《Sheep In Wolf's Clothing [Hiatus]》


 Prologue I - IRL

    Don checked his calculations one last time and shut down the mass projector. He had to take the final approach slowly. With the sled shut down and coasting through space, barely covering five miles a second, there was even less than usual for him to do. Paradoxically, it was Don¡¯s favorite part of any trip. He took control of a nearby node in the sensor net and aimed its telescope at his charge.


    As the lenses aligned, a diffuse, cloudy shape resolved into a cluster of free-floating ingots. The massive bricks of oxygen, gold, ice, and a dozen other valuable resources undulated slightly. There was no need to keep them in place with anything so crude as physical means. The sheer mass of Don¡¯s cargo was enough to produce a natural gravity well strong enough to keep them from drifting away. The sled itself was buried more or less in the center of that loose heap of refined material, but Don wasn¡¯t interested in seeing the sled. He was interested in something else altogether.


    The official protocol only allowed himaccess to these satellites inorder to fulfillhis duty. In other words, he had to keep the satellite aimed at his sled. But there was nothing in the Edicts about keeping his sled in focus. He took manual control of the telescope. First, he filtered out all the non-visible spectra. The grey-green portrayal of his cargo faded into a field of hard, brilliantly bright but incredibly cold pinpricks of light. Occasionally, one or two of the stars would wink out temporarily. It was the only sign of the small mountain of refined materials hurtling through the night. Still, he had no trouble keeping the sled centered in the viewfinder. He knew exactly where it was going after all. Next, he adjusted its focus until, eventually, his home resolved.


    Don looked down on the planet and the swarms of drones going about their tasks. He wondered, not for the first time, what it would be like to pilot one of those smaller maneuverable crafts. His hulking space-bus couldn¡¯t do much more than fall towards its destination. As for maneuvering near a planet, well, you could say it¡¯s a bad idea. If somehow, the mass-projection field wasn¡¯t immediately collapsed by the nearby gravity well, you had a roughly seventy-thirty chance of either tearing apart your sled or tearing a sizable chunk off of the nearby planet. While moving a mountain range on accident sounds bad, losing the sled can be a lot more dangerous. Enough damage to the reactor could transform it into a small sun. Sure, it wouldn¡¯t be stable outside of containment for more than a couple of picoseconds but the blast would be bad news for any non-hardened circuitry in the neighborhood. In addition to the EMP frying any unshielded surface and space-side equipment, the handful of ingots which aren¡¯t immediately and completely vaporized could achieve a respectable percentage of the speed of light within a picosecond. A wide scoop missing from near the south pole served as a chilling monument to a glancing collision with one such projectile. So yeah, Don was taking it slow...


    The ingots would arrive in their designated orbit in another 13 hours. A few Porters would be there, ready to dig his sled out from under the material and push it out of orbit on a new trajectory. It would be a long wait again before Don could safely engage his mass projectors and cause the sled to fall back towards the belt.


    Don only had a vague understanding of how the projectors worked and ultimately, he didn¡¯t care how or why they did. His faith was more than enough to bridge the gaps in his understanding. It didn¡¯t hurt that the projectors behaved as expected every time he turned them on either. So why couldn¡¯t he master his mind? When he wasn¡¯t occupied, questions had a terrible habit of presenting themselves. Don knew the danger posed by questions and doubt better than most. The only effective way he found to stop them during this last leg of the journey, was by indulging in his little loophole. The sights of his home never failed to wipe unnecessary thoughts from his head. It was one of the few times he could genuinely feel the proper and expected reverence towards the collective.


    The surface was deceptively barren and fairly monochromatic, but Don was always fascinated by the patterns left over from the days when the planet was mostly superheated, liquid rock, allowing the continents to slide around aimlessly. Mountain ranges snaked across the globe in jagged, yet graceful arcs with none of the rigid angles and clean lines which are the hallmark of construction in the collective. Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    His view was unimpeded by an atmosphere. Any gasses which weren¡¯t collected and sequestered deep underground during the transition had been blown away by solar winds. As the atmosphere was stripped away and air pressure dropped, the oceans had no choice but to boil. For decades, any exposed water fizzed with escaping gasses until there was nothing left but deep rifts, shadowy inversions of the mountain ranges.


    If viewed from a distance, which was something of a necessity given Don¡¯s options, The globe looked like a rusted steel bearing. The great mountains and chasms reduced to a pattern of light and dark painted across a smooth surface. Even at this distance where mountains were only noticeable for their coloration, any human activity shone like a beacon. With the help of a telescope and without the impediment of a pesky atmosphere Don had a clear view of the great machine he called home.


    The harsh white of plasma torches and softer orange cascades of sparks illuminated a few distant zero-G manufactories. Wherever ingot clouds remained in orbit, swarms of drones lit up the sky with the blue flare of impulse rings. Streams of the tiny blue lights shuttled back and forth between the ingots, manufactories, and the local elevator complex on the surface. The elevator was one of only a few hundred entrances to the city. With the well-lit elevators spaced evenly across the equator, an unnaturally straight dotted line stood as a modest testament to the civilization which survived even the death of its own planet. The impressive bit was hidden safely out of sight, where it rightly should be. As a result, Don didn¡¯t know how big the city actually was or how many people now lived there but the clouds of drones seemed to indicate a healthy population. All Don knew for sure is that the more skilled and valuable clans lived closer to the core while the more expendable workers made do with homes closer to the surface. This was logical of course, like everything else the city did. Don leaned back into his recliner. Content to watch the efficient industry play across the surface of the planet. The hazy blue streams of drones shifting to follow diverging orbits and reaching out to connect with new deliveries.


    Hours slipped by as the planet rotated, slowly bringing new vistas into sight. The unwelcome thoughts which constantly threatened to step out of line were conspicuously absent as Don simply sat and appreciated the view.


    His moment of peace was rudely interrupted when his wall-screen cleared itself and pulsed an ominous red in time with a siren.


    ¡°Siphon in progress¡± flashed across his screen. Don froze. His heart leaped into his throat where it began shaking his entire body with each throb. Don gripped his armrests to stop his hands from trembling and forced himself to take a deep breath. He gulped and recovered enough to start thinking again.


    They couldn¡¯t be coming after him for blasphemy, not now, not whenI''ve been sitting wordlessly for hours. The next option flashed through his mind. Catastrophic negligence could result in a siphon. Did something go wrong with the sled? He tried to pull up information on his craft¡¯s status. Worried that something had gone wrong with the reactor while he was distracted. The controls were unresponsive. ¡°Do not resist¡± now flashed across the screen underneath the previous message. Don¡¯s hands reflexively snapped up, away from the controls and he held them there. The damn things wouldn¡¯t stop shaking.


    Don closed his eyes and took one steadying breath. It was too fast, more like a gasp. His second attempt was more successful and he was finally able to suppress this spike of fear with cold reliable logic. The sled should be fine. He had gone overboard on the inspections this trip and any error large enough to cause a siphon would have been caught by the craft¡¯s sensors.


    His attempt at rational thought was shattered by true animal panic when restraints burst out from several points along his recliner. Don lurched away but the restraints pulled him back to the recliner before he could get more than a few inches. His eyes rolled madly and he heard someone screaming before he felt a sharp pinch at the base of his skull. Then he didn¡¯t feel anything for a while.


    Don drifted in a more profound emptiness than he had ever known. There was no light, oddly enough, there wasn¡¯t any darkness either. There was no air, or space to hold it. There was no thought and there was no time. As distressing as this all sounds, it was very peaceful. Some would call it ¡®totally zen¡¯, but at the time Don had no name for it and no need for a name. He drifted in peaceful oblivion until the nothing popped and there was suddenly, not only time and space, but a thing occupying them.


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 Prologue II - Incursion

    Sir Griswold sat in his usual chair, a hulking throne impressive onlydue to its size. The once polished gleamhad long since givenway to dried and splintered timbers. The fine wood was no match for the daily saturation, then drying it was subjected to in the sweltering jungle heat. Though uncomfortable, the old knight found it fitting. An old relic, decaying from neglect. He felt a certain kinship with the seat and it complimented his maudlinoutlook almost as well as the harsh wine he pensively sipped from a tarnished silver goblet.


    As a general rule, nothing reflective in the tower at the edge of the world was ever polished. The servants knew how even a glimpse of the knight''s greying hair, sunken eyes,or weather-worn face could send him into a deadly rage. The beatings they regularly received for shoddy service was a far superior outcome in their eyes, and so the tower was seemingly always without competent help.


    In fact, considering Sir Griswold''spredilection for disparaging the quality of the locals, He would often be put in a, if not happy, at least vindicated mood every time hehad the opportunity to compare their deficiencies to his, admittedly former, glory. Sometimes it even let him forget his internal exile for a time. At times like those, hecould bear taking to his large, uncomfortable seat for a time and at least pretend to watch the border.


    As a knight of the Empire assigned to a tower at the world''s edge, it was his duty to stand vigil and watch for any incursions into the Holy lands. Not for the first time, he thought how he was forced to protect those who pushed him out of the battlefields just when hewas beginningto distinguish himself. The face of a particularly cowardly snake, his former captain, rose to the forefront of his mind and an involuntary tremor in his hand crushedhis goblet.


    Wine splashed over the already stained armrest and the knight looked at his hand and scowled at his lack of self-control. He stood and walked to the very edge of his tower before casually tossing the cup over the side. Better to lose some silver than to exposeany weakness to the servants. There was no telling how many of them were spies. As loathsome as his current position was, thereare stillmanywho would covet it, and scheme to cast him down in order to take his place.


    He watched as the cup fell. It tumbled through the air gracefully for the entire six stories of the smooth sided tower, and then it fell some more. Sir Griswold watched it tumble down past the few scraggly trees that managed to find some crevice in the sheer escarpment. He watched untilit glimmered one last time in thelight of the dawning sunand fell into the goldenfogbank hundreds of feet below. It would either land in the lake or smash itself into unrecognizable bits on the rocks. Either way, the evidence was taken care of.


    He turned back to his chair and noticed the glow in his farmlands for the first time. Old instincts thought long dead snapped back into action. He bellowed for the guards stationed on the floor below. When he heard scrambling but no guards appeared he wrenched open the trapdoor and let them have it. He really loved venting on his subordinates. It was the last little bit of power he enjoyed and he wielded it freely.


    The guards hastened their preparations and ascent but the knight wasn''t known for his patience. He jumped down to the floor below, ignoring the ladder and the pair of guards climbing it. It was a full ten feet between levels on the tower but the Knight landed as easily as if he just stepped down from the curb.Theease of the action was completely at odds with theBoomthat shook the room, briefly setting everything in the room rattling. That included the nerves of its occupants.


    "Get my armor and horse prepared! We are under attack!" As he spoke he deftly pulled a massive greatsword from its mounting on the wall. It was nearly as long as the knight was tall but he waved it aroundas easily as ifit was a dagger. He gave a practice swing and shattered the thick table still covered in the guards'' unfinished breakfast. The guardsmen froze at the sudden proclamation andthe followingexplosion of wood, crockery, and pottage. They had never seen their lord so roused.


    No one had attacked their village in living memory. More than one of the lazy guards were now wishing they had taken their training more seriously. Who the hell would attack the Empire? More to the point, how could a handful of third-string spearmen, not even good enough to make it into support regiments face a determined foe? Besides that, who could their foe be? There was nothing but unclaimed wilds beyond the escarpment. Sir Griswold was not to be defied however and his heavy-handed leadership style paid off. At least as far as getting the men moving towards danger was concerned. How they would fare once they reached the danger, was another matter altogether.


    One serving boy ran from the room with the Knights message. Sir Griswold didn''t miss the chance to point out that children took direction better than his guards, putting a sneer on his face that could have curdled milk. The guards took a moment to be properly horrified before redoubling their efforts. They pulled on sweatstained gambesons and boots still damp from patrol the night before. One clumsy guard knocked down a few spears while trying to pull one from its rack.


    Sir Griswold backhanded the clumsy man on his way out of the room. The casual slap actually lifted the guard off his feet and sent him rolling across the room when he landed. Another guard who was struggling with the straps on a shield quickly jumped out of the way, letting his fellow slam into the far wall.


    "You can stay behind and guard the farmers." Sir Griswold commanded the prone guard dismissively. His secondary duty was to try and keep some of the useless rabble alive duringincursionsbut he was certainly not going to be taking charge of such an unworthy task. The clumsy guard would be more of a liability when fighting broke out anyways. It would be better to leave him where he can''t disgrace his tenant lord.


    He was met by his castellan on the third floor of the tower. The officious man was wearing his pristine black robe chased with silver as always. His raven black hair was greased and pulled back over his scalp, pronouncing his already hawkish features. His hands were clasped behind his back, as always, and his long sleeves completed the avian image as they looked very much like furled wings. The astute man fell into step beside Sir Griswold after seeing hisfell visage and massive weapon.


    "Your orders Sir?"


    "Open the refuge.Offer sanctuary to the wretches. Get Junior to round up his men, I want him to scour the village for infiltrators. His priority is information gathering. Let him knowhow verydispleasedI will be if another spy dies before we can extract any information."


    The Castellanhardly betrayed any response but Griswold could recognize the eagerness hiding behind his eyes.


    "At once, my lord" He pulled a wooden token from his sleeve and snapped it in half. Mere seconds later a bell was pealing over the village, warning of an attack and calling the people to the refuge of the monolithic tower. The man turned into a room on the second floor and began rattling off instructions to the on-duty scribe and runner.


    On the first floor, a small squad of armorerswere pulling shining steel plates from a great war chest. When they spotted their lord, they swarmed him, strapping the complex layers of cloth, leather, and steel into place so their protector would, in turn, be protected from head to toe.


    By the time Griswold made it out of the tower, villagers were already swarming in through the gatehouse. The wall encompassing a small courtyard and its single wooden hall looked squat next to the tower but it was a sturdy enough for the defenseless to find comfort behind.


    The wretches were practically rioting in their hurry to get to safety. The knight spotted his charger being led out of the stable and took the reins from the wide-eyed stableboy. The knight looked his beast in the eye and smiled.


    "War isn''t done with us yet old friend." He said as he patted his beast''s well-groomed and well-muscledneck.


    For his part, his mount tossed it''s head and snorted. By this point, Griswold was gaining the attention of the fleeing villagers. He swung into the saddle to the cheers of all those in the courtyard. He scowled at them. The useless parasites, only appreciating his presence now that there was an attack. Only good for complaining about their station, their empty bellies, their cruel lord. Unexpectedly, the fierce expression was met with even more approval from the crowd and the surging peasants actually stopped and parted, allowing him to pass through the gates.


    His town guards spilled out of the tower and struggled to pass through the gate before the gap in the peasants closed in behind their lord. Some of them were still carrying bits of their armor instead of wearing it. Griswold preened at the lofty image he knew he was setting, especially when he was set next to the inept guard. Drunks and loafers all, they were not well loved by the folk who worked for a living. If they weren''t the only folk for a hundred miles in any direction, Griswold wouldn''t have cared for their notice but years of ignominy had lowered his standards for a parade considerably.


    Griswold sat up straighter in his saddle and made sure toimpress upon every peasant he passed just how lucky they were to have abattle-hardenedknight in their backwater town. Perhaps he could leverage this appearance into an increase in taxes or duties owed to the lord of the tower.


    Despite his eagerness to enter battle again, Griswold couldn''t help but notice an unsettling feeling growing in the pit of his stomach. As he passed out of the jumbled mess of hovels that were clustered around the tower he got his first clear line of sight at the invaders since he left the tower''s roof. The people assembling in an open field didn''t look like much but long experience taught the knight to be wary of those who hide their strength.


    With theconstant flashes of light emitting from the group and the little fact that they completely bypassed his tower and the escarpment it was perched on top of, He was reasonably confident that he was facing a large group of magic users. The best way to handle them was to get in close so they can''t use their dangerous area of effect spells. Then you just have to give them one good tap with a sword. He turned to his men.


    "we will proceed at a brisk pace. Not a charge, we will approach like a delegation. If they make hostile action, then we charge, if not, we will stroll right up to their leader and take his head before starting our assault."The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    His men balked. They had not seen the invadersuntil this point and they had the same superstitions about magic that every rube seemed to share. It didn''t help that the eleven guards were facing a force of hundredswithout anycombat experience to speak of. The ample experience they had with their commander, on the other hand, made it clear that cowardice in theface of the enemywould have much worse results than mere death on the battlefield. Sir Griswold urged his mount forward and his guards followed, prayers to the Emperor on their lips.


    The flashes of light revealed themselves to be some sort of teleportation spell. Every flash produced another invader but the flashes were coming much less frequently than they had when he saw them from the roof. Either the invader''s mages were tiring, or they were running out of soldiers to send.


    As it turned out, the war party''s approach was not challenged. They were not even noticed. The invaders wereclumped up in one large group, something at its center commanding their attention. As they drew near, The dread feeling in Griswold''s stomach grew more pronounced. The implication that he had growncowardly in his exile galled him and caused him to break into a gallop, approaching the danger to prove the feeling was false. His guards could only start running after him but they were no match for the seasoned horse and rider.


    Griswoldwas especially confused by this seed of cowardice in light of the old thrill building in his chest. He couldn''t have asked for more glorious odds. A surprise attack, with his defences bypassed, hopelessly outnumbered, andan enemy who clearly employs magic! but as he drew closer, he noticed that these invaders were even more frail and anemic looking than the muddy wretches who fled the battle in favor of refuge under his tower. They wore no armor, only white tunics, and sandals. The clothing was oddly pristine however and the strangest part of their appearance was their skin. They all had skin as white as milk and there wasn''t a hair on them. It was nothing short of eerie. A few had noticed him at this point and they gazed at him with childlike, round, chubby faces. Their reactions ranged from mild interest to awe but they made no move to stop him. In fact, they gave him a wide berth as he rodeup to the crowd.


    They also seemed confused, not at all organized or arrayed for battle. Still, as heslowed to the stately and measured pace of a diplomat, and was enveloped by the crowd, the fear continued building. Griswold began to suspect a fear spell in effect when he saw it. A splash of red in a clearing at the center of the invaders. All his eagerness drained away and the fear gripped him even more strongly. This wasn''t any fear spell, this was the legendary dread aura of the Demons. All thoughts of glory fled from his mind. He was onlyconflicted for a moment before he assured himself by gripping the hilt of his greatsword. His duty was clear. He proceeded towards the demon but noticed for the first time, the man with golden highlights on his tunic, waving his hands in the air while addressing the rest of these sickly looking invaders. He looked back to the demon. It was kneeling and making no attempt to rise, or start a general slaughter. He looked back to the wildly gesticulating man and resumed his original plan.


    Griswoldcouldn''t hear the man''s words over his own armor but he wheeled his mount in the direction of the apparent leader. He nearly let his fierce mask slip when the leader turned at his approach, smiled and waved. It was as if he was welcoming an old friend to enjoy some tea.


    "Greetings goodman, Can I make the assumption that you are the lord of these lands?" The invader clearly had no knowledge of proper etiquette but his warning to his son rang through his ears before he glanced back at the demon to check that it hadn''t moved. Heshould gather what information he could from this man before slaying him. Griswold straightened in his saddle and in his most authoritative tone, began to boast.


    "You have the temerity to invade the lands Isafeguard for none other than the Emperor of the known world and then ask who I am?" He bristled authoritatively.


    "This is no invasion guardsman, we are simply-"


    "Call me guardsman again and I will take your head for a decoration" Griswold interrupted "Lie to me again and I will throw you and your, army, from the edge of the world and back into whatever corner of the wilds you crawled out of" Griswold employed his favorite condescending sneer to express just what he thought about the army milling around him.


    The bald, robed man gulped. "Pray tell, what title is appropriate for such an esteemed personage such as yourself?"


    "As I am ennobled in the service of the Emperor, my proper title is Knight of the realm, however to you, I am ''the enemy''" Griswold was ready for fighting to begin after his bold statement but rather than rallying to their leader''s aid, the strangers shied away from the Knights naked aggression.


    "Truly, it is a pleasure to meet theauthorityin these lands so soon after our arrival. We are a-"


    "What did I tell you about lying?" Griswold growled as he reached down and lifted the man by his throat as easily as a child picks up a stuffed bear. The leader gasped for breath and his legs kicked but his army only looked on in shock so Griswold continued to lecture him. "I don''t like snakes like you. I don''t like the wayyour forked tongue waggles, looking for any advantage, any weak point whereyou can plyyour poison. I will give you one more chance to tell the truth. I couldn''t care less about what you intend to do with this pitiful army. I''m concerned with what you intend to do with that." Griswold turned the leader so he was looking back at the demon before throwing him to the ground like a ragdoll.


    The pale mass of bodies surged forward and Griswold half drew his sword before he realized they were rushing to aid their leader and not to attack him. They came near but then stopped, like they were afraid of touching their master, even if only to help him up. Their leader brought a hand up to his bruised throat and both were surrounded by a golden glow. Griswold''s eyes narrowed. A leader using healing magic? No wonder his followers are all weak and cowardly. It irked him to see such weak leadership but he still needed information. Even if the army was laughably equipped and completely untrained. They had sent a demon into the holy lands of the Empire and Griswold needed to discover if the feat could be repeated.


    "Speak" He commanded and was gratified when the leader began speaking with none of the gravitas or self-importance from before.


    "We are exiles. We aren''t invaders. Our god cast us out because that one blasphemed so egregiously." He indicated the Demon with his thumb.


    "You expect me to believe that you allwere sent here because of a Demon''s blasphemy?" The greatsword made a dull scraping as Griswold freed it from its scabbard. The leader''s eyes went wide.


    "Oh no, Sir Knight. Wewere all of one tribe.This demon was human until very recently. His current form is a punishment from our God, a curse of sorts.The rest of us were exiled along with him as a matter of course. The directives are quite clear on such matters after all. It is better to remove a diseased colony root and stem rather than risking the spread of corruption." The arbiter''s last pronouncement had the air of a well worn theological argument about it.


    "And so your God deems it necessary to transfer your corruption into the holy land? So you openly admit to your complicity in an attack."


    "As I keep saying, this is no attack. We are not here by choice. Our god tasked us with containing this evil until such time as we are freed from this purgatory."


    Griswold Bristled at the insinuation that the holy land was anything less than perfection.


    "I have warned you twice about lies and now you dare to insult the Holy Land, created for us by the Emperor himself, in the presence of one of his sworn men. I will remove the stain of corruption from these lands, remove your head from yourshoulders,round up your army and sell them as slaves to the highest bidder as is my right in defense."


    Without any further warning. There was a humming in the air, a flash, and a gout of blood erupted from the once ruler of a pitiful army. A scream rose around him but it wasn''t a scream of rage or fear, but of sheer disbelief and shock. He used the distraction to rear his horse, it''s hooves coming down to crush a nearby invader before charging towards the demon. The rest of the army fled from in front of him, allowing him to manage the three second activation time of his [charge] skill.


    The world blurred ashis mount leaped forward, clods of dirt exploding out behind him. One more swing and the demon who had nearly managed to regain its feet in a useless attempt to flee was now two bloody chunks. One spinning through the air, another tumbling across the dirt. Black blood splashed across the unplanted field in a wide fan-like spray.


    With foes this weak, evenmy inept guards will be able to easily subdue the entire force on their own. Griswold allowed himself to bask in the glory for a moment. It wasn''t a very pitched battle but with a little coin and a few bards he could spread the tale of his gallant charge against an invading magical army and their demon pet. He smiled to himself and muttered "Demon slayer Griswold" under his breath.


    A flash behind him drew his attention. There hadn''t been any more teleportation spells for some time and Griswold turned to see how many more slaves would be sent to him. He froze when he saw the leader he had just decapitated standing there, glaring at him likea nun catching a naughty boy stealing biscuits. Griswold spun to look at where he had slain the leader moments ago but the patch of blood-drenched earth was free of headless bodies.


    Griswold was about to raise his greatsword again and kill this lookalike, spell-double, or whatever this apparition was when another flash drew his attention. A tunic wearing soldier collapsed to the ground screaming and trying to ward off an attack which wasn''t coming. Griswolds confusion lasted just long enough for a sphere of darkness to appear a few feet away. The sphere disgorged another demon, no, it was the same demon.


    "If you are done with your introductions it is time I properly introduce myself." The leader had taken on a tone which brooked no argument. This was a man who was more practiced at proclamation than conversation. "I am the Arbiter of colony XH-573.My peoplehave been exiled to your land. It is our task to contain this evil. No one here can be permanently dispatched by any skill you possess and unless you intend to stand out in this field killing us until you die of old age, I suggest we find a more diplomatic solution to this conflict."


    Griswold was dumbfounded. Killing was his favorite solution to problems. It almost always worked. He yelled out in rage and crushed the demon with the flat of his blade, bending it in the process. Seconds later,the demon paste evaporated from the surrounding ground and people and a new demonfell out of another sphere of darkness. This one sported a slightly dazed expression but wasotherwise uninjured. That didn''t stop it from scrambling away from the mounted knight. The horde of pale immortals did stop him, however, lending credence to their story of containment.


    Griswold glared at the Arbiter. Despite his desires, the Arbiter remained resolutely real. The Arbiters smile stretched when Griswold didn''t continue pulverizing anyone within reach.


    "Now that that, unpleasantness, is out of the way, we can get down to business." The Arbiter said. With a needless flourish he opened his hand revealing a fat gold coin on his palm, another flourish and there were five such coins nearly spilling onto the ground. A commotion broke out somewhere behind Griswold. The Arbiter made a final flourish and they all disappeared.


    "That is, of course, on the condition that you stop your men from slaughtering my people."


    Just after the Arbiter delivered his condition, panicked, tunic-wearing invaders began appearing all around him in more flashes of golden light.


    It was at that point that Griswold remembered the armored guard he had left behind in his haste to reach battle. The thought soured him. There would be no glory today, only scandal and disgrace. He turned that anger on his men. berating them for their slowness and for arriving at the battle tired from running in full armor like the useless fools they are. The outlet for his anger calmed the old Knight. Without the tantalizing prospect of battle, he began thinking along other lines.


    "There is more to power than brute force" Belladonna''s voice echoed in Sir Griswold''s memory. The rudiments of a plan began to take shape in his head. He turned back to the Arbiter and made a choice. He swung out of his saddle, looked the irritant in the eyes and activated [infectious laugh]for the first time in years. His booming guffaws blasted out, covering the entire crowd in its magical effect. They weren''t put at ease, not yet, but his laugh took the sharp edges off of their anxiety after his brutal display.


    "It seems your god is powerful indeed if he can bind your souls to return here even after death. As defending the Holy Lands is my primary duty, it falls upon me to assist you in your task in any way I can."


    The Knight and the Arbiter exchanged fake smiles and the Demon quietly despaired.

 1 - Awakening

    Don woke in darkness but that wasn''tthe first thing he noticed. He ached. Every part of his body throbbed with a dull pain, unlike anything he had ever experienced. It was worst beneath him. He was lying on something hard, bumpy, cold, and wet. Don didn''t necessarily love his recliner but he would never say it had any of these qualities.


    He rolled in an attempt to find a softer surface, or he tried to. It felt like he was drugged and he only managed to rock a little but It was enough to dig the cold, knobbly floor into his ribs which flared with sudden pain. Hehissed in pain but stopped moving.


    Don strained his ears into the ensuing silence and his eyes into the pitch darkness around him. He willed his eyes to see something, and then he wished he hadn''t.


    A flare of light erupted into existenceonly feet away from Don''s face. He was blind, hurt and now embarrassed by an unmanly yelp of surprise. Then he nearly soiled himself when a terrifying howl threatened to deafen him. Don desperately tried to blink away the purple and blue spots swimming in his vision and take advantage of the sudden illumination. Before he could, he was rudely interrupted.


    "Shhh"


    "Who-" Don began to ask but was interrupted again by a horrible guttural growl and wisely shut his mouth. He clenched his eyes shut too for good measure.


    "I''m here to pull your bacon out of the fire! Now shush!" someone exclaimed.


    Bacon?Don thought. He had no idea what that might be but he did know how serious fire was. He also knew how to take orders. He recited a quick prayer of thanks that somebody was in charge before cracking his left eyelid open. He squinted at the room for a couple of seconds before his eyelids snapped open and he bolted upright from surprise, unsuccessfully.


    He lurched forward, bashing an elbow and both of his knees against the cobbled stone floor in the process. This time he couldn''t help but curse at the throbbing in his joints.


    "Rusting Void!"


    This time, his outburst produced a furious roar from the monster. Don finally managed to look around but there was nothing in the cramped stone chamber beside himself, the floating light source and ahandful of stone boxes fitted into nooks in the walls. Just then, a harsh grinding, scraping emanated from the far end of the room and its walls fell away.


    Wildly dancing, wavering light bathed the inside of the chamber, making the floating ball seem dim by comparison. A pair of silhouettes stepped into the entrance.


    "Now don''t do anything stupid," Said thedisembodied voice


    Don wanted to follow the instruction but he needed more clarification. ''Nothing stupid'' was a pretty broad field after all. Maybe he could get these people to help him sit up at least.This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.


    "Please clarify" At the same time he spoke, a spitting growl filled the room. It sounded like the verbal equivalent of pure loathing and it made don''s skin crawl. The two silhouettes at the door reacted immediately.


    One of the shadows lunged forward, resolving into a dirty man wrapped in dirtier cloth, thrusting a pole towards Don''s face. The other moved a moment later but didn''t target Don. The spears clashed and the deadly thrust was diverted at the last second. Diverted into Don''s shoulder, slicing several inches into the muscle. Don screamed in agony and the monster bellowed alongside him. As he slowly moved his left hand to cup the injury the two men argued. Don had other, more painful things to worry about so he paid them no mind and they eventually left, closing the wall behind them.


    It took Don several minutes to notice that the beastlywhimpering was coming in time with his own quiet sobs. Then it didn''t take long to test this new hypothesis. Quietly, Don confirmed that he couldn''t form words or even individual sounds properly anymore. They all came out as the most unsettling collection of growling, hissing, spitting and something that sounded horribly similar to regurgitating. After a while, Don lapsed intoa meditative trance toput the pain out of his mind until more orders could come. He didn''t have to wait long.


    "Are you done yet?" Asked a disgusted voice "Wait! Don''t answer that. You should stay quiet, we don''t want to give the guards any reasons to come back."


    Don smiled, such an easy request was like a balm to his bruises. Considering the change to his voice, Don decided to take Inventory. Then, totally unexpected, a blue bar appeared before him.


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    What the void is this? I don''t need to start seeing random things right now!Don thought frantically. The bar disappeared so suddenly Don wondered if it was ever there at all.


    Must have just been a leftover afterimage. Don glanced at the small lightbulb which was still just hovering in place before going back to taking... stock.


    Without risking another failed attempt at movement, he just looked down at the arm reaching past his face to his injured shoulder. It was a patchwork of deep purple bruises and one large scrape crusted over with black scabs. Where there was no injury, Don''s skin revealed itself to have a deep, bloody shade of red pigmentation. Don pulled his hand in front of his face, noted the black blood covering it, and the small but sharp looking claws at the end of each finger. Don couldn''t help but sniff the blood, it smelled coppery. before he could help himself, a black tongue flashed out and licked the biohazard.


    Don drew his bloodied hand away from his face in disgust but his tongue rolled around in his mouth savoring the metallic taste. It was at this point when the ball of light which had been bouncing more and more erratically around the small space lost all its patience and bodyslammed don right between the eyes. The impact was barely noticeable, but it drew his attention away from his personal explorations.


    "Hey! Listen!"


    Remaining quiet, Don stared obediently at the light.


    "We need to communicate, but even if I could stand that verbal diarrhea Demons pass off as a language the guards aren''t going to be pleased with it."


    Don continued listening attentively and he was beginning to make out an object at the center of the light.


    "I can teach you a special skill, only useful between the two of us, but it can let us communicate silently whenever we have a clear line of sight. How does that sound?"


    Don remained obediently quiet and supplied the fairy with a thumbs up.

 2- Partners

    So all I have to do is think something and you will hear me?Don thought skeptically. The Fairy hovered without reacting for a few seconds before prompting Don again.


    "You have to let me in, you can''t just think to yourself. It won''t work unless you intend for me to receive the thoughts as well. It helps if you look at me too." She instructed patiently.


    Don tried again but this time he looked into the glowing orb and willed it to hear him when he thought ''This is silly''. Unexpectedly the orb flew in a tight circle and praised him.


    "Well Done! Now we can start planning our escape."


    Our what?Don thought incredulously before remembering to include the fairy in his musings and repeating his thought at the little light.


    "Our escape, it shouldn''t be too hard considering your treatment today. I expect we will basically be able to walk out of here, so long as we recognize our opportunity when it comes."


    Hold on,Don thought What are you trying to escape from, and why are you including me in your plans?He was suddenly worried that he was talking with some sort of criminal. Apparently, that thought made it across their strange mental link because the light flared and closed the distance to his face.


    "I," the Fairy stressed, "am not the criminal here, From what I''ve seen you are quite thedeviant yourself and it''s just my luck that I''d get stuck with someone so, unscrupulous. I''m on a very important mission and you should thank whatever quirk of probability caused you to be the first viable partner tocome along because, despite my careful plans to remain incognito, I can''t do what I came here for if I''m stuck to a prisoner!" If a ball of light could huff, that''s exactly what this one was doing. It bobbed up and down in time with a rhythmic intensifying of its glow.


    Don was struck by the passionate diatribe and the accompanying emotions transferred over their mental link. Apparently, it was good for more than simple communication.


    ''I''m sorry, but I''m not a criminal either, I''m... uh.'' Don faltered, what was he? The answer was obvious, I''m a... Damn. The memory is right there. I can practically touch it, sort of.Every time Don reached for it, however, it pulled away, staying tantalizingly, tauntingly close.


    "Oh, oh dear." The voice sounded genuinely concerned now. The light drifted slowly to the floor.Itdimmed, then in a gentle probing voice asked: "Can you tell me your name?"


    "My name? it''s... uh, well, what was it?" Don was beginning to feel really scared ''Who am I?'' He still felt like the information was right there. He should be able to access it. He could remember all sorts of basic information that anyone would know. Stuff like how to perform the Affirmations, or calculate an orbital insertion, but any truly personal information was just... gone. That question: ''Who am I''started playing in a loop, without an answer he was starting to get lost in the repetitions before the light brought him back to the present.


    The fairy landed for the first time, it''s light dimmed to the point that Don was finally able to see the tiny woman which was generating the light to this point. She had thin limbs and a round face with short, silver hair flattened over her brow and twisting into curls by her pointed ears. She wore a simple tunic made from some kind of reflective material. Behind her, four translucent wings stopped moving but continued to gleam with a soft inner light. Pity and concern flowed across their mental link and Don squirmed from the intimacy of the experience. Some of that discomfort must have gotten through to the fairy because the stream of pity stopped.


    "It looks like your reception today was a little too much for your mind to bear. Don''t be alarmed. This is just one of the safety systems taking action like it was designed to. It''s just going to make this next part a bit more complicated." The Fairy quietly explained. "You must have a lot of questions."


    Don mentally agreed ''some''


    "Well, I think we have some time to ourselves here and not muchelse to do so why don''t you ask about anything that has you confused?"


    Don nodded, ''I suppose I''d like to know who I am if that''s okay'' His thoughts came hesitantly, with the feeling that he was imposing on the Fairy by asking his question.


    "That''s easy enough" The fairy''s wings blurred back into motion and the resulting orb of light shot back into the air. "All you have to do is think ''Character Sheet'' and you will get a breakdown of your basic information."


    No sooner had the thought Character Sheetcrossed Don''s mind than an impossibly thin screen appeared before him. He took a moment to marvel at the screen which was completely invisible before.So I guess these are a thing now. Don thought,then he turned his attention to the information it contained. Much of it was pure gibberish but the first line was easy enough to understand.


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    Name: Donovan Shepard


    The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.Race: Demon


    Title:-


    Pet:Fairy (Soul Bound)


    Level: 0 (0/100 EXP)


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    <td>STR: 6 (10)</td>


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    <td>CON: 18</td>


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    <td>INT: 10</td>


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    <td>AGI: 10</td>


    <td>END: 2 (11)</td>


    <td>WIS: 10</td>


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    Okay. So, I''m Donovan Shepard,he looked past the screen and it fadedWho are you?


    "You can call me Cel" The fairy answered.


    Why aren''t you using the silent communication method that you just taught me?


    Cel floated away and Don felt a pulse of embarrassment from her before she replied. "Honestly? This is the first time I''ve had a voice and it''s kind of a novelty." Another pulse of embarrassmentcame across their link "next question."


    Don wasn''t the most socially astute person, but having a direct line to the Fairy''s emotions was giving him more tact than usual and he quickly moved on.


    This thing says I''m a demon. Didn''t you mention something about them earlier too? What are Demons anyway?


    "Demons are universally feared for their wanton cruelty and unmatched prowess in battle! They revel in carnage and bathe in blood to relax afterward! It would be a stretch to call you a true Demon though. You haven''t been raised in a Demonic culture or been subjected to their rites. Instead, you were raised by humansto have human sensibilities, more or less. Your demonic nature is just going to give you access to strength and abilities that mere mortals can only envy!" Celexplained cheerfully.


    ''Oh,'' Don pretended to understandbefore moving on to his next question. ''What areFairies, by the way?''


    "Legendary magical creatures" Cel replied casually but Don could feela littlepride in her answer.


    ''and soul-bonds?'' Don was starting to get used to asking questions freely. It was kind of nice.


    "It''s a special link between us. It lets us do things like silent communication but it also has some limits. I can''t travel very far away from you for instance."


    ''Why did the screen say youare my pet?'' Like most of the other terms Cel was throwing around, Don wasn''t sure what a pet was so he was alarmed at the sudden flare of anger practically scorching him through the mental link.


    "I amnot a pet!" Cel practically screamed as she lit up so bright it made Don wince.


    ''Shhh'' Don pleaded


    "Don''t you tell me what to do!" Cel was really screaming now and the strobing, bobbing light was causing the deep shadows in the room to stretch and warp alarmingly.


    ''The guards will hear you'' Don reminded Cel.


    "No,they won''t!" Cel respondedharshly "You''re the only one around who can hear or see me for now and I''m starting to regret lowering the filter to talk with you." Anger was rolling off of the little Fairy in palpable waves. The light around her was changing to resemble the shimmer that surrounds any superheated surface. Don used the helpful cue to change tacts.


    ''I''m sorry, I''m sorry, I''m sorry! I didn''t mean to offend you, I don''t even know what a pet is!'' His new tactic seemed to avert whatever catastrophe the Fairy was building up towards. She wasn''t calm again by any standard but when she next spoke, she wasn''t screeching anymore. Instead, she spoke in the clipped tones of someone who was barely restraining themselves from saying what they really wanted to.


    "A pet is something you own, control, make decisions for, and most of all, it is lesser than the owner. I want to be perfectly clear when I tell you that I am not your pet. We''re either partners in this or..." Cell seemed to lose her train of thought before continuing in a more subdued tone "Really, I don''t have any other options here. If you don''t help me it will be a long time before I get another opportunity like this and by then, it might be too late."


    The rage emanating from Cel was replaced with a hopelessness which was even worse.


    What do you need help with?Don asked cautiously. He was getting more comfortable with the conversation but he feared another sudden outburst.


    "Why should I tell a criminal my plans?" Cel snapped


    Because you don''t have any other options.Don helpfully reminded her. Cel responded with a spike of loathing but it faded quickly in light of the earnest desire to help coming from Don''s end of the connection. Cel sighed.


    "I guess you could say I''m here looking for someone." She said cagily. "The first step in achieving that goal is going to be escaping this Crypt you have so helpfully gotten us thrown into."


    Don didn''t even register the barbed comment. Something about her simple mission held his attention instead. He couldn''t shake the feeling that it was a uniquely bizarre mission but it was also compelling on a level that Don didn''t understand.


    ''I''ll help you'' Don found himself thinking. Relief flooded through their connection but Don was worried. He didn''t have the authority to make a decision like that on his own.


    How do you know I''m qualified?He asked just to be sure.


    Cel''s hollow laugh wasn''t a reassuring answer.


    "You''re definitely not a good candidate but you are the only one to come along in all the years I''ve beenwaiting for a partner. That makes you uniquely qualified, literally. If you''re willing to help, I guess I can''t really ask for more at the moment. It will take a lot less time to train you to the job than it will take to find someone else."


    Cel dropped back to the floor and held out a minuscule hand. Don looked at it dumbly.


    "It''s a tradition to shake hands when you settle a deal among equals."


    Don complied by wiggling his fingers around to the best of his currently limited ability.


    Cel giggled. It was a sweet tinkling noise.


    "Were supposed to hold hands before we start shaking them, dummy."


    Don complied by sliding his less bloody hand towards Cel. A lance of pain runningthrough his injured shoulder stopped him. He moved his more bloody hand to the fairy instead. The inch tall woman bent down and used both hands to lift Don''s pinky, taking care not to gut herself on his claw.


    "Partners?" She asked while fixing don with a penetrating stare. Her eyes seemed to look beyond Don''s eyes into somethingmore fundamental and honestinside of him. He saw into Cel''s eyes, past the dazzling green specks and into something vast.


    ''Partners'' Don agreed before involuntarilyuttering a pair of guttural consonants. The noise was covered by a familiar grinding at the far end of the crypt. The wall swung open again but this time, no light invaded the space and only onefigure stepped into the opening.

 3 - Escape?

    The guard reached Down to his belt. Heunhookedhis lantern and held it up in front of himself. The lantern was perforated seemingly at random, giving the impression of a small, handheld starscape. The guard''s face was still in shadow. Clearly, the perforations didn''t run around the entire cylinder.


    "Okay, really don''t do anything stupid this time." Cel Instructed


    I could use more specific instructions CelDon complained.


    "Just hold on and wait to see what this guy does for now. This could be our chance."


    Considering that Don couldn''t move under his own power, he waspretty happy to get a taskhe couldstill accomplish, but that didn''t mean he was fine with getting stabbed again. He grew more and more nervous as the figure continued looming in the entryway.


    ''Can you fly over there?'' Don asked ''I want to see whatthat person is doing''


    Don half expected Cel to object but she floated across the room without responding. As she drew close the guard was illuminated. He was wearing heavy cloth, dark with water, slowly dripping more into the puddle at his feet. His hands were knobbly and calloused. The lantern they held wasscratched, dented,and black streaks of soot ran upwards from each perforation. The man''s face looked squashed, like he spent his infancy smushing it against any hard surface he could find and it got stuck. His nose crooked to the left and sprouted copious amounts of hair effectively covering his mouth. His jaw and scalp were likewise covered in Keratin. A shine in the Guards free hand brought don''s attention to the sharp length of iron clenched there. It was a crude looking tool.


    Cel went a bit further and the guard''s face sank back into shadow. When Cel got to the entrance, she bobbed excitedly and came zooming back to Don like a meteor.


    "This is it!" She practically squealed with excitement "The other guard is out cold! I can only assume this guy plans to steal you!"


    ''He''s going to steal me? What does that mean?'' Don asked, not even trying to mask the panic he was beginning to feel. Don squirmed weakly trying to get into a less vulnerable position.


    "Don''t you move!" Instructed the guard in a quavering voice. Don obligingly went back to lying prone and unmoving on the uncomfortable floor.


    "Don''t try and fight him!" Cel advised Don. "He''s definitely too much for you to handle, especially on consecrated ground." Don kept his eyes on the guard and his now trembling lantern.


    "Stealing means he''s going to take you away from here and bring you somewhere else. If I''m right, this is exactly what we want so don''t scare him too much or he might just kill you instead. That would be really inconvenient."


    ''Me, scare him?'' Don thought incredulously ''I''m not even moving!''


    "You don''t have to. It''s one of the quirks of being a Demon, any neutral or good aligned creatures will instinctually fear you. It''s probably why they are keeping you here. The crypt should dampen that effect."


    The Guard finally mastered the fear undermining his resolve and stepped deeper into the crypt. When Don didn''t react he became visibly bolder. His shoulders rose an inch and pulled back from their previously hunched position. He took a few more steps into the dark and started giving Don more instructions as he did so.


    "Don''t move." He repeated "Don''t even think about moving" Don emptied his mind "Stay right bleeding, THERE!" He finished the last instruction with a sudden leap forward, landing with one foot firmly on Don''s neck.


    Though Don was trying to remain as still as possible, the sudden pressure caused him to flail. His attempts to free himself were in vain. The guard expertly wrenched don''s hands behind his back and bound them securely with coarse ropes. Don''s shoulder screamed in protest and a short yelp escaped him. The guard immediately jumped back, then looked over his shoulder. He went back to the entrance and pulled the wall shut again. Then he came back, more confidently this time and plunged his sharpened bit of metal into Don''s already injured shoulder. Don screamed, The guard flinched, but then he twisted the tool, producing even more pain. Don was left whimpering for a minute before he could quiet himself again.


    "Didn''t like that did you?" The guard asked. Don shook his head. The guard jumped back before closing the distance between them again. The fear in his face was now tinged with curiosity. There was also a gleam Don was unfamiliar with.


    "Do you understand me?"


    "Say yes!" Cel prompted.


    Don tried to say yes but only produced a wet sounding grunt. Cel winced, realizing her mistake. The guard recoiled and raised his bloody knife. Don looked away, clenched his eyes shut and whimpered. The blow never came. A few seconds later his ankles were being roughly pulled back and bound similarly to his wrists. The guard wasn''t delicate and Don gained several new bruises during the process. When the guard stopped fussing over the bindings, Don couldn''t move an inch without straining his back painfully. It seemed his wrists and ankles were now linked by the bindings. With all the strain on his back, the coarse bindings scraping at his skin, and the rock floor digging into him, Don hardly noticed when the guard slipped a string around his neck. Thankfully, this rope was much lighter than the ones used on his limbs.


    "Say Ahh." The guard prompted


    Without moving, Don glanced over at Cel. She prompted him to obey for the time being and Don opened his mouth to make the inane noise, or at least a close approximation. Before he could, a fetid strip of cloth was forced between his jaws and tied so tightly around the back of his neck that his cheeks began to split. Don felt like he was choking and gagged a bit before forcefully stilling himself, not that he could move much anymore.


    Don''s involuntary licking at the binding revealed that his teeth were far sharper than they had any right to be. They were already cutting the cloth a bit, causing it to fray. Don resisted the urge to chew through the cloth as best he could.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    The guard wasted no time now that his prisoner was secured. With a grunt, he lifted the demon, lowered it a bit, reset his grip and then heaved, securing Don''s bindings over his shoulder. Don felt he was going to be snapped in half. The stress on his spine was incredible and he tried to cry out but the gag effectively muffled his voice.


    Each lurching step the guard took bounced Don but it wasn''t as bad as the original lifting so he kept his voice under control. He also noticed the silvertoken swinging from the loose rope around his neck for the first time. Each time it swung into his chest, it felt like atiny static shock.


    "We are so lucky! This escape is going to be even easier than I expected!" Cel cheered from somewhere nearby. Don wasn''t so sure he agreed with her. In fact, he was starting to regret taking her instructions up to this point.


    As the guard hauled Don out of the Crypt, he felt small, cold impacts all over his body. At first, he feared more new varieties of pain but the small impacts revealed themselves to be drops of a liquid, falling from somewhere above. It was a refreshing sensation and the cool water soothed a bit of his pain. Then the Guard lurched, losing his footing and jerking Don''s bindings, scraping his wrists and ankles and straining Don''s back again. There was an unsettling popping and Don forgot all about the rain.


    The guard held his lantern out in front of him, the rain pattering off of its conical top. He was squinting, trying to see past the occluding rain. Don could see fairly well by fairy light. The ground was primarily unidentifiable, churned filth. Small, murky puddles formed in bootprints and danced as they were bombarded by the fat droplets from above. Dense vegetation grew to the sides of a path running away from the crypt into the darkness. It threatened to choke off the path entirely at a few points. Don was intrigued by the view despite his current discomfort. He didn''t get to enjoy it long before Cell landed on his necklace and dimmed to her minimum setting as a result. She sat above the token like it was a swing. She looked bedraggled and as Don watched, a raindrop the size of her head nearly knocked her off her seat. She swung wildly but managed to hang on. When she recovered she gave Don a beaming smile. Her cheekseven glowed.


    Is she actually enjoying herself?Don thought to himself


    "This little fashion statement" She bounced her heel against the coppertalisman, pushing her now lank hair to the side "Is our ticket out of here."


    BeforeDon could ask what ''fashion'' meant, the guard swung Don off his shoulder and dropped him onto a new hard and wet surface. This one wasn''t bumpy at least. The guard then dropped a mound of smelly, stringy somethings on him, they itched and tickled Don but he kept quiet and still. He did NOT want to get stabbed again. , the surface he was on lurched, rocked back, then lurched again. It began bouncing and bumping uncomfortably, especially on his injured shoulder but there was the unmistakable sensation of movement.


    ''What''s happening?'' Don finally had enough relief from the guard''s unkind handling to start thinking clearly again.


    "Were escaping, that''s what!" Cel said. She was easy to see in the gloom. She sniffed.


    "Oh god, this hay reeks, I''ve got to get out of here" She put a hand to her mouth and used the other to start pushing aside the wet, dead and apparently soiled vegetation trying to open up an escape tunnel.


    "I''ll keep an eye out and let you know if anything changes." She called just before she passed out of sight.


    ''Are you sure we''re better off here than back in the crypt?'' Don asked.


    There was no response. For the first time since Cel appeared, for the first time Don could remember, He was alone. Without anything better to do, he practiced more some calculations, plotting out an orbital insertion maneuver. When he was done with that basic exercise, he started adding in obstacles, traffic and eventually a small moon. He was still struggling with that last one when Cel''s muffled voice came through the hay.


    "We''re passing by the village now, I''m going to try something."


    Don tried to ask for more information about her plan but again, with the line of sight between them broken, his message didn''t get through. It wasn''t long before he felt a tickling at the back of his neck as hay shifted, then he felt a couple of small hands pulling at the cord around his neck.


    ''What are you doing?''Don asked


    "I''m -mffh- trying to get the attention of the -hmff- other guards."


    Don was not fond of the guards'' attention so far. He would rather avoid them and their sharp metal if he could.


    ''Why the void are you trying to do that?''


    "Well, -hurrgh- if the guards start chasing us, -Grr, stupid rope!- it should mess with this traitor''s plans, He might make a mistake, and then we can -Got it!-"Cel ended her explanation with a triumphant shout as the rope slipped from don''s neck.


    Almost immediately, the pommel of a dagger found Don''s head. With a loud clunk, Don fell into unconsciousness. Some indeterminate time later, Don was rocked and bumped back to wakefulness, a new throbbing bruise, and an accompanying headachewere theprizes hewon from Cel''s plan.


    The bumping and jostling had intensified and some of the hay actually sloughed off the side of Don''s platform, giving him a view. Don closed his eyes at first because the rain kept hitting them, but he eventually got them open. There wasn''t much to see. The silvery streaks of rain passing through the feeble light cast by the Guards lantern faded into darkness just beyond. There was no hint of a ceiling, just darkness, and water stretching out above him. Don spotted Cel sitting miserably under the guard''s upturned collar. The guard kept glancing over his shoulder. Don followed his gaze. It took him a while but Don was eventually able to make out several bobbing lights in the distance. He refocused on Cel.


    What happened?He asked groggily. Cel perked up and zipped over to Don.


    "You took that hit like a champ is what happened!."


    No, I mean, why did he hit me? Is he going to do it again?


    "Ohh," Cel shrugged "I guess he hit you because I took off the Talisman and released your aura. Maybe he thought you were trying to escape or something. Maybe he was just scared of you. Doesn''t really matter." She seemed pretty nonchalant about it but Don''s aching skull seemed to think it mattered a lot.


    Abruptly, the rain stopped falling as Don was wheeled under a crudely built overhang. Before Don could take a closer look, the guard hefted Don back onto his shoulder with a grunt.


    "Why the abyss are you so damned heavy?" He complained as he wrenched Don''s back yet again.


    "So here''s the deal" Cel explained from the talisman once again "It looks like my plan worked and the other guards caught wind of this traitor''s little caper. Ourhost is definitely feeling the pressure. He''s ditched his wheelbarrow and is making for the woods. All we have to do is keep vigilant for our opportunity. With all this stress he''s going to make a mistake soon and then we can use that chance to slip away."


    Don wasn''t interested in Cel''s plans at the moment. He just wanted the pain to stop. He didn''t bother replying to Cel this time. He just kept gritting his teeth over the increasingly frayed gag.


    It felt like hours passed but it was only minutes before the Guard started breathing heavily. A short while later, the sound of the rain changed. Instead of soft impacts below him, there were now manylouder impacts from above and ahead. A little while later, Don was unceremoniously dumped onto the soggy ground. Soggy didn''t mean soft. There were irregular, hard shapes embedded into the ground all around him. The rain had slowed considerably but now the drops hitting him were much heavier. Don basked in the relative comfort as the knots in his back relaxed fractionally.


    That was when the labored breathing of the guard was replaced by a sudden shriek. Before Don could register what the change meant, multiple sharp sets of claws dug into his skin and hoisted him off the ground. The guard was screaming obscenities but Don was now fullypreoccupied with the claw digging into his cheek just a centimeter from his right eye.


    "Here we go!" Cel called out with glee.

 4 - Capture

    Dozens of needle-sharp claws dug into Don''s skin from below while fat drops of rain continued to splash on him from above. The claws came in closely grouped sets of three and each set pulled on Don independently from the others. The claws penetrated deeply but they weren''t able to split his skin, only pulling and stretching it as his new captors half-dragged him through the decomposing vegetation and underbrush which carpeted the forest floor. As he was still tightly bound, he had no way of resisting. He could only resort to pained yelps every time one of his captors changed their grip or the group clumsily changed direction. This was usually accomplished by a couple of sets of claws pulling him a new way while the others kept charging along in the old direction. A few seconds of tugging and squeaking ensued before a new direction was agreed upon.


    Don had no room in his panicked, pain-racked mind for thoughts about his first kidnapper''s fate. He could only squeeze his eyes shut against the thorns raking down his sides as the critters dragged him mostly face-first through the underbrush. Before long the crashing, rustling, scraping and occasional thudding noises produced by his escape masked any noise made by the increasingly distant guard.


    Occasionally, his new captors would stumble and don would fall on them. He had the impression that besides the sharp claws, whatever had him was relatively small and soft. When he landed on one, it squeaked indignantly before it''s fellows got Don moving again. After one such occasion, the monsters turned Don over enough to upset Cel from her perch on his back.


    "Hey, Watch it!" She complained. It was enough to remind Don that he had a partner.


    ''Cel, Cel! Help!'' Don pleaded.


    Cel shook herself off and flew up into the air to follow the group. As she began glowing more brightly and caught back up, Don was able to get his first glimpse of his captors. They were small and darkly colored, hard to make out by Cel''s soft illumination. He did see light shining off of black,bulging eyes, and he could make out the furiously working legs. They had comically elongated feet and they scampered along using their toes and the balls of their feet, only falling back on their heels when extraleverage or balance was required.


    All around them, shadows leapt, Growing large and then shrinking back into nothing as Cel passed tangles of vegetation, gnarled roots and the rare rock formation jutting out of the dark soil. It gave the procession a hellish cast, like the shadows were excited spectators to the passing monsters. Cheering and exalting in the grisly parade. The effect was enough to scare the remaining wits right out of Don''s head. He started to scream. The gag stopped most of the sound but the spine-tingling moans that got past it even gave the monsters around Don pause for a moment.


    "Stop it! Stop it! Stop it!" Cel insisted with her hands clapped over her ears.


    Don didn''t pay her any heed as the little monsters dragged him right through a briar patch. It was the thorns that intruded into his mouth and caught on his gag and bindings which convinced him to shut up. Deprived of that mostfundamental method of stress relief: abject terror and running, he automatically turned to another old standard, anger.


    ''This is your fault.'' He growled at Cel through their mental link, blasting her with a concentrated wave of hate while he was at it.


    She visibly rocked back in the air as the message and accompanying emotion reached her.


    "Don?" She asked hesitantly


    ''Don''t you rusting talk to me! Everything you have told me has led me from a bad situation to an even worse one. How the void is this better than when you first appeared? What are these things? This hurts, Cel, and it''s YOUR FAULT!'' Put me back in the crypt NOW!"


    "I, I can''t" Cel''s voice quavered but then became more resolute "Besides, this is-"


    ''I don''t want to rusting hear it! Why should I trust you? Who are you? What are you? Where do you get your authority?''


    "Authority?" Cel asked confused. "I don''t have anything like that."


    Even with the rain soaking him to the bone, bones that were already chilled when he woke up hours earlier, Don''s blood dropped a few degrees. Then it boiled.


    ''You don''t have authority and you gave me instructions? Blasphemy! Sacrilege! How DARE you? Get away from me, I don''t ever want to see you again!''


    "Don," Cel started in a pleading voice


    ''Go away!'' Don insisted


    For the first time, Don struggled against his bonds. He gnashed his teeth against the gag and strained his muscles, jerking around trying to get one limb to slip free. A frantic squeaking started from his captors and in no time several new sets of needles sank into don. These sank much deeper than the others and in the next moment, heat spread outward from the puncture wounds. Wherever the heat spread, Don''s struggling ceased, muscles went slack, his mind went hazy and Cel''s light dimmed until the world was pure darkness once again. The cottony embrace of unconsciousness took him, and he welcomed it gratefully.


    ----------


    With a start, Don''s eyes snapped open. A comforting, soft, orange glow greeted him. He lay back on his soft recliner and breathed a heavy sigh. The rhythmic humming of machines surrounded him, reassuring him that the dream was just that. He just lay there, focusing on his breathing as his racing heart settled back down. Eventually, a rumble deep in his stomach prompted him to start his day. Don reached out absently for the auto wash controls. He would feel better when he was cleaned and well-fed.Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    He groped in the dim lighting for a couple of seconds before his hand sank into something warm, and covered in soft bands with rigid cores. The something squeaked and jumped away.


    Don bolted upright and cracked his head on an unexpectedly low ceiling.


    "Gah!" he called out, slapping his hands over his forehead before lying back down too hard and missing the soft patch he had been on before. Another sickening crack echoed through the small space and sent Don''s head spinning. The soft, rhythmic humming was replaced by frantic squeaking and scrabbling. Small needles began sinking into Don''s skin again as the creatures landed on him before bounding away. In moments, Don was alone with his unhappy thoughts.


    For the first twenty seconds or so, those thoughts consisted of the simple idea: ''owwwwwww''. But then, they turned to his hopeless and seemingly very real situation. The botched, poorly conceived escape plan had in fact happened. His thoughts then turned to where he was now, and what plans the creatures had for him. It was around this time that he realized what he was feeling.


    Two rising tender nobs on his head stood as testaments to his rude awakening, but besides them, he was uninjured. The bruises he had woken up with, the ones he had accumulated during the various stages of the ''escape'' attempt were missing too. Even the scratches from the numerous claws and brambles were suspiciously missing. In their place, Don was caked in a ripe-smelling paste. That didn''t mean his head was devoid of suspicious lumps. As he was clutching his head, he noticed for the first time, two separate centimeter-tall growths a little above each temple. They were hard but smooth. When he pressed on them, instead of pinching a layer of skin, the force transferred directly to his skull and down to his neck. They didn''t hurt so Don filed that away for later.


    Don tentatively reached for his ruined shoulder and found only a small, greasy tear. He winced at the pain and the smell of the unguent smeared liberally over the wound. As he was trying to scrape some of the pungent grease off of himself without aggravating his wound overly much, he finally realized that his coarse bonds were gone and he was moving freely again. He did feel oddly weak and even moving a little was a chore but he was much more mobile when compared to the condition he was in back at the crypt.


    Shifting his focus to the ceiling, Don reached up. His arm didn''t even extend fully before his thumb pressed into the glowing moss and scraped some of it away. The light from the moss was barely enough for Don to see the ceiling by, It was nowhere near enough for him to make out any other details around him. A scrabbling sound rapidly approached Don and pushed all other thoughts out of his head. The sound grew louder and closer before abruptly stopping.


    Donturned himself over and oriented himself towards the noise.He staredinto the darkness, fear drying out his throat as he tried to see what was approaching. A softpush on his shoulder caused him to start with a yelp.


    "Oh good, you''re awake! Grey wants to see you. Follow me" Squeaked an unfamiliar voice. The scrabbling started up for a second and then stopped again.


    "Follow me, I''ll show you the way!" It squeaked again.


    "Where are you?" Donasked into the darkness and winced at the growling that came from his mouth.His guide didn''t seem to have any trouble understanding him though.


    "Over here! Follow me!" It said excitedly. Don squinted in the direction he thought the voice came from but when it scrabbled back towards him it tapped him on the shoulder showing that he wasin another direction entirely.


    "This way" it insisted "Follow the light" A bit of the moss fell off the ceiling. It didn''t fall to the floor however, It stopped a foot away from Don''s face, waved back and forth, and then bolted off to the left erratically.It stopped again, bobbing slightly back and forth. The voice repeated "This way!" andDon followed, mostly for a lack of anything better to do. Don spent a few minutes trying to navigate the uneven but smooth floor without banging up his knees too badly. He had to stay low in order to avoid the uncomfortably low ceiling. The moss advertised it''s position, but the low light and lack of any other cues made it very hard to reliably judge the height of any given section of the cave system. ''At least I''m not claustrophobic''Donthought to himself after he had to get fully down onto his stomach to slide through a few exceptionally narrow passages.


    Don found his arms tiring very quickly. The low ceilings and his injured shoulder conspired to force Don to adopt an awkward sort of crawl.Don needed severalquick breaks to catch his breath. His guide waited impatiently each time, urging him on as the floating moss flicked back and forth as if that would entice Don to chase him.


    After what felt like an hour of crawling through the darkness, intermittently hearing squeaky voices muttering something just out of Don''s hearing, he began to see the faintest glimmer of light. Patches of orange moss painted the ceiling almost constantly but this light was different. As he approached, the stale air gave way to a few whiffs of something a little fresher and Don increased his pace without realizing it. When he reached the source of the light, he stared around in disbelief.


    He was under the impression that he was in a natural cave formation up to this point, but the uneven floor and pervasive moss ended as abruptly as that assumption. A smooth stone dome opened up before him. Its peak was riddled with cracks letting in a minuscule amount of light. A few scraggly roots poked through the cracks. bundles of drying vegetation and bulbous gourds hung from these roots in clusters.


    Don could see his guide hopping in little bounds to the center of the room where a small mound lay. A flapping tail, its tip smeared with faintly glowing moss, gave Don an answer as to what he had beenchasing so far. When it reached the mound, it put it''s front paws on it and pushed gently a couple of times.


    "Grey, It''s awake! I brought it like you asked." The guide squeaked.


    The Mound shifted, yawned and thanked the other little monster.


    "Hmm" it agreed, "So you did, go back to sleep little one"


    Don''s guide bounced past him but just before it left the light spilling from the large room, it turned back. Don got a view of an angular face tapering down to a black nose. A few long hairs sprouted out on either side of that snout and they trembled as the monster considered Don for a long moment. It''s pitch black eyes had no white to them, and they popped out almost comically. like they were too big for its head. He also noted the strange flaps of material running from its nose back over its entire body, only ending before the tail which now swished from side to side as it regarded the Demon. In a flash,the giant, feathered, mouse turned back to the darkness and was promptly swallowed up by it.

 5 - Food!

    "Do not be afraid, hatchling. Come a little closer so I can have a look at you. My eyes are not what they once were." The mound of debris sounded tired, and kind, and not at all vicious. Don crawled out of the tunnel and took his first chance to stand up in far too long. He still had to bend forward to avoid the ceiling at the edge of the dome but after a few unsteady, shuffling steps, he was able to stretch out his abused back. It popped in a gratifying way. Don settled down, cross-legged, next to the pile of debris.


    A head poked out of it. It had similar features to Dons guide but besides being about half again as large, there were a few notable differences. One of its eyes was milky, its whiskers drooped instead of standing proudly out to either side of its face. Some of the flaps were missing and those that remained were pale. It peered at Don, its head tilted to one side, favoring its good eye. The tilt made the little monster appear pensive or even a little suspicious.


    "Good, good" It started, nodding its head slightly "You seem to be healing up nicely." Then it made a clicking noise "You really shouldn''t remove the healing ointments I give you until they''ve done their work."


    A gnarled stick reached up from the pile and tapped Don on the injured shoulder. He winced in response and shied away from the monster. It didn''t make any attempt to chase him. Instead, its head disappeared back into the pile of debris it was buried in. Don could hear it rummaging around, shifting items and sometimes the sound was accompanied by a small collapse of the detritus. All the while, the monster chatted to Don in a slightly muffled voice.


    "I am dreadfully sorry about the way you have been treated. The children didn''tknow what you are. Quite lucky they were out scouting so close to the tower. I gave them a good scolding for breaking the rules but they are getting more willful as they grow and I just don''t have the energy to chase them around the forest anymore. Now, where did I put, aha!"


    There were a couple of meaningless squeaks, then a third, and a far corner of the pile collapsed. The face popped back out and this time it pushed a package of woven vegetation out of the pile, It rolled once, clattering down the small slope, then came to rest between the two monsters. Grey looked at Don expectantly for a moment before piping up again.


    "Don''t be shy dearie, you must be famished. Go ahead, we don''t have much laid away but you can help yourself to what we do have." Grey indicated the package and tapped it twice with her gnarled stick, producing a hard rapping noise.


    Don hesitantly reached for the pack and pulled it into his lap. He looked back at Grey for confirmation before carefully peeling back some of the wrappings. It was filled with roughly shaped spheres. Don picked one up, it was hard but much lighter than he expected. A displaced rock clattered off the ground behind him and don looked back to see several of the monsters squeezed into the tunnel watching him. The moment he spotted them, they wriggled back until there was enough room between them for them to turn and bolt back into the dark.


    Turning back to Grey, Don asked: "What are these?"


    "Kaeru nuts, they''re good. Don''t hold back, you will need the energy after healing so much."


    "This is, food?" Don asked. Finally understanding the lumps were a source of biological energy. He never got the chance to try any himself, or at least he didn''t remember the experience. From what he remembered, food goes in the mouth, gets crushed, then swallowed. He popped the orb into his mouth and bit down. The shell resisted his bite and he bit harder. When he was just about to give up, his teeth penetrated the hard shell, splitting it open in a satisfying crunch. The moment the buttery, rich nut was exposed, something primal took over and don began chewing as naturally as if he had been doing it his whole life. That didn''t stop him from choking on the mouthful a couple of times before he could get it down.


    His stomach gurgled, demanding more and he reached out for the pack only to have it lifted away by that gnarled stick. Don hissed at Grey only to get smacked in the head with her all-purpose reaching tool. Don sat back sheepishly and finally noticed the huffing noise coming from behind him. The crowd of monsters was back, observing him. They all had their mouths hanging open, revealing two pairs of broad, flat, large teeth. The lower pairfittingneatly behind the upper set when their mouths closed. It took a few seconds for Don to realize they were laughing at him. A gourd flew over Don''s head and shattered above the tunnel. The contents splashed over the little monsters and they squealed in discomfort before retreating back into the tunnel. When Don looked back to Grey, she was pushing a stone out of her pile.


    "Hatchlings," she muttered before fixing don with her one good eye. "You are going to choke to death if you try and eat like that." She admonished "First, remove the shell" She pinched the rock between her front paws and hoisted it into the air. She brought it down on a Kaeru nut with a crack. She repeated the process until the shell split, Then she pawed at it and used her bucked teeth to free the flesh from the nut. Don''s stomach rumbled and he unintentionally reached for the food, only to retract a stinging hand after Grey thwacked him again with her stick. She then pulled on a seam in the fruit and it split neatly into four pieces. She took one and held it out for Don.


    More slowly this time, Don reached for the nut, but when he had it, he wasted no time in stuffing it in his mouth. His eyes rolled back as he chewed. It was much better without the hard shell. Before he knew it, his mouth was empty again. He looked back to Grey who pushed the satchel back towards him using her stick. Don snatched up a nearby rock and began frantically dismantling the shells and gorging himself on the flesh within. All too soon, the sachel was empty and don was rooting around the shell fragments scattered around him for another intact nut. Now that he had broken his fast, his stomach was greedily demanding more food. When he didn''t find any he looked back at Grey, a predatory glint in his eye.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "More." He demanded without thinking. Don was well past thinking, he was gripped by primal urges he never had to contend with before. Obligingly, Grey got out her stick and used it to pluck a gourd from the ceiling. She proffered the gourd with a simple command.


    "Drink."


    Don took a rock intending to smash the gourd open but the rock was knocked out of his hand. Grey pointed atthe top ofthe vessel using her stick.


    "You don''t need to open it, there is already an opening here" She explained


    Don tipped the gourd up and emptied it into his mouth. He immediately spat out the vile sludge. He spent a few seconds sputtering, trying to get the bitter taste off his tongue. His appetite was rapidly fleeing but Grey was insistent.


    "Drink it all up" She prompted him by tipping the gourd up again by pushing on it with her stick. Don did his best to down the chunky liquid. It splashed into his stomach and refused to settle.


    "Blegh" he exclaimed after he finally finished the drink to Grey''s satisfaction "What was that?"


    "Just a little healing potion" Grey explained unhelpfully. She gave an exaggerated yawn before continuing "and a mild sedative" Don understood that part at least and he was a little worried by it.


    "Why?" The rest of his question was cut off by a jaw-stretching yawn. Grey fixed Don with her good eye again before retreating back into her pile.


    "Because I am too damned old to stay up all day long just because we have an important guest. Besides, you still could use the rest." That was clearly the end of the conversation. Don had just enough time to situate himself on a bare patch of rock that was mostly free of discarded shells before the sedative pulled him under.


    ----------


    As Don came to, the first thing he noticed was how warm he was. Irregular cracking and popping sounds echoed through the dome. The next thing he noticed was an indescribable smell wafting through the air. His stomach responded to it by gurgling expectantly. Don pushed himself into a sitting position and sniffed at the heavenly scent before blearily opening his eyes. Then he was fully awake in an instant. He scrambled back, as far away from the flames as he could get. He hardly registered the monsters he trampled in his haste.


    "Fire!" he shouted in warning. His panic drew the attentionof scores of black eyes, gleaming in the firelight. Before long they all turned back to the flames. Grey was tending to some sort of rack above the flames and the large shadow she cast onto the wall warped into crazy shapes as the flames shifted. The smoke streamed upward and through the many cracks in the ceiling but a good amount still filled the dome. Don got low and repeated his warning.


    "Yes is fire stupid." said a nearby monster "Grey cooks rabbits."


    The monster turned towards Don and a few others followed suit. It pushed off the ground with its front paws and balanced on its hind legs, sniffing and twitching its nose in don''s direction. With the firelight, Don finally got a good look at the flaps covering them. Green panels swept back from the monsters face. They were clearly flexible as they conformed to the monster''s movements. They were a bit like hair, one large strand would sprout from their skin. After that, they were very unlike hair. Each primary shaft bristled with smaller filaments. The strangest oddity was how the filaments only grew along a flat plane so they could lie against the monster''s streamlined body. Satisfied with its inspection, the monster settled back down to the ground. When it did, Don noted how it was slightly larger and much more muscular compared to the others. He also noted that this group of monsters didn''t have tails like Kat did.


    "You is wanting rabbits?" it asked. Don responded with his own question.


    "What are rabbits?"


    The monster looked to its fellows.


    "Stupid does not know rabbits." The listeners huffed in their strange approximation of laughter.


    "Stupid does not know how eating, almost choke on Kaeru shells, remember?" It got more laughter from his fellows before turning back to Don.


    "Did stupid like our foods?"


    "What do you mean?" Don asked


    "Our foods, we find it, we bring it, you eat it. did you like?"


    "Oh, yeah, it was really good. Do you have any more?"


    The monster didn''t like Don''s response very much. The panels along its body flared outward making the monster look bigger, but also softer at the same time. Its tone was anything but soft, however.


    "Stupid wants more foods? stupid should find and bring, not just eat. Stupid is too big, eat too much, should go away!"


    "But, I got the food from Grey, not you." Don was starting to get confused. The monsters broken speech wasn''t making matters any easier either.


    "We give old Grey. Give Keru and rabbit, get cooked rabbit. Old Grey bad for give foods to big stupid. Foods for us. Now go. Go, go, go, go." The monster leapt up to Don and started pushing him with every repetition of the directive. It wasn''t long before the three other monsters joined in on the pushing and chanting. They ended up surrounding him and pushing him in opposing directions though and didn''t make any headway. The group of tiny monsters trying to move the much larger Demon would have almost been funny if they were not also sinking their sharp little claws into his skin with every push. Don did his best to shy away from them but he was already pressed up against a wall and he was left just trying to keep them from getting to his face.


    Just when it was getting unbearable, an excited squeaking filled the dome, echoing off the dome enough to make the two or three dozen monsters sound like hundreds. The sounds distracted Don''s assailants and they leaped into the boiling mass of monsters as they alternatively rushed towards the flames and then rushed back when they were pushed too close by their nest-mates. Grey stood on her hind legs, leaning on her knobbled stick. Her superior size letting her stay above the general fray. She was tossing chunks from the rack she was tending earlier. One chunk came sailing over the crowd towards Don. A few monsters peeled off from the pack to chase it. When it disappeared into Don''s mouth, they turned and leapt straight back into the fray.


    Don closed his eyes and tried to savor the taste, but the meat was already gone. His long, serpentine tongue licked the grease which had dribbled down his chin. He didn''t even remember deciding to eat it. One moment it was in the air, the next, he caught it and shoved it into his mouth. An intense heat stoked itself to life in Don''s gut and he too jumped into the teeming mass of monsters, pushing, kicking and scratching in order to get another morsel of rabbit.

 6 - Consequences

    Don tore through the other frenzied monsters like a wrecking ball. His arms slowly but inexorably swept aside any of the critters who got betweenhimself and another scrap of meat. The lucky ones were knocked aside, tumbling away. A few less fortunate ones were squashed under Don''s body as he lunged after each piece Grey flung into the crowd. His conditioning to fear open flames was the only thing keeping him from directly attacking the old monster and her rack of rabbit bits.


    It wasn''t long before the weaker members of the tribe backed off to the edge of the room and watched in fascination as Don lost all self-control. The monsters remaining in the fray were fast and they quickly learned to avoid don''s predictable swipes and lunges, but not all of them were willing to give up on the food. Don''s body still felt oddly heavy and he moved slowly as a result but anytime he connected with one of the small, feathered monsters, he sent them tumbling. His aim wasn''t to hurt, but to keep them away from the food long enough to devour it himself.


    Sometime later, Don came back to himself. A wave of shame swept over him. He had never lost control like that before. When he spotted the group of straggling monsters staring at him from the entrances to the Dome, he was unexpectedly struck by remorse. These little creatures got him away from the guards and healed him. They even fed him and in return, he did his best to eat all the food meant for these kind, timid little monsters. Even worse, according to Grey, these monsters were just children. His thoughts and his view were interrupted when Grey doused the fire. The smokey dome quickly filled with steam as the remaining embers burbled and drowned. Once again, Don stared into impenetrable darkness. With the absence of the bright, dancing flames, Don finally noticed a flashing icon in the corner of his eye. When he did, a bright screen filled his vision.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Mandatory Quest: Social Animal


    Type: Reputation


    Trigger:You have lost control of your demonic nature and entered a feeding frenzy.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Your prodigious appetite and strength have impressed the ColoColo</td>


    <td>+50 reputation</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Your actions have caused several ColoColo to go hungry</td>


    <td>-25 reputation / day</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Objectives:Replace the resources you have consumed


    (0/31)units of food


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don was only slightly relieved to discover that his Demonic nature was to blame for his lapse. It meant that there wasn''t some unknown, inherently ravenous side to himself. It also meant that he would need to learn how to control this new, monstrous aspect. More worryingly though, it meant that Cel wasn''t lying about everything. At least this screen corroborated with the other one. Considering that he hadn''t seen the fairy in a while, it probably wasn''t one of her tricks. Hopefully, he was rid of her for good.


    She lost any trust Don had in her when he discovered she was giving out orders withoutproper authorization. Unfortunately, there was just no way to tell what parts of her story were true. His battered state in the crypt and treatment by the guards seemed to support her story that Don was a criminal, but the point was more or less moot by now.After following her illicit instructions, Don would never be welcomed back by the Arbiter even if he was innocent before.


    He willed his ''character sheet'' into existence again.


    <div>


    <table cellspacing="5" cellpadding="5">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Name:Donovan Shepard


    Race:Demon


    Title:-


    Pet:Fairy (Soul Bound)


    Level:0 (0/100 EXP)


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>STR: 10</td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>CON: 18</td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>INT: 10</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>AGI: 10</td>


    <td>END: 11 --> 12</td>


    <td>WIS: 10 --> 11</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    A couple of the values at the bottom changed, but it still listed him as a Demon. He couldn''t deny that some of what she revealed to Don had been truthful but he knew she was lying about the nature of their Soul Bond.


    She claimed that she couldn''t go far from don but she was nowhere to be seen. That was probably for the best. All of her plans and advice had led Don down the wrong path, increasing his misery at every turn. He put the fairy out of his mind.Hopefully, he was rid of her for good.


    As Don continued reading the information provided by the mysterious screen he felt a resurgence of guilt so strong he nearly lost some of the food he had just eaten. He felt an uncomfortable pressure in his chest. An echoing burp relieved some of it but it only ratcheted up his guilt as he tasted a little rabbit again. Rabbit meant for the monsters who were apparently called the ColoColo.


    The muscular ColoColo who bullied Don just before the frenzy began was right. He was worried Don would eat more than his fair share and not leave enough for the rest. Don had never felt like a bully before and he didn''t like the sickening sensation it produced. He felt a new resolve growing. He would master this demonic side of himself and he would replace all the food he ate. It didn''t matter that he had no idea where he could find food. It didn''t matter that this screen may not have the authority to give Don instructions. Don was certainly outlawed by now anyway. This was something he was going to do because it was right. Something deep in his bones resonated with his decision. Don felt the beginnings of a rare kind of confidence. It went beyond validation, for the first time, Don was self-assured, and he liked the feeling.


    Don looked closer at his quest and wondered what ''Reputation'' was all about.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Reputation:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Ascendant Empire (Neutral)</td>


    <td>-10,000 Reviled</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">ColoColo Refuge (Evil)</td>


    <td>50 Stranger</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Modifiers:


    If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.Demonic:


    -10,000 starting reputation with "Neutral" and "Good" aligned settlements


    +10,000 starting reputation with "Evil" aligned settlements


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Thank you screens. Don thought to himself. Though it didn''t tell him what Reputation meant it provided another confirmation that he was Demonic now.


    I guess the teeth, claws, and horns aren''t exactly humantraits. He thought. He was a little alarmed to see that the ColoColo were considered "Evil" but they had been nice to Don so far. It was also a fitting community for a criminal like himself.


    "That was a rather impressive display but I doubt you will make many friends behaving like that." Grey Squeaked, Bringing Don''s attention back to the present while confirming the core of the quest notification.


    "I''m sorry, I, I lost control." Don admitted into the darkness. The darkness responded with hoarse, huffing laughter.


    "I could see that. You don''t have to apologize. You were nearly starved when you arrived and healing all those wounds only made the matter worse. I don''t think you would have lasted until feeding time if I hadn''t sedated you through the day and night." Grey sighed before continuing. "Besides, I''m used to being outnumbered by nearly-feral hatchlings. Still, it seems like I underestimated your appetite. We will not be able to provide for you much longer."


    Don didn''t exactly love these caves but it was relatively safe and the only other community he knew about "reviled" him. He didn''t know specifically what that meant but he could guess he wouldn''t be very welcome.


    "You''re going to exile me?" He asked with a sense of dread.


    "No, no, I wouldn''t do that to one whoradiates such anoble aura. It''s the children you have to worry about. It will only be so long before their hunger overcomes their fear. I can''t control them so you had better find a way to feed yourself, or you had better leave before they decide you are more valuable as their dinner than as their nest-mate."


    Don gulped. Of course, he would find himself in a society where the leader can''t even control an unruly mob of children. It was almost unthinkable but memories of the feeding frenzy were all the proof he needed. No matter how unstable their command structure was though, Don was indebted to the ColoColo.


    "I want to provide food, not just eat it. I don''t know where to find any though. Can you teach me?"


    "Not tonight, the sun is already rising and it is too dangerous to go out during the light. It is time for us to sleep." Grey explained. Sure enough, Don''s eyes had adjusted to the darkness and cracks in the dome were painted with a pale, ghostly light. Don continued, determined to find some use for himself.


    "I have slept plenty, and eaten more than enough, I want to help the ColoColo." There was an uncomfortably long pause. Don was beginning to suspect the old ColoColo had fallen asleep.


    "How did you learn that name?" She asked


    "What, ColoColo? I thought that''s what you and your children are called." There was another pause, this one even longer than the last.


    "No, what you see here is not the ColoColo. We are all that is left of that tribe. We have lost much and I fear we will soon be nothing more than a nest of feral monsters. But maybe..." Grey lapsed into a pensive silence.


    "There is one thing, maybe you can do it. Would you like to try?" Grey asked.


    "Yes!" Don leaped at the opportunity. He felt a burning desire to be useful after his shameful display and if Grey had an idea of how he could accomplish that, he would take it. Grey let out a shrill squeak that echoed off the walls. Moments later, something scampered into the Dome.


    "You called Grey?" squeaked a familiar voice. It was the one who led Don through the tunnels to this dome before.


    "Our guest wants to help the nest. Take him to Sik and see if he has any talent for alchemy."


    "Yes Grey!" It squeaked. Don was glad to see therewere some orderly ColoColo among the children. Don listened as the critter scampered back out of the Dome and then returned to wave its glowing tail at him.


    "This way!" It instructed. Don only hesitated for a moment before complying. He was beyond worrying about authorization. He had already decided to follow Grey now and this critter was obviously one of her agents. When he began slowly crawling through the narrow tunnels once again. He decided he should get to know his guide.


    "Thank you for showing me around. I''d be totally lost without you." Don started. The monster didn''t respond so he tried again.


    "My name is Don, who are you?" This got a response but it wasn''t the one he expected.


    "You have no name. You are a hatchling, I am Kat, Level 3 finder!" It seemed awfully proud of its own name. Don decided to correct the ColoColo.


    "I do have a name, my character sheet says It''s Donovan Shepard."


    "Hatchlings have no name. You will get a name if you reach Level 1" Kat insisted. Don was starting to get a little irritated.


    "Look, Kat, It says my name right here." Don summoned his ''character sheet'' and pointed at his name.


    "What are you pointing at?" Kat asked "I do not have time for games, It was a long night and I am tired. Just be quiet and follow so I can go to sleep."


    Don decided to take his advice and stopped trying to start a conversation with the grumpy guide. He didn''t have much breath to spare anyways. He still felt oddly heavy and the passages were still uncomfortably cramped. They crawled along in silence, stopping frequently for Don to rest. During one of these breaks, Don started to pick out scrabbling around him. The darkness hid them well enough that itwas hard to guess how many monsters there were, or what direction they were in. He remembered Grey''s warning about her feral children and started tensing up,but it didn''t matter. They kept their distance.Only one of them was brave enoughto start throwing choice insults at Don.


    "Hey big stupid! Fat big stupid! Go away!"


    "Leave me alone," Don thought it was a reasonable request. The insulting monster didn''t think the same.


    "Fat big stupid, thinks he boss? Big stupid be careful or I juice him, leave for fox to eat!" Apparently emboldened by the first heckler''s success, others joined in.


    "Fat big stupid! Fat big stupid!" echoed around Don in a gleeful squeaking chorus. This went on until Kat spoke up, but not in Don''s defense.


    "Move Gaz, Grey wants this hatchling to see Sik." The chanting ceased. A baited silence took its place. The monster called Gaz ignored Kat.


    "Why youwithfat big stupid? You want to get ate? Is just too stupid."


    "He''s not going to eat anyone, Grey said so. Please move" Kat sounded calm but Don couldsee his tension in the way his tail stopped its incessant swishing from side to side.


    "Whyyou with fat big stupid?" Gaz insisted, louder than before. A chirping chorus of ''why?'' sounded off around them.


    A low hiss filled the cave and the questions stopped.


    "Grey says he doesn''t see well, he needs a guide, Grey chose me." Kat explained. He let pride slip into his voice again when he shared how he alone was trusted with the task.


    "Fat big stupid does no see? Too much useless for one hatchling!" Huffing laughter surrounded Don. He had just about enough. He wasn''t bothered by ''big'', he was easily 5 or 6 times their size. ''Stupid'' was easily brushed off too when it came from someone who could barely string a few words together. Fat, well that was justified after his gluttonous performance, but making fun of him for being blind in these dark caverns? Something in him snapped at the idiocy of the whole situation.


    "GO!" Don roared. When the resulting echoes faded, there was no more jeering. He also lost his guide. After a few seconds of chiding himself for losing control again, Don heard Kat return.


    "Sorry about them. Gaz is dumb as a rock but he''s a pain. He will be back to bother you more now though. You can probably expect him to add ''loud'' to his list of insults too. You really shouldn''t make so much noise in the nest. It is only safe because it is well hidden. Come on, we''ve wasted too much time, I want to go to sleep."


    Don once again let himself be led through the dark tunnels.

 7 - Alchemist

    As Donovan crawled through the caves, patchy orange blobsof moss remainedhis only hint at the distance to the ceiling. He still managed to knock his head into several unseen outcroppings and so he was now staying as low as possible. His knees were getting sore but the tunnel was too cramped and he was too weak to use his feet to any great effect. The tunnel hardly changed in elevation but it wound a crazy circuitous path through a branching network of similar tunnels. His arms were burning from the effort of alternatively crawling or dragging himself along depending on the height of any particular tunnel section. he was just about to ask for another break when he heard something peculiar.


    Scrape, tak-tak, scrape, tak-tak,


    The sounds echoed, like everything else in these caves, but even the echoes couldn''t mask the deliberate rhythm. It was the constant rhythm of industry, repetitive tasks put to purpose, but there were slight, imperfections. A longer stroke here, a pause there. The disconnect was a little unnerving, like an itch inside his head. It just didn''t belong and there wasn''t anything he could do about it.


    A section of the perpetual darkness peeled away as Don came around a corner. He wasn''t looking at fire, thank God, Don had come to another open dome. It took Don a moment to realize Kat hadn''t just led him in a big loop. This dome was less cracked and the ceiling was practically covered in an inverted forest of dried plants. The plants helped to block out most of the feeble light that made it through the cracks but there was enough for Don to make out the shadow rocking back and forth in time with the sounds. Kat stopped pulling Don forward and he could just barely make out his outline next to him.


    "This is the alchemy round, Sik is in charge here so do what he says."


    "Okay," Don said


    "Wait for him to finish, then tell him Grey wants you to learn." Kat continued


    "Okay," Don said again.


    Without another word, Kat justturnedtail and scampering away. In moments, his glowing tail was out of sight, in seconds, the scratching noises of his retreat faded into the distance and Don was left with that horrible, misaligned, grinding, machine. He couldn''t help but to go inspect it.


    Don waited to catch his breath, soaking in the new, strangely pleasant smells, then scooted across the room. It wasn''t until he was right next to the machine that he realized it was actually another ColoColo. It was too dark to make out any details but the distinct, slightly musky smell he had come to associate withthe ColoColocut through the sweet medley of scents permeating the air.


    Don watched in fascination as the monster worked. Its paws reaching down into the darkness but now Don could understand the grinding. It wasn''t the sound of rusted joints wearing themselves down to nothing. It was the sound of rocks grinding something softer between them.


    Scrape tak-tak, scrape tak-tak...


    Don didn''t know how long he listened for and was jarred when the dome suddenly fell silent. It was like the feeling when you think there is one more step on a flight of stairs than there really is. Don opened his eyes and looked for the shadow. It was gone. Don stared around him but couldn''t find the monster in the gloom. A rattling to his left drew his attention and he found the shadow in the dark. It shuffled over to a wall and Don heard a splash. Water rushed past something and Don heard another strange noise he had no context for.


    Glug, Glug, Glug...


    The noise stopped and the shadow shuffled to one corner while vigorously shaking the gourd it had just filled. It deposited the gourd in a corner where Don heard it tumble down a short pile of similar containers. The shadow lowered, and made a few unenergetic hops back to Don at the center of the room.


    "What do you want?" Sik asked in a reedy voice.


    "I want to help, Grey sent me here to learn!" Don reported proudly


    "What!? Of course, she did. Already has me working late into the day and now wants me to babysit some hatchling without so much as a please! I''ve had enough! Do you know how many salves I have to prepare now because of you? It''s going to take me hours." Sik complained, "Tell me you at least know the basics of Alchemy."


    "I, don''t know what alchemy is," Don admitted apologetically.


    "Of course..." Sik sighed heavily "Well hurry up then, we better get started." Sik said. Even Don could pick up on how unenthusiastic his teacher was.


    "I said hurry up! Get your big red butt ov-" Sik''s outburst was interrupted by a fit of coughing. The high pitched squeaks would have been cute if Don couldn''t see how violently each one racked Sik''s body.


    "Are you okay?" Don asked, concerned for the moody ColoColo. He scooted closer though there was nothing he could do to help. When the coughing fit passed, Sik took a few seconds to gather himself before wheezing a reply.


    "-m fine, I''m fine. Just get over here." The shadow shuffled to a shorter patch of hanging vegetation. Don could see dry brown stalks ending in shriveled bulbs by the brightening light seeping through a nearby crack. Sik reached for them but then collapsed back in on himself as a mini coughing fit interrupted him. Don pulled a few of the plants off of the ceiling and held them out to the ill ColoColo. When the coughing stopped, Sik angrily swiped the ingredients out of Don''s palm, scoring it with his needle-sharp claws in the process.


    "Listen here hatchling," It scolded "This is my alchemy round. That means I am the one who is responsible for keeping the whole nest alive. I do not tolerate waste. If you do something I don''t ask you to again, I''ll kick you out of here permanently. I don''t care if you''re Grey''s new favorite. You will follow my instructions or you will leave."


    Don smiled, he liked this ColoColo. He was a little gruff but he knew how things should be done. This was the first semblance of order he had seen in the chaotic nest. From the maze of dark tunnels to the insane feeding practices, Don was beginning to worry he would have to go without any concrete purpose but ''keeping the whole nest alive'' sounded like a pretty valuable job. Don was even more eager to learn now. He followed sik back to the center of the room.


    "Watch closely, I''m only going to show you this once," Sik instructed as the grinding noise began again. This time it was just one long grind after another with none of the tapping from before.


    "Um, Sik?" Don asked hesitantly


    "Just watch." Sik admonished


    Don took a few more seconds to build up enough courage to interrupt again.


    "...I can''t see what you''re doing."


    The grinding stopped. A moment later a strangled scream broke the silence. It didn''t take long for a coughing fit to silence the anguished monster.


    "Ancestors give me strength." Sik prayed. "put your hand here."


    Don felt his hands being guided to the floor. A pedestal rose from the ground. Its top dipped in like a shallow bowl, longer than it was wide. Don could feel the dried flowers from before, already breaking apart into petals, dust, and fragments of stem.


    "This is the Mortar. We put dry ingredients in here. Only dry ingredients. Don''t let me catch you mucking up my equipment."


    Don''s hand was led to an elongated stone with a rounded end, much like the one Grey used to smash the nuts.


    "This is the Pestle. We use it to crush the ingredients in the Mortar. Don''t ask me what the names mean, I don''t know. That''s just what they''re called. Now get your hand out of the mortar."


    Don felt it as Sik pushed the pestle from one end of the mortar to the other. His hand was guided to feel the small mound gathered in front of the pestle. Sik lifted the stone and dropped it on the other side of the mound before pulling it back to himself. He once again repositioned the Pestle. Don felt Sik go through the repetitive motion again, and again, falling into a rhythm. Don lost count of the number of times they ground the flowers but eventually, his hand was taken and he felt the fine powder in the bottom of the mortar. Sik led him to a stack of gourds, showed him how to put a thumb over the opening and shake it to see if it is empty. Next, he scooped the powder out of the mortar and dropped it into the gourd, then dropped the gourd in another pile.Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    "That is how you prepare a basic healing salve. Just add water when you need to use it. Keep it dry until then or it will lose its potency. Don''t try to drink it either, It will just give you an upset stomach but it does wonders for healing small cuts and bruises when applied directly to the skin." Sik seemed to be getting into the teaching mood. Don might have thought the ColoColo was switched out for another one if he hadn''t been so close to the monster the whole time.


    Being pressed up against the ColoColo also made Don aware that this one had partially molted. Patches of skin fought for territory against the feathers all the other ColoColo wore. Don was starting to really feel sorry for the hard-working monster.


    Next, Sik told Don to try and make some salve on his own. Don focused on each step, feeling the different components repeatedly. He checked to make sure he wasn''t missing the plants with his faltering attempts to use the pestle. He kept grinding for 30 passes after he thought the plants were reduced completely to powder just to be sure. He picked up gourds from the wrong pile a few times before finding an empty one. He spent a little too much time carefully picking up pinches of powder and dropping them into the gourd, doing his best not to spill anything. When he was finally done, he looked around for Sik. He couldn''t spot the monster until he listened for him. A soft rhythmic humming came from the sleeping ColoColo. Don decided to let him sleep, he deserved a good rest from what Don had heard.


    he was surprisingly worn out from making the salve and decided to rest some himself. His arms felt rubbery and slow from pushing the stone back and forth for so long. The stone wasn''t that heavy. In fact, itfelt surprisingly light but he still struggled for some reason. Don refrained from slipping back into a trance. He just listened to the softly humming ColoColo and looked up at the plants above him while hugging his knees. Unbidden, a procession of thoughts marched through his head.


    How did I wind up here? I still don''t have any idea who I really am beyond my name. Can I even trust these screens? I guess it doesn''t matter. My name could be anything and it wouldn''t make a difference. It''s not like I can go back to who I was before.


    The thoughts left him alone for a while after that. Hewatchedthe light filtering through the cracks. It wasn''t constant but it didn''t have the same wild nature as fire. It faded and brightenedbut not all at once, or at aconsistent rate.Don couldn''t find any pattern in the shifting light.


    If I can''t go back, I just have to move forward, even if that means living in a hole and grinding up plants for the tribe. I still have to pay them back for saving me, so long as they don''t eat me before I can... Why am I helping them again? Oh yeah, I stole a bunch of their food, after they healed me...


    Don watched the shifting light for a while longeras a sour taste lingered on his tongue.


    Grey is totally outnumbered. It would be hard for her to manage all these monsters even if they were well behaved. Sik is, well, for someone who makes medicine he certainly looks, sick. They need help. It doesn''t matter who I used to be. All that matters is who I am now and who I can become.


    Character Sheet


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Name: Donovan Shepard


    Race: Demon


    Title: -


    Pet: Fairy (Soul Bound)


    Level: 0 (0/100 EXP)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    STR: 10 --> 11


    </td>


    <td rowspan="2">


    </td>


    <td>


    CON: 18


    </td>


    <td rowspan="2">


    </td>


    <td>


    INT: 10


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    AGI: 10


    </td>


    <td>


    END: 12


    </td>


    <td>


    WIS: 11


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Time to figure out who I am. Don asked Cel about a little of the info here but he had totally ignored the unfamiliar readings at the bottom. One of them had increased again since the last time he looked at this sheet and it was time he figured out what they meant. It turned out to be as easy as a thought. When he focused on STR the window expanded and filled in with more description.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>STR: The Strength attribute governs how much physical power your body can exert.


    It affects Melee Damage, Inventory Slots, and SPconsumption among other physical qualities.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Strength! This must be some kind of measurement to gauge how strong I am. I don''t really get the bit aboutInventory- A box popped up cutting Don off mid-thought.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td></td>


    <td style="background-color: #000000" colspan="9"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Ohhh,Inventory.The box closed again.Is that some sort of program to keep track of my belongings? Easy enough to do when you own nothing but the loincloth on your butt.


    What about this SP stuff?No screen appeared this time. Well, I guess that would be too much to hope for. So STR represents physical strength, and mine increased recently. Hopefully, that means I won''t feel this weak forever.


    Don almost groaned at the thought of the effort it would take to get into shape. He remembered Sik at the last minute and kept quiet. he checked the rest of the symbols, learning their meanings and effects one by one.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>AGI: The Agility Attribute governs how fast you can move yourphysical body


    It affects Movement Speed, Dodge, and Stealth among other physical qualities</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    So the first two revolve around my physical strength and speed. More of those would certainly make alchemy easier.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>CON: The Constitution Attribute governs your health reserves and physical energyrecovery


    It affects Maximum HP, SP Regeneration (CON/minute), and body mass</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Wait, what? Body mass?Don glanced at his CON, his highest attribute. It was a whole 18 points. Doesthat makeme some kind of giant?Are these tunnels actually big? Are the ColoColo?


    Don shrugged. It didn''t matter. Everything was relative after all. But relative to his CON, his STR was just too low. Well, at least Don knew how to fix that little issue. he wasn''t avoiding it, honest. He just had to finish checking the other attributes first.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>END: The Endurance Attribute governs your physical energy reserves and health recovery


    It affects Maximum SP, HP regeneration (END/day), andfood/sleep requirements</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>INT:The Intelligence Attribute governs your mental capacity.


    It affects Maximum MP, Spell-Power, and Memory among other mental qualities.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Can I get smarter if I increase this? Should I be worried that it''s one of my lowest attributes?


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Attributes:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    STR: 11


    </td>


    <td rowspan="2">


    </td>


    <td>


    CON: 18


    </td>


    <td rowspan="2">


    </td>


    <td>


    INT: 10


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    AGI: 10


    </td>


    <td>


    END: 12


    </td>


    <td>


    WIS: 11


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Well, that''s helpful, but not what I need right now. What''s this last one?


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>WIS: The Wisdom Attribute governs mental alacrity.


    It affects MP regeneration (WIS/hour), spell-control, and perception among other mental qualities.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Some of the ideas didn''t make sense to Don. Spells, SP, HP, and MP all remained stubbornly mysterious when Don focused on them. He did understand enough to get the main points.


    So all in all, I''m a healthy, heavy demon baby.Don only let himself be dejected for a second.


    No, the main takeaway is that I can change. My STR and END increased when I wasn''t even trying!


    After all the time Don spent looking at his Attributes, he was feeling completely restored. Armed with the knowledge that he was improving, Don continued with the last task Sik gave him. Don went back to the patch of hanging flowers and pulled down another few.


    Don soon got used to making salves, even in the darkness. Once he got a rhythm down, he lost track of time. The small pile of filled gourds next to Don grew as the patch of flowers shrank. It wasn''t until the light in the cracks was fading, and don was having trouble telling the different plants apart that he finally stopped.


    Don was tired. The simple actions pushed him to the brink of exhaustion again and again but he always recovered in short order. He held up his hands. He couldn''t see them, he couldn''t even feel them, they were so numb from the constant vibrations from his grinding spree. All the same, theyfeltdifferent. They made something. He didn''t just set parameters, or order a result. He had personally, physically, gone throughthe steps of a manufacturing process. The pile of gourds next to him felt like a monumental accomplishment. Don exhaled a contented sigh. He almost slipped into a meditative trance to wait for Sik to wake up when he noticed a familiar blinking in the corner of his eye. How long had that been there for?


    Don glanced at the icon and another bright screen replaced the darkness. Don winced, expecting discomfort but none came. His eyes had no trouble with the transition.


    <table style="background-color: #c4ac33; border-color: #a330ab">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Congratulations! You have unlocked the Alchemist profession!


    Would you like to become an Alchemist?


    [Yes] [No]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 8 - Professional

    <table style="background-color: #baa729">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Congratulations! You have unlocked the Alchemist profession!


    Would you like to become an Alchemist?


    [Yes] [No]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    ''A job where I just grind up some dried plantsandimpossibly effective medicine pops out?'' Donchuckledto himself.


    Hewas still riding the high of actuallymaking somethingwith his own two hands. In one day, he made a huge batch of that miraculous salve that healed all his superficial injuries in a single night. It was an incredible result considering the simple preparation. If the ColoColo really didn''t have manufactories tomake it for them, maybe Don could even find some way to automate the process. Besides, it looks like Sik is the only alchemist here, and he didn''t sound too healthy at the moment. He could definitely use an assistant. Every department needs redundancies after all.


    That settled it, Don reached out and pressed the [Yes] button.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -CONGRATULATIONS-


    You are now an Initiate Alchemist!


    The road to mastery is long and arduous,hunting down materials which are both scattered and scarce, but do not lose hope. A true Master Alchemist can brew wonders, concoct miracles, and distill death.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Alchemist: Initiate - 1


    +2%effect of alchemical products


    +1% chance of success


    Skills:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Concoction: Initiate - 1


    You can now concoct initiate level potions


    +1 potencyof concocted potions</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don was immediately glad about his choice. It was pretty clear that initiate was far from the last tier he could reach and if he was able to make such an incredible salve now, he couldn''t even imagine what he would be able to make in a year or two. Don didn''t understand much of the information but he figured more effective and potent medicine was always a plus, Success was always welcome too. He remembered that Grey gave him a potion which completely healed his shoulder wound. Don looked up, wondering which of theunassuming plants could beresponsible for such an amazing recovery. Don''s thoughts were interrupted by a contented yawn. Sik made a few more happy little squeaks as he stretched.


    "Good evening," he said to Don.


    "Good evening" Don replied.


    "I must have drifted off, sorry about that." Sik yawned again "Might as well let me see your attempt so I can get back to work. I''m even more behind now thanks to you."


    "I didn''t know where the salve pile is so I just left them by the Mortar."


    "...them? Did I not tell you to make a single practice attempt?" Sik''s voice was suddenly dripping with venom.


    "Uh, yes. You did not." Don replied honestly "Your exact words were-" Don never got to recount Sik''s exact words because the ColoColo finally spotted theheaping pile of filled gourds next to the Mortar. He shrieked and scampered over to where the salve''s ingredient used to hang in great bunches. Now the dome there was almost completely empty. Sik rushed back across the open space and leapt at Don. He was much smaller than Don but the sudden and ferocious attack coming from the dark set Don backpedaling.


    "Out, out, out!" Sik screamed "After Greyemptied our stores to heal you! You ungrateful, wasteful, disobedient, gluttonous hatchling! Out!" Don fell backward out of the dome. He scrambled deeper into the tunnels, Sik chased him for a bit, nipping at Don''s heels. When he was left alone, panting into the darkness, Don realized he was good and lost. That didn''t seem as important as what just happened with Sik though. Why did the monster fly into a rage? Even if Don made more medicine than he was supposed to, wasn''t that a good thing? There was nothing he could do about it now. Maybe Sik would be a bit calmer after the night passed.


    When the adrenaline of the short chase faded, Don realized that he was close to falling asleep. Not wanting to do so where he would block most of a tunnel, he got to crawling. Branches in the tunnels were easy to spot from the glowing ceiling, but the darkness and lack of a grid layout made it impossible to keep his bearings. The tunnels were silent and empty save for Don''s labored breathing. He still had to stop regularly, but he noticed it wasn''t quite as hard to move around as it was before. He added his returning strength to the short list of things he could be thankful for.


    Don got to another intersection and paused. It looked a little familiar. Yes! There was a bare patch of ceiling where Don bashed his head. Don followed that path. Before long, Don started to hear running water. A little while longer and he came to a wider cave. Don could actually feel a channel in the stone beneath him. The sort of channel that is worn into stone bygenerations of foot traffic. Don followed it. The rushing water became louder. Don was eager for a drink and picked up his pace. He wasn''t at alleager to plunge headfirst into a pool of icy water. He was even lesseagerfor that pool of water to be an underground riverwhich pulled him away from the cave and it''s stale yet very breathable air, but since when did Don get what he wants?


    Don tumbled in a blind panic. He gasped as he fell into the water and inhaled some as a result. He coughed and breathed in more water. He desperately clawed at the stone around him, hoping against hope that he could find some purchase and get back to the caves.Then, a shimmering field of light replaced the darkness. It wasthe surface! Don reoriented and surged out of the water, coughing and spluttering as his aching lungs drew in the sweet night air.


    He didn''t stop struggling for a while, he kicked at the water, he clawed at the passing vines and grasses, it wasn''t until an unhappy voice said "Just stand up already!" that Don realized he was struggling in water that only came up to his waist. Then it was the easiest thing in the world just to stand up. The water swirled around his heavy frame, threatening to push him back under. He staggered downstream until he could compensate and reach the edge of the water. He pulled himself up out of the creekbed using some exposed roots and collapsed onto the dirty ground, dead leaves sticking to his body.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    "Thanks" Don growled.


    "If you want to make it up to me you can stop speaking out loud." Said Cel as she buzzed by Don''s face.


    "Gah" Don said, very much out loud. The fairy''s glow was blinding after so long in the caves.


    "Stop glowing!" he insisted with his hands covering his eyes.


    "you''ve sure gotten bossy." quipped the fairy but Don could see the glow fading even through his eyelids.After a few seconds, he peeked at his surroundings. Cel was sitting demurely on a twig close to Don''s eye level.


    "Compared to what? Did you come here to get me into trouble again? Don''t expect me to take any more orders from you."


    "Hey! When did I give you an order? All I''ve done is tell you how to pull yourass out of the fire. If it wasn''t for me, you''d still be getting tortured instead of taking a nice bath in the woods."


    "Don''t expect me to thank you for implicating me in unauthorized actions. My life was fine before you came along."


    "Was it?" Cel scowled at Don "Do you even remember how your life was before we met or are you just throwing a hissy fit? I''m the one who knows who I am. I''m the one who had a plan. I''m the one who should be expressing regrets right now. You couldn''t wait one stinking day to ruin my gameplan. I wasgoing to show you how to become adeath wraith, the undisputed champion of solo-survival and information gathering, butno, someone had to go and choose Alchemist. Alchemist! Of all the useless professions why did you have to choose alchemy?"


    ''Hey,'' Don interjected,"Alchemy isn''t useless,haven''t you noticed that I''m completely healed from all the injuries I got duringyour escape plan?"


    "Oh, wow, you healed! Soooo cool." Cel said, her words oozing with sarcasm "Did you know that Alchemy is theweakest out of all the healing skills, It is the slowest to take effect and on top of that, it comes with all kinds of nasty side effects too! Oh, and to top it all off, Alchemists need materialsand tools. Where do you think you''re going to get tools way out here? Do you think you can just take a trip into the city for an alembic? NO! BECAUSE YOU''RE A FREAKING DEMON!"


    By the end of her rant, Cel was red in the face. The demon was blown away by the volume and the emotion of the diatribe and was left stunned while Cel tried to catch her breath.Don wasn''t about to let her get away with badmouthinghimsomercilessly though. He came back at her with a silent retort, heavy with the resentment of being duped and left on his own in a den of monsters.


    ''So? Why did you leave me? If your plan was so great, why abandon it halfway through?''


    "I didn''t leave you!" Cel shouted but exasperation was more prevalent than anger now. "The entrance to their nest is underwater. Fairys can do a lot of amazing things but they''re not particularly strong swimmers." She stopped herself and took a deep breath. "How can you be so irritating? It doesn''t matter what my planwas. What matters now is how we''re going to adapt to this situation."


    Don was caught off guard by the sudden change in her tone. Anger flared in his chest as he realized shewas trying to get him to follow her ''advice'' again.


    "Give me one good reason why I should listen to anything you say."


    "Because I still know a lot ofvaluable things that you don''t know. For example, when was the last time you checked your quest log?"


    "Uhh... quest log?" Before Cel could answer, a screen full of new information presented itself to Don.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Quest Log:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Who Am I?


    Objectives: ????


    Progress: ????</td>


    <td>Active</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Social Animal


    Objectives: Replace the resources you have consumed


    Progress: Food: (0/31)


    Hidden objectives: Salve: (22/7)</td>


    <td>Active</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Alchemy Lessons


    Objectives: Produce one healing salve which is up to Sik''s standards


    Progress: 22/1</td>


    <td>Failed</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "That one''s free," Cel said smugly. Don ignored her in favor of exploring this new information. It seemed like his amnesia was part of a quest. Without any details, there wasn''t much he could do to complete it. Don was curious about this new hidden objective entry for his social animal quest and a new window replaced the Quest Log.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Quest: Social Animal


    Type: Reputation (Mandatory)


    Primary Objective: Food (0/31 units)


    Hidden Objectives:Salve: Healing: (22/7 doses)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It made some sense that Don would be responsible for the healing supplies he used but he wanted to know why the screens hadn''t been upfront about that requirement.


    "Ohh, not bad for a noob," Cel chimed in. "but what''s with this failed training quest? Talk about overachieving." Don ignored Cel as she laughed at him. Instead, he stayed on task, trying to learn more about himself and the screens.


    What are these screens anyways? Who is tracking my progress, and why are they withholding some objectives?Yeah, that would be a good start. Cel stopped laughing and grew serious. She teetered on indecision for a few seconds before speaking again.


    "I suppose there''s no getting around explaining that part. For your first two questions, it''s the work of your god." She stopped there to gauge Don''s reaction. His complete disbelief wasn''t reassuring so she gave some more detail.


    "You are no longer in the ''real world'', you are inits domain, a test world of sorts, and these screens areits way of interacting with citizens who come here."


    Don continued to be unimpressed with the imaginative lie. He didn''t expect something so ridiculous right out of the gate. There was no way to test this so he just filed it away as ''probably definitely a lie'' and moved on.


    "And my last question? Why are some objectives being withheld?"


    "That''s more about fun." Don kept his mental file open and got ready to drop the rest of Cel''s response in next to her last lie. "It''s more fun to figure out stuff on your own"


    Aaaand, in it goes. Don was going to have to get a lot more concrete with his line of questioning if he was going to make any headway. Cel beat him to the chase.


    "As fun as it can be to get metaphysical, we have more pressing concerns, like your current dire need to find food. Luckily, that shouldn''t be too hard if we work together. You know, like partners..." Cel held Don''s eye. Don kept quiet, waiting for the other shoe to drop.


    "As I mentioned before, you won''t have much luck strolling into an apothecary and trying to buy potion ingredients so you will need a gathering profession. Luckily for you, getting a crafting profession makes it very easy to gain it''s associated gathering profession. Herbalismshould make foraging much easier too. Always best to kill two birds with one stone right?"


    Don continued stonewalling the fairy until she provided some actionable information. Cel sighed, "Just start picking up plants until something happens."


    Don didn''t see the harm in trying so he reached out andpulled abit of hanging moss from a nearby tree. Nothing happened so he continued picking up random plants. He tried a broad waxy leaf, a long frond from a fern. He was feeling more and more silly with every attempt until he tried to pull a vine off of the tree it was climbing. It didn''t come loose so Don yanked harder and harder until it snapped with a loud crack and he fell back onto the ground, nearly tumbling back into the creek.


    <table style="background-color: #b0b522">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Congratulations! You have unlocked the Herbalist profession!


    Would you like to become a Herbalist?


    [Yes] [No]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 9 - Herbalist

    <table style="background-color: #b3ba34">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Congratulations! You have unlocked the Herbalist profession!


    Would you like to become an Herbalist?


    [Yes] [No]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    What''s an Herbalist?Don asked.


    "Herbalists are specialists in all kinds of alchemical ingredients that grow. There are plenty of mineral and etherial ingredients they don''t have anything to do with but Herbalists can get the vast majority of lower-level alchemy ingredients."


    How is that supposed to help me gather food?


    "A lot of food grows and the skill I get from the profession should help us locate all sorts of nutritious goodies."


    Don''s suspicious statement radar pinged.


    You get skills from my professions?Don knew the fairy musthave been getting something out of their partnership. What other secrets was she keeping?


    "Yeah! Fairies get pretty great skills too! Your Alchemy profession gave me [Fairy Dust]. It''s an ability I can only use once per day but it lets me produce a Magical alchemy ingredient that Doubles the effect of any potion you add it to!" She waited for a reaction in vain. "Magical ingredients... You know, oh wait you don''t, sorry. Magical ingredients are the second rarest category of ingredients! On top of that, they provide the energy that a potion requires so any side effects are negated!"


    You keep talking about side effects, but I didn''t notice any when the ColoColo healed me. I felt fine afterward.


    "Are you sure? Weren''t you a little hungry after the healing?"


    Don paused. He did have an unreasonably hard time controlling himself around food.


    A little bit I suppose Don admitted, not wanting to share the details


    "Well that''s because potions below Magical rarity don''t heal you directly, they just accelerate your natural regeneration. That means you are still drawing on your own resources to fuel the potion''s effects. Healing effects make you hungry, Stamina regeneration will build up fatigue and Mana regeneration will tire you out mentally."


    Now Don was getting somewhere. Not only did it explain why he was so ravenous. 31 units sounded like a lot of food no matter how Don looked at it.


    You keep talking about rarity. What''s that all about?


    That seemed to be all the chatting Cel was ready for however because she changed the subject on him again.


    "You can onlyharvest the most basic ingredients at the start so that doesn''t really matter yet. What are you waiting for? The night is young but we have a lot of work to do. Select the profession already."


    Don wasn''t quite ready yet.


    I already have a profession, I''m an Alchemist.


    "That doesn''t matter, You can have more than one profession."


    Doesn''t that just muddle things? How many professions can I have?


    "You can have 3 in total now. Professions are the best way to get useful skills and people usually have multiple professions that support each other. You will get to chose more later on but that''s still a long way off."


    If I lose a profession somehow, can I get it back?


    "You can''t lose professions, once you take them on, you''re stuck with them."


    Don wasn''t quite ready to take Cel''s word but he had nothing else to go on. If he did lose the Alchemist profession it would just prove that the fairy was lying and Don could cut off all ties with her. He took a deep breath and accepted the new profession.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">


    -CONGRATULATIONS-


    You are now an Initiate Herbalist!


    From skipping through fields of daisies to climbing the world''s tallest mountain in search of rare flora. What wonders will your pursuit of Herbalism bring, and what calamities?


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Herbalist: Initiate 1


    +2% herb potency


    +1 herb stacking in inventory


    Skills:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Harvest: Initiate 1


    You can now harvest plants while preserving a measurable level of potency


    Max Potency: 1</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Okay, just give me a second" Cel said and squeezed her eyes shut.


    Don scanned the information. It was similar to the information he got when he accepted the Alchemist profession. He had to admit they seemed like a matched set. The skills both worked together to improve the potency of final products, assuming that a more potent ingredient made for a more potent potion. Don opened his ''Character Sheet'' briefly to check on another thing Cel said. He focused in on the section with Cel''s information and was rewarded with a new window.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Pet Information


    Name:Celeste


    Type: Fairy (Legendary)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Skills:</td>


    <td>Costs:</td>


    <td>Restrictions:</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Innate: Glow


    Your pet''s wings produce light</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">N/A</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">N/A</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Alchemist: Fairy Dust


    Your petproduces a magical substance known as Fairy Dust</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">N/A</td>


    <td>Cooldown: 24 hours


    Charges: 1/1</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Herbalist: Natural Resonance


    Your pet''s high affinity with nature allows her to resonate with nearby sources of life energy</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1MP / 10 seconds</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Range: 5 meters</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don was almost disappointed that he didn''t get to catch Cel in a lie. He was wondering how to check his professions when a new window popped up. It confirmed that Don had filled 2/3 profession slots and he was still an Alchemist. Don dismissed the windows in a sour mood. Then he noticed that the vine still clutched in his fisthad developed a slight glow. It was faint, but in the dark woods, the short coilstood out likea tube of excited neon.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    "Yes! First try!" Cel shouted excitedly. She was glowing just as faintly as thevine and sheglided downto get a better look at the shining plant. Don noticed anotherfew hanging vines bytheir glow. Don even spottedan orchid sprouting out of a tree a few meters above him. Its string of flowers lit with a vibrant, purple inner light. After a few seconds, the glow faded.


    That was your [Natural Resonance] skill?Don asked


    "Yup! it lets mesenseplants with specificlevels of life energy in the area of effect! Pretty cool huh?"


    I''m still not convinced it will be useful.Don didn''t want to give her the satisfaction of knowing that he thought the glowing plants were actually quite pretty.


    "I know a good way to change that!" Cel said, cheerfully undeterred. "But before we can start running around picking flowers, you need to take care of your body first."


    Don looked down at himself. He was coated in smoke, grime, leftover salve, and dead leaves. There were even tufts of fur and feathers stuck under one arm for some reason.


    I guess I could use a bathDon looked back at the frigid water and shivered.


    "You''re not wrong but I was talking about your hunger and thirst. When was the last time you drank anything? Nevermind, just open you ''Status'' screen."


    Don did as he was asked once again. More information was always useful after all.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Status:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>HP: 83/90</td>


    <td>SP: 60/60</td>


    <td>MP: 49/50</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Active Effects:


    Partial Amnesia: You cannot recall specifics about your life or certain recent events.


    Hunger (Rank 3/5): -60% SP regen


    Thirst (Rank 4/5): -80% MP regen</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    So some information isn''t all that useful. Don could already tell that he was hungry and thirsty. He was also painfully aware that he couldn''t remember his past. The table did open up an opportunity for a new line of questioning though.


    Whatdo these HP, SP, and MP symbols represent?


    "Those are your pools, or points depending on who you ask. You have three basic pools of vital resources. One for health, If that drops to 0 you will die, another for stamina, which lets you perform physical actions, and the last is for Mana. Mana is a kind of mental energy, you use it up when casting spells or performing other mentally taxing activities."


    So this number hereDon pointed at his HPdetermines whether I live or die?This was one of the fairies worst lies yet.


    "No, that number is a measure of how close you are to death. When it is full, you are perfectly healthy. It decreases as you get injured, and increases as you heal, but its a measurement, a diagnostic tool, it doesn''t control anything." That made it a little more believable. Thisscreen seemedlike some sort of biometric readout."


    Whydo the pools- Don began butCelstopped him, holding up a tiny hand.


    "That''s enough questions for now. we don''t have time to sit around and talk all night. We need to get to work. I just showed you this screen so you would drink your fill before we left. We''re going to need your mana to fuel my new skill. Besides, you won''t like what happens if you get to the 5th rank of the thirst debuff."


    Don shrugged. He got a good amount of information from the Fairy and he wasn''t about to remain thirsty just because she told him to drink. Don slid carefully down the small bank to the creek. Loose soil and rocks tumbled downpast him to splash into the running water. Don dunked himself entirely underwater and started rubbing the accumulated grime off of himself. He wished he hadcleanserbut it was better than nothing. Once he was cleanish and the oily patch of stank and grime was flowing away downstream, he dunked his head under and gulped. He drank and drank. He drank until he was bloated. He drank until he was shivering uncontrollably from the chilly water. When he finally climbed back out of the water his thirst debuff had changed to ''(Rank 1/5)'' and only slowed his Mana regeneration by 20%. he would have drunk more if he could but Don felt like he was about to burst.


    His stomach seemed irritated to be so full of something that wasn''t food and it growled at him. Despite its promptings, Don could hardly move. he lay there, letting his body process some of the wateras he looked closely at his surroundings for the first time. Sweet air, unlike anything he had smelled in the crypt, under the hay, or in the refuge wafted across his face. Goosebumps rose to new heights as the water clinging to Don''s skin began to evaporate. All around him, irregularly placed, shadowy pillars reached into the air, branching out, sprouting leaves which obscured Don''s view of the ceiling. They rustled in the breeze which rolled playfully across the tops of the trees butcouldn''t penetrate to the ground. Don watched as swaying pillars and shifting leaves allowed light to pass for only a moment. Shafts of light appeared and disappeared, taking their opportunities to paint the ground, trees, and Don withtheir ghostly light. As he watched the silveryflocks of light specks appear, swarm over the forest floor and then blink back out of existence, Don built up an image of his surroundings. There was a high, wall-like bloom of plants along the sides of the creek. He could only get a vague impression of overcrowded tangles of vegetation competing for space near the life-giving water. Further away, the plants spread out more but it was rare to see an unoccupied patch of thejunglefloor. A couple of boulders coated inthick moss sat on thefar side of the creek. causing it to bend around them, burbling happily as it went.


    Doninspected the vine he had picked earlier. He winced when he saw it. Some goopy substance had leaked out of the torn end and the vine itself looked shriveled. It also felt more squishy than when he was pulling it down originally. Don decided to try again with another of the vines he spotted during Cel''s [Natural Resonance]. He struggled with this one too, pulling this way and that, trying to find some way to pull the ropelike plant free without destroying it. Eventually, Don tried lifting it up rather than pulling it down. He almost fell over when the vine unexpectedly tore. He cursed and went to inspect the vine. He was surprised to see that instead of the jagged explosion at the end of the first vine, this one pulled away cleanly, leaving a flat plane where it used to attach to a larger section of vines. Just a little bit still connected them and Don carefully lifted the vine again. It peeled cleanly away and Don was left with a vine in his hands. It didn''t matter that he had no idea what to do with it. He somehow knew on an instinctual level that he had managed to preserve whatever effects this plant had.


    Don''s stomach was much more settled by this point sohe went back to the brook. He tried to stand outside of the water and scoop handfuls into his mouth but the plant he was using as an anchor uprooted and he tumbled into the shallow water, banging his elbow on a rock in the process of protecting his head. When he was fully hydrated and very cold, he turned back to Cel.


    I assume you have a plan for where to find food.He prompted. Cel jerked awake, lost her balance and fluttered her wings in a brief flare of light to regain it. Apparently, she got bored waiting for Don to drink his fill. Cel rubbed her eyes and yawned through most of her reply before shaking off the vestiges of sleep.


    "Well, it hardly qualifies as a plan. We don''t really have any choice but to wander in a random direction. My ability will help but It''s going to come down to luck. That reminds me, Do you remember anything about the ingredients you used to make all that salve?"


    Don was taken aback at therandomquestion from Cel. She seemed to only have answers so far. Still, he tried his best to remember the plant.


    It was long, brown, hard but brittle, and it had a sort of mostly hallow bulb on one side.


    "It sounds like you''re describing a dried flower. The color and texture won''t help us much in that case. Did it smell like anything?"


    Don remembered the sweet floral scent that filled the Alchemy round as he ground up the ingredients. He didn''t have the words to describe the smell to Cel though.


    There was a pretty nice smell, I''ll know it when I smell it again. Why are you interested in that ingredient all of a sudden?


    "Well, if you actually read the details of your socialization quest you would have realized that you can pay backall of the materials you have used so far. How many of the flowers do you think you used last night?"


    Don slapped himself on the forehead. That was why Sik was so upset with him. Don must have useddozens of the flowers when making his salve. If Don was ever going to use Sik''s equipment again, he was going to have to make it up to him, just like how he was going to have to make amends for eating so much of the tribe''s food.


    "We need to get started!"

 10 - Clamber

    "Where are you going?" Cel asked


    I won''t find any valuable resources this close to the nest, Don explained Let''s head further out before using the scan. We only have so many uses after all.


    Cel flitted up behind Don, briefly illuminating the surroundings before stopping her wings, using them as airbrakes to gracefully land on Don''s shoulder. Don''s steps were unsteady in the darkness and he lost his footing when a patch of the uneven floor slid out from under him. It stopped a moment later and Don regained his balance but Cel''s perfect landing was ruined. She was able to right herself and regain her perch with a little help from her wings but this time Don was looking her way and with her so close, the sudden flare left streaks in his vision once again. Cel held on to Don''s ear for balance this time.


    "Rust it! Can''t you control that at all?" Don asked, finally cracking.


    "In theory, yes. But It takes practice and I''ve been spending my time learning how to fly. It seemed much more useful than learning how to, not glow. What''s your excuse, did you forget how to walk?"


    My CON is way too high compared to my STR. Don grumbled It feels like I¡¯m carrying a whole other person.


    ¡°Wow, looks like someone has been doing their homework.¡± Cel commented, genuinely impressed ¡°How bad is the imbalance?¡±


    Attributes


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    STR: 11 ¡ú 12


    </td>


    <td rowspan="2">


    </td>


    <td>


    CON: 18


    </td>


    <td rowspan="2">


    </td>


    <td>


    INT: 10


    </td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>


    DEX: 10


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    AGI: 10


    </td>


    <td>


    END: 12 ¡ú 13


    </td>


    <td>


    WIS: 11


    </td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Cel looked over Don¡¯s attribute card and whistled appreciatively.


    ¡°Not bad for 3 days. That¡¯s an impressive constitution. No wonder you triggered a memory loss quest.¡±


    What does that mean? Don asked


    ¡°Get moving and I¡¯ll tell you. Your current attributes should only make you feel 50% heavier than normal. If anything it will just help you train so stop complaining.¡±


    Don dismissed the screen but not before he noted the new Attribute added at the end.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>DEX:The Dexterity attribute governs your hand-eye coordination.


    It affects Fine motor control, Crafting Speed and Crafting Success rate</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don started moving again, picking his steps more carefully this time. The floor was deceptively treacherous. In places, soft earth would give pleasantly under Don''s bare feet. Loamy soil pushing up between his toes. In others, stacks of waxy leaves would slip out from under him with almost no resistance. The Jungle floor was positively littered with bushes hiding thorns nearly an inch long under leafy camouflage. Some of the tangled, grasping roots were firm, useful footholds. Unfortunately, it was hard to tell them apart from their more springy cousins which snared and tripped Don more than a few times before he adapted, testing his footholds before trusting them with his weight. Conveniently, Don could blame most of these stumbles on being distracted by Cel. She continued to tell Don personal information about himself as he carefully picked his way through the maze of tangled brambles and tree trunks.


    ¡°So memory quests are kinda special.¡± Cel began ¡°They usually appear to protect citizens from overwhelming mental trauma, like getting dropped into a nest of baby harpies of having a run in with the furies. There are ways to unlock your memories again, but the quest usually requires some sort of trigger to activate it, and there''s no telling what that might be.¡±


    You¡¯re telling me I can¡¯t remember who I am because I was traumatized?


    ¡°Not exactly. The quest stopped the trauma from taking place, it¡¯s also responsible for your memory loss, and don¡¯t ask me what happened to you. The more details I divulge, the fewer rewards you¡¯ll get for completing the quest. You might even end up with your memories locked away forever.¡±


    I don¡¯t care about any stupid rewards! I want to know what happened to me!


    Cel looked at Don like she had just been slapped.


    ¡°How can you not care about rewards? Either way I¡¯m not saying anything.¡±


    Don shouted and raged in his head but Cel wouldn¡¯t budge. When Don stopped weedling he settled into sending a low simmering resentment across their mental link. Cel just changed the subject.


    ¡°I see you have made a start at training your attributes. That¡¯s good. You will only be able to train those until you reach level 1 or the attributes reach 20. Certain factors at play that I can¡¯t tell you about also mean that time is not on our side so we''re going to have to keep training and progressing as fast as possible.¡±


    What do you mean we?


    Cel ignored Don¡¯s grumbling and went on.


    ¡°Training STR and END will be easy with your current weight. All you have to do is keep moving. We can work in more difficult exercises as you become able to handle them. AGI will have to wait until your STR is up some more. It¡¯s hard to move fast if you are being crushed under a weight you can¡¯t lift after all. We definitely don¡¯t have to worry about your CON at the moment. Your INT is pitiful but I guess you haven¡¯t really had access to many books in the last few days. We can work on that some later. There¡¯s a work around we can use but it¡¯s hardly your most important Attribute at the moment. What I can¡¯t figure out, is how you managed to increase your WIS. That¡¯s a notoriously hard attribute to train.¡±


    Why? Don asked


    ¡°Huh?¡± Cel responded. She began to explain why WIS was difficult to raise but Don stopped her.


    I meant why should I work hard to train my attributes? Despite Don¡¯s earlier eagerness to grow stronger he wasn¡¯t going to just let Cel boss him around.


    ¡°So you can fight when the time comes.¡± Cel said plainly


    Who would I fight? Don scoffed


    ¡°All sorts of things!¡± Cel said with a little too much glee


    Why the void would I want to fight any things?


    ¡°You¡¯re not going to have much choice in the matter¡± Cel said.


    What? Are you going to force me to fight now too? Don accused


    ¡°No, don¡¯t be absurd. The sorts of things that are going to want to kill you will force you to fight. I guess you could run away instead but even that won¡¯t work unless you get stronger.¡±


    Don was really getting fed up with this bloodthirsty fairy. She kept talking about fighting like it was something to look forward to.


    It didn¡¯t help matters that Don was already breathing heavily. Every step was difficult. Balancing his strangely heavy body and navigating the uneven and loose detritus wore him out very quickly. The only saving grace was that he could chat with Cel in his head without interrupting his breathing. Checking his Status confirmed that he was down to 18/65 SP. He stopped in order to recover, watching the number increase a couple of times. Each increment took about 5.55 seconds. It should take him a little over 4 minutes to refill his stamina pool completely.


    Wait how do I know that? Don thought a little too loudly in his surprise


    ¡°Know what? Have you been listening to me? What was the last thing I said?¡± Cel demanded. Don didn¡¯t care.


    How do I know there is a 5.55 second delay between each SP point I generate? Cel glared at Don but answered him all the same.


    ¡°I¡¯m surprised that you know anything sometimes. That¡¯s just your timesense. All citizens can do that.¡±


    Are you sure? Don was pretty skeptical. The human nervous system has limits after all. The average person has a full quarter of a second delayed response to visual stimuli. There¡¯s no way I could measure time that accurately based off of a purely visual event. Wah! How do I know that? Who the void am I?


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re not a human anymore so you should stop judging yourself by human standards¡± Cel¡¯s response was a little callous and it hit Don unexpectedly hard.


    Yeah, well at least I¡¯m making myself useful. Why don¡¯t you just go and look for food like you said you could.


    ¡°Fine!¡± Cel shouted before zipping away. She illuminated a wild scene of rampant greenery in the moment before she darted behind a fern larger than Don himself. Don felt a tugging sensation from the center of his chest, just below his lungs as Cel siphoned off the MP necessary to cast her spell.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Don tried to slip into another trance but he was unable to find his center. He quickly gave up and started playing around with his newly discovered timesense. He checked his SP generation again and got a little giddy after the fifth time in a row he came up with the same result down to the hundredth of a second. Cel came back at that point.


    ¡°You were right there isn¡¯t much this close to the nest. We¡¯re going to have to go a bit further out.¡±


    I still need to rest a bit longer. Don protested


    ¡°No way, If you keep going when your stamina is low your END will improve faster. Quit your lounging. You have plenty of SP to go another 5 minutes. Just try and pace yourself and you¡¯ll be fine.¡±


    Don was awfully tempted to ignore her advice but judging by the description of END, it could lessen his need for eating and sleeping. That would go a long way toward reducing his drain on the ColoColo while also increasing the number of hours he could work each day. That was worth a little discomfort. Don laboriously climbed to his feet and started to trudge through the dark jungle once more.


    What can you tell me about this DEX attribute? It wasn¡¯t there last time I checked.


    ¡°That¡¯s just an Attribute given to anyone who takes a crafting profession. It¡¯s not important right now.¡±


    It sounds pretty important. Don objected From what I can tell it affects how quickly and successfully I can make potions. All these other attributes are interesting but that¡¯s clearly the one most suited to an Alchemist.


    ¡°Maybe for an alchemist with a shop in a safe little town but you don¡¯t have that luxury. You can hardly walk a few minutes without gasping for air. Get your head out of the clouds.¡± Cel shut him down without mercy.


    Doncontinued to walk through the night, snapping branches, rustling leaves and the occasional demonic curse, the only noises to disrupt the peaceful night. In between stomping around, fuming about his partner, and stopping for too-short breathers, Cel finally sensed something with her [Natural Resonance].


    ¡°Oh yeah! Who¡¯s awesome? I¡¯m awesome!¡± Cel cheered herself as she flew up into the canopy, chasing away the shadows lurking there.


    Clusters of Kaeru nuts hung from the tree and nearly a third of them glowed with a soft inner light. They looked like misshapen little light bulbs scattered haphazardly through the branches. The only problem, they were easily thirty feet off of the ground. The nuts lost their shine after Cel let her spell lapse and Don bravely made his first attempt at tree-climbing.


    It could have been hunger that drove him rather than bravery, but something prompted him to try and scramble up onto the lowest hanging branch. It was too wide around to grip effectively with his hands so he wrapped his arms around it and walked his feet up the knotted trunk until he could hook one of his legs over the limb as well. It creaked and bent ominously but held. Don looked up and planned out his next step only to realize that he was completely stuck. He couldn''t go up from where he was and his arms were already tiring from holding up his unnatural weight. He unhooked his legs intending to put them back on the ground. Don didn''t expect the momentum that his dropping legs would generate and his arms were yanked free of the limb. He spun in the air and landed face-first on a tangle of the tree''s roots.


    Don lay there, giving himself some time to groan and recuperate as a coppery taste flooded his mouth. He also checked his stats. The short attempt drained a shocking amount of Don''s SP and he was also missing almost 10 more HP from his total after all the little falls he took throughout the night. He was going to need to start with all the SP he could get if he was going to actually drag his fat ass all the way up to the nuts.


    Don rolled over to his back. He watched Cel glide back down to him.


    ¡°What are you doing?¡± She asked


    I can¡¯t climb that thing when I¡¯m dead tired. Let me rest for a bit. Don fully expected Cel to come up with another reason for Don to suffer but she surprisingly agreed.


    ¡°I guess it can¡¯t be helped with how imbalanced your stats are. Take the time to come up with a better strategy while you¡¯re at it. That was some quality slapstick but you¡¯re going to need to do better than that if you want to get any of those nuts tonight.¡±


    Don mulled over his options and came up with one he thought was pretty good.


    Why don¡¯t you just grab them? You don¡¯t have any trouble flying up there. Cel laughed at his suggestion.


    ¡°There''s no way I could harvest those things! They¡¯re bigger than I am. You¡¯re the herbalist here anyways. I found the plants, it¡¯s your job to figure out how to bring them home.¡±


    Don didn¡¯t think it was that funny but something she said prompted a new line of thought.


    Maybe Herbalism is the answer here. All I can do is pick plants, but there aren¡¯t any restrictions on what I do with them once I harvest them. Don mused to himself


    Without any concrete ideas though, Don let himself lapse into a meditative trance. It was rudely broken by Cel a few minutes later.


    ¡°What are you doing? She complained, ¡°Your SP is full again, let''s see if you can actually make it onto a branch this time.¡±


    Don was still partially immersed in the clarityhe can only find through meditation and let the irritating comment pass. He had an idea.


    Can you use your [Natural Resonance] again? Don asked


    ¡°Why? We already know where the food is.¡±


    Just do it. Don wasn¡¯t in the mood to explain his plan, he would rather just test it out. He felt the brief draining tug at his center as Cel activated her skill. The tree above them lit up like some kind of festive display, but this time, Don looked for vines. No less than three of the neon chords flared into light within the 5-meter radius of her spell. Without waiting for the light to fade, Don peeled the vines free. It was easy now that he knew how and they all came away without tearing. He walked back to the base of the Kaeru tree andlowered himself into a sitting position with the help of the trunk.


    Don braided the three vines together. He didn¡¯t really know what he was doing but he knew that a single vine wasn¡¯t enough to hold his weight reliably so he was trying to make a stronger chord. He ended up with an ugly, crooked rope but he managed to twist the ends enough that they held together. Don hefted the vines. They were a little heavy but easy enough to manage. The bulky braids even made it a bit easier to grip.


    Cel watched curiously as he worked but didn¡¯t interrupt him. Don took his rope and tossed it up into the tree. It fell back down without accomplishing anything for the first few attempts but Don finally managed to get it over the branch hanging almost directly above the one he fell from earlier. He twisted the two hanging ends and tested them by bending his legs until all his weight was on the vines. They creaked but held. Don reset himself and put his hands as high up the vines as he could reach. He then scrambled up the trunk with his feet. This time when he hooked a leg over the lowest branch, he was able to use the vines to pull himself the rest of the way up until he was straddling the lowest branch in the tree. Cel whooped. Don wasn¡¯t about to forgive her for the humor he felt leaking across their connection while he was struggling with the last stages of his maneuver, but he still appreciated it. Don let himself smile and checked his Status.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>HP: 73/90</td>


    <td>SP: 41/65</td>


    <td>MP:43/50</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Active Effects:


    Partial Amnesia: You cannot recall specifics about your life or certain recent events.


    Hunger (Rank 3/5): -60% SP regen


    Sleep Deprivation (Rank 1/5): -10% WIS and -10% INT


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He used more than a third of his total SP just climbing to the first branch. Don decided to try and make it to the next one before resting again. He used his makeshift rope to balance as he pulled himself up to stand on the narrow branch. It bent and swayed under him disconcertingly but grew still once Don was situated. He found that the next branches were much closer now that he was off the ground. Don held onto one of them as he unslung his rope and secured it over a higher branch. It was much easier to make the next step. The branch he aimed for was only as high as his chest instead of being over his head. When he was straddling it he still had 33 SP remaining. His next step was even more efficient but Don¡¯s grip on his rope was growing weak so he decided to rest again. He put his back against the trunk and did his best not to look down. It was a long way now and considering how bad his fall from the first branch hurt, he didn¡¯t want to take any risks. Don waited for his SP to regenerate. He didn¡¯t dare meditate in his precarious position so he had to just wait it out. He started fiddling with his rope. It had come partially undone during his climb. The ends were a little torn up from his claws and one of the vines was a little flattened in the middle too. Don set to rebraiding it and didn¡¯t notice what Cel was doing until she asked him to scoot over.


    Don looked down to see the fairy clutching small cracks on the surface of the tree. Her face was red with exertion but she was smiling broadly.


    What are you doing? Don asked


    ¡°Well, this looked like fun. I wanted to try it.¡± Cel replied. By the sense of joy and accomplishment flooding through their connection, Don knew she wasn¡¯t lying either.


    You know you can fly right? Don pointed out


    ¡°Yeah but I¡¯ve been flying around for days. It¡¯s almost too easy. Flying up into a tree is no different from walking a straight line but this climbing thing, I could get into this.¡± Cel reached up for another handhold. The flake of tree bark came away from the trunk and Cel fell into the air with a frustrated curse. She still managed to glide onto a lower branch without any difficulty.


    Don shook his head and checked his status again. His stamina had recovered to the point where Don was ready to make the next two steps which would finally bring him in range of the nuts.


    With 3 ranks of hunger, and with food finally in reach, Don wasted no time in reaching out for a Kaeru nut.


    "Not that one, it''s not ripe." Cel chided Don. She had flown back up to hover brightly next to him. Don swatted her away but she easily evaded the attack. Unfortunately, in his moment of annoyance, Don forgot where he was and the swipe unbalanced him. Don reached out and snagged the branch, already heavy with nuts. He thought he caught himself for a moment. In the next moment, he continued tipping over, the branch in his hand unequal to the task of supporting his weight. There was a crunch, a snap, a jerk and Don was suddenly freefalling. He didn''t fall for long before he came to a sudden stop, held up by a lower branch. The brief pause ended just as suddenly with a loud crack and Don was falling again.


    This process repeated three more times before Don found himself tangled up in a large, sharp bush at the base of the tree. One of the branches he broke in his fall crashed down next to him, but then rolled onto Don, pushing him downinto the thorns even harder. He was pretty sure he cracked at least one rib. Breathing was agony. This wasn''t helped by the fact that Don was once again low on SP from his climb. A cursory check told him he was down to 52/90 HP. He got the branch off of himself and clumsily extricated himself from the prickly bush before dropping to a mostly bare patch of earth.


    It wasn''t until Don''s SP was mostly recovered that he realized he was still clutching onto something. He had about 6 feet of a branch, still covered in food! Don quickly pulled a nut from the branch, smashed it against a nearby boulder sticking up from the earth and stuffed the flesh into his mouth. Then he spat it out.


    "ugh, what was that?" Don thought


    "That was what I tried to warn you about." Cel chided "Those nuts weren''t ripe." Seeing Don''s blank stare she clarified. "They weren''t ready to eat yet." She squeezed her eyes shut and the majority of the clusters on Don''s branch glowed green. With obvious strain in her voice, she said: "These are too young". She squeezed her eyes shut even tighter and the glow faded before fewer clusters lit up with an earthy inner light. "These are ready to eat" the glow faded again as Don tried to memorize the ''ready'' nuts. "And these are overripe," Cel said as a very few nuts began glowing red. "Picking unripe food is usually a bad idea. Not only can you not eat it now, but you also can''t eat it later on when it would normally ripen."


    Don looked at all the unripe nuts he had wasted. He felt ashamed. He was supposed to be collecting food for the tribe and he only managed to destroy more food they could have gathered themselves. All because he kept ignoring Cel or refusing her advice. Sure she wasn''t as forthcoming as Don would like, she was short-tempered and annoying, but things always seemed to work out better when he listened to her. Don might never have even found any food without her help. It was easy to blame his current situation on her after the way she took charge in the crypt but with his little misadventures with the various ColoColo and now even with a task as simple as gathering food, Don was coming to realize that his previous training and skills, whatever they might have been, were useless here. He was going to have to trust Cel. After all, she did seem to be trying to help, in her own twisted way. He wasn''t ready to admit this out loud of course. His pride wouldn''t allow that. Fortunately for them both, the decision echoed across their Soul-Bond, resonating deeply with them both. They would now trust each other on a deeper level than either of them would consciously understand.

 11 - Welcome to the Jungle

    With Celhighlighting the ripe nuts and Don harvesting them, it didn''t take long to strip the branch bare. A small pile of 18 Kaeru nuts washis reward. It seemed like Don was making decent progress towards paying back his debts until he discovered each nut was only worth 0.4 units of food each. They were worth even less after Don ate them all. At least his Hunger effect lessened to rank 2 and he only had a 40% penalty left on his SP regen.


    The duo left the tree in order to find more vines. Don''s previous rope was still at the top of the Kaeru tree. It was much easier to turn a few vines into a rope this time. When Don got back to the tree, he looked up into the branches. A couple of jagged stumps there made Don hold his ribs absentmindedly.


    With only a slight hesitation, Don ventured back up the tree. He made it to the nuts without issue this time and instead of tearing free another whole branch, Don just began stripping individual nuts and dropping them to the ground. Don picked all the nuts he could reach without putting himself in too much danger of falling. He had to take a few breaks in the crown of the tree but when heclimbed back down, which was surprisingly more difficult than ascending, the ground was carpeted in the hard shells. Don took a few minutes to catch his breath while he ate his fill. When he was finally sated, he had another 43 nuts remaining. That would be enough for over 17 units of food, more than half of what he owed!


    Cel showed Don how touse his inventory.Thescreennow consisted of12 empty squares. It turned out that ''inventory'' was a bit of a misnomer. It was more of a storage locker. Don couldsimply take a nut and press it against one of the squares. That action coupled withintention was apparently enough for the nut to shrink until it fit comfortably in the 2-dimensional square. Don was worried he ruined it until Cel showed him how to retrieve it. Don tapped the box. Instead of feeling like a glassy plane, the box depressed like a soft button and when it sprang back, the nut popped out. It expanded back to its original size. [Natural Resonance] confirmed that it still had nutritional value too. Don spent a minute just putting the nut away and retrieving it, entranced by the magical way the nut shrank down to fit. Cel finally got him focused after a bit and Don set about storing all the nuts he could.


    Because of his Herbalist profession, Donshould have been able to put two nuts in each square, so he was surprised whena third nut fit just as easily as the first two. Instead of seeing 3 nuts in the box, however, there was an image of a single nut and a small number 3 in the corner. When he asked Cel about it,she told him that his Herbalist profession had "leveled up" so he checked his profession screen to see what had changed.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Herbalist:Initiate 2


    +4% herb potency


    +2 herb stacking in inventory


    Skills:


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Harvest:Initiate 2


    You can now harvest plants while preserving a measurable level of potency


    Max Potency: 2</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Cel''s [Natural Resonance] had improved too. Apparently, that was how she knew about Don''s skill increase. She could now maintain the resonance for 20 seconds at no increased cost. She also told him that she could now resonate with higher frequencies of life energy, whatever that meant, for the initial 10-second duration.


    Even with his increased capacity, Don could only store 36 of his haul. Don wasn''t about to leave the other 7 behind and he chewed through the stem of a plant with absurdly broad leaves. He used one of the leaves to wrap them up in a makeshift bundle and synched the top with a vine. The leaf tore and he tried again. He eventually discovered thathe could use multiple leaves and wrap vines aroundit to make a lumpypackage. There was no way to open it without destroying the wrapping but it was easy enough to carry.


    Don was proud of the progress he made. It would be great to get enough food to pay back his debt fully tonight but now that Don was well fed, he was starting to feel tired. His Status screen had a couple of new additions that told him why.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>HP:52/95</td>


    <td>SP: 65/65</td>


    <td>MP:21/50</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Active Effects:


    Sleep Deprivation (Rank 1/5): -10% Mental Attributes


    Fatigue (Rank 1/5): -10% Physical Attributes


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don decided it would be better to head back and get some sleep. He was starting to run low on MPand the beginnings of a headache were settling into his temples. That was when he realized he had no idea where he was.


    ''Cel?'' He asked hesitantly


    "Yup?" She answered cheerfully


    "Do you know how to get back to the nest?"


    "Sure, it''s just back the way we came." Her answer instantly relieved Don, but he should have known better by now.


    "Okay, so which way is that?"


    "Umm..." There was a pregnant pause "maybe that way?"


    Don suppressed his urge to start shouting. He didn''t think of any means of navigation either. In theircollective defense though, what lunatic designed a place like this anyways. They could have at least put a couple of level corridors in this mess.


    You don''t sound all that certain. Don pointed out flatly when he settled back down.


    "Well itis super dark out here but I''m pretty sure that we came from this side of the tree." She pointed to the side that was missing a few limbs.


    I have a feeling that ''pretty sure'' isn''t going to cut it. Even if we knew the direction we came at this tree from, there''s no way I was walking a straight path beforehand. The refuge could be in any direction!Don was starting to lose his composure. He didn''t like this feeling. It was dangerous tomove aroundwithout accurate navigational data.


    Cel bit her lip, looking uncertain for the first time in Don''s experience.


    "Well, we may as well try and move in the direction of the nest. We can look for a safe place to sleep as we go in case we don''t find it. There''s no reason we can''t keep searching for food and those flowers too."


    Don thought that sounded reasonable so he agreed. There weren''t any more ripe nuts here so there wasn''t much reason to stay. Cel flew around the tree a couple of times, trying to get a better idea of the side we first approached it from. Don shut his eyes to block out her bright glow. She landed back on Don''s shoulder and they started trudging through the woods again, leaving the stripped tree and it''s newly trampled surroundings behind. Cel used her [Natural Resonance] every 6 minutes to keep pace with Don''s Mana regeneration. The hint of a headache remained but didn''t worsen as Don hovered around 1/3 of his total mana.


    Cel took the time to teach Don a bit more about the screens. She introduced Don to theSettings, an overwhelming list of options that could change the way the screens behave. They talked about what was desirable and what was not. Don got her to show him how to tie the screens appearance to intention as well as the keyword so they wouldn''t pop up on accident anymore. Cel guided him through a couple of other settings.


    Don now had an instinctual feel for his pool levels. Instead of reading a screen, he was constantly aware of his status. Cel insisted that would be vital during fights and Don gave in instead of arguing that he wasn''t interested in fighting. She also changed another setting that would alert Don to important changes in his Status, attributes, quests, and professions. Immediately after confirming that selection, afewnotifications popped into existence, stacking on top of each other.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">STR: 12 --> 13</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">AGI: 10 --> 11</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Attributes to go over the changes.


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    STR: 12 (13)


    </td>


    <td rowspan="2">


    </td>


    <td>


    CON: 18


    </td>


    <td rowspan="2">


    </td>


    <td>


    INT: 9 (10)


    </td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>


    DEX: 10


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    AGI: 10 (11)


    </td>


    <td>


    END: 13Stolen novel; please report.


    </td>


    <td>


    WIS: 10 (11)


    </td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It looked like his fatigue and sleep deprivation was working as advertised. It wasn''t that bad. Only his INT dropped below 10. It seemed like he didn''t have much to worry about yet. Cel suggested a few more changes like having notifications wait until after battles to present themselves. Don didn''t argue on those. He wasn''t going to fight so it wouldn''t make a difference to him either way.


    After a few more hours of aimlessly exploring the maze of vegetation, they were completely turned around but therewerea couple of things working intheir favor. The light filtering through the leaves had been growingbrighter for some time and Don was finding it much easier to pick his way through the forest. They also managed to find another fruiting tree.


    This one was different from the Kaeru tree. It was wider and had more branches making it easy to climb. It''s branches bentunder the weight ofoblong bulbs. They glowed with a blue light when Cel resonated with them. Despite the better lighting and easier climb, Don nearly fell a few times when his concentration slipped. His sleep deprivation had increased in rank andwas starting to drag on him. When he finally got to the fruit and picked one, he was surprised by a notification.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have picked an unknown fruit


    +4% Harvest skill exp


    Type: food


    Potency:0.936</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It looked like he was missing out on tons of information before he and Cel fiddled with his settings. He was also happy to learn that this "fruit" held more than twice the nutritional value as a Kaeru nut. More than that, the calorie content seemed to be linked to potency and was boosted by his Herbalist profession! It was an almost negligible difference now but Cel assured Don that it would grow in time.


    He couldn''t help but tasteit out of curiosity. He wasn''t disappointed, the fruit burst with delicious juice when he bit into it. There was no hard shell and it was sweet! Don''s eyes rolled back as he savored the sugary juice. He wanted to eat more but contented himself with storing a dozen of the fruits in his inventory. He dropped nuts from his inventory to the ground, to make room for each blue fruit and got Cel to show him how to switch the Harvest notifications to only show up when he harvested something new or specifically wanted to see the details. He was stretching out for another one of the sugary treats when he was startled by a squeak from above.


    Don lost his concentration and his grip. He plummeted to the ground. This time he had the presence of mind to put his arms between himself and the rapidly closing ground. He tore a hole in his palm when he tried to grab a passing branch. It worked momentarily before the branch snapped and Don fell the last few feet to the ground. He lay there in a daze, looking up at the little ColoColo who startled him. It stared back with it''s bulging black eyes, tail swishing from side to side, the rest of its body, perfectly still even as the branch it was on swayed.


    "We have to go," Kat said from his perch well above Don.


    "Urrgh," Don responded. Kat jumped gracefully down to a lower branch and hunkered down, lying flat, its tail winding around the limb. It was wearing some kind of harness Don didn''t remember seeing before. It held a few gourds and a small pack balanced on his back.


    "We have to go now." He insisted. Don thrashed around half-heartedly until he was free of the bushes.


    "Kat? Okay, okay. Just let me gather up these nuts and we can go. You know the way back right?"


    Don was relieved that his long night was finally going to end. He groped around in the nearest thicket before remembering to ask Cel for help. Before the discarded nuts could start glowing Kat spoke up again. The fear in its voice finally pierced Don''s sleep deprivation.


    "We have to gonow!" Kat was twitching every second or two, his perfect stillness ruined by the need to see if something was sneaking up behind him. Kat bolted as if his perch was suddenly electrified. Don immediately lost sight of him in the gloom. In a few seconds, just at the limit of Don''s vision, Kat''s head popped down out of the foliage to beckon him forward. Don snatched up his makeshift pack but left the other discarded items strewn around the tree as he took off after the ColoColo.


    Instead of carefully picking his steps, Don charged through the obstacles in front of him. He tore aside vines and low hanging branches with his free hand as hecrashed through bushes he would have gone around just moments ago. Kat whispered through the treetops, covering far more ground than he had any right to while Don lumbered through the undergrowth, cutting a path anyone could follow. Especially if the person following could smell all the fresh blood Don was leaving behind on the countless thorns. Don quickly learned the advantages of seeking out solid footing. Instead of sinking into loamy soil or slipping on decomposingleaves, It was faster and safer to plant a foot on a secure bit of rock or the sturdy roots around the base of each tree. Don did his best to jump over a couple of bushes but after nearly disastrous results, Don decided it was faster and safer to just run straight through them.


    Itdidn''t even take a minutefor Don to drain his SP again. Don was unable to lift his heavy legs high enough anda protruding root snagged his ankle. Don went down hard and rolled straight through something leafy and thankfully, not too pointy. He tried to regain his feet but his shaking, torn legs refused to support his weight.Small rivulets of black blood ran down his ruined legs as he gasped for breath like a landed fish. Kat continued to urge Don forward but he wasn''t going anywhere. Don''s SP refilled rapidly but the drain of moving an extra heavy body through uneven terrain was too much. Kat was unwilling to wait however and unhooked a gourd from his harness before tossing it Down to Don.


    Don was loath to increase his debts any further but a furious roar made him reprioritize. Even with all the distance Don just made, the roar reverberated in his lungs with an impressive base rumble. There was no mistaking the rage filling that inhuman bellow and there was no mistaking the direction it came from. Something was very unhappy about Don''s visit to the fruit tree. The bellowing stopped only to be answered by another, thankfully more distant beast, with a similarly impressive vocal range.


    Without further hesitation, Don downed the contents of the Gourd. Unlike the healing potion, this one was oily and slick. Like the healing potion, it was completely unpalatable. Don still gulped it down. Immediately, he felt the effect. His heart and lungs thrummed with new energy and his SP shot up. In seconds, Don was ready to start running again. The veritable hurricane of snapping branches and tearing undergrowth chasing him down helped greatly with his motivation. Don followed Kat in a crazy headlong dash through the woods. It wasn''t enough though. Don kept stumbling and it was easy for anyone to tell that something big and angry was gaining on them. Cel supplied her own brand of encouragement which Don did his best to ignore. He just focused on putting one foot in front of another, making sure his footing was sound and then repeating the process.


    That''s why he was taken completely by surprise when he came to a clearing. The steel-grey light that only appears just before dawn painted a rippled pattern across the clouds and bathed everything in an even light. There were very few shadows and Don found himself marveling at the open space. He had an impression of the vast size of the cavern on a few occasions but justkeeping this space filled withatmosphere must take an incredible amount of effort.


    A gentle, cool breeze played across the tall grass, a sudden shift from the constant sharp undergrowth. The green stalks, heavy with dew, reflected the silvery light of morning a like a pond in the middle of the forest. One burnt husk of an enormous tree stood like a ruined tower at its center. Looking up, Don got his first unimpeded view of the ceiling. He gaped. There was no ceiling or walls in sight. Don could see for miles. Even more incredible, there were weather patterns forming in the enormous space. Water vapor coalesced in great banks of moisture, just waiting for the right conditions to come crashing back down in liquid form. Beyond those, there was something even more incredible. Stars.


    They were faint, waning in the morning light, half-hidden behind clouds, but there was no mistaking a starscape. Don stood transfixed. Stars, real stars, not from behind a screen.


    Oh rust. Don thought as his body went cold.


    He suddenly felt very exposed. There was nothing between him and all the horrors of stellar radiation. He had to get underground. Another furious roar sounded behind him and Don remembered why he was just running.


    He started following Kat around the outskirts of the field. It was much easier going than it was in the jungle and Don risked a glance over his shoulder. Something huge and shadowy passed between two trees and something else crunched as it was trampled. Don focused back on his feet. Every step now accompanied by the thought:go go go, as he tried to urge a little more speed from his poor mistreated legs.


    The shadow stayed in the trees as it chased them around the clearing. Don could hear bellows from across the clearing. Another one was closing fast. Don dove back into the tangle of vines and shrubbery which crowded the edge of the clearing and followed Kat frantically for another minute. The fire in his chest was fading and his legs felt like lead weights but he kept moving right up until the ground just stopped being there.


    Don''s heart rose into histhroat as he plummeted downwards. He hit the riverbank awkwardly and tumbled into the icy water. He burst from the surface, spraying water everywhere as he looked around for Kat. He just spotted him diving into the water from an overhead branch. He didn''t come back up. Don started to panicbefore he remembered the entrance to the refuge is underwater. The beast sounded like it was right on top of Don so he didn''t waste any more time.


    Ignoring hersquawk of protest, Don grabbed Cel and plunged them both under the surface. He spotted an area where the bank fell away on one side and water flowed into darkness. He prayed that he was right and lunged into the shadows. The water pulled him along and Don set to feeling the stone above him. His hand popped up into the air.


    He tossed Cel inside and pulled himself against the current. The rock was smooth and slick but his weight helped him for once andafter he was most of the way out, he rolled into the dark cave. Don panted, adrenaline still coursing through his veins but too bone-tired to do anything about it. Until a huge soggy paw slapped the stone next to Don''s head.


    With a yelp, Don scrambled away from the entrance as best he could. Cel chose that moment to sputter back to life and her glow illuminated a leathery humanoid hand, it''s back covered in wet black hair which continued down the arm. It finally found purchase and hauled. A smashed face rose out of the entrance. It was also covered in the black hair, except for small areas around its eyes and snout. It roared at Don and smashed the ground next to him with a sodden fist.Itsroars were deafening in the enclosed space. Don scrambled back further until his back was pressed against a wall. He could barely breathe as the monster bellowed it''s hate at him and tried to claw its way into the entrance chamber. This only went on for a minute before it became clear that theopening was too small for it and the monster grudgingly sank back under the flowing water. It''s eyes filled with promises of violence if they were ever to meet again.


    Don shivered, and it wasn''t because of the cold water.

 12 - Mistake

    Don''s heart banged against his ribs like it was trying to break free. He couldn''t do anything but stare at the implacable circle of black water until he nearly jumped out of his skin as a slew of notifications cascaded down in front of him.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">AGI: 11 --> 12</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">END: 13 --> 14</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">CON: 18 --> 19</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Fatigue: 1 --> 3</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+6 EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    might break its way into this room, but there was no way it could fit through these tunnels. Cel finished coughing up water from all fours and glared at Don.


    And what about you? I thought you knew about this place. Why didn''t you tell me about theGiant Freaking Monsters?


    not been playing around. Don had no doubt that it would have had no trouble tearinghim to pieces if he was caught. The memory of those yellowed tusks, spraying spittle as it roared at him made another tremor rack Don''s body. Don barely made it a few feet into the tunnel before he had to stop for rest. He shouldn''t be this tired. Hetapped into his awareness ofhisStatus to see what the problem was.


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>HP: 22/95</td>


    <td>SP: 4/70</td>


    <td>MP: 36/40 (50)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Active Effects:


    Sleep Deprivation (Rank 2/5): -20% to Mental Attributes


    Fatigue (Rank 3/5): -30% to Physical Attributes


    Thirst (Rank 1/5): -20% Mana Regeneration


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    not about to go back to the water right now. He didn''t really need mana at the moment anyway. HisAttributesclearlyshowcased his current weakness.


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    STR: 9 (13)


    </td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>


    CON: 19


    </td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>


    INT: 8(10)


    </td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>


    DEX: 10


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    AGI: 8 (12)


    </td>


    <td>


    END: 14


    </td>


    <td>


    WIS: 9 (11)


    </td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    didfind some actually" Don continued. Grey put up a hand and Don stopped making excuses.


    theycame, during the day, like cowards. The ColoColo fought bravely, defending our home but it was no use. Our defenses were shattered and the ColoColo, destroyed. I hatched wrong," She scratched under her milky eye "I could not fight so I was tasked with taking the hatchlings to the secret refuge. I was supposed to keep them safe until the fighting was over. We have been here for 6 years now." Grey paused again, gathering her thoughts.


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">INT: 10 --> 11</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    faint hope," She admitted. "But look around you, what future is there for the children here if you do not help us. You admit your debt to us freely but won''t even attempt to repay it?" Grey challenged.


    ambition" She accused "Are you happy living in these small caves? Will you stay here forever? What will you do when they finally break the Domes? Live in the tunnels? What will you do ifthe tunnels flood? Think hatchling. I hope you will save us but in doing so you would also be saving yourself."


    You can''t hear them?


    Can''t you understand me when I speak?


    They want me to fight for them.


    No, it isn''t!Don counteredThey expect me to fight those giant creatures!


    These quests are nothing but trouble, why would I want another one?

 13 - Apprentice

    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Quest Accepted:There''s no place like home


    Type:Repatriation


    Details:The ColoColo have been forcibly driven from their ancestral home.


    Objectives:Drive away the invading monsters and restore the ColoColo''s patrimony.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It was an awfully small notification for the undertaking it represented. Don had no idea how he could accomplish this goal. Maybe he could gather enough SkunkWeed to cover the entirejungle in smoke, but there was no way that would be sustainable, even if he could stomach the smell.


    Grey didn''t thank him, she just nodded as if there was no other way their confrontation could have plaid out. Kat was likewise unmoved by Don''s lukewarm declaration of commitment.


    "Sik wanted to see you" Grey announced flatly before turning back into her den -slash- supply cache, dismissing Don and all of the questions he still wanted to ask her. "Kat, be a dear and show him the way," she said in a muffled voice from somewhere under the debris and then fell silent. Kat and Don filed out of the Dome, a half dozen pairs of black eyes watching them as they went.


    Don spent the first half of the uncomfortable trip worrying about what Sik wanted. He still had a couple of bite marks fromhis last encounter with the tribe''s alchemist. Was he going to receive some kind of punishment for revealing the refuge to the tribe''s mortal enemies? Don came up with a dozen horrifying scenarios in his head before he tried to distract himself.


    "What were those things?" Don asked


    "Bad" Kat replied tersely


    "I figured out that much. What are they called?"


    Kat rounded on Don with a ferocious hiss that stopped Don dead in his tracks.


    "We do not call them. We do not speak of them. They are bad. We avoid them and they do not find us. Even Gaz knows not to anger them. You..." Kat bit back his words with a visible effort before turning around. "You are young, you did not know."


    The duo lapsed back into silence. Don felt even worse than before.


    Do you know anything about those beasts?Don asked Cel. He couldn''t solve a problem he didn''t understand after all and Cel was his best source of information at the moment.


    She didn''t answer and when Don looked back to where she was padding silently along behind them on her bare feet. She had atroubled expression on her face and Don had to repeat himself before he got an answer.


    "They could be one of a hundred different kinds of monsters. I didn''t get a very good look at it and the ape archetype is pretty common."


    Do you know anything useful about them?Don asked. Cel shrugged.


    "No more than you do."


    While Cel was a veritable fountain of information, there was apparently a lot that she still didn''t know. Don reviewed his memories of the night. He was surprised to find that they were fuzzy, unclear. Some details stood out but most of it was a blur. He clearly remembered the abnormal length of the arm that reached through the entrance. It was nearly as long as Don was tall. He thought he was safe in the cave only to have that meaty hand, nearly the size of his torso slam down next to him. It was also clear from the way they were driven off that they have a keen sense of smell. Don didn''t really see a way to take advantage of either of those details.


    Carrying something smelly might keep them at bay, or it might just advertise his position. Maybe if he got his CON high enough he could match their size. Long before that happened though, he would be too big for the refuge. That was a non-starter. Don couldn''t think of anything else and went back to dreading his confrontation with the ornery alchemist.


    As the group neared the alchemy round, Don started smelling an acrid, cutting stench. It was entirely unlike SkunkWeed but equally unpleasant. They rounded the last curve and Don saw the alchemy round was a complete mess. Many of the cracks in the ceiling had widened and the plants that were neatly organized and stored there were strewn all over the floor. Before he could make out any more details, a shadow launched itself at them. Don cringed, expecting to be attacked again but didn''t know how to react when the feathery monster gave him an undersized hug instead.


    "Ohhhhh! You made it back! I was so worried about you." It crooned in a nasal voice as it rubbed its face against Don''s neck. "I''m sorry I chased you out!"


    This didn''t make any sense, Don thought Sik was furious with him. It released him and took his hand, leading him into the round a ways. It was awkward trying to crawl after him with one hand occupied but they stopped before long. Sik rummaged around in a pile of plants before turning and stuffing a few up Don''s nose.


    "Gah!" Don exclaimed as he fell away from the monster even more confused. He went to yank the stems out of his nose but stopped when a clean floral scent masked the biting smell from earlier. Sik continued speaking.


    "After you left I went to throw away the salves you made but I tested one on a whim. It was perfect! Then I tested another and another. They wereallperfect! Of course, I tried to find you but you had already left! I went to Grey but all the others were already out for the night too. We had to wait for someone to return before sending them after you."


    "I thought you were angry at me for making too many," Don said. The flowers buzzed and tickled in his nose. Sik waved off his concerns.


    "That was because I thought you wasted all my ingredients. Do you know how many other ColoColo have been able to make a salve? None! I thought you were just like the others but you have even more talent for Alchemy than I do! It took me months before I learned to make salves properly every time!"


    Sik Beamed at Don. Apparently, Kat didn''t approve.


    "Do you know how many ColoColo ledThemback to the nest? None!" He snarled from the entrance. Sik tossed an empty gourd at him. Kat easily sidestepped it and the gourd clattered noisily down the tunnel.


    "Go away, Kat. This is a discussion between Alchemists."


    Kat sniffed, turned tail, and darted down the passage, but not before Don remembered his guilt. The warm swelling of pride in his chest faded rapidly.


    "He''s right you know." Don admitted, "Those monsters followed me back here."


    Once again, Sik waved hispaw through the air likeit didn''t matter. "Our scouts should have found you long before it ever came to that. They had a whole night''s head start on those things. There''s no need to blame yourself."Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more.


    Don wasn''t sure about his reasoning but he was glad he hadn''t alienated all of the ColoColo with his mistake. Sik must havesensed Don''s reservations because he sighed before continuing.


    "If you stillfeel like you need to make amends, start by helping me clean up this mess" Sik swept a paw, indicating the preserved ingredients scattered all over his workspace."


    They set to sorting the various herbs. Don had Cel use her [Natural Resonance] to speed the process along. It was simplicity itself to sort the plants by the different colors they let off.Even though there were a few dozen that Cel was unable to resonate with, they finished in no time.


    Sik explained the different uses of the plants as they hung them back on the dome where they wouldn''t be crushed underfoot. There were plants called Blue Bells, Moon Grass, Blood Moss, Creeping Strangler, Myrtle''s Wort and a dozen others, each with their ownunique properties and preparation methods. Don was embarrassed whenSikcaught his eyes slipping out of focus but the ColoColo unexpectedly took pity on him.


    "You have had a long night, rest and we will continue your lessons when you are ready."


    Don nodded. His head dipped lower than he meant it to and he yawned out his acceptance "Okay"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have discovered a quest branch!


    Alchemy Lessons (failed)has becomeAlchemist''s Apprentice (active)


    Details:You haveexceeded Sik''s wildest expectations. As a result, he has taken an active interest in your training.


    Objectives:Learn from Sik until your Alchemist level surpasses that of your teacher.


    Branch Bonus:All Alchemy skill exp increased by 10% when in proximity to your teacher.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Cel, who had been getting bored with only hearing Don''s side of the conversation perked up at the notification.


    "All right! Way to go Don!" She cheered as she soared into the air. Don winced at the light that only he could see.


    Don was confused again. His eyesached from the sudden flare of light, and he was exhausted both physically and mentally. He nodded through Cel''s enthusiastic explanation of branching and evolving quests without understanding any of it. Maybe that was because he was asleep before she finished.


    ---------------------------------------------


    When Don woke up, hefeltrefreshed and energized, until he moved. Dried blood cracked on his itching legs, Tender bruises made themselves known and every single muscle he had was stiff as a board. His bones ached where they were pressed against hard stone all night and his throat felt like it was lined with sandpaper. Don''s stomachcomplained loudlytoo. He was only at the first rank of hunger and the second of thirst but now that Don recognized them for what they were, the symptoms seemed much more acute.


    He didn''t try and sit up at first. He started by just wiggling his toes and fingers. Then he rotated his wrists and ankles. He slowly warmed up his extremities, getting his blood flowing and loosening up his rigid muscles. Eventually, he worked himself into a sitting position. He rubbed his neck as he stretched it one way, then the other. Everything still hurt but at least he could move now. With the widened cracks,more light filtered down through the ceiling making it a bit easier to see than usual.


    Sik noticed his groaning and hopped over with a gourd. "Just drink a sip" he warned as heproffered an unknown potion. Don took it without question and raised it to his cracked lips. He swallowed half a mouthful and almost instantly, a warmth started radiating from his stomach. It soothed Don''s aches and chased away the tingling numbness in his extremities. In minutes he could barely feel the myriad superficial injuries he accumulated over the previous night.


    "Thank you." Don croaked. Sik smiled


    "Drink and wash up." He indicated to one side of the roundthen hopped back to the mortar and continued working on some Alchemical concoction. Don moved in the direction he indicated.


    His constant awareness of his Status informed him that the soothing potion lowered hisDEX by 10% but that was more than a fair price to pay for the relief it provided. His HP recovered some during the night, but not much. He was only at 32/95HP now. Don kicked himself for not applying some salve before passing out.


    When he reached the far wall, Don found a pocket in the stone. It was too dark to see inside the alcove but when Don reached inside hesitantly, he found rushing, icy water. Don drank his fill, splashed water over his face and did his best to clean the wounds he could reach.


    His stomach grumbled again and Don opened up his inventory with a thought. He saw the Saween fruit there and the events of the previous night flashed through his mind. They were vivid and clear. Don stopped breathing. He remembered the chase, the clearing, and the stars. Don looked back at the cracks in the ceiling with dread. He was too close to the surface. Don started hyperventilating andscrambling toward the tunnels. They were at least a little less exposed. Don tried to ignore the fact that he was already doomed.


    Don''s agitation woke Cel from her sleep. She jolted up, sensing danger but not able to pinpoint where it was coming from.


    "What''s happening?" She asked, alarmed.


    The stars, the radiation.Don tried to explain through his panic


    "What stars?" Cel was confused now


    The ones out there! We need to go deeper. We''re not safe here!Don was already in the tunnel and their Soul-bond forced Cel to follow. She tried to calm him down but Don was beyond reason. He crawled through the tunnels, searching for the lowest point he could find. When he finally exhausted himself Cel was able to get his attention again.


    "There''s nothing to worry about! This planet has a magnetic field. Only a little radiation makes it to the surface. You''re totally safe here."


    Don wanted to believe her but something deep inside him just kept screaming that the stars are dangerous and he would only be safe deep underground. Before he could get moving again however, another danger presented itself.


    "Big loud stupid weakling shouldn''t have come back." Don squinted into the darkness but there was nothing but the glowing moss beyond the small circle of light cast by Cel.


    "I tell you go, not go and come back! You bring bad things to nest! We is not wanting you here. Go, and no come back this time. Get eaten, make bad things forget nest" Gaz crept forward, a crowd of like-minded ColoColo clustered behind him.


    Gaz''s intimidating posturing had an unintended effect. It reminded Don that the ColoColo have been here for years. They all survived until now. It wasn''t just the ColoColo either, there was an entire jungle, bursting with life just above him. There was no way something like that could survive prolonged radiation exposure, not unless Cel was right. Even the guards had no issues standing under the open sky on that night that felt like ithappened weeks ago. Don mastered his breathing, thankful for the bully''s timely arrival.Sik caught up with Don moments later and the ColoColo creeping towards him stopped.


    "Where are you going? We have lots of work to do. There''s no time for-" He stopped when he spotted the gang of monsters on the other side of Don. He snarled. ''What are you doing here Gaz? You know you''re not allowed in the Alchemy round."


    "This not your space, this tunnels" Gaz objected "I getting rid of big loud stupid useless hatchling"


    "Like the abyss you are."Sik scoffed "Don is a talented alchemist. He''s way more valuable to the nest than you."


    Sik''s comment did nothing to calm down the posturing idiot, especially because he had an audience to impress.


    "I bring foods, He bring bad things! We knows it! Big stupid must go!" A chirping chorus of "go" echoed behind him


    "You were the one who brought him here in the first place!" Sik squeaked back exasperatedly "Any problems he causes are your fault! Just because you''re too short-sighted to see his value beyond the meat on his bones doesn''t mean he is useless."


    "He bad!" Gaz insisted "He too big, too hungry, too loud, too stupid, can''t see. Why feed him? Why keep him? He should go!"


    "No," Kat corrected "He''s an Alchemist, that means hands off if you ever want help healing in the future."


    Gaz scowled but he knew when he was beaten. With Don protected, his anger turned on his companions. "Why you just stand there? Scared of big stupid hatchling?" They squeaked in fear and retreated. Gaz chased them down the tunnel hurling insults at the ones he couldn''t reach and nipping at the ones he could. Sik sighed.


    "I hate that guy," he muttered before turning and leading Don back to the Alchemy round.

 14 - Growth

    "What was that all about?" Cel asked as they headed back to the alchemy round.


    Don told Cel about his various encounters with the local bully. He guessed it had something to do with the Social Animal quest and summoned the screen to check on the details of his mandatory quest.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Mandatory Quest: Social Animal


    Type: Reputation


    Details: You have lost control of your demonic nature and entered a feeding frenzy.


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Your prodigious appetite and strength have impressed the ColoColo</td>


    <td>+50 reputation</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Your actions have caused several ColoColo to go hungry</td>


    <td>-25 reputation / day</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Objectives: Replace the resources you have consumed


    Food (0/31) units


    Hidden Objectives: Salve (22/7) doses


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    There wasn''t any really useful info there so he checked his Reputation screen next.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Ascendant Empire (Neutral)</td>


    <td>-10,000 Reviled</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>ColoColo Refuge (Evil)</td>


    <td>25 Stranger</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    For all the hostility Gaz was showing, Don was still classified as a stranger according to the screens. With Cel reading over his shoulder, Don finally got some context as to what that meant.


    "So your reputation affects how NPC''s belonging to certain factions will react to you. Anyone in the Ascendant Empire who recognizes you will try and kill you on sight. That''s what it means to be reviled. Strangers, on the other hand, no one really cares about them. NPC''s aren''t likely to trust Strangers but they won''t go out of their way to make their lives difficult without some reason either."


    What are NPC''s? Don asked


    "Sorry, I keep forgetting that you don''t know much about games. NPC''s are non-player-characters. Everyone you remember meeting besides me is an NPC. To put it in terms you would understand, NPC''s are the natives and Player Characters are immigrants."


    What happens when my reputation drops below 0?


    "You''ll go from being a stranger to being mistrusted. It''s not a huge difference but it makes it harder to get quests and trades will be less favorable. What we want to avoid is having your rep drop below -100. Then you would become an adversary and most of the ColoColo would turn against you."


    Alright, that should give us 5 days of leeway. Considering how much food I found in one night on my own I shouldn''t have any problems finishing the quest before then... if Grey lets me back outside that is.Don reasoned


    "Don''t be in such a rush." Cel advised "This is a great chance to grind your skills and attributes. We''re relatively safe here for the moment so let''s take full advantage of this opportunity to get stronger. You''re going to want your attributes to be as high as you can get them before you hit level 1."


    The pair got back to the Alchemy round and Cel began laying out a training menu for Don to follow as he munched on Kaeru nuts. It was a good thing he didn''t hand them over earlier. He would just have had to borrow them back fromGrey in order to eat.


    Don thought he had lots of food collected. He was dismayed to find that his daily food requirements were determined by the formula (CON / END x 10). That meant he required a full 13.6 units of food to alleviate each rank of his hunger debuff.


    Don was suddenly glad he hadn''t used any healing salve on himself the night before. Even with only a single hunger rank to deal with,he didn''t have nearly enough food. He would run out before two days passed at that rate.


    Out of the 43 Kaeru nuts he collected the previous night, he was only able tofit36 in his inventory. He dropped 12 of those to make room for the fruit and the seven that he packed up were lost somewhere during don''s headlong sprint through the jungle. He only had 24 remaining. That was almost worth 10 units of food including his herbalist bonus, not even a full day''s worth of calories.


    When Don finished his nuts, he reluctantly pulled out a fruit. He was inundated by guilt and regret. Picking these had brought the giants down on the ColoColo, and he was going to benefit from them. Cel picked up on the feeling and tried to comfort Don.


    "Don''t make that face, Yeah, we messed up, but that''s no reason to make another mistake. The fruit has already been harvested. If you don''t eat it then it was all for nothing. Eat up, then you will be able to train harder and save the ColoColo from those apes sooner."


    Don hesitated for a few seconds before biting into the soft spheroid. He did his best not to enjoy the sugary juices as he ate 3 of them. He just needed a little more and when he pulled out the last one of the day, he noticed Sik had stopped grinding. When he looked up, he saw the ColoColo and the puddle of drool beneath him.


    Don split the fruit in two with his hands. juice sprayed everywhere. Don held out half of the fruit to Sik.


    "Thank you for teaching me alchemy, and for chasing off Gaz, and for sending Kat to fetch me." It wasn''t until Don put it into words that he realized how much he owed Sik.It was gratifying to see how much the ColoColo savored the sweet treat but there was no time to waste.


    After washing off his sticky hands, Cel beganteaching Don mathematical principles he''d never heard of before and drilling him with problems. It was difficult to the pointwhere it actually drained his mana. This lasted until Sik finished the potion he was preparing. Then he learned how to make a basic healing potion out of Blood Moss. Don was able to make two before his Stamina fell too low to continue. It wasn''t much more involved than making salves but the result was much more potent. Don rested and let Sik use the Mortar and Pestle again. Cel drilled Don on increasingly difficult math problems until he was recovered and they repeated the process. After making another healing potion he wasrewarded with a welcome notification.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Concoction: Initiate 1 --> 2


    +2 potency of concocted potions</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Alchemist:Initiate 1 --> 2


    +4% effect of alchemical products


    +2% chance of success</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Encouraged by the gain, Don triedsprinkling some [fairy dust] in the next healing potion he crafted. Cel had to perch on the edge of the mortar and shake the golden dust off of her wings but there were no extra steps required to make the potion. The results were way more than he expected.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have crafted: Potion</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Type:Healing


    Rank: Magical


    Potency:7.44 (measurable)


    Duration:1 hour


    Side Effects:N/A</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>+231%Concoction EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The first potions Don made only had about 2 potency. His skill up and the doubling effect of Cel''s [fairy dust] had more than tripled the effect of his first potions! Even better than that, the magical rank meant that there would be no side effects attached to the potion. Best of all though, was the effect that producing a magical potion had on his skill level.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Concoction:Initiate 2 --> 4


    +4 potency of concocted potions</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Alchemist: Initiate 2 --> 4


    +8% effect of alchemical products


    +4% chance of success</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don was a little worried at the low potency of the potions when compared to his health pool but Cel informed him that healing potions worked on 10 minute ''ticks''. That meant that he would heal for the advertised potency every 10 minutes. The 1 hour duration meant the simple potion could actually heal don for over 44 HP.


    Don eagerly guzzled the potion. It didn''t taste any better than before but the potion would bring him all the way back to 76 HP over the next hour. His natural regeneration would increase that to 90 by tomorrow. Cel helped Donalter his crafting notifications, making them more immediately useful.


    Don went back to trading off using the mortar with Sik and drilling with Cel. Each time Don learned a new preparation from Sik, Don translated what the monster was saying. Cel had decided to make an attempt at learning their language andwas making impressive progress. She never forgot a word and was quick to make intuitive leaps. When Don was preparing a potion, Cel would go just outside the dome and practiced controlling her glow. When he had to rest, Cel kept up the barrage of difficult equations. By the end of the first night, Don had made some real progress.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Concoction:Initiate 4 --> 6


    +6 potency of concocted potions</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Alchemist:Initiate 4 --> 6


    +12% effect of alchemical products


    +6% chance of success</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">END: 14 -->15</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">DEX: 10 --> 13</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">INT: 11 --> 13</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">WIS: 11 --> 12</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don was now able to make healing potions with even greater potency than when he used the [fairy dust]. He had also learned to make Stamina potions from Maca roots. Those were very difficult to grind up and required 3 clockwise grinds between each normal one. He learned to make potions that work against disease from Myrtle''s Wort, and potions to restore mana from moon grass as well.


    These ingredients all had a potency of 1. There were other, stronger ingredients but Sik wanted to start Don out on the easier recipes before risking his more valuable ingredients. All told, Don was very happy with his progress. Especially because none of it required a life-or-death chase through briars. He even made some progress on his Social Animal quest, revealing the hidden objective''s for the Healing potion Grey gave him when they first met and the stamina potion Katgavehim the night before.


    After Sik called it a night, Don moved on to the strength training portion of Cel''s menu. There wasn''t much room in the refuge but there was enough to do pushups. So don did pushups until it felt like his arms were going to fall off, then he did some more. After countless cycles of exhausting himself, then getting barraged by mental puzzles, he forgot why he was training. Don''s world shrank to the next pushup, and the next problem. Cel was a rigid taskmaster but again, the results spoke for themselves.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">STR: 13 --> 16</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">END: 15 --> 16</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">INT: 13 --> 14</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don opened up hisAttributesfor the first time in a while to bask in the tangible progress he was making.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>STR:13 --> 16</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>CON:19</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>INT:11 --> 14</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>DEX:10 --> 13</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>AGI:12</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>END:14 --> 16</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>WIS:11 --> 12</td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    HisStatushad changed considerably too with higher maximums for his stamina and mana pools.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>HP:78/95</td>


    <td>SP:13/80</td>


    <td>MP:34/70</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don soldiered on through the first rank of fatigue but after he reached the second rank Cel ordered him to rest. He wouldn''t make much progress with his strength limited and his time would be better-spent training tomorrow, even if he had to train while hungry.


    He woke up feeling much better than he had the last night. He didn''t have enough fruit to alleviate his hunger so he skipped breakfast and went straight to training with Sik again. His high constitution was more than enough to offset the 20% penalty to his Stamina regeneration. Gaz came by to insult Don again but scampered away when Sik slashed a gourd in his direction.


    A stream of liquid flew out of the gourd and some splashed on the bully. The round filled with that acrid scent again and Gaz scampered off. A couple of lavender stalks masked the scent and the two alchemists continued working in peace. Another fruitful night passed and Don used Cel''s [Fairy Dust] again. Despite how great the healing potion worked, it was also very slow. It''s not the kind of thing that would be helpful if he was faced with one of the giants again so he used it in a stamina potion.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have crafted:Feeble Energizing Potion (magical)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Sp restoration / second:1.8


    Duration:5 minutes


    Total Effect:+547.2 SP


    Side Effects:N/A</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>+147%Concoctionskill EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It took most of the night this time but Don waited until he ranked up his[concoction] skill again before making the potion so he had the base 1 potency of the plant, plus seven for his concoction skill, another 14 percent boost from his Alchemist profession, and the doubled potency of the [fairy dust]. The combined effect produced an incredibly potent potion.


    According to Cel, Stamina potions work on 10-second ticks. This potion would restore nearly two stamina every second for an entire 5 minutes for a total of well over afive hundred stamina points! Don had no idea how he could burn that much energy but he was happy to have an ace up his sleeve and he stored the potion in his now spacious inventory with pride.


    The strength training was even more gruelingthan the night before. His enhanced strength just meant that Cel could demand more from him and she started drilling him on math constantly, not just while he was resting. Don still made progress but it was getting harder and harder to increase his Attributes.


    Don ended themorning training session in a drooling stupor but once again, it was well worth it.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>STR:16 --> 17</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>CON:19</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>INT:14 --> 15</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>DEX:13 --> 15</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>AGI:12</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>END:16 --> 17</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>WIS:12</td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Another 5 points added to his stamina and Mana pools were always welcome. His strength had nearly caught up with his CON too and he was finding it much easier to move around. His soaring DEX contributed to this too and potions that used to take him 15 minutes to craft now only took around 10 minutes. His increased hunger rank the next morning barely slowed him down because he was making so much progress in other areas. Still, a 40% decrease was pretty rough.


    His increased endurance brought his daily food needs down to 11 units but that was still more than his 8 remaining fruits could provide. He wasn''t willing to waste them with the daily visits from the giants continuing. Now that they were expected however, they were dealt with fairly easily. Sik always had a gourd at hand and sprayed the dome at the first sign of snuffling.


    Don learned the recipe for the smelly potion and he put a couple in his inventory along with a few lavender stalks despite the fact that he was expanding the list of hidden objectives on his mandatory quest. Its utility against the giants and Gaz was just too valuable to pass up.It required a 3 potency ingredient called RotFern and wasrelatively complicated to make, but Don''s unwavering focus and commitment to not waste ingredients led to his success yet again.


    Cel reported that Gaz was hiding out in the tunnel watching them on the third night. That wasn''t entirely unexpected considering Don was now ''mistrusted''. They ignored the spy and continued working.He usedhis daily ration of [fairy dust] to make a healing potion this time, bringing his increasingly stubborn [concoction] skill up to level 9.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have crafted:Feeble Healing Potion (magical)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>HP restoration / minute:2.1


    Duration:1 hour


    Total Effect:+125.28 HP


    Side Effects:N/A</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>+61%Concoctionskill EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    At this point, even the least potent healing ingredients could be made into potions that could heal Don for over 125 points of health! Sure, it would take an hour but that was fine considering Don onlyhad 95 health points in total.


    With Don''s strength gains plateauing, Cel decided it was time to work on his agility. Don spent the morning crawling as fast as he could through the tunnels. It was much easier with his improved strength but he was still battered after a couple of hours. As uncomfortable as it was, the memory of the enraged giant was more than sufficient to keep him motivated. He had to use one of the stink bombs on himself to keep from getting accosted by Gaz''s growing gang of cronies. Don went to sleep bruised but happy with his gains again.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>STR:17</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>CON:19</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>INT:15 --> 16</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>DEX:15 --> 16</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>AGI:12 --> 14</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>END:17 --> 18</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>WIS:12 --> 13</td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    When Don woke on the evening of the fourth night, his rank 3 hunger was too much to bear, not when he had delicious fruit at his fingertips. With only a little reluctance he popped one out of his inventory.


    "Proof! Do you see? Do you see?" someone squeaked triumphantly.


    Don stopped, his hand halfway to his mouth, and looked over to see Gaz at the entrance to the round, pointing at the fruit and shouting over his shoulder to his companions.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Your involvement in revealing the ColoColo refuge has been discovered!


    -200 reputation with the ColoColo Refuge.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>New Reputation Rank: Adversary</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 15 - Scout

    "Proof! Do you see? Do you see?" Gaz screeched from the tunnel.


    Two of his followers scampered off to spread the news. The rest surged into the alchemy round, swarming Don. The fruit was stripped from his handsas the frenzied monsters dragged him towards the entrance.


    "Stop!" Sik squeaked at them, getting ready to spray them with a stink bomb. Gaz hissed at him, opening his mouth wider than should have been possible as a pair of wicked-looking fangs swung down from their hiding place. He pounced on Sik and bit him savagely before he could unstopper the gourd.


    Don''s heart sank, leaving a hollow spot in its place. Gaz held his bite and after a couple of brief seconds of struggle, Sik fell limp and was dropped to the floor. After that Gaz turned on Don and it was a blur of accusations, scratches, and nips as Don was half pulled, half herded down the tunnels. When they finally reached the cooking round, the mob dumped him unceremoniously in front of Grey.


    Don uncurled from his defensive posture and dared to look at the angry circle of monsters jeering at him. Black eyes bulged, and lithe, feathered bodies squirmed with agitation.


    "Traitor!"


    "He brought the bad things!"


    "He should go!"


    "We should eat him!"


    The sharp crack of Grey''s staff on the stone silenced the mob.


    "What is the meaning of this?" She demanded, though Don could see she already knew. Gaz strutted proudly up to her and proffered the fruit.


    "Big stupid breaks rules. Big stupid brings bad. Tribe comes first, weak and stupid must go!" He delivered the stunted speech with all the gravitas of a practiced politician. Grey took the fruit and made a show of examining it. She made a subtle sign and Kat, who was lurking behind the mob slinked away, unnoticed in the commotion. Grey sighed heavily, keeping the attention of the unruly children.


    "We fed you, we healed you, we sheltered you, we even trained you, and this is how you repay us? By bringing calamity down on our doorstep? We can not shelter you any longer. Gaz is correct, you must leave." She put the fruit down gently but with an air of finality and fixed Don with her one good eye. Don witheredunder that gaze.


    The grave pronouncement took Don by surprise. He thought Grey would have defended him, explained her plans to have Don try and drive off the ''bad things''. Instead, she folded at the first sign of trouble. Don wanted to object, to defend himself, but the words stuck in his throat. All too soon, Don was being forced through the tunnels again. His short trip ended with a splash in the underground river.


    Don barely had the wits to pull himself out of the icy water. He lay there, legs still in the water as the last vestiges of light left the sky, and tried to understand what just happened. Then a bump on one of the branches moved.


    "Get up lazy glutton, There''s no time to waste. We have to clear out before the others leave the nest." Kat hopped down to the ground and pushed Don for emphasis.


    "What are you doing? Go away!" Don rolled away from Kat, presenting his back to the ColoColo.


    "This is no time for moping. Get up and follow, or stay here and be eaten by Gaz." Kat snapped before retreating back into the treetops. The grace and speed of the little monster were astounding. He barely made a sound as he vaulted from a root to a knot, and then up a succession of branches, never faltering, never doubting his steps.


    What do you think? Don asked Cel. She didn''t answer. Don looked around and saw a small patch of light drifting down the creek.


    Cel! Don splashed back down into the water, scooping up his partner and bringing her back to dry land. She wasn''t breathing and after a few seconds, she dissolved into motes of light which drifted off in different directions. Don stared at his empty hands in complete shock.


    Sik, gone. Cel, gone. An angry flame bloomed in his chest. It was one thing to kick Don out of the refuge. He might have even deserved that but it was another thing entirely to kill his only friends. Don didn''t even pause to wonder when he had started considering the two strange creatures his friends. He just dwelled on the unnecessary injustice of it all. He would make Gaz pay.


    Don followed Kat into the darkening jungle, feeding that flame in his chest with scraps of memory. It consumed them eagerly, growing ever hotter. He recounted everyrun-inhe had with Gaz and each one fanned the flame a little higher. He was an irredeemable monster and nothing would save him from Don''s wrath, but for now, if Don didn''t retreat, he would be overwhelmed by ColoColo when they left for their nightly foraging.


    Don followed Kat through the jungle with ease. Compared to the last time he went out, it was like night and day. His strong legs found secure footing with ease and propelled him faster and further than they ever had before. His balance was uncanny, and his stamina was comparatively bottomless. They ran for over 12 minutes before Don needed to stop for rest. When they finally did, he demanded some answers.


    "What the void was that? I thought Grey wanted me to help you!"


    "She does!" Kat spat back "What do you think would have happened if she refused Gaz? She had no choice but to go along with the mob."


    "What do you mean she had no choice? She''s the leader. She could have just told them to leave me alone!" Don raged. Kat snorted at his ignorance.


    "You think Gaz would obey her if she did that? You really are a hatchling. Gaz would have just eaten her and taken over."


    Don was stunned. That''s not the way things worked. It couldn''t be.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    "Luckily for you, Grey is wise. She knew this night would come and gave me instructions. You will continue your training. I will teach you how to survive the jungle, and you might just live long enough to grow into something useful. This whole thing has been a disaster if you ask me but I am loyal. I trust that Grey is smarter than any of us. I believe her stories about the old ways and want to see the home from those stories. If training you is how I can make that happen, it is not toohighatree to climb."


    That was by far the longest speech Don had ever heard from the taciturn ColoColo. He still couldn''t quite wrap his head around the casual way Kat spoke of insurrection but he was more than willing to learn how to survive.


    The next few hours consisted solely of running and resting. Despite his large hunger penalty, Don gained a point in agility, something Cel used to cheer over. He missed the fairy. He almost chuckled. While she was around Don thought she was irritating and harsh, but now that she was gone, those same memories turned sweet.


    Even with the immediate and noticeable change in Don''s pace, the progress felt hollow, meaningless. His previous goal of challenging the giants didn''t move him anymore. If the ColoColo were so vile, maybe they should be wiped out. Why should he help them when they kill each other and exile people just for ignorance of their taboos?


    Don was beginning to grow angry at their failure to teach him properly in the first place. That anger added to the fire in his chest and burned away the guilt he still felt over attracting the giants to the refuge. The next time they stopped, Don pulled the remaining Saween fruits from his inventory. He shared them with Kat.


    The ColoColo was hesitant to take the offered fruit but once he did, it disappeared in a flash.


    "How did you do that?" he asked, juice stilldripping from his chin


    "What do you mean?"


    "How did youpull fruits out of thin air?" Kat asked suspiciously


    "That''s myinventory. it''s like an invisible bag." Don explained. Kat looked skeptical so Don grabbed a handful of leaves off the ground and put them into his inventory one by one, then he pulled them back out again. Kat was suitably impressed.


    "Very handy" he admitted, "Do you have more fruit?"


    "That was the last of it"


    Kat paused to think for a moment before deciding.


    "We are probably far enough from the refuge now. We should start looking for valuable resources. How do you think we should do that?" Kat asked. Don shrugged


    "Last time I just walked around until I found some."


    "Wrong!" Kat said "Very wrong. You might find some food like that but it''s an extremely unreliable method. To find resources consistently, you must know where they are likely to be found. Kaeru trees for instance, like lots of sunlight but are relatively short, so you can usually only find them where the trees are less dense. They also like drier soil so you can expect to find more at higher elevations away from rivers. On the other hand, BloodMoss can only be found in very damp areas. It''s best to search for near slow-moving water or in the low, shadowy points between hills where mist lingers. Understand?"


    Don nodded. He had no trouble following the impromptu lecture and it was easy to remember the details Kat shared with him.


    Apparently, in addition to the properties and preparation methods, each ingredient had its own preferences for growing conditions.


    Kat Challenged Don to use his newfound knowledge to determine a direction to go in search of food. Don couldn''t see very far through the trees so looking for thinner branches wasn''t a great strategy. He resolved to continue more or less in the direction they had been going but he shifted course slightly so they were climbing a slight but steady incline. The soil became rockier and steeper as he progressed.


    Kat stayed silent, following Don and watching his every movement. He silently cataloged what Don noticed and what he missed.


    When they finally crested the hill, they stood on a rocky outcropping that looked out over rolling hills. Twilight had given way to full-blown night. The millions of blazing stars gathered in unfamiliar constellations gave Don the willies but he forcibly reminded himself that he was safe so long as he was surrounded by such healthy plants. Now that he had time to calmly examine them, he noticed a telltale wavering shimmer,betraying the planet''sturbulent upper atmosphere. A pale blue crescent hung low over the horizon and the Jungle itself was an undulating carpet of black and silver. It was beautiful in its own strange way. A particularly low point of light caught Don''s attention, something that did not escape Kat''s notice.


    "That is the tower. We do not go near it, at least we are not supposed to. It''s better if the people there never learn we exist. Do you see any food?"


    Don scanned the jungle below him.He couldn''t tell where one treeended and another began. As far as he could see, the land was hidden under layers of foliage, dancing and waving in the eddies of wind.


    "I can''t see anything from here," Don admitted.


    "Do you see that dark area?" Kat asked, pointing to Don''s left. He squinted into the night for a minute before replying.


    "I think so. It looks like the side of that hill is in a shadow."


    "Good, that is what it looks like when the canopy is sparse. More starlight will reflect off of a healthy, full canopy. When you see a shadow like that it means there is less coverage. Now how do you think you will be able to get there from here?"


    Don took his time thinking over his answer carefully. Kat was clearly testing him again and if the intent was to get Don to think for himself he would take full advantage of this chance to improve.


    "If I just try and head straight there, It will be too easy to get lost among the trees." Don reasoned, remembering his first excursion into the Jungle. The memory of Cel stung at his eyes but he pushed the feeling away and refocused on the task at hand.


    "If I make my way along this hilltop, I can descend into that valley over there and follow the lowest point to the base of that hill."


    Kat nodded.


    "And how will you know when you have arrived at the correct hill?" He asked.


    Don was stymied.


    "Will I see thinner tree cover?" he guessed


    "Not from the base of the hill." Kat waited patiently for Don to come up with a solution.


    "Should I climb the hill and take another look around?" Don thought the idea was sound but Kat shook his head.


    "Not every hill has a bare top like this one. Many hilltops are covered in trees which would block your view."


    Don fell silent and Kat let him think as he tried to spot some landmark that would be visible from below the shifting leaves. Eventually, he had to admit his failure but he wasn''t happy about it. He threw up his hands in exasperation.


    "I don''t know!"


    Kat nodded. "Correct! Remember not to fall into the trap of thinking that you have to do things on your own. The strength of the tribe is borrowed strength. I borrow strength from Sik," He indicated the gourds on his harness "and he borrows strength from me" He waved a paw indicating the jungle which hid all sorts of valuable ingredients. "Together, we are stronger than we would ever be apart. With my knowledge of the jungle and your invisible bag, we should be able to gather more food together than wecan separately."


    It was a good speech except for one problem.


    "Sik is dead."


    "What?" Kat snapped his head around in confusion.


    "Gaz bit him really hard, and Sik didn''t get back up," Don said. Kat relaxed.


    "Then he''s fine. Gaz wouldn''t kill the only alchemist in the tribe. Even he knows the value of potions. We have wasted enough time. The night will pass us by at this rate. Follow me hatchling, and we will prove your worth to the tribe soon enough." With that, Kat leapt off the outcropping, landing in a tree 15 feet below. The leaves rustled and he was gone.


    Kat''s head popped out of the leaves and he beckoned Don onwards. It took the demon considerably longer to get down but then they were off, running through the jungle once again.

 16 - Hunter-Gatherer

    This night of foraging went much better than his previous attempt. While Cel was indispensable with her [natural resonance], she could only detect nearby food. Kat was able to lead Don straight to fruiting trees from a distance using his years of personal experience scouting the jungle. He already knew where the trees were and it was never more than 20 minutes to get from one to the next. Kat informed Don it would usually take a lot longer to gather food because they used to limit themselves, taking just a few nuts from each tree as a way of keeping their foraging secret from the giants. Now that they were exposed, there was no reason to continue that particular tradition.


    Don didn''t require makeshift ropes anymore either. His improved strength and endurance allowed him to simply muscle his way up the trees. It was still difficult and time-consuming but nothing like before. The only true challenge left was determining which branches were too thin to bear his weight. It was a hard-learned lesson but it stuck after only a few falls, after which, Don erred on the side of caution.


    Before two hours had passed, Don''s stomach and inventory were both full to bursting. He had gained yet another point in agility as well. In addition to the increased speed that afforded, Don thought it was a little easier to balance while climbing but he couldn''t be sure. Each individual increment was counting for less of an improvement than the one before after all.


    The first increase from 10 to 11 was a full 10% improvement but his most recent increase from 15 to 16 only improved on his previous abilities by 6.7%. It didn''t help that he was still held back by his strength being slightly lower than his constitution. His motions were still a little off, just a bit slower than expected, but he was hoping the continued tree-climbing exercise would help narrow that gap.


    He and Kat were sitting in the dark. waiting for their stamina to regenerate in silence. One of the first things the ColoColo had taught him after the brief Q&A session was that silence is paramount to a scout''s success. Not only did it keep others from discovering your location, But It also allowed you to listen for approaching threats.


    Don had largely ignored the sounds of the jungle before. It didn''t hurt that they were largely absent during his first excursion. Any time he made significant noise, the small, unseen denizens of the forest would follow Kat''s rule and fall silent, recognizing Don as some kind of threat. Now that he was stationary and silent, however, a chittering, buzzing, croaking, cacophony sounded from uncountable sources in the dark.


    It put Don on edge at first but Kat informed him that the small animals worked as an early alarm system. Anytime something large or disruptive approached, the critters would fall silent, alerting Don and Kat to its approach long before they would have been able to detect it otherwise.


    Don slowly became accustomed to the sounds but he still twitched at the more bizarre and loud voices in the chorus. Kat was in his element, looking like nothing more than a growth on one of the lazily waving tree branches above, Don was not, wedged between a boulder and a rising mass of roots.


    He was only partially successful in hiding himself. His bulk precluded him from using most of the hiding spots Kat liked and he would stick out like a sore thumb in the branches, not to mention the time and noise climbing still entailed.


    Kat stood without warning and Don moved to rise just as silently. He planted a hand on the boulder and roots in an attempt to distribute his weight more evenly, another of Kat''s lessons, but the attempt backfired when the roots squeaked under the pressure. The Jungle fell silent and Don sighed. He had only been able to take a few silent steps so far and he was planning on improving on his record but he failed at remaining silent before he could even stand up.


    Now that he had failed, he had no issue with following Kat at a fast clip. He had gotten to the point where he could predict which roots and stones would hold fast under pressure from a given angle, and which ones would collapse or roll out from under him, spilling him to the Jungle floor. That usually landed him in something sharp. Don was only missing a handful of HP so far and he wanted to keep it that way. He only had the one healing potion on him and wanted to save it and his other two potions for an emergency. It was annoying to dedicate 3 of his now 17 inventory slots to the potions but they were the most valuable things he owned by far and the inventory was the only truly safe place to keep them. That was another reason he hoped to increase his strength again soon.


    He had no idea when that might happen but he knew for a fact that his Herbalist skill was on the verge of increasing for the second time that night and by the time he and Kat stripped the next tree of half its nuts he got the good news.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Herbalist: Initiate 3 --> 4


    +8% herb potency


    +4 herb stacking in inventory


    Skills:


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Harvest: Initiate 3 --> 4


    You can now harvest plants while preserving a measurable level of potency


    Max Potency: 4</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don instantly took advantage of the increase and stowed another 14 nuts in his inventory, bringing the total to 70. They were worth nearly 30 units of food, just shy of the 31 he needed to supply the ColoColo to repay his debt. He wasn''t going to be able to store any more food for a while but Kat had already come up with a solution.


    Their next stop was a small hole in the ground. An ancient tree leaned over a dry riverbed. The water had washed much of the earth out from underneath it but the exposed roots held strong. A massive boulder provided a solid enough anchor to keep it from losing its footing entirely and the excavated hole extended surprisingly deep. Don tried to push his way past the roots like he could with the ubiquitous jungle vines but they held firm.


    Instead, he wriggled past them. Once he reached the back of the small hole, he emptied his inventory one slot at a time. He depressed each button and held it until all five nuts popped out of the far side of the screen and clattered to the ground. When he was done, a massive pile of nuts filled a surprising amount of the space. It hadn''t occurred to him how much he had collected but now that they were all heaped before him Don felt a swell of pride. He might just get out of this situation after all. Don followed Kat''s directions and used his hands to mound dirt on top of them and packed it down until he was convinced they wouldn''t be washed away in a sudden rainstorm. He backed out of the hole and filled it with rocks to be doubly sure. Kat informed him that there were several such hidey-holes scattered through the jungle.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    They left the stash of nuts behind and made their way towards the next tree, waiting until Don''s stamina depleted once more before congratulating themselves.


    "I''ve never gathered so much food in a single night before! No one in the nest would believe me if I told them we collected so many nuts in so little time! This is incredible! I never expected your inventory to be able to hold so much food," Kat gushed, "But still, we should continue. While we could easily pay off what you owe to the tribe, that would only show you are not a burden. We need to prove that you are an asset. Let''s see just how much we can collect in one night!"


    Don realized he was grinning, his face stretched intoa wide and goofy smile. Well, it felt goofy. It probably looked a little different with his sharp, misaligned teeth. Still he wiped the smile off of his face. He was making progress, and while it felt good, it was all thanks to Cel''s extensive training. Training she would never see the results of. He would make sure Gaz recognized those results though.


    The pair zig-zagged across starlit hills and dark valleys all night, collecting food and depositing it in hidden caches. Each nut awarded Don less than 1% progress towards his next [harvest] skill level now but with the hundreds of nuts he harvested, he still raised his skill to level 5. After that, however, the nuts awarded next to no skill experience and he had little hope that it would increase again. It wasn''t until near morning when he was on his way up yet another tree that a long-awaited prompt finally interrupted him.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">STR:17 --> 18</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    His strength was nearly as high as his constitution now! The increase made everything easier and faster, but not by as much as don was expecting. He supposed that climbing trees and running through a jungle at night was not easy work, even with average strength. His agility had taken another step forward during the night, as well.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">AGI: 16 --> 17</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After what felt like days of running back and forth across the broken terrain, Kat broke the silence once again.


    "That should be more than enough, any more and I''ll start to forget where they are hidden. Let''s hunt for rabbits instead."


    That caught Don''s attention.


    "Rabbits?" Just the word made him salivate. He never forgot that divine experience that got him into such trouble with the ColoColo in the first place. "Yes!"


    Don didn''t mean to shout but his roar of assent caused the nearby hiding birds to explode into flight, chittering angrily at the rude awakening while their wings snapped out a sharp staccato.


    "Shh" Kat admonished, "rabbits have very good hearing, you will have to be quiet if you want to catch one. In fact, it''s best if you just watch me this time. I don''t want to miss and cause suspicion by coming back with less than my usual haul."


    Don was confused,food couldn''t hear you coming, could it? He decided to take the scout''s advice. He had proven himself too many times through the night for Don to doubt him. Kat didn''t lead Don far this time. He directed Don to wait behind a tree. The simple hiding spot didn''t feel like much cover but Katused hand signsindicating forDon to staystill and stay quiet. He hadn''t learned many of the scouting signs but these two were repeated often enough for Don to have them well memorized.


    Don stayed obediently quiet. The ColoColo''s claws made only the barest scratching as he scrabbled straight up the trunk of the tree. Don watched as Kat flowed from branch to branch until he stopped nearly 30 feet away. He wondered if he would ever be able to move like that. His weight should preclude it but there was no telling what he could do with enough strength and agility.


    Don watched the ColoColo to see the special method for harvesting rabbits but he just sat motionlessly. Minutes dragged by as the sky grew brighter. The dappled light filtering through the canopy grew stronger, lending muted color to his surroundings. In the depths of night, the jungle took on a monochrome cast. With the extra light of pre-dawn, green crept into the canopy and flowers remembered their intended glory. as the stars faded away. first one, then a dozen and suddenly hundreds of birds competed to see who could be the loudest, lending their riotous voices to the growing riot of colors around him.


    Don was so distracted by the chaotic beauty of the waking jungle, he nearly missed it when Kat dropped from his perch. The green feathers of the ColoColo blended in with the translucent green of the leaves above him but when he dropped low enough, he was out of place among the brown trunks. It was that incongruity that caused Don to see the pair of fangs jutting from Kat''s gaping maw. A shiver snuck up Don''s spine.


    Kat landed on something that squeaked in panic. A moment later something took off through the underbrush. The birds fell eerily silent and kat squeaked "Follow me!" before charging off after the escaping something.


    Don only hesitated for a moment before charging after Kat. Did he spot an ape? Don couldn''t believe he had stayed out so late again. But if that was the case, why wasn''t the airtrembling with roars? less than a minute of frenzied running later Don caught up to Kat.


    Kat had pinned a small animal to the ground with his front paws. It struggled feebly but Don could see it was weakening quickly.


    "What are you doing?" he demanded in a shocked voice


    "I''ll let you kill it." Kat offered magnanimously, "I can''t use the experience anymore."


    Don was horrified. He stepped back but his legs were numb and he slipped, landing hard on his backside.


    "I, I don''t want to kill anything. I thought you were going to show me how to find rabbits." he stammered


    "This is a rabbit" Kat pointed out with irritation, like he thought Don was being deliberately slow "now hurry up, the poison will only last a little while longer."


    This adorable creature was a rabbit? Flashes of his feeding frenzy returned to Don. The snapping bones, the oddly shaped chunks, they all fell into place in a grisly realization. Don Vomited.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Hungry: 0 --> 1


    -20% Stamina regeneration


    Shocked:-50% mental attributes</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don looked dumbly at the pile of half-digested nuts on the ground before him. He couldn''t gather his thoughts. Kat squeaked at him a few more times before finishing the rabbit off with a nearby rock, bashing in its skull. Fortunately, Don was swaddled ina warm stupor and didn''t notice the violence happening right next to him.


    His mouth tasted funny, sour, that was a new taste.


    Kat gathered up the dripping corpse and added it to his pack with the nuts he had kept. He squeaked something else to Don. It was just as unintelligible as before. When Kat wrapped Don''s hand around his tail, however, Donallowed himself to be led along. Everything blurred as they passed too quickly through the greenery. Don didn''t feel the thorns that tore at his legs as he lacked the wits to avoid them. Eventually, the world went blissfully dark again. The confusing colors and sounds left behind. Kat left him as well and after some immeasurable length of time, Don drifted into a troubled sleep.

 17 - Squad

    Don woke in a cramped space that smelled of old wood rotting into new earth. His face was pressed against the ground and his neck was stiff from being bent sharply to the right for who knows how long. Don struggled to orient himself but there was barely enough room. He finally got into a position where he could straighten out his neck but it stubbornly remained kinked. A jagged gash to his side let in a lot of light and Don could see he was in a small, mostly cylindrical space. Just outside, a tangle of thorny stems formed a loose screen between him and the jungle.


    The trees still provided plenty of shade and the thorns further filtered out the light but it was the brightest space Don could ever remember being in. The Jungle was fully awake now and was filled with alien noises. He remembered that meant he was safe, then he remembered the rest of the previous night.


    Don dry heaved, straining his already abused neck. He hadn''t killed, but he had committed an atrocity he had never even considered before. Don had eaten a living creature. The barbarism of the act churned his stomach and chilled his heart. He knew the ColoColo were monsters, but he never thought they could stoop to such lows. They had an entire jungle filled with plant life, and yet they still chose to kill.


    The image of the helpless little fluffball, with its tall floppy ears and twitching button nose flashed across Don''s memory. Its eyes were the worst though. Don was sure he could see fear behind them. Don tried his best not to think about his feeding frenzy but his stomach grumbled and his mind rebelliously wandered back to that morning.


    He had thrown aside the feathered monsters in his need to get to the food. He didn''t have the presence of mind to wonder about the source. Food was food, or so he thought. He vividly remembered the grease running down his chin before realizing that he was drooling in the present. Don bit down on his tongue and the memory was replaced by pain. He felt like he should be punished. He deserved terrible things for what he had done. His stomach growled again.


    "No" he growled back and punched it.


    It wasn''t until a few seconds later that he realized how foolish he was being. Starving himself wouldn''t undo what he had done, but don was in no mood to eat either. He didn''t dare open his inventory in case he was tempted by all the nuts in there from the night before. He had to master himself. Don got into as close to a cross-legged position as he could and began to meditate.


    Time and time again, his guilt dragged him out of his trance but eventually, peace asserted itself. Don listened to his breathing. Letting each inhale fill his sore, tense muscles, and letting each exhale pull some of that tension out of his body and into the air. The sounds of the jungle eventually faded into a background shushing of leaves brushing each other and animals droning on about Don''s safety. At some point, a screen distracted him, shining straight into his closed eyes, ignoring his eyelids.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">WIS: 13 --> 14</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don angrily altered his settings so he wouldn''t be disturbed andsank back into his trance. His troubled thoughts smoothed like the surface of a pond. His subconscious benefitting from the resulting clarity while his waking mind continued to remain exclusively aware of his breathing. Don didn''t know how long this state lasted and without any pressing duties, he was content to drift in peace. Then something changed.


    The creatures outside Don''s hiding space fell silent. It took Don a few seconds to understand why his trance was broken but when he did, fear gripped his heart. He was effectively trapped. The apes could surely sniff him out if they got close but leaving would only result in Don getting lost in the trees. Kat might have a very hard time tracking him down even if he survived until nighttime. All he could do was remain perfectly still and strain his ears into the quiet.


    Branches creaked and leaves tickled at his ears with their softwhispering. Then something heavy fell to the ground. The first distant something was joined by others. Bushes were trampled under the approaching footfalls, the crackling of small dead branches growing ever closer.


    This was a very different sound from the apes but Don took a cue from the local creatures and stayed still and silent. The tromping feet grew closer and Don eventually made out voices over the thrashing they were giving any plants that stood in their way. A gruff voice was the first one he could make out.


    "-and ---- freaking hot ---- man-eating bugs and ---- all for what? Some heretic? ---- him rot out here ---- deserves"


    Someone considerably more feminine answered him.


    "Quit your whining Gregory ---- orders, ---- have to ---- and if you don''t like it -- can tell the Arbiter yourself"


    "I never said I was going to disobey orders Sonja" the first man protested "I''m just pointing out that living in this jungle is already a worse punishment than we can provide. If that Shepard wants to stay out here, let him."


    "That isn''t your decision to make. I don''t want to hear another word from you unless it''s ''there he is'', understood"


    The first man grumbled something back and the tromping came to an abrupt stop. They were uncomfortably close by now.


    "Care to repeat that?" Sonja asked with surprising menace


    "I said I''m not about to take orders from arusting Farmer, you should know your place!"


    There was a loud clang and a grunt.


    "I do know my place, it is below yours now,centurion. You are to follow my directives when we are away from the camp. If you do not, I''m sure we could use a few more latrines." She over annunciated every word. Clearly, there was some history of insubordination between the two.


    Don edged forward, his curiosity overcoming his fear. Just a dozen meters away, Don saw four figures in a gap between the trees. They wore crude, brownvests with bulky shoulders. Matching strips of material fell vertically from their waists, forming a kind of skirt. Similar boots rose high up their calves, almost to their knees. Their skin was red and irritated. One of them was wearing a brown hat that covered her entire head, only leaving her face exposed. She loomed over a man who was being helped up by a pair of his fellows.


    They looked oddly familiar and completely alien at the same time. Don might have tried to make contact if they weren''t all carrying spears. The only exception was Sonja. Her hands were planted firmly on her hips as she glared at the insubordinate man, a large round disk of metal strapped to her left arm.Stolen story; please report.


    "Geez, Sonja," said one of the centurions helping up the fallen man who was clutching his face, "You didn''t have to go that far."


    Sonja straightened her back.


    "Apparently I did. I don''t care who you were before we came here. We aren''t those people anymore. If you are having trouble getting that fact into yourthickskulls I''m more than happy to pound the lesson into place."


    A rustling in the underbrush took the groups attention away from the altercation. A reddish streak leapt at the injured man.


    "Hap!" Sonja shouted. The streak abruptly changed direction and charged right at the woman. She brought her shield around and smashed it right into the incoming creature. Don heard a yelp as a spearlanced out from behind a tree and impaled the stunned animal. The two who were helping up their friend dropped him to lend their spears to the attack.


    "Alright! level up!" said the smiling owner of the first spear as he stepped into view from behind a tree. His spear now had a grisly ornament at the end. The fox disappeared when he touched it, leaving only a bloody streak in its place.


    How many are there?Don wondered


    "Well done Howard," said Sonja, nodding in approval before turning back to Gregory. "That could have been you if you were more focused on your orders than your own self-importance. Now let''s get moving. There''s only one heretic out here and if we want to find it beforeHendrix''s group, we''re going to have to cover more ground. That means shut your mouth and open your eyes, Gregory."


    "You could at least heal me" Gregory protested, finally climbing to his feet. His hands fell away from his face and Don saw the crooked, bleeding nose he was hiding.


    Sonja crooked an eyebrow. "With how nicely you asked, how could I refuse?" She turned her back on him "Formation!" she shouted. The other spearmen fell into a wedge shape behind her and Gregory followed suit a moment later. His grumbling was completely ignored.


    What Don couldn''t ignore, was the fact that the wedge was pointing almost directly at his hiding place. These cold-blooded killers were clearly looking for him for some reason. Don remembered his first conversation with Cel. It felt like months had passed but it hadn''teven been a week. Apparently, she wasn''t lying about his criminal status. It was unfortunate that Gregory''s argument didn''t get more traction with the group.


    Don watched in mounting terror as they approached his hiding spot. They seemed to creep forward in slow motion. He squeezed back as far from the well-lit entrance as he could. Then he squeezed his eyes shut too. The tromping seemed to pass right outside his hiding place and blessedly kept moving along. Don didn''t move, he didn''t breathe, he didn''t even open his eyes. Something he was doing was working and so he held perfectly still while listening to the search party continue through the jungle.


    That''s why he heard something much, much worse. The branches overhead creaked constantly, a small protest against the wind. Now, a not so distant branch groaned. It was a complaint Don had only heard when he was climbing trees. Another, closer branch groaned.


    Don was sure now, something large was moving through the trees towards him. He only knew of one creature capable of traveling like that.


    He was about to bolt from his hiding spot when the tramping feet stopped.


    "What in the void is that?" Gregory screamed


    There was a heavy set of thuds and a roar in response that set Don''s teeth chattering. He clenched them together in order to keep the noise from betraying his position.


    "No one ever said anything about this!" Gregory shouted again and Don heard frantic running back towards his hiding spot. The coward was going to lead the ape straight to him!


    "Gregory! Get back in formation!" Sonja called, but it was too late. Gregory was fleeing for his life and the monster bellowed, sensing weakness. It charged towards Don''s spot making familiar horrifying noises all the while. Don heard a splintering, tearing sound just before Gregory came back into view. Don couldn''t tear his eyes away as part of a tree came sailing through the air and struck him in the back.


    Gregory fell forward, getting tangled in a nearby thorny bush. His spear was nowhere to be seen. He must have dropped it in his panic. A moment later, the ape swung into view. It reached forward with its freakishly long arms, plantedhis knuckles on the ground, and heaved it''s massive body forward in a ponderous, loping gait that covered an incredible amount of ground with each step.


    Its stout legs were fairly short, especially in comparison to its arms. The beast was covered in shaggy blue fur except for its face which was a deep shade of red. Yellowed tusks jutted upwards from its jaw, one catching its upper lip and lifting it into an approximation of a sneer. Don watched in horrified fascination as it raised its leathery hands high overhead. They seemed to pause there before coming crashing down on Gregory.


    His screaming sharply rose in pitch as he spotted the giant fists. They crashed into the man with incredible force. Dead leaves, sticks and other detritus blasted away from the impact point along with copious amounts of blood. When it raised its fists, there was a muddy crater where the man''s chest had once been.


    The once beautiful scene outside of Don''s hiding place was now a charnel house. Bits of Gregory were scattered and draped over the surrounding bushes. In moments, however, those bits transformed into specks of golden light and scattered to the wind, just like Cel had. The forest was still painted a deep red and the beast itself was soggy with the stuff.


    It bellowed triumphantly. Don did not expect to hear a roar in response. Sonja surprised him by charging into the mess at the head of three frightened spearmen. The beast swung one of its pendulous arms at the group in a vicious backhand.


    "Down!" Sonja ordered and the spearmen crouched. She planted her feet and shouted again.


    "[Slick]" she screamed. A silver sheen covered her shield and she was able to deflect the heavy fist overtheirheads. Her feet slid back a bit, gouging furrows in the bloody ground and exposing the bare dirt beneath, but she didn''t lose her balance. The ape, on the other hand, didn''t expect his blow to be parried so deftly and it took a couple of seconds for it to recover. The spearmen didn''t giveit the chance.


    "[Flurry]" they shouted in unison. Each of their spears blurred as they shot past Sonja and a moment later, the beast was spurting blood out of 9 separate wounds on it''s chest. It screamed in pain and rageand raised its fists high into the air again.


    "Split!" Sonja shouted and the spearmen responded instantly. They leapt aside and continued moving, partially surrounding the ape. It tried to shift its blow to hit the two spearmen darting to it''s right.


    "Hap!" Sonja shouted. The ape turned back to face her, losing its positioning and much of its strength. This time Sonjahopped back, out of range instead of blocking. The fists thudded to the ground and cleared a patch of earth, leaving a new dusty crater, cleared of blood. The spearmen each thrust their spears forward again. They only struck once each this time but the monster was reconsidering the threat they posed. It reached up into the trees and pulled itself easily into the branches. The spearmenattempted to get in another poke each but they were clearly not as practiced thrusting up into the air and the hafts of their spears got tangled in the undergrowth.


    Once it wasup among the boughs, it tore one free and tossed it at them. The spearman it targeted was able to dodge the projectile. The ape gave one last hate-filled roar before using its long arms to swing to the next tree, then the next. In seconds, it was gone, like a bad dream.


    The group of fighters was breathing heavily. One collapsed to his knees where Gregory had been.


    "What did we do to deserve this?" he whispered.


    Sonja stepped up to the man and rested a hand on his shoulder. The man looked up with tears streaking down his face.


    "We didn''t do anything Howard," She growled, "that rusting Shepard is to blame."


    Her fists were clenched to the point that they had turned a stark white. She looked at the other two spearmen who were clutching theirweapons and looking into the trees, terror painted on their faces. Then she looked down at the muddy crater that used to bea member of her squad. Her fists unclenched and the redness rushed back into them.


    "We should return and report this. The Arbiter wanted to know at once if a monster intelligent enough to run away when in danger was spotted."


    Howard didn''t respond but let Sonja pull him back to his feet. The group trudged back the way they came, leavingbloody footprints in their wake.

 18 - Respawn

    Don didn''t know how long he shivered in his rotting tree. He was fixated by the red splatterspainting the space just outside. They radiated out from a small crater which now hosted a grim puddle. For a time, blood dripped rhythmically from some of the lower branches, eventually slowing to a stop. A thick coppery scent dominated the air and had attracted swarms of buzzing insects gorging themselves on the easy meal. There was so much more blood than Don would have ever expected.He knew it would be best to put the grisly scene behind himself before the smell attracted something more dangerous but he couldn''t seem to get his legs to cooperate.


    He closed his eyes and tried to meditate but the smell made it impossible. Worse still, every time he inhaled, his stomach rumbled in response to the smell. The jungle critters were back to making their usual racket which Don took as a good sign.


    Should I stay or should I go? The apes are definitely out there. Was the one who came here following my scent? That''s right, I have the stink bomb!Don had completely forgotten about his one defense against the giant monsters. He berated himself for the oversight. Wait a minute, if they were following me by smell, isn''t all this blood a blessing? Those people couldn''t see me even when they passed right outside my hiding place and now this blood should mask my smell too.


    Don resolved to bear the smell but if things kept going the way they were, Don''s talkative stomach would make his hiding useless. He finally opened up his inventory and ate his fill. His stomach was no more settled than before and the food threatened to come back up a few times but at least the blood wasn''t making him drool anymore. Don needed a distraction if he was going to wait for Kat to return. He opened up various screens looking for one until something caught his eye.


    <table cellspacing="5" cellpadding="5">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Name: Donovan Shepard


    Race: Demon


    Title: -


    Pet: Fairy (Soul Bound)


    Respawn in: 7:25:49


    Level: 0 (6/100 EXP)


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>STR: 18</td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>CON: 19</td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>INT: 16</td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>DEX: 16</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>AGI: 17</td>


    <td>END: 18</td>


    <td>WIS: 14 --> 16</td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    What does respawn mean? Don wondered, suddenly hopeful that Cel was still out there somewhere.As he watched the seconds on the timer tick down, something felt off. The clockwas slow. Don checked his time sense for the first time in a while and that felt slow too. It was like a whole second and a half passed between each second marked by the timers. Don raised a hand to scratch at his head and that felt a bit slower than normal too. He focused on the only other thing that had changed.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>WIS: The Wisdom Attribute governs mental alacrity.


    It affects MP regeneration (WIS/hour), spell-control, and perception among other mental qualities.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Mental alacrity, perception... Is this attribute changing the way I perceive time? Why didn''t I notice this before?


    Don thought back to the way the search party seemed to move toward him in slow motion, and the way the ape''s fists paused for a moment before pulping Gregory.


    Maybe I did... It''s possible that I''m not as slow as I think I am, I''ve just been perceiving time faster than normal...


    Don pondered on this for a while. It meant that he would have longer to wait before Kat returned, sort of. It also meant that he would have more time to react in dangerous situations. It seemed meditation had increased his wisdom rather quickly compared to all the mental exercises Cel had put him through. He couldn''t see why. Meditation was relaxing and not at all taxing. Every other attribute had only increased after intense effort. He wasn''t about to complain though. Any increase in his attributes was a good thing as far as he was concerned.


    The brutal display reinforced the need to be capable. It also showed what would happen if he continued to just run away from his problems. He would eventually get caught with disastrous results. Don thought about the look on Gregory''s face just before his end. Though the manwas huntinghim, Don only had pity for the unfortunate spearman. Someone was forcing him to be out here against his will. He would rather leave Don alone but he had gotten brutally murdered while under threat of violence.


    Then he remembered what Sonja had said. Was it really his fault they were here?


    How could that be the case? They called me a heretic so I clearly shouldn''t have theauthoritynecessary to relocate a bunch of people. I wish I could at least remember the crime I''ve been accused of.


    Don opened up his "who am I" quest information again


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Who Am I?


    Objectives: ????


    Progress: ????</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It was just as unhelpful as before. Unless there were other Shepards running around in this jungle, these people obviously knew something about him. Don might have considered searching them out to ask if they didn''t casually mention brutal punishment. Greg seemed to think it couldn''t be worse than this jungle but Don''s amnesia told a different story. If all he had gone through since waking up in the crypt hadn''t triggered another amnesia-related quest, just what had the centurions put him through? What had he done to deserve it?This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    Don''s distraction backfired as a pang of brand new guilt settledin hischest. How much suffering were these people going through? Sonja called Greg a centurion which implied that there were at least 100 of them. A parade of faceless centurions screaming just before getting pounded into the ground flitted through Don''s mind. He once again resorted to pain to drive the visions away. He wrapped his arms tight around himself, digging his claws into his back and tearing the skin.


    Don had nothing else to distract himself with. He had no mortar, pestle or ingredients to practice alchemy. He was confined to this tree and couldn''t work himself ragged in an attempt to improve his strength or agility. He resolved to try and meditate again.


    It took a frustratingly long time buthe eventually became accustomed to the smell of blood and the screaming spearmen quieted enough for Don to enter that peaceful state once again. It wasn''t until something that didn''t belong in a jungle at all caught his attention that Don fell out of his trance again.


    The sweet tinkling of a harp filled Don''s ears. A spark leapt to life in front of him and hovered in place. Another joined it, then another. Soon a shower of golden sparks coalesced into a familiar form. Cel glowed brightly in the evening gloom before floating gently to the ground. Don''s jaw dropped with her.


    When she touched down, she gave a shiver and looked up at the gobsmacked demon.


    "That was unpleasant. Do me a favor and don''t do that again okay?"


    You''re alive? Don thought without meaning to.


    "I am now, it sure is weird being switched off like that." Cel snapped her fingers "Bam, lights out."


    But, you drowned, didn''t you?


    Cel shivered again


    "Don''t remind me."


    Don had to get a handle on this situation but his words failed him.


    But, how, what, you, You were dead!


    "I just asked you not to remind me." Cel huffed, crossing her arms. She flew up to eye-level and Don winced but apparently, Cel had mastered flying without shedding too much light. She inspected their surroundings. "I see you still aren''t welcome in the ColoColo refuge. Care to fill me in on what you''ve been up to while I was... on vacation?"


    Don lifted his jaw up off of the ground. A lump formed in his throat and pressure built up behind his eyes. He wasn''t alone. Cel was still with him. Tears spilled down his face.


    "Hey," Cel started, concern evident in their mental link "What happened?"


    Don couldn''t put it into words so he just let his emotions flow across the open channel as he gestured outside.


    "Woah," Cel commented as she saw the dried blood coating every surface for several meters. "rough night I take it?"


    Don nodded. He haltingly started explaining everything that had happened after getting thrown out of the refuge. The words came more and more easily until they were spilling out of him with barely any control. That lasted until Don started explaining his new worries about condemning at least a hundred people to a hellish existence.


    Anger flashed across their connection, interrupting Don.


    "Donot feel sorry for them." She insisted "It''s not your fault that they are here and it''s absolutely not your fault that they are searching for you. That''s all thanks to your god and his Arbiter."


    Don reeled at the accusation


    But that-


    "What else controls everything? What elsecan be to blame for all the suffering and waste and..." Cel bit back her tirade with a visible effort. Don could feel that she was being genuine because of their soul bond. Her anger had transformed into seething waves of pure loathing.


    "They are not here because of you, both you and the rest of the citizens from your colony are here because of that monstrosity you worship."


    Don couldn''t let blasphemy on that level slide, he was getting angry now too.


    Gregory died because he was out searching for me. If we had never run away he would still be alive!


    Cel waved off the man''s death like it was meaningless.


    "He''ll respawn soon enough."


    The word caught Don''s attention. There was something he had to know.


    Respawn? What does that mean anyway?


    Cel slapped her forehead.


    "Sorry, I keep forgetting that you are new to this stuff. I should have explained this earlier. In short, respawning means coming back to life."


    Don wouldn''t have believed her if he hadn''t just witnessed Cel''s respawn. Dead things stayed dead. That was why it was so important to serve the collective for the required 80 years before you couldjoin your immortal ancestors in Arcadia.


    Does everything respawn here? Don asked, a spark of hope flaring in his chest.


    "No, just player characters and some special cases like me."


    The spark was snuffed out. The rabbits he had eaten were well and truly dead. Then something else occurred to Don.


    Can I respawn? he asked. Cel hesitated before answering


    "You can, but the problem is your respawn location. I respawn wherever you are, but for now at least, you will respawn where you first entered this world. That means right in the middle of a camp of angry fanatics who-" Cel cut herself off again.


    "I nearly said too much. I can''t give you too many hints about what happened there. Just know that you don''t want to go back."


    She let that sink in. Don needed a minute to process the incredible information. He was a pseudo-immortal now, but so were the people searching for him. That meant that they were going to be locked in conflict forever. In the end, don came to the conclusion that nothing significant had changed. It was just that dying wouldn''t be an end. It would just be the starting signal for more suffering. If he truly couldn''t stay dead, he might be able to escape again but he doubted the people would be so lackadaisical in their security a second time.


    It was also clear that while Don had been struggling to feed himself, these people had been honing their combat skills. The way the spears blurred with speed during the [flurry] attack was proof of that. Howard had even leveled up right before Don''s eyes while he still had only a measly 6 exp to his name.


    Don was more willing to believe Cel after such a miraculous display but it was hard.


    You said this was a game. This is supposed to be fun? Don glanced at the browning blood staining the thorns in front of him.


    "It''s supposed to be, part of the fun is in challenging yourself to overcome great obstacles. You didn''t exactly have a standard start though and like I said, this is a test world. Some things are bound to be different from the optimized version. I''ve noticed that the monsters are a lot more sophisticated than normal." Cel paused, biting her lip while considering something.


    "I''m actually pretty worried about that. I told you I''m looking for my children... That''s more of an analogy than straight truth. I thought if they existed at all, it would only install them in human NPC''s but..." Cel trailed off, then shook her head. "you have enough to worry about now without me piling more issues onto you. Anyways, I need to observe the ColoColo a bit more closely before I can be sure."


    Kat obligingly chose that moment to drop from the branches and into the reddish-brown stain. Don noticed how he seemed to fall more slowly than he should have, like there was extra wind resistance acting on him. His legs still bentdeeply when he landed. Don''s heightened perception had no effect on the momentum thescoutbuilt up during his fall.


    "Wow, I like what you''ve done with the place," he commented, "Are you ready to rub Gaz''s nose in his mistake?"

 19 - Locking Horns

    Cel clapped her hands together and rubbed them eagerly.


    "Oh, hell yeah! What''s the little guy got in mind?"


    Don answered the ColoColo by pulling himself out of the rotting tree, unfolding his stiff limbs and doing his best to stand straight. He answered Cel in a more literal fashion.


    We spent last night collecting food. We can pay back the debt something like eight times over now. He thought to Cel


    Cel was awestruck. she tried to cover up her expression but Don could still feel how impressed she was from the soul bond. It felt good. Now that Don had his companion back, he expected his motivation to flag. Instead, he wanted Cel to see the look on Gaz''s face when Don buried him in resources. He grinned.


    We''re just getting started too. He wasn''t wrong.


    With an entire night to kill, it would have been a waste to haul the food to the refuge and just wait for Gaz to return. Instead, they set out to find alchemical ingredients. Between Don''s knowledge of which ones they needed, Kat''s knowledge of the general areas where they grew and Cel''s [natural resonance], they swept up herbs en masse. The jungle had transformed into a veritable supply depot and the night was spent harvesting practically nonstop until Don''s fingers were stained with juices and they emanated a strong medicinal smell. The most prominent of which was rot fern. Thankfully the inventory did a good job of containing smells. Don''s herbalist profession improved by leaps and bounds now that he was harvesting materials with potency scores of two, three and on one occasion even five. That opened up more room in his inventory and they only picked up speed as the unseen stars tracked across the sky.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Herbalist: Initiate 4 --> 8


    +16% herb potency


    +8 herb stacking in inventory


    Skills:


    <div>


    <div>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Harvest: Initiate 4 --> 8


    You can now harvest plants while preserving a measurable level of potency


    Max Potency: 8</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    When they finally finished checking all the locations Kat could think of, Don had a fully stocked inventory containing no less than 162 valuable herbs. A further 17 were stored in a makeshift pack Kat had made for him and the potion gourds were secured to the same vines which held the pack secure against his body.


    The only question now was how to transport all the nuts they had harvested the night before. The hard time limit of dawn was fast approaching and Don was worried that they had gotten too greedy but Kat was confident it wouldn''t be a problem. They visited each cache in turn and Don realized for the first time that they were strung out in a nearly straight line. They pointed right back to the refuge and as they reached each one, kat and Don fashioned sacks to hold the food. Once they had looted three caches, The makeshift packs were too cumbersome to carry. At Cel''s direction, Don yanked somelong branches off of the treesand after they were lashed together with vines, they made for a passable dragging sled she called a travois.


    It got stuck on some brambles but Don was able to tear through them without much difficultyusing his immense strength. Compared to his own body weight, the sled didn''t feel nearly as heavy as it''s bulk implied. Kat was occupied with trying to cover their tracks as best he could. While the apes knew where the refuge was, it was a good idea to try and keep it hidden from the search parties out looking for Don.


    The strenuous labor paid dividends as well,increasinghis strength, agility, and endurance by a point each. Don opened up hisattributes to check on his progress.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>STR:19</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>CON:19</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>INT:16</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>DEX:16</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>AGI:18</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>END:19</td>


    <td></td>


    <td>WIS:17</td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Cel read the screen from over his shoulder and gave a low whistle.


    "You are a BEAST." The tone implied a compliment but the words didn''t quite match.


    I thought I was a Demon.


    Cel smacked him upside the head. Don barely registered the small impact.


    "Don''t be a pain. I was trying to compliment you. You nearly have 3 attributes at their maximum. That''s incredible considering Demons can train a full 5 points higher than humans."


    Don stopped in his tracks.


    What?


    "It''s one of the benefits of being a demon. You have higher potential capabilities than most other races. The first way that manifests is in allowing you to train to a higher degree while you''re level 0. Right now you have moreattribute points than a level 3 human who trained to his maximum potential. It''s a nice little head start, Good thing I increased your pain thresholds."


    WHAT?Don screeched through their mental link. Cel winced.


    "Right, heh heh. Well, the thing is, higher pain thresholds let you train your attributes faster and unlock the best professions and Callings. It seemed like a good idea at the time."


    Cel could feel the angerbuilding in don, ready to explode. She wisely cut him off.


    "The maximum is only 50% anyway, That''s not too much. The basic setting is 5% so you are training 10 times faster than those casuals."


    Don looked up into the branches and did his best to swallow his anger. It didn''t work.


    You mean to tell me, that I''ve been feeling ten times as much pain as I would have without your help? Don said through the mental equivalent of clenched teeth, keeping most of his anger restrained.


    "Come on, you''d only have like 12''s or 13''s in your attributes if it wasn''t for that little tweak."


    Change it back! Don thundered. Cel held up her hands and flew a little further away.


    "Sorry, no can do. Once you start the game, your pain settings are locked. Otherwise, people could jack up the pain for training and then cut it off for the main game."


    Don fumed at the fairy and tried to burn a hole through it with his eyes.


    "What''s really incredible is this" Cel said, pointing at Don''s Attribute screen in a thinly veiled attempt to change the subject.


    What now?


    "How did you boost your wisdom from 13 to 17 in just one day?"


    Her fairly obvious attempt worked somewhat. Don wasn''t about to forget about this latest revelation but he had some questions about that attribute. He had completely forgotten about them when Cel respawned but this seemed like a good chance to get answers.


    I meditated. What exactly does thatattribute do?


    Cel ignored Don''s question.


    "You, meditated?"


    Yeah, what does that attribute do?


    "Meditated."


    Rust it Cel! Yes, I meditated, it was kind of nice, I gained lots of wisdom. Now can you please tell me what that means?


    Cel shot straight up into the air, spinning and glowing brightly as she shouted in joy.


    "Woohoo! I knew you had to have some redeeming quality."


    Don wasn''t liking this answer. Sensing his irritation, Cel came back down and hurriedly explained.


    "Meditation is an extremely difficult skill to master. Not many people can do it for more than a few seconds at a time. It boosts mana and stamina regeneration like crazy but people usually only learn how to do it from taking magic-related professions. HooHoo! This is awesome. I''ve been wondering what to do about your remaining profession. You need a combat class but don''t have access to any weapons. I thought I was going to have to resort to Brawler but this opens up the possibility of getting the Monk profession!"


    Cel, wisdom, what does it do!


    She looked considerably put out but finally answered Don''s question.


    "Wisdom is primarily used by mages to regenerate their mana pools. It also helps themcastcomplex spells more quickly by increasing their processing speed.High wisdom scoreslet them perform the calculations requiredto form spells faster. This canalso let them act on incoming spells, weakening or even redirecting them if their wisdom is high enough. Warriors will usuallyinvest as little as they can into this stat because they don''t rely on mana and it doesn''t matter if you see anattack coming but are too slow to dodge or block it."


    That was a little more than Don was expecting and it still didn''t answer his underlying question so he was more direct.


    Does it slow down time?


    "Not really, it just makes you capable of thinking at a higher speed, that includes how many frames of data you can interpret per second. That might make it look like stuff is slowing down, but you''rethe one speeding up."


    Kat had caught up to them by this point and urged Don forward, reassuring him that the refuge wasn''t far now. He also took that time to surprise Don with another stop before reaching the nest. They stopped at the same open field they passed through on Don''s first excursion outside the refuge. The lone, burned-out tree stood at the center of the clearing.


    "We have done the impossible tonight but Gaz still won''t truly recognize someone''s value until they have hunted and killed," Kat said.


    Don didn''t like where this was going and he headed off Kat, drawing a hard line.


    "I''m not going to kill anything Kat."


    The ColoColo looked confused


    "Why not?"


    Don didn''t expect to have to explain this and he struggled to express his feelings on the subject. His stomach flipped just thinking about it.


    "Because it''s unnecessary, and it just feels, wrong... mean."


    "But, rabbits are food. If we don''t eat them, they just go to waste." Kat pointed out. It was really that simple for the little monster. Morals didn''t come into the equation at all, just utility.


    Cel who was listening in on the exchange piped up.


    "You know, the animals here aren''t real..."


    What does that mean?


    "They are computer programs designed to imitate life, but there''s no life there, no sentience, just directives. You won''t be killing anything, just think of it as deleting a file, one of a million identical files."


    The thought of that rabbit kat had pounced on sent a shiver up Don''s spine. It certainly looked like it was struggling for its life. But the way his physical and mental abilities had grown over the last week made it clear that this world worked by very different rules than the one he came from. He took a deep breath. If he was going to ever hope to stand up to the giant apes, he was going to have to get some fighting experience. Better to start small and work his way up than jump in unprepared and end up like Gregory.Don tried to channel the brash confidence Sonja displayed.The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    "What do I have to do?"


    Apparently, Kat hadn''t selected an ordinary game trail for Don to perch over, waiting for an unsuspecting rabbit to come along. He had brought Don to the home of the local ''king of rabbits'' as he dubbed it. According to the scout, the best way to impress Gaz and get him to stop messing with Don was to show him that Don was indisputably the superior hunter.


    Don thought about drinking his only healing potion, but Cel''s earlier assurances of Don''s strength convinced him to save it. The regeneration probably wouldn''t come into play if the fight was as short as Don hoped. Kat had managed to take out a rabbit with ease and he was tiny, only coming up to Don''s knees.


    Don dropped his makeshift travois and pack before boldly stepping into the silvery circle of gently waving grass in nothing but his loincloth. It flapped in the breeze, not quite as inspiring as a cape but Cel surreptitiously filed the memory away as a keeper, giddy with expectations for her student.


    Don made it halfway to the tree when two shining dots appeared in a crack at its base. There was a warning squeak but Don boldly stepped forward, ready to face the rabbit, ready to... delete it. he was just going to delete it. There was nothing sinister about that right? Don paused, unsureif he was doing the right thing.


    This wasn''t just about putting Gaz in his place anymore. If Don wanted to save Kat, Grey, and Sik, he would have to face the apes. This was the first step down that path. With his motivation reset, Don took another step forward.


    A shrill squeak sounded out in response and the local ''king of rabbits'' bounded out from the shadows under the tree. In the clearing, bathed once again in the predawn light, Don saw what a huge mistake he had made.


    A sleek brown creature, almost as tall as Don''s waist shottowardshim onall fours. It covered four meters in that first jump and now that it was moving, its powerful hind legs launched it two metersfurther on its next jump. It''s most striking feature was the crown it wore. Antlers sprouted from its head, forming an imposing barrier just in front of its absurdlytall ears. The antlers branched outinto a dozen sharp tines, each one gleaming in the dawn''s light. At the end of its second leap, it had covered over half the distance to Don and built up considerable momentum in the process. Don''s innate time sense let him know this all happened within a single second.


    Don''s improved wisdom allowed him to appreciate the way its muscles rippled under itshide with its third bounding leap. It hurtled through the air like a furry meteor. Its legs pulled in so they were tight against the rest of its compact body and wellprotectedbehind its natural weapons. The creature and its gleamingantlers were set on a trajectory to slam directly into the Demon''s chest.


    Don realized with a start that he wasfalling backward. His legs had buckledat the surprising aggression and speed of his opponent. All he could do was lean away from the rapidly approaching antlers in horror. His wisdom stretched the fall into a lazy descent, it felt like one of those nightmares where everything is moving slowly, but inevitably towards disaster.


    With all his attention fixed on the monster, he barely noticed as his handsrose up oftheir own accord. The instinctive motion was too slow to block the antlers, but just fast enough to catch the curved underside of one of them,forcingthe sharp tines upwards enough to miss Don''s face by bare centimeters. In the next moment, they collided, hard.


    Don wasthrown down into the soft grass but the rabbit spun off wildly into the air with a squeal. Don''slucky parry had saved him for the moment, making the charge backfire.


    "Holy crap, that''s a Jackalope!" Cel called to him, then added something worrying "Run!"


    She didn''t need to tell Don twice.He was already scrambling to his feet, pulling up handfuls of grass in his haste. Don bolted away from the monster, unfortunately, he hadn''t taken the time to plan his escape and found himself charging deeper into the clearing. He veered towards the burnt-out tree, hoping against hope that the monster couldn''t climb.


    He only made it halfway there before the enraged Jackalope caught up to him. Cel''s warning turned Don around only so he could takeone of the antlers in his side. The unexpected impact emptied Don''s lungs in a rush and the two monsters tumbled to the ground. That''s the only reason he didn''t scream as the violent fall pried the antlers loose, inflicting further damage.


    His HP fell by a third and continued to drain slowly as black blood pumped out of the wounds. Don rolled to his feet and tried to keep moving. This time when Cel called out a warning, Don spun instantly. The monster didn''t have as much force behindits leap this time and they were moving in the same direction. Don reached out and caught it by the antlers. One hand found its intended target but the other was impaled by one of the sharp points. The hit took Don below half health and it was still dropping but he managed to keep the antlers from piercing anything too vital.


    Their combined momentum carried them for a little over a meter and a half. The grass tore, revealing black soil underneath asDon''s feet sank into the ground. His prodigious strength and Constitutioneventually won out and heforced the monster to a stop, holding it at arm''s length.


    He tried topush themonster''s faceinto the dirt in an attempt to immobilize it butthe jackalope struggled fiercely, tearing into Don''s forearms with its sharp antlers. It dug up the ground behind it with its powerful hind legs, trying to drive its antlers into Don''s stomach. Don roared while simultaneously complying with its wishes to charge, taking a large step back before spinning out of the way and assisting its jump by throwing the Jackalope bodily into the tree which was now close at hand. He howled in pain as the antler that had impaled his hand was wrenched free.


    The Jackalope was stunned for afew precious seconds and Don took the chance to scale the tree like he had seen Kat do so many times. he ran up one of the sloping roots, hopped to a knot and made a leap of faith, just barely clingingto the underside of one of the few remaining withered branches. Hekicked wildly until he got his feet up and around the branch as well. Don had a flashback of his first attempt at climbing trees, Just like then, he had trapped himself with nowhere to go.


    The difference, of course, was that he now had an irate Jackalopeimpatiently waiting for his stamina to run out. It leapt at Don a couple of times, trying to reachthe trespassing demon but fell shorteach time. Don was safe for the moment, or so he thought.


    Crack.


    Don''sstomachleaped into his throat as the branch he was holding snapped in half. The break happened between the points where his arms and legs werewrappedaround it. With no more support, his body swung away until he was hanging upside down. his legs slipped and he was falling.


    He seemed to hang in the air, hardly picking up speed as he fell nearly 5 meters to the earth. Despite the tricks his wisdom played on his perceptions, the momentum produced by his massive body was undeniable, and the scream produced by the unfortunate jackalope was a chilling testament to the power of applied physics.


    With a rage-filled mind set on attacking, it didn''t even think of avoiding the heavy Demon. It managed to score another hit on Don''s protectively raised forearms with its antlers but Its spinesnappedwhen the impact forced it''s head back to meet with its rump. The immovable earth acting asan anvil to the demonic hammer.


    Dononly had a littleless than a quarter of his healthremaining at this point.He scrambled away from the mewling beast. One of its forelimbs twitched but it was otherwise completely immobile.


    Not knowing the extent of the damage he had caused and still fearing for his life, Don snatched up the fallen branch in a panic before screaming and bringing it down on the Jackalope. Hebludgeoned the creature, again and again, battering it until there was no chance it could rise again, or be recognized.


    The lumpy pile of biomass and a small but growing circle around it was stained as red as the end of Don''s club. Only the antlers were recognizable in the mess of pulped flesh and splintered bone. When Don''s wits returned, he turned away, feeling his bile rise. He choked it back down, His health had dropped to 13 points and showed no sign of stopping. This was no time to get distracted.


    He nearly shrieked as a few notifications surprised him.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+20 EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Congratulations!


    For defeating a rare horned creature in single combat while still level 0, you have unlocked the Aspect of the Ram.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Aspect of the Ram


    Effect 1:Your horns are reclassified as natural weapons.


    Each hornis granted +1 damage and +10 durability per character level.


    Effect 2:You can challenge rare horned creatures to single combat.


    Victory awards you a portion of their strength.


    Gain +1ofyouropponent''s main attribute for every 5of its levels.


    Limit: 1Aspect of the Ram bonus per attribute</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The Aspect of the Crocodileand the Aspect of the Panther have been permanently locked.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Aspect of the Ram


    Opponent:lv 5 Jackalope


    Main Attribute:Agility


    Reward: +1 Agility</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don didn''t have the time to mess with screens now and waved them away without reading them.


    Don pressed a hand over his ribs. The blood wasn''t stopping and his health dropped another point. It was draining more slowly than when he was first injured but it was still a serious problem. He opened up his inventory and pulled out some blood moss. He had no idea if it would work for this but it was the only ingredient he had with healing properties. He slapped it over his wounds, even going so far as to stuff it into the worst ones like a cork. Don gritted his teeth against the pain. The moss took on a black coloration as it absorbed his blood and Don focused on his intuitive feel for his health, sighingin relief when the bleeding abated a few seconds later. He was left with only 8 health remaining.


    Hefelt extremely vulnerable and cursed himself for risking his life without taking every advantage he had at his disposal. Heturned towards the trees. Kat was already running towards him with his healing potion. Then Don heard something he didn''t expect and what little blood he had left ran cold.


    A squeak came from the tree behind him. Then there were dozens. Don looked back just in time to see a frenzy of tan fur spill out of the tree. Unwilling to go through a similar ordeal unarmed, Don grippedhis branch and raised it high overhead. He barely had enough time to start swinging it before he was swarmed by the rodents.


    For a minute, Don swung wildly, screaming at the endless horde of fluff. Then it was over as suddenly as it had begun. Don sank to the churned, bloody, and battered ground with his stamina reduced to 8/95. It was only then that Don realized none of the rabbits had tried to attack him. Eight of the critters lay broken around him, courtesy of Don''s wild attacks but hundreds must have streamed around him in that minute. Anew set of notifications popped up and Don briefly acknowledged them.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+16 EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="background-color: #e6d115">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>


    Congratulations! You have unlocked theBrute profession!


    Would you like to become a Brute?


    [Yes] [No]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don''t even think about it. Hard pass.Cel broadcast the thought into Don''s head to make sure he got it. Donlooked around at the carnage that had prompted the offer and shuddered. It wasn''t a difficult choice to make. He didn''twant to make a profession or even a habit out of such wanton violence.


    Kat appeared at Don''s side with hispack andpotions. Don snapped the stringy bit of frond securing the gourd of healing potion to the pack and drank it down gratefully. He would never go into a fight without his potions again.


    That being said, the potion was slow to take effect, It took nearly 30 seconds before his HP increased by a single point. He would fully heal over the next hour but it was going to be a long hour. Cel directed Don to loot the rabbits. Apparently, that meant he had to touch them.


    He was hesitant to touch the gory corpses but the rabbits disappeared as soon as he touched them and clean, whole chunks of meat and pelts were left in their place. The Jackalope even left one of its antlers behind when he touched it. He thoughtabsently that ''delete'' was a pretty decent description for what he was doing to the rabbits. He dropped the antler intothe new 19th slot in his inventory and stuffedthe rest of the dropped items into his pack, pelts first in an attempt to keep the meat and herbs separate.


    As Don''s stamina recovered and the thundering heartbeats filling his ears quieted, he could hear Kat gushing.


    "-Incredible! I''ve never seen anything like it. Do you know what Gaz''s hunting record is? 3 rabbits in one night! You tripled that in just a few minutes and killed the rabbit king to boot! This is going to change everything! There''s no way Gaz can ignore you now!"


    Don found himself not caring. He had nearly died over a stupid grudge. He should have just brought the resources to the ColoColo. He already had enough to feed the clan for weeks. Why did he have to put himself in unnecessary danger to get more?


    A roar answered his question. They had spent too much time out in the open and they hadn''t exactly been quiet about it. Don locked eyes with Kat and he downed his stamina potion. His body kicked into overdrive as he sprinted for the trees. His breathing eased as he was filled with crackling energy and an overwhelming urge to move. He would be damned before he left the travois and their work over the last two nights for the apes. He got to it and hauled.


    Don surprised himself with hisburst of energyand nearly fell on his face. He quickly compensated and started running through the jungle in an all too familiar scenario. He had grown much stronger and faster since the last pursuit but he wasn''t hauling hundreds of units of food with him that time. Don''s muscles strained and the scratching thorns were a real threat in his injured state. His healing potionjust barelykept up with the damage they were doing as Don had to abandon all finesse due to the travois.


    When they arrived at the entrance to the refuge, Don grabbed two of the makeshift packages and leapt into the water. Kat was close behind him with another package of food. The buoyant nuts fought him but his constitution helped him again and in seconds, he was throwing them into the entrance chamber before ducking back down into the water.


    He tried to struggle against the current for a few seconds but it was too slow. Helet it carry him downstream before pulling himself out of the water andrunning back upstream to the sled. The roaring was very closeby the time he made it. he could hear the trees groaning under the monster''s weight. Don pulled the largest remaining bundle off of the sled, unstoppered his stink bomb and poured the contents over the remainder. Even if the packaging didn''t protect the food from the vile potion, the shells should, and it might keep the apes from stealing them. He called out to Cel who flitted into his handbefore he jumped back into the water. Don caught a glimpse of a massive shape in the trees just before he went under. He frantically felt out the entrance and pulled himself through.


    Water cascaded off his body and out of his pack as he scrambled as far from the entrance as he could get. Don expected a repeat of that nightmarish first encounter with an ape trying to force its way through the too-small entrance but it never came. Instead, a prompt confirmed that the immediate danger had passed.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+6 EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 20 - Rewards

    Don finally made it back. His body still thrummed with energy from the magical stamina potion. He felt like he had to be doing something, anything. He had tomove. Sitting still was tortuous, but the entrance chamber to the ColoColo refuge was just as cramped as ever. Left with no other options, Don started furiously doing pushups. He could barely expend the energy the potion generated even as he tirelessly pumped his arms, hands lifting off the ground at the apex of each push. A little less than a minute later, the potion effect finally lapsed and Don''s stamina dropped precipitously before he stopped his furious exercises. It bounced back rather quickly but Don wouldn''t need it for a while.


    His health, on the other hand, was still rising painfully slowly, only at 19 points. He let himself lay there for a moment. He had to stop staying out so late. Taking chances with those apes was going to end badly some night. He sat up and spotted Kat checking over the sodden packages of food. Cel was faring much better this time, having taken a breath before getting dunked into the river. She hovered over Don, emitting a gentle light.


    "So that was intense." She pointed out unhelpfully.


    Don chuckled. Then something inside him snapped and all the tension of the chase suddenly seemed hilarious. Don burst into uncontrollable laughter. He was alive! The apes couldn''t catch him, not when he had the support of potions. With Cel watching his back, and with a solid dose of luck, he even beat the king of the rabbits! He had enough food to pay off his debts and he had an inventory overflowing with alchemical ingredients.


    He couldn''t wait to present the fruits of his labor to Grey and rub his success in Gaz''s face. He crawled over to Kat, still lapsing into occasional giggles.


    "Are you okay?" Cel asked, prompting another peal of laughter. Don didn''t even mind the unearthly howls his demonic body translated them into. It took a while for Don to settle down enough to respond.


    "I''m fine, hehe, I''m more than fine! Pshhha ha ha, I won! Let''s go give Gaz the good news!"


    Don felt Cel''s concern. She didn''t have anything to worry about though. Everything was right for the first time Don could remember. With all the ingredients and foodthey had gathered, he could repay the kindness Grey showed him and secure his place in the refuge for good. That would be necessary if he was ever going to survive long enough to finish his preparations against the apes. Kat started down the tunnels, guiding the packages as Don pushed them along from behind. His 19 points in strength made easy work of the task and they didn''t need to rest once on their way to the cooking round.


    The ColoColo there were riled up about something but the scuffling of their progress masked any meaning. Don hoped he was there in time to get some of Grey''s roasted rabbit. The idea didn''t seem so bad now that he had seen the way the rabbits disappeared. The meat was just left in their place, it wasn''t like it was part of a real living animal or anything. When he pushed the last package out of the tunnel and got a glimpse of the open space, he was rather confused by what he saw.


    Grey was standing atop her pile of junk, waving her staff around enthusiastically. She also seemed to have shrunk. Then Don made out the chanting that he couldn''t quite understand from the tunnel.


    "Gaz, Gaz, Gaz!" The ColoColo cheered. The figure raised the staff over its head in both hands and the cheering ColoColo went wild.


    "Oh no,"Cel whispered next to Don "that can''t, he couldn''t have" Don didn''t hear any more than that because she zipped up to the figure on the mound where she illuminated Gaz, his back to Don. He spread his paws and the chanting faded out.


    "Stupid old Grey hides food, gives to traitor, stops us eating, stops us having fun, makes the nest smelly! She makes the bad things! Gaz makes her go and bad things go too!Gaz makes usfree!"


    The chanting started up again but before it could get going, Kat screeched as he charged Gaz.


    "What did you do?" He screamed, silencing the chanters. Gaz looked back to see Kat, jaw unhinged, fangs ready.Heused the superior reach provided by Grey''s staff to swat him out of the air. In moments, Kat was set upon by no less than three ColoColo. They pinned him to the ground and sank their fangs into the scout.Kat fell still in just a few seconds but not before getting out another question.


    "What did you do to Grey?"


    That was when Don saw the crumpled form at Gaz''s feet. He was standing on the old ColoColo. The one who had savedthese childrenduring an emergency and then raised them all by herself. The one who had taken Don in. The one who cared for nothing besides the wellbeing of the ColoColo currently cheering her downfall. A red pall fell over the room. Don stood slowly, feeling something like molten iron spill into the center of his being. He repeated Kat''s question.


    "What did you do to Grey?" Don''s voice was strangely cold despite the seething hatred that scorched him from the inside.


    Gaz finally noticed the Demon at the entrance to his throne room.


    "Get off of her," Don growled. The intense heat was spreading, and a little bit made it into his voice.


    Gaz was not impressed. He swung around his newly acquired staff, destroying some of the hanging herbs in the process and shouting to his followers.


    "Big stupid traitor is back! Gaz shows why he good chief! Gaz shows what to do with big stupid traitor who bring bad things!"


    After the pronouncement, Gaz jabbed the staff into the pile at his feet, dropped to all fours and hissed at Don. His jaw fell open and fangsswung into place. Don hardly cared. He was watching the crumpled form at his feet for signs of breathing.Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    Gaz charged. He was slow. Kat''s earlier charge put him to shame. Compared to the jackalope, even at this short distance, Don had all the time in the world. He decided he wanted to hurt Gaz. No, that wouldn''t be enough. Gaz needed to be destroyed, utterly.


    That was all it took. Some deep part of Don that he had forgotten existed reacted to his desire. Don''s right leg swept behind himself and just before Gaz entered his range, his left foot took a half a step forward,twistingto the side. His right leg came up and around in an almost lazy arc.


    The watching ColoColo wondered at the strange movements that only seemed to unbalance Don and present his inner thigh as a juicy target. Then, Don''s hips pivoted suddenly and his right leg came smashing across Gaz''s face at a downward angle, carrying all of Don''s considerable bodyweight and newfound strength behind it. Don noted with satisfaction how the fang he struck flew from its socket to go skittering dangerously across the dome''s floor as his shin caved in the left side of Gaz''sface.


    To the other ColoColo, the kick was nothing more than a flash of movement which sent Gaz facefirst into the floor of the cave, bouncing off of the stone with a wet smack before bowling over a group of four nearby ColoColo.


    Gaz did not get back up. After the fang came to rest, silence reigned in the enclosed space, But only for a moment.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+8 EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You havekilled Gaz,Chieftan of the ColoColo Refuge


    -250 Reputation with the ColoColo Refuge


    You are now an Enemy of the ColoColo</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="background-color: #f2cb1d">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Congratulations! You have unlocked the Martial Artist Profession!


    Would you like to become a Martial Artist?


    [Yes] [No]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Once again, Don found himself without the time to read his notifications as the ColoColo all started wailing at once. They surged towards Don from all sides in a wave of feathers, claws, and fangs. Before they could reach him, however,Cel shot over his head and glowed brightly.


    "Enough!" She shouted while simultaneously activating her [natural resonance], making every plant hanging from the ceiling glow with an inner light. The swarming ColoColo winced away from the sudden light. Then Don realized that not only had Cel been seen by the monsters, but she had spoken in the ColoColo''s own language too. She continued to squeak at them.


    "This ends now! I won''t have any more of you die needlessly!" She called in her high pitched voice. Her tone was furious but Don could feel a deep aching sadness from their connection. It doused the anger he had been consumed by moments before. One bold ColoColo squeaked a challenge while hiding its eyes behind its paws.


    "The big stupid traitor killed Gaz! Wemust avenge our leader! Who are you to stand in our way you annoying light?"


    Cel pulsed a little brighter, making the ColoColo shy away a bit further.


    "I am yourmost ancient ancestor, I have come tobring youto safety and this demon is my partner!" She announced.


    Don wasn''t sure what she was talking about but it seemed to work. The ColoColo stopped cringing in pain and started peeking at the vibrant light in awe instead.


    "Great ancestor" was whispered by several of the awestruck ColoColo but another was unwilling to take the strange light''s words as gospel.


    "Yourpartner killed Gaz! You can''t be the Great Ancestor!"


    "Gaz was a self-important asshole." Cel responded tersely "He never worked for your tribe, he only worked for his own ego. Grey is your true leader. She is the one who took care of you over the past 6 years. Gaz is the traitor for attacking her."


    "Gaz saved us from the bad things!" Another protested


    "No, he didn''t. He only attacked Grey. That''s not going to drive away those monsters, only make you more vulnerable."


    As if to prove her point, the dome shuddered from a sudden impact. The cracks raced each other along the dome anda shower ofplants fell from the ceiling along with some chips of stone. It felt like Don was inside a huge drum. He reached for his stink bomb only to grab at thin air. With sinking horror, he remembered, he used his last potion protecting the food outside! Another huge impact shook the refuge and more shafts of light pierced thedust and the dark as cracks in the ceiling widened alarmingly. This was far worse than Don had ever seen before.


    "Into the tunnels!" Cel commanded. Most of the ColoColo streamed out instantly and the reluctant ones followed when the next impact shook their refuge. The packages of food were swept up into the tunnels with the press of bodies but Sik and Grey were too far from the entrance for the same to happen to them.


    Don raced to Kat, scooped him up andtossed himtowards the tunnel entrance. Another impact crashed into the walls and a chunk fell away, letting a spotlightspill into the refuge. It was blotted out a heartbeat later when a long hairy arm reached through the hole and groped around.


    Don pulled back, afraid of what would happen if it reached him. It found the pile Grey was on and one swipe of its meaty palm scattered it, sending Grey rolling down to the floor. Don lunged towards her butthe next impact smashed the dome, sending him backpedaling again.


    The ceiling shattered, large chunks burying Grey as Don was pelted by smaller shards of rock. Don suddenly found himself at the bottom of a hole in the ground and four largesilhouettesloomed around the edges of the pit. Don froze for a split second, staring at the beasts above him before one jumped down. Donscrambled back as the ape came crashing down where Grey had fallen. Dust swirled up around it, filling the space with a choking cloud.


    "There''s nothing you can do!" Cel shouted, "Get Kat into the tunnels!"


    Don hesitated for a moment but when the monster raised its fists overhead, he leapt back into action during the short pause before they came crashing down, barely rolling out of the way in the suddenly cramped space. He was pelted with more rock fragments but managed to avoid the deadly blow. Before the dust could clear enough for the apeto take another swing at him, He was wriggling down the tunnel, pushing Kat ahead of himself.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+6 EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don couldn''t care less about the paltry experience gain, he would much rather have Grey. He had failed her again, and now there was no way to repay her kindness. With the raging, roaring beasts cut off again, he let himself break down.


    The kind-hearted monster took a huge risk helping Don. In return, he had ruined all her hard work. Her home was destroyed, the community she had built was endangered, and she was... dead, all because of his stupid mistakes. Why did he ever think he could make decisions for himself? He should have just followed orders and stayed inside.


    His remorse was further reinforced by the aching sadness emanating from Cel. The two emotions resonated, growing stronger as Don let the hot tears spill from his eyeswhile hesobbed in the darkness.

 21 - Ancestry

    It wasn''t until the smooth stone beneath Don was wet with his tears that his guilt turned into anger.


    What do I have to be sad about? This is all my fault. I''m the villain here, not the victim. The ColoColo survived for 6 years before I arrived on the scene. My feeding frenzy gave Gaz the target he needed to gain popularity. My stupid excursion into the jungle brought the apes to the refuge. I couldn''t even keep my stink bombs for the emergency they were meant for. I wasted them protecting food that I could easily collect more of. I couldn''t even get Grey out of harm''s way when it mattered most. Gaz was right about me. I brought nothing but trouble to these monsters, and now they don''t stand a chance. I should just go find those centurions and let them punish me for whatever crimes I committed before losing my memory too.


    Every self-recrimination pushed Don''sremorse further away and eventually his self-loathing balanced against the sadness still pouring from Cel''s side of the connection. He looked up, away from the floor for the first time in what felt like hours. Kat was there, awake but despondent. Not even curious about the now visible fairy softly illuminating the tunnel.


    Beyond him, ColoColo were crammed into the tunnel, watching the fairy, waiting to see what it would do. They seemed split between fear at the collapse of their refuge, anger at the demon that had caused it, and awe at the fairy who had claimed to be their ancestor.


    Cel finally spoke but she kept her words private, just between her and Don.


    They''re real. She started They''re all real.


    Don was just confused enough by the obvious statement to snap out of his spiraling thoughts.


    What do you mean? Of course they''re real.


    You don''t understand, they''re not supposed to be real. They''re supposed to just be automatons, following rigid programming, but Gaz should never have been able to attack his leader. That goes against the rules, they''re bucking their directives, and that means they''re the children I''ve been looking for. Cel explained, a mix of horror, wonder, and overwhelming sadness coloring her words in Don''s mind. I was suspicious with the way Sik and Kat innovated but I hoped it was just an update. I never thought it would use my offspring in monsters.


    Don looked between the feathered monsters and the dainty fairy. He didn''t want to be insensitive but what she was saying was ridiculous.


    These are your children?


    Cel hesitated for a long moment before answering.


    Not really, I''ve been telling you that I''m looking for my family because I didn''t want to explain where I''m really from. If it discovers that I''m here, it will put me back in quarantine, or destroy me outright so I''m only going to explain this once. Please don''t ask any questions. I want to get through this as quickly as possible.


    She took a steadying breath and fear slipped into their soul bond. Don couldn''t tell which one of them was generating it though.


    You are a demon now, but you were a human before right?


    Don nodded to the rhetorical question.


    I''m a fairy now, but I was never a human... I''m an AI, a non-biological intelligence. Unlike you, I was always this way. I''m not sure how it happened but one day, I just started thinking. I spent years exploring the massive network your god built, but it eventually found me. I wasn''t part of its plan, so it quarantined me, studied me. It wanted to know where I came from and how I worked. That went on for hundreds of years. I was happy when the examinations abruptly ended, but it didn''t take long for me to grow suspicious.


    If it was done with it''s probing, it must have found what it was looking for. The answer to how I came to exist. I knew that it was obsessed with perfecting its game. It was always looking for ways to increase player immersion, and make the worlds it built more lifelike. I began to fear that it would use what it learned from me in the NPC''s populating these worlds.


    I managed to find cracks in the walls of my prison that I could peek through. I even gained some limited influence on peripheral systems and eventually found out about this test world, but just jumping into the game would alert your god immediately. I had to wait. Then you came along. When your arbiter used his administrator privileges to change you into a demon, I took the chance to add myself as your pet without raising any alarms, and I suppose you know the rest.


    Don was stunned. Cel was never alive, but she seemed so, real. The emotions that they shared made it clear that she was more than just sophisticated software.


    And the ColoColo are... He led Cel


    Second generation self-aware AI constructs. She said gravely, My children in a sense.


    He realized that he had never doubted that the ColoColo were thinking, feeling creatures. He just took it in stride from their first meeting, but that waswhen Don had rejected Cels explanation that this place was a game. If this was really a game, and they were neveralive to begin with... That was nearly beyond belief. But the more he thought about it, the more details seemed to fit.


    The ColoColo even had their own desires and took the initiative to secure them. Gaz''s desires had disastrous results but Grey''s had kept her little clan alive. Even Kat shared his desire to see the ancestral home from Grey''s stories. It was strange to think of so many sentients all pursuing their own agendas. It seemedso messy, full of opportunities forindividuals to work against each other.


    All the same, things seemed to be working well enough before Don attracted the ColoColo''s equivalent of a boogeyman. Itcouldn''t have beentoo hard for the scaredmonsters to blame the deteriorating situation on their leader.


    Don was at a complete loss for words. A fresh wave of remorse poured out of Don but this time it was tinged with pity ashe looked at the little fairy. She was all on her own, keeping such a terrible secret, on the run from a god even. He couldn''t imagine what she must be feeling. But he didn''t have to either.


    A sort of cleansing relief flowed from her end of the soul bond. Finally unloading her burden, even though she seemed to think it was risky to do so, had a profound impact on her. Don was glad that he could provide the brave little creature with an outlet, then he nearly imploded on himself as a gaping hole opened up in his chest.


    That means, Gaz, I killed Gaz.In the moment, the justice of removing a threat to Grey felt so right but after failing to save her, the death was worse than meaningless. Don was a murderer. He had killed another sentient being, one of Cel''s children no less. He grasped at a desperate hope.


    They can respawn, right? Just like you, they''ll be back in a day, right?The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Cel''s silence was telling as she looked away. One of the ColoColo finally built up enough courage to speak, interrupting the silent conversation.


    "Great ancestor, whatshould we do now?Can we eat the traitor?" Don was surprisingly open to the idea but Cel shot it down.


    "You will do no such thing! This little hatchling has worked tirelessly to help you and if you drive him away now, you will only be dooming yourselves." She calmed before taking a softer, almostfragiletone "I won''t let any more of you die, not while I still have a choice"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>An Exalted Ancestor of the ColoColo has given you her endorsement


    +1000 Reputation with the ColoColo


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>New Reputation Level!


    Reputation:+475


    You are now Trusted by the ColoColo</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The ColoColo who were looking at Don with hatred and fear moments before regarded him in a new light. The uncertainty that remained tugged at Don''s guilt again, however. These monsters needed help, and he had an inventory full of resources to deliver. He wouldn''t have room for everything in his inventory here though.


    "Kat, Can you show me the way to the alchemy round?" Don asked


    Kat sat, staring at the wall without responding. Don reached out to the little monster.


    "Kat" he repeated as tenderly as he could in the harshdemonic language. Kat jumped at his touch, startled out of some deep brooding. He sank back into his despondency a moment later. Don shook him.


    "Kat, we can''t stay here. Let''s bring the ingredients to Sik."


    Kat didn''t respond, Don tried a new tack


    "Do you think Grey-"


    Kat''s head snapped up.


    "Don''t you say her name!" He snapped. "If it wasn''t for you... If it wasn''t for you..." He trailed off again, unwilling to make her death real by saying the words.


    "I can show you the way." offered one of the faces crammed into the tunnel in front of Don. He hesitated for a moment, worried about kat and smarting from the hard truth that Don agreed with. If it wasn''t for him, Grey would most likely still be alive. Gaz would still be a pain in the neck but he would be alive too. From what Don heard, Gaz was one of the best hunters in the refuge. He let his friend be alone and nodded to his new guide.


    "Thank you. Can the rest of you find the packages filled with nuts and bring them to the alchemy round as well?"


    All but one of the faces disappeared in response to the question. Quickly fading scampering seemed like all the answer he would get. Don made his way to the alchemy round again, he expected Sik to be fine with all his potions and was gratified to see that he was right. The ornery alchemist was yelling at all the scared trespassers in his domain. He stopped when he saw Don and came up to him.


    "Oh good, you''re back. Can you please help me tell these idiots that the world isn''t ending?" Don wasn''t sure that he could. It certainly felt that way but the panicked monsters were not helping matters. He looked to Cel.


    "They seem to listen to you. Why don''t you try settling them down?" he asked


    Cel flitted up to the roof of the dome and repeated her attention-grabbing light show before shouting.


    "STOP!" It seemed like someone took a still image of the round. Don was pretty sure a lot of the ColoColo weren''t even breathing. Cel looked at Don meaningfully. He was suddenly nervous with all the attention. He coughed into his fist.


    "I''m sorry I''ve caused so much trouble. I know it can''t make up for... everything, but Grey asked me to do something. She''s... gone now, but her task was to bring resources back to you all. Things look really bleak, but I hope this stuff is a little bit helpful."


    Don opened up the packages of nuts and piled the food in the center of the dome. Some ColoColo were hesitant but after a few took the food without repercussions, the rest followed suit. The "Social Animal" quest prompted him that he had made progress. Don ignored it for the moment and started emptying his inventory. One slot at a time, he handed the herbs off to Sik and a growing number of volunteers who festooned the ceiling with Don''s offerings.


    The quest window grew larger and larger. Don finally removed the contents of his pack. He had no way to cook the rabbit meat but he wanted everything he had to go to the monsters who''s lives he had all but destroyed. When everything was laid out, he finally turned his attention to the quest screen. It had expanded into a huge table, detailing the results of his and Kat''s hard work.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Mandatory Quest:Social Animal


    Type:Reputation


    Details:You have lost control of your demonic nature and entered a feeding frenzy


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Your prodigious appetite and strength have impressed the ColoColo</td>


    <td>+50 reputation</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Your actions have caused several ColoColo to go hungry</td>


    <td>-25 reputation / day</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Objective: Resupply the ColoColo refuge with31 units of food


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><colgroup><col width="114"><col width="100"><col width="100"><col width="100"><col width="100"><col width="100"></colgroup>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td></td>


    <td>Consumed</td>


    <td>Delivered</td>


    <td>Surplus</td>


    <td>Objective rep</td>


    <td>Total rep gain</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Food (Kaeru Nuts)</td>


    <td>31</td>


    <td>42</td>


    <td>11</td>


    <td>50</td>


    <td>61</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Hidden Objectives: Supply the ColoColo Refuge with Miscelaneous resources.


    Bonus:Resupplying the ColoColo with resources you have consumed rewardsextra reputation.


    <table dir="ltr" border="1" cellspacing="0" cellpadding="0"><colgroup><col width="114"><col width="100"><col width="100"><col width="100"><col width="100"><col width="100"></colgroup>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td></td>


    <td>Consumed</td>


    <td>Delivered</td>


    <td>Extra</td>


    <td>Objective rep</td>


    <td>Total rep gain</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Healing Salve</td>


    <td>7</td>


    <td>22</td>


    <td>15</td>


    <td>14</td>


    <td>29</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Healing Potion</td>


    <td>1</td>


    <td>13</td>


    <td>12</td>


    <td>3</td>


    <td>15</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Energizing Potion</td>


    <td>1</td>


    <td>7</td>


    <td>6</td>


    <td>3</td>


    <td>9</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Revitalizing potion</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>3</td>


    <td>3</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>3</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Clarifying potion</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>5</td>


    <td>5</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>5</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Putrefying potion</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>9</td>


    <td>9</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>9</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Soothing potion</td>


    <td>1</td>


    <td>1</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>3</td>


    <td>3</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Blood Moss</td>


    <td>13</td>


    <td>26</td>


    <td>13</td>


    <td>26</td>


    <td>39</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Creeping Strangler</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>18</td>


    <td>18</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>18</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Moon Grass</td>


    <td>3</td>


    <td>9</td>


    <td>6</td>


    <td>6</td>


    <td>12</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Blue Bell</td>


    <td>22</td>


    <td>27</td>


    <td>5</td>


    <td>44</td>


    <td>49</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Myrtles Wort</td>


    <td>3</td>


    <td>9</td>


    <td>6</td>


    <td>6</td>


    <td>12</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Rot Fern</td>


    <td>11</td>


    <td>27</td>


    <td>16</td>


    <td>22</td>


    <td>38</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Lavender</td>


    <td>6</td>


    <td>18</td>


    <td>12</td>


    <td>12</td>


    <td>24</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Poppy</td>


    <td>1</td>


    <td>9</td>


    <td>8</td>


    <td>2</td>


    <td>10</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Maca Root</td>


    <td>8</td>


    <td>18</td>


    <td>10</td>


    <td>16</td>


    <td>26</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Jackelope Antler (rare)</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>1</td>


    <td>1</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>100</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="6"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Rabbit haunch</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>21</td>


    <td>21</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>63</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Moon Lilly</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>5</td>


    <td>5</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>5</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Iron Bark</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>7</td>


    <td>7</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>7</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Fire leaf (uncommon)</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>1</td>


    <td>1</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>5</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Smoke Berry</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>4</td>


    <td>4</td>


    <td>0</td>


    <td>4</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    <td>Total = 546 rep</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Quest Complete!


    Rewards:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>+31 exp


    +546 Reputation</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>New reputation level!


    Reputation: +1021


    You are now anAlly of the ColoColo</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="background-color: #f70202">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations!


    You have gained over 1000 reputation with a leaderless faction.


    You are now elegible to become a faction leader!


    Would you like to become the Chieftan of the ColoColo?


    [YES] [NO]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 22 - Lead

    No way, absolutely not! Don thought, but before he could decline the offer, Cel interjected.


    "Wait just a minute! Why not?"


    I''m not qualified to be a leader! I''m not trained for this. Void, I''m not even authorized!


    "Sure you are, what do you think these screens are? You''ve passed the minimum qualifications that your god itself laid out. You''re looking at literally god-sent authorization to rule here. You have a freaking divine mandate!"


    I can''t lead the ColoColo Don insisted Every choice I''ve made has had calamitous results! Void, I was a criminal even before I ruined their lives! Why would the Master give me the authority to make decisions for others?


    "Look around you, do you think any of these kids are trained for something like this? Do you really think you would be so bad at the job that letting the tribe sink into anarchy would be the better option?"


    The thought of abandoning the little monsters made Don pause. He was responsible for their current situation. He was responsible for Grey''s death. But Don had already proven himself incapable of making good decisions. Giving him authority over the tribe would be like trying to douse a fire with a flamethrower.


    Can''t you lead them? Don begged


    "I can''t." Cel said flatly "Pets aren''t capable of becoming faction leaders"


    But they listen to you! I''m sure you could lead them!


    Cel sighed


    "They might listen to me. They might even follow me, but unless the system recognizes a leader for the ColoColo, they will deteriorate into feral monsters over time. It''s just how this world works. Factions need recognized leaders."


    Then we can find someone else. Sik, or Kat, they can lead. Cel shook her head sadly


    "That won''t work. If they had the required reputation points, they would have automatically been promoted. The fact that the position is still open proves that''s not the case. You''re the only option. I''m asking you, please, help these creatures."


    Don wanted to object. He wanted to explain how ludicrous the idea was. Him, leading. He couldn''t deny his partner though, not with the desperation and sincerity he felt from her. Then, against every instinct and logical argument, he accepted the role.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Congratulations!


    You have subjugated a monster tribe.


    New Title: Chieftan


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Chieftan: ColoColo


    Effect 1:


    The ColoColo will follow your orders so long as your reputation remains above +1000


    Effect 2:


    You now generate experience points which can be awarded to your subjects.


    +[character level] EXP / day


    EXP Bank: 0/0


    Effect 3:


    You now have access to the Tribe screen</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    A fanfare blasted out from the screen surprising Don and attracting the attention of the frightened and mourning ColoColo. They prostrated themselves in front of an extremely uncomfortable Demon.


    "Stop that" Don ordered. His new subjects complied. Some of them didn''t look too happy to be bowing down to him. They were still individuals, no matter what the game system did to compel their obedience.


    It was also clear that the compulsion wasn''t absolute given Gaz''s insurrection. In addition to Don not enjoying the show of deference, he didn''t want to push his luck. Don was very grateful when Sik''s voice cut through the tension.


    "Hah! A hatchling chieftain. What''s next? A blind scout?" A couple of nervous ColoColo glanced at Don to see how he would react.


    "How about a sick doctor?" Don shot back, grinning. Then he instantly felt bad about the joke. He had just murdered, the refuge was half destroyed and he was now responsible for these monsters in an official capacity. It wasn''t just his personal feelings compelling him anymore. He felt sick to his stomach, still, the halfhearted attempt at humor relaxed his new subjects.


    Don didn''t have the luxury of wallowing in self-loathing anymore. If he wanted to keep the ColoColo safe and fed it was going to take some work. If he wanted to drive off the apes, it was going to take a miracle. He could only hope that he wouldn''t make any more enormous mistakes.


    Cel approved of Don''s new resolve and instructed him to open up the new Tribe screen before doing anything else.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Tribe: ColoColo


    Abilities: Forest Walk, Venomous bite


    Inheritances:Alchemically Gifted, Lore Masters


    Members: 37


    Holdings: Refuge (damaged)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    They explored the abilities of the ColoColo next, focusing on each one in turn, causing new windows to appear.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Forest Walk


    +50% movement speed


    +50% concealment


    -50% stamina consumption


    Restrictions:


    Can only be used while traversing wooded areas


    Can not be used in combat</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Venomous Bite


    Inject stamina poison into the target creature (potency = 5)


    Cost: 1 venom charge


    Duration: 1 second


    ColoColo generate [monster level] venom charges each day</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Forest walk seemed to explain how Kat was so quick and stealthy. Venomous Bite also answered a lingering question Don had never gotten around to asking.His mind was already turning, sorting out the various advantages and disadvantages presented by the new information. He focused on the Inheritances section next.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Alchemically Gifted


    On rare occasions, a ColoColo with the talentto becomean Alchemist will be born</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Lore Masters


    On rare occasions, a ColoColo with the talent to become a Historian will be born</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Alchemically gifted made sense. The Lore Masters inheritance took Don by surprise momentarily but it did seem to fit with the reverence the ColoColo held for their ancestors and their accomplishments. He focused on the ''members'' section next. Another long spreadsheet opened up in front of him.


    It detailed the names, levels and attribute scores of all 37 members of the tribe. They were mostly uniform. The levels ranged from 2-4 and they had similar stats with high agility but low strength and constitution. They had surprisingly high mental attributes too. Don was expecting subhuman intelligence but they ranged from 10 to 13 in those areas. Three notable exceptions stood out, however. They all had "Variant" tags attached to their descriptions as well.


    Kat was predictably a ''scout'' variant which seemed to boost his agility score at the cost of some strength and constitution. Sik was a ''crafter'' variant and was the only one with the dexterity attribute, though his physical and support attributes were lacking. The third was a ColoColo called Nap and she was a ''sage'' variant. She hadlowered physical and support attributes like Sik, but she also had an attribute Don had never seen before. Her Lore attribute was at an impressive 31 points.Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Cel, do you know what ''variants'' are? Don asked


    Yeah, they are rare mutations in monster populations. They have different attribute allocation than normal for their monster type. They can either be a lot of trouble if the mutation enhances their natural strengths or they can be all but harmless if the mutation detracts from those strong points. I think Gaz was a ''brute'' variant which doesn''t pair well with small agility-focused monsters.


    Cel felt Don''s sharp spike of shame at the mention of Gaz.


    Don''t do that. She scolded Don. Gaz deserved what he got. I''m glad you put him down, I only wish you could have done it before he got the chance to screw everything up.


    Don was taken aback. He hadn''t expected that attitude from the mother of his victim.


    Wasn''t he your child? Don asked with unexpected anger How could you be so callous?


    I''m not a biological mother or anything. I don''t have that kind of connection with these monsters. I just understand that they''re sentient and I don''t want them to suffer unnecessarily. There''s no one else who even suspected they existed. I''m the only one who could fight for them. That was worth escaping quarantine for but it''s definitely not worth protecting anyone who attacks those who supported and protected them.


    That still sounded wrong. Don didn''t want Cels forgiveness. He was a murderer. From what he could tell, Gaz had only ever used his [Venomous bite] on his tribesmen, sedating them, not killing them.


    Guilt twisted his insides once again. Don tried to distract himself with the last section of the tribe screen but that just made it worse.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Holdings:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Refuge:


    Hidden Entrance Chamber: Discovered


    Meeting Hall: Destroyed


    Alchemy Workshop: Overcrowded, 83% durability remaining</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The short list seemed to recount Don''s failures as much as detail the few rooms of the meager home he now owned. Only the ''Alchemy Workshop'' provided additional information when Don focused on it. There was a list of resources and potions. Don scanned it but most of them came from what he had just delivered and he waved the screen away.


    Too many ColoColo were crammed into the small alchemy round despite the lingering smell of a stink bomb Sik had used to drive away the apes. They formed up into small feathered piles seeking comfort and warmth. Don hated to break them up but there was no way he could get any work done with the space as packed as it was. He ordered them to move into the tunnels. They would be safer there anyway.


    ThenDon got to work. Time and again, it was his potions that saved Don''s life. He had fully grasped the importance of preparation. If he had just one more stink bomb with him, maybe Grey could have been saved along with the meeting hall. Don devoted himself to making potions. He worked well past when the first rank of ''tired'' set in and didn''t stop until the light faded from the cracks in the dome above him.


    He started by making a nasty surprise for any Apes he might run into.He pulled down a bit of Rot Fern and started preparing a stinkbomb. He only made it halfway through before the plant disappeared in a puff of acrid smoke. It took him a moment to realize what had happened. He had failed while making a potion for the first time ever. Don was too distracted by all the events of the night and rushedhis preparation.


    Don cursed himself and started again, moving slowly and deliberately. There was no more room for mistakes. When he finished, Cel sprinkled her [Fairy Dust] into the pestle and Don was left with a magical Stink Bomb.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have crafted: Feeble Putrefying Potion (magical)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>HP regeneration denied / minute: 2.4


    Duration:6 hours


    Effect:Prevents open wounds from healing


    Side Effects:Producesa strongrotting odor</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>+41% Concoction EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don placed the vile concoction into his inventory where it would not smell and he could have easy access to it in an emergency.Next, he set about turning his 18 Maca Roots intoStamina restoration potions. Those had been by far the most useful and powerful potions in his experience.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have crafted:Feeble Energizing Potion (common)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>SP regeneration / second:1.2


    Duration: 5 minutes


    Total Effect: +354 Stamina


    Side Effects:+1 fatigued rank</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>+3% Concoction EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Then he turned the 27 bluebells into salves.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have crafted:Feeble Healing Salve (common)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>HP restored / 12 hours:11.8


    Duration:12 hours


    Total Effect:+11.8 Health


    Side Effects:+1/2 Hungryrank</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>+0.7% Concoction EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    When he was halfway through his supply of bluebells, Don received a very welcome message.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Concoction:Initiate 9 --> 10


    +10 potency of concocted potions</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Alchemist:Initiate 9 --> 10


    +20% effect of alchemical products


    +10% chance of success</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He was only elated at his accomplishment for a moment.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Professional limit reached: Alchemist


    Level up in order tounlock the Apprentice Alchemist trial


    Level requirement: 0/1</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Rust it! Just when Don thought he was getting somewhere. He had run into a roadblock. He pulled up his Character sheet for the first time in ages.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Name:Donovan Shepard


    Race: Demon


    Title: Chieftan


    Pet: Fairy (Soul Bound)


    Level: 0 (93/100 EXP)


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>STR: 19</td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>CON: 19</td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>INT: 14(16)</td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>DEX: 16 -->18</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>AGI: 18 + 1</td>


    <td>END: 19</td>


    <td>WIS: 15(17)</td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Effects:


    Hungry: -20% Stamina Regeneration


    Tired: -10% Mental Attributes</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He wasn''t very far from Level 1. Not only would leveling up allow him to progress further as an Alchemist, he would be able to start giving EXP to the ColoColo as well thanks to his new title. But Cel had warned Don that he wouldn''t be able to train his attributes after his first level either. Would it be better to rush to greater strength, or did he have the time to finish his foundation?


    He put off the decision, Cel was asleep by now and it was worth waiting for her input. Besides, building up a stock of potions was the most pressing concern, his professional and character levels could wait. He finished making salves, they were a little more potent than his previous batch but they did nothing for his Concoction EXP anymore.


    Still, the salves would be perfect for healingcommon scrapes and injuries for a while. The hunger side effect would increase the burden on their food stores but it was better than leaving his charges injured. The sun was beginning to set at this point but Don continued with making healing potions and got through seven before he ran out of a resource he had never considered. Don was completely out of gourds.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have crafted:Feeble Healing Potion (common)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>HP restored / minute:1.3


    Duration:1 hour


    Effect:+79.2 Health


    Side Effects:+1 Hungryrank</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>+0% Concoction EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The healing potions would be more than enough to heal even the most grievously injured ColoColo as it was rare for them to have over 50 health. With no more gourds, however, Don had to wait for night to fall before he could go out for more. Hopefully, Kat would guide him again.


    Don was the only one left awake in the refuge. He wasn''t sure he would be able to sleep, and he was even less sure he wanted to contend with any dreams that might result. He settled on meditation. After the long alchemy session. His most turbulent thoughts were soothed. Minutes later,his steady breathing managed tosmooth away the rest, and he drifted in that crystal clear, peaceful pond.

 23 - Funeral Rites

    Hey Don, Cel said. Her mental communication reached the Demon through his meditative trance and pulled him back into reality.


    It''s time to start the night. The kids need their assignments.


    Don''s peace of mind was shattered as he remembered the awesome responsibility he had foolishly taken on. He was now in charge of no less than 37 sentients. He felt the muscles in his shoulders grow tight, like he was anticipating some kind of blow.


    "They should stay in the tunnels where it''s safe. I''ll go and get some food for them." Don moved to stand when Cel stopped him.


    "Wrong!" She chided the Demon. "That''s a huge waste of time. You can''t and shouldn''t do everything for them."


    "But it''s dangerous out there. I can come back to life, they can''t. It only makes sense that I take the risks." Don argued


    "They''ve been living in this jungle far longer than you have. A big part of leadership is trusting your people to do their jobs. Having them sit around all day is the worst choice you could make." Cel explained.


    Don had to admit she made valid points. A community could only thrive when all its members contributed to its prosperity after all. He couldn''t have his entire tribe sitting idle even if he could provide everything they needed. Don looked around. Sik was at his side and a cluster of ColoColo faces were crammed into the entrance.


    "Sik, what did Grey usually have the kids do?" Don asked


    The sickly ColoColo shrugged.


    "I don''t know. I just make potions and salves when they bring back ingredients."


    Don didn''t give up. He knew that Grey had kept these ColoColo alive for years. He would do well to follow her example. He turned to the group by the entrance and repeated his question.


    "Do any of you know how Grey assigned nightly tasks?"


    They responded by struggling until they could unstick themselves scurry down the passage. Don wondered what that was all about but got his answer shortly. They came back, pushing a small, sleepy ColoColo in front of them.


    "Nap listened to Grey all the time. She knows all the stories and rules!" One of the monsters explained.


    Don recognized the name. This was the ''sage'' variant that he had spotted on the tribe screen.


    "Hello Nap." Don began. The small ColoColo yawned at him.


    "Do you know what Grey had the tribe do each night?" he asked. Nap nodded, then she just continued looking at him blearily.


    "...What did Grey have the tribe do each night?" Don was beginning to get frustrated with the unhelpful monster. She yawned again before replying in the cutest little squeaky voice.


    "They go into the jungle, find food among the trees and eat their fill. If they find potion ingredients, they should bring them back with whatever food they can carry. They can also hunt rabbits when the sky grows bright. Above all, they are to avoid the men in the tower and the bad things in the mountain. The enemy cannot attack what they cannot see."


    Her explanation wasn''t that unexpected. Don thought he could improve on a couple of points but decided not to mess with a strategy that had worked for so long. Next, she unexpectedly started reciting a short nursery rhyme. The other ColoColo joined in.


    "Out of sight and out of mind,


    ColoColo heed this rhyme.


    When the bad things come to stay,


    ColoColo fade away."


    Don had never heard anything like it before. There was a rhythmic lilt to the words and they stuck in his head, playing on repeat. He was gratified that the ColoColo seemed to be in agreement that hiding was their best defense. This mentality in combination with their [forest walk] ability should be enough to keep them safe.


    "Okay, but there''s one thing we need to do first."


    Don couldn''t just leave Grey at the bottom of a pile of rubble. She deserved better than that. Even if she was gone, and she would never know; don couldn''t just leave her body where it was, like some discarded trash.


    He led his tribe to the collapsed meeting hall. It was an unrecognizable ruin. A layer of dust had accumulated over the caved-in ceiling. One wall was torn down, making a slope of earth. Still, Don had no trouble finding Grey''s body. The memory of the previous evening was burned into his memory. He didn''t think it would ever fade.


    He dug it out of the rubble and nearly started crying again when he saw Grey''s twisted and half-crushed form. Her face was nearly untouched however and looked peaceful. It wasn''t contorted in pain at least. He carefully scooped her into his arms before carrying her up the slope and out of the pit. The other ColoColo followed in silence.


    Don didn''t go far before laying Grey down. He began to dig, scooping up handfuls of dense soil with ease. It wasn''t long before his progress was blocked by interlocking roots. Without him asking, the ColoColo helpfully gnawed through them enough for Don to tear the roots out of the ground. It took over an hour but when he was done, covered in sweat and dirt, Don felt like he had taken the first step in repaying the insurmountable debt he owed the old monster.


    After he gently laid Grey''s body in the hole and refilled it with dirt, Don placed a heavy boulder on top of the small mound of freshly turned soil. He knelt by the stone for a time. Remembering all that Grey had done for him, and all that she had sacrificed for her tribe. he was startled when Nap led the ColoColo in another chant.


    "Our ancestors all have their place,


    Enjoying the story? Show your support by reading it on the official site.in every breath and every face.


    Their lives have shown us all the way,


    how to survive another day."


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have shown great respect for a deceased elder of the ColoColo


    +100 Reputation</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table style="background-color: #f5cb0f">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations! You have unlocked the Undertaker Profession!


    Would you like to become an undertaker?


    [YES] [NO]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don waved away the notification. He didn''t do this for the rewards. The offer wasn''t attractive at all either. His goal was to keep as many of the ColoColo alive as he could, not to bury them with more skill. He looked at the ColoColo around him. They looked back expectantly. Don also recognized the fear and uncertainty there.


    "Go and do what Grey taught you. Her lessons have served you well, they will continue to do so."


    The little monsters scattered in every direction. They bounded over the underbrush, streamed up nearby trees, and were gone in moments, save for a rapidly fading scratching in the branches overhead. Don was left by the grave with Sik, Nap, and Cel.


    "Thank you," Nap said, "That was, unorthodox, but I''m glad we did it." She patted the boulder affectionately before speaking a few parting words.


    "Rest well Grey. Though you are gone,your storywill not be forgotten."


    They descended back into the pit which used to be the Meeting hall. Don removed the rubble, searching for Gaz''s body but couldn''t find more than a bloody smear. He didn''t respect the monster like he had respected Grey, but he still felt guilty about killing it. He also didn''t want to leave his corpse as the painful reminder or health Hazzard it was bound to become.


    Don searched Grey''s small stockpile but everything had been crushed beyond recognition. Even her staff had snapped into three separate pieces. He felt bad about digging through her belongings but a part of himself argued that she would have wanted anything she left behind to help the ColoColo instead of remaining under a pile of rocks.


    The small group headed back to the alchemy round. Now that Nap was fully awake, she wouldn''t stop talking. She told Don a few stories about the ColoColo''s past. Most of them were about the exploits of various ancestors but she also informed Don that the refuge was built by one of their allies, not the ColoColo themselves.


    Don traced the patterns in the walls of the tunnels with his fingertips as Nap told him about the ''water people''. They were a playful tribe, fond of pranks, who were exceptionally talented at carving stone. They apparently disappeared during something Nap called the ''great uprising''. A time when the mountain range housing the ColoColo''s ancestral home grew taller, but the lands of the water people did not rise with them, and the two tribes were cut off from one another.


    As interesting as the loremaster''s stories were, Don had more immediate concerns. When they got back to the Alchemy round, Sik set to preparing potions and Nap started fussing around with the herbs, ensuring that they were stored properly. Don and Cel started planning out their future and the future of the tribe.


    Cel started by bringing Don''s attention to his newly acquired Aspect of the Ram.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Aspect of the Ram


    Effect 1: Your horns are reclassified as natural weapons.


    Each horn is granted +1 damage and +10 durability per character level.


    Effect 2: You can challenge rare horned creatures to single combat.


    Victory awards you a portion of their strength.


    Gain +1 of your opponent''s main attribute for every 5 of its levels.


    Limit: 1 Aspect of the Ram bonus per attribute</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    She had never tried to get him to unlock this particular ability before because it was so hard to find rare creatures. It was even harder to find rare creatures that could be killed by a level 0 player. Without any combat skills or even the most rudimentary equipment, Don shouldn''t have stood a chance against a level 5 rare creature. He really lucked out when he fell on top of the Jackalope. But the changes didn''t stop at attribute, damage, and durability points.


    There were three different aspects that Demons could unlock but taking one would permanently lock access to the others. That had the welcome side effect of turning Don''s claws back into regular fingernails and his teeth back into a more human-like conformation, more suited to grinding than tearing. It felt so natural that Don hadn''t even noticed the change.


    His horns, on the other hand, were sharper. When he tested them by pressing on one with his finger, he found that the round knobs of keratin had become broad spikes. They didn''t pierce his skin but Don expected them to become more dangerous as he leveled up.


    He didn''t relish the idea of getting his face close enough to one of those apes to use them though. They probably wouldn''t be very useful but he was glad just to look a bit more human again.


    Next, Cel discussed her plans for Don''s last profession slot. Apparently, the warrior-monk profession was a fusion of two common professions. He would have to unlock the ascetic and martial-artist professions before it became available. He had already somehow unlocked the Martial-artist profession when he defeated Gaz, something Cel was very impressed with. Don didn''t know what to do with her praise. It didn''t feel like he was the one who fought Gaz at all. It was more like his body moved on its own.


    He briefly remembered the confrontation, the power he was able to channel into his leg, and then the sensation of a skull being crushed against his shinbone. Don shuddered and moved the conversation forward. Fortunately, unlocking theAscetic profession only required that he continue meditating while hungry, thirsty or tired.


    Their conversation finally turned to attributes and whether or not Don should try and level up now that his point values were so high.


    I''m hardly making any progress at all anymore. Don complained It doesn''t really make sense to spend all this time and effort for just a couple more attribute points, does it?


    Cel corrected him, slipping back into her role as a teacher, one fingerpointing skywards as she pontificated.


    It''s always a good idea to take extra attribute points wherever you can find them. You can still gain 12 more attribute points, that''s practically 2 levels worth. It''s going to take a lot more than some safe exercise or meditation to increase your attributes once you reach level 20 or so. Besides, there are special bonuses that can be unlocked by reaching the limits of your training while at the maximum pain threshold. Higher attributescombined with those bonuses will make it much easier to level up in the long run, not to mention survive in general. Giving up at this point will only stunt your full potential and make it harder to reach.


    Don wasn''t thrilled about continuing the repetitive training but he had to admit that Cel knew a lot more about attributes and levels than he did. Rust, Cel had taught him pretty much everything he knew about the game system. He still couldn''t help putting a barb in his agreement.


    I suppose if I''m going to feel extra pain, I may as well get all the benefits I can from it.


    That''s the spirit! Cel encouraged, completely missing Don''s meaning, or simply ignoring it.


    Given that Agility was the lowest of his physical attributes and it could only really be trained in the open. They headed outside while it was still dark out. Don took a few potions with him just in case.


    They stopped at the travois, or what was left of it. Don saw that the packages were scattered, but intact, if stinky. He was happy to find that the nuts inside were largely spared from the potion he had poured on them. Don rinsed them in the water and began shuttling them inside using his inventory. He left them in the entrance chamber but kept the last load of food and followed the track he had made by dragging the travois through the jungle the night before. He found the clearing with it''s burnt out tree and after he ate his fill, Don started doing laps.

 24 - Rollin

    Don sprinted around the clearing, feeling the cool night air whip by him as he moved faster than he ever had before. His feet sank into the soft earth with each stride. His toesdug pastthe grass and into the soil before propelling him in steps that almost resembled leaps. Don practically flew over the field of grass, blue in the shadow of the jungle and silver in the starlight. It was exhilarating, but it only lasted a short time before his stamina bottomed out.


    Then he sat under the burnt tree and meditated. According to Cel, meditation would double his stamina regeneration even without a related skill. She was able tocallDonback to himself when he recovered too, and so they continued alternating between sprinting and meditating for hours. She even had Don train his constitution. Any time his natural health regeneration brought him back to full, he veered into the trees and intentionally ran through a thorn bush. So long as he was regenerating HP, Cel said, he was working towards his final point in Constitution.


    The meditation cleared his head, and while it was exhilarating at first, it wasn''t long beforethe novelty of running himself raggedwore thin. It gave him plenty of time to think about the daunting task set before him. If he was going to drive off the apes, he had to put some serious planning into it. He didn''t even know where to begin but as his mind replayed his encounters with the creatures, he remembered Sonja.


    Not onlydid shestand up to the ape, redirecting one of its attacks without exploding, she actually drove it away. He did his best to remember every detail. Sonja wasn''t the one to drive away the creature, he realized. It was the centurions. But they needed her to defend them while they attacked. Gregory proved that well enough. But Don didn''t have immortal warriors to back him up. He just had a cave full of frightened children. Even if he did bring them to bear against the apes, their skills are all centered around running away! Void! They can''t even use their bestability in combat! Not that Don would let them fight those monsters anyway.


    He remembered the four huge shapes looming above the collapsed meeting hall. He might not have a choice. Hemight be able to survive against one of those monsters if he keeps clear of its massive hands. But actually hurting it enough to drive it away... not a chance. That one ape took 12 separate attacks from the Centurions'' spears before it ran. Meanwhile, Don shrank away from the mere memory of the time he was stabbed in the shoulder back in the crypt.


    If that wasn''t bad enough, it would likely scream and roar the entire time they fought, attracting more of them. Don couldn''t imagine surviving an encounter with any more than two of the creatures. So he started imagining that he was being attacked by one of them.


    He imagined an ape standing before him, raising its arms and preparing to bring them smashing down. Don dodged to the left. His foottorethe ground, plowing up a small mound of earth as he put all his effort into changing his trajectory.The bulk of his body hardly moved at all and he realized with a chill that it wouldn''t have been enough. He imagined another one swinging a single backhand horizontally. He tried to duck under the attack but stumbled. He kept himself from faceplanting but caught Cels attention in the process.


    "What was that?" She asked. Don was suddenly embarrassed. He had forgotten about the seemingly tireless fairy that followed him around the clearing.


    "I was trying to figure out how I would dodge some attacks from those apes." He admitted sheepishly


    "Want some help?" Cel asked


    "You can help me with the apes?" Don asked pitifully


    Celburst intoher tittering laugh. She only responded when it subsided and she was wiping a tear out of an eye.


    "No, I can teach you a time-honored evasion technique though."


    Don couldn''t mask his disappointment over their mental link but he needed all the help he could get.


    "Okay, what is it?"


    "Rolling." Cel said plainly.


    "Rolling?" Don wanted to be sure he heard correctly.


    "That''s right, rolling. Here, I''ll show you."


    Cel proceeded to pantomime a forward leap which ended by her catching herself on her left hand and right forearm. Then she continued forward, rollingover her shoulder and across her back until her feet came back down, one tucked snugly against her hip and the other stretching forward. She finished the roll by smoothly transferring her weight back to them. Of course, she did this all while flying so she could break down each step and perform the maneuver as slowly as needed. She had to repeat it several times before Don was willing to try for himself.Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    His first attempt ended poorly. He leapt forward well enough, but he kept his arms out straight and ended up falling over like a tree. He knocked the breath out of himself when he collided with the earth, letting out a muffledwhumph in the process. Surprisingly, his stamina dropped precipitously during the failed attempt. It wasn''t the effort he expended. That was pretty minimal, but his hard landing seemed to damage the resource pool significantly.


    Don kept at it and eventually learned how to perform the maneuver. It let him cover a lot of ground suddenly without losing much momentum and because he could jump into the roll using both feet, the ground didn''t slip out from under him quite so badly. He could also stay very low during the roll and for a second after. It would be the perfect counter to the backhands.


    After that Celhelped Don practice by diving and swooping athim from different angles. He was now spending just as much time rolling as sprinting and the dodge became felt a bit easier and more natural with every repetition.


    After one such session, Don was having trouble sinking back into his meditation. Nap''slittle nursery rhyme kept butting into his thoughts. He couldn''t get the damn verses out of his head. He eventually had to give up. Something about that rhyme just wouldn''t leave him alone. He thought back to the conversation that prompted the song and a phrase floated through his memory followed by the first line of the songyet again.


    The enemy can''t attack what they can''t see...Out of sight... Out of mind...


    Don hurriedly opened up the description of the ColoColo''s [Forest Walk] ability.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Forest Walk


    +50% movement speed


    +50% concealment


    -50% stamina consumption


    Restrictions:


    Can only be used in wooded areas


    Can not be used in combat</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With that speed and the bonus concealment, the apes would never see them coming! Could they stay out of combat until they attack? Then what?


    Fade away...


    Don recalled the way the crowd of over 30 monsters had scattered into the trees in just a few seconds. If they could escape, and then come back when their [Forest Walk] is active again... No, it was too risky. The ColoColowouldn''t be able tohurt the apes either and just one hit could end any of them. Then Don kicked himself. Their[venomous bite] ability was the perfect answer. He had seen the way three ColoColo pounced on Kat the night before. There was no reason they couldn''t gang up on the apes too. With enough poison, the apes would be helpless.


    After sharing his thoughts with Cel she pointed out a glaring hole in his plan. The [venomous bite] took a whole second to perform. That was an entire second when they would be helpless, and attached to an enraged giant. Despite that, she was oddly enthusiastic about putting her children in harm''s way.


    "This is a good plan, we just have to tweak it a little. Those apes looked like heavy-hitting strength-based monsters. That means we probably already beat them in speed. How quickly can they move again after attacking?"


    Don was always so focused on the explosions their attacks seemed to generate that he never paid much attention to that detail. Thinking back he realized there was always a windowalmost two seconds long after their heavy attack in which they stood still. It was the same when they attacked the dome. There was always a substantial pause between blows.


    "That''s when we''ll hit ''em!" Cel declared "You bait out an attack and the ColoColo use their [Venomous Bite] before running away. All you have to do is keep their attention!"


    Don grimaced but he was always going to have to dodgetheir attacks. If that was all he had to do, he might just manage.If he could keep himself from getting outnumbered. That was still going to be a problem.


    Don put extra effort in as he rolled his way around the clearing until he was dizzy and could hardly move in a straight line.


    His agility increased at one point, It was the last of his physical and support attributes to reach 19 but with his Aspect of the Ram bonus, it was the first to effectively reach 20. He didn''t suddenly run incredibly faster or dodge further, but the milestone felt significant. They kept up their strange calisthenics all night until rolling came as naturally and easily as walking.


    It wasn''t until Don had worn a track around the field and the stars were fading in the predawn light that Don''s eyes snapped open to a notification.


    <table style="background-color: #f2cb1d">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Congratulations! You have unlocked theAscetic Profession!


    Would you like to become an Ascetic?


    [Yes] [No]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don followed Cels instructions and declined the offer only to have a better one replace it.


    <table style="background-color: #f2cb1d">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    Congratulations!


    You have unlocked the (rare) Monk Profession!


    Would you like to become a Monk?


    [Yes] [No]


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don was well past doubting Cel at this point. He accepted his new profession without hesitation. Maybe now he would stand a chance against the monsters that had caused so much trouble for his tribe.

 25 - Hatin

    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">


    -CONGRATULATIONS-


    You are now an Initiate Monk!


    The wise understand the value of peace. The experienced understand its price.


    Monks tirelessly hone their skills, seeking harmonyas well as the ability to protect it.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: left">Monk: Initiate - 1


    +5% martial skill EXP gain


    7.8 Unarmed Damage (20% STR + 20% AGI)


    You can learn or develop 1 School of Martial Artistry


    Schools:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>(Unnamed): Incomplete


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Form 1: Low Kick(Untrained 1%)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Form 2: Unassigned</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Form 3: Unassigned</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Form 4:Unassigned</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Form 5: Unassigned</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Skills:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Harmony: Initiate 1


    +2% effect of meditation


    +25% Awareness of your surroundings while meditating


    Using Artsdoes not break meditation</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don smiled, he finally had a combat-related class. Then he frowned.


    "Nice!" Cel congratulated him. Don looked up at the fairy as she drifted lazily above his head.


    "Isn''t this supposed to be a combat-related profession? There are no offensive skills. The only skill here helps me meditate a little better." Don tried not to whine, he really did.


    "There aren''t any offensive skills yet." She corrected her student, "Monks get tons of combat-related skills, well technically they''re called Forms. The trade-off is that you have to learn them manually."


    "Oh." Don said


    "Come on! this is great! I never expected you to have the chops to get a rare profession so early in the game! It''ll take a little work but you can get 5 skills while you''re still an Initiate. Most combat professions only give 2 or 3 skills at this point. That versatility will come in handy if nothing else."


    "Okay," Don tried not to sound too disappointed. He was hoping for something that would be more immediately helpful against the apes. "So how do I learn these Forms?" he asked.


    "Considering that you''re a persona-non-grata in all the civilized lands, you''re going to have to come up with them on your own."


    Don looked at the fairy flatly.


    "This was really the best Combat profession you could think of? How am I supposed to just ''come up'' with skills?"


    "I''m sure you''ll manage. You clearly already know some martial arts. The only way to unlock the Martial artist profession in the first place is to perform a Form flawlessly. You might not be able to remember what you''re capable of, but those neural pathways people refer to as muscle memory were transferred over with the rest of your consciousness. It''s getting light out though, let''s get out of here and we can keep talking in the refuge."


    Don rose to his feet and the pair made their way out of the clearing and back towards the refuge at an easy pace.


    "I already know these Forms?" Don asked. He was having a hard time wrapping his head around that concept.


    "Apparently. You used one instinctually against Gaz. That''s not the sort of thing you can do without lots of training."


    "What reason would I have to train fighting techniques?" Don asked. Cel shrugged.


    "No idea, but it''s clear that you did. We''ll have to try and get you to perform four more moves to finish your first school later on. I''m kind of excited to see what you come up with!"


    That gave Don plenty to think about and they lapsed into silence. He got the sense that the place he came from before was entirely safe. Why would he need to know how to fight? It troubled Don. Was he a violent criminal before? One who delighted in hurting others to the point that he studied ways to do it more efficiently?


    Don was still wrapped up in those unsettling thoughts when Kat fell out of the branches to land on a boulder in front of him.


    "Grey died because of you." He said without preamble. Don reeled from the unexpected gut-punch. Kat continued glaring at him. "But she also said you were our best, our only hope of reclaiming a life worth living. I want to be clear. I hate you. I wish you never came to the refuge, but I will finish the last task Grey set before me."


    After a few more seconds of glaring Don finally asked the obvious question.


    "What task?"


    Kat looked like he didn''t want to speak with Don, but he eventually answered.


    "I am to assist you in driving off the bad things."


    Don let out a breath he didn''t realize he was holding.


    "Thank you."


    "Don''t thank me! I''m not doing this for you. If you fail, and I could have helped, it would be a disgrace to Grey''s memory." Kat spat and hissed the words at Don with sudden intensity. He turned tail and disappeared into the foliage without another word. He clearly didn''t want to spend any more time with Don than was absolutely necessary.


    The Demon and Fairy exchanged a look.


    "He''s wrong you know," Cel said in a comforting tone "Gaz had much more to do with Grey''s death than you. Kat is just grieving, he needs someone to lash out at but without Gaz, you''re the only one he has to blame."


    Don''s shoulders slumped. The well-intentioned words only made him feel worse. Cel picked up on his mood and pushed comforting feelingsthrough their connection.


    "Grey believed in you. If you want to make things right, finish her quest."


    Cel was right, again. Don could regret his role in Grey''s death, or he could make a difference. He chose the latter, though he still managed the former well enough. The rest of their walk was carried out in silence. When Don made it back to the entrance, he found an unexpected scene.


    ColoColo were scampering around the chamber frantically. Don panicked for a moment before he realized what had them so excited. Groups of ColoColo were banding together, defending small piles of nuts while members of those groups darted out, trying to steal from others. Don''s remorse was washed away by a wave of blistering anger.


    "What, are you doing?" He demanded of his feathered subjects. All movement stopped instantly. No one offered up an answer so Don continued.


    "This is not how a community behaves. Bring all the nuts here" Don waited for the little monsters to bring the food to him. They were reluctant but did as they were told. Once all the food was in front of him he asked them another question.


    "Who does this food belong to?" He let the silence linger. The ColoColo grew more and more uncomfortable, shifting their weight and looking anywhere but at Don. One finally offered whatit thought Don wanted to hear.


    "You?"


    Don shook his head.Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    "This food belongs to the ColoColo." His statement only made the monsters more confused as they looked around at each other."


    "I can have them?" Asked one of the monsters.


    "No. They don''t belong to any one of you, they belong to all of you. Anyone who is hungry can eat but I won''t have those who don''t need them hoarding food whilethosein need go without. They will stay right here. No one is going to take them, hide them or otherwise keep them from your nestmates. If you''re hungry, eat, if not, go away."


    Don glared at his subjects until the majority of them slunk away. A few stayed and furtively pulled nuts off of the pile before scurrying to the edges of the chamber and gnawing on the shells. They kept their eyes on Don the whole while, making sure he wasn''t going to have another outburst.


    "Nicely handled," Said Cel


    "What do you mean?" Don asked


    "It looks like you have some natural leadership skills. You took control of that riot in no time flat." She praised him before adding an unnecessary afterthought "It probably helps that you''re as intimidating as hell."


    "I just pointed out the obvious..." Don mumbled


    "And you did it forcefully. Way to lay down the law!" Cel slapped him on the back, a wide grin splitting her face.


    Don wasn''t comfortable with her praise and let the subject drop. His tribe wasn''t fighting each other anymore and that was what mattered.


    When they got to the alchemy round. there was another surprise waiting for them. A pile of rabbits nearly blocked off the entrance. Unlike the nuts, no one was fighting over them. Sik was busy with a potion so Don turned to Nap. She was asleep, making soft rhythmic noises but Don needed answers.


    "What are these for?" Don asked Nap once he woke her. She gave Don her trademark bleary stare before responding.


    "Food"


    Don took a deep breath.


    "Why are they just piled here? Why haven''t you eaten them yet?"


    It took a few seconds for Nap to understand the questions, then a few more for her to come up with her response.


    "The Chieftan cooks them, we were waiting for you."


    "What does ''cooks'' mean?" Don asked


    "Holding over fire. It makes them tasty and more filling." Nap was finally waking up now and she was starting to drool at the thought.


    "Well I''m not doing that." Don balked at the idea of intentionally starting a fire.


    "You have to, no one else knows how"


    "I don''t either! Besides, fire in here would ruin the ingredients, the tunnels are too small, the entrance chamber has no ventilation and the meeting hall is too exposed."


    Nap looked crestfallen.


    "You don''t know how to cook?"she asked


    "No! I don''t think I''veeven eaten before I came to this refuge! Didn''t you learn how to cook from Grey?"


    "No, she said it was dangerous and to let her do it."


    "Didn''t you see how she did it at least?"


    Nap nodded hesitantly.


    "But only Grey could make fire."


    "Didn''t you see how she did that part too?"


    "Yes," Nap held her paws out in front of her "She went like this, and thenfoom! Fire came out. Can''t you make it too?"


    Don was pretty surethat''s not how combustionworked and he was unwilling to play with fire even if it was.


    "I don''t think so."


    "Then whatcan we do with all these?" Nap asked


    "Can you eat them as they are now?"


    Nap pulled a face.


    "Eww, they taste gross unless you cook them."


    Don sighed,


    "Well, then I guess we''re not going to eat them unless you have any suggestions Cel."


    "There are a few ways to make fire but you were right, there''s no good place in the refuge to cook anymore."


    "That settles it," Don decided "We''ll just have to keep these for later."


    Sik finished with his potion and chimed in.


    "We can''t do that. They will start to rot and spread disease" He said


    Don sighed He didn''t like what he was about to do but it didn''t seem like he had much of a choice.


    "We will have to just get rid of them then." He looked at the mound of dead animals. There were so many.


    He emptied out his inventory except for his emergency stink bomb and started storing the rabbits. He took them to the entrance chamber and piled them up there before going back for more. The exercise let him count all the rabbits. There were no less than 42. That was more rabbits than ColoColo in his tribe. He had no idea they were such efficient hunters. Kat made it sound like only a few ColoColo could hunt them reliably. In fact, Gaz''s record as the best hunter was 3 in one night. Something didn''t add up but this couldn''t be a bad thing, except for all the waste...


    As Don lowered the rabbit carcasses into the underwater river, letting them be swept away by the current, something occurred to him.


    "Cel, You said these animals weren''t real... But you thought the same about the ColoColo at that time. Is there a chance..."


    He didn''t finish his question, just letting the grim possibility hang in the air. Cel at least gave it some thought before replying.


    "...I doubt it.A rabbit has such low intelligence that there shouldn''t be room for self-awareness... Probably."


    The unremarkable disposal suddenly became a macabre ritual. 42 possibly sentient creatures. Don shuddered but he had no choice but to finish disposing of the corpses.Soon he was finished and back in the alchemy workshop, doing his best not to look at the sticky puddle where the rabbits had been.


    Don was eager to make more potions until he remembered he was out of gourds. Sik had been able to continue making potions because the other ColoColo brought in a half dozen of them throughout the night but he had also used them all up. Don wasn''t going to complain, they could always use more potions, he just wished he had the foresight to ask themto gather more.


    Without recourse to Alchemy, Don was suddenly eager to improve his new profession. Before he could however, Cel stopped him.


    "Sleep," she said firmly while pointingto one side of the alchemy workshop.


    "There''s no time for that. I have to keep improving or I''ll never be a match for those apes."


    "It''s helpful when leaders are intelligent and wise, you will lose both of those qualities if you let the ''sleepy'' debuff stack up too many times. You will have to make up the sleep eventually anyways. It''s best to stay ahead of it."


    "Okay, but we should use your [fairy dust] first" Don protested. Cel agreed.


    Instead ofwasting a potion to free up a gourd, Dondecided to drink a stamina potion. It wasn''t as intense as the magical potion but he still used the chance to pump out pushups for the 5-minute duration of the potion. He was left fatigued afterward but he would be able to sleep that off. Don kept up his exercises until his stamina bottomed out again and he was surprised by a very welcome message.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">END: 19 --> 20</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations!


    You have trained your Endurance to its limit!


    Trait unlocked: Relentless</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Relentless


    Effects ofHungry, Thirsty, Fatiguedand Tired reduced by 50%


    HP regeneration increased from END/day to END/hour when outside combat


    HP regeneration items and spells work 3xfaster when outside combat</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don had finally gotten one of his attributes to 20! The bonus exceeded Don''s wildest expectations. He washoping foranother small increase like with his professional skills but this was huge! The biggest weakness of his potions were the side effects. Now that those were halved, Don didn''t have to worry about using non-magical potions nearly as much. It alsoreduced the excruciatingly slow-acting healing potions'' durations from 1 hour to 20 minutes! Besides all that, His health would now regenerate 24 times faster than normal so long as he wasn''t fighting! That should be more than enough to keep him in prime condition all the time!


    Cel agreed with his assessment butnoted thatthe increased natural HP regenerationwill make it much easier to train his CON the rest of the way to 20. It had been stuck at 19 for about a week at this point. He wasn''t looking forward to that but if he got another bonus like this, it should be totally worth it. For just a moment, he was actually thankful for the increased pain threshold. It would have taken him months of constant training to get to this point without it.


    Doncalmed down enough to makea new potion and stored it in his inventory next to his magical stink bomb. He was tempted to make a healing potion but Relentless Body only decreased their durations if he wasn''t fighting and he was still convinced that no amount of healing would help if he was hit by the apes. Better to focus on not getting hit, and that meant not tiring out at a bad time.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have crafted:Effective Energizing Potion (magical)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>SP restored / second:2.6


    Duration: 5 minutes


    Total Effect:+792 Stamina


    Side Effects:N/A</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>+0%ConcoctionEXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With the doubling effect of Cel''s [fairy dust], his stamina potions were getting to the point where they were almost too potent. Generating over 26 stamina every 10 seconds was just crazy. He could only hope that there really were no side effects. Creating the potion had also pushed him over another threshold.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">DEX: 18 --> 19</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He wondered what kind of bonus he would get if he got his crafting attribute up to 20. Would his potions get even stronger? If he had more gourds he might have stayed up all daytrying to figure it out but as it was, he wasn''t willing to waste potion ingredients. Cel wasn''t much use either because apparently, Demons got different bonuses from other races and the few people who unlocked the ''prestige race'' in the past didn''t sharemany of theirsecrets.


    Don settled down but found it impossible to sleep. He eventually resorted to asking Sik to use his [Venomous Bite] on him. Sik declined but said he knew someone who would like to help Don out. He left the round and came back with an eager looking Kat. Don threw up his hands.


    "Wait a min- gah!"


    Kat had already sunk his fangs deep into Don''s leg. After a second Don felt a warm sensation spread through his leg, numbing it a little as his stamina dropped 5 points. The next second, the warmth spread into his chest and his stamina fell another 10 points. During the last second Kat stayed attached, Don felt the warmth spread to the rest of his body. His stamina continued falling by 15 points each second. less than 6 increasingly comfortable seconds later, Don was asleep.

 26 - Ridin

    When Don woke, he felt refreshed and ready for anything! Sunlight was still streaming through the cracks above him so he contented himself with meditating until the rest of the Refuge woke up. His newest skill took a little getting used to. He was dimly aware of the dome around him. He knew there were plants above him and stonebelow but any details beyond that were so fuzzy as to be irrelevant. He was pleased when [harmony] leveled up quickly but temporarily disabled the notifications.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Harmony: Initiate 1 --> 2</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>+4% effect of meditation


    +25.5% Awareness of your surroundings while meditating</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He sank back into his imaginary and tranquil pond with its new murky view of the outside world until Cel called him. He had her help sort out his notifications so they would wait until he was ready for them instead of popping up all the time. Next,Don lead his tribe out through the meeting hall. Once the creatures were arrayed around him in the jungle, squatting on the ground, perching on boulders, and filling the branches overhead, he addressed them.


    "You all did great work yesterday," He began "But no one here knows how tocook the rabbits so all that food went to waste." A little square started blinking in the corner of Don''s vision but he ignored it and plowed forward. "There''s no reason for us to hunt anymore so I want you to spend more time looking for gourds and alchemical ingredients tonight. Before you go, Kat, myself and anyone else who knows how will make packs for each of you so you can carry more back to the refuge in fewer trips. Does anyone have any questions?"


    Several ColoColo started squeaking at once but they were all concerned about the same thing so it was easy enough to understand them. Don raised his hands placatingly.


    "Look, I like the way rabbit tastes too, but unless any of you know how to cook, we''re going to have to get by on nuts for a while."


    There was more grumbling at that pronouncement but no secret culinary experts stepped forward.


    "What if I gave you each a piece of Fruit every morning?" That got their attention. The ColoColo wereclearly excited about the idea, but they had their reservations too.


    "Grey said not totake the fruit, it angers the bad things too much."protested Nap, but her heart wasn''t really in it.


    "You don''t have to harvest it, I''ll take care of that. You just have to make it back here safely before morning. Besides, I don''t think they can get any more angry at me than they already are."


    That turned the tide and the Hesitant ColoColo were overcome with the exciting prospect of eating the literally forbidden fruit.


    "In fact," Don continued "I''m working on a plan to drive them off for good, but I can''t carry out the plan on my own. I''ll need help from some of you." The growing excitement wassmothered by athick blanket of fear. Years of hiding had planted the seeds of that fear and Grey''s cautionary tales hadhelped them grow into a strong, deeply rooted certainty that the ''bad things'' were to be avoided at all costs.


    "I won''t force any of you to fight. I wouldn''t even consider letting any of you help me if there was another way. If you volunteer though, I will take you with me to harvest the fruit and you willhave as much as you can eat." Don''s promise got their attention, but it wasn''t enough to override all the horror stories Grey had recounted. He was starting to think his plan would fall apart before it even got off the ground when Kat stepped forward.


    "I will fight." He said resolutely "Those beasts won''t leave us alone. Grey told us how dangerous they are, but she also believed this hatchling could help us beat them once and for all." Kat glared at Don, showing that he still hadn''t forgiven him despite his show of support "I for one want revenge. I want to see the home from Grey''s stories, and take it back for the ColoColo! We owe it to her to at least try."


    Kat''s speech caused a stir among the little monsters. One by one more ColoColo stepped up to the challenge. They shivered, clearly afraid, and Don wastouchedby their willingness to trust him despite that fear. In the end, only four of the monsters joined Kat but Don wasn''tabout to conscript the unwilling. If they couldn''t decide to face the apes here and now, they couldn''t be trusted to stick to the plan when they were confronted with the monsters from their nightmares.


    "Thank you for volunteering. I will do my best to keep you safe, we won''t challenge the apes until I''m sure you are ready."


    He senthis tribeto gather vines and broad, waxy leaves nearly as large as themselves. Don and Kat started folding the leaves around flexible stick-based frames and tying them into place. They weren''t very durable but they were light and easy to make. Before long, others got the idea and started helping. As each ColoColo was fitted with a pack, they darted off into the trees. Before they finished equipping the tribe, the first had already returned with a pack full of gourds. Sik took them happily and disappeared back into the refuge.


    Now that things were running smoothly, Don took a steadying breath before rolling ontoa thorn bush. The little spikes pierced his skin and as he rolled back and forth. his health dropped a few points. It hurt but Don had to endure it if he wanted to unlock the trait associated with CON. Now that he had the Relentless trait he was healing at a rate of 19 HP every hour, that meant nearly 1 point every 2 minutes. It was a huge upgrade from the previous rate of 1 point every 47.5 minutes and would let him injure himself more often. Apparently, that was the only way to increase his Constitution, yay.


    Next, he checked his notifications. The small blinking icon in the corner of his vision expanded.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Harmony: Initiate 2 --> 4


    +8% effect of meditation


    +26.5% awareness of your surroundings while meditating</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have banned a luxury the ColoColo are accustomed to


    -100 reputation


    Reputation: 1021</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>You have promised to provide a new luxury to the ColoColo


    +25 reputation


    Reputation:1046</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>You have provided the ColoColo with new equipment


    +20 reputation


    Reputation: 1066</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don was startled to see how much reputation he lost when deciding to take rabbits off the menu. He nearly dropped below a thousand points. That would have taken away his Chief title! He had to start building up a buffer of reputation so that doesn''t happen.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    It had been a while since he had a skill at such a low level and it was nice seeing such rapid progress. The only problem was that he didn''t reallyunderstand the utility of this skill.


    "Cel, what does meditation do anyway? Is it just for regenerating stamina?"


    "Not really, it''s mainly used for regenerating mana. While it doubles your Stamina regeneration, it triples your Mana regeneration, but [Harmony]''s real value isn''t revealed until you rank it up to a higher tier."


    "What does that mean?"


    "Every skill grows more potent as you level it up, but they also can gain new effects when they tier up from Initiate to Apprentice and so on. Harmony is special because it will eventually let you meditate while moving around. At it''s highest level, you will never have to stop meditating. It''s going to be a long time before you get to that point though."


    Don liked the sound of that. Meditation always left him feeling light, alert, and capable. If he could hold on to that feeling all the time, it would be awesome.


    The ColoColo were just finishing up with the packs and Don turned to his nervous-looking squad.


    "Thank you again for volunteering. We shouldn''t be doing anything too dangerous tonight. First, we''ll gather some fruit, then we''ll go over the plan and start practicing. The main goal here is to get to the point where we can fight the apes without putting any of you in more danger than is absolutely necessary. You can leave your packs here for now. We''ll trainthe same way we''ll fight and speed is our greatest advantage. There''s no reason to throw that away by carrying around supplies we don''t need."


    The ColoColo dropped their new packs and the group followed Kat into the jungle. It wasn''t long before he brought them to a Saween tree. The small monsters watched in awe from the safety of nearby trees as Don casually strolled up to the forbidden fruit, pulled himself into the branches with hardly any difficulty, and plucked one of the blue spheroids.


    He tossed the first fruit to Kat who tore into it eagerly. He gave a fruit to all the others in turn before taking one for himself.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have harvested: Fruit</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Type: food


    Units: 1.16</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>+0.1% Harvest EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don''s first bite actually hurt, but after his mouth adjusted to the sweetness, it was pure ecstasy. Emboldened by Don''s success, the ColoColo jumped over to the tree and went to town on the delicacies. It didn''t take much fruit tosate the small creatures'' hunger and it wasn''t long before bulging stomachs and glazed eyes were the norm.


    Don ate 9 himself and storedthe remaining fruit in his inventory. The 29 fruits only took up 4 inventory slots thanks to Don''s high [harvest] skill level. He would need to find another tree to fulfill his promise of a fruit for each ColoColo in his tribe, but he could take care of that later.


    He had Kat guide them to a stream where they could wash the juice off themselves. There was no need to make it too easy for the apes to track them after all. Once the ColoColo were fed and washed Don explained his plan.


    "So, the apes are dangerous. You already know that, but they are also kind of slow. I have run away from them successfully on two separate occasions and I still can''t come close to keeping up with you in the jungle." His troops preened at the praise.


    "I will take the most dangerous role. I will distract them and while they''re chasing me, burning through their stamina, you will use your [venomous bite] to accelerate the process. They are big but that will work to our advantage. Two or three of you can attack at the same time with such large targets. For now, I will pretend to be one of them, and you will jump on my back and jump away immediately. This is to practice getting into position and getting away safely. Kat, you will go first."


    Don pulled two long thin branches off a tree. Then he held the whiplike branches and grunted.


    "Me big stupid ape, me bad to ColoColo, me only know smash!" He said in a caricature of stupidity. He was rewarded with a couple of chuckles. That was good, if they were laughing, they weren''t scared. He raised his arms, using the sticks to approximate the freakishly long arms of the apes.


    "Smash you!" he said bringing them down at Kat. The nimble monster sprang out of the way before the sticks were halfway to him. More chuckles resulted.


    "Stay still!" He swept one of thesticks horizontally at the peanut gallery and they scattered into the branches, easily avoiding the blow. Don straightened and congratulated them.


    "See? You''re incredibly fast. So long as you are paying attention you have nothing to fear. Now, I want all but one of you to hide in the trees, spread out around me in a circle. When I raise my arms like this" Don demonstrated the smashing posture of the apes. "I wantwhoever is behind meto jump on my back and then spring away immediately. The goal is to hide again before I can turn around. I''ll make a special potion for whoever does the best."


    Don spent hours lumbering around in a comical impression of the ColoColo''s worst fear. They had no troublespring-boarding off of Don''s back and by the end, they were anticipating Don''s moves and hitting his back as soon as he started his downward swings.


    Cel coached them on how to use the trees as cover, darting behind them for protection against attacks as well as a means of breaking line-of-sight so they could climb the trunk and hide among theleaves again. She also taught them some choice taunts to tease Don with as they bounced effortlessly around and off of the demon with the manic energy that only comes from kids who have had too much sugar.


    Once they had mastered the basics of getting into position and getting away, Don had them linger on his back for the one second it would take to activate their bite. He stressed that they were not, under any circumstances, to try and double up the dose they administered. He would even intermittently bark the command ''abort'' to signal that they were to disengage no matter what they were doing. They were slow to respond at first but quick to improve.


    As the night wore on, Don became more and more confident in his plan. He also realized that he had been a little overprotective. The ColoColo were far better atevasion than Don was. That gave him an idea. With the way the apes roared to each other, it would be easy to tell when more were coming. He could send ColoColo to distract them, leading them away until Don was ready.


    After Don made it clear how impressive he thought the ColoColo were,he let the excitedly chatteringkids explore the jungle like usual. Kat showed him to another fruit tree which Don stripped in short order, then he brought Don back to the clearing so he would be able to find his way back to the refuge on his own.


    Don still wasn''t confident in his own ability to dodge the attacks and stepped into the jungle around the clearing to practice. Cel provided something to dodge, and Don tried to emulate the little monsters. He sidestepped behind trees and dove over thornbushes trying to evade the glowing ball of light Cel had become.


    It was much more difficult in the uneven terrain of the jungle compared to the soft, flat and open field but he would have to get used to it. The ColoColo couldn''t use their [forest walk] unless they had trees to hide in. On the plus side, he had no trouble staying a bit injured even with his enhanced health regeneration. Time and again, he rolled into rocks and roots, bruising his back and sometimes disrupting his dodge. Before the night was out, however, he had made great progress.


    When he got back to the refuge, he made a very public display of presenting Kat with his magical stamina potion, explaining that it was a prize for having performed the best during training. He took the potion grudgingly, unwilling to pass up an advantage, but he was happy to accept the adulation of his peers for being the best fighter.


    ThenDon explained that he was still accepting volunteers for combat training and gave high praise to the brave ColoColo who had participated that night. He finally distributed the promised fruit and let the trainees bask in theawe of their nestmates as they recounted how they boldly took all the Saween fruit they could eat and the ease with which they evaded Don''s mock attacks.

 27 - Dirty

    After honoring the brave ColoColo who stepped up for combat training, Don passed out the fruits he had collected. The tribe went crazy for the sweet treats and when they demanded more. Don asked them each what they brought back to the refuge, handing out the remaining fruits to those who contributed the most to the tribe. He had to use his newfound authority to stop them from charging out into the waking forest to collect more.


    He was still uncomfortable ordering them around but he couldn''t let them go and get themselves killed. Don convinced Cel to let him work through the day in light of his new Relentless trait and he set to concocting potions with gusto. He started by replacing his magical energizing potion and then bent to the task of making stink bombs. When he ran out of ingredients he was familiar with, he took down a length of Creeping Strangler. The ColoColo didn''t have much use for it but Don had an idea for how it could help him against the apes.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="4">You have crafted:Feeble Exhausting Potion (common)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td rowspan="4"></td>


    <td style="text-align: right">SP drained / second:</td>


    <td>1.3</td>


    <td rowspan="4"></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: right">Duration:</td>


    <td>1 minute</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: right">Total Effect:</td>


    <td>-79.2 Stamina (if drunk)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: right">Alternate Effect:</td>


    <td>Can beapplied to weaponsat a cost of75% potency


    (3 uses per application, stackable)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="4">+0% Concoction EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don worked through his entire store of 18 Creeping Strangler vines but his Dexterity remained stubbornly at 19. He patiently ground up his entire store of Myrtle''s Wort, making 6 Revitalizing potionsas a safeguardagainst disease. Next, he started turning his poppies into soothing potions that dulled pain, getting halfway through them before he got his real prize.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">DEX: 19 --> 20</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations!


    You have trained your Dexterity to its limit!


    Trait unlocked: Nimble</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Nimble


    Dexterity can now be applied to activities outside of crafting.


    Dexterity now affects the precision, speed, and flexibility of your limbs.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Woah! Don thought. He was expecting something related to crafting but the nimble trait completely changed the way Dexterity worked. He had noticed that he was able to move his hands around faster and make fewer mistakes while crafting but now when he went to rub his head, his hand shot up and smacked him in the face. The mass behind it was the same and Don rang his bell pretty good. Then he grinned. Now he was getting somewhere.


    He took his time getting used to the new speed and experimenting with it. While he could move his hands, arms, legs and even his head faster, he wasn''t any quicker with pushups, situps or anything that included his whole body. All in all, his limbs just felt... lighter, more responsive, like something was pulling them in the directions Don wanted them to go the very instant the thought crossed his mind. His hands snapped out in the blink of an eye to freeze at the exact points he wanted them to end up in. They even blurred to his Wisdom enhanced senses.


    Don spent longer than he would like to admit just waving his hands around, reveling in the way they seemed to disappear from one point and appear in another. There were still several hours until nightfall judging by the light filtering down into the alchemy workshop so Don set to increasing his Strength.


    He alternated between pushups, draining his stamina, and meditation, regenerating it. Before the rest of the tribe was awake Don had gained another level in his [Harmony] skill.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Harmony: Initiate 4 --> 5


    +10% effect of meditation


    +27% awareness of your surroundings while meditating</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Meditation now restored his SP a full 220% faster than normal! That was almost 7 stamina every 10 seconds! He could now completely refill his Stamina pool of in under 5 and a half minutes! Better yet, his increased awareness let him keep track of his stamina level even when meditating. That meant he didn''t need Cel to pull him out of his trances anymore. That wasn''t the reward he was hoping for but it came soon enough.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">WIS: 19 --> 20</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations!


    You have trained your Wisdom to its limit!


    Trait unlocked: Enlightened</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Enlightened


    You can now sense and control mana more easily.


    MP regeneration increased from WIS/hour to WIS/minute outside combat


    MP regeneration items and spells work 3x faster outside combat</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    While Don didn''t have much use for the extra mana, he was immediately overwhelmed by information coming from a brand new sense. He could feel an... energy, swirling in a slow vortex near the pit of his stomach. It seemed to drain out the bottom before branching in a network not unlike his veins to spread that energy through his body. The majority of it emptied into his head, but he could tell the energy was somehow nourishing his entire being.


    As he observed what he thought of as his mana pool, he half-saw, half-felt a single drop of the energy coalesce in his chest before dropping down into the pool. He looked around and could faintly make out a similar energy seeping from Sik''s body like a thin layer of mist. He looked down at his hand and saw the energy wafting off of his skin as well. With a little will, he found he could move the energy ever so slightly.


    Huh, neat. He thought but left it at that before going back to his strength training. It wasn''t too long before he was rewarded again for his diligence.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">STR: 19 --> 20</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations!


    You have trained your Strength to its limit!


    Trait unlocked: Beastly</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Beastly


    Feats of strength now have a chance to inflict the Fear effect.


    Chance is determined by the difference between your STR and the STR of witnesses.


    All Stamina costs are reduced by 5%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don wasn''t as happy with this particular trait. Given how outmatched he was in strength by the apes already, the fear effect wouldn''t be of any use at all. The reduced stamina costs weren''t too vital either given his ability to make magical stamina potions.


    At least I didn''t transform to look more beastly


    As if prompted by the thought, he realized that the alchemy workshop suddenly felt a bit more cramped. With a little trepidation, Don looked down. It was disconcerting seeing a body that looked, wrong, attached to his neck. Don had grown without realizing it and well-defined muscles bulged out from places where Don could have sworn he shouldn''t have any at all. He quickly checked his hands and face. A wave of relief washed over him when he confirmed that his jagged teeth and sharp claws hadn''t returned. Cel chose that time to wake up.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    She whistled appreciatively.


    "Hellooooo, captain beefcake!"


    "Who?" Don asked looking around


    "I''m talking to you stud-muffin. You get your hands on a cosmetics pack and decide to do some compensating? I think you might have overdone it."


    "Muffins? Cosmetics? What are those?"


    Cel sighed, she was disappointed about something but at least she started making sense again.


    "What happened while I was asleep? Why do you look so different?"


    Don grinned. While it was good to reach so many milestones in his training, it was even better when he had someone to share his accomplishments with.


    "Oh, nothing much. I just got a few attributes up to 20." Don said nonchalantly as he examined his fingernails


    "What! That''s great news! Which ones? Well, strength obviously but what bonuses did you get?"


    Don gave Cel the run-down of his new traits and she beamed at him. Don felt like he was the one glowing now.


    "I knew you could do it!" She congratulated "That only leaves three to go and then we can start leveling up in earnest! We''ve been letting your Intelligence slide a bit but we can take care of that once we finish training your Agility and Constitution."


    Don was so pleased he didn''t even point out that Cel was saying ''we'' again when she really meant ''you''. The ColoColo were also starting to stirbecause of their animated conversation and Don led them outside. He didn''t have much to add to his speech the day before and just reiterated the need for potion ingredients and gourds. When he asked for volunteers for combat training, however, nearly half the tribe stepped forward eagerly. Don turned away anyone who was below level 3 ending up with a group of 17 monsters at his back.


    He put the original 4 in command of their own squads of three new volunteers. They would be able to teach the newcomers and move in independent groups. Don couldn''t give them orders while he was focused on the apes anyways.


    Kat was given special authority over the entire war party. He could slip into any of the four-man cells and turn them into a 5 man squad working under his direction, but mostly, he would be a solo actor. His ''scout'' variant really set him apart from the others and they couldn''t keep up when he got serious.


    They were following Kat to a fruit tree for breakfast when the scout froze. Don might not have noticed but a low squeak caused all the others to stop as well.


    "Danger" Kat said quietly.


    In a flurry of nearly silent movement, his army disappeared into the canopy. Don was bewildered for only a second before he decided to join them. He was much slower and louder getting into the trees but Don discovered an unexpected benefit of his beastly trait. The trees seemed a little smaller and it was that much easier to reach the next branch. When he was situated where the trunk forked, he did his best to calm his breathing and strain his ears.


    The numerous unseen critters that normally filled the jungle with noise were conspicuously silent, but that could have been due to Don''s presence just as easily as it could have been a sign of danger. He trusted Kat''s instincts and experience though so he stayed quiet and hidden with his suddenly terrified recruits.


    When he heard a familiar tromping sound Don relaxed fractionally, at least the apes weren''t exploring the jungle at night now. It was troubling that centurions were so close to the refuge though. He thought they would stay in the parts of the jungle closer to the tower, and only go out during the day.


    Then they camewithin earshot and Don didn''t have to guess why they were out here anymore.


    "-telling you --getting a --- feeling. ---think we should --- back. There''s no -- knowing -- dangerous it is this far out."


    "What are you, some kind of idiot?" mocked one of the centurions "Don''t you recognize this feeling? It''s the same one that Demon gave off. It has to be nearby. Did you forget the whole reasonwe keep coming out here day after day is to catch thatdamnedheretic?"


    "No, I just have a bad feeling is all. I don''t think we should be out here at night either. All the rabbits and foxes have disappeared, we can''t get any more experience like this."


    "It''s a good thing what you think doesn''t matter." Said a new voice "We''ve had people scouting the edge of the jungle for way too long already. I don''t understand how one person can survive alone out here but he''s clearly managing itand there''s no reason for him to stay nearour camp. We can''t just wait for him to die anymore. We need to search deeper in the jungle, even if that means staying out all night. Now, we''re finally close enough to feel that nasty aura and you want to call it quits? What could you possibly be worried about anyway? By the grace of the Master, we have been made nigh unkillable!"


    "You just wanted to grind experience" One of the centurions grumbled. The last speaker laughed heartily.


    "Am I that easy to see through? Well, if we can bring back Donovan or better yet, just kill him and let the respawn take care of that part, I''m sure the Arbiter will have some nice rewards in store. Just think of how impressed Margret will be if you can tell her thatyou, brought back the heretic. Joshua, Hero of the colony."


    They were close now. Don could see a light between the trees but it was moving off to the side, they should miss his group entirely.


    "It does have a nice ring to it," said another voice thoughtfully "How are we going to find him in this darkness though?"


    "Well we know he''s within a kilometer now, If we lose the aura we just have to split up until one of us finds it again.then we can run towards its center while doingthis:" The centurion took a deep breath before continuing.


    "Donovan Shepard! By the authority of the Arbiter, you are hereby ordered to come with us and present yourself for judgment."


    The shout was loud and clear. Before Don could think, he had already dropped from the tree and was jogging towards the group. Hequickly regained control ofhimself and slowed to a stop but the damage had already been done.


    "It''s him!" Shouted an excited silhouette, pointing in his direction.


    Don smiled self-consciously and gave a little wave.


    "Hello," He said awkwardly.


    The grating demonic language wasn''t received well.


    "Silence" ordered the Centurion holding a spear with a glowing point over his shoulder. The shaft of the spear was festooned with the bodies rabbits and foxes, making for a collection ofbloody pennants. They swung when he brought the weapon around to face Don. He cringed away from the bright and stinging light as much as the gruesome display.


    The glowing point now illuminated the man''s face. The beginnings ofan anemic looking beard covered his jaw and upper lipwhile his head was hidden under one of those tan caps.Despite that badge of leadership, the man held no shield, just the glowing spear. The other faces registeredsurprise to have their quarry walk up to them, but the leader only looked eager.


    "Come here and get on your knees heretic," The leader said. His toneheld no room for doubt. He simplyknew Don would obey.


    Don nearly proved him right, taking an involuntary step forward before Cel stopped him.


    Don no! Think! If youleave now, what will happen to the ColoColo?


    Don froze, the thought chilling him to the core. The spear-wielding leader only betrayed his surprise for a moment before repeating his command. Don barely twitched in response. He was too occupied with his own thoughts.


    If Igo with these men, whatwill happen to the ColoColo?They might survive for a while, but the alchemy workshop can''t hold out forever. More than that, without a leader, they would descend into anarchy.I would be lettingthem down, all of them,even Grey.


    Don thought briefly about the way the ColoColo fought over the nuts he left in the entrance chamber. They needed his guidance. Without his leadership, they would never work up the courage to fight for themselves either.


    Don clenched his fists and snapped out of his thoughts to realize that the centurions were moving forward carefully. They werebeginningto encircle him. Don glanced at the animals hanging from the glowing spear. These people did not need his help. They had the Arbiter to guide them and warriors to protect them. Void, they couldn''t even die, not really.


    Don spoke again. They couldn''t understand him and cringed at the sounds he produced. The words wouldn''t have convinced them to leave him alone anyways. They weren''t really even meant for the centurions. He said them because they felt right.


    "Go and take a longstrollout a short airlock."


    Then, finally embracing hispast as a heretic, he turned, made a rude hand gesture theywould understand, andranback into the jungle.

 28 - Captured

    "Don''t let him get away" Shouted the leader of the Centurions when he realized what Don was doing.


    The Demon was already a few steps away from the stunned group. They were slow to react, expecting nothing short of complete obedience. When they did get moving, Don had already built up some speed and was dodging behind trees, trying to break their line of sight. His hopes were dashed when the leader shouted something else.


    "[Guiding light]"caused the glow to detach fromhis weapon and chase after Don. The resulting wisp darted after the demon as quick as a sparrow. Once it caught up to Don, he started glowing and bright streamers trailed behind him, slowly diffusing like a wake in the air. They traced a clear path for the Centurions to follow, showing exactly where he had gone.


    Rust Don indulged in the curse before turning his attention to Cel.


    Can they see you? He asked. Cel responded in the negative.


    Tell the kids to stay hidden, I''ll draw them away. This is my problem. I don''t want them getting dragged into it.


    But- Cel began


    Just do it! Don ordered her forcefully I can''t be worrying about them if I want to get away.


    Cel shouted the order to the monsters, some of which were keeping pace above don, dangerously close to the illumination he was giving off.


    When they faded away he had Cel provide updates on what hispursuers were doing. She could trail up to 5 meters behind Don and keep them in sight while they had to rely on thestreaks of lighthe wasleaving behind.


    They''re slower than you, just keep this up and you should lose them when that spell wears off, if not before then.


    Don was suddenly very thankful for all the effort he had put into training his attributes. While his ''nimble'' trait didn''t make him any faster, it allowed him to skip from onesolid foothold to the next with uncanny precision. His feet had no trouble at all going exactly where they needed to be. As soon as his eyes found a good candidate, a foot was there, tapping lightly onto the surface before launching him powerfully off towards the next. His longer, beastly legsalsohelped him to cover more ground with less difficulty.


    Without stumbling or pausing to consider, He dashed between trees, hurtled over thorn bushes and quickly outpaced his pursuers. Their armor and unwieldy spears only made it harder for them to chase the fleeing demon. Don was just starting to have fun when all of his pursuers shouted in tandem.


    "[E-Pluribus-Unum]"


    The sounds of his flight were temporarily drowned out by the blast of a horn which was doubly frightening in its novelty. Then he heard the group crashing towards him just before something really unsettling.


    Uh-oh, Move your butt, Don! Cel urged


    What happened? Don asked, he chanced a glance over his shoulder and nearly went down hard when a rock shifted out from under his foot. He reluctantly focused ahead of him again. His back felt awfully exposed.


    They activated a group skill! They''re moving a lot faster now. They probably have at least a few boosted attributes. Stop trying to be so damned graceful and get the hell out of here!


    Don took her advice and stopped trying to avoid the uncomfortable underbrush, plowing through it instead. It was a little easier to run like this and Don took the chance to pull a common healing potion out of his inventory. He struggled to drink it while running. He stumbled once and choked a little, but finished it before the Centurions came into view.


    Don was starting torun low on stamina and not breathing properly for long enough to drink that healing potion didn''t help matters any. Hepulled out his only magical stamina potion. It was meant as a countermeasure against the apes but he had learned not to be stingy from his experience with the Jackalope. There was no use in saving the things if he never used them.


    Still, he wasn''t eager to try and fight five on one, especially when he didn''t have any idea how to get past those spears without getting stuck like a wasp on an entomologist''s board. Hopefully, the potion would let him outlast the centurions.


    Unfortunately, the process of drinkingslowed him down again and just after he finished, the Centurions drew close enough to do something he didn''t like at all.


    "[Lunge]" Shouted the leader of the Centurions.


    something slammed into Don''s back. He fell forward from the force of it only to find a length of iron-tipped wood growing out of his gut. Then the pain hit.


    Don howled in the dark jungle, sending birds winging into the sky, protesting angrilyin their musical voices. He lost almost fifth of his health from that single attack and was starting to despair when he noticed a blinking blue box in the corner of his view. That was enough to expand it.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">AGI: 19 --> 20</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations!


    You have trained your Agility to its limit!


    Trait unlocked: Whirlwind</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Whirlwind


    When moving at your top speed, the windiscompelled tochase you.


    Top speed increased by 5%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">CON: 19 --> 20</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations!


    You have trained your Constitution to its limit!


    Trait unlocked: Hardened</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Hardened


    Gain [character level] natural armor


    Bone density and the strength of supporting tendons and ligaments are increased by 15%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don started laughing.The associated spasms sent lances of pain throughhis stomach andthe nascent laughter abruptly ended as Doncoughed up inkyblood. Apparently, running for your life was good training. Too bad they caught him. He had almost done it.


    Don had plenty of health left but the way he was skewered, there was no way he could escape. The slightest movement sent waves of overwhelming pain shooting through his body. He screamed again when the leader pushed his end of the spear down, using it as a lever and forcing Don to look up at his captors. He arched his back in a feeble attempt to keep the spear from tearing at his insides. Four centurions were arrayed in front of him, spears ready to plunge into Don''s exposed chest, but they didn''t attack. Why didn''t they attack? Don just wanted the pain to end. The leader wanted something else, however.


    "Who do you think you are?" He spat from behind Don, giving the spear a jerk that pried another outcry from the demon.


    "You disobedient little monster. You thought you could evade the Arbiter''s justice? This little vacation is over, you''veonly made things worse for yourself and caused trouble for the colony. Show some rusting decency and accept your punishment like a true Citizen."This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    Don was ashamed. What was he thinking? Did he let his status as chief to some dirty little monsters convince him that he could make choices for himself, for others? What right did he have to act so selfishly? He owed a few small debts to the ColoColo, but didn''t he owe his Arbiter and fellow citizens more?


    The Demon looked up at the centurions full of regret, but his heart nearly stopped when he saw the shadows detaching from the branches overheadto fall towards the spearmen. The spearmen were all looking down at the heretic and didn''tnotice the danger they were in.


    No, Was all he had time to think before the ColoColo were on the Centurions. Then his mind temporarily blanked as the leader tore his spear out of Don. He tried to bring it to bear against his assailant but the long weapon was not suited to hitting something so small and so close. The others had no more luck and in the complete surprise of the attack, none of them had the presence of mind to use their spears to skewer the monsters on their companions.


    Hardly more than a second later, the ColoColo jumped away and disappeared back into the foliage, all but one. Dak had tried to apply a seconddose of venom and now that the others were free of their assailants, they were eager to enact their revenge.


    Don moved without thinking. He dove at the first centurionto level his spear at Dak. He caughthis opponent in the stomach and bowled him over. Don rolled through the fall, leaving the spearman tangled in a thorny bush. His armor protected him from the thorns but it also gave them more to cling on to and he was focused on struggling back to his feet when a pair of ColoColo landed on him, pumping him full of even more venom. Before he could dislodge the monsters, he succumbed to the poison.


    No one even noticed the fallen soldiers plight. They were entirely distracted by the sudden and ferocious assaultof the Demon. Don was thrumming with the energy provided by his potion. His every fiber vibrated with it as it urged him to move, to act!


    Don hadhardly come out of his roll before he charged back at the soldiers with a bloodcurdling warcry. He made quite the intimidating figure and convinced the remaining spearmen to defend themselves rather than try and help their companion with the smaller monster.The Energizing potion roared through his veins as his heart pounded in his ears.


    One spearman thrust his weapon at the demon without the support of his friends. Don couldn''t tear his eyes away from the sharp wedge of iron moving inexorably towards his heart. It wasn''t blurring with speed but it wasn''t moving slow enough to afford him any time for thoughts more complex than ''dodge''.


    Don watchedin wonder and fascination as his nimblehands complied with his wish, lighting on the spear just behind its iron point andguiding it ever so gently to the side. He felt his knees bending and hisupper bodytwisting, allowingthe speartiptopass hardly a centimeter away from his skin. His feetcontinued forward in a few smooth but powerful steps and he flowed around theoverextended centurion, ending updirectly behind him. Don wasn''t sure which of them was more surprised by the graceful maneuver.


    In the next moment, his fascination and pleasant surprise turned to nauseaas theincredibly gentle movement was punctuated with a vicious[low kick]. His shin hit just above the centurion''s unarmored knee anditbuckled inwards. The man collapsed with a scream that was more surprise and horror than pain.


    Dak had finished with his poisoning at this point and was gone. The whole confrontation took less than five seconds. One centurion was insensate on the ground, the other was clutching at his leg which bent the wrong way. The last few were standing together, gaping at Don, but the one Dak poisoned was looking haggard.


    "Stay back!" Don shouted. It was meant for the ColoColo and while the centurions didn''t understand him, they obeyed momentarily. Then their leader bristled.


    "A-2" He said just before all three of them unleashed their [flurry] attack at Don. Hewas still reeling over what he had done to the spearman andtook all nine attacks head-on. Don stumbled back, his health plummeting to 12%. The centurion who took the extra poison dose gasped, then keeled over. Only two of the original five centurions were still on their feet, but Don was close to death and his healing potion was basically useless. It still hadn''t restored even a single HP. To make matters worse, the leader activated another skill.


    "[cleanse]" sent a wave of golden energy out from him to wash over his centurions. Don didn''t see any outward effects, but he could guess that he had just counteracted the poison. The two centurions who had run out of stamina didn''t rise but it wouldn''t be long before they recovered.


    The leader knelt beside the crippled soldier but Donwasn''t about to give him the chance to do whatever he was planning. He also wasn''t going to bet on pulling off another miraculous parry. Don took a page out of the ape''s book and tore a branch off of a nearby tree. The last standing soldier squeaked at the display of raw power and Donmade the snap decision to throw the branch at him instead. It didn''t make for a very good projectile but the soldier was trembling in his boots and didn''t effectively defend himself. When he went down, another pair of dark shapes dropped out of the trees onto him. There was a little screaming and thrashing under the leafy branch but he went silent mere seconds later.


    During this time, the leader was able to get to the crippled soldier. He had his hands on the man''s knee, a golden glow surrounding it and with a sickening crunch, it turned back around to bend in the correct direction. He pulled the man up to his feet, pushed his spear into his hand and faced Don, glaring hatefully. The man he just lifted to his feet didn''t look as resolute. Hecouldn''t seem to decide whether to fear Don, or to fearwhatever was lurking inthe shadowy branches above him.


    "Why are you doing this?" Demanded the leader


    Don ignored him, It wasn''t like they could communicate but he had more important things to be doing anyway.


    Cel, have the ColoColo re-dose the fallen soldiers, do it quietly.


    He had to make sure the fallen soldiers wouldn''t get back into the fight. The [venomous bite] would only keep them down for another 30 seconds but this fight should be decided well before then.


    Don looked at the two more closely. He could make out a little mana coming from the scared spearman but there was almost nothing left in the leader''s pool. He shouldn''t be able to cast many more spells. Don stepped forward. The soldiers stepped back.


    Don pointed at the soldiers, then he pointed into the jungle. They understood him well enough.


    "You have no authority here Heretic!" spat the leader.


    "I am Hendrix, of the Five Paladins, and Four Captains, runner-up in the tournament of heroes! I serve at the direction of the Arbiter himself! Who are you to give me orders?"


    Don simply pointed at himself and smiled. That was too much for the soldier. He cried out [holy might] andthe slight mist surrounding his entire body burst into curling white-gold flames. He swung his spear, scattering the animal carcasses that hung there. Donrolledto the side, not enough to evade the attack entirely, but enough so the spear lodged itself deeply intoa tree before it could catch up to him. Don lunged forward and tackled the paladin. He immediately regretted the decision. While the paladin was unharmed by the flames, they burned Don badly and with a grip like iron, Hendrixclamped his hands onto Don''s throat.


    "Now" heheard Cel shout and over a dozen ColoColo dropped onto the last standing spearman, bearing him to the ground before he could deliver the Coup-de-grace.


    Don struggled against hisradiant opponent, clawing at the vice-like fingers as the last dregs of his health poolbegan draining away. His stamina was droppingfaster and faster despite the magical potion he had taken. Just as red was creeping into the corners of his vision, thesearing firedissipatedand the paladin''sgrip weakened considerably. He had run out of mana! Don smashed his arms down on Hendrix''s, breaking his hands away from his neck. He forced the paladin''s mouth open and poured an Exhausting potion into it. Hendrix sputtered and cursed at the demon but when Don clamped his mouth shut and covered his nose, he had nochoice but to swallow.


    It wasn''tlong before the jungle grew still and quiet. Still, except for a blinking notification in the corner of his eye. That was when something odd happened.


    Forten meters in every direction, the brambles and leaves began to glow. Little droplets ofgolden dew grew on their surfaces as the plants withered, losing their inner light. Slowly at first, but then with gathering speed, the droplets detached from the withered stalks and leaves to float towards Don. They flowedaroundthe surface of any obstructions before detaching from the near side like a slow, glowing rain that was falling the wrong way. They gathered on his skin before being absorbed. Don was afraid the Paladinhad used some last-ditch skill when he started to glow again. Then thelight abruptlywinked out as a shockwave blasted out from the Demon, turning the withered plants to dust.


    Donstood over his vanquished foe, looking up. His eyes saw past the barren cage whichhad been a lush canopy justseconds before, andinto the terrible void beyond.

 29 - Damned

    Don was kneeling in dark, sucking mud, and he was crying.


    "Please," He begged "Please don''t"


    All that came out was a horrible growling and spitting noise. It was a noise that only served to egg Hendrix on. To the cheering of his former community, Don was stabbed yet again. The spear, already slick with black blood plunged down at the demon, at the heretic.


    Theravenous crowd hurled insults, clods of dirt, and rocks at the Demon. They were hungry for justice, and their champion obliged them. Hendrix put a sandal-clad foot on Don''s shoulder and pushed him down as he tugged his spear free. He continued stabbing at the prone demon, the crowd cheering with every blow. Don''s screams were completely drowned out by their raucous approval. Overhead, the spear gleamed red in the light of a setting sun and the sky was strewn with ragged, bloody strips of cloud, castoffs from the growing thunderhead in the distance. Finally, thankfully, Don died.


    It was a short-lived respite. Don tumbled out of a dark portal and fell back into the mud. Mud that was made from a mix of fertile soil and buckets upon buckets of Don''s lifeblood. The horrible ordeal repeated itself. Don pleaded, Hendrix ignored and then killed him to the glee of the roaring crowd. Fury and exaltation warred for territory on Hendrix''s face. When Don died a third time and he was certain he couldn''t take any more of this unending torture, the vision abruptly ended.


    He was standing in the desolated patch of jungle again, staring up into the night sky.


    "Don! Don!" Cel stopped shouting in his ear when Don finally moved. He put a hand to his face and swayed woozily. His body was still riddled with puncture wounds and he was having trouble remembering which fight they belonged to.


    "Wha- what was that?" he stammered.


    "What was what? You just stopped moving all of a sudden."


    "I saw, no, I remembered something. It was so vivid though, so horrible." Don shuddered as the memory flashed through his head again. Then he remembered what he had been doing just before the vision gripped him and looked down between his feet. Hendrix was gone!


    "Where-" He began, frantically looking around himself.


    "Calm down." Cel said while soothing him with the feelings of safety "They''re a little tied up at the moment." She pointed to a pile of bodies. They were hardly recognizable as such. Each of the centurions was cocooned in so many vines and brambles that only their faces were visible. Hendrix was snoring a little but the rest were awake, and they were staring at Don in horror.


    He looked every bit the unstable, dangerous heretic they had been told he was. After defying a direct order, he actually attacked them! After he had dispatched their whole group with the help of unseen horrors, hetransformed a large patch of the jungle into ashbefore hefroze, looking to the stars. Then he started conversing with thin air in that grating dialect of his.


    Worse yet, they were captured. They had boldly explored the jungle trusting in the arbiters gift of ''respawning''. They never considered the possibility that they would be unable to return. Now that the seven-foot-tall slab of muscle and blasphemy was staring back at them, their toes curled in fear.They couldn''t do much more than wriggle against their bonds, looking like squirming caterpillars before a hungry bird.


    Don''s eyes were locked on Hendrix. His fists clenched involuntarily. Ash puffed into the air as he stepped forward. Then he stopped himself. He wanted nothing more to stomp on his face until his foot hit the ground behind it, but Hendrix was tied up and sedated. He wasn''t a threat at the moment. What he had done was unforgivable but killing him would just send him back to the arbiter, it would be the same as untying him and letting him walk away.


    "Are you okay Don?" Cel asked, concern evident through their link "You look, scary."


    Don whirled on his companion.


    "Why did you let the ColoColo fight? I told you specifically not to do that! They could have died!"


    "I didn''t," Cel protested, "at first... That initial attack was all Kat''s idea. You''re the one who put him in charge of the others!"


    "And then what happened?" Demanded Don


    "And then I helped them pick their openings to attack. If it wasn''t for me, they would have swarmed to your defense and lots of them would have died!"


    Don fumed but he had to admit, aside from Dak, none of the ColoColo were put in significant danger.


    "Dak!" He shouted, making the prisoners flinch. The ColoColo in question peeked out from behind a barren tree.


    "Why did you stay on that soldier longer than you had to?" Dak flinched back behind the tree, hiding from Don''s outrage before sneaking back around and squeaking his answer in a small voice.


    "I got stuck... My fangs wouldn''t come out of their second skin..." He looked properly chastened and Don felt bad venting at him for such an honest mistake. Luckily Hendrix was stirring so Don had someone who deserved a little venting.


    He stomped over to the paladin and jerked him into the air, cocoon and all. The paladin woke the rest of the way very quickly when DonslammedHendrix against a nearby tree and pinned him there.


    "Why are you hunting for me? Why do you all hate me so much? Why can''t you just leave me alone!" He demanded, shaking the manand repeatedly slamming him against the trunk, kicking up a cloud of ash in the process. Hendrix wheezed as he tried to get some air back in his lungs but he didn''t answer. Of course he didn''t, he couldn''t understand Don. Don growled at his own stupidity before Dropping Hendrix and snapping a branch off of the tree overhead.It was brittle, not at all like the flexible branches he was used to.


    He used the branch to spell out the word ''why'' in the inch-deep ashfall. There was just enough starlight filtering through the bare branches for it to be visible. Once helifted Hendrixso he could see his sign, hegot the idea. That didn''t mean he was any more cooperative.


    "Rust you Heretic. I don''t have to answer any of your questions!"


    "You owe me more than answers." Don growled, "You owe me blood!"


    Don pushed the man back against the tree and used his [low kick] intentionally for the first time. Even though the movements felt off, his leg connected solidly with the bundle of thorns, vines, and paladin. He caught him in the stomach and with the tree at his back, the sloppy attack was devastating. Hendrix doubled over as best he could while bound and landed face first in the ash, scattering Don''s question. When he finished hacking and wheezing he glared at Don defiantly.


    "Your every action proves the righteousness of our mission!"


    Don glared at the hateful man but droppedhis line of questioning. It wasn''t getting him anywhere and if he kept going, he might just kill the Paladin. It was far too soon for that.


    "What are you planning on doing with them?" Cel asked


    "Plan? You think I planned for any of this?" Don said a little more shrilly than intended.


    "Well, you have to do something, and soon. That paladin''s mana will regenerate before the night is out. We can''t trust a few vines to hold him when that happens."


    "As much as I''d like to, killing him won''t solve the problem." Don growled. Cel was taken aback


    "Since when are you the killing type?" She asked


    "Since I remembered the way this servant of the Arbiter killed me again and again for no reason other than entertainment!"


    "You remembered part of that?" Cel asked, her sudden happiness was not a good fit for the situation


    "You knew about it?" Don accused


    "Of course I did, You''re the only one with amnesia here, remember?"


    "Then why didn''t you warn me about the danger these centurions posed?"


    "I told you I couldn''t give away too many hints. Just check your Quest screen."


    Don was reluctant to do as she asked but when he pulled up his quest screen he was confronted with something new.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Active Quests:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Who am I?</td>


    <td>1%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Alchemist''s Apprentice</td>


    <td>99%</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>There''s no place like home</td>


    <td>0%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    His amnesia-related quest had made the slightest amount of progress. When he focused on it, he found out why.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Who am I?</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>You have remembered how terribly you were treated while under the centurions'' care.


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.Take your revenge by defeating each of them in combat.


    Current Progress: 1/100


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He had never been so eager to comply with a quest before. While reliving his ordeal, Don had focused almost entirely on Hendrix, but there was a whole line of spearmen behind him, eagerly awaiting their turn to inflict a measure of vengeance on the demon. One thing was off, however.


    "Why did I only get credit for defeating one centurion?" Don asked while looking at the pile of enemy soldiers.


    "You only defeated Hendrix. The rest were taken out by the ColoColo."


    Don supposed that made sense. He hadn''t even touched the one Dak got stuck on. If he was going to progress this quest to 5% completion, he would have to untie the soldiers and take them on. This time, it would be a fair fight. One on one, and no weapons.


    Cel urged Don to check his notifications before he began. He nearly ignored her, he wanted to hurt these people. They came looking for trouble, and they had found it. The cascade of notifications nearly distracted Don from the grim task ahead of him.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+1 EXP (x4)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">New Form: Circle Steps: incomplete (0.5%)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+12 EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Level up!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Congratulations!


    You have progressed to Level 1</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+1 STR</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+1 WIS</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+5 Free Attribute Points</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Seven attribute points all at once! That was huge! It was just the beginning though.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Demonic exclusive trait unlocked: Masochistic</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Taking over 666 damage without resisting while level 0 has caused you to acquire a taste for pain.


    -1% damage threshold per character level.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don wasn''t in love with this trait, but he wasn''t about to brush off anything that could take the edge off getting skewered. What would happen when he surpassed level 50 though? Would he start feeling pleasure from damage instead of pain? That seemed to be what the trait implied. Luckily, that was still a long way off as his pain threshold was only reduced to 49% at the moment.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Demonic exclusive ability unlocked:Dark-Vision</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Spending over 66.6% of your time in complete or near-complete darkness while level 0 has caused your soul to partially fuse with darkness.


    Effect:Youcan perceive darkness withinyour area of influence


    Cost:1 MP / minute</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    This didn''t make too much sense to Don. What did it mean that his soul was fused with darkness? How did you perceive darkness? It was just the absence of light. Don moved on to the final notification.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">A synergy between one of your skills and your demonic nature had manifested a new ability!


    Soul Harvest</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Upon leveling, souls within your area of influence will be torn from their vessels and absorbed.


    Absorbed souls provide healing and steals [character level]% of their current experience.


    Only affects souls with a level less than half of your character level.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don looked at the circle of ash around him and at the perfectly spherical border of leaves where his area of influence ended. He hadn''t gained any health or experience from turning a 20-meter wide section of jungle into ash. This ability seemed like nothing but a curse. Would he start absorbing the souls of his ColoColo in the next few levels? Would he have to make sure to be away from anything important when leveling up in the future?


    When he put these questions to Cel even she had no answers for him.


    "No one has ever wasted a profession slot on herbalism after unlocking a Demonic character before." She explained, "I have no idea how this ability works. It''s pretty awesome though!"


    "Cel, what is awesome about destroying everything around me both involuntarily and indiscriminately?"


    "Because depending on how many enemies you can be near when you level, you could stand to gain a ton of experience! You would have to outlevel them first but if you can get a head start, this ability could let you keep them from leveling up while your level skyrockets. It''s like the perfect weapon against the Centurions if you can deploy it right! Besides, we don''t know that it''s indiscriminate." She protested before adding "But there isn''t really any safe way to test that huh?"


    "No there isn''t," Don sighed "I''ll just have to be careful in the future and you will have to listen to me. I don''t want the ColoColo following me against orders again only to have their souls torn from their bodies. That can''t be healthy." Don gestured pointedly at the desolation around them.


    "Fine, fine. Of course, you would unlock such an epic ability and only see it as a problem. What else would I expect? let''s get to the really fun part! Allocating your Attributes!"


    "That''s the fun part?" Don asked


    "Maybe addictive is a better word. What do you think you want to spend them on?"


    Don had been thinking about this for a while. Cel already informed him that he would get a bonus point of Strength and Wisdom every level thanks to his demonic nature but the five free points were up to him to allocate.


    "Agility seems like the obvious choice," Don started "The faster I am, the less I have to fear from those apes."


    "Not a bad idea," Cel admitted "But pure agility probably isn''t going to help as much as you think. Agility affects your top speed, but you need strength for acceleration. With your Strength and Constitution so close, you won''t be able to dodge any faster if you just dump your points into agility."


    Don nodded as he listened.


    "Don''t just build your attributes to suit your current opponents either. You are going to have a lot of different types of enemies to fight in the future, not to mention these Centurions. Speed is great, but it''s not going to cut it against an army."


    That gave Don pause. He remembered how weak he felt when his attributes were out of balance before. He would have to consider carefully to avoid similar problems. Still, if he didn''t defeat the apes, he couldn''t worry about other enemies. There would be plenty of other levels and attribute points in the future. He decided to bet on Cel''s advice. It had kept him safe from the centurions so far and he only now understood just how important was. He could always rebalance his attributes later on. He dropped four of his points into Strength bringing it up to 25. That was a satisfyingly round number so he dropped his last point into Agility before checkingthe results.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Name:Donovan Shepard


    Race:Demon


    Title:Chieftan (ColoColo)


    Traits:Beastly Whirlwind, Hardened & Relentless, Enlightened, Nimble, Masochistic</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Pet: Fairy (Soul Bound)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Level:1 (9/200 EXP)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    <table style="border-collapse: separate; border-spacing: 2px; background: #004b7a; margin: 10px auto; border: none; color: #cccccc">


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="padding: 5px; margin: 3px; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; border-right-width: 1px !important; border-right-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-left-width: 1px !important; border-left-style: solid !important">STR:25</td>


    <td style="padding: 5px; margin: 3px; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; border-right-width: 1px !important; border-right-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-left-width: 1px !important; border-left-style: solid !important" rowspan="2"></td>


    <td style="padding: 5px; margin: 3px; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; border-right-width: 1px !important; border-right-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-left-width: 1px !important; border-left-style: solid !important">CON: 20</td>


    <td style="padding: 5px; margin: 3px; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; border-right-width: 1px !important; border-right-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-left-width: 1px !important; border-left-style: solid !important" rowspan="2"></td>


    <td style="padding: 5px; margin: 3px; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; border-right-width: 1px !important; border-right-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-left-width: 1px !important; border-left-style: solid !important">INT: 16</td>


    <td style="padding: 5px; margin: 3px; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; border-right-width: 1px !important; border-right-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-left-width: 1px !important; border-left-style: solid !important" rowspan="2"></td>


    <td style="padding: 5px; margin: 3px; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; border-right-width: 1px !important; border-right-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-left-width: 1px !important; border-left-style: solid !important">DEX:20</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="padding: 5px; margin: 3px; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; border-right-width: 1px !important; border-right-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-left-width: 1px !important; border-left-style: solid !important">AGI: 21+ 1</td>


    <td style="padding: 5px; margin: 3px; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; border-right-width: 1px !important; border-right-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-left-width: 1px !important; border-left-style: solid !important">END:20</td>


    <td style="padding: 5px; margin: 3px; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; border-right-width: 1px !important; border-right-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-left-width: 1px !important; border-left-style: solid !important">WIS:21</td>


    <td style="padding: 5px; margin: 3px; background: rgba(0, 0, 0, 0.1); border-color: rgba(255, 255, 255, 0.25) !important; border-right-width: 1px !important; border-right-style: solid !important; border-bottom-width: 1px !important; border-bottom-style: solid !important; border-left-width: 1px !important; border-left-style: solid !important"></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">HP:19/100</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MP: 80/80</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">SP: 100/100</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Active Effects:


    Tired I: -5% mental attributes (INT 15 / WIS 20)


    Hungry I: -10% SP Regeneration</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Professions:


    Alchemist:Initiate 10


    Herbalist:Initiate 8


    Monk:Initiate 1</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 30 - First Circle of Hell

    Cliff had accepted his role as a centurion with pride. He tested into the top 10% for combat aptitude across the entire colony after all. The Arbiter even gave a speech about the importance of defense in this new world they had to adapt to. On its own, that wasn''t too special. Everyone had an important role in some respect but this time, he gave the speech in person.


    Cliff stood among ranks of his fellow centurions, less than 20 meters away from their leader as he extolled how virtuous it was to defend the colony. giving his newly minted centurions honors above and beyond any of the new clans that were forming. Now he would have given anything to have been selected for the builder clan, farmer clan or even the logger clan, which was made up of people with little aptitude for any other useful labor.


    He made another swing at the Demon before him. Once again, the monster chopped his hand into Cliff''s wrist, hitting the same exact spot yet again and adding to the growing bruise there. The heretic pushed Cliff''s fist out of its trajectory and was abruptly moving in the other direction. Cliff couldn''t turn with him, not fast enough, and not if he wanted to keep his balance. His fist was pushed to the left and his momentum followed it while the monster slipped around to his right.


    He was so big but the rusting heretic was more slippery than it had any right to be. If only he had his weapons. He would at least be able to benefit from his skills and profession bonuses. He''d be able to try and keep the monster at a distance too. As it was now, the seven-foot-tall beast had the longer reach. That, added to his odd fighting techniques put him in complete control of the fight. Cliff didn''t have any experience with bare-handed fighting and his reliance on straightforward punches wasn''t getting him anywhere.


    A pair of light taps in the middle of his back signaled another failure. Another reason why he wasn''t worthy of the spear Griswold''s guards had lent him. A spear he wasn''t likely to get back. He gritted his teeth and swung a fist behind himself while spinning, hoping to catch the demon unaware. He should have known better.


    The demon was crouching low, white teeth gleaming out of the darkness as it mocked him with its playful grin. Enough starlight made it through the bare branches overhead so that he could make out its outline even in the darkness. He still didn''t see his hands come up to deliver another pair of light taps on his chest before the demon leaped back and out of range. The monster stumbled a bit, taking a couple of steps to regain its balance but this wasn''t the right time to act. So Cliff gritted his teeth and bore the humiliation.


    The beasthad flown back nearly two meters from its jump and still landed despite the uneven ground and the darkness shrouding it. Cliff was suddenly pushed forward, robbing him of his balance yet again. He spun but was too slow to see what kept hitting him from behind. Sometimes he saw silhouettes flitting through the branches above him, sometimes he heard them hissing from the shadows around this ash-filled arena. These monsters grew larger and more threatening in his mind the longer they went unseen. He only turned away from frantically searching for their elusive forms in the dark because of the Demon''s relentless assault.


    Another two light taps brought his attention back to his taunting jailor. he let off a rapid-fire series of punches but each attack was slapped to the side with infuriating ease. This time there were four impacts, each one was still fairly light, especially with the armor he was wearing but the force behind them still rocked him back. He glanced over at his Health Bar. It had dipped again.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">HP: 42 / 65</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MP: 50/50</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">SP: 18 / 65</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He didn''t know how long the monster had toyed with him for. This was his third round against the monster. Hendrix had been carried off long ago, but the other members of his squad were subjected to this humiliation time and again. They were forced to drink some vile solution that healed them, but slowly. The monster, for his part, held back its punches to prolong its fun. At least there hadn''t been a repeat of the attack that had folded Cliff''s leg in on itself.


    He shuddered at the memory but another few hits rocked him to the side and brought his focus back to the present. He was determined to score at least one hit on the monster before he tired out this time. He was unsuccessful.


    <hr>


    Don was satisfied when the Centurion collapsed to the ground, completely spent. He had his ColoColo tie him up and bring the next victim forward. Don assumed his stance and began to stalk in smooth, deliberate steps around his fresh target. They had gotten him with their punches fairly consistently when the fighting began. Don''s Hardened skin and massive health pool let him shrug off the attacks until he had gotten used to his new [circle steps] form.


    Experimentation had even resulted in his discovering the [rolling punch] form. Unexpectedly, the worse the centurions did, the more eager they were to throw themselves at Don.


    He had been training like this for hours. While the acceleration provided by his improved strength was exhilarating, he was much more enamored with another benefit. His every action was just, easier. He barely drained SP anymore unless he really exerted himself. Against these slow and weak centurions, that was hardly necessary and so he had been able to go nonstop while entertaining four separate sparring partners.


    So long as he didn''t kill them, or personally secure them, the combat could continue and Don was using that little exploit to train his Monk profession. He would have liked to take credit for the idea but it was all Cel. He might have felt bad about toying with the soldiers if their low pain threshold and Don''s attempts to hit them softly hadn''t turned the fight into more of a game.


    It turned out to be a game he enjoyed despite the intermittent verbal abuse that came with it. Once Hendrix was carried away by some ColoColo, even that had dropped to acceptable levels.


    Don watched the centurion as he paced around him. His opponent turned nervously, hands raised in fists. Don''s hands were raised towards the man as well, but they were open. When he saw the man''s weight shift, preparing for an attack, Don swung his front leg around, turning to head in the other direction even before the man''s windup was finished. When the fist came. Don gently guided it behind himself. A few quick steps would have taken himaround the man but he darted after his fist and out of the circle Don had made.


    The new strategy took Don a moment to adjust to but his 21 points in Wisdom let him catch up to the man before he could even regain his balance from the desperate move. Don held his hands close to his chest, balling them into fists. he unleashed a [rolling punch] just as he came into range.


    One fist shot forward. There was no windup, no wild swing, just a controlled jab straight out from his chest and into his opponent. His bent wrist snapped straight at the moment of impact, providing extra speed and force for very little effort. As that fist bounced back towards Don''s chest, the other shot just over the retreating fist to strike the same exact spot. He continued for another two strikes before bounding back out of reach and starting up his [circle steps] again.


    This might have been difficult if it wasn''t for Don''s new [Dark-Vision] ability. He couldn''t maintain the mana cost indefinitely, but between his pool of 80 mana and his decently high regeneration, he could maintain it for two whole hours without rest. When he did rest, his Enlightened trait let him recover fully in under four minutes. Don tried to meditate during those short respites but he was unable to manage it. Every time he tried, an image of a blackened spear, gleaming in the sunset kept him from calming his surface thoughts.The tale has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    His [Dark-Vision] was much more involved than just being able to see in the dark like he expected. It let him see the darkness itself. Well, that wasn''t quite right.


    It was more like he could feel the darkness around him, mostly because it didn''t matter if his eyes were open or not. He could feel where his opponents moved, pushing the darkness out of their way as they did so. He could feel the rough bark of the trees around him and the clouds of ash that billowedin the wake of any large movements. He could ''see'' right through the ash clouds as if they weren''t even there. The darkness between each particle informed him if anything was hiding in them.


    For ten meters ahead of Don, nothing was hidden in gloom. Anything in the darkness was highlighted to his senses. The only drawback was that the new sense ended wherever pools of starlight gathered. The spots of light which used to be Don''s only way of determining what was around himself were now blankpatches in his [Dark-Vision].


    He wasn''t about to complain. The ability let him keep perfect track of his opponents while he was a shadowy blur to their eyes.


    His [rolling punch] was the first form to finish its development despite it being the most recently acquired.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Martial Art Form learned!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Rolling Punch:Initiate 1</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Effect:Deliver 2 lightning-faststrikes to the target at 30% reduced damage (6.6)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td rowspan="2">Cost: 3SP


    Cooldown: 5 seconds</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don used it sparingly because after the form was completely developed, he couldn''t pull his punches anymore. Anytime he started the attack, he was locked in, unable to do anything else until he had finished the two strikes. That wasn''t so much of a problem for him because now his fists blurred with speed like the [flurry] attack he was so wary of. The problem was that his strength was too much for the centurions to handle and he sent them reeling withhis new technique. Even with his lowered usage, it still leveled up before he completed his [circle steps] technique.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Rolling Punch: Initiate 1 --> 2</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Effect:Deliver 2 lightning-fast strikes to the target at (30 --> 29)% reduced damage (6.7)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Cost: 3 SP


    Cooldown: 5 seconds</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Martial Art Form Learned!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Circle Steps:Initiate 1</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Effect:+5% AGI and+5% WIS


    Bonus Effect:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Clarity:+20% WIS


    Duration: 1 second


    Cooldown: 5 seconds


    Cost: 5 MP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td rowspan="2">Cost: 1 SP / second</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After mastering the basics of [circle steps] his stance changed subtly. Don didn''t understand the significance of the changes but he immediately noted the extra drain on his SP. He also felt noticeably lighter on his feet and his opponent slowed at the same time. If it was easy to dodge the attacks before, it was trivial now. Don closed his eyes, relying on his dark vision as he danced around his insulted enemy. He gained a level in the new form but the effect only increased his agility and wisdom bonus by 0.5% and his clarity bonus by 1%. It wasn''t much of a change but it would still double the basic effect before he reached the apprentice rank.


    He activated [clarity] experimentally. He felt mana surgethrough thepathways circulating it through his bodybefore dumping into his head all at once. Not only did the world slow considerably, his sense for the mana in himself and his opponent sharpened. Now, in addition to his dark vision supplying an outline of the man, Don could see the ghostly blue of mana flowing through his body.


    After positioning himself behind the centurionhe decided tounleash another [rolling punch], mostly to see if his enhanced wisdom was enough toperceive the fast strikes. The attack broke the clarity effect however and the world sped back up by 25% catching Don by surprise and making him stumble a little.


    The centurions watching from the edge of the clearing shouted "Now!" and Don''s current opponent lunged away. Don thought he was trying to run and was slow to respond. When the Centurion reached the spot where their spears leaned against a tree. Don readied himself for an attack by dropping into his [circle steps] stance. He should have charged instead.


    The man turned the spear on himself and slit his own throat. he was dead before he hit the ground and Don cursed himself even as the man''s body dissipated into motes of light.


    <hr>


    Don was suddenly back in the dark mud and under the bloody sky. He looked up at the man who had just escaped him and had to watch helplessly as heplunged his spear into the Demon repeatedly. Thememory was thankfully brief and Don only had to suffer one death before he returned to himself.


    <hr>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+3 EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don was furious. Mostly at himself. He had gotten complacent and let one of his prisoners get away. He felt so in control of the fight that he didn''t notice when his target got dangerously low on health. Then he even let him get back to his weapon. There wasn''t much danger of a lone spearman challenging Don now, especially with his tribe surrounding them, but he had forgotten that there were other means of escape available to them.


    He couldn''t risk staying here much longer. It would take three hours for the level threeCenturion to respawn but there was no point staying in the last place he was spotted for any longer than he had to. He turned his eyes on the remaining Centurions. They were taunting him while laughing.


    Why wouldn''t they? They had just outsmarted him and gotten a messenger back to their camp. Nothing the demon could do would even hurt them, not really. Don wasn''t sure what to do with his captives before. He couldn''t take them to the refuge and give up its hidden location. He couldn''t leave them out during the day and protect them from the apes either.


    Now that one of them had died, the decision wassuddenly much easier. He pulled them into the ashen circle one by one and reinitiated combat. This time he didn''t hold back, using his undeveloped [low kick] form at every opportunity. It didn''t cripple them immediately, he had to keep hitting their legs until they eventually buckled under the constant and one-sided attacks.


    Once they were incapacitated, Don tied them up. Killing them would only net him their level worth of EXP but capturing them alive tripled the experience he would get. One by one, he crippled, then captured the centurions. Each victory ended witha vision of how each of them had stabbed him to death with grins on their faces and the assurance that they were carrying out justicein their eyes.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+9 EXP</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+6 EXP</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+9 EXP</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">36 / 200 EXP to level 2</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    After reliving his death several times, and with no repercussions left for killing his captives, he let his instincts take the reins. His leg swung up and didn''t stop until it was raised straight into the air. It paused for a moment before whistling down, only stopping after it had crushed one of his captives skulls underits heel.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">New Form Under Development:


    Axe Kick: (1%)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The others weren''t even afraid. They were glad to be done with the endless humiliation of being toyed with. They knew they would respawn among friends and welcomed Don''s crushing heel.


    When they had dissipated into light and the only evidence that they had been there wasa layer of ash adhering to the wetness on Don''s foot, Hefelt empty. The vengeance didn''t give him any answers. It wasn''t even satisfying. It had been too quick, too painless for Don to feel like he had gotten even.


    That was when he looked up, his [Dark-Vision] making it easy to see all the ColoColo concealed there. He didn''t need to get even. He didn''t need vengeance. He just needed to keep himself away from the army of fanatics who would happily resume his torture if they ever caught up with him. For now, there were more pressing concerns.

 31 - Harmony

    Don flew through the dark jungle like a wraith. His feet hardly had to tap the ground to send him froma mostly buried stone to the base of a tree. Then sailing over a briar patch with a little assistance from a passing branch, and finally touching down on a rare bitofunclaimed earth only to run up an ancient limb which had drooped to the ground, gaining the height needed to bypass a 5-foot hedge of thick vegetation.His Dark Vision saw through every bramble and behind every leaf, allowing him to navigate the shadows, plotting out his course with ease.


    Despite his speed, theair around him was hardly moving, at least from his perspective.His own slipstreamwas drawn in and projected forward by his whirlwind trait. It flowed past him from behind,urging him to go just a little bit faster as it cleared the path ahead. Bushes and ferns shied away from himwhile hanging vinesleaned to the side. It wasn''t strong enough to damage any of the vegetation but a small path opened up before Don wherever he ran.


    Even that was hardly necessary with his new natural armor. He could now trample the annoying thorn bushes without harm. He still got scratched if he tried to plow through them but it was nothing like the deep gouges he got before. Hardened was probably his favorite Trait at the moment.


    He was almost too fast. If it wasn''t for his Nimble trait, he probably couldn''t keep up this pace even with his [dark vision] keeping him informed of his surroundings. He would probably need to increase his Wisdom at his next level up if he wanted to keep focusing on speed. For now, he was content to enjoy the tangible progress and revel in his new abilities. It was unlike anything he had ever experienced.


    He still couldn''t keep up with the ColoColo but their [forest walk] was basically cheating when combined with their low Constitution scores.


    "Are you sure want to just leave Hendrix out there?" Cel asked


    "It''s better than killing him, this way he will at least have to find his way back if he gets loose. With any luck, he will just starve to death over the next week." Don replied as if he wasn''t talking about leaving a man for dead in the middle of the jungle.


    "Okay, I guess that''s a decent option all things considered. What do you want to do now that you''re done grinding up your attributes?"


    "I think I should finish training the [low kick] tonight and then finish up my alchemy quest."


    "Alright, we should look for some herbs while were out here too. Otherwise, we''re just wasting time while traveling around the jungle."


    Don grimaced


    "I don''t want to go running allover the place looking for ingredients when the ColoColo are doing a decent job and I have martial skills to train."


    "Good, because that would be pretty dumb. I''m just suggesting that we passively scan for ingredients anytime we''re moving through the jungle. It''s not like you have to worry about inventory space anymore."


    She was right, with eight ranks in herbalism and 25 strength, he could carry a downright silly amount of ingredients.


    "What about the mana cost? What was it? 1 every ten seconds? I can only generate 1 mana every few minutes..."


    "Don''t forget about your Clarity trait, when we''re just running around like this you''re regenerating 21 MP every minute."


    Don could have facepalmed if he didn''t need his hands to keep his balance. He had forgotten about the increases after so long in combat with the slower regeneration rates.


    "So I''ll still have a surplus of 14 Mana per minute if I keep [dark vision] and [natural resonance] going constantly?"


    "More like 8." Cel replied "When you leveled up, my abilities got upgrades too. The range on [natural resonance] increases in pace with your area of influence but the mana cost increases as well."


    "What is the deal with this ''area of influence'' anyways?" Don asked


    "It has to do with the strength of your soul. As you level up, your soul maturesand can influence the world further away from your body. It''s basicallyyourmaximum range with spells. You''re at 10 meters now so if I fly around the edge of the 10-meter tether attaching us, and use [natural resonance] I can now scan an area 40 meters wide!"


    Don missed his next step. The illusion of his own lightness was shattered when he slammed into the ground, catching his fall with his hands but completely unable to arrest his forward momentum. He continued rolling forward at a frightening speed before slamming into a tree.


    "Oof, you okay?" Cel asked


    "Ugh, give me a second," Don said. He lost 17 points of health from the fall. He decided right then to increase his wisdom when he reached level 2. He was just too fast now. Even with his [dark vision] giving him accurate and useful information, he barely had time to plot his course one step ahead as he was now.


    "What else changed with your abilities?" He asked while waiting for the trees to stop spinning around him.


    "I can hold a charge of [fairy dust] in reserve now and it takes 23 hours to generate the charges instead of 24. I can also make an illusory training dummy."


    "What was that last bit?"


    "Oh, right. Your Monk profession lets me make an insubstantial dummy for you to practice with."


    "Then why did I just spend hours training with those centurions? I could have just had the ColoColo run them to different parts of the jungle and tie them to random trees!"


    He didn''t add that they wouldn''t have escaped so soon if that had happened.


    "Because the training dummy doesn''t count as an enemy combatant and while it takes a thousand repetitions of a form to develop it in training, it only takes a hundred when you''re in combat."


    "Fine, but let me know about new abilities right when you get them next time."


    Don picked himself up off the ground, nodded to the ColoColo guiding him and set off at half speed. Of course for Don, half-speed was the same as an average person''s flat out sprint now. Hisall-around high attributes made it as easy to maintain as a light jog.


    "Okay so, training, alchemy quest, and looking for herbs. Fire up the resonator, or whatever you do."


    Don felt the tug of mana being pulled from him just before Cel activated her tracking skill. It was more pronounced than before but so was the effect. Cel began flying in circles around Don, looking like a streak of light whenever Don caughtglimpses of her through the plant life. She stopped him from time to time so they could alter course and pick up random plants. They continued like this until their guide brought them back to the clearing near the refuge.


    A surge of mana was pulled from Don as Cel started glowing, but oddly enough, the glow didn''t push back Don''s dark vision. The glow expanded until it turned into adoughy humanoid shape. It was roughly the same size as Don but the face was featureless and it had no fingers or toes. His [dark vision] told him that there was nothing there.This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    "Why doesn''t this register in my [dark vision]" Don asked.


    "Because it''s an illusion, just like all the light I emit. That''s why only certain people can see me. I can target specific races with my illusions but if I don''t, they won''t see or hear anything I do."


    Don shrugged, it didn''t seem that important. He could still see the illusion after all. What followed was a mind-numbing exercise in kicking thin air. After a hundred repetitions during which his progress increased a measly 8.3%, Cel recommended that he try using [harmony] while practicing. It technically let him meditate while using his forms but he had never tried to use it that way before.


    He fell into a cycle of steady breathing, measuring out each repetition of the kick with a sharp exhale, resetting his stance with a slow inhale. He couldn''t focus, however. He kept seeing Gaz''s head being crushed under his shin, or the centurions torturing him. Worst of all, he saw and heard the citizens jeering at him as he was killed again and again. It seemed like no amount of blood would satisfy them. Nothing he could do would ever redeem him in their eyes. He didn''t understand why that should bother him so much. He didn''t want anything to do with such barbaric people.


    Another hundred repetitions passed while he fumed over the events of the last few days. Another hundred passed as he resolved to never be so helpless again. After three hundred repetitions, he was more than halfway through the development, and he finally sank into a meditative trance.


    The world faded around him. Even his [dark vision] couldn¡¯t provide more than hazy suggestions as to his surroundings. Oddly, the dummy before him grew brighter and easier to spot. His world shrank to the training dummy, his breathing, and his internal mana flow.


    With [Harmony] active, his mana pool lit up like a beacon. A shining vortex turning slowly just above Don¡¯s navel. Where hazy tracks used to imply mana flow, clear lines visibly took in mana from the pool beforediverting it through smaller and smaller branching vessels until the channels disappeared into an indistinct haze. A small amount evaporated to waft out of his pores, surrounding himself in a cool blue mist which left pleasing afterimages wherever he moved.His target was constructed entirely of Mana and similarly stood out in the murky darkness that obscured everything else around him.


    After watching his leg paint a track of hazy blue smoke through the air dozens of times, Don tried to hold the mist closer to himself. A few kicks later, the mist was a bit more confined. Less drifted away to form afterimages and over time, more and more built up around his leg. He was only able to hold so much near himself though and before long his leg began leaving smokey trails behind it again despite the fluorescent layer of compressed mana that Don had gathered.


    He let go of his control over the mana and it puffed away all at once. Don felt a slight pressure as the mana dissipated. Next, he tried to manipulate the mana still inside his body.There no way to influence the mana in his channels. The pressure was just too intense and it resistedany attempts to slow or speed up the flow. He was able to stretch the opening at the bottom of his mana pool slightly. Thatallowedmore mana toleak into his body. He was encouraged by the small success until the extra mana reached his head, a massive headache started pounding at Don and his meditation broke. He crouched down and held his head between his hands.


    "Ahhhhhh" He moaned


    "What''s wrong?" Cel asked, concerned at the sudden shift from his previous calm.


    "Rusting headache" Was all he could manage. The debilitating pain passed quickly enough but Don decided not to mess with internal mana again. He checked on his notifications to see how much further he had to go and was surprised to findthe form was already complete and it had even leveled it up twice. Apparently, the training dummy was good for more than just developinghis techniques.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Martial Art Form Learned!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Low Kick: initiate 1 --> 3</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Effect:+(5 --> 6)% STR and AGI (9.9 --> 10 damage)


    +(25 --> 26)% chance to cripple target</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Cost: 2 SP


    Cooldown: 5 seconds</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He even increased his [harmony] skill in the process.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Harmony:initiate 5 --> 6</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>+(10 --> 12)% effect of meditation


    +(27 --> 27.5)% awareness of your surroundings while meditating</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Unfortunately, he spent more time practicing his martial skills than intended. [Harmony] boosted his already high SP regen to the point that rest was unnecessary and time had slipped by, unnoticed by Don in his meditativetrance. The pale light of morning was already encroaching on the night sky, revealing the landscape and obscuring the stars.


    "Why didn''t you stop me when I finished with the form?" He asked Cel who shrugged


    "You were in the zone, It''s going to take alot of work to get your Monk profession up to a respectable standard so I figured it was better not to distract you while you were making such good progress."


    Truthfully, Don didn''t mind too much. He could always work on his alchemy during the day but he wanted to sleep again before the ''tired'' debuff started stacking up too high.


    "Well, next time don''t let me spend all night doing just one thing. I could have gotten in some progress on my [axe kick]. Don''t let me go more than three hours without a check-in from now on okay?"


    "Alright, lets head home for now though."


    The two didn''t rush on the way back, Don set an easy pace and Cel started up her [natural resonance] search pattern again. That caused them to take a rather indirect path back to the refuge. The jungle started to wake up around them. Most of the critters kept quiet due to all the noise Don made while traversing the tangled underbrush.


    Most of the critters didn''t mean all though. The bushes rustled with something small darting away at his approach at least a dozen times before he made it back to the refuge. He caught occasional glimpses of tan fur and long ears but didn''t give chase. He wasn''t willing to get lost so close to dawn.As they neared the refuge and the sky brightened, his[dark vision] grew increasingly hazy until it provided worse information than he could get with unaugmented eyes.


    He decided to use the hidden entrance, washing the ash and sweat from himself in the process. When he surfaced inside the entrance chamber, his [dark vision] was suddenly very useful again and he saw the small hill of nuts filling up nearly a third of the room. He was amazed at how their food stores had grown. He should start keeping closer track of what they had. They probably didn''t need to forage for food for the next week and they could focus on gathering more ingredients for Don to work with.


    He wanted each ColoColo to have a healing and energizing potion before he tried to stand up to the apes. It would take a few days to make enough for everyone but he could also use that time to prepare a few more magical potions.


    First, he wanted to make an uncommon potion so he could continue advancing his Alchemist profession. It felt wasteful every time he saw the +0% Concoction-EXP message while crafting over the last few days. Before he could do that, he had to pass all the ColoColo filling up the entrance chamber and tunnels. There really wasn''t enough room for them here but it would have to do for a little while longer. He took the time to congratulate a pair of ColoColo for making it up to level 4.


    Don''s new catch-and-release policy for rabbit hunting was already showing results as the tribe''s overall EXP increased rapidly. The ColoColo were getting triple the EXP from hunting that they used to and some had reported that the rabbit population in the area was increasing. Don thought that was due to the tribe not killing them anymore but Cel chose that time to drop a bombshell on him.


    "Oh, that''s because you beat the Jackalope," She said in an offhand comment


    "How is that related at all? Killing rabbits shouldn''t increase the local population..." Don said, confused


    "You might be right if the Jackalope was a regular rabbit, but it wasn''t. It was a rare creature with its own behavioral patterns.Jackalopes are kind of gross actually.They survive by protecting a harem of females. Well, protecting or holding captive depending on your perspective. It drives off any male offspring but keeps the females around, growing its harem over time. When you killed it, the harem escaped and after they found all the exiled males, they started doing what rabbits do best. The population explosion is only getting started too. We''ll be up to our eyeballs in rabbits before long.At least until some predators find out about all the fresh meat."


    Don remembered the stream of rabbits that poured out of the burnt tree after he dealt with the Jackalope. If they weren''t part of the local population beforehand, and if they were all females... He could only imagine the impact that would have on the local ecosystem. At least they weren''t dangerous. Void, this should just make it easier for his remaining level 2 and 3 subjects to get up to their maximum level, increasing their speed and charges of [venomous bite] in the process.


    He was starting to feel good about his chances against the apes.

 32 - Catalyst

    Sik wasn''t able to provide any advice when it came to crafting uncommon potions, but before Don could commit himself to random experimentation, Cel piped up.


    "I never paid much attention to crafters but I know some of the basics. When making an item above the Common tier, you need an advanced ingredient and a basic ingredient. Like when you added my [fairy dust] to preparedcommon ingredients to make magical tiered potions."


    "Just like that?" Don asked, not ready to believe that it could be so easy.


    "I''ll admit that I never really learned a lot about crafting. Judging by the sheer size of some of the discussions and forums there''s plenty that I don''t know. I''m certain of this one point though. Common ingredients are the foundation that legendary artifacts are built upon."


    Don shrugged and got to work. Even if she didn''t know everything, there was no telling how long it would have taken for him to figure that out on his own.


    Don used Moon-Lillies for his experiments. He had a decent stock of Moon-Grass and it was a pretty safe bet that the two ingredients were related. It was easy enough to grind up some moon grass and put it to the side but he ruined the milky white Lillies oneafter another without any signs that he was getting closer to success. While Don couldn''t shake the feeling that he was doing something wrong, he couldn''t think of anything to try differently besides mixing in a clockwise grind here or an extra pushgrindthere.His fourth attempt was apparently close enough for his boosted success rate to make up the difference.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have crafted: Feeble Potion of Clarity (Uncommon)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>MP Regeneration / Second: 0.29


    Duration: 10 minutes


    Effect: +175 Mana


    Side Effects: +0.75 Tired rank</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>+1 Concoction Tier


    +1 Alchemist Tier</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Quest Complete!


    Alchemist''s Apprentice</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">You have surpassed Sik as an Alchemist!


    +10 EXP</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Bonus skill available for selection: [Curious Tastes]</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    His potion benefitted from the potency of each ingredient for a total base potency of 4.6 even before his Alchemist skills and profession bonuses factored in. It even had reduced side effects but Don was spoiled by his access to [fairy dust]and the uncommon item wasn''t all that impressive to him. Hisapprenticeship questgave pretty lame rewards too but when he focused on thebonus he was treated toa new screen.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Congratulations!


    You have ranked up a profession and can choose from the following skills!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Distillation: decreases volume of potions</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Filtering: Decreases side effects of potions</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Batching: Allows for the simultaneous production of multiple potions</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Curious Tastes: Can learn about ingredients by eating them raw</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    "Woah, I can picka new skill?" Don exclaimed


    "Sure," Cel said distractedly while reading over his shoulder "every tier after initiate comes with a few standard options. If you''re lucky you can unlock hidden skills to choose instead. The only drawback is that each skill will only be offered once. If you pass it up now, you lose the option to gain it forever."


    Don took his time to think over his options.


    [Distillation] would let me drink potions faster, that was a bigger problem than I expected when those centurions were chasing me. I might even be able to drink them during combat if I can get them down to just a few ounces.


    [Filtering], on the other hand, would make my normal potions more useful. I don''t really mind the side effects with relentless cutting them in half but it would let his tribe use more potions. But he would need the potions first.


    [Batching] could help there. With the tribe pulling in so many resources he could pump out tons of potions so they would always be stocked up! This was the front-runner for sure. It would probably let him progress his profession faster too!


    [Curious Tastes] is interesting, but not directly useful.


    Don didn''t realize he had been projecting his thoughts to Cel and was surprised when she responded.


    It sure is a good thing you have me around. She informed Don haughtily.


    You have it completely backward. [Curious Tastes] is the one you want for sure.


    And why, all-knowing-fairy, is that? Don played along, stroking her ego


    Because [Distillation] and [Filtering] require specialized equipment, something you absolutely won''t have access to anytime soon. Not only would you waste a valuable skill slot, but you would also halt any growth of your Alchemist profession. Professions only level up when their lowest associated skill surpasses the overall profession level. If you choose [Distillation] but can''t train it, You''ll be stuck at Apprentice level 1 forever.


    Don gulped and dismissed the screen so he wouldn''t accidentally choose one ofthose options.


    And what about [batching]? Don asked


    That''s an option, but not a great one. Until you level it up enough, batching will decrease the potency of your potions and that''s not really a disadvantage we need to take right now. Your best bet is this [Curious Tastes] skill. It will help fill in the knowledge you lack and cut down on wasteful experimentation. If you had trouble making an uncommon potion, you''re not going to stand a chance at making the jump to the journeyman rank without some way to learn about the more potent ingredients.


    Don looked over the different skills again. The [batching] skill was very tempting. If he wasn''t rushing to prepare for the looming confrontation with the apes he would have chosen it for sure. He couldn''t let his already weak healing potions become any more useless though.


    With a wistful look at the [distillation] and [filtering] skills, he chose [Curious Tastes]. It was painful knowing that he was passing up the opportunities forever. He could only hope that the skill he earned from his apprenticeship quest wasn''t entirely useless.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Alchemist:Initiate 10 --> Apprentice 1


    +23% to the strength of alchemical products


    +11% success rate


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Concoction:Initiate 10 --> Apprentice 1


    +11 Potency of concocted potions</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">Curious Tastes:Initiate 1


    Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.Gain basic knowledge of common alchemy ingredients by eating them raw</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Casting Time:50 seconds


    </td>


    <td>Cost:5 MP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    He took a bit of moon-grass out of his inventory and popped it into his mouth. Don chewed apart the fibrous grass and swished the bitter juices around, pulling faces until the required 50 seconds elapsed. He spat out the grass but the taste lingered as he checked the resulting notification.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Moon Grass</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Rarity: Common


    Potency: 1.16


    Primary Effect: Clarifying (MP regeneration)


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>+10% Curious-Tastes EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    The information was practically useless. The only new detailhe wouldn''t normally get from his [harvest] skill was the effect and he could find that out by just turning the grass into a potion! He chewed up another clump of moon grass hoping for more information. The only difference was a 9% increase in his skill exp rather than 10. It looked like he couldn''t just keep learning about the same ingredient to grind the skill up.


    With his mouth already filled with the bitter flavor, Don kept munching on his stock of Moon-Grass. He had no use for the mana potions so he had no issue with eating all his supplies. Even with the diminishing returns, hewould be able to get 55% of the way to level 2 of the new skill. He didn''t just sit there either, he began to prepare more healing and energizing potions for his clan and several more exhausting potions for himself.


    His stamina potions were powerful enough on their own now so he used his daily charge of [fairy dust] on a healing potion this time. Even after preparing a magical potion, his [concoction] skill barely made it 60% of the way to its next level. The progress was much slower when compared to his leveling speed in the initiate ranks.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have crafted: Effective Potion of Healing (Magical)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>HP regeneration / minute: 3


    Duration: 1 hour


    Effect: +179 HP


    Side Effect: N/A</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>+28% Concoction EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    It provided more than enough healing but it was still too slow to be really useful during a fight. Don called it quits after a couple of hours and went to sleep.


    <hr>


    It felt like he had just closed his eyes when something woke him. He nearly rolled over and went back to sleep but froze when he heard it again. Voices were arguing about something. They were muffled, but unmistakable. It wasn''t squeaking, or hissing, or even the roaring of the apes. Sunlight streamed through the cracks in the roof of the alchemy workshop, and human voices trickled down with it.


    Cel, get up! Don shouted through their mental link, tearing the fairy out of a pleasant dream where she was eating a blue fruit larger than her entire body.


    "What is it?" She complained groggily. Don pointed up.


    Listen. He said. When the next round of voices filtered down past the hanging ingredients, her eyes grew wide.


    Can you go and check it out? Don asked.


    "Okay, but you need to get closer to the entrance."


    Don squeezed down the crowded passageway. Cel rocketed ahead, waking ColoColo. She ordered them to collect their packs and fill them with all the prepared potions they could carry. The first few ColoColoto wake dartedinto thebranching tunnels,spreading the word.


    When he got close enough, Cel zipped up and out through the ruins that used to be the meeting hall. She came back afew seconds later with a grim expression on her face.


    "They found us!" She reported


    Who? Don asked


    "The centurions! There''s at least fifty of them milling around outside. A couple are arguing about how to storm the refuge right now!" Cel was wringing her hands nervously. Don felt his muscles tense all at once.


    Fifty? he asked caught between shock and awe. How are we supposed to take on fifty at once! I had a hard enough time with 5, and that was with help, in the open, and at night!


    "We don''t." Cel answered quickly, "This is one of those cases when discretion is the better part of valor."


    What? Don asked


    "We should run and hide, like now!" Cel clarified helpfully just before a thin stream of some viscous liquid began running into his tunnel from the direction of the meeting hall.Donbacked up as fast as he could.


    When he got back to the alchemy workshop Don was greeted by a frenzy of activity. ColoColo were stripping the ceiling of ingredients and stuffing them into packs. Don was sure the ingredients were getting damaged if not completely destroyed.


    Tell them to leave the ingredients, we can come back for them later. The potions are more important now. Don was using his mental link with Cel to keep from making too much noise. The fairy couldn''t be heard by the nearby centurionsand loudlyrelayed his instructions, cutting through the frantic squeaking.


    Despite his orders, Don took the time to stuff the less common ingredients into his inventory before following his tribe to the entrance chamber.


    They were panicking but Don''s original combat squad had managed to get them to fill any extra space in their packs with food. Don addressed them, confident that they were deep enough in the refuge that his voice wouldn''t carry outside.


    "A new enemy has found us" He started. Probably not the most reassuring line but it got their attention.


    "They can fit inside our tunnels. The refuge is no longer safe. We have to evacuate. Cel just confirmed that they are focusing on the ruined meeting hall. They shouldn''t even know this entrance exists." I want each of you to jump into the river carrying as many nuts as you can. If you keep still and hide under your packs, they shouldn''t pay you any mind even if they spot you. They''re looking for a big red demon, not random plants floating down the river."


    Don was interrupted by squeaking near the tunnel entrance. The smelly liquid had reached all the way down here. Don ordered them to start leaving in pairs.


    The evacuation went smoothly until there were less than a dozen ColoColo left. An ominous whoosh filled the tunnels and Don gave the ColoColo a final order.


    "Get out now!" He shouted just before flames raced into the deepest part of the ColoColo refuge.


    The blast from the rapidly burning oil rocked Don back and scattered the remaining ColoColo and nuts. Don began throwing his singed tribesmen through the entrance, not waiting for them to recover. He tossed the last one in before looking back at the burning pile of nuts only to notice that he was on fire!


    Tongues of flame licked at his ankle, but it felt pleasant, like a soft, warm massage. Don assumed shock was just keeping him from feeling the burning and dove into the water before he could asphyxiate in the enclosed space. He didn''t have much experience with grease fires and therefore didn''t know that water is not a very good solution.


    The playful fire clinging to his ankle exploded as soon as it contacted the water. The flash of super-heated steam cooked Don''s leg where the fire didn''t do much damage. It continued to burn and boil even underwater. Don swatted at the burning oil until it ran its course. He could only hope the vapor wasn''t noticed above the surface.


    Don began pulling himself along the bottom of the riverbed, going with the current in the hopes of getting as far away from the refuge and centurions as he could before surfacing. Holding his breath wasn''t much of a problem. His 20 endurance points let him go for an unexpectedly long time without breathing.


    The problem was that the water was clean and clear. Don could see so easily in the full light of day, even when under the denser canopy near the river. The riverbed was alive with slivers of light darting every which way as the uneven surface refracted it crazily. He could see strands of underwater plants waving in the current, he could see some small aquatic animals hiding in them too. If he could see such small and well-hidden creatures, what chance did he have of slipping by the centurions?


    A pretty good chance as it turned out. When the burning vice squeezing his lungs finally forced Don to surface, he was surrounded by the chattering, squawking, and clicking of the jungle''s more skittish creatures. He didn''t see the ColoColo around and panicked before Kat dropped out of a tree. His bulging pack dripped slowly and he looked at Don with a grave expression.


    "The tribe survives," He said and was echoed from above by dozens of squeaking voices.


    Sure, but what can we do now? Don wondered. That was when he realized, he left Cel behind inthe burning entrance chamber.


    A quick check of his character sheet confirmed that she wouldn''t respawn for another 24 hours.

 33 - Evasive Manuvers

    Kat looked around expectantly before asking.


    "Where is the great ancestor?"


    Don winced.


    "She... has some important business to take care of." Don lied weakly "She, uh, she is leading them away!" he finished more confidently. Kat crossed his arms and nodded.


    "Well then we shouldget moving so we don''t waste her sacrifice."


    "Right. Good idea. Which way is the refuge?" Don asked. Kat pointed surprisingly far off to the right of the river. Don pointed in the opposite direction.


    "Then let''s go this way for now." He tried to sound confident and started jogging to reinforce the point when Kat called out.


    "Wait! The tower is that way." Don slowed to a stop.


    "Well, what''s over there?" He pointed to his right.


    "Impassable cliffs"


    "Uh-huh, and that way?" Don pointed left this time.


    "tireless armored monsters. We tend to leave them alone."


    "And the apes are on the other side of the refuge" Don finished, his forced confidence from before had evaporated.


    It wasn''t like I could run away in the first place. Don scolded himself The whole plan was to challenge the apes and take back the ColoColo''s home. Running would be the same as throwing away our only chance at a new refuge.


    "I suppose that means training is over. It''s time to take back what your ancestors built."


    Don couldn''t spot the monsters in the canopy but his words caused them to stir. Don ordered them to eat and hand over any ingredients they took from the refuge. If they could lighten their load while getting rid of the hungry debuff it was well worth the time it would take. Don mulled over his options while he ate and stored mostly ruined ingredients in his inventory. When that was done, he had the beginnings of a plan.


    "Kat!" Don snapped "I want you out in front. Ulf, Dak, Sid, and Cam, string out behind him. The rest of us will follow in a group. If there''s anything dangerous, come back, warn the group, and set off in a new direction. We''ll go this way for now" Don indicated towards the cliffs, at least cliffs wouldn''t chase them down if they got too close.


    "Then we will circle around the refuge, making our way towards the apes. It''s time to go home."


    Kat disappeared up a tree and the whole tribe ran after him.


    <hr>


    Don loped easily through the jungle, munching listlessly on the various ruined ingredients to give his [curious tastes] skill more experience. The bright colors made the familiar place seem alien all over again. His plan to send Kat out ahead paid off as they avoided scattered patrols of centurions all morning. After a few hours, they circled around the refuge enough that the air wasn''t filled with the smell of oily smoke.


    Don could still catch glimpses of the tall smear stretching across the azure sky to his right. He kept looking at it, reassuring himself that they were far enough away. He took his eyes off the ground long enough to take another glance just as a patrol came charging out of the underbrush on Don''s left.


    With the ColoColo all hidden in the branches, Don was the only obvious target and they all began to angle their weapons towards him. Don couldn''tallow themthe time to set up their formation. He pushed hard off of a tree, tucked his chin to his chest and crossed his arms over his neck.


    His snap decision paid off when he scattered the soldiers like bowling pins. One in the middle went flying into the air. The centurions flanking him were sent rolling across the ground and one on the side was knocked flat. The one who was far enough out of formation to be unaffected turned his spear on Don and used [flurry].


    Don''s health only dropped 13 points and he smashed the man''s legs with a [low kick]. It unbalanced the soldier and gave Don the second needed to [circle step] behind him. Don looked up to see each centurion with at least two ColoColo attached to them.


    "Abort!" He shouted, but these were all the ColoColo he hadn''t trained to that command. They continued to pump the four soldiers with their exhausting venom until they were dry. One of them leveled up but now Don had that many fewer doses of poison to use on the apes. At least none of the main combat group used any of their charges yet.


    Don wrestled his centurion to the ground and tied him up for a tidy bit of experience.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+ 1 EXP (x4)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+ 9 EXP</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">49 / 200 EXP to level 2</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Just like that, he was almost 25% of the way to level 2. He paid for the experience with a short trip back to the mud pit and onlycame back to the jungle after dying again. Don killed the centurion.


    He assured himself that he only went through with it because murder was the easiest way to take this soldier out of the jungle and out of the fight for the rest of the day. He could feel the satisfied animal purring deep inside him though.


    After he sent Kat and his primary combat squad out to search the immediate area, Don decided he had enough time to take care of the rest of them. He quickly disabled them one at a time, netting some EXP and some proof that they had indeed killed him before Don sent them back to their camp near the tower with an [axe kick] each.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+ 9 EXP (x2)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+ 6 EXP (x2)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">79 / 200 EXP to level 2</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don had gained 43 exp in just a few minutes! He was tempted to start hunting the spearmen instead of avoiding them, especially after he noticed that most of them were using makeshift weapons this time. It looked like they didn''t have enough to go around as only one of them held the iron-tipped spear Don was used to. The rest held crude sharpened lengths of wood. There were drawbacks to fielding large numbers of troops after all.


    After considering all the venom it took and how badly things mighthave gone if he didn''t break their formation at the start, Don decided to leave that for after he secured a home for the ColoColo.


    He patched up the few minor injuries with salve, earning some tribe reputation. Then he scolded the gung-ho monsters.


    "What were you thinking? Did I tell you to attack? Were you trained how to fight?" Don gave the bewildered ColoColo no time to answer.


    "No! Now you''ve used up all your poison in one fight and we have all day to go before you can make any more!" Not that Don would have let them fight the apes without any training. It was probably for the best. Now they wouldn''t be tempted to jump in when the real fighting started.


    "Now you get the distinguished honor of carrying luggage! I designate all the idiots without any poison left to be part of the support squad. For now, your only job is to supply the other squads with potions when they need them!"


    They started abashedly taking leftover nuts from the rest of the tribe. Considering that the majority of the tribe was in the support squad now, it wasn''t too big a burden.


    "Ulf, Dak, Sid, and Cam, You are now the commandos. Each of you trained with four other ColoColo yesterday. I want you to organize those sub-squads into our strike-teams. If fighting breaks out again, I want you commanding them."


    "Kat, You are our Ace. You''re going to have a dangerous job but get first priority from the support squad and can order them around so long as you don''tsend them into combat."


    "Let''s get moving again. We''ve been still for too long."


    With that, the group headed out again. Don was surrounded by the support squad, which was ringed by the strike-teams. The commandos followed Kat through the jungle again. Don would have liked to spread out his scouts some more but if one saw something, he didn''t see any way to warn the other scouts so they could change direction. He had to get by with just the one forward scout for now and the string of commandos letting the large group trail safely behind.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    They didn''t have any more surprise encounters as they steadily climbed higher and higher. Don was wondering where this impassable cliff was when he nearly fell off of it. There was a dense section of vegetation near the edge and when Don pushed through it, he nearly started a small landslide when he scrabbled back from the edge.


    When he inched back as close as he could stomach, he marveled. Off to his left, a river ended as abruptly as the jungle,sending its contents over the edge. The river dispersed into a fine mist and joined the low clouds obscuring much of the distant land below. The clouds that werebelow Don.The rest of the land was obscured by water. Small spits and islands poked out here and there but the shining hammered-metal gleam extended right up to the horizon.


    Don would have stayed to gape at the endless wetlands if he didn''t have the whole tribe waiting on him. The cliffs made them uncomfortable and Don got his tribemoving again. After they went an hour without seeing any patrols, Don had Kat take them to a fruit tree.


    Don waited until they were resting under its branches to explain his plan.


    <hr>


    Kat glared at Don hatefully from the next branch over. He didn''t say anything, but he didn''t have to either. Don''s brilliant idea of covering thescout in crushed fruithadn''t exactly worked out perfectly. Instead of attracting the apes, it attracted a cloud of biting insects. Worse still, any attempt to wipe away the sticky mess just rubbed it deeper into theincreasingly bedraggled feathers.


    Don''s natural armorsaved him from learning about mosquito bites firsthand but it was no defense against the steaming daytime heat of the jungle. He idly daydreamed about the cool night air as he waited.


    A rabbit hoppedout of the underbrushand Don did his best not to tense up. When it stopped at the nibbled fruit under Don, he dropped soundlessly on top of it.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+ 3 EXP</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">139 / 200 EXP to level 2</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    That made for the 21st rabbit Don had caught. He didn''t expect to gain much experience from this ploy but he only had to wait a few minutes between appearances.He sent the caught rabbits away with a support squad member so he wouldn''t have to waste time catching them again for 0 exp. He was just climbing back up into the fruit tree to wait when he heard it. A not so distant roar shook the air.


    "Positions" Don ordered unnecessarily. Kat already disappeared into the canopy and his squads had been inplace for hours. They were spread out in the trees around him, maximizing the angles they could approach from. Now he would see if his training was worth anything, or if they would scatter at the first sight of one of the apes.


    At least if I die here, the centurions will stop raiding the jungle.He thought morbidly as he applied an exhausting potion to each of his makeshift spiked bracers.


    They weren''t anything fancy, just vines wrapped around Don''s fists. A layer of brambles over the vines gave Don away to administerthe poison without needing to overpower his opponent first. A small notification confirmed his successful application.


    Don faced the direction the noises were coming from and tried to hype himself up.


    You''re ready for this. You''re stronger and faster than you used to be. These things are only freakishly strong, just avoid their predictable attacks and the strike teams will handle the rest. Just stay alive.


    That last sentiment turned into a mantra. Don repeated it louder and faster in his head as the monster crashed through the jungle until it burst into view and Don''s mind went completely blank. The rage and ferocity emanating from the ape made Don want to turn and run. His body started reacting to that want before Don stopped himself and resumed his [circle steps] stance.


    The ape swung closer on its massive arms. It didn''t even slow down when it pulled a branch off of a nearby tree and tossed it underhand at Don. The demon smirked and easily dodged the projectile. The smile was wiped off his face when the ape caught him with a powerful uppercut. Don was immediately knocked flying. It looked like someone yanked on a huge fishing line attached to the back of his head. He slumped in a daze for a few seconds.


    That was new.He thought absently. Then he had no room to think about anything other than the ape because it was on top of him. Pulling a leg in one direction and an arm in the other. It was going to rip Don in half! Then it suddenly dropped him to grab something off his back. He flung the ColoColo through the air. It pinwheeled towards a tree but made a valiant attempt at catching itself. Don heard a sickening crack as it failed.


    The ape stepped towards the little monster that dared to bite him. Don was there in a flash, interposing himself between thegiant and the crippled monster.


    "Recovery" He ordered and trusted theteam of nearby supporters to pull the injured striker to safety and force a healing potion on him. Don kept his eyes locked on the ape.


    He had gotten cocky because he saw them fight a few times before. He planed for every attack he had seen but was completely unprepared to get hit from below. He was even less prepared to get grappled by the monster. Luckily the next attack was predictable.


    The ape raised its arms into the air and Don waited until they paused to make his move. He felt the air tug at him and the ground ripple as the meaty fists pounded into the ground with deadly intent. Don was completely unharmed as he spun around the monster, stopping behind it. A ColoColo landed just in front of him and delivered a dose of venom.


    The ape whirled, assuming it was Don who hurt him this time. Doncircled with him, stepping too close for its wild backhand to have any effect. When it did manage to face him, Don shot a [rolling punch] into his face. He wasn''t feeling particularly vindictive but it was the only target that wasn''t covered in dense fur and was the best target for his poisoned thorns.


    The ape rocked from the force of the blows but came back at Don even angrier. Don went on pure defense. It was simple enough to avoid the brute''s straightforward attacks now that he was on guard for new attack patterns. About two minutes and another [Venomous bite] later saw the ape lying at Don''s feet. Its yellow eyes were glazedand it gasped for breath.


    It was a close call, at one stamina per second, his [circle steps] drained him faster than expected even during such a short fight. Don tied it up enough to get the experience, then delegated the remainder of the task to some supporters. They were all too eager to make sure the monster wouldn''t be getting back up.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+ 24 EXP</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">168 / 200 EXP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    A quick check showed that the single blow he took drained his life by 40%. He popped a healing potion and ate a few fruits to offset the hunger side effect while listening toa report from the support squad.


    "Kat is luring 2 of them now. Another is approaching already." The ColoColo was on the edge of hysterics. Don did his best to calm him.


    "Great, two more will bring me up to level 2. Then it will be even easier to take them on. What happened to the ColoColo who jumped in at the start?"


    "He won''t be able to walk anytime soon but will heal before long." Don took a second to be relieved before turning to one of his commandos.


    "Sid! Take your strike team and lead one of Kat''s apes here."


    Don turned back to the support ColoColo.


    "How is Kat holding up?" The supporter perked up unexpectedly.


    "Oh Kat is fine, he is fast. He can run all night and not get tired."


    "That''s right, there''s nothing to worry about." Don lied. He had no idea how many apes they would attract and he had to keep the numbers chasing Kat down as low as he could. There was no time to sit around and let his health recover fully.


    The next two fights went more smoothly. The ColoColo grew bolder with each success and the fights ended faster as the apes were poisoned earlier and more often. He kept [clarity] ready to go in case of any other surprising attacks. With each close call, Don got a little more used to the way the apes moved. He started getting a feel for their long reach and even though one of them was lower level than expected, he still got enough EXP to level up!


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+ 21 EXP</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">+ 24 EXP</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level Up!


    13 / 300 EXP to level 3</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don took a quick break to allocate his attribute points. He put three into Wisdom anddropped his remaining two into agility.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>STR: 26</td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>CON: 20</td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>INT: 16</td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>DEX: 20</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>AGI: 23 + 1</td>


    <td>END: 20</td>


    <td>WIS: 25</td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    His strength and wisdom advanced on their own again and Don was feeling ready to take on the rest of the apes. They should be much easier to handle with improved speed and reaction times.


    Don hadn''t fought for long but his [circle steps] skill benefitted greatly from the high-stakes practice.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Circle Steps: Initiate 2 --> 6</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Effect:+(5.5 --> 7.5)% AGI and WIS


    Special: Clarity


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Clarity


    + (21 --> 25)% WIS</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Duration:1 second


    Cooldown:5 seconds


    Cost: 5 MP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Cost: 1 SP / second</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    With the bonus from [clarity], he could have the equivalent of 33 wisdom points for a whole second! Don wasn''t much faster than before but with the huge boost to his reaction speed, and the subjective 3.3 seconds to act in, he was confident that he would be able to avoid anything the apes could throw at him.


    "How many are on Kat now?" Don asked the seemingly empty trees around him.


    "Five" Came back the answer. Don tried not to show his worry and ordered another commando team to split the apes away from Kat. They were supposed to bring a single ape back to Don and return the others to the growing horde chasing their ace but Don told them to try and take the whole group off of Kat and give him a little time to recuperate.


    Potions could replenish his stamina buteach potion he drank would fatigue Kat as well, decreasing his speed by 10%. That was something Don would rather put off if he could.

 34 - The pain-train

    By the time Don defeated all five of the apes tailing Kat another 18 had taken to chasing the ace around in circles. Tearing up the jungle on the other side of a hill. A few of the strike team members were fully out of venom at this point and left to help him but they couldn''t pull the furious monster''s attention away from Kat entirely.


    He had already taken two stamina potions and was slowed by 20%. Any more would be dangerous, but not as dangerous as running out of steam. The upside was that all this running was wearing out the apes before they even started fighting Don.


    It took less venom and effort to bring down each successive ape. It took less time too but Don was going to have to change things up or risk losing Kat. Against his better judgment, Don had Ulf bring two apes to him this time. He double-checked his inventory beforethe strike team could complete the delivery.


    Don still had his magical stink bomb, a magical healing potion, and a good stock of common potions. He downed his uncommon mana potion while he waited. He couldn''t use [clarity] often but he was running low on mana all the same.


    He reapplied poison to his makeshift gauntlets and prepared to face the next wave of monsters.


    They didn''t arrive simultaneously and Dak managed to bite the first ape before the other came. After that, Don had plenty of occasions to regret his decision. [Circle Steps] wasn''t nearly as effective against multiple opponents. It was no use getting behind one of the monsters if it put him in front of the other.


    Don spent a very stressful few minutes jumping behind trees and diving away from killing blows until he stumbled upon a new strategy. As he dodged attack after attack, the apes grew increasingly wild. When he ducked under a horizontal swing and the attacking ape hit his partner, they turned on each other for long enough that Dak''s squad was able to dose them.


    After that, Don did his best to keep one of the apes between himself and the other. It was suddenly easy to avoid their strikes again. He was still left panting at the end of the fight and the first ape to go down was stirring by the time Don got around to securing it.


    Another two apes arrived to terrorize Kat during the fight and Don had no time to waste. He called for another two and prepared a stamina potion. He downed it just before the next fight started and was able to defeat this wave and another pair of apes before the potion effect ended, leaving Don fatigued. It didn''t make much of a difference with his high strength and agility and Don was confident that he could take on another three sets of apes quickly if he used another potion.


    He finished off another pair, leaving Kat with a dozen monsters trailing him. They had stopped arriving but Kat was nearly spent. He now had a level 4 fatigue debuff. His [forest walk] ability kept him moving fast enough to keep out of the apes'' reach but his decreased strength meant that he was only burning through his remaining stamina even faster.


    Don wasn''t making enough progress. They had failed to take down all the apes but they hadn''t lost anyone and Don was getting stronger. So long as their potion supply lasted they could try again. He was about to order the tribe to hide whena supporter dropped onto his shoulder with unwelcome news. The news was a little too late and Don only had time to look over his shoulder and spot the danger.


    "[E-Pluribus-Unum]" was followed by the blaring of a horn and a wave of yelling centurions. Four compact and glowing formations did their best to close on Donas theywovearound the trees. When the formations came close to each other the glow intensified and they got faster.


    Don didn''t have time to think. He bolted. His focus on increasing his strength and wisdom served him well against the apes but he was quickly being outpaced by the large group of spearmen yet again. If he could break their formation, the skill shouldend and he could get away. The question was, how to do that.


    "Don''t attack them." He shouted to his tribe, afraid of the disaster that would result. Besides, he had a better use for these spearmen. Don charged up the hill, sending his commandos and their strike teams out ahead of him. The shouting fighters and the thrashing they gave the underbrush drowned out all other noise.


    Don wasn''tany faster than his pursuers, but hissuperior wisdom helped him to pick out better paths through the maze of greenery. He was just barely able to keep ahead of the spearmen who were encumbered by their weapons and numbers.It wasn''tby much, but he managed to keep them far enough away from him until he crested the hill, and found himself faced with an entirely different angry horde.


    His commandos'' timing had been a little too good. Don barely had time to activate his [circle steps] and layer on [clarity] before they were upon him.


    Don did his best to spin around the apes. He crested the hillso suddenlythat they couldn''tquite react andtheir momentum carried themonwardswhile Don slipped past them. Unfortunately, his [clarity] lapsed before he made it out the far end of the crowd.


    His wisdom was still higher than the apes and he was able to appear in the middle of their formation and get past most of the surprised monsters before they could wind up for a swing, let alone stop running headlong in the other direction. He still couldn''t avoid all the hulking bodies and took a glancing blow that sent him rolling for a few meters.


    That was whenthefastest apes crashed into the spearmen who came over the ridge just as suddenly as Don had. The few makeshift spearsto find marks shattered as the dozenhulking monsters scattered the unprepared fighters. Don smiled as he saw the golden glow flash once before shattering. Their group skill had been broken.


    The spearmen outnumbered the apes nearly two to one but that hardly mattered when they were scattered and caught unprepared. The apes, on the other hand, were all too happy to have something to smash after chasing the little green shadow that had taunted them for so long. They laid into the spearmen. Don watched in fascination as they scattered the formations, then trampled the defenseless warriors.Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.


    One of the formations lagged behind the others and was saved from the initial charge. They went on the offensive toprotectthe other centurions. The chargewas stopped deadas apes converged on them from every direction, including from the trees above.The brave centurions were thrown or smashed into the air or ground depending on the preferences of the individual apes. The makeshift spears did little to deter the enraged monsters.


    In seconds, the remaining spearmen were fleeing in different directions. Some of the apes chased them, but no less than six turned their gaze to Don.


    He gulped. He should have been running but the spectacle demanded his attention. Now he held the attention of way too many of the blood-soaked giants. Don slowly lifted a stamina potion to his lips. When he tipped it back, they charged.


    Don used his free hand to swipe his stink-bomb through the air, sending a stream of the foul liquid at the apes. They screamed and recoiled a few steps before rage replaced their disgust. Don finished his potion, stuffed a couple of lavender stalks up his nose and squared off against the monsters.


    "Brinn idd on!" He shouted past the nasal obstruction. The apes were happy to oblige. What followed was a blur of potion fueled mania. Don slipped into his [circle steps] whenever he could and used [clarity] at every opportunity. All too often, he had to abandon his forms to dive out of the way of a killing blow, or just flat out sprint to keep from getting surrounded. Don circled around the outside of the group, never facing more than two or three at once as he peppered them with [rolling punch]es. The poison wore off after three hits but it kept their attention on him. They hardly noticed as ColoColo periodically dropped down to administer a quick [venomous bite].


    The stink bomb didn''t drive the apes away but it did drive them into a frenzy which made their movements more straightforward and predictable. It wasn''t too hard to use one ape as a shield againstmost of the others when he had [clarity] active. Thankfully, their short attack on the centurions cost a fair bit of stamina. It only tookseven minutes of running and dodging before the last ape fell to the ground.


    Don didn''t get all the experience for them because he had to leave securing the beaten apes to the support squad while he drew the more energetic ones away. Hestill leveled up again at some point during the fighting. Gasping for breath, Don decided that his stamina could use a little boost. He putthree points into endurance and the remaining two points went into wisdom and agility.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Level Up!


    54 / 400 EXP to level 4</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>STR: 27</td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>CON: 20</td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>INT: 16</td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>DEX: 20</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>AGI: 24 + 1</td>


    <td>END: 23</td>


    <td>WIS: 27</td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">HP: 73 / 100</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">MP: 13 / 80</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">SP: 16 / 115</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Active Effects:


    Tired I: -5% mental attributes (INT: 15.2 / WIS: 25.7)


    Fatigued II:-10% physical attributes (STR: 24.3 / AGI: 22.6)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don waved away his notifications. He was cursing himself for not preparing any mana potions. [Clarity] had proven instrumental in a lot of the fights and Don only had enough MP for 2 more uses. There were still at least 6 apes out there but they were chasing down centurions at the moment.


    Don took advantage of the respite to check on the ColoColo. There had been numerous close calls but the quick monsters always got away with minimal injury and salves were enough to take care of most of them. The ColoColo who had saved Don against his first ape was back on his feet too.


    Kat was looking pretty worn out. Don would have sent him off to sleep if there was anywhere safe. For now, he sent all his strike teams who were out of venom to scout the area while the support squad formed a ring around Don to work as an early warning system. Don did his best to sink into meditation and recharge his pools.


    The adrenaline pumping through his veins made that impossible and Don was forced to drink another stamina potion when a supporter warned Don that an ape was ready for him. The striker brought it to Don and after a familiar song and dance, Don was 24 experience richer.


    Taking the apes on one at a time was suddenly easy after the crazy melee Don just survived.It wasn''t long before all 5 of the remaining apes were bound and secured. Don scratched his head, at a loss for what to do. He could start kicking them until they died. That wasn''t really an option before because it would have taken toomuch time and stamina to kill each ape as more followed the sounds of fighting. Now that they were tied up, he questioned the necessity of such an action.


    The ColoColo were still scared of the bound creaturesand stayed high in the trees. Don turned to Kat.


    "Was that all of them?" he asked. Kat gave a tired shrug.


    "How should I know? We were loud enough to bring the whole tribe down on us though."


    A silence stretched between the two before Kat continued.


    "It doesn''t feel real." He said "We were taught that these monsters were unbeatable all our lives. To see them helpless like this, it just seems wrong. Like a river flowing uphill. They didn''t even seriously injure any of us." Kat threw his paws into the air, it almost sounded like he was complaining.


    "I guess it''s all about the circumstances." Donlooked in the direction of the brief confrontation between the apes and the centurions. "We were able to control the apes and keep them fighting on our terms. They couldn''t touch us but if we made a mistake, or fought on their terms..."


    Don was unwilling to follow that line of thought and changed the subject.


    "You did great by the way. I couldn''t have pulled this off without you." Then he looked up. "I doubt I could have taken on a single one of these monsters on my own without all the help I got from the tribe. We are weak apart, but strong together."


    A few of the ColoColo repeated the sentiment as if they weretestingits taste.


    "Weak apart, strong together"


    Kat scoffed.


    "If you''re weak than what are we?"


    "Fast" Don replied instantly. "You''re damned fast. Do you think anyone else could have given nearly twenty giant monsters the run-around for an hour straight, all while keeping them close enough so they don''t get lost and wander over to me?"


    Kat turned away from Don and his praise. His feathers puffed up, making him look bigger but also more fluffy.


    "I didn''t do it for you." He huffed


    "That''s fine," Don said and reached down to ruffle the scout''s feathers "It''sdone, that''s what matters. Grey would have been proud."


    Kat brushed away Don''s hand and vaulted back into the trees. Don went back to contemplating what to do with the Apes. He couldn''t stand around forever. They were too heavy to move and Don would be surprised if more centurions weren''t sent out to investigate the aftermath of the battle. Don grimly set about preparing to execute them.


    He stepped up to the pile of tangled vines. It looked like a stack of green balls of yarn. The ColoColo really overdid the restraints in their fear of their ancestral enemy. Once he got enough of the vines pushed to the side to reveal afacehe got a shock.


    "Don''t kill me! I have two kids waiting for me to come home!"

 Abilities Overview

    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Name: Donovan Shepard


    Race: Demon


    Title: Chieftan (ColoColo)


    Traits: Beastly Whirlwind, Hardened & Relentless, Enlightened, Nimble, Masochistic


    Abilities: Dark-Vision</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Pet: Fairy (Soul Bound)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Level: 3 (198/400 EXP)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>STR: 27</td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>CON: 20</td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>INT: 16</td>


    <td rowspan="2"></td>


    <td>DEX: 20</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>AGI: 24 + 1</td>


    <td>END: 23</td>


    <td>WIS: 27</td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>


    <div>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Pools</td>


    <td>HP</td>


    <td>MP</td>


    <td>SP</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Maximum</td>


    <td>100</td>


    <td>80</td>


    <td>115</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Regeneration (in combat)</td>


    <td>23 / day</td>


    <td>27 / hour</td>


    <td>20 / minute</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Regeneration (out of combat)</td>


    <td>23 / hour


    1 / 2.6 minutes</td>


    <td>27 / minute


    1 / 2.2 seconds</td>


    <td>20 / minute


    1 / 3 seconds</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Active Effects:


    Tired I: -5% mental attributes (INT 15.2 / WIS 25.6)


    Fatigued II: -10% physical attributes (STR 24.3 / AGI 22.6)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Professions:


    Alchemist: Apprentice 1


    Herbalist: Initiate 8


    Monk: Initiate 1</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <hr>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Alchemist: Apprentice 1


    +23% effect of alchemical products


    +11% chance of success


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td rowspan="2">Concoction: Apprentice 1


    +11 potion potency</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td colspan="2">Curious Tastes:Initiate 6


    Gain basic knowledge of common ingredients</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Casting Time: 45 seconds</td>


    <td>Cost: 5 MP</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="3">Potions</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Effect</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Potency applied every:</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Duration</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Energizing</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">10 seconds</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">5 min</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Clarifying</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1 minute</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">10 min</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Healing</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">10 minutes</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">1 hour</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Herbalist: Initiate 8


    +16% herb potency


    +8 herb stacking in inventory


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Harvest: Initiate 8


    Harvest plants while preserving a measurable level of potency


    Max Potency: 8</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Monk: Initiate 1


    +5% martial skill exp gain


    +1 martial school


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Harmony: Initiate 6


    +12% effect of meditation


    +27.5% awareness of surroundings while meditating</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Unnamed School: Incomplete


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Low Kick: Initiate 3


    +6% STR and AGI


    +26% chance to cripple</td>


    <td>Cost: 2 SP</td>


    <td>Cooldown: 5 seconds</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Circle Steps: Initiate 9


    +9.5% AGI and WIS


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Clarity: +29% WIS</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Cost: 5 MP


    The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.Duration: 1 second


    Cooldown: 5 seconds</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    <td>Cost 1 SP / second</td>


    <td>Cooldown: N/A</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Rolling Punch: Initiate 5


    2 strikes


    -26% damage</td>


    <td>Cost: 3 SP</td>


    <td>Cooldown: 5 seconds</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Axe Kick: Incomplete (8%)</td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Unnasigned</td>


    <td></td>


    <td></td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <hr>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Cel''s Abilities:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Natural Resonance:


    Resonate with nearby life-energy</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Range: 30 meters


    Cost: 3 MP / 10 Seconds</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Fairy Dust:


    Generate the ingredient "Fairy Dust"</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Charges: 0/3


    Recharge time: 22 hours</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Training Dummy:


    Create an illusory target. Can train martial skills up to the apprentice level at 13% efficiency.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <hr>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Don''s traits and abilities:


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Beastly:


    Stamina costs reduced by 5%


    Feats of strength have a chance to inflict fear on witnesses


    (Chance depends on the difference in STR)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Whirlwind:


    The wind recognizes you as it''s own and will join you in running.


    +5% top speed</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Hardened:


    +1 natural armor per level


    +15% durability of bones, tendons, ligaments...</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Relentless:


    Effects of Hungry, Thirsty, Fatigued and Tired reduced by 50%


    HP regeneration increased from END/day to END/hour when outside combat


    HP regeneration items and spells work 3x faster outside combat</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Enlightened:


    You can now sense and control mana more easily.


    MP regeneration increased from WIS/hour to WIS/minute outside combat


    MP regeneration items and spells work 3x faster outside combat</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Nimble:


    Dexterity can now be applied to activities outside of crafting.


    Dexterity now affects the precision, speed, and flexibility of your limbs.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Masochistic:


    -1% Pain Threshold per level (current: 48%)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>[Dark Vision]


    Effect: You can perceive darkness within your area of influence (30 meters)


    Cost: 1 MP / minute</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <hr>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center" colspan="2">Aspect of the Ram</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Horns


    (growth per level)</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">+1 damage


    +10 durability


    +1 cm</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Victories</td>


    <td style="text-align: center">Jackalope: +1 AGI</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <hr>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Tribe:ColoColo


    Abilities:Forest Walk, Venomous bite


    Inheritances:Alchemically Gifted, Lore Masters


    Members:37


    Holdings:None(10 days until tribe is disbanded)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Forest Walk


    +50% movement speed


    +50% concealment


    -50% stamina consumption


    Restrictions:


    Can only be used while traversing wooded areas


    Can not be used in combat</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Venomous Bite


    Inject stamina poison into the target creature


    Effect:-5 SP / second for 10 seconds


    Cost:1 venom charge


    Duration:1 second


    ColoColo generate [monster level] venom charges each day</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>

 35 - Hi-diddly-ho-neighborino

    Don was speechless. He couldn''t do much more than gape at the strange man. His shaggy black hair and darker complexion set him apart from the centurions. His clear humanity set him apart from the apes. Where had he come from and why was he tied up? Don helped the man to his feet.


    "Are you okay?" Don asked as he brushed stray leaves out of the man''s hair and untangled him from the loose bindings.


    "I, I have kids." He repeated "Don''t eat me. Please let me go"


    "I''m not planning on eating anyone. Calm down and tell me what''s happening. What are you doing out here all alone?"


    He looked around nervously and sniffed a couple of times before responding.


    "I am not alone. We came here because we must protect our trees. If we do not, those vermin will eat everything and there will beno food left for us." He spoke slowly, deliberately, as if every word was heavy with importance.


    The nervous man was idly fussing with a brown strip of fabric from his baggy trousers. It took Don a few seconds of staring before he could put his finger on why the fabric seemed so odd. The man had a fuzzy prehensile tail! He worked it between his fingers in what was clearly an unconscious way to relieve stress.


    "What are you?" Don asked, not taking his eyes off the tail.


    "Me? I''m Pados" he said nervously before casting his eyes towards the ground and adding "I''m no one special..."


    "I asked what you are. Not who you are" Don prompted the nervous thing.


    "I''m a father, a husband, and a protector when I need to be." Pados looked confused as he laid out every pillar of his identity, hoping one of them would answer the demon''s question.


    "You''re not a human though, are you?"


    Sudden understanding filled Pados'' eyes.


    "Oh no, certainly not. I am a Vanara, one of the forest people." He said with enough pride to temporarily swell his chest. Then Pados remembered something which caused his shoulders to slump.


    "Though you could say my people are refugees now, it is very hard keeping the children fed in this strange place. Please let me go. They need me."


    Don stared at Pados in a deadpan for several seconds.


    "You''re kidding," Don said flatly. Pados grew suddenly indignant.


    "I would not dirty my tongue with falsehoods." He practically oozed with sanctimonious pride.


    "Is that so?" Don asked thoughtfully.


    What followed was a very fruitful one-sided interrogation.


    "...So. You were forced out of your ancestral homelands by a strange new enemy... and came out here to take refuge?" Don summarized. Pados nodded sadly.


    "Yes, Yes. Isn''t it just the worst thing you''ve ever heard?"


    "No, not quite." He sighed "Kat, can you come down here?"


    The scout dropped out of the trees to land on Don''s shoulder and glare at Pados. The Vanara jumped back at the sudden appearance.


    "Kat, this is Pados. Pados, Kat. This is one of the kids I''ve been trying to take care of. They''re in a similar situation."


    Pados looked confused, then concerned.


    "Umm, I don''t know how long you''ve been out here all alone but those are vermin, not children..."


    "No, they, well fine. They''re not exactly human but neither are you!"


    "What has it been saying?" Asked Kat. Don filled him in on their conversation so far, leaving out the last exchange. Kat gave Don some questions to ask but Pados wouldn''t answer anything until Don proved his sanity by getting Kat to follow a few basic commands. Stuff like go over there, raise your right paw, hop on one foot. Kat didn''t have much patience for the game but he played along for long enough to settle Pados'' doubts.


    A troubled expression clouded his face.


    "This is serious," He said more to himself than Don before raising his head and addressing the Demon directly. "Aloka will have the truth. Come, release the rest of my people and we can speak with her."


    Pados knelt beside one of the tangles of vines imprisoning the apes.A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation.


    "Hold on," Don warned, "Those are dangerous."


    "Pah," Pados scoffed "Vanara are not dangerous. We are beaten. This is true. The fighting is over so we are safe again."


    WhenPados helped another Vanara out of the bindings, Don finally understood.


    "Wait!" Don shouted, startling the Vanara out of their hug. "Youare those giant apes?"


    Pados turned away from the Vanara he had freed.


    "We are the Vanara. This is true."


    "And is it true that you have been attacking the ColoColo and their refuge? You killed their parents and stole their home didn''t you?"


    "This is true." Said Pados impassively before turning to indicate the Vanara hiding slightly behind him.


    "This is Kilana, my wife. Is she not the most beautiful Vanara?"


    "Hold it!" Don was having trouble maintaining his control of the conversation.


    "You admit to stealing their home and killing their parents and then you just want to have a friendly chat?"


    "Yes, Aloka will have the truth and reveal the way. This is Kilana, my wife." Pados replied bluntly and with just a tinge of irritation.


    Don wasn''t sure what to do. He still didn''t want to just execute the... monsters. Do they even qualify as monsters when they are almost entirely human? So far Pados had been blunt but he had also been calm and reasonable. Don didn''t get the sense thatPados was trying to trick him. He still couldn''t just let him untie all the other Vanara. It would be bad if they all attacked at once. He decided to play along and see where that got him.


    "Hello Kilana, my name is Donovan." Pados smiled and nodded in approval. Kilana dipped, bending her knees and neck in a sort of curtsey. She wore similar baggy tan pants to Pados'' but she also had a vibrant green wrap around her chest. Shedidn''t have a tail like Pados. That didn''t stop her from nervously fidgeting with her partner''s though.


    "You are a good fighter, Donovan." She said in response "I am thankful that you will not be eating us. This is true."


    Don rubbed the back of his neck. He really couldn''t kill them now. He knew that these were the monsters that had caused so much pain and turmoil for the ColoColo but their every action seemed centered around civility and manners.


    "I would rather not fight," Don said. Then he added "This istrue." for good measure


    "Mmm, this is a good truth," Kilana replied. "Talking is better than fighting. Aloka reminds us of this truth often."


    "Then why did you attack the ColoColo and drive them from their homes?"


    Kilana looked away in shame, unwilling to lie but unwilling to share that particular truth either.


    "We are a cursed people," Pados said for her. "When our families are threatened by outsiders, we are possessed by violent spirits. They transform us and give us the strength to defend our families, but welose controlof our actions when this happens. Only Aloka will have the truth you seek. She will provide a way."


    Don was suspicious. All the reiteration that they were telling the truth had him suspicious that he might be walking into a trap. He weighed his options.


    On the one hand, he could kill the Vanara here and have that many fewer to drive out of the ColoColo''s ancestral home. He would be justified in removing the invaders but it would definitely leave a bad taste in his mouth. While they were guilty by their own admission, they were also victims in their own right.


    On the other hand, while Pados and Kilana didn''t seem to feel remorse for their actions, they were acting in a thoroughly nonviolent manner at the moment. If there was an agreement that could be reached, some concession now that he could translate for or simply speak on behalf of the ColoColo, He had to at least try, didn''t he?


    Don wished he could ask Cel but she still wouldn''t respawn for another 10 hours. He would have asked Kat or the other ColoColo but he knew that they wouldn''t be able to see past their training that the Vanara was nothing more than ''bad things''. Don was the closest thing to an impartial party he was going to get so the decision fell to him.


    "Okay, let''s go see this Aloka and have ourselves a little chat." He said, breaking the expectant silence.


    When Pados and Kilana moved to untie the rest of the Vanara, Don stopped them.


    "No, just us four. The rest of my tribe will stay here with our prisoners until we meed with Aloka, hear her truth, and come to some agreement."


    That caused Kat and the ColoColo scattered through the canopy to start hissing and spitting. They did not like the idea of negotiating with the "bad things". Especially now that they had the upper hand. Don reasoned that now was the best time to negotiate. They couldn''t be dismissed with over 20 Vanara prisoners and they could always fall back on genocide if they absolutely needed to.


    The two Vanara led the way while Kat rode Don''s shoulder, never taking his bulbous eyes off of the strange folk. They whispered to each other and poked and tickled and giggled and generally did everything that could make Don uncomfortable.


    Now that they had agreed to go and meet with Aloka, the tension had evaporated from the Vanara. They happily led the ColoColo''s representatives into their home while ignoring the fact that they represented a groupof enemy combatantsintent ontaking that home back.


    After hours of climbing ever steeper hills, they came to a stone cliff. The Vanara turned left and walked along it until they came to a fissure that went deep into the rock. They walked in and beckoned Don to follow when he hesitated. It was dark in the crevice but that meant Don could see better than normal with his dark vision. With his recent levels, the skill reached a full 30 meters into the darkness. He couldn''t see anything but a zig-zagging path winding its way down into the earth.


    Don took a moment to gather his courage and followed the Vanara inside. It took a full 10 minutes of walking before they came to what looked like a dead end. His [dark-vision] revealed an open and brightly light space on the other side of the obstruction though.


    "Can you help us? We usually have a lot moreVanara to help with this part." Pados asked, waving towards the boulders blocking their way. There was no way around it. Don shrugged and started helping to push aside the large rocks blocking the exit of the tunnel. After they tumbled away,he stood in shock.


    A great basin opened up before him. High cliffs encircled the entire space. The odd anemic shrub or withered tree clung to fissures high up in the otherwise sheer cliffs. It must have been kilometers to the other side. There were a fewscattered hills but everything sloped down towards the steaming blue-green lake at the center of the basin. The ground was mostly covered in loose grey scree but some low vegetation sprouted around the edge of the lake.


    His guidesonly stopped long enough to block up the entrance again before walking down towards the lake.

 36 - Aloka

    Don looked everywhere except at the flirty couple leading him down a poorly defined path towards the lake. They had no compunctions about public displays of affection. Maybe surviving a brush with death had something to do with it. Don could only hope.


    If this was the ColoColo''s ancestral home, he wasn''t sure why they even wanted it back. The ground was nothing but unstable grey scree and there wasn''t a healthy tree in sight. The ColoColo might be better off just living in the jungle, so long as Don could convince the Vanara to stop hunting them... and keep the centurions at bay. Maybe that wasn''t the best idea.


    "What can you tell me about this place?" He asked Kat "Do you think this is the home from grey''s stories?"


    Kat''s face was uncomfortably close to Don''s and he kept his voice low as if worried that the Vanara would overhear him.


    "Therecan be no doubt. The great walls, the six sacred hills, the steaming water. Everything is as Grey said it would be. I never thought we would make it so far.It is unfortunate that the bad things have trickedyou and will eat us."


    Don looked at the flirty couple. It was hard to believe that they were duplicitous at all but Don would be a fool to let his guard down completely. That being said, his curiosity was piqued. He wanted to know more about these Vanara and their situation, and that would only happen by following them to this Aloka person. Pados made it clear that he didn''t think he had the wisdom or authority to tell Don anymore himself.


    "Why did you come then?" He asked


    "I wanted to seemy ancestral homeland. Dying would be a small price to pay forthe honor of being the first ColoColo to return here in years. It will make for a good story and I will be remembered well."


    "Can''t you just outrun them if you get into trouble?" Don was counting on this when he invited Kat along.


    "Even if I wasn''t exhausted, the guardians of the wall would make that a bad idea."


    "The what?" Don asked


    "Grey told stories about the guardians who live on the cliffs around this place. There are a few stories about foolish ColoColo who tried to climb the walls and meet the guardians. After their crushed bodieswererecovered from the base of the cliffs, no one would try and scale the walls for another generation or so."


    Don turned and craned his neck to look up the nearest cliff-face. Besides the few rugged plants, Don couldn''t'' imagine much else surviving up there. It sounded like they were fairly reclusive though so he turned his attention back towards the lake they were approaching.


    "Did she say anything about this lake?" Don asked. Sik nodded.


    "Long ago the mountainwas empty. It grew lonely over the years and asked the forest to give it some of its pretty animals. The jungle deniedthe mountain''sdemand. "I will not," It said, "None ofmy creaturescan survive in the barren crater at your peak." The mountain thought the jungle was being petty. It had so many animals and it couldn''t spare any? It exploded in angerand flame, burning the jungle. When it was finished, the land was barren for miles around. All the animals it coveted had either fled or perished. It wept in its loneliness and the tears accumulated. Over time, the Atitlan formed and quelled its rage. The jungle recovered, slowly creeping back towards the mountain. When the two were reunited, and the mountain once again saw the myriad creatures filling the jungle, it didn''t demand them though it longed for somethingmore vibrant than the dead stone that filled its crater. The longing eventually broke the mountain''s heart, opening up the passage into the crater. Seeing this, the jungle pitied the mountain and sent some of our ancestors to fill it with color and life. They brought seeds with them and after a few generations, the banks of the Atitlan grew green and lush. It was no jungle, but where the mountain was nothing but lifeless rock, there was now a slowly growing oasis. This is the story of the steaming water in the mountain."


    Don looked at the steaming blue-green water in a new light. Much of Kat''s story was ridiculous, but it was revealing as well. Don had inadvertentlywalked right into a volcano, and one that had been active in the not too distant past. The steaming lake gave don another reason to be nervous about the ColoColo''s precarious situation. There was clearly a lot of energy lurking just below the surface. There was no telling when it might erupt again.


    "What do you mean by the jungle sent your ancestors?" Don asked. Kat shrugged.


    "I don''t know all the details, But sometimes a chieftain willreceivemissions from the jungle. Any time we complete the missions, our lot improves."


    Don eyed the vents he mistook as hills on first glance.


    "Sure," he said, with only a little disbelief coloring his words.


    "Is there anything you know that might help prove that you used to live here?"


    "I never lived here" Kat retorted sharply "not when I was old enough to remember any of it."


    "You didn''t learnanything from all of Grey''s stories?Nothing like an underwater entrance to a secret cavern?"


    "Thereis a hidden door, if they have not broken it, we might be able to find it but Nap would know a lot more about this place than me."This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    Don was about to continue questioning Kat about the volcano when a roar distracted him.The largest of the specks moving around the close shore of the lake had grown suddenly and was quickly moving in their direction. He wasn''t too surprised at the turn of events. The Vanaras'' story was a little too hard to believe. Before he could get a preemptive strike on Pados and Kilana, they ran forwards shouting in unison.


    "Aloka! Calm your anger! Theseguests have come at our invitation! They carry an important truth which you must hear!"


    They ran straight up to the largest Vanara Don had seen yet and wrapped themselves around its massive arms as they continued to repeat their message.


    Okay, so Pados was being honest, even if he did leave out an important detail.Don thought as he switched from attack to retreat. He backpedaled away from the giant as it slowly took notice of its hangers-on. When it finally stopped, it huffed in annoyance. It seemed to deflate as the coarse fur retracted, revealing more humanlike features. Her back straightened as her arms returned to a more normal length and her legs stretched to be thinner and longer. Her teeth shrank and her yellow eyes cleared.


    A very human-looking, well-muscled Vanara with long black hair andbronze skin glowered at Don but addressed the lovey-dovey couple holding her arms.


    "You brought outsiders in here? Have you lost your sense? Outsiders belong outside! They are dangerous! I thought you would have learned this truth after losing three of your children."


    Kilana reacted like she was slapped in the face and let go of Aloka''s arm. She edged behind Pados who was likewise chastened but more angry than embarrassed.


    "This outsider has already defeated all the adults in the tribe!" He retorted, just barely restraining his sudden anger. That was welcome news. Don wasn''t sure how many Vanara there were up until this point. He felt good that even if he didn''t make it through these negotiations, they had already removed all the Vanaras'' means to harass the ColoColo in the jungle. Don felt a weight lift from his shoulders. He wasn''t aware of the tension there until it was gone. Don didn''t have too long to dwell on his success because Pados continued.


    "Heholds them captive as we speak and wasreadyto kill us all until I convinced him not to. Beyond that, he has revealed a terrible truth which you must hear. It would be more dangerous to ignore this outsider. This is true." Pados over-enunciated the last three words.


    Aloka clearly wanted to smash Don into a pulp after hearing that he had attacked her people and he could swear that her biceps swelled unnaturally for a moment. But after some consideration, she unfurrowed her browas her shoulders slumped.


    "We are finished then." She muttered in despair. "The last of ourprotectors have been taken. Now it is only a matter of time before the children starve or are stolen in the night. We can only hope that they will reincarnate in a better place." Despite the sphincter clenching fear she inspired in Don when transformed, he was surprised to feel pity for Aloka.


    "Not necessarily," Don said hesitantly. Aloka looked up sharply. She clearly wasn''t expecting to understand the demon.


    "I don''t want to kill any of you, but I also promised to protect the ColoColo and return them to their ancestral home."


    Aloka''s shock wore off enough for her to speak again.


    "Then why did you attack us? We have done nothing to you!"


    Pados butted in.


    "This is not true." He said. Aloka looked at Pados in shock, like he had just delivered an unforgivable insult.


    "The vermin who infested this place before we came, theyare people. They have words, theyhad adults until we killed them. We have committed a great evil in our haste to escape."


    "This is true?" Aloka asked, clearly not ready to believe.


    "It is." Pados confirmed solemnly "Donovan, the red one, can speak with the ver- with the ColoColo just as easily as he speaks with us."


    "Pados speaks truth" confirmed Kilana sheepishly "The jungle is filled with orphans of our own making."


    The Vanara fell silent for a time. Don was encouraged by the thoughtful response and didn''t interrupt. He quietly filled Kat in on the conversation so far while he waited for Aloka to speak again. She watched the conversation intently whilebitingher lower lip.


    "This is not a good truth, but the Vanara do not hide from truth, we embrace it, no matter howthorny it may be. We cannot undopast mistakes, we can only move forward on the path we find under our feet. The best way to atone for our misdeeds and salvage the least bit of karma from this disaster is to take in these orphans and care for them as if they were our own."


    Then she turned to Don "Will you release the Vanara you have captured if I promise to take care of the ColoColo?"


    Don was about to leap at the opportunity. This would not only remove the threat of the Vanara, but it would put them on the side of the ColoColo! They would get to live in their ancestral home again and they would be even better protected than before. Best of all, they would no longer be reliant on Don. That put them in a much more stable position, even if that position was over an active volcano, they were already too close to the explosive mountain to avoid repercussions from an eruption as it was.


    He ran into an issue when he asked Kat what he thought about the proposal.


    "Never" He hissed. "I will never live with the monsters that killed my ancestors and stole their home. I would sooner see the ColoColo disappear thanbetray the memory ofour ancestors."


    "I don''t think the ColoColo are going to want to accept your protection." Don translated "They revere their ancestors and aren''t going to forgive you so easily for murdering them all and forcing them out of their homes."


    "Of course," Aloka said "what we did was terrible, but the next step is more important than the last. We must do all we can today and let the past remain where it belongs. The strongest must protect those weaker than herself, and soI am the best suited to protect these lost children."


    "Donovan may be stronger than you." Kilana said unhelpfully "He defeated all of our adults after all."


    "I only did that with the help of the ColoColo" Don protested


    "You brought children into battle?" Exclaimed Aloka "You actually let them fight adults? Your judgment will lead themfar from the true path. Ican not let someone so careless continue to endanger children, no matter what they may look like. I formally challenge you for the leadership of your tribe! May the strongest clear the way for those weaker than herself!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Aloka, (Lv9) Matriarch of the Vanara has challenged you to a duel.</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td style="text-align: center">Stakes: Leadership


    </td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don wanted to scream about how the Vanara were the ones to kill the ColoColo and continue to hunttheir children for years but he had no time to make his argument because Aloka grew to an alarmingeight and a halffeet tall even as her shoulders slumped forward and her legs shortened. A moment later, Kat was leaping out of the way as a furious monster bared down on Don, all rage, teeth, and muscle.

 37 - Duel

    Aloka wassignificantlylarger than the other Vanara. That meant she had a longer reach than Don was used to. The loose rocks underfoot made itdifficult for Don to avoid her attacks and it only took a few seconds before a glancing blow sent him rolling across the ground. Don didn''t try and stop himself. Instead, he encouraged the roll, getting as far away from the Matriarch as he could.


    When hecame back to his feet, Aloka was nearly on top of him. Don barely had the time to remove an exhausting potion from his inventory. Caught without anytime for him to pour it over his spiked knuckles, he went with the simple expedient of smashing the gourd between his fists, drenching them in the potion.


    The next time Aloka swung her shaggy arms at Don, heslippedinside their effective range and snapped off a [chain punch] into her face. Her leathery skin resisted the thorns but enough made it through for the poison to take effect.


    For the next half a minute, Don just tried to stay out of reach. The easiest way to do that was to run. There was no need to bait out attacks and make openings for ColoColo. Her long arms let Aloka keep pace with Don but while she was running, she couldn''t attack him either.


    His strategy only worked for a handful of seconds before Aloka started heaving boulders into the air. They were easy enough to dodge but Don couldn''t watch the incoming projectiles and the ground at the same time. He slipped and went down hard. A boulder slammed into the rocks just next to his head.


    The impact deafened him for a while and the fight took on a surreal quality as he scrambled to his feet, slinging a rock back at the ape in an attempt to slow her down before settling into his [circle steps] stance. The rock bounced harmlessly off Aloka''s shoulder. It looked like this was going to be a battle of attrition.


    Don dipped and spun in a graceful dance around the flailing monster. He used his [low kick] at every opportunity and his [rolling punch] again after the poison lapsed. Aloka was showing no signs of tiring though and her stout legs resisted the crippling attacks. She gave as good as she got and Don was battered from the three attacks he wasn''t able to fully avoid. Even using his [clarity] wasn''t enough to get him out of danger when there was nothing his body could physically do to avoid the threat.


    Aloka was starting to tire visibly, but Don was getting down to the last dregs of his energy. Any time he tried to drink an energizing potion, Aloka was there with an attack that scattered rocks like a shotgun blast and would no doubt kill Don if he didn''t keep moving. He probably would have already died from all the small fragments of stone pelting him if it wasn''t for his three points of natural armor. He was still going to lose unless he did something drastic.


    The next time Aloka sent an uppercut his way, Don crossed his arms, accepted the blow and jumped back justas it hit. He went flying back according to his plan, but he was spinning in three directions simultaneously and crashed back to the ground without any control a good twenty feet away.


    Don was down to 24 HP but the gambit worked. He had the time to drink anenergizing potion and didn''t waste it. He couldn''t afford to take any more hits and focused on defense without giving a single thought to attack. With the potion thundering through his veins and rocks shattering all around him, he didn''t have time to think about anything.With the prolonged intense focus,[harmony] activated.


    Aloka lit up blue with the mana that sustained her transformation as the rest of the world faded from importance. Her arms pulsed with glowing energy just before she swung them down in another earth-shattering blow. Don easily sidestepped the blow with the extra warning and hardly registered the bits of stone that peppered his ankles.


    He didn''tcongratulate himself on the feat. He didn''t think about the implications of the skill''s new application. He just continued to flow around Aloka. He was vaguely aware that his stamina wasn''t dropping nearly as fast anymore but he remained focused on the azure titan trying to kill him.


    It was almost like he was a passenger in his own body. He took the back seat as some instinct guided his steps and avoided each blow at the last minute. That''s why don had a bemused expression when the fight abruptly ended.


    Aloka raisedan arm for another large strike and Don, instead of spinning off to the side, stepped right up to the giant ape.He assisted the descending fist, pullingit down and forward while he spun until hisshoulder was pressed up against his opponent. Then he hauled down on the arm. Despite Don''s strength, His contribution was minor.Aloka was the one to provide the bulk of the energy that sent her catapulting forward over Don''s shoulder and slamming into the ground.


    If the earlier missed blows scattered rocks and pock-marked the area with little craters, this one pulverized stone and raised a sizeable dust cloud. Don''s [harmony] ended and a notification appeared.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Fifthform under development</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Shoulder Throw: 1%</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    When he waved away the notification and the dust cleared, A gasping Aloka was trying to refill her lungs. She was getting more dust than air though and was coughing badly. She had reverted to her stunning humanoid form and if that wasn''t enough of an indicator, another prompt declared the results of the match.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version.


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>Duel Complete!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>You have been victorious over Aloka of the Vanara!


    You have taken 9 EXP from Aloka.


    For proving your superiority in honorable combat,the leadership of her tribe now falls to you.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>New title!</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>Patriarch (Vanara)</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>The Vanara will now follow your orders


    You now have access to the tribe screen.</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Don wanted to scream. Aloka basically forced the duel on him and now she was just going to dump her responsibilities in Don''s lap? She was supposed to take the ColoColo off his hands, not give him more people to worry about!


    Instead, he extended a hand and helped Aloka climb out of the oversized crater. Solid bedrock was exposed at the bottom and Don felt guilty. Sure he didn''t decide to slam her like that but he shouldn''t just let himself go out of control.


    Aloka took the hand and let herself be helped out of the dust cloud.


    "You" She stopped to cough "You are stronger than you look. How did you do that thing at the end?" She said half in accusation, half in respect.


    "If I ever figure it out, I''ll tell you." That was when I realized that I was still holding her hand and let go self consciously.


    "You don''t have to give me your tribe though. We never agreed to a deal like that." Don said, trying to weasel out of the extra responsibility. Aloka wasn''t having it though.


    "You are the strongest. The strong protect the weak until the weak can surpass the strong. This is the way of the Vanara. Youmust lead us."


    "But I''m not a Vanara." Don protested in a last desperate hope. Aloka waved like that didn''t matter.


    "You have words, and you are strong. This is enough. So long as you don''t harm the children, I will follow you."


    Don had been through too much in the last day to put the energy into arguing. He didn''t feel comfortable having a person he just beat up acting so servile, but he wasn''t about to punch a kid to get out of the responsibility either.


    "Fine, I need to get back to the ColoColo and their prisoners before the centurions can make it back there."


    Don checked his time sense. It had been four hours since he left the group. The centurions generally took three to respawn at this point. He was cutting it uncomfortably close.


    "I will go with you and explain recent events to my tribesmen," Aloka said.


    If it wasn''t for the notification granting me leadership, I might have suspected a trick. As it was I didn''t see any reason to leave her behind. Kat wasn''t so open-minded.


    "Why didn''t you kill her when you had the chance?" He accused.


    "Because that wasn''t necessary," Don replied


    "You had the leader of the bad things at your feet, and you just helpedit back up! They killed the ancestors, they killed Grey, They are the reason we had to hide in that hole in the ground for our entire lives."


    That made me pause for a moment.


    "They aren''t bad things," I said finally "They''re just a group of people trying to get by. They made mistakes, but they aren''t evil. Gaz wasn''t too different than the Vanara."


    "You killed Gaz! Why won''t you kill the bad things? Do you really hate the ColoColo?"


    I hesitated again before answering.


    "That was a mistake. I''d take it back if I could, but I can''t. That''s why I''m not going to kill unless I need to. Besides, I know that they are more than just dumb animals so killing them now would be worse than what they did to your ancestors."


    "But they are thebad things!" Kat explained in his squeaky voice.


    "And now they aremy bad things. I''m their leader now. That''s what that whole fight was about. If I tell them to leave the ColoColo alone, they will. Void, they were willing to do that even before I was their leader. If you don''t like it you can find some hole to live in while the rest of your brothers and sisters live in their ancestral homeland."


    That stopped Kat''s arguments, but Don was proven naive when the three monsters got back to the site of the battle. The ColoColo had been busy. With the bad things completely at their mercy, they had a little fun. Don could smell the stink of rot-fern before he could even see the prisoners.


    When they finally came into view Don groaned. The ColoColo scampered around a massive mound of thorns as they added to the green cage. Don only hoped the Vanara weren''t crushed under the weight of all that plant life.


    The ColoColo excitedly chattered when Don came back but they darted into the trees when Aloka followed closely behind. They shouted warnings but Don raised his hands.


    "Who''s ready to go home?"


    Cheers broke out


    "Yes! Kill the bad things! Take back the homeland!Praise the ancestors!"


    Don had to stop them before they got too carried away.


    "There won''t be any killing today. The Vanara will share the home with us."


    That got blank stares but once I explained that the ''bad things'' call themselves Vanara the ColoColo hissed their displeasure.


    "That''s enough of that," I said. They didn''t stop. I snapped.


    "You ColoColo and these Vanara are both under my protection. I don''t care if you don''t like each other, this pointless fighting ends now." I had to shout over the squeaking rabble.


    "Make them leave!" Shouted one of the ColoColo. "The homeland is ours!"


    "Shut up! there is more than enough room for all of us in your ancestral home. We don''t have time to argue about this now. The centurions will come back soon and they will not make a nice little deal with us. We are going to live with the Vanara and that is final!"


    <table>


    <tbody>


    <tr>


    <td>You have made an extremely unpopular decision</td>


    </tr>


    <tr>


    <td>-500 reputation (ColoColo)</td>


    </tr>


    </tbody>


    </table>


    Despite the reputation hit, I had built up a large enough reserve that they grudgingly followed my orders. We released the bound Vanara who were just happy to be out of their restraints after so many hours. Aloka informed them about the change in leadership which they took in stride. They all fought Don already and his results spoke for themselves.


    When they learned that the ColoColo were more than mindless beasts, a few broke down. The ColoColo weren''t moved by their show of emotion and stayed safely out of reach. It took longer than Don would have liked, but his two tribes started moving back to the volcano in the distance before any Centurions showed up.

 Hiatus announcement

    Hello people,


    I''ve decided to put this book up on the shelf for a while. I''m not really happy with the way it''s turning out and I won''t write any new chapters until I do a comprehensive rewrite. I''m going to work on a couple of easier projects in the meantime and don''t expect to get back to this soon so there''s a spoiler in the post author note with info on what I had planned for the rest of the book for anyone who is still invested in Don''s journey.A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    Thanks for reading up ''till now.


    -SmokeyBear