[“That’s right. Stay still for [Stealth] to activate and slow down your breathing so [Presence Killer] can conceal your existence from even the most perceptive prey,”] I explained to Rajah through telepathy.
The young virigress didn’t answer, simply staying still as he continued lurking on the ground. Normally, I would think he didn’t understand me but prior to our current situation, I told him to not answer me if he understood me, otherwise, he should swing his tail to signal his confusion to me.
It was paramount we stood still as we were hunting, or more specifically, Rajah was. As we didn’t have a spare party bracelet, Rajah was excluded from our party’s experience sharing so to have him gain levels I had to aid him while he hunted by himself.
Thankfully, he already had [Stealth] and [Presence Killer], and from the look of it, he had some experience using them. His parents taught him well, it seemed. As he had already gained a level prior to our meeting, he probably had already killed his first prey.
… Somehow that thought made me feel sad. Kinda like when something was right in front of you, and you really wanted it, but somebody just inconsiderately yoinked it away. That sorta annoyed sadness, with a tint of jealousy in it.
Oh well, whatever.
Morning had come and as I decided yesterday, I was taking Rajah out to hunt for some food today. While he skulked in a bush, I hid in the tree above it. Sadly, due to all my evolutions, I’ve practically lost a key feature needed to properly hide, replaced by something more conspicuous.
You guessed it, those would be my bright crimson scales and hair.
Honestly, with my stealth skills I probably could evade the senses of most monsters with the help of the System. Still, my tendencies to hide or flee from fights still remained even after becoming, more-or-less, a magical, fire spewing tank. Staying in my dragonewt form and retracting my wings would be enough for me to go ambushing.
Then again, my bright red tail was hanging down the tree's branch like the lazy appendage that it was, but no one has noticed me yet. Insects have started creeping onto my motionless body, causing itchiness to spread everywhere. It was like these things were seeing me as a part of the tree, and not as a very dangerous fire-creating humanoid half-reptile.
My skills seem to work, I guess…
However, it was better this way as it wouldn’t risk Rajah's chance of success. I was creeping on this tree, keeping a watch over him as he waited for something to pounce on, to make sure he was doing everything fine and keeping him safe. Anything that could endanger him would be quietly dispatched by the rare and sensational dropping dragonewt.
Since we weren’t actively hunting and prowling around, it was taking quite long for us to find something. Hunting was all about having the patience to stand still and wait, but this was beginning to drag on. It couldn’t be helped, but it felt like I was wasting my time.
Rajah was small and weak; having learned how to hunt from his parents he was only confident in this sole strategy — to lie in wait for his meal to come to him. It was safer to rely on an already established hunting strategy in this dangerous forest, where one wrong encounter or event could end your life.
I was not gonna criticize it, I had to do it in my first month of being reborn so I could fully sympathize, however, I had come to be accustomed to taking the lead to find my next meal. My better judgment told me to endure it; wait and see, so I wouldn’t just rush things with Rajah, since he technically was about the age of a toddler. Facilitate his growth by gradually adapting your ideas and strategies to his strengths.
… Those were Saori’s words, at least.
Still, I could give him a nudge, right?
Activating my [Storage Magic] I plunged my hand into a random space around me and took out a fragassa from my storage. This baby was the Peolyncian version of strawberries, only larger, sweeter, and less sour.
I absolutely adored them, and they were the perfect snack in between meals to keep my energy tank going. This fruit hds a very special place in my heart as they were the first things I’d eaten after being reborn. To this day, they remained my favorite snack food.
I actually started picking off the seeds on them and storing them, intending to grow some fragassa plants once we left the Belzac forest. I would be nurturing them outside, but storing them inside my storage whenever we had to travel. Kinda like a garden, in a way.
[“I’m dropping something, don’t be frightened,”] I said while surrounding the fragassa in a capsule of air with [Aerokinesis] to drop it, landing perfectly in front of the bush Rajah was hiding in.
After that, silence returned, and we bided our time, fangs and claws ready for anything to come. Eventually, a wild [Mushroom skorr] appeared, attracted by the scent of the sweet fragassa.
It was honestly a weird mix between a mushroom colony and a wild boar, so much so it reminded me how Peolynca’s wildlife wasn’t as simple as the one on Earth… Then again, Earth also had its fair share of weird, bizarre creatures.
The skorr shared quite a few features with Earth’s wild boar, which included its long tusks, bristly fur, flat snout, and that annoying shriek it did when scared. Major differences, however, were that the skorr had tusks as large and sharp as an elephant and that a hard shell was protecting its back. On the shell, I could see moss and mushrooms freely growing which reminded me of sloths.
This animal species and its many variations were the primary sources of pork in this forest. They had the same size as a normal swine, so they gave plenty of meat and were delicious to boot!
Just looking at this thing made my mouth watery.
[“Aim for its neck. You must immediately immobilize it with your venom and avoid its hoofs and disease-infested back,”] I warned Rajah.
Most skorrs had good immunity against poison due to their sturdy stomachs as they needed it to consume fungi of any kind. As the bacteria on its back cultivated the mushrooms that it ate, some very nasty-looking ones could be protecting its back.
While it was hard to kill it with poison, venom was a good alternative as its stomach was what makes it high-resistant. Having no way to eliminate and filter the venom coursing through its bloodstream, it would probably die if Rajah could inject enough with his [Toxic Claws].
All he needed to do now was wait and execute.
You can do it, Rajah!
Approaching the fragassa with its drooling mouth, the skorr began ravenously consuming the large strawberry once it made sure nobody was around.
Taking care not to frighten the boar, Rajah slowly crept forwards, advancing soundlessly and carefully. He was waiting, analyzing for the correct moment to pounce at the skorr to deliver the fatal bite and strike in one go.
Failing would mean he would leave himself open to a counterattack from the swine’s huge tusks. Even though they shared the same monster rank, Rajah was only five months old while the skorr was stronger on paper due to its age and tusks that could gore a hole into my pet virigress.
Wrapping my tail around the branch, I anchored my body to it and began materializing my wind rifle. Holding on to it tightly, I aimed at the skorr’s head, ready to pull the trigger if it came to it.
Like a flash, Rajah’s strong hind legs pushed his body towards the skorr’s undefended neck. Pouncing on it, the skorr wasn’t able to recognize his attack until the young virigress’ sharp fangs and venomous claws pierced through its skin.
Squealing and flailing in shock and horror, the boar tried to shake the young feline off his body. However, Rajah quickly dug his hind leg’s claws into the swine’s body, attaching himself to the boar to avoid being thrown off.
His quick thinking helped him avoid the skorr’s rampaging hoofs as it mercilessly stomped the remains of the half-eaten fragassa. Finally realizing that it couldn’t shake its hunter off, the boar decided to slam its body onto the ground, effectively crushing Rajah under its weight.
[“Jump off!”] noticing this, I commanded him to unhook himself from the boar.
“Mroew!” hearing it, the young virigress escaped the body slam in time.
Growling, he waited for the skorr to stand up again, as it was impossible to attack the beast as it laid on the ground. The shell was protecting its back, giving Rajah zero openings to land a successful bite.
However, much to our surprise the skorr had trouble picking himself up from that fall. Its legs were trying to push it up, but it seemed like it didn't have the strength to do so, a consequence of the rampaging venom in its body sapping its power away.
Realizing that he had already won, the young virigress began sauntering towards his fallen prey.
[“Stop!”] I shouted to him.
Visibly shocked from my outburst, the feline stopped and growled confusedly.
Prompted to answer, I said, [“It only has [Poisoned (Minor)]. Don’t approach your enemy when he isn’t dead yet. You haven’t gotten the level up, correct? Then just take it slow and patiently wait for it to perish. We waited for a whole day so a bit longer shouldn’t hurt.”]
He defiantly tried to continue approaching the skorr, despite my warnings. Annoyed by his behavior I consequently ordered my parallel minds to attack him mentally, to reprimand him of his behavior.
He squawked in pain and hissed at me. Having him angry at me was better than risking his safety due to his arrogance. Maybe it was a bit extreme using a mental attack, but it beated actually shouting.
Reluctantly obeying me, Rajah stood still and waited until he leveled up to level two from the boar’s death. At that point, he quickly approached the skorr’s corpse to feast on it, but I jumped down the branch in a hurry to stop him.
“Mreowwwww!” he aggressively snarled at me, baring his teeth to threaten me away from what was his.
What a feisty little guy, I said to myself.
[“Don’t be like that, Rajah,”] I tried to soothe him. [“I’m only trying to get rid of the poisonous mushrooms and the moss.”]
However, contrary to my expectations, he stayed defensive and blocked my path with angry hissing and meowing. He was even swiping his paws at me like an angry cat whenever I tried reaching my hand towards the corpse to disinfect it from bacteria and poison.
Fed up with the situation, I cast [Terra Wall] to launch the body up in the air. As Rajah watched his hunting prize sent flying away, I used [Air Walk] to jump and catch the skorr’s body.
I used [Cure] and [Purify] on it. Using my newly learned magical knowledge, I made sure to tell the spells to get rid of all bacteria, toxins, and other harmful substances.
Rid this beast’s body from any poisons and neutralize any toxic sources, Cure.
Purify the impure bacteria and viruses that are using this body as a housing, Purify.
Simply cooking meat over a hot flame was usually enough to kill off any biological hazards in my meat, and I rarely ever had to eat poisonous meat nor was I afraid of eating them with [Cure] and [Abnormal Status Nullification].
However, now that I finally realized I could disinfect my food with a [Cure] and [Purify], I decided it was worth it to make sure we stayed hygienic and safe. I would rather not eat some margot eggs, okay?
I quickly peeled off the shell. As I landed, I threw the body to Rajah who thanked me with a defiant hiss. He might be cute, but I shouldn’t forget he was considered a wild animal…
Saori might be right… haaaa.
Voraciously biting and eating to his heart’s content, I simply watched. Finding him eating his meal so energetically, I looked at the boar shell I just got and began licking on it. After all, considering it was poisonous, I probably could add some toxins to my collection, even if the toilet visit later on would become pretty “challenging.”
… Sadly, before I could lick a bit longer, Saori and Tasianna returned.
““…”” Both of them stared at me with empty eyes, causing a chill to run down my spine.
“A-Ahem!” Throwing the skorr shell away, I waved at them with a nervous smile. “H-How you faring guys?”
“…” Saori kept staring at me as if she was done with the world, only to sigh deeply. “Good. Do good, yes. What doing you, Hestia?”
“Uhm wait, Miss Saori! I thought we had a deal for you to say ‘Cintriily Hestia, sa jou ilks klatfis?’ (Princess Hestia, how are you fairing?),” Tasianna suddenly corrected Saori on her usage of Peolynca’s Common tongue.
“Huh? Wait, why we— Nevermind. Ahem, Cintriily Hestia—” Saori was about to say that sentence but I immediately stopped her.
“Oi, ‘Cintriily Hestia’ means ‘Princess Hestia!’ Tricking no good, Tasianna,” I complained to my fairy friend, trying my best to continue expressing myself despite my difficulties with this new language.
However, instead of feeling bad, Tasianna began giggling out of nowhere. [“I apologize for my rudeness, Lady Hestia. I was simply testing you if you could see through it, however, it seems my hard-working princess is more adept with Common, than I thought.”]
[“Ahaha, thanks… I am doing my best. Learning a new language takes time,”] I grumbled a bit, not the biggest fan of surprise tests.
As it was for every new language, learning it was far more effective if you used it in your daily life instead of only doing it theoretically. Saori and I understood this fact, so we decided to use what meager vocabulary we have already learned to practice speaking, slowly getting used to the pronunciation and accent.
It was still impossible for us to participate in a deep conversation, but we were able to greet others, begin some small talks, and ask for directions. Slow progression was still good progression.
[“Uhm, so, just to make sure you guys understand, Rajah finally hunted his first skorr as you can see him feasting on it.”] I pointed at Rajah, who was lying on the ground, content with his swollen tummy. [“How did it fair with you guys?”]
[“And that shell licking?”] Saori caused my skin to crawl with that question, flustering me. [“Don’t tell me you’re licking anything that is vaguely venomous. I can understand sucking on Rajah’s claws for his poison, but come on. That bacteria-infested colony? Please, stop trying to get yourself diarrhea. Are you also starting to eat stones again?”]
I apologized to Saori for giving her second-hand embarrassment, causing me to reflect on my action and how cringy it must have looked like. Sure, it was all in the name of self-improvement and increasing my knowledge on all sorts of toxins, but the constant diarrhea part probably would worry her.
Licking the stingers of giant bees, the weird pheromones of plants, and even, as Saori said, licking Rajah’s claws, just to name a few things. It sounded pretty degenerate, now that I thought about it. I probably should stop acting so feral.
Accepting my apology with a shrug, Saori then slowly took out eleven different skorr variations from her storage and gave them to me to dismantle. In the time it took Rajah to hunt one single skorr with my help, Saori and Tasianna hunted down eleven without breaking a sweat.
As they hunted the boars, I would dismantle them. They hunted around the area and in the limited range of the experience sharing function, so I was able to gain some of the experience, although it was little more than peanuts for us three.
As I disinfected and dismantled the skorrs, Saori transformed back into her cadejo form and began working out. Rajah didn’t bat an eye.
[“Are you training your abilities again?”] I asked.
After using one of her abilities, [Shadow Descent], she answered, [“I’m trying to incorporate my [Unarmed Technique] abilities in my normal form when we need to fight against something seriously. Using them in my wolfkin form is no problem but I still am not sure how to use [Just Blink] and [Shadow Descent] in a wolf’s body.”]
Tasianna not only taught us a language and magic theory, but she also introduced us to learning weapon abilities. Saori, possessing the skill [Unarmed Technique], was able to learn two unarmed abilities and through their usage was able to learn [Unarmed Mastery].
Through some creative thinking, she figured out she could integrate her [Shadow Armament] unique skill to create new abilities to suit her own fighting style. Supposedly, people would be taught common weapon abilities first but as Tasianna didn’t know any, Saori had to create her own.
[“That’s good to hear. I’m kinda sad that I’m not showing any progress in that front…”] I said dejectedly.
[“Don’t give up hope, Lady Hestia,”] Tasianna comforted me. [“You are a dragon, and I know for sure there are abilities only dragons can do. The issue is that I don’t know much about them. Maybe if we met a dragonkin, or maybe your parents, they could help you?”]
Dragon parents would have been nice, instead of this giant forest. Then again, if I had met them, I probably wouldn’t have met Saori and Tasianna. This is the better timeline.
Tasianna finally decided to address me as “Lady Hestia.” It wasn’t as stuck up as “Princess Hestia” and it was formal enough that Tasianna was happy about it. She also experimented with “Young Lady Hestia” and “Young Mistress Hestia” but she found those too formal.
How she thought those options were “too formal” while addressing me as a princess wasn’t, was beyond my understanding and I wasn’t willing to pry any further.
Anyways, back to the topic of abilities. As Saori learned her first two abilities, I also participated in the training. Thinking of a choreography and a cool name, I repeated the move a hundred times, but it was denied by the System.
Not only did it not accept any of my ideas, but it also called it redundant. The skill wasn’t registered by the System. All four of my ability ideas were denied.
They were cool names too, like ‘Rampaging Tail Swipe’ and ‘Tail Lance of Heavens’. My Mama would be proud if she heard them~
In the end, I had to just push this to the side for now. Maybe I really should ask a dragon about dragon abilities and so on, but who knows when I would meet another dragon, right?
[“Oh, that’s right,”] Saori stopped working out, having realized something. [“We actually found signs of a marshland nearby.”]
[“A marshland?”] I asked.
[“It was a small body of water, and I initially believed it to be a pond, but as I followed it, I noticed that it continued on without an end,”] Saori specified.
[“Couldn’t it just be a river?”] I responded.
[“No, Lady Hestia. The water movement was minimal, and it was quite shallow. It seemed more like the start of a swamp or a marshland,”] Tasianna explained.
Hmm, so it seems like we finally made it close to the swamp. Which means we are moving north at a good pace.
[“… Frogs and toads love those sorts of places, right? The ugliest and most disgusting ones are usually found there!”] I suddenly remembered that very creepy fact.
[“Unfortunately, it seems it is in our way towards the elves. Either that, or taking a detour around the whole place, which would delay us even further.”] Saori shook her head in exasperation, telling me there weren't any other conventional methods. [“Or, can you fly?”]
I stayed silent, giving my answer solemnly.
Urgh, whyyyyyyyy…
On one hand, I wanted to make as much progress towards the north as possible, but I couldn’t stand the idea of random toads and frogs jumping out of the muck and attacking us. The horror of that thought was enough to send a shiver down my spine.
I had to admit, if that were to happen then I would turn into a useless, wimpy kid. I would be useless as a fighter in that situation. Urgh, I could hide inside a blanket for days after showing Saori and Tasianna my embarrassing phobia for frogs.
[“Will you be alright with it, Hestia?”] Saori asked worriedly. [“I am not totally against the idea of avoiding the swamp. We can go through the mountains.”]
[“Your safety is our duty, Lady Hestia,”] Tasianna stated in support. [“I have practiced, and I will make sure to block any threats with my ice spells!”]
Your ice is see-through Tasianna. It will be even creepier in that case, I said to myself as a counterargument to that statement.
Still… they were being so selfless about it, thinking about my fears… even offering to accommodate me… I really didn’t have a choice, huh?
[“I-I’m ok with it,”] I reluctantly agreed in the end. ["L-Let's go directly to the north. Even if it's an amphibian infested zone."]
[“Good on you, Hestia. Facing your fears, will help you get rid of them!”] Saori praised me with a smile, stroking my hair in thanks.
[“I will be your shield, Lady Hestia! I will not leave your side!”] Tasianna said energetically.
“Mreow,” Rajah said once he was finished resting his full stomach. He returned back to his more approachable self now that his stomach was full.
Gosh, I will discipline you well, you naughty kitty.
I knew cats were little, fuzzy spoiled brats, but I really thought Rajah was different. He was perfectly fine being cuddled but his aggressive behavior today must be stomped if I wanted him to travel with us. His feral nature had to be toned down, which meany teaching him like a proper pet owner.
[“Rajah, I understand that you have to be defensive around your food but don’t forget that we three aren’t here to hurt you, ok? You do understand, right?”] I said while sounding as authoritative as possible.
“Mreow,” Rajah laid himself on the ground and showed his stomach to me, displaying his submissiveness.
Scratching his belly, I praised him, [“Good boy!”]
“The girl is too soft…” I faintly heard Saori criticize my pet handling…
After dismantling the rest of the skorrs, our party began moving towards the north. It took us four days to finally reach the end of the lake, the main hub was a long streaming river surrounded by marshlands and swamps.
The sight of this massive body of water was entirely different compared to the lush green trees and vegetation of the Belzac forest. This place looked more like a rainforest. Water was everywhere and it even flooded the roots of some trees and shrubs.
It was an amazing change of scenery and I welcomed it happily.
As we wandered along the swamp bank, Saori made sure to keep an ear and eye out for any frog ambushes, stating “if I kill something without telling you then just presume it to be a frog or toad” and then shot out a large spear-like [Dark Bolt] into the depths of the swamps.
As blood slowly flowed up, I unconsciously shivered.
Don’t think about it. Just imagine it away as you wander through this beautiful natural scene, I sang to myself to keep my mind off the source of the experience that flowed into me.
“Mreow?” Suddenly, Rajah stood still.
“Hmm?” Saori, having killed whatever horror was in the depths, also stood still, noticing something.
All of a sudden, Rajah began running off without my consent!
[“Oi, Rajah come back… and there he goes. Urgh, and I was doing such a good job disciplining him and now he just runs off without telling us anything? What the hell?”] I complained in rapid succession.
However, Saori placed a hand on me in her wolfkin form and said, [“It is ok; however, I think we should follow him immediately. I think I just heard something interesting.”]
Interesting?
Shrugging my shoulders, our whole party began running after Rajah and towards whatever intrigued Saori. The way towards the north was clear… even if riddled with little accidents like these.
SpoilerName: Saori Segawa Level: 3 Race: Young Shadowstalker Cadejo
Age: 2 Month
Status: Health: 4385/4385(+503) Mana: 1578/1578(+300)
Strength: 2654(+296) Intelligence:950(+98)
Vitality: 1750 (+158) Wisdom: 1938 (+196)
Agility: 3575 (+346) Stamina: 2862/2862(+453)
Effects: None
Skill Points: 0 (-50) (1450 SP spent)
Unique Skill: [Shadow Armament Lv. 2] (+1)
Skill: Magic skills and related:
[Mana Efficiency Lv. 2] (+1) [Arcane Mind Lv. 4]
[Mana Control Lv. 6] (+1)
[Dark Magic Lv. 7] (+2) [Dark Amp] (New) [Space-Time Magic Lv. 3]
[Space-Time Efficiency] [Chant Revocation Lv. 10] (+1)
[Mental Stability Lv. 3] (+1) [Mental Warfare Lv. 3] (+1)
[Silent Casting Lv. 4] (+2)
Physical skills and related:
[Unarmed Technique Lv. 3] (+2) [Unarmed Mastery Lv. 1] (New)
[Sundering Enhancement Lv. 2] (+1)
[Piercing Enhancement Lv. 2] (+1) [Crushing Enhancement Lv. 2] (+1)
[Enhanced Claws Lv. 9] (+1) [Enhanced Fangs Lv. 7]
Senses and movement skills:
[Primal Senses] [Stealth Lv. 9] (+1) [Prediction Lv. 6] (+1)
[Concentration Lv. 2] (+1)
[Enhanced Enemy Sense Lv. 8] (+2) [Danger Perception Lv. 4] (+1)
[Tracking Lv. 4] (+2) [Heat Vision Lv. 1] (New)
[Night Vision Lv. 6] (+1) [Presence Killer Lv. 7] [Evasion Lv. 6] (+1)
[Acrobatic Lv. 8] (+3) [Terrain Maneuvering Lv. 5] (+1)
Resistances:
[Physical Super-Resistance Lv. 1] [Absolute Pain Tolerance]
[Bleed Resistance Lv. 2] (+1) [Poison Resistance Lv. 4] (+3)
[Paralyze Resistance Lv. 10] [Torpor Resistance Lv. 3] (+2)
[Arcane Corruption Resistance Lv. 10] (+2) [Ice Resistance Lv. 1] (New)
[Holy Resistance Lv. 2] (New) [Fire Resistance Lv. 3] (+2)
[Earth Resistance Lv. 5] (+1) [Water Resistance Lv. 2] (New)
[Wind Resistance Lv. 3] (+2) [Dark Resistance Lv. 4] (+1)
Stat growths and related:
[Health Recovery Lv. 4]
[Mana Recovery Lv. 3] [Stamina Recovery Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Health Growth Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Health Capacity Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Mana Growth Lv.´4]
[Enhanced Mana Capacity Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Strength Growth Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Strength Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Intelligence Growth Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Intelligence Enforcement Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Vitality Growth Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Vitality Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Wisdom Growth Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Wisdom Enforcement Lv. 4] (+2)
[Enhanced Agility Growth Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Agility Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Stamina Growth Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Stamina Capacity Lv. 4]
Others:
[Dancing Lv. 1] [Identify Blocker Lv. 3] (+1) [Identify Lv. 7] (+3)
[Terror Aura Lv. 4] [Bloodlust Lv. 1] [Battle Mind Lv. 2] (+1)
[Lifetaker Lv. 2] (+1) [Mana Weave Lv. 6] (+1) [Sewing Lv. 5] (+1)
[Royal Etiquette Lv. 2] [Cooking Lv. 7] (+1) [Dismantle Lv. 3] (+1)
[Humanize Lv. 6] [Telepathy]
Ability List: Unarmed abilities:
[Just Blink] [Shadow Descent]
Magic List: Dark Spells:
[Dark Bolt] [Dark Tendrils] [Shadow Dash] [Dark Slash] [Shadow Clones]
[Shadow Snake]
Space-Time Spells:
[Haste] [Storage Magic]
Title: [Belzac’s Successor] [Otherworldly Reincarnator] [Hestia’s Retainer]
[collapse]AbyssRaven I see Hestia likes licking poisons and venoms. Note to self, not a smart idea.
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[“That’s right. Stay still for [Stealth] to activate and slow down your breathing so [Presence Killer] can conceal your existence from even the most perceptive prey,”] I explained to Rajah through telepathy.
The young virigress didn’t answer, simply staying still as he continued lurking on the ground. Normally, I would think he didn’t understand me but prior to our current situation, I told him to not answer me if he understood me, otherwise, he should swing his tail to signal his confusion to me.
It was paramount we stood still as we were hunting, or more specifically, Rajah was. As we didn’t have a spare party bracelet, Rajah was excluded from our party’s experience sharing so to have him gain levels I had to aid him while he hunted by himself.
Thankfully, he already had [Stealth] and [Presence Killer], and from the look of it, he had some experience using them. His parents taught him well, it seemed. As he had already gained a level prior to our meeting, he probably had already killed his first prey.
… Somehow that thought made me feel sad. Kinda like when something was right in front of you, and you really wanted it, but somebody just inconsiderately yoinked it away. That sorta annoyed sadness, with a tint of jealousy in it.
Oh well, whatever.
Morning had come and as I decided yesterday, I was taking Rajah out to hunt for some food today. While he skulked in a bush, I hid in the tree above it. Sadly, due to all my evolutions, I’ve practically lost a key feature needed to properly hide, replaced by something more conspicuous.
You guessed it, those would be my bright crimson scales and hair.
Honestly, with my stealth skills I probably could evade the senses of most monsters with the help of the System. Still, my tendencies to hide or flee from fights still remained even after becoming, more-or-less, a magical, fire spewing tank. Staying in my dragonewt form and retracting my wings would be enough for me to go ambushing.
Then again, my bright red tail was hanging down the tree's branch like the lazy appendage that it was, but no one has noticed me yet. Insects have started creeping onto my motionless body, causing itchiness to spread everywhere. It was like these things were seeing me as a part of the tree, and not as a very dangerous fire-creating humanoid half-reptile.
My skills seem to work, I guess…
However, it was better this way as it wouldn’t risk Rajah's chance of success. I was creeping on this tree, keeping a watch over him as he waited for something to pounce on, to make sure he was doing everything fine and keeping him safe. Anything that could endanger him would be quietly dispatched by the rare and sensational dropping dragonewt.
Since we weren’t actively hunting and prowling around, it was taking quite long for us to find something. Hunting was all about having the patience to stand still and wait, but this was beginning to drag on. It couldn’t be helped, but it felt like I was wasting my time.
Rajah was small and weak; having learned how to hunt from his parents he was only confident in this sole strategy — to lie in wait for his meal to come to him. It was safer to rely on an already established hunting strategy in this dangerous forest, where one wrong encounter or event could end your life.
I was not gonna criticize it, I had to do it in my first month of being reborn so I could fully sympathize, however, I had come to be accustomed to taking the lead to find my next meal. My better judgment told me to endure it; wait and see, so I wouldn’t just rush things with Rajah, since he technically was about the age of a toddler. Facilitate his growth by gradually adapting your ideas and strategies to his strengths.
… Those were Saori’s words, at least.
Still, I could give him a nudge, right?
Activating my [Storage Magic] I plunged my hand into a random space around me and took out a fragassa from my storage. This baby was the Peolyncian version of strawberries, only larger, sweeter, and less sour.
I absolutely adored them, and they were the perfect snack in between meals to keep my energy tank going. This fruit hds a very special place in my heart as they were the first things I’d eaten after being reborn. To this day, they remained my favorite snack food.
I actually started picking off the seeds on them and storing them, intending to grow some fragassa plants once we left the Belzac forest. I would be nurturing them outside, but storing them inside my storage whenever we had to travel. Kinda like a garden, in a way.
[“I’m dropping something, don’t be frightened,”] I said while surrounding the fragassa in a capsule of air with [Aerokinesis] to drop it, landing perfectly in front of the bush Rajah was hiding in.
After that, silence returned, and we bided our time, fangs and claws ready for anything to come. Eventually, a wild [Mushroom skorr] appeared, attracted by the scent of the sweet fragassa.
It was honestly a weird mix between a mushroom colony and a wild boar, so much so it reminded me how Peolynca’s wildlife wasn’t as simple as the one on Earth… Then again, Earth also had its fair share of weird, bizarre creatures.
The skorr shared quite a few features with Earth’s wild boar, which included its long tusks, bristly fur, flat snout, and that annoying shriek it did when scared. Major differences, however, were that the skorr had tusks as large and sharp as an elephant and that a hard shell was protecting its back. On the shell, I could see moss and mushrooms freely growing which reminded me of sloths.
This animal species and its many variations were the primary sources of pork in this forest. They had the same size as a normal swine, so they gave plenty of meat and were delicious to boot!
Just looking at this thing made my mouth watery.
[“Aim for its neck. You must immediately immobilize it with your venom and avoid its hoofs and disease-infested back,”] I warned Rajah.
Most skorrs had good immunity against poison due to their sturdy stomachs as they needed it to consume fungi of any kind. As the bacteria on its back cultivated the mushrooms that it ate, some very nasty-looking ones could be protecting its back.
While it was hard to kill it with poison, venom was a good alternative as its stomach was what makes it high-resistant. Having no way to eliminate and filter the venom coursing through its bloodstream, it would probably die if Rajah could inject enough with his [Toxic Claws].
All he needed to do now was wait and execute.
You can do it, Rajah!
Approaching the fragassa with its drooling mouth, the skorr began ravenously consuming the large strawberry once it made sure nobody was around.
Taking care not to frighten the boar, Rajah slowly crept forwards, advancing soundlessly and carefully. He was waiting, analyzing for the correct moment to pounce at the skorr to deliver the fatal bite and strike in one go.
Failing would mean he would leave himself open to a counterattack from the swine’s huge tusks. Even though they shared the same monster rank, Rajah was only five months old while the skorr was stronger on paper due to its age and tusks that could gore a hole into my pet virigress.
Wrapping my tail around the branch, I anchored my body to it and began materializing my wind rifle. Holding on to it tightly, I aimed at the skorr’s head, ready to pull the trigger if it came to it.
Like a flash, Rajah’s strong hind legs pushed his body towards the skorr’s undefended neck. Pouncing on it, the skorr wasn’t able to recognize his attack until the young virigress’ sharp fangs and venomous claws pierced through its skin.
Squealing and flailing in shock and horror, the boar tried to shake the young feline off his body. However, Rajah quickly dug his hind leg’s claws into the swine’s body, attaching himself to the boar to avoid being thrown off.
His quick thinking helped him avoid the skorr’s rampaging hoofs as it mercilessly stomped the remains of the half-eaten fragassa. Finally realizing that it couldn’t shake its hunter off, the boar decided to slam its body onto the ground, effectively crushing Rajah under its weight.
[“Jump off!”] noticing this, I commanded him to unhook himself from the boar.
“Mroew!” hearing it, the young virigress escaped the body slam in time.
Growling, he waited for the skorr to stand up again, as it was impossible to attack the beast as it laid on the ground. The shell was protecting its back, giving Rajah zero openings to land a successful bite.
However, much to our surprise the skorr had trouble picking himself up from that fall. Its legs were trying to push it up, but it seemed like it didn't have the strength to do so, a consequence of the rampaging venom in its body sapping its power away.
Realizing that he had already won, the young virigress began sauntering towards his fallen prey.
[“Stop!”] I shouted to him.
Visibly shocked from my outburst, the feline stopped and growled confusedly.
Prompted to answer, I said, [“It only has [Poisoned (Minor)]. Don’t approach your enemy when he isn’t dead yet. You haven’t gotten the level up, correct? Then just take it slow and patiently wait for it to perish. We waited for a whole day so a bit longer shouldn’t hurt.”]
He defiantly tried to continue approaching the skorr, despite my warnings. Annoyed by his behavior I consequently ordered my parallel minds to attack him mentally, to reprimand him of his behavior.
He squawked in pain and hissed at me. Having him angry at me was better than risking his safety due to his arrogance. Maybe it was a bit extreme using a mental attack, but it beated actually shouting.
Reluctantly obeying me, Rajah stood still and waited until he leveled up to level two from the boar’s death. At that point, he quickly approached the skorr’s corpse to feast on it, but I jumped down the branch in a hurry to stop him.
“Mreowwwww!” he aggressively snarled at me, baring his teeth to threaten me away from what was his.
What a feisty little guy, I said to myself.
[“Don’t be like that, Rajah,”] I tried to soothe him. [“I’m only trying to get rid of the poisonous mushrooms and the moss.”]
However, contrary to my expectations, he stayed defensive and blocked my path with angry hissing and meowing. He was even swiping his paws at me like an angry cat whenever I tried reaching my hand towards the corpse to disinfect it from bacteria and poison.
Fed up with the situation, I cast [Terra Wall] to launch the body up in the air. As Rajah watched his hunting prize sent flying away, I used [Air Walk] to jump and catch the skorr’s body.
I used [Cure] and [Purify] on it. Using my newly learned magical knowledge, I made sure to tell the spells to get rid of all bacteria, toxins, and other harmful substances.
Rid this beast’s body from any poisons and neutralize any toxic sources, Cure.
Purify the impure bacteria and viruses that are using this body as a housing, Purify.
Simply cooking meat over a hot flame was usually enough to kill off any biological hazards in my meat, and I rarely ever had to eat poisonous meat nor was I afraid of eating them with [Cure] and [Abnormal Status Nullification].
However, now that I finally realized I could disinfect my food with a [Cure] and [Purify], I decided it was worth it to make sure we stayed hygienic and safe. I would rather not eat some margot eggs, okay?
I quickly peeled off the shell. As I landed, I threw the body to Rajah who thanked me with a defiant hiss. He might be cute, but I shouldn’t forget he was considered a wild animal…
Saori might be right… haaaa.
Voraciously biting and eating to his heart’s content, I simply watched. Finding him eating his meal so energetically, I looked at the boar shell I just got and began licking on it. After all, considering it was poisonous, I probably could add some toxins to my collection, even if the toilet visit later on would become pretty “challenging.”
… Sadly, before I could lick a bit longer, Saori and Tasianna returned.
““…”” Both of them stared at me with empty eyes, causing a chill to run down my spine.
“A-Ahem!” Throwing the skorr shell away, I waved at them with a nervous smile. “H-How you faring guys?”
“…” Saori kept staring at me as if she was done with the world, only to sigh deeply. “Good. Do good, yes. What doing you, Hestia?”
“Uhm wait, Miss Saori! I thought we had a deal for you to say ‘Cintriily Hestia, sa jou ilks klatfis?’ (Princess Hestia, how are you fairing?),” Tasianna suddenly corrected Saori on her usage of Peolynca’s Common tongue.
“Huh? Wait, why we— Nevermind. Ahem, Cintriily Hestia—” Saori was about to say that sentence but I immediately stopped her.
“Oi, ‘Cintriily Hestia’ means ‘Princess Hestia!’ Tricking no good, Tasianna,” I complained to my fairy friend, trying my best to continue expressing myself despite my difficulties with this new language.
However, instead of feeling bad, Tasianna began giggling out of nowhere. [“I apologize for my rudeness, Lady Hestia. I was simply testing you if you could see through it, however, it seems my hard-working princess is more adept with Common, than I thought.”]
[“Ahaha, thanks… I am doing my best. Learning a new language takes time,”] I grumbled a bit, not the biggest fan of surprise tests.
As it was for every new language, learning it was far more effective if you used it in your daily life instead of only doing it theoretically. Saori and I understood this fact, so we decided to use what meager vocabulary we have already learned to practice speaking, slowly getting used to the pronunciation and accent.
It was still impossible for us to participate in a deep conversation, but we were able to greet others, begin some small talks, and ask for directions. Slow progression was still good progression.
[“Uhm, so, just to make sure you guys understand, Rajah finally hunted his first skorr as you can see him feasting on it.”] I pointed at Rajah, who was lying on the ground, content with his swollen tummy. [“How did it fair with you guys?”]
[“And that shell licking?”] Saori caused my skin to crawl with that question, flustering me. [“Don’t tell me you’re licking anything that is vaguely venomous. I can understand sucking on Rajah’s claws for his poison, but come on. That bacteria-infested colony? Please, stop trying to get yourself diarrhea. Are you also starting to eat stones again?”]
I apologized to Saori for giving her second-hand embarrassment, causing me to reflect on my action and how cringy it must have looked like. Sure, it was all in the name of self-improvement and increasing my knowledge on all sorts of toxins, but the constant diarrhea part probably would worry her.
Licking the stingers of giant bees, the weird pheromones of plants, and even, as Saori said, licking Rajah’s claws, just to name a few things. It sounded pretty degenerate, now that I thought about it. I probably should stop acting so feral.
Accepting my apology with a shrug, Saori then slowly took out eleven different skorr variations from her storage and gave them to me to dismantle. In the time it took Rajah to hunt one single skorr with my help, Saori and Tasianna hunted down eleven without breaking a sweat.
As they hunted the boars, I would dismantle them. They hunted around the area and in the limited range of the experience sharing function, so I was able to gain some of the experience, although it was little more than peanuts for us three.
As I disinfected and dismantled the skorrs, Saori transformed back into her cadejo form and began working out. Rajah didn’t bat an eye.
[“Are you training your abilities again?”] I asked.
After using one of her abilities, [Shadow Descent], she answered, [“I’m trying to incorporate my [Unarmed Technique] abilities in my normal form when we need to fight against something seriously. Using them in my wolfkin form is no problem but I still am not sure how to use [Just Blink] and [Shadow Descent] in a wolf’s body.”]
Tasianna not only taught us a language and magic theory, but she also introduced us to learning weapon abilities. Saori, possessing the skill [Unarmed Technique], was able to learn two unarmed abilities and through their usage was able to learn [Unarmed Mastery].
Through some creative thinking, she figured out she could integrate her [Shadow Armament] unique skill to create new abilities to suit her own fighting style. Supposedly, people would be taught common weapon abilities first but as Tasianna didn’t know any, Saori had to create her own.
[“That’s good to hear. I’m kinda sad that I’m not showing any progress in that front…”] I said dejectedly.
[“Don’t give up hope, Lady Hestia,”] Tasianna comforted me. [“You are a dragon, and I know for sure there are abilities only dragons can do. The issue is that I don’t know much about them. Maybe if we met a dragonkin, or maybe your parents, they could help you?”]
Dragon parents would have been nice, instead of this giant forest. Then again, if I had met them, I probably wouldn’t have met Saori and Tasianna. This is the better timeline.
Tasianna finally decided to address me as “Lady Hestia.” It wasn’t as stuck up as “Princess Hestia” and it was formal enough that Tasianna was happy about it. She also experimented with “Young Lady Hestia” and “Young Mistress Hestia” but she found those too formal.
How she thought those options were “too formal” while addressing me as a princess wasn’t, was beyond my understanding and I wasn’t willing to pry any further.
Anyways, back to the topic of abilities. As Saori learned her first two abilities, I also participated in the training. Thinking of a choreography and a cool name, I repeated the move a hundred times, but it was denied by the System.
Not only did it not accept any of my ideas, but it also called it redundant. The skill wasn’t registered by the System. All four of my ability ideas were denied.
They were cool names too, like ‘Rampaging Tail Swipe’ and ‘Tail Lance of Heavens’. My Mama would be proud if she heard them~
In the end, I had to just push this to the side for now. Maybe I really should ask a dragon about dragon abilities and so on, but who knows when I would meet another dragon, right?
[“Oh, that’s right,”] Saori stopped working out, having realized something. [“We actually found signs of a marshland nearby.”]
[“A marshland?”] I asked.
[“It was a small body of water, and I initially believed it to be a pond, but as I followed it, I noticed that it continued on without an end,”] Saori specified.
[“Couldn’t it just be a river?”] I responded.
[“No, Lady Hestia. The water movement was minimal, and it was quite shallow. It seemed more like the start of a swamp or a marshland,”] Tasianna explained.
Hmm, so it seems like we finally made it close to the swamp. Which means we are moving north at a good pace.
[“… Frogs and toads love those sorts of places, right? The ugliest and most disgusting ones are usually found there!”] I suddenly remembered that very creepy fact.
[“Unfortunately, it seems it is in our way towards the elves. Either that, or taking a detour around the whole place, which would delay us even further.”] Saori shook her head in exasperation, telling me there weren't any other conventional methods. [“Or, can you fly?”]
I stayed silent, giving my answer solemnly.
Urgh, whyyyyyyyy…
On one hand, I wanted to make as much progress towards the north as possible, but I couldn’t stand the idea of random toads and frogs jumping out of the muck and attacking us. The horror of that thought was enough to send a shiver down my spine.
I had to admit, if that were to happen then I would turn into a useless, wimpy kid. I would be useless as a fighter in that situation. Urgh, I could hide inside a blanket for days after showing Saori and Tasianna my embarrassing phobia for frogs.
[“Will you be alright with it, Hestia?”] Saori asked worriedly. [“I am not totally against the idea of avoiding the swamp. We can go through the mountains.”]
[“Your safety is our duty, Lady Hestia,”] Tasianna stated in support. [“I have practiced, and I will make sure to block any threats with my ice spells!”]
Your ice is see-through Tasianna. It will be even creepier in that case, I said to myself as a counterargument to that statement.
Still… they were being so selfless about it, thinking about my fears… even offering to accommodate me… I really didn’t have a choice, huh?
[“I-I’m ok with it,”] I reluctantly agreed in the end. ["L-Let's go directly to the north. Even if it's an amphibian infested zone."]
[“Good on you, Hestia. Facing your fears, will help you get rid of them!”] Saori praised me with a smile, stroking my hair in thanks.
[“I will be your shield, Lady Hestia! I will not leave your side!”] Tasianna said energetically.
“Mreow,” Rajah said once he was finished resting his full stomach. He returned back to his more approachable self now that his stomach was full.
Gosh, I will discipline you well, you naughty kitty.
I knew cats were little, fuzzy spoiled brats, but I really thought Rajah was different. He was perfectly fine being cuddled but his aggressive behavior today must be stomped if I wanted him to travel with us. His feral nature had to be toned down, which meany teaching him like a proper pet owner.
[“Rajah, I understand that you have to be defensive around your food but don’t forget that we three aren’t here to hurt you, ok? You do understand, right?”] I said while sounding as authoritative as possible.
“Mreow,” Rajah laid himself on the ground and showed his stomach to me, displaying his submissiveness.
Scratching his belly, I praised him, [“Good boy!”]
“The girl is too soft…” I faintly heard Saori criticize my pet handling…
After dismantling the rest of the skorrs, our party began moving towards the north. It took us four days to finally reach the end of the lake, the main hub was a long streaming river surrounded by marshlands and swamps.
The sight of this massive body of water was entirely different compared to the lush green trees and vegetation of the Belzac forest. This place looked more like a rainforest. Water was everywhere and it even flooded the roots of some trees and shrubs.
It was an amazing change of scenery and I welcomed it happily.
As we wandered along the swamp bank, Saori made sure to keep an ear and eye out for any frog ambushes, stating “if I kill something without telling you then just presume it to be a frog or toad” and then shot out a large spear-like [Dark Bolt] into the depths of the swamps.
As blood slowly flowed up, I unconsciously shivered.
Don’t think about it. Just imagine it away as you wander through this beautiful natural scene, I sang to myself to keep my mind off the source of the experience that flowed into me.
“Mreow?” Suddenly, Rajah stood still.
“Hmm?” Saori, having killed whatever horror was in the depths, also stood still, noticing something.
All of a sudden, Rajah began running off without my consent!
[“Oi, Rajah come back… and there he goes. Urgh, and I was doing such a good job disciplining him and now he just runs off without telling us anything? What the hell?”] I complained in rapid succession.
However, Saori placed a hand on me in her wolfkin form and said, [“It is ok; however, I think we should follow him immediately. I think I just heard something interesting.”]
Interesting?
Shrugging my shoulders, our whole party began running after Rajah and towards whatever intrigued Saori. The way towards the north was clear… even if riddled with little accidents like these.
SpoilerName: Saori Segawa Level: 3 Race: Young Shadowstalker Cadejo
Age: 2 Month
Status: Health: 4385/4385(+503) Mana: 1578/1578(+300)
Strength: 2654(+296) Intelligence:950(+98)
Vitality: 1750 (+158) Wisdom: 1938 (+196)
Agility: 3575 (+346) Stamina: 2862/2862(+453)
Effects: None
Skill Points: 0 (-50) (1450 SP spent)
Unique Skill: [Shadow Armament Lv. 2] (+1)
Skill: Magic skills and related:
[Mana Efficiency Lv. 2] (+1) [Arcane Mind Lv. 4]
[Mana Control Lv. 6] (+1)
[Dark Magic Lv. 7] (+2) [Dark Amp] (New) [Space-Time Magic Lv. 3]
[Space-Time Efficiency] [Chant Revocation Lv. 10] (+1)
[Mental Stability Lv. 3] (+1) [Mental Warfare Lv. 3] (+1)
[Silent Casting Lv. 4] (+2)
Physical skills and related:
[Unarmed Technique Lv. 3] (+2) [Unarmed Mastery Lv. 1] (New)
[Sundering Enhancement Lv. 2] (+1)
[Piercing Enhancement Lv. 2] (+1) [Crushing Enhancement Lv. 2] (+1)
[Enhanced Claws Lv. 9] (+1) [Enhanced Fangs Lv. 7]
Senses and movement skills:
[Primal Senses] [Stealth Lv. 9] (+1) [Prediction Lv. 6] (+1)
[Concentration Lv. 2] (+1)
[Enhanced Enemy Sense Lv. 8] (+2) [Danger Perception Lv. 4] (+1)
[Tracking Lv. 4] (+2) [Heat Vision Lv. 1] (New)
[Night Vision Lv. 6] (+1) [Presence Killer Lv. 7] [Evasion Lv. 6] (+1)
[Acrobatic Lv. 8] (+3) [Terrain Maneuvering Lv. 5] (+1)
Resistances:
[Physical Super-Resistance Lv. 1] [Absolute Pain Tolerance]
[Bleed Resistance Lv. 2] (+1) [Poison Resistance Lv. 4] (+3)
[Paralyze Resistance Lv. 10] [Torpor Resistance Lv. 3] (+2)
[Arcane Corruption Resistance Lv. 10] (+2) [Ice Resistance Lv. 1] (New)
[Holy Resistance Lv. 2] (New) [Fire Resistance Lv. 3] (+2)
[Earth Resistance Lv. 5] (+1) [Water Resistance Lv. 2] (New)
[Wind Resistance Lv. 3] (+2) [Dark Resistance Lv. 4] (+1)
Stat growths and related:
[Health Recovery Lv. 4]
[Mana Recovery Lv. 3] [Stamina Recovery Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Health Growth Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Health Capacity Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Mana Growth Lv.´4]
[Enhanced Mana Capacity Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Strength Growth Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Strength Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Intelligence Growth Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Intelligence Enforcement Lv. 2]
[Enhanced Vitality Growth Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Vitality Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Wisdom Growth Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Wisdom Enforcement Lv. 4] (+2)
[Enhanced Agility Growth Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Agility Enforcement Lv. 4]
[Enhanced Stamina Growth Lv. 5]
[Enhanced Stamina Capacity Lv. 4]
Others:
[Dancing Lv. 1] [Identify Blocker Lv. 3] (+1) [Identify Lv. 7] (+3)
[Terror Aura Lv. 4] [Bloodlust Lv. 1] [Battle Mind Lv. 2] (+1)
[Lifetaker Lv. 2] (+1) [Mana Weave Lv. 6] (+1) [Sewing Lv. 5] (+1)
[Royal Etiquette Lv. 2] [Cooking Lv. 7] (+1) [Dismantle Lv. 3] (+1)
[Humanize Lv. 6] [Telepathy]
Ability List: Unarmed abilities:
[Just Blink] [Shadow Descent]
Magic List: Dark Spells:
[Dark Bolt] [Dark Tendrils] [Shadow Dash] [Dark Slash] [Shadow Clones]
[Shadow Snake]
Space-Time Spells:
[Haste] [Storage Magic]
Title: [Belzac’s Successor] [Otherworldly Reincarnator] [Hestia’s Retainer]
[collapse]AbyssRaven I see Hestia likes licking poisons and venoms. Note to self, not a smart idea.
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