I quickly sat up, walking into the cave again. I noticed that the fur was gone and didn't really think that much of it was probably Poly. I noticed the piece of meat was still there but contemplated about bringing it or not. I mean I did not have anywhere to put it and I don't really know if the creatures in the forest are going to be able to smell it and find me, and walking around with a leg the size of a baseball bat seems like a hassle. Ehh let's just leave it and Bring a smaller piece with me for the journey, I mean 10 km isn't that far. After picking up and ripping off a smaller piece of the meat before putting it in my mouth I started my climb.

Climbing down was at least a bit easier than climbing up. When I reached a point on the mountain side where I didn't have to use my hands to comfortably descend I stopped. I was no boy scout but looking up at the sky I could tell that it was mid day and probably around 8 to 10 hours to sunset. Well after being on the safer side and slowly climbing down, it had only taken about an hour to reach where I am now.

Still just standing there I was thinking if I should continue down and walk in the forest or just keep going on the side of the mountain. I mean walking by the side of the mountain is safer from creatures from the forest because I can just climb again and hope for the best if anything charges me.

But if I walk out in the open like I do now I would be way easier to spot and I don't know if there are predatory birds that can just sweep down and pick me up. Guess I just have to take a gamble, finding a flower close by I decide if I land on uneven pedals it's the mountain side and if it's even I walk by the outskirts of the forest. 1 pedal 2 pedals 3 pedals 4 and so on until I landed on 8. Guess I'm walking by the forest, after descending down to the outskirts of the forest my journey began.

Nothing special happened for the first hour or so except the shade from the trees made it more pleasant to walk. After another hour something happened, the wind picked up and made it blow from the mountain down towards the forest but nothing more happened even then. But after just 5 minutes I heard a rustle deeper in the forest and after unsuccessfully trying to grab a glimpse of what it was I backed up towards the mountain side and slowly bent down and grabbed the closest stone.

I stood as still as I could to try and see if I could see the thing that made the noise. After about ten minutes I still couldn't see anything so as I continued the journey, but right when I turned my body and left the place I thought I had heard the noise with my glance I did an unexpected fast turn around and looked at the same place again. And what I saw was some kind of animal that looked like an ordinary cat stopping it in its tracks. “HA HA, thought you could get the drop on me didn't you” After saying that to nobody special the cat-like beast just stood there before showing its teeth and growling before it jumped at me.

Mind you the beast was about four metres away from me when it jumped. I thought it had to at least land and jump one more time before it could reach me but I was wrong. From when it jumped to appearing like a fur missile right in front of a second couldn't even have gone by. It gave me absolutely no time to react, the cat crashed into my head and we both got sent to the ground but god dammit was it heavy.

After landing on the rocks behind me I had time to throw the beast of my face and off to the left. Before it could get its bearings back I quickly got up. Leaning forward with my trusted rock in one hand I started to circle the cat slowly now it just looked at me as I went around it. I walked up the mountain side thinking it would be harder for the cat to jump at me. It started to growl again.

I thought that this time I would be ready when it jumped and like clock work when it stopped growling it jumped again. But this time I was ready, I knew that I couldn't match its speed so what I had to do was predict its jump with and be lucky enough to be able to hit it. As I threw an uppercut with the stone in my hand, it connected. I celebrated in my mind.

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The cat was sent upwards, but before I could see it land a pain assaulted my right hand. FUCK that hurts, looking at my hand you could see that my little finger was bent unnaturally and the skin on my other fingers had cracked. Sure the pain wasn't as the one I felt yesterday but god dammit did it hurt. Knowing I had to fix my pinkie if I wanted to continue using it I grabbed it with my left hand and pulled. There was a crack and I went down on my knees in pain.

For fuck sake nobody told me its was going to hurt that bad, I cursed at all the movies that made it look easy. Knowing I couldn't bitch around too much because this was probably going to be my future I stood up before squeezing my hand one time to look if it worked and sure enough it did. It was still painful because of the carked skin that was flowing with blood but at least all my fingers were still working.

I looked around and found the cat-like creature laying a metre away from me. It seemed to be unconscious before I could even check I heard a tiger roar in the forest. It did not really give off impending doom like the Braken did but it still sent down chillies through my spine and I quickly realised that I would probably die if I tried to fight it. I started running, running faster than I have ever done before.

The only time I stopped was when I found what looked like berserker grass. I threw the root of the grass into my mouth after I squeezed some of its liquid on my opened wound then I started to run again now with even more vigour then before and my speed picked up. I didn't even have to run fifteen minutes before I was at the mountain. Please tell me I don't have to climb this mountain as well. Before I knew it was hit at the back of my head, bending down and holding the back of my head. Fuuuccckkk that hurts I said.

“I'm glad it hurt, fucking dumbass.” Looking towards where the sound came from I saw Poly standing there with her arms on her hips looking pissed. “How stupid can you be, did I not tell you that all the creatures in the forest were more powerful than you are. Knowing this you still went out during the day the only time where the strongest creatures are roaming the forest. Didnt you once think why I gave you two days for only 10 km.

And will you stop eating random plants? It only worked before because you got lucky, some of the plants in this forest will cause you more pain then you can imagine. There are also so many plants that will make your body explode because of how much zeal that they have stored in them.

And what's with your survival instincts. When you catch a creature of guard you strike not gloat at the fact that you got lucky. Even now when I smacked you at the back of the head you bent down without even assessing the situation, if I was the enemy you would have already been killed.

I really hope your a quick learner because if not your fucked.” I knew I was wrong so I could only answer with “Im sorry Poly” before I could continue. She said “James sorry don't cut it here, I know that you take this as a game and not seriously enough and that will get you killed, this world is so much cruller then you can ever imagine and power is the only thing that can help you get through it.

So I want you to take a real long look at yourself and ask if this is really what you want because if it really is there will be no turning back and you need to be mentally ready for it. If you are not, I will send you to the closest village and we will never meet again. Make your choice” I looked as she entered a large crack in the mountain.

Then I genuinely asked myself if power is what I wanted. I didn't know I realised where I came from there have always been a safety net and I knew that whatever happened I would be safe but in this world where once individual power came first and foremost it was different.

Looking back at the past few days I realised that it felt like I was really alive for the first time in forever and I loved that, now when I really think about it I have never felt so good as I did when I escaped that Braken or when I fought that cat beast. It really made me feel like my own life was in my hands and my own actions decided if I was going to die or to live. Before I even knew it I had made up my mind. I will do all that I can to never stop feeling this good and I knew that power was the only way for me.

With steady steps I followed where Poly went. When I saw her, she was leaning against a stone wall. “I have decided Poly. I genuinely apologise about how casually I have been acting about everything and you're right I have been going about this like just a game. So I have decided that I will stay.”

“Good it seems like you have come to your senses but action speaks louder than fancy words, so show me James show me that you are really taking this seriously”