###
Hours passed. Borys’ shadow menaced the carcass of its kind, the result of a fight neither Theron nor it initiated. A bear rampaged out of nowhere, attacking his party from their flank. Theron slipped out just in time to avoid a direct swipe aimed at Borys—but his head was somehow in the way—nearly losing his life in less than a blink of an eye. Their battle was arduous; his bear being only a level higher than his counterpart, it took a while before Borys’ claws carved its face open.
He extended a curious glance over at Borys, who nudged the corpse to ensure that it was, indeed, dead.
[Aspect: Metal-clawed bear gains 50 experience points!]
[Your aspect core - Metal-clawed bear leveled up! It gains +3 might and +3 toughness. +2 free attribute points.]
[Aspect - Metal-clawed bear learned a new ability!]
[Embolden claws[Melee]: Buffs the bear’s claws, sharpening their edges, increasing damage by 30[36%] of the bear’s might. Lasts 1 minute. Cooldown: 10 minutes.]
[You obtained a materia: R-1 Metal-clawed bear.]
Not bad… akin to Lux, Borus’ abilities also involved its might. With it, They stood a better chance against that treant now, but to say he would win was too optimistic and jovial for his tastes. Ideally, Borys should attain level 5 before Theron could even consider perusing the queer forest again. He put two more points into its might before resuming his journey.
Trees upon trees waved them a cordial greeting, eventually parting to reveal a large opening with a single flower in the middle. An apple-shaped bulb dangled atop its thin branch, swaying along with the breeze, wreathed in a fruity, zesty fragrance. Nothing but soil and dead roots orbited around it; Theron knew naught of this plant’s origins, but something about how it was presented made his skin crawl. Goosebumps sported from the gentle breeze.
[Hidden event: The attribute fruit.]
[Shower its roots with blood to feed the flower essence. Once it matures, you can pluck it for consumption.]
[Reward: Attribute fruit.]
Another one of the hidden events? Theron scanned his surroundings, noting the absolute tranquility encircling them. Borys sniffed the air, noting the fragrance wafting off the so-called fruit of death in the center, unsure if it should proceed further. The event said it required blood to mature, but without any monsters or animals nearby… I need to find kills elsewhere, then bring the corpses here, I think… He concluded with a frown. With that, he departed the small clearing, a queer aperture of non-life in the midst of green.
The grove around it came packed with tigers he’d decimated in the past, and Borys’ power, coupled with its new ability, made short work of their litter. Five dead panthers circled its figure marred with claw marks. While it appeared dire from a cursory look, Theron knew none of their scratches went deeper than a superficial gash. He dragged one of the corpses along with his bear, whose size had grown even further, allowing Borys to simply hang the rest of the panthers on its wide back and shoulders. Then, they tossed the dead panthers to the flower. Theron held a dim glare at the still flower, tiding the boiling hunger in his chest. More so than acquiring the said attributes, he simply wanted to eat.
[Aspect: Metal-clawed bear gains 10 experience points!] x5
[You obtained a materia: R-1 Green forest tiger.]
Scarlet roots emerged from below, their vines coiling around the corpse, constricting their entire figures, then pricked their skins with sharp, pointy thorns sprouting from the vines’ surface. Each line of tubular root pulsated, their once smooth, uniform size turned bulbous from the flowing blood drained from each of its victim’s bodies, siphoning them dry. The tiger’s figure shrank as if it lost its muscles and liquid, turning into arid skeletons clad in green skins. The bulbous fruit expanded in size, turning from an apple-sized fruit to a round, misshapen coconut. The surface, once verdant, turned blood-red, matching the pints of blood it had just absorbed.
Afterward, he waited. Nothing worthy of note happened as he watched the fruit stilted in place, refusing to grow any further once it finished its meal. The event’s not completed yet? He turned back toward the forest to search for more prey, mouth drooling at the prospect of eating.
###
Three dead tigers later, a message appeared, relieving Theron of his worries. Of all eight tigers he had savaged, only one granted new materias.
[Aspect: Metal-clawed bear gains 30 experience points!] x3
[Event completed: The attribute fruit.]
[Pluck the fruit and consume it to receive your reward. Aspects cannot consume real food.]
This book's true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.
Thanks… Finally. He pranced toward the massive fruit, its scent turning from fruity to straight-up meaty, akin to barbecued meat. He thought little of the ridiculous turn of events—encountering a fruit giving off the odor of meat—but compared to the other crazy things he’d witnessed, this one felt mild in comparison. Pulling the fruit of its stem with a snap, he rubbed its skin curiously, then chomped its flesh whole, savoring the sweet, salty taste of meat and fruit. Never had he consumed something this delightful, as if his mouth had sunk into a tender slice of tenderloin, well seasoned and perfectly cooked, mixed with various herbs and condiments. To think he’d experience something like this out of a fruit…
[Select an aspect to be granted +3 speed.]
Oh… So that’s how it is. His eyes popped wide open. In a flash, the fruit disappeared from his twitching hands. He’d chomped that thing down without even realizing it. With a satisfied sigh—and a full stomach—his eyes darted toward Borys’ resting figure, leaning on a tree as it idled. Well, who else am I supposed to give it to?
Aspect - Metal clawed bear | Health : 31/31 | Mana : 0/0
Level: 3 | Next 120 xp
Rank: 1 | Max Level 5
Mana cost: 5 | slot cost: 1
Element: Normal | Affinity: Melee
Class: Bear | Type: Beast
-Attributes-
Free points: - (+2/level)
Might: 18 (+3/level)
Speed: 8
Magic: 0
Toughness: 14 (+3/level)
Resistance: 7
-Abilities-
Embolden claws
8 Speed, 18 might… Man, this guy is… strong.
Speaking of attributes, Theron never felt much stronger or faster, despite his stats being doubled. He attempted a short lap around the clearing, noting his improved sprint, but his growth never impressed him. Perhaps he’d see more use of his attributes when he acquired a weapon, but until then… relying on his summons would be the way to go. He gave the bear a gentle tap on its shoulder as they turned away from the field of dried corpses and a fruitless stump.
His hunger satiated, Theron strode the tutorial zone for further experience points. Once he knew the true size of the forest wreathing all around him, he knew he’d missed a lot of other stuff on his way down; caves, events, or other things that could grant him strength before he had to tackle the perils lurking in the mists down there.
One such thing was the appearance of another lair, not too dissimilar to the bear cave. He approached with a careful curiosity, Borys keeping watched ahead until a message displayed the one sentence he yearned to see.
[Lair of Metal-bladed Dark Panther.]
Sweet… His mouth curled upward to a smile. His mirthful stare pierced the abyss awaiting inside, and with the lack of spacing atypical of caves, the panthers wouldn’t be able to outmaneuver Borys as easily compared to when they battled outside. He paddled his way inside, hopeful steps breaching the dark abyss, then waited until his eyes adjusted to the darkness. Within, the gleaming silhouette of their tails glinted as they rested. Unlike the bear cave, there wasn’t any branch in the path here, only a straight line leading to a somewhat massive chamber, with another exit athwart their position. Straightforward, Theron noted as he counted their numbers.
Four… Four panthers. His mind hearkened to the first hidden event he encountered; the fight alongside the mother wolf. Now, of course, he had Borys by his side, so he had less cause for concern. Even still, he proceeded with caution, opting to hurt them with his aura before they ultimately woke up. That idea faded when they roused immediately upon his trespassing. Use your ability, Borys. He channeled a thought to his companion, and it responded by brandishing its claws, casting a gentle glimmer as it powered up.
The Panthers were relentless. Each of them abused everything within their arsenal to bring Borys down, tail stabs after tail swipes, claws after bites, but Borys withstood their assault with its thick skin and fur, feeling close to no recoil upon their impact. Toughness added more than just basic hit points. It also improved one’s natural defenses, at least, that was what Theron regarded from Borys’ unnaturally sturdy figure.
It retaliated with a swift slash, its boosted speed allowing its claws to find their mark. Two heads were cleaved off in a single swing, and two tails were snapped from their owners in less than 10 seconds. The other panthers retreated with anguished cries, the pain of losing their limb overridden their instincts to attack, and Borys took no time to finish them off. The fight ended with their whimpers.
[Aspect: Metal-clawed bear gains 10 experience points!] x4
[You obtained a materia: R-1 Metal-bladed Dark panther.] x1
Finishing his extraction, he took a few minutes to allow his aspect’s basic health regeneration to do its job before proceeding deeper. Two more chambers halted their advance, each filled with four more panthers before they came across a split path. The kills granted Borys another level, invigorating his courage to tackle the elite waiting within. He took a moment of pause before peering into the split paths.
[Aspect: Metal-clawed bear gains 10 experience points!] x8
[You obtained a materia: R-1 Metal-bladed Dark panther.] x2
[Your aspect core - Metal-clawed bear leveled up! It gains +3 might and +3 toughness. +2 free attribute points.]
The total of 12 or so panthers killed granted Borys another level and three total panther materias. Drowned with the stagnant air of the cave, Theron added the free points into its might.
Finishing his level-up, he picked the left path. Inside, it led to a dead end. A quick examination showed another blocked passage, following the pattern of the first lair he’d encountered. Tracing their way back, the party went through the only other route available, the one leading to an idling elite bathing under the sunlight, licking its paws. With Borus’ ability off cooldown and his mana at full capacity, they strayed into its lair, garnering its furious attention, with Theron’s fists clenched shut. It wailed upon their trespassing, raising its head high, its screams loud enough that for a second he thought he went deaf, then dashed toward Borus’ closed stance. Three sharp tails plummeted toward its opponent’s metal claws, rending its palm with their sharpness.
Its figure blurred, blending with the sable shade around it, then emerged from the other side. Its eyes beamed with a fierce red, drawing a line of scarlet shadowing its motion, then crashed against Borys’ side, nigh pushing it away. The impact shook the dirt grounding their feet. Sighing relief, Theron willed Borys to begin its attack, slicing at the panther with its emboldened claws, both strokes cleanly avoided with a backward lurch. In the same motion, Theron activated both his abilities, [Necrotic touch] and [Necrotic Aura].
We’ll corner it first, Borys.
The panther slid to the light, twirling its tail for another barrage of stabs and thrusts.