t tell. He glared at Jimmy.

    Jimmy entered the dropship, his shoulders relaxing for the first time since I¡¯d seen him, but he just ignored Doc.

    ¡°That flier is building a nest.¡± Hawk rolled his eyes at the scene Doc was making. ¡°It isn¡¯t complete, but it¡¯s getting there. I think it cleaned up the cat pride, which is a positive. It dropped one of those cats.¡±

    ¡°Just great. We finally fix the fence, now we have a flier to deal with,¡± mumbled Doc. He held his hands out toward me. ¡°At least the cats are gone. Gimme the bottle.¡±

    I headed into the common area, ignoring his outstretched hands, and pulled out a filled water jug, putting it where I¡¯d found the empties. Once I¡¯d unloaded all of them, I turned toward Doc, and placed the bottle on the table.

    Jimmy sat at the bench, drinking out of a mug. He nodded at the water supply. ¡°You did good with helping with the fence, and the water.¡±

    ¡°You better savor that,¡± I said to Doc after nodding at Jimmy. ¡°I don¡¯t know how much more there will be.¡± My mind went to the fact that Greg was gone. I didn¡¯t know who else had taken the profession of booze-making, but it couldn¡¯t be widespread, given the Council¡¯s views on alcohol.

    Doc shrugged and took the bottle before disappearing into the back doorway. Hawk still stood outside by the crystal. He had his knife in one hand, and a long stick in the other, carving it into a point. It looked like the beginnings of a spear.

    Doc unexpectedly appeared behind me with a sled. He carefully set it on the ground before vanishing again. It was narrower than the ones we used at the colony. Slightly smaller, as well. It would fit maybe four jugs of water on it. The crystal would have plenty of room, though, and that was what mattered. A thick rope was attached to the front of it, connected to both corners. The small crystals along the back edge would help lighten the load once it was moving. Right now, though, it rested solidly against the ground.

    ¡°That¡¯s yours to borrow,¡± said Hawk. ¡°You better bring it back.¡±

    ¡°I will,¡± I said, looking at it from a few different angles and trying to figure out the best way to do this. ¡°What are you going to do about the flier?¡± I asked, not sure I wanted to know, but sure I needed to.

    ¡°Nothing for now. I need a plan, and Denver to be back to normal. The three of us should be able to take it with arrows.¡± He paused his carving for a moment before nodding. ¡°And a trap. Don¡¯t worry about the flier, you aren¡¯t strong enough to tackle something like that with us.¡± He studied me for a moment before turning back to the spear.

    I shook my head. ¡°Wasn¡¯t planning on it.¡± I pointed at the crystal. ¡°I need to get moving, my brother¡¯s waiting on me.¡± If the flier was eating, it meant I needed to move now while it was occupied. Though, things quieted in the jungle with a flier overhead, which had its advantages. There were both pros and cons to every situation. The vision of those talons tended to slide things over into the ¡®con¡¯ column pretty quick, though.

    ¡°Tell him about the flier, it''s gonna mean he needs to time his stops better. Be less sloppy.¡± He paused, like he wanted to say more, but didn¡¯t.

    I shrugged. John was going to do what John would do, but I would pass along the information. ¡°I will.¡± Moving closer to the crystal, I put my knife away and studied it. This had to work.

    I picked up the crystal and placed it on the center of the sled. Then, I looked at Hawk. ¡°Do you have any straps I can borrow?"

    He snorted and pointed inside.

    Once inside, I glanced around the common room, finding a pile of rope, straps, and other odds and ends. This was exactly what I needed. It didn¡¯t take long for me to attach the crystal to the sled, making sure it wouldn¡¯t move around. Within the time it took, the giant thing had already started humming. Now that it sat immobile on the sled, it should start grounding every time I stopped.

    That would make tonight safer out there, at least. I¡¯d need to stop early enough for a charge to start forming if I didn''t plan to climb a tree.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting late,¡± said Hawk. ¡°Are you sure you don¡¯t want to wait to set out until morning?¡±

    The sun was headed toward the horizon, but I had at least two or three hours of light before shadows took over, even under the thick canopy. That might give me enough distance that I could finish the hike the next day and still make it back to the shuttle on time, if on the later edge of my estimate. Hopefully, John would be ok. He had to be, I had to believe it. I just had to do everything I could.

    ¡°I have to try to make the deadline. I don¡¯t want John to worry.¡± In all honesty, I worried he hadn¡¯t saved enough water or food for himself. I just didn¡¯t know. The supplies he¡¯d given me would have lasted him twice as long, given his level, but I¡¯d needed them. Hopefully, he hadn¡¯t needed them, too.

    ¡°This is boring, you should make progress,¡± buzzed Noseen.

    I almost flinched at the sound, but he was right. I needed to make progress.

    ¡°I hope everything works out and we see you soon with the shuttle,¡± said Hawk. He stood up and held out a hand for me to shake.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± I said, shaking his hand. Then I stepped in the rope loop and pulled the sled forward. The crystals activated, and the sled suddenly grew lighter, almost making me stumble. Hawk followed me toward the gate in the fence and opened it, holding it for me as I traveled through.

    ¡°See you soon,¡± I said, then I headed toward the south along the fence. I still remembered the last place I had carved a sign on a tree, and I¡¯d need to continue from there. Then, if everything went according to plan, I could follow the carvings in the trees like bread crumbs along a trail, all the way to the shuttle. Breaking through the treeline bushes was hard with the sled, small though it was relative to the cargo sleds back at the colony. Pushing and shoving the sled through the bushes was rough, though the lighter weight meant at least I wasn¡¯t dragging it on the ground, too. This would take some getting used to. I stopped my struggling walk and looked up, finally spotting the last carving I¡¯d made.

    ¡°Okay, this should be possible,¡± I muttered.

    ¡°I mean, as long as you don¡¯t get lost, you should be okay, though it''s not like you created a path or anything,¡± said Noseen. ¡°This has been one strange adventure you are on.¡±

 Chapter 27: Back on the Road Again

    ¡°The circumstances are what they are. I mean, we crashed, and I needed another one of these.¡±

    Noseen buzzed, but didn¡¯t make a comment as I kept going forward.

    I spotted the next carving when I remembered the bird in my inventory that Doc and Hawk had caught. ¡°I guess we¡¯re the ones having bird for dinner.¡± I hadn¡¯t taken Hawk up on that shower offer, and needed to remember it when John and I arrived back with the shuttle.

    My stomach growled in response and I wanted to grumble. ¡°Though, if I stop now, I won''t have the smell of dead bird around where I¡¯m sleeping¡­¡± Despite that, I kept moving through the trees toward where I was certain the next carving was. Eventually, I spotted it, and headed toward it, one foot in front of the other. It¡¯d been a hellishly long day, but the further I got, the more likely I¡¯d make it back tomorrow.

    Pulling the rope was both harder and easier than I¡¯d expected. The weight wasn¡¯t bad, but if the sled couldn¡¯t get over or through something, I had to free it before continuing. I paused next to the base of the next marked tree, letting the rope fall. Time for a snack.

    It didn¡¯t take long for me to yank the bird out and slice through the center of it. No matter how careful I tried to be, though, feathers got everywhere.

    Noseen chuckled at my antics, as I just focused on trying to cut to the heart. Finally, I found it and stuffed it into my mouth.

    [You have devoured a Ground Pheasant. You have gained insight into Quickness.]

    While swallowing, I opened my stat sheet to find an asterisk next to my stat listing for Quickness. It hadn¡¯t increased, but the asterisk has to mean something. The rest of the bird was thin and I quickly grew impatient trying to skin a leg.

    A growl escaped my throat, and Noseen chuckled again.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t really worth much else. Too much work for you with the feathers¡­ If only you were a blood devourer like me.¡±

    ¡°Feel free,¡± I said while motioning to the bird. Seconds later it crumbled in my hands, even the feathers that were still attached. Everything turned to dust, which caused me to start coughing. The blood that was on my hands vanished as well.

    ¡°How did you do that?¡±

    ¡°Skills.¡±

    That was so freaking helpful. Not.

    "You know, it''d be nice if you cleaned my clothes off once in a while."

    Noseen chuckled. "Devourer blood isn''t tasty."

    Yet, they had cleaned off my pant leg before. I wondered what they did with it. Mosquitos weren¡¯t very big, and though the bird had been small, it had been thousands of times bigger than Noseen.

    Feathers still lingered about the area, and I grabbed the rope to get back on track. I took off in the direction I thought the next carving was. Unfortunately, they weren¡¯t as close together as I¡¯d thought when carving them, since I couldn¡¯t see the next one from this one.

    At least after traveling a bit the breeze took care of the feathers stuck to my cloak and I looked less like I¡¯d barged through a chicken coop. The breeze almost felt cool against my face, which was strange. Normally, the breeze brought warm air. The canopy overhead grew thicker, and more shadows took over the underbrush. That meant fewer ferns and bushes to go around, which was nice. My speed slowly increased as I searched for the next carved tree.

    Eventually, I paused when too long went by and I hadn¡¯t found it yet. Looking up, I spotted a nearby tree that looked good for climbing. I left the sled at the base and started up, using the thick branches and vines. I had to climb high enough to spot the tall tree and go south, for the most part, from there.

    It took longer to climb through the upper branches as they grew closer together. Finally, I poked my head up high enough. The tall tree that grew next to the fence of the compound was way too far to the left behind me. I¡¯d traveled too far to the east and needed to backtrack a bit. I noticed how low the sun sat compared to the mountains, and needed to get a move on if I was going to make much more distance before nightfall. My frustration grew as I climbed back down the tree. I had to find one of the carvings before I camped out for the night, and given how much time had passed, I was nervous.

    The sled sat right where I had left it, lightly humming from the time spent stopped. I picked up the rope and followed the trail I had left behind me back toward the last carving. The backtracking was, at least, faster, since I had made a partial trail with the sled. I couldn¡¯t believe I''d gotten lost already, not even a few hours away from the compound. Then I spotted the last carving and let out a sigh.

    Maybe I could find the next one quickly and still have plenty of time for camp. This time I made sure to head in a more southern direction. Surprisingly, it didn¡¯t take long to find the carving and mentally I kicked myself a few times. I headed towards the marked tree, keeping my eyes open. Since it was so close, maybe I could reach the next one and then camp there. Put a little more space between me and the flier.

    It didn¡¯t take long to reach the marked tree and I wandered around it until I knew the correct direction to go. Then, off I went, sweat trickling down my back and forehead. So far, nothing stirred within the jungle and I felt good about everything. This time I paused at the bottom of the marked tree, studying my surroundings. The ground was flat-ish, and dry, plus the trees were clustered together here.

    I positioned the sled in a good spot so that it would be between me and any predators if I slept at the base of the tree. The large tree¡¯s roots stretched out in a few directions, giving me a little more cover. The crystal slowly hummed and I needed to do something about the light. Already, it was getting darker as the sun moved behind the mountains, and the glow was easy to spot. I sat down and pulled out my pack, going through it. ¡°Noseen, any ideas on hiding the light?¡±

    ¡°I hoped you¡¯d be smart enough for that. The humming will keep most beasts away, but the light might bring ones that don¡¯t care.¡±

    Finally, I moved toward a bush and started cutting the long fronds off of it, draping them over the crystal. Eventually, the pile grew thick enough to block the light, even as the night grew darker.

    A cool breeze blew through the trees, but it smelled wet.

    Oh hell, I knew what that meant. Tonight was going to suck.

    I moved closer under the tree, making sure I was as close to the trunk as possible under the branches. It didn¡¯t take long for the air to grow even wetter, then, as the sky darkened, raindrops began to fall. I yanked my hood up over my head and wrapped myself tight with the cloak. This was not going to be an easy night for sleeping. Not at all.

    This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ***

    What started as a few raindrops hitting the canopy above me slowly turned into a downpour. The only sound was the rain coming straight down from above.

    ¡°Well, this is cozy,¡± buzzed Noseen from somewhere near my ear. They must have climbed into the hood to keep dry.

    ¡°Maybe for you,¡± I whispered, but I doubted anything could hear me over the rain. The humming from the crystal had gotten louder, but even that I felt more than heard. At least I wasn¡¯t in a gully, and next to the tree trunk I stayed a little dry. The cloak was waterproof, or I¡¯d be a soaking wet mess. As things were, drying out tomorrow would suck.

    I could handle sweat, it was a constant on this planet, but having my clothes wet was horrid, even worse than being hungry. Especially my socks. Wet socks were the bane of the universe.

    I yanked the cloak tighter around me, careful to keep my boots covered. My ass was on a higher tree root so at least that was dry. ¡°Noseen, talk to me. Why are you on vacation?¡± The question had been in the back of my mind since they had mentioned this being an expensive vacation. It just didn¡¯t make sense to me, and we had time to kill. I wasn¡¯t going to sleep in this.

    Noseen buzzed without saying anything for a moment. ¡°I don¡¯t want to get booted from this area, so I can¡¯t say much, but I will say I am here to experience what it is like to be low-level again.¡± For once, he sounded serious. ¡°To see the wonder of the creatures on this planet.¡±

    ¡°Wonder?¡±

    ¡°Yes, wonder.¡±

    I tried to picture the dinosaurs, well, not dinosaurs but beasts, as wondrous. The three that were cattle were adorable to watch in the mornings. They would chase one another, looking for the best plants to eat. If the Compys weren¡¯t trying to eat me, they¡¯d be cute. Sometimes, when the light was just coming through the leaves at a perfect angle, the jungle reminded me of hiking with my brothers back on earth. Dad had been big into camping, while Mom was more of a hotel type of person. Well, truly, she tried to never take a vacation; work was too important.

    As she came to mind, I tried to hold onto what I could remember. The head trauma during the crash had messed with my memories from before cold sleep. I could only remember bits and pieces of her.

    ¡°I can kinda understand it, if I think about it.¡±

    ¡°It would be harder if I were in your place. Things could eat you here.¡±

    I tilted my head to the side. ¡°I mean, couldn¡¯t you be eaten?¡±

    Noseen buzzed, then buzzed some more. It almost sounded like laughter. ¡°The difference between you and a fly is smaller than the difference between you and I.¡±

    I just couldn¡¯t believe it. They were so tiny I couldn¡¯t see them, not to mention they were a bug. How could that be possible? The armored bug that crumbled to dust came to mind, along with that bird. Somehow, they had used a skill that crumbled a creature to nothing.

    "So, how long is your vacation then?" I asked.

    "As long as I want, as long as I don''t break the rules." Noseen chuckled. "I need to stay small and not interfere with local wildlife, beyond eating small creatures."

    My lips parted and I couldn''t resist. "I fall under that, don''t I?"

    "I am still figuring that out."

    So, they didn''t know everything, which was a relief.

    "Do you know what the system is? Or how I got my class?"

    "The system is the system. I was born within it, as is most life in this part of the universe. Though it expands through galaxies slowly, relative to the size of the universe, it¡¯s still expanding much faster than the speed of light. I never really studied it, it just is. Classes are easy, though. You get offers based on your Skill Categories, Stats, Achievements, Titles, and Traits."

    "But, you don''t earn Achievements and Titles until you unlock a class, right?" I asked, interrupting them.

    "You do, you just don''t unlock them. Even before you have a class, you are part of the system, and it is recording your journey."

    It made sense the more I thought about it. People had figured out what skill categories were needed for certain classes, but I had different Traits. That had to be why I had the option for Devourer. Positive traits were based on your race, as far as we could tell, yet I had a different one. Slightly different, but apparently enough to make it harder. Class selection for me had offered more normal options, but Devourer was legendary, so I¡¯d gone with it.

    The rain continued to fall, but I didn¡¯t have anything else to say. ¡°What about the Sanctuary?¡± I finally asked.

    ¡°It¡¯s a protected zone for creatures under level 25. A perfect place to vacation,¡± added Noseen. ¡°It means something like me can¡¯t just step on you for existing.¡±

    ¡°Does that happen outside of here?¡±

    ¡°Not usually.¡± Noseen didn¡¯t say anything for a moment. ¡°It isn¡¯t worth it to kill something under your level. You don¡¯t get much, if any, experience from it. It¡¯s one of the reasons we have been feared in the past. We potentially can get something from killing something weaker, even much weaker, than we are. It doesn¡¯t mean you should, though. It¡¯s rude.¡±

    It made sense that there were unwritten rules of the universe. It gave me something to think about.

    There were plenty more questions, but my eyes finally grew heavy. While I hated being wet, the sound of rain always put me to sleep, and it was rain, now, not a storm. I crossed my arms over my bent knees and rested my head on them. I tried to steady my breath and focus on the sound of the rain, along with the feeling of the hum of the crystal.

    Eventually, I drifted off.

    ***

    A sharp buzz in my ear woke me up, but awareness only came back to me slowly. I felt very lethargic.

    ¡°Don¡¯t move,¡± buzzed Noseen near my ear.

    I froze, my head not even upright, but I could just see above my arms. The rain had stopped at some point, but it was still dark. I wasn¡¯t sure how long I¡¯d been out, but a thick mist covered the jungle. The presence of the crystal hummed along, but I could feel something else as well. The hair on the back of my neck rose, and all that filled my thoughts was that something prowled in the darkness.

    It was big. Close, but not too close. I couldn¡¯t see it in the mist, not clearly, but the mist danced with its breath.

    The creature breathed out slowly, sending the mist swirling. Whatever it was, it was tall enough that its head stood at twice my height. Yet, it wasn¡¯t facing in my direction. Instead, it looked north.

    A roar broke through the trees in that direction, but whatever it came from wasn¡¯t the nearby monster.

    ¡°That¡¯s a cat,¡± buzzed Noseen. ¡°An Alpha.¡±

    All that came to mind were the Armored Jungle cats. Though, I thought we, with the flier¡¯s help, had killed off the pack?

    My brain stopped working as the creature nearby roared back. The sound rocked through me, and I swore the ground shook. I hugged my knees closer, knowing that if it spotted me, I¡¯d be dead, crystal or no crystal.

    The giant creature moved, stomping toward the North and brushing aside trees like they were nothing.

    I stayed still, even when I couldn¡¯t feel the footsteps any longer. My hearing wasn¡¯t back yet, and Noseen buzzed next to my skin. I very slowly shook my head, to try and explain why I couldn¡¯t hear anything.

    It took a little longer for the sounds of the jungle to come back to me.

    ¡°¡­seeing one of those made my vacation. They were on my bucket list, since they normally don¡¯t make it over level 25 and out of this place. The claws are used in specialized crafting.¡±

    ¡°Huh¡­¡±

    ¡°You back with me?¡±

    ¡°I can hear again.¡±

    ¡°Good, we should get a move on. Dawn will be here soon, and you want to make more progress.¡±

    I raised my head and tried to sense if anything was out of the ordinary, but it was still dark. Even so, I could see pretty well, my eyes having adjusted while my hearing came back, and I didn¡¯t see anything to worry about. Slowly, I got to my feet and everything ached. My clothes were damp, though not soaked, and I tried to stretch out. The heat hadn¡¯t increased yet, and the jungle felt almost too cool. The mist made it hard to see, but the rope for the sled was right there.

    Finding the next marked tree would be harder, given the limited visibility, but Noseen was right, I needed to make progress.

    The trail of the giant creature was easy to spot and, unfortunately, it looked like backtracking the beast would be the direction I needed to go for the moment. At least I wasn¡¯t following it, and going the opposite direction instead. The giant cat¡¯s large footprints were full of water, but the sled stayed above them. The same couldn¡¯t be said of my boots.

    I did my best with each step, but it was still slow going and the trail didn¡¯t go in a straight line. ¡°Noseen, can you keep an eye out for the next marker?¡± I whispered into the misty air.

 Chapter 28: Just keep hiking

    ¡°It''s to your right, on that fallen tree.¡±

    I paused, then turned in that direction, searching for what they had seen. Unfortunately, he was right. A tree had been knocked over during the creature''s passing, and it was one of my marked ones.

    ¡°Am I still on the right track?¡±

    ¡°The trail is going a little too far east for you, but if you end up near the crash, you might see it.¡±

    I didn¡¯t know if that was the case. Finding a crash site was like finding a needle in a haystack after all. John had been searching for the crash sites of the dropships for weeks, and hadn¡¯t found a clue. Still, I needed to try, and this was what I had. I kept going.

    Finding the crash site might not be as bad as I worried it might be. Our crash had been recent, and we had left a long trail behind us in the trees as John had tried to control our descent. I pulled the sled off the monster trail and into the underbrush. The thick mist made it hard to see, and I worried about getting lost. Once the sun came up, I''d climb a tree and hopefully figure out where I should be headed, based on the tall tree and mountains.

    That should get me close enough when I also used the tree markers. Now that I was trying to follow them, I wished I had done a different design, maybe something with arrows pointing in the correct direction back. Lesson learned for the next time I traveled through the jungle without a path, I supposed. Leaving more information was important if I needed to return. Then again, I hoped I wouldn¡¯t be doing a lot of these types of jungle treks.

    The mist made it hard to concentrate, since everything looked gray and all the jungle sounds were muted. I had to be confident in each of my steps, not wanting to submerge the boot with holes in it into the puddles that littered the jungle floor. Once that foot was wet, it¡¯d be wet all day, and I remembered what Doc said about wet feet. Everything I touched was wet, from the ferns to the ground, and even the air felt wet against my face.

    I wondered what my Dad was doing. He probably didn¡¯t even know we¡¯d crashed the shuttle. Not unless the compound let the colony know last night, but given the rain I doubted a message had been sent. Plus, nothing had come back from that direction since the meteor shower. Given the time of day, he¡¯d just be getting up, and waking us up to get some self-defense training in before we had breakfast, then our normal chores. I¡¯d find out from him what I¡¯d be working on for that day. Sometimes it would be with the cooks, or working in the fields with Benny. Other times it would be helping someone else out with something physical, like building a shack for housing. My label was laborer, until something else was needed that I had the skills to help with. All of us without specialized skills had signed up for that. Now, the system had changed things, but without a class, the laborer label had stuck.

    But before the colony ship had crashed, back on Earth before we left, what had my days been like?

    I remembered living in a small apartment with my family, and getting up early for survival lessons. We were broken up by age group, so I didn¡¯t see much of the others, being the youngest.

    Yet, what about farther back, before Dad had signed us up for the colony mission? What had life been like?

    There were flashes of friends, pizza around a table with laughter. Video games, and chores. Who had made us do our chores? My older brothers took care of me. Dad was away, but where was Mom?

    Vague flashes of angry whispers after I¡¯d gone to bed, between Benny and, I think, her. Glimpses of her rushing off to work, or returning after a long week away, when she was supposed to be there for dinner.

    Mud sucked at my boot and I almost lost my balance, bringing me back to the present. I dropped the rope and the sled settled into the mud behind me. Once I stood steady, I wiggled the stuck foot out of the thick muck, careful to step somewhere more solid. My other foot sank three inches down, and I freed it as well. Once my footing was solid, I snagged the rope and pulled on the sled, activating the lift assist. The ferns I¡¯d used to hide the light last night still covered the crystal, plastered to it from the rain.

    I blinked and glanced around, trying to get my bearings. Normally, I didn''t think about the before-times. It usually made my head hurt, and it didn''t really change anything. Sunrise broke through the trees toward the west, but the mist burned off slowly. My breathing was a little heavy, and I pulled out my canteen to take a few sips of water. I had to find the next marker; sticking to the plan was my best bet. Yet, if I climbed a tree, now that it was light, I might be able to make sure I was still on track.

    I needed to focus, but my mind kept circling back to my mother. Why wasn¡¯t she with us on the colony mission? What¡¯d happened? No one spoke of her, and the last time I¡¯d asked, Benny told me to leave it alone. She was gone.

    Something sweet rolled over my tongue and I put my canteen away. The smell was intoxicating, but it felt off. My nose twitched and I rubbed it, wondering where the smell was coming from. A glimpse of my Mom in a lab coat flashed across my vision. That''s right, she was a scientist.

    I shook my head as the smell increased. Something inside me warned me this was wrong. My eyes blurred from the smell, and I stopped breathing through my nose, trying to regain my focus. My hand went to my knife and I let the rope fall yet again, glancing around for the source. I pulled my knife out, eyes narrowed. The mist grew lighter as the sun continued to burn through. Something flew through the air, and I swung my knife at it before I thought about it. The crystal burned as it cut a thick vine with large spikes that had been aimed at me.

    I studied my surroundings as I waited for the next attack. Nothing in this place gave up after one try. Another sharp tip came flying through the air, thorns extended. Almost before I¡¯d seen the vine, I spun, lengthening my knife into a spear. The heated edge sliced through the vines, making quick work of them. The mist lightened as more sunlight streamed through the canopy, and mentally I hurried it up. I wanted to see what I was fighting.

    For the moment, it only came at me from one direction, but that was no guarantee, not here.

    Two vines snapped at me, moving quicker than before. One sliced into my shoulder, but I dodged the second. A third slowly crept along the ground, like it hoped I wouldn''t notice. I stabbed into it, trying to find the one that I¡¯d dodged. A hint of shadow was all I noticed, and I yanked my spear out of the one on the ground before cutting the tip of the shadow off. I dodged again, backward, putting more distance between me and the end of the vine. It retreated. The one on the ground slipped away as well.

    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.

    Another round of attacks came, but slower now, almost hesitating. I stepped forward, leaving the sled behind me to slice into my attacker. I blocked a different vine from hitting me, and it slowed down as it retracted, making it easy to follow. It didn''t take long to reach a giant plant, each step increasing that sweet, sticky smell until it filled my nose, mouth and head. It made me want to wash my mouth out, but I kept going, forcing myself to focus. The vines led the way, retracting within a bright pink flower. The mist dimmed the color a bit, but the petals turned to face my direction and I raised my knife.

    An opening appeared at the flower¡¯s center, and suddenly several vines shot out at me all at once, lightning quick.

    I was ready.

    Two I sliced off at once, and green goop flew through the air. Another yanked on my boot, but not hard enough to matter. I dodged to the side, swinging my spear, but missed. The one on my boot started wrapping around my leg, holding me in place.

    That wasn''t good, so I cut it off. Three more flew through the air, snapping at me. I dodged as quickly as I could, but one managed to strike my arm. The two others flopped around as I cut through the vines, and my attention stayed on the center of the plant thing.

    [Carnivorous Flower, Level 8.]

    So, it was a plant-creature hybrid. The opening at its center groaned, sharp thorns covering the center. A burst of yellow pollen shot out, hanging in the mist. I rolled away from the yellow cloud. Then, two much thicker vines burst from within the pollen cloud. Both were headed directly at me, faster than I expected. One wrapped along my left arm, the one without the spear, and pain shot up from the cuts I¡¯d already received. Small spikes dug into my arm and the pain almost staggered me.

    Still, the other vine wasn''t so lucky as I cut the head off, and another chunk farther down, before spinning to slice at the one digging into my arm. My head spun, and for a split second, I saw various images. Before anything else could happen, I lunged forward, stabbing at the center of the flower, spear tip glowing. It shook twice, more pollen spreading out, before falling limp.

    [You have gained bonus experience from combat for surviving against a Carnivorous Flower above your level.]

    [You have gained a level.]

    The pollen made my eyes burn, and I stepped back away from the yellow dust. It slowly clumped together and fell to the ground. I twisted the spiked vine on my left wrist, pulling it off slowly, wincing as each of the thorns came free.

    My stomach growled as I stared at the giant plant, and my mouth dropped open. Was this thing even edible?

    ¡°Noseen, does it have a heart?¡±

    ¡°Anything with a level has a heart.¡±

    The petals wilted forward in front of me, yet the giant plant still stood taller than me. The opening connected to a round stomach-like object, and as it fell forward, liquid dribbled out. It sizzled when it hit the ground, and I carefully avoided touching it. I circled around the plant, and beneath the round stomach sat a large bulb-shaped object. Roots and vines grew from it, though nothing moved. That had to be my target.

    I grabbed it and yanked. It pulled easily out of the dirt, and I cut between the stomach and the bulb trying to not hit the liquid filled chamber. The head of the flower crashed to the ground, leaving the bulb and roots behind. Green goo spilled out onto the wet ground, but none of it landed on me. My wrist ached as I carefully sliced into the middle of the bulb. Barely under the surface was something that resembled a heart. It looked almost like a bright green pit from a peach, yet it was soft to the touch, and seemed¡­ right somehow.

    "This is the heart, right?" I asked Noseen.

    I felt a flash of air near my hand. "Yes, that''s the heart."

    Feeling a little better, I reached in, pulling it out using one hand. I braced myself before taking a bite, since it was bigger than my fist. It was the biggest heart I¡¯d attempted since the parasaurolophus, and as my lips closed around it, it felt like I¡¯d bitten into the most amazing juiciest peach of all time. A hint of sweetness and sunshine filled my mind as I forced myself to slow down. Peaches were a rare fruit back on Earth, and I¡¯d only had the real thing once before. That one time had convinced me that real peaches were one of my favorite fruits, although I had to admit that berries were great too, and easier to get.

    [You have devoured a Carnivorous Flower and gained insight into Consumptive Healing.]

    The green goo from the heart covered my hand and I froze as the slices from the thorns slowly closed. Everywhere the green goo touched, it healed a cut.

    "What the heck?"

    "Interesting use of the Flower¡¯s blood. You might want to put some of it on that slice on your shoulder. It should heal faster."

    I did as Noseen suggested, and watched as the gash healed in front of me. The sleeve of my shirt had slices in it, but it wasn''t bad now that the skin underneath was whole. I needed better armor, though. Definitely.

    The taste of peaches lingered in my mouth as the rush of devouring the heart warmed me. I closed my eyes for a moment, letting myself enjoy the sensation. I didn''t understand why everything tasted like Earth food, but I enjoyed it. I missed it so much. One food, especially ¡ª pasta. Give me some pasta, with a cream sauce and cheese. Maybe, someday, I¡¯d find a heart that tasted like cheese.

    An idea came to me as I moved closer to the giant plant remains. If I could gather some of that goop, it might come in handy later. It didn''t take long for me to give up. I had nothing to store it in that wouldn''t dry it out, unless I wanted to empty one of my water jugs, and given how little I had, that didn''t seem like a good idea. It didn''t help that every time I touched a petal, weird flashes of memories came to mind if it had pollen on it. Mostly things from before the crash that I''d forgotten. It left me feeling off, like it was a distraction I didn¡¯t need right now.

    Finally, I turned away from the plant. I needed to focus on the important thing, getting back to the shuttle with the crystal intact. I had to find a tree to climb, to make sure I was on the correct path. The Carnivorous Flower had cost me time, and I hadn¡¯t run across it on the way to the compound, so I must be off, at least a little. The sun finally burned through various layers of mist and brightened my surroundings. It was easy to see the sled behind me with the increased light. While it was still cool, soon the heat would rise, and time kept rushing by. I still had a long way to go.

    I walked back toward the sled when I didn¡¯t see a tree that would work near the dead flower. Several feet behind the sled, a decent climbing tree grew. It reached pretty high up into the jungle. This time, while climbing, I focused on if I could identify a difference between my level 7 stats and my level 8 stats. I¡¯d gotten two stat points on each, more or less, since I hadn¡¯t spent the 6 free points. I didn''t really feel any different, not like when I¡¯d increased Quickness and Flexibility by 6 points. The idea of focusing on being faster and more flexible than what I fought was appealing. It had certainly helped in the last fight. If I hadn''t dodged the vines, things would have gone very differently. Thankfully, the small cuts from the thorns healed with the green goo, and eating the peach-flavored heart had improved my healing skill.

    The bark of the tree was damp, but I didn¡¯t let that slow me down as I climbed. Higher up, the mist completely burned off, and it was strange to look down and see a cloud lying across the jungle. Still, I kept going higher until I broke through the highest canopy, careful of my weight on the thinner branches. Bird song filled the air, and the leaves were less damp up here in the sun. The heat increased as well.

    Peeking out, it took a moment for me to get my bearings. The heat hit me like a wave as the sunlight touched my head. A fine layer of sweat quickly formed on the back of my neck, making me want to hurry. First, I found the tall tree in the distance, which was north of my location. From there, I used the rising sun for the western marker. Now, I needed to head south.

    I didn''t know where I¡¯d passed the last marker, or how long it''d been. I¡¯d gotten distracted in my memories which, looking back on it, had been a warning sign of the flower. How long had I wandered in a daze from the pollen in the air?

 Chapter 29: Monstrosity

    A shadow flew overhead and I quickly ducked down through the leaves. My heart leaped in my chest at the appearance of birds flying through the air. Yet, they were just birds, and not fliers.

    I let out a sigh of relief. Getting yanked into the air was not on the schedule today. Based on the location of the tall tree and the rising sun, it seemed likely I was more on track than I¡¯d thought, but I didn''t know for certain. I climbed back down, going slower than I had coming up. Backtracking seemed like the best bet since the sun was now coming up and I could hopefully spot the last marked tree. The last marking I remembered had been after the fallen tree on the trail from the giant cat I really, really didn''t want to run into. Frustration built inside me as I made my way back to the ground. Because of the damn carnivorous flower, I was lost yet again.

    "Noseen, how come you didn''t warn me about the flower?" I growled.

    "I didn''t notice the pollen. My level is too high for such things." Noseen buzzed from farther away than normal. "You marched along like normal, nothing indicated that you had been compromised. You need to keep aware of your surroundings or you¡¯ll be eaten. I don¡¯t think I¡¯d like that."

    I landed on the ground and quickly grabbed the sled. My trail through the mud was easy to follow, and it didn¡¯t take long to find the last marked tree. I hadn¡¯t gone as far off track as I could have, that was for sure. The mist rapidly burned the rest of the way off at ground level, yet it still felt like I was walking through a cloud of water. I swore steam was rising from the ground in spots that the sun touched. Everything was waterlogged, including me.

    At the base of the marked tree, I turned more toward the south and tried to spot the next marker. This was going to take forever, especially if I had to keep backtracking every couple of marks. The next was easy to spot, and frustration rose again at how I¡¯d missed it the first time. The next two were closer together, and I was thankful to past-me for the easy bit of trail. I paused for a quick break of water, and to pull up my stat sheet. I knew how I wanted to spend those 6 points, and waiting wouldn¡¯t make anything easier. I tossed two each into Strength, Quickness, and Intelligence.

    Name: Alex

    Level: 8

    Race: Human

    Traits: Survivability, Adaptation, Hangry

    Class: Devourer

    Stats:

    STR: 22(26)

    QUICK*: 31(35)

    FLEX: 31(33)

    TOUGH: 25(27)

    INT: 21(25)

    FORT: 23(25)

    WILL: 24(26)

    CHA: 21(23)

    FREE:0

    Monstrosity: 0

    Titles & Achievements:

    Jack-of-all-Trades

    Lucky Stars

    Skills: 8/10

    Insight

    Crystal Attunement

    Iron Stomach

    Heightened Senses

    Stealthy Camouflage

    Blades and Polearms

    Tree Climber

    Consumptive Healing*

    Venomous Bite

    Skill Categories: +

    Intelligence got a boost because I needed to be better at coming up with plans. I needed to be smarter than my prey. Strength was one I¡¯d been neglecting, and I couldn¡¯t let it lag behind the rest, and Quickness got two points because it was my focus. I had to be faster than my opponents, they just hit too hard and had sharp teeth or claws. Venomous Bite caught my eye again, since it was still only a potential skill, even though it took up a skill slot.

    ¡°You''re standing there looking like you forgot your name. Do I need to bite you?¡± buzzed Noseen, sounding frustrated. "I just warned you about paying attention to your surroundings."

    "No, no." I quickly shook my head. ¡°I got distracted looking at my stat sheet. I needed to apply my free stat points.¡±

    ¡°Normally, someone does that in a safe place, like hidden under a leaf or in a secure area of one''s home.¡±

    ¡°Well, I can¡¯t just wait out here,¡± I said with a shrug. They weren¡¯t wrong, which I knew, but I had gotten more and more comfortable within the jungle. Maybe too comfortable, given how easily that flower had distracted me. Taking a deep breath, I focused on my surroundings, listening to the birds, the various creatures big and small in the distance, and the thud of something very big moving not nearly far enough away for comfort.

    Not good.

    My eyes grew wide as I looked for somewhere to hide the sled. I yanked on the rope, causing it to lift a little, and dashed toward a tree that I could climb. It grew taller than the rest, and it had large roots stretched out like dividers. I stashed the sled between two roots, making sure it was stable on the ground. Slowly, it started to hum, and my shoulders relaxed a little as I climbed up the branches as fast as I could. My fingers slipped on a branch from something wet and mushy. I resisted the urge to gag at the gunk, which smelled terrible. I tried to wipe it off on the trunk but had to give up before climbing past it. I couldn¡¯t take the time.

    More and more branches were covered with the dark, smelly stuff, but I didn''t see anything above me. I needed to get higher than the thing that was out there. The mist was almost completely gone in most sections of the jungle, only settling in dips and gullies. All I could think about was moving faster the heavier the footsteps sounded. Finally, I stopped right below the canopy, then poked my head up, searching for fliers. Nothing flew in the sky, but a nest sat close to my head.

    It was the size of a couch, with three large eggs basking in the sunlight. The yellow and blue eggs were each slightly smaller than a melon. Whatever had laid them had to be huge. I swallowed hard, glancing around at the tops of trees in the direction the heavy footfalls were coming from.

    The trees shook and birds took flight from the area. Something large was headed to the east, but it would pass pretty close to where I hid. While I felt comfortable in the jungle, I knew I couldn¡¯t face something that big on my own. Not yet, anyway. Maybe someday, when I was at a higher level. Given that I was already up here, I spotted the tall tree and tried to gauge how far I¡¯d come. Based on where the sun sat, I thought I was a little behind schedule, but I should still make it back to the shuttle before dark. I wracked my brain, trying to remember what had happened early on. There was the para I¡¯d killed and taken meat from, then lots of dead dinos, the mud pit, then the jungle. It felt like an endless jungle.

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    From here I could see broken trees that might indicate the path the shuttle had taken while crashing. Or it might not. I hoped it was the crash site, because if it was, I was closer than I¡¯d dare hoped.

    My eyes went back to the three eggs. Eggs were full of protein, and who knew what skills or stats I¡¯d get from eating them. Before I ducked back down under the leaves and branches to climb away from the nest, I snagged all three eggs into my inventory. I moved fast since I didn''t want the parents to fly by and find me there, almost as much as I didn¡¯t want to be on the ground when the thing with big footsteps went by.

    The sound of heavy footfalls passed me by and I stayed huddled next to the large trunk. I kept it between me and the sound, focusing on my ability to be stealthy. Leaning my head back against the trunk, I opened my stat sheet. Venomous bite mocked me.

    "Noseen, what happens if I dislike a skill after accepting it?" I whispered.

    "You replace it with something else."

    My fingers tapped on my thigh as I thought about it. It already took up a skill slot, I might as well try it out. I accepted the skill.

    Pain hit me like a brick to the face, and I clenched the branch I sat on with both hands, desperately trying not to fall. Tears came to my eyes and it felt like something was cutting deep under my jaw and along my back wisdom teeth. Saliva gathered in my mouth before dribbling down past my lips. Time slipped and staggered as the pain rocked through me. Eventually, though, the pain vanished.

    [Skill Unlocked: Venomous Bite: You have glands behind your jaw that create a minor sedative in your saliva.]

    I spit the excess liquid out of my mouth, feeling like I''d gotten work done at the dentist. Not a good dentist, but one who didn¡¯t use anesthetic.

    "That was horrible..." I muttered.

    "Did you take Venomous Bite?"

    I nodded and opened my stat sheet, wanting to see if anything had changed. The skill sat in the same place. Yet, one number had updated. One that hadn¡¯t ever updated before.

    Monstrosity: 1%

    I blinked a few times trying to get my head on straight. "Noseen, what is the monstrosity stat?" My heart pounded in my chest as I stared at the number. Up until now, it''d been zero. The 1% didn''t change, though, no matter how much I stared at it.

    "Never heard of it. It must be a human thing."

    Something squawked loudly above the tree and I froze for a moment, before I climbed down one more branch, letting several large leaves cover the top of my head. The creature squawked again, this time at a higher level. Wings beat through the air.

    The number kept mocking me, even after I closed my stat sheet. Did that mean I was only 99% human at this point?

    The noise from over my head lessened and I hoped the bird creatures stayed up there. I didn¡¯t dare head back to the ground until the walking monster passed by my location and I was certain it wasn¡¯t headed in the same direction as me. I could still hear it thumping away, though the sound was getting quieter, which meant the pain of taking the Venomous Bite hadn¡¯t lasted nearly as long as it¡¯d felt like. The way to the compound had been easier, right after the meteor shower. The journey back to the ship was not so much. I¡¯d been lucky, very lucky that the meteor shower had scared most of the things in the jungle. Yet, the stomping kept moving, headed away from my location at a right angle. That had to be good enough, I was losing too much daylight.

    Worry crept across my mind about just how easy it had been to hike to the compound, and now how everything was exponentially harder.

    But I was stronger than before, too. I paused, taking stock of my body and how much had changed. My stats were higher, I¡¯d gained several levels and, against all odds, I had the crystal John needed to fix the dang ship. Screw worrying about getting back to the ship, I¡¯d traveled through a dinosaur-infested jungle with creatures trying to eat me at every turn. I¡¯d made substantial progress back, and even was still on time, despite getting lost a few times.

    I was freaking doing this, and growing stronger along the way. My body was more powerful than before, and at this rate it wouldn¡¯t be long before I crossed level ten. From there, the world was my playground. I would do this, come hell or high water. Even if I was only 99% human at this point. Who cared, as long as I could protect myself and those I cared about?

    I peeked through the leaves upward trying to get a look at whatever creature landed in the nest. Only the brightly colored wing caught my eye, but it was enough for information to pop up.

    [Avian Skulker, Level 8]

    All I could focus on was Noseen¡¯s comment about getting wings. This would be my chance to try and take down a flyer bigger than a normal bird. As long as the fight was fast, it wouldn¡¯t slow me down too much.

    I pulled out my knife and extended it into a spear, waiting to see the tip of the wing appear over the edge of the nest.

    It cawed again, and moved about the nest like it was still searching for the missing eggs. Silently, I crept up another branch, getting within reach of the nest. My concentration remained on staying silent and blending in with the leaves.

    The tip of a wing flared out as it moved closer to me.

    I heated the crystal tip as hot as it would go and cut at the bulk of the feathers, moving as fast as possible. The smell of burned hair filled my nostrils as the bird jerked back, screeching. The harsh noise hit me, making my ears ache. I ignored the pain as I climbed closer.

    The Skulker tried to fly away, but the injured wing had lost too many feathers and it stumbled in the nest.

    I launched myself from the branch, aiming for its back with my spear ready to go.

    It hopped away from me, squawking, but not fast enough. The tip of my glowing spear dug into its side before I yanked back, rolling away as its hooked beak snapped.

    I hit the edge of the nest, which kept me in the tree. The bird hopped into the air, trying to land on me. I yanked my spear into place and stabbed it into the center of the Skulker¡¯s body, careful to keep away from the long taloned claws.

    The bird whimpered once, then it crashed down into the nest.

    [You have gained experience from combat with an Avian Skulker.]

    ¡°Yes,¡± I whispered to myself, climbing to my feet. The fight hadn¡¯t lasted as long as I thought it would, I¡¯d just been too fast for the creature to keep up with. Now I had to figure out how to butcher it as fast as possible and get back on the road, so to speak.

    I ended up cutting the feathers off close to the body. The wings didn¡¯t have enough to them to keep, the same went for the feet. Though, I tossed those in my crystal in case someone wanted them.

    The head got cut off as well, but I¡¯d leave it behind. That left the center body which, once the feathers were cut off, looked like a massively oversized turkey. I split the breast down the middle and pulled out the heart. My mouth watered and I took a bite, waiting to see what it tasted like.

    Roasted nuts and caramel filled my mouth, which was a surprise. Sweet, but smoky, and completely delicious.

    [You have devoured an Avian Skulker and gained major insight into Iron Stomach.]

    ¡°What did you get?¡± asked Noseen, curiously.

    I frowned at the notification. ¡°Major insight into Iron Stomach.¡±

    ¡°Makes sense, since it¡¯s a scavenger.¡±

    ¡°I was hoping for something involving wings,¡± I muttered to myself.

    Noseen chuckled. ¡°You never know what you will get.¡±

    I finished off the heart, and cut up the rest of the bird into bite sized pieces before using as little water as possible to clean up. At least my food supply had increased, though it wasn¡¯t by much. I left the mess of feathers, bones, head and wings in the nest, feeling okay about the score.

    A smile covered my face as I started back down the tree. My body felt good moving through the branches, and I wished I could try an obstacle course. My speed at climbing had increased with my level, which felt good. I tried to stay away from the black stuff on the branches, which had to be bird droppings, and still smelled horrible. Being quiet going down wasn''t hard, at least.

    [You have improved your Tree Climber Skills: Climbing a tree is like walking. You can climb trees that aren¡¯t as easy or have branches further apart. Your balance while off the ground has increased. Instinct.]

    That notification caused me to move just a little quicker to get back to the ground and the sled. It was a nice bonus after fighting in the tree, though it did reinforce that I needed to make it back to the shuttle. Hopefully John was fine. After all, he had to be, given all I¡¯d gone through to get this far.

    Once both feet were back on the ground, I felt a little slower. Using a damp leaf I wiped as much of the bird droppings off my hands as I could. The remaining mess didn¡¯t stop me from grabbing the rope, moving around the tree in the correct direction, and heading through the underbrush. It shouldn¡¯t be long until the next marking, and I had to be getting closer to the mud pit I¡¯d skirted around last time. I needed to keep an eye on my footing. Getting sucked in would ruin my plan to be on time.

    The background noise in the jungle had been pretty consistent on the way to the compound, mostly the calls of birds in the trees, and branches creaking in the breeze. Today, instead, the air kept that damp feeling from the rain and that made it feel even hotter as the sun baked down from above. The birds were quieter, seeming to feel the pressure of the humidity as badly as I did. The rain had changed the smell of the air to something that reminded me of when you left a damp towel tossed in a pile for a few days. It was slowly disappearing as the heat increased, but it made me want to take a shower.

    Just thinking about a shower made my skin itch. I knew I was covered in dried sweat, grime, and who knew what else, everywhere my skin was showing. While I hadn¡¯t taken Hawk up on his offer, next time I would. My clothes weren¡¯t doing much better, and my skin was showing a lot more than it had been when I¡¯d left the shuttle.

    Up ahead, the ground looked different, and I paused, letting the sled lower to the ground. I pulled out my knife and extended it before poking at the ground. The first couple of feet were normal, but then it quickly changed to mud. Far ahead, I could just see the next marking on the tree. The rain must have extended the mud pit. Given the thick bushes, it was hard to figure out which way to go.

    With a shrug, I headed back to the sled and grabbed the rope, but kept my spear in one hand, poking the dirt. My goal was to keep the mud pit to my right and stick to the very edges. Eventually, I should make my way around it and find another of my markings.

    This would slow me down, that much was clear, but I still felt optimistic that I could get back to the shuttle before nightfall. I had to, after all, so I would.

 Chapter 30: Hangry

    The mud pit was in a low-lying area, and some of the mist hung about, especially since I descended a bit the more I headed around the mess. I slowed down substantially, careful not to take a wrong step. Once again, I wished I could hover like the sled, or even fly. This would be so much easier. Nothing moved along the edge of the mud except for me, though the mist would hide anything small and quiet. For some reason, the mist got heavier and thicker the farther I traveled, which caused me to be on extra alert for anything moving nearby.

    The sunlight had a hard time piercing the wet cloud, though it was cooler walking through it, while drops of water clutched to my cloak and hair. It took my slightly damp clothes to the next level of wetness. The more I walked through the mist, the wetter everything became.

    The crystal hummed behind me, which was really frustrating. I didn¡¯t think I was moving that slowly through the mud, but I must be moving slowly enough that the crystal was partially grounded. For some reason, it ticked me off, and I stomped ahead. I poked the ground with my spear and it was really wet. I angrily shook my head and moved more to the left, trying to not growl. My grip on the spear tightened, as I tried to not let it bother me. We were traveling slower than a snail, I couldn¡¯t see much, and my clothing was getting wetter. The cloak couldn¡¯t block the mist.

    Then my foot slipped out from under me.

    My hand let go of the rope, which I had been dragging behind me. My feet went flying forward, and I slid faster down in the mud. Then I felt air beneath me.

    I landed a few feet lower, my spear still clenched in my fist as all the air was knocked out of me.

    It hadn¡¯t been the crystal humming. The mist had been hiding a bend in the river. That was why I needed to go to the right, not the left.

    Damn.

    I stared up at the mist, cursing inside my head for getting so frustrated and distracted. My stomach rumbled, adding another layer to my problems. My optimism of only an hour earlier was gone, but at least the hunger explained the irrational anger. I hadn¡¯t eaten since the sweet and smoky Avian heart. That was my bad, I needed to eat after each fight since fighting used up energy. I needed to calm down, and figure out what had happened.

    First, I waited for the pain along my back to dissipate, though I was glad I had landed in mud and not on the rocks sitting along the riverbank. I stared up at the sky, wondering about my luck. The mist blocked my view of the sun and clouds, but that made sense since I was lower than everything else around me.

    The rainwater must have caused this bank to cave in, which also made sense the more I thought about it. It had poured the night before. I carefully got to my feet, making sure I wasn¡¯t injured. More importantly, I made sure my spear was okay, and the inventory crystal under my shirt was fine. Mud completely covered my backside, along with my boots, and the cloak had ripped off and was sitting halfway up the bank of mud. The bank itself had a slight overhang, except in this one section. Here, it was a dirty, muddy slope. Overall, it was maybe one and a half times taller than me, but with nothing at the top to grab onto and nothing on the slope itself to grip for climbing.

    I ate a few bites of the cut up bird I¡¯d saved. It helped calm me down and clear my thoughts. I eyed the water¡¯s edge, but at least I had a few feet between it and me. The loud sound of it in the background was worrisome. The closer you got to water, the bigger the teeth were, that was a rule. I had to get out of here, even if I needed to backtrack the other way around the mud pit. This stretch of the river was wider with the bend, and it looked deep enough that I¡¯d need to swim across if I headed in that direction. Farther upriver, the water itself looked much deeper, but less wide. It¡¯d still require lots of swimming.

    I couldn¡¯t go down along the river, as the rocky area I stood on was taken over by water after only a few meters. There wasn¡¯t a bank to keep walking on. To the other side of me, heading upriver, there was a sliver of dirt, stones, and an edge that I couldn¡¯t see past. There was what looked like a small boulder that I¡¯d need to climb around if I went that way.

    Silently, I let out my breath and turned to stare at the bank I had fallen down. Turning my back to the river was dangerous, but I had to climb back up there, fast. My cloak was within reach, and I pulled it down, mud flowing in its wake. My fast movement caused most of it to splash at my feet instead of all over me, at least. The cloak was caked in the stuff, though, and I shoved it into my inventory stone. Unless I cleaned some of it off or let it dry, it would only weigh me down at this point.

    I paused, scraping mud off my boots, which were coated in the thick stuff. I didn¡¯t dare stick them into the water, and instead used a branch I found on the rocks to clean them as best I could.

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    After looking at my other options, the slope of the bank didn¡¯t seem so steep, and I tried to head directly up it. Within five steps, however, my feet were sinking into the mud and I started to slide backward. At that point, I tried moving faster, using my spear as a walking stick, but the mud was hard to get my feet out of. It didn¡¯t want to let me go. My stomach growled again as I arrived back at the bottom, my situation not improved. Taking a moment, I fished out the rest of the bird. I had a few ration bars left in the backpack, but I ignored them. The eggs I wanted to save, but if needed I¡¯d eat them raw. That insight into Iron Stomach might come in handy sooner rather than later.

    The meat hadn¡¯t been enough to fill me up, and I worried about food. Instead, I sipped on water from my canteen, using it to fill my empty belly.

    Too many problems crowded inside my head.

    First, the bank, because at least something was in my stomach at this point.

    ¡°You got yourself in a pickle,¡± said Noseen.

    ¡°Just a little.¡±

    ¡°Too bad you can¡¯t fly.¡±

    I rolled my eyes at the comment, and moved to try the bank again. It was the whole reason I¡¯d gone after that bird, but I guess I wasn¡¯t so lucky.

    This time, I tried closer to the edge instead of directly up the middle. I made it farther up the bank before the mud behind me started to move toward the river. I got far enough to see the crystal and hear it hum over the rushing river behind me. I almost chuckled as I slid backward. The crystal was grounding on the sled and should be safe where it was at. Nothing should get close to it. Too bad I couldn¡¯t say the same for me.

    I was the one in trouble.

    "You need a movement skill, besides Tree Climbing," added Noseen.

    I paused for a second before I tried again. "A movement skill?"

    "I have flying, because of my race, but that doesn''t mean you can¡¯t develop or evolve tree climbing into something better that works in different situations."

    This was the most Noseen had explained to me about the system, but honestly, I couldn''t see how it would help right now. If I could move faster up the mud, I might make it, but part of me was a little worried about knocking the sled with the crystal down here. Still, the idea that I could develop or evolve my skills was something I needed to keep in mind. Tree Climbing was only useful in the jungle, like Noseen had said.

    This time, I tried the other side of the muddy slope and shortened my spear into a knife. Every time I moved, I stabbed it into the ground and heated it up, hardening the mud to a crisp around the blade. It almost worked. I made it up over halfway and scrambled for anything to grab onto at the top, but my feet couldn¡¯t gain traction and the mud won again. This time, I slid down on my stomach, covering the rest of myself in gunk.

    At the bottom, I wiped as much off of me as possible. The sun was getting hotter, and even the mist this low was burning off. The mud on my back had started to harden, and dry. I stretched in a few different directions, flaking dried mud off with every movement. My stomach growled again, and I tried to figure a way out of this without waiting for the mud of the bank to dry. Once the sun started to heat it, the surface should crust up, and that might help. Yet, I had no idea how long it would take, and I¡¯d already lost a lot of time.

    The day was flying by, and the longer I stayed near the river, the more likely something would show up and would try to eat me. I didn¡¯t want to ask for help, but I needed some input. ¡°Any thoughts, Noseen?¡±

    ¡°Going up the bank isn¡¯t working¡­¡± I could almost hear the dumbass at the end of the comment, though he didn¡¯t say it.

    Instead, I turned to look at the pathway along the edge of the river to the north. It was narrow, and I could only see so far because of the boulder that blocked my view. Hopefully, it didn¡¯t end in the river, though I could check it out, and if it did, head back here. Maybe by then the mud would have gotten dryer.

    The only problem was, I needed to find my way back to the crystal, no matter what. I couldn¡¯t afford to lose it out here, it was the whole reason I was out here to begin with. Still, if I followed the riverbank, it should be fine. I could backtrack along the same bank, and I should find the crystal.

    Shaking my head, I walked along the edge of the river, keeping as far away from the water as possible. Given where the sun was, and the higher riverbank, I at least wasn¡¯t casting a shadow into the water. The muddy surface wasn¡¯t super thick, and a layer of round pebbles made it so I didn¡¯t sink. It didn¡¯t take long for me to make it to the boulder, and I peeked out from the edge of it, trying to see the next stretch of riverbank.

    Thankfully, the muddy pebble edge continued on the other side. There was a little gap at the very edge of the boulder, but I should easily be able to get past it. I swallowed hard, then went for it. I kept as close to the boulder as I could, pressing against it as I lifted my foot over the gap and to the other side.

    The other side had a larger beach area, with more rock than mud. It stretched several yards into the distance. Up around the next curve, in the distance, a tree had fallen into the water, and several large vines hung down over the rocks. It looked promising as a way to climb up the tall bank and finally get out of this trap I¡¯d literally fallen into. Between it and me was this huge riverbank, and a cloud of flying bugs. The distance didn¡¯t bother me, but the cloud of bugs could be a problem.

    ¡°Are those mosquitos?¡± I asked.

 Chapter 31: Baby Devourers

    ¡°Yes, baby devourers, even smaller than you. They only live a week or so.¡±

    ¡°Why?¡±

    ¡°Same as everything else, something eats them before they grow strong.¡±

    A pit opened in my stomach at Noseen¡¯s words. The rules of the jungle were clear, eat or be eaten. If you don¡¯t grow, you become something else''s food. I shivered at the thought, and moved closer to the tall riverbank, staying away from the water and the crowd of bugs.

    A white branch hung over the bank, but not close enough to jump and pull myself up with. Then, as I was about to move on towards the fallen tree, I realized it wasn¡¯t a branch, it was a bone.

    The bone graveyard had been in this direction, and I wondered just how big that mud pit had gotten. I thought the bone graveyard had been closer to the compound than this, but I didn¡¯t know how big it was along the riverbank, and I hadn¡¯t passed it yet. There were too many unknowns, and no map.

    I quietly picked up my speed. Mosquitoes were one thing, larger things with teeth were another, and something larger had taken out that creature.

    ¡°The mosquitoes won¡¯t bite you. Devourer blood is off limits.¡±

    I tilted my head and thought about it. ¡°You haven¡¯t taken a sip from me?¡±

    ¡°Of course not, I¡¯d probably kill you and ruin all the fun.¡±

    One sip from them and I¡¯d die? Then again, Noseen had turned other creatures into dust after eating them. Maybe they removed all liquid from creatures'' bodies when they ate.

    My gaze wandered over the crowd of bugs, and I froze, catching sight of something moving in the very center of the water. All I could see was a dark shadow, but that was enough to put me on guard. I didn¡¯t move to grab my knife and instead just waited. It would either move on, or attack. The waiting game was one we ¡®played¡¯ before we were approved to go on our first hunt in the jungle. The goal was to sit in one spot and not move for as long as possible. Predators were very good at that in the jungle, and we had to be better.

    I hated the game.

    Yet, this time, with my heart pounding and literally seeing the shadow in the water move, it was much easier to be still. I let the sweat drip down my back and kept my breathing soft and steady. My stomach grumbled a little, but I doubted it was loud enough for the thing to hear. Time ticked by, and the shadow eventually receded, heading downstream.

    I still waited another five or so minutes before I let myself move from the spot. Then, I slowly headed toward the downed tree and the vines. The sooner I was back at the crystal, the better, though I doubted getting back to the shuttle before nightfall was an option any longer. It might be tomorrow morning at this point, and I just had to hope John could hold on.

    Concern filled me as I kept an eye on the water. A roar in the far distance caused me to jump. It sounded similar to the cat that Noseen had commented on before, the cat I very much did not want to see again.

    ¡°Interesting, that Alpha cat is closer,¡± they muttered.

    ¡°Closer to us?¡±

    ¡°Yes, that is concerning.¡±

    This was the first time Noseen had sounded worried, and it caught my attention. Normally, it felt like he was following me around for entertainment value, only speaking up here and there when it seemed funny or, maybe, helpful. This sounded more¡­ paternal, in a way.

    ¡°How so?¡±

    ¡°You did kill a pack member, it could be seeking revenge.¡±

    That I didn¡¯t understand at all. I¡¯d only killed one cat. Hawk had killed¡­ how many? Not to mention the flier had taken out at least two, possibly three. Plus, it was only a beast, right? Right?

    ¡°I¡¯d be on the bottom of that list,¡± I said with a huff.

    Noseen buzzed in response, not agreeing.

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    ¡°Right?¡± I finally asked, my eyes searching the water again for any sign of the shadow.

    ¡°It isn¡¯t going to attack the bird, and the fence will keep it away from the other humans. While you are outside the fence, you¡¯re easy pickings in the jungle.¡±

    When Noseen put it like that, I could see the connection. Still, that seemed a little extreme for a beast to do, and it seemed silly to think of a monster putting that much thought into revenge. Just how smart were beasts and creatures? Noseen spoke, but he had to be, like, level 50 or something like that, maybe. I just didn¡¯t know. But he was clearly not just a beast, even though he wasn¡¯t human. Still, the dinosaurs we¡¯d encountered hadn¡¯t been smart, at least, as far as we could tell.

    The cloud of mosquitoes finally noticed me and moved in my direction. I resisted flaying my arms around, trusting Noseen. Not one of them landed on me. Instead, it felt like they were checking me out, but not getting too close. It made me wonder about other bugs. Were they all devourers? Did I unlock a bug class?

    ¡°Are there different types of devourers?¡± I asked, careful not to breathe any members of the cloud into my mouth.

    ¡°All sorts, from big to small, and they all eat different things.¡± Noseen sounded careful in their response, like they could say more but didn¡¯t. Or maybe like they knew more, but weren¡¯t sure how much they were allowed to say. ¡°You are a different type than me, but still a devourer. Not that all devourers like each other. We tend to need space from one another once we¡¯re at anything like a reasonable level.¡±

    The description noted it was an old class, and a feared one. ¡°But, people don¡¯t like devourers, or they hunt them?¡± I asked with a little confusion. The hints the system gave me about hiding my class had caused me to not mention it to my brother.

    ¡°Devourers are easy to eliminate when they are squishy like you. They are not so much when they¡¯re more mature.¡±

    That didn¡¯t give me much, besides building on the idea I needed to be growing stronger to take care of myself and the colony. The fallen tree wasn¡¯t far now and the crowd of bugs finally grew bored of me, moving closer to the water and away. Soon, I would be back on track, making my way to the shuttle. I would do this. Even if I was going to be a little late.

    Though, now I was a little concerned about the Alpha Armored Cat that might be after me, not to mention that large thing stomping around the jungle, and whatever was swimming in the water. This area was a hotbed of predators, all larger and higher level than me. I just needed to get to the crystal, and then I could be on my way. Get to the shuttle, get it fixed, and then we would get out of here.

    I paused before I made it to the tree to look at the situation. It had fallen from the bank above, and the very end of it sat in the water. But it looked solid, like I could use it to climb up. Plus, technically it was a tree, and I¡¯d be climbing it, even though it wasn¡¯t standing straight up. That should count for my movement skill with climbing trees, I hoped. From there I¡¯d backtrack. Easy, right?

    I moved only as close to the waters edge as I needed to so I could hop up on the tree. It was strange climbing one this way, but I easily kept my balance. The slope up the tree trunk wasn¡¯t bad, and there were only a few branches I needed to move around. Thankfully, my skill did seem to be working.

    Finally, things were going my way.

    I made it a few yards upward when a hissing sound to my right drew my attention. In slow motion, I turned to see two small feathered creatures on the bank of the fiver fighting over fish scraps.

    [Microraptor, Level 11]

    [Microraptor, Level 10]

    Neither of them were paying attention to me. While they were higher level than me, I was definitely bigger than they were. From what I saw, they would barely reach my knee. Compys looked more scary, with their scales, compared to the brightly colored feathers these creatures had. The wings on either side of their bodies were tipped with talons that matched the large talons on each foot. The faces were similar to Compys, and they had small sharp teeth.

    I took another step, continuing my way up the tree and trying to not draw attention to myself. I didn¡¯t need to be distracted and this was a pretty rough spot to get into a fight.

    One yelped as the other dashed forward, eating what was left of the fish. The loser hissed again, then its eyes drifted up, locking on me on the tree trunk. Bright yellow slits stared for a second before it opened its mouth and yelped. It hissed even louder, drawing the attention of the higher leveled Microraptor. Now, four eyes locked on me, and I felt them examining my level.

    That wasn¡¯t good. Since when could beasts use Insight?

    I moved a little faster up the tree, aiming for a better spot to attack from, which was apparently the wrong move. I knew it as soon as I jerked forward.

    Only prey runs.

    They both launched themselves into the air, gliding right at me. I yanked out my knife and extended it into my spear. As soon as one got close, I thrust towards it. It didn¡¯t dodge. The knife cut into the microraptor¡¯s feathers, creating a burning smell and making it whine as it jerked away toward the ground. The other sped up, flying faster, and dodged my second thrust with the spear. The creature spun through the air like an eagle, twisting about.

    I wobbled a little as it wheeled around me. Talons scratched at the arm not holding the spear as it flew past. The spear was great when I could keep my distance, but the damn bird was too close now.

    Pain crawled up my arm and I tilted backward. Frantically, I leaned forward to regain my balance, but the raptor darted in, aiming for my face. Sharp talons reached out and I shifted out of the way, my back foot finding only air. I crashed backward off the tree trunk, dodging the face attack through the fall.

    Pebbles slammed into my back as I landed. Air rushed out of my lungs, and I gasped from the back pain.

    Then the microraptor was on me.

 Chapter 32: Trying to eat them all

    Another claw sliced across my cheek before I slammed a hand into the side of the thing¡¯s body. It jumped backward, away from me and closer to the water''s edge. I scrambled up to a seated position and stabbed out with my spear as it ran closer, coming in for another attack. It was slower on the ground than in the air and I felt confident I could hit it.

    The creature dodged back, away from the spear, but the first one I¡¯d injured leaped out of the shadows from under the tree. I backhanded it and the creature went flying, this time not using its wings.

    Distance, I needed distance from these creatures.

    The uninjured one didn¡¯t jump right in, and I used the moment of space to scramble to my feet. Instead of jumping in to attack, the creature paused, studying me and what I was doing. The microraptor lifted its head and loudly hissed twice into the sky. I readied myself as it leaped again, taking to the air and flying high. It twisted to dive-bomb me, clearly deciding it was better off attacking from above.

    This time, I swung my spear like a baseball bat and smacked the bird right across its center of mass, grazing one of the wings with the hot tip. A few feathers came loose as it sailed backward, landing in the center of the river with a loud splash.

    It hissed again as it tried to break free of the water, but was having trouble flying with wet feathers.

    More hisses came from the opposite riverbank, but I couldn¡¯t see anything but ferns.

    The one next to me hissed loudly in return, rushing at me awkwardly across the ground. I stabbed it through the chest with my spear, wondering if it would taste like chicken.

    [You have gained bonus experience from combat for surviving against a Microraptor above your level.]

    The one in the river splashed about until it gained a little air with its wings. It glared at me and flapped its wings faster, shedding water from its feathers with each flap.

    A triangle head snapped out of the water and closed on half of the bird. A flash of bright blue and green scales was all I saw as water sprayed everywhere. I stumbled backward, further away from the water, and the microraptor was gone.

    [You have gained bonus experience from combat for surviving against a Microraptor above your level.]

    [You have gained a level.]

    Pure terror washed over me, as everything inside me screamed to run. I stumbled back further from the water''s edge, yanking my spear back toward me. The dead bird came with it, caught on some feathers. Without thinking too hard about it I tossed the dead microraptor into my inventory and leaped toward the tree trunk, this time keeping far away from the water. I had to pull myself upward, but I almost flew as I raced up the tree, away from whatever had been in the water. I didn¡¯t know what level it was, but it was bigger than me, a lot bigger.

    My heart pounded as I reached the top of the bank, finally away from the river and having lost at least an hour with the whole ordeal. I twisted back, looking over my shoulder, but the river looked like it had before. There wasn¡¯t even a shadow in the center. Pain flickered up my arm, making me shiver, and I smelled the blood from my cheek.

    The slice on my arm wasn¡¯t deep, but it was actively bleeding. The same went for my face, and that bled a little more. I paused at the top of the riverbank and yanked out the pack from my inventory. While I didn¡¯t have many clean bandages left, I pulled one out and quickly tightened it around my upper arm, making sure to cover the whole cut. John knew what he was doing when he¡¯d packed this bag, thankfully.

    The cut on my cheek was harder. I didn¡¯t really have a way to stop it from bleeding besides one, which I really didn¡¯t want to do since I couldn¡¯t see the cut. Plus, there wasn¡¯t a chance that closing it with my knife wouldn¡¯t scar it. Or cause even worse lasting damage.

    ¡°Noseen, how bad is the cut on my face?¡± I asked, trying to suppress my panic. I wished I had some of that green goo from the plant.

    ¡°Small, I think. Should stop bleeding soon.¡±

    My hands shook as I tossed the pack back into my inventory and took off down the riverbank. Anything carnivorous would be able to smell me on the breeze, and what I needed was to get closer to the crystal. It had started to ground the last time I¡¯d seen it, and it would keep smaller things away. My stomach grumbled as I dashed ahead, keeping close to the river but not so close that I¡¯d end up back where I was.

    A hissing sound came from my left and I stopped, extending my knife back into a spear. I strained, trying to target where the sound was coming from. Another hissing sound came from my right, and I let out a shaking breath, focusing on relaxing each of my muscles.

    I could do this.

    One came flying at me over the tall grass. I caught sight of it out of the corner of my eye and my spear lashed out. A burning smell filled the air as the creature lost a wing and crashed to the ground in pain. I took a deep breath.

    Before that one hit the ground, another leaped from the other side of me, but I was prepared for the pack tactics. The butt of my spear knocked it back as the third flew directly at my face. I spun around, dodging the Microraptor and it overshot into the bushes. The wingless one on the ground I finished off with a stab, leaving two more.

    [You have gained experience from combat.]

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    I didn¡¯t have time to toss it into my inventory as the other two came back, hissing. Both flew at me at once from different directions. One I stabbed right in the center of its body, the crystal cutting through with ease and the beast dying almost immediately.

    [You have gained experience from combat.]

    The other scratched at my face, but I jerked back as it quickly lost air. I stomped down on the creature as it jumped close to my feet. Luck was on my side as I pinned a wing under my boot, which it then tried to attack. Fortunately, the thick leather prevented any damage as I cut its head off.

    [You have gained experience from combat.]

    The sound of my breathing took over the space in the tall grass, and I strained to hear any additional hissing. After a few seconds of nothing, I stuffed two of the Microraptor bodies into my inventory. Given the notifications, all three had to have been at my level or lower. I¡¯d gotten experience, but not extra. Fighting creatures just above my level seemed to be the sweet spot. I stared at the last one, trying to use my Insight.

    [Microraptor, Level 8, Dead.]

    That confirmed these were weaker than the other two I had fought before.

    My stomach growled again, reminding me that I needed to eat something, and soon. However, this was not the time or the place. First, I had to find the crystal, since that would be the smart thing to do. It would give me some safety while I filled my stomach.

    Hopefully, this was the rest of the Microraptor pack and I wouldn¡¯t need to worry about any more of these coming after me as I searched for the crystal along the riverbank. My arm ached a little from the fight, and my cheek had cracked back open, but I hadn¡¯t gained any additional injuries. I had to count that as a victory.

    A shadow passed overhead and I automatically ducked down into the tall grass, but it was only a flock of birds, not one of the monster fliers. Letting out a shaking breath, I marched on, trying to keep heading south. The sound of the river was to my left, but I didn¡¯t want to get too close to it. The more out of sight I could stay right now, the better.

    Yet, anything could be hiding in tall grass like this, for example packs of Microraptors. It was one of the reasons why I preferred the jungle trees versus grasslands like this. The breeze picked up for a moment, coming from the east, and the grasses danced. The wind blowing over the tall grass made a soft tone, which was cool, but it made it harder to hear if anything was following me.

    After passing a few ferns, I came across the large skeleton that I had seen from below. It was the only one, with large ribs stretching into the air. It had been picked clean ages ago, as several of the bones were already cracked and bleached white from the sun. Tall grasses and more ferns grew up intertwined with it, which was a good sign. Nothing smelled like a carcass. All I smelled was the river, and my own blood.

    I wasn¡¯t far from the crystal now, and I kept my fast pace as I dodged around the bones.

    ¡°This was a devourer,¡± said Noseen. ¡°A great one.¡± For once there wasn¡¯t a sound of buzzing attached to his words, and it caused me to slow down to a walk.

    ¡°How can you tell?¡± I asked, studying the bones. They were just bones.

    ¡°Focus on it, how does it feel?¡±

    I tried to focus on it, like when I used insight on a creature or person. Nothing popped up, but I got a feeling of familiarity. It caused me to inch closer to the bones and lay a hand on one of the towering ribs. It was warm from the sun, and smooth. Then, it tingled, sending a jolt of power up my arm.

    I jerked my hand back, my panic slowly receding. Almost without thought, I moved through the rib bones, heading to where the skull should be. It was crushed. Splintered into pieces, almost like a giant rock had smashed down on it. A large jaw bone with a few sharp teeth attached sat away from the rest of it.

    ¡°What could have done this?¡±

    ¡°Many things,¡± whispered Noseen. ¡°The purge was a dark time. Many of us died.¡±

    ¡°How?¡±

    ¡°Devourers were hunted across the worlds of the system. Some even tried to rid their worlds of the class.¡± Noseen paused. ¡°They don¡¯t understand the balance.¡±

    I didn¡¯t understand whatever balance they spoke of either, but my thoughts were still caught on one word, worlds? ¡°How many worlds are there?¡±

    Noseen didn¡¯t respond immediately, then he started buzzing. ¡°Plenty, more than you could count.¡±

    If I knew exactly where they were, I¡¯d have glared at them. While I wanted to know more about devourers, and the history of the class, I already had too much on my plate. Still, I moved closer to the broken jaw bone with the sharp ivory teeth. The teeth looked usable as knives, and I poked one with a finger. It was solid. I snagged a leaf and cut it on the edge, seeing it was still razor sharp. ¡°Can I take one?¡± I didn¡¯t want to disrespect Noseen, but having a backup knife would be useful. I¡¯d need to attach it to a wooden handle, but that shouldn¡¯t be hard. Hopefully.

    ¡°Go for it.¡±

    The largest tooth was almost the size of my crystal, and it came free with only a little prying. The second one fell out with me barely touching it. ¡°Are devourers still hunted?¡± The question slipped out without intention, but it was something I¡¯d thought about in the back of my mind for a while, given Noseen¡¯s hints over the past couple of days. I didn''t have time for a history lesson, but I still wanted to know more.

    ¡°In many places, yes. You need to grow and be less squishy to survive.¡±

    ¡°Even though I might be lower level than them?¡± I asked.

    Noseen buzzed softer. ¡°Unfortunately, that will not protect you. You need to grow.¡±

    Deep down I knew that, based on the hints the system had dropped with my skills and class selection. My conviction to become stronger and level up deepened. Both teeth went into my inventory.

    This creature, this giant devourer, had died, and look how big they were. I couldn¡¯t even tell what type of creature it had been. All that was left was the rib cage, and parts of the skull with the broken jaw. The jungle was slowly consuming it, closing the circle of life, yet another example. If I didn¡¯t want this to happen to me, I needed to be as smart, sneaky, and fast as I could be. As long as no one knew about me and my class, I could grow stronger without anyone trying to take me out.

    ¡°Noseen, can people see my class using insight?¡±

    ¡°People stronger than you can see all sorts of information about you, if they leveled Insight.¡±

    My fingers tapped on my thigh as I stood up. ¡°Is there a way to block it, or change it?¡±

    Noseen buzzed softly, like they were thinking of what to say. I was reminded that they¡¯d said they were limited in what they could say, which frustrated me, but I still didn¡¯t know the rules of the system, not really. I had to trust they¡¯d do what they could. ¡°Unlock a strong Profession and that will show up first, but there aren¡¯t many strong beings in this place, so I wouldn¡¯t worry too much.¡± They went quiet before they spoke again. ¡°You¡¯re being smart again, I approve.¡±

    Just what I needed, approval from a mosquito. Then again, hadn¡¯t Noseen called themself a great blood devourer? Why were they tiny?

    I needed to remember this wasn¡¯t going to be over when I got back to the ship. I chuckled to myself. First I¡¯d needed to get a class, which I¡¯d now done. But because of that class, I now needed to get a profession to hide the class. If the fates were real, they had to be laughing at me right now. Then I caught a whiff of my blood.

    I¡¯d gotten distracted with the bones. I headed back toward the river¡¯s edge and moved along the bank in the correct direction. My cheek was still bleeding, though the air was still and hopefully it would stay like that. My stomach growled again, and I knew I¡¯d need to eat the microraptors soon. First I had to get where it was safe.

    Then I would gorge.

 Chapter 33: Devouring

    The grasses slowly faded out as ferns took over, along with more trees. The farther we got from the bones, the more everything grew. From ferns, to moss, to even taller grass. The sudden change in environment was a little strange, like most things didn''t want to grow near the bones. Then again, I remembered that shock of power when I¡¯d touched the rib.

    "Is it just me, or did the jungle resist growing around the bones?" I asked.

    Noseen chuckled. "The great devourer resisted death for a long time. The fight more than likely destroyed the surrounding jungle, and it will take time for it to grow back."

    That hadn''t been my experience with the jungle. At the colony, one of my jobs had been to help the farmers fight back the grasses and ferns within the crop fields. Somehow, everything just grew so fast, sometimes overnight. Still, a massive battle would have destroyed the surroundings, though it wasn''t like it was recent. Something to think about later. My focus switched to searching out the edges of the mud pit again, and finding the sled. The crystal should be grounded at this point, and I kept my breathing light to try to hear it as well.

    It took longer than I would have liked, but I spotted the fern-covered crystal and sled eventually. As I got closer, the humming grew louder and my shoulders relaxed. My pace slowed until I stopped near the mud, but not in it. Looking at the crystal, a rush of emotion washed over me, happy that I¡¯d let go of the rope. I had no idea how I would have gotten the sled back up the bank. The mud surrounding it looked much drier now, but I didn¡¯t dare disturb the sled and unground the crystal. Right now, I needed that protection.

    I crashed onto a dry patch of ground next to a tall fern, taking a deep breath. The plant provided some shade from the warm sun. My stomach rumbled yet again, and I yanked a Microraptor out of my inventory. The feathers were beautiful this close. Some were a deep blue, others a deep green, along with a few gray or white ones. I stroked a feather with a finger and found it soft. Very soft.

    ¡°You might want to pluck it first,¡± suggested Noseen.

    After the last bird, I agreed with them, and started yanking the feathers out. It didn¡¯t take long to discover I could only pluck 5 out at a time without destroying the feathers. I tossed them into my inventory as I went, creating a stack. Thankfully, they didn¡¯t stack per color, so they didn¡¯t take too much room in the crystal. The feathers might be useful later for a pillow or something.

    My stomach wouldn¡¯t shut up the whole time I worked on the feathers, and my arm throbbed with each motion. The gash didn¡¯t bleed through the bandage, which was all I cared about. Still, I kept at it, eager to finish plucking since the bird was pretty big and seemed to have a decent amount of food on it, especially compared to Compys.

    The wings and the head I didn¡¯t even bother with. Once the core of it was de-feathered, I cut the head and wings off. The legs were rather skinny as well, so they were tossed into my inventory. I¡¯d leave them behind at some point, but for now I didn¡¯t want to leave a pile to attract anything else to my location. My cheek was bad enough.

    Finally, I cut into the thing, almost splitting it in half. My heartbeat increased looking at all the meat. The heart was as small as a Compys heart, and I tossed it into my mouth all at once.

    The flavor burst on my tongue, more lovely candy, this time almost a deep chocolate. I closed my eyes in bliss as I forced myself to chew as much as possible. Chocolate, I''d forgotten how chocolate tasted.

    [You have devoured a Microraptor and gained insight into Quickness.]

    [You have gained a stat point in Quickness.]

    The notifications were a pleasant surprise as I swallowed. An extra point in Quickness was perfect, as I was focused on that, at least for now. Still, I had leveled up to level 9, too. I was so freaking close to 10, and I hoped that I could hit that magical level before I got back to the shuttle.Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere.

    My thoughts froze at that moment. Even thinking that meant I hoped to fight more beasts. Did I really want that to happen? I thought about it for a couple of moments, since my stomach was temporarily chill. I wanted to grow, and grow faster than I was now. I also wanted to prove myself, and getting to level ten would do that. I''d be like everyone else at the colony.

    My stomach grumbled, not happy with only the heart for more than a moment of reflection, and I started digging into the rest of the carcass. My movements increased until I was shoving raw meat so fast into my mouth, I was shocked I didn¡¯t choke.

    Then, suddenly, the raptor was picked clean.

    The bones I tossed in my inventory, along with the organs I hadn¡¯t eaten. I drank some water and used it to clean off my hands and my face. Blood came away from the cut on my cheek, which felt a little warm to the touch. Out of everything, I needed that to close up first. It was more important than the cut on my arm, which would heal the more I ate.

    Three more raptors to go, but at least my stomach wasn¡¯t growling as loudly as before. Somehow, I was still hungry though. The second bird went much faster than the first had, but it was smaller than the higher level one. These feathers came out much more easily, and all I focused on was the body. Everything else I tossed into my inventory to leave behind.

    The heart, unfortunately, was smaller as well, and it only gave me moments of chocolate bliss before it was gone.

    [You have devoured a Microraptor and gained insight into Quickness.]

    So, Microraptors were fast, which I¡¯d already picked up on. Maybe after the next two, I would unlock another stat point. The body of this one didn¡¯t have as much meat on it, and it didn¡¯t take long for it to be picked clean as well. The cut on my cheek throbbed a bit, but I ignored it. Right now I had to eat all of this food before I moved on, and I needed to get traveling.

    The next two went as fast as the first smaller one, and I didn¡¯t even bother going for anything but the hearts. They were very skinny.

    [You have devoured a Microraptor and gained insight into Quickness.]

    [You have devoured a Microraptor and gained insight into Quickness.]

    [You have gained a stat point in Quickness.]

    Four Microraptor hearts had given me two Quickness stat points. That was pretty freaking amazing. Quickness was my highest stat, at 38. It was inching toward 40, and it should cross that line when I leveled up to ten, even if I didn¡¯t use any of my free stat points on it. Level ten was within reach, and I wanted it bad. Yet, was that going to be good enough? Did I want Len telling me what to do on hunts? Did I want Alexander assigning me to a section to work?

    Being in the jungle on my own made it harder to accept the facts of the colony. They were needed to help everyone survive and grow together, right? Or, were they, really?

    I wiped my mouth without thinking about it, using the back of my hand. It crossed over the cut on my cheek, which didn¡¯t hurt anymore. Instead, dried blood flaked off. The cut was healed. Devouring the hearts, or the raptors, had healed my cheek. Part of me wanted to jump for joy, the other part of me poked at my arm. That gash still hurt through the bandage, so it wasn¡¯t healed. I needed to eat more to finish healing. I¡¯d hoped what I ate was already enough, but it seemed not.

    With my cheek healed, it was time to get this show back on the road. I needed to get to the shuttle and hand over the crystal. John could take over management of the crisis at that time. Part of me wanted to rest a little, but the longer I sat here the more likely that cat would find me, if it really was after me. I hadn¡¯t slept much the night before, though my clothes were finally dry, so maybe tonight I¡¯d get some sleep.

    My stomach was full, but that only made me want to stay seated and let the food digest to fix my arm.

    I had to think of John. He was counting on me.

    That got me off the ground and cleaning up my hands with some water from my canteen. I had to refill it from one of the jugs, but I had plenty of water left in my inventory crystal.

    I needed to get around the mud pit and find the marker on the other side. I¡¯d really screwed up by coming this way instead of going to the other side. Now, I remembered I had left two or three markers along that edge.

    A hissing sound from down over the riverbank made up my mind. If more of those Microraptors were about, then I should get moving. Three hadn¡¯t been too hard, but I bet they moved in larger packs than that, and a group of five of them could become tricky. A deep voice in the back of my mind whispered that it would be more Quickness stats with those chocolate hearts, but I pushed that thought away. I had to focus on John.

 Chapter 34: Must Keep Going

    I eyed the crystal, which hummed loudly in the back of my mind, before I picked up the rope and pulled with one hand. The sound cut off, and I kept the river to my left as I set out, being super careful where I stepped around the mudslide area. Already, the ground was dryer, with the sun pouring down overhead. I kept my spear out, poking the ground here and there and trying to find the edge of the actual mud pit. It didn¡¯t take long for me to leave the riverbank behind. The sound of moving water faded into the distance, along with the hissing of the small but deadly predators.

    The farther from the river, the better I felt about my decision. However, my mind wandered back to thinking about the dead great devourer. What made a devourer great? And how long would it take for me to reach that level?

    "What''s the difference between a great devourer, and a regular devourer?" I whispered. I knew I shouldn''t be talking, but that list in the back of my head of questions to ask Noseen had gotten too long. I really wanted to shorten it a bit.

    "It''s a class evolution. I am a Great Blood Devourer." This time there wasn''t any buzzing, and the statement came out very clear. "It took ages to become one, but the power I gained when I evolved was worth it. Right now, you are a baby devourer. Someday you might become great, if you keep being smart."

    Great Devourer was a class evolution. I didn''t know anyone with a class evolution. It must be several levels in the future, beyond what anyone at the settlement had reached so far.

    The heat poured down on me and it soaked in on my back, slowing down both my mind and my body. Usually, I had the cloak on and it helped block the sun. Finally, I stopped after what seemed like forever but was probably only a few minutes and grabbed the cloak out. The mud coating it was still wet, and I used a rock to scrape as much off it as I could before I draped it over the crystal to dry. Eventually, I would put it back on, but not while it was so wet and heavy.

    The tall ferns surrounding the mud hole towered over me, creating a little shade here and there but not much with the sun nearing the height of the day. The grasses grew so tall I couldn¡¯t move faster, even with the sled engaged, since my footing was so uneven. My movement through the grass was obvious, with both me and the sled carving a clear path through the tall growth. I felt naked without the cloak, even though I knew wearing it wouldn¡¯t do much. The path through the grass was clear for anything that might bother to look.

    More bugs showed up, but most stayed away from me. They grouped in black clouds that tinted the air in areas. The sound grated on my nerves, the humming different from how Noseen buzzed. One of the clouds dissipated, half of it vanishing into dust. My mouth dropped open, but I didn¡¯t comment. If Noseen wanted to eat them, I wasn¡¯t going to say anything.

    Trees slowly dotted the landscape, and the grasses turned back into ferns. My stress level decreased, though anyone could still follow my trail through the grassy area. I needed a tree to climb up and see how close I was to the rest of the mud pit. Right now, I was marching blind, and it worried me. Taking out my canteen, I gulped down more water, hoping to keep my stomach happy and cool down a bit. Even though I had eaten so much, my stomach was rapidly getting empty again. I thought about another ration bar, but it sent waves of disgust through me. My arm was slowly feeling better, and I figured the calories were being spent on Consumptive Healing. I hoped they were, at least, and that normally I wouldn¡¯t get so hungry again so quickly.

    Finally, the trees started getting bigger, and one looked strong enough to hold me. I dropped the rope, letting the sled down into the grass under it. Then I put my spear away as I climbed up to the first branch. It didn¡¯t take long for me to climb to the top, since I¡¯d underestimated how big the branches were. But even without getting above the canopy, I could see the edges of the mud pit. Somehow, I had wandered to the inside of it toward its center. Probably because the sun had baked plenty of it dry, so I hadn¡¯t sunk into the mud. Now, it looked like I needed to head south, at a right angle from my current path. The tree line at the edges of the jungle took over pretty quickly in that direction. If I followed the edge of the trees, I¡¯d find my first marker near the pit and be back on track.

    The sun passed the high point in the sky and I couldn¡¯t wait to walk within the shade of the jungle. The back of my neck was warm to the touch, and it itched. I¡¯d probably burned it. I quickly climbed down the tree, feeling optimistic about the distance I needed to go. It might be close to dusk when I got to the ship, but it seemed like I should make it today, despite all the delays. The time it had taken me to get to the mud hole from the ship hadn¡¯t been long, if I ignored the time it took for the dino I had killed and eaten. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

    My mouth watered at the thought of some more Parasaurolophus meat. That had been tender, and melted in my mouth. The carnivores didn¡¯t have the same type of taste. If I was lucky, there would be one milling about the shuttle and I could take it down for John and me. I probably wasn¡¯t that lucky, but it was still nice to dream. Fresh meat, for sure. Or, better yet, a shower. At this point, I was covered with so much mud, gunk, and dried sweat, I hoped John recognized me. At least he¡¯d get a laugh out of my appearance. My levels were a different story, hopefully he''d be impressed by those.

    My feet dropped to the ground next to the sled with a huff and a head jerked up at me from within the grass. It slowly approached the crystal, and somehow while climbing I¡¯d completely missed it standing on the trail the sled had left. A bright red frill framed its face as it hissed at me, showing off short sharp teeth. It took too long for my brain to connect what I was seeing before it spit gunk toward my face.

    [Dilophosaurus, Level 10.]

    I dodged to the right, but the goop hit my left shoulder, burning through my shirt. An acidic smell followed me as I yanked out my knife, spinning around the tree trunk. The beast followed me, faster than I¡¯d expected. My shoulder burned as I swung at the creature, who didn¡¯t even try to dodge. It leaned in, instead, snapping at my arm. The glowing crystal tip cut across the edge of its jaw and it jerked its head back, growling.

    The Dilophosaurus¡¯ whole body lunged, with its mouth wide open and the frill stretched out. I rolled to the right, stumbling, extending my spear. Before it could switch gears, I stabbed into the creature¡¯s shoulder, cutting deep.

    The dino snapped its tail, hitting my wounded shoulder with a crack, sending me flying. All I focused on was keeping my spear in my hand. If I lost it, I¡¯d be dead. I slammed into a tree behind me, and saw stars.

    Claws stretched out as it jumped again, growling, spittle flying everywhere. At the last minute, I got my spear up as it slammed down on top of me. Pain echoed through my body as it hit, its full weight crushing me.

    Everything went dark.

    I came to with it still on top of me, and when I tried to shove it off, the pain in my left side left me gasping. There wasn''t a chance I could move the creature with my arm the way it was. I bit my tongue as I wiggled out from under it the best I could. Once my feet were free, I let myself rest, staring up at the sky.

    ¡°You aren¡¯t dead, good,¡± said Noseen.

    ¡°Nope.¡± It came out as a gasp. My spear was still buried in the dead beast, under it somewhere. Notifications came to mind, but I didn¡¯t care and muted them. Everything hurt or burned, even my stomach. My shoulder had to be broken, plus whatever it had sprayed on me still burned. I hadn¡¯t been tough enough to take the tail whip. Next time, I needed to think about the tail in a fight.

    I swallowed, trying to figure out what to do, when my stomach rumbled again. For a second, I just closed my eyes and took a shallow breath. Anything more than that just hurt too much.

    Food. I needed food as soon as possible. To heal.

    I eyed the dead dino and prayed a packmate wouldn¡¯t show up. I didn¡¯t know if these particular dinos fought in groups, since we hadn¡¯t seen many of them in the Colony. Fighting something else wasn''t possible until I ate and healed. The crystal hummed lightly in the background, but not much time had passed since I let the sled touch the ground. It was at least something, and I¡¯d take anything I could get.

    The dino''s head pointed in the other direction, and its shoulder was the closest thing to me. My mind touched on the tooth in my inventory, and I pulled it out. The base was hard to hold onto, but it sliced through the leathery skin covering the creature. Once I¡¯d cut off the skin, I sliced into the dense shoulder and cut a piece of meat, stuffing it into my mouth without a thought. I wasn¡¯t sure I even chewed, I just consumed it.

    It hurt to swallow, letting me know something was wrong with my chest as well. I cut off another piece, shoving it into my mouth before swallowing again. Bit by bit, I ate more and more of the creature. The rumble in my stomach went from a dull ache to an unrelenting need to eat more meat.

    I couldn¡¯t taste anything, but, eventually, each time I swallowed a pleasant relief flowed through my chest.

    More. I needed more.

    I sliced a massive chunk off the carcass and brought it to my mouth, taking large bites out of it. My teeth had a hard time chewing through it, but I didn¡¯t stop. I couldn¡¯t. The ache in my chest slowly healed, but I couldn¡¯t eat enough fast enough to remove all of the pain. My shoulder was the next area to be healed. Each time I used that hand, it injured my shoulder more, but I couldn¡¯t stop myself from eating, and I needed that hand to help me cut into the carcass.

    That deep voice, the one that spoke of desire in the back of my head, roared in joy with each bite and swallow. I fought back, trying to get myself under control. Then I cut another huge piece off, and tried to lift it with my hurt hand. The pain washed through me, almost causing me to pass out.

    Then every ounce of control fled my body.

 Chapter 35: Noseen - Keeping Watch

    My quest hadn¡¯t updated, but it felt right to be here right now. Alex knew nothing about anything. How someone could survive as long as they had without knowing about the system was unbelievable, yet here I was. Alex had to be what the Devourer of Knowledge and Light had wanted me to find. A being that great wouldn''t send me on a vacation without ulterior motives. Who needed a vacation after waiting ages for a way to pay back a debt? My world had prospered from that debt. It needed to be repaid.

    Alex was squishy and young. I hadn¡¯t seen a baby devourer that wasn¡¯t shaped like me in a long time. Still, they might not have meant for me to find this baby. Or worse yet, maybe they didn''t know about this baby devourer. We had lost so many, was the system returning balance to things? The bones of the great giant in the distance mocked me, reminding me of the legions we had lost. So many had been slaughtered on both sides, but we¡¯d definitely seen the worst of it. Until they stepped in.

    I almost shivered. Then I caught sight of Alex. All thoughts of the Great Ones vanished.

    Finally, it had happened. It always did at an early age. Alex lost control.

    This was why we were hunted. None of us could understand what it meant to lose control, until we did. All I could do was watch, and hope they would come out of it on the other side still mentally there. Sometimes, the young and squishy ones broke. When they did, it was sad, and almost always meant their death. I hoped Alex wouldn¡¯t. This had been the most fun I¡¯d had in centuries, and needing to put Alex down would sadden me, cutting into my fun.

    The thought made me pause. I was having fun. There wasn¡¯t much I could do, what with the constraints of the Sanctuary, but I could answer some questions, and try to keep Alex alive within the rules. The questions from the human had finally started, and they were learning more about the universe. I knew they had to have more questions, but this mission of theirs seemed to be taking up a lot of their mental capacity. I hoped it wasn¡¯t a permanent weakness of the mind.

    The sound of something creeping closer drew my attention away from the human gnawing directly on the carcass''s shoulder. Another spitter peeked out from behind a tree, eyeing the scene. I moved closer to it, then paused as Alex hissed behind me, sounding like a beast.

    The spitter fled through the trees in fear.

    I flew back to my post over Alex, chuckling. Maybe this human could become a great devourer after all. If they survived this.

    Regaining control would take some time. The amount of damage Alex had taken had been great; I wasn¡¯t exactly sure how they had survived to be honest. Ribs broken, shoulder crushed, internal bleeding for sure, and that was only what I could sense from the mark I¡¯d placed. At least some of the smarts were still there. They were using the tooth instead of their ineffective fingers.

    Well, mostly.

    Alex cut deeply into the creature, heading for the heart. I buzzed, interested in seeing what would happen. Each time they devoured a heart, I wondered how it would change their squishiness. So far, nothing big had happened, it¡¯d only been small changes to help them survive. Survival was the most important thing at this early stage, after all. As long as you lived, you could keep growing.

    But this was a milestone, Level Ten. I¡¯d hatched at level ten. On my world, it was the weakest you¡¯d ever be. Here, in this place, most hatched young at level zero or level one, or at least the beasts did. These strange humans shouldn¡¯t even be in this area. The groups of humans on this planet were farther away, and usually hatched at level zero, but quickly grew to level ten. Alex was different. Somehow, they were even weaker than a normal human. Or, they¡¯d started out that way. They weren¡¯t weaker than the other humans anymore, even though they were still pretty squishy for a devourer.

    Another mystery for me to solve, besides the quest hanging over my head.

    Alex shoved the heart into their mouth and hummed happily. It almost sounded like my buzzing, which pleased me. I studied them, wanting to see what would change. At some point, they needed to become more. Less squishy, and more toothy.

    They stopped humming and they dove back in with their knife, cutting off more flesh.

    I hovered in the air, slightly disappointed.

    I had expected something to happen. It must have, and yet¡­ nothing. Nothing I could sense, anyway. Maybe it took time. That had to be it.

    I flew around in a circle before landing on a tree branch over Alex. I needed to wait. Humans were strange, after all, especially this one.This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

    Chirping came from the trees to the north and I sighed. Those creatures weren¡¯t very smart. A group slowly approached, keeping away from the annoying crystal that hummed several feet away. In a couple of hours, they wouldn¡¯t be able to even move this close to that annoying noise, but for now, they crept forward.

    A pack of small things circled around, staring at Alex gorging themselves and the dead spitter. Alex called them Compys. Dumb creatures that were too low-level to worry about. Still, they stepped forward, chirping at Alex.

    I let out a chuckle. You never drew the attention of a devourer. Especially a devourer who was raving. Nor did you try to steal its food when it gorged. Especially when it gorged.

    Alex hissed at them, their bright eyes narrowing.

    The five Compys didn¡¯t seem to care as they launched themselves at the carcass. The first was stabbed with the tooth, while Alex hit the next in the head with a large rock. So that shoulder must be healing up nicely.

    One of the others bit Alex¡¯s leg, but Alex completely ignored it while stabbing at the other who dashed in for a small bite. Alex was faster, killing the small creature.

    That¡¯s what happened when you targeted something four levels above you. You died.

    The tooth came down on the one still gnawing on their leg. The last, seeing its companions dead, vanished into the underbrush. If it was smart, it wouldn¡¯t come back. Alex slumped down, grabbing the knife before cutting into the smaller carcass.

    The scent of blood filled the air, tempting me. I resisted.

    Oh no. Focus on the big dead thing, not hearts. A heart binge would last so much longer.

    Alex tossed the heart into their mouth. It didn¡¯t take long for them to cut apart the three others to reach their hearts, but Alex didn¡¯t bother eating the rest and tossed the uneaten carcasses into a pile nearby.

    Thankfully, they turned back to the bigger kill before diving back into eating more of its body. Eventually, they yanked out the spear and shortened it, returning it to their belt. That was the most Alex thing they had done so far. It might be over soon. Hopefully, it would be.

    I settled in to wait.

    I was wrong.

    ***

    The smell woke me, along with a buzzing near my ear. I blinked several times, trying to figure out what had happened. After a few moments, I sat up, holding my head. The constant humming sound at the back of my mind rattled me. It was just so loud.

    The spitting dino had attacked me, and I¡¯d almost died. That, I remembered. Notifications blinked, but I kept them muted while I gained my bearings. I sat on the jungle floor. The smell that had woken came from a carcass, a big one. It wasn¡¯t fresh at all, making my nose twitch.

    Suddenly, I remembered the whole fight with the Dilophosaurus. My hand went to my shoulder, finding my shirt burned but the skin underneath whole. Two other piles sat in the distance. One looked to be Compy bodies, while the other was something I didn¡¯t recognize immediately. Then I saw the head fin. It was a Parasaurolophus. Giant chunks had been torn out of it, but a good amount of meat remained, and it smelled fresher.

    ¡°What the ever-living fuck?¡± I whispered.

    ¡°I barely remember my first bender, but the day after is clear as crystal.¡±

    ¡°Bender?¡± I asked. Yet, flashes came to me; Pain, so much pain, then fighting Compys and eating their hearts. The last thing I remembered was dragging the Parasaurolophus back here after killing it. Though, the actual process of killing it was gone.

    I stared at the body, trying to get an idea of what¡¯d happened.

    [Parasaurolophus, Level 4, Dead.]

    That made more sense. I¡¯d gone after one to eat, not grow.

    ¡°How much did I eat?¡± I asked, not expecting an answer. The amount of meat missing from each of the bodies was impossible. A human couldn¡¯t eat all of that. There wasn¡¯t anywhere for it to physically go. My stomach was only so big and, without being overly analytical, there wasn¡¯t some giant pile of shit somewhere. I wanted to gag, but couldn¡¯t. I found myself standing and moving closer to what was left of the para. It still looked and smelled fresh. While I wasn¡¯t hungry now, putting some of this away for later in my inventory crystal would be important. Having extra food would increase my ability to heal after a fight. Especially if this type of thing happened when I got seriously injured.

    I couldn¡¯t let this happen again. What if I¡¯d been around people? What about if I¡¯d been around my brother? Or with a hunting crew, like Mary or Cass?

    My chest tightened and I swallowed the panic. I went to grab my knife, but it wasn¡¯t at my side.

    ¡°It¡¯s over here¡­¡± Noseen buzzed, and I turned back from where I¡¯d woken up. I must have had it in my hand when I¡¯d finally slept. After retrieving it, I knelt and butchered the carcass into chunks, tossing them into a stack in my inventory. I didn¡¯t know what to think as I sliced and diced. Instead, I focused on the task, and let my brain process everything that had happened.

    I still needed to check out my notifications, but only once I felt like my head wasn¡¯t going to explode. The humming from the crystal was still there, and probably the only reason I was still alive. As soon as this was done, I needed to check my notifications and then climb that tree again. This time I needed to make sure nothing was around before I jumped down.

    This was already too much of a detour, though it was hard to tell how much time had passed based on the angle of the sun through the tree cover. Though, it felt like the sun was in the same spot it had been when I¡¯d been attacked. So, maybe I was fine and still on track. But that didn¡¯t make a lot of sense, how long had it taken me to take down the para and drag it back here?

    Eventually, the urge to check the notifications took over. I wanted to see what I¡¯d gotten from the Dilophosaurus. That had to be enough meat, I thought. It was way more than I¡¯d taken the first time, but now I knew better. Food healed me quicker.

 Chapter 36: Results

    I stood up and moved closer to the crystal. The humming in my head grew louder, but I blocked it out as best as I could. Then I took a deep breath before opening the pending notifications.

    [You have gained bonus experience from combat for surviving against a Dilophosaurus above your level.]

    [You have leveled up.]

    [You have reached level ten.]

    [You have grown a Common Body. Your body grows stronger and more tough. You need less water and rest than before. Diseases have a harder time taking hold.]

    [You have merged Consumptive Healing into Iron Stomach*, creating Improved Constitution. Your stomach is rock solid, devourer. Whatever you eat is food. There are no concerns over sickness from eating food. Devouring food speeds up the healing of your body.]

    [You have merged Improved Constitution into your Common Body, creating an Improved Body. Your body is stronger and tougher than before, including your teeth and your bite. You need less water and rest. Your stomach is rock solid. Whatever you devour is food. There are no concerns over sickness from eating. Devouring speeds up the healing of your body, targeting the most critical areas first.]

    The two merges surprised me. This was a huge upgrade from eating calories to improve my healing rate. It must have added in what normally happened when folks grew to level ten. However, I noticed it did not mention I needed to eat less. That could be concerning, if I couldn¡¯t hunt for myself once I was back at the colony. Either way, it was still all positive. I looked down to see what was next.

    [You have leveled up.]

    [You have devoured a Dilophosaurus and gained insight into Heightened Senses.]

    [You have devoured a Compy and gained insight into poison resistance.]

    [You have devoured a Compy and gained insight into poison resistance.]

    [You have devoured a Compy and gained insight into poison resistance.]

    [You have devoured a Compy and gained insight into poison resistance.]

    [Skill Unlocked: You have unlocked a skill: Poison Resistance.]

    [Would you like to merge Poison Resistance and Venomous Bite?]

    I paused after that notification. The question sat there, waiting for a response. If I combined the skills, what would happen? I didn¡¯t really care for Venomous Bite, and I hadn''t used it yet, but if Poison Resistance increased that would be awesome. Consumptive Healing merged automatically into Common Body, upgrading the skill. This time it prompted me for a response before I could move on. This was a choice. I guessed it was because Venomous Bite was also an option that it didn¡¯t automerge.

    Then again, I wondered why it didn¡¯t merge with Improved Body, which would group all of my healing and resistances into one skill. One that I¡¯d keep for the long-term, unlike the potential Venomous Bite. I hit no.

    [Would you like to merge Poison Resistance and Improved Body?]

    That was the option I¡¯d have expected. I hit yes.

    [You have merged Poison Resistance into Improved Body. Your body is stronger and tougher than before, including your teeth and bite. You need less water and rest. Your stomach is rock solid. Poison and Venom cannot get a hold inside your body, you automatically heal it. Whatever you devour is food. There are no concerns over sickness from eating. Devouring speeds up the healing of your body.]

    While the name hadn¡¯t changed, the description had updated and I was impressed. That left me with 8 skills out of a potential ten. Two free slots seemed like plenty. Especially since Noseen mentioned I needed to focus on unlocking a movement skill better than Tree Climber. Maybe I could unlock something and merge the two together? That would be my next skill target. The experiment with aiming for wings hadn¡¯t worked out, but I could focus on trying to unlock something ground related. I pushed that thought away when another notification popped up.

    [You have devoured a Parasaurolophus and gained more insight into stealth.]

    That last notification bugged me, but I quickly got distracted when I realized I had way too many free points and I should spend them. I had eighteen points from the 3 levels I¡¯d gained. Two from these fights, and the level from the microraptors. Glancing over my stats, I decided to even all of them out to the nearest nice neat number, except for Quickness, since it was already high.

    Name: Alex

    Level: 11

    Race: Human

    Traits: Survivability, Adaptation, Hangry

    Class: DevourerThe story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Stats:

    STR: 25(35)

    QUICK*: 34(43)

    FLEX: 33(40)

    CON/TOUGH: 27(35)

    INT: 24(35)

    FORT: 25(35)

    WILL: 26(35)

    CHA: 23(30)

    FREE:0

    Monstrosity: 1%

    Titles & Achievements:

    Jack-of-all-Trades

    Lucky Stars

    Skill: 8/10

    Insight

    Improved Body

    Crystal Attunement

    Heightened Senses*

    Stealthy Camouflage**

    Blades and Polearms

    Tree Climber*

    Venomous Bite

    Skills Categories: +

    The amount of progress I¡¯d made staggered me, and now I was so much stronger than I¡¯d been only a few days ago. John would be shocked once I saw him. Soon, I might even pass my brothers, if this kept up. At last, I figured out that the asterisks were counters, and when I hit three, the stat or skill upgraded. I smiled at that thought as I moved closer to the tree. Time to make sure I knew the way to go, then I had to get moving. Nightfall would be here soon enough.

    It felt like so long since I¡¯d last climbed this tree, but it''d only been a few fights, it couldn¡¯t have been that long. I couldn¡¯t wait to arrive back at the shuttle and show my brother my progress. He¡¯d be so proud.

    Then I stood at the top of the tree. In the far distance, black angry clouds swirled high in the sky, but more importantly, the sunlight streaming over the grasslands fell in the wrong position. The sun wasn¡¯t lower than the last time I¡¯d been up here. It was higher.

    I paused, my mind racing. The fresh meat tickled at my mind, while everything else had smelled off.

    No.

    It wasn¡¯t possible.

    ¡°Noseen, how much time did I lose?¡± I whispered my question, hiding the panic.

    ¡°It¡¯s the next day. You hunted the grass eater early this morning for your first meal. You didn''t want to eat the leftovers from yesterday.¡±

    My head spun, but the position of the sun in the sky didn¡¯t lie. It was before midday. I¡¯d lost a whole afternoon and night to devouring. I steadied myself on the branch, closing my eyes for a second before I climbed down the tree as fast as I could. Before I jumped to the ground, I glanced around for any movement, not wanting to be caught by the same mistake twice.

    Noseen sounded hesitant. "Every Devourer has a binge moment. Now you''ve experienced it, and understand. You could not have understood before, none of us can. But now, you can stop it from happening again. Hopefully."

    I nodded. "It''s not that. I get that it''s part of my class. It''s the time I lost. What if something¡¯s happened to my brother?" The question came out in a rush, and hearing it outside of my head made my shoulders stiffen. The piles of carnage mocked me as they sat on the ground, and I yanked out the rest of the bones and organs from the inventory crystal. I wasn¡¯t going to clean this up, might as well leave the mess here. All I kept was the meat from the para, for later. Soon, I¡¯d be giving the crystal back to John, and I didn¡¯t need him asking questions. He had to be okay. I needed to get moving.

    The meat and the devourer''s teeth. I didn¡¯t want to part with them. Not yet.

    "You are less squishy now, I assume your clutch-mates are less squishy as well."

    Maybe it was a human thing, since while Noseen had tried to reassure me, it didn''t work. Maybe bugs didn''t bond with family like we did.

    The crystal hummed louder than normal, since it was completely grounded and at full strength. That was why it hurt my head. It had to be. I leaped to the ground, landing on both my feet, and then stalked over to the sled. Taking a deep breath, I grabbed the rope and yanked. The sudden silence was such a relief as I took my first steps. Then I traveled across the grasses toward the south, moving with purpose. Most of the mud hole had dried up overnight, shrinking it from the day before. That was, at least, a good thing, and I made use of the small win.

    The ground was hard under my feet, and I made good progress. Nothing bothered me as I made up the distance, reaching the far tree line in short order. Now, I needed to continue to the east until I came across the marking I¡¯d left, and get back to John.

    I found the marked tree easily enough, the problem was the constant noise. This side of the jungle was so freaking loud. My head was on a swivel, moving back and forth, trying to figure out what was going on. The bushes in the distance danced with creatures, putting me on edge.

    I paused for a second, dropping the rope to the sled next to the marked tree, then I crept forward, keeping to the shadows and focusing on being sneaky. Too much was going on and I needed more information before I tried to get back to the shuttle. The next marked tree came into view, yet this one had a circle over the normal carved ring. Seconds ticked by as I tried to remember why this one was different. My eyes widened as suddenly all of it made sense. The craters that had torn up the jungle were directly ahead, along with the dead dinos. Everything snapped into place, including the unexpected activity, but I crept forward to double check.

    A fern hid me as I surveyed the destruction. So many scavengers gathered in one place seemed unnatural, but was, of course, exactly what was called for. Everything from little ones, like Compys, to much bigger ones I couldn¡¯t name off the top of my head. It was the largest gathering of meat eaters I had ever seen, though they were all of the scavenger variety, not the overtly predatory. Some of the bones were already picked clean, almost glowing white in the daylight. Small flyers covered one carcass toward the east, and nothing went near them. Other areas had small fights on-going, as competing creatures darted forward to snag bites as they could, while larger beasts defended their food source.

    The entire area smelled horrible.

    Everything inside me screamed that I should not try to make my way across this area. No matter what way I looked, there were more creatures, and there wasn¡¯t a chance I could make it unnoticed. I¡¯d need to circle to the west and keep my distance. My fingers tapped on my leg, watching everything that was going on. So far, the beats were concentrated near the kills. I¡¯d need to be careful with my loop around the edge, and stay quiet. At least, since these weren¡¯t really predators, they were unlikely to look for a fight with so much food available already.

    It didn¡¯t take as long for me to get back to the sled as it had to creep forward to the field of death. With that giant all-you-could-eat buffet up ahead, I wasn''t worried about something following me. It¡¯d be much more work to catch and kill something, plus I¡¯d bite back. My only concern was yet another delay. I didn¡¯t have time for this bullshit, since I needed to get back to the shuttle and make sure John was okay.

    Once I got back to the sled, I headed to the west, careful to keep a wide distance between me and the congregation of scavengers. This whole area of the jungle was much quieter, especially after all of the commotion in the other location. Yet, the more I moved through the ferns, the more concerned I got.

    It was too quiet.

    A fern moved in the wrong direction up ahead, and I pulled out my knife, keeping my pace moving forward. I didn¡¯t want whatever it was to know I had spotted the trap. Slowly, I extended my spear, keeping note of what was going on to both sides of me. Behind me was harder, since I still pulled the sled, but I did my best to keep my senses peeled.

    That feeling of being stared at washed over me. Something decided to check out my level before committing to the battle.

    Then, nothing.

    The bushes went silent.

 Chapter 37: Donéˆ¥æª› mess with those bigger than you

    Off to one side, I saw a set of dark eyes staring at me from around knee level. A Compy, yet it didn¡¯t move closer and it stayed quiet. Its head moved closer to the ground when I glanced in its direction. After carefully looking, I spotted a few more, but all of them stayed silent and hidden as best as they could in the shadows of ferns. None of them moved as I kept traveling, my grip loose on my spear.

    So, this was what happened when you leveled up. If you were big enough, small things tried not to be noticed.

    I counted seven of them, but if my level scared them off, then they had to be much lower level than me. Part of me wondered if I was now known as the Compy Slayer among them, since I¡¯d taken out so many of them on my journey through the jungle. I pushed those thoughts away as I kept moving, leaving the Compys behind. That voice in the back of my head wondered how sweet they would taste. I shoved it away with all of my force of will. The fight would take too much time, and I had just eaten enough, damn it.

    [You have gained a Fortitude skill point.]

    The notification startled me, and I jerked slightly. Not listening to that voice had earned me a skill point in Fortitude. Last time I¡¯d resisted the urge, it had been Willpower. The question rested on the tip of my tongue, to ask Noseen about the difference, but I kept quiet. The Compys weren''t enough to silence an area this big, and I didn¡¯t want to advertise my presence.

    I had to be getting closer to the next mark, and I curved in a little back towards the path. The hair rose on the back of my neck, and I slowed down. This was different from the Compys. Whatever was watching me now was hungry. I didn¡¯t know how I knew, but I knew.

    I readied myself, then something about my chest height launched itself at me from behind a fern. Immediately, I dropped the rope and aimed my spear. It impaled itself on the tip, as another creature attacked from the side. I ducked down as it went flying over my head and I yanked my spear out of the first beast¡¯s chest. The creature tried to scramble backward, but it stumbled and then dropped to the ground, dead.

    [You have gained experience from combat with a Coelophysis.]

    The second creature that had flown over my head crashed into a fern, and it took the thing a moment to jump back to its feet. I used that time to use Insight.

    [Coelophysis, Level 10, Starving.]

    The starving tag drew my attention, and I realized I could literally see its bones poking out. It moved slowly and tried to launch itself at me again. Too slow. This time I was ready, and stabbed at its chest deliberately.

    The spear tip sliced into it easily, but its weight pushed me back. I yanked my spear out as it crashed down in front of me.

    [You have gained experience from combat with a Coelophysis.]

    ¡°Too weak to survive,¡± whispered Noseen. ¡°Pity.¡±

    For once, something I¡¯d killed didn''t look appetizing. Now that I had a better look at them, they looked like Compys, but bigger. They stood at chest height, rather than topping out at my knees, and were mostly green. Bright red appeared at the top of their head between the eyes. Their narrow mouths were filled with sharp teeth. The tail was long, about the same length at the rest of the body combined, and much thinner, almost like a whip. Both of the creatures were dead, but they looked like only skin and bones, and didn¡¯t look worth devouring.

    ¡°Is there anything to even save on them?¡± I asked with a frown, before trying to hear if anything else was around. Nothing reached me.

    ¡°Just the hearts.¡±

    I didn¡¯t want to slow down and butcher the creatures, time continued to worry me. My stomach grumbled, and I wanted to growl at it. I reminded myself that I needed to eat to refresh my energy after each fight.

    "Noseen, what¡¯s the difference between Fortitude and Willpower?" I asked, as I moved the sled away from the two dead creatures.

    ¡°Fortitude is for outside influences while Willpower is from inside influences.¡±

    That gave me something to think about as I went back with a small sigh and cut into the first chest. It didn¡¯t take long to find the heart. It was smaller than I thought it would be, given that the creature was twice as tall as a Compy, plus longer. Still, cutting into the carcass was nothing. It didn''t resist my knife at all, as the muscle was that thin.

    The hearts tasted like apples, slightly sour apples that lingered in the back of my mouth. Even taking sips of water didn''t help.

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    [You have devoured a Coelophysis and gained insight into Heightened Senses.]

    I quickly moved to the other one to find the same thing. The body was all skin and bones.

    This heart had more of a sour taste, but it wasn¡¯t unpleasant, it just lingered strangely.

    [You have devoured a Coelophysis and gained major insight into Heightened Senses.]

    [Heightened Senses has improved. Heightened Senses: You have increased senses of vision, smell, taste, touch, and sound. Your sense of smell has increased and unlocked the ability to track your prey by a scent trail. You have gained the ability to understand whether something is prey.]

    That last line drew my attention, but I couldn¡¯t give it my complete focus. Instead, I suddenly sensed the Compys slowly surrounding me. Somehow, I knew they were there, and that this was the same group as before. Unlocking this ability had changed everything. Part of me wondered if this was what I had been feeling before when I¡¯d noticed the Compys, just stronger, much stronger. That would mean the system recognized progress you had made on your own. In the background, the sounds from the scavengers reached me, even with the distance. The smell of death rose from the carcasses, but they still didn''t look like anything I wanted to eat. Plus, my stomach was happy with the hearts, for now.

    The Compys waited far enough away for me not to see them, even though I knew they were there. Given the sparseness of the remainder of my kill, I didn''t care. Eat or be eaten, they could have the rest of these poor creatures.

    I kept my spear in one hand and carefully picked up the rope to continue. As soon as I moved away from the two bodies, the Compys quietly swarmed the creatures. I chuckled to myself and kept going. A clean-up crew was a good thing, it meant that nothing would track me from the carcasses, since nothing would be left but bones.

    I expected the sounds and movement of the jungle to pick up again now that the two dinos were dead, but they didn¡¯t. Instead, the silence grew heavier. It caused me to slow down each of my movements, trying to figure out what my senses were telling me. Everything smelled of death and rotting meat. The breeze, no matter what direction it came from, was the same. This was more than that, though. I paused near a fallen log, trying to wrap my mind around what was going on. The hair on the back of my neck still stood up. I waited silently next to the fallen tree trunk. The fern next to me provided additional cover, but I kept the rope in my hand and the sled stayed up. I did not want the crystal to start grounding here, it would draw too much attention with the humming.

    My eyes kept flickering up toward the sky and the sun''s journey across it. Everything inside me warned me not to move, even as my anxiety increased with the passing minutes.

    Then I heard the first thud. Then another.

    Something big moved through the trees up ahead, though not in my direction. I stayed put, only catching a glimpse before freezing.

    Whatever this was, it was big. Bigger than the shuttle.

    I only caught sight of part of its head, but it towered over the underbrush. It had to be a Carnitor, or something in the same group of predators. A large horn sat on the center of its head, and jagged teeth filled its mouth. This wasn¡¯t a scavenger, it was a predator, and a dangerous one at that.

    I waited until it passed by the tree trunk, and for several more moments, before I continued on my way. Each footstep made me flinch, but I kept going. My path crossed the Carnitor¡¯s, and its feet were bigger than the sled. I moved faster than before, getting across its trail as quickly as I could and back into the undergrowth on the other side.

    My heart pounded in my chest, but it wasn¡¯t in panic. It was more like I needed to keep moving, and had to stay focused. The giant dinosaurs weren¡¯t interested in me, at least not yet. My level was still too low, and it wasn¡¯t like I¡¯d be more than a crunchy snack. I kept my spear out as I moved forward. I curved my path back toward the east, hoping I¡¯d find my next marked tree, or even the shuttle itself. Though, I wasn¡¯t sure how far I¡¯d curved around the scavengers, or how much further I had to go.

    I focused on a more south-easterly direction. For now, I just needed to remain calm and collected, paying attention to my surroundings. I¡¯d find the shuttle and John, and he¡¯d be ok. He had to be.

    That feeling of needing to freeze came back, and I quickly glanced around, looking for a place to hide. The best I could find was between the roots of a large tree. I hurried over, yanking the cloak off the crystal and putting it around my shoulders. The mud was dry, and it flaked off in patches. I kept as close to the roots as I dared, working to keep the sled up so it wouldn¡¯t ground. Nothing moved, but the feeling remained, and I waited for several moments.

    I couldn¡¯t just sit here. Panic, and the need to move, rushed through me.

    Silently, I yanked on the sled and continued forward, keeping my ears and eyes peeled. Something off to my far right drew my attention, and I took several steps to my left. I needed more distance between whatever that was and me.

    I froze as a giant head rose over the nearby ferns, glancing around. A spike jutted from the tip of its nose.

    [Carnitor, Level 20.]

    I was dead. This was it.

    My fingers tightened around my spear, and I tried to get air into my chest. Its head turned toward the east, away from me, showing off deep red stripes with green scales. A low growl came from the creature, which vibrated my feet.

    A roar came through the trees, as another Carnitor stomped into view. The loud noise shook the trees and the jungle went silent.

    The first Carnitor roared back, mouth open wide, turning its body to face the intruder.

    Maybe I wouldn''t die if I got the heck out of here as soon as possible. After all, the rabbit could escape while the wolves fought. I didn¡¯t really like thinking of myself as the rabbit, but in this case, the analogy worked.

    I very slowly took a step away from the scene, heading to my left. This was not something I needed to get involved in at all. In fact, the farther away I got, the better.

    The newcomer had deep blue stripes down its back, and it looked slightly smaller. I couldn¡¯t look away as it roared again, flashing its large teeth. Its tail moved back and forth behind it, knocking into ferns and clearing swaths of underbrush.

    [Carnitor, Level 19.]

    The closer creature whipped its tail through the air and I ducked down, trying to make myself smaller. I yanked on the rope behind me, keeping as low as possible and hiding behind ferns.

    The ground trembled as both of them charged.

    Now was the time to flee. I picked up my pace and raced through the undergrowth, not letting go of the sled. At the moment, I didn¡¯t care about being quiet. The noise from those two fighting would cover any noise I generated, and distance was the most important thing. Lots and lots of distance.

    Roaring echoed through the trees as I tried to get as far away as possible. The trees behind me shook as something slammed nearby, but I didn¡¯t dare turn to look.

    Must move faster!

 Chapter 38: Flee

    I quickly covered ground until the roaring and the sounds of trees snapping like twigs faded. My heart pounded in my chest as I slowed from my mad dash to a jog, then finally a walk. Sweat dripped down my back from the weight of the cloak, and I wiped the wetness from my forehead as I paused. My hands trembled as I pulled out my canteen to sip some water. All of the heavy breathing from my long sprint caused my mouth to feel like sandpaper. For once, I felt thirsty, and not hungry.

    I needed a moment.

    ¡°This jungle is rather busy,¡± buzzed Noseen. They weren¡¯t wrong.

    It took a moment for me to respond after swallowing. ¡°It''s because of the meteor shower. It killed a bunch of things, and shook up the normal hunting territories of the predators.¡± That was my best guess about what¡¯d happened, and it matched what we¡¯d seen so far.

    ¡°That makes sense, though I hadn¡¯t been warned about a meteor shower happening.¡± Noseen sounded almost thoughtful.

    That opened up a can of worms in my head. ¡°How would someone have warned you about a meteor shower? It''s not like they¡¯re scheduled¡­¡± My voice trailed off in confusion.

    ¡°Things like that are tracked on most habitable planets, though this is a bit of a backwater place.¡±

    ¡°I mean, I¡¯d say. It''s covered in a jungles full of dinosaurs.¡±

    ¡°Only parts of it¡­¡± Noseen cut off their sentence abruptly, like they¡¯d said more than they¡¯d intended to.

    The sounds of fighting far behind me vanished completely and I wondered if one of the two giant predators was dead. More than likely the smaller one had fled, but hopefully not in this direction. I didn¡¯t want to have to try and tackle something that big. Maybe someday soon, but not today.

    Today, I had to find a freaking crashed shuttle and my brother.

    Part of me wondered at what point could I take down a creature that big, that high level. If I could set a trap, it would be easier. Or, if I was high up in a tree it probably wouldn¡¯t notice me. I¡¯d need to have multiple knives ready, one probably wouldn¡¯t do it. Or cut off one of its legs, maybe? That would take it out pretty fast, since I¡¯d bet it couldn¡¯t keep upright on just one. It was just too big. My mind raced, trying to come up with a way to take down one of the big dinos. The tasty heart inside one of those beasts had to be huge. My mouth started watering just thinking about it.

    I shoved those thoughts away. First, I had to find the shuttle, and we had to be closer to it than we were before. I was pretty sure I¡¯d run in the right direction, at least.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± asked Noseen, slightly confused.

    The words caused me to look up, and warmth flowed through me. Finally, my luck had changed, and I knew this was the right track.

    The tips of the trees up ahead had been taken off by something, leaving the jungle floor a mess of fallen trees and broken branches. It clearly led toward the east, and would be hard to miss.

    I smiled brightly for the first time since I¡¯d woken up from my bender and chuckled to myself.

    ¡°That¡¯s how we find my brother.¡±

    The destroyed treetops slowly led us in the correct direction. I forced myself to stay on guard, despite our turn of good luck. The thick underbrush and canopy made for slow going with the sled, but even from the ground I could see the right way to go. We didn''t travel directly under the path, since the fallen trees and branches from the destroyed jungle made the ground impassable. This area of the jungle was less wet and more rocky, which helped, but also caused the sled to get caught on occasion, which was frustrating.

    The physical reminder boosted my mood, confirming that this was the right track, but made it hard to focus on my surroundings. Still, I moved slowly, keeping my ears open. I didn¡¯t need to run into any more giant predators. Not before I leveled up, at least.

    Either way, shortly I¡¯d be able to get this crystal unloaded and regroup with John. Being this close to the end of the journey filled me with such joy I almost forgot how hard the last couple of days had been. I couldn¡¯t wait to show him the progress I¡¯d made so far with my class. Yet, he didn¡¯t know what my class was, and it needed to stay that way. But did it really? My family were open books to one another. John could keep a secret, as could Dad and Benny.

    Maybe I¡¯d tell my family.

    The day wore on, and I had to detour around a destroyed section of the jungle that had been slammed with rocks from above. Somehow, it felt like we should have arrived already, but my mood stayed high. The sun beat down as I kept to the edges of the splintered wood, shattered stone, and dried shredded leaves. The bright light warmed me, but the shade of the remaining trees helped keep it manageable.

    Then we came across a simply huge crater, far larger than any we¡¯d seen so far.

    I paused, staring down at the giant divot in the earth. The rock that had created it was still intact, and it reflected the bright afternoon sun. Rock didn¡¯t reflect light like that, usually, but crystal did. I dropped the rope after a second and scrambled down the hole, sliding on the gravelly ground. Unfortunately, it was neither a rock nor a crystal. Instead, it was some sort of melted metal. It had twisted into a rock-like shape, but it was pretty solid.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t look like a meteor,¡± said Noseen. The buzzing grew soft, then louder. ¡°Not a rock at all, it''s almost pure metal.¡±

    I poked it with a finger, my mind racing.

    Then it hit me.

    I glanced up at the sky like it would tell me its secrets. Dark clouds edged closer on the horizon, warning of the storm that was on its way. I¡¯d bet my knife that it hadn¡¯t been a meteor shower at all. Pieces of the spine had fallen from orbit. Everything inside me rebelled at the thought that we had caused this, us showing up on this planet. All of the destruction in the jungle, and the damage of our own settlements. Images of the crashed shuttle and the broken compound fence came to mind.

    The irony.

    I yanked the metal into the inventory stone. John might be able to do something with it, given how heavy it was. Plus, if it was the metal from the ship, it wasn''t like we¡¯d found any more of that. Shaking my head, I slowly made my way back up the side of the crater to the sled. I¡¯d need to mention my theory to John about the spine. He would be the one who understood what it meant more than anyone. Especially if not all of it had fallen. Maybe large pieces were still up there? He might be able to fix a shuttle to reach orbit to salvage anything aboard. It wasn''t like anyone could have survived this long up there.

    ¡°I think it¡¯s a piece of the ship that brought us here,¡± I whispered to Noseen, feeling shaken. ¡°I think the whole meteor shower was pieces like this. That¡¯s why you weren¡¯t warned.¡±

    ¡°Ship?¡± Noseen sounded confused. ¡°You weren¡¯t born here?

    ¡°No, my people crashed here a few months back.¡± I shook my head. ¡°It¡¯s been interesting adjusting to the system. Where are you from?¡±

    ¡°Not here,¡± he buzzed. ¡°I own my own planet, rather far from here, that has prospered. You will see it someday.¡±

    Me, visit a different planet? That¡¯s what got me into this situation in the first place. Going with my family to colonize the stars and save the human race. Right now, I couldn¡¯t imagine leaving this planet, but Noseen sounded certain. We¡¯d need to discuss that before it happened. The only thing keeping me here was my family. If they came with me? I¡¯d be tempted.

    ¡°How does someone own a planet?¡± I asked.

    ¡°You become strong enough to say you own it, and kill anyone who disagrees.¡±

    This wasn¡¯t the first time Noseen had referenced their power. They¡¯d mentioned the gap between us was vast. I couldn¡¯t sense him at all, and that meant something. The idea of being strong enough to own a planet sparked something in me. I wanted strength like that.

    Noseen said nothing else after that. Now and then, I¡¯d hear a buzz, but super soft.

    Climbing out of the crater didn''t take too long, then I resumed my trek through the jungle, leaving the giant holes in the ground behind. I almost searched out the next one to see if there was more metal, but as I walked around it I couldn''t see anything left in the center worth grabbing. Finally, the jungle resumed its normal foliage. Ferns took over in the underbrush, along with other bushes and vines hanging down from the canopy. The increase in vegetation slowed me down, but I had to be getting close. The broken sections of treetops had gotten much closer to the ground.

    Soon.

    Then I saw it. Something in the distance, surrounded by ferns and dirt. It shimmered in my vision. One moment, it looked like a rock, and the next like the back corner of the shuttle. I hurried forward, making sure to keep an eye to the jungle around me. I wouldn''t mess up this close to being done with my journey.

    ¡°Finally¡­¡± I said.

    The shuttle flickered more than once, giving off the rock appearance, but I figured John must have something to do with that. I dropped the sled next to the side of the shuttle where the handholds began and scrambled up the side of the craft.

    This was finally over. Or rather, this part of it was.

    The hatch on top wasn¡¯t locked, but I didn¡¯t expect it to be. I slowly opened the lid and then whispered inside. ¡°John?¡±

    There wasn¡¯t any answer.

    I dropped down into the hole, landing on the cargo crate. My eyes slowly adjusted to the light. The shattered crystal was gone, and the intact one was still on the other side. The two golf ball-sized holes were fixed. I moved toward the pilot area, but no one was there. The hole in the corner of the window, along with the glass on the floor, had also been fixed.

    ¡°John¡­¡± I whispered to myself.

    He was gone.

    On the dashboard sat a piece of paper, and I rushed toward it.

    ''Alex, I went out to find a freshwater source. I headed south, and will be back by dark. John.''

    There wasn¡¯t a sign of how long ago he had written the note, but the charcoal stick he¡¯d used sat next to it.

    Panic rushed through me, and my hands shook. He was out there somewhere, and might be back by dark. The afternoon sun slowly headed toward the horizon, and it wouldn¡¯t be long until dusk. But he could have left this yesterday, and be in trouble. I¡¯d have to wait and see, and then figure out what to do next.

    I had to move the crystal inside the shuttle, then I¡¯d do my best to wait for John. I had to trust him. After all, he¡¯d trusted me to make my way back with a crystal.

    This time, I moved faster through the shuttle and back out of the hatch. I stood on top, glancing in all directions and trying to spot anything moving. Anything that might be him.

    The smell of rotting meat had drifted away, but the air was pretty stagnant. Now was not the time to go stomping through the jungle searching. First, the crystal, then I would decide what to do about John. Hopefully, he¡¯d show up at any moment.

    I turned my attention to the sled down below and the crystal attached to it. There wasn¡¯t a chance I could climb up the side of the shuttle while holding it. Then again, my strength had drastically increased. At the very least, I could try to carry it inside. The ramp off of the back of the shuttle was an option, but it hadn''t looked like John¡¯d cleared the dirt away. Given that I didn''t know if it was safe to lower the ramp without damaging the shuttle, I didn¡¯t want to try it. He''d kill me if I damaged the ship after he¡¯d fixed everything wrong with it.

    After remembering how I''d fallen from the fence carrying that crystal, I decided to try something else instead of carrying it in my arms. I wrapped it up in my cloak and tied it to my back using rope to create a harness. It wasn¡¯t as heavy as it had once felt, back in the compound, but that was only to be expected with my stat increases. Carrying it on my back left my hands free to climb up the side of the shuttle, and I felt a lot better about my chances. Getting it inside turned out to be quick and easy. The same went for the sled that we needed to return to the compound. I set the crystal down near the side where it would eventually go. Since I didn¡¯t know how to hook it up, and more importantly I didn¡¯t want to break anything, I figured that was the best I could do.

    Breaking something would only upset John.

    I headed back to the pilot seat, my fingers tapping on my thighs. ¡°John, where the hell are you?¡±

 Chapter 39: Where did he go?

    ¡°We could go look for him¡­¡± said Noseen.

    ¡°We might need to. He¡¯s the one who knows how to set up the crystal and fly the ship.¡± I could fly it if I absolutely needed to, maybe, but mounting the crystal needed to happen first, and I knew nothing about engineering or any of that sort of thing.

    My fingers tapped on the console and I stood up, glancing at the note again. The charcoal he¡¯d used rested on one of the buttons. I quickly added a line to the note.

    ''John, if you get back, don¡¯t leave the shuttle. I went to go look for you, but I¡¯ll be back soon. Alex.''

    I headed toward the back of the ship, but paused before climbing on the crate and took out the full jug of water that I still had in my inventory from the compound. Then I took out the rest of the ration bars. I set both next to the crystal on the floor. If he¡¯d gone out looking for water and didn''t come back with any, at least he''d have something to drink, along with ration bars. It wasn¡¯t like I could eat the ration bars anymore, anyway.

    Something sparkled near the other cargo crate, which was open. The shattered crystal was inside. It looked like John had broken it into smaller pieces for some reason. I didn¡¯t know why he''d do that.

    Either way, I had to move and find him before I ran out of daylight.

    I climbed out the hatch and rested the lid on top without locking it, just like I¡¯d found it. From there, I studied both sides of the shuttle before heading down the far side. I¡¯d seen faint signs of a trail, and while it may be nothing, it gave me a direction.

    Time to see if I could find my brother. Worry swirled inside me. I¡¯d just spent several days in the jungle, but John searching for water felt like a bad idea. While he was a higher level than me, his class was weird and not suited for groundwork. Plus, at this point I believed I was stronger than he was, despite the level gap.

    Getting to the edge of the underbrush, it was easy to see the path someone had taken through the bushes, someone who hadn¡¯t even tried to cover their steps. Using my nose, I thought I caught a whiff of something, but I wasn¡¯t sure. It felt like this was the way to go. I pulled the cloak close to my body and set off, keeping my spear in my hand.

    ¡°Noseen, if you spot something, let me know.¡±

    A confirmation buzz was all I got.

    It was good enough.

    The sounds of birds and other insects filled the air, but they served as the background noise I was used to, letting me know everything was okay in the area. No large predators were hiding in the bushes, or it would be a lot quieter.

    It was easy following the trail through the underbrush, which shouldn''t be the case if he¡¯d passed the hunter''s test. Then again, I doubted he¡¯d even had to take it. His class was just not that sort of thing, and his value as the only one who could fly the shuttle was enough to get him out of a lot. It was clear now that that was a mistake. What if he crashed again, and needed to deal with a similar situation to this? The third time was the charm, right? Once we arrived back at the colony, I''d bring it up with Dad. He''d be the one to figure out what to do about John and his survival skills.

    Shaking my head, I kept going, following my brother¡¯s literal footsteps in the soft dirt. I tried to listen for anyone breathing, other footsteps, or even for the sound of water. Those three things would easily lead me to him.

    The trail wasn¡¯t a straight line, and turned suddenly in a random direction, which was strange. I paused to look at a different print in the dirt. Something had chased him, that''s why the direction had changed, but I couldn''t make out enough to identify the creature that had been doing the chasing.

    My heart pounded as I hurried, following the trail through the tall trees and ferns. Spots of sunlight let me know time was ticking towards sunset, but that didn¡¯t matter. Soon, I would need to turn back or climb a tree to prepare myself for nighttime. If that storm was on track, heading back was the safer choice. I didn¡¯t need a tree to fall on me in the dark. But my brother was clearly out here, and he needed help. I could walk in the rain if I had to, for him.

    The footsteps continued on a mad dash through the forest, then I hit an area that didn¡¯t make sense. I faintly smelled blood, but it smelled good, which led me to scraps left from a kill sitting on the trail, a Compy body.

    What would stop to kill a Compy while it chased my brother? And after killing it, why not eat it? It didn''t make sense.

    The hair stood up on the back of my neck, and I tried to figure out what was going on. I touched one of the leaves near the kill, lifting it closer to my face. It smelled like something I kind-of recognized, but I didn¡¯t know what. It didn¡¯t smell like prey.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    As soon as I thought of prey, a variety of smells highlighted in my brain. More Compys were down a trail to the west, a group of at least five had been scared off by whatever had killed this one. A large group of Parasaurolophus had passed through the area several hours ago, unhurried. Then the last smell was full of fear. It followed right along the footprints.

    My stomach almost roiled, but I ignored it. My skill thought John was prey, even though he was above me in level. I almost couldn¡¯t believe it, but then again I had thrived in the jungle. Whatever killed the Compy wasn¡¯t prey, though, and that worried me.

    I let out a shallow breath and followed the trail. John had better be at the end of it, and still breathing.

    Maybe we¡¯d even have time to figure out where the Parasaurolophus had gone. They were tasty, after all.

    The day drew darker as the canopy grew thicker in this part of the jungle. The undergrowth was more sparse. Something gray caught my eye, up in a tree.

    John!

    I raced forward, and quickly climbed up the branches, going higher than I thought John would have climbed. He lay in the crook of two branches, and his head was resting on one of them. I touched his leg and he jerked, his eyes fluttering. It took moments for them to focus on me, longer than it should have.

    ¡°Alex,¡± he mumbled.

    I yanked out my canteen and fed it between his lips. Once the water reached his mouth, his hands came up to hold it. He took a long drink and then pushed it away.

    ¡°There''s a beast,¡± he whispered. ¡°Toying with me¡­¡± He sounded delirious.

    I yanked out the only ration bar I¡¯d kept and handed it over. It didn¡¯t take long for him to scarf half of it down. I waited for him to gain his composure as the sky darkened. The air smelled damp.

    ¡°Something is out there, waiting." His eyes were wide and his hands shook. "It chased me to the tree, but that¡¯s it.¡±

    ¡°Beasts don¡¯t act like that.¡±

    Buzzing near my ear drew my attention. ¡°You need to get back to the shuttle, and soon.¡±

    An unsettled feeling came over me at Noseen¡¯s words. Beasts didn¡¯t act like that. Right?

    ¡°Let¡¯s hurry back to the ship. Can you walk?¡±

    John waited a few seconds and ate the rest of the ration bar before responding. ¡°Yeah, I think so.¡±

    I wanted to ask how long he¡¯d been up in the tree, but it seemed like he didn¡¯t want to talk more than needed. He motioned for my canteen again and I handed it over. He drank some more, but not much, leaving plenty for later.

    The trip out here hadn¡¯t taken me too long, and I¡¯d been going slow. Hopefully, we could move faster back to the shuttle. The storm, if it hit, would cover our trail.

    I climbed down first, keeping an eye out for any movement. John quickly followed, yet he wasn¡¯t as fast as me moving through the jungle. I took the lead, keeping my eyes peeled and trying to figure out what had chased John into a tree.

    What was smart enough to do that? And more importantly, why would anything do that?

    I stuck to the same trail that I¡¯d followed to find John, backtracking. The scent trail lingered, and the breeze picked up from the west with the scent of Parasaurolophus. Nothing to be concerned about. We kept moving. I guessed we were about halfway back when a roar froze the normal sounds of the jungle. The birds stopped making noise, and even the bugs paused. I knew that roar.

    ¡°You need to hurry,¡± said Noseen.

    I shoved John in front of me. ¡°Go!¡± I hissed.

    It was that freaking cat. Noseen had warned me he might come after me, but sending my brother up a tree? That spoke of a much higher intelligence than anything any of us had seen in the jungle.

    Beasts didn¡¯t set traps.

    Also, how did it find my brother? Or did it think my brother was me?

    I hadn¡¯t a clue as we raced through the ferns. The roar came from a distance behind us, maybe near the tree John had hidden in. We didn''t have long.

    John tripped over a root and I easily yanked him to his feet. We had to keep going. If we could get to the shuttle, we¡¯d be fine. That thing couldn¡¯t claw its way through the armored siding.

    Yet, John moved even slower after tripping, limping on the same leg that had been injured in the crash. He winced with each step. Time slowed down as my mind raced. There wasn¡¯t a chance we would make it back to the ship. Not like this.

    ¡°John, run back to the ship and close the hatch. The crystal is inside, along with water and some ration bars. I¡¯ll meet you there.¡± My words came out in a rush, but I glanced back the way we''d come as I spoke.

    ¡°What! I can¡¯t leave you behind!¡±

    ¡°Go! I have a better chance here than you do!¡± I spun around in the direction we had come, searching for what I needed. John kept going down the trail, and I smirked, glad he¡¯d listened. I moved faster than I ever had, climbing up a tree right next to the trail. I needed to be high enough.

    Yanking the cloak around me, I stared, keeping my eyes on the trail. Two could play at this game. All I could hope was that John would make it back to the shuttle. A thought crossed my mind, and I spit on the tip of my knife, coating it in my saliva. I''d take any advantage I could get.

    A large gray and green cat raced through the undergrowth, its head focused on the movement in the distance. I waited, ready.

    I leaped. Gravity took control.

    I slammed like a rock into the upper back of the cat, my spear flashing as it sliced into the giant predator¡¯s armored side. It twisted around and swatted me away like a fly. The smell of its blood filled the air as I slammed into a tree, gasping for breath.

    ¡°Run!¡± buzzed Noseen.

    The command hit me like a slap to the face, and I got up to flee.

 Chapter 40: High Stakes

    It had to be chasing me, yet I didn¡¯t hear anything behind me. Also, I couldn¡¯t understand why I was running, since I¡¯d been pretty committed to staying behind and letting my brother escape. It clicked. Noseen had forced me to run. That word had grabbed a hold of my limbs, and I¡¯d just done it.

    Noseen had done it before, when I¡¯d slept that first night after meeting them. They¡¯d told me to sleep, and I¡¯d passed out like a rock.

    I dashed through the ferns, going as fast as I could with my heart pounding and gasping for breath. My fingers tightened around my spear, though I made sure to not stab myself. John stood out in the distance on top of the shuttle, looking in my direction. I didn¡¯t have the breath to yell at him, but I was pissed he wasn¡¯t inside the shuttle fixing it. Nightfall was almost here, and that would be the perfect time to take off from this accursed jungle trap and get to the compound.

    He just needed to freaking listen. Stupid older brothers.

    Finally, I heard something in the jungle behind me, but it didn¡¯t seem close. The clouds darkened, and I realized it wasn''t nightfall, but the storm blowing in.

    John leaned down with his arm outstretched. I leaped as soon as I was close enough, and he yanked me the rest of the way up.

    ¡°Get inside you giant dumbass! Fix the damn ship!¡±

    John scurried to the hatch without a word and slipped inside, leaving it open after him.

    The Alpha Cat landed on the shuttle about five feet from the opening.

    I wouldn¡¯t make it.

    ¡°John, close the hatch,¡± I growled. The cat looked too big to get inside, but then again, it was a cat. Who knew what spaces it could squeeze into?

    The wound on its side had scabbed over, but it carefully kept its shoulder away from me. It remembered the pain.

    I leveled my spear at it and readied myself. This was on.

    It growled at me, which almost felt like a physical attack. Yet, I didn¡¯t flinch, and instead I stared back, trying to get more information.

    [Alpha Armored Cat, Level 17.]

    ¡°You die¡­¡± The words came out as a hiss.

    I took a step back in shock. Somehow, the freaking cat could talk.

    Its rear end lifted into the air just before it launched itself at me. I rolled to the side, almost falling off the shuttle. The cat went flying off the edge as I tried to regain my balance, though it must have landed on its feet. By the time I stood upright, it raced at me again. I blocked the first swipe with my spear, the metal bending slightly under the pressure. The second cut pawed across my midsection, a single talon slicing through my shirt. Pain lanced up from the cut, and I resisted flinching.

    It chuckled as it darted backward. ¡°You pay in blood¡­¡± Again the hissing voice came from the creature. ¡°¡­ and pain!¡±

    The scent of my blood filled the air and I forced myself to not look at the open hatch. I was closer than I¡¯d been before.

    It was too fast.

    The cat launched at me again, and I ducked down, trying to get closer to the opening. Instead, its tail knocked into me and I fell backward off the shuttle as the cat landed somewhere in the bushes. The slice in my middle burned as I scrambled upright.

    I was fucked.

    ***

    Why did this need to happen now? Just when answers were finally coming out about where Alex had come from. They¡¯d arrived on this planet on a ship, and knew nothing of the system, which meant the ship was from somewhere not yet integrated. This discovery needed to be shared with the old ones, but I wanted more details. Then, the pissed-off kitty had to show up and attack my squishy devourer. So sad, its pack had been weak.

    I had wondered if the creature would keep stalking Alex. It had shown up when Alex had been devouring way too many things, but the crystal had forced it away. It knew it didn¡¯t have a chance with my baby devourer in that state, which pointed out intelligence.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.

    Instead, it made its way here and found John. I hated cats, but at least they were tasty.

    I couldn¡¯t let my baby devourer die. Not yet, anyway. The ones of true knowledge had sent me here for a reason. This must be it. I would not let the old ones down. It looked like my vacation would be cut short, and I wouldn''t learn more information to share until later. Hopefully, there would be a later.

    Alex would survive. They needed to be smart about this. The venomous spit worked slowly. Alex needed more to sink into the cat, and maybe they¡¯d have a chance. I could absolutely eat the cat, and get evicted for doing so, but this was a fight Alex needed to win, to grow. I just needed to give them a little help.

    ***

    ¡°I¡¯ll see you at level 25,¡± buzzed Noseen. The sound came from right next to my ear, then it vanished.

    An intense pressure built around us as the cat darted forward. I saw it as it shimmered into view in the middle of the fight.

    Terror froze me in place as the creature appeared. Giant, bat-like wings with taloned hands on the tips reached toward the cat. Sharp, spiky fur covered the creature, which stood taller than me by half.  Big ears, gaping nostrils, and a gaping mouth full of too many large pointed teeth dominated my vision. A thin tongue flicked out between the teeth, like the forked tongue of a snake.

    Pitch-black eyes flickered to look at me, then turned back to focus on the cat.

    [Great Blood Devourer, Level 742.]

    Holy shit.

    Noseen hadn¡¯t been lying. They¡¯d spoken the truth. Level 742, how was that even possible? How high did levels go? What was Noseen?

    The cat backpedaled, then froze as the monster moved closer, glaring.

    Noseen roared, its mouth opening wider than physically possible, showing row after row of teeth down its throat. The sound echoed across the jungle and everything for miles went silent. Then a buzzing rose in the far distance.

    And just like that, Noseen winked out of existence. One second he was there, then he was just gone.

    The cat didn¡¯t move, stuck in place, giving me precious seconds to pull myself to my feet and catch my breath. It regained its senses and darted back toward me, almost like nothing had happened. I wasn¡¯t sure what Noseen had been trying to do, but timing was everything. I stabbed my spear forward, cutting into the giant cat¡¯s paw, which it quickly jerked back. The smell of burnt fur filled the air, covering the scent of my blood. The cat watched my hands on the spear, its eyes flickering from there to my feet. So far, my spear had done the most damage.

    I could use that. I needed to be smart, like Noseen said.

    The Alpha showed more restraint now, pacing just out of reach of my spear and trying to keep its one side and shoulder away from me. The sun inched closer to the mountains, and the buzzing in the distance grew louder. I blinked, not letting my attention move from the cat. Yet, out of the corner of my eye I could see a dark stream, like a cloud crossed in front of the tops of the trees, moving closer to both of us.

    Then it hit, like a gust of wind.

    I stabbed forward, taking the initiative as the cat growled at the flying bugs. My spear cut into its side, but it didn''t notice the scratch. The cloud of mosquitoes buzzed louder than I thought possible. Thousands of the bugs flew about us. I couldn¡¯t hear anything but buzzing. None got close to me, but they landed on the feline like splotches of black paint against its green and gray fur.

    The cat roared loudly and a bubble of cloud dropped from the air, dead. The cat swiped at itself, trying to get the biting insects off. Its tail flickered madly, swatting at them. Some fled the area as more died.

    I lunged again, my spear cutting deeply into the giant cat¡¯s hind legs, the sizzle lost beneath the buzzing. Blood splattered across the ground. The cat swiped at me and I jerked back, too slow. My spear went flying as the great paw made contact, flinging it out of my hands.

    The cat¡¯s eyes glowed as it leaped, claws outstretched.

    The first paw slammed me back into the shuttle, claws digging into my shoulder. Pain flared as I lost sense of my left hand and it fell to my side, numb. The cat¡¯s mouth opened wide, two sharp teeth darting toward my head and neck. Before it could strike, my right hand slammed into the beast¡¯s chest, the great devourer tooth digging deep.

    Blood trickled from beneath my fingers, and the gaping jaw pulled back in pain. The cat whimpered.

    ¡°I will devour you,¡± I growled, shoving the tooth in deeper. ¡°Your heart is mine!¡± I yanked the tooth out, and blood gushed from the wound.

    Its mouth opened and closed as it lost its footing, and the great, dark eyes dimmed. The cat¡¯s body went limp, putting pressure on my legs as I slumped back against the shuttle.

    It was heavy, but it was also dead, and I wasn¡¯t.

    [You have gained bonus experience from combat for surviving against an Alpha Armored Cat above your level.]

    [You have leveled up.]

    [You have leveled up.]

    [You have leveled up.]

    The remaining cloud of mosquitoes slowly dissipated until only a few lingered. I stared at them, wondering why they showed up, and to my surprise information appeared.

    [Blood Devourer, Level 8]

    Then it clicked. ¡°Noseen?¡± I asked faintly, as my feet gave out from under me and I slid to the ground with my back against the shuttle. I shoved the cat off to one side using only my one working arm. I painfully yanked the dead cat¡¯s claws out of my shoulder, and blood trickled out of my wounds. There was so much blood everywhere.

    I felt the energy draining out of me. I had to do something. Fast.

    My fingers tightened back around the tooth and then sliced into the carcass. My stomach growled, but it sounded almost far away. The last time this had happened, I¡¯d lost control. Right now, I needed to stay aware. My brother was in the shuttle, and if something happened to him, if I did something to him, I wouldn¡¯t forgive myself. Death would be preferable.

    The first bite of meat I gulped down I didn¡¯t even chew. Immediately that helped, along with the next, and the next. The cat¡¯s shoulder was solid muscle, which usually didn¡¯t taste the best, but I needed calories and it was closest. I focused on staying present. More than once, that inner gluttony tried to take over as I gobbled down food, but I pushed back as hard as I could, focusing on my willpower. I couldn¡¯t fail now.

 Chapter 41: Staying Lucid

    My thoughts stayed on how my body felt. The cut across my midsection stopped bleeding as long as I didn¡¯t move too much. My shoulder hurt and I couldn¡¯t move that hand at all. Only using my right hand slowed me down, but bite by bite I could feel energy rushing through me, then immediately getting used up. I didn''t think my injuries were as bad as the spitting dinosaur fight had left me, because of my Improved Body, but I really didn¡¯t know.

    The shuttle sheltered me from the wind that slowly picked up. It helped blow away the scent of blood that settled over the area. It also helped ground me just a little bit more, which was good. Time ticked by as I ate more and more of the cat and felt better. My midsection healed up. Not completely, but on the surface it mended, and it wasn¡¯t going to bleed anymore. At that point, I started cutting into the chest of the cat. It was harder without my spear, but that was in the bushes and I couldn¡¯t go get it right this second.

    The tooth cut through the bone and tendon, and I found the heart. It was bigger than the last couple I¡¯d eaten, and I took the first bite. Power rushed through my body, almost like a lightning bolt, as I swallowed. A surge of it went directly to my shoulder. I quickly took another bite, then another. The energy flowed from my shoulder down to the tips of my fingers, which I couldn¡¯t move. There was a flash of pain that quickly receded.

    Then it was gone, and my hands were empty. I couldn¡¯t even remember what flavor it was, only that it was pure energy.

    [You have devoured an Alpha Jungle Cat and gained the potential skill Claw Strike.]

    I tried to move my left fingers and they twitched. I wasn¡¯t healing as fast as I wanted, but it was progress. The potential skill made me wonder, but I pushed it to the side as I carved off more meat. I wasn¡¯t fully healed yet, and I needed to be before I tried to figure out new skills or abilities.

    The tiny blood devourers stuck near a pool of blood that had gathered under the cat. It slowly got smaller, which was both interesting and terrifying. They were a black blob floating on the surface of deep red, and I wondered how many of them had survived.

    I paused after swallowing for a moment. ¡°That¡¯s for your help, little guys,¡± I whispered, thinking of Noseen. Right before they left, they¡¯d mentioned level 25, so that was something to look forward to. Maybe getting some freaking answers. Though, level 742¡­ When I compared it to my level 14, I understood why they thought I was squishy. Compared to them, I was the fly. I let out a shuddering breath, still shocked I¡¯d lived. The cat had been level 17. If I hadn''t gotten that first drop attack in, I knew I''d be dead. Same with the distraction from the little blood devourers. Yet, I¡¯d won, by being smart. With help, but still, I was alive, barely.

    Concern trickled down my spine. I hadn¡¯t heard anything from John, and it¡¯d been pretty quiet out here for a little while. I ate chunks of meat faster, shoving it into my mouth without swallowing and trying to just fill my stomach. That didn¡¯t happen. I was like a bottomless pit as I carved more and more away from the cat''s bones. I kept the fur as intact as I could as I cut, though. It might be useful later.

    Finally, I could move my fingers slowly with complete movement. That had to be enough for now. Quickly I cut the biggest section of fur off the cat and tossed that into my inventory. I yanked what was left of the bones and meat in as well, and tried to stand up. I wobbled and had to use the shuttle for support. Once I was steady, I moved to the bushes and grabbed my spear. Then I tried to retract the bent shaft. It was a struggle. It had a slight curve in the metal now, and I could only reduce it by half. That made attaching it to my belt almost impossible, so I carried it over my shoulder with one hand.

    The spot of mosquitoes on the ground, along with the blood, had vanished, and I wondered if I¡¯d see them again. From what I thought I¡¯d learned, they didn¡¯t have a long life cycle, but they¡¯d helped kill something big and had leveled. Maybe they would become like Noseen someday? No clue. I¡¯d need to ask them next time I saw them, adding that to the running log of questions I had.

    The bigger question that filled my mind now was, how did Noseen leave? In the past, they¡¯d mentioned getting booted from their vacation, but what had booted them, and had that been teleportation? My only conclusion had to be that this world was vastly different from what I thought, and I knew nothing outside of the jungle. Should I tell anyone about that conclusion? I didn¡¯t know.

    The wind picked up a little more, and I could see the dark clouds approaching. This wasn¡¯t going to be a downpour, this was going to be a legit storm. Back at the colony, everyone would be tying down anything that could move, and people would be crowding into the solid structures and away from the tents. I faintly heard a crash of thunder and shivered. We might need to wait to head to the compound until after the storm passed. The sun headed toward the horizon, but the storm would darken everything before sunset. I let out a sigh and limped toward the shuttle.

    That¡¯s when I realized the shape I was in. Wet blood soaked my clothes. Brown stains from eating raw meat covered my hands, and I assumed my face was a mess as well. Manic laughter crept up my throat, and I fought to not let it spill out. I lost the fight as it escaped, filling the air for several moments. This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

    This was what a devourer was, and I was a devourer.

    Somehow, my stomach wasn¡¯t even full, and I¡¯d just eaten most of a giant jungle cat. And it had tasted damn good. I¡¯d gone into the jungle just a normal person from earth. Now I left the jungle something else. Something stronger. A Devourer.

    Fuck, I¡¯d killed a level 17 beast, at level 12. Yeah, I¡¯d had help, but it was dead and I wasn¡¯t. That was the part that mattered. And better yet, I was stronger for it. I still had to check out my levels, and allocate my free points, but I could feel the difference.

    Shaking my head, I knew I couldn¡¯t climb into the shuttle like this, though I didn¡¯t have a change of clothes with me. There should be some in the supplies, so I tore off my shredded left sleeve and yanked out my canteen. I soaked the cloth with water and used it as best as I could to clean up my face and hands before drinking some of the liquid to clear my mouth. Hopefully, my breath didn''t smell like raw meat.

    It didn¡¯t take long to clean up as much as the circumstances would allow, and then I tossed the dirty rag into my inventory. Even though I¡¯d cleaned out my inventory of dead things, I¡¯d need to do that again before I gave the crystal back to John. Right now, I didn''t dare give up what was left of the cat, and the fur had to be useful. I climbed up the side of the shuttle carefully, with my spear in one hand. My spear needed to be fixed sooner rather than later, right now it was hard to carry and got in my way. It had been too important to my survival to leave in this state. The tooth worked well enough as a knife, but it needed a handle, and even the sharp Devourer tooth didn¡¯t have an edge like the crystal did when I activated it.

    Hopefully, John didn''t freak out when he saw me. I knew even with cleaning up I looked horrible. I glanced around from the top of the shuttle as the wind blew about. The air smelled damp, and the breeze felt chilly against my skin. The dark clouds mocked me and my hope for leaving the jungle.

    I glanced down into the hatch before jumping inside. John lay on the floor, head facing up with his eyes closed. Several black dots covered his face.

    ¡°What the ever-living fuck?¡±

    ***

    [Warning: you have been removed from the Sanctuary for breaking the level limits. The time remaining on your vacation pass is forfeit.]

    I popped into existence as pain shot through my head. I floated in the air outside the tunnel that headed through the mountain leading to the Sanctuary. It was the same place I¡¯d entered the restricted area. I knew I¡¯d be booted as soon as I transformed, and had resisted the forced teleport as long as possible to provide a distraction for Alex. Alex needed to be smart and attack while the creature was distracted. Not that I really worried about Alex taking out the cat. Between the spit and the crystal spear, Alex should be fine. I just didn¡¯t want to risk it. Too much revolved around them. I personally didn¡¯t dare attack the creature, because of the contract I¡¯d signed before I headed into Sanctuary. While there wasn''t much the owners of this planet could do to me, I didn''t want to leave just yet, and forcing me to leave the planet was on that short list of things they could do.

    [Quest Complete: Visit the Sanctuary on Mondas.]

    I froze at the quest completed notification, as my feet touched the ground. My many eyes narrowed, studying the screen. It couldn¡¯t be that easy. The Devourer of Light and Knowledge couldn¡¯t see that as a repayment for what it had done during the war. My eyes blinked, and I closed the notifications.

    It was a trap, a way for me to feel better without actually doing much to settle the debt. I understood what the ancient devourer was doing, and I wasn¡¯t going to fall for it. They might be letting me off the hook, but I would see this through. This debt would be concluded when I said it would be. My resolve solidified, especially as Alex''s circumstances came to mind. Crash landing on a system planet from somewhere not yet integrated, struggling to learn what the system was, and somehow surviving. Alex wasn''t the only one, either.

    Better yet, the owners of the planet didn''t have a clue. No one monitored the Sanctuary. The System enforced the rules that had been created, which is how I was here and not still there, but the planetary government pretty much ignored the place. As long as the humans stuck under the level limit, they wouldn''t be forced to leave. That gap provided Alex with protection, and a safe place to learn, for at least a little while longer.

    The sounds of creatures fleeing through the surrounding jungle reminded me to cloak my aura and levels. I didn¡¯t need to create a stampede everywhere I went on this planet. That was rude, after all.

    I stretched upward, twisting my shape and form into something more fitting for the area I was in. While my terror form was great for scaring creatures, it sometimes felt uncomfortable, and it always left me hungry. My stomach growled and I rose into the air. My form changed with each beat of my wings.

    Three sets of wings carried me aloft, as scales took over from the spikes. I gained hands, legs, and a smaller head. My eyes shifted to a smaller form, though I could see just as well. The trees were quickly left behind as I flew upward. The mountain blocked the view of Sanctuary, but I touched the connection I¡¯d left behind.

    Alex still lived.

    The cat had to be dead for that to be the case, with how long it had been. That wasn¡¯t going to be a long, drawn-out fight. That my baby devourer had survived was good enough for the moment. My stomach rumbled again, and I growled lightly into the air.

    Alex wouldn¡¯t hit level 25 for some time, and I needed a snack.

    I turned and headed north as my speed increased, the mountain vanishing from sight. While I could hunt, getting a ready-made meal in the capital sounded better.

    All Alex had to do was be smart, and not get into any trouble. It shouldn¡¯t be hard. They were at the shuttle and should be flying back to the compound at any moment. I hoped I¡¯d see them again. I¡¯d done everything that I could, for now.

 Chapter 42: What happened to John

    I launched myself into the hatch, losing my spear in the process. It clattered to the floor, but didn¡¯t break, thankfully. I landed awkwardly on one foot, but quickly regained my balance.

    ¡°Get off of him!¡± I swatted at the mosquitoes who quickly fled up through the hatch. Thankfully, John was still breathing, though shaking his shoulder didn¡¯t seem to rouse him at all. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be freaking kidding me.¡± I shook my head sadly, feeling we were right back to where we¡¯d started. John was out cold, the shuttle was not working, and we were crashed in the middle of the freaking jungle. The maniacal laughter from outside bubbled up again, but I only let a small chuckle out.

    The crystal still sat on the floor where I had left it. Having the crystal was progress, and we were both alive, which was also a plus.

    How much blood did those little fuckers take?

    If it had been Noseen, John would be dead. Instead, it seemed he¡¯d passed out from being drained of energy. He hadn¡¯t been in great shape during the mad dash through the jungle, either, so it might not have taken much.

    How was he so weak?

    In my mind John was stronger than me. The middle sibling, who was too smart for his own good. Yet, he¡¯d almost died, and I¡¯d thrived.

    I sat down on the floor while resting my head back on the cargo crate for a moment, to let my panic subside. John would be okay, the cat was dead, and we were both back in the shuttle. I eyed the water jug, then yanked out my canteen and tossed some on John¡¯s face. He moaned and his eyelids twitched, but they didn¡¯t open. I didn¡¯t do it again, not wanting to waste the water. We only had what I had left in this jug, one in my inventory crystal, and what was in my canteen. I hadn¡¯t come across a drinking water source in my trek through the jungle, except for the spring near the compound, and maybe the river, so this was it for now. And I wasn¡¯t actually going to get close enough to the river to get water if there was any way to avoid it.

    ¡°Come on, John, you gotta get up. We need to get this crystal in place¡­¡±

    He mumbled something but didn¡¯t come around.

    I sipped on water, then refilled my canteen from the jug. I let out another deep sigh, and looked at the crystal on the floor, and over to the one currently set up. Multiple velcro straps held it in place, and it looked like a wire harness draped over part of it. It shouldn¡¯t be too hard to figure out.

    I studied the empty holder and pulled the straps free, then headed back to the crystal. A loud thudding sound came from the distance, and I frowned. The storm had moved faster than I thought it would, even with the wind. I approached the crystal and carefully picked it up, getting it over to the holder. I strapped the first velcro piece into place

    ¡°Alex?¡± mumbled John.

    My head snapped around super quick to find John blinking at the ceiling. ¡°Hey, you''re awake," I said, rushing to his side. Relief flowed through me that he¡¯d awakened. I didn¡¯t know how to help him with blood loss, other than to wait and hope.

    ¡°What happened?¡± He reached up and touched his head. ¡°I remember the cat, and diving into the hatch. I was slightly dizzy, and tried to get to the jug of water.¡± He shook his head, slowly sitting up. ¡°Then a cloud of something came in.¡± He went quiet but noticed the water jug. His hands reached out and I instead handed over the canteen. He slowly lifted it to his mouth. After a few mouthfuls, he set it beside him. ¡°Damn, I needed water. I feel woozy.¡± John blinked a few times looking at my clothes, his face going white. ¡°What happened?¡±

    ¡°The cat''s dead. It was a pretty rough fight¡­¡± I said scratching the back of my head. Something was caked in my hair, and I quickly stopped picking at it.

    ¡°I¡¯d say¡­¡± He shook his head. ¡°You got a healing skill of some kind, that''s clear. Otherwise, you¡¯d be dead.¡±

    I nodded and motioned down to my clothes. ¡°Please say we have some spares, or I¡¯m going to need to do some laundry in the rain.¡±

    John shook his head, winced, and motioned to the other cargo container with his hand. ¡°There should be a spare shirt at least in there. The pants will be way too big for you, though.¡±

    I opened the cargo container we¡¯d been using as a step stool and pulled out a new shirt. There was more than one. It took only seconds to switch out the destroyed one and toss it into my inventory. My pants were dirty as heck, but weren¡¯t as covered in blood. Or as torn up, for that matter. They¡¯d need to do for now. Maybe once the rain started, I''d clean them and wear the big ones until they dried.

    I took a moment to look at the scar just above my belly button, which stretched from one side to the other. Thankfully, it¡¯d healed and hadn¡¯t been that deep, or I¡¯d be dead right now. It wasn¡¯t clear if it would fade with time or if I was stuck with it. Maybe as I ate more food, it would heal more. Based on the description of Improved Body, energy from eating was allocated toward the worst injuries first, and a scar wasn''t high on that list.

    ¡°Much better, though I have plenty of blood-covered things in the inventory crystal, just warning you.¡± The inventory crystal stayed tucked under my shirt and I tucked the shirt end into my pants and belt. ¡°Can you take a look at my spear? I might have bent it.¡± I motioned over my shoulder to the spear on the floor.

    "Hold onto that inventory crystal for now. Once we get out of here, I''ll take it back and put my tools away, but I don''t have the energy to return everything from where I''ve currently stashed it all.¡± By the time I turned back around after closing the container, John held the spear, glaring at the metal. Using some sort of skill, the shaft bent back into place and he collapsed it down to knife form.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.

    ¡°Here you go,¡± he said with a frown, holding his head. ¡°No idea how you did that.¡±

    ¡°It was the cat¡­¡±

    John nodded at the explanation, but then he studied me a little harder. I could tell he¡¯d used Insight by the prickly sensation. ¡°Well, guess you aren¡¯t the little sister anymore.¡± The confusion on his face grew, and his cheeks burned red. ¡°You¡¯re freaking at my level! What happened out there? And where is Hawk?¡± His questions tumbled out with less anger and more frustration.

    I let out a sigh, closing the cargo crate, before leaning against it. ¡°The jungle was the jungle. I hunted and killed beasts as they attacked me." I paused, thinking of the various creatures I''d gone up against and survived. "Then I got to the compound.¡± I gave him a quick rundown of everything that happened at the compound with Hawk and Doc.

    The red on his cheeks increased and he gritted his teeth as I spoke before finally interrupting me. ¡°You¡¯ve got to be fucking kidding me! After everything I do keeping them supplied, Hawk couldn¡¯t be bothered to get off his ass and come back with you?¡± The question came out as a roar in the shuttle.

    ¡°They are pretty low on people,¡± I said, thinking of the dead guy, and then Denver, who was sick. "Like, one dead and one majorly sick that might not make it."

    ¡°Still.¡± John took a deep breath to calm himself down. Normally, he wasn¡¯t someone who got angry easily. "I need to have words with him when we get there.¡±

    ¡°Have fun with that¡­ Though I survived, and I¡¯ve grown stronger. Dad doesn''t need to be worried about me getting a class anymore.¡± The clouds moving in across the front window caught my eye, and I pointed in that direction. ¡°There¡¯s a pretty rough storm on the way. The clouds look dangerous and that wind is starting to blow pretty hard.¡±

    John ran a hand over his face, then grabbed the canteen again. He took a few more giant swallows. ¡°Alright, I can get the crystal back into place, but it might be worth it just to stay here until the storm clears. The shuttle is waterproof after all, and there aren¡¯t any nearby trees that can fall on us to cause damage.¡± He climbed to his feet slowly, and I noticed that his one leg trembled. That wasn¡¯t good. It should be healed by now.

    ¡°How are your injuries?¡±

    John shrugged. ¡°Better, but still not completely recovered.¡± He held out the canteen as he passed me by. I tossed it into the inventory crystal, glad I¡¯d filled it up when he was out.

    ¡°So, what happened to you in the jungle?¡±

    He groaned, blushing. ¡°I don¡¯t really want to talk about it.¡±

    ¡°Dude, it can¡¯t be that bad.¡±

    ¡°Obviously, it is.¡± He motioned toward me. ¡°You survived how many days in the jungle, gained levels, and grew stronger. While I got stuck in a tree, cornered by a beast.¡±

    ¡°That wasn''t a normal beast, and I think it was my fault. It tracked me here, and used you as bait." I shook my head, reminded of the fact that it¡¯d spoken. I needed to mention that to someone, or at least warn people that beasts weren''t all just dumb creatures.

    "Beasts don''t set traps," said John, glaring at me.

    "This one did. It also spoke. It was linked to that cat pride that I killed one of, near the compound."

    John''s mouth dropped open, but then he closed it, shaking his head. "It doesn''t matter, it still cornered me up the tree."

    I didn''t want to argue with him, but he needed to understand the difference. "I mean, how is a fighter pilot supposed to do great on the ground?¡± I asked, pointedly. ¡°Your skill set doesn¡¯t mesh with the jungle floor.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s the problem!¡± His voice rose, cutting across my statement. ¡°I need a different class.¡±

    ¡°Or, we figure out a way to use the one you have,¡± I said softly. I couldn''t help but think about the fact that this jungle wasn''t all that was out there. Noseen had been level 742. A fighter pilot wasn''t great right now, but on other worlds? Flying through space? Heading to the planet Noseen owned? It might be an amazing class. ¡°What about a smaller craft that flies and has weapons? Or getting the shuttle outfitted with crystals that could be used against the fliers?¡± I approached him and set my hand on his shoulders, squeezing lightly. ¡°Better yet, a flying mech suit with a sword.¡± That one I could easily imagine, if it was only possible, or we found the equipment dropship. ¡°We just need to get creative.¡±

    John trembled, then nodded, letting his shoulders cave inward. ¡°Yeah, something to think about as we wait out the storm.¡± He snorted. "A flying mech suit... You''ve spent too long in the jungle." Yet, I spotted a small smile on his face as he pointed at the open crate. ¡°At least we have plenty of crystal shards to work with if I do try to outfit the ship.¡±

    The sound of the wind whistling by the open hatch picked up. The storm was getting closer. ¡°You should take another break, drink more water, and maybe eat another ration bar. Regain your strength, that sort of thing.¡± His leg worried me, though I needed to remember my healing was overpowered, especially for my level.

    ¡°I¡¯m fine, just frustrated with the circumstances.¡± John sat down on the edge of the crate. "I''ve been stuck in the shuttle since we crashed, with not much to do but grumble about my class."

    ¡°I get that, I really do.¡± My thoughts wandered to the fact that I needed to hide my class from everyone, and how possible that was really going to be at the colony? ¡°But we have plenty of time to figure that out.¡± I glanced upward at the sky through the hatch, which was getting dimmer. We¡¯d need to close the hatch soon, though the fresh air was good. Being this close to John made me realize we both smelled. I was doing my best to ignore it, but at the compound, we¡¯d have to scrub up somewhat, even if it was just using wet cloths, because it was giving me a slight headache. Maybe Hawk would still be willing to let me take that shower.

    I tracked John''s presence around the ship without meaning to. It hovered in the background, even when I blinked. The connection with him being prey freaked me out a little, and I did my best to not think about it. He was my brother, for freakin¡¯ sake. Thinking about eating him was just wrong. Or eating any human, for that matter. I shook my head to clear my thoughts as I turned away from John. The air rushing in from overhead felt good. Being in the shuttle was so different from being out in the jungle, and I wasn¡¯t sure I liked it. I felt closed in and cut off from the world. Somehow, the jungle felt safer. Here, I felt almost trapped.

    I moved closer to the crystal shards that were inside the open crate that John had pointed out. They glittered in the low light coming from the open hatch and the front window. The first one I picked up was sharp, and almost looked the same shape as my knife, but a bit smaller. ¡°Hey, did you shape these?¡±

    John huffed. ¡°Once the ship was done, I didn¡¯t have much else to do. I have a skill around shaping them for engineering purposes, but sometimes you can learn new tricks.¡±

    ¡°I thought Singers did that?¡± I asked with a frown.

 Chapter 43: Wait out the Storm

    John moved closer. ¡°It''s not that type of skill. I can only form things to help the ship, and I need to know what I¡¯m aiming for." He took the shard from me and turned it over a few times, being careful not to cut himself. "I tried handheld weapons, but it just didn''t work. The form is there, but it doesn''t feel right. I wanted to see if I could use the shards to repair the window. It wasn¡¯t like I had spare glass. I got it to work, eventually, but I needed smaller bits.¡±

    ¡°You combined crystal with the window glass?¡± I turned toward the front of the ship. I¡¯d been wondering how he¡¯d fixed the crack and hole in the upper corner.

    John nodded, then moved back toward the front of the ship after setting down the crystal.

    The whistling wind came again. I climbed up on the cargo crate, reaching to grab the edge of the open hatch, when that sound came again. A low thud, and this time the shuttle shook a little. I paused, my hand reaching out the hatch.

    That didn¡¯t sound like thunder.

    It came again, shaking things a little more.

    ¡°Uh, John?¡±

    He had moved toward the front of the shuttle, mumbling to himself. He turned to look at me over his shoulder. ¡°Yeah?¡±

    ¡°You might want to get the crystal strapped in.¡± I kept my voice low and kept my head down under the hatch, while I slowly brought my hand back inside. I waited to see if it would come again.

    ¡°We¡¯ve got plenty of time, I think I need to rest.¡± He waved his hand in the air before rubbing the back of his head. ¡°My head still feels weird.¡± The second part was said softly.

    ¡°John, strap in the crystal.¡± My eyes flickered to the single velcro strap I had put into place. There were at least two more to secure it.

    The thud came again, closer. Too close.

    Oh fuck.

    I swallowed.

    John looked confused, and his head spun around the shuttle looking for any other movement.

    The shuttle lifted by a few inches, and then slammed back down. I went flying off the cargo crate, slamming into the ground and sliding closer to the open crate.

    John yelped loudly as he lost his footing. He clapped a hand over his mouth as a roar shook the shuttle. He dove toward the crystal, which was still in place, thankfully.

    Then the shuttle moved again.

    The cargo crate slid toward me, and I rolled out of the way. The sound of velcro came from the area of the crystal. Something moved over the hatch, blocking the little sun for a moment. I breathed slowly out of my nose, trying to remain calm. Whatever it was, it towered over the shuttle. It had to be big. Hell, anything that made that much noise when it took a step had to be huge.

    John frantically set the wire harness over the crystal, connecting various points. His mouth gaped open and his eyes were wide. Nothing about him was calm as he connected the wires, but he didn¡¯t shake, and looked like he was focused.

    I climbed to my feet, watching the open hatch for any sign of movement.

    The sound of sniffing filled the air, and the edge of a nose moved slowly from the side of the shuttle over the hatch. It was giant, and had blue stripes.

    Fuck, no, not that.

    John moved silently toward the front of the ship and the pilot''s seat. I followed, using stealth.

    He waved me closer. ¡°We need to go now. That thing can damage the ship,¡± he explained as quietly as possible. "If we tear any of the wires running through the walls, we''re fucked. I can''t fix wires without tearing into the walls myself."

    The ship scooted two inches forward, and John¡¯s face went white as his fingers clenched the dashboard.

    ¡°How long do you need?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Ten minutes? Fifteen?¡± He whimpered.

    My hands tightened into fists. Powering up the shuttle took time, and it wasn¡¯t a quiet action. The sound of the engines would be loud. John''s hand hovered over a button, but it shook. We didn¡¯t have a choice, which meant neither did I.

    I marched toward the back of the shuttle and the open hatch. Without studying my stat sheet, I tossed 11 points into Quickness, 4 into Flexibility, and 3 into Constitution. It was all I had. It needed to be enough. If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    ¡°Alex!¡± whispered John.

    ¡°If I¡¯m not back by the time you''re ready to leave, meet you at the compound!¡±

    ¡°What?! No!¡± His voice cut off as a very large foot stomped down in front of the shuttle. It missed the front of the nose by bare inches. The foot and ankle took up a good chunk of what I could see over my shoulder through the window.

    A loud roar echoed through the air, making everything shake. John clutched at his head. My ears rang as I rushed forward, leaping for the cargo crate before flinging myself upward.

    The wind hit me first, along with a burst of fresh air. The Carnitor¡¯s head was down near the area where I¡¯d killed the cat, sniffing at the blood. It didn¡¯t notice me immediately as I raced toward the far end of the ship. My path took me toward the north, and the area of the jungle I knew. I¡¯d need every advantage I could get.

    I needed some distance from the shuttle before I put my plan into action, to get it away from here and then go all sneaky. Leaping off the edge of the ship, I rolled through the ferns. The sound of the wind covered my actions. For the moment, thankfully, I was downwind of the giant predator, or it would have smelled me, making this much more difficult. The sky darkened with both the storm and sunset, but I could still see fine. The storm moved in as all of the plants shook in the stiff breeze. I raced toward the trees in the distance, before turning to look over my shoulder. The creature''s head moved toward the hatch, back and forth over the opening.

    John better get that ship in the air as soon as it was good to go.

    Steadying myself, I yelled. ¡°Come and get me!¡±

    The wind almost covered my voice, but the Carnitor¡¯s head jerked up at the sound. Its head snapped toward me, and it roared. A piercing yellow eye turned to look at me while I fled into the trees behind me.

    I didn¡¯t pause as the first thud echoed closer, followed by another. Must keep running! Prey ran, and though I wasn¡¯t prey, the Carnitor didn¡¯t know that. As long as I ran, it would chase me, and that was what I needed.

    What the fuck had I been thinking? This was suicide. But, at least I had a chance. John didn¡¯t, not against that.

    My heart pounded as I picked up speed, dodging around ferns and under vines. I just had to put enough things between it and me. The other Carnitor was in this direction, and that was my saving grace. At least, I hoped it would be. It had fought this one off before, I just needed it to do it again. The broken trail left behind by the crashed shuttle was to my far right. If I moved more toward the north, I should run into the higher-level creature. Or, if not that, enough crowded jungle to get some sneak attacks in. I wished I could attack from a distance, like with a bow.

    The sound of large footsteps picked up behind me. Each shook the ground as the giant gained speed, chasing me faster than I would have thought possible in the thick jungle.

    I shot through the area, drifting more to the west when nothing changed in the jungle in front of me. The large craters came into view, and I dashed across the narrow strips of ground that were still standing. The thuds behind me slowed down as the Carnitor tried to follow me across the uneven ground.

    [Skill Unlocked: You have unlocked the potential skill Free Runner. Free Runner: You have a minor increase in Quickness, Flexibility, and Constitution running between obstacles while on the ground. Pathways between objects become clearer.]

    I immediately accepted the skill, and knew the best way to travel between the fallen tree log, cluster of ferns, and large boulder that sat directly ahead within the tree line. I dared to glance over my shoulder to gauge the distance. The Carnitor slowly stomped after me, keeping me in view. He crossed the center of one of the craters, making him look much shorter than he was. His head and shoulders still stretched above the hole, though, and I had a moment since it would need to slow to climb out of the crater. I focused on it using Insight.

    [Carnitor, Level 19.]

    It didn¡¯t even notice, but the information all but confirmed it was the same creature that had challenged the other Carnitor. There couldn¡¯t be more than one or two in any area, or there wouldn¡¯t be enough prey.

    In the far distance, the sound of the shuttle firing up drew the beast¡¯s attention back in that direction. It paused, almost turning around. That''s when I saw the claw marks on its shoulder. The other dino had gotten it good. The wound had scabbed over, but it was still in the process of healing. The carnivore wasn¡¯t at full strength.

    I stumbled to a halt. There wasn¡¯t a chance I''d given John the time he needed to get off the ground. There was also a chance we weren''t far enough away yet.

    The Carnitor took a few steps, turning back toward the shuttle while still in the crater.

    Fuck.

    I didn¡¯t have any ranged attacks. Instead, I started yelling. ¡°Yo, Carnitor? So weak you can¡¯t even catch me?¡± My voice vanished with the wind, and I yelled louder, jumping up and down next to a fern.

    The beast¡¯s head moved back to look at me, and it growled. The hair on the back of my neck rose as it suddenly moved. The Carnitor¡¯s scales almost glowed as it leaped out of the crater.

    I ran as fast as I could into the jungle, sliding under the fallen log and then around the boulder.

    It understood me. Somehow, the dino knew what I¡¯d said, and now it was pissed. I had challenged its dominance, and now it had to prove I was prey. I had to be smart and prove I wasn¡¯t prey.

    The thuds of footsteps behind me grew louder, and the Carnitor crashed through a fallen tree. The sound of snapping wood was louder than the wind. Where was that other dinosaur? Somehow, I felt like I''d gone too far to the west, but I couldn''t have. In most ways, though, it didn¡¯t matter, I just had to keep going. I didn''t have time to pause and consider. I should have caught up to my trail from the sled through the undergrowth, but I might have missed it. My speed had increased more than I¡¯d expected from the stat point boosts and skill, and I covered more ground with each second than I could have imagined only a couple days ago. Something white flashed ahead, but I didn¡¯t dare stop. Other creatures fled through the jungle, racing away from me and the predator behind me.

    It was getting closer.

    A rumble under the wind drew my attention, and my eyes grew wide as I gave my legs everything I had. I knew that sound. I was so freaking close.

    Lightning broke across the sky over the treetops, giving me a glimpse of a break in the trees, and the wind picked up even more. Thunder quickly followed as the ground cut off in front of me. I didn¡¯t let that stop me, as I leaped and then rolled, trying to aim not for the river, but the pathway of river rocks on this side.

    Pain exploded through my shoulders as I hit the rock-covered beach.

 Chapter 44: Smart Choice

    Lightning turned everything white, but not before I saw the tree clutching the riverbank to my left.

    I stumbled in that direction, diving under the roots. Water from the river had washed out the dirt under them, creating a haven. Hopefully, a sufficiently hidden one. From here I could sneak away then attack when the level 19 predator wasn¡¯t expecting it.

    The earth-shaking footsteps behind me had vanished, but that didn¡¯t mean much. The giant predators could be quiet when they wanted to be. I huddled as close to the riverbank under the tree as I could. I wrapped my cloak around me as the clouds broke apart and rain finally poured to the ground, the storm arriving in earnest. The sound took over everything except my heart pounding in my chest.

    It was still out there, looking for me. I knew it.

    Lightning flashed again at the same time thunder rolled across the jungle, shaking dirt loose above me.

    The flash outlined the shadow of the Carnitor moving along the riverbank. It hadn¡¯t jumped down to the river rocks, but stuck to the bank overhead.

    The rain made it hard to see anything outside of the roots I hid under. It was a great sheet of water, slamming down from the sky, obscuring everything.

    Yet, the water also trickled in from below. The rain was swelling the river, causing the water level to rise.

    It had started near the far edge, closer to the running water, but as I watched it crept closer. The river was rising quickly from the rain. These types of storms caused flash flooding with the waterfall back in the colony, and here I hid within the riverbank, right where previous flooding had carved out this hole. I only had so much time, and probably not a lot of it. The water inched higher and my fingers tightened around my cloak.

    I couldn¡¯t stay here. Not for long, anyway.

    Another blast of lightning made the area glow for a second. The dark shadow of the Carnitor blazed into sight through the rain, showing it now stood in the riverbed. I hadn''t heard it move, the rain had covered any sound it had made. The water cut off on one side as its head moved near the edge of the tree. It was the area I had entered to hide under the roots.

    Shit. It could smell me.

    My hand clutched at my knife as I scooted closer to the other side. Cold water rushed up from near my feet, making me jerk back into a smaller space.

    The movement caused the Carnitor to stick its nose right next to the tree and shove. The tree shuddered, leaning back away from the creature. Dirt rained down from the ceiling of the space I huddled in.

    Time was ticking.

    I stabbed out at the nose, my knife glowing.

    The Carnitor jerked back with a roar, and my hearing cut out, making me momentarily deaf.

    A foot shoved at the tree, and again I stabbed forward, sinking the knife three inches through its scales. This time it didn¡¯t jerk back as quickly, and I sliced again, this time at one of its toes.

    The ground shook and I assumed it had roared, since my hearing was still gone. The foot vanished back into the downpour of rain. My ears ached, but I didn''t care. I would heal, if I could survive. I wanted that foot to come back. If you cut something¡¯s foot off, no matter how big it was, it couldn¡¯t fight very well.

    I tried to make myself smaller under the tree, but the roots had shifted enough that the little hideaway was almost gone. I¡¯d lost part of the roof, and the rain poured in even harder.

    Everything inside me screamed as a dark shadow raced toward the tree. The thuds vibrated the ground. I slipped my knife back into my belt and clutched at the tree roots above me.

    Then it hit.

    The tree groaned as it snapped backward. Shards of wood went flying through the rain. My feet left the ground as everything went airborne, the whole tree thrown into the air by the giant Carnitor. Water hit me in several places, then gravity took control.

    I slammed into rocks and water before getting swept into the current. Water dragged me down, and I struggled to figure out what way was up. A rock hit my knee, and I tried to crawl, or swim, in that direction.

    Sounds partially returned as the first footstep echoed up underneath me, making my ribs hurt even worse than they were. Something broke inside.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

    My head lifted. In the distance, a large dark shadow moved along the riverbank, searching. Pieces of the shredded tree sat between it and me.

    Every time I took a breath, pain lanced up my side.

    I had to move and hide.

    The Carnitor moved closer to the rising water and nudged something on the ground, part of the tree trunk.

    Or, I could try the river. It might be safer. It¡¯d lead me in the wrong direction, if I had any hope of getting back to the compound within a decent length of time.

    The Carnitor¡¯s head snapped up toward the sky.

    Bright lights cut through the darkness overhead, even as the sky rumbled with thunder.

    It was the shuttle. John was safely up in the air.

    Realization dawned on me, as I inched back onto the river rocks. The lights had distracted the Carnitor, and it moved in that direction, closer to the water.

    I crawled faster, hiding behind part of the tree trunk and still moving toward the riverbank. More trees lined the curve we were in, and I might be able to hide again. The pain in my chest slowly reduced, and I hoped my healing would kick in faster. I didn¡¯t have time to eat anything. Not yet.

    Each foot felt like progress, and it didn¡¯t take long until I was away from the rushing water. I took a second to see where the Carnitor was.

    It stood at the edge of the water, with its head focused on the shuttle. Dumb beast, the river was dangerous for a reason. It''s jaw snapped twice, trying to reach the flying object. Then the Carnitor leaned down, and that feeling of fear came back.

    It had that jumping skill. The shuttle flew too close! He didn''t know.

    The shuttle flew along the riverbank, heading in my direction. A bright light traced along the surface of the river, and I prayed it didn''t give away my location. I didn¡¯t know what John was doing, but the shuttle kept moving away from the river. I reached the end of the fallen tree trunk and decided to go for it. I climbed to my feet and stumbled toward the nearest tree that was still attached to the riverbank. The rain soaked everything and it didn''t let up, but it had to be masking my noise and scent, at least some.

    Then I slipped. My forearms slammed into the rocks beneath me, pain lancing up as a rock sliced into my arm. A grunt escaped me. I scrambled to get back up as I felt eyes on the back of my cloak.

    The predator moved in my direction as I got to my feet.

    I glanced back in time to see the Carnitor''s tail splash over the water, and something launch itself out of the river.

    I couldn¡¯t move as this new combatant chomped down. Green and blue scales flashed in the light from the shuttle as John focused on the scene.

    The Carnitor roared, twisting about and trying to get the creature off of it. The triangle head of the river monster tried to yank the Carnitor deeper into the rapids, but the Carnitor twisted about, snapping at it with its jaws

    The lights flipped off as the shuttle flew away from the fight.

    Go, John, go!

    I raced toward the vines and tree roots lining the bank. Ignoring the pain in my chest and from my injured left arm, I climbed. Time was ticking as I made my way up the riverbank. This was my chance. The rain would hide my scent, and I needed to find a better place to hide. The sound of the battle behind me continued even above the pouring rain. Finally, I made it to the top of the riverbank and dashed into the trees. It was harder to see now, but all I needed was a very tall tree to climb. Something that I could hide in up near the canopy, out of reach of that jump. I figured it needed to see me to jump at me.

    After limping several feet into the jungle, lightning made everything glow for a moment and I spotted my target. Ferns and vines whipped at me in the wind as I reached for the first branch. My speed increased as my feet left the dirt. The thick tree trunk didn¡¯t move in the harsh wind that only increased the farther off the ground I got. This was a tall, sturdy tree that had seen worse storms, thankfully. It meant that maybe I¡¯d get to see tomorrow.

    Despite the pain lancing through my body, I didn¡¯t dare stop. I needed height.

    It felt like I climbed for hours, but it must have been only seconds as I raced up the side of the tree, going farther up than the Carnitor was tall. I stopped once I found a good branch to hide on, well above the Carnitor¡¯s height, and wrapped the soaked cloak around me. I tossed the wet hood over my head, dripping even more water down my face.

    My heart pounded in my chest and my stomach growled. I shoved a piece of cat meat into my mouth and swallowed it without chewing. It settled into my stomach like a lump, but the loud growling stopped. Warmth flowed over my arm, and the pain vanished. I yanked out another piece from the inventory crystal and swallowed it. This time, my chest started to feel better. The warmth helped fight off the rain as it soaked into my clothes. I quickly stuffed my mouth full, wanting the rest of the aches and pains to go away as soon as possible.

    Another roar broke through the darkened jungle, and trees shook in the distance. I stopped my frantic eating, and tightened the cloak around me.

    The river monster hadn¡¯t won. It might not have died, it might have only chased the Carnitor off, but the great predator was still alive.

    The Carnitor moved through the trees in my direction, and I froze. It came into view about fifteen feet below me as I studied it from under my hood. The rain made it hard to see, but it limped badly. Lightning flashed again, giving me a good look at the creature. Its tail gushed dark blood in the rain, and the claw marks on its shoulder had reopened, showing muscle under its scales.

    It paused under my tree, but not sniffing. It carefully moved its tail and sat down. Its chest labored to breathe, and a weird sound came from its jaws.

    Everything inside me screamed it was prey now, even though it hadn¡¯t been before.

    The beast¡¯s head glanced around the jungle before it sat on the ground. The blue in its scales shimmered in the darkness, then it blended in with the ferns surrounding it.

    My mouth dropped at the sight. It could camouflage itself like I could. If I listened carefully, I could still hear it breathing under the rain. The rain hitting it made it slightly easier to see. Each breath was a wheezing sound, like it struggled to get air and something had happened to its lungs.

    My fingers itched to try for the kill. It was time.

 Chapter 45: Think before you leap

    When I blinked, it almost glowed in my mind, that feeling of prey that covered the wounded beast.

    I would do this.

    My knife was in my hand and I extended the spear. My eyes focused on the creature below. Even with the camouflage, I felt its location in my mind. The prey sense broke the distortion.

    It slept. Its breathing had evened out, its eyes were closed, and its chest barely moved.

    A smile covered my face. The farfetched plan had worked. Now was the time to hunt. Before I seriously thought about it, I leaped into the air. My cloak billowed out behind me, and the cool rain splashed my face. All I wondered about was what it would taste like.

    Time sped up as I slammed down on the Carnitor. My jump had been off, the target for the spear tip had been behind its neck, where I could, hopefully, hit the spine. The wind and rain had thrown me, and I missed. My spear tip glowed as it sunk a foot into the monster¡¯s hip joint.

    The Carnitor jerked and roared in pain. I flopped around, holding onto the spear to keep my footing, and the white-hot crystal blade cut to one side. The Carnitor¡¯s head snapped in my direction, and I let go of the spear, rolling into the underbrush. The giant tail just missed my head and I tried to use stealth, moving behind a fern.

    The Carnitor roared again, this time softer.

    I peeked out from my hiding place several feet away as I heard movement.

    Growling, the beast tried to get up, but it couldn¡¯t put weight on the hip that my spear had cut into, and it slammed back to the ground in pain. My spear was still stuck into its side, doing more damage during the creature¡¯s struggle to rise. Its head snapped out at the spear, yanking it out. It went flying into the bushes, but I didn¡¯t dare move. Not yet. The Carnitor tried to get up again and slipped in the mud. Its leg didn¡¯t move at all this time.

    Bingo.

    Quickly, I raced through the underbrush in the direction the creature had tossed my spear. I needed the weapon if I had a chance at actually doing this. Finally, I spotted the end of the metal shaft snapped in half, leaving an extra long knife instead of a spear. The tip of the crystal also snapped off at an angle, which was unfortunate. It was still sharp, but didn¡¯t have a nice point anymore. I didn''t see the rest of the metal shaft, and I didn''t have the time to search.

    Damn.

    The growling behind me grew louder, and I twisted about to see what the dinosaur was up to. It still lay near the tree, resting against it using its upper shoulder. The giant head swiveled back and forth. Its tail knocked down the nearby ferns that it could reach, though the bite marks on its tail were still raw. Blood covered the ground near the carnivore¡¯s injured leg.

    The rain lessened and the wind died down a bit. It hadn¡¯t spotted me, and I quietly crept around the tree. I had a plan. I needed to remain smart.

    I waited to approach from the rear until the trunk was between its head, full of sharp teeth, and me. Once its tail headed in the opposite direction, I quietly moved forward, crystal held at the ready.

    It must have known something was up. It twisted, its head snapping in my direction, but it wasn¡¯t able to reach, and I stabbed it again with the glowing crystal. It didn¡¯t slide in as easily as normal with the broken point, but it still dug deep. The creature roared. My hand shook as I yanked it back out then stabbed again.

    Teeth snapped close, so close, but I remained steady.

    Blood gushed to the ground each time I yanked the crystal back, not using the heated ability because I didn¡¯t want to cauterize the wounds.You might be reading a stolen copy. Visit Royal Road for the authentic version.

    Eventually, the Carnitor¡¯s movements slowed down, and I relaxed.

    Something slammed into my back, sending me stumbling forward. Pain rolled down my spine, and I couldn¡¯t put weight on my left leg. I leaned toward the trunk, falling in that direction even as the critically wounded predator tried to bite me.

    It missed.

    Its head hit the ground at an awkward angle, panting.

    I lifted my spear one last time and stabbed into its eye.

    It couldn¡¯t try to dodge.

    [You have gained bonus experience from combat for surviving against a Carnitor above your level.]

    [You have gained an Achievement: Badass: You killed a greater creature before your first class evolution. You gain additional bonus experience from kills at a higher level than your own.]

    [You have leveled up.]

    [You have leveled up.]

    I yanked my spear out of the Carnitor¡¯s eye and slumped against the tree. My left foot was completely numb. My spear tumbled out of my hand as I gasped to catch my breath.

    It was dead, and I¡¯d freaking killed it.

    I grabbed a hunk of meat out of my inventory and swallowed it, followed by another. If I wanted even better rewards, I had to get to its heart, which was on the other side of the tree. I grabbed my broken spear back up and leaned on the dead dinosaur for support as I hobbled around it. The rain still came down, but it was lighter now, and I couldn¡¯t remember the last blast of thunder or lightning. The storm must have passed, thankfully.

    Eventually, I made my way around the tree, feeling slowly coming back to my foot. The pain in my back lingered. I needed to feast.

    The size of the Carnitor shocked me. I knew it was big, but standing next to it showed me just how big it really was. There wasn¡¯t a chance I''d fit the thing in my inventory crystal.

    I knelt next to it, in front of its chest, and I got to work. While I needed the heart, that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t eat other pieces from it. Each cut of the knife hurt my back, giving me the impression it was getting worse with the movement, not better.

    As soon as I cut off a layer of scales, I stuffed my mouth with meat from underneath. Cut, swallow, cut, swallow, repeat. The action became routine as I carved deeper and deeper into the carcass for my reward. Was this how all of my major fights would end? Me stuffing my face full of raw meat to heal frantically from my wounds? Did I really care, as long as I won?

    Slowly, whatever was wrong with my back stitched itself back together. The pain disappeared, leaving behind my growling stomach, even with what I had already eaten. My hands shook and I fought to not let myself be taken over with the urge to just eat more and more. The urge to gorge.

    That whispering voice was back. I found myself leaning forward with my mouth open, hovering over the creature, but I straightened my spine. I was not an animal. I would control myself.

    The rain lessened even more as I reached my target. The heart wasn¡¯t as big as I thought it should be. By my estimate, given how big human hearts were relative to our bodies, this sucker should be giant. Yet, once I found it, I could carry it fairly easily in my two hands.

    My mouth watered as I cut it into multiple pieces, then I chewed on the first.

    Flavor burst across my tongue, reminding me of the meal we¡¯d had before we left for the cold sleep chamber. Slightly spicy, with a texture like a steak, but it fell apart as I chewed. I frantically ate a second and third piece, before forcing myself to slow down for the last couple.

    [You have devoured a Great Carnitor and unlocked a potential skill: Great Leap. You are at the cap with ten skills. Do you want to merge Great Leap into Tree Climber?]

    I paused as the notification appeared. Now I knew what happened when I reached ten skills and another came up. Great Leap had to be the skill the Carnitor had used to get out of that crater when I¡¯d mocked it. It¡¯d also tried to use it to catch the shuttle, but the river monster had interrupted it. I wanted this skill, yet I didn''t want to merge it into Tree Climber. Not yet, anyway. I''d rather it combine with Free Runner, the skill I¡¯d unlocked dashing through the forest. I thought about that, and selected no.

    [Do you want to merge Great Leap into Free Runner?]

    This time I quickly selected Yes.

    [Free Runner has improved: Free Runner: You have a minor increase in Quickness, Flexibility, and Constitution running or leaping between obstacles while on the ground. You can focus on leaping farther using built-up energy. Pathways between objects become clearer.]

    One part of the description bothered me, the part about being on the ground. Could I merge in Tree Climber to change that? The option popped up, and I accepted it to merge the two.

    [Free Runner has merged with Tree Climber: You have unlocked Free Spirit: You move through the trees or on the ground with ease, spotting better paths to take and moving faster than normal. You have a minor increase in Quickness, Flexibility, and Constitution when running or leaping. Using built-up energy, you can move or leap faster or farther than normal.]

 Chapter 46: Staying Alive

    My eyes widened, and I licked each of my dirty fingers before cringing as soon as I realized what I was doing. I needed to figure out the built-up energy portion, but it was a great movement skill. My stomach grumbled again, and I leaned back on my knees, looking at the giant creature in front of me. I needed to harvest as much meat as possible, along with anything I thought any of the crafters could use. The teeth would be a big one, each giant and pointed, plus the claws on the feet. The carvers used those for all sorts of things. Potentially the skin, if I cut it in giant pieces. I already had the cat¡¯s fur in my inventory, for hopefully some armor, but this was just so much bigger, and tougher.

    My head snapped upward, trying to guess if the rain would continue. It was my greatest resource at the moment, since it would wash away the scent of the fresh kill from the jungle floor, and there was that other Carnitor to think about. I knew I didn''t stand a chance at one that wasn''t already injured.

    I quickly got to work, first focusing on skinning a large section that wasn¡¯t torn up. From there I¡¯d cut up pieces of meat, then work on the teeth and claws.

    Time moved faster than I would have liked, and I caught myself stuffing cuts of meat in my mouth several times, whenever I stopped focusing on what I was doing. The rain slowly petered off by the time I tossed a roll of the beast¡¯s hide and several giant hunks of meat into my inventory.

    The teeth and claws were quicker, just cutting them out of place with the crystal''s heated tip.

    Weariness slowly weighed down my limbs as the night passed and I moved slower and slower through each tooth. I couldn¡¯t tell what time it was with how dark the clouds were, but I needed to rest, and it couldn¡¯t be here. Too many creatures would be attracted to the kill site. Climbing to my feet was harder than I thought it would be. I studied what was left of the creature in front of me, wishing I could take more. It felt like a waste.

    ¡°I did it,¡± I whispered to myself. Somehow, I had killed something that was 5 whole levels above me. The achievement I had gotten came back to mind, and I wondered what made the dinosaur a ''greater'' creature. I just didn¡¯t understand enough of the system to know what it meant. Was it similar to how Noseen was a Great Blood Devourer? He¡¯d said that was a class evolution¡­ but the Carnitor had only been level 19. I just didn¡¯t know.

    Shaking my head, I turned and walked off into the rain. Once I got a short distance away, I rubbed at my hands and face using the water to try and clean up a little. My hair was soaked, and I tried to loosen whatever stuck in the back of it as I moved through the dark ferns.

    Finally, I just gave up on getting clean and focused on putting one foot in front of the other. The more distance I put behind me, the better, especially as the rain finally stopped. My gaze moved upward more than once. I needed to find a tree to sleep in, and fast. Once daylight came, I could find my way back to the compound, after I¡¯d rested. Eventually, I found myself stumbling in the dark and climbed a random tree, hoping it would be good enough. Even climbing I was slower than normal. By the time I paused at the crook of the tree trunk, and slumped back against the wood, I wasn¡¯t sure I could move without sleep.

    I was beat. More than I had ever been in my life.

    Before I closed my eyes, I snagged out the rope and tied myself in place. Then, before I knew it, I was out.

    I wasn¡¯t sure for how long I slept before my dreams twisted. Somehow, I sat on the log next to the lake in the colony. Sunlight glistened over the water, and a light breeze blew in my face. I was dry, warm and felt safe for the moment.

    ¡°That was dumb, you know,¡± buzzed something by my ear.

    I didn¡¯t see anything when I turned my head.

    ¡°You are too squishy for big creatures like that.¡±

    ¡°Noseen?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Who else?¡± They buzzed for a moment, and it almost sounded like a huff. ¡°The Devourers who become great think first. You must always think!¡± Air puffed at my face.

    I blinked a few times and slowly nodded. ¡°I knew I could take it.¡±You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    The buzzing cut off. ¡°Did you know, or did you just want to eat it?¡± I felt the stare.

    ¡°I knew,¡± I stated with conviction. ¡°It felt like prey. I sensed it.¡±

    ¡°Prey sense already is good¡­ good¡­¡± The buzzing trailed off.

    I glanced around the area, not seeing anyone else. In the distance, things turned fuzzy. ¡°How am I speaking to you?¡±

    ¡°Well, someone needs to look out for you. Smart, but still squishy.¡±

    I chuckled. ¡°I think I¡¯m doing okay, for the moment.¡±

    Noseen huffed again. ¡°Think again.¡±

    Something pinched my ear and I snapped awake.

    Darkness greeted me and the jungle around me was silent, too silent. Something stalked in the shadows, and I didn¡¯t move. All I focused on was remaining hidden, and stealthy. My breathing slowed, along with my heartbeat.

    [Skill Upgraded: Stealthy Camouflage. When not moving, you can blend into your surroundings muting sound, smell, and sight. You remain unseen at first glance while moving, especially in the shadows. Your footsteps are silent, moving instinctively. Your skin can blend into your surroundings making it harder for you to be spotted. This is especially effective at night. You can also hide your level and aura.]

    The notification popped up, but I ignored it. For my stealth to increase, something hunted nearby. Since I couldn¡¯t sense it as prey, it must be a predator. Eat, or be eaten. I stayed hidden until the noises of the jungle started to come back. First, it was the bugs, then small bats flying through the air chasing them.

    Light in the east slowly increased, chasing away the shadows. My body ached holding so still, but I didn¡¯t relax until I could see enough around me to feel safer. The weariness from before was gone. My stomach grumbled, and I untied myself from the tree. The knots were much looser than I remembered tying them, and I realized just how tired I must have gotten. I wasn''t sure why, but it was something I¡¯d have to be careful of in the future.

    I ate a quick breakfast of yummy raw meat and downed some water. The tree I was in wasn''t tall enough to climb to see if I could spot the tall tree through the canopy. Before I climbed down, I glanced around to spot a better one. It didn¡¯t take long to find what I was looking for and get to the ground. Thinking back to my new skill, I decided to try it out and see how high I could jump.

    I crouched down, focusing on trying to jump as high as I could. Tension built in my legs, then I jumped up, releasing that force. I launched myself upward about fifteen feet, then scrambled to grab onto a branch before I fell back toward the ground.

    ¡°That was cool.¡±

    I needed to test it more, but first I finished climbing the tree. Crossing through the canopy was easy enough and I spotted my target, getting my bearings. Still, I paused, resisting the urge to chuckle.

    Here I was, back in the jungle, needing to get to the compound. Talk about full circle.

    At least this time John and the shuttle should already be there, and it wasn¡¯t like they could leave during the day. Not with that flier around. Getting back there would take all day, but if I hurried, I might make it before dark. Right now, my current location was more to the west than my first trip, because of the detour toward the river.

    A horrible thought entered my head as I stared at the tree in the distance. John had better be there. If he wasn¡¯t, I was gonna lose it.

    ***

    For some reason, I thought getting back to the compound would be much easier than the first time. I¡¯d gained levels, learned better stealth and movement skills, and overall felt more comfortable in the jungle and in my survival abilities.

    Late afternoon approached as I spotted the tall tree in the distance, knowing just how wrong I¡¯d been. Dirt covered my cloak again, and my pants had more blood on them. I¡¯d lost count of the number of Compys and Microraptors I¡¯d killed. None of them had even been over my level, and I didn¡¯t understand why they kept attacking me. Maybe I smelled good. Not to mention the testing I¡¯d done on the jumping. It used energy much like a fight and I needed to eat afterward. The need for eating was the biggest weakness I had.

    The highest level creature that had attacked had been level 13, and even then the experience felt weak. The only good thing was the additional stat points I had gotten from eating the hearts. Quickness leveled up by two points, and Flexibility by three.

    I had plenty of feathers in my inventory at this point, and hoped they could be used for something. While I focused on the tall tree in the distance, I didn¡¯t let my concentration on the jungle surrounding me slip. I¡¯d learned that lesson earlier in the day from the freaking Microraptors.

    Someone kept watch up in the tree and I noticed the glint of sunlight off binoculars, but they weren¡¯t looking at me. Instead, they pointed toward the north and the area where the flier made its nest.

    A shadow twisted overhead and I ducked under a fern, making sure my cloak was pulled tight around me. It was gone before I figured out what it was. Still, I waited a few moments before continuing. The tree line ended as I reached the area around the base of the tall tree. It had recently been cleared again, and I noticed the improvements to the path of smaller crystals. The crater had been filled in, and new grounded stones lined the edges.

    Hawk, Jimmy, and Doc had gotten to work soon after I had left. Though, at this point I wasn¡¯t sure how many days had gone by. It all blurred inside my head.

    I stepped out into the clearing but didn¡¯t hear anything from above. From inside the fence, I heard loud talking. Very loud.

 Chapter 47: John - At the Compound

    I had already gotten close to punching Hawk this morning, and right now I had to fight to hold back yet again. It was easier when I reminded myself he could punch me back, and it would hurt given his level and stats. Alex was worth it.

    Somehow, I had landed during the storm after flying up the river and spotting the Carnitor. A fight broke out between it and a river monster. I hadn¡¯t spotted Alex, which worried me.

    Still, I had faith she knew what she was doing.

    Hawk didn¡¯t.

    ¡°We need to get Denver to a doctor tonight. We can leave the fence unlocked. If Alex shows up, she can crash here.¡± He stood behind me out in the open. "We will be back tomorrow after dropping Denver off. We can leave a note."

    The last time I¡¯d left a note, Alex had needed to come rescue me, but that wasn''t the problem. I twisted about the open ramp and tried not to shout, but failed. ¡°I¡¯m not leaving until Alex shows up.¡± I kept my voice firm, almost sounding like Dad.

    ¡°That kid¡­¡±

    ¡°That kid made it through the jungle with a crystal on a sled, alone.¡± I stepped closer to Hawk. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t even help her!¡± I pointed my finger at his chest, careful to keep the crystal in my other hand loose. I didn¡¯t need to slice my hand open for stupid reasons.

    ¡°We already talked about this. We are down two guys, one of whom might die if we don¡¯t get him help.¡± Hawk shook his head and turned back toward the dropship. "Hellion''s freakin¡¯ kids¡­"

    I headed back up the ramp and grabbed the tool I had been looking for, before heading back down the ramp and toward the stubby right wing of the shuttle. My ladder stood under the wing, and the edges now had areas covered in solid crystal. They glittered in the sunlight.

    Alex had given me the idea, and I¡¯d run with it, especially after seeing the flier that kept passing overhead. We couldn¡¯t leave until nightfall with it so close to the compound, and I prayed Alex would be here by then. I didn¡¯t want to fight with Hawk, plus Denver did look like shit. He needed a real doctor, soon. The medical supplies on the shuttle didn''t include the antibiotics he needed, and Doc was past the end of his field medicine. The mines were the closest place that could help; they at least had antibiotics last time I¡¯d checked.

    I climbed back up the ladder and placed the crystal in the next gap, covering the tip of the wing. Using one of my skills, the crystal became malleable and I hammered it into place, connecting it with the others. I needed to keep faith ¨C Alex would appear.

    ***

    I kept the dropship between me and the shuttle, listening to the conversation taking place. I understood both sides of the argument. Hawk was worried Denver would die while waiting for me to show up, John was worried about me. Thankfully, waiting for me wouldn¡¯t be a problem anymore, though I needed to use a shower.

    I waved at Hawk as he stomped toward the stool sitting next to the dropship door. The large protective crystal was still ensconced near him, protecting the area.

    ¡°Look what the cat dragged in,¡± he muttered, holding out a hand.

    I shook it. ¡°Less cat and more Carnitor.¡±

    His eyes went wide as he studied me, and I could tell he tried to see my level. I ignored the itchy feeling. ¡°You¡¯ve gained some levels.¡± His lips tightened into a thin line, then the look vanished. ¡°Your brother will be happy to see you.¡± The sound of something being hammered came from that direction. ¡°Yo, John, you got a visitor!¡±

    I¡¯d almost caught up to him in levels and I wondered if I was now faster than him.

    The pounding stopped and something hit the ground. John raced around the edge of the dropship into view. ¡°Alex! Took you long enough!¡± He yanked me into a hug and then pulled away. I ignored the fact that he still felt like prey. ¡°You reek.¡±

    ¡°Well, fighting will do that to you.¡±

    ¡°What the heck, man? You gained another couple of levels!¡± John sounded shocked.

    ¡°I told you I¡¯d deal with the dino, though I¡¯m glad to see you made it. The lights over the river helped.¡±

    Hawk watched this with narrowed eyes. ¡°Are you telling me you took down a Carnitor by yourself?¡±

    I pulled a claw out of my inventory using both my hands and dropped it to the dirt. Both guys stepped closer. ¡°It was pretty beat up by the time I took it on. A river monster had taken a chunk out of it, and I struck while it was trying to recover.¡± I didn¡¯t want them to get the wrong impression. Especially Hawk. I could see him wanting to send me after that flier nearby. I wasn¡¯t going to do that on my own. With back up though? Yes, please. I wondered how it tasted.

    ¡°Still¡­¡± Hawk touched the claw with a look of wonder. His eyes snapped up. ¡°What else did you take?¡±

    I leaned down and yanked the claw back into my inventory. ¡°I got the skin, teeth, and claws, plus some meat.¡±

    Hawk glanced at John, who still looked shocked. ¡°I take it we¡¯re leaving tonight?¡±

    John quickly nodded. ¡°Yeah, we can move Denver to the mines.¡±

    ¡°Then I have some time to work on some armor for you¡­¡± He went back to studying me. ¡°You''re a fighter, and you deserve to look like one. Plus, what you¡¯re wearing is almost as useful as a good loincloth.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯d appreciate it.¡± I pulled out the Carnitor skin and Hawk eagerly took it before heading inside the dropship, muttering to himself something that sounded like Hellion.

    ¡°That¡¯s one way to deal with him,¡± muttered John.

    ¡°Hmm?¡±

    ¡°Nothing. You need to clean up, and then I could use your help.¡± He started heading toward the shuttle. ¡°You gave me a great idea for some additional protection on this thing.¡±

    I quickly followed him around the corner, and then spotted what he was talking about. The wing on this side of the shuttle almost glowed in the sunlight. ¡°What did you do?¡±

    ¡°Covered it with crystal shards. I have enough wire to connect them to the current wiring, which leads to the dashboard, where I can then infuse them with power.¡± He started talking faster. "It means I''ll need to concentrate more when flying, but we will have two weapons, one on either wing, if we¡¯re attacked."

    ¡°So you can cut into a flier¡­¡± I added, thinking about the uses.

    ¡°That¡¯s the goal. I just need to finish the other wingtip." He motioned in the other direction. "Eventually, I''ll want to add strips to the roof as well, so if they try to slash at it, it will hurt.¡±

    ¡°This is thinking out of the box.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

    ¡°I can¡¯t let you show me up, I¡¯m older," he said with a smirk.

    I chuckled. ¡°Do you know if there¡¯s a shower here, or something?¡±

    ¡°No showers, but you can use the jug of water you gave me. There should be one more shirt..." He looked at my pants with a frown. "Though those pants need to be cleaned. And replaced.¡±

    I narrowed my eyes at the no shower comment. Hawk had offered me a shower last time I was here, and I needed to cash in. ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t want to end up at the mines looking like shit.¡±

    John shrugged. ¡°I just don¡¯t want to smell you all the way there.¡±

    I¡¯d have tossed something at him if I could. Instead, I headed up the ramp and toward the open cargo containers. It didn¡¯t take long for me to find a shirt and then head into the dropship to find Hawk.

    He sat at the table with the skin of the Carnitor out in front of him, along with several tools.

    ¡°You mentioned a shower last time, can I get one of those?¡±

    Hawk nodded and pointed toward the open doorway. ¡°It¡¯s the room next to the bunk room. You can¡¯t miss it. Try not to take too long, the heat comes from black containers on the roof, so once the water¡¯s gone, it¡¯s gone.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate it,¡± I said with a thumbs up as I headed down the hall. Cleaning in the rain had helped a little, but an actual shower would be amazing. I found the room just like he said. The large shower room had several stalls, but only one that looked like it could be used. I closed the door behind me and quickly stripped. I spotted some kind of body wash and turned the water on. From there it was the quickest scrub with soap possible, then I snagged my pants and shirt and soaping them up as well. I ignored the dark water going down the drain. Once the dirt was cleaned, I stood under the hot water just letting it fall on my shoulders and rinsed out my clothes before tossing them on a nearby hook.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the water to just stop. I turned the handle off and used a folded towel to dry off as best I could before putting on the clean shirt and the pair of pants that was way too big. I rolled up the legs before stuffing them in my boots. My belt kept them up, but it was uncomfortable.

    I rang out the decently cleaned wet clothes and stuffed them into my inventory. Then I stopped in front of the mirror in the bathroom. I almost didn¡¯t recognize myself. I¡¯d grown taller by at least an inch, and my shoulders were broader. My arms now showed off well-defined muscles. Something about my eyes was different as well. The dark brown almost glowed in the limited light.

    My wet hair hung limply and I brushed my fingers through it as best as I could before I headed back to the common room.

    Hawk still sat at the table, but several frames now stretched large pieces of leather out on one wall.

    ¡°I have a few things to hang up outside to dry, but I snagged some eggs from a nest on my way here. I bet I could cook those over the fire for an afternoon snack before we leave.¡± I wanted to make sure my stomach was full before getting into the shuttle with everyone else.

    Hawks eyes grew wide and he smiled. ¡°That¡¯d be awesome. I don¡¯t think any of us have had eggs in a long time.¡±

    I nodded and headed back outside. The bright sunlight hit me hard and I took a moment to breathe before walking toward the shuttle. I tossed the damp clothing over the far wing that John wasn¡¯t working on before pulling out the cloak. I brushed off as much dirt as possible before tossing it into the inventory crystal.

    I took a moment to glance over my stat sheet to figure out what I wanted to do with the free stat points I¡¯d gathered. That¡¯s when I noticed my skills showed 9/10 which included the potential skill Claw Strike. Up until now, I hadn''t thought about whether I wanted to ignore it or what. I knew now what would happen if I got a skill and didn¡¯t have a slot for it. When I¡¯d accepted the Venomous Bite, I''d grown glands to produce a poison in my saliva. Honestly, I had no idea if it worked, but I assumed it did something. The only time I¡¯d intentionally used it was on the cat, and it might have slowed it down while chasing me, or that might have been the deep wound in its shoulder. I really had no way of knowing.

    Claw Strike worried me more. My monstrosity level sat at 1%. If I accepted this skill, I had a feeling it would increase, and I didn''t know what that meant. Noseen hadn''t known either, commenting that it must be a human thing. I hesitated, then went for it. I could always replace it with something else.

    As soon as I accepted the potential skill, pain started in my left fingertips, then slowly crawled up my left arm to my elbow. I yanked my sleeve up, shaking. The color of my skin flickered between its normal color and dark green stripes. My knuckles burned and I tightened my fist. Four thick white claws shot out of my knuckles, each about 4 inches in length. I relaxed my fist and the claws sunk back in.

    Small white markings looking like scars remained on my knuckles, the only things showing where the claws had been. I touched one with a finger, and it felt hard. I tightened my fist again and realized it was the very tips of the claws, resting on the outside. I let them retract again and checked my stat sheet. Monstrosity had increased to 4%, though I didn''t feel any different. I let out a sigh and studied the rest of my skills.

    The only ones I hadn¡¯t improved at this point were Insight, Crystal Attunement, and Blades and Polearms. Everything else I¡¯d slowly gained insight on or upgraded. Maybe those would be areas to focus on for the next bit. I¡¯d try to upgrade those skills, since they all seemed useful.

    I had 12 free stat points, but I didn¡¯t feel like I should add them to anything in particular until I felt more comfortable with the new skills I¡¯d unlocked. Overall, my stat sheet had shown amazing growth since I¡¯d killed the cat.

    Name: Alex

    Level: 16

    Race: Human

    Traits: Survivability, Adaptation, Hangry

    Class: Devourer

    Stats:

    STR: 43(47)

    QUICK*: 60(66)

    FLEX: 50(57)

    TOUGH: 44(48)

    INT: 41(45)

    FORT: 41(45)

    WILL: 41(45)

    CHA: 36(40)

    FREE:12

    Monstrosity: 4%

    Titles & Achievements:

    Jack-of-all-Trades

    Lucky Stars

    Badass

    Skill: 9/10

    Improved Body

    Crystal Attunement

    Insight

    Heightened Senses

    Stealthy Camouflage

    Blades and Polearms

    Free Spirit

    Venomous Bite

    Claw Strike

    Skills Categories: +

    Once I finished cleaning up and checking out my stats, I headed back inside to cook up some eggs.

    While I¡¯d been out, Doc had joined Hawk at the bench, while Denver still napped on the cot. A frying pan sat on the edge of the table near Doc, along with something that looked like salt. Doc¡¯s head snapped up as I entered.

    ¡°I heard you have eggs,¡± he said. ¡°Mysterious provider of booze and protein.¡±

    I chuckled at the comment and pulled the three large eggs out of my inventory and set them on the table. Doc moved fast, quickly cracking them into the pan, and stirring them up with the salt. He then headed over to the fire before I could say anything.

    Hawk smirked. ¡°Doc is a big believer in food.¡±

    ¡°Can he cook?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I can make eggs.¡±

    ¡°John¡¯s the one with access to the rest of the booze,¡± I added to be clear.

    Doc shrugged his shoulders, keeping next to the fire. ¡°Better call him in here if he wants any. This won¡¯t take long.¡± The utensil moved rapidly in the pan as he scrambled them.

    I quickly poked my head out the door. ¡°Yo, John, we have some eggs.¡±

    ¡°Coming!¡±

    I took a seat and it didn¡¯t take long for John to join Hawk and I.

    ¡°Where did the eggs come from?¡± he asked.

    ¡°I found them.¡±

    He studied my wet hair but didn¡¯t say anything.

    Instead, we all remained patient while Doc cooked, then served us some scrambled eggs in a bowl. ¡°They¡¯d be better with butter or milk, but they¡¯re still eggs,¡± he grumbled.

    [You have devoured an Egg and gained major insight into Improved Body.]

    Okay, eggs were something I should track down more often in the jungle. Two asterisks next to Improved Body meant one more and I¡¯d get an increase in the skill. It took only a few minutes for all of us to finish up, then John pushed away from the table.

    ¡°I need to get back to work if I want to finish before we leave.¡± He headed back outside and I quickly followed him.

    It didn¡¯t take long before John climbed up his ladder and began hammering another piece of crystal into place.

    ¡°How are you doing that?¡± I asked from below, trying to get a better look.

    ¡°I made it malleable instead of brittle. It¡¯s a pretty rare skill, though you can work with crystals as well, so maybe you can learn it, too.¡± John climbed up onto the wing and motioned me up the ladder.

    I quickly climbed up.

    The crystal looked strange, like part of it was clay when the half he hadn¡¯t been working on was still sharp and flat like a rock.

 Chapter 48: Singing the Crystal

    ¡°What happens when you learn a skill and already have 10 skills?¡± I asked, seeing if John knew.

    ¡°You need to decide what skill you want to keep, and which you want to lose. Sometimes there is also the potential to merge skills together, though you want to really think about that before you do so. Sometimes both skills change in ways you don¡¯t think they will.¡± John smirked. ¡°Once you unlock a profession, skill management is even harder. You need to balance skills for your class, your profession, and general combat or utility skills. Though, I do have more skills for Engineering than for Piloting.¡±

    ¡°Is that why some folks only focus on their class?¡±

    John nodded. ¡°Yeah, like the hunters usually maintain 7 skills for class and only 3 for profession.¡±

    This was something I¡¯d need to think about, since I had already used 9 skill slots.

    "Any other questions before I try to teach you something cool?¡± John¡¯s question came out jokingly. ¡°You have Crystal Attunement, since you can use them, so this might upgrade that.¡±

    Now that grabbed my attention. I had just been thinking about how to upgrade that skill.

    ¡°Watch what I¡¯m doing,¡± he said, lifting his hand closer to the crystal. ¡°My focus is on making it softer, more malleable, but not a liquid. I want the particles to loosen.¡±

    The crystal glowed and I could feel something from John, though I didn¡¯t know what. He then slammed down on the crystal with the hammer, and it flattened that area.

    ¡°How come it isn¡¯t like clay?¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t get it that flexible. Believe me, I¡¯ve tried. Instead, it''s like I¡¯m heating up metal in a forge.¡± He grunted as he hit it again. ¡°I¡¯d love to make it like clay. Sang can do that sometimes.¡±

    Sang was the Crystal Singer in the Mines. She was the only one who had figured out how to unlock the super rare class.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going to get that class at this point,¡± I muttered.

    John shrugged. ¡°You have a class that''s working for you, that''s all that matters.¡± He hammered on the crystal one more time. ¡°What is your class anyway? Something with fighting¡­¡±

    I froze at the question, and then glanced around. No one else was nearby. John caught my look and leaned closer. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    It was time, and I wanted someone else to know. Part of me wanted to brag, the other didn¡¯t like keeping secrets. Both parts agreed that I needed to say something, and that was rare.

    ¡°This is for family ears only,¡± I whispered, staring at John. ¡°My class is Devourer. It''s a legendary class.¡±

    John¡¯s look grew confused at my comment. ¡°Devourer, legendary? What does that even mean?¡±

    ¡°I kill things, and eat them¡­¡± I blushed at the comment, scratching at the back of my neck.

    John broke out laughing. ¡°Oh, that¡¯s a good one. Goes right up there with how you are always hungry.¡± His laughter fell off as he watched my face. His eyes narrowed. ¡°You''re not joking¡­¡±

    ¡°Nope.¡±

    ¡°Weird.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re telling me?¡± I said with a chuckle.

    He shrugged. ¡°Yeah, I can see why you¡¯d want to keep that to yourself. You kill and eat things? That¡¯s just a little strange.¡± He kept quiet for a couple of moments, staring at me. ¡°Are you still always hungry?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, after every fight I need to eat. And¡­ well, the system keeps giving me hints that I should keep my class a secret. That¡¯s why I want it to stay within the family.¡±

    John nodded slowly. ¡°Very weird. Well, no worries, I won¡¯t tell anyone outside the family, and you know we can keep a secret.¡± He opened his mouth, then shut it again before shaking his head. He motioned back to the crystal. ¡°Do you want to try?¡±

    ¡°Sure.¡± He handed over the hammer and I turned my focus to the crystal. I focused on it like I was trying to heat the tip up. It slowly began to glow, and John shook his head.

    ¡°Don¡¯t superheat it like that, just make it flexible.¡±

    I tried to switch the focus of my thought from making it glow brighter to making it softer. At first, nothing happened, then, slowly, I could feel it respond. Quickly, I hit it with the hammer and it flattened a bit.

    [Skill Upgraded: Crystal Attunement: You resonate with power crystals. You have the ability to superheat the crystal point to cut through almost anything. In addition, you can marginally bend, shape, and adjust crystals.]

    I hit the crystal again, and it moved, but the energy seemed to flee.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    ¡°Woah, don¡¯t shatter it!¡± John moved to grab the hammer. ¡°Keeping the skill up takes practice.¡±

    I nodded and focused back on the crystal. ¡°My skill upgraded¡­¡± I felt that energy sink into the crystal again and quickly swung the hammer. It moved, but barely. John¡¯s strikes had done more. I got in two more swings before it hardened again.

    ¡°How about you go grab a few more shards, and I can finish this one?¡± John reached for the hammer and I gave it up. ¡°We only need two more, and I¡¯ll call that good enough.¡± He looked toward the mountains and the sun touching them. "I want to get out of here as soon as possible, get that guy some help."

    Soon, twilight would be upon us and we could leave. It would be good to get Denver the help he needed.

    I handed over the hammer and went down the ladder. My stomach growled when I hit the ground. I headed inside the shuttle and toward the open cargo boxes. Once out of sight, I snagged a few pieces of Carnitor meat and quickly downed them. It only took two small pieces before my stomach calmed down, yet I ate a few more anyway. If we''d be leaving soon, I wanted to be full beforehand. I didn¡¯t want to be eating raw meat in the full shuttle.

    The crystals were laid out near the other cargo container on what looked to be a blanket. Hammering echoed through the ship as John got back to work. I crouched down and picked up one of the shards. It sliced into my finger, drawing blood. I whistled at the flash of pain.

    The shard glowed at the sound, and I almost dropped it.

    I whistled again, this time louder, and all of the shards glowed. A slight humming flashed through my head.

    [Profession Available: Crystal Singer. You can find, shape and unlock various abilities within crystals.]

    What the fuck? Crystal Singer was a class, not a profession. Right?

    I didn¡¯t close the notification as I grabbed the second crystal and headed back to talk to John. It took a few seconds to climb up the ladder and join him, just as he finished hammering the crystal in place.

    ¡°I just got offered Crystal Singer as a profession¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t stop the words as they tumbled out of my mouth.

    John froze for a moment, and I could almost feel the wheels turning in his head. His lips narrowed into a thin line before he shook his head. ¡°Sang lied,¡± he growled. He slammed both his hands down on the wing and his shoulders shook. ¡°We didn¡¯t even have anyone try to unlock it as a profession, since she said it was a class¡­¡± He let out a harsh breath. ¡°Fucking politics.¡± He held a hand out toward me for the crystals. ¡°Did you take it?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m thinking about it. I know Dad thought it would be a great option.¡±

    ¡°It is. We need someone at the colony with it, but it''s not like we could force her to leave the mines." He shook his head yet again before steadying. "I just can¡¯t believe she lied.¡±

    "She might have her own reasons. It''s not like everyone loves Alexander." Hawk and Greg had made that clear enough. I shrugged, not caring. ¡°I mean, it works in my favor. I don¡¯t want to share what my class is. I can use this instead.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, but you can only have so many skills, and right now you only have one related to crystals. You¡¯ll need more.¡±

    ¡°I can see what happens after I accept. Can I change my profession after the fact?¡±

    ¡°You can¡­¡± John let out another deep breath and started on the next crystal. ¡°I want to finish before we leave, which should be soon. Can you start packing up the cargo boxes in the ship?¡±

    I nodded and hurried down the ladder. I waited until I was on the ground before accepting the Profession.

    [You have accepted the Profession: Crystal Singer. A resource specific class using crystals found across the universe. What will you create? +1 to Int and Wis Stat Points per Level]

    [Skill Unlocked: Crystal Singing. You can find crystals by singing or whistling.]

    [Skill Merge Available. Merge Crystal Singing and Crystal Attunement?]

    I quickly agreed.

    [Skill Upgrade: Crystal Singing and Attunement: By singing you can find and resonate with power crystals. You have the ability to superheat a crystal point to cut through almost anything. In addition, you can marginally bend, shape, and adjust crystals.]

    The skill hadn¡¯t changed by much, though now I could potentially find crystals. That was only marginally useful while out in the jungle, but it would be nice while in the mines.

    Maybe I could fix the crystal tip on my knife.

    I headed first over to where my clothes were drying. They were still slightly damp, but I tossed them into my inventory anyway. Next, I headed inside the shuttle and put away various tools into the cargo crates. Moving the full crates into place was easy, along with strapping them down. I made sure that each of the straps was nice and tight.

    It suddenly hit me how far I¡¯d come since we¡¯d left the colony. I couldn¡¯t have shifted one of these crates before, now I could move them fairly easily. For a second, I stared at my hands.

    ¡°Finally, I can get out of here,¡± said Doc.

    I turned to face the man as he stepped onto the ramp. ¡°You guys gonna be moving Denver?¡±

    He nodded and glanced around. ¡°Hawk¡¯s talking to Jimmy to see if he¡¯s gonna come, or watch the fort until he¡¯s back.¡±

    ¡°Who all¡¯s leaving?¡± I asked. For some reason, I hadn¡¯t thought Doc was serious about heading to the mines.

    ¡°Me and Denver, for sure.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re only staying if I can find someone to take your place,¡± said Hawk as he approached as well. He carried the man who had been on a cot into the shuttle. ¡°Doc, go grab that cot so I can strap him down in the back."

    Doc rushed out of the shuttle and back toward the dropship. Hawk held Denver like he weighed nothing at all.

    ¡°I¡¯m not coming back here, I¡¯m telling you," said Doc as he carried the simple cot into the back of the shuttle. He set it near the left cargo crate.

    Hawk chuckled. ¡°The miners aren¡¯t gonna want a drunk there, either.¡±

    Doc mumbled something to himself and Hawk placed Denver back on the cot. They both worked together to strap the cot into place on the side wall. Hawk and Doc both strapped bags under the cot.

    ¡°This is going to be a tight fit,¡± I said.

    Hawk chuckled louder. ¡°Yeah, cause Jimmy¡¯s coming as well. He didn¡¯t want to stay behind on his own. We¡¯ll have to hope the fence keeps the place safe while we''re gone for the day.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m staying longer than a single day,¡± argued Doc. Hawk just rolled his eyes and moved away from Denver toward the front of the shuttle.

    The pounding on the wing stopped, and a few moments later John appeared holding the ladder. ¡°Good, is everyone ready to go?¡±

    Hawk nodded. ¡°As best as we can.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t forget me!¡± Racing across the fenced-in area was Jimmy. He waved his hand, drawing everyone''s attention as he rushed towards us.

 Chapter 49: Dangerous Shadows

    Dread filled me as a dark shadow followed him across the ground.

    ¡°Oh, fuck!¡± I yelled.

    Giant talons swung down from the sky, latching onto Jimmy¡¯s shoulders as the flier screeched in triumph.

    Hawk moved, an arrow flying into the air as soon as he could see the thing, followed quickly by a second. I wished yet again that I had a ranged attack.

    The flier screamed as the first arrow hit, and it dropped Jimmy from several feet up. The man slammed into the ground with a sickening crunch.

    John tossed the ladder into its compartment and raced toward the front of the ship. Doc whimpered and huddled in a corner.

    I yanked out my broken spear and peeked out from under the shuttle, spotting the flier.

    [Pterosaur, Level 15]

    Jimmy moaned and the shadow circled around again.

    Hawk fired a few more arrows, swearing.

    Without thinking too much about what I was doing, I raced out toward Jimmy. The Pterosaur screeched loudly at the sight of me, but I kept moving toward Jimmy. He crawled forward, dragging one leg behind him. I slid an arm under his and yanked him up. ¡°We got this, Jimmy!¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t leave me. Please don¡¯t leave me!¡± he mumbled. He shook with every step, but moved faster than I thought he would with a badly broken leg. Twenty feet to go.

    Hawk kept up his firing, then he screamed, ¡°Down!¡±

    I dove to the ground, taking Jimmy with me. Dust rose up as the beast flew overhead, claws missing us by mere inches. My heart pounded. As soon as it flew past, I scrambled up, grabbing onto Jimmy and dragging him up with me again.

    ¡°We gotta keep moving!¡± We limped forward, then were under the shuttle and on the ramp.

    Hawk grabbed Jimmy¡¯s other arm and helped me lift him to one of the seats.

    ¡°Close the ramp!¡±

    John did something and the ramp began to close behind us. It didn¡¯t take long before Jimmy was seated, though he was crying and clearly in pain and shock. Doc hadn¡¯t moved from hiding next to one of the cargo containers.

    I sat in the chair on the left side of the shuttle. Hawk paced back and forth, while John peered out the front window.

    ¡°Once it¡¯s gone for the night, we¡¯ll head out.¡±

    ¡°This isn¡¯t the same one as before, it¡¯s only level 15,¡± I added. ¡°I swear it was smaller than that other one too.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± said Hawk. ¡°We don¡¯t need a territorial fight on our hands.¡±

    ¡°Or worse, a new flock moving in,¡± added John. ¡°At least we know they roost at night. We just gotta be patient.¡±

    ¡°Doc, get over here and check out Jimmy¡¯s leg,¡± growled Hawk. ¡°I think you need to set it.¡±

    Doc didn¡¯t move, just shook in the corner.

    Hawk marched off toward him, mumbling under his breath before yanking the man up by his shirt. ¡°You need to help Jimmy!¡± That got him moving, and I turned to my brother as Doc moved to check on Jimmy¡¯s leg.

    ¡°Well, you might get to see if your weapons work,¡± I said to John.

    ¡°I¡¯d rather not test them in combat.¡±

    ¡°Speaking of combat, do you think you can fix this?¡± I asked, holding out my spear. Well, it was really a long knife at this point, with half the shaft missing.

    John took it in one hand, examining the metal. ¡°By any chance do you have the rest of it?¡± I shook my head and he frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t even know how you did this¡­¡± he mumbled before speaking louder. ¡°Without more metal, I can¡¯t put it back to the way it was.¡±

    My eyes lit up and I pulled out the metal that had melted and fallen from the sky. ¡°I think this is the same stuff¡­¡±

    John took it in his other hand, jaw-dropping. He shook his head twice and shoved the spear back at me. His focus shifted completely to the metal blob. ¡°This is¡­ where did you find this?¡± he asked in a whisper.

    ¡°Meteor crater,¡± I said leaning forward. ¡°Pretty sure that storm was the spine, or part of it, crashing and burning.¡±

    He blinked, then slowly nodded. ¡°Well, this is the same stuff¡­ Can I keep the extra? If you find any more of it, I call first dibs.¡± He yanked the spear back from me and got to work. First, he made the metal malleable just like he had with the crystal, except this was softer. He broke a piece off then started fixing the collapsable shaft. It didn¡¯t take much time for him to fix the first section. ¡°I need to rest for five, but I''ll get it done.¡±

    I turned away from the front of the ship and found Jimmy passed out in his seat, with his leg braced with a piece of wood. Doc and Hawk were in the cargo hold, and I joined them.

    ¡°Will his leg heal?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Yes,¡± answered Hawk. ¡°He needs rest and food.¡± He pointed to the hatch on the ceiling. ¡°I¡¯m going to peek out the top and see if that thing¡¯s hanging around.¡±

    I moved over to the compartment where John had stashed his ladder and pulled it out. ¡°Better you than me.¡±Love this story? Find the genuine version on the author''s preferred platform and support their work!

    He nodded sharply then climbed the few steps before unlocking the hatch. The three of us paused at the sound, waiting to hear if something came to check it out. Then he raised the hatch only a few inches and peeked out the crack.

    My heart pounded as he twisted about, looking in the three directions that he could see before he lowered it.

    ¡°Nothing so far, but that doesn¡¯t mean it isn¡¯t still around.¡±

    ¡°What about that nest?¡± I asked.

    ¡°That fucker is around Level 18, and I have the impression it''s gonna lay eggs soon.¡±

    Doc turned to look at Hawk. ¡°Eggs? You didn¡¯t mention eggs after scouting it.¡±

    ¡°Why else would it build a nest?¡±

    ¡°So, wait,¡± I said, holding up a hand. ¡°Is this other one here to do its mating duty? Is that what¡¯s happening?¡±

    ¡°Possible.¡± He frowned and climbed down the ladder after locking the hatch. ¡°I¡¯d hoped to take out the one with the nest, but I¡¯ll need more fighters. Even with trapping it, I¡¯d need 5 people.¡± He rubbed the back of his head. ¡°I hope to recruit a few folks from the mines who want to level.¡±

    John joined us. He held the spear out to me. ¡°I can¡¯t do anything about the tip, since it¡¯s a weapon.¡±

    I took the spear and glanced at the chipped head. ¡°I¡¯ll try and fix it. Can I snag one of those crystal shards?¡±

    He nodded and motioned to the crate they were in.

    I headed in that direction while Hawk paced back and forth. Doc shook his head and checked on Denver.

    It didn¡¯t take long before I sat down on the shuttle floor with the knife in one hand and a crystal shard in the other. Now, I needed to figure out how the skill worked. I focused on the energy that I used to make the tip glow, and instead I tried to connect the two crystals together. Melt them into one. Of course, it was harder than that, since the spear tip was still attached and I didn¡¯t want to mess with that.

    I don¡¯t know how long I sat there until I felt it. The two become one crystal. A smile crossed my face and I lifted it up, using the handle. The second tip had merged with the first, overlaying on it.

    ¡°That looks unusable,¡± said Doc.

    I glared at him. ¡°I just need to shape it back into a speartip,¡± I muttered. Anger at his doubt rushed through me, giving me the boost I needed. A giant part of the attached shard came free and I set it on the floor. Now I had to focus on repeating that until it was back to its normal shape. I got to work.

    #

    ¡°Hawk, can you scout things out?¡± asked John.

    The words snapped me out of my focus and I realized the cargo hold had darkened. My spear tip looked good, or at least good enough. The weight had increased a little, but I didn¡¯t dare chip anything else off of it. Once we arrived at the mines, I¡¯d search out Sang and see what she could do. It didn¡¯t take long to clean up the crystal bits.

    ¡°Yeah.¡± Hawk climbed up the ladder and peeked out. Very quickly he shut it. ¡°Shit!¡±

    John froze. ¡°What?¡±

    ¡°It''s still there, sitting on the dropship. I think it¨C¡±

    Something heavy landed on the top of the shuttle. "Saw me..." Hawk quickly twisted the hatch shut and climbed down the ladder.

    Everyone stared at the ceiling.

    ¡°We can¡¯t just sit here,¡± whispered Doc.

    ¡°Its claws might mess up the shuttle.¡± John''s face twisted to one of concern. ¡°It has to know we¡¯re still in here.¡±

    Hawk let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s only level 15, we should be able to take it out. It¡¯s getting dark.¡±

    Something poked at the hatch, denting the very center.

    ¡°Alright, we need to get rid of this flier,¡± growled John. ¡°I just fixed this damn ship.¡± He rushed to the pilot¡¯s chair.

    ¡°Hawk, what if you race to the dropship, get it off us, then once we power up you snipe it from there? You already hit it twice,¡± I added.

    ¡°We can try that.¡±

    ¡°I could run back and distract it,¡± said Doc. Everyone turned to look at him in surprise. ¡°Hawk can fire from the hatch.¡±

    ¡°Doc.¡±

    ¡°And you can give me one of those bottles of booze I spotted in the crate.¡± Doc¡¯s fingers twisted back and forth. ¡°I have my explosive. Once it''s dead, you pick me back up.¡± Doc stared at Hawk. ¡°Promise me you won¡¯t leave me behind.¡±

    ¡°Never.¡± He gave the man a nod. ¡°John, does that work for you?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I might be able to do some damage of my own,¡± he said from the front. ¡°And a bottle of booze is a fair trade.¡±

    I looked at the ladder and the hatch. ¡°Maybe we can tie a harness so you don¡¯t fall off the ladder.¡± It didn¡¯t take long for John and I to rig up a harness attached to the ceiling for Hawk. He¡¯d need to be careful to duck if he closed the hatch, but it was better than crashing to the floor.

    Doc stood by the ramp, shaking. He had something clasped in his hand, but I wasn¡¯t going to ask about it. Last time he¡¯d mentioned explosives, Hawk had gotten mad.

    I stared at Hawk for a moment to see what information I got.

    [Hawk, Level 17, Archer, Predator]

    Holy smokes, I got his class, and how my class thought of him.

    I turned to study Doc.

    [Doc, Level 10, Explosives Expert, Prey]

    The few times I¡¯d used Insight before, it hadn¡¯t given me that information. The last tag on Doc worried me, but it made sense. He was so much lower level than me, and he acted like prey, always hiding. Heck, Hawk was only one level higher than I was, though he had ranged attacks while I didn¡¯t. This whole fight wasn¡¯t going to play into my strengths, and I kind of wished I¡¯d mentioned running for the dropship.

    I stepped up next to Doc. ¡°Do you want me to go with you?¡± I asked. ¡°We can go in different directions.¡±

    He turned to look at me, eyes wide. ¡°You¡¯d do that, for me?¡±

    ¡°Of course.¡± I nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯m not a ranged fighter, and we need to have each other''s backs out here.¡±

    I felt Hawk watching me and he gave me a sharp nod. ¡°Two targets will make this harder for the flier.¡±

    ¡°Everyone ready back there?¡± called John.

    The beast on the roof of the shuttle shifted, moving toward the front.

    The ramp started lowering, making a whining noise. The beast headed toward the back, following the noise, and its beak came into view. The pointed tip dipped down, but it couldn''t see us.

    I swallowed hard.

    Hawk flung the hatch open and fired.

    The flier screeched and took to the air, wings flapping.

    Then I ran.

    The crystal next to the door glowed in the twilight. That was our target.

    I thought I was fast before, but now I almost flew across the dirt. Doc lagged behind me and I curved off to the left, widening the gap so it couldn¡¯t try and attack both of us at once.

    ¡°There''s two!¡± Hawk¡¯s voice echoed across the darkened clearing.

    I twisted, looking to the sky to find the fliers. One dove at Doc, claws outstretched. The other circled the shuttle, which made more noise than before as it quickly powered up. Hawk launched arrow after arrow at it. At least one hit.

    [Pterosaur, Level 15]

    Both flyers were the same level, though one had green coloring while the other was a deep gray.

    Crystals tied to the fencing let off a soft glow, making the entire area easier to see. I stopped running and instead watched the flier behind Doc.

    ¡°Doc, drop!¡±

    He didn¡¯t listen and instead twisted about. The pterosaur caught him by the shoulders and lifted him.

    This wasn¡¯t good.

    Hawk¡¯s focus stayed on the one diving at him in the shuttle, and I couldn¡¯t blame him.

    Doc twisting in the air, trying to break free, and I stood there helpless.

 Chapter 50: Helpless

    Despite clearly not being a hand-to-hand specialist, Doc stabbed at the creature''s leg frantically with something until it let go. The flier screeched as it wheeled higher, one leg dripping blood. The other still had something on it as Doc plummeted to the ground.

    I dashed toward Doc even before he hit the ground. Somehow, he did a rolling maneuver but then covered his head. He noticed me coming just as he ducked, and yelled, ¡°Get down!¡±

    An explosion rocked the air, and it knocked me back on my ass. Pieces of dinosaur leg went flying. My ears rang for several seconds before I got my bearings straight. Not far away, the bulk of the carcass of the flier hit the ground.

    [Pterosaur, Level 15, Dead]

    Its legs were completely gone, along with one of its wings.

    Holy shit! Explosives Expert for the win! He may act like prey, but Doc could be useful after all.

    The sound of the shuttle taking flight finally reached my aching ears. The other flier danced through the air as the shuttle dodged its attacks. The tips of both wings glowed.

    I yanked my attention away and hurried to Doc¡¯s side.

    He had scrambled to his knees, holding an arm to his chest. His voice shook. ¡°Leg¡¯s damaged, but not broken, deep cuts in both shoulders. My arm snapped.¡±

    ¡°Let¡¯s get to the crystal,¡± I muttered, sliding an arm under his other side. He didn¡¯t weigh much as I helped him move quickly toward the glowing safety.

    As we ran, I kept glancing upward at the battle happening there. The shuttle danced like the wind away from the flier¡¯s claws, yet the creature slowed down as the duel continued. Several arrows stuck out of its body. Then, its eyes locked on us, and it dove. After all, we were easy prey compared to the thing that was sticking it with arrows.

    I yanked us both to the ground as it flew overhead, barely missing us. Before it could circle back, a screech came from the creature. Something slammed to the ground only a few feet behind us as the shuttle passed overhead. I grabbed my knife and lengthened it quickly as the hulking pterosaur got to its feet. A slice, three feet long, stretched across the beast¡¯s left wing. It hobbled toward us.

    It still lived!

    I rushed to meet it, dodging the beak that shot forward. My spear cut along a leg as I rolled past. It crashed to the ground again, then things slowed down as it tried to get up.

    Always go for the legs.

    Once on my feet, I launched myself at it again, leaping into the air using my skill, before I slammed into the creature¡¯s back, spear digging deep. The pterosaur crashed to the ground, dead.

    Doc stared at me, still lying on the ground in shock. "No way to help, my ass."

    The sound of the shuttle landing got me off the back of the creature.

    [You have gained experience from combat.]

    It didn¡¯t earn me a level. Then again, it¡¯d been pretty close to dead when I¡¯d joined the fight, and it was a lower level than me. Oh well, I couldn¡¯t always be leaping ahead.

    Hawk marched down the ramp toward us. ¡°Come on, let¡¯s get out of here.¡±

    ¡°I need a little help,¡± muttered Doc.

    ¡°Of course you do, you crazy bastard." Hawk headed Doc''s way. "I told you the explosives weren¡¯t stable. But no, you had to go and play hero."

    ¡°Hey, Hawk, are the wings worth anything?¡± I asked, studying what was left of the creatures.

    Hawk nodded. ¡°Yeah, if you can take them whole. The waterproof membranes are useful, especially for bags for quick shelter material." He helped Doc to his feet and turned back toward the shuttle. "Don''t take too long."

    I smiled, looking at the dead beasts, then got to work. The whole undamaged wing I tossed in the inventory crystal, along with the beak. As soon as Hawk¡¯s back was turned, I went for the heart. I simply stuck it in the crystal, saving it for a more private moment, then raced toward the other carcass. It still had one whole wing as well. This one was farther away, and I went for the heart first. Then the wing and beak. I¡¯d just started cutting the beak off when a cry came from the north.This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.

    It echoed across the night sky, sending shivers up my spine.

    I finished cutting into the dead pterosaur and taking the pieces I wanted before dashing toward the shuttle. That howl into the night worried me, and something inside me recognized that I couldn''t take down whatever it was just yet.

    Hawk watched me from the back of the ramp.

    ¡°How¡¯s Doc?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Busted up good.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Still, he leveled twice, and he thinks it was worth it.¡±

    I chuckled at that. ¡°I mean, he survived, and now he gets to rest for a few days.¡± I shrugged. ¡°Can¡¯t say I wouldn¡¯t have done something similar if it had caught me. Like, step one, cut a leg off.¡±

    Hawk chuckled, but it sounded almost sad. ¡°Three of my guys are injured. That¡¯s not a great badge of honor for a sergeant.¡±

    ¡°You guys in?¡± called John from the front of the shuttle.

    ¡°Yeah,¡± I answered.

    The ramp raised behind us as the call came again from the north. I shivered. Noseen was right, I¡¯d needed a movement skill, and now I had one. Next, I needed something that let me take to the air for longer periods of time. The great leap onto the pterosaur¡¯s back had felt great. It¡¯d used more energy than normal, and I needed to figure out how to use it to tackle the fliers to the ground when they dove to catch me. If I could do that, I might be able to fight them. It was something to test out once I had time and space, and when others weren¡¯t at risk if I screwed up.

    The problem was calories. It used enough energy that I¡¯d need to eat more.

    ¡°Get in your seats!¡±

    I smirked and headed to the front, taking the single seat on the left, and quickly strapping myself in.

    Hawk marched forward but didn¡¯t have anywhere to sit down. Jimmy sat on the left with Doc, both looking quite horrible. At least Jimmy was out cold. Doc had bandaged his own leg and arm, and looked like he seriously wanted a drink.

    My stomach growled as soon as I clicked the seat belts into place, and the thought of the hearts in my inventory mocked me.

    Soon.

    Even if I got lesser rewards, at least I¡¯d get something. I caught the side profile of John glancing my way before we rose into the air.

    [John, Level 16, Fighter Pilot, Prey]

    Doc wasn¡¯t the only one who gained levels from that fight. I nodded to myself, glad that John had matched me in levels. Maybe now he¡¯d focus on ways to grow instead of being angry about his class. The shuttle lifted off just as twilight shifted into the darkness of night. The glow from the fence increased, then faded as we took to the air.

    Something darted past and the shuttle shook.

    ¡°What the heck?¡± John¡¯s voice rose.

    Hawk steadied himself using the back of John¡¯s chair. ¡°They always roost!¡± he exclaimed.

    ¡°Not this one,¡± growled John. The shuttle twisted in the air, tilting drastically to the right. ¡°You better tie yourself down.¡±

    Hawk grumbled and rushed toward the cargo hold.

    My gaze went to the front window, but I couldn¡¯t see anything.

    The shuttle moved faster, then twisted again to one side as a dark shape flew by. ¡°Well, we pissed it off. I need a ranged attack,¡± grumbled John.

    ¡°Just get us to the mines,¡± yelled Hawk from the back. ¡°They set up a defense system. They¡¯ll be able to help.¡±

    The shuttle picked up speed again, but this time it shook slightly.

    My fingers dug into the straps, thinking about the last time something like this had happened. Greg had died, the shuttle had crashed, and my life had changed. This had to go differently.

    ¡°Got you!¡± The shuttle suddenly slammed into something on the right.

    Doc yelped, and Hawk growled from the back.

    John chuckled with glee. ¡°Take that, you overgrown bat!¡± The shuttle steadily flew forward for another couple of minutes, as though John hadn¡¯t just been jousting with the closest thing we¡¯d found to a dragon.

    ¡°Did you get it?¡± I finally asked.

    ¡°I hit it, but I might have crushed the crystals on that side. Still, I got its wing, so hopefully it¡¯s out of the fight for now.¡± John hit a button. ¡°I don¡¯t see it on my scanner anymore.¡± His head tilted in every direction. ¡°I didn¡¯t kill it, though. I didn¡¯t get any notification or experience.¡±

    ¡°Who cares, as long as we get to the mines? We can deal with it later, once everyone gets back on their feet.¡± Hawk¡¯s voice came from the back. ¡°Let me know if you think I can untie myself. This isn¡¯t very comfortable.¡±

    I chuckled to myself and forced my fingers to relax. From there, I tried to get my shoulders to lower a bit, but the tension stuck. After several minutes of nothing else hitting the shuttle, and some deep breathing, I felt calmer and more centered.

    ¡°I think we¡¯re clear,¡± called John.

    Seconds later, Hawk stood behind John, in the middle of the three of us. He peered out the front window into the darkness.

    Doc let out a sigh.

    ¡°You doing okay back there?¡± I asked.

    He nodded. ¡°I wish I had a drink.¡±

    ¡°Drinking would only thin your blood out,¡± growled Hawk.

    ¡°Well, something to numb the pain.¡±

    I hesitated, then spoke up. ¡°Did you allocate any free stat points you have to constitution? Doesn¡¯t that help you heal faster?¡±

    Hawk turned and smirked at me, while Doc blinked a few times. His mouth opened, then closed.

    ¡°I bet he forgot,¡± muttered Hawk.

    ¡°The pain was a bit much¡­¡± Doc nodded at me and winced. ¡°Thanks for the reminder. It¡¯s been a while since I¡¯ve leveled.¡±

    While I kept some free stat points, it was mostly because I didn¡¯t know where to dump them to help my profession, and I wanted to boost that right now, since it was new. I really wanted to gain a level, to see if the point I¡¯d earned from Crystal Singing would provide a point for both Fortitude and Willpower, or if only one of them would get the point. If only one of them got the point, I¡¯d need to use free points to keep the other in line. It dawned on me that I didn¡¯t know what happened with Profession Levels. Were they tracked separately?

    I wished I¡¯d thought to ask John earlier, when we were alone. Now wasn¡¯t the time, with Hawk and Doc both nearby. ¡°How long do we have until we get to the mines?¡± I asked.

 Chapter 51: In the air, again

    Hawk answered before John could. ¡°Maybe two hours, though we''re going faster than normal.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to slow down in another fifteen minutes to normal speed,¡± added John. ¡°I don¡¯t want to stress the crystals.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m gonna head to the back and experiment with the crystal shards. You can take my seat," I said to Hawk.

    Hawk shook his head. ¡°It isn¡¯t all about the leveling, but I will take a break, thanks.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll turn the lights on super low back there, but I don¡¯t like to leave them on while flying,¡± added John. ¡°There should be a crystal light in that cargo crate. It¡¯s roundish.¡±

    ¡°Sounds good.¡± I unhooked the harness and stood up, stretching before heading to the cargo area. It wasn¡¯t far. The cargo crate I needed was outside the vision line of both Doc and Hawk. I opened the lid and unwrapped the crystals, grabbing a single shard before spotting the round crystal that looked ball-like. Then I quickly wrapped everything else up.

    ¡°Got the light.¡±

    The dim lights shut off and I touched the crystal ball, though it was flat on one side, so not exactly a ball. It glowed softly. From there, I took a seat on the ground, making sure no one could see me. Then I pulled out one of the pterosaur hearts, and shoved the whole thing in my mouth, chewing as fast as I could.

    Blueberries. It tasted like Blueberries.

    [You have devoured a Pterosaur and gained insight into Heightened Senses.]

    I let that sit for a moment before wondering if I dared eat the next one. My stomach felt okay, but I didn¡¯t want anyone to catch me eating raw meat. The shuttle slowed down, and I went for it. This one was a little smaller for some reason, but I didn¡¯t care.

    [You have devoured a Pterosaur and gained insight into Heightened Senses.]

    On my stat sheet, I¡¯d gained two asterisks next to Heightened Senses. I made sure to clean up any juices that had escaped, and then focused on the crystal shard.

    It was time to figure out what Crystal Singing and Attunement could really do. First, I whistled and the crystal glowed, which was nifty, but not super useful. Next, I decided to try to make it into a ring using the same technique as I¡¯d used earlier to fix my spear.

    #

    Time passed as sweat dripped down my forehead and I made slow progress. My head hurt, and the pain forced me to take a water break more than once. The once pointed crystal now resembled a bumpy ball, but I felt drained. I leaned back against the wall, wondering what I was doing wrong. Again, my stomach growled, and I tapped my fingers in frustration on the crystal. Yet again, I needed food. I cut off pieces of Carnitor meat and ate a few slices, until my stomach settled.

    I¡¯d missed something.

    This time, I hummed while trying to mold the crystal into a ball shape. It glowed and moved easier, and I smoothed out several of the bumps. I stopped humming with a smile, holding something that was pretty close to a perfectly round ball of crystal.

    ¡°I got this,¡± I whispered to myself, as I focused on making it into a thick flattened ring.

    The sound of footsteps caused me to pause as Hawk approached. ¡°We''re getting close.¡± His eyes locked on the crystal in my hands. ¡°Are you bending that?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, working on leveling up my crystal attunement.¡± One more push to get it how I wanted for now.

    [You have leveled up your Profession.]

    The notification made me pause, but I ignored it for the moment to focus on Hawk, who hovered.

    He nodded slowly, like he was confused, but I didn¡¯t clarify. ¡°I¡¯m jealous you can use that spear tip of yours. Though, I guess arrows wouldn¡¯t work.¡±

    ¡°No, I need to remain in contact to keep it glowing.¡± It was the downside of using crystals, and why John needed wire running from the crystals on the shuttle to the pilot''s chair to make the crystal wing tips work. The crystals running the shuttle were more complex, but still required someone with attunement to get them in the air. Once in the air, they stayed running, somehow. ¡°But you do have a nice ranged attack.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, it does help.¡±

    A cough caused both of us to turn toward the cot on the other side of the cargo hold. Hawk got there first. ¡°Denver, nice to have you back.¡±

    ¡°Water¡­¡±

    Hawk dug around under the cot and brought out a canteen. He helped the guy take a few sips.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.

    I climbed to my feet, moving slowly. It didn¡¯t take long for me to put the light away. My mind raced, wondering how long Denver had been awake, and if he¡¯d seen me eat the hearts or raw meat. Right now was not the time to ask, clearly, so I headed to the front, keeping quiet. I looped the crystal ring through my belt to keep it in place. I wished I could toss it in my inventory crystal, but that didn¡¯t work.

    I took my empty seat and hooked myself in, only hearing mumbling from the back. Maybe the guy hadn¡¯t seen anything. I just didn¡¯t know. The notification caught my eye again and I opened my character sheet to figure out what had changed.

    Now I knew how professions interacted with stats. I still earned my stats for Jack-of-all-trades and for Lucky, but instead of the stats for my Devourer class, I only earned the stats for my profession. Titles and Achievements were massively overpowered, but I wasn¡¯t going to complain. Also, I¡¯d earned 1 stat point in both Fortitude and Willpower, so that question was answered. My skill level in my profession didn¡¯t add to my total skill level, instead my level took the greatest of the two. No wonder folks focused on one or the other.

    My 15 free stat points mocked me, and I decided to allocate those across strength, quickness, flexibility, and constitution. The last 2 I tossed into charisma, because a little more of that wouldn¡¯t hurt, surely.

    Name: Alex

    Level: 16

    Race: Human

    Traits: Survivability, Adaptation, Hangry

    Class: Devourer, level 16

    Profession: Crystal Singer, level 1

    Stats:

    STR: 47(50)

    DEX:

    >QUICK*: 66(70)

    >FLEX: 57(60)

    CON/TOUGH: 48(55)

    INT: 45(47)

    WIS:

    >FORT: 45(47)

    >WILL: 45(47)

    CHA: 40(43)

    FREE: 0

    Monstrosity: 4%

    Titles & Achievements:

    Jack-of-all-Trades

    Lucky Stars

    Badass

    Skill: 9/10

    Improved Body**

    Crystal Singing and Attunement

    Insight

    Heightened Senses**

    Stealthy Camouflage

    Blades and Polearms

    Free Spirit

    Venomous Bite

    Claw Strike

    Skills Categories: +

    Hawk came back up front with a small smile on his face. ¡°Doc, Denver woke up, though he¡¯s resting again. He drank some more water and ate a few bites of a ration bar.¡±

    Doc¡¯s face brightened immediately. ¡°That¡¯s really good news.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, hopefully he¡¯s back on his feet sooner rather than later.¡± Hawk''s eyes traced over Jimmy and Doc. ¡°You both are going to take longer, with the broken bones.¡±

    I kept my curiosity in check and resisted asking how long the bones took to heal, but Doc caught my eye.

    ¡°If we take it easy, it shouldn¡¯t be more than a week, unless they have a mender.¡±

    ¡°A week is still a long time,¡± replied Hawk. ¡°I want to take care of that flier before then. We don¡¯t need it leveling up.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯re almost there,¡± said John. He pointed toward the mountain in front of us.

    I leaned forward to get a better look. A wide cavern stretched across the front, and then a light blinked twice.

    ¡°Perfect, the barrier is down,¡± said John. He aimed the shuttle toward the wide cavern, and as we flew closer several lights glowed inside the mouth. Our shuttle slowed down to a crawl as we approached, then slowly flew into the mouth of the cave. The space wasn¡¯t large, and the shuttle set down maybe ten feet inside the opening. The lights inside the cavern shut off as soon as the shuttle touched the rock.

    Shadows moved around in the cavern, but the light had killed my dark vision. ¡°What are you waiting for?¡± I asked.

    ¡°The all clear that the barrier is back up. We don¡¯t need a ton of lights to help other things find the cavern.¡±

    ¡°I thought fliers roosted at night.¡± Though, the one near the compound had tried to come after us in the dark.

    Hawk answered me first. ¡°Other things come out at night, from inside the mountains. This whole thing is to protect the cavern from them.¡±

    My mouth closed, even though I wanted to ask more questions. A knock came from the back of the shuttle and John hit the ramp button. Soft lights came on in the back and I unhooked my seat belt.

    Hawk marched toward the back and met an older man who climbed the ramp, wearing overalls and what looked like a crystal head lamp. ¡°Hello, Mars.¡± He held out a hand.

    ¡°Hawk, what are you doing here?¡± He ignored the hand and hugged Hawk before pulling back when he caught sight of the cot. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡±

    ¡°Doc and Jimmy are also in bad shape. Broken bones, both.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s been rough for everyone,¡± muttered Mars. He turned and hollered out the back. ¡°We need help with three wounded!¡± Two more people climbed into the cargo bay, one man and one woman. They both headed toward the cot. ¡°Get him down to the mender''s home,¡± Mars said.

    John finally stood up and I followed him toward Mars. ¡°Sorry we''re late, it¡¯s been a week.¡±

    ¡°I bet you have a story to tell.¡±

    ¡°We do,¡± said John with a sad look. ¡°Let¡¯s get Doc and Jimmy settled, then we can all get caught up.¡±

    Hawk, John, and I, along with Mars, helped Doc and Jimmy out of the shuttle. Jimmy woke up and hobbled along with help from John and I.

    I only got a quick look at the cavern, which wasn¡¯t much bigger than the shuttle, before we turned down a tunnel leading deeper into the mountain. John knew the way through a few twists and turns, along with what had to be a gate, before we entered a different, brighter cavern. Three cots lined one wall, and Denver was already in place. We helped Jimmy to a different one.

    Mars and Hawk set Doc down on the other, before both left. A young guy around John''s age entered the room with a soft grin, dark hair sticking up all over the place like a porcupine. ¡°John, good to see you.¡±

    ¡°David, you became a mender?¡± asked John.

    ¡°Unlocked it during the last incident. Decided that was better than mining.¡± He hurried toward Jimmy. ¡°I hope to eventually become a healer, but who knows.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ll catch up later.¡± John pointed toward the door. ¡°We need to keep up with them.¡±

    As I followed John out the door, I heard Doc start to talk to David about medicine.

    ¡°That¡¯s a lucky break,¡± muttered John. ¡°He was skilled in first aid, and wanted to go in that direction.¡±

    ¡°I guess sometimes things work out. The system is weird after all. What¡¯s next?¡±

    ¡°I need to catch Mars up on what happened with the crash, and Greg¡­ and then we figure out our next move. The original plan of heading to the scientist settlement is hardly a given at this point."

 Chapter 52: Mining Settlement

    I didn¡¯t do or say much as everyone gathered in a small cavern that looked like an eating area. The walls were stone, but smooth, like John had done to the crystals. Someone must have a stone-shaping ability, or something like it. It would explain the tunnels and how nice everything seemed, even made out of rock. They were all miners after all. One wall had a taller table with baskets underneath, along with knives and cooking gear on top. In the corner was an area that looked like it normally had a fit pit. Dark streaks from smoke tinted the stones above, and there was what looked like a crack that must be a natural chimney.

    A large wooden table sat in the center, with benches around all four sides. John, Mars, and Hawk spoke about what had happened at the compound, describing the meteorite shower, along with the shuttle going down. It ended with discussions about the flier, and if Mars knew of anyone who would want to go hunt it down.

    ¡°David should be able to get Jimmy back on his feet, with his leg mended,¡± said Mars. ¡°I might have one guy who wants to level up, but we¡¯ve been dealing with our own rush of beasts.¡±

    ¡°I thought everything was pretty secure?¡± asked Hawk, his eyes narrowing.

    ¡°One of my guys opened up a new tunnel,¡± he said, shaking his head. ¡°That led to a deeper crack into the mountain. It¡¯s not secured at all, but it¡¯s loaded with crystals, which I know the colony will want.¡± He glanced at John, who nodded. ¡°Well, we can¡¯t even have people in it without a group guarding the end. Beasts show up regularly, sometimes a second wave comes at us even before we put down the first ones of the day. Even with putting gates and walls into place, they don¡¯t usually hold for long.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not the worst of it,¡± said a female voice entering the room. A woman with dark, long hair, tied back in a ponytail, and deep green eyes glanced over the group before sitting at the table. She was wearing worn overalls with lots of pockets, and she looked tired.

    I couldn¡¯t help but use Insight.

    [Sang, Level 18, Crystal Singer.]

    ¡°The crystals can¡¯t keep all of the beasts back.¡±

    ¡°I thought they worked on all beasts,¡± I said, finally joining the conversation.

    She shook her head. ¡°Only those from higher up in the mountain. These stronger ones, from deep below, must deal with grounded crystals all the time, since they don¡¯t seem to care at all.¡±

    What she said made sense, but it also made the hair on the back of my neck stand up. I didn¡¯t want to deal with monsters that ignored crystals. They were the one advantage we had that let us make safe spaces.

    Mars picked up the conversation again. ¡°Which means we have a constant watch, and my guys are getting tired.¡±

    ¡°Did you seal off the new tunnel?¡± asked Hawk.

    ¡°We tried, twice. It only holds them off for a night, if that. They know we¡¯re here, and they want us.¡±

    John raised his hand, drawing attention. ¡°So, it''s time to leave the mines then," he said, glancing between Mars and Sang as he lowered his hand back to the table.

    ¡°Now, listen here¨C¡± started Mars.

    Sang cut in, ¡°It might be.¡±

    Mars turned toward her, a shocked look on his face.

    ¡°We can¡¯t keep the tunnels safe, and we have a chance to evacuate right now.¡± She motioned to John. ¡°Plus, with the additional Singer, we have the opportunity to snag a good number of crystals before we leave.¡± She then pointed at me. ¡°You have the skills, right?¡±

    ¡°Just got them, and I need practice.¡±

    Sang nodded at me with a frown. Her eyes searched my face, but I didn¡¯t say anything else.

    Mars let out a deep sigh and rubbed his eyes. ¡°The guys don¡¯t want to leave, but this mountain isn¡¯t safe anymore. I¡¯ll need to talk to them as they rotate shifts.¡± He stared at the table for several seconds. ¡°Had you heard anything from the colony before you left the compound?¡±

    Hawk shook his head. ¡°My guess is they got hit with the meteor shower just like everyone else. Their communication crystal is probably shattered.¡± That was news to me, and hopefully it was the truth. Hopefully the situation wasn¡¯t any worse than that.

    ¡°Yeah, they didn¡¯t see the need to protect it,¡± said John. ¡°It sits out there on the edge of the mountain. People only man it during the set windows of time.¡±Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Mars opened his mouth, then shut it, standing up from the bench. ¡°We can talk more in the morning. Sang, can you show them to a sleeping place?¡±

    She nodded and stood up as well. ¡°Let¡¯s get all of you settled, and we can talk more once it''s a little safer. Somehow, the dang monsters from below know when the sun is up and back off a little.¡±

    John and Hawk quickly got up and I followed. I couldn¡¯t keep track of the twisting tunnels, but I noticed the two gates we went through that closed behind us. They were heavy metal set into the sides of the narrow tunnels.

    Sang stopped by a hole in the tunnel that had a thick door. Hawk and John entered first. She held up a hand for me to wait.

    ¡°You¡¯re a new Crystal Singer,¡± she said in a soft voice.

    ¡°I am.¡±

    She let out a huff. ¡°I didn¡¯t think anyone would unlock it.¡±

    ¡°Being truthful about the Profession would have been a start.¡±

    She jerked at my words, but after a moment shook her head. ¡°Some of us will do almost anything to avoid being under Xander¡¯s rule.¡± She snorted. ¡°Not like we have a choice anymore. We can¡¯t hold off these monsters for long. Everything we built here is going to be wasted.¡±

    ¡°Maybe, maybe not. This might become a leveling location, where we bring people to dive for crystals and metals." I shrugged. "You never know¡­¡±

    Sang tried to smile at my words. ¡°Will you tell anyone?¡±

    I knew what she meant, and I needed to talk to John about it before I made any promises. ¡°I won¡¯t tell Xander.¡±

    The relief that came over her surprised me, and it made me wonder just what he had done to scare her. Plenty disliked and hated him, pretty much everyone outside the colony from what I¡¯d learned, but Sang? She was scared.

    ¡°Thank you.¡± She gave me a nod. ¡°Get some sleep, tomorrow we¡¯ll have an intense crash course in Singing.¡± She started down the tunnel, then turned back with a look. ¡°Can you actually Sing?¡±

    I laughed but didn¡¯t answer. Instead, I headed inside the room. Part of me really hoped humming and whistling worked. All my brothers swore I sounded like a cat when I sang.

    John and Hawk had both claimed beds. Hawk¡¯s was right next to the door, and his bow sat on the floor within reach.

    ¡°Make sure you lock that,¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°Worried about monsters?¡±

    He nodded. ¡°They have a constant watch, so things are worse here than at the compound. We¡¯re getting out of here as soon as our people are healed.¡±

    John rolled his eyes. ¡°We will help them evacuate to the compound. Any that want to go. Just think, this¡¯ll solve your problem with the flier. It¡¯s gotta be easier than what they¡¯re dealing with here, from the sound of it.¡±

    ¡°The compound can¡¯t handle this many people,¡± growled Hawk. "They have thirteen people here."

    ¡°Maybe some will go to the colony,¡± I added.

    Hawk laughed. ¡°You still have much to learn," he said, turning over on his side.

    I shut the door behind me and found a metal crossbar that set into solid rock on either side. ¡°I wish I could shower.¡±

    ¡°They have some here, but given how tense it is, sleep is best.¡± John sat down on the bed near the far wall. ¡°It feels like all of the settlements are falling apart. First, we crashed, then the compound was breached, and now the miners have dug too deep.¡±

    I took a bed near John and sat down to remove my boots. It shouldn¡¯t feel so good to take them off, but it¡¯d been several days since I¡¯d had the chance. My feet smelled a little, but all I could do was hope no one noticed.

    Hawk grunted and pulled out a canteen from his bag. I hadn¡¯t noticed him grabbing it from the shuttle. ¡°At least we don¡¯t need to worry about anyone stealing the shuttle.¡±

    John sat up suddenly. ¡°I didn¡¯t think of that.¡±

    ¡°No one else can fly it, right?¡± asked Hawk.

    John yanked on his boots. ¡°Anyone who can attune could potentially fly it.¡±

    ¡°Ugh.¡± Hawk sat up and grabbed his bag and bow. ¡°We better close it up then.¡±

    ¡°I usually leave it open so folks can unload the goods, but if we''re leaving, it doesn¡¯t make sense to unload it.¡±

    Someone knocked lightly on the door and everyone froze. Hawk got up and removed the bar.

    Sang stepped in. ¡°I forgot to mention, I closed the ramp of the shuttle just in case anyone gets any ideas.¡± She gave John a nod. ¡°I know some of the miners are jumpy and want to rabbit. Figured I¡¯d let you know, so you didn¡¯t worry.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate that,¡± replied John. ¡°Do you think everyone will leave?¡±

    ¡°I think we don¡¯t have a choice. If we had a full healer, we might be able to hold the tunnel, but even stone shaping can''t keep it closed.¡±

    ¡°What beasts are we talking about?¡± I asked.

    ¡°Spiders, long bug creatures, things that eat stone.¡± She shook her head. ¡°It varies. I didn¡¯t want to say anything earlier, since Mars doesn¡¯t agree, but it feels like these monsters are fleeing something even worse.¡±

    ¡°Then they aren¡¯t going to stop,¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°No, they aren¡¯t. The miners are at the breaking point. I bet tomorrow evening everyone will be on the shuttle, ready to go." She frowned, with a sad look in her eyes. "Sleep well. Food will be served in the gathering room.¡± Sang headed back out the door.

    John nodded and Hawk locked back up.

    ¡°Tomorrow¡¯s going to be tricky,¡± mumbled Hawk.

    ¡°Yep,¡± added John.

    ¡°What am I missing?¡±

    ¡°Mars doesn¡¯t want to leave, and half the miners here were from the compound. They aren¡¯t going to want to leave either.¡± Hawk headed back to his bed. ¡°No matter what Sang says.¡±

    I laid back on the bed, stretching my toes out. My knife I set on the floor, along with the new crystal ring.

    John got up and turned down the crystal light that shone in the center of the room. It dimmed, but didn¡¯t go out all the way.

    ¡°We can deal with that tomorrow. First, we need to rest.¡±

 Chapter 53: Hellionéˆ¥æªš Pissed

    Len and Sasha glared at me as Alexander¡¯s face turned red.

    ¡°All of us will stick to the current plan,¡± dictated Alexander. ¡°This is the last I want to hear about your concerns, is that clear?¡±

    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± I replied, keeping my feelings in check.

    Len barely shook his head, warning me to be careful.

    I knew both he and Sasha agreed with me, but Alexander needed to feel in control. If he wasn¡¯t the only one with the codes to the equipment on the dropship, I think we all would have booted him into the jungle long before now. Not to mention his interest in my daughter.

    The only reason I even pressed the issue now about the long-term survival of the colony was because people were getting restless. Thankfully, Alex and John were both away. The devastation of the fence shattering from the meteor shower, along with losing the communication crystal up on the mountain, had unsettled even the most stable in the colony.

    People had forgotten what the early days were like once the danger had lessened. Now, that danger was back in everyone¡¯s faces, and people were concerned.

    Not to mention people were leveling rapidly from the increased fighting near the entrance to the valley.

    ¡°You are dismissed.¡±

    I gave Alexander a nod and marched out of the community hall. He didn¡¯t even see how people were freaking out. Xander still believed that his reassurances that everything was under control were enough. Not to mention that the ¡®leadership council¡¯ thought it safe enough to bring kids into this world.

    Absolute bullshit.

    Once outside, I let out a deep breath and headed toward our tent. Benny should be back from his shift in the fields, and I needed to check on the people guarding the valley. Too much to do, and too many plans that needed to be put into place, and what felt like not enough time. Already, I¡¯d leveled up to 20.

    Folks gave me a nod as I passed by, and I returned the gesture.

    Jas and Mary headed toward the valley opening, but saw me and detoured.

    ¡°Any word on plans for the new fence?¡± Jas asked.

    ¡°We need a new large crystal first, though I know someone found one that might be bright enough for the communication platform.¡±

    ¡°Oh, that''s a relief,¡± said Mary. ¡°The mines will have what we need to fix the fence.¡±

    I nodded.

    ¡°We can spread the word with the hunters, maybe it will help people settle down,¡± added Jas.

    I used Insight on the man.

    [Jas, Level 17, Hunter, Threat Level: Low]

    His level had grown by one. I quickly checked Mary, with the same results.

    They weren¡¯t the only ones gaining levels quickly with the increased fighting. So far, they weren¡¯t at the test, but it wouldn¡¯t take long.

    ¡°Do that, I¡¯ll be around later this afternoon.¡±

    Both nodded at me, then continued on their way toward the valley entrance.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    I turned and headed toward our tent again. Whispering came from inside, and I paused outside of it, knocking on the wooden post.

    ¡°Come in,¡± said Benny.

    I quickly ducked inside and saw Cass seated on the rug under the low table, along with Benny. ¡°Hi, Cass.¡±

    She moved to stand up, but I waved a hand to stop her. Instead, I joined the two of them at the table.

    ¡°How¡¯d it go?¡± asked Benny.

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t want to hear it. He thinks no one will break through the test at level 19.¡±

    Benny shook his head. Already his level was at 18, and soon he would hit the test.

    ¡°That doesn¡¯t seem sustainable,¡± muttered Cass. ¡°I mean, I¡¯m already at 11. I know Len and Mary have helped me get past 10, but I haven¡¯t even helped at the entrance yet. My first shift is this afternoon.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in then?¡± I asked.

    Cass gave a sharp nod. ¡°If Benny¡¯s in, then so am I.¡±

    ¡°How many are we up to?¡± asked Benny.

    I let out a deep breath. ¡°Maybe 8 or 9? Many don¡¯t see the signs and want to trust Alexander. Especially the couples, who just want to settle down and have kids. Most of them aren¡¯t hunters and don¡¯t get out of the colony much at all. They want to believe this is the safe colony they signed up for.¡±

    ¡°Any news from the compound?¡± asked Benny.

    ¡°Nothing good. The fence is down, but they¡¯re working on fixing it.¡± The sooner we moved that crystal up there, the better. Then we could talk back and forth instead of only getting one side.

    ¡°What about John and Alex?¡±

    ¡°It didn¡¯t come up.¡±

    Benny frowned.

    I set a hand on his shoulder. ¡°The two of them are fine. Once our new communication crystal is in place, they¡¯ll be back with a crystal from the mines.¡±

    ¡°Only if we catch them before they head to the scientists.¡±

    ¡°Even then, it¡¯ll only take a few days to fly back here with what we need to fix the fence.¡± I hoped that they were still at the mines. Messing with the scientists at this point wasn''t going to help anyone. Especially Alex. I''d only suggested the stop since we needed more information about the potential kids. Now, I regretted it.

    ¡°Do you want me to approach anyone else?¡± asked Cass. ¡°Maybe Jaxon? He isn¡¯t fond of Alexander.¡±

    ¡°Not yet. We need folks strong enough to protect those not as strong. Both of you grow stronger and hit the cap. That¡¯ll help the most.¡±

    Benny gave me a nod, followed by Cass. The two of them fit well, and it pleased me he had finally approached the young woman. Now I needed to make a safe place for all of us to call home. Somehow.

    ***

    I broke the dream connection between Alex and me, wondering about the location near the lake. My instincts had warned me to cut the connection, that Alex was in danger. Dreams were a minor specialty of mine, and as long as the tiny mark remained near their right ear, I could check in on Alex. The magic was simple enough that most civilized creatures knew to look for the marks, but given Alex¡¯s education on the system, I knew it would remain unfound, probably until they were booted from the Sanctuary. Tiny symbols were hard for anyone to see, especially as tiny as I could make them in that form.

    Once I¡¯d connected with Alex, I¡¯d skimmed their recent thoughts and seen parts of memories of the fight. Somehow, Alex had taken down a creature 5 levels higher than them. I wished I''d been there to see it in person. The fact that they had accomplished it was a feat, and they¡¯d more than likely received a good achievement for it. I still had plenty of time to relax in the city, though, before they reached level 25 and were booted from Sanctuary. The first real slow down in advancement was at level 20.

    As soon as that happened, though, I¡¯d be there to take them away from this place, and somewhere safer. Somewhere a devourer wouldn¡¯t be hunted down. While I was welcome to spend credits and vacation here, I had the means to protect myself. Someone like Alex, barely into the first rank? Not safe at all.

    The planet I ruled over would be the safest location, especially if no one found out about Alex before we left.

    ¡°Can I get you anything else?¡±

    The question snapped me out of my thoughts and back to the present. The server kept their eyes lowered, all four of them.

    ¡°I¡¯d like another wine.¡±

    ¡°Good choice,¡± they answered before hurrying off on their many legs. This restaurant focused on beasts and others with unique appetites. They had a range of blood wines that shocked even me.

    I had already downed three bottles before savoring the last glass. One more would top me off perfectly. Drinking blood like this didn¡¯t serve anything but pleasing my hunger. No additional perks or growth from it. To earn that, I¡¯d need to find something fresher. It was delectable, though.

    After this glass, I needed to decide if I wanted to wander the bright city for longer or head home for a few days while Alex grew stronger.

    What would be less newsworthy? Staying or returning? I pondered as the server poured. Decisions, decisions¡­

 Chapter 54: Into the Deep

    Waking up with a roof over my head was a strange experience. One moment my dreams ruled, the next my eyes opened, saw the stone, and I jerked upright. It only took a second for everything to come back to me in the low light. Snores from John filled the room, and I saw Hawk glance my way.

    ¡°Breakfast starts soon,¡± he whispered.

    John woke up at the sound, rubbing his eyes.

    For the moment, we were safe, though I couldn¡¯t tell what time it was in the windowless room. All of the people here in the mountain made do without windows. Yet, my first morning here, and already it felt wrong. I didn¡¯t think it was the lack of windows. I felt trapped, like I had in the shuttle when the storm had raged. It didn¡¯t take long for me to get my boots on and be ready to go, ready to get out of this enclosed space.

    Hawk led the way back down the tunnels to the room we¡¯d all met in the night before. The tunnel lights were brighter this morning, a deep red lighting up the tunnels. Last night they¡¯d been softer.

    Quiet voices echoed down the tunnel from the open door of the mess room. The large table inside was half-full with people quickly shoving food into their mouths. A group of four exited just before we arrived, their backs heading away from us down the tunnel.

    Everyone had some sort of armor on, mostly leather, and to put it nicely it smelled. Stale sweat, along with the smell of some sort of fried meat, seemed to cover everything. Three other miners sat at the table. Jimmy finished his plate when he saw us enter and waved us over to that side of the large table. ¡°It''s good to see you guys,¡± mumbled Jimmy. His eyes traced over John and Hawk. ¡°Sounds like there are plans for an evac.¡±

    John went up to the counter, which had plates and platters of food. He motioned me to take a seat. Then John handed me a plate and I dove in. It smelled weird, and I wasn¡¯t sure it was actually meat, but I ate it anyway. I thought it was maybe a mushroom of some type, diced up with a tuber. It tasted fine, and had salt on it, which was a rare treat, at least to me.

    ¡°It seems that way,¡± said John. ¡°I¡¯ll need to work on reorganizing the shuttle to fit as many people as possible.¡±

    ¡°No one wants to stay,¡± growled one of the miners. ¡°We lost Vic last night to something in the dark.¡± He shook his head before taking a sip of his beverage. ¡°Mars can¡¯t keep us here.¡±

    ¡°Damn straight he can¡¯t,¡± echoed another.

    An older woman nodded as well, finishing her food. Her eyes traveled over me. ¡°You guys turned up at the right time to save our asses.¡±

    John smiled. ¡°It¡¯s been rough everywhere, but I¡¯m glad we can help.¡±

    She nodded again and stood up, tossing her plate into a bin on the counter. The two other miners got up as well. Both glared at her, but she just glared back. ¡°We need to clear the path to the cavern. Sang wants to grab whatever¡¯s possible before we get outta here.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t want to go near that cavern. Poor Vic.¡±

    She slapped the guy on the side of his head, making him flinch. ¡°We got a job to do, the crystals will help us in the future.¡±

    That shut him up and the three of them headed out of the room.

    ¡°What¡¯d you find out?¡± asked Hawk, as soon as the sound of footsteps faded.

    ¡°It¡¯s bad. Whatever is in the mountain is trying to get out.¡± Jimmy shivered. ¡°Last night they caved in two tunnels to hold it back. The crystal room is in the middle.¡±

    I scraped the rest of the breakfast mixture into my mouth and set the bowl down. ¡°Well, hopefully the crystals are worth it.¡±

    Jimmy shrugged. ¡°From what they said, they are big and strong. Only reason they are willing to risk it.¡±

    ¡°What about Mars?¡± asked Hawk.

    Jimmy shook his head. ¡°He¡¯s pushing to get them, wants a bargaining chip with Xander I bet.¡±

    ¡°There¡¯s no bargaining with Xander,¡± muttered Hawk.

    John shrugged. ¡°Who knows? I mean, there are twelve of them left, and one¡¯s a mender. It will help the colony.¡±

    Hawk shook his head sharply but didn¡¯t say anything else. Instead, he finished his breakfast. ¡°Any word on Doc and Denver?¡±

    Jimmy chuckled. ¡°Doc¡¯s been working with the mender, David. A few miners were hurt last night. Denver is up and eating, though Doc said he better not push it. He needs a few days to be back to normal.¡±

    Hawk slowly nodded. ¡°Alright. That¡¯s good news, at least. John, I expect you¡¯ll need to focus on prepping the shuttle.¡± He turned toward me. ¡°You''re headed deeper into the mines with Sang, and I¡¯ll be joining you.¡±

    ¡°You will?¡± I asked. I wasn¡¯t sure why he would volunteer to go watch us remove crystals.

    ¡°It sounds like some extra fighters will be helpful.¡±

    ¡°You aren¡¯t wrong,¡± said Sang as she poked her head into the room. ¡°Come on, there¡¯s a debriefing in the last cavern before the mines. Mars is pulling everyone in to discuss the situation.¡± She made quotation marks around the word situation.If you encounter this tale on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Hawk and Jimmy shot to their feet while John and I were a little slower.

    The walk in the tunnel was short and it led to a large cavern, much bigger than the one with the shuttle in it. I quickly counted the people and came up with seven, including Mars. He gave Hawk a nod as we entered. Sang moved to join him toward the front of the room. A large metal gate blocked a tunnel entrance next to them.

    ¡°As all of you are aware, we have decided to leave the mountain¡­¡± Mars paused with a frown. ¡°We will head to the compound and negotiate from there with the settlement for either joining them, or what.¡±

    Someone in the group grunted.

    ¡°As soon as dusk falls we want to be in the air. We have twelve hours to remove everything we want to keep and get the shuttle ready to go.¡±

    ¡°Remember, we only have so much room,¡± added John, looking a little worried. It wasn''t like the shuttle was huge.

    Mars grimly nodded. ¡°Our priority will be mushroom spores for the caves in the settlement, along with ore, and whatever crystals we can get.¡±

    The miners nodded, glancing at one another.

    ¡°We''re going to break the group up into two. One for the crystal cavern, and the other to move the metals and growing supplies. That group will also help David with whatever he needs, and help John prep the shuttle. The sooner that ship is ready to leave, the better.¡±

    ¡°What about the monster?¡± asked one of the younger miners.

    ¡°We¡¯re only going to open up the one side of the tunnel to the crystal cavern. Everyone else will be monitoring the other, along with the small cracks that the spiders come through. Matt, you¡¯ll be dealing with the cart, pulling crystals from Sang and Alex to here, where the other team will get them to the ship.¡±

    ¡°But what if it comes back?¡±

    ¡°Then we will deal with it.¡± Mars¡¯ voice was stern and clipped. The miners went quiet.

    Sang called out a few names of those headed to the crystal cavern. They headed toward the metal door hammered into the wall.

    Mars approached the four of us. ¡°I heard you¡¯re going to join the miners,¡± he said to Hawk.

    ¡°Yep, gotta keep Alex here out of trouble.¡±

    I resisted snorting at that comment, given my stats.

    Mars turned toward Jimmy. ¡°What about you?¡±

    He pointed toward John. ¡°Gonna help him prep the shuttle. Your miners can get a little unruly.¡±

    ¡°Fair point.¡±

    My attention stayed on the miners. The older woman from the mess hall approached the door and a rush of energy filled the area. Metal hooks dug deep into the stone popped free, like magic.

    My eyes grew wide at the sight. She could manipulate metal. Two of the miners moved the heavy metal door off to one side, revealing a caved-in tunnel full of rock. This time, the man she¡¯d slapped entered and the stone slowly lifted back into the ceiling.

    ¡°That¡¯s magic,¡± I whispered. I hadn¡¯t known those types of abilities were even possible. Most classes that folks got were things that made sense to me, like a hunter. Things that would have worked back on Earth. This wasn''t that.

    John leaned closer to me. ¡°They have some hidden talents here in the mines. The one working the cavern¡¯s a stonecaller. Good man.¡±

    I nodded, feeling a little better about going into that tunnel. Then I heard something skittering.

    ¡°What¡¯s that?¡± I asked.

    One of the miners entered the mouth of the tunnel and tossed something that sparked red as it flew through the air. It landed deeper in, showing movement.

    Hawk stepped forward, along with the miners. I hung back, my hand moving to my spear. Shapes moved in the light, and it took a few moments for me to realize they were giant freaking spiders.

    The miners moved forward, pulling out short swords and shovels. I paused to watch as the skittering arachnids didn¡¯t even phase them. The sound of fighting quickly drowned the skittering.

    ¡°Spiders¡­¡± I mumbled.

    ¡°Yep, the tunnels are full of them,¡± said Mars, who still stood nearby. ¡°I¡¯ll make sure Alex gets where he¡¯s going. You two better get to work.¡±

    John gave me a nod then headed off with Jimmy.

    ¡°The spiders are low level and tend to flee once they realize we can easily kill them. The slimes or rock bugs are worse.¡±

    I turned to look at Mars, but his focus stayed on the tunnel entrance. Two miners stayed near the metal door. One of them was the woman, and she gave a thumbs up to Mars.

    ¡°Alright, time to get to work.¡± Mars moved forward and I followed. Round stones, like the one from the sleeping area, ran along one edge of the floor. Each one provided a deep red light as we traveled down the tunnel. The tunnel itself was only wide enough for two people to walk side by side.

    Off to one side I noticed claw marks, and something that looked sticky.

    ¡°Did the spiders do that?¡±

    ¡°No, that was a rock bear. I gained three levels from that one.¡± He sounded so proud of himself.

    The tunnel stretched on and twisted to the left. Another tunnel entrance went to the right, but it was blocked with another metal door. This one had been pushed in from the other side. Mars paused to look at it, then shook his head before continuing. Another gate loomed ahead, though this one looked to be made of thick black stone. It almost sparkled in the red light. Beyond the gate, more red lights glowed and crystals sparkled.

    ¡°Alex, you coming?¡± Sang¡¯s voice called out.

    It took a moment for me to find her near the left side of the cavern. Most of the miners had gone in the other direction. She stood, staring up at a wall with giant chunks of crystal sticking out. She waved me closer.

    This cavern wasn¡¯t created by someone shaping stone. Nothing was smooth. Jagged edges covered all of the walls, and rocks hung down from the ceiling. Water dripped from above and the air smelled weird. Mars headed in the other direction and I caught up to Sang.

    ¡°So these are raw crystals¡­¡± I muttered.

    She chuckled with a small smile. ¡°Yes, though most of this is worthless for what we want. We want crystals that can hold energy, and listen to our commands.¡± She took a step forward. ¡°Watch this¡­¡±

    Sang hummed. The sound filled the space, then certain rocks glowed. The bright light took over and I had to blink to be able to see. The light even pierced through solid rock, like a light bulb covered with a blanket.

    Instead of the whole wall, there were only a few crystals in front of us that kept that look. As soon as she stopped humming, the light faded.

    ¡°So, that¡¯s our job.¡±

    ¡°We hum, and then dig out the crystals?¡± I asked, to make sure I understood.

    ¡°Pretty much, though once we have one almost free I¡¯ll show you some tricks that make the last bit easier.¡± Sang moved to one area that glowed brightly near the floor of the cavern. ¡°This little one will probably make some good weapons, or maybe even a few inventory crystals.¡± She patted a rock that had glowed moments before, which wasn''t what I considered little. ¡°We just need to remove it without cracking it.¡±

 Chapter 55: Rock Songs

    ¡°How often do they crack?¡± I asked, moving closer and studying the crystal in the wall.

    ¡°With me removing the crystal?" She chuckled. "Every other one. With someone else removing the crystal? More than that.¡± Sang pulled a knife out of her belt with a narrow crystal tip. It glowed as she used it to cut around the edges of the crystal, which was the size of a small bag. ¡°We cut the rock. Leaving some of it on the crystal is fine, since we will sing it off later. Right now, we only care about not cracking them.¡±

    I pulled out my knife. ¡°Where do you want me to start?¡±

    ¡°You can take over this one,¡± Sang said as she moved to one of the glowing sections that was completely covered by rock. "I¡¯ll start digging deeper in."

    I hummed, getting closer to the crystal I needed to remove from the wall. It glowed for a moment and I understood where the edges were located. As soon as my fingers touched it, I felt warmth pulse up from my fingers. It was a strange feeling, like when I¡¯d worked with the crystal and shaped it into the ring on my belt. Then I got to work cutting into the stone bit by bit.

    Eventually, the crystal came out of the wall and I held it up in triumph, humming. It glowed in my hands, along with the one hidden under my shirt and the ring on my belt.

    Sang glanced up. ¡°You made good time. Your knife must cut faster.¡±

    ¡°I have plenty of experience using it in combat.¡±

    Matt suddenly appeared near me and I almost growled. ¡°I can add that to the cart,¡± he said. He pulled a cart behind him that had several large chunks of metal. ¡°I¡¯m doing a run to the cavern.¡±

    In the time it¡¯d taken me to remove the crystal, the other side of the mine had activity going on. Miners were, well, mining, while Hawk and another guy paced the far end of the cavern. Now that more red light filled the cavern, the far opening loomed larger than ever. It had to be twice the size of the tunnels we¡¯d walked through to get here. Broken stone filled the area, but it wasn¡¯t solid.

    The hair on the back of my neck stood up while looking at it and I quickly glanced away. This cavern was bigger than I¡¯d thought, only slightly smaller than the compound.

    ¡°Yeah, thanks for taking it,¡± I responded to Matt, carefully setting it into the cart with the rest of the goods.

    He nodded and headed off.

    I turned back to the wall. ¡°So, what¡¯s next?¡±

    ¡°Hum and find more. The more you use the ability to locate good crystals, the easier it will become. Search for ones that feel right.¡±

    I almost rolled my eyes and instead hummed. The wall in front of me glowed again, but this time I moved toward my left, away from Sang. A small section within reach reacted strongly near the floor. I got to work. Cutting into the stone again and again was harder work than I thought it would be. Sweat dripped down my forehead. I sipped water from my canteen, and wished I had some snacks. It took a long time until I reached the crystal behind the stone.

    When I hummed again, it glowed with a strong light that left spots in my vision.

    ¡°You found a big one like me,¡± said Sang. At some point she¡¯d approached. ¡°It''s deep in the wall. You''re going to need to carve a big loop around it.¡± She paused. ¡°It might be worth looking for something smaller. Though, it would be a great crystal if we cut it in half for a fence or something. Still, the time it¡¯ll take to remove it might be the rest of the time we''re here.¡±

    I glanced at the area she had been working. A gaping hole sat in the wall. ¡°You got that one out.¡±

    ¡°It was smaller than this monster.¡± She wiped a hand across her forehead. ¡°They¡¯ll be serving some food soon for lunch.¡±

    ¡°Slime!¡±

    Sang¡¯s head snapped around, but already others had responded to the far end where the mining took place. The sound of fighting was short lived, so short I hadn¡¯t even taken a step forward.

    ¡°That¡¯s weird, it¡¯s a little early for slime,¡± she mumbled. ¡°We better get back to work. I¡¯m going to target some of the smaller ones. Aim for quantity, so we can arm people who can use crystals.¡±

    ¡°Is that really a problem?¡± I asked. ¡°Everyone at the settlement who can use crystals has at least one crystal object.¡± I tried to think of anyone who didn¡¯t, and couldn¡¯t come up with a name.

    ¡°Really?¡± she asked, looking confused. ¡°I thought there was a shortage of them.¡±

    ¡°Maybe for safe spaces. I know the hunters would love to create a few safe spaces for long distance hunts.¡± My mind went to the crystal on a sled. ¡°John wants two more for the extra shuttle he¡¯s working on as well.¡±

    Sang frowned like she didn''t like what I said. ¡°Well, let me remove a few more smaller ones, then I¡¯ll help you with your big one.¡±The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    I nodded and got back to work. The conflicting information that Sang had, verses what I¡¯d seen in the colony, didn¡¯t make sense. Why would she think we needed more crystal weapons? While I¡¯d love a backup, you couldn¡¯t store them inside other crystals, and inventory crystals only worked for those who could attune to begin with. Now, would it be nice if those with the skill received both an inventory crystal and a weapon? That''d help in all sorts of ways. Not that I was biased at all, having borrowed John''s inventory crystal and not really wanting to give it back.

    That reminded me to see if she''d teach me how to make an inventory crystal, so I could give John back the one he¡¯d let me borrow. Plus, couldn¡¯t we store all the ore into an inventory crystal in the ship? It would free up so much room.

    ¡°Sang,¡± I called, deciding to ask. I knew John worried about fitting everyone and everything. ¡°What if we create a massive inventory crystal for all of the ore and stone? For the ride back¡­¡±

    She looked thoughtful and scratched near her ear. ¡°It limits what that crystal could be used for in the future, but it might help with fitting everything into the ship." She paused, then nodded her head. "It''s a good idea. I don¡¯t have much use for one myself, but I can see how it¡¯d be useful.¡±

    I got back to work digging out the massive crystal I¡¯d found instead of arguing about how my inventory crystal had saved my life. Having a place to store food and water had kept me alive more than once. Not to mention, it held my other knife, which wasn¡¯t crystal.

    Matt stopped back again but only Sang had crystals to put into the cart. She¡¯d harvested several smaller ones the size of the inventory crystal under my shirt. I needed to get my hands on two more. One for me and one for Dad. We both had weapons, and I bet he¡¯d find it useful to have inventory space.

    I regretted trying to go for the large crystal at this point, but I didn¡¯t dare back down. If we split it evenly it''d be the right size for John¡¯s second shuttle project.

    The next time Matt came around, it was with food and water.

    ¡°Here you go,¡± he said, holding out a bowl. It was the same mixture as breakfast, but I quickly scarfed it down, wishing it was meat. ¡°We¡¯re getting a ton of ore, though I hear John¡¯s getting frustrated with the mess.¡±

    ¡°We might be able to solve some of that later this afternoon,¡± I said.

    Sang approached to grab a bowl and set two more smaller crystals down at her feet. ¡°I hate it when they shatter,¡± she mumbled. ¡°These two are scrap. I might be able to mend them to use as a knife, but nothing bigger than that.¡± She grabbed a bowl of food. ¡°More mushrooms," her voice sounded resigned.

    ¡°Of course," said Matt. "We''re using up the current harvest. David¡¯s gathering everything he can in the growing cavern.¡± Matt took my bowl back and waited for Sang to finish up. ¡°I¡¯ll let John know you have an idea for the ore.¡±

    ¡°You might want to hold off on that,¡± said Sang. She glared at me. ¡°We don¡¯t know if we should commit today¡¯s finds to inventory crystals.¡±

    He leaned forward with a worried look on his face, speaking softly. ¡°Then I¡¯m not sure how everything¡¯s gonna fit on the ship, between you, me, and the wall.¡± He shook his head. ¡°Mars is trying to take everything.¡±

    Sang shook her head. ¡°Fine, let John know there might be two inventory crystals we can spread around. I can take one, and John can have the other if he doesn¡¯t have one.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m borrowing his at the moment," I quickly added, touching the one under my shirt.

    ¡°Okay, John can take one." She paused before adding. "I think David can use one as well.¡±

    ¡°David would love one for the mushroom stuff," said Matt with a smile. "You''ll make the kid¡¯s day. He¡¯s worried about not packing enough food for the compound, and that Doc guy said food is tougher there.¡±

    Sang ran a hand over her face. ¡°Okay, three inventory crystals. We need to find ones that will work.¡± She motioned for me to join her at the wall. ¡°Hold off on your project for the moment.¡± She waved at the wall and hummed again. Different areas glowed, and she started walking slowly down the wall. When she ran out of breath she paused. ¡°We want something that feels right, and is about the size of a flat baseball. Inventory crystals don¡¯t like to be cut smaller. Sometimes they don¡¯t mind being shaped, but we need to start with something close to the correct size.¡±

    She tapped one area of the wall. ¡°There should be one here. You can work on getting it out. I¡¯ll search for another.¡±

    I eagerly got to work, wanting to see how one made an inventory crystal. As I cut into the wall, I came across a much smaller crystal, about the size of a deck of cards. Behind that one was the one Sang had mentioned. It didn¡¯t take long to get it out whole.

    The flat baseball sized one felt like any other crystal, while the smaller one almost buzzed as I touched it. I slipped it into my pocket and could feel it through the cloth.

    I hummed and tried to find another location that was similar to what she¡¯d described, and that felt like the one I¡¯d just retrieved. Another area glowed too high for me to reach.

    [You have leveled up, Crystal Singing.]

    The notification caused my humming to stop and I felt the rush of the stat points as I got another level in Crystal Singing. While it didn¡¯t have as many stat points as my Devourer class, every little bit helped.

    Quickly, I started humming again to find another crystal to target. The next glowing area that felt good was low to the ground and I sat down to dig it out.

    By the time I had it in hand with the other one, Sang returned with one the same size.

    ¡°Oh, you already found two,¡± she said with a frown. ¡°Your Dexterity must be higher than mine.¡±

    My mind raced to connect the fact that Dexterity would be a good stat for the class. ¡°It¡¯s my highest stat.¡±

    She nodded, looking more relaxed. ¡°That makes more sense, why you shatter less of them.¡± She sat down on the ground next to me. ¡°Let me show you how to tell if a crystal wants to become what you want. It¡¯s pretty simple.¡±

    ¡°Let me guess, you ask.¡±

    She elbowed me in the side. ¡°Yes, smart ass, you ask, but don¡¯t let your energy do anything while you ask. Otherwise, you might taint the crystal. Just watch.¡± She wrapped her hands around the crystal and began to hum, her eyes closed. Warmth came off of her, and I could tell she did something with the crystal. For a second it was like the crystal hummed back in response. Sang smiled, and more light poured into the crystal before it snapped out.

    Her eyes opened. ¡°One inventory crystal for me.¡± She held it up and I touched it.

    It didn¡¯t give off any energy at all now. It felt like the one under my shirt, which made sense, since she had created it, too.

    ¡°Alright, my turn,¡± I said.

 Chapter 56: Inventory Crystals for everyone!

    I pulled one of the crystals into my lap and closed my eyes while humming. Surprisingly, I still saw the crystal in front of me. It was like when I received a notification from the system. The glowing rock sat there and I asked the question about it becoming an inventory crystal.

    At first, it didn¡¯t seem to understand, though I had no clue how I knew that. I tried again, picturing the crystal storing things inside it, like a bag or drawer. This time it hummed in response. Energy streamed out of me before I could think about it.

    Then this horrible feeling washed over me as my stomach churned and I cut the flow off. My eyes snapped open to find Sang staring at me.

    ¡°Congrats on your first inventory crystal.¡±

    [Skill Upgrade: Crystal Singing and Attunement: By singing you can find and resonate with power crystals. You have the ability to superheat the crystal point to cut through almost anything. In addition, you can marginally bend, shape, and adjust crystals creating inventory crystals.]

    [You have leveled up, Crystal Singing.]

    The notification popped up at the same time that my stomach growled loudly. I needed to eat, and soon.

    Sang chuckled. ¡°You should see if Matt has some more food. It can take a lot out of you until you¡¯re used to it. I¡¯ll do the third one, then you can give one to John and the other to David.¡±

    I blinked and nodded, climbing to my feet. My stomach growled again as concern rushed through me. I needed food badly.

    Matt stood across the cavern talking to a miner, and I quickly headed in that direction leaving the inventory crystal behind. The cavern floor wasn¡¯t smooth or even, with rocks jutting in every direction. Yet, it didn¡¯t take long for me to reach his cart.

    ¡°Hey, Matt, do you have an extra bowl of food? Seems using new skills is draining.¡±

    He smiled and grabbed a bowl out using a spoon to fill it up. ¡°Oh, yeah that can be the worst.¡±

    My stomach growled as he passed the bowl over. I quickly ate the mushrooms by tipping the edge of the bowl into my mouth. My stomach stopped growling as I fed, but I didn¡¯t feel full.

    Seconds passed and the bowl was empty.

    ¡°Woah, you can eat,¡± said the miner, with wide eyes.

    ¡°Yeah, it''s a talent,¡± I mumbled, not meeting their eyes. I handed the bowl back, wishing I could ask for another. Yet, I needed more than mushrooms and tubers. Maybe once in the tunnels, I''d sneak some of the meat from the inventory crystal. ¡°Thanks again.¡± I gave Matt a nod and headed back toward Sang.

    I took my time crossing the space, being careful to watch where I was going. Water dripped on me from above a couple of times and I couldn¡¯t wait to see the sun again. The red light was getting to me.

    Sang held out the two inventory crystals to me. ¡°You can hand these off to John, he¡¯ll make sure David gets one.¡± She pointed back to the big crystal I had been working on before I¡¯d gotten distracted with inventory crystals. ¡°I¡¯m going to keep going on your project, but don¡¯t take too long.¡±

    I nodded and headed toward the opening of the tunnel. Hopefully, it wouldn¡¯t be hard to find my way back.

    As soon as I was in the tunnel, I carefully held the two crystals and yanked out a chunk of meat from my inventory. It was gone in three bites. Another piece followed, and another. After that, I felt better. My meat inventory was running low and I¡¯d need to hunt sometime soon, or find a way to stockpile more food. Already what I had was drier than it¡¯d been before I put it into the crystal, and I didn¡¯t know how long it¡¯d stay good for.

    The tunnel stretched before me as I quickly moved forward. I passed the offshoot that was blocked and kept going to the big meeting cavern. A pile of ore and stone sat near the far end, and a miner stocked another cart full.

    ¡°Hello,¡± I called out.

    His head snapped in my direction. ¡°Oh, you came with the ship. The freaking shuttle isn¡¯t big enough.¡±

    ¡°Well, if you can point me in the correct direction, I might be able to help with that.¡±

    The miner pointed down the tunnel behind him. ¡°Take the right fork every time. You¡¯ll find the ship hole.¡±

    I nodded and went on my way as he continued to grumble.Stolen content alert: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.

    It wasn¡¯t hard, and eventually I found sunlight and a frustrated John. He kicked a pile of stone, swearing. Then he saw me. ¡°What are you doing here?¡±

    I held up the inventory stones. ¡°I have a present for you.¡± The covering blocked most of the opening, but spots of sunlight poured in through holes. The drastic difference from the red lights in the tunnels made me want to leave the mountain even more.

    ¡°I was gonna ask for mine back to deal with all of this.¡± He motioned to the piles of stuff, crates piled on one side with more boxes on the other. ¡°Is this to replace mine?¡± he asked with a glare.

    ¡°I''ll switch everything over if you want¡­¡±

    ¡°Just give me one of the damn things.¡±

    I handed over the one I¡¯d made. He stomped over to one of the crates and it vanished. He let out a harsh breath. ¡°Thank god that worked. Now I need more crates¡­¡± He said, glancing around, studying the piles of stone.

    ¡°Do you know where to find David? I have one for him as well.¡±

    ¡°Now you¡¯re a lifesaver.¡± John held out his hand. ¡°I¡¯ll get it to him. He¡¯s the one packing all the food they have, plus everything from the healing room. He also knows where I can find more crates.¡±

    ¡°Glad I could help.¡± I took a step toward the tunnel and then paused. ¡°Sang also has one, so she might be able to carry things as well.¡±

    John nodded and he headed toward the tunnel alongside me. ¡°That¡¯s good to know. We might just fit everything on the ship. How''s the fighting?¡±

    I shrugged. ¡°Not much fighting for me, though I''m learning a few things about crystals. I made the one you took.¡± The spiders and slime that the miners had fought so far weren''t worth it as far as I could tell.

    ¡°That¡¯s really useful. Dad would love one.¡±

    ¡°I need to find another crystal that can become one, and it¡¯ll be for him.¡± It¡¯d be a great way to show up back at the settlement. I got a class and created an inventory stone for him. I¡¯d be his favorite kid at that point. Maybe it would distract him from the fact the shuttle had crashed to begin with. At some point, Dad had to understand we weren¡¯t kids anymore.

    John didn¡¯t say anything as we headed down the tunnel.

    ¡°Make sure you don¡¯t leave without me,¡± I added before I left John behind.

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, the shuttle¡¯s not leaving without you¡­¡±

    I stuck to the leftmost tunnel and he headed down a different branch with a wave.

    Hopefully, John would be able to keep that promise. While the miners were worried about the monsters in the tunnels, so far we hadn¡¯t seen anything concerning. Hopefully, it¡¯d stay that way.

    Finally, I made it back to the big cavern. The miner with the cart had just started pulling it toward the tunnel entrance. ¡°John¡¯s in a better mood, but he¡¯s looking for some crates to load the stone into.¡±

    ¡°I can help with that.¡± He started moving faster down the tunnel than before.

    I shook my head and kept going. When I got to the branch that led to the left, something felt different. The metal door had a second bump, in addition to the one from before. I slowed down and listened.

    All I heard was noise coming from the tunnel that led to the crystal cavern. Shaking my head I hurried on, wondering what was on the other side of the door. Miners in the cavern were busy as ants, piling more stone in front of the tunnel that kept going. While some folks were talking, it was quiet other than the sounds of stone being quarried and moved.

    Sang waved me over to the spot that I¡¯d been working before. ¡°Good timing, we need to remove this crystal.¡±

    ¡°What happened?¡± I asked, glancing at the miners, and Hawk, who looked tense.

    ¡°Some stones fell from the tunnel opening. Nothing to worry about, I¡¯m sure.¡± She motioned to the big hole she had carved around the right side of the crystal. ¡°I¡¯m almost behind it if you want to start carving a path around the left side.¡± Chunks of stone covered the floor and a pile was near the wall.

    I nodded and pulled out my spear, making it glow. Then I carved a big chunk off. The rock slammed into the floor and I kicked it out of the way before doing it again. Sang¡¯s eyes were on me, then she knelt down and reached into the hole getting to work.

    This crystal had to be the size of a large dog. Not that we had dogs on this planet. Hopefully, John could power a shuttle with it. It was twice the size of the one I¡¯d carried through the jungle on the sled. It''d make one heck of a safe area as well, if it couldn¡¯t power the second shuttle.

    I hummed to myself as I worked, one of those songs from Earth that stuck in your ear. It was a pop hit when we¡¯d left, but I didn¡¯t know all of the words. The crystal glowed in response and it made it easier to see where I was cutting. The red light worked well enough, but not when I stood in the way.

    I kicked more rock chunks out of the way, making good time as I carved a path to remove the crystal. It had to be wide enough to reach around to the back of it. From what I could tell, Sang didn¡¯t cut as deep as I did with each pass. She focused on more precise cuts, verses me taking out large chunks at a time.

    I wanted to get this done as soon as possible. There was no way it wasn¡¯t going to be heavy.

    The ground shook and I jerked away from the wall. My humming cut off, and the crystal went dark. Sang¡¯s head snapped toward the far tunnel, but the miners were scrambling. The rumble kept going for a second, then paused.

    ¡°Quiet!¡± Hawk¡¯s voice filled the cavern for a second as he glanced around. Nothing moved near the tunnel entrance.

    The sound of metal hitting stone echoed down the tunnel we¡¯d used to enter. My head snapped in that direction, eyes wide, thinking of that metal door with the bumps.

    Hawk started running, along with the other miners, as my brain caught up to what I¡¯d heard. ¡°You three stay here, the others come with me,¡± Hawk yelled. Then he rushed out of the cavern, the three he¡¯d pointed out trying to catch up with him.

    ¡°Keep working on the crystal,¡± said Sang. ¡°Once this is out, were done here.¡± Her voice stayed low.

    The cart clattered as Matt pulled it in our direction. ¡°I have room in the cart if you''re done.¡±

    ¡°Just a couple more minutes,¡± she said with gritted teeth. Sang moved and started cutting below the crystal into the rock.

    I cut another piece away and hit air behind the crystal. Now, I needed to completely disconnect it. My heart pounded in my chest as my ears strained to hear anything from the tunnel entrance.

    All I could think about was that if we were cut off, we''d need to carve our way out of this mountain to get out.

 Chapter 57: Into the Deep

    Tension increased along my shoulders as I tried to get the crystal free. Sang kept cutting into the top, while I tried to free the back, though it required me to shove rock out of the way to reach farther and farther back.

    ¡°Now, just the top,¡± said Sang. ¡°I only made a narrow cut on the bottom. It should be enough to not drop and shatter.

    I hadn¡¯t even thought about that. I pulled out of the area to the side where I was cutting. My gaze went back to the tunnel, but no one had come back to say anything. The miners that were left milled about the far end but slowly started approaching the tunnel near us to leave the cavern.

    Neither the metal mage nor the stove weaver were here.

    I paused and stretched my senses over the cavern. The deep red lights gave the place an eerie feeling, though my feeling of being enclosed had mostly vanished over the course of the day as I worked. Now it was back in full force. My knife stayed clenched in my hand as I listened.

    The sounds of people talking in the tunnel came from a distance, but he tone didn¡¯t sound concerning. I turned my attention to the rest of the cavern.

    ¡°Alex, I need your help here,¡± growled Sang. ¡°I don¡¯t want to drop this and shatter it.¡±

    My attention snapped back to her and I put my knife away. ¡°You want me to hold it up?¡±

    ¡°Just make sure it doesn¡¯t slam the inch down and spoil all of the work we¡¯ve done.¡±

    I got into place, holding the edge of the crystal, thankful for my increased strength.

    Her knife flashed bright yellow and cut deeper into the stone. Somehow, the glowing point stretched, becoming longer than the crystal.

    My mouth dropped open as she cut across the remaining rock holding the crystal up. The weight hit me, and I struggled to lower it an inch to the ground. It was heavy, but doable.

    ¡°Oh, thank the heavens it worked,¡± mumbled Sang. ¡°Now we¡¯ve just got to get it into the cart. The three of us shouldn¡¯t have a problem.¡±

    Matt stepped forward to help and we carefully got the giant crystal into the cart. Once it settled into place it started to hum.

    My eyes narrowed at the sound. The crystals still in the rock wall didn¡¯t hum at all. Or, if they did it was so low I couldn¡¯t hear it. I wasn¡¯t sure Sang''s belief that the monsters were used to the crystals was true. Maybe crystals grounded differently once free of the stone.

    The sound of footsteps from the tunnel caused everyone to look up. Hawk appeared with a grim look. ¡°That¡¯s taken care of. Some beasts got through the other metal gate. We closed everything back up.¡± The miners who¡¯d gone with him didn¡¯t come back. ¡°We should wrap things up in here and get things closed.¡±

    The miners who had slowly been moving toward the tunnel sped up. Matt yanked the cart in that direction as well. The humming stopped.

    Sang stood staring at the wall of crystals. ¡°It feels like such a waste to leave this crystal vein here.¡±

    ¡°We got what we could.¡±

    Hawk moved closer to the two of us. ¡°You two ready to go?¡± He whistled as the cart passed him with the massive crystal. ¡°Now, that¡¯s a find.¡± His eyes stayed on it as Matt passed. ¡°You know, we¡¯ve found some crystals near the spring that we get water from at the compound.¡±

    ¡°Really?¡± asked Sang.

    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s where we get the bulk of the ones for our fence and paths.¡± He smiled. ¡°I bet you¡¯ll be able to find even more with your skills.¡±

    "That¡¯s good." A weight I hadn¡¯t noticed lifted off the woman¡¯s shoulders, and she smiled for the first time I¡¯d seen. ¡°I didn¡¯t want to head to the settlement¡­¡±

    ¡°Na, we can keep you busy at the compound, no need to deal with Xander.¡±

    Sang gave him a sharp nod and turned away from the wall. She glanced at the miners, who were almost to us.

    I turned to look at the three of them with a grin, then I frowned. Something drew my attention to the back tunnel entrance. The red light made it hard to see across the long distance, but something kept nagging me.

    [Deep Rock Cephalopod, Level 20.]

    ¡°What the fuck?¡± My question came out as a strangled whisper. I pulled my knife out, trying to figure out what I was seeing.

    Something dark crawled along the floor of the room.

    Hawk¡¯s head snapped in the same direction. ¡°What do you see?¡±

    ¡°We need to leave, now," I growled. While I was level sixteen, the last two levels were for my profession so they hadn¡¯t been as powerful. ¡°Move slowly toward the tunnel¡­¡±

    Sang took a small step toward us as we both took a step backward.

    ¡°I can¡¯t see it,¡± said Hawk.

    ¡°I have enhanced senses,¡± I whispered.

    The dark shape searching across the ground crept toward us and the miners. The miners didn¡¯t hear our conversation and kept walking at a normal pace toward the exit to the tunnel. Then, one of the miners kicked a stone across the cavern. The sound echoed through the space and a dark tentacle flashed forward. It slammed into the back of the miner, who then screamed.

    Giant rocks went flying as more tentacles broke through the rock wall partially blocking the far tunnel. One of the miners fled, while the other hammered at the one holding the first miner to be attacked. His pickaxe cut into the monster, which let go. The captured miner fell to the ground, groaning.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

    Hawk yanked out an arrow and sent it into the damaged tentacle, still not able to see the creature itself. One miner helped the injured man to his feet and they scrambled past us.

    ¡°I only see one,¡± whispered Hawk.

    At least three tentacles floated in the air, while two more crept along the ground.

    ¡°There are five!¡±

    Sang danced back as one crawled along toward her. ¡°We need to go!¡±

    ¡°Defending retreat,¡± growled Hawk.

    I didn¡¯t have a clue, but Sang must have. Hawk started moving backward faster than before but keeping his head turned toward what he could see. I couldn¡¯t run backward, but I took off, keeping pace with him, spear out and ready if anything got close.

    ¡°We need to close the tunnel,¡± growled Sang. The sound of the miners running away down the tunnel picked up, and the two tentacles creeping along the ground shot in our direction.

    I sliced at one, cutting the tip off as it jerked back. The sound of something in pain came from the far tunnel. It echoed through the tunnels, raising the hair on the back of my neck.

    Hawk fired at the retreating limb. ¡°Once you touch them, I can see them.¡±

    Sang screamed, cutting at one wrapped around her foot with a glowing knife. It yanked her back and her knife went flying, going dark.

    I darted forward, moving faster than I ever had before, slamming the glowing tip of my spear into the thing.

    It jerked back, letting go of her. She screamed again as it retreated, blood coating her leg.

    I slid an arm under her shoulder to keep her upright.

    Hawk shot another arrow. ¡°I¡¯ll grab her, your spear hurts that thing.¡± He moved to take her from me, but then something yanked her back across the ground out of reach.

    ¡°I¡¯ll hold it off!¡± I raced forward, getting closer to the limbs dragging Sang across the rocks. She didn¡¯t make a sound and I hoped she wasn¡¯t dead. ¡°Get someone ready to close the tunnel!¡±

    Hawk didn¡¯t say anything in response, but when I turned to look he was already racing down the tunnel.

    Stabbing out with my spear, the glowing tip sunk into the limb wrapped around her leg again. This time it dug in deeper.

    So I cut it completely off.

    Another growl of pain echoed from deeper in the mountain. This time, the ground shook.

    I grabbed Sang under the shoulders with one arm and kept my spear in the other. I slowly moved back toward the exit tunnel, keeping an eye on the tentacles. They were being more cautious, which was the only way we were making progress.

    The rocks left blocking the far tunnel trembled as several more fell to the ground. The sound filled the cavern as all of the tentacles vanished back toward the deeper entrance. An explosion rocked the air, and rocks went flying. The ground shook again, and I stumbled forward, barely keeping the both of us upright.

    Sang moaned in pain.

    I glanced back in panic.

    [Deep Rock Cephalopod, Level 20.]

    [Deep Rock Cephalopod, Level 18.]

    There were two of them. Dark glittering eyes pulling round bodies out of the tunnel and into the cavern. One looked almost purple in the red lights, with long black stripes running up it¡¯s body, while the other was a deep, nearly uniform black. The level twenty was the darker one, and it shoved the smaller one out into the room first.

    The lower level one tried to climb back toward the tunnel, but tentacles from the first slammed into it, knocking it into the left wall. It lay stunned.

    Black tentacles from the monster raced along the floor, heading in our direction.

    We weren¡¯t going to make it to the tunnel entrance. Holding Sang, I moved too slow.

    Small glittering eyes shown in the cavern, reflecting the dim red light.

    I hummed as loud as I could.

    Bright yellow light flashed from the crystal ring on my belt, along with my spear tip. The fallen knife from Sang pulsed several feet away. The crystal vein in the nearby wall barely lit up.

    The monster growled, but the limbs moved slower in the light. Its head jerked back slightly into the tunnel, trying to protect its vision.

    I needed to be louder. ¡°You are my sunshine, my only sunshine! You make me happyyyy when skies are gray!¡± I sang the first thing that came to mind as loud as I could. It sounded like a cat in pain, but it worked. Bright yellow light streamed from the crystal vein, completely overwhelming the dim red light in the cavern.

    It killed my vision, but another groan of pain came from the monster behind us. I just kept singing, moving step by step in what I hoped was the correct direction.

    ¡°You really can¡¯t sing,¡± mumbled Sang.

    Her words almost caused me to drop her, but I kept going. We just needed to get to the tunnel entrance. I had to have faith Hawk wouldn¡¯t let me down.

    Slowly, we made progress toward the tunnel, but that meant we were moving farther away from the crystal wall. The light dimmed with every step no matter how loud I sang, and I could only repeat the one line, I couldn¡¯t think of any others.

    ¡°Keep it up!¡±

    Relief filled me at the call. It was Hawk.

    A miner grabbed Sang and tossed her over their shoulder, sprinting away from me and the wall. I didn¡¯t dare move. Any farther away and the light would be too dim.

    ¡°When I tell you to run, you better run!¡±

    I held up a thumbs up and snapped my eyes shut. I¡¯d need to be able to see once I stopped singing and the light was gone.

    ¡°Run!¡±

    Something went flying through the air, and my eyes snapped open as soon as I stopped singing. I blinked several times as I stumbled toward the tunnel opening. Sang¡¯s knife rested nearby on the floor and I snagged it as I struggled to see. Once I gained my eyesight back, I took off.

    Hawk peeked out from the entrance, along with Doc, who looked terrified. ¡°Shoot an arrow!¡± screamed Doc.

    I raced forward as Hawk aimed at something behind me. His arrow flew through the air as I raced into the tunnel entrance.

    Nothing happened. Doc swore.

    The massive creature moved into the cavern, pulling itself across the cavern floor, faster than something that size should move. The smaller one darted toward the far tunnel opening and slipped away as the black squid thing targeted us.

    Three massive limbs moved in my direction and I pivoted in the opposite direction as the tunnel. Gathering energy, I leaped closer to the creature.

    Hawk fired several arrows, all of which hit the main body. That drew its attention back to the tunnel entrance and the miners.

    Gathering energy, I leaped closer to the creature. It jerked back in surprise, but its main limbs now stretched across the floor.

    I stabbed at the main body, the crystal tip of my spear glowing a bright yellow in the red light. It slid in like butter. The creature screamed, a massive mouth opening and showing row after row of teeth. I yanked my spear back and stabbed it again.

    "Alex, move!"

    The stretched-out tentacles recoiled back toward the main body and I rolled away across the rocky surface. The sound of arrows whistling through the air continued. Something smashed into the ground right behind me and I didn''t dare stop moving. I sped up, dodging around the creature''s body, and sliced into the backside of it with my glowing crystal. A burnt rubber smell filled the air as it screamed again and tried to twist about to reach me, yet it moved too slowly.

    A tentacle came up in front of me and I leaped over it, digging my spear into the obstacle and the end of it went flying. I tapped it with a hand sending it into my inventory.

    Then it moved, sliding back toward the far tunnel to escape.

    "No, you don''t!" I growled, before leaping onto its back. This time, I sunk my spear with all of my mass behind it into the top of the stinking creature. It twisted, trying to get me off, but I only pushed my weapon deeper.

    Finally, it stopped moving.

    [You have gained bonus experience from combat for defeating a Deep Rock Cephalopod above your level.]

    [You have leveled up your Devouring Class.]

    [You have leveled up your Devouring Class.]

    "Doc, no!"

    Something nearby exploded, sending me flying.

 Chapter 58: Controlled Chaos

    I kept a hold of my spear through pure luck as I slammed into the ground several feet away. Blood, guts, and all sorts of things from the monster went everywhere as my surroundings continued to shake. Rocks fell from the ceiling, and I stumbled for a moment as my ears rang. Half of the red lights in the cavern went out. I got my feet under me and tried to figure out what had happened. My eyes landed on the smoking carcass of the cephalopod. Half of it was blown away. My stomach growled and I dashed closer, trying to see if the heart was still intact.

    "Alex!" The call came from the far side of the cavern, where more of the red lights still glowed. I ignored it as I searched the gore for the heart. It didn''t take much cutting to find half of it, though the rest was gone. I stuffed my mouth full, swallowing massive bites as everything continued to shake.

    [You have devoured Deep Rock Cephalopod and gained major insight into Stealth Camouflage.]

    The notification made me smile, a smile which vanished as a rock from the roof slammed down right next to me. I fled toward the exit tunnel, as more of the ceiling crashed down. Another explosive rocked the air behind me, and I sprinted faster.

    Doc had vanished while Hawk peered out of the tunnel toward the cavern. He spotted me, nodded, then turned and fled.

    I darted down the tunnel, wanting to race ahead, but I kept pace with Hawk. Everything around us stopped shaking. We passed the branch that led off to the right and loud banging from behind the metal door filled the air. I glanced back in time to see something punch through the center of it.

    Still, we kept going, not even pausing our movement. Suddenly, we were out of the tunnel and in the meeting room. It only had two people in it.

    Mars, and the stoneweaver.

    The tunnel behind us rumbled again, as the stoveweaver stepped forward. Hawk slowed down, stopped and turned to face the open tunnel, his bow ready even as his chest heaved.

    My breathing quickly came under control as I turned to face the opening as well. More rocks trembled from the ceiling, quickly filling the hole.

    ¡°Something breached the metal gate,¡± I explained.

    Mars frowned. ¡°This might not hold, then. Plan B!¡±

    The stoneweaver and Mars then turned and ran. I blinked and followed as Hawk did as well.

    ¡°Plan B?¡± I asked, loudly.

    ¡°Gather at the shuttle, close as many gates as possible behind us!¡± called back the stoneweaver.

    The next broken gate we passed had the metal worker next to it. The stoneweaver slowed down and waited for us to pass. Then, more rocks crashed from the ceiling. The metal mage then stepped forward. The metal gate rose into the air on its own, then rods stretched out, hammering into the rock on either side.

    Then more stone almost flowed up to cover the edges.

    ¡°I don¡¯t have much more,¡± whispered the stoneweaver.

    Mars placed a hand on his shoulder. ¡°It will be good enough, go ahead, get to the shuttle. Everyone should be there already.¡±

    Mars glanced at the woman and then the rest of us. ¡°I think we can slow down from here and make sure there haven¡¯t been any more breaches. There aren¡¯t many more openings from here that lead to the ship cavern.¡±

    Hawk nodded, but gave me a look as soon as Mars started walking down the tunnel. It didn¡¯t reassure me.

    ¡°So, was that C4?¡± I asked Hawk.

    ¡°Something like it. The first batch didn''t go off, but then Doc got anxious and tossed another bomb. We at least got the big monster.¡±

    ¡°But not the level 18 one¡­¡± I didn''t comment on the fact that the monster was already dead, that I¡¯d killed it by the time Doc¡¯d tossed the second batch and almost killed me.

    ¡°There were two?¡±

    I nodded. ¡°Yeah, but I didn¡¯t do any damage to the lower level one, so I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s alive.¡± I thought back to the lighter stripes. ¡°It was smaller than the other as well. Like, half the size.¡±

    ¡°I hope it goes back into the deep,¡± muttered Hawk. ¡°I didn¡¯t like how the thing could hide.¡± His gaze stayed focused on our surroundings.

    ¡°Only the big one could hide in the shadows.¡±

    Hawk shrugged. ¡°I hope you¡¯re right.¡±

    We came to an open doorway with no one inside, and we kept going. Some of the tension left my shoulders the farther we got from the last gate. I strained my ears to hear anything behind us, but heard nothing.

    Maybe we were clear of this mess for now.

    Yet, all of a sudden Mars darted ahead and picked up speed. In the far distance, I could hear faint yelling.

    I dashed forward.

    Three miners fought with spiders pouring out of a branch that led to the left. Swords and pickaxes tore them to pieces, given the low levels of the creatures, but there were a lot of them.

    Mars hopped into the frey while the metal mage yanked a nearby metal door off its hinges.

    ¡°Move!¡±

    The three miners stepped back, letting the spiders spill forward. The metal door plastered itself to the opening in the rock, though several spiders still crawled on our side. I quickly cut into one near me.

    [You have gained no experience from combat.]

    I pushed the notification away, along with the next two from spider kills. Then the tunnel was empty of the creatures.

    ¡°This won¡¯t hold anything bigger,¡± said the woman. ¡°We need to retreat.¡±

    Mars led the way again with the miners, while we came in the rear.

    ¡°Anyone else notice the pattern? Spiders first, then horrible tentacle monsters?¡± I asked.

    Hawk nodded, which I caught out of the corner of my eye. Mars sped up.

    The light increased in the tunnel, then it opened up to pure chaos. The shuttle sat in the middle of the cavern and the cloth blocking the opening was still up.

    Miners argued with John, but he ignored them. John touched a large crate and it vanished, making more room along the bottom of the ramp. The large cart with the crystal in it sat near the bottom of the ramp. Matt leaned up against it. David knelt next to Sang, who lay on the cot in the back of the shuttle. Jimmy and Doc were in the front, standing near the controls of the ship with grim looks.The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    John noticed us and relaxed. ¡°You took your time,¡± he said looking at me.

    ¡°Just had to kill a squid thing,¡± I said with a grin.

    ¡°Level freaking eighteen.¡± John shook his head and moved faster toward the crates all over the area. He motioned to the miners. ¡°Get that crystal loaded into the right side. Near the end of the cot.¡±

    Matt yanked the cart up the ramp, and got to work getting it out. Mars went to go talk to the miners that were hovering, not doing anything. I counted ten people, including David and Sang. That was one less than before. I didn¡¯t mention it.

    John moved more quickly around the area and a few more crates vanished, making more room. He walked closer to me with a frown. ¡°You okay? You¡¯ve got blood all over your face.¡±

    I yanked out a cloth from my inventory and scrubbed at my face. ¡°Yeah, ready to leave the red lights behind.¡±

    He nodded and glanced back at the miners talking with Mars. ¡°Keep an eye on them. They¡¯ve been giving me trouble.¡±

    ¡°I see Jimmy and Doc.¡±

    He nodded sharply as Hawk moved closer to us.

    ¡°Things should be good now,¡± said Hawk. ¡°We blocked off the tunnels leading in this direction. How long until we can leave?¡±

    John let out a sigh. ¡°It¡¯s only mid afternoon, we still have maybe 2 hours at minimum, more like 3 to 4 to be safe.¡±

    Hawk frowned. ¡°That¡¯s not good.¡±

    ¡°No, and the miners are on edge. They don¡¯t know what things are like out there in the skies.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll go talk to Mars,¡± said Hawk, as he moved toward the large group.

    ¡°Is everything going to fit?¡± I asked, looking around at the ore still sitting in piles.

    ¡°If it isn¡¯t in a crate, it¡¯s not going.¡± John shrugged. ¡°David¡¯s inventory is stuffed full of food stuff and Sang¡­ isn¡¯t in great shape.¡± He scratched the back of his head.

    My head tilted to one side. ¡°David can¡¯t fix her leg?¡±

    ¡°The problem is the poison,¡± explained John. ¡°Or at least, that¡¯s what David said. You go talk to them, I¡¯m almost done here.¡±

    I walked up the ramp and pulled Sang¡¯s knife out of my belt loop. I¡¯d snagged it from the floor of the cavern, and now I could return it.

    David glanced up at me with a tight smile. ¡°Heard you''re one of the heroes of the hour.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t know about that. How is she?¡±

    He shook his head. ¡°I fixed the shattered bone, but I can¡¯t get all of the tiny barbs out. She needs a real healer. Someone who can fix the poison.¡±

    ¡°What about Doc?¡±

    ¡°He said the same thing.¡±

    I nodded softly and tucked the knife into her belt holder. ¡°Well, we have two days until we can get to the settlement.¡±

    ¡°I hope she has that long,¡± mumbled David.

    Sang stirred and opened her dark eyes. ¡°Alex,¡± her voice was soft. ¡°You saved me from being eaten.¡±

    I smiled at her. ¡°Just returning your knife, I found it on the floor of all places.¡±

    She chuckled, but then grimaced, pain shaking her body. ¡°You should¡­¡± she paused, then tried again. ¡°Take my knife and stone.¡± She pulled the inventory crystal out of her pocket. ¡°I can make¡­ new ones¡­¡± Her eyes stared up at me.

    I nodded, swallowing the lump in my throat. She knew she probably wouldn¡¯t make it. ¡°Thank you, I¡¯ll make sure they are put to good use.¡± I took the inventory crystal and put it in my pocket, and pulled the knife I tucked into her belt back out. ¡°Get some rest, we¡¯ll get you to a healer.¡± I patted her shoulder as her eyelids fluttered closed again.

    I swallowed and looked at David. ¡°Do you need water for her or something?¡±

    ¡°I have some, but thanks.¡± He shook his head.

    I turned and headed toward the front where Doc and Jimmy stood menacingly. They blocked off the narrow doorway toward the seats. Denver sat in one of them, his eyes closed.

    ¡°Is she gonna make it?¡± I asked Doc, trying to be as quiet as possible. The inventory stone felt heavy in my pocket. The same went for the knife in my hand.

    He shrugged. ¡°Not without real medical care.¡±

    ¡°What about the other miner who was snagged?¡±

    He shook his head sharply, giving me the answer. ¡°Lost too much blood from shattered bones, then the barbs. That poison is a bitch.¡±

    ¡°And she got wrapped twice in the thing¡­¡± I added, letting out a sigh. Somehow we needed a healer yet again. We¡¯d come here for one, found one, and now we needed a better one. Becoming numb to losing people was a skill all of us had acquired after the crash. So many had died. I hated it. We couldn¡¯t keep losing people like this. A healer could fix her within minutes.

    Yet, the only ones with an actual healer were the scientists. The settlement had someone like David, but with more first aid training. Last I knew, everyone on the leadership council had tried to find more learning materials about healing for the person to study, with the hope they could evolve their class, but so far hadn¡¯t had much luck.

    At least one person was doing better, Denver.

    I turned to look at him and found him staring back at me. I gave him a nod. ¡°At least you¡¯re doing better.¡±

    ¡°Small miracles,¡± mumbled Doc.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve met yet,¡± said Denver, holding out his hand.

    I moved closer and shook it. ¡°Not yet. I¡¯m Alex.¡±

    ¡°Another one of Hellion¡¯s kids.¡±

    I snorted. ¡°Are there any kids anymore?¡± I asked with a sarcastic grin. Somehow, people still considered me a kid when I was twenty. Not to mention level eighteen, which was higher than everyone else in the ship. I sat down next to him.

    ¡°That¡¯s true.¡± He stared at me and I could feel him trying to get information on me. I didn¡¯t care if he knew my level. ¡°Damn, what¡¯ve you been doing?¡±

    ¡°Fighting things that attack me, mostly.¡± There were only a few exceptions, but then again, even the Carnitor had attacked me first.

    ¡°So, basically being related to Hellion. He must be proud.¡±

    ¡°The last time he saw me I didn¡¯t even have a class.¡±

    ¡°How is that possible?¡± he asked.

    It didn¡¯t take long for me to explain the shuttle crashing and the journey through the jungle. Then getting here.

    ¡°Now, that¡¯s a story,¡± mumbled Denver.

    I only nodded. My fingers tapped on my knee and after a moment I stood up, making my way toward the back ramp. Sitting still wasn¡¯t my strong suit, and just waiting inside the shuttle made time slow down even more.

    Most of the miners sat near the far wall with Mars. Hawk kept near the only tunnel entrance leading away from the cavern. He paced back and forth. I joined him.

    ¡°Anything?¡±

    ¡°No.¡± He shook his head, but looked confused as he gazed into the tunnel. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t think that the monsters would just stop. It feels off.¡±

    I nodded slowly. If the pattern held, we should be seeing the squid make an appearance. Yet, these tunnels were much smaller than the big one that it had come from before. Then again, this one was smaller than the other one. If there weren¡¯t more than two of them.

    ¡°It¡¯s only been an hour or so,¡± I whispered. ¡°We only need to wait another two, per John.¡±

    ¡°Even that¡¯s cutting it close with dusk.¡± Hawk frowned. ¡°Realistically we need three or four hours to safely fly out.¡±

    ¡°We haven¡¯t been that lucky, yet.¡±

    ¡°I know.¡±

    We both paced back and forth, until my stomach growled. ¡°Well, that sucks.¡± The piece of the heart I¡¯d gotten hadn''t been enough to regain the energy I¡¯d lost in the fight.

    He chuckled at the sound. ¡°David should have some food.¡±

    The thought of more of the mushroom stuff made me frown, but something was better than nothing. I headed back up the ramp and found him sitting on the floor next to Sang¡¯s cot. ¡°Hey, David, do you have anything to eat?¡± Matt leaned against the crystal on the other side of the cargo hold.

    His head jerked up. ¡°I didn¡¯t even think about that. Everyone is probably hungry after all of this.¡±

    John strode up the ramp and headed toward the front. ¡°I¡¯ve got everything I can carry at this point.¡±

    David pulled out a bowl of the mushroom mash. ¡°I have a large stockpile of this that I can slowly pass out to people.¡±

    I took the bowl with a nod and scarfed it down. It settled my stomach, but I wanted some real food.

    Matt chuckled. ¡°Fighting will make anyone hungry.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s for sure,¡± I said, finishing off the bowl and handing it back. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go keep watch with Hawk.¡± With a grin I hurried back down the ramp, pulling out my canteen. The water helped wash away the taste of the mushroom. I only had a little bit of the meat left, and there wasn¡¯t a chance I¡¯d be able to sneak it while on the shuttle back to the compound.

    I headed toward the tunnel opening and motioned forward. ¡°I¡¯m gonna go peek.¡±

    Hawk shrugged at me without saying anything.

    Slowly, I entered the tunnel, letting my eyes adjust back to the red light. I didn¡¯t go far, but stayed facing the depths and pulled out something to eat. Very slowly, I ate chunks of meat. It was definitely drier than earlier, but it still tasted better than the mushrooms. I needed to hunt something soon and stockpile more food. Maybe I could cook it and store it longer that way.

    Once we got back to the compound, I¡¯d offer to go hunting in the jungle. It¡¯d give me an excuse to stock up, and with my level, plus the inventory crystal, I wouldn¡¯t even need help. It was a plan. Sometimes, that was the best you could do.

    I stared into the shadows, keeping up my guard.

 Chapter 59(Ch 1): Rocky Moments

    Chapter One

    My chest tightened as I slowly crept forward and my eyes played tricks on me, making the shadows inch closer. The red light gave the tunnel an eerie glow and I couldn¡¯t wait until we left this forsaken mountain. From what John had said, we still had a few hours until it was safe to fly away in the shuttle, otherwise we¡¯d need to deal with the flying monsters outside.

    Still, open skies and monsters you could easily see versus dark tunnels, small spaces, and sneak attacks didn¡¯t seem to present an obvious best option. It wouldn¡¯t be long at this point, and I studied every shadow within the red light around me. I placed each footstep to be as silent as I could, as I continued on my way down the tunnel. Checking on the metal door felt important, and I listened to my gut. I¡¯d survived this long because of it, I wasn¡¯t going to stop listening now.

    Finally, I made it to the fork.

    The metal door looked mostly the same as when we¡¯d run through it, though it had a few more bumps pushing out from the center. Something had hammered on the other side and tried to beat through the metal. A dark liquid oozed out from underneath the metal. The coppery scent of blood hung in the air, and I wondered what had died on the other side of the door. For once, the sight and scent of the blood didn''t trigger any reaction from my seemingly always empty stomach.

    I waited a few moments to see if anything would change before creeping back down the tunnel toward the shuttle bay. The way back went by much faster than my journey to check on the door had gone.

    The shuttle bay hadn''t changed much, either. Miners stuck close to the shuttle, but given how cramped it would be with everyone inside, most sat on the cavern floor. Mars gave me a nod from where he stood talking with Matt, but he didn¡¯t stop his conversation.

    Hawk moved closer to me, his bow in his hands. ¡°Any changes?¡±

    ¡°Something died on the other side of the metal door. Blood is seeping underneath.¡±

    He frowned, before turning to look back into the tunnel, his eyes focused on the darkness. ¡°I can¡¯t wait to leave." Hawk took up a stance near the entrance to the tunnel, but off to one side where anything in the tunnel wouldn¡¯t have a clear view of him.

    ¡°You and me, both,¡± I muttered, running a hand through my dusty hair.

    ¡°Hey, Alex,¡± called David.

    I hurried over to where he stood at the end of the ramp, looking hopeful.

    ¡°Doc mentioned you have increased senses, so you might be able to help me with Sang.¡± The last couple of words came out in a rush. He hurried back up the ramp and motioned to the cot she lay on. The bandage on her leg was undone and Doc sat on the ground with something that looked like pliers. ¡°If we can remove the barbs, she¡­¡± David¡¯s voice trailed off and I just nodded.

    I knew what he would say. She might have a chance. The inside of the shuttle smelled like blood, and something else. I blinked, tracing the weird smell. It came from her wounds. I crouched down and tucked my knife away. ¡°Do you have any more of those?¡± I asked, motioning to the pliers.

    Doc pulled out tweezers from one of his pockets. ¡°Don¡¯t lose them, I¡¯ll need them back.¡± Using his pliers, Doc held up what I needed to search for. A small black barbed thorn, it was the size of a dime. He dropped it on a piece of leather that held a few more. ¡°The more we remove, the easier she can heal.¡±

    I focused on the barb, trying to see if I could use identity on it.

    [Cephalopod Barb, Posioned.]

    The notification popped up and I nodded. It was worth a shot, though I wondered why David wasn¡¯t helping, since he wanted a healing class. Still, I focused on her foot, trying to spot the areas that the barbs dug in, and if any more of them would be identified. The notifications would speed up finding them. Yet, nothing popped up as I spotted the first one. Once I removed it and focused just on it, then the notification arrived. Weird, and not currently very helpful.

    Time ticked by as I focused on removing the barbs one by one. The smell made my eyes water, but I kept going until I couldn¡¯t find anything else stuck into her foot, no matter what way I twisted it. David sat close to me, watching every move, but I didn¡¯t care. I blinked a few times to clear the water from them, since I didn''t want to rub them.

    [Heightened Senses: You have evolved Heightened Senses into Augmented Senses. You have increased senses of vision, smell, taste, touch, and sound. Your sense of smell has increased and unlocked the ability to track your prey by a scent trail. You have gained the ability to understand whether something is prey. By focusing, you can see minute details.]

    The notification popped up as I opened my mouth to say something to Doc. The last sentence was new, and I almost smiled when I read it. I cleared it as he turned my way. ¡°Her foot is done.¡±

    He nodded and motioned to the pile of barbs, which amounted to a cup of the things. ¡°Thank you for your help. I think we should clean the wounds and wrap her leg back up.¡±

    I gave back the tweezers and stood up, moving back before stretching out my shoulders. Staying hunched over had tightened everything up, but, hopefully, Sang could recover at this point.

    David moved in to take over cleaning the wound. As I moved away, I caught John staring at me with his eyebrows raised. Medical stuff wasn¡¯t a strong suit of mine, and I shrugged, heading in his direction.

    ¡°How much longer do we have?¡± I asked, quietly unsure of how much time had passed. Jimmy and Denver sat in the seats behind the pilot¡¯s chair, while John stood up and stretched behind it, just watching everything with a concerned look.

    ¡°Too long¡­¡± he mumbled. ¡°At least people have calmed down.¡±

    Near the bottom of the ramp, Miners played cards and sat in small groups, either talking or resting with their eyes closed.

    I nodded and motioned to the ramp. "Gonna do a walk about." Tension increased along my shoulders and I resisted the urge to tap on my thigh. Sitting on the floor of the shuttle had wound me up, and that smell wouldn¡¯t leave me alone. I wandered down the ramp, monitoring the area, and noticed that Mars and Hawk stood near the tunnel entrance. He''d given up his ready-to-shoot-something stance near the wall. I headed in that direction.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.

    ¡°We should leave as soon as possible,¡± whispered Mars with a frown as I approached.

    Hawk shrugged. ¡°We¡¯ll leave when John thinks it''s safe. He knows the skies better than anyone.¡±

    Mars rolled his eyes.

    ¡°Any signs of movement?¡± I asked, doing my best to not glare at Mars.

    Hawk shook his head, looking worried. ¡°I feel like a storm¡¯s about to hit.¡± He scratched his head, then motioned toward the opening.

    I headed into the tunnel without another word. That itchy feeling crept along my spine, and I pulled out my spear. Silently, I kept going, leaving the bright lights behind for the dim red. It didn¡¯t take long to sneak close to the fork in the tunnel, but the feeling of anticipation spiked, causing me to stop in warning. The sudden sound of something metal crashing into a wall farther down the tunnel caused me to jerk back. The sound echoed down the rocky pathway.

    The door!

    I paused for one second before I raced back toward the bright tunnel opening. My speed increased, and I moved with ease, ready to finally do something. I wanted more room to move than the tunnel allowed, and I was pretty sure I¡¯d need it in a moment.

    Motion and sound filled the cavern. The miners all raced toward the ship, with Mars calling after them to hold on, but no one listened to him. The crush of bodies pushed toward the ramp, where John''s voice directed people to stand in different areas away from the ramp opening.

    ¡°See anything?¡± asked Hawk, lowering his bow from pointing at me. His eyes darted back and forth across the opening.

    ¡°Something broke through that gate.¡± I spun around with my spear out. ¡°Do we dare leave during the day?¡±

    ¡°We might need to.¡±

    I let out a harsh breath. ¡°I mean, if it''s only the level 18, we can take it.¡± What I really meant was I could take it, but decided that wasn¡¯t the polite thing to say, even if it was true.

    ¡°Did you see what it did to Sang?¡± Hawk shuddered. ¡°I don¡¯t have poison resistance. That¡¯s a rough way to die, Alex.¡±

    I had poison resistance, but I didn¡¯t know if it would work with whatever the barbs on the tentacles were coated with. Still, fighting was better than running. Especially since in the shuttle we would be outnumbered by the fliers, with no way to help in that battle.

    Jimmy pushed past the miners and joined us with his bow. Sweat dripped down his face, and his hands shook. ¡°John said it''s too early and we wouldn¡¯t make it past the mountain range.¡±

    Shouting came from the open ramp of the shuttle, but no one else joined us in front of the tunnel entrance.

    I wasn¡¯t worried and relaxed, taking a deep breath. A musky smell came from the mouth of the tunnel, which I focused on. Something moved in the dim red light and I pointed my spear. ¡°It¡¯s coming¡­¡±

    Bright tiny red eyes glared out from the darkness, and the red light in the distance showed something that wasn¡¯t expected.

    [Rock Mountain Bear, Level 17, Prey.]

    ¡°Guys we got this,¡± I mumbled. ¡°It¡¯s only a bear¡­¡± The level was beneath mine, and I rolled my eyes once I saw the prey tag. This shouldn''t be a hard fight.

    The thing launched itself out of the tunnel opening. Hawk fired an arrow, followed by a second at the same time Jimmy fired. The arrows literally bounced off the Rock Bear¡¯s dark gray, spiky fur. Strangely, one arrowhead chipped a piece of the spiky fur off, sending it flying.

    ¡°Oh, fuck,¡± growled Hawk.

    The bear''s fur was actually some sort of rock protrusion. I¡¯d bet it''d make some excellent armor. My eyes narrowed and I smiled. I wanted that fur.

    It leaped at Hawk, but I lunged forward, my glowing spear tip piercing its side, cutting through the spikes without a problem. The bear howled and I yanked back. The sound echoed around the cavern, as Hawk rolled out of the way.

    The red eyes locked onto me as the biggest threat. It paced closer and I tried to hit it with my spear. It pawed at my spear, but at contact, it suddenly jerked away in pain.

    I smirked, lunging at the opening, spear ready.

    Bright silver darts flew through the air, stabbing into its side at the same time it tried to dodge my spear. Its momentum slowed and I hit, digging in deep. Its claws flashed out at me, but I dashed out of the way, showing off my speed.

    More silver darts drilled into the side of it, blood leaking over its fur as it whimpered and stumbled back.

    I headed in for the kill, finishing it off with another thrust.

    [You have gained experience from combat.]

    The metal mage stepped up and the metal darts flew back out of the dead creature.

    ¡°Hawk, do you think you can use anything from it?¡± I asked, moving closer to the carcass as I shortened my spear down to a knife. I hoped the fur would be useful.

    Yet, he was staring down the dark tunnel when I turned to look at him. I couldn¡¯t hear anything else in the darkness, but that didn¡¯t mean there wasn¡¯t anything there.

    ¡°Honey, do you think you can close this opening now?¡± asked the metal mage.

    ¡°Maybe? I can try,¡± answered the stoneweaver.

    I studied him as he stepped forward raising his hands and a rock fell from the ceiling. It loudly crashed into the floor, making dust fly everywhere.

    [Heath, Stoneweaver, Level 15, Prey.]

    A purple tentacle shot out of the darkness and wrapped around the man before vanishing.

    He was gone before I could move. The ceiling shuddered as more rocks tumbled down.

    ¡°Heath!¡±

    Hawk moved forward, his arms wrapping around the yelling older woman, stopping her from stepping into the tunnel as more of it collapsed.

    ¡°Into the shuttle!¡± His voice echoed around the cavern.

    My fingers landed on the bear, snagging it into my inventory before I bolted. I didn¡¯t want to get locked out of the shuttle, though I figured I could take the Cephalopod monster.

    More and more rocks smashed into the ground, then the avalanche suddenly cut off. The tunnel wasn¡¯t completely blocked, but a good amount of it was full of rocks. Everyone left outside the shuttle raced toward the ramp. I kept to the rear, and the ramp started to rise as I entered. The rear cargo hold barely held everyone. I squeezed through to the front of the ship, where John sat in the pilot seat. Denver sat on the left with the metal mage, while Jimmy and Doc still stood guard. Hawk and Mars spoke quietly with John, who gave me a nod.

    ¡°The covering is still there. We can¡¯t leave until it''s removed. If it gets stuck blocking the window, we¡¯re fucked.¡± John shook his head frantically. ¡°We wouldn¡¯t be able to fight off the fliers.¡±

    ¡°And we shouldn¡¯t leave until dusk either way,¡± added Hawk.

    ¡°Exactly,¡± said John. ¡°We can¡¯t risk crashing. We already did that once this week.¡±

    ¡°I can remove the covering if someone tells me how.¡± Three sets of eyes landed on me. ¡°I have poison resistance, so if it gets hold of me I have the best chance. Plus, I¡¯m the same level as it is.¡± I motioned to the ceiling. ¡°I¡¯ll head out the top hatch, crawl down the side, and remove the covering. It doesn¡¯t like light, so that might even help keep it at bay.¡±

    ¡°Alex, you aren¡¯t invincible." John shook his head with a frown. "Yes, you survived in the jungle, but this¡­¡±

    ¡°Just like the Carnitor,¡± I said with a grin. ¡°I can do this¡­ Slowly and Quietly.¡± This time I had a plan.

    Mars didn¡¯t say anything while Hawk stared at me.

    ¡°John, it will be fine. Just make sure they let me back in.¡± That was my biggest concern about this. The miners in the back were freaked out, muttering. Some stood with their arms wrapped around themselves. If they locked me out of the shuttle, I didn¡¯t know what I would do. Getting left behind was not part of my plan. I''d need to find a path down and out of the mountain, then cross the jungle to the compound on foot.

    ¡°I¡¯ll make sure you get back in,¡± said Hawk with a dark look. ¡°Two taps and I open the lid.¡±

    I nodded, already wondering if I could take out the monster before taking down the covering protecting the opening to the cavern.

 Chapter 60(Ch 2): Take the Bait

    Chapter Two

    John¡¯s lips pressed into a tight line, but he just let out a sigh. ¡°Mars, how does Alex unhook the cavern covering?¡±

    I resisted the urge to smile, knowing I¡¯d get my chance.

    ¡°It¡¯s pretty easy,¡± he said, pointing off to one side of the cavern that we couldn''t see from the window. ¡°There is a pulley system. Once you let it fall, you need to unhook the ropes. Doesn¡¯t take long to lower it, getting it back up is harder, but that won¡¯t be a problem¡­¡± His hand landed on my shoulder and I wanted to shove it off. The feeling I got from the guy was off. ¡°Just get back here safely. You¡¯ve done so much for all of us. We can¡¯t repay you.¡±

    Hawk pushed his way past the miners listening in on the conversation. They cleared a tight pathway to the hatch. I paused next to the compartment with the ladder and pulled it out without knocking into anyone before handing it off. Hawk set it up under the hatch even in the limited space available.

    Everyone stayed quiet. Some wouldn¡¯t look at me, while others stared. Someone identified me, though I couldn''t tell who.

    ¡°Get it lowered, then get back to the shuttle. The faster the better.¡± Hawk glared at the miners. ¡°We will be waiting, quietly.¡±

    I gave a sharp nod, before climbing up the ladder. Maybe I did have a hero complex, with offering to go remove the covering. Yet, I couldn¡¯t come up with a better idea, or someone better equipped to go. At this point, my level was the highest in the ship, and I wanted a chance to take out the creature. Instead of a hero, I felt greedy. I wanted the loot and the gains that''d potentially come from this. Noseen''s warning echoed through my head. I had to keep growing.

    Slowly, I unlocked the hatch, popping the top only a few inches before looking around. Nothing moved, so I quickly opened it and climbed out. I didn¡¯t let it touch the roof of the shuttle, and instead slowly lowered it back down without making much noise.

    If the creatures disliked the light, they probably hunted by sound. My goal was to be as quiet as possible.

    Step by step I moved to the edge of the shuttle, not seeing anything reaching out from the tunnel entrance. I climbed down the handholds and jumped to the ground, pausing for just a second.

    Nothing moved in the dim light remaining in the cavern.

    From here, I could see the pulley system. The front of the shuttle pointed in the wrong direction to watch me work. I carefully moved across the flat ground after pulling out my spear. I held it in my hand and didn¡¯t light it up, since I wasn¡¯t sure if it hummed when I did that.

    It didn¡¯t take long to move across the area, though I slowed down as I approached the equipment, trying to figure out how the pulley system worked. From what I could tell, I only needed to unlock the wheel, which turned to lower the cloth from the opening. Mars'' instructions were helpful.

    Readiness radiated from my body as I reached to unlatch the lock. My eyes stayed on the partially caved-in tunnel entrance. I carefully lifted the metal latch-up, yet it made a scratching noise as I did.

    I froze, waiting for anything to happen.

    ¡°Take the bait. Come on¡­¡± I muttered inside my head.

    Nothing moved near the fallen stones, and I lifted the latch the rest of the way up. The wheel spun faster than anticipated, splashing late afternoon sunlight across the cavern. It made grinding noises with every turn. The lock stayed in place, and I quickly moved away from the sound, toward the bright opening.

    A breeze blew the cloth inward, and I made sure to stay out of its way, blinking from the increase in light.

    A dark purple tentacle snaked across the floor toward the wheel and I kept my eye on it with a small grin. I unhooked the first rope from the cloth and left it dangling from above, before moving on to the next.

    Five ropes held up the cloth, and each needed to be unhooked from the wooden pole that the cloth connected to. Once that was done, I''d focus on the creature.

    The view looking out from the cavern was amazing. The opening towered above the treetops, and the sunlight shot across the sky like a painting of oranges and bright yellows. The sun was closer to the horizon than I thought it would be, but we still had plenty of time until it went down. Clouds dotted the horizon, and a stiff breeze blew right into the cavern. The ropes were the only thing holding the cloth in place now. I peeked back at the tentacle to see its progress and found it closer than anticipated. It touched the edge of the cloth that flapped noisily in the breeze.The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

    I moved quickly to the next hook, then the center one. The tentacle pulled on the corner of the cloth and tightened around it. My eyes grew wide as it pulled the cloth toward the tunnel, but the ropes held it in place.

    Rushing to the next rope, I unhooked it, leaving one to go. A tentacle blocked my pathway, and I paused. It touched the bottom edge of the other side of the cloth like it was trying to figure out what it was.

    My hand tightened around my spear, but I didn¡¯t want to instigate conflict until I was ready. Everyone in the shuttle was waiting on me to finish this, but that didn¡¯t mean I didn¡¯t have time.

    That tiny voice in the back of my mind asked what I¡¯d gain if I ate part of the monster. I¡¯d need to eat a huge amount of it to gain anything without the heart, and with all the light streaming in, I doubted it would fully enter the cavern. Eying the area near the tunnel entrance, I saw rocks move as something pushed them back, but it stopped.

    I needed to unhook that rope and then climb back up the shuttle without running into any problems.

    As I inched forward with my spear ready, the cloth moved again. It jerked hard, and the rope holding it in place snapped. The cloth went flying toward me, and I dove to the ground. The cloth moved over the top of me, and I let it. It didn¡¯t take long until I was free from the material. I lifted my head up, spotting three tentacles wrapped up in the cloth, squeezing it.

    Slowly, I climbed to my feet and crept toward the shuttle. The tentacles pulled the cloth across the cavern floor and were now trying to yank it through the rocks. The movements sent shivers up my spine, but I didn¡¯t see a way to attack the monster. Not one where I could kill it without having to climb into the caved-in tunnel entrance. Frustration rolled over me losing out on that experience. At least I had part of the other squid monster in my inventory crystal. Hopefully, it¡¯d give me something good.

    I climbed up the handholds to the roof of the shuttle. I sent one last glance out the cavern opening, to look at the view, before spotting three dark shapes flying through the air.

    We did not need that right now.

    All of the tentacles were distracted with the cloth, so I turned to face the dark shapes. I waited until I knew they were headed in this direction before I quietly tapped on the hatch twice.

    The hatch quickly flew open and I dropped inside, locking it behind me. I huddled on the ladder, staring at the metal, hearing something hit it hard on the outside. The sound echoed through the shuttle. Swallowing I found everyone staring at me with wide eyes from the walls of the cargo hold. Hawk stood at the base of the other side of the ladder, holding it in place.

    I gave him a nod, not wanting to talk yet, and climbed down to the floor. He folded up the item and put it in its compartment as I headed to the front of the shuttle.

    David sat near the cot that Sang laid on and he gave me a thumbs up. I hoped that meant Sang was doing better, but I wasn¡¯t going to push my way in that direction to find out.

    John still sat in his chair, and everyone was pretty much in the same location as when I¡¯d left. I kept my voice low. ¡°It¡¯s down, as you can tell. The monster yanked the cloth toward the tunnel opening.¡±

    Mars nodded and looked relieved. He moved toward the cargo hold.

    I leaned closer to John. ¡°Three fliers in the sky, moving toward the cavern.¡±

    ¡°Three¡­¡± His hands clenched on the controls, but the shuttle wasn¡¯t even running. ¡°Okay, we¡¯ll need to wait until it''s darker before we take off. Three¡¯s just too many.¡± Something slammed into the roof of the shuttle, the noise echoing through the area. ¡°Or maybe not¡­¡±

    Hawk moved to the pilot area around Jimmy and Doc, who both stared upward. ¡°I bet it heard the tapping.¡±

    I nodded.

    The sound of a flier cawing came from the left, where the opening of the cavern was.

    ¡°Tentacle monster versus flier?¡± I asked. I snapped my mouth shut as a winged shadow appeared on the wall that the window faced.

    ¡°Shit, if they roost here tonight, it doesn¡¯t matter if we wait till dark,¡± said John. He glanced up at me, then Hawk. ¡°I think we need to chance it. The noise might bring the monster out, which might distract the fliers for a little bit.¡±

    ¡°I doubt the tentacle monster has ever dealt with fliers before,¡± I added. ¡°Plus, it doesn¡¯t like the sunlight. How long until we are out of the flier''s territory?¡±

    ¡°I can aim for distance instead of heading directly toward the compound. It would give us the time delay we need to land during the safer window.¡±

    None of us from the compound commented on the flier that had chased us in the dark as we left the compound last time. Too many people were in the shuttle, and we didn¡¯t need them to panic.

    ¡°It¡¯s a plan,¡± said Hawk. He turned back toward the cargo hold, and soft murmuring started in the back.

    I moved toward the empty seat to the left and strapped myself in. John gave me a nod at the action.

    More movement in the back drew my attention as people began to sit down on the floor, moving away from the walls. Some folks even sat down on the closed ramp. The area in the shuttle felt bigger once Jimmy followed suit. Hawk was the last one standing, and he moved closer to the front of the ship, taking a knee near Doc and Denver, who sat in seats like me.

    Every inch of floor space was taken up by someone.

    John let out a deep breath that caused my fingers to dig into the seat under me. Then the activation switch flipped, and the humming noise that signaled the shuttle powering up filled the air.

    Another screech came from the left, along with the sound of rocks falling farther right.

    I swallowed hard and took a deep breath. I trusted John¡¯s flying skills, plus with the crystals on the wing tips he could clear the way to fly out of the cavern. I hoped.

    Every second we sat there lasted forever. Then, suddenly, the shuttle moved toward the left. If John¡¯s hands hadn¡¯t moved, I would have been worried. Instead, we hit something that screamed before we were free of the cavern. Bright sky filled the window and the shuttle rocked slightly as it picked up speed. Seeing the blue sky and clouds caused the tightness in my chest to relax.

    This was better than the tunnels filled with red light.

 Chapter 61(Ch 3): Nothings ever easy

    Chapter 3: Nothings ever easy

    The shuttle jerked to one side as something beeped frantically near John, and he chuckled. The sound was loud in the shuttle.

    ¡°Everything okay?¡± I asked quietly. Yet, Doc and Denver both were staring out the front window with wide eyes.

    ¡°Small flier trying to prove something¡­¡± grumbled John. ¡°We¡¯ll lose them in a moment. I¡¯m taking a wide detour away from the area they like to fly in..." The shuttle leaned too tightly to the right, and the left side shuddered as the wing touched something. "We only have this one following, the others stayed to check out the shuttle cavern.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good news,¡± I added, my fingers gripping the seat in panic. The vibrations flowing through the shuttle reminded me too much of the crashing and falling that we¡¯d done recently.

    ¡°It¡¯s the best news for right now, though it does mean we won¡¯t reach the compound early.¡± The shuttle stopped turning and the shaking paused at the same time.

    ¡°All that matters is getting to the compound safely,¡± interrupted Hawk. ¡°This is a heavy load, after all.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s the other reason... I haven¡¯t packed a shuttle this full before. We''ll need to recharge after we land.¡±

    That was the first I¡¯d heard of crystals needing to recharge, but I didn¡¯t ask. ¡°I¡¯m gonna try to get some shut-eye,¡± I said, then I leaned back against the headrest and closed my eyes. I tried to release my fingers from digging into the seat and settle back. I trusted John to fly us. My mind wasn¡¯t tired, but part of me felt achy, like I¡¯d put in a decent workout and my muscles needed to recover. Given everything I''d accomplished so far, from cutting the crystals out of the cavern walls to getting through a few fights, it made sense that I needed to rest.

    ¡°You''re sleeping at strange times,¡± said Noseen.

    I found myself back at the log by the lake, staring across the water at the rock formation. ¡°Well, in the mines, darkness is usually safer, though right now I¡¯m back on the shuttle heading to the compound.¡± The fact that I''d fallen asleep that quickly felt strange, though I wondered if it had something to do with Noseen. Had he been waiting for me?

    ¡°That¡¯s one way to use wings.¡±

    ¡°It makes travel faster.¡±

    A buzzing sound came from my right side, moving closer to me. ¡°You¡¯ve gained a Profession,¡± said Noseen, almost curious.

    ¡°Crystal Singer. I can now create things with crystals,¡± I said with a smile. ¡°Now, I need to level it up, but I can fix my own weapons now.¡±

    ¡°Better weapons are a good thing, whether they be claws, teeth, or crystal tips.¡±

    I chuckled, leaning back on the log. The sunlight didn¡¯t feel warm, but I ignored the minor detail. Dreaming like this was strange. ¡°When will I be less squishy?¡±

    Noseen chuckled. ¡°You might be less squishy in a few hundred levels.¡± Noseens voice trailed off, and I got the feeling he was checking out my stat sheet. I waited to hear his thoughts. ¡°You need to keep growing,¡± this time his voice was low, thoughtful.

    ¡°I plan on going hunting once we land. I¡¯m trying to get some sleep now to prepare for that.¡± I outlined going after the flier near the compound, then some general hunting before we left the area.

    ¡°Hmm. Your focus needs to be on growth.¡±

    Something small flying near my head drew my attention. This was the first time I''d noticed Noseen flying around. ¡°I know that, but I¡¯m not going to just wander off for days in the jungle. I need to help my family as well.¡±

    Noseen didn¡¯t say anything for a few seconds. ¡°Once you leave the Sanctuary, you will need to hunt and devour more. Become stronger, and complete dungeons.¡±

    My nodding paused on the last word. ¡°Dungeons? Like, ¡®dungeon¡¯ dungeons? Like in a game?¡± I asked, slightly confused. Then I tried a real question. ¡°What do you mean?¡±

    ¡°Places to grow and receive rewards,¡± answered Noseen. ¡°There aren¡¯t any in the Sanctuary, but there are plenty on the planet outside of it. Plus, you will need to complete the citizenship quests.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t picture what a dungeon was, outside of a game, and it¡¯d been years since I¡¯d played any games. By the time our family had been selected for the mission, fun things like games were gone, replaced by training.

    ¡°That might be fun,¡± I muttered thinking of the loot and rewards. Getting some real armor would be a huge improvement over the clothes I currently wore. Weapon-wise, my spear was good enough. The last part of Noseen¡¯s statement caught up to me. "Citizenship quests?"

    The dark speck paused in midair in front of my face. "For some races, you aren''t an adult until you complete them. Everyone needs to, even beasts. Once they are done you are a citizen of the system universe. For beasts, it is when they usually gain sapience."

    I let that sink in as I thought about it. There was a set of quests I needed to complete to become a citizen. Weird. "What does that get me?" Already I was an adult, though my father didn''t always treat me like one. Quests had to mean rewards.

    "More like roadblocks are removed. You will see." Noseen moved in the air but didn''t add anything else.

    ¡°So what are you up to?¡± I asked, to keep the conversation going.

    ¡°I am traveling to speak to an old friend. I will meet up with you after you leave Sanctuary.¡±

    Before I could ask about the friend, the lake vanished.

    I woke up some time later, feeling refreshed. The night sky covered the window in front of John. Quiet, even breathing came from the back of the shuttle. I wasn''t the only one who¡¯d decided to rest. Denver and Doc were both sleeping, while Jimmy and Hawk sat facing each other on the floor.

    I unclipped my harness and got up to stretch, being careful to not touch the two sitting on the floor. I leaned toward John. ¡°How are we doing?¡±

    ¡°Almost there..." he said with a grin. "I¡¯m going to need to sleep after this. I saw you got some shut-eye.¡±

    ¡°Yep, feeling better after getting some rest. All the fighting adds up.¡± I twisted my shoulders back and forth before sitting back down. With how crowded the shuttle was, there wasn¡¯t anywhere else to go. As things were, I was thankful I had a seat. I clipped back in and then pulled up my stat sheet. Noseen mentioned needing to grow more. My free stat points sat at 18, and I decided to allocate them. It didn''t take long to increase my strength, quickness, and flexibility stats. I didn''t want my strength to lag too far behind my two dexterity stats. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    Name: Alex

    Level: 18

    Race: Human

    Traits: Survivability, Adaptation, Hangry

    Class: Devourer, level 18

    Profession: Crystal Singer, level 3

    Stats:

    STR: 56(60)

    DEX:

    >QUICK*: 76(85)

    >FLEX: 66(70)

    CON/TOUGH: 61(61)

    INT: 55(55)

    WIS:

    >FORT: 55(55)

    >WILL: 55(55)

    CHA: 49(50)

    FREE: 0

    Monstrosity: 4%

    Titles & Achievements:

    Jack-of-all-Trades

    Lucky Stars

    Badass

    Skill: 9/10

    Improved Body

    Crystal Singing and Attunement

    Insight

    Augmented Senses

    Stealthy Camouflage

    Blades and Polearms

    Free Spirit

    Poisonous Bite

    Claw Strike

    Skills Categories: +

    The progress felt good, though I wished I could compare it to someone else. My brother, Benny, had shared his stat sheet with me in the past, but I didn¡¯t remember much besides his level being around 18. Maybe I could corner John and ask him to share his stat sheet, to get more info on where his stats were and try to understand the system a little better. However, that reminded me that my actual stats were different from a normal human. Dexterity and Wisdom were both broken down into multiple stats, which I¡¯d never heard of before it happened to me.

    A blinking light off to one side of the window caught my attention, and I unclipped my harness again. John twisted the shuttle around to look at it more clearly through the night sky.

    ¡°Is that from the colony?¡± I whispered, leaning forward and trying to see better. The light came from a far distance, but I didn''t know Morse code to make out what it said. This was the second time during this trip I wished I''d learned the skill from my family members. It was one of those things that just didn¡¯t stick, though.

    He nodded, but his focus stayed on the light, mumbling to himself. Hawk stood up behind me, to see what was going on.

    ¡°That¡¯s not good,¡± he added and John grunted in agreement.

    ¡°Details please¡­¡± I asked.

    Hawk leaned close with a worried look. ¡°The main fence is out for the colony. They need a crystal to reinforce it." He kept his voice low, so I could barely hear what he said. "Lots of fights with dinosaurs.¡±

    I frowned, thinking of the entrance to the valley. It was narrow, and that one crystal with the poles held off almost everything. If that crystal had shattered during the meteor shower, they¡¯d be back to where we started when we¡¯d first settled the valley, trying to protect it through manpower alone.

    ¡°Can you send a message back?¡± I asked John.

    ¡°Trying to, with the wing crystals." His eyes narrowed as he flicked a button on the panel. "I''m saying we¡¯ll arrive tomorrow night.¡±

    The colony needed to only last tonight and tomorrow, since we could fly there tomorrow night, unless we wanted to risk another fight with more fliers. The airspace around the colony supported a large flyer population, though they tended to be of the smaller variety.

    The light sequence in the distance changed.

    ¡°Message received,¡± said John, letting out a breath before turning the shuttle toward one side. ¡°Alright, we are almost at the compound.¡± He motioned to the distance and some lights flickering in the jungle, creating a familiar circle.

    The small crystals on the fence lighted the area up around the compound, not to mention the bigger crystal next to the drop ship. I quickly sat back down and buckled in. The last time we¡¯d been here, we¡¯d gotten attacked by a flier even though it was dark out.

    I closed my eyes, wishing I had wings. Somehow I needed to figure out a way to fly by myself. Or, maybe that was one of those things people got as they leveled up? I didn¡¯t know.

    The shuttle quickly landed on the ground without a problem, and lights turned on inside. I snapped my eyes open as the sound of the back ramp being lowered filled the area, along with low talking. Hawk already was gone, and the same went for Jimmy. His voice came from the back, giving orders and directions to the miners.

    I waited as John powered down the shuttle and Doc slowly got up, along with Denver.

    ¡°We''re back at the compound,¡± I said with a smirk, unhooking myself from the harness.

    John stood up, stretching. ¡°Yep, but that was always the plan for us. Next was supposed to be the scientists, but that¡¯s not happening now.¡± The dark circles under his eyes stood out as he glanced around.

    I shrugged. ¡°At least we can check in with Dad and the others.¡±

    John nodded, but he had a strange look on his face. Before I could ask about it, Doc spoke up. ¡°Sang needs to go to the scientists, unless y¡¯all have a healer at the colony that could help instead.¡±

    I winced. The woman needed a healer, or a real Doctor, and that meant the scientists.

    The back of the shuttle cleared out of miners except for David, who stood next to the cot with Sang. His head turned toward Doc. ¡°She¡¯s doing better, but still has a fever.¡±

    ¡°The fact that she¡¯s lasted this long is good,¡± added Doc. He motioned to Denver. ¡°The same went for him, but in his case it was an infection. Poison is harder to knock out, since we just don¡¯t know as much about it.¡± Doc moved in that direction, along with Denver.

    Hawk marched up the ramp with two miners. ¡°We¡¯ll move her inside. I assigned people to various bunks, but no showers until we clear the way to the spring.¡±

    I moved to step forward, but John¡¯s hand touched my arm, making me pause. He waited until everyone cleared out of the shuttle. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to lock up the shuttle, and then rest. Our focus needs to be on getting back to the colony and giving them that crystal.¡± He motioned to the large crystal that sat in the back. ¡°We¡¯ll take anyone with us who wants to relocate, but staying out of these politics is going to be key.¡± He stared at me until I nodded.

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to get involved.¡± I held up both my hands. "Believe me, I don''t want to deal with Mars."

    ¡°Just be careful about what you say.¡± John frowned and motioned for me to leave the shuttle. ¡°And don¡¯t do anything dumb while I sleep.¡±

    ¡°Dumb?" I asked nonchalantly. "I¡¯m gonna take out that flier so we can all shower again. Maybe go hunting to help stock up on food. All good things.¡±

    John grumbled something low I couldn¡¯t hear and followed me as I walked down the ramp. The sunrise peeked out over the trees as the ramp closed behind us. The fence looked intact, and I took a deep breath, letting it out in relief. Now that I¡¯d slept some, all I wanted to do was leave to hunt and find some space away from everyone else. Between the smells, weird looks, and tense atmosphere, the jungle was easier to deal with.

    Hawk stood by the glowing crystal next to the entrance to the drop ship. The wooden door was wide open and people milled around inside. He gave John a nod. ¡°There should be two bunks open in the bunk room.¡±

    ¡°I slept on the ship, but John needs some shut-eye.¡± I patted John on the back as he entered the dropship, not stopping. ¡°I¡¯m going to check out the flier¡¯s nest and finish taking care of that problem. I really want a shower.¡± Well, I wanted John to take a shower, and anyone who planned on flying with us back to the colony to shower as well. Before I¡¯d gained my class, I didn''t realize how much people could smell.

    One of Hawk¡¯s eyebrows rose. ¡°Just like that?¡± he asked in slight disbelief.

    ¡°Just like that,¡± I said with a frown and a shrug. ¡°I¡¯m at its level and if I sneak out quickly before dawn hits, I should get an attack in aiming for its wings.¡± If I used enough of my spit, it should even slow the thing down, especially if I caught its wing. That¡¯d be the best-case scenario.

    Hawk looked like he wanted to say something, instead he turned to look around the common room at everyone who hadn¡¯t gone to the bunk rooms. ¡°I¡¯ll go with you.¡±

    I triggered Insight, and his info popped up.

    [Hawk, Level 18, Archer, Predator.]

    He¡¯d gone up a level and was now tied with me. The Rock Bear fight might have done it.

    ¡°Sounds good to me,¡± I said, turning toward the gate that led out of the fence. While I¡¯d rather have the experience to myself, after the flier was down I¡¯d go hunting on my own. Without anyone watching.

    The sky slowly lightened as we quickly but quietly made our way out of the gate and onto the path leading toward the spring.

 Chapter 62 (Ch 4): Hunting Fliers

    Once we left the fence behind, my eyes adjusted to the dim light within the jungle. The tall leafy trees cast pockets of shadows and the early morning light did not reach the jungle floor. A damp smell lingered in the air, and I wondered about rain. I crept slowly down the trail with Hawk behind me.

    Anticipation built in my chest and I found myself smiling, as I kept going. I clutched my knife in one hand and kept my cloak around me. Yet, I wasn¡¯t worried about being spotted. Each footstep was silent as I moved down the trail. I slowed as a new smell reached me. Slightly acidic, and maybe something rotting.

    The clearing with the nest loomed ahead, and the break in the trees allowed more light to reach the ground. The large nest sat to the right, with a dark shape still sitting with its head curled under a wing. Bones almost glowed in the limited light around the clearing, maybe more than there should be from only a few days away.

    I used Insight.

    [Pterosaur, Level 20, Predator.]

    Excitement washed over me as its level came into view. Maybe I¡¯d earn a level out of this fight after all. I snuck forward around the nest, keeping toward the trees instead of the center of the clearing. My goal was to attack from the opposite side of Hawk. Then he could attack its back from the tree line.

    The light quickly increased as the sun rose behind the mountains and I felt the press of time. The sooner I attacked and damaged its wings, the better. The nest didn¡¯t have a high rim and I crept toward the back of the flier, with as much stealth as I could manage.

    My heart pounded as I lengthened my spear and struck. The crystal tip flashed white just before it touched the flier.

    A burning smell filled the area at the same time the creature screamed. The sound broke the silence of the clearing, echoing across the trees. The pterosaur¡¯s wings snapped out, one right toward me, but I ducked and sliced at the edge again with my spear, this time cutting through the bone.

    It twisted about, its head stabbing down at me, but I rolled backward moving faster than it. The thud of arrows hitting its back made me grin. Go Hawk!

    I dodged its beak again as it stepped closer to me, before stabbing toward its leg with my spear, missing. It flapped its wings to try to take flight, but the one I¡¯d damaged didn¡¯t work right. Still, dust rose in the air making my eyes water. The other wing swept out at me and I partially dodged, but the very edge caught my side.

    Pain lanced up my ribs but I kept moving. To stop was to die. The flier was big, bigger than I thought, and fast, but I was faster. More arrows slammed into the great flier from Hawk while I kept its attention on me. Whenever it turned in that direction, I drew its attention by attacking with my spear.

    The pterosaur¡¯s sharp beak stabbed at me, but the hair on my neck raised just before the strike, warning me. I dodged to the side and farther back around a tree, keeping the sturdy trunk between me and it, just in time. My ears rang as it screamed louder than before. Physical waves of force rushed forth and the ferns between it and me were pulverized. More dust floated in the air making it harder to see.

    My head rang and I barely held onto my spear, trying to regain my senses. Something dark darted around the tree and I dropped down to the ground as the flier¡¯s sharp beak barely missed my face.

    I scrambled on the ground and stabbed upward, cutting into the side of its neck before it could jerk back. The flier made a choking noise as its head retracted around the tree, and I climbed to my feet, darting around the opposite side. It moved across the clearing toward Hawk, seemingly trying to target the weaker of its foes. Several arrows decorated its back and I leaped in that direction using my skills, spear ready.

    For a second in the air I felt like I was flying, before slamming right between the giant wings, spear glowing as it sank deeply into the pterosaur¡¯s back. The flier stumbled and fell, slamming to the ground.

    [You have gained bonus experience from combat for surviving against Pterosaur above your level.]

    [You have leveled up your class.]

    Hawk stared at me with wide eyes before he suddenly started laughing. I climbed off the back of the creature to give him a moment. That jumping move blew my mind each time I used it. I wanted to practice more and learn the boundaries of how much energy it used. As things were, I could feel my muscles tremble a bit and I knew I¡¯d need to eat soon.

    I turned back to the beast and the various arrows sticking out of it. ¡°Can you reuse the arrows?¡± I asked, not knowing much about his skills.

    Hawk moved forward around the beast and started yanking them out. ¡°Yeah, I can repair them using my skills. It¡¯s easier than crafting new ones.¡±

    I nodded and pulled the ones out near me, even if they were broken. He put them into the quiver on his back. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    ¡°I plan on cutting this up," I said, looking over the giant creature. "You said the wings can be useful. I have the ones from the other flier as well. Anything else I should focus on?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, now that Denver is back up he can make all sorts of things. He¡¯s a better crafter than I am. The wings for sure, and the beak.¡±

    I nodded and used my knife to cut the closet wing off at the shoulder joint before rolling it up to stick it in my inventory. The thing was heavy. The second wing I¡¯d damaged, but I still got all of it into my inventory crystal. Leaving the wings behind at the compound wouldn¡¯t be a problem, I just wanted to make sure I¡¯d get what I wanted out of this kill.

    Hawk helped me roll the creature over, to butcher its legs.

    ¡°The legs are good eating at this size,¡± added Hawk. ¡°I hunt the smaller ones, these will last us a while at the compound.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s good, though, I do plan on doing a bit more hunting today. I don¡¯t know how long John and I will be gone.¡± The thought of leaving all the meat behind bothered me, but I''d get more hunting in. My stomach felt empty.

    ¡°Not to mention who will stay and who will go,¡± grumbled Hawk. ¡°This is the highest number of folks who¡¯ve stayed at the compound since the beginning. I know half the miners are gonna leave with y¡¯all. I kinda hope that many do, at least, because we really don¡¯t have that much room.¡±

    I shrugged as I cut into the center mass of the flier. I needed to skin it and cut it into smaller pieces. All I wanted to do was dig for the heart, but I resisted. Finally, I got the skin off, and did my best to stay away from the organs. When Hawk wasn¡¯t looking, the heart ended up in my inventory. The meat I stacked inside my crystal as well.

    Even with my Quickness stat as high as it had gotten, it took time to cut the thing up. By the time I figured it was good enough, the clearing smelled like blood. The sun blasted down on us and flies flooded the area, along with other bugs. All of which stayed away from me, even with how much of the sticky blood covered my hands.

    [Skill Unlocked: You have unlocked a potential skill: Field Dressing.]

    The notification surprised me, though it made sense with how much I¡¯d cut up various dinosaurs at this point. Still, I wasn''t sure if I wanted to keep the skill. It''d use up my last skill slot. I closed the notification for now.

    ¡°I need to clean up, then I¡¯ll head back to unload the meat,¡± I said.

    Hawk nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll bury this as best as I can to reduce the smell. Otherwise, we¡¯ll need to steer clear of this area until the scavengers take care of it.¡±

    I headed down the trail toward the spring, moving as fast as I could while still keeping my senses open. The sticky blood made me itch, but worse, my stomach growled. As soon as I heard the bubble of water I yanked the heart out and took a giant bite before swallowing. It took several bites before it was gone.

    [You have devoured a Pterosaur and gained extra experience.]

    I blinked at the notification, confused. No skill or stats, just extra experience this time. At least it was something, though I didn¡¯t receive a notification that I leveled again. Hopefully, level twenty was within easy reach since I already got bonus experience for creatures above my level.

    My stomach stopped rumbling as I knelt down next to the stream, but I still ate several hunks of meat until my stomach felt full. I cleaned up my hands, knife, and face in the water. I climbed up the boulders and refilled my canteen before heading back down the trail.

    The sound of chirping reached me within a few steps and I quietly made my way back using stealth. On the far side near the trail, Hawk stood in the shadows with his bow out. Between him and me at the butchering sight stood a flock of Compys. I didn¡¯t bother using my Insight since my Prey sense made it clear they were all much lower level than us.

    To be honest, this was the best case. They¡¯d clean up the mess pretty dang fast, especially with as many of them as there were.

    I glanced back over the nest and tilted my head that way. Hawk caught the nod and motioned he was leaving. I gave him a thumbs up then crept toward the nest to see better. Before we left, Hawk spoke about how it might lay eggs. During the fight, I hadn¡¯t paid attention, but now I wanted to see if I could find any. Last time I¡¯d eaten an egg it had improved my Body Skill, which increased my healing and all of that good stuff.

    I wanted more eggs.

    In the much brighter sunlight, the blue and green shells stood out more easily between the leaves and branches of the nest. Half of them were crushed, but as I crept forward I counted 5 eggs still intact. It took only seconds to add them to my inventory, before turning toward the trail to leave.

    One of the Compys noticed me, but did not approach or even look at me directly. Instead, its head went down, like it wanted me to not notice it.

    I ignored it and continued on my way. Like Noseen had said, killing things much lower level than me didn¡¯t do much. Plus, I had plenty of time to go hunting once I got rid of the excess stuff in my inventory.

    Hawk waited for me back at the gate but he didn¡¯t latch it.

    ¡°Find any eggs?¡± he asked.

    ¡°A few, thankfully everyone will have fresh meat for breakfast," I said, redirecting the conversation. "Not gonna latch the gate?¡±

    ¡°Na, Jimmy is up in the tree already keeping watch. He¡¯s worried about more fliers.¡±

    I paused and glanced around the fenced-in area, spotting several miners out in the open. ¡°Where do you want me to leave everything?¡±

    "Follow me." Hawk headed inside the dropship and I quickly followed. The table inside was clear except for several knives. ¡°Toss the meat here, though Denver wants a moment before you leave.¡±

    Doc stood on one side of the table with several pots and what looked to be a drying rack. Mars was there as well. I quickly piled up the excess meat, but kept two large pieces in my inventory for myself. I also added the various wings I¡¯d gathered over the past couple of days. Doc and Mars both got to work slicing things up. Mars slid things on drying racks, while Doc added meat to one of the pots.

    ¡°Where''s Denver?¡± I asked once I¡¯d finished.

    Hawk motioned back outside.

    I headed into the sunshine, glad to be back out in the open. Hawk motioned around the side of the dropship and I found the soldier on a stump next to what looked like the leather I¡¯d given Hawk from the Carnitor. ¡°You wanted to see me?¡±

    He nodded and motioned for me to come closer. ¡°You need better gear, and I can at least make a few things before you leave tonight.¡± His eyes studied my form, then he pulled a thin cord out. ¡°I gotta measure your chest.¡± It took only seconds as he tied knots in each of the ropes, measuring me for a good fit. ¡°At the very least I can make you some chest armor, maybe something for your forearms as well.¡± He nodded to himself with a focused grin.

    ¡°In one day?¡± I asked.

    His head tilted to one side at the question. ¡°That¡¯s what skills are for."

 Chapter 63 (Ch 5): Quests?!

    I used Insight on Denver.

    [Denver, Level 18 Armor Worker, Predator.]

    It wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d seen someone¡¯s profession listed first, but next to the predator, it made me wonder how close his class was to his profession. I added quickly, ¡°I just didn¡¯t think it¡¯d be that fast.¡±

    ¡°Well, we owe you one. Heck, you''re even going out hunting for more food for us, and you''re wearing freaking cotton.¡± He shook his head from side to side. ¡°Nothing I have would fit you or I¡¯d give you my gear.¡±

    I chuckled a little trying to not think about how my goal wasn''t hunting for the compound but for myself. ¡°I am a little on the short side.¡± Maybe with an increase in my stats I''d grow a few inches, though given my age I doubted it. Yet, I swore my father appeared younger than he had when we set off in the colony ship. Who knew what was possible in this new system? It was definitely a different set of rules than we¡¯d known back on the motherworld.

    ¡°Means less leather usage,¡± grumbled Hawk, interrupting my thoughts. ¡°But be careful out there.¡± A frown covered his face like he wanted to say more, but he didn''t add anything else.

    ¡°I will.¡± I nodded at Denver, then turned toward the gate, not knowing what else to say. Getting away from everyone felt like the best plan, though I¡¯d need to sleep a little, too, before we left tonight. Or sleep again on the shuttle.

    My pace sped up as I headed back outside the fence and then into the underbrush. Once the fence was out of sight, blocked by giant ferns, my whole body relaxed. It was like I could finally breathe. I stood there, head lifted, staring at the bright leaves in the canopy for several moments. My focus switched to what I could hear around me. Bird sounds filled the trees, along with a soft breeze and the rustle of leaves. Slowly, a smile formed as I took a moment to just be. Nothing held me back at the moment.

    I reached out with my prey sense but nothing came up. Breathing out, I glanced around and then headed toward the river. The closer you got to water, the bigger things usually were. Hopefully, I could find a few good creatures to hunt and eat.

    It took way too long to even find a trail, but after a few hours of creeping through the jungle I found a herd of Paras. The taller-than-me creatures were covered with dark green stripes with lighter spots. They had four legs, but rested on the back two, and each had a long, heavy tail. The tall fins on their heads let them make a loud calling noise to warn others far and wide of predators. Five of the creatures stood around the watering hole, drinking water and relaxing. I stared down at them from a tree limb, within striking distance. It¡¯d taken an hour to sneak this close to the creatures without being spotted, even with my stealth.

    Whatever shake up had happened because of the meteor shower seemed to be over, and the new order seemed to mean a lot fewer dangerous creatures in this area. I hadn¡¯t run across the trail of a predator or anything higher level than this group in the hours I¡¯d been out hunting. As it was, this group ranged from level 16 to level 19. My target was the level 19, leader of the group. The creature stood off to one side watching the others and the jungle behind them. It rested on its back two legs with its tail touching the ground. Its yellow eyes stayed focused on the ferns in the distance.

    I crouched on a tree branch above it, just waiting. Something warned me the one I targeted was distracted, but I couldn¡¯t wait all day. Time was ticking before I needed to hike back to the compound.

    Anticipation thrummed through me, as I very slowly pulled out my spear. My plan was solid, now I needed to execute it. Finally, my spear was ready as I leaped.

    Nothing moved until I slammed into the back of the Para, and the burning smell of my spear digging into its neck filled the air. It groaned as its front feet hit the ground. I pushed the spear even deeper into the creature as it flailed to fling me off. My other hand wrapped around the beast¡¯s neck, holding me onto its back. Thinking quickly, I used Claw Strike. Pain lanced up my left hand as claws sprouted and I dug into the creature¡¯s neck. Blood went flying, and the smell took over. The claws sunk back into my knuckles and my pain went away.

    Panic enveloped the other four Paras, as two other creatures darted out of the trees toward the level 16 Para, tackling it to the ground. My focus stayed on the one under me, as calls came from the others. The three unencumbered Paras darted to the trees, quickly out of sight trampling ferns and bushes.

    I yanked my spear out of my target as it twitched then went still.

    [You have gained experience from combat.]

    [You have leveled up your class.]

    I quickly snoozed my notifications as I kept my spear pointed toward the far side of the watering hole. I used Insight on the two new combatants, the ones that had taken the level 16.

    [Deinonychus, Level 17, Predator.]

    [Deinonychus, Level 18, Predator.]

    I¡¯d run into this type of creature before, but they¡¯d been all skin and bones. These two beasts were at the top of their game, and a good thirty feet separated us, if not more. The Para struggled under them as they dug in, before it finally stopped moving.You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author.

    Both stood around 4 feet tall, but were much longer if their necks and tails were fully extended. They had sharp talons on their feet and short arms. Sharp, jagged teeth filled the long snouts, and the green stripes made them hard to see against the ferns behind them.

    They didn¡¯t pay much attention to me as they started eating their creature. I stepped back, closer to my kill, and slowly focused on what I needed to do to remove myself from the situation. My level was higher, but there were two of them and maybe even more nearby.

    Not worrying about skinning my kill, I first slowly cut off sections of its legs and tossed those in my inventory. Next was the head, which I¡¯d leave behind. Each cut was quick with the glowing crystal, but my attention was split between the food and the other nearby creatures.

    I caught one of the Deinonychus glancing my way and I froze, staring straight back at it. I lifted my spear and everything in me wanted to growl. I resisted.

    It glanced away first and went back to eating its kill.

    I cut into the torso of the carcass, cracking open the ribs. My target was the heart. Saliva filled my mouth thinking about it, and I tossed it into my inventory as soon as I cut it free. What was left of the carcass didn¡¯t seem worth the ongoing standoff with the other predators, and I slowly crept backward into the ferns behind me.

    Four eyes watched, but they didn¡¯t move toward me.

    Once I¡¯d hidden within the shadows, I waited as the two predators returned to their meal. My fingers itched from the blood on my hands. I wanted to take the two creatures out, but I could smell the blood on me. It wouldn¡¯t be a sneaky fight, and that was my best kind. I''d wait and decide once I''d eaten if I wanted to circle back and take them out.

    Keeping an eye on my surroundings, I put some distance between me and the creatures before pulling out the heart and devouring it. The sweet taste of candy filled my mouth and I wished I could savor it.

    [You have devoured a Parasaurolophus. You¡¯ve gained a stat point in Toughness.]

    The notification reminded me of the others, but first I pulled out my canteen and cleaned off my hands and knife. I climbed a nearby tree until I stood high enough to see a good view of my surroundings before I opened up the notifications that I¡¯d snoozed.

    [You have reached level 20 in your class. You have unlocked the path to Citizenship of the Universe. First Quest(Path to Citizenship): Kill a greater creature! Your Experience will be banked at level 20 until this quest is complete.]

    [First Quest(Path to Citizenship: Kill a greater Creature - Completed. A Greater Carnitor, level 20.]

    [You have unlocked the Second Quest(Path to Citizenship): Complete a Dungeon! Your Experience will be banked at level 25 until this quest is complete.]

    What the everloving hell was this? Quests?

    Noseen had mentioned Dungeons, but that there weren¡¯t any in the Sanctuary. So I¡¯d need to leave this area to complete this quest. There wasn¡¯t a time limit on it, only that I wouldn''t rise above level 25 until it was complete. At the moment, there wasn¡¯t anything to do with it, so I closed the notification. I¡¯d need to ask Noseen about it next time I dreamed about the devourer. Hopefully, he had more information on what it meant to become a citizen. Questions flooded my mind, but I pushed them back. Right now, I needed to focus on the jungle and the tasks in front of me.

    I had to decide if I wanted to go after those Deinonychus or head back toward the compound. It¡¯d taken me some time to travel this far away from the compound, and I still needed to hike back. Plus, they were two levels under me at this point. Thinking quickly I decided it wasn¡¯t worth it, now that I¡¯d reached level 20. I quickly allocated my 12 free points into Strength, Quickness and Flexibility evenly. I added the strength, since holding onto the Para¡¯s neck as it flailed had been harder than anticipated.

    Nodding to myself, I closed my stat sheet and started the climb back down after doing a quick glance around. Once on the ground, I headed in the direction I¡¯d come from toward the compound. If I ran across another good hunting option, I¡¯d take it, but for now I wanted to arrive back before nightfall. John would be pissed if I made them late for leaving to fly back to the colony.

    Heading back through the jungle was easier than I thought it would be. I recognized several areas I¡¯d passed through before, and I patted myself on the back for remembering my path.

    The sounds of something fighting caused me to detour and stealth my way. A Triceratops fought a Deinonychus, but both were under my level. I left them to it, and kept hiking toward the compound.

    The idea that the Sanctuary might not be the best place to continue to grow bounced around inside my head. If everyone got stuck with that quest at level 20 until they killed a greater creature, and they didn¡¯t level, then I might not find something higher level than me for a while.

    Talk about frustrating.

    Eventually, I spotted the straight lines of the fence in the distance and sped up. The late afternoon sun cast down through the trees, but the soft breeze kept me from getting too sticky. The potential shower now that I¡¯d cleared the path to the spring was all I could think about.

    The compound practically buzzed with activity. The ramp on the shuttle sat open and miners went back and forth between it and the dropship. Three smaller fires burned with racks of meat smoking above them. Doc moved back and forth between the zones.

    No one really paid attention as I came into the area, and I aimed for Doc.

    His eyes met mine as I approached. ¡°Happy hunting?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Just a Para, where do you want the meat?¡±

    He motioned to a rough table that had been set up near the fires. ¡°There is fine, I can get to making more jerky. There¡¯s water for a shower. David and a few of the others did a water run.¡±

    A shower sounded amazing and was exactly what I wanted. It was a good trade as far as I was concerned.

    I felt someone stare at me and turned around, spotting my brother, who waved. I loaded the table with the meat I was willing to give up, which was about half of the Para. The rest I kept in my inventory crystal. While it wouldn¡¯t stay fresh forever, I could eat it over the course of several days if needed. Then I headed toward John, who stood near the end of the ramp.

    ¡°You leveled again,¡± his voice sounded accusatory.

    ¡°That happens when you go hunting," I said, motioning back toward the table. "We should be eating well tonight.¡±

    John shrugged. ¡°There''s stew inside. Not as good as Abby¡¯s, but it¡¯s filling. They are rationing out showers, which is nice.¡± I noticed John looked clean but I didn¡¯t say anything. I knew I had to smell at this point, but I didn¡¯t have enough time for my clothes to dry before sundown. Still, I had the second pair that I¡¯d cleaned last time.

    ¡°A shower is always appreciated.¡± The same went for taking off my boots. ¡°I take it we''ll leave right at dark?¡±

    ¡°Yeah. Sang¡¯s going with us, her fever broke this afternoon, and David got her to drink some broth.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s awesome,¡± I said with a surprised smile. I still had her knife and the inventory stone, but I¡¯d rather she be fine than get to keep them. ¡°Maybe she can help update the fence at the colony.¡±

 Chapter 64 (Ch 6): Layering Up

    I headed toward the entrance to the drop ship and entered the main room. The lights that hung from the ceiling were brighter than before and the sound of chatter filled the space. Mars and a few miners sat on the floor near the fire, talking quietly. David sat at the table next to Sang, who was white as a ghost, but she was upright and sipping on something. Her eyes flickered at me and she smiled a little, yet her hands trembled around the wooden cup.

    I waved and stopped by the table. ¡°Good to see you upright.¡±

    ¡°Glad I put a few stat points in Constitution,¡± she said softly, steading her hands.

    I pulled out her knife and inventory crystal. The knife she took but she pushed the inventory crystal back to me. ¡°Keep it. I¡¯ll make another, once I¡¯m feeling better.¡±

    I shrugged, not arguing. ¡°Well, I¡¯m going to shower and then get some food before helping John.¡± The inventory crystal I''d give to my father, it''d make a great I survived in the jungle gift. Something to soften his ire.

    ¡°I plan on sleeping more once I finish this.¡± She motioned to the wooden cup. "Hopefully recover some more before we leave."

    David frowned. ¡°Sleep will do you some good. I know we didn¡¯t get all of the barbs, so we¡¯ll need to see if any are trying to push out of your leg.¡±

    Sang rolled her eyes and sipped on her cup, looking more like she had before she''d gotten attacked.

    I walked toward the location of the showers, but I peeked into the first bunk room to see how many people were inside. It was full, with 6 miners snoring away, yet the second bunk room sat empty with the door wide open. I kept going to the showers. They were blissfully empty, which made sense with who had been sitting in the common room and those sleeping. More hot water for me.

    It didn¡¯t take long to get clean, using up all the hot water there was, and then dressed in my spare set of clothing. Feeling completely clean was marvelous. Everything from my feet to my hair was clean, for the first time in days. I used cold water to wash out the shirt and pants, getting them as clean as possible before ringing them out. Back in the common room, I hoped to hang them by the fire to dry before we left. Thankfully, there was space on nearby hooks when I got there.

    ¡°I heard you went hunting,¡± muttered one of the miners I didn¡¯t know.

    ¡°Don¡¯t sass Alex, she¡¯s a good one,¡± interrupted Matt, his eyes narrowed.

    I flashed him a smile before replying, ¡°Yeah, Doc is processing my catch outside on those fires.¡±

    "I''ll see if he needs help then," said Mars, slowly standing up from the floor. "We need to make sure we¡¯re pulling our weight here.¡± He glared at the other miners, who all looked sheepish at the remark.

    I recognized the metal mage who stayed seated next to Matt while the other miner got up with Mars. ¡°I¡¯m sorry about Heath,¡± I added using Insight on her.

    [Maggie, Metal Mage, Level 17, Predator.]

    "Thank you." Her gaze moved past the flames and settled on me. ¡°Each loss hurts less. I worry someday I won¡¯t feel a thing.¡±

    Matt¡¯s hand landed on her shoulder. ¡°Maggie, it¡¯s hard right now, but that doesn¡¯t mean it will always be that way. Things are easier at the colony, you¡¯ll see.¡±

    A frown stayed on the older woman¡¯s face.

    I jumped in to describe the colony. ¡°There¡¯s more people there, and different types of work. We still have people working on carving out caverns for housing and other building activities. Normally, there are fewer monsters than what I¡¯ve seen outside of the colony. Once the fence is fixed, things will be safer.¡± I hoped I wasn¡¯t lying to her. Still, the haunted look on her face required some sort of response. ¡°Plus, you¡¯ll be in the daylight,¡± I added, thinking of the dim tunnels and darkness.

    ¡°Daylight will be nice. It will be different," she said nodding, the frown gone.

    ¡°I¡¯m going to get some food,¡± I said, before heading toward the now-empty table. Sang and David had left, but I grabbed an empty bowl and some of the stew from the pot hanging over the fire. The food was meaty, with that same sort of tuber as before. My stomach was already pretty full, but I had to eat something around the others. I took my time taking small spoonfuls until I couldn¡¯t drag it out any longer. Then I wiped out my bowl using a little water and the cloth next to the dirty stack of dishes.

    I poked at my clothes which, while a little drier, weren¡¯t done yet, before I headed back outside.

    Hawk and Denver were off to one side working on what looked to be armor, while Mars and Doc were managing the fires, with John¡¯s help. Harsh words drifted over from that direction and I decided to stick my nose where it didn''t belong by heading that way.

    ¡°Alex!¡± Denver¡¯s voice caused me to pivot toward them instead. He smiled as I approached. ¡°It¡¯s not the prettiest thing I¡¯ve made, but it will help protect you.¡± He held up a dark leather chest piece with laces. ¡°Arm¡¯s up.¡±

    I stepped forward and raised my arms, while he slid it over my head. Then he started tightening the laces that ran along my sides.

    ¡°I can¡¯t believe you finished this already," I said after taking a deep breath, smelling the leather.

    ¡°Skills, it''s all about the skills,¡± he muttered, tightening first one side, then the other. ¡°I didn¡¯t want it to be too long on your torso, since Hawk mentioned your focus on speed and flexibility.¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I dodge as much as possible.¡±

    He nodded then knotted both sides. ¡°How does that feel?¡± he asked, stepping back. His eyes focused on me with a critical look. For a second, he reminded me of my father.Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.

    [You have equipped armor: +3 CON.]

    My eyes grew wide at the notification, distracting me from Denver. ¡°This is amazing," I whispered. Getting stat points for armor hadn''t even crossed my mind. Though, I should have expected something from the armor itself.

    Denver chuckled. ¡°First time wearing armor?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, I hadn¡¯t earned anything from the hunting jerkins made by the leatherworkers at the colony.¡± I twisted back and forth and stretched over my head. It felt good; not too tight, and I could still move. Yet, I noticed the look that Denver gave Hawk.

    ¡°Well, we appreciate those who put in hard work," added Denver.

    Hawk stood up from his stump. ¡°We got one more.¡± He moved toward my right shoulder, holding another piece. ¡°This is a pauldron, it will help protect that shoulder.¡± It tied to the chest piece near my neck and under my arm. The overlapping straps of leather were flexible and lighter than expected. ¡°If you''re gonna take a hit, use the armor to take the hit.¡±

    [You have equipped armor: +1 CON.]

    I blinked at the additional stat point and couldn''t help but smile. ¡°Thank you both, I appreciate this.¡± The meat I''d given them from my hunt didn''t feel like enough.

    ¡°We appreciate the help you¡¯ve given us,¡± said Hawk. "Everything from helping me take down that flier, to the hunting you¡¯ve done without asking for much more than a shower." He nudged Denver with his elbow.

    Denver pulled out a piece of paper from a pocket. ¡°Can you do me a favor and give this to Hellion?¡±

    I took the ragged folded paper with a shrug. ¡°Yeah, that shouldn¡¯t be a problem.¡± Paper was hard to come by these days, so I knew it had to be important.

    ¡°Just don¡¯t let Xander see it. It¡¯s for Hellion only.¡±

    ¡°Not a problem, I¡¯ll make sure he gets it.¡± I tossed it into my inventory crystal. ¡°What¡¯s it about?¡±

    ¡°Just what¡¯s happened here, and thoughts for the future.¡± Denver frowned and glanced at the fence. ¡°We need to figure out our long-term plan. We can¡¯t live out of the drop ship forever, and while we have water nearby, it isn¡¯t a large water source.¡± Yet, as he spoke he didn''t look back at me, unwilling to meet my eyes.

    ¡°I get that." The spring, while a good water source, wasn''t that big and required people to gather it each day. "The colony isn¡¯t a bad spot, but you¡¯d need to deal with Xander.¡±

    ¡°I don¡¯t plan on heading to the colony,¡± replied Denver. A smirk slowly stretched across his face making his blue eyes appear colder. He sat back down on his stump and pulled a different piece of leather toward him.

    ¡°The same goes for Jimmy and I,¡± said Hawk. ¡°We¡¯re thinking longer term than that.¡±

    I felt like I was missing something, but I didn¡¯t ask. This was Dad¡¯s problem, and I didn¡¯t mind passing along the message. Yet, I¡¯d probably peek at the message as soon as the shuttle took off. "Sounds like ya''ll have a plan. Hopefully, it works out." I nodded at them both before heading toward John. He marched toward the shuttle with a grim look, and I moved to catch up with him. ¡°What¡¯s up?¡±

    ¡°Mars doesn¡¯t want any of the miners to head to the colony," He practically spit the words out, shaking his head before stomping toward a cargo crate. ¡°I¡¯m not going to say no to anyone who wants a lift to the colony.¡±

    My mind raced as I tried to figure out why. ¡°What¡¯s the point in keeping people here?¡± Based on Hawk and Denver''s plans, this location didn¡¯t seem like a long-term solution.

    ¡°More importantly, he wants to keep the crystal they need for the fence here," added John, ignoring my question.

    My jaw dropped, then I snorted, staring at the crystal strapped to the cargo crate. ¡°That¡¯s not happening. I helped yank that out of the wall." A rush of anger rose in me and I had to take a deep breath before responding. "He has no claim to it.¡±

    John''s head snapped around at the tone in my voice. He looked surprised for a split second.

    Mars sauntered toward the shuttle with two miners in tow with a soft smile on his face.

    I turned in that direction with a tight smile on my own lips, frantically pushing the anger down. John had asked that I stay out of the politics, but I didn''t see a way not to get involved. That crystal was mine.

    ¡°Alex¡­¡± whispered John as I marched down the ramp of the shuttle toward the three of them.

    I stopped at the end, blocking the way. ¡°Can I help you?¡± I asked, my voice coming out lower than anticipated. My fingers twitched, but I forced my hands to stay relaxed by my side. Going for my knife was the wrong move here.

    Mars hesitated with the two miners behind him. I didn¡¯t know either of them. ¡°We''re unloading the crystal.¡±

    ¡°Not gonna happen. I yanked that out of the wall with Sang.¡± I tried to keep my body relaxed, but tension radiated along both of my shoulders as I used Insight on all of them.

    [Mars, Level 16, Mining Leadership, Prey.]

    [Adin, Level 18, Miner, Prey.]

    [Isaac, Level 17, Miner, Prey.]

    ¡°It should stay here until we know what the status of the colony is,¡± said Mars, diplomatically. His eyes flickered behind me, but he wouldn''t meet my gaze.

    John slowly walked down the ramp until he stood next to me. Hawk and Denver both took note of the situation and stood up near the dropship.

    ¡°No. We are taking it to the colony to fix the fence that is currently down.¡± I kept my voice firm, trying to keep the anger at bay. ¡°You have no claim on it. There are hundreds of people in the colony who depend on a safe fence. Just like I helped fix the fence here at the compound, I will help fix the fence at the colony.¡±

    The two miners glanced at one another.

    ¡°We need to let folks know whoever wants a ride to the colony, we will be leaving at sunset," interrupted John as he motioned toward the sky, which showed fading sunlight.

    Mars frowned even more, his eyebrows pulling together. ¡°None of the miners are heading to the colony. I am the only one flying over.¡± His cheeks turned a little red.

    This time I took a step forward. ¡°Again, how is this your concern?" I asked, keeping my voice light compared to before. "If people want to head to the colony, they have that choice, and we have plenty of room in the shuttle.¡± I pointed at the miners near him. "Do either of you want to head toward the colony? I know you''ll be welcome to work on the tunnels." I smirked. "It''s much safer than the mines were. They haven''t had any trouble with monsters, since the rock is solid."

    Mars''s shoulders raised and both the miners looked at one another. "I hadn''t heard about that."

    "Yeah, it''s what the miners who headed to the colony before are working on. Tunnels and housing within the solid rock."

    His face fell at my words as the two miners nodded toward John. "I need to talk to the others about this, so they know." Both took steps back toward the dropship. "Most of the crew is sleeping... we better wake them up."

    Hawk stepped closer, along with Denver, toward our gathering near the ramp. ¡°Everything alright over here¡­?¡± He glanced between us, and I smiled in response.

    ¡°Nothing going on. John¡¯s gonna let everyone know it''s time to load up if they want to head to the colony.¡±

    ¡°I think at least half are taking the trip,¡± added John.

    ¡°That¡¯s too many,¡± growled Mars.

    Hawk¡¯s eyebrow raised. ¡°Anyone who wants to leave is free to leave, even encouraged. We don¡¯t have enough supplies to last for everyone here without some substantial changes to how I run things.¡±

    I held back a smirk at what Hawk implied as I motioned for John to go ahead to the drop ship.

    He moved past me, along with the two miners.

    "I''m still in charge of the miners," growled Mars.

    "You were in charge of the mining colony by a vote," replied Hawk. "The mining colony is no more."

    Rage covered Mars''s face and I resisted putting a hand on my knife. It was his move, but he was prey, and I wasn¡¯t worried.

 Chapter 65 (Ch 7): What We Left Behind

    Mars¡¯ face turned a bright red, but then he turned away, mumbling nonsense under his breath. Hawk kept his eyes on him as he stomped toward the dropship.

    ¡°That¡¯s a ticking time bomb,¡± whispered Hawk.

    ¡°Yep,¡± I added. ¡°Hopefully, he isn¡¯t coming.¡±

    Hawk shook his head. ¡°He better be getting on the dropship than staying at the colony. This shit isn¡¯t going to fly here. We don¡¯t have time for politics, between carrying water, hunting, and keeping the fences up.¡±

    What he said sunk in a bit, and I shivered. That wasn¡¯t what I wanted from life. Hiding behind the fences felt like hiding in a cage. Having a safe place to sleep was nice, don¡¯t get me wrong, but all the time? I¡¯d changed too much through my experience in the jungle.

    John exited the wooden doors and almost all the miners followed him, including Sang and David. My eyebrow raised as Sang walked on her own, though David hovered behind her. She flashed me a smile that turned into a grimace.

    I couldn¡¯t stop myself as I slid an arm under her shoulder. ¡°Hey, should you be up like this?¡± I said in a joking tone. ¡°You don¡¯t want to be showing everyone up.¡±

    She snorted, but didn¡¯t push away my help. ¡°Gotta prove Singers are where it¡¯s at.¡±

    I ambled up the ramp toward the seats in the front. While I¡¯d take my normal spot on the left, I wanted to make sure she¡¯d take one of the two on the right. Each step took forever, but I didn¡¯t rush her. Finally, she sat down and buckled herself in.

    John passed me by and took his seat. ¡°Can you make sure everyone is situated?¡±

    I nodded, then headed toward the ramp. Hawk still stood there, while Denver had fled.

    ¡°It was good meeting you, though I don¡¯t know the next time I¡¯ll be out this way,¡± I said with a grin.

    Hawk held out his hand to shake. ¡°Well, it sounds like you have things to deal with at the colony, though I bet we¡¯ll be seeing you sooner rather than later.¡± He turned away after I shook his hand then hesitated. ¡°Make sure Hellion gets that letter.¡±

    ¡°I will.¡±

    Then off he went back toward the dropship.

    Matt helped the other miners get situated in the back, along with David. Maggie headed up front to take the seat next to Sang, and no one said a word about it. Everything looked in order, though Mars wasn¡¯t on the ship yet.

    John hollered back from the front. ¡°We good?¡±

    ¡°Mars isn¡¯t¡­.¡± My voice trailed off as he rushed out of the wooden doors and toward me. ¡°Here he is¡­¡±

    Once he was on the ramp, I turned toward the front of the ship and took my seat in the front. The ramp raised until it snapped shut, and then the slight noise of the shuttle humming to life filled the cabin.

    ¡°Alright everyone, settle down,¡± called John from the pilot¡¯s seat. All the internal light flickered off. Then the ship rose into the air. As we rose higher, the last bits of sunlight flashed as the ship turned toward the east, before the settled sun vanished and twilight took over the jungle.

    The shuttle slowly darted forward and picked up speed.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get back to the colony¡­¡± mumbled John.

    The miners in the back all shuffled around before sitting on the metal floor. The cargo hold wasn¡¯t meant to carry that many people, but it was still less than before since Hawk, Denver, Jimmy, and Doc had all stayed at the compound. Plus, the cot had been removed. Still, I found it strange that all the miners had decided to leave.

    Mars¡¯ voice rose in the back, but Maggie leaned against her harness with a frown. ¡°Shut up already, Mars. The mines are out, and we are heading to the colony. We¡¯ve lost too many people staying as long as we did.¡±

    His voice quieted down and Maggie sat back in her seat. Sang stared at her like she was a ghost, or something abnormal. Maggie chuckled at the sight. ¡°I can¡¯t deal with his bullshit any longer. If we¡¯d left when we talked about it weeks ago, Heath would still be with us.¡±

    Sang nodded sadly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry again.¡±

    ¡°Nothing to do about it, except move forward. You know that as well as I do. We all lost people on this mission.¡±

    The word mission reminded me of the fact that this was supposed to be a colony mission: humans expanding to the stars and potentially saving humanity. Instead, we¡¯d had to fight dinosaurs and level up in some strange system, plus complete quests. Not to mention all the people who¡¯d died.This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    I shoved those thoughts away and focused on the fact that I¡¯d see the rest of my family shortly. Though, who knew what condition the colony would be in with the fence down?

    Maggie rolled something between her hands, drawing my attention in the dim light. A small metal ball rose in the air and darted around her outstretched fingers.

    ¡°That is so cool,¡± escaped my lips before I could stop myself.

    The older woman chuckled. ¡°It¡¯s the only good thing to come out of crashing here. My metal working career paid off.¡±

    I couldn¡¯t take my eyes off the floating ball as it moved about. I opened my mouth to ask Sang if she could do the same with crystal when I realized her eyes were closed. Her chest still moved, so she still lived, but she¡¯d rested her head back.

    ¡°Maybe I¡¯ll be able to do that with crystal someday.¡± My level in crystal singing was much lower than hers in metal mage.

    The ball landed in her outstretched hand. ¡°Who knows how all of this works?¡±

    I pulled the crystal ring on my belt loop off and held it in my hands. It¡¯d be a few hours until we arrived near the colony, I might as well practice and level.

    ¡°Did you create that?¡± asked Sang. She stared at the ring in my hands.

    ¡°Yeah, from some shards that John had. I figured a practice tool would be good to have.¡±

    She nodded slowly. ¡°I¡¯ve always just jumped to shaping weapons, lights, or inventory crystals.¡±

    ¡°Is there anything else you can do with crystals?¡± I asked, quietly.

    Sang hesitated, but I didn¡¯t press her. Her level was high enough that she had to know how to do more than that. ¡°We can do more training once I settle in at the colony¡­¡±

    ¡°Sounds good, get some rest.¡± I waited until she closed her eyes again before I concentrated on the ring.

    A few hours later I rolled a ball between my fingers, but I couldn''t float it off of my hands. Still, the practice made it easier to shape the crystal, like it was putty.

    [You have gained a level in Crystal Singing.]

    The notification of a new level had come and gone, making me smile. Thankfully, I didn¡¯t need to sing and could hum under my breath. Plus, I discovered how to control the light generated from the crystal, after John grumbled about the distraction.

    John tapped on the side of his seat, getting my attention. It was soft enough that I almost didn¡¯t notice. It took seconds to stretch the ball back into a ring around my belt, before unhooking my harness and standing up.

    He pointed toward the far distance where there were barely flickering lights. ¡°I think those are torches,¡± I whispered. In between the towering rocks, yellow lights moved between the trees and ferns. The narrow opening between the rocks that led to the valley that contained the colony had torches surrounding it. Plus, farther back in the valley itself, more lights burned.

    Normally, at night, the rule was to keep lights to a minimum near the fence to not draw attention. This was the opposite, and with my senses, it was easy to see people moving about.

    ¡°That¡¯s not a good sign,¡± added John after a few moments. His shoulders rose near his ears and he let out a frustrated sigh.

    ¡°No.¡± The more I stared the more I noticed. ¡°The communication crystal said to land as close to the opening in the fence as we could.¡± John wouldn''t be landing the shuttle in the normal location.

    ¡°Yeah, I plan on setting down close by, but moving the crystal there and for it to ground will still take time.¡±

    ¡°We¡¯ve just got to move it close enough; the rocks are narrow on both sides," I said positively. "If it grounds, it will still give everyone some breathing room.¡± I remembered how the crystal I''d dragged through the jungle grounded each night on the sled. There wasn''t a sled in the shuttle, but it''d still work the same. Get the cart close, get it off the cart, and wait.

    The distance between the shuttle and the valley opening shrank as we flew closer. Creatures darted near through the trees on both sides of the opening. ¡°Can you flash the lights on the wings so the folks on the ground notice us?¡± Uneasyness flickered through me seeing the creatures at the edges of the torchlight. At least this time I¡¯d be able to help, with the amount of work it¡¯d take to clear the valley out again of dinosaurs that weren¡¯t part of the livestock.

    ¡°Good idea¡­¡±

    Maggie unhooked herself from her seat, noticing the conversation. ¡°That doesn¡¯t look good,¡± said Maggie.

    ¡°That¡¯s why we need to fix the fence,¡± I replied.

    She nodded and turned toward the back of the ship. Her voice rose. ¡°Alright, everyone, time to wake up. We have some work to do as soon as we land. The fence protecting the opening to the valley is borked.¡± She pointed toward the giant crystal. ¡°We need to move that sucker into the middle of the opening.¡± A few people grumbled, including Mars. ¡°None of that now. We¡¯re miners, we move rocks. We can move a damn crystal.¡± She motioned toward me. ¡°Plus, we got more folks who are watching our backs.¡±

    I felt the miner''s gaze land on me.

    ¡°Alex can protect us,¡± said Matt. ¡°We still have the cart and can load it up before we land.¡±

    One of the other miners nodded. ¡°I can use my strength to lift it on the cart.¡± Conversation quickly broke out about the best way to prep the crystal. Maggie turned back toward me with a smile on her face.

    ¡°We¡¯ll push it where it needs to go as long as you can cover us.¡±

    ¡°It won¡¯t just be me,¡± I said. Though I wasn¡¯t sure. Hopefully, the hunters were down there as well. Not to mention the rest of my family.

    It didn¡¯t take long for the miners to load the large crystal on the cart and ready it in the middle of the cargo hold.

    I set a hand on John¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I¡¯m gonna take point with Maggie. Stick with the shuttle.¡±

    John let out a sigh. ¡°Just be careful. Dad¡¯s gonna be down there somewhere.¡±

    ¡°I will. I swear.¡± I headed toward the back of the ship but paused as Sang made to remove her harness. ¡°Relax, we have this. You aren¡¯t in any shape to fight.¡±

    The shuttle shook a little as it lowered in the sky. Our descent made it easier to see the chaos on the ground, though several people made motions toward the shuttle.

    Then we landed, and the ramp slowly lowered. Tension filled the air as the sound of someone yelling instructions filled the air. I recognized the voice and smirked. Of course, Dad would be nearby.

    ¡°Maggie and I will go first¡­¡± I called, seeing the miners tense up.

 Chapter 66 (Ch 8): Into the Frey

    The smell of smoke from the burning torches hit my face as I darted forward, leading the charge. Maggie kept up with me, though there weren¡¯t many creatures in our way. The yelling of orders came from far away, along with the sounds of fighting. Thankfully, I knew exactly where we needed to go, and it wasn¡¯t too far.

    One miner dragged the cart via the handle while two others pushed from behind. The rest stayed on the shuttle, though the ramp didn¡¯t lift back up. The crystals on the wings pulsed a bright white, making the area around the shuttle glow.

    We headed away from it toward the valley entrance. The moon glowed overhead, providing ample light in conjunction with all the torches. Nothing stopped us on the pathway leading out of the valley, though the trees on one side almost made me hesitate. My prey sense whispered creatures hid inside, but not near the edge. It was enough for me to keep moving.

    The miners with the cart kept pace behind us.

    Then we were there.

    Bright torches lined the edges of the rock walls, highlighting the gap. The towering metal pole in the center was bent. Wooden poles were strapped to it to make the opening smaller but something had clearly smashed through them. A flock of creatures pushed through the wooden poles. Arrows flew from people hidden up on the rocks. Hunters I recognized, like Mary and Jas, fought on the ground up close with the large dinosaurs. Tall spikes grew out of their backs and I knew they weren¡¯t predators.

    My eyes landed on one, and I triggered Insight.

    [Stegosaurus, Level 19, Prey.]

    As soon as the name popped up, I recognized the creatures. It made little sense, yet the group of three of them pushed in this direction.

    ¡°Alex?¡±

    My head turned to spot my father, a sword strapped to his back and a gun in his hands. I blinked twice before charging toward the Stegosaurus that kept trying to push past Mary and Jas. My spear flashed in its face, causing it to flinch as I aimed for one of its eyes. The armor on the thing made it hard to hurt it, but even a carnitor reacted if you stabbed it in the eye.

    My spear sunk in, and it moaned before collapsing on the ground with several arrows sticking out of it. Blood loss from several cuts from Jas¡¯s spear helped, too. I yanked my spear back with a grin.

    [You have gained experience from combat with a Stegosaurus.]

    ¡°Really, you show up and steal our kill?¡± asked Mary with a big grin.

    Movement around the gap stopped as the two other creatures outside the fence fled toward the east. I assumed the smell of blood spooked them.

    ¡°I was lucky,¡± I replied as I pointed Matt toward the opening.

    Yet, my father was already there leading the miners with the cart forward. If the crystal started to ground once in place, it would make this area much safer.

    ¡°You can place it right here,¡± instructed my father, on this side of the fence. The miners moved the cart into place before unstrapping it.

    I turned toward the break in the fence, as something kept nagging at me.

    ¡°You¡¯re level 20?¡± asked Jas, slapping me on the back.

    It almost staggered me, but I forced myself to stay upright. Both were at level 19, as I quickly checked. ¡°It¡¯s been a long few days.¡±

    ¡°I can¡¯t wait to hear about it,¡± interrupted my father. His dark eyes traveled over me, pausing at the armor on my chest and arm. He frowned, but turned back toward the break. ¡°You guys should move farther in. Mary, can you escort them to the safe zone?¡±

    It took a moment to realize he was talking about the miners. Mary headed off with them in tow, along with the cart. The crystal started glowing softly, but it would take some time for a crystal of that size to properly ground.

    ¡°Jas, we need to remove this body before something catches wind of it,¡± said my father.

    ¡°Yes, Sir.¡± He whistled and someone jumped off from the rocks and moved toward the carcass. As the light hit them, I gave Jenny a nod. Her level had increased from 15 to 20 as well.

    My mouth watered slightly at the idea of cutting it up and eating it. ¡°I can help butcher it; I have a skill for Field Dressing.¡±

    ¡°Jenny has that skill.¡±

    I stood there awkwardly, not sure what to say to him. Instead, I turned back toward the opening. ¡°At least this will fix the fence.¡±

    ¡°What would cause a prey animal to act like this?¡± I asked him in a lower whisper. Hellion stepped around the carcass as Jenny and Jas cut into it. The scent of blood filled the air.

    The hair on the back of my neck raised as I studied the darkness beyond what the torches showed. ¡°Something chasing them¡­¡± I mumbled to myself.

    ¡°Exactly¡­¡± Hellion raised his gun. ¡°Everyone, expect incoming¡­¡± His voice trailed off as a roar shattered the night.If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Something moved in the far distance, and I took a step back. Standing out in the open wasn¡¯t the best place for me; I wasn¡¯t a tank, I needed surprise and freedom of movement. I crept off to one side, but then that left Jas and Jenny out in the open with the dead Stegosaurus. As I looked, I saw that both of them had moved as well, toward the edges.

    ¡°Maybe it will go for the dead dino,¡± said Jas as he moved next to my father. Jenny scrambled up the rocks to where the other archers were hiding.

    ¡°It¡¯s a thought, but we don¡¯t want it near the crystal.¡±

    Both men glanced at the glowing crystal. The dim light coming from it was barely increasing in strength. They moved away from the open toward the other side of the fence from me. I kept moving backward toward the ferns and shadows. The torches kept drawing my attention, and I wished they weren¡¯t lit. Too much light would draw attention.

    A tall shadow moved in the torchlight, yet it was hard to make out the creature beyond the shadows it cast. I triggered Insight.

    [Great Allosaurus, Level 24, Predator.]

    My mouth went dry as I moved deeper into the shadows of the trees, drawing my cloak around me. From my memory, I aimed to climb a tree on this side. I kept my attention on the enormous nose that poked between the wooden poles. A plan came to mind, and I smiled, yanking a large rock from the base of the tree into my inventory. I moved around the trunk before climbing up into its branches as quietly as I could. It took no time at all before I was higher than the giant predator¡¯s head with leaves between it and me, not to mention some distance.

    It sniffed at the carcass several feet inside the fenced area. On the far side, I saw my Dad making hand motions up to people on the rocks, and then to him. The number two flashed multiple times and my stomach sank. The Allosaurus stepped inside the fence as another smaller one moved inside behind it.

    [Allosaurus, Level 19, Prey.]

    I paused, seeing the word Prey after its level. Pride raced through me and I gripped my spear tighter in my hand. All I needed was an opening. Then a thought hit me, and I spit on the spearhead, using my poison. The act felt ridiculous, but anything would help as I focused on the larger of the two beasts.

    The smaller creature¡¯s head bit into the carcass as the bigger one kept watch. It was almost cute. The momma was protecting the little one. Or at least, I assumed as much, given that both had the same stripes down their backs and the same ridges above the dark eyes.

    A scream shattered the scene, drawing the attention of both dinosaurs.

    ¡°Now!¡± yelled my father as arrows rained down on the two dinosaurs. The sound of bullets came from his direction, which made little sense since none of the guns we¡¯d brought with us still worked.

    The smaller dinosaur moved away from the left side and toward mine as the bigger one bit toward my father. Without a thought I launched myself out of the tree and onto the back of the smaller one, using my jumping ability. As I slammed into its neck, I dug deep with my spear, the sound of the tip sizzling.

    Both dinos roared in pain as attacks landed. The one under me tried to turn its head enough to reach me, but couldn¡¯t. I used Claw Strike to dig in with my left hand to keep myself in place, as I yanked my spear out and dug in again.

    It roared again, this time louder, drawing the attention of Mommy dearest. The level 24 Allosaurus locked her eyes onto me, and it darted forward, mouth open. I yanked my claws back out and jumped, this time using the skill as hard as I could, aiming for the sky. I flew upward faster than before.

    The dino tracked me as I prayed no one would hit me with an arrow. Its teeth missed as I flew out of reach. Using my left hand, I pulled out the large rock from earlier as gravity took hold. Dropping the rock before I stopped rising, it fell below me, slamming into the top of the head of the Dinosaur, giving me the opening I needed as I fell onto its back.

    The air rushed out of me as I scrambled to grab a place, ignoring the pain from hitting the small ridges along its spine. My left hand wrapped around an arrow buried deep in its back, and I stabbed with my right hand.

    ¡°Drop!¡±

    Without hesitation, I let go, falling off the side of the creature to the ground with a roll. A tail graced the side of me, pushing me farther into the bushes and out of sight. The sound of fighting continued, and I scrambled to my feet, as I shoved a piece of meat into my mouth from my inventory. My spear was still lodged in the dino¡¯s back.

    [You have gained experience from fighting the level 19 Allosaurus.]

    [You have gained a class level.]

    The smaller Allosaurus hit the ground, dead.

    More and more arrows flew toward the larger dinosaur, and I armed myself with the devourer tooth. A very human scream rippled through the air as the Greater creature¡¯s tail slammed into the rocks and one of the archers.

    I flinched at the sound, but kept my eyes peeled for an opening.

    The allosaurus caught someone in its mouth and sent them flying before they crashed into the ground with a sickening snap.

    A bomb sounded, and it stumbled toward my side. I darted forward, slicing at the closet ankle. Blood sprayed over my hands as I kept moving, not pausing as I headed back into the ferns.

    Pain still pulsed on my left side, but I ignored it.

    Leaves rustling drew my attention, causing me to dodge the bite from behind. Something darted around behind me in the ferns.

    [Dimetrodon, Level 20, Predator.]

    It moved faster than I could see, latching into my right arm and yanking me forward. I kept hold of the knife but struck at its eyes with my left hand using Claw Strike. I hit true, and it let go, stumbling backward in pain. Blood dripped from the bite and it stung as I swung out with the tooth. It sliced into the Dimetrodon¡¯s nose as it tried to back peddle.

    [You have resisted Poison Bite.]

    A large fin rose on its back, but other than that it looked like a giant four-legged lizard as it tried to run away. While the fin made it as tall as me, the body itself had to only be four feet long, though the tail doubled that.

    ¡°No, you don¡¯t.¡± I raced deeper into the bushes and leaped forward, knocking into its side, and pushing it over. It tried to climb back to its feet as I stabbed into its belly with the tooth. My fingers trembled as I stabbed it again and again in its exposed belly.

    [You have gained experience from fighting the level 20 Dimetrodon.]

    [You have gained a class level.]

    My heart pounded as I stared down at the creature, now understanding why my father had the miners escorted back to the main part of the colony. The blood dripping from my arm slowed but didn¡¯t stop as my stomach growled. I shoved bite-sized pieces of meat in my mouth from my inventory to increase my healing. Sounds of fighting came from behind me and I twisted in that direction.

    ¡°Freaking sneak attacks!¡±

    The Dimetrodon was smaller than I¡¯d expected, and I tried to yank it into my inventory whole. ¡°Come on¡­¡± I focused on my inventory crystal, pushing energy toward it. I didn¡¯t want to leave its heart behind. The crystal flared brightly, almost blinding me before the carcass vanished.

    [You have gained a level in crystal singing.]

    I wasn¡¯t going to argue as I sprinted back through the ferns toward the sounds of fighting. The rush of the additional stats made me move faster, as I ran to re-enter the fray.

 Chapter 67 (Ch 9): Rewards

    Another big boom sounded, the leg I¡¯d attacked shuddered and the creature toppled over. I didn¡¯t wait, sprinting this time and tossing the tooth back in my inventory. My spear shaft, still sticking out of its back, wobbled, drawing my attention. Its tail snapped out again, but not toward me. My fingers wrapped around the spear shaft and as I darted past, and I yanked it out, making the creature whimper.

    My father moved forward, raising his gun before firing almost point blank near the Allosaurus¡¯ head and the dinosaur stopped moving. His eyes met mine across the carcass, and the feeling of someone using Insight on me rippled across my skin.

    [You have gained bonus experience from combat for surviving against the level 24 Allosaurus.]

    [You have gained a class level.]

    [You have gained a class level.]

    He frowned, staring at me, and I gave him a nod, remembering the blood from the bite on my arm. Somehow, I kept the shock off my face as I peeked at my stat sheet. Level freaking 24, it didn¡¯t feel real. Just a few days ago I¡¯d been worried about reaching level 25, and now it was within reach. Still, now was not the time to be allocating free stat points. Heck, I¡¯d gotten bitten with a sneak attack during a fight, and didn¡¯t need to be distracted.

    I eyed the two dead Allosaurus, and my stomach rumbled. The calories I¡¯d spent during the fight needed to be replaced. I still had the Dimetrodon to field dress inside my inventory.

    ¡°Someone check on Jaxon and Jenny!¡± My father¡¯s voice snapped me out of staring at the carcass, though I didn¡¯t move from my spot. He turned away and headed toward the opening in the fence.

    I moved around the larger creature to get into a better position to cut it up before anyone could say otherwise. Everyone frantically raced in different directions, or slumped to the ground to recover. Without a care and with confidence, like I knew what I was doing, I used my glowing crystal knife to start processing the creature. Each cut was more precise than the last, and I made quick work, stacking meat into my inventory. Each piece vanished from sight as I cut it off, increasing my reserves. Blood pooled under the creature and I tried to keep it off my pants as my stomach rumbled again.

    Jas appeared next to me with a sled, and I loaded a bunch of meat onto it instead of adding it to my stash. The amount of meat on the carcass was staggering. ¡°You¡¯ve gained some skills while you were gone," he said, watching me work. "You seem pretty decent at that."

    ¡°Just a few,¡± I said with a grin after wiping away the sweat dripping down my face. Yet, from the wet texture, I¡¯d only replaced the sweat with blood. The coppery smell made my mouth water and resisting eating the raw meat I was cutting off the creature was harder than I thought, but I didn¡¯t dare. Not around this many people. Small flying bugs darted around the site, though none landed on me.

    ¡°Do you want me to grab a torch?¡± he asked after a few moments, swatting at a few bugs.

    ¡°Na, I got this. Though the sled looks rather full¡­¡±

    He took the hint and took off, pulling the sled toward the main compound. Some of the bugs followed him, causing me to chuckle.

    In the back of my mind, I heard the humming coming from the giant crystal the miners had placed near the gap leading to the valley. Slowly, light from it was filling the area as I worked as fast as I could. The heart vanished into my inventory before I even pulled it from the creature. As soon as the heart was stashed away, I slowed down my pace, not needing to rush to hide my reward.

    Several minutes later, Jas was back with Jenny and my father. The three towered over me as I knelt on the ground working.

    ¡°Let Jenny take over,¡± ordered my father, his curt voice causing me to pause mid-action. ¡°We need to catch up on what happened here, and in the jungle,¡± he added in a slightly softer tone.

    I stood up, then stretched before glancing at Hellion, and then Jas. Jenny gave me a friendly grin before taking over in front of the carcass, pulling out some sharp-looking knives. My father and Jas both turned back toward the path, and I hurried after.

    ¡°You know, you''re a hot mess,¡± whispered Jas. ¡°You have blood all over your arms¡­ and your face.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ll clean up later,¡± I said with a shrug. ¡°None of it¡¯s mine.¡± The lie slipped out without intention, since I didn¡¯t want anyone to worry.

    Hellion glanced at me with an eyebrow raised and I felt myself blush. He knew I¡¯d lied. Dad always knew when one of us kids lied.

    Jas didn¡¯t catch it as he continued to chat, ¡°The colony is currently overrun with Dimetrodon and other smaller carnivores." A grin broke out on his face. "Now that the gate is plugged, people, meaning the hunters, can start to hunt them down.¡±

    Jas nodded to a hunter who passed us heading toward the fence. As soon as they were beyond hearing, both Dad and Jas paused. Jas gave my Dad a look I couldn''t understand, and he nodded in return. Jas passed him by and kept going down the path toward the main buildings.

    My father pulled me off the path into the shadowy bushes, his voice concerned, ¡°Alex, the colony isn¡¯t a safe place anymore. You need to keep your head down, and resist growing your level any higher.¡±If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    I blinked at the sudden change in attitude. Everything, from his voice lowering to keeping an eye on the pathway for anyone else around, screamed secret keeping, though my level was anything but a secret.

    ¡°Dad, what?¡± I asked, needing him to explain what he meant.

    ¡°The timing is horrible, with the miners joining us,¡± he ranted. ¡°You need to be careful. At this moment, we are the highest leveled folks in the colony.¡± He stared at me. ¡°Do you understand me?¡±

    Insight revealed additional information about him.

    [Hellion, Level 23, Close Combat Specialist, Predator.]

    ¡°Leveling is what we should be focusing on, dad. I have to get stronger.¡± Noseen¡¯s warning echoed in the back of my head as I filed away the information about my father. ¡°I¡¯ve learned so much. You have no idea what¡¯s out there,¡± I tried to explain.

    ¡°Xander is only level 20¡­¡± His harsh whisper cut me off, and it dawned on me what he meant. ¡°We¡¯ll get you out with the hunters as soon as daylight breaks. Just keep out of sight.¡±

    I knew Xander had a thing about his level, but being upset that we had passed him felt like a bit much. Then the rest of what he said connected. ¡°I can¡¯t leave just yet, you need to know¡­¡±

    He cut me off, again. ¡°Nothing matters but keeping you guys safe.¡± He didn¡¯t wait for a response and stepped back on the pathway and out of the shadows.¡±Don¡¯t attack or kill anything until we get outside the gate, later today.¡±

    A flash of anger rippled through me at being dismissed, and I released a harsh breath. My eyes widened as I remembered something and I snagged the note from Denver from my inventory. ¡°Wait!¡± I grabbed his hand and stuffed the note into it.

    The note somehow vanished from his hand, and he gave me a nod. ¡°I promise, we¡¯ll talk, just not right now.¡±

    I let my shoulders relax. There was too much to talk about, with him and my brothers. Everything from what Noseen had told me, to the things that had happened at the mines, and the compound. Especially the things that John didn¡¯t know about. The feeling of being dismissed decreased as we both moved back to the main path. My dad¡¯s plate was overflowing, clearly, and he was prioritizing. It still sucked, though, given everything I¡¯d been through.

    It took a second to catch back up with Jas. ¡°Be careful about the creatures in the dark.¡± He flashed me a smile. "They like to bite."

    "Jas," growled my father, but it only caused Jas to laugh.

    ¡°I can see better than before.¡± I blinked, wondering how much better my vision was in the dark.

    ¡°That¡¯s a common one with getting a class,¡± Jas''s voice trailed off as we approached the area where the shuttle had landed.

    Light shone from the wing tips, the area glowing softly. The ramp was still down, and various miners were now sitting in the back. Maggie stood guard with a dead creature laying near the edge of the wing. Several holes dotted the side of the carcass, oozing blood.

    A surge of hunger rolled through me again and I dug my fingernails into the palms of my hands. The pain helped clear the emotion, but the fact that I felt like a ticking time bomb didn¡¯t go away.

    ¡°Maggie! I didn¡¯t expect to see you. I can''t believe you left the mines,¡± said my father. His eyes searched through the group, frowning.

    ¡°That¡¯s one of the things that happened,¡± I whispered.

    Mars jolted up from somewhere in the shuttle and he marched toward the ramp.

    ¡°Dad, that you?¡± called John from somewhere in the front.

    ¡°Yeah.¡±

    The light from the wing tips dimmed and went out as he appeared behind Mars. His eyes locked with mine as he motioned to my face. The feeling of him using Insight triggered and he went pale.

    ¡°What¡¯s this I hear about miners?¡± asked a voice from the darkness.

    My father stiffened next to me for a split second, before the alarm vanished so quickly I could have imagined it. His hand drifted behind his back and pointed at me to move behind him.

    ¡°Alexander,¡± said Mars, rushing off the ramp and hitting Maggie¡¯s shoulder as he brushed past her. ¡°We need to discuss my people joining the Colony here.¡± He approached Xander, who arrived out of the shadows on the path.

    Sang arrived near my brother with a frown. Her eyes darted from my father, to me, then to Jas, before landing on Xander. John whispered something to her, but I didn¡¯t catch it.

    Xander nodded at Mars with a stern look on his face. ¡°Come, we can discuss it in the main hall.¡± He glanced at my father. ¡°I assume you are doing your job and the fence is fixed?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± he growled. ¡°The fence is back up and running.¡±

    ¡°We brought a crystal from the mines to replace the one that shattered,¡± added Mars, like he had been part of the process.

    I resisted adding anything and stayed hidden behind my father as best I could.

    ¡°Good, then Hellion can focus on getting rid of the creatures inside the fence.¡± He turned toward the pathway leading back to the main buildings.

    Mars jerked his head at the miners still huddled in the shuttle. Several stood up and darted off the ramp to follow him as he hurried off after Xander. Maggie stayed behind, along with Sang, but the rest eventually marched after Mars. Xander''s voice continued down the trail before fading away in the darkness.

    John and Sang joined Maggie at the end of the ramp. Jas let out a sigh of relief, which drew everyone¡¯s attention. ¡°Stick to the plan, Hellion?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Yes, get the others as fast as possible,¡± replied my father.

    John¡¯s eyes widened. ¡°Daisy time?¡± he whispered.

    ¡°Yes.¡±

    Jas took off back down the pathway toward the fence. Shadows moved from the direction that Xander and Mars, along with the miners, had gone. Benny, my brother, materialized, along with Cass, from the other side of the shuttle, near the dead dinosaur. Behind him stood Abbie, the best chef in the colony. ¡°Alex!¡± Benny called out to me, with a smile lighting up his entire face.

    Cass darted right at me, her arms open, and I dashed forward to hug her. At least someone didn¡¯t care that I was covered in blood. Good friends were hard to find.

    The hair on the back of my neck rose, and I suddenly twisted, my spear flashing as something leaped out of the shadows on my right. The glowing tip of my spear cut through a Compy, its head went flying. Four other Compys attacked the dead dinosaur at the same time.

    [You have gained experience from combat against the level 22 Compy.]

    Metal darts went flying from Maggie into the group of dinos, killing one and disabling another.

    ¡°Alex, don¡¯t!¡± My father''s voice came too late as I took out another one with ease.

    [You have gained experience from combat against the level 23 Compy.]

    [You have gained a class level.]

 Chapter 68 (Ch 10): Ramifications & Tasty Tasty Hearts

    [You have hit level 25. This area is restricted to level 24 and below. You will be removed from the area. The countdown has started.]

    ¡°What?¡± The notification didn¡¯t make sense, and it vanished as Cass practically tackled me in a hug, her momentum carrying her forward. She barley missed hitting my spear.

    ¡°You¡¯re alive!¡± she yelled.

    I flinched from her yelling in my ear, but my joy damped as a countdown appeared near the upper corner of my vision. It started at 300 seconds and was counting down.

    ¡°Alex, I told you not to attack or kill anything else!¡± My father¡¯s voice came out as a growl and Cass yanked back from me. Several instances of Insight were used on me all at once, causing me to tense up. My fingers tightened around my spear.

    ¡°She didn¡¯t¡­¡± mumbled Benny, the smile falling from his face as his eyebrows drew together.

    ¡°She did,¡± answered my father as he ran his fingers over his eyes. He let out a sigh before his hands settled on my shoulders, spinning me in place to face him. ¡°When you vanish, it will be to somewhere outside of here. Don¡¯t panic.¡± His dark eyes stared into me. ¡°We will be on our way to you. It might take a few days.¡±

    ¡°Vanish? What do you know?¡± The numbers kept ticking down, and panic rose inside me. How did he know that the area was limited? Noseen had mentioned it before, but I didn''t realize I''d literally vanish. I figured I''d be ordered to leave, like a quest or something. Then again, Noseen had suddenly vanished during the fight when he¡¯d broken the rules of his vacation, so I really should have considered it an option.

    ¡°Wait for us. Don¡¯t go exploring the jungle.¡±

    Laughter broke out from John, and I couldn¡¯t help but smirk, but I didn''t get a chance to say anything.

    ¡°I promise, we will find you.¡±

    The number dropped to less than 100. ¡°Dad, don¡¯t worry. I got this. Just ask John.¡± I''d already survived, and even thrived, in the jungle before. At least this time I didn''t need to rescue anyone, not to mention this time my level was freaking 25. I couldn¡¯t wait to see what I could do, or the things I might be able to fight.

    My fingers tingled, before suddenly, as soon as the countdown hit zero, I teleported away.

    ***

    She vanished from beneath my fingertips. One second, Alex stood there, then poof, gone. This wasn¡¯t the first time I¡¯d seen it, but some of the others gasped. My hands fell to my side as my mind raced through everything we needed to do.

    ¡°What the¡­¡± whispered Maggie, taking a step forward. ¡°Where did she go?¡±

    My head snapped around toward the others. ¡°Load up. We need to leave, now.¡± I kept my voice low, but firm. If we wanted to make it to Alex within a reasonable timeframe, we needed to get in the air as soon as possible. At least this time we wouldn''t be hiking through the jungle.

    ¡°Leave, to where?¡± asked Maggie, her eyes narrowed. Sang stood near John, who was explaining a few things to her in a quiet voice. Hopefully, she''d join us. Her crystal singing class was invaluable.

    ¡°Out of here.¡± I motioned to where Alex had vanished. ¡°That¡¯s what happens at level 25. You can wait till then, or leave with us. Your choice.¡±

    Benny and Cass, along with Abby, boarded the shuttle. Benny should be carrying several duffel bags and a cart with a crate inside his inventory crystal, hiding it from view. He gave me a thumbs up; that was one more thing off the list. The plan for everyone who didn¡¯t want to be under Xander¡¯s rule to leave was on track.

    Jas arrived back, with Mary and Randy. I motioned for them to hurry onboard, my eyes scanning the trees.

    ¡°It¡¯s your choice,¡± I added, toward Maggie. While I hadn¡¯t expected Maggie or Sang to be involved, or even be here, they were part of the list I¡¯d hoped to talk to after we left the colony. Maggie turned and went back up the ramp with a shrug. Jas, Mary and Randy also raced up the ramp, leaving me at the bottom.

    The hum of the engine started, and I turned to go up.

    ¡°Hellion! What is the meaning of this?¡± Xander¡¯s voice rolled out of the darkness. Next to him stood Mars and several others. I shifted my gun from over my shoulder into my hands.

    ¡°I warned you,¡± I called out, making sure to not point my weapon at them. ¡°People were always going to complete that quest.¡± I¡¯d completed it several weeks ago, and since then I¡¯d been very careful to not do anything to raise my class level, unlike Alex.

    His eyes grew wide. ¡°We can talk about this.¡± Xander motioned into the darkness. ¡°The colony needs you, it needs everyone to keep standing.¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s too late now.¡± I chuckled to myself, thinking of the greater creature that had attacked the fence. The one that several of the hunters helped kill, completing the quest that capped people at level 20. ¡°I warned you again and again what would happen, Xander, but you didn¡¯t want to listen. Good luck. We¡¯ll see people on the other side.¡±

    The ramp shifted upward slowly, but I didn¡¯t dare move. The only hunter next to him gave me a nod. While not everyone wanted to leave early, I¡¯d made sure to spread the word about what happened as soon as you reached level 25. Jaxon stood next to Xander and took a step forward, but the other hunter placed a hand on his shoulder. At least the boy hadn''t been hurt too badly during the fight.

    ¡°Get him!¡± ordered Xander. Yet, no one moved toward me as I stood there holding my weapon.

    The sight disappeared as the ramp closed and I turned toward the others in the shuttle, slinging my gun over my shoulder on its strap. ¡°John, get us in the air before daybreak.¡± The shuttle flew upward as I marched toward the cockpit. Sang and Maggie sat in the two chairs to the left, while Abby sat on the right. Abby stopped talking as I marched into view.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.

    ¡°Did we get all the supplies on the list?¡± I asked, running my checklist through my head. First supplies, then the various stops, then finally heading outside the mountain range to the north. We¡¯d fly over the tunnel that led to the other side. The South had another exit, but as far as my information went, people always ported to the northern tunnel.

    ¡°Yes, we have enough food and water to last us a week with Ben,¡± answered Abby. "Not to mention some trade supplies for the scientists if you still plan on stopping there.¡±

    I nodded in relief, glad that she was able to do her thing. With everything that had happened with the fence going down, I wasn¡¯t sure we¡¯d be able to get enough to keep us going until we could establish a new base outside of the Sanctuary. Now, we¡¯d have some runway near the other drop ship. I pulled out the note that Alex had passed to me before she vanished and opened it. Two words were all it contained.

    We¡¯re in.

    The handwriting belonged to Denver, and I let out a sigh. ¡°First stop, the compound. Then, the scientists¡­¡± At least Denver and Hawk would be assets in the new base. They¡¯d handle themselves just fine, unlike several people we¡¯d left behind. ¡°I¡¯m worried about Alex.¡± She¡¯d need to last a few days out in the jungle by herself. Maybe she¡¯d find the drop ship and Hampton.

    Sang chuckled, along with John.

    ¡°Dad, Alex will be fine. She¡¯s level 25, and to be honest she saved my life more than once.¡±

    ¡°Same here,¡± added Sang. My head snapped in her direction.

    Maggie nodded as well. ¡°She saved everyone at the Mines.¡±

    ¡°Okay, someone needs to start at the beginning¡­¡±

    ***

    I appeared a few inches above the ground and landed softly on my feet. A flash of pain rippled up my spine, then vanished. The smell of damp soil filled my nose as I froze, trying to see around me. Tall trees formed a clearing in front of me, but behind me, a flat rock face was only broken by the mouth of a tunnel.

    [You have been teleported outside of the Sanctuary.]

    [You have reached 100 points in your first stat, congratulations on your growth.]

    I peeked at my stat sheet, noting Quickness had passed 100. The flash of pain made sense as I¡¯d passed another milestone. Though, this was the first time I¡¯d gotten congratulations from the system. My surroundings drew my attention back, and I began to study the tunnel opening, but another notification popped up.

    [You may not return to the Sanctuary without the necessary permit and debuff.]

    I turned to face the dark jungle, spotting the stars and moon overhead. The night sky hadn¡¯t changed much. First things first, I needed to get cleaned up. My stomach rumbled and I took a few steps toward the edge of the trees. Nothing moved in the darkness, or the deeper shadows from the ferns. Still, standing in the middle of the clearing made me uncomfortable.

    The two hearts in my inventory called out to me, and once nothing moved around me, I yanked the first out, starting with the Dimetrodon. The first bite quickly led to me gobbling the rest of it down. The flavor reminded me of some sort of berry, but I couldn¡¯t tell which. Slightly sweet, but also tart. Dimetrodon needed to go on the tasty list. Also, my stomach confirmed my priorities with that first few bites of food: eating first, then I¡¯d get cleaned up after.

    [You have devoured a Dimetrodon and gained insight into Venomous Bite. Venomous Bite II: You have glands behind your jaw that create a sedative in your saliva. Increase your knowledge of biological venom and poisons.]

    From what I remembered, last time it had said a minor sedative, so the bump was gone. Hopefully, the skill would be more useful now. I¡¯d need to test it in a fight. A surge of desire for more crashed over me. I snagged the Allosoaur''s heart and scarfed it down, blinking at the sudden flavor. Dark, spicy hot chocolate, yet I chewed it. It contrasted with the berry from before, and reminded me of the Microraptors heart, but better, so much better. I wished I¡¯d eaten it slower. The rumbling in my stomach reduced a bit, at least.

    [You have devoured an Allosaurus and gained the potential skill: Chomp. Chomp: Your teeth strengthen, increasing the damage from bite attacks. You have the maximum number of skills. Would you like to merge Chomp into Venomous Bite II?]

    This notification made me pause. The thought of literally biting into something made me uneasy. I wasn¡¯t an animal, and I preferred my spear. If I merged it, it wouldn¡¯t take up a skill slot, but still. Uncertainty flickered through me as I snacked on a piece of meat from the Dimetrodon.

    Why not?

    I accepted the merge. Pain danced along my jawline and mouth and almost knocked me to my knees. I dropped the meat in my hand as my fingers shook. After shuddering for several seconds I regained control of myself, panting in the night air.

    [Chomp has merged into Venomous Bite II creating Venomous Chomp. Venomous Chomp: Your teeth have been strengthened along with your jawbone, increasing the damage from bite attacks. You have glands behind your jaw that create a sedative in your saliva. Increase your knowledge of biological venom and poisons.]

    I ran my tongue over my teeth, finding my canines pointed more than before. Without a mirror, I couldn¡¯t tell what other changes it¡¯d caused to my mouth, but nothing else felt out of place. No longer hungry, I cleaned up using a rag from my inventory along with some water from my canteen.

    Then I spotted a tree to climb for the rest of the night. I circled around the clearing twice using my stealth before making my way up the trunk. It only took seconds to reach the upper branches, where I could still spot any changes in the clearing. Nothing came up as I reached out with my prey sense, and I relaxed in the branches.

    Yet, before I could get some sleep, one more task remained, my stat sheet. 36 free stat points mocked me, and I needed to allocate them. Hesitating, I glanced at my inventory spotting the eggs. The thought of eating them raw made my mind want to gag while my mouth watered. Tonight wasn¡¯t a night for a fire, but maybe in the morning I¡¯d build one before exploring the surrounding jungle. I added stat points to strength, quickness, and flexibility. Then three points into Charisma. The pointed teeth weighed on me. As I accepted the changes, another flash of pain rippled up my spine from getting flexibility to 100.

    Name: Alex

    Level: 25

    Race: Human

    Traits: Survivability, Adaptation, Hangry

    Class: Devourer, level 25

    Profession: Crystal Singer, level 5

    Stats:

    STR: 68(90)

    DEX:

    >QUICK - I: 93(107)

    >FLEX: 78(100)

    CON/TOUGH: 66(90)

    INT: 59(74)

    WIS:

    >FORT: 59(74)

    >WILL: 59(74)

    CHA: 54(69)

    FREE: 0

    Monstrosity: 5%

    Titles & Achievements:

    Jack-of-all-Trades

    Lucky Stars

    Badass

    Skill: 10/10

    Improved Body - II

    Crystal Singing and Attunement

    Insight

    Augmented Senses

    Stealthy Camouflage

    Blades and Polearms

    Free Spirit

    Venomous Chomp

    Claw Strike

    Field Dressing

    Skills Categories: +

    The changes from the last several levels made for a ton of growth. One thing stood out to me: Monstrosity had increased by 1 % point, even with the stat increases to charisma. Maybe that didn¡¯t affect it at all. At what point would I be more monster than human?

 Chapter 69 (Ch 11): Noseenéˆ¥æªš Advice

    Chapter 11: Noseen¡¯s Advice

    A branch poked me in my shoulder and I shifted slightly to the right. Staring at my stat sheet didn¡¯t help, so I closed it and tried to think sleepy thoughts. My stomach no longer rumbled, and for the moment I felt sated. A few sips of water from my canteen cleared the various flavors from my mouth. Too bad I didn¡¯t have a note sheet to write down the creatures which tasted the best. That info would be good to have. The Allosaurus would definitely sit near the top, at least so far. At the tip-top of the list rested the Carnivorous Flower, with its sweet peach flavor.

    I needed to get some sleep and then come up with a plan of what to do next. My father wanted me to wait around here, and somehow they would be joining me within a few days. I wished I knew what had happened after I teleported away. John could catch them up on everything from the last week or so, but that didn¡¯t help me much.

    There wasn¡¯t a chance I would wait around and lose a few days of progress. Still, there were a few hours until the sun rose, then I¡¯d go explore. Hopefully, this area contained higher-level creatures, but not so high that they¡¯d be out of my reach. With that thought, I closed my eyes and tried to relax enough to get some shut-eye.

    One moment I sat in the tree, and the next I sat on the edge of the shuttle. Daylight streamed down on me, and I recognized the area. We¡¯d crash-landed the shuttle here. The jagged tree line in the distance was familiar, plus the bloody spot from where I¡¯d fought and killed the Armored Jungle Cat. No wonder the Carnitor had found the ship and sniffed around; the blood soaked deep into the dirt, staining it red.

    ¡°You leveled faster than I anticipated,¡± buzzed Noseen right in my ear, making me flinch. ¡°You must be outside the Sanctuary.¡±

    ¡°I fought another greater creature, this time an Allosaurus.¡± My mouth watered just thinking about it, and the heart of the smaller one I¡¯d left behind. ¡°Currently, I¡¯m camping in a tree until dawn.¡± I tried to spot the small black dot, but couldn''t. ¡°I made it back to the colony and reunited with my father and brother. Well, for a bit, but then I leveled too far and got kicked out.¡± If I hadn¡¯t attacked those Compys, I¡¯d still be at the colony. My father¡¯d even warned me against it, but after my time in the jungle, I couldn¡¯t resist the automatic reaction. It''d jumped from the shadows and attacked, though it was headed for the dead dino and not us.

    More importantly, everyone had gathered near the ship for a plan called Daisy. Whatever my father was up to, plenty of people were involved. Hopefully, they¡¯d all make it outside of the Sanctuary.

    Something buzzed near my right ear as I remembered everything happening at the colony. ¡°I hope you don¡¯t plan on waiting for your family to show up.¡± Noseen¡¯s voice dripped with condescension before it lightened. ¡°You need to keep growing, and be less squishy.¡±

    ¡°No, I''m not going to wait,¡± I answered confidently. ¡°I¡¯m going to explore the nearby jungle and focus on leveling. Didn''t you demand that?¡±

    ¡°I suggested finding a dungeon, and¡­¡± Noseen paused. ¡°There''s one to the northwest of you.¡±

    I stretched upward before leaning back on my arms in the sunlight. ¡°That¡¯s to complete the second quest, right?¡± The questions about the Path to Citizenship that I¡¯d shoved aside roared inside my head. ¡°I need to complete a dungeon for it. How many more quests do I need to complete for the Path to Citizenship?¡±

    Noseen buzzed in agreement. ¡°The dungeon might require a party of at least 3 creatures, but it might not.¡± The buzzing cut off suddenly and the trees in the distance dissolved before he answered my question. Everything surrounding me suddenly felt very silted.

    ¡°Noseen, are things okay?¡± I sat up quickly and realized I couldn¡¯t stand. The foreground started dissolving faster, moving toward us. The hair on the back of my neck rose. Then, suddenly, it stopped.

    ¡°Get into the dungeon as soon as possible,¡± said Noseen. This time there wasn¡¯t a buzz in his voice, and he sounded concerned. ¡°Don¡¯t approach any of the villages.¡±

    Everything shuddered around me, and then vanished.

    My eyes snapped open, and I blinked several times until I saw the stars overhead. That branch poked me again in the shoulder. The sound of bugs filled the air, along with the occasional call of something else in the distance. Nothing moved nearby in the trees, and even the air felt still.

    Whatever had happened with Noseen was his problem. If he couldn¡¯t deal with it, it wasn¡¯t like I could. Instead, I focused on sleep. In the morning, I needed to find the dungeon and potentially a team, while not approaching any villages. Not a big problem.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.

    I jerked upright before slowly relaxing back into place. Villages meant people, which meant I wasn¡¯t alone out here. Who lived in the villages? Did this planet have more humans?

    Thoughts of sleep vanished as I wondered about tomorrow, and who I might find.

    ***

    I glared at the jungle person for interrupting my conversation with Alex. They were why she shouldn¡¯t visit the villages, and I hadn¡¯t had a chance to explain things. With my luck, that¡¯d be the first place the human would go. They better not die.

    The creature stood taller than my human companion, with light green skin and short brown hair. Its long jagged ears twitched as I stared. The simple leather clothing, and lack of aura, made it clear he didn¡¯t want to cause a scene. Or trouble.

    [Eldaeren le Wynrel, Level 480, Member of Wysama Tribe, Prey, Very Tasty.]

    ¡°Can I help you?¡± I asked, the words coming out and demanding a response. While the creature was lower level than I, that didn¡¯t mean he wasn¡¯t dangerous. Especially since Alex currently lived on his native world. I leaned back in my chair, swirling my glass.

    The balcony my table sat on overlooked the various portals this city held. One led to Eldaeren¡¯s world, that Alex currently stood on, while another led to a mega city connecting the various worlds of the System Universe. The last portal stood pitch dark and led to the cosmos, near a great one. The one in charge of this region of space.

    Eldaeren sat down in the chair across from me before answering.

    I resisted the urge to frown. This humanoid form required more control than my beastial ones. Still, in a more civilized place bestial forms were looked down upon. That wasn¡¯t the case on my planet, but I ruled there. Here, it was best to try not to cause a stir.

    ¡°Did you enjoy your stay on my world? It surprised the council to see the purchase of a visitor''s package for the Sanctuary.¡± His voice came out silky smooth. ¡°Most haven¡¯t seen one of your kind before.¡±

    ¡°We are a rare breed. Or did you mean a Devourer?¡± My head tilted to one side and I knew how his blood would feel flowing down my throat. So very tasty. His kind had fought in the war, dying by the score. The warriors left and retreated to the higher-level worlds to grow stronger after the peace accords. ¡°You¡¯re too young to have fought in the war.¡± While I¡¯d stagnated after the war, his level was too low to have fought.

    ¡°My father fought your kind. He''s now with the ancestors.¡± He shook his head.

    ¡°My condolences,¡± I bowed my head in his direction. Most humanoid creatures placed attachments on family. ¡°Many were lost.¡±

    His eyes widened slightly at my answer, and he took a moment to respond. ¡°Did you enjoy your stay? They noted that you left earlier than your package required. Some wondered if you wouldn¡¯t leave.¡±

    I chuckled, the sound coming out rough. ¡°The Sanctuary held many wonders, and some of the stranger creatures of the System Universe that I¡¯ve always wanted to see.¡± The fact that I¡¯d been booted, and they didn¡¯t know that, gave me additional insight into the situation.

    ¡°And taste?¡±

    ¡°Of course. It was part of the package after all.¡± I swirled the blood in my glass, wishing it was from the restaurant I¡¯d visited before. Instead, it was cheap, filling, and something to distract me as I waited to make my move. Alex had leveled faster than I¡¯d anticipated, or I would have been at the tunnel waiting when they teleported out. As soon as they became a Citizen, I could take him from that world and head to mine.

    Eldaeren¡¯s hand clenched on the table, then froze when he realized it. The jungle folk didn¡¯t like me tasting my way across the jungle. Too bad.

    ¡°There is a rumor you visited a great one,¡± he said, trying to sound relaxed. Instead, fear rose from him. All stayed away from the pitch-black portal. All except I. As far as I knew, I was the only one to ever use it, going through it and returning. The Great Devourers were, after all, rather voracious.

    ¡°You know better than to speak of them,¡± I growled, keeping my voice low. The Devourers of Light and Knowledge weren¡¯t to be taken lightly. They enforced the peace accords, after becoming involved in the war that was so far beneath them. It had shocked the whole System Universe.

    But he wasn¡¯t wrong. I¡¯d visited the same one who thought my debt was paid. That conversation still made my wings tremble in fury. It hadn¡¯t given me anything more about Alex, or what to do about the baby devourer. Still, I¡¯d keep Alex safe from creatures like this one. I¡¯d balance the debt that weighed on me, no matter what it took.

    ¡°The council¡¯s concerned that you returned to this system.¡± He said as he held both his hands up in a placating measure.

    ¡°Your council is not my issue.¡± I took an unneeded breath to release tension. ¡°I mean your people no harm. The treaty stands. Don¡¯t tell me that they¡¯re worried I¡¯m here for war?¡±

    He shrugged, acting like he wasn¡¯t concerned, but his scent said otherwise. That council of his worried, thinking I''d planned to break the treaty. They hadn''t a clue.

    Children. They were all children.

    While war allowed a devourer to eat, grow, and evolve, it also provided plenty of opportunities to become stardust and feed others. The creatures on my world depended on me standing at the top, to be left alone. It needed to stay that way.

    Alex complicated things. I needed to remove them from that planet. The Great One had confirmed they were the first new devourer since the war, and the first human devourer ever. Something new.

    ¡°They will be pleased to hear it.¡± He stood and bowed his head before walking away.

    Alex needed to get inside a dungeon. Once inside with a team, no one could join, or search them out using magic or skills. The same had gone for when they lived in the Sanctuary. Now? They traveled out in the open, and if someone knew what to look for, they were far too squishy to survive.

 Chapter 70 (Ch 12): So Many Questions

    Somehow I¡¯d fallen asleep after the revelation I wasn¡¯t alone outside of the Sanctuary. Thankfully, I didn''t have any more dreams. Dawn broke the darkness, and the bright rays of light woke me up. My whole body felt stiff, but after making sure I spotted nothing around, I climbed down to the ground. Once there, I stretched out, making sure to remain loose. For breakfast, I scarfed down a bunch of Allosaurus meat to fill my stomach. Water washed the remaining taste out of my mouth, and I refilled my canteen from the extra jug of water in my inventory.

    It would last until tomorrow, but that was all. I needed to find a water source to refill my stores. After harvesting the Allosaurous, my stockpile of meat was good, as long as I didn''t get into too many fights. With the additional light, I spotted a tall upright stone off to one side of the tunnel entrance. Letters were carved into the surface, and I shuffled closer for a look.

    Names.

    It was a list of several names. Some I recognized from the colony ship. All were in English, scratched into the surface of the rock. Three were crossed out. I traced the letters with a finger, trying to figure out when the last one had been carved.

    ¡°Garth,¡± I whispered. He¡¯d gone missing before I¡¯d left the colony on the shuttle. The rumors were he¡¯d walked into the jungle to be left alone. This confirmed that he¡¯d left the Sanctuary and might not be dead. Given that he¡¯d worked with my father, it made sense that Dad knew I¡¯d vanish at level 25.

    How much did the leadership council know about this place that they weren¡¯t telling people? No, not the council¡­ Xander. I was beginning to see why Hawk had such a strong negative opinion of the man.

    I shook my head, but froze as the sound of something in the distance caught my attention. Within seconds I¡¯d climbed up a different tree from last night, this one with thinner branches and more hanging vines to hide behind. The sky lightened as the sun rose and the temperature increased.

    On the other side of the clearing, a faint trail cut through the ferns heading north, which matched the direction of the noise. The next time I heard it, it sounded like voices talking. My heart pounded, wondering if those like Garth remained nearby, maybe in one of those villages Noseen had mentioned. Well, that he warned me away from, while at the same time telling me to head to a dungeon. Which might need a team.

    The sound of voices cut off and I focused on remaining hidden in the treetop. A fern moved near the trail, and an eye peeked into the clearing. Seeing nothing on the ground, it stepped into view.

    [Dengu, Bonded Raptor, Level 23, Predator, Tasty]

    Information popped up as I used Insight, and the last item in the list almost made me chuckle. The Microraptor¡¯s heart had tasted like chocolate, so potentially a regular Raptor tasted the same. Dengu stood taller than me, with bright green and blue feathers running down its back and spine. It stood on two legs, with two short arms ending in talons. The tail finished in a flare of dark green feathers. Its head lacked feathers, and was instead covered in scales with bright thick purple lines drawn from its clearly intelligent eyes down toward its neck.

    Dengu¡¯s head turned back to the trail and it called out twice before stepping into the center of the clearing. Everything in me screamed to take the creature out. My spear already rested in my hand, but I resisted. I didn¡¯t know what Bonded meant, but that was only the beginning of what I didn¡¯t understand now that I was out of the Sanctuary. It seemed like a good idea to learn more before taking action.

    I knew I¡¯d heard voices.

    ¡°See, I don¡¯t think anyone else has appeared,¡± said a soft female voice. ¡°Nothing came down the trail. We should continue with the plan.¡± The person attached to the voice stepped out of the jungle and placed a hand on Dengu¡¯s back. My brain screamed it was an elf, because of the pointed ears. Like one of those from fantasy novels, but green. However, her ears did have two points instead of one. Yet, she spoke English, which seemed extremely unlikely, despite the evidence of my ears.

    [Lenna le Dengu, Jungle Folk, Ranger, Level 21, Prey, Unknown.]

    The first thing I noticed besides her skin color was the repeat of Dengu. The Raptor had to be bonded to her, or there was some other connection. Lenna didn¡¯t wear much armor. Her mid-rift was bare, her shirt covering her chest and shoulders, with matching leather pants. Purple and green markings dotted the armor. Over her shoulder rested a bow, and a quiver filled with arrows. The purple markings continued on the backs of her hands and up her arms. They also flared out from her dark green eyes. Braids pulled back the front of her dark green hair, but the rest dangled loose down her back.

    ¡°It was worth a shot,¡± added a male voice. This time someone I recognized stepped out onto the trail. A chunky metal suit covered his body, but I knew that face. This was Hammy, from the ship. Insight confirmed it.

    [Hammy, Mech Warrior, Level 20, Prey, Unknown.]

    Freaking Hampton Jones, one of the guys from the mission, though he hadn¡¯t been at the colony. He¡¯d been part of the equipment drop ship, which explained so much, including the weird armor he wore. It covered his legs like one of the mech suits that we¡¯d used to move heavy objects when loading the ship, but thinner somehow. The armor increased his height by at least 5 inches. A thick plate covered his chest, with a dent in the center. Metal ran down each of his arms, but didn¡¯t encase them. Instead, two bars, one on either side, ran down to his hands. They ended at his hands, which were completely encased in what looked like chunky metal mittens.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.

    Noseen¡¯s warning about not visiting the villages flashed through my mind. Yet, here was someone I remembered. I didn¡¯t know him super well, but still. He¡¯d been brilliant, mechanically, but sometimes awkward. He¡¯d also gone out of his way to talk to a young, shy version of me that was, at times, overwhelmed by leaving Earth.

    ¡°We can head north, then, and maybe we can beat that turtle thing.¡± His hand raised to run through his shaggy brown hair, but he froze before he touched his head. The metal mittens covered his hands, so that was probably a good thing, since his head didn¡¯t have any armor on it.

    A headshot would take him down.

    All three of them turned back the way they¡¯d come.

    I needed to make a choice.

    ¡°Hey, Hammy, is that you?¡± I called out from my hiding spot.

    Dengu roared and darted in my direction before Lenna spoke up. ¡°Dengu!¡± The dinosaur froze, but its eyes searched the undergrowth for my voice.

    So, it was smart, but not smart enough to look up.

    ¡°See, I told you someone showed up,¡± whispered Hammy at Lenna, as he turned toward the clearing. ¡°We don¡¯t mean you any harm, since you could probably kick our asses.¡±

    ¡°Ham!¡± growled Lenna.

    ¡°What? They¡¯re probably level 25 if they came from the tunnel.¡±

    I chuckled, moving out from behind the vines and letting my stealth drop. ¡°You¡¯re not wrong.¡±

    ¡°Alex?!¡± Hammy took a step forward. ¡°I didn¡¯t expect to see you here. Woah, and you¡¯re rocking it!¡±

    Lenna didn¡¯t say anything, but I felt the Insight she used. It caused me to want to itch the back of my neck. My eyes flickered toward the Raptor. It hadn¡¯t moved, but its eyes were locked on me. I stared back.

    ¡°You can come down,¡± he called. ¡°Oh, do you want to kill a turtle with us? It¡¯s a greater creature.¡±

    I didn¡¯t move, not yet.

    Dengu glanced away, toward Lenna. He squawked at her.

    ¡°Friend,¡± she answered quietly.

    I shortened my spear into its knife form and then put it away on my belt. Then, I slowly climbed down, not using my full speed. It required me to turn my back on the three of them, but I wasn¡¯t overly worried. I still had quite a few advantages, if they decided to try to jump me.

    ¡°This is great!¡± Hammy kept talking. ¡°We¡¯ll be able to beat the turtle, and I can finish that quest. You didn¡¯t add your name to the rock, Alex. It''s a list of those who have left.¡±

    ¡°And the crossed-out ones?¡± I asked.

    ¡°I did that when I heard they died.¡±

    I turned around slowly, looking at Lenna.

    She flashed me a smile. ¡°My name is Lenna Omalee and this is Dengu, my bonded pair. We are of the Klee Tribe.¡± She held out her hand.

    I smiled and shook it, motioning toward the stone. ¡°I can add my name."

    ¡°I did that correctly?¡± whispered Lenna toward Hammy.

    ¡°Yeah, you shook her hand right.¡±

    ¡°So, how long have you known each other, and how do you know English?¡± I asked while I used my knife to carve my name into the stone, careful not cut too deep. Hammy¡¯s name was at the top of the list, which I hadn¡¯t noticed before.

    ¡°58 days,¡± answered Hammy. ¡°About a month after the crash¡­¡± His voice trailed off, then his voice sped up. ¡°But we¡¯ve been leveling together and formed a team. She isn''t speaking English, she''s speaking common.¡±

    I paused, confused. "We''re speaking English¡­?"

    "Yes, but she hears what''s called common here, and when she speaks common, we hear it in English." He held up a hand. "I don''t know how, but it is what it is. I wish I understood how, but I think it''s something the System did when we were welcomed."

    I shook my head and finished carving my name. ¡°So, turtle?¡± I turned back around to find all three of them looking at me.

    This time Lenna spoke up as Dengu sniffed in my direction. He caught me looking at him and turned away, moving down the path.

    ¡°Ham needs to finish his quest before we can tackle the dungeon,¡± she explained. ¡°There is a Greater Creature,¡± she motioned toward the west, ¡°that we need to kill to move forward.¡±

    Hammy must be on the first quest still.

    ¡°What level is it?¡± I asked.

    ¡°23. We tried to take it down before, but we had to flee,¡± explained Lenna. She strode behind Dengu as he took the lead. Hammy waited for me to go first, before continuing down the trail after me. ¡°Dengu¡¯s claws couldn¡¯t cut through the shell, and my arrows bounced off.¡± She hesitated, then continued. ¡°You use a burning crystal, though. That should cut through the armor.¡±

    ¡°Those are really rare. How¡¯d you get your hands on one?¡± asked Hammy, interrupting Lenna. He swatted at the bugs that appeared as we walked under the canopy. The air around me remained clear. ¡°Freaking bugs¡­¡±

    ¡°Inside the Sanctuary we found a bunch, but not everyone can use them.¡±

    ¡°They are sacred,¡± said Lenna. ¡°Only the strongest of our tribe can use them to cut. You are tested once you become an adult. Yet, you already have one.¡± The disapproval was heavy in her voice. Hammy elbowed her in the side.

    ¡°We tested everyone soon after we discovered them,¡± I explained, trying to be diplomatic. ¡°Especially since none of our weapons worked here. We needed something to help.¡±

    ¡°That makes sense. Your people aren¡¯t from here, and you aren''t jungle folk.¡± She motioned toward the sky, glancing over her shoulder at me. ¡°You have different customs, just like the other races.¡±

    The humidity felt different as we walked through the undergrowth. The air didn¡¯t feel as wet here, and the sunlight wasn¡¯t heating everything. I appreciated the change. My clothing under my armor didn¡¯t stick to me as much as I hiked after Lenna.

    Lenna kept stepping off to the side and glancing at me, but the narrow trail couldn¡¯t fit us both walking side by side. I got the impression it made her nervous to have me walking behind her.

    ¡°So, how is the colony going?¡± asked Hammy, cutting into the sudden silence. ¡°I haven¡¯t gotten an update in weeks.¡±

    ¡°Tell me about that, how do you get updates?¡± I asked, dodging the question for a moment.

    ¡°I try to meet up with anyone who gets booted out, and sometimes people come through the tunnel. I ran into your dad that way, but that was around when I met Lenna.¡±

    ¡°Ham created a thing that warns us when people or creatures get teleported,¡± added Lenna. She flashed Hammy a smile, and he turned bright red.

    ¡°Wait, my dad?¡± While I wanted to know more about what the mechanic had created, the fact that he¡¯d met my father out here seemed important. Somehow, he¡¯d made his way out of the Sanctuary and through the tunnel. That explained how his level had been higher than anyone else, and how he seemed to know where I¡¯d end up, but why had he kept it all secret?

 Chapter 71(Ch 13): Time to Tackle a Turtle

    ¡°Yeah, Hellion, right?¡± he asked, his eyes wide at the tone of my voice.

    ¡°That¡¯s him¡­¡±

    ¡°He¡¯s been out here twice, both times to check in with me about the drop ship, and talk about places to set up a more permanent village,¡± explained Hammy. ¡°Not that this area would be the place for that.¡±

    ¡°No, this area isn¡¯t great for a village.¡± Lenna snorted. ¡°Stuck between the mountain and Rank One monsters.¡±

    The more they spoke, the more questions raced through my head. First, Hammy had created something to warn them about teleporting people, and now monsters were ranked.

    Lenna must have spotted the confusion on my face. ¡°We¡¯ll talk more once we get to camp.¡± She motioned ahead to where Dengu vanished farther down the trail. ¡°We must cross through that area before we get to camp.¡± She held a finger up to her lips in a gesture to be quiet.

    I nodded as Hammy slowed down behind me. Each of his steps were quieter than the last. I slipped into stealth mode, my footsteps going completely silent while I pulled out my knife. Lenna moved ahead, putting space between us, and Hammy let me gain some space as well. The narrow pathway between the ferns tightened.

    Despite all the caution, I felt nothing with my prey sense and bird song filled the air. A faint buzzing came from Hammy¡¯s direction, the bugs following him even as they avoided me. The more I focused on sound, the more I noticed his buzzing. It couldn¡¯t just be the bugs.

    A few bright rays of sunlight cut through the canopy, and in those areas tall, bright green ferns stretched in the light.

    Ahead on the trail, Dengu appeared, facing our direction as we slowly moved. The dinosaur actually nodded at Lenna, and I wondered at how smart he really was.

    Lenna¡¯s shoulders lowered and the hand that rested near her bow dropped. ¡°We¡¯re good,¡± she whispered over her shoulder.

    Hammy immediately started walking normally, each footfall crunching as it hit the ground. ¡°Thank goodness,¡± he said, his voice coming out in a rush. ¡°I want to save the fighting for the turtle.¡±

    I sent him a confused look, but he didn¡¯t notice. ¡°Don¡¯t you want to level up?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t until I get done with the first quest.¡±

    ¡°Your experience is still banked,¡± I explained.

    ¡°What?¡± He asked, moving up next to me and stomping over the plants at the edge of the trail. ¡°Where did you hear that?¡±

    ¡°It was in the quest notification.¡±

    His mouth opened, but he snapped it shut without saying anything.

    ¡°Let¡¯s get a move on to get to camp. We can discuss the turtle there,¡± said Lenna. She then picked up the pace and we both hurried to keep up. While it wasn¡¯t as sticky hot this far north, the increase in pace got my blood pumping, and with my cloak on I slowly heated up. Sweat gathered on the back of my neck, but I resisted pausing to take the cloak off.

    Dengu pounced off the trail, landing on a fallen log then continuing to pad along on top of it off to the left. Lenna followed him, jumping easily into the air, then balancing across it. I followed, doing my best to land softly.

    Hammy landed with a thud behind me, but his suit didn¡¯t splinter the log as far as I could tell. On the other end of the fallen log, a fainter trail cut through the ferns and around several large trees.

    Then, both Lenna and Dengu vanished behind one of the giant trees with roots stretching every which way. I blinked, but kept moving around it, keeping my eyes peeled. A slight gap in the roots with an impression of a footprint pointed the way. I ducked down and darted inside.

    I gasped at the campsite. The tree stretched above me by at least two feet, and beams of light poured in through several smaller gaps in the roots. The dirt floor was compacted and five areas for beds sat around the outside of a fire pit, although only two had bedrolls. Stacks of wood rested against the roots near the entrance, along with a storage area. But the thing that drew my attention was the ceiling. Small bits of crystals dotted it like stars, glowing softly in the sunlight.

    ¡°Don¡¯t just stand there,¡± grumbled Hammy behind me as I blocked the entrance, gaping at the display.

    I stepped aside to let him in, but went back to studying the crystals. They faintly glowed green, which was new. I reached out with a hand and lightly hummed under my breath. They rippled and glowed brighter for a second before I cut the sound off. The feeling they gave off was strange. Instead of rock, they felt like the forest, like the trees.

    I glanced at Lenna, wanting to ask about them, and found her eyes wide and staring at me. Then the look vanished from her face as she sat down on the farthest bedroll, while Dengu perched next to her.

    ¡°This is one of my people¡¯s safe houses.¡± She motioned to the room. ¡°They are dotted across the forest. They are places to rest and eat.¡±This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°This is handy,¡± I whispered, glancing back up at the ceiling.

    Hammy stomped over to the other bedroll, giving me a glance at his back. A row of small crystals the size of golfballs ran up his spine. Each glowed faintly, attached to the metal connecting his outfit together.

    ¡°So you can use the crystals as well¡­¡± It wasn¡¯t a question.

    Hammy shrugged his shoulders and did something. Then he stepped out of the suit, and onto the ground. He wore the same blue-grey cotton clothing that most of the colony wore, along with the ship boots. The only difference between us was my armor, and mine looked worn.

    ¡°I¡¯ll let that recharge as we make a plan,¡± he said, sitting down. ¡°So, you¡¯ll stab it with your glowing knife and then we can take it out once the armor is destroyed?¡±

    I moved toward one of the empty spots and pulled my cloak off before setting it down under me.

    Lenna covered her face with her hands as Hammy kept rambling about a plan.

    ¡°Once it''s dead, we can check out the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°You like to keep things simple,¡± I finally added. Though, his super simple plan worked for me. I needed to get to the dungeon, per Noseen.

    ¡°I mean, it''s hard to come up with a plan for a fight. It changes depending on what the creature does. Like, last time, I tried to punch my way through its shell, which didn¡¯t work. Lenna¡¯s arrows bounced off like rubber, and poor Dengu couldn¡¯t get a grip.¡± He chuckled. ¡°It was almost comical. We retreated as it tried to attack us by snapping its jaws, but we were all faster than it was.¡±

    He motioned to his suit. ¡°I thought I might need to go work on a sword at my workshop while we tried to track down another greater creature, but then my alarm tripped and we found you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯ve mentioned a dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Yes, you need a team of at least three to enter,¡± said Lenna. ¡°It¡¯s one my people go through as a rite of passage to complete the second citizenship quest. The dungeon takes many days to complete, if the team wants to complete the entire dungeon.¡±

    I tilted my head to one side. ¡°Don¡¯t we need to complete the entire dungeon for the quest?¡± This was what I needed, more information from someone who knew what all these quests were about. The fact it¡¯d take a few days worked out timing-wise with my family.

    ¡°The dungeon is complete after the four temples, but underneath there is an additional level if we do well enough. We don¡¯t need to complete it for the quest¡­¡± Lenna hesitated, her eyebrows drawing together. Two fingers twisted strands of her hair together. ¡°My father said to ignore the underground level. Finish the quest and leave with those rewards.¡±

    She seemed to realize what she was doing with her hands and they fell into her lap. Dengu nudged her shoulder with his snout.

    ¡°What quest is after the dungeon one?¡±

    ¡°Oh, the crafting one. You need to create an item to give as a gift, and then after that is the naming one. Only the five quests to become one with the universe.¡±

    Dengu huffed.

    ¡°We will complete your quests as well,¡± she said while scratching under his chin. ¡°He has a similar, but different, set of quests to complete. All beasts do who become aware.¡±

    My eyes widened. Noseen must have had a set like that if he really did start as a mosquito. ¡°Aware?¡±

    Lenna explained that as beasts leveled, they gained intelligence. So their quests involved learning how the world worked, more so than killing, eating, and sleeping, which they clearly already did.

    It made sense, since our quests were about becoming a citizen of the universe, that beasts would have different steps to become citizens. They¡¯d need to learn different things. They already knew how to kill things, that¡¯s for sure.

    ¡°Not that all beasts are smart like Dengu,¡± added Hammy.

    Dengu squawked at him in reply.

    ¡°No, you¡¯re the best,¡± replied Hammy.

    ¡°So, let¡¯s get this turtle done and out of the way,¡± I said looking around. Once we killed the turtle, the dungeon was next, and that was my target.

    Lenna glanced at Hammy, who nodded.

    The hike through the forest took longer than from the tunnel to the safe house. The sun passed the noon point when Dengu raced back toward us. This time, we didn¡¯t hike down a trail, instead it was a rough hike through the underbrush. Lenna knew the way, and circled around two areas she deemed unsafe.

    ¡°The turtle is ahead,¡± she said as she motioned through the bushes that Dengu brushed past. In the distance, the sound of water took over. ¡°The water comes from the dungeon, and flows into a big lake. The turtle created a home on the sandy shore.¡±

    The information was a recap of what she¡¯d explained on the hike through the trees. We each snuck forward under only a thin line of ferns, and bushes blocked the lake from view.

    I peeked out through the leaves to get a better view. A giant creature lay in the bright sunlight on the sandy beach. Turtle-like, but not quite like the turtles I¡¯d seen pictures of back on Earth. Its shell stood taller on its back, with thin black lines instead of plating running from front to back. Four legs stuck out from the shell, along with a short stubby tail. The head pointed toward the water, its eyes closed, along with a sharp beak that looked more like a bird than a turtle.

    A stack of dark boulders rested to the left of the turtle and water crashed down them, creating a mist in the air. The scene was almost picturesque, except when you really took in the size of the turtle. It was bigger than a truck. I used Insight.

    [Greater Armored Snapper, Level 25, Prey, Potentially Tasty.]

    ¡°It¡¯s level 25 now,¡± I said after pulling back through the ferns. Hammy paled and glanced at Lenna, but she kept her eyes on me. When she only nodded, I continued, ¡°I¡¯m going to head toward the rocks, and attack from there. Make sure you enter the fight when I do.¡± My concern was that I¡¯d end up taking the thing out before they got any strikes in. If they didn¡¯t get the credit, this wasn¡¯t worth it. Yes, I¡¯d probably get some good experience, given it was equal to my level, but I wanted to check out the dungeon. Hammy needed to complete this quest before we did.

    I silently circled through the ferns, careful to keep my senses alert as I made my way toward the rocks. The ground sloped upward, and finally I found the stream that led to the lake. Small rocks dotted the edges of it, covered in moss. It almost looked like an aquifer, like it was intentionally put in place.

    Using stealth, I headed to the right, keeping low to the ground and keeping the stream to my right. Ferns and thick bushes covered the edges of the stream on the other side, but this side had more space, almost like a pathway.

    Again, it caused me to hesitate. Why was this area clear of plants, when there was water and sunlight?

    I shoved my concern aside as I crept forward. It didn¡¯t take long until the edge of the lake came into view, along with the turtle. Its head faced the lake, perpendicular to my location. Pulling out my knife, I lengthened it into a spear. I took one deep breath, then another, before I launched myself into the air, aiming for the shell.

 Chapter 72(Ch 14): Fight!

    The turtle didn¡¯t even twitch as I landed on its back, but as soon as my glowing knife tip dug into its shell it started jerking back and forth to dislodge me. I felt like I was riding a carnival game as I used my spear to keep my balance.

    Time slowed down, as I dashed forward, drawing a thick line down the center of the Snapper¡¯s shell, cracking it open. A scream rippled from beneath me as the turtle jolted forward several feet. I lost my footing on the smooth surface and went flying. My fingers tightened around my spear, to not lose it in the air.

    I didn¡¯t have time to react as I crashed onto the wet sand near the edge of the lake, getting some of the grit in my mouth. The turtle''s mouth snapped in my direction, and I rolled across the sand toward the water, dodging the attack. More sand went flying and I dropped my spear as I moved out of reach. Jumping to my feet as soon as I cleared the beak, I spotted my spear several feet back. I spat out sand, but the gritty texture stayed with me.

    Now that I was out of range, the fight kept going without me.

    On the turtle''s back, Dengu dug into the crack with its taloned feet, yanking part of the shell up. The head and limbs vanished into the shell as the turtle screamed in pain. The sound echoed across the water, and almost made me cover my ears. Hammy slammed a fist onto the creature¡¯s back near the hole Dengu had created, cracks spidering out from the impact. Three arrows blazed through the air, targeting the opening. Each landed with a sizzle.

    A soft green light rose from the gap where the Snapper¡¯s head stuck out from inside the shell. The hair rose on the back of my neck, and everything inside me screamed to hide.

    ¡°Guys!¡± My yell got lost in the sound of battle as the thin black lines on the shell pierced upward, like a hedgehog. Dengu moaned as several speared into his legs, blood dripping down the thin needles. Amazingly, they missed Hammy, who dodged back two feet faster than I would have thought possible, given his bulky armor.

    Two glowing green eyes blinked open from the hole near me. They stared at me as I stood near the water, trying to figure out the best path to my spear. The needles near the front of the creature¡¯s shell twitched, and green light coated each one. Suddenly, they pointed in my direction and I dove into the water seconds before they fired.

    The warm water slowed down the projectiles as I dove deeper. Several needles, each about a foot long, lit up the area around me. Pain lanced up my leg as one of them sliced into my calf and out the other side. The green light faded around me.

    The clear water churned dark as I swam away from the shore. Every movement of my leg caught the stuck needle, not to mention tension from the water resistance. My fingers wrapped around the needle and yanked it into my inventory. I frantically swam to the surface to reach air as my lungs burned. My calf ached when I used it, but I needed to see what was happening.

    Hammy whaled on the turtle with his metal mittens, but Dengu and Lenna were nowhere to be seen. The turtle slowly turned, trying to get its beak near Hammy, but he kept moving in a circle. Another round of glowing needles flew through the air into the ferns. The dance with Hammy continued, as the turtle took two steps and he did the same. Whenever he had a chance, he swung his fists. Chunks of shell flew into the air with each impact.

    I swam toward the shore until my feet reached the bottom, then I staggered out of the water. Water in the jungle was never safe, and I rushed to get away from the edge. I knew better, yet the needles freaked me out.

    Sunlight hit my crystal spear and I dodged the turtle''s tail as I raced in that direction. I grinned as my fingers wrapped around my spear, ready for action once more.

    Shell pieces rained down near Hammy. Then, he struck a shellless area and a crunching sound took over.

    The turtle''s tail flailed about near me at the impact, but I stayed away from the limb. I funneled energy into my spear tip, then lunged forward with a leap, using my great jump ability. My spear tip hit first, sinking deep into the side of of the Snapper¡¯s body. A high pitched whine vibrated the shell and the sand, making ripples across the water before its legs collapsed. My ears rang, and my eyes watered until the sound cut off.

    [You have gained experience from combat against the Greater Armored Snapper.]

    Hammy caught sight of me and smirked, his face covered in turtle bits as he moved around the turtle.

    ¡°We did it,¡± he yelled, fists pumping into the air.

    ¡°Shhhh - you don¡¯t want anything to jump us,¡± I replied, but he started dancing around in a circle. My ears hurt for a moment, but it faded quickly, unlike the water soaking my clothes.

    I yanked my spear back, wondering how to find the heart in this type of creature. The last two greater creatures had given me fantastic abilities, and I wasn¡¯t going to miss out on this one. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there.

    ¡°Where are Lenna and Dengu?¡± I asked, jumping onto a section of the shell still intact near the center shell. I¡¯d start cutting to see what I could find

    ¡°Uh¡­¡± The question shut Hammy up as he marched slowly toward the ferns. The light coming from the crystals on his back dimmed with each step. Already, they were reduced significantly from when we¡¯d set out from Lenna¡¯s safe camp.

    I cut a large square into the shell and yanked the hardened material up. It easily came free, which was strange. The material went into my inventory. Turtles'' shells were literally their bones, and if this was a turtle, the shell should be attached to its insides. Instead, underneath the shell appeared to be the actual body of the creature. I carefully cut into the large surface before finding what I assumed to be its skeletal structure.

    ¡°They are good eating,¡± said Lenna, from down below. Dengu stood next to her, but his head hung low and his tail rested on the ground. He panted weirdly, almost wheezing.

    ¡°Is he okay?¡±

    ¡°He needs to eat and rest, but we should harvest what we can before others come for a meal.¡±

    I nodded and cut a hunk of meat, then tossed it toward the Raptor. His head snapped forward, catching the meat before setting it down near his feet and tearing into it. He swallowed chunks whole.

    I needed to eat as well, and my stomach growled in protest, but my leg wasn¡¯t in as bad a shape as I¡¯d worried. The only injury was a small hole, compared to Dengu who looked rough.

    Lenna whispered to Dengu, ¡°See, she is a friend.¡±

    I smirked to myself and got back to work. It didn¡¯t take long to stash several large hunks into my inventory and find the ribs. From there, finding the heart wasn¡¯t hard. It went into my inventory without even pulling it out of the carcass.

    The sound of water lapping against the rocks drew my attention away from the feast. Lenna worked near the hole Dengu had created in its shell, but everything she cut up she tossed to him. Small dark shapes moved under the water in this direction. They were still some distance away, but were closing fast. ¡°What are those?¡± I asked. I couldn¡¯t get Insight to work without a clear view.

    Lenna jumped up next to me, higher on the remains of the shell, to get a better look. ¡°We need to move, those are smaller turtles without shells. Fast, lots of teeth.¡± She leaped to the sand and motioned for Dengu to head to the trees. ¡°Ham, you need to suit back up. Fast.¡±

    I glanced over my shoulder to find Hammy out of his metal suit, sitting on a rock near the waterfall. The armor rested in a patch of sunlight near the tree line. The crystals running down the spine glowed a little brighter than before. He raced toward the suit, slower than I¡¯d have liked.

    One last piece of meat went into my inventory before I leaped at the tree line. My jump took me to the ferns separating the trees from the sand.

    Hammy stared at me with his eyes wide as he slid into the standing suit and latched something under his arm.

    Lenna crouched near the ferns, her bow in one hand, with an arrow already notched. ¡°Move it, Ham.¡±

    Another load latch clicked, then he quickly vanished behind a bush and Lenna followed.

    Triggering stealth, I waited near the edge to see what these definitely-not-turtles were.

    Giant tadpoles the size of shopping carts with four stubby legs crawled out of the water and across the sand. They moved fast on the tricky surface. Mouths opened wide, showing off rows of sharp teeth. They didn¡¯t pay attention to me at all as they launched themselves at the carcass, cutting through the armor within seconds. Gnawing sounds filled the air.

    [Snapping Tadpole, Level 10, Pack Animal, Prey, Potentially Tasty.]

    The number of tadpoles increased each second as more climbed out of the water. I backed away slowly, only turning once enough ferns were between me and the hoard of creatures. It didn¡¯t take long to spot Lenna and Hammy in the distance, looking in the direction of the lake. I waited until I arrived nearby before letting my stealth fall. Sounds of the Greater Snapper being torn apart reached us even this far away. A shiver went up my spine, thinking of that many creatures. Even with the low levels, you¡¯d be surrounded in seconds. Part of me wondered how a tadpole became a turtle. Tadpoles became frog creatures.

    Lenna gave me a nod and hiked back the way we¡¯d come. This time, Hammy took the middle, moving slower than he had for the trip out here. From the back, I kept watch behind us. I also used the time to sneak the heart into my mouth one bite at a time. The flavor, while good, actually tasted kind of like meat. Sweet, almost like crab. Strange.

    [You have devoured Greater Armored Snapper and gained the potential skill Defensive Shell. Defensive Shell generates armor around parts of your body, increasing your damage resistance. You have the maximum number of skills. Would you like to merge Defensive Shell into Improved Body- II?]

    I expected the notification, yet, I¡¯d been hoping for something closer to the needle attack than a defensive skill. The needle sat in my inventory, and I couldn¡¯t wait to get a closer look at it. Improved body made me stronger and tougher, plus it was what gave me the ability to eat things and speed up my healing. Adding additional defense to the passive skill seemed like a no-brainer. I accepted the merge.

    [You have merged Defensive Shell into Improved Body - II, you have created the skill: Adaptive Body - I. Adaptive Body - I: Your body is improved from head to toe, needing less water and rest. You automatically heal poison and venom. Whatever you devour provides energy and speeds up the healing of any injuries or fatigue. When threatened you can create armored areas providing increased resistance to damage.]

    I twisted my fingers into a fist and tried to will the armor to appear. Nothing happened. I reread the skill, zeroing in on the ¡®when threatened¡¯ language. That hadn¡¯t been part of the original skill, though that was the risk of merging skills from my limited experience. While you might get something amazing, it wasn¡¯t perfect.

    Testing something out in combat didn¡¯t excite me, but I¡¯d figure something out. It was done now in any case, and I wasn¡¯t exactly going to replace my core skill just because the armor wasn¡¯t what I¡¯d hoped for. The afternoon light slowly dimmed as we made our way back to the camp.

 Chapter 73 (Ch 15): Lennaéˆ¥æªš Trying to Figure out Alex

    I studied Alex, trying not to be obvious about it. She listened intently to Ham as he described how his armor worked and charged using the crystals above us in the camp for a faster charge, rather than just waiting. Her questions about the world reminded me of Ham''s questions when I¡¯d first found him in the forest fighting a level 3 Compy. I didn¡¯t need to rescue him; instead, he fought with everything he had, even though he clearly didn¡¯t know as much as a young child of our people.

    These humans lacked knowledge, along with elders to guide them through the world. In our clan, our elders helped us in our journey, guiding us down paths to growth and away from deadend journeys. What¡¯s more, the elders taught even the youngest about how the greater universe interacted with such a small place as my village. It all connected, though that connection became stronger once you became a citizen. Soon, I¡¯d explore the universe and the bigger cities as a full Citizen of the System universe. Until then, I was stuck here on this planet.

    Not that I minded too much. Dengu couldn¡¯t leave yet either. I wouldn¡¯t leave him behind; we were bonded for life. Or, until he broke the bond, at least. I wasn¡¯t going to break it for anything. He rested near me, and the bond between us hummed. The poison worked its way out as he ate food and relaxed. Thankfully, he healed faster than I did. Most beats did, but the healing crystal helped. The drained crystal hid under my shirt, and I worried about heading to the dungeon without that backup. It¡¯d take a few days to recharge, unless I found a good place for it to soak up more water energy.

    The fire crackled in front of me as I added another dried branch. The flames leaped higher, bringing it to the point that cooking some turtle soup wouldn¡¯t take forever. Quietly, I pulled the reinforced wooden cooking bowl out of one of the storage areas near the wall and then added some water from a jug.

    Alex¡¯s voice filled the small camp as she explained the crash of the vessel she¡¯d traveled on. Then, how their village in the compound had grown. Her voice rose as she spoke of another crash. Something called a shuttle, and leveling in the jungle over several days. Ham took over discussing what he knew from his visitors. Her story left me with several questions and I almost asked, the questions for the strange woman hovering on the tip of my tongue, but instead of the rush of things I wanted to know, I asked only the most pressing question.

    ¡°Alex, can I get some turtle meat from you?¡± I asked, pausing the conversation between the humans.

    Dark eyes snapped to me, but she nodded as Ham stopped talking. A shiver went up my spine with all of her attention on me. My fingers itched to grab my bow. The bond between Dengu and I trembled, as his emotions pushed me to look away. My eyes fell as she pulled out a huge hunk of meat. More than we¡¯d usually get out of one of the small turtles we hunted, and with the extra mouths to feed, I was thankful.

    ¡°Won¡¯t the wood burn?¡± she asked, staring at the wooden pot. Then she pulled out another large piece.

    My mouth watered thinking of the soup. So much meat. So much soup. Too bad the tadpoles had heard the dying call of the turtle. With Alex¡¯s storage crystal, we could make the special soup for weeks with how much meat she had stored.

    ¡°No, it''s reinforced by a shaper,¡± I explained as I took the meat and set it on a flat clean stone. I pulled out a small metal knife to cut up the bigger chunk into smaller pieces. ¡°Some of my people can shape wood like clay, and make it so it doesn¡¯t break or burn easily.¡± I snuck glances at her as I spoke, trying to figure out what kept me on guard around her. Ham didn¡¯t give me the same feeling of danger. Then again, when he glanced at me it reminded me of how my father looked at my mother.

    With his weird skin color and rounded ears, I wasn¡¯t sure how I felt about the glances and the admiration. Ham was cute, in his own way, but there was so much he didn¡¯t know that sometimes it felt like he was much younger than me.

    Dengu huffed from where he rested on the floor. ¡®Food?¡¯ His head turned toward Alex and he huffed again. He needed more food, but the dried supplies in the camp weren¡¯t good for him. He was a true carnivore, and could only eat raw meat.

    ¡°He reminds me of a dog,¡± said Alex. She pulled another large chunk of meat and tossed it in his direction. Thankfully, this one didn¡¯t look like turtle meat. He snapped it out of the air with glee. Food won him over every time, and his hesitation around her dimmed the more she fed him.

    Mine lingered.

    ¡°He likes turtle meat, but it¡¯s a delicacy. Wait till you try the soup.¡± The dish was a rare treat, and usually we only hunted the little ones around level 15, right after they became turtles rather than ravenous tadpoles. The turtles didn¡¯t swarm you like the tadpoles. ¡°I hunt the smaller ones with my father for celebrations.¡± Worse were if the tadpoles turned into the fast version of their kind, versus the protected version. While they tasted even better than the turtles, hunting them became much more dangerous.

    ¡°Ah well, that was Allosaurus. I have a good amount of it stored from a recent attack at the compound. Dengu doesn¡¯t seem to mind¡­¡± Alex hesitated before she continued, ¡°Is your family nearby?¡±This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

    I shrugged, wondering how she¡¯d hunted down one of the large predators. We normally left them alone as much as possible. ¡°My village is north, about a two day journey from here if you run.¡± Thinking of my village reminded me of the dungeon. My family didn¡¯t mind me hunting and training with Ham and being gone for several days. Unlike me, they¡¯d run into other species before, and wanted me to use it as a learning experience. Ham, Dengu, and I weren¡¯t enough to form a team to try the dungeon, which was the bigger concern. My parents had already mapped out who I¡¯d run it with next year. Too bad for them, Alex had showed up. I wasn¡¯t going to wait. ¡°This will be a treat, and we can eat the entire pot.¡±

    Alex smiled, showing off slightly pointed teeth. These humans were weird, and very different from one another, but from what Ham had said, the were all still human. He even had hair that grew on his body, not just on his head. It wasn¡¯t the same for Alex. At least, her arms didn¡¯t have the same dark hair.

    ¡°I¡¯m excited,¡± said Alex. ¡°Good food is important to me. I¡¯m one of those people that¡¯s always hungry.¡±

    ¡°If you are hunting and growing, that makes sense,¡± I replied. After a big hunt, my people celebrated with food and drink. More than usual. I took a deep breath to ask about her sharp teeth.

    Ham fiddled with something on his armor and spoke up before I could. ¡°I hope I get the skill I want.¡± This again. It was all he¡¯d spoken about for the last three days as we tried to come up with a plan to kill the turtle. He¡¯d leveled twice from this hunt and he had a good shot at getting what he wanted.

    ¡°Are you going to level after food?¡± I asked, deciding to go with the safe topic. We¡¯d have plenty of time to get to know one another in the dungeon. I planned to take it nice and slow between fights, with plenty of time to recover. Plus, with Alex having a storage stone we could prepare completely differently than most parties. We weren¡¯t limited by what we could carry.

    Alex frowned, her head moving between the two of us. Her eyebrows were close together.

    ¡°Yeah, I¡¯ll want to tinker with my armor after leveling. The dungeon doesn¡¯t open till dawn, right?¡± He finally glanced up from his armor at me for confirmation.

    ¡°Correct.¡± I tossed a bunch of the cut up meat into the pot, stirring it before cutting up more.

    ¡°Wait, you don¡¯t get skills until you level?¡± she asked, staring at Ham.

    ¡°Yeah, it''s a limitation of my class.¡± Ham chuckled. ¡°I¡¯m hoping to get something to recharge the crystals, or some type of attack besides punching. I might have been talking about it nonstop for the last couple of days.¡±

    ¡°But you can teach yourself skills if you practice¡­¡± she replied.

    ¡°That only works if you know what you''re doing,¡± I interrupted, but she¡¯d hit one of Ham¡¯s weak areas. He didn¡¯t like to practice or train. No matter how much I urged him to, he¡¯d rather get in a fight with a creature. He was always mumbling something about gaining levels faster that way. It had worked, I supposed, since he was close to my level after only being here for less than a season, but over time he needed to direct his growth with his skills a little better. The only way to do that was to put in the work.

    ¡°Yeah, but couldn¡¯t you learn more hand-to-hand combat and increase your punching skill?¡± she asked.

    ¡°I¡¯d need to know someone who knows hand-to-hand combat,¡± explained Ham. ¡°Lenna offered to teach me the bow and knife, but I¡¯m more of a melee fighter.¡±

    Alex stood up with a smile. The fire light reflected in her eyes. ¡°Well, I can teach you how to fight up close.¡± She glanced at me. ¡°How long until the soup is ready?¡±

    ¡°I need to gather some mushrooms from the forest, and it needs to simmer for a while.¡± I stirred the soup again, and glanced at the meat that still needed to be cut up. ¡°You have time.¡±

    ¡°Hand to hand?¡± Ham asked with a bright smile. ¡°Nothing with your knife, right?¡±

    ¡°Of course, it will let me try to learn a few things as well.¡± The smirk that crossed Alex¡¯s face made another slight shiver run up my back. Thankfully, she was on my team for the dungeon. I hoped she was, at least.

    Ham led the way, leaving his armor standing near his bedroll, and Alex followed him out of the camp leaving me alone with Dengu.

    I glared at the meat on the cutting board and focused on cutting it up. The conversation had distracted me from the work. Not to mention the glimpse of the crystal fire ring on her belt had surprised me. Alex not only had a burning knife, but a storage stone and that ring, something I hadn¡¯t seen before. Her humming earlier had caused the crystals to glow brighter. Somehow, she could interact with them unlike anyone else in the village.

    Still, I didn¡¯t want to be cooking all night, so I hurried up and mixed the meat into the wooden pot. I needed to hunt down some mushrooms and herbs to add to the soup, but for now, I could get the meat warming up, at least.

    ¡°Dengu, don¡¯t eat from the pot. If you do, I¡¯ll let Alex know, and you don¡¯t get any more treats¡­¡±

    Dengu¡¯s eyes went wider than normal and he bit into the hunk of meat he still had as he slowly tore small pieces off before eating. Normally, he ate a large meal every couple of days, but when he got hurt he needed to eat more to recover. The quill wounds were healed on the outside from the crystal, but until he slept he wouldn¡¯t be at his peak. Tomorrow, when we all entered the dungeon, we needed to be at our best, ready to fight and learn.

    My father might be a little upset about me doing it now, but I wasn¡¯t going to stall for a year because we didn¡¯t have many people my age in our village. Getting stuck at level 25 until I completed the dungeon wasn¡¯t my path; I¡¯d found my own party. Tossing the rest of the meat into the pot, I headed outside, pausing to watch the training.

    Alex moved fast and with purpose. She fought well with her spear, and it turned out she fought well without it, too. Ham punched at her and she blocked with her arm, smirking. We¡¯d make a good team, once we could become a team and not just a group of people. We wouldn¡¯t have a choice, soon. Finish the dungeon, or fail and lose the opportunity to complete that one. The next low-level dungeon was a long way off, through some dangerous terrain for someone only level 25. I shook my head and crept into the ferns. Doubting us wouldn¡¯t help. It was time to hunt some mushrooms, and hope for the best.

 Chapter 74 (Ch 16): Relaxing and Recovering

    Hammy¡¯s fist hit my forearm, but it didn¡¯t hurt. My skin had thickened somehow, feeling almost like I¡¯d gotten a coat of mud on it that hardened. It felt strange, but not enough to distract me. I slowly showed him a different punch, repeating it a few times until he nodded. My father needed to be the one to teach him, not me, but at the moment I was all he had. I preferred my knife, since in most cases I was smaller than the things I fought against.

    ¡°Can you maybe create spikes with your mittens? They would do more damage. Or maybe, like, brass knuckles, with protrusions along them¡­?¡±

    ¡°Mittens?¡± shirked Hammy. ¡°They aren¡¯t mittens. I could only separate the thumb because my metal shaping skills aren¡¯t the greatest yet¡­¡±

    ¡°Thumb, plus your four fingers grouped together, equals a mitten.¡± My eyes narrowed at him before I jabbed at his side. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you practice your metalworking skills to make better armor?¡± John had metalworking skills that were much more advanced than Hammy''s, but his profession had to do with engineering. ¡°What¡¯s your profession?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m a manufacturer support technician,¡± he mumbled, but I clearly heard him.

    I paused, fist hanging in the air. ¡°What does that mean?¡±

    Hammy blushed as he took a step back. ¡°I tried to game the system. I thought I¡¯d be able to work on the mech suits easier. I¡¯d gotten this one working again, and had the opportunity for a mechanic profession, but thought the other option would fit better.¡±

    ¡°So, how¡¯d you get mech warrior as a class?¡± I asked.

    Hammy let out a sigh. ¡°Carefully laying out plans¡­ I started as a Melee Warrior, then once I got the mech suit working with crystals, I used that to fight with. Eventually, my class evolved to Mech Warrior, but I haven¡¯t been able to do the same with my profession. I¡¯ve hit a wall trying to improve the mech suit for combat. Like the recharging issue¡­¡± he trailed off.

    My brain got stuck on the fact he¡¯d found a way to evolve his class. I didn¡¯t know that was possible, beyond becoming Great, which I¡¯d briefly discussed with Noseen. If you wanted to create a perfect class for yourself, and the system would let you, the possibilities were endless. Maybe that was how you became a Great Devourer, your class just needed to evolve.

    ¡°It sounds like you need an engineer, or a crystal singer,¡± I added once I connected the dots.

    ¡°Exactly, but Lenna¡¯s village doesn¡¯t have anyone who works with crystals, and they don¡¯t have mech suits.¡± His voice lowered. ¡°They are all like elves from fantasy books back on earth. Bows, arrows, some swords, and each has a bonded companion. But, not a lot of magic, no crystal work, and nothing technical.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re in luck.¡± I chuckled and pointed at myself. ¡°I¡¯m a Crystal Singer. Let me see what I can do with the crystals in your suit.¡± Maybe this way I¡¯d be more useful than trying to teach him how to punch differently. Plus, I¡¯d already figured out how my new armor skill worked, though I didn¡¯t know the upper limits. Hammy didn¡¯t punch as hard as I thought he would.

    ¡°I really want to be able to fire lasers¡­¡± said Hammy as he headed back inside. ¡°Like a superhero.¡±

    I rolled my eyes as I followed, but then thought about John. He could help with the engineering, and he was a Fighter pilot. Together, they could potentially design a flight suit for John and make it easier for him to earn levels in his class. Or, given how Hammy had evolved his class, maybe John could do the same.

    Dengu finished eating the chunk of meat resting in front of him as soon as he spotted me. Then he gave me a look, and I could swear he was begging for more. His wounds looked healed, but I knew what it felt like to be hungry. I tossed him another hunk of the Allosaurus meat. Again he caught it, but this time he purred like a freaking cat, with his eyes closed.

    ¡°I didn¡¯t think about bribing him to like me,¡± said Hammy. ¡°I still can¡¯t get over the fact that dinosaurs are real and we¡¯re living in a video game.¡± He shook his head with a smile. ¡°It¡¯s the best thing to ever happen to me.¡±

    I walked around to the back of the armor suit and reached out to the crystals on the spine. ¡°Can you make the crystals burn to the touch?¡±

    ¡°I can make them glow, but it leaves me very hungry.¡±

    ¡°So, no skills surrounding using crystals¡­probably just the category¡­¡± I muttered to myself as I tried to figure out how the suit pulled power from the stones. The suit had both the crystals I was used to, and the weird green ones that covered the ceiling.

    ¡°Wait, you can get skills using them?¡± he asked, then started rambling. ¡°Of course you can. You can get skills for almost anything¡­¡±

    ¡°As long as you grind enough at it,¡± I added.

    He blushed again.

    ¡°Don¡¯t tell me you haven¡¯t trained before?¡±

    ¡°Well, I haven¡¯t had a reason to¡­ When gaming, I normally found a cheat code or paid for someone to level up my character.¡± He rubbed his chin. ¡°In school, things just came naturally to me.¡±

    That explained a lot about what I¡¯d heard about him. Brilliant, but strange, now adding in that he wasn¡¯t used to hard work, and this was what we got. A mech warrior that got stuck improving his suit because learning new things was hard, who could punch things.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.

    ¡°Training is important¡­¡± My voice trailed off when I realized I sounded like my father. I turned back to the suit to see if I could improve things. I hummed under my breath, making power flow through the spine of the armor with both green and golden lights. The crystal above me also glowed, casting more light into the camp.

    Then I got to work.

    #

    A fantastic smell filled the area and my head snapped away from the armor, unsure of how much time passed.

    ¡°Welcome back to the real world,¡± said Hammy. He held a wooden bowl filled with soup that smelled amazing.

    My stomach growled and Lenna chuckled. She grabbed another bowl and filled it from the pot resting on the ground near the fire. ¡°Here you go,¡± she said, handing the bowl over.

    I sniffed it and my mouth watered. Hammy took a sip using the bowl like a cup and I followed suit. A sweet meaty flavor, reminding me of seafood, burst across my mouth and I took another gulp. The meat had almost dissolved in the water, forming a thick broth. I tried to slow down, sipping it, but it didn¡¯t take long to empty my bowl.

    ¡°You were right, that¡¯s amazing,¡± I said into the silence as the others both focused on eating.

    Dengu accidentally responded by snoring, his eyes closed.

    ¡°Feel free to have another bowl.¡± Lenna motioned to the pot.

    I stretched upward, my muscles feeling stiff from standing in the same position too long. After grabbing another bowl, I sat down away from the armor.

    ¡°So, what¡¯d you find out?¡± asked Hammy in between sips.

    ¡°The armor is drawing power from the crystals without any direction. I¡¯ll need you to put it on to confirm it, but it drains the energy from them faster because of that generalized use. I think intention is key.¡± I took a big gulp of the soup. ¡°Also, I bet I can decrease the base energy usage. The green crystals react strangely. I haven¡¯t used them before.¡±

    ¡°You mean the forest crystals?¡± asked Lenna. She pointed to the ceiling.

    ¡°Yeah, he has both those and the regular ones from inside the mines.¡± I paused before responding, trying to figure out how to explain how they felt before I went with the easy explanation. ¡°They act differently.¡±

    ¡°We call those fire crystals, from deep in the earth. They are usually used for burning stones.¡±

    ¡°What can the forest crystals be used for?¡± I asked. Sang hadn¡¯t mentioned other types of crystals, and I wanted to know more. It was possible Sang didn¡¯t know about other types, since we¡¯d only found the golden crystals as far as I knew.

    ¡°Forest crystals can be used for protection. They¡¯re useful to scare beasts away. All crystals can do that, but forest crystals are the best.¡±

    That had to be why the small shards on the ceiling were enough to keep the camp safe. If the fence for the colony or the compound used the forest crystals, they wouldn¡¯t need ones as large. It made sense.

    ¡°Are there other types of crystals out there?¡±

    ¡°The only other ones I¡¯ve seen are water crystals, which are used for healing.¡± Lenna pulled a cord out from under her shirt. A small bright blue crystal hung from a leather strip. ¡°I used it on Dengu to remove the poison from the quills.¡±

    Barely any light shone from the blue stone, but even from where I sat I could feel the difference in the energy that rose off of it.

    Soothing, it felt soothing.

    While I didn¡¯t need one, it¡¯d be handy to have one. Sang could have used one after her injury. Hopefully, by now, she was healed.

    ¡°Where can I find the forest or water crystals?¡±

    ¡°Forest crystals grow near the biggest trees, while the water ones are near water¡­¡± She scratched her ear. ¡°Since I haven¡¯t been tested, I know little about them. I¡¯m lucky to have the healing crystal, and that¡¯s only because my elder sister is a healer.¡± Her cheeks turned a darker green. ¡°She snuck me one last time she visited, while doing her rounds between our villages.¡±

    The biggest sources of water nearby were the lake, along with the area near the waterfall. I¡¯d take a look, but between the tadpoles eating the turtle remains and needing sleep, it probably wasn¡¯t a good idea to do that right now. Plus, we were tackling a dungeon early tomorrow morning. As we hiked through the jungle, I¡¯d keep an eye out for big trees and any other water sources. I wanted one of the green crystals to play with, and one of the healing crystals would be an awesome backup, just in case.

    ¡°So, can you make my suit better?¡± asked Hammy, interrupting my thoughts. A slight puppy dog look crossed his face with an easygoing smile. ¡°It¡¯d make me a better fighter for the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m going to give it a shot.¡± I turned to the suit and focused on interweaving the two different types of crystals together. Instead of a row of 6 separate crystals the size of golf balls, I wanted them to act as one. Light rose from all of them as I hummed to myself. Energy flowed from me into the crystals. Then it suddenly went out.

    [You have leveled up your Crystal Singing.]

    [You have leveled up your Crystal Singing.]

    Everything spun for a moment as my stomach growled. Then the room steadied and I studied the crystal in front of me. Lenna gasped.

    The six crystals looked as if they were woven together like a braid, and while it felt better, I could tell there were missing crystals. Hammy needed to find more to complete the design.

    ¡°You¡¯ll need to find more crystals,¡± I explained. ¡°Either Forest or Fire. Maybe even a Water, though I¡¯m not sure how it would add to the mix.¡± The crystals didn¡¯t combine into strands. There were gaps between them, so that the spine still could bend as he dodged.

    Hammy jumped up and slid into the mech suit, clipping the latches under his arms and the one across his waist.

    I snagged my empty bowl and picked it up before looking toward the pot. ¡°Any chance there is some food left? That was hungry work.¡±

    ¡°Of course,¡± said Lenna, though her eyes didn¡¯t leave Hammy as he twisted left and right in the suit.

    I stood up and made my way over to the pot. Dengu opened an eye and saw it was me, then closed it again. A little snore came from him. He looked much better, like when I¡¯d first seen him.

    I filled my bowl to the brim and realized that they weren¡¯t paying attention to me. Quickly, I snuck some raw meat from my inventory into my mouth. While the soup was filling, hunger gnawed at my belly. Another bowl wasn¡¯t going to be enough.

    Hammy stepped outside and Lenna followed, muttering something about watching his surroundings.

    I balanced the bowl in one hand and scarfed down more meat.

    Dengu huffed next to me, now wide awake, and I handed him some Allosaurus meat. He carefully took it from my hand and then swallowed it whole. Kind of like I was doing, with smaller bites.

    I switched to the full bowl of soup, slowing down as I swallowed and trying to enjoy the complex flavor. It was super tasty.

    [You have devoured Greater Armored Snapper and gained a stat point in Toughness.]

    What the heck?