Alec quickly led me to a tree stump and gingerly laid down the egg upon it.

“Craytipult, help with the defense while Wade and I deal with this,” he instructed and the horned crab let out a series of clicks and bubble pops before skittering off to the edge of the palisade. Alec squatted near the egg and looked at it closely, before putting his ear on it and listening. He kept his ear there for a solid minute before righting his posture.

“It’s fine, but this shell isn’t going to heal. You can make it hatch faster by using experience points. Five or so should do.”

“But if I do that, what about your share and everyone else’s share?”

“Share? Do you think you’re the only one that saw that prompt? Everyone who is in our party got thirty experience points of their own, Wade.”

If that was the case, then I couldn’t say no and while I was at it I’d finish grabbing Stranger level 2. With a simple force of will, I called up the prompt to spend ten points of experience to level up Stranger the rest of the way.

[[You have become level 2 in the Stranger class!]]

[[+1 Luck, +4 Strength, Dexterity, and Constitution. +3 Wisdom, and Intelligence. +1 Charisma. 3 Stat points to assign as you wish. You have gained the base class skill of the stranger: Strange Ways- Dungeons may generate special treasures for you and allow you access to areas that you may otherwise not be able to access within dungeons. Depending on your wisdom, and luck stats, you may receive additional guidance prompts from the system. While in battle or dungeons, you generate an additional twenty percent experience points for yourself and ten percent experience points for your compatriots. This bonus is retroactive within twenty-four hours. This trait does not evolve to allow for use outside of the Stranger Class until level 16 in the Stranger Class. ]]

That was odd, but I didn’t know how odd. I was expecting a powerful ability, skill, or buff to my stats. Either way, there was no going back on it now. It also made the Stranger class seem almost like a generic adventurer class of sorts.

With it done, I focused on the egg and gently put my hand on it. “Sorry about letting you hurt, little buddy. But let’s see if we can make it better.” As the words finished from my mouth, I willed the movement of experience down my hand, to what I touched. There was a feeling of energy moving from the area just above my navel, through my chest, and then my right shoulder. It continued until it was at my fingertips and leaving through them.

As soon as the energy passed into the egg, it began to wobble with the intensity of a coin at the end of its spin. It shook enough that I thought it would fall off the tree stump we had it laid on, and then it stopped shaking. I smelled a breeze like a honeysuckle in the air, and the egg’s shell soon began to crack. First slowly, and within ten seconds it was empty.

Tilting its head at me was a creature that on first impression was a ball of black, orange, and gold colored fluff. It had six fur-covered limbs in total, with a black head dominated by banana-yellow colored fur accenting it, and large orange eyes with crescent-shaped black pupils. It had fluffy and curling antennae that did not face the same direction. It had mandibles, but the double curving upper lip of an anime cat below them. Occasionally slithering from its lips was a forked tongue, like that of a snake.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

Without a word, I pulled out the carved wooden coin which would make up its initial reliquary.

“Do you want to join me in my adventures?”

“Bzzzao.” The bee monster sounded before hopping around excitedly. Because it did not have a tail, its whole body wagged instead. “Bzzzao.” it sounded again before it began to start rolling while looking at me and rolled onto the reliquary. It stayed there for a moment before being swallowed up by it.

I released it immediately after and analyzed my newest partner.

[[“Beelebian, level 1. Five experience points are necessary to become level 2.

Beelebians are common across the entirety of Hekatondrona and are often considered favored partners and pests in equal measures. Voracious of appetite and capable of producing honey with healing properties, beelebians are territorial and protect those whom they consider a part of their group, be they human or monsters, with great vigor. Mead makers and alchemists are the most common partners of Beelebians, though farmers and architects also favor these monsters. This Beelebian is male. All beelebians are wind and artifice primarily aligned monsters. This beelebian has a secondary water alignment. Its tertiary alignment is currently locked.

Techniques:

Breezecall (Wind) - By performing a specialized dance and summoning wind energy which it collects in its body, the monster may summon a cutting wind slash or a gentle breeze to carry it through the air.

Hivewall (Artifice) - The distinctive attack of the Beelebian line and its offshoots, with it the Beelebian hardens its body with extrusions. With it, it may tie things together or stick to vertical surfaces, but it may also allow a Beelebian to defend against heavy attacks as if it were itself a shield. ” ]]

I guess thinking it was a shield or something like it when it was an egg was not just a failure of perception on my part. Without a word, I put the currently palm-sized bee creature on my shoulder and looked to Bagheera the Ossicarn and Baloo the Cerbearus.

“So I’ve got to think of a good name for a bee, given we just had one join our team - but while the others work on fortifying our little forward base here I need you two with me. Moriah and Eris are still out there.”

I resheathed my sword and turned to Alec. “I’m going out to look for the girls. Help defend this area, if they’re hurt we might need it.”

Then to all of those assembled, I gave a gentle bow of the head. “I apologize for not preparing better. I didn’t expect us to get tossed in here like a blender.”

Calvin almost started to ask a question but instead just gave a look to the other Hekatondronan youths. I could tell from body language he was mocking my word choice. Why would they know what a blender was?

“I’ll help keep this area safe. But watch out, if there’s that many Cobluchin, there must be a Cobgoblin as well.”

“A… what? A Cobgoblin?” This almost made me laugh at the mere name, it sounded like a mistranslated hobgoblin, or a goblin gobbling a cobbler.

“Their evolution. I’ve never seen one, but I’ve heard tales. Just watch out!”

We needed to hurry, who knew how many Cobluchins were in the dungeon, or what danger the girls might be in? I rushed as quickly forward as my younger body would carry me.