There wasn’t time for TJ to evaluate the black coyote. The labrador-sized one continued to chew, and the agony alone was distracting enough. The serpent struck, and with a target so consistently near him, his jaws found purchase. One or more of his many fangs pierced an eye, and the coyote screamed in agony as it was partially blinded. Wetness exploded in the coatl’s mouth, blood and other gore painting his maw. The coyote yipped and released TJ’s body. He, however, did not. For a moment, he tried to constrict this second canine, but the movement sent shocks of cold agony down his spine. Instead, he was forced to clamp his jaws down harder on his prey’s head.
The torment of his torn body woke TJ a bit from the battle-rage, and he pulled up his HP: 209/440. Additionally, the System gave additional warnings:
Warning: You are suffering from a major Bleed affliction. You will continue to lose 10 HP a minute until the Bleed condition is cured.
Warning: You are suffering from a minor Crippling affliction. You will suffer a 20% reduction in Agility until the Crippling condition is cured.
Shit. His plan had been to put all his Free Points in Strength if he was in danger. Though doubts and agony plagued him, TJ dumped all four into Strength, giving him effectively 30 Strength as a coatl. The even larger black coyote refused to give him any more time to gather himself or kill the normal coyote. Instead, it stepped forward and seized his tail in its jaws before wrenching him backwards. TJ didn’t release the brown coyote’s head, instead sinking his fangs ever deeper into its skull.
Its jaws clamped closed, it would only whimper and lash out at his face with its paws. TJ held tight, biting down with even more force as his body began to cool. He was dying, and was sure to, unless he could kill this coyote, and it gave him a level up. As the black coyote pulled and bit down more and more, TJ began to lose hope. He couldn’t kill this coyote quickly enough. His HP ticked down as his ribs and massive wound smashed again and again against the ground.
170/440.
136/440.
93/440.
59/440.
500/500.
A rush of strength and excitement surged through TJ. The limp body of the coyote in his jaws stopped pulling against him, and TJ released it.
Coyote, Level 5, Slain. Experience gained.
Class: Neophyte has advanced to level 3.
Attribute points allocated: Endurance +3, Vitality +3, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +2, Fixation +2, Free Points +1. Additional Free Points currently available.
He looked down his long body and watched the bloody, maimed section of his torso close over. The major Bleeding and minor Crippling afflictions disappeared, and TJ hissed an additional challenge at the huge black coyote. As he struck at its face, it, unfortunately, let go quick enough to escape.
With a moment to evaluate it, TJ could truly see the beast for what it was. Its ears extended higher and more narrowly than the other coyotes’, and its fur was pure, pitch black. Worryingly, it stood nearly four feet tall at the shoulder, and those same shoulders rippled with uncharacteristic muscle. The forelegs were tipped by feet, but a thumb extended from the inside of its legs, too short to grab anything yet. TJ’s hiss went without response, and the black coyote circled him silently.
When compared to all the other coyote’s he’d seen and fought, the silence was off-putting, but the murderous beast continued to circle without a sound beyond the shuffling of its feet and quiet breathing. TJ fought to calm himself, ready his attack, anything. This thing was different from all the others, and TJ knew he was in danger, so he fought to ensure he survived. Even so, it continued to circle, and TJ knew he couldn’t recklessly lunge forward to strike. If it caught the base of his skull, he would be dead.
A tense minute passed, and TJ couldn’t help but look down at his Divine Transformation timer: 15:42. Plenty of time, but if this thing was patient enough to wear him down, TJ would be left without any weapon or recourse. The thought sent a shiver down his spine, but accompanying it was another, perhaps wiser thought. Another 30 seconds passed while he tried to work up the courage to enact the plan, then, with a deep breath, TJ shifted back.
Immediately, the wind on his naked body leached every bit of warmth from him. Shivering, unarmed, and more scared than he’d ever been before, TJ gasped, looked the coyote straight in its face, and turned to escape.
Its predatory nature stoked, the monster, still eerily silent, began the chase. TJ’s feet complained at the rough treatment, but he couldn’t care about that. Instead, he ran, panicked breaths coming quickly. He looked over his shoulder, and the canine was gaining on him. He glanced forward, a thick bush cutting off his path, and when his eyes found the coyote’s once again, he swore it was enjoying his fear. It leapt, fangs flashing and seeking his throat. TJ seamlessly fell to the ground in his coatl form before striking up with his jaws opened wide.
The coyote, though surprised, reacted quickly, and leapt into another jump as soon as it landed. It was too late, and TJ’s fangs found purchase in the flesh of the coyote’s thigh. Once the creature couldn’t keep any more distance from him, TJ relaxed, since his victory was assured. He wrapped his coils around the blackened beast, and the constriction set bones to cracking immediately. TJ released his bite, adjusting to snap his jaws into his prey’s neck–
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It leapt forward, and much of TJ’s body slipped right off the silky fur of the coyote. One coil remained wrapped around its lower torso, but the coyote didn’t hesitate. It turned and its fangs bit deep into the center of TJ’s mass. He hissed in agony as it attempted to rip his body from around its own, but TJ didn’t allow it. Pushing through the pain of the coyote’s retribution, TJ struck out, his fangs not finding purchase on the coyote’s head. Only on the thick muscle of the coyote’s shoulder did his fangs finally sink deep enough to keep the beast from escaping.
Even while he bit and fought to envelop the coyote in his attack, it refused to give up. Its canines dug ever deeper into TJ’s belly while it whipped its head wildly back and forth, trying to dislodge him. TJ didn’t release the coyote’s shoulder, though, and instead he wrapped his tail around its neck.
Though it hadn’t yipped or howled since it had begun stalking him, the coyote’s breath hitched as TJ’s tail began to crush its windpipe. TJ, with the strength of three men, twisted and wrenched and pulverized bone in the coyote’s neck until, with its lungs fighting for breath, it collapsed to breathe no more. A notification appeared, but TJ paid it no mind for now. Instead, he slithered towards the first, still living but immobile coyote. Its eyes flew wildly all over, but he couldn’t show any mercy at this time. With a constriction of his aching body, TJ snapped the neck of the last coyote. He was amazed to feel the rejuvenation of a level up when he slew the third, but as he checked his notifications, that amazement gave way to confusion.
Anubis-blessed Coyote, level 6, Slain. Experience gained.
Coyote, Level 5, Slain. Experience gained.
Class: Neophyte has advanced to level 4.
Attribute points allocated: Endurance +3, Vitality +3, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +2, Fixation +2, Free Points +1. Additional Free Points currently available.
Occupation: Savage has advanced to level 3.
Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +2, Vitality +1, Toughness +2, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +2, Willpower +2, Fixation +1, Free Points +1. Additional Free Points available.
Race: Human has advanced to level 3.
Attribute points allocated: Strength +1, Agility +1, Endurance +1, Vitality +2, Toughness +1, Wisdom +1, Intelligence +1, Perception +1, Willpower +1, Fixation +2. Additional Free Points currently available.
Even with so much new information, TJ, still a coatl, collapsed to the ground, shuddering. With the rattlesnake, he’d been near death and afraid, but everything had moved so quickly that the wonder of gaining his new Class and surviving had washed that terror away. Now… he’d nearly died. The coyotes were getting stronger, and faster than he was. Their levels grew so much in one day, so could he still keep up with them in another day? Would they slow down? When he asked, the System gave him nothing, so instead, TJ laid on the ground, his scales trembling with adrenaline and coming down from the panic of his past two days. Finally, taking a short time to compose himself, TJ could think coherently once again.
“Wh–” The series of questions burning in TJ’s mind clamored for his attention, until finally he settled on the first, “Why was that black one special? What’s Anubis? That rattlesnake I killed before said something about that, but I forgot to ask about it.” Somehow, with a greater familiarity with his serpent body, TJ no longer struggled with the “s”s.
All sapient life that lives is a holder of one of the Divine Bloodlines. Sentient life can qualify for a blessing of one of the holders of Divinity. Anubis, the Egyptian god of Jackals, embalming, and judgment, blessed the black coyote with alacrity and intelligence. Serket, the lesser Egyptian goddess of healing from venom and infections, blessed the rattlesnake with a more potent venom.
“But the venom was only a minor affliction, right?”
Serket’s blessing bestowed the scorpion’s tail to the rattlesnake. You were never struck by its stinger, which could have overwhelmed your current coatl’s body’s resistances.
A shiver ran down TJ’s back. Rattlesnakes, still very dangerous. “But how are creatures being blessed by the Divines who came before? You said that all the Divines are dead.”
All the Divines are dead. Their remnants, though mostly unable to interact with the world during the Integration, can give occasional guidance. There are additional pieces of information to which you have no clearance to learn at your current level of Divinity.
“Ok,” TJ sighed, “so how did Savage level up? I thought that killing things only gave my Class experience?”
The System has already addressed this. Savage, as an Occupation, is a generalist that can gain experience through crafting, hunting, or leading. The only requirement for the Savage is that, whatever they do to gain experience for their Occupation, they must do so with tools and implements that they created for themselves. The coatl body created through Divine Transformation qualifies as an implement that you have created for yourself, and so, you gain a reduced quantity of experience from hunting as a coatl.
“Why is it reduced, if it qualifies?”
Savage is not one of the very few “combat-oriented” Occupations. Instead, as a generalist, it gains a reduced quantity of experience from many activities. Later, the Occupation can evolve to a more production, administrative, or combative focused subclass of the basic Savage Occupation.
Though not exactly what he wanted, that was enough, and TJ nodded. “Then, how can I know how close I am to the next level? I just get told I get experience, now how much or how much I need to the next level.”
That information is not shared. Do know that the more difficult a task, the more experience gained. The relative proximity to the next level is something that can be sensed, though. With a greater level of familiarity with your own state and self, you will be better able to understand the relative closeness of your next level.
TJ thought for a moment and fought to feel that familiarity, but was left at a loss. Again, just like when looking at the coyote pelts he’d created, there was a vague sense that he could potentially figure something out, but it continued to elude him. The near understanding tickled at the back of his mind, and it was nearly painful. Then, without warning, TJ was shunted out of his coatl form and left naked and shivering in the stupid chilling winds. With his arms crossed in front of himself to fight to keep warm, TJ trekked over to where he’d involuntarily left his clothing behind. Worse still, the clothes would be freezing by now, and he couldn’t even use Divine Transformation to warm up for a while.
He cursed to himself as his feet caught on the tough stones underfoot, hoping he could quickly get dressed, while wondering if he still remembered where that cabin was.