Over the next three days, Zachary’s group caught more Ensouled and steadily improved their strength. The jungle was abundant with life and they could have used up most of their summoning cards if they didn’t have to conserve. They also didn’t encounter other prisoners or adept-rank Ensouled. It was quite a streak of luck that was sure to end sooner rather than later. But for now, their situation gave them a more confident footing in the New World.

Beneath the massive tree they called home, the three youths sat around a small campfire. The sun was starting to go down but they had enough time to enjoy a well-earn meal. They held skewers of mysterious meats over the flames. Fat sizzled under the heat. Bursts of fragrance made their mouths water.

“Are you sure this is edible?” Jean-Pierre asked.

He eyed his skewer. It held chopped-up sections of snake meat which were starting to char.

“I’m sure. Onkie here is my trusty food tester.” Zachary said, patting the furry beast beside him.

“Onk?”

The furry pig he had caught a few days ago raised its head. It snorted it a few times, taking in the strange smells in the air. Nothing was visible except for its dense brown fur which also hid its snout.

Zachary lifted his own skewer of snake meat out of the fire to cool. It only took a few moments until the beast went crazy. It bumped into his leg and dug at the dirt. It cried out pitifully as if it was about to die.

“Onk! Onk!”

Just like he had done many times before, he took a piece of snake meat from the skewer and dropped it on the ground. Onkie pounced on it and ate it swiftly with a single bite.

“Tch… is that a dog or a pig?” Jean-Pierre asked.

“I’m not sure,” Zachary said and also took a bite.

It wasn’t the most amazing thing he had ever tasted. But it was close. They had survived on dried rations and wild fruits until now. And there was no need to mention the things he was given on the navy ship. This was the first square meal in a long time.

The other two also started to eat. Seeing that Zachary and his summon were still fine gave them the confidence. Jean-Pierre devoured a whole piece of snake in one go and started into another piece even before he had finished chewing. Although a petite woman, Katherine also ate spiritedly, taking smaller bites but with furious speed.

Zachary patted Onkie again. Its special ability was related to food. It was a trash feeder that foraged on the jungle floor. Random plants, rotting fruits, and dead creatures were its usual fare. This gave the beast the ability to identify what was edible and what was not. And specifically, it would show great interest in things that it knew tasted good which helped Zachary identify additional food sources.

When the snake skewers were gone, they started cooking another batch, this time with fat toad legs that looked especially juicy and promising.

Jean-Pierre eventually took a break from staring at the roasting meat and spoke, “So, when are we going to start hunting adept rank Ensouled? If we wait too long, the easy ones might get taken by the others.”

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Zachary nodded, “I know. I think we are getting close. I have Boba for close-range scouting and Onkie for close-range defense. Arrow for long-range attack and Blue for long-range scouting and attack. But I want to wait until I catch one or two more birds for more scouting coverage.”

Arrow was a poisonous tree frog. Its innate ability allowed it to spit poison. Its accuracy was quite good and could snipe targets on the ground and in the air while clinging to tree branches. Its poison was quick acting and could incapacitate novice rank Ensouled of equal strength.

Blue was a jungle bird with brilliant blue feathers that made it stand out. It had the dual attributes of sky and water, with an unremarkable water-attribute attack that created a harmless light rain. Still, he was very happy with it since it proved that he could still summon sky-attribute Ensouled despite his wounded sky path.

Zachary’s lineup of Ensouled showcased his approach. He wanted to understand the jungle and what kind of dangers it held. He wanted extra eyes and ears. He wanted to know what dangers were around them and get ample warning to either evade or fight. Even Onkie contributed to this, not with immediate dangers but with learning how to survive long-term. Already, he had been able to gather a list of edible and semi-edible fruits, roots, and even flowers.

“What about you?” Zachary asked.

Jean-Pierre fished through his leather bag and retrieved his summoning cards. He counted them off one by one.

“Purple stag beetle, you guys have seen it already. Pretty strong. Yellow pill bug, good defense. Giant mosquito, fast. Red praying mantis, really strong. Round black beetle, good defense…”

He went on and described all nine of his captured Ensouled. They had obvious strengths whether it was attacking ability, defensive resilience, or sheer speed. His lineup had one purpose and that was to win a fight.

At the novice rank, it was truly fearsome. One of his insects could fight two of Zachary’s weaker summons. Since they were in the wilderness, there were no rules and he could summon as many as he needed. Such a force could probably hold off a much larger number of prisoners if such a group ever showed up.

“You don’t name your summons?” Zachary asked, “How are you going to keep track? You have four beetles and I am already confused which one is which.”

“Brother, they are just novice rank. I am not going to keep them forever. They aren’t my pets.”

“…”

“Ignore him,” Katherine chimed in, “He’s just a creepy bug catcher.”

“I’m not a bug catcher!” Jean-Pierre replied hotly.

Zachary suppressed a laugh. Bug catchers had a bad reputation in the Republic of Adorin. Insects were seen as ugly and dumb. Their combat ability was indisputable but summoners that used them were considered low-class and cheap. Jean-Pierre’s nine summoning cards all happened to be insect Ensouled. It was an unfortunate coincidence.

“Bug catcher.” She needled him.

“Fuck it.” Jean-Pierre threw a stick into the fire in frustration, “If I am a bug catcher, then what are you? You don’t even have a summon. You sponge off of us every day and you don’t contribute…”

“Jean…” Zachary warned.

“No, listen!” Jean-Pierre shot back, “How do you put up with her? She doesn’t do anything. What is she going to do when we hunt an adept rank Ensouled? I really want to know!”

He glared at Katherine who remained unperturbed. She wasn’t bothered by his yelling at all as if she had expected it. She also shamelessly continued to nibble at her food.

Eventually, with both men waiting for an answer, she tucked some stray locks of brown hair behind her hair and looked at them with a haughty expression.

“You don’t have to worry about me. I can take care of myself. But since you want to know, here.” She pulled on the neck of her worn-out shirt.

A furry face slowly appeared in the space she created. It had small round ears and wide eyes, a stubby nose and plenty of whiskers. Its fur was a mix of white and black patterns with a tuft of hair on its forehead that stuck up like a crown.

The small beast fumbled about as if it had just awoken. It examined its surroundings, its irises shifting rapidly along with its curiosity. Its gaze swept past Jean-Pierre and Zachary and landed on the roasted meat in Katherine’s hand.

“Meow?”