《Tamer Untamed》


 So You Want To Be An EBT, Huh?

    SO YOU WANT TO BE AN EBT, HUH?


    Hi, I''m Bishop, Bishop Riley and this is how I first started out being an EBT. I''ll tell you what that stands for later. My life changed one day so drastically that it will never be the same again. Before the change, I was just a high schooler from a small town. Not trying to brag or anything but I was one of the smartest people in my whole town. I''m kinda kinda short, only being 5¡¯3 and I was around average weight for a 17 year old. I had my blonde hair cut short and with my eyes being kinda bluish gray I thought I was immensely handsome, although not everyone agreed with me.


    Being as smart as I am I have a passion for reading. My dad would get mad at me cause I read too much. I wasn''t an outsider by no means, I was a social butterfly. Loved talking and talking and even more talking. Although that kinda changed later on, but no matter what I always had my best friend by my side.


    She was unlike any other, with cold eyes that showed hate and malice at even the simplest of provokes and a small smile that proved she was intelligent. Not only intelligent but also extremely beautiful. Yup, she''s the greatest lizard anybody could ask for!


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­...


    What?! You thought I was talking about a person? They aren''t good to keep around. You''re more likely to die from a person than from a lizard¡­¡­.. I thought like that for a long time until I was proven wrong.


    Well anyways, her name was Nessie, you know like the Lochness monster? Even if you don''t I thought it was clever! She was a bright yellow bearded dragon and I took her everywhere with me. We were tight! That bond only got closer on a very important day in both of our lives. And when the time came for our lives to change I was sitting on the toilet, taking a shit.


    In an old trailer, my grandma''s trailer to be exact, is where I found out my life would change. It wasn''t the cleanest place and it definitely didn''t smell the best. It ranked of cats and oldness. I can still remember the rotten stench of the kitty litter in the bathroom.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.


    I was sitting on the toilet, just scrolling through Facebook, when a brochure just popped up outta nowhere. At first I was too shocked to do anything. I even dropped my phone and stopped pooping! That brochure appearing out of thin air was the greatest thing to happen to my life. I didn''t have a bad life, just a boring one. Filled with books and school and some people and chores and getting yelled at by mom and dad. My grandma''s was the place to relax.


    As I picked up my phone and resumed my poop, my eyes lingered on the front of the brochure where it read, ¡°So You Want To Be An EBT, Huh?¡±


    I read the front of it again and again trying to decipher what the hell a EBT was. I put my phone down and plucked up the courage to pick up the brochure. When I picked it up screen flew out right in front of my face! I screamed and fell off the toilet!


    ¡°Bishop, you ok honey?¡±


    ¡°Yes grandma I''m fine. A rat just scared me.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s probably in there watching porn and beat it too hard.¡± My grandpa chipped in.


    I of course was too shocked to retaliate with a comeback because of what the screen said.


    [Do you want to be an EBT? Say yes or no]


    ¡°What¡¯s an EBT¡± I said low enough so my grandparents couldn''t hear me.


    [Do you want to be an EBT? Say yes or no]


    No changes to the screen showed. I stood up, wiped my ass, pulled my pants up and walked around it. The screen moved with me!!! I was able to stick my hand through it and I even tried throwing things at it. It wouldn''t go away! It just stood there saying¡­...


    [Do you want to be an EBT? Say yes or no]


    To appease this screen I finally said ¡°No!¡±


    [Too late, you''ve already been selected to be part of the first million EBTs on Earth]


    "¡­¡­¡­......."


    I stood there dumbfounded. I really didn''t have a choice! I was mad. I picked up the brochure and the screen changed.


    [Go to page one of brochure and read to page two, and follow instructions for your first contracting.]


    I open to page one of ¡°So You Want To Be An EBT, Huh?¡± And it changed my life.

 My First Contract

    MY FIRST CONTRACT


    I opened to the first page of the brochure and it read ¡­¡­


    [So you want to be an EBT, huh? Well you''re not the only one, even if you didn''t you are now. Let''s first address the most frequently asked question: What''s an EBT? Well, you''re an EBT now. Does that help?]


    I looked at it wanting to tear it up for being a smartass and I continue reading.


    [An EBT, or an evolved beast tamer if you wanted to know the full name, is the first and last line of defense and only the smartest, bravest and strongest are able to qualify to be one. They are soldiers that protect the world. There are currently 12 other worlds with EBTs, which makes Earth number 13. We''ll talk about more of the details and fundamentals of being an EBT later. Just know that it''s like a video game, manga or web novel, if you''re into those. You get a status, skills, HP, MP, SP, and the rest. It won''t come up now if you try to check it. They''ll only activate when you finish reading the entire brochure¡­¡­.]


    Fuck, it read my mind. Anyway let''s continue!


    [The most important thing about an EBT is their partners, or the official name, their tamed evolved beast. You''re probably wondering what an evolved beast is, right? An evolved beast is an animal native to a world that has absorbed some of Gaia¡¯s power. Some of the time this occurs naturally, an example from earth would be Bigfoot, the Lochness monster, or the Wendigo. They were originally normal animals until they absorbed some of Gaia''s power. We still don''t know why it happened and please don''t ask about Gaia yet, that''ll be explained later. We''re not saying that you have to hunt down legendary creatures and tame them, God no! You''d be killed! Those creatures are impossible to tame. The ordinary species you see around you are what you''re going to be contracting. They are going to gain a small part of Gaia''s power and evolve and become powerful killing machines. You will fight them but they are not your true enemy. The true enemies are the demons from the underworld. Remember, millions of worlds, one Gaia, one underworld. Because the underworld has decided to invade your world, Gaia has bestowed some power upon your people and creatures. Now that you have your questions answered time to make your first contact!]


    What the fuck! This is fucking crazy! Ahhh another screen popped up!


    [Time to make your first contract. Begin by first finding a beast, preferably a pet or animal your close too. Do that then wait for next screen. If pet is not available then find a wild animal or someone else''s]


    I wash my hands and leave the bathroom to find Nessie. I see her on the counter eating strawberries with grandma and grandpa watching her.


    ¡°Hey Grandma I need Nessie for a second, I''m going to take a few pictures with her outside.¡±


    ¡°Oh Bishop, let her eat first.¡±


    ¡°Sorry grandma but it''s urgent.¡±


    ¡°At least take the strawberries with you¡±


    I take Nessie and the plate of strawberries outside and find a secluded spot under a tree.


    [First task completed! Your next step it to draw some of your blood and write your signature on the beast. Your signature can be anything from a shape, to your initials to a meaningless doodle but you have to remember it. You''ll use this signature for the rest of your life as an EBT. Warning: Signatures cannot be changed and are bound to you. No two people will have the same signature.]


    Hmm sounds important. How will I get the blood? I know! I''ll bite my finger like they do in all of those books and shows I watch.


    I stick my thumb in my mouth and bite down hard¡­¡­¡­. Fuck this huuurrrrttss. I take my thumb out


    No blood¡­¡­


    I do it again except this time harder Ahhhhhh damn this screen, it hurts.


    I come up with a smart idea. I run inside and grab a pair of fingernail clippers and swiftly run back outside. I clip my thumbnail so that it would bleed some. Fuck, that hurt too. It bleeds uncontrollably and glows some. I wonder if it''s an effect of the contracting I''m about to do?


    I took my blood and drew a star with a circle around it. I thought it looked cool.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    Fuck I''m a dumbass, I realized this only after I was finished with it. People are gonna think I''m worshipping Satan. I can''t help but laugh.


    I finish my ''drawing¡¯ on Nessie¡¯s back. It glows a deep crimson red color. After a few seconds the light disappears and a screen pops up


    [You may now view the status of your tamed beast. View it by saying ¡°status¡± then the name of your beast. If your beast doesn''t have a name, name it now.]


    I read the screen and then look at Nessie, she''s completely unfazed and continues to eat the strawberries.


    ¡°Status: Nessie¡±


    STATUS


    Hp 60/60


    Mp 20/20


    Sp 100/100


    Exp 0/10


    Condition: normal


    STATS


    Endurance: 10


    SKILLS


    Lvl 1 Patience


    0/100


    Lvl 1 Bask


    0/100


    I was left speechless¡­¡­..


    [Hp: Health points


    Mp: Mana points


    Sp: Stamina points


    Exp: Experience points


    Condition: state of condition of beast ex: burned, frightened, poisoned, bleeding, etc


    Continue on to next page of brochure]


    And another screen popped up explain the status portion.  I''m still kinda confused about why there''s only one stat and what those skills are.


    I grab the brochure and read the next page


    [You may be wondering about why there''s only one or two stats. There''s over a thousand different stats and it would be too much work for Gaia to show them all. You have basic stats like speed, strength, agility, endurance and then you also have specialized stats which only focus on a small area, like leg strength, attack speed and more. We''ll go into deeper explanation later. You also have affinities, like fire affinity,  which count as stats and then you have personal stats like bravery and vigilance and you even have power stats, which if you acquire one, it''ll be like acquiring unbelievable power.


    So to pass this threshold, you have to get that stat above 10. By getting it above 10, then the status will acknowledge the stat. For a normal person, a stat 4-8 is around where most stats are. By having an intelligence above 10 means you''re a genius, by having strength above 10 means you have the power of a heavy weightlifter. Get a status beyond 12 and you''re out of range of what a normal human is able to achieve. Ready to increase your stats? You have to gain and improve your skills. Skills improve your stats. The skill [Strong Punch] increases your strength by a little and your endurance by a little. An increase can range from 0.001 to anything above that. By gaining skills and leveling those skills will you be able to increase your stats. Not only do you have to increase your stats and skills but also your beasts¡¯ stats and skills. When your beast gets a stat increase, so do you. If your beast¡¯s agility stat increases by 1, then so does yours. Now an explanation on the types of stats and skills.


    Basic stats: has multiple points it increases. Dexterity for example, increases your reflexes, flexibility, perception, etc.


    Specialized stats: increases one point to a stronger degree, the flexibility stat increases your  flexibility but none of the other stuff dexterity covers. On the other hand dexterity doesn''t strengthen your flexibility as much as the flexibility stat.


    Person stat: stat that can affect your personality, bravery, makes you more brave, cunning makes you more cunning, etc


    Affinities: Elements that are most compatible with you will become an affinity stat, like fire affinity or darkness affinity. Can have more than one.


    Power stats: the unbelievable stats, like healing, can increase your healing rate. Unlimited potential and will lead to unstoppable battle prowess.


    Active skills: consumes mp or sp. A specific action will be performed, like [Strong Punch]  will make your next punch super strong at the cost of sp.


    Passive skills: Skills that don''t require activation and will not drain sp or mp. Increases a certain aspect increase, like the passive skill, [Knife Mastery] increases your ability to use knives.


    Toggle skills: Skills able to turn off and on. If turned on they consume a set amount of mp or sp and that amount is unable to recover unless you turn the skill off.


    You also have three categories that are not skills. They are techniques, spells and fighting styles, respectively. They increase stats, but to a lesser degree.


    Techniques: special attacks and moves learned from fighting styles. When used, consumes small amount of sp.


    Spells: Uses mp and are learned from skills, such as [Wind Magic]. Requires a chant and in most cases, user needs to have an affinity to the magic to be able to use.


    Fighting styles: Styles of fighting, like martial arts. Ex: Kung Fu and Karate are among the most well known.


    You can now officially check your status.]


    That''s a lot of fucking information! I can''t wait to see what my status looks like though.


    ¡°Status: Me¡±


    STATUS


    Hp 100/100


    Mp 50/50


    Sp 70/70


    STATS


    SKILLS


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­. This is retarded.

 The Last Page And A New Beginning

    THE LAST PAGE AND A NEW BEGINNING


    ¡°Why doesn''t my stats or skills show up?¡± I ask the status screen.


    [Tamer has insufficient stat level and the skill data began collecting as soon as status was opened, which means you can now officially learn skills]


    Alright¡­¡­


    [Tamer is now ready for the third task: Identifying your beast''s skills. All of the beasts have beginner''s skills derived from their personalities and species.]


    Ok fine, I guess I''ll check them out. How do I do that though? I got an idea!


    ¡°Status please identify Nessie''s skills for me¡±


    Two screens pop up.


    [Bask: Sunlight is a lizard''s best friend. Increases speed and energy in the sunlight by 10%. Builds up solar energy in the body. Increases speed stat a little and energy stat a little.]


    [Patience: The longer the battle goes on, the better you become. Temporarily increases highest stat by 1% for every 20 seconds that goes by in a battle. Increases endurance by a lot.]


    That explains why the high endurance stat¡­..


    Both of those skills sound great. Especially [Patience]. I can''t wait to earn my skills!


    [Fourth task completed. You are now ready to battle. Gaia will create your first opponent based off of you and your beast''s capabilities.]


    As soon as I finished reading the screen, a blinding white lights grows right in front of me. I yell at Nessie to get ready and she jumps up ready for action. When the light faded, what was left was a black cat. It was black all over except for it''s pure white eyes. It kinda freaked me out. I charge towards the cat, preparing to kick it with all my might, but then it jumps straight over my head and lands right over top of Nessie. She crouches down low and then springs up and bites the cats exposed belly with all her force. She must have had a change in her, she used to not be so strong. She bit hard enough where it drew blood, not much but it''ll help. I grab a rock and sling it at the cat as it jumps in the air over Nessie''s head. I hit the cat right in the side if it''s head. It knocks the cat out cold. I walk over to the cat and stomp on its neck. Nessie and I are a good team, I think.


    A bright light envelopes the cat and the transfers over to Nessie.


    [Nessie becomes lvl 2. Due to Nessie''s first level up a small evolution will occur]


    What!?This story has been taken without authorization. Report any sightings.


    The light then fades from Nessie. She didn''t change much, just that her mouth got longer and more narrow, her claws grew a little and she has two small horns above her eyes.


    [Due to small evolution Nessie''s species has become a ''Yellow Sun Lizard¡¯]


    [Fifth task has been completed, you may read the third page]


    This might help explain what''s going on.


    [When another beast is defeated it releases Exp, or experience points. Those experience points are Gaia''s power, the same thing every beast used to transform. When a beast collects a lot of Gaia''s energy it needs a way to release it so it undergoes a slight change to better fit the way the beast fights. If it uses its teeth to attack most if the time, then its teeth get sharper and stronger. These are called level ups. After each level up the beast will slightly change. After a bunch if level ups, residual power builds up. The beast needs a better, stronger way to release this residual power and that''s by evolving. Evolving can change species, increase stats, gain skills or even give whole new body parts, like another set of arms. The first evolution comes after the first battle, must second evolutions occur at level 10 and from then on it depends on the species. Continue on to the fourth and last page.]


    About time I finish this fucking thing. Let''s go!


    [This is the last and final page. It''s about the most important thing. The primal stage. The primal stage is when you and your companions combine and become one. You take the characteristics of your companions and you gain their skills and your visible stats (Stats above 10) combine with theirs. This only happens on the ethereal plane, or as we like to say, the true battlefield. The place where our forces fight the invading demons. It''s the place where you will defend your home and the place where you will show your strength. You have three days to prepare for the first battle. During those three days the plants and animals on your world will evolve and change, becoming stronger and more unreal. That is the drawback of becoming an EBT. You have to defend your home on two fronts. The evolved creatures will become more hostile and will attack your family and friends but don''t be afraid, this is a challenge 12 other worlds have coped with. You''re not the first and you won''t be the last. Now go and train for the first battle!]


    ¡­¡­¡­¡­.. I''m shocked


    What should I do now? I''m not sure. I know I have to train and all that but I feel like something is a bit off. I''m confused, what does all of it mean¡­¡­¡­.?


    Fuck it. I''ma take a nap.


    I grab Nessie and lie down in the field by my grandma''s house. The nice warm sun shines down on us. I close my eyes and fall asleep, my mind fatigued from the shock of all this¡­..


    ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~


    [Bask has leveled up to level 3. Speed and energy increased by 20% in sunlight. Collects even more solar energy. Speed stat and energy stat increases by a little.]


    [Due to the amount of solar energy the spell [Solar Flare] has been learned]


    [Solar Flare: shoots a small concentration of solar energy out of the body. Attack power: weak Range: 10ft Consumes 15 mp Can cause burns. Increases energy stat and sunlight affinity by a small amount]


    I woke up to three screens. I check my phone for the time. It''s 3:15! I fell asleep at 11:00! How the fuck did I sleep for a whole four hours? And how did [Bask] level up?


    Status show the progress for [Bask].


    [Bask 15/400]


    That''s weird¡­¡­¡­..


    So [Bask] leveled up twice, the first time it needed 100, now it needs 400 to go to the fourth level. If my theory is correct then it probably needed 200 to make it to the third level.


    [Bask 16/400]


    It changed! What time is it? It''s 3:16! So each minute is a point! That means to get it to the next level Nessie needs to literally bask for 6 hours and 34 minutes! That''s¡­¡­. Wow.


    Well I have a whole day to train, I wonder what I should do¡­¡­.

 Day 1 Of Training

    DAY 1 OF TRAINING


    Ugh, my back hurts. I feel like I can''t move. God have mercy on me please¡­.


    It''s not from the training, I just slept wrong. My neck and back are sore. Ugh, remind me not to sleep on the ground.


    Anyway, we gotta get training. How else are we supposed to save the world? I know I''m not crazy, I watched my best friend evolve right in front of my eyes.


    I run inside my grandma''s house and grab the longest kitchen knife and run out before any questions were asked. I put Ness on my shoulder and we headed into the forest that surround us.


    We walk for what feels like forever. I check my phone to see what time it is¡­¡­¡­¡­. It''s only 4:00. We''ve been in here for over half an hour! And we haven''t seen anything yet!


    Ugh I wish something would ju- AHHHHHH


    L


    I scream as I slipped down a hill. When I roll to the bottom I find myself at the mouth of a huge cave. The first thing I think is ¡°IT''S A DUNGEON¡± and I rush right into the cave.


    I go in the cave and shockingly it''s dark. I then turn the flashlight on my phone on and continue. I took a few more steps and I began to hear a flapping sound. I shine my light around the cave, it isn''t too wide and it''s pretty tall. I shine the light up and I see three bats, except these bats had large round eyes, a long tongue that hung from their mouths and they were as large as cats. Ness and I just stared at the bats and they stared back. I was scared and I didn''t know what to do. They just stood there, hanging upside down, staring at us.


    I did the only thing I thought was logical, I ran out of the cave, or I tried to at least. As soon as I took off the bats flapped their large wings and flew ahead of us, intent on blocking our path.


    One swoops down and tackles me, I fall down with the bat on top. It bites my left shoulder with its large pearly white fangs.


    ¡°Fuck¡±


    I wrap my left arm around the bat trapping it there and I take the knife I brought with me and I stab it it the back. It shrieks and kicks and tries to fly away but I keep it pinned down with my arm. It bites my shoulder again but I still refuse to let go. I stab it again and again until it stops moving.


    ¡°Haha, take that bitch!¡±


    I drop the dead bat and look around for Nessie and my phone, which I dropped in the attack. I look over and I see a bright ball heading towards the other two bats. The only way I know it''s heading towards them is because it''s so bright it illuminates a small part of the cave. Then I see another one and I look for where they''re coming from. On the ground Nessie was shooting her [Solar Flare] towards the bats. With the bats preoccupied with dodging I rush to them, knife drawn. I jump up and just barely grab the foot of one. I bring it down and wrap my left arm around its neck, choking it. I then proceed to stab it''s gut with my knife numerous times. It kicks and screams but I continue stabbing it. When it finally died I threw it to the ground and tried to grab the other one but it flew up too high for me to jump. Nessie shoots another [Solar Flare] and because it was preoccupied with dodging my hand it was hit right in the head by the ball of solar energy. The fur on its face burst into flames and it flailed about in the air. Nessie was able to hit it twice more before it burned to death. I gaped in horror and amazement. From the smell of burnt flesh to the feeling of blood pouring out of my shoulder I knew this was the life for me. The excitement and fun of stabbing the bat and the feeling of it''s last breath leaving its body¡­¡­¡­I might be a psychopath¡­¡­¡­.Stolen story; please report.


    Forgetting about my psychopathic thoughts I start to address the most important thing right now, my bleeding shoulder. It fucking hurts! I grab it, trying to stop the bleeding at least a little bit. Nessie runs over. She crawls up my back and looks at the wound. She begins charging a [Solar Flare]!


    ¡°No Ness! Don''t shoot me, I''m trying not to die today!¡±


    She moves her head closer to the wound. Huh! The charging [Solar Flare] is really hot! It''s cauterizing the bite!


    After a few seconds the wound stopped bleeding! As soon as it did a notification popped up.


    [Tamer has learned skill [Berserk]]


    [Berserk lvl1   0/100: When a life-threatening injury is inflicted upon the user, the user will recover 10% of max Hp and Stamina and will gain and attack boost for the duration of the battle. Stackable. Increases health stat and strength stat by a small amount.]


    [Tamer has learned skill [Merciless]]


    [Merciless lvl1   0/100: Mercy is for the weak. Allows user to keep a clear mind and not be affected as much by mental attacks. Increases the mental fortitude stat by a large amount.]


    [Mental fortitude stat has risen to 11, crossing the threshold]


    [Nessie has grew to level 3. Exp: 6/60]


    A soft light enveloped Nessie. Her horns began to grow just slightly, her mouth got longer and narrower and red markings grew on Nessie''s bright yellow scales.


    Woah¡­....¡­. I feel¡­¡­¡­ like what the fuck happened? I gained two skills and a stat! That''s fucking incredible! Plus Nessie got a level up! Now, before I get in more trouble let''s leave! I put Nessie on my shoulder and grab the three bat carcasses. I''m not gonna kill them and leave them for someone else to eat am I?


    After about 10 minutes or so I see the end of the cave.


    ¡°It''s sunlight! I''m so happy, I thought I was going to die!¡±


    I check my phone for the time and it''s around 5:00. Be nice if I had a skill that let me tell time without having to check my phone¡­¡­.


    I began walking back to my grandma''s house with the three bats in tow¡­¡­¡­... SHIT, HOW AM I SUPPOSED TO EXPLAIN ALL THIS!


    I began to think about how I should explain all of this to my grandparents. Alien attack? Science project? My attempt at trying to become a vampire? None of those would work. I finally decided on what I''m gonna say.


    ¡°Bishop! What''s wrong? You''re dirty and you have blood stains all over you! And what''s with those¡­ those things you''re carrying? Oh Earl come here!¡±


    My grandma rambled on, crying for my grandpa, fretting over me. I knew what I had to do.


    ¡°Grandma, I''m sorry to tell you this¡­¡­. But I''m gonna be a father!¡±


    ¡°.....................¡± She said nothing and then fainted.


    ¡°I hope you''re kidding, that''ll be one ugly grandchild.¡±


    My grandpa came out of the house, he looks old at first glance but he''s really strong and has a good heart. My dad used to say that he had the heart of a lion and when I asked him about it he said that''s why he''s not allowed back at the zoo¡­.


    ¡° I''m kidding, I wouldn''t have been able to tell y''all what really happened if grandma hadn''t fainted.¡± I then proceeded to tell the whole story, the brochure, Nessie''s evolution, the fight with the bats. No detail was left untold. I even showed Nessie''s [Solar Flare] as proof. My grandpa is a reasonable man and I''m sure he''d know what to do.


    ¡°Don''t die, if you died I''d have to give your  inheritance to that whore sister of yours.¡±


    Ah grandpa''s words of wisdom fill my heart with great pleasure¡­¡­

 Rat Infestation

    RAT INFESTATION


    After my grandma woke up and we calmed her down and explained everything to her, she fixed up the bite on my shoulder, putting alcohol on it and bandaging it up. That hurt more than the bite


    Grandpa showed me how to clean the bat carcasses after I was done with that. He used to hunt a lot. I was too wrapped up in my books to pay much attention before. We took the fur off the body and the meat off the bones, the charred one we just gave to his dog, a huge dalmatian named Roscoe. Why do I feel so apprehensive about that?


    During the process I earned the [Skinning] skill.


    [Skinning lvl1. 0/100: You can now clean what you kill, a skill every hunter needs. Increases dexterity by a small amount]


    Now would be a good time to check my status


    ¡°Status¡±


    STATUS


    Hp 100/100


    Mp 55/55


    Sp 70/70


    STATS


    Mental Fortitude: 11


    SKILLS


    [Berserk]


    [Merciless]


    [Skinning]


    Hmm my mp went up a little.


    After getting bandaged up,checking my status and having the bat carcasses taken care of, I was ready to go back to training. I set off back into the woods when a small hand suddenly grabbed me.


    ¡°Where do you think you''re going young man? You almost died! And now you want to go back!? No more today!¡± My grandma fussed at me. I guess it''s my fault for making her worry. I looked over to my grandpa for help and he just shrugged. Thanks grandpa I knew I could count on you.......Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    ¡°Sorry grandma¡± I said with a smile on my face. We walk back to the house, Nessie still resting on my shoulder.


    ¡°What''s for supper?¡± I asked my grandpa after we got back


    ¡°Whatever you plan on making with those bats. Fried bat, grilled bat, barbeque bat, it''s been a long time since I had barbeque bat.¡±


    I looked at him and continued on. I knew grandpa was just messing around¡­.. at least I think he was.


    ¡°Oh don''t worry about him, leave the cooking to me. How else can you become a big strong man. ¡° She said that as she was pinching my cheek.


    I figured I had a little time to kick back and relax so I grabbed the book I''ve been reading and layed in the field reading. Nessie was on my head, basking in the sunlight.


    It wasn''t 20 minutes before I heard a scream coming from the house. People always say that you when something good happens you gotta be prepared cause something bad always follows¡­..


    I get up and ran as quick as I could. I was about 50ft away. When I got there I yanked the door open. When I got in I smelled two distinct smells. First it was the fine smell of cookies in the oven baking. My grandma absolutely loved to bake. The other thing I smelled was even more fresh.


    ¡°Blood¡±


    I look towards the kitchen and see five huge, red-eyed rats gathered around the bleeding figure of my grandma, with more jumping down from tge roof and out of the walls. The rats were munching on my grandma like she was a snack, chewing and eating her flesh, ripping it apart with their bloodstained teeth and lapping up her blood with red tongues. It was disgusting but I kept a clear head thanks to [Merciless] . I took a hold on the handle of my knife and rushed forward. Nessie, who was sitting on my shoulder, jumped off and began charging a [Solar Flare].


    "What the fuck happened?" I scream. I look around at the rats pouring from the walls. I yell out in frustration and charge.


    I kick the rat closest to me and launched a stab towards another one. The rat dives from under my blade and bites my left calf. I fall and the rats swarm around me. I see one burst into flames but it wasn''t enough to stop all of them. I felt desperate, I thought I would have actually died.


    WHAM!


    A chair knocked the other rats off me. I look up and see my grandpa, holding a chair with 3 rats biting on him.


    ¡°Run, I''ll hold them off.¡±


    I looked at his deep blue eyes, a small tear dripped down the side of one. I started to come towards him, I didn''t want him to die.


    ¡°I SAID GO¡± He yells as he pushes me towards the door.¡°


    TORCH THE HOUSE, BURN THESE BASTARDS TO HELL!¡±


    I reluctantly run out of the house, crying my eyes out. The two people I loved the most in my life, one dead, one dying. As I stand outside the house I can hear the struggles. I did as my grandpa said. I grabbed the gallon of gasoline he kept in his barn. I then proceeded to drench the front and sides of the house with the gas. After I did the, I had Nessie charge a [Solar Flare] and fired at the gas-covered trailer. As soon as the ball of heat touched the house it began to burn wildly. I watched with teary eyes as my favorite place in the world burned down. I saw a few rats scrambling to get away. I tried to will myself to kill them but I think I''m already to the extent of what [Merciless] can do. I let them go, I let my grandparent¡¯s killers run off.


    I sank down to my knees, crying. Tears after tears rolled down my face. The only thing I felt was the pain and loneliness of losing the two most wonderful people in my life. I felt like I wanted to die. I finally realized something at that moment.


    ¡°This isn''t a game.¡±

 What I Need To Do

    I don''t know how long I sat there. All I know is that at some point I stopped crying and passed out. ¡­¡­¡­.


    I wonder how my parents are doing¡­¡­¡­.


    That''s it, I''m gonna quit feeling sorry and I''m gonna do something. I just don''t know what yet¡­¡­¡­.


    Maybe I should get stronger? No what I should do is go see my parents. But I can''t protect them unless I do get stronger, then again during that time I''m training, they could already have been attacked.........


    Eh fuck it. I''ll figure it out eventually. For now I need to focus on the most important thing and that''s seeing if I can find my grandparents¡¯ bodies and bury them.


    I look around for my grandpa''s trusty dalmatian, but he was nowhere to be seen. I saw the spot where they had him tied up at. The rope rop snapped in half, he must''ve been scared by the fire and ran. So much for a reliable dog........


    The fire already quit burning so I walked over to the remains of the house to try to find their bodies. The house smelled terrible. It was covered with rat corpses. When iiwas looking for my grandma I found her cat, Tom. He was burnt up and chewed on. After i got used to the stench, it only took a few minutes to find what I was looking for. Grandma was lying on her back, half of her burnt body was chewed up. I couldn''t stand to see her like that. I dragged her body to the garden in her backyard. She loved it there. I then went back to find my grandpa. It took a little longer to find him because of all the rat corpses he was buried under. His whole body was covered in scratches and bites marks. His right eye was gouged out and a few parts of his beard were missing but he still looked as valiant as ever. I drag him over beside grandma. The two look so peaceful, in a messed up sort of way. I go to my grandpa''s shed and grab a shovel. When I came back I saw Nessie trying to dig. I almost cried again, I was so touched. I pick her up and set her on my shoulder, she''s gotten bigger and heavier too. She''s a foot and a half long now and I don''t think she''s done growing either.


    I start the laborious task of digging a large enough hole for two people. It''s gonna take a long fucking time¡­¡­¡­¡­


    About 5 hours later I was finally done. I dug a hole six feet deep and wide enough they could lay side by side and be comfortable. I put their hands together and started to fill the hole back in. When I was done I grabbed a bunch of stones and made a cross over their grave. I wasn''t particularly religious but I knew they were. I hope they go to a good place. As I turned around to walk away a screen popped up.


    [Spirit¡¯s protection lvl1 0/100: Respect the dead and the dead will respect you. Grants the user a spirit''s shield for a Max of 3 attacks before breaking. Cost: 50 MP Duration: One minute. Increases spirit purity stat and endurance stat by a small amount]


    [Endurance stat has passed the threshold. Endurance 10]


    ¡°Spirit''s protection?¡± I look behind myself and catch a glimpse of¡­¡­. Something. Maybe it was just nothing. I left the newly buried graves with a smile on my face. My heart felt calm and at peace. I can now think clearly. Hmmm, really what should I do? Maybe I should go back to that cave and train more. By the time I get there it will be dark. Shit it''s gonna be dark in that cave anyway, might as well go train. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    With Ness on my shoulder I hike to the cave. It doesn''t take as long now that I know the way but it was still close to sunset by the time I got there.


    When I got to the cave I immediately noticed a change. The mouth of the cave was darker than what it was before. It was a light gray but now the cave is pitch black. That wasn''t the only change. As I looked into the cave I could see a small amount of light. I was so happy I didn''t have to travel in the dark again. It''s amazing what can be accomplished in a day!


    As I walked into the cave I could feel the humidity rise. It was hot and moist in this cave. Why does that remind me of something?............


    Anyway, I traveled with caution, I don''t want to be surprised like last time. I kept looking up, shining the light on my phone wherever I looked. I kept my knife drawn, ready for anything.


    OOMPH


    Something flew into my back. So maybe I wasn''t ready for that but anything else I would''ve been ready for!


    I turn around and see a duo of bats. They''re wings were bigger than the last time I saw them. The bats we''re also longer and thinner, and two fangs popped out of their top lips.


    As soon as I charged at them they flew up to where I couldn''t reach them. They hovered there, mocking me.


    ¡°Son of a bitch¡­¡­¡­¡±


    At that moment Nessie shot a [Solar Flare] towards the larger of the two. It swooped under it and I was able to jump and barely cut it with my knife. When it flew back up to avoid another cut it was hit by another [Solar Flare]. Woooo go Nessie! The bat had a few small burns but nothing serious. Meanwhile the other bat put some distance between us and sent out a shockwave aimed right at me. When it hit it felt like my insides were coming apart. In a total act of desperation I fling my knife towards the bat, hoping to catch it off guard.


    CHH!


    The knife struck it''s eye! The knife surprisingly struck blade first in it''s eye! It howl with pain. It flew against the walls, not knowing what to do to get the knife out. It hits another wall with it''s head and it shoves the knife even further into its eye, stabbing its brain.


    The other one had no better luck. While I was occupied with the other bat, Nessie launched shot after shot with near perfect accuracy. The bat, however, dodged each one of them with its superior agility but it still crashed into a wall and tore its wing, disabling it''s flying capabilities. Nessie rushed towards the fallen bat. The bat tried to defend itself. It may have been graceful in the air but on land it was a huge clutz. The bat tried walking on its back legs but it immediately fell over and started crawling with its wings. During that transition Nessie leapt on its back and climbed up to its face. The bat tried rolling to get her off but when it was on it''s back, it was already dead. Nessie shot a [Solar Flare] right in its ear, sending blazing hot sun energy directly to its brain.


    ¡°Sigh, I''m super hungry Nessie, I haven''t had anything all day. Let''s rest right here for now so we can eat. All the food in the house was burnt up so I''ll have to skin those bats first.¡±


    My stomach grumbled and complained the whole fight but it was only now I realized I was hungry. I began to skin the bats, the [Skinning] skill helped a lot. It took about an hour to get both bats ready to cook.


    [Skinning leveled up to level 2. Animals are now somewhat easier to skin. Increases dexterity by a little.]


    Hell yeah! That''s what I''m talking about!


    We took one of the furs and set it on fire so we could cook the meat. There wasn''t much, those bats we''re mostly skin and bones.


    We ate the cooked bat meat and I used the other fur as a pillow. With Nessie laying on my stomach I fell right to sleep¡­¡­¡­..

 Gnomes

    I stir awake, sore from the cave floor, I can hardly stand up. I''m cold. Like really cold. I take the bat fur I used at a pillow and wrapped it around my head like a scarf. It''s a little better but not much.


    ¡°Ok time to get moving. Today''s the last day before I get sent off to the battlefield! Maybe that can answer some of my questions. Like why is this happening to earth and not some other world?¡±


    I know it isn''t the right thing to say but why us? Out of the million other worlds why did it happen to be us for the 13th invasion? Worrying about it ain''t solving a thing. Let''s get on with this cave.


    I pull my phone out of my pocket to check the time. The time is¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Shit, it''s dead. Damnit! I kinda needed that! Well fuck, too late to turn back now.


    I reluctantly continued on, dreading what could happen.


    My worst thoughts were made real when I came to a fork in the path. Or should I say small, naked gnome like things bearing pitchforks.


    They came up to my knee, had small, beady, yellow eyes and a temper. The only reason I found out that last part is because when they saw me they rushed straight at me. Pitchforks aimed at me, small, bare feet running with all their might, junk that is slightly bigger than mine swinging around¡­¡­.. Fuck I wish I could forget about that.


    There was only 3 of them. If there was anymore I would have been fucked.


    ¡°[Spirit''s Protection]¡±


    I activate [Spirit''s Protection]. As soon as it activated I could feel a presence. The space in front of me wavered slightly, like looking above a hot fire. The three gnomes struck at the same time, they were all in sync, you could tell they trained together. When they struck the spirit a blue flash illuminated the cave. All five of us were stunned but Nessie was the first to recover. She leapt of my shoulder and on to the closest gnome head. She scratched it and bit it. The gnome screamed in pain, it tried to throw her off but she jumped down and clamped her teeth down on it''s nose. The other two were shocked. I took my knife, and before he could react, I slit its throat. It fell to the ground gasping for air but couldn''t get any. I took a glance at Nessie. The thing finally had her in its hands trying to bring her to its mouth. I took my foot and kicked it''s head. I stumbled backwards but it still didn''t let go. In fact, it grasped tighter. I felt a peculiar feeling in my chest. As if a part of it was being torn out. Desperate, I throw my knife. It worked before so why wouldn''t it work now? The knife goes flying through the air and¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ completely misses. I don''t even know where the knife went¡­¡­¡­¡­


    Knifeless I charge forward, bring my foot up and kick it in the chest. It finally let''s go of Nessie and falls on the ground. I walk over to finish the job. As I raise my foot up to stomp its head in, the third gnome stabs me in the back with a pitchfork. My vision gets blurry. All I can see now is red. The cave is red, my hands are red, the gnomes are red¡­¡­..


    GNOMES!


    I grab the pitchfork sticking out if my back and throw it away to somewhere. The gnome tries to run away but I grab it''s neck and hold it in the air. I put my other hand on the back of its head and bring it swiftly down as I bring my knee up, smashing it''s skull in. The other gnome just stood there motionless, too scared to move. I took a step towards him and he tightened all up. He looked so fearful. I took another step and¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­.. he shit himself. The bitch actually shit himself¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    I picked up a pitchfork that was close by, walked over to him and ended his misery by skewering him in the throat. Fuck he stinks.


    The [Berserk] faded soon after the battle was over. My back was drenched in blood where the pitchfork got me. I layed down on my stomach and told Nessie to use [Solar Flare] like last time. It cauterized the wound but, unlike last time I don''t have a home where I can get it treated. I was worried about it becoming infected so I took the bat fur that was around my head and stuck it to the spots on my back. It wasn''t large enough to wrap all the way around me so I took the belt I was wearing and tightened it up.This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    I picked up Nessie and put her on my shoulder. She was badly hurt but I think she''ll make it. I wanted, no needed, to get away from that stench so I pressed on.


    With the pitchfork in hand, I began thinking about where they got these from. They probably raided a home or homes. Despicable, I''ll make them pay. Since they were smart enough to work as a group then they''re probably smart enough to make a village. I''ll show them what it''s like to have their home raided and their people killed¡­¡­¡­


    [Merciless leveled up to level 2! Persuasion, intimidation and sympathy have a 10% less effect on you. Mental fortitude increases by a moderate amount.]


    [Mental fortitude increases to 12! Illusions have a 15% less chance of working on you]


    [Nessie has leveled up to level 4! Health, Mana and Stamina have increased by 5 each!]


    A white light enveloped Nessie, as per usual. Once it faded I saw that Nessie''s horns grew to about an inch. They were pointing at an angle towards the front. Her claws also grew longer and sharper too.


    ¡°Nice improvements. Hmmm.¡± I examined Nessie. She seemed to have gotten stronger too. Her injuries were cured too. I''m happy.


    I continued on. I thought of the knife I lost. I could have looked for it but it wasn''t all that great anyway. It was just a normal kitchen knife. It doesn''t feel right holding this pitchfork though. It''s the only thing I got so I guess I''ll use it.


    The farther down I went the brighter the mushrooms got. They were bigger and brighter and honestly I felt like they were watching me. I went to a wall and picked a few off. They kept their glow for about 10 minutes before they went dark.


    So far I know at least two kinds of enemies here. Bats and gnomes. It would be terrible if the gnomes learned how to ride the bats¡­¡­¡­¡­. I got a bad feeling about this. I really hope that doesn''t happen. I''ve almost died numerous times just from the small fry, if a really big guy comes I''d hate to see what would happen¡­¡­¡­¡­...


    Spoiler: Spoiler<input class="spoilerButton" type="button" value="Show">


    Bishop Riley


    STATUS


    Hp 110/110


    Mp 55/55


    Sp 80/80


    STATS


    Mental Fortitude: 12 Added Effect: Charms have a 15% less chance of working


    Endurance: 10


    SKILLS


    [Berserk lvl 1 50/100: When a life-threatening injury is inflicted upon the user, the user will recover 10% of max Hp and Stamina and will gain and attack boost for the duration of the battle. Stackable. Increases health stat and strength stat by a small amount.]


    [Merciless lvl 2 23/200: Mercy is for the weak. Allows user to keep a clear mind and not be affected as much by mental attacks.Persuasion, intimidation and sympathy have a 10% less effect on you. Increases the mental fortitude stat by a large amount.]


    [Skinning lvl 2. 17/200: You can now clean what you kill, a skill every hunter needs. Increases dexterity by a small amount]


    [Spirit¡¯s protection lvl 1 21/100: Respect the dead and the dead will respect you. Grants the user a spirit''s shield for a Max of 3 attacks before breaking. Cost: 50 MP Duration: One minute. Increases spirit purity stat and endurance stat by a small amount]


    Nessie (lvl 3)


    STATUS


    Hp 85/85


    Mp 85/85


    Sp 125/125


    Exp 0/10


    Condition: normal


    STATS


    Endurance: 10


    SKILLS


    [Patience lvl 1 11/100: The longer the battle goes on, the better you become. Temporarily increases highest stat by 1% for every 20 seconds that goes by in a battle. Increases endurance by a lot.]


    [Bask lvl 3 200/400. Sunlight is a lizard''s best friend. Speed and energy increased by 20% in sunlight. Collects even more solar energy. Speed stat and energy stat increases by a little.]


    [Solar Flare lvl 1 80/100: Shoots a small concentration of solar energy out of the body. Attack power: weak Range: 10ft Consumes 15 mp Can cause burns. Increases energy stat and sunlight affinity by a small amount]

 Trapped!

    ¡°It''s almost time. Is it ready?¡±


    ¡°Just give me a second Vos. I need to wait for the energy crystal to stabilize.¡±


    ¡±Just hurry up! The underworld legion is gonna be here in a few days. The newbies need to train and learn.¡±


    ¡°I honestly don''t know why you wait so long.¡±


    ¡°Ragnel, you know that if we didn''t wait then the rookies would think this was a game, they would do what they wanted but not what they needed.¡±


    <hr>


    I just realized something. Today is the third day! That means today I get some answers. I''m ready for it. When will I go? I don''t even know¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    I don''t know how I could''ve forgotten about that. I wonder what''s gonna happen. I''m all excited about it now.


    WHAM


    I was so excited and distracted I hit my head on a stalactite.


    ¡°Fuck that hurts! Huh?¡±


    I looked forward, trying to get a good look at whatever this was. From the high ceiling, all the way to myself was a stalactite. It was huge. It wouldn''t have been odd if it was a whole bunch but it was just the one. The only fucking stalactite and I hit it with my head?! What are the odds?


    I go around the stalactite, not hitting my head on it again. I didn''t even take a step before the ground rumbled under me. I jumped backwards, not wanting to fall for whatever trap this was. A huge stalagmite shot up into the air, right where I was standing! It kept going right up j heard a¡­..


    THWACK


    It sounded like two rocks colliding with immense force. It took about 4 seconds for the stalagmite to hit the ceiling. Hmm this might hurt a little.


    ¡°Alright Ness, hold on.¡±


    I run as fast as I can forward. Stalagmites begin popping up all around me while the stalactites are rushing down, trying to make a Bishop-kebob! A stalactite comes down right in front of me. I run around it and trip over a growing stalagmite. I roll on the ground, trying to avoid as many as I can. I try to stand up, but I immediately hit my head on a growing stalactite! It comes down, trying to piece me against the floor. I roll out of its way.


    Whew!


    I stalagmite begins to grow under me. I jump off of it, aiming for a clear spot, when a stalagmite shoots up into the air. I collide with the growing rock. Disoriented from the collision, all I can do is grab on. My right hand that was laying on to of the point was crushed and pierced when it hit the ceiling! I couldn''t move! I was stuck there! Nessie, thankfully, was safely inside my jacket.


    My hand was bleeding profusely. The blood was oozing out of my hand and down the rock. It fucking hurts. The bone was completely crushed, the skin, muscle, nerves and blood vessels were completely pierced. I couldn''t even move my fingers. I screamed and yelled.


    The stalagmite grew so much it already hit the ceiling, dragging me along with it. In pain, I looked around for anything that could help. My eyes began to linger on the top of the rock. It was the thinnest part of the whole thing. If I could break just a little from the top off I could slide my hand up and over. At least if I did that I had a chance of living. Regrettably I''ll be one handed.


    Hmphf well there''s nothing to it but to do it.


    Since I was already at the top, I didn''t have to climb any. I look at the top of the stalagmite with a mixture of hate and malice. I already dropped the pitchfork a long time ago so I couldn''t use that. The only thing left was my left fist. I drew it back and punched with all my force¡­¡­¡­


    ¡°Ahhhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh FUCK¡±. It was a rock, what should I expect?


    Anyway, despite the pain I continued with the punches. It. Hurt. Like. Hell. I soon began to feel woozy because of the loss of blood but no matter the pain, no matter the dizziness, no matter what else is gonna come my way I have to get through this. Why? I got three reasons why.


    ¡°I got to protect Nessie!¡±


    I started punching faster


    ¡°I''ve got to make sure no one else has to go through what I did!¡±


    Cracks were forming on the rock.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    ¡°AND I''M STILL A VIRGIN!¡±


    I gave one more massive punch¡­¡­¡­¡­..and the top of the stalagmite broke! It actually came off! My dumbassness finally saved myself!


    [Feat of strength performed! Title [Persistence Is Key] has been achieved!]


    [Persistence Is Key: Congratulations, you''ve either done something stupid so much until it worked, or you kept trying your hardest in the worst challenges. Either way, you did good! Increases willpower by a large margin.]


    [Willpower increased to 10!]


    A title? That''s¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­new. Granted all of this is new but was what I did really that dumb? I mean it was the ONLY option besides chewing through my hand. Still, it was worth it. I got a title AND a stat increase! Now back to less important matters, like my bleeding hand which I have yet to pick up because of the immense pain. Honestly I can''t catch a break¡­¡­¡­¡­.


    I began to pick my hand up. Sliding it gently overtop the stalagmite, it bleeds uncontrollably. I raise it up triumphantly, I feel great about myself.


    ¡°Ok before I bleed out I need to get this taken care of. Nessie can you please stop this?¡±


    Nessie began charging up a [Solar Flare] when suddenly the brightest light I''ve ever seen envelopes both of us. The light feels warm. Like a towel you get out if the dryer. I feel myself moving. I don''t know where I''m going but it feels nice. I look at my hand. It stopped bleeding! It felt warm! The bone began to grow back! When the bone was finished then the muscles and nerves began to heal, it looked so unreal. After that a new layer of skin grew! I felt so relieved! I thought I would have to use my left hand from now on, I suck with my left hand!


    My fatigue began recovering too. I was relaxed. Nessie looked relaxed too. She had her eyes closed, chilling.


    After a few minutes a screen popped up.


    [Tamer and beast has been thoroughly analyzed. Synchronization process has begun. Primal form will be activated. Tamer and beast will merge.]


    Nessie began disappearing! I was too shocked to do anything!


    I felt an immense pain all over my body! The light was no longer warm, that dreadful light was a fire! My skin burned, I looked at it¡­¡­¡­¡­.. Unreal was only how I could describe it.


    I could see my arms turning yellow. I watched the scales grow, every single one of them felt like the sun. My fingernails grew until they became claws, claws meant to take a life. My legs then began to grow longer! My toenails became just like my claws! By the time they were done I was at least 5¡¯7! A tail began to grow at my backside! I could feel the bones and muscles growing, I searing blaze covering it all! The teeth in my head became longer and sharper, my face grew longer, more¡­¡­..lizard-like. A sharp pain was felt in my head as two horns sprouted out above where my ears should be.


    My muscles became more dense and robust. My bones became tougher. My organs worked harder. My brain worked a little faster. And with a final cry of ¡°Mommy!¡± The transformation was completed.


    [Synchronization completed. Tamer''s skills and visible stats have merged with the beast¡¯s skills and visible stats. Status is as follows.]


    STATUS


    Hp 385/386


    Mp 140/140


    Sp 405/405


    STATS


    Mental Fortitude: 12 Added Effect: Illusions have a 15% less chance of working.


    Endurance: 20 Added Effect: Will not get tired while running.


    Willpower: 10


    SKILLS


    [Berserk lvl 1 50/100: When a life-threatening injury is inflicted upon the user, the user will recover 10% of max Hp and Stamina and will gain and attack boost for the duration of the battle. Stackable. Increases health stat and strength stat by a small amount.]


    [Merciless lvl 2 23/200: Mercy is for the weak. Allows user to keep a clear mind and not be affected as much by mental attacks. Increases the mental fortitude stat by a large amount.]


    [Skinning lvl 2. 17/200: You can now clean what you kill, a skill every hunter needs. Increases dexterity by a small amount]


    [Spirit¡¯s protection lvl 1 21/100: Respect the dead and the dead will respect you. Grants the user a spirit''s shield for a Max of 3 attacks before breaking. Cost: 50 MP Duration: One minute. Increases spirit purity stat and endurance stat by a small amount]


    [Patience lvl 1 11/100: The longer the battle goes on, the better you become. Temporarily increases highest stat by 1% for every 20 seconds that goes by in a battle. Increases endurance by a lot.]


    [Bask lvl 3 200/400. Sunlight is a lizard''s best friend. Speed and energy increased by 20% in sunlight. Collects even more solar energy. Speed stat and energy stat increases by a little.]


    [Solar Flare lvl 1 80/100: Shoots a small concentration of solar energy out of the body. Attack power: weak Range: 10ft Consumes 15 mp Can cause burns. Increases energy stat and sunlight affinity by a small amount]


    TITLE


    [Persistence Is Key]


    ¡°Woah¡­¡­¡­..¡±


    I felt different. Like someone was living inside me but that person was my closest friend. It felt invasive but also loving. Like your mom going through your diary to make sure you''re ok. I was stronger. I could tell that without the status.


    The white light began disappearing. I could finally start to see! I look around and find myself in a crowd. I don''t know what I''m in a crowd of though. There were some with wings that flew, some with horns. Some carried hatchets and swords while others grabbed whatever they could get their hands on. Some stood on two legs and some stood on four. They looked amazingly different, no two were alike. There was even a guy that had the bottom half of a black stallion! I couldn''t believe what I saw! But then again I''m just like them. I''m a tamer. And this is what us tamers look like in our prime.


    I looked around at all the half people half beasts. It looked like there were at least a million people here. I couldn''t really tell. The sun was setting and dust blew about. Everyone looked as dazed and confused as I felt. I kinda looked like we were in a medieval courtyard. We all stayed quiet in the courtyard. No joking around or fights or anything! A large, fur-covered hand shot up in front of the crowd. It was from a wolf-like man wearing spiked, metal armor. His fur was black and sleek, like the night sky. His eyes spoke of dominance and his voice oozed with command. This was a guy who knew how to get things done.


    ¡°Alright you dirty group of hellspawn! I''m your general Vos. And I''m here to put you all through hell to get you ready for the enemy! Now, who''s ready to fight the Vos?¡±

 Orientation

    ¡°Ok, who''s ready to fight the Vos?¡± Shouted the dark-furred manwolf. ¡°Come to the arena maggots! Hit me before I destroy you and you''ll get a something good.¡± He then somersaulted off the stage and began running towards a huge coliseum when suddenly-


    ¡°Vos! Get back here. We can do the individual assessment AFTER orientation. Honestly I don''t see how Ragnel puts up with you. ¡° The person who said that looked like a woman with fox ears and tail. If you looked closely you could see her whiskers. She had a small bust and a petite behind. The dress she wore looked calm and elegant. Her face had the same expression. She looked beautiful enough to seduce your heart in a second and make you want more of her but that mystical look in her all black eyes would make you want to stay away.


    ¡°Oh c''mon. We gotta see what they can do. How else would we know if they''re trash or not?¡± She looked at him with malice in her all black eyes. If looks could kill he''d be dead. ¡°Ok, Ok! No need to get so mad!¡±


    Vos then began to walk back towards the stage. He stood beside the woman but slightly behind, indicating who was in charge.


    ¡°My name is Lani Fey and I''m one of the five generals of the Resistance..¡±


    When Lani Fey said there was five generals everyone gasped and looked on in surprise. If these were just two of them then what were the others like?


    ¡°Oh I see, Vos forgot to mention that there were five generals. What else did you forget to mention?¡±


    You could see the sweat building on his fur! He was shaking! Is this lady really that powerful?


    ¡°I¡­.. uh¡­ haven''t even started the orientation yet¡­¡­.¡±


    He said that last part in a whisper but because he''s so loud we still heard him.


    ¡°You will get what''s coming to you. Now let''s continue on with orientation.¡±


    She paused, cleared her throat and moved on.


    ¡°Again, my name is Lani Fey. And this childish dog you see is Vos. We''re just two of the generals of the Resistance, otherwise known as the World Defense Force. We are the last stand, we are the only hope. I know all of you went through some hardships to get here. Not one of you had a chance to relax. I know this because I once was just like you all. A new soldier in the W.D.F. I was confused, didn''t know what to do, my family died and I had no purpose. Three days after I got the brochure I came here, even more confused and on edge but I eventually put all that behind me and worked towards the greater good. That is what you all have to do. Work towards the greater good so that your family and friends can live on. Now onto the finer details.¡±


    ¡°All of us are Tamers. No need to hide that fact. But as far as what you''ve tamed and what skills and stats you have keep that secret. The demons have spies everywhere, and they''ll always be looking for a crack in our defenses.¡±


    She said that last part looking directly at me! This will not end well¡­¡­..


    ¡°Because of this you will not be asked anything of your status and you are not allowed to expose anything. Unless of course a general or higher asks you personally. Unless that happens don''t expose anything!¡±


    She almost yelled that part, she scares me!


    ¡°All of us are all different. Our skills and stats reflect out attitude and personality. The beasts we keep around us reflect our passions and how we fight. We must always remember this. When it''s time for you to contract your second beast it must be compatible with your first one. They must compliment each other. You can''t put sparrow wings on a pig and expect it to fly. Now with that out of the way we can talk about teams. We will split you all up into teams of five. It gives weaker individuals a chance for growth and doesn''t allow powerful Tamers to monopolize the rewards. In these teams you''ll learn to work together and strengthen each other. There are no trading members. There are no replacements. You are stuck with them until they die. Treat them well and keep them safe. You will be with them for a long time. You must get acquainted with the ethereal plane.¡±


    Vos immediately gave a big grin. His tail was wagging! Can I survive this?


    ¡°The ethereal plane is where we are right now. It''s the gateway between your world and the underworld.¡±


    She said your world. Hmmm.


    ¡°The space is vast and if one is not careful he could be lost for eternity. So be wise and not wander far. This is the place you will fight the demons. But before we get you into your teams and teach you to fight the demons¡± Vos¡¯s tail wagged even harder. ¡°You must go through the individual assessment. Vos here will guide you to the arena and assess each of your strengths and weaknesses away from prying eyes.¡±


    ¡°¡±OOOOOOWWWWWOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO¡± Vos howled with excitement and took off towards the arena entrance. Man I''m gonna hate this.


    ¡°Alright, go along now. Catch up to that battle-crazed mutt.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there.


    I couldn''t help but snicker at that. The whole group of us walked on towards the arena. I''ve finally had a chance to look around. The place is really like a fortress. A large, stone wall covers the whole perimeter. Shops and other buildings are set up here and there. The largest building is the Inn. It was three stories tall. Not nearly enough to hold a million people! The whole place wasn''t really much to look at.


    We continued walking until we reached the gate leading into the waiting room for the arena..  I looked up at it. It was like the Roman Colliseum but smaller and broken up less broken. It was really small. We entered into the waiting room¡­¡­¡­¡­.. My earlier thoughts were immediately abolished. The waiting room was immense. Weapon racks and tables full of weapons adorned the walls. Spears and swords and shields as far as the eye could see.


    ¡°Special Spatial magic was used to make this area bigger than it appears. All of the buildings in Fort Earth are like that.¡± Lani Fey came up behind our group. Surprisingly it wasn''t packed. I was one of the last ones in. Looking around really slowed me down.


    ¡°Fort Earth huh? Excuse me miss Fey but where are you from?¡± I asked the beautiful general Lani Fey! I actually talked to a pretty girl!


    She eyes me curiously. With a sly grin she asked ¡°Who might you be, to ask a person of high rank, such as myself, such a personal question?¡±


    ¡°I''m Bishop Riley and you better enjoy your position as general because someday I''m gonna be at the top.¡±


    ¡°Optimistic lad aren''t you? If you can pass the assessment then I might believe you. Vos is fast and tough but extremely reckless. He''s still the most capable fighter we have though so be careful.¡±


    We then heard Vos''s rough voice. ¡°Alright maggots, grab whatever weapons and armor you want then one by one I''m gonna destroy- I mean assess all of you. Good luck.¡±


    ¡°I better go prepare then.¡±


    I walk away from Lani and go over to some of the tables, examining their weapons and armor. It takes a little bit but I finally found what I wanted. I grab a leather vest, leg guards arm guards and several knives. I strap two to my sides, two to the inside of my calves and two to my back. Just to make sure. I also have my claws too and Nessie''s [Solar Flare]. And if shit really starts to hit the fan I got [Spirit''s Protection]. Although I plan on keeping the last two as my trump cards, a little unexpected surprise for that mangy mutt Vos.


    ¡°Alright you musky worms, you''re gonna receive a number and that number is the order in which I pulverize- I mean assess you.¡±


    [Number 13653. Good luck!]


    ¡°Will number 1 please come inside the arena. I promise to go easy on you.¡± Vos said that with enough sarcasm to even make me roll my eyes.


    A huge Minotaur walked forwards. The eight foot monster carried a sword the was as tall as I was in one hand and had a huge sheild in the other. If I didn''t know better I''d have guessed he ripped a piece out if the wall and used that for a sheild. Shit I''m glad he''s on our side!


    Since I was done making my preparations I went outside. Reason being, I wanted some information about this place. That and I wanted to level up [Bask]. If I could get that skill up then my speed and energy would increase. I''m not exactly sure what energy is but I know that speed is gonna help me keep up with Vos. I''m probably not gonna be able to match it anytime soon but if there is anything I can do to make myself better I''ll do it. I don''t want my people to lose their someone special.


    I leave the waiting room of the arena and liook for a nice, sunny spot with some people around it. This place isn''t exactly crowded with people so it did take some time. I finally found a girl sitting under a tree eating lunch. She looked like a normal girl. Straigh,t black hair a cute face that shows she''s been through a lot and kind of a boyish figure, she wasn''t the prettiest thing but she looked really reliable. Curious¡­¡­..


    I wave and she waves back. I walk over to the tree and sit down in the sunlight.


    ¡°Tamer?¡± She asked.


    ¡°No I just like dressing up like this¡± I answer.


    She chuckles and says, ¡°You¡¯re a little different, aren''t you? Tell me, why did you come talk to me?¡±


    ¡°What, a big lizardman can''t talk to a girl just because he wants to?¡±


    She roles her eyes. ¡°You Tamers are always trying to get something outta somebody else. Whether it''s money, power, sex, information, I know you''re trying to get something and with those claws and scales, it''s definitely not gonna be sex.¡±


    ¡°Oh darn, I guess I better go bother the girl who had a fish tail. Ah my dreams have been crushed.¡±


    She gives a big grin and laughs a little. ¡°But seriously what do you want?¡±


    ¡°I want information on this place. It''s strange how all of this is here. I''m pretty sure you can tell me why.¡±


    ¡°Sorry bub, but those secrets are above my pay grade. I can tell you a few things though.¡±


    ¡°Anything would be helpful¡±


    ¡°The ethereal plane is a lot similar to your world but at the same time it''s completely different. It used to be a place where people from other worlds gathered and celebrated but not anymore. The people you see here, including me, aren''t people. We''re Nomads, but I think you''d prefer to call us ghosts or spirits.¡±


    Spirits? This is getting more interesting.


    She continued talking ¡°We travel between the worlds and here. Here we show our real form, we can be hurt and even killed in our real form. But on other worlds we''re close to invincible, but it takes a lot of energy to hold our form on other worlds so we usually can''t stay long. We deliver messages to certain important people.¡±


    ¡°So y''all are interdimensional mailmen?¡±


    She chuckles ¡±Yeah that''s about right.¡±


    ¡°So what do the Nomads do here?¡±


    ¡°We usually run the facilities and stuff. Tamers used to do it but how can somebody fight demons if they''re selling cashews?¡±


    ¡°That makes a lot of sense.¡±


    ¡°Yeah. I also heard something from General Ragnel that you might want to hear, that''s if you can pay the right price.¡±


    ¡°I guess Tamers aren''t the only ones who are always looking to gain something. It depends on what you want. I''m kind of broke right now but I can always pay you back later.¡±


    ¡°Sounds like a deal¡± she sticks out her hand, I grab it and we shake.


    ¡°Alright, I overheard General Ragnel talking about the skills and stats. He said-¡±


    BOOM


    There was a crash not far away from us.

 Prepare For The Worst

    BOOM


    A loud crash was heard. I rush over to the crash and it''s¡­¡­¡­¡­.. the Minotaur guy!


    He was beaten and bloody all over. One of his horns was even broke off. I unconsciously touched my horns to make sure they were still there.


    ¡°He''ll be fine. Vos always does that. I''m surprised he survived the fall.¡±


    If I didn''t have scales I would have been pale! I was scared! I ask the girl, ¡°Do they usually die?¡±


    ¡°Well yes and no. Yes Vis usually kills them but no they don''t really die.¡±


    ¡°That''s not confusing at all¡±


    ¡°Shut up! The arena is a special place. It''s been enchanted by our greatest sorcerer Lani Fey. No one knows how but she enchanted it so that when an ally kills another ally in the arena, the dead Ally is reborn!¡±


    My mouth flew open. I was in complete shock. So Lani Fey is that powerful? Damn¡­¡­¡­..


    ¡°Can he recover?¡±


    ¡°No shit Sherlock. They wouldn''t allow Vos to bruise them that badly if they couldn''t recover.¡±


    ¡°So he''s completely fine?¡±


    ¡°I just told you he was! Ugh this is why I don''t like people!¡±


    ¡°So can you tell me what General Ragnel said?¡±


    ¡°Fine, whatever. Him and a colleague were talking about they couldn''t expect much from the rookies. Something about how Gaia''s power hasn''t influenced much beyond the basics and their skills and levels shouldn''t rise much. In fact, a lot of skills wouldn''t be available to you all unless¡­¡­¡±


    ¡°Unless?¡±


    ¡°Unless something tragic happens or that person just has a string of bad luck their skill list shouldn''t rise above three.¡±


    ¡°I''ve got four!¡±


    ¡°You want a pat on the back?¡±


    ¡°No but a massage would be nice.¡±


    ¡°Beat down Vos and I''ll give you a massage.¡±


    ¡°That a deal?¡±


    ¡°If you can beat Vos¡¯s assessment then yes. I don''t think you can but it''s whatever.¡±


    ¡°Get ready to be proved wrong!¡±


    ¡°Like you can beat him.¡±


    [Bask has leveled up to lvl 4! Speed and energy increases a little more]


    A screen popped up. My plan is working!This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°You know I never got your name.¡±


    ¡°It''s something else I won''t give you.¡± She said that with a sly look in her eye. I see what you''re doing!


    ¡°Oh really? Well I''m Bishop.¡± I then stuck out my hand.


    She grabs it and says ¡°Names aren''t important but if you absolutely have to know mine it''s Evangeline.¡±


    ¡°Ugghhhhh"


    Evangeline and I both jumped at the sound. The Minotaur beside us just made a noise. He''s probably in a lot of pain.


    ¡°Help me pick him up.¡± She gets on one side of him and I get on the other. We put one arm each across our shoulders.


    ¡°We should probably take him to the inn. I''ll show you the way.¡±


    I followed Evangeline to the inn. They immediately opened the  doors when we got there. We weren''t in a rush or anything, but I did want to get his weight off me. He¡¯s huge! We had to turn sideways just to get him through the door. People ushered us to a room to lay him down at. Those Nomads were quiet around us¡­¡­¡­¡­. I wonder why? Evangeline was such a talkative person, is she different or are they different? Eh, not my monkey, not my circus.


    We lay him down on the bed and the silent Nomads began treating his wounds. Seeing as there was nothing else I could do, I walked out of the inn and back into the sunlight.


    While in town I decided to look at the shops. Other Tamers were around. They talked and chatted with each other and the Nomads. The Nomads, however, weren''t much for conversation. With a few polite words here and a nod there is how they got through most of the talkative Tamers.


    I kept looking around until I found a rather interesting stall. Most of the vendors sold weapons, armor, ingredients for God knows what and other trinkets. The stall I stopped at was lined up with dusty books. I picked up a book that said ''Knife Fighting For Dummies.¡¯ I was astounded. I absolutely needed that book.


    ¡°Not for sale. Only examined and assessed Tamers may buy from my stall.¡±


    A short, old man walked out from behind the stall. He wore a pair of sunglasses, a long, white beard that went down to the floor and a suit and tie.


    ¡°I just thought this stall was strange. The rest of the stalls are selling weapons and camping equipment. Why are you selling books?¡±


    He grinned, ¡°Knowledge is power my boy! Hmmmmm.¡±


    He went behind the stall and rummaged around for a few minutes. I was about to leave when he finally returned, carrying a book. He walks up to me, grabs the book in my hand and gives me the other book.


    ¡°I''m not supposed to do this, in fact I could get into some minor trouble if someone found out, but I can''t help but feel you''re special in some way. Consider this as my gift of becoming a Tamer.¡±


    I look at the old book. I can''t even read the title it''s so old. Since I don''t have a backpack, or any money to buy one I wrapped my tail around it.


    ¡°Thank you sir. I have a great feeling about this.¡± I have a terrible feeling about this.


    ¡°Hehe come back after Vos finishes whooping your ass if you want to buy that other one. I''ll keep it on hold for you.¡±


    And on that note I walked back to the inn to check on the Minotaur guy. It''s been around a few hours since I left.


    I walk through the inn and inside the Minotaur guy''s room. He was sitting up in bed, his sword beside him. He looked lost, like without a purpose. I know that feeling.


    I stuck my hand out


    ¡°Bishop.¡± I told him my name.


    ¡°Juan¡± He grasped my hand and shook it.


    ¡°Feeling any better?¡±


    ¡°Fuck no! I feel like a truck just ran over me. Vos is unbeatable, he''s savage, he''s¡­¡­¡­¡­¡­ a fucking monster.¡±


    I could see the terror in his eyes. If one man was able to do this then why do they need us?


    ¡°His speed was incredible. One second he was in front of me, the next he was stabbing me in the back with his claws. Beware his claws! When he gets excited those claws start to light up green. They get faster, sharper and tougher. And don''t even think about injuring him! He stood there and let my stab him! He could''ve dodged! My sword couldn''t even go past his fur! It''s stabbing a fucking rock!¡±


    My jaw dropped a little. So Vos is way tougher than I expected. I wonder if I could still beat him?


    Nomads nurses came in after they heard the other guy''s shouting. ¡°Leave¡± they told me, and so I did. I walked back to the arena. I didn''t go inside but layed on the ground. I opened the book to page one and it said-


    ¡°The Trickster''s Guide To Winning Any Fight¡±

 The Vos Battle

    ¡°The Trickster''s Guide To Winning Any Fight¡¯, sounds sneaky and underhanded¡­¡­.. let''s do it!¡±


    I flipped to the first chapter. It was titled ''The Powers Of Practicality.¡¯ I began to read.


    ¡®I, Garth of the Great Sea, the most intelligent warrior in the Sea King''s Royal Army, master of the secret fighting styles of the Great Old Ones, shall divulge some of my secrets in this book. These secrets are my greatest asset and something I''ve come to regret now that I''m older is that I never had an apprentice. I am writing this book in hopes of my secrets are passed on to a valiant lad. One that can bring the most out of this book.  I have had my life brush close with death more times than I can count. My wits are the only thing that has kept me alive. I have many aces up my sleeve........ And my hat and my pants leg. One of the most useful tricks, and one of the easiest, I''ve ever had to use was the [Sand Splash] technique. There are several ways one could do this. As long as sand can get into the opponents eyes you''ve done it. Of course, almost anything could be substituted, in case no sand was around. I''ve used gravel, hot ash, blood and at one point, the opponent''s hair!...........¡±


    I read more in depth. After I finished the first chapter a screen popped up.


    [Fighting style [Trickster''s Underhand] has been learned 10% of the way.]


    ¡°WHAT?!¡±


    I immediately shot right up! I was excited about this! I called myself down and went back to reading, starting from chapter two.


    [Fighting style [Trickster''s Underhand] has been learned 100%]


    [Trickster''s Underhand: lvl 1 0/200: A fighting style for the sneaky and merciless, using sand, taunts and whatever is around you for means of winning a fight. It isn''t the most honest but it''s definitely resourceful. Dexterity and cunning increases by a moderate amount]


    [Technique [Sand Splash] has been learned!]


    [Sand Splash lvl1 0/100: The higher the level, the more effective this technique becomes. Throwing sand in a person''s eye is a cheap but effective trick. Increases dexterity by a small amount]


    [Bask has leveled up to level 6! When in sunlight, speed and energy increases by 35%. Energy and speed have increased by a small amount! Solar affinity has increased by a moderate amount. Spell [Sunlight Strike] has been learned.]


    [Sunlight Strike lvl 1 0/100: Solar energy covers a part of the body and attacks the enemy giving it a moderate burn. Mp consumption: 20 Damage: Moderate Range: as far as you can reach. Increases solar affinity by a small amount Requires Solar affinity stat to be 10!]


    [Speed stat has been gained movement speed and attack speed have increased. Speed: 10]


    [Energy stat has been gained! Hp, Mp and stamina have increased! Energy:10]


    [Solar Affinity stat has been gained! Any attack with a solar affinity will be strengthened Sunlight affinity: 10]


    A lot of information just assaulted me. Screens are flying everywhere! It takes a while to get them all back right. I''ve been reading for a long time, I see. Fuck! I hope they haven''t called for me yet! I wonder how long has it been? Well I guess I better go check things out.


    I walk inside the arena. Compared to before this place is empty. There were a few thousand people here but because of the immensity of the place you hardly noticed them. I''m guessing they went into town. I really don''t know and I really don''t care.


    ¡°Calling number 13652! Calling number 13652!¡± A shrew looking man came in through the small door oppisopp the arena doors. His yellow shirt really brought out the sweat and dirt on his head. I think he''s a Nomad. After being called, a guy with big, ominous Raven wings quit looking around. The talons on his fingers her nimbly holding a sword. He set it down and slowly walked to the entrance of the fighting area, unfurled his charcoal black wings and flew out.


    I rushed towards the door, hoping to get a glimpse of the fight but the door shut and locked itself. I put my ear up to the door. I hear screeching and howls and then everything went silent. I stood and listened at the door for any kind of noises. I hear a few scuffling noises. Doesn''t sound like anything too import-


    WHAM!!!


    The bird guy was thrown right through the door! It knocks me down and smacks the wall. It didn''t do much damage but it definitely hurt like hell!


    ¡°And stay out you bird brained bitch! So who''s next?¡±


    Well, I guess today is my day to die. Goodbye cruel world I''ll miss you¡­¡­¡­Shit, that would''ve been way more dramatic if I was actually gonna die¡­¡­


    I stand up and walk into the arena. It''s huge! It''s at least the size of two football fields! I see Vos standing in the middle. He gives a big grin.


    ¡°I''ve been waiting a long time for this! Having to go through so many ordinarys I got bored. Kicking their asses quit being fun after around number 10000. This one is gonna be different, I can feel it in my claws! I can''t wait to rip through your flesh and tear you limb from limb!¡±


    Tell me, why am I so important?¡±


    ¡°That answer is above your pay grade!¡±


    I unsheath two of my knives and prepare myself. He makes a mad dash forward on all four legs. I haven''t been in many fights but I have a good feeling about this one.


    He leaps at me with his claws emitting a faint green glow.


    I prepare my knives to receive the blow when my own tail trips me up! I am literally my own worst enemy right now!I fall to the ground and Vos hits nothing but air. He''s quick to react, charging like a mad bull. I try to stand but by the time I get up he''s too close to handle. I got him right where I want him!


    His blood-stained fangs almost close around my neck when suddenly¡­¡­¡­¡­ he just stops in mid-air!The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    While that whole ordeal was happening I was silently preparing [Spirit''s Protection]. It gave me the perfect opportunity.


    ¡°[Sunlight Strike]!¡± I quickly activate [Sunlight Strike]. My right arm begins to glow and produce an unnatural heat! It doesn''t burn me, it feels really good actually! I lift my arm up and bring my elbow crashing down upon his unprotected face. The impact doesn''t do much damage but my arm was so hot it started burning his face!


    He jumps back and howls with pain. He hits and pats the small flame trying to extinguish it. I take this chance to activate another [Sunlight Strike] that envelopes my right foot and kick him in the head with it.


    He recoiled from the hit and rolled back. When he got up I saw his eyes emit a dark red glow.


    ¡°Look at this shit! A rookie thinks he can defeat the Vos! I''ll show this little pup who the alpha dog is!¡±


    The green glow on his claws changed to a bright crimson! He howls, and with a speed I ain''t ever seen before, attacks! His claws stop at an inch from my throat and he quickly follows that up with a kick aiming towards my midsection. As soon as that kick connected with the spirit, a blinding light was flashed before us. This time I was prepared. I learned my lesson from the gnomes. I covered my eyes before the flash!


    Vos was left in a daze. He looked lost and confused. In his daze I quickly scooped up sand and used the technique [Sand Splash]! His eyes were covered in sand and he howled with pain. I rubbed his eyes feverishly trying to get the sand out. While he was distracted I charged another [Sunlight Strike]! My right leg gets enveloped by a blazing solar energy. With my flaming leg I knew him in the groin, bringing him to his knees!


    [Merciless has gone up to level 3! Mental fortitude has gone up by a small amount.]


    I understood Vos at that moment. As long as he could connect with his first strike he had a guaranteed chance of victory. He would then follow up with combos and stacks of techniques and skills. If you could disrupt his pattern then you could get rid of his chance at winning. Don''t get me wrong, he''s still extremely formidable and he''s still one of the strongest people here but if you disrupt his pattern it''s like take a fish out of water.


    With sand in his eyes and a burn on his groin I knew he was in pain. He was in more pain than any guy should have to go through! I feel so bad for what I''m about to do¡­¡­¡­¡­


    I kick Vos over, sending him sprawling on his back. I then proceed to continuously stomp and kick his lower area, occasionally throwing in a [Sunlight Strike]! The burns he suffered began to accumulate and his fur down there began to blaze. The heat didn''t bother me much so I kept on stomping. Tears welled up in his eyes! I felt bad for him but I never stopped. He tried resisting but each time I just stomped harder, making him drop his hands down again. His howl transformed into a high pitched growl which, in turn, became a puppy-like whimper. His eyes eventually glazed over. He looked dead, or at least brain dead. Like a broken down man, he looked as though he couldn''t do a thing. Looks can be deceiving¡­¡­¡­¡­..


    I lift up my leg and activate [Sunlight Strike] for a final time, intending to bring it down on his neck. The most damned thing happened at that point, Vos''s body began to grow! His snout grew longer, his arms and legs grew muscley-er, he grew taller, his claws grew sharper and longer! I''d hate to see what he''s gonna cut up with those¡­¡­¡­¡­...Shit he''s gonna cut me up with those!


    Not wanting to waste my last amount of Mp, I stomp down as hard as I can hitting his groin again. His dazed face becomes a small and he jumps up and pounces on me, making my knives fall out of my hands. With his claws emitting a deep crimson cooler he begins to scratch and dig his way into my chest. He scratches until he breaks through my leather armor I was wearing. He draws his huge wolf hand back, preparing to claw me in half! I do the only thing I can think of¡­¡­¡­ [Sand Splash]! I take the dust and sand around us and throw it in his eyes, catching him off guard again! Disoriented, he still tries to claw open my chest but I buck up my hip, making the wolfman lose balance. Somehow he still manages to cut me but it isn''t that bad compared to what was going to happen earlier. Three gashes were left on my chest area, they were bleeding and I wanted to fix it but I got things to do.


    I jump up and immediately unsheath the two knives on my back. I look around for Vos. He put some distance between us, I''m guessing he learned his lesson earlier. We locked eyes. Even though they were red as fire from the sand I could still see the same determination I saw when I first met him. We both nod and take off running towards one another. With my last little bit of Mp I activate another [Sunlight Strike], this time the glow and heat covered my blades, and leap at him, daggers in hand. At that same moment his claws began to glow a gold color and he jumps too. Arms ready to put my daggers where I want them.


    WHAM!!!!!!


    BAM!!!!!!


    We slam into each other. My scaly body against his fur¡­¡­this kinda sounds like an introduction to a weird porno.... Although what happened would certainly turn somebody off. Unless they were a fucking creep¡­¡­


    My daggers we''re stabbed through his eyes. Only the hilts were sticking out. His eyes were bleeding badly, I didn''t know if he was still alive¡­,.....


    I wasn''t exactly left unscathed either¡­.  Before the collision he managed to leave deep gashes in my chest with his glowing red claws. My chest was bleeding terribly. It hurt.


    We both collapsed in mid-air and fell to the ground. We fall, side-by-side, both of us bleeding uncontrollably. I can hear his breathing, he''s still alive. I don''t know how¡­,...... At least I tried¡­¡­


    ¡°Ha¡­.haha. Man I haven''t been killed in the arena for years¡­¡­ It''s been a long time since I''ve gone all out. You wanna know a secret? Us five generals aren''t from your world. We''re from another world that was destroyed. Because our world died, Gaia lost faith in us and stopped supporting us with her power. That''s what happens when you fail, you get abandoned by God. It''s a date worse than death. You can feel the loneliness, you can feel the emptiness, you can feel the space Gaia left. The system you have, we don''t have it. Us abandoned Tamers keep our skills and beasts but the thing that makes us stronger is lost. I''ve been without mine for 20 years¡­¡­¡­¡­¡±


    It grew quiet. I began to wonder if he finally died. I was hoping he did.


    ¡°The reason why you''re special¡­¡­.¡±


    Shit he didn''t die. At least I get a question answered.


    ¡°Your spirit is different from everybody''s. It''s more pure. It''s more¡­¡­... purposeful. When someone is born their spirit is just as pure as anybody else''s. They''re all the same.¡±


    I layed there, mouth agape.


    ¡°But sometimes, a person with z purpose is born. Their purpose could be good or could be bad. We won''t know until destiny decides to tell us¡­. That''s why you''re a little different. We won''t know if you''re good or bad but we do know you''re going to be powerful. Some are afraid, some are joyous. I don''t care what you do, just stay outta my way and make sure you stay in the right side.¡±


    And with those last few words he breathed out his last breath and faded.


    I felt happy. I didn''t give a shit about what he said. I can''t do anything about it so why worry about it?


    I felt a warm sensation in my chest. I looked at it and saw my wounds healing up. My fatigue started disappearing too. I saw a bunch of notifications pop up.


    [Merciless leveled up to lvl 5! Mental fortitude has gone up by a moderate amount. New skill learned because of level up! [Predatory Aura] has been learned]


    [Sunlight Strike has leveled up to lvl 2! Solar affinity has increased by a small amount.]


    [Sand Splash has leveled up to level 2! Understanding of this technique has increased. Dexterity has increased by a little!]


    [The skill [Predatory Aura] has been learned!]


    [Predatory Aura: You''re the predator, everyone else is the prey. You emit the aura of a predator. Everyone who''s highest stat is lower than your highest stat will be put under the [Fear] condition. Everyone who''s highest stat is lower than your highest stat by ten or more will be put under the [Terror] condition. The higher your charm, charisma and intimidation stats are, the more powerful the aura is. Increases charm, charisma and intimidation stats by a large margin. Can be toggled on and off.]


    [Predatory Aura toggled on]


    [Mental Fortitude has been brought up to 13!]


    [Intimidation stat has been gained! Living things tend to be nervous around you.  Intimidation:10]


    Fuck that''s a lot!