I woke slowly and stretched out on the bed. It was soft and comfortable but unfamiliar. I stiffened for a moment before remembering where I was. The small town’s tavern had a few rooms. They saw little use and I had crashed hard after spending the day at the beach. I felt a little embarrassed at how I’d bawled my heart out the night before. Liam never had gotten around to telling me all their secrets.

I stumbled through my morning routine as I woke up. Toilet, teeth, and some cold water on my face, and I was nearly fully awake. I yawned as I left the bathroom to get dressed. My hair was quite a mess so after getting dressed I brushed it out and pulled it back in a ponytail. Simply and easy.

The room was quaint and rustic. All the construction looked refined but primitive. Wood walls, floors, tables, counters, and bed frame. All the materials were sourced locally but the mattress met my standards so that’s all I really cared about. I headed down to find breakfast. The pleasant aroma coming from the kitchen caught my nose and I homed in on the source like a guided missile.

“Good morning, Ginny!”

I smiled at the stranger’s greeting. I’d seen him the night before but couldn’t remember if we’d met. He was working the bar the previous night too. I waved and picked a booth seat out of the way.

When he came over I replied, “Good morning.”

“What can I get you?” he asked.

I yawned again. “Excuse me.” I cleared my throat and ordered the Hunter’s Special, a collection of samples.

“You sure? That’s a lot of meat,” he said.

I nodded. Liam had mentioned the benefits of eating the local wildlife so I wanted to give it a try. I sipped the water he brought out as I waited.

The front door opened and I glanced up. Martin and Jason walked in and paused as they glanced around. Their eyes locked on me and they swooped in.

“Morning, Ginny!” Jason said.

“Did you sleep alright?” Martin asked.

I nodded. “Yes, how about you?”

“Oh yeah! That was a fun day at the beach! We should do that again sometime,” Jason said.

They both took seats and leaned in. “So we were thinking about going hunting for some Kangos later, want to come?” Jason asked

“Kangos? What are those?” I asked.

“I like how you did your hair,” Martin commented, getting a fleeting glare from Jason.

I reached up to brush my hand through my hair, wondering if my simple ponytail had somehow morphed into an elaborate style. It had not. “Thanks.”

Martin beamed at me and took an elbow in the ribs from his friend as he opened his mouth to respond.

Jason cut in, “Kangos are these hoppin’ monsters that have some sharp claws and they will try to punch you with their upper arms.”

“So… like kangaroos?” I asked.

“Yeah!” They replied together.

“Only enhanced like the fang monkeys,” Jasan added.

“And they are strong enough to snap your bones with a single hit!” Martin chipped in with an excited gleam in his eyes.

“Don’t say that,” Jason hissed. “You’ll scare her!”

“Naw! Not Ginny, she’s way too cool to be scared by a little thing like that!”

Jason’s lips twitched but his brow quickly furrowed, he looked conflicted but then looked over at me. “I guess that’s up to Ginny. What do you say?”

“What are you plotting?” I asked. It was clear to me they were working some kind of con, despite that, I was curious about the local wildlife and confident I could handle myself. Allison assured me these two were harmless. Troublemakers sure, but harmless. She seemed dependable, but I was hesitant. Could take these two…?

“We just figured you’d want some adventure,” Jason said, shooting Martin a quick glare to shut him up. “We’ll keep you safe!” Jason added, puffing up his chest.

I clamped my mouth shut to stifle a laugh.

Martin blurted out, “Of course, it will still be dangerous. Anything could happen. Things could get out of hand. I understand if that’s too much for you to handle.”

“What?” I demanded. “Why couldn’t I handle it?”

“Well, these are enhanced monsters,” Jason chipped in still casting glares at Martin. “But we’d keep you safe.”

“I don’t know,” Martin said. “Remember what happened with Allison that one time?”

“Well, I got distracted…” Jason said.

“I can handle myself,” I cut in.

The boys exchanged glances. “You sure, most girls can’t handle it.”

What? Oh! It’s on now! My previous suspicions were pushed to the back of my mind, screaming at me, but I was so going to prove them wrong.

“I’m in!” I said rather more forcefully than necessary.

Both the boys grinned. “Yes!”

“I knew she’d go for it! She’s not a bore like the other girls.”

Oh… wait. They tricked me! I realized my mistake after agreeing, and yet, a familiar sense of excitement was bubbling in my chest. This was going to be an adventure and besides, they were harmless, right? My distrust hit full force making my stomach churn.

“Allison is going too, right?” I asked as casually as I could.

“Err, well, she doesn’t usually want to—”

“Wait, were you two just trying to get me alone?” I asked, going full suspicious accusation mode.

They both froze. “N-no!”

“Of course not!” Jason added.

Seeing their guilt I relaxed a little. They weren’t planning anything—at least nothing awful. Just the usual plots of simple-minded country boys. They liked me after all. I was surprised at the complexity of their approach. I could teach them to be real con men… I shook myself and cast that thought away. I was not here to corrupt these innocent country boys. Still, they have talent, they had that down, almost like a good cop bad cop routine. I couldn’t believe I’d fallen for it. The deviousness of country boys was more formidable than I’d suspected.

They were totally outclassed though. “Don’t worry, I’m sure Allison will keep me company and a pair of strong boys like you can show me around.”

They swelled at the compliment, completely forgoing subtlety.

“I’ll finish eating while you find Allison.” I didn’t feel bad about hijacking her day, we’d already talked about doing some stuff together yesterday. It was kinda planned… right? I chewed on that thought as I ate.

The food was good but I felt no difference in it from any other food. I shrugged and was just getting up when Allison and the others walked in. She looked upset.

“Um, hey, good morning?” I said with a fleeting smile, hoping to test the waters.

“Hi,” Allison said, clearly mad at something.

I swallowed.

“I told them not to bother you, but they never listen. Please tell me next time they try to bully you into something. She turned on the boys. “Now apologize, Ginny is our guest here!” Allison said, glaring at the boys.

They stuttered and stammered.

“Um, what’s going on, Allison?” I asked. “If you don’t want to hang out, that’s fine.”

“What?” Allison looked over at me, seeming surprised.

“I mean, we’d talked about doing some stuff yesterday. Hunting monsters sounds kinda fun, right?”

This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

Allison stared at me and then scowled. “So they didn’t try to get you to go off alone with them into the woods?”

“They invited me to go hunting,” I replied, hedging my bets.

Allison sighed. “Fine. Let me grab my weapons and armor.”

“You don’t have to go if you don’t want to,” I said.

Allison paused, looking thoughtful as she studied me. Then Martin opened his mouth.

“Yeah, Allison, we’ll keep her safe!”

She spun around like an automated turret. “Absolutely not! There is no way I’m trusting you two to look after her,” Allison said, laying down the law. She strode out of the tavern and I could practically feel the world warp around the presence she gave off.

The boys looked a bit pale. Only once the echo of the closing door had finished sounding did they relax.

“Whew, that was close!” Jason whispered.

“Thought she was going to kill us,” Martin said. “But we won!”

Jason glared at him. “We didn’t win, idiot.”

“What do you mean, Ginny said yes!”

“Yeah, but Allison is going to be watching us like a hawk!”

I cleared my throat, “And why would that matter? It wasn’t like you were planning anything naughty, right?”

“No!” they both said in unison.

“We just…”

“Um…” Martin gulped.

“We just wanted to get to know you better,” Jason finally admitted. Martin quickly nodded along.

The weirdest part was I believed them. He was nothing like the city boys I’d known. These two culprits were innocent boys, well young men, but completely different from the stereotypical men I’d come across. Some of the ice around my heart melted as the tension and my mistrust eased.

Soon we were all geared up. They lent me armor, it wasn’t anything like my modern stuff. This was plate steel and boiled leather with straps and buckles. I had very little confidence in its ability to protect me but they insisted. Given the choice I’d forgo the armor, but they told me the leather was from the monsters and thus far more protective than common leather. The plate and mail armor was heavy but my excitement was bubbling up. It was all so old school and cool. Then they brought out the weapons. I could have squealed in delight, I was so excited.

Axes, swords, halberds, spears, and more. They had it all. I wondered who made it all. I took a spear and shield. I’m a shield maiden now! The armor was practical and didn’t have the ridiculous boob cups most fantasy armor had, but I still liked to think I looked pretty sexy in my armor with a shield and spear. It was awesome!

“Having fun already?” Liam asked as he walked in, smiling kindly.

“Yes!” I exclaimed loudly. I immediately blushed, all the pent-up excitement was pouring out. The boys both grinned and even Allison looked pleased.

“Did they explain how it works?” Liam asked.

I shook my head. “No, but I get the general concept. The point goes into the monster.”

He snorted and then everyone started laughing. I blinked, feeling even more embarrassed. Thankfully, Allison came to my rescue, not that it helped much by that point.

“He means tactically,” she said, patting her thigh where her sidearm was holstered. I’d gotten so caught up in the moment and excitement that I’d forgotten they had more modern weapons.

“With just the four of you, three will engage while the fourth watches for ambushes with their rifle at the ready. It’s an old tactic but we still use it. It's saved more than a few lives.”

“Old?” I asked.

“Before we started eating the local wildlife, we were just normal humans. All of us carried rifles and hunted, but we grew concerned about our ammo supply. At about the same time, we realized our bodies were stronger and more resilient, so we switched to using mostly old-school weapons.”

“Modern firearms aren’t much faster at killing stuff than we are with our swords and spears,” Liam continued. “The distance they offer is safer, but we still lack a steady supply chain. The monsters can soak up a lot of damage before they fall, but we still keep someone at the ready and on the lookout in case they try to ambush us. The advantage of the melee weapons isn’t just that they don’t consume ammunition, but it hones our skills too.”

“With you in the party, not yet fortified with our strength, everyone will have to be a bit more careful. Jason and Martin are experienced veterans though. I have no doubt they can keep you safe.”

I hadn’t told them I was more than human myself and didn’t plan to. That would open the door for a lot of questions. Questions I didn’t want to answer. My confidence was brimming over. I saw no reason to object to his assurances. After all, I was sure I’d be safe enough too. It was that small chance I wasn’t going to be through that made it exciting. Being safe all the time was just boring.

“Are we ready to go then?” I asked, hefting my shield. It was heavy, but even before my ABAT treatment and other enhancements, I’d have been able to lift it easily enough. Fighting long-term with it, however, would have been a problem.

“Mr. Cross, could you give her the briefing?” Jason asked respectfully.

“Of course,” he said.

Liam went over the terrain, monsters, and other details to prepare me for the situation before we left the town.

We would follow the coast for nearly an hour before reaching the territory where the Kangos lived. They sounded very much like Kangaroos to me, just with enhanced strength, aggression, and razor-sharp claws on their feet.

We’d be fighting in tall reeds and razor grass. It was something like a savanna but the deep and loose sand prevented the razor grass and reeds from blanketing the sands entirely.

“Kangos are a big part of our diet. They are easy to kill with rifles, or spears now that we’ve gained some strength,” Liam said. “Their meat gives us a strength increase.”

“What about the monkeys?” I asked. “What do they boost?”

“They increase our natural recovery. We heal faster after eating them consistently for a few weeks.”

“What else is there that you eat?” I asked Liam.

“Fish, crab, clam, quail, turkey, deer, boar, monkey, kango, and snake.”

“Snake?” I recoiled slightly.

“It’s pretty tasty,” Allison said.

“Yuck!”

“The benefits vary. Benedict keeps eating shellfish but they don’t seem to offer any benefits. It’s odd because everything else we’d tracked noticeable physical improvements.”

“Except for the shellfish?” I asked.

He nodded. “Some offer increased agility and reaction speed, others durability. The snakes and boar are good for that. Flexibility too. Snakes provide a lot of benefits.”

“I’ll pass, thanks.” I loathed those slithering things. Just… ew!

Clad in leather and steel I followed along behind Jason. Martin and Allison trailed behind me as our foursome headed for the hunting ground. I gripped my spear shaft tightly in my excitement.

“Want to jog?” Jason asked, glancing over his shoulder.

He had a confident cocky grin as he looked at me.

“Sure!” So we increased our pace as we moved down the beach. The sand was loose here, far enough from the water to avoid getting our feet wet, it made each step sap our energy but I was fine. No one else seemed to notice the increased strain either.

I reached out with my mind to establish a connection with Bob with my biotech power. “Bob, you there?”

His voice sounded in my mind. “Of course, Ginny. How is your vacation going? Relaxing on a beach somewhere?”

My eyes narrowed as I heard the touch of humor in his voice. “I did that yesterday.”

“My sensors are picking up some strange readings.”

“I know, something weird is going on with this planet.”

“That’s not what I was referring to,” Bob said. “Is that leather and steel you’re wearing?” he asked. “And why do you have a spear?”

“You can see me from way up there?” I asked. “Are you spying on me, Bob?”

“Yes. It’s my job to keep you safe, remember?”

“But I’m on vacation!” I whined. “I don’t want to be completely safe. We’re going to hunt some monsters!”

A heavy sigh sounded in my mind. “Do try to be careful. I’ll have the ship on standby. Call for it if you need it.”

“Nope. Not going to happen! I learned from my mistake last time.”

“Ginny, not everyone is as selfish or greedy.”

“I know, it’s just… I’ll think of something else. It’s better they not know about you right now or that I can call my ship in to leave whenever I want. This place is so interesting though. I want to stay awhile… I think. Are you okay with that?”

“Of course, I’ll continue to run simulations on my biological body.”

“We never finished that conversation,” I said. I was still worried about how that would turn out. He was an AI, wouldn’t being an organic mess him up? Or worse, splitting himself like that. Split personality disorder was a thing. Could an AI even function like that? There were too many unknowns and I didn’t want to think about it right now.

“I’ll just be compiling information,” Bob said. “I won’t decide anything without you.”

Bob seemed to understand. The worries in my mind ease. “Thanks, Bob. Keep an eye out. I’ll be fine. These guys I’m with are enhanced somehow by eating the animals here. Pretty strange, right?”

“It is strange. I’ll attempt a more in-depth scan of the planet. An alien civilization may have interfered with the ecosystem before the colonists arrived here.”

“Huh, maybe. That sounds like something the Yawlikin might do. Aren’t they always studying genetics and DNA?”

“It is the main field of research they are known for,” Bob replied.

Allison called me.

“I got to go, take care, Bob,” I told my AI. I pulled myself out of my mind and replied, “Yes, Allison?”

“Are you doing alright?” We’d been jogging for some time now.

“Sure. Not much to do on a ship in space sometimes.” I laughed

“Sounds pretty lonely,” Martin said.

I was silent for a long moment, the comment cut deep. “Yeah.”

They all seemed to pick up on my mood. No one spoke for a time after that. We soon arrived at our destination. We’d made good time given we’d been able to jog most of the way. I was breathing quickly and a sheen of sweat coated my skin. It was hot out but I was enjoying it. Already I was dreaming about a nice swim when we got back.

“Having fun already?” Jason asked.

I nodded and realized I was smiling. It surprised me. I was around people, people I hardly knew and I was happy and at ease. I sucked in a breath as my chest tightened. It’s fine. They can’t hurt me… I exhaled and loosened my grip on my spear. I didn’t need it snapping on accident. Just relax, Ginny.

“So are we ready?” I asked, looking at the tall swaying grass ahead of us.

“Drink up,” Martin said. “We need to stay hydrated.”

“We’re looking to bag three kangos to take back, but we’ll thin them out while we’re here. Once we kill ten or twenty, then we’ll head back.”

“Why would you kill so many?” I asked.

“The birth rates around here are crazy. Everything seems to birth six to ten babies and they all mature way faster than normal. If there are too many, they will attack each other. The town gets caught in their surges sometimes. Nothing we can’t handle, but it's a drain on our resources.”

“That’s strange,” I said.

“The meat doesn’t go to waste either, there is always something around to eat it.”

That at least made sense. With how weird everything was around here, I wasn’t at all surprised when Martin said pretty much all the monsters were omnivores.

Jason and Martin formed up on either side of me with Allison behind us a few yards. All I needed to worry about was directly ahead of me. With the two strong young men guarding my flanks, I was as safe as could be given the situation. I didn’t mind that they were codling me. I was dressed in armor and had a spear and shield! Okay, maybe the whole fantasy roleplaying thing went to my head a little, but it was just so exciting! I couldn’t stop smiling.