《Inner Beast(Remaster)》 Chapter 1: Beast Awakening Going To Remaster My Long Running Novel Now Because I Started It When I WasA Bad Writer, I Hope This Is A Huge Improvement. And This Is Going To Be A Pain mostly The Original Is Now At 90 plus chapters. I HOPE YOU ENJOY. ----------------------------------------------------------- "Damn, my T-Rex died!" I said as I ran away to safety from the enemies I looked at the time, 5:38. Sigh, time to get ready for school. I stood up from my chair and stretched. Now, my daily routine. Shower, eat, make food for lunch, ready my things. As I brush my teeth, I looked at the mirror. I took off my clothes and started flexing. I looked like I have a stony shoulder, might be because of me carrying a heavy backpack on the way to school everyday. People even squish my shoulder, wondering. I have a long bicep, but I still don''t like my bicep physique, the peak bicep. In exchange tho, it gives me a good tricep. I hardened my bicep, it looked like my arms are stony. I unhardened it, I looked like skinny. I ate a lot when I was young, but my body never get bigger. I put on my shirt again and now on my way to school. Oh wait, my cologne. *Psst psst* "Sniff Sniff" Aaah yeah, I smell good. Now, let''s go. I exited the house and went on the road. Let me introduce myself. Hi, my name is Mateo Valentino, age 15 and living a life in the province. My hobby is playing games, yeah you guess it. A kid who play games all day long. Yeah I know, Introvert, but it is not what you think it is. My friends nowadays are bad, real bad. They will ask you to go drink alcohol with them, smoke with them, hang out with them until night and get caught by the cops or the barangay tanods because of curfew and lots of more bringing troubles around the barangay. That''s why I don''t want to hand out with them, so I only just stayed at home. Other than these kind of troubles, you want know about our school? It is chaos, people always fight, every, single, day. They even made squads and each of these squads really hate each other. There are 3 squads, the Denial Squad, Shadow Strike Unit Squad, and The Elite Squad. All of my friends are in the Shadow Strike Unit squad which is great while our enemies are in the other 2 squads.This is some kind of cringe gang happening here. And I don''t want join. Okay, here we are, our small high school. This is going to be a another tough and boring day. I showed my school ID to the guard and entered. As I walked, there are a lot of people scattered around in groups. I felt like I am being watched by them that I want to put my hood on. Even my trusted Shadow Strike Unit Squad, I fear them. I fought it and entered inside my classroom. The room was loud, laughing, talking, shouting. Some are studying, playing with their phones, talking normally with their friends. Some of them are in groups and separated from the other groups. In each of the group of people, I could read which Squad they are in by looking at their faces. This era man, I missed the elementary era. I saw Elyzer, my friend, alone in his chair playing with his phone. He didn''t join any squad, he is just a neutral guy. I approached him. "Yow wassup, what are you playing there?" I greeted and went behind him to look It was the samedinosaur game I was playing this morning. I shared the game to him because he was so interested to it after watching me play it. "Eyyy bro, just playing Dinosaurvive" he replied "Wait, can you let me see your progress?" I asked and put my hand on his phone He let go, I took it and looked around his base. He has a good beautiful base than mine. There''s walls around to protect it from wandering aggressive carnivorous dinosaurs and other creatures. His tamed creatures are scattered, 8 Dodo birds, 2 Carbonemys, 12 Dilophosaurus, 3 Phiomia, 4 Parasaurolophus, and 5 lystrosaurus. I am impressed, he did a lot of things in his first thanks to me who learn this game''s confusing mechanics for hours and hours and teached them to him. "Did you just tame every creature you see?" I chuckled "What? Isn''t that what you do in your first time?" he replied, putting both of his hands at the back of his head "Nah, I am too lazy to feed them all so I only tame Dilophosaurauses and turn them into my killing machine. And of course parasaurauses for my storage and vehicle" "What dinosaurs you have now?" "Hmph, a lot, T-Rex, Raptors, Camarasaurus, Amargasauraus, Danemonosaurus, Diplodocus, Apatosaurus, and basic tames. I still haven''t tame a Gigantosa-" *Thud* !? "Yeah!" "Punch him!" We got startled, we heard shouts and crash. We looked behind, someone is thrashing and fighting at the back of the classroom. It was Benjo, one of my childhood friends fighting with Clyde, one of my worst enemies and from the Denial Squad. The others are cheering and watching them fight. They tugged each other on the shirt, both of them tripped over to the ground. Clyde is on the ground, Benjo on top. Benjo raised his fist for a punch. Suddenly, someone kicked Benjo on the chest. It was Clint, one of Clyde''s friends who helped him. "How you like that!" Clint shouted The suddenly, someone did a flying kick on the chest of Clint. It was our small friend Bawayan, one from the Shadow Strike Unit Squad. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. "Waaataaa!!!" Clint crashed to the table behind him. He has an angry expression while looking at Bawayan taunting at him. The group from The Elite Squad rush over them to stop he fight. "Let''s continue this at the Battalion Ground, it is more better there" One of the Elite Squad said, smiling to what just happened "Looks like The Boxer versus The Dodger is going to fight. This is going to be exciting" I heard a whisper behind Fight and fight and fight, yeah yeah yeah, what''s so addicting about it anyway? Enjoying watching a fellow human getting beaten up? And what happened to you guys, you aren''t the friends I knew from elementary. "Hey, Mateo, wanna go and watch the fight?" Elyzer requested "What? No, I hate fights" "You sounded like an officer. C''mon, just go there and cheer for your friend that''s all, easy right. We will just stay at the Shadow Strike Units Squad''s turf and we will be fine" Elyzer replied as if everything is fine "If they see me with the Shadow Strike Unit Squad, they might think that I am in their enemy squad. I don''t know how to fight. That fight with me and Clint from elementary, that was just a dud and stupid. Neither of us won" "What do you mean, I am watching with the SSU squad for a while even tho I am not with them, no one fought with me" I looked at my body, slim, thin and tall. I looked at his body, he is a bit smaller than me but has big muscles and big body. "It''s because you have big guns! No one wants to fight with those kind of guns" I replied "Look, just support a friend and be a good friend okay. I promise no one is going to fight with you" I looked at Benjo, talking with his fellow squads about the fight that is going to happen. "You know what, okay. I will go and watch but only for today" He smiled, I gave him his phone back. "You are going to enjoy it brother" ----------------------------------------------------------- *RIIIIIIIIIIINGGGG* The bell of dismissal rang. I followed Elyzer out of the classroom. "First, member of squads will be coming to lead the fighters to the fighting ground" Elyzer said "Wait, how fast does the news spread?" I asked "Very fast, not even an hour, all of the people in this school will know it" he replied As I looked around, I saw a group of people marching raising and waving a flag. The flag was drawn with a strong muscly forearm with designs on it with deadly skulls and the words The Elites written. I looked back at our classroom, Benjo with a group emerged out, Bawayan holding a flag. The flag was drawn with a dark shadow delivering a heavy strike on and a opponent and shadows face designed around it and the words written Shadow Strike Unit. They lead Benjo at the back of the school, heading to the back exit gate. "Now let''s follow them. The Elites will wait for Clyde and they will follow behind us" I followed Elyzer to the SSU Squad, merging with them. We went outside at the back exit. Bawayan went infront and faced us raising and waving the flag. "Second, they will sing their squad hymn on their way to the fighting ground" Elyzer murmured "Ready to sing squad!!! In 1... 2... 3!" The squad started singing and chanting loudly as they stomp. I heard loud singing from behind, I turned around. It Was The Elite Squad following from behind, also chanting and stomping. What in the autistic... I remained quiet, Elyer chanted with the SSU Squad. Him knowing the lyrics of their song, made me realize he has been doing this for a while now without me knowing. We went to a small familiar path going inside the forest. We went deeper, their singing echoed, the leaves rustled, the dried pine needles on the ground crunched as we step on them, birds chirping, they flew away as we went deeper, the deep cooing of birds echoed. This is so stupid, I should have went home. I hope The Elites won''t see me clearly with the SSU. I have to put my hoodie on to cover my identity. After a few minutes of walking and their loud chanting, we went a bit uphill and was met by a big wide clearing of grass. My eyes widened. "Wait a minute, this is our hang out spot when we were kids!" I blurted out "Yep, surprising right" "Whoever showed this location to the others, I am going to kill him" I muttered We followed them to a corner and stopped. Bawayan stabbed the pole of their flag to the dirt ground. The clearing is quiet, nostalgic vivid memories started flooding in. The others started cheering Benjo up. The Elite Squad entered, still chanting, going to the other corner. Then the Denial Squad entered, one of them raising and waving a flag. Their flag was designed with people fighting like in a revolution. There is a letter Defeat that has been X out. Maybe it means they deny defeat that''s why their Squad name is Denial? I don''t know!!!!! The went to the other corner. There are corners because of the high peak uphills around this clearing. The place was very cleaned up, only short grasses on the ground. When we were young, this place was full of dried pine needles, giving it a brownish environment. I miss that, that was better and nostalgic. "Have a seat and watch" Elyzer said while cleaning the spot where we could sit on I sat down beside him. The squads were noisy, they encouraged their fighters while the Denial Squad are chitchatting. Why am I even here, this is just so stupid. I want to go home. I heard cellophane sounds beside me, it was Elyzer taking out his momma ingridients. He looked at me, he raised the cellophane to me. "Want some?" he offered I raised my arm to get some, but I double think. "No thanks" I replied "Yow, can I have some?" People started swarming around Elyzer, getting ingridients from his. This looked like a culture thing but sometimes, they don''t want to share it with others because they will take ingridients instead of mixing your own momma. "Welcome back to the Battalion Ground!!!" a loud announcing voice from the middle I looked up, a guy from the Denial Squad is announcing. Huh? Battalion Ground? You call this place Battalion Ground!? Fucking bitches, we called this place our Hangout Spot! Hell naw "It is a place where fighters fight, rumble and brawl! And now today, we have familiar fighters who is going to fight! And surprisingly, they are our idolizing fighters!" The announcer raise his arm towards us, Benjo stood up, shaking his body, cracking his knuckles and the bones on his neck, hopping, warming up. "From the Shadow Strike Unit, 65 kg, mesomorph, musculine, and dangerous who we have known who is good at boxing. With 21 wins and 7 losses" "This is going to be exciting!" I heard Elyzer whispering to himself "He is known for giving heavy blows to his opponents, quick and agile fighter. May we call fooooooOOOOOOR-- BENJOOOO KID-EEEEEN!!!" Benjo started walking towards the middle while punching the air, shadow boxing and showing off his skills. Oh wow, he is surprising fast. Benjo kept punching the air and dodging. People in the Shadow Strike Unit Squad and from the Denial Squad shouted and jeered. "Go Benjo! "Take him down!" "Destroy his win streak!" "You have our trust to beat the undefeated!" "And now for our next fighter!" The announcer raised his arm towards The Elite Squad. "From The Elite Squad. 59 kg, taller, musculine and also dangerous. The fighter who we have known to have good dodging skills using his keen eyes, senses and speed, nearly dodging any attacks and the undefeated with 12 wins and no loses" Undefeated!? Holy shit no loses with this lots of people. I will guess there are about 400 of us in here. "May we call fooooOOOOOOORRRR- CLYYYYYYYYDE- LITOOOOOOOO!" Clyde walk out from his squad and started walking towards the middle to face Benjo. He taunted as he walk. He then stretched and hopped to warm-up. People from The Elite Squad and some people from The Denial Squad also shout and jeered. Everyone settled down. "If there is a betting in here, I would put my money on Benjo" Elyzer said "Go Clyde!" "No need to fear the boxer! He is just a piece of shit!" "Go for the win!" "The fucking undefeated!" Despite the Denial Squad don''t have any fighters, they picked an enemy squad''s fighter to cheer on like nothing. "A lot of people have been waiting and wishing for this fight between The Boxer and The Dodger to happen. We will see who will remain victorious!" The announcer point his finger at Benjo. "Fighter, are you ready!?" "Ready!" The announcer point his finger at Clyde. "Fighter, are you ready!?" "Yes I do" The announcer then went between the fighters and raised his raised his arms to prevent any fight. "In my count. In 3...!" Both of the fighters went into their stance. 2...! I leaned closer. I bet this is going to be boring like that last time I watched here. Pin, lock each other, and no more. Boring. "1.....!" Both of the fighter''s muscles tensed, ready to attack and block. "Fight!" ----------------------------------------------------------- Momma - or Betel Nut, a traditional stimulant in many Asian cultures. Chewing betel nut can cause the teeth and saliva to turn reddish-brown, which can be mistaken for blood. The active ingredient in betel nut, arecoline, is responsible for the reddish coloration and has been linked to various health effects, including oral health issues and addiction. Ingridients: (I''ll try my best to say it, It will not be accurate) Gawed: A leaf thing that covers the whole ingridients and make spit reddish. It will make the spit slimy, maybe? Boa(Bua): something very hard, to also make spit reddish Apog: something white like the bits of a chalk. I am not sure what it does but if you put a lot of this, it will burn your toungue so don''t put too many Tabako(Tobacco): can be added or not, you already know what is this. Barangay- district, ward, village, neighborhood, subur", or borough Roles and Responsibilities: The Barangay is the smallest administrative unit in the Philippines, and it plays a vital role in governance and community development. They maintain: Peace and Order: Maintaining law and order, mediating disputes, and providing assistance during emergencies. Health and Sanitation: Implementing health programs, maintaining cleanliness, and providing basic medical assistance. Infrastructure Development: Overseeing the construction and maintenance of local infrastructure, such as roads, bridges, and public buildings. Social Services: Providing assistance to marginalized groups, such as the poor, elderly, and persons with disabilities. Disaster Response: Coordinating disaster response efforts, providing relief assistance, and implementing disaster risk reduction measures. Community Development: Implementing programs and projects that promote community development, such as livelihood training, education, and sports development. Barangay Tanod - Village Watchman or Barangay Watchman "Barangay Tanod" is a Filipino term that translates to "Village Watchman" or "Barangay Watchman" in English. Role and Responsibilities: Barangay Tanods are volunteer community watchmen who serve as the eyes and ears of the barangay (village). Their primary role is to: Maintain peace and order: Tanods help keep the community safe by reporting crimes, preventing disturbances, and mediating disputes. Provide assistance* They aid residents in need, such as helping lost children, providing first aid, or assisting during emergencies. Support local authorities: Tanods collaborate with the police, barangay officials, and other local authorities to enforce laws, regulations, and community rules. Conduct patrols: They conduct regular patrols around the barangay to deter crime, monitor suspicious activities, and provide visibility. SSU - Shadow Strike Unit Chapter 2: Beast Awakening 2 Chapter 2: Beast Awakening 2 Can I have a comment or rate to see if I did a good job remastering chapter 1 and 2? I don''t want to work it all over again just to see it wasn''t even good. Kinda destroys my behavior of writing. Enjoy again :) The match started, both of them readied themselves. Both of their arms raised, ready to block and strike. ¡°Who do you think will win?¡± Elyzer asked I squinted my eyes at the two fighters. ¡°I don''t know and I have never seen how they fought. Both of them has good physique, I cannot decide¡± I replied ¡°And that thing brotha, I agree to you. They have never ever face before¡± Benjo went forward, he suddenly swung a right jab. With speed, Clyde tilted his head to the left. Clyde acted quickly, he raised his right arm and unleashed a hook. Benjo noticed, he ducked his head down, dodging it. He saw his opportunity, he raised upper body again and did an uppercut with fast speed. In another swift moment, Clyde tilted his head backwards. Their hair sways back and forth as they move. ¡°What the hell!?¡± I blurted out The crowd cheered in amazement at what just happened in those few seconds. I was dumbfounded, my mouth wide open. I could hear Elyzer cheering loudly by my side. It was just the start of the match and something good and mind-blowing just happened. It felt like they have superabilities, is this why they want to come here and watch? Benjo and Clyde started exchanging swings, starting the real battle. Benjo did a step forward with his left leg and swung his left arm to deliver a heavy blow at Clyde''s face. Clyde noticed, he ducked beneath the blow, dodging it on time. Clyde then spun around, positioning himself behind Benjo. He swung a jab aiming at Benjo''s head. Benjo ducked his head down. The swiftness of Clyde''s fist made his hair sway forward. Benjo made a step with his left feet backwards, he turn around and raised his right arm to deliver a punch on Clyde''s sidestomach. Clyde only did a step backwards, making Benjo miss. I have never seen a fight like this before, even in boxing, taekwondo, or wrestling matches would never can do this. ¡°I see that you are enjoying the fight¡± Elyzer said to me ¡°Tell me, do they have signature moves like in games?¡± I asked ¡°I don''t know what you mean by that¡± Elyzer replied then spit behind him, the spit of his momma stained the bush''s leaves and grass ¡°You know, like something iconic they do like their finishing punch, or like just something very good they do¡± I replied, can''t even explain clearly to what I want to say ¡°Oh, yes yes I understand you now. For Clyde, his iconic move is to anger, taunt, or make fun of his enemy. Which increase their stress making them threw attacks blindly, it helps Clyde to dodge incoming attacks easily. People called it the ¡°Clyde''s Catalyst¡±, and Clyde agreed to name it¡± I nodded, listening carefully. ¡°For Benjo, they called it the Benjo Blitz, first is he need to do a strong hook to stun his opponent. It sounded like he should really need a lot of stamina or energy to do that. Then next, he need to act fast. He follows his opponent and do a continuous three hook, right then left and right. After that, he will do a strong explosive uppercut with his left, his body will spun to the side. Then this finishing and final blow, which is the reason why he will spun his body to the side. He will ready his right arm, he will spun his body to the front again then deliver his final blow with his right arm to his opponent with the help of his spinning body for stronger deliver of the blow¡± ¡°I see¡± I, who thought that fighting is just pinning, locking then boring, turn into cool, badass and entertaining. The crowd cheered. Just watching felt like I want to be a fighter and win. They looked like they have fast speeds and got used to it. There is no way I could keep up and I don''t even have skills. They just exchanged punches, Benjo, a boxer who would just block Clyde''s attack with his arms. Dodge it by ducking and swaying like a boxer so that neither of them will actually land a hit. ¡°Oh wow, never seen Benjo continously dodge like this before¡± I heard Elyzer The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. ¡°What do you mean by that?¡± I asked ¡°In his previous fights, he actually block attacks instead of dodging and ducking like a normal boxer. He might have learned Clyde''s secret or something, or maybe a boxer strategy¡± ¡°You are nearly as good as me, neither of us can even land a hit¡± Clyde said to to Benjo ¡°Yeah, but I will be the one to achieve it¡± Benjo replied, full of determination Benjo did a left hook, Clyde went to his left, dodging. Benjo did a right hook, Clyde went to the right. Benjo missed, he was left open. ¡°Wrong move buddy¡± Clint raised his left arm. ¡°I will end this fight right here, and right now!¡± ¡°What with the obsession of with Clyde hitting people at the back of the head? Isn''t that dangerous?¡± I asked Elyzer ¡°I don''t know, this is the first time we saw him doing this. The crowd are even whispering about it, even Clyde''s squad are worried about his actions. Something tells me that he doesn''t like Benjo or something¡± Clyde swung his left arm. Shit! He is actually going to do it! !? On time, Benjo lowered his upper body down then sway to the left, going away from Clyde. Clyde was even shocked, he missed. ¡°Wrong move buddy¡± Benjo raised his left arm, Clyde watched in horror. Benjo went near to Clyde again. He did an uppercut. He landed a strong hit blow Clyde''s chin. ¡°Khhhr!¡± Clyde stumbled backwards. Benjo blew his knuckles as if like they are guns. He went back to his boxer stance. Clyde hold and rub his chin. The crowd went wild. ¡°Nice one Benjo!¡± ¡°Way to go!¡± ¡°You fuck!¡± Clyde cursed Benjo chuckled ¡°I thought you are the god of dodging. It felt like you could easily dodge that move¡± Clyde went back to his fighting stance. ¡°I will make you pay¡± ¡°Then make me! Show us what you got!¡± Benjo replied and raised his hand to Clyde, motion his fingers with the come to me sign They looked at each other eye to eye. Clyde''s eyes were angry and fierce. ¡°Benjo is really such a good fighter¡± I heard Elyzer complimenting Clyde ran up to Benjo. Benjo readied himself to whatever Clyde will do. Clyde did a right jab, Benjo dodged to his right. Clyde noticed, he did a left hook, landing a stack on his face. ¡°Ow¡± Benjo touched his nose, a tear came out of his eye. ¡®Now we are fucking equal!¡± Benjo yelled out with a smile Benjo punched Clyde''s face, Clyde exchanged a left strong jab on the face. Benjo then also again exchanged a right hook on Clyde''s face. ¡°Where did your dodging skills go Clyde? Are you angry enough?¡± Benjo mocked The crowds are cheering and shouting loudly. Some are shocked to see why Clyde isn''t dodging good like before. Clyde got irritated, he kicked Benjo on the side of his chest. Benjo stumbled to the right. Benjo did a right hook, Clyde swift his head to his left. Clyde exchanged a jab but Benjo blocked it with both of his arms. They just mirrored each other some hits and punches. During those moments, I suddenly started to felt an itch on the back of my neck. I scratched it. I felt an itch on my face, I scratched it. I noticed Elyzer scratching his arm. ¡°Damn! It fucking itch!¡± He mumbled I looked around while itching mt shoulder, everyone are also scratching. Their arm, their shoulder, their hands, their face, their head, their legs, their feet, elsewhere in their body. ¡°Why is it itchy here? Is it that itchy here?¡± I asked Elyzer Elyzer looked around, looking at the groaning scratching people. ¡°I thought I am the only one. Well, no. Fleas or something might have went here I just don''t know. Yesterday it was normal¡± he replied The fighters were also scratching but continued the fight as if it was nothing. Benjo did a uppercut, Clyde dodge backwards, Bejo continued it with a left hook, Clyde dodged to his left. Benjo gave a swift of barrage of jabs. Clyde managed to dodge it all. ¡°C''mon Roselyn! You can do it! Do it for me!¡± Clyde cheered Benjo !? !? !? !? !? Me, Bawayan, Elyzer, Louie, Marc and the other people who knew Benjo longer were startled. A kernel of sweat bud flowed down on our head. Isn''t that the name¡­. That Benjo never ever want to hear again. Hearing that name angers him, even a very close friend of his accidentally say that name will anger him and will take days or even months to get along with again. It was the name of his ex, whom he have been loyal to since 7th grade. He have been taking care of her, protecting her, giving her love. But one day in our 9th grade, it is now their 3rd year relationship. She was caught cheating with a 10th grader by Louie and Elyzer. They tried to hide it from Benjo, but they can''t just hide the truth forever. Benjo didn''t believe it at first but with the strong evidences, he finally believed it. The 10th grader challenges Benjo to a fight for Roselyn, he accepted it. Surprisingly, he was victorious and Roselyn was happy. But Benjo now denied and broke up with her. But how did Clyde even know his weakness!? Don''t tell me¡­. It was¡­.. I gazed around The Elite Squad, from the shadows, I saw a familiar face. It was¡­.. fucking Rey, our childhood friend and a traitor. He left us when we were still 9th grade and befriend with Clyde and the others arrive today''s 10th grade. That cunt! Benjo¡¯s face was filled with shadow, he was frozen, not hopping, not moving, not smiling, but arms still raised. ¡°He didn¡¯t test Benjo during the fight but went straight to the point. He usually test his past opponents before really angering them¡± Elyzer gritted ¡°What''s the matter!? Cat got your tongue!?¡± Cyde mocked Benjo''s mouth opened, his teeth gritting. This is going to anger him, but it will be easier for Clyde. In a blink of an eye, a jab was thrown towards Clyde''s face. Benjo''s jab was faster than before. But Clyde managed to dodge it, he stared at the arm like it was something magnificent. ¡°Woah!¡± Clyde said in amazement Benjo threw a frenzy of jabs at Clyde, he dodged it all. Benjo may be dangerous now, but attacks blindly. ¡°Now that''s what I call a dangerous boxer!¡± I looked at Elyzer, he was sweating tiny buds of sweats as if he really put real money on the bet. Clyde uppercuted Benjo, Benjo exchanged a right hook. Clyde swayed his upper body backwards and exchanged a jab at Benjo''s face. Benjo staggered. ¡°C''mon, show us the real you! Show me the real beast you are hiding! Show us¡­ Your Inner Beast!¡± Clyde shouted at Benjo Clyde followed him and threw a jab, Benjo blocked it with his raised arms. Benjo threw a hook, Clyde ducked down making him miss. Benjo isn''t landing any hits at all! This is not good. Suddenly, I felt a sting inside the skin of my forearm. It tried to scratch it but it felt like it was really in the inside that I cannot scratch it. What''s with this place? Making my body itch all of the sudden. I looked at my forearm. !? There is something green and scaly on my forearm, half of it was covered by my other hand. It looked like a skin of a reptile, it also looked like a part of my skin. I started to lift up my other hand. What the hell is this thing? My hand finally lifted, I can now see my whole forearm. The only thing I see was just my skin, no reptile scaly skin. I looked up Benjo who was tired, battered and bruised on the face and chest. Clyde was also tired, but he is still in good condition. ¡°Don''t let your anger take over you!¡± ¡°You may be tired, but you can still do it!¡± ¡°Defeat the undefeated!¡± The SSU Squad started shouting, cheering for Benjo. ¡°Benjo Benjo Benjo!¡± Someone started chanting for his name ¡°Benjo Benjo Benjo Benjo!!!¡± Everyone started chanting his name, including some from The Denial Squad Benjo once raised his arms again, Clyde smiled. Benjo walked towards him, he threw a hook and jab. Clyde swiftly dodged it and exchange an elbow hit on Benjo''s chest. I looked at Elyzer, his face is full of worriedness. ¡°If Benjo lost this fight now, he will lose his winstreal and Clyde will remain undefeated. Benjo is the only one I know who can beat Clyde!¡± Elyzer mumbled I looked back again at the fighters, they were clashing. Benjo was moving sluggishly. He staggered left to right as he approached Clyde, his arms raised up high. Clyde threw a jab at Benjo, but in a perfect timing, his body staggered to the left on its own. The jab missed, just going over Benjo''s shoulder. Both of their eyes went wide open. Benjo saw his opportunit, he threw his right fist, aiming at Clyde''s face. A counter punch! I am not sure but Clyde might dodge that. !? !? !? Something emerged out of Benjo''s whole forearm and fist. It looked like a fiery blazing yellow aura¡­. We were shocked, what the hell is that! Clyde noticed, his smile faded, he was shocked. Even Benjo was dumbfounded when his travelling arm blazed. A yellow aura of a roaring lion emerged out of Benjo''s fist. His fist made contact with Clyde''s cheek. *BAng* Chapter 3: Beast Awakening 3 Chapter 3 Meow Ahem, That''s all what I can say today. Oh right, there will be three novels I will soon publish. One is an action and two romance. I am planning to title the action novel into ''Adrenaline Rush'' because the fiction is about it, I am not going to spoil what it is about. I want it to become a comic and animation series. 2 chapters are now in progress and it is written my paper. The two romance novel, I am planning to title the first one ''You Made Me Happy'' and the second one ''I Am Here For You, And I''m Sorry'', I am still not sure with these title. I want ''You Made Me Happy'' into a comic and animated series. And I really want it to be a very good and wholesome romantic novel so I have to put all of my feelings to it. I still didn''t start chapter 1 even though I want to narrate it. I am just busy making Inner Beast and Adrenaline Rush. For ''I Am Here For You, And I''m Sorry'', I want it to be a animated whole movie, I want it to be really good and wholesome so I have to put my whole feelings to it. Chapter 1 got started but it looked like I got it with a very very very bad start like it is not how I narrate novels. Why mostly animated and comics? Because that is what is in my imagination. I can make scenes and comic images in my mind and I could also play the right songs to expand my imagination. I just want to finish Inner Beast as soon as possible, I am very excited to narrate the ending and I want to edit a lot of songs with it like ''Hero'' by Skillet because season 3 is about heroes, my best song for the mc during the fight is ''My Heart Is Broken'' by Evanescence and ''I''m So Sorry" by Imagine Dragons. Damn, that''s a lot of yapping. I narrate during school lesson because of obssesion of narrating best scenes. The only thing I can say is "Find your talent" and "Don''t waste your Talent" Hope you enjoy this is going to be a short chapter. Whole of Chapter 4 is already narrated in my paper. It was a delay because my phone that I used to narrate the original Inner Beast novel Chapter 1 to 100 and the other novels got destroyed. But finally borrowed my mother''s phone. It was also the reason why I didn''t publish the chapter 1 of ''Adrenaline Rush'' That''s all I can say Over and out ----------------------------------------------------------- He delivered a strong, heavy blow. The punch made a loud bang sound, the sound echoed throughout the forest. It made a shockwave around, the grass, our hair, and our clothes swayed for an instant. The aura turned into tiny yellow particles, floating going forward like a shotgun and spread around and floated in the air. Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Spit came out of Clyde''s mouth, his eyes were only white. He flew and fell to the ground with a hard thud. We were dumbfounded, people started murmuring and whispering. "What the hell was that!?" I asked Elyzer "I-I don''t know!" He replied, stuttering Benjo was breathing heavily and tired, looking at the unconscious Clyde on the ground. He then suddenly fell to the ground, he also went unconscious. People gathered around them. "Hey Benjo, you there!?" One of the SSU squad started trying to wake Benjo up while slapping his face No response, his mouth was just wide open and still eyes closed, he looked like the guy who first slept in a sleepover. The others tried to wake Clyde up, but he is also not responding. The floating particles in the air started floating down to him, the tiny particles went inside him through his chest. "Have you guys any idea what that was!?" Louie asked They shook their heads. You mean, this hasn''t happened before? People helped Janly carry Benjo in a piggy back ride. "I''ll carry him back to his home" and started walking out of the battalion ground The Elites also carried Clyde out of the ground, also whispering and murmuring to what just happened. "Did that happen before?" I asked Bawayan who was just beside me "N-no, it just happened" he replied He scratched his neck. !? Something startled me as I watched him scratch. There is a white silvery fur on his neck. It looked like it was part of his skin. I blinked, it was gone in a sudden. Am I imagining things!? "I-I am going home, maybe I am dreaming" Elyzer said to himself then spit to the side, his red spat stained the grass I saw a green reptile skin scale on the side of his mouth. "Elyzer" I called him out "What?" He turned his head to look at me, making a blur. The reptile skin on the side of his mouth was gone, just only Elyzer''s normal skin. "Oh, nothing" What is happening today!? ----------------------------------------------------------- "Bleeeeegh!" I puked at the lemon tree at the back of our house. I am experiencing a very hot fever, body pain, weal body, scratchy body and now puking! I went back inside the house. "Here''s the medicine I bought you" my mother said after putting the medicine on the table I took one and swallowed it. I drank the cup of water beside it. I went straight to my room, dizzy, my vision blur. I just got home and this is what I am experiencing. I closed the door, turned off the light and layed down on my bed. Fucking shit. I took my phone beside me and looked at my notifications. I have a lot of unreaded chat on our group chat. The notification message was full of complaints. I tapped on the notification to look at their messages. Bahw: "Hey, benjo the benji you there?" S?? ?py: "Benji?" Bahw: "Maybe he is still unconscious" Bahw: "Oh right Bahw: "not really FEeling well boys" S?? ?py: "same headaches dizzy and shit" ?l?s J¨¤nly: "I thought I am the only one" Bgn L?u¨©e: "Are you guys feling domething very different 2day? ?l?s J¨¤nly: "@Bgm L?u¨©e yes, balls kinda itchy Bahw: "Yes the thing what happnd in battalion grond" ?l?s J¨¤nly "oh yeahkinda seeing weird things back to the ground during the fight, some kind of skins of animals on people''s skin" My eye caught something, it was the last message of Janly. So that does mean I am not imagining things? Fuuuuck, my head really burns. I should sleep early if I want to get better. I turned off my phone and closed my eyes. ----------------------------------------------------------- "Kkkrrrr!!!" My stomach hurts "Nnnnngggg!!" If felt very uncomfortable *Scratch scratch* My body is itchy, I could feel rough skin on my nails and fingers as I scratch. I felt hard, not like the texture of my skin. "Uhhhhnnn" I am groaning in pain. I am hot, sweating, I cannot sleep like this. Wait a minute, I remember my anti-inflammatory on my bed. It was just beside me, I took one and swallowed it then drank water from my tumbler. This is going to take a while to take effect. I fought the pain, hoping the medicine work and hoping to drift to sleep. ----------------------------------------------------------- *Riiiing riiiing* My alarm woke me up, I still have a headache, dizziness, but the itchiness is gone. Looks like I am going to be absent today. ----------------------------------------------------------- Bahw - Bawayan Palgs S?? ?py - Elyzer''s Denious Bgm L?u¨©e - Louie Buygagam Chapter 4: BeastAwakening Chapter 4 Meow Bruh Right if there are words you don''t understand and what it is, there is an author''s not at the end and I will explain it. If there are foreign words that I didn''t explain, search or comment. ----------------------------------------------------------- I entered the classroom, the room was full of groaning boys. They have their heads on their table, some may still be absenting today. They might not be feeling good like me, my head is still aching and throbbing. I looked at the attendance sheet on the teacher''s table. Let''s see who was absent yesterday, I hope I am not the only one. I went behind the teacher''s table. Let''s see, I flipped the paper above, going back to the attendance sheet yesterday. !? What the!? Janly Alas: Not Present Louie Buygagam: Not Present Elyzer Denious: Not Present Clyde Joe: Not Present Clint Tino: Not Present Roger Fin: Not Present Bawayan Pogi: Not Present Benjo Kid-en: Not Present Mateo Valentino: Not Present Most of the boys¡­ are not present. Only two are, Raymark and Marc. All of the girls are present. I went out of the classroom and rushed to the other section grade. ¡°Yow Mateo¡± my friend from the other section, James greeted me on the hallway ¡°Yow¡± I greeted back I went inside their classroom and went straight to their attendance sheet on the teacher''s table. It''s the same, most of the boys were not present. ----------------------------------------------------------- *RIIIIIIIINGGG* Recess time ¡°Can I have two baluts?¡± I said the vendor A big hand emerged from my side and added money to my hand. It was Marc. ¡°Make it 4¡± he said to the vendor The vendor took the money and gave us the baluts with a cellophaned salt and vinegar. We headed back to our group of friends just at the other side of the vendors place eating lumpias, baluts, kutsinta, cheese sticks, botchi and drinking palamig. We sat on the cement floor because all of the metal chairs are now occupied by them. ¡°Fuuuuck, that night and yesterday was painful¡± Benjo groaned I cracked the upper shell of the baluts by bashing it on my head. ¡°Same bro, headache, stomachache, it felt hot like what the fuck!¡± Elyzer added I opened the shell on the top. I could see the small underdeveloped duck inside above the yellow yolk, its texture grayish, its gray white eyes very eerie as it looked up at me. I added salt and vinegar to it. I put the open crack on my mouth then raised my head above. I sipped it, the duck went inside my mouth. I threw the shell behind me. I started eating the baby chick and the yolk, it was soft and squishy. It was tasty mostly with the salt and vinegar. ¡°It''s all of us were affected, then it gotta do something with the food we ate¡± Louie said while looking at the vendors on the opposite side ¡°Not gonna argue but damn, that''s a lot of bacteria coming from a food. But all of the girls weren''t affected, they also even buy the same snack we ate. But still, most of us boys in the whole school were affected¡± Sky replied I ate my second balut, it tasted more delicious and better than the first one. ¡°Wait a minute, what the hell happened the day before yesterday. Like what did you do there? Nearly forgot about that¡± Louie asked Benjo We stopped what were doing and we all looked at him to hear the answer. ¡°I-I also don''t know, it just happened all of the sudden. It just did on its own, it just appeared unknowingly¡± Benjo replied ¡°The thing that it looked like a superpower¡± Bawayan said ¡°I agree, the way you punched Clyde with the thing you did made a strong shockwave that it made our own hair and clothes sway backwards even were far away from both of you¡± I spat behind me. ¡°You want some?¡± A voice I looked to my left, it was Janly sitting beside me handing me out his plasticked kikiam. ¡°Thank you¡± I said and took a piece with my bare hand and ate it ----------------------------------------------------------- ?Iniwan mo ako, binitaw mo pa ako!? ?Basag ang aking puso, umiyak para Sayo!? ?Akoy nag iisa dinudukha humihila para makuha uli ang puso mo!? We are at the dap-ay behind the school, cooking the pinkpikan Benjo bought for us to eat for lunch. Surprisingly, the teacher''s let us borrow the kitchen¡¯s big cooking pot. Benjo and the others are singing. Elyzer took the cloth and opened the hot lid of the pot. Hot smoke came out, we could hear the boiling from the inside. It smelled tasty and made my mouth drool. Elyzer used a big spoon to get soup from the pot and tasted it. ¡°Krrr krrrrr! Time to eat boys¡± he said to us We took our lunch boxes by our side and lined up to get food. We started eating. It tasted good, the seasonings were fine, the salt was also fine. One of the teachers noticed, he ran up to us with a plate. ¡°Let''s taste the food you cooked boys¡± He tasted the soup. ¡°Oooooh, you boys are good cooks. You''re future wives are going to be happy with you all¡± Other teachers also came, taking a plate and a plastic container to take home. We finished feasting and took a rest, the other continued to play guitar and sing. I took a cup and poured myself a soft drink. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°Hey, Mateo, I have a question for you¡± Elyzer beside me said I looked at him, he is smirking ¡°What is it?¡± I asked and took a drink ¡°You love Luna right?¡± I spat out my drink beside me. ¡°What!? Where did that come from!?¡± ¡°We all know Luna has had a crush on you since 2nd grade. You were friends with her until whatever happened in 7th grade¡± ¡°I do not want to talk about it¡± ¡°What happened between the two of you? I want to hear it¡± Elyzer I insisted ¡°It''s nothing that important¡± ¡°C''mon, c''mon! Tell me!¡± ¡°It''s, it''s just nothing¡± ¡°What do you mean nothing? Both of you were close friends¡± ¡°Just drop it off. It is hurting my feeling bro, you don''t want to hurt a bro¡± Benjo stopped strumming the guitars. He stood and headed to the bathroom east of where we are. They continued strumming the instrument. They sang and sang and sang. Lots of minutes passed by, Benjo never came back. I suddenly felt a pain inside me, very painful. Shit, this again. What the hell really happened to me. What did I eat, or whatever happened to me to give me this pain. I held it in, suddenly, it was gone. ¡°Hey, Mateo, wanna go and take a piss?¡± Marc who was standing in front of me requested ¡°Sure¡± I stood up, we both headed to the bathroom. ¡°Are you going to join the boy scouts?¡± Marc asked ¡°Nah, even if it was a very very good experience when we were grade 6, it might be boring today¡± I replied By the time we arrived, we heard faint sounds. It was heavy breathing, Marc and I were startled. We continued walking, getting closer. A sweat bud rolled from my head. We went closer, the sounds got nearer. We are about to take a turn. We suddenly saw someone, a guy, crouched down on the ground. Something¡¯s off here. His arms have¡­ Furs on it, yellow furs. We walked closer, we can see his face. His neck and face¡­ was also covered with dots of yellow furs on it. What the hell!? It was¡­ Benjo on the ground, breathing heavily. We saw puke on the ground. He had his mouth opened, on the right of his teeth part, he has a big long sharp fang. Yellow furs around his eye, around his face, around his arms like dots. He looked like a mutated human mixed with an animal. I took out my phone to take a video. My hand was shaking. I pointed my camera at him and started recording. ¡°Am I¡­ am I going to be okay?¡± Benjo asked, his voice full of worry Not only that, there''s a growling sound mixed with his voice. ¡°I-I don''t know man, how did this happen to you?¡± Marc stuttered ¡°I am not going to die right?¡± he asked while looking at his arm ¡°I really don''t know man, how did this happened to you¡± ¡°I was just pissing and¡­ My body started aching, these furs started to come out of my skin¡± We hear a chirp of a bird. Benjo looked behind him, we also looked. It was a small brown pygmy, hopping and pecking the ground. Benjo growled, he suddenly leaped at the bird. We were shocked, I kept my camera at him. We heard the wailing sounds of the bird, then nothing. He has his back on us, he looks like he is¡­ Eating the bird. We just watched in horror. We are speechless, we can only hear slurping sounds. Then suddenly, Benjo puked again, the furs on his body were suddenly gone, going inside him. ¡°Bleeeeegh! Disgusting!¡± I stopped recording, Marc and I went to help him stand up. He looked weak. ¡°C''mon, let''s go back to classroom and have a rest¡± I said to him We started walking him to the classroom. I took one last look behind me. The bird was shredded to pieces, shit, did he actually try to eat it? ----------------------------------------------------------- A few days went by, it was silent. No fights occured at school, and no more strange phenomenon. But images flash on my mind, Benjo with furs around him, eating a bird raw and alive, and that green aura and particles during his fight with Clyde. Benjo got popular for what just happened, some even move to the Shadow Strike Squad thinking they have a fighter with powers in their squad. But the thing that happened was never revealed again. I noticed a poster on a wooden post on the side of the road. I stopped to read, it was a missing poster of a dog. A medium sized dog, an aspin breed. Not only one dog, but there are two other missing aspin breed. The first one was missing five days ago and the other two dog was missing two days ago. This doesn''t happen that much in the province. That''s odd. ----------------------------------------------------------- I took my seat with the group, Benjo and the others are gambling at the back of the classroom playing lucky 9. I only watched, they only bid 5 pesos. ¡°Down¡± They revealed their cards. Benjo got 3 and 4, Perry the banker got 10 and 5, Melvin got 2, 6 and 5, and Lian got 7, 7 and 4. I continued watching them. Watching to pass the time and just celebrate with whoever won. ¡°Hey Mateo, you finished the homework?¡± Perry asked ¡°What homewor-¡± I suddenly shut my mouth after letting out a growling voice of an animal. ¡°What was that?¡± Benjo asked ¡°Nothing, nothing, yes, I did it¡± I continued What the hell was that? ¡°Well, let me copy it later, forgot to do it at home¡± ¡°Kay¡± ¡°Wanna join Mateo?¡± Lian said while shuffling the pile of cards ¡°Well, okay. If I lose one time and I am quitting¡± I took out a 10 pesos coin out of my pocket and placed it on the table. They saw my bet, they exchanged their bet to 10 pesos. Lian started shuffling the card to us. 3, that''s a bad start. I waited for the second card. C''mon, c''mon, give me a better number. Lian gave me the second card, we took our cards. I flipped the side of the card, give me 5, or 4, pleeeeasee. I looked, 6. I took the card, I raised both of the cards high up in the air and slammed it on the table. They looked at my card, a 9. ¡°Can you at least wait or karma gets you¡± Benjo complained while calculating his cards ¡°Sorry, but I don''t believe karma¡± ¡°Whatever you say¡± I waited for them, they dropped their cards. Melvin got 5, 6 and 4, Perry got 6 and 2, Benjo got 7 and 8, and Lian got 3, 3 and 2. ¡°Give me them money!¡± I shouted We got our rewards. ¡°We will get you in the next round Mateo¡± Lian shuffled the cards to us. I looked at my first card, 2. What the! Nonononono. Lian gave me the second card. I peeked, 7. What? No fucking way! I waited for them. ¡°Down¡± We revealed our card, I still got 9. ¡°Lian, are you shuffling the cards properly!¡± Melvin complained ¡°Of course I am, I am the greatest shuffler in this room. Why would I let him win if this is placing bets¡± I got my money again. We placed bets, before I could place my bet on the table we suddenly heard shouts outside. ¡°What''s that?¡± Perry questioned himself Benjo stood up from his chair, making a loud skidding sound, he ran towards the door. We followed behind, we looked outside, there were two 8th graders fighting in the middle of the gym. They are grabbing each other, punching each other. Nearby people tried to stop them, but some were enjoying it. ¡°There, there! Punch him more!¡± Perry cheered while watching them, punching the air The teacher''s came and stopped them, they made them stand up while pinching their ears and pulled them towards the principal room. ¡°Looks like we are going to have contestants for the afternoon¡± Benjo said as he go back to the table to continue the gambling ¡°The Elites versus The Denials eh?¡± The three followed Benjo behind. When will this chaos ever end? Suddenly, James came into view in front of me. ¡°Oh shit, hey there, doing good?¡± He greeted me ¡°Doing fine, I guess¡± I replied He looked around ¡°We still have a lot of time, wanna go for a quick-¡± He motioned a smoking gesture with his fingers. I sighed, well, I have been really stressed lately and a lot is going on my mind right now. Might be a good time for it. ¡°Alright¡± I replied ¡°Also call Elyzer cause I accidentally bought 3¡± ----------------------------------------------------------- The cold wind brushed over our skin. I shivered. We took off our upper clothes to avoid getting the smell of the smoke stuck in our clothes. ¡°So, how''s your sister?¡± James teased after lighting up his cigarette He handed me the lighter. ¡°Shut up, I don''t have any siblings¡± I replied while lighting up my cigarette and gave the lighter to Elyzer I inhaled, then exhaled the smoke out of my nose. ¡°You''ve been craving a sibling didn''t you?¡± ¡°What? Where did you get that?¡± ¡°Don''t lie, didn''t you say it during our truth or dare in 5th grade¡± James looked at Elyzer who was lighting up his cigarette. ¡°Right Elyzer¡± ¡°Hmm? I don''t know¡± Elyzer replied ¡°Bah, no way you don''t remember. It is still fresh in my mind¡± ¡°Just drop it off man, you ain''t getting shit¡± That memory flashes in my mind. It was real, but I ain''t going to brought that embarrassing memory. James smoked. ¡°The thing that, you are the only person I know who is an only child¡± he said to me ¡°In 1 out of 10, how much do you love Luna?¡± James added These motheefuckers!!! ¡°Hmmm, I am going to say¡­ Maybe!¡± ¡°HUUUH!!!??? What do you mean maybe!? I am going to burn your neck with my cigarette to make people think it''s a hickey!¡± James blurted out I remained quiet, Jamess calmed down. We smoked in peace. ¡°Sigh, remember that time Sir Alen nearly caught us skipping school to watch the fight when we were in 7th grade?¡± Elyzer chuckled Same nostalgic memory flooded in my mind. I missed those days. ¡°Yep, I thought I was going to get expelled there¡± I replied ----------------------------------------------------------- *RIIIIIINNNGGG* Ahhhhh, dismissal time, again. And what special today is that tomorrow is Saturday, the best day. People filled the outside of the grade 8 room, waiting for their next fighter. I took out my headphones and was about to put one on my ear. ¡°Hey, Mateo¡± someone called out for me I looked behind, it was Elyzer with Marc and James beside him. ¡°What?¡± ¡°Wanna go and watch the fight?¡± Elyzer requested I looked at my phone, then back to them. Game or watch? ¡°Nah, I''ll skip¡± I replied and continued walking ¡°Oh no, maybe what happened to Benjo last two weeks ago might happen today again¡± Elyzer said out loud I stopped, I looked at Elyzer. Elyzer is giving me an evil smile. ----------------------------------------------------------- Author''s Note: The music: ?You left me, you let me go!? ?My heart is broken, I cried for you!? ?I''m alone, I''m dragging myself to win your heart back!? (This was all made up lyrics, it was not referenced to any musics. I just made this up during school¡± Krrr krrr: you might already know but this is how you call chickens when feeding time. It was sometimes or rarely used to people as a joke Dap-ay- Dap-ay is a traditional Filipino communal space or gathering place, typically found in rural areas, especially in the Cordillera Mountains of northern Luzon. Characteristics of a Dap-ay 1. *Open-sided structure*: A dap-ay is usually a simple, open-sided structure made of wood or bamboo, with a thatched or corrugated iron roof. 2. *Community gathering space*: It serves as a communal area where people can gather, socialize, and discuss community affairs. 3. *Multi-purpose*: A dap-ay can be used for various purposes, such as: 1. Community meetings 2. Social gatherings 3. Ceremonies and rituals 4. Traditional events and celebrations Cooking at school for dinner: we actually never have done this at school. It only done during nutrition day, or whatever that celebrate there and make us cook at school Pinkpikan: Pinilpikan is a traditional Filipino dish that originated from the Igorot people of the Cordillera Mountains in the Philippines. The dish is also known as "Pinikpikan" or "Etag" in some regions. Ingredients and Preparation - Chicken or beef (or sometimes carabao or pork) - Etag (fermented pork meat) or bawang (garlic) - Salt - Black pepper - Vinegar - Chilies The meat is typically beaten or pounded to make it tender, hence the name "Pinilpikan" which comes from the Igorot word "pikpik," meaning "to beat" or "to pound." The meat is then mixed with the other ingredients and cooked in a pot over low heat. Cultural Significance- Pinilpikan is an important part of Igorot culture and is often served during special occasions such as festivals, weddings, and birthdays. The dish is also a symbol of hospitality and is often served to guests as a sign of respect and welcome. Balut: Balut is a Filipino street food delicacy that might sound a bit strange to those unfamiliar with it. Balut is a fertilized duck egg that is incubated for about 14 days. The embryo inside is partially developed, with a small duckling, feathers, beak, and even tiny bones. Taste:Balut is considered a savory snack. The yolk is creamy and rich, similar to a hard-boiled egg, and the duckling itself has a slightly gamey flavor. It''s typically eaten with salt and vinegar, which adds a tangy and salty flavor. Kikiam:Kikiam is a type of sausage-like roll filled with a mixture of ground pork, shrimp, or sometimes chicken, mixed with vegetables like carrots, onions, and sometimes even green beans. It is usually a long cylindrical roll, sometimes with a spiral shape. It has a golden brown, crispy exterior from being deep-fried. Lumpia:Lumpia is a Filipino favorite, and it''s a delicious and versatile dish that comes in both savory and sweet varieties. Here''s a description: Lumpia is basically a Filipino spring roll. It''s made with thin, crispy wrappers filled with different ingredients. Savory Lumpia, this is the most common type. It''s filled with a mixture of ground pork, vegetables (like carrots, cabbage, and onions), and sometimes shrimp. It''s often seasoned with soy sauce, garlic, and pepper.Sweet Lumpia, this version is filled with a sweet mixture of jackfruit, bananas, or other fruits, sometimes with a touch of honey or sugar. Lumpia is typically rolled into cylinders or triangles, and they''re deep-fried until golden brown and crispy. Savory lumpia has a delicious savory flavor, thanks to the meat and vegetables. It''s usually served with a dipping sauce, like sweet chili sauce or a spicy vinegar. Sweet lumpia is a sweet treat that''s often enjoyed as a dessert. Kutsinta- Kutsinta is a popular Filipino rice cake that''s sweet, chewy, and delicious! Ingredients and Preparation Kutsinta is made from: 1. Rice flour 2. Lye water (or sodium hydroxide) 3. Sugar 4. Water 5. Food coloring (usually yellow or orange) The mixture is cooked in a steamer, resulting in a soft, jelly-like texture. Taste and Texture 1. Sweet and slightly salty 2. Chewy and firm, but not hard 3. Soft and jelly-like when freshly cooked Kutsinta is a beloved snack in the Philippines: 1. Often served at parties, gatherings, and celebrations 2. A popular snack at local markets and food stalls 3. Can be paired with other Filipino snacks, like puto or sapin-sapin Variations 1. Adding flavorings, like ube or pandan 2. Mixing in other ingredients, like coconut or nuts 3. Using different colors or shapes to make it more visually appealing Palamig- a variety of refreshing, sweet, and chilled Filipino beverages, often featuring jelly-like ingredients like gulaman (agar), sago pearls, or nata de coco, and commonly sold by street vendors.