Ember’s day began before the sun had even broken past the horizon, as a nearby call brought her out of her sleep.
“Wake up everyone! We got company!”
The voice of Allen the {Sellsword} wakes up everyone who was asleep, informing the group of slaver’s about an imminent attack. A wolf’s howl moments later adds emphasis to his words, so the young Tigerkin girl gets up with a slight sigh, lamenting the hours of sleep she would lose today due to the monster attack. It was one of the few things she had going for her, as due to a somewhat famous tale spread around the Slave Associations in the Labor Guild about how a slave got his master killed by purposefully misinterpreting an order when keeping watch, so now pretty much no slave nowadays were given that duty. Ember wished she was smart enough to figure out how to twist her orders like that slave did, or that Weston was stupid enough to give her the wiggle room of interpretation, but unfortunately for her, he never really gave her any chances. Case in point, an order from her owner soon enters Ember’s ear, leaving no room for tricks.
“Ember, help Allen and Pudicity fight off the monsters nearby to the best of your ability, and make sure the two of them receive no injuries, or I will inflict tenfold upon you later!”
Immediately after confirming where the fighting was at, Ember dashes towards the sounds of barking wolves and the twanging of Pudicity’s bowstring, avoiding any tripping hazards with ease due to her maxed out [Nightvision] Skill. If Weston had not added the “to the best of your ability” part of his order, Ember would have taken her sweet time getting there, even with the threat of punishment should Allen or Pudicity be harmed, just to get back at them in some way. Unfortunately, Ember had learned long ago that even someone without the teachings of an actual Slave Association like Weston knew how to work their slaves to their utmost capacity, or at least close to it.
Ember’s thoughts are interrupted when the darkness of night is briefly illuminated in front of her by a flash of gold light, a curse of pain from Allen soon following. Already resigning herself to taking extra lashes for something she couldn't have possibly prevented, Ember arrives at the sight of the battle seconds later, quickly taking in the half a dozen green-furred wolves still standing, the three wolves downed by arrows and blade, and lastly, Allen and Pudicity a couple dozen feet away from the still breathing beasts. A quick glance at the {Sellsword} shows that while he is pointing his steel blade in the general direction of the wolves, his other hand is occupied by clutching his side where the scent of burnt flesh enters Ember’s nose.
Even though she has no idea what caused the injury, Ember rushes towards the wolves regardless of the danger, as even though Weston had her replace her Analysis Skill, she can tell by the fact that since Allen is only dealing with a burn instead of a hole in his gut, the wolves won't be too much of a threat. After all, she is the highest Leveled person in the group of slavers.
Name: Ember
Species: {Beastkin}
Age: 20
Displayed Title: None
Unused Stat Points: 0
Tier 2 General Points: 0
Endurance: 94
Recovery: 84
Strength: 104
Dexterity: 153
Magic Power: 30
Mana Control: 30
Subspecies: {Tigerkin Pet} Level 49
Owner: James Weston
Active Skills (6/6):
-[Feline’s Grace] Level 40 (MAX)
-[Iron Fang] Level 22
-[Mending Lick] Level 40 (MAX)
-[Tiger’s Boon] Level 40 (MAX)
-[Tiger’s Roar] Level 25
-[Track Owner] Level 40 (MAX)
Passive Skills (6/6):
-[Man’s Best Friend] Level 40 (MAX)
-[Nightvision] Level 40 (MAX)
-[Predatory Instincts] Level 28
-[Retractable Claws] Level 32
-[Sensitive Whiskers] Level 40 (MAX)
-[Thick Fur] Level 40 (MAX)
Active General Skills:
-[Piercing Thrust] Level 20 (MAX)
-[Pinpoint Shot] Level 6
-[Sundering Slash] Level 20 (MAX)
Passive General Skills:
-[Acid Resistance] Level 5
-[Analysis Resistance] Level 20 (MAX)
-[Bartering] Level 7
-[Blood Affinity] Level 20 (MAX)
-[Bow Handling] Level 14
-[Cleaning] Level 40 (MAX)
-[Cooking] Level 16
-[Disease Resistance] Level 33
-[Enchantment Resistance] Level 20 (MAX)
-[Fire Resistance] Level 8
-[Fletching] Level 4
-[Herb Gathering] Level 20 (MAX)
-[Ice Resistance] Level 4
-[Perseverance] Level 40 (MAX)
-[Poison Resistance] Level 7
-[Rest] Level 40 (MAX)
-[Spear Handling] Level 20 (MAX)
-[Survivalist] Level 40 (MAX)
-[Unarmed Combat] Level 34
For most types of Subspecies, there is no clear way to Level faster, as besides the surefire way to Level any Class or Subspecies by killing things, they mainly Level over time by just existing. For example, a {Tigerkin Cub} will level faster by doing things a {Tigerkin Cub} does, which doesn't really mean anything other than living life. Depending on who you ask, this is either a big advantage or great weakness of Subspecies compared to Classes. On one hand, a Subspecies is much easier to Level up over time without having to do anything specific, so they can work a wide variety of jobs and tasks. However, this also means they don't get the much faster Leveling speed of a specialization, such as most Classes have. To compare, a {Tigerkin Cub} will Level up by doing pretty much whatever, but at a slower rate than someone with a {Baker} Class who makes bread every day. {Pet} type Subspecies are the exception, as there is a clear way to Level them up quicker, at the cost of the passive growth of other Subspecies, making it more similar to a Class. This way to Level up as a {Pet} is to help their Owner. In Chloe’s case, any order she receives from Weston, on top of being enforced by a magical collar, she also receives experience towards Leveling from each one she completes, and since she has to follow orders almost constantly, she quickly outleveled everyone around her, including Weston. This well known phenomena with the {Pet} Subspecies is both the reason why Weston wished to “own” one so much, and why this particular Subspecies has become less popular with Beastkin overall, as it just attracts others who wish to become “Owners” themselves.
All this to say that when Ember reached the monsters known as {Sunlight Moss Wolves}, it only took her moments to dispatch them by slashing extremities with claws that grew from the tips of her human-like fingers in moments, the attacks from the monsters not managing to make it through the thick fur that covers her arms, legs, and torso. Even the blast of light one of the wolves expelled managed to do nothing more than singe the tips of the fur and blow a hole in the dirty cloth tunic she wore. After downing the last one, she looks around herself while the pair of whiskers on her face twitch, trying to detect any more foes for her to face, finding none. After confirming she is no longer in danger, the kill notifications appear in front of her, which Ember takes the time to look over, if only to postpone returning to Weston, who would undoubtedly punish her for Allen not dodging in time before she even got there.
[You Have Killed x 6{Sunlight Moss Wolves: Levels 8-23} And Have Been Granted Experience!]
[Due To Repeated Actions, You Have Learned The Passive General Skill [Light Resistance] Level 1!]
[{Tigerkin Pet} Has Risen To Level 50! (+2 Endurance +2 Recovery +2 Strength +3 Dexterity +1 Magic Power +1 Mana Control)]
[{Tigerkin Pet} Has Reached The Level Required To Evolve To The Third Tier!]
[A Portion Of Any Additional Subspecies Experience Gained Before Evolution Will Be Stored Until The User Completes Their Subspecies Evolution.]
The furious Weston, who was stomping towards Ember while preparing his whip, stops his approach suddenly when he sees his slave’s face suddenly pale, and calls out to her.
“Oi! What's wrong with ya. Spit it out already!”
Ember didn't answer for a few seconds, but as a phantom pain began to spread throughout her entire body due to an ongoing order she received years ago when she first became Weston’s {Tigerkin Pet}, she turned towards her owner mechanically and began to follow one of the “contingency orders” she received at the beginning of her life as a slave: to tell Weston every time she received a Level, Skill, Title, or other System Notification that affected her Status, and to not use any Stat Points or General Skill Points without his permission.
“Master, that battle gave me the final push to reach Level 50, and I am now ready for my next Subspecies Evolution.”
Ember grit her teeth after giving her report, and watched as Weston’s angry expression quickly turned to one of glee. After all, he would now get to decide yet another of Ember’s Evolutions, ripping away one of the Beastkins’ most precious moments from her grasp yet again.
This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.
“That's great to hear! I'll even forgive your idiotic blunder in letting Allen get hurt and have the debtors pull the carriage today so you can complete your Evolution as soon as possible! Just make sure you pick the best {Pet} Subspecies option you can or you will regret it. Severely.”
Ember clenched her fists as she followed the three slavers back to the center of camp, and silently stood there as Weston let the three women who were debt slaves who stayed back with Billy and Charlie know that they would be pulling the carriage while the Tigerkin underwent her Subspecies Evolution. She had known for a while that this would happen, but Ember still hoped she would somehow be free of her bindings by the time she hit her third Tier, which would be most likely her Subspecies for most of her life. While she was very young for someone evolving to the third Tier, she would have to reach Level 100 to get to her next Evolution into the fourth Tier. The only person Ember had ever known who reached that was her former chieftain, who died of old age shortly before her village was attacked. In fact, she had learned that his death was the catalyst behind Weston attacking her village to enslave the inhabitants, as he was the sole reason no one had bothered before due to the difficulty in facing someone of that Level. In other words, she would now be a {Pet} for the rest of her life.
As Ember climbed into the carriage, tears began to stream down her face, until unconsciousness took her into the realm of Evolution.
When Ember awoke in the mental realm where her future would be decided, her eyes took in the sight of an endless void of space, with seven floating mirrors surrounding her. While the area was somewhat odd, she wasn't fully surprised about the lack of specific details. When she was little, her mother had told her about how the area in which you picked your Evolutions would resemble your home, or the closest thing to it. But for the Tigerkin of now, she had no home, constantly on the move without staying for too long in one place. As such, her space was blank, and she approached the mirrors, all of which had a reflection of her with differences in appearances, plaques describing the Subspecies they represent floating beside each one.
Sadly, most of the mirrors depicted versions of Ember with varying collars, indicating they were {Pet} variants, and the three that didn't have them, she refused to read the plaques as she didn't want to give herself more regrets by looking at options she wouldn't be able to take. This time, the rarity and quality of the Subspecies offered was represented by the ornamentation trimming the mirror, instead of the quality of fabric on the dolls last time she Evolved.
Seeing as she had options to choose from, Ember decided to take a look at all four of them in order to decide which was the best one.
Subspecies: Beast Of Burden
Stats Per Level: Endurance +6 Recovery +4 Strength +6 Dexterity +4 Magic Power +0 Mana Control +0 Free Points +0
{Beast Of Burden}:
These Beastkin have adapted to life of harsh labor, able to work in the harshest of conditions for hours on end. This Subspecies is a variant of {Pet} focused on providing menial labor for their Owner.
Prerequisite Skills And Achievements Related To This Subspecies:
-Has Spent Significant Time Providing Transport and Doing Heavy Labor
-Strength Stat over 100
-Obtained A General Resistance Skill in the Second Tier
-Maxed Out Perseverance Skill
-Maxed Out Survivalist Skill
Subspecies: Tigerkin Housepet
Stats Per Level: Endurance +4 Recovery +4 Strength +2 Dexterity +6 Magic Power +3 Mana Control +3 Free Points +0
{Tigerkin Housepet}:
These Tigerkin have adapted to helping others with daily tasks, obtaining access to some quality of life magic. This Subspecies is a variant of {Pet} focused on providing support for their Owners in their home life.
Prerequisite Skills And Achievements Related To This Subspecies:
-Obtained Cooking Skill
-Maxed Out Mending Lick Skill
-Maxed Out Track Owner Skill
-Maxed Out Man’s Best Friend Skill
-Maxed Out Cleaning Skill
Subspecies: Tigerkin Combat Pet
Stats Per Level: Endurance +5 Recovery +5 Strength +7 Dexterity +7 Magic Power +0 Mana Control +0 Free Points +0
{Tigerkin Combat Pet}:
These Tigerkin have adapted to protecting their Owner by defeating their enemies, honing their fighting capabilities. This Subspecies is a variant of {Pet} focused on fighting for their Owners with tooth and claw.
Prerequisite Skills And Achievements Related To This Subspecies:
-Strength Stat over 100
-Dexterity Stat over 100
-Obtained Iron Fang Skill
-Obtained Predatory Instincts Skill
-Obtained Retractable Claws Skill
-Obtained Unarmed Combat Skill
-Maxed Out Thick Fur Skill
-Killed Over 50 Enemies Unarmed
Subspecies: Domesticated Tigerkin
Stats Per Level: Endurance +6 Recovery +6 Strength +6 Dexterity +6 Magic Power +2 Mana Control +2 Free Points +0
{Domesticated Tigerkin}:
These Tigerkin have adapted to life away from their people. They have spent a significant amount of time with those that are not Beastkin, serving them and working for them. This Subspecies is a rare variant of {Pet} focused on helping an Owner from another Species.
Prerequisite Skills And Achievements Related To This Subspecies:
-Evolving From a {Pet} Subspecies
-All Owners Have Not Been Beastkin
-Maxed Out Tiger’s Boon Skill
-Maxed Out Track Owner Skill
-Maxed Out Man’s Best Friend Skill
WARNING: EVOLVING INTO THIS SUBSPECIES WILL LOCK OUT THE BEASTKIN SPECIES FROM BEING ABLE TO BE YOUR OWNER. SKILLS RELATED TO BEASTKIN OWNERS MAY BE LOST OR ALTERED DUE TO INCOMPATIBILITIES. SELECT THIS OPTION AT YOUR OWN RISK.
A wide range of emotions filled Ember once she finished reading the last option. From bile-rising disgust at the demeaning implications of {Beast Of Burden}, to sorrow at seeing her mother’s former Subspecies being available to her now, the {Tigerkin Housepet} option tainted by her current situation. While becoming a {Tigerkin Housepet} was her childhood dream, Ember decided instantly to not pick that option, not wanting to give Weston the satisfaction of tainting that dream even more than he already had. As for {Tigerkin Combat Pet}, she is somewhat tempted by that option, as though it is still a {Pet} Subspecies, the focus on fighting would allow her to defend herself better. Unfortunately, if she chose this one, Weston would probably start having her hunt monsters and fight more often, as he currently only makes her fight off attackers, not wanting to risk losing his slave in unnecessary fights, but if her Subspecies was specifically focused on that aspect, he would not hesitate to make Ember risk her life more and more.
That leaves the last option, which isn't much better for her. The very idea of the Subspecies twists what her mother had said about why she became a {Pet} for Ember’s father. But Weston had already done that, so this wouldn't really change much more. This one also gives out the most Stat Points, so she should just admit defeat already and pick it, it's not like the limitation will matter if she stays a slave the rest of her life. For a moment, Ember considers picking one of the weaker options just to spite Weston, but in the end, she caves, choosing to become a {Domesticated Tigerkin}
[Evolution From Subspecies {Tigerkin Pet} To {Domesticated Tigerkin} Is Now Complete!]
[You Will Receive 1 Level’s Worth Of Stats For Evolving Into The Third Tier (+6 Endurance +6 Recovery +6 Strength +6 Dexterity +2 Magic Power +2 Mana Control)]
[For Evolving Your Subspecies Into The Third Tier, You Have Unlocked Your Seventh Skill Slots For Your Active And Passive Subspecies Skills, As Well As Received One Tier 2 General Point and Seven Tier 3 General Points.]
[Due To Evolving Into A {Domesticated Tigerkin}, Your Active Subspecies Skills [Tiger’s Boon] Level 40 And [Feline’s Grace] Level 40 Has Merged With Your Passive Subspecies Skill [Man’s Best Friend] Level 40 Into The Passive Subspecies Skill [Aura Of The Domesticated Tiger] Level 43!]
[Due To Evolving Into A {Domesticated Tigerkin}, You Have Been Granted The Active {Domesticated Tigerkin} Skill [Proper Manners] Level 1!]
[Evolution Process Completed, Excess Experience Shall Now Be Distributed!]
[Skill [Mending Lick] Has Gone From Level 40 To Level 42!]
[Skill [Track Owner] Has Gone From Level 40 To Level 45!]
[Skill [Nightvision] Has Gone From Level 40 To Level 47!]
[Skill [Sensitive Whiskers] Has Gone From Level 40 To Level 44!]
[Skill [Thick Fur] Has Gone From Level 40 To Level 50!]
Ember rose from her lying position and looked over herself, seeing if there were any notable changes in her appearance from the Evolution. Before she could look in real detail past the grime and dirt covering her all over, a ghastly scream from outside jolts the Tigerkin girl to attention, and she gets up and rushes out of the carriage without wasting any time checking out the changes to her Skills.
Once outside, she realizes the Evolution must have taken all day, as the moon is shining down from the night sky, illuminating an unfamiliar and dilapidated town around her. The carriage seems to have been parked by one of the better maintained buildings. An inn of some sort, if the sign proclaiming it to be “The River’s Side Inn” is accurate. The barely audible twang of bowstring nearby draws her attention to the battle that had started whilst she was still unconscious.
Not too far from the carriage is Pudicity, shooting arrows through some oddly thick mist towards what seems to be a narrow river, if the trickling water sound Ember can hear is what she believes it to be, the mist inhibiting her [Nightvision] too much to see it. Behind the {Rogue} archer is Charlie, the {Priest} trying his hardest to heal one of the debt slaves currently lying on the ground, a bloody shard of ice lying next to her as blood pools out of the wound in her chest the young boy is slowly mending. The sound of muffled sobs from the other side of the carriage informs Ember as to the location of the other two young women, their condition unknown for the moment. As for the other three, the thick mist inhibits her sight too much for Ember to know where they are exactly, but the sound of darting footsteps on stone tells her the general direction they are in.
As Ember was taking in the situation as best as possible, Pudicity finally took notice of the newly minted {Domesticated Tigerkin} and immediately yelled out an order to her.
“WHAT ARE YOU WAITING FOR! GET IN THERE AND KILL THAT FUCKIN’ UNDEAD BITCH!”
With that as her only clue, Ember rushed towards the sounds of combat for the second time that day, listening carefully to any noises and keeping her whiskers alert for any incoming danger. Unfortunately, movement is required for her whiskers to detect anything, so she trips over a protrusion in the ground as she sprints over and falls down hard on the dirt, tumbling forward a few times due to the momentum. Looking back, she sees that the thing on the ground is actually the still fresh corpse of Allen, a large pool of blood exiting out from the wound a large shard of ice coming out of his eye has made.
Seeing this makes the Tigerkin hesitate for a moment. If something is out there that is both capable and willing to kill these bastards, she would gladly let it. She hasn't received an order from Weston to help, so she doesn't actually have to. Before Ember could get excited at the prospect, her hopes are immediately dashed as Weston, who heard Pudicity’s cry from moments before, calls out an order of his own, one she actually does have to follow or face severe retribution from the collar on her neck.
“Kitty! Get your ass over here and protect me long enough to kill this Rusalka! She's what we are here for!”
Before her collar can begin to activate, Ember climbs back to her feet once more and heads in the direction her Owner’s voice came from, making sure to keep an eye out for tripping hazards this time. In seconds, she reaches a stone bridge, and comes close enough to see through part of the mist and lays eyes on Weston and his {Thug} Billy back to back, each one of them facing the edges of the bridge that the river’s water runs under. Finally having him in sight, Ember takes up a position in front of Weston, forced to try and use her body to block any attack that might come towards the man.
Seeing his slave arrive at last, Weston’s tense figure relaxes slightly as he now has a meat shield in front of him to keep him out of harm's way. He takes out his frustration on her by immediately chastising her for her “failings.”
“Took you long enough, you dumb bitch. It's your fault that Allen is dead right now, and once I kill that undead and get what's rightfully mine, you better be ready for the punishment of a lifetime. The damn thing was even already injured by the time it showed up!”
Ember ignored the verbal abuse with practiced ease, making sure to worry about attacks from whatever this Rusalka thing is rather than inevitable lashings she has had to grow used to already. The seconds pass in uneasy silence, nothing jumping over the bridge to attack the small group, until a bit over a minute passes and the hurried footsteps belonging to Pudicity coming towards them is soon followed by her announcing to them where their target is.
“My [Mark Target] Skill is telling me that the undead is racing down the river back the way she came! She’s trying to escape!”
Weston curses, then immediately orders that the group chase after it, though oddly insistent that none of us kill it. The group runs along the river until reaching a wooden wall, then goes through the nearby gate to exit the town, all of them receiving a notification as soon as they pass the boundary indicated by the defensive structure.
[Now Exiting Domain: Rusalka’s Creek]
Seeing this, Ember finally gets why Weston is so insistent that he is the one to kill the monster, and also happens to most likely be the reason why they came out all this way. According to what the Tigerkin girl had heard from rumors, not just {Kings} and {Nobles} could become Domain Rulers, but anyone with access to a Domain. Other than creating one the hard way, by settling an unclaimed location and maintaining a certain population, the other way to become a Domain Ruler is to kill the former Ruler yourself, upon which the Domain becomes altered into one fit for the new Domain Ruler. This Rusalka thing must have killed the leader of this town, if not the whole place itself, to become its Domain Ruler, and Weston wants to do the same to it.
Figuring this out as she darts slightly ahead of the slower members, Ember’s opinion of Weston that was already as low as can be drops even further, as she realizes that the {Slave Trader} is still more worried about getting a Domain than thinking about putting his people in harm's way. Sure, Allen was a dick, and Ember would kill him without hesitation if she got the chance, but Weston’s complete disregard of the man besides supposed retributory punishments against his slave that he already whips daily is still sickening to see for her.
Thankfully, she doesn't have to dwell on this too long, as it only takes about a minute for Ember to catch up to the Rusalka’s location. She stops in a small clearing by the river, taking in the scene in front of her, surprise and confusion covering her face as she stands there, completely motionless. Seconds later, the other three catch up. Weston, about to reprimand Ember for stopping, halts as well as he takes in the sight along with Billy and Pudicity.
Standing on grass covered in the undead’s tainted ichor is a figure towering over the decapitated form of the Rusalka. The figure with bronze hair glinting in the moonlight must be at least eight feet in height, with crimson skin emphasizing her pitch black lips and horns, a spiraling tail slightly longer than her swaying behind the menacing woman. Pudicity takes a step back as she lays eyes on the Demon, stepping on a twig and making a loud snapping sound in a decidedly un-{Rogue}-like way, causing the glowing purple eyes of the woman to turn towards the group, finally taking notice of them.
The demoness freezes momentarily as she catches sight of them, before visibly relaxing a tad as a delighted look comes to her face. The girl who goes by the name Chloe Wright says just three words while waving sheepishly, as her excitement at coming into contact with people leaves her somewhat speechless.
“Uh, hi there.”
While there might not be such a thing as Fate in the world of Dharta, Ember will soon discover that meddling Gods and Goddesses can easily change your entire life. It's just a shame that the meeting between the newly Evolved {Domesticated Tigerkin} and the {Countess Of Broken Chains} didn't happen a day earlier.