The wolves watched me drift as they growled their frustration. Steam rose from the carcass I bit into.

I needed a healing skill, but I was not going to get it anytime soon. I am pretty sure I will need some Anatomy Lore. Did I create any skills to crack open the ground? I asked myself wistfully. Identify said no. I don’t have nearly enough attributes in Spiritual Agility, but I do have enough in Spiritual Strength. That is interesting, if not relevant right now.

I gained a point in Spiritual Strength due to my efforts. Did my efforts to use Spiritual Strength increase what I did? It is hard to say, but it did something even if I didn’t have the attributes to form a recognised ability. Maybe this is the key to developing new skills.

What about when I tried to strengthen my fur? There was no new skill, but Identify was telling me there could be, and that I had the attributes for it. I spent some time trying to infuse my fur and skin with Spiritual Strength. No immediate results but I will continue to experiment.

Could I speed up my healing by using the spiritual? I have no idea how I would do that. I have heard that some specialised classes often have great healing skills, but I only have a basic class, and it has only reached the Apprentice Level. The basic class needs to be Journeyman level before I might… I say, might—get offered a specialised class.

What you get offered depends on your actions and skills. A Journeyman Level Arctic Hunter who kills a monster will be offered the Monster Hunter Class. That often comes with the skill of Regeneration, which is a highly coveted skill. My Scavenger class will not get that. I need to morph it into a hunter class if I can.

I noted that pushing my Sprint Skill had pushed it into the Apprentice level. That was good. I could use it for longer and sprint faster for less stamina cost.

The wolves drifted off to find easier prey. I stayed where I was for a long time and then made my way to the main ice shelf. I followed the wolves' scent for a while to make sure they were not waiting in ambush. They seem to have gone. I did catch up with one I had wounded and had a second meal. They couldn’t keep up with the pack. That is all it takes to die out here.

I made my way back to my cave in a circular route, checking for dangers and ambushes. I was wounded, and I really wanted to sleep it off. My stomach was also full, which increased my desire for a lengthy snooze.

I don’t know how long I slept, but it was several days anyway. Sometimes, it is good being a Bear-kin. My wounds had mostly healed. I was a bit stiff. I was hungry again.

I dug myself out of the cave and stretched. It was a calm day—or maybe a calm night. Whatever. Time has little meaning here.

I checked my surroundings carefully. I can learn from my mistakes. The smells were normal, and the tracks left after the last snowfall were all small critters. I wonder what it would take for me to catch an Arctic hare. It would take an ambush and speed beyond my current skills.

Seals are slower and have more fat on them. I debated trying to sneak up on the seals as a bear to level my skills, but hunger overruled me. I transformed into my humanoid form with fur and claws and used Arctic Camouflage to hide and Stealth to get close. I was low to the ground to reduce my profile and scuttling forward like a crab. I would freeze and engage Arctic Camouflage when they looked my way.

Eventually, something tipped them off, and the seals dashed for the safety of the ocean. I was up and Sprinting. I got my claws into a large fat seal and made the mistake of trying a Crushing Bite. I need sharper teeth in my humanoid form. I carved the seal open with my claws and sat down to feast.

Hands are actually quite useful when eating, so when my immediate hunger was sated, I concentrated on my transformation form to sharpen my teeth. I didn’t want the bear mussel, so I was limited in what I could do, but longer, sharper canines for biting and ripping worked well. This is a better default humanoid form.

My Transform skill went up a level, although I think it will still be my Nightsight that gets to Jouneyman level first.

The seal had a lot of fat, which I needed. My fat stores were low to start with, and the wolves certainly didn’t have any. I really, really enjoyed eating the seal. They are definitely my favourite meal. I am also better at hunting them now.

Sitting and eating, I considered morphing the Scavenger class into a hunter class. I knew it could be done, but I didn’t know any details as I expected to train straight for Arctic Hunter.

Classes need the right skills and the right skills at the right level. I have Sprint and Tracking skills, and my claws should count as a weapon skill. Should. What else does a hunter need?

Stolen from its original source, this story is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Human hunters often hunt for resources: skins and meat. Bear-kin are really only interested in the meat and fat. Would it help if I learned the skinning skill and saved the hides? I have no use for them, although if I find a settlement, I might need some clothes. The human-type races are strange about wearing clothes for some reason. That is a later problem.

I don’t think Mum or Dad had the skinning skill, so it can’t be that critical. I looked at my claws. They are not the tools for it either.

Hunters usually have a way to kill creatures stronger than them. Some do it from a distance with bows or thrown weapons. Some do it with traps and ambushes. I thought about the tracks of the Arctic hare I saw. How would I catch something small and fast like that?

I thought about the sticks I had sharpened. I could throw them as spears and try to gain a skill. It would give me a ranged attack, and I could sharpen them wherever I am. I would have to be pretty accurate to get the hare, though.

What about a trap? I have no equipment to make a trap, although I could possibly dig a hole with sharpened sticks in the bottom. It seemed like a lot of effort for very little reward.

I used the remains of the seal as bait to catch some fish. I would take these back to the cave and bury them in the snow. They would stay frozen and be a nice snack for later. I did taste test one.

My stomach was full again, so I returned to my bear form and ambled back to my cave to sleep on this issue. These things take time, and there is no hurry.

When I woke, the sky seemed lighter. Maybe the sun will rise in a couple of weeks. There was a stiff breeze, so I stayed in my bear form, snacking on my frozen fish while I woke up.

I sniffed the air. I got myself up and plodded in a circle around my base, checking the area.

Sleeping on an idea really works for me. I don’t think it is a racial trait as such. It is probably just me.

A hunter Class definitely has more than one way to take down their prey. I need to work on that, and throwing sharp sticks seems to be the best, even if it requires my humanoid form. If I use them as a spear, it also means I am further from harm, assuming I am fighting something that can fight back. Wounding something will also help me track it now I have Olfactory to support my Tracking.

The main thing a hunter does is hunt, and I don’t mean once a week for food. I know my mother accused me of being lazy, but don’t all mothers do that? I will actively hunt to improve my skills. Skill level can also have a huge effect on the class.

The other thing my subconscious highlighted was the fur being strengthened by Spiritual Strength. If I am going to hunt, I need a defensive ability, and my Identify skill seemed to think I was close to strengthening my fur. I would work on that.

Also, if I am going to become strong enough to get revenge on the Ice Cats, I need to put in the effort to grow.

I moved down onto the ice and practised my sprints in bear form. Then I went through my claw attacks with all my paws.

Then I shifted to my Humanoid form, and the breeze was noticeably colder. I concentrated on my Transform Skill and thickened my fur coat. I stood up, and I probably looked like the mythical abominable snowman, although I was far too skinny. I was covered in thick white fur and stood about 2m tall with clawed hands and feet and sharp teeth. I stretched and refreshed myself on my humanoid movement arcs. The humanoid form was vastly more flexible.

I started with sprints. I was faster and turned quicker with my feet claws giving me good traction. I then turned away from the coast and started running through the forest, testing the air for scents and watching for tracks.

I stopped and climbed a large tree, scuttling up like a beetle with my claws digging into the wood. I found a sturdy branch and cut it off with my claws. Then, I scuttled back down the tree, stripped the bark off it, and sharpened one end.

I tested the weight and found the balance point. The only spear technique I know is to stick them with the pointy end, so I was never going to become a spear master. I looked around and saw my tracks. OK, I need to practice moving without leaving such obvious tracks.

I kept moving, but slower this time, and I watched where I put my feet. Not leaving tracks in the snow is impossible, but you can leave fewer and obscure them, so it was not obvious what left the tracks. My attempts at this added a level to my Tracking skill.

Once I had several sharpened sticks, I set up a throwing range. The fact that all my sticks were different lengths and weights and not exactly straight meant I was not very accurate, but I practised anyway.

I started a daily routine. No, that is wrong. I set up a waking routine, as day and night have little meaning here.

Bear sprints, claw and strength training and then seal hunting, practising stealth in this form. It was a quick way to level Stealth, as it was hard. Then, it was time for a swim, partly as a bear and then as a humanoid.

Once I had eaten, it was time for Humanoid training: sprints, forest running, climbing, and throwing. Then, I hunted and put everything into practice.

At first, a lot of my hunts were unsuccessful, and I had to live on fish. However, my skills slowly levelled, and I gained some additional attributes.

The first new skill was a defensive skill, Tough Hide. I got an extra point in Spiritual Strength and Mental Agility for that. I assume the point in Mental Agility is for thinking of the skill and working out how to get it.

When I got the Throw Weapons Skill, I got a point in Physical Agility as well as Mental Agility. I assume there was a lot of judgment in each throw. I gained some other physical attributes from my training and Physical Perception when Tracking went to the Apprentice Level.

Finally, I was making progress. I was not putting on any fat, but I was putting on muscle.