Jaeger's Contract Hunter let him know that this contract was straightforward and not a trick. There also seemed to be a slight glitch, as the name of the creature in front of him changed a few times. It seemed to say Chesire, Maurice, Cat Sìth, before settling on simply The Cat. The Cat looked at him, his smile enigmatic and wide. Jaeger rolled his eyes and signed.

The parchment snapped shut as he finished the last letter of his last name. It appeared in the cat's paws before it consumed the parchment, shoved into its mouth in one fluid motion.

“Excellent. Now let us be away from this forest. I shall show you how to use your skill better.”

With that, the cat leapt onto Ventress and sat on her neck. Something had caught Jaeger's eye, though; as the creature jumped, a small shackle appeared on its hind leg and seemed to break at the top of the jump. It might be best to hurry along, something had clearly shackled the cat and he did not want to meet them.

He urged his horse on, and they sped through the forest. As they walked, the cat explained how to use his Bloodhound skill better. As it was, he'd used it as a direct tracker, it would lead him from wherever he was to whatever he was tracking. The cat praised him for not forcing it, for following paths and not letting him crash through the wilderness. The cat had made him practice, the key seemed to be to visualize what he wanted. At the beginning of a hunt, when the target might be far away, it was best to follow a straight path, but as he got closer, it might be better to let the ability take a more roundabout way. The idea sparked something inside him and a parchment unfolded.

Skill upgraded.

Skill Bloodhound has reached a higher understanding.

Bluthund – The evolved form of the Bounty Hunter's most important skill, Bloodhound, second only to the ability to get paid. This skill sets a Bounty Hunter Captain apart from Veteran Mercenaries, Marshals, and other evolved Enforcers. They always catch their bounty. They can run. But they only get caught tired.

When you have enough information about a target, you can track it. There is no time limit or distance, as long as you have enough information about the target, you can find them. The more information you have, the better you can track them. This effect manifests differently depending on the Bounty Hunter.

Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.

As a Bounty Hunter Captain, you understand that a bloodhound needs a handler. The Bounty Hunter Captain has gained the ability to understand how far their bounty is and adjust how they pursue a bounty. From following them directly to the location, to setting up an ambush ahead of time. The Bounty Hunter Captain knows that tracking is more than just following and finding someone sometimes it’s getting to the targets destination first. The use of this skill is now limited by what the Bounty Hunter Captain can imagine.

“Ah yes. That's good to see, I always say imagination is the only weapon in the war against reality. With my help, you've become stronger.”

The Cat whispered from over Jaeger’s shoulder. He spun around, as the cat floated back.

“You can see this parchment?”

"Oh yes, you Outworlders are not so special. You're just more interesting than the average citizen of this planet." Licking his paw, he floated past Jaeger back to his perch on Ventress and settled down. "Well, I've held up my end of the bargain, so hold up yours. Bring me entertainment, I want to be entertained, Bounty Hunter. Catch your bounty and make it exciting."

“Before that what is this about being a Captain?”

“Hrrrm.”

“Answer me The Cat.”

“Hrrrm. I want a new name.”

“What?”

“Not The Cat, I would prefer a new name. Something that embodies what I am.”

“I don’t care, tell me what it means about me being a Captain?”

“No, I desire a name and you will give me one.”

“What? No, I won't name you. You had like five names on the contract, just use one of them.”

“No, I want a new name and you will give it to me.” To demonstrate his seriousness, he jumped from Ventress to Jaeger's head and plopped down on his hat. No amount of shaking would move him. “Think of a suitable name or this will get worse.”

“Stubborn. Jerk. Annoying. Mischievous. Angry. Mock. Smoke. Stop me if any of these do it.”

“Hrrm. Mischievous.” With a jolt Jaeger felt the weight on his head disappear. “I like that, I think I’ll go by Mischief now.”

“Yay. Now that you’re satisfied will you finally tell me what that description meant when it said Bounty Hunter Captain?”

Mischief just ignored him, a purring sound like a million tiny horses stampeding out of it. Ventress tossed her head a few times, the vibrations irritating her. The cat wasn't moved in the slightest, and noticing this, his horse settled down, whinnying in annoyance. Grinding his teeth in irritation, Jaeger decided to get answers from Lisette when he returned.

Jaeger experimented with his enhanced skill, and though there were no visible changes, he knew the trail had changed; an intrinsic feeling. For now, he simply followed the path through the bamboo forest, if he understood what Mischief had called it, his bounty wasn't too far away.