In contrast to the other treehouse I had made, I built this one in the lower middle area of the tree layers. Above the understory, but far below the canopy. The focus is to be out of reach of most creatures near the ground, but most importantly, be far away from the canopy.

Contrary to the non-poisonous part of the jungle, there is a large concentration of predatory creatures flying above the canopy.

The reason is that the poison is concentrated near the ground, so creatures that try to escape it usually climb the trees… only to get picked off by fast moving flyers.

The ground is also not safe because any creature that can actually handle the poison lives down there. It’s part of the reason the Panther was so cautious about approaching this area at this level. One wrong misstep and it’s poisoned to death.

Because of this, I still created it in the tree, but used more of it as part of the house. I also cannibalized other trees to fortify this one a bit more.

I ended up with a mostly air tight space with a variety of types of wooden vents strategically reaching to the sky. It pulls clean air in and contaminated air out, using the natural wind gusts to push it through. I made access to the area accessible via a set of staircases. By the time I was done, it was already daytime again.

Not that I could tell, as this place is lockdown currently, while I work on my movement plan.

Of course, I have my scan, so I can see where everything is outside of it.

My main goal is to collect as many ingredients and useful items as possible. My scan is working to help me plot out a course to effectively grab these while avoiding danger.

I’ve also put out the avoidance taming contract for creatures around here. So, I should mostly only need to worry about the environmental dangers.

Or so I thought.

It’s actually coming back. And it’s messing up the scan.

To be specific, almost every road to these ingredients involved the creature. Despite the damage that is happening to it, it is remaining near this area where it can monitor me and see where I go.

With its constitution, it could probably last for a month here before being paralyzed.

Obviously, I don’t have that sort of time.

I need to confront it.

I should get prepared. And since this is going to be a tough battle, I should tame some creatures here.

… actually, I feel that maybe I shouldn’t.

It’s part of the reason I haven’t done so already. I think instead of being an enemy, if I can get this creature on my side, it would be a far greater benefit to me than if I gathered a bunch of weaker creatures.

It clearly can think for itself and doesn’t just go along for benefits. This shows higher level of reasoning and choice that I haven’t seen from other creatures.

I can view this as a duel rather than a fight to the death.

I feel that If I bring other tamed creatures into this, I will lose all chance of having it as an ally.

Using my scan, I look into its history to learn more about my enemy and how I can defeat them.

And discover a surprisingly tragic history.

This feline was abandoned by its family during a migration through this area, although the species typically stay together in packs all the way until adulthood.

In fact, they threw it as a cub to an approaching predator while they ran off.

Strange, because normally they would do the complete opposite within this species. It may be because it was a little asshole that nipped the heels of the adults, but still… not cool.

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Somehow it was able to escape, but from there it had to fight to survive at every step.

This is part of what made it get refined into the stealthy and strong Hunter that it is today. It’s fought alone and driven away any competitors that could compete with it. Any it couldn’t, it avoids.

Now, with nothing of a similar strength around (that would be its rival), it is only the thrill of the hunt that keeps it going.

It must be feeling a strange curiosity about me, as I had attempted to make everything leave by making contracts with them. A way that was similar in result, but different in approach to its own actions. Cooperative actions versus coercive/violent actions.

Its curiosity must have only risen after seeing my varied actions and strengths.

The question now becomes how I will deal with it.

If I want any chance of bringing it to my side, I’ll need a direct confrontation.

Only that will gain its respect to where it would accept a contract. But if I do that, I’m going to need to get some cards on my side.

I begin by exiting the treehouse and heading deeper into the poisonous area.

My scan reveals the Panther moves a little closer but stops simply because of how dangerous it would be to continue. Even if it’s willing to risk its life to come after me, it doesn’t mean it’s going to be foolish.

Instead, it heads up the trees and then moving closer, so that way it experiences less of the poison, while still keeping somewhat of a sight on me.

Any flying creatures that would prey on it, stay away. It isn’t easy prey, so they ignore it.

Luckily for me, it won’t be able to come down to where I am or it would die shortly.

It is helpless but to watch me collect ingredients and, while moving along, create poisonous combinations. From one area, I’ll take the pods of a poisonous plant and mix it with the secretions of a venomous snake that I caught and was helpless to my strength. All the while, I’m running my healing aura to become more and more used to the poisonous air.

However, immunity doesn’t come that fast, even with the healing aura and constitution. I’d have to spend weeks out here, to get fully acclimated.

Or I could head to instantaneous death areas and desperately have my body keep reforming as it melts from the air and have it done in a day.

Honestly, I’d much prefer the first option.

It might be easy to think that my new determination to actually grow my strength in a more serious fashion means that I’m willing to take huge risks and endure massive amounts of pain regularly.

That’s a completely false assumption.

In fact, the struggles I’ve gone through have only reinforced the conviction that I don’t want to go through pain.

Only when I’m forced to will I choose to go through more pain, rather than less pain over a longer period. The main realization that I had received is that I have to go through pain if I want to survive in this world.

I’ll be coming back here when everything’s all set and then I’ll train this poison immunity at my pace.

Plus, anything could go wrong if I decide to go all gung-ho about it now.

With a created bag on my back, I continue to collect item after item and craft as I go along.

Once I’ve completed this journey, I have three main categories of alchemical weapons to use while I fight the creature.

The first is a series of mist-like toxicants, which will fill the air with a variety of types of debilitating, paralyzing, or even deadly combinations. These are composed of spores, ground caustic dust, and simply contaminated water. You should never underestimate the effect of heavy metals in water.

Next are sticky trap poisons, which hold or impair movement, while still being poisonous. They should burn the skin and stick tightly even when they’ve been shaken free of. It’s like that stain on the carpet that you can’t just quite get off no matter what product you use on it.

Or napalm. Just with thicc poison.

Last, there’s the poison that’s meant to be attacked with. These need to go be sliced into the skin or anywhere into the body in order to have a major effect. Technically, a venomous attack.

The last one will have the greatest effect, as it will circulate through the body much quicker than the others.

Now I need to find the battle area. Somewhere that is open enough for me to move around in comfortably. The normal jungle is only to its advantage.

My scan quickly searched and finds the perfect area for a direct confrontation.

A rare open area, with flattened brush and cleared trees. I can see that a few of the trees around are unstable, but are normal. The ground is also high above a cave, but is quite stable. Nothing short of an earthquake should collapse the ground.

I immediately begin sprinting towards this area in the normal jungle. Catching my fast movement, the Panther follows as fast as it can. Being in an awkward position and slightly poisoned already, it takes awhile to catch up.

This buys me ample time to reach the area and pull out a crafted bandolier and slot the potions inside.

Despite it being daylight, the pitch-black panther leaps into the open area, almost as in excitement.

Its purple eyes lock onto mine as we slowly circle each other.

It moves left. I move left.

We pause before moving in the opposite directions, but then it stops.

It seems to be at a disadvantage, as something seemingly caught its paw on a vine, wound near the edge of the open area.

But it’s not an accident.

My eyes, which were still focused on theirs, can see the smirk in its expression.

It jerks the vine, freeing its paw, and leaps into the air.

The strangely strong vine goes taut and the sound of snapping echoes around me.

At the same moment, a cascading effect occurs with the trees all around. They fall partially parallel to the circled open area, like a series of dominoes all triggered at the same time.

I say partially, because they are falling inward and the only way out seems to be through the open air… where the panther has leaped, claws waiting at the ready.

A trap, which because of its complexity, wasn’t considered one to my scan.

A hole in my scan parameters.

Check.

… this isn’t how the script was supposed to go.