A few minutes later, Grover departs after showing me to the Shop interface just next to the interface for the settlement, that one with its screen locked except to Grover as the designated “Mayor” of the burgeoning village.

Artemis and Horus remain outside, Horus perched upon Artemis’ barrel sized head while she receives some love and nearly unlimited pets from the small group of village youths that surround her almost immediately after she walks off from our meeting.

So, left to my own devices, I eagerly pull up the storefront!

Welcome to the System Shop!

Buy

Sell

Trade

Hmmm, so similar to most third-party sites from the old world, fairly simple. I select sell first, eager to liquidate several of my collected skins and other assorted loot I had dragged here on our first stay and left in Grover’s care in my absence, as well as the Flaming Wand from that fool of a mage.

I manage to pull a tidy sum, 40 tokens on top of the 10 I had looted from the downed mage. Unsurprisingly, the wand made up half of the total. Magic comes at a price, it seems.

Next, I turn to the Buy section with a gleam in my eye and my proverbial wallet burning a hole in my metaphysical pocket.

I intend to look for two things:

First, a set of stronger and more compatible armor for me.

Second, anything to help my companions grow stronger or better able to survive in any worst-case scenarios, especially if we have a large-scale battle just over the horizon.

I search for armor first, a helpful Shop option filtering by compatibility, and look at the results with delight.

Simple Scale-Mail and Leather Jerkin with Gauntlets(C): Basic armor for the fast-moving fighter, grants minor defense. Set Bonus: +1 to Strength. 10 Credits

Hardened Rogue’s Leathers(UC): Set of grey and green camouflaged leathers, perfect for the enterprising rogue in an urban or forest environment, grants minor defense. Set Bonus: +1 to Dex. 15 Credits

Forest Ranger’s Padded Hauberk and Greaves(UC): A padded robe-like shirt made of stiff and sturdy leather magically hardened and colored several different shades of dark green to disappear into the underbrush or shadows. Grants minor defense. Set Bonus: +1 to Con. 20 Credits

I am intrigued by each of these ones, mulling them over for a second as I like both the price points and the benefits they offer. Especially the rogue’s set, a free point of Dexterity and it blends in really well? That’s right up my alley!

I like the Forest Ranger set as well, of course, but Constitution is my least needed stat boost, by far.

All of that goes out the window though, as soon as something jumps out at me further down the list, past where I intended to stop spending my money but I just can’t pass it up!

Huntsman’s Bark-Steel Jerkin and Greaves(R): A bark and steel hybrid jerkin, magically melded materials create a moderate defense and allow for easy blending into the background of most of the world’s natural sceneries. Locked to Huntsman classes. Set Bonus: +1 Con, +1 Soul. 30 Credits

It’s almost made for me! And only 10 credits above what I wanted to spend….

I spend a few seconds hemming and hawing over it but then, I decide, enough is enough.

If I need more credits, I’ll just gather more loot from my fallen enemies. They won’t have any need for it anymore, after all.

I pull the trigger and the set materializes on a pallet sized white plate of some indeterminable metal on the floor next to the Shop interface.

I pick the set up, admiring the bark and steel molding around the body but especially around the hands and the detailed work needed to delineate each knuckle to come to a sharpened point.

I pull the pieces on, feeling the weight settle onto me a little uncomfortably at first, but a few minutes of stretches and moving around the room fixes that, each moment the set feeling more and more just another part of me.

I turn back then to the interface, pulling up the compatible options for Beasts and any sort of growth boon or advancement assistance available.

System Pet Biscuit(C): Basic sustenance for the growing Beast. Will grant a minor boon of +1 to Strength and Con for 4 hours. 4 Credits each.

Beast Accelerated Growth Serum(U): Want your pet to be all grown up and ready to crush its enemies? You need this serum! Will increase rate of growth by 200% until fully mature. No side-effects by System control. 10 Credits

If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement.

Beast Collar(R): Want a new pet? Use this collar to force any wild Beast into obedience. Will only work on Mana rabid Beasts once they are brought below 10% health. 25 Credits

I drop from my perusing with a gasp of dismay, that last item crossing the line into sheer slavery!

Someone actually makes something like that?!

I can almost feel my ability, Duty of the Huntsman, activating merely through the Shop as a proxy.

Shaking the feeling off for a moment, I resolve to ‘handle’ anyone that uses a collar like this.

And if I ever manage to come across whoever makes them….

Well, suffice it to say, his collars will likely make good restraints to allow him to fully feel the pain his actions wrought upon who knows how many other beings.

Too upset over my discovery, I buy one of the growth potions and two biscuits before waiting impatiently for them to materialize, leaving the interface building shaking my head in disgust.

I grab Horus from his perch on our furry behemoth’s head and give him the growth serum in a small bowl on the bench just outside the Shop/interface building.

Horus, after mentally seeing what I intend, hops down and drains the small bowl rapidly, his little form seeming to grow a tiny bit to the naked eye already!

The biscuits I intend to give to them both before tomorrow’s battle, should the enemy Clan arrive as expected, to better allow them to get the most from the boon the biscuits provide.

Placing Horus back upon my shoulder and giving Artemis a mental nudge to pull her from her fans, we make for our bed, still saved for us according to Grover, and a well-deserved rest.

We will need it.

Tomorrow, we fight.

Tomorrow, if fate allows, we will get revenge for our new little brother’s lost family.

All that is left is to sleep, wait, and hope.

I awake with a jolt the next morning, a tickling that I have forgotten something setting my brain to turning, even from my slumber.

I realize a moment later, I never got any notification about Horus’ PAID!

Curious, I send him a gentle mental nudge over our bond, causing him to perk his little head up from his sleeping perch on the corner my bed’s frame.

I receive back a quick series of feelings, impressions, and rough images and am left to ponder them as he lets his head hang and drops into dreamland once more, although now, I realize the purpose for his continued sleep.

The gist of it is: His mother had essentially instilled a sort of genetic memory/guiding instructions for him for his growth while he was still being formed. She gave him a path to be the best he could be, she had remarkable foresight and I am once more saddened by her loss, the light she could have brought if what he describes about his future is any indication of her own capabilities.

The reason for his excessive sleep over the evening is because, with the growth serum, he is just about to reach the first of his evolutions toward being full grown and the species his mother mapped out for him…well its pretty amazing and unique if I do say so myself.

All that’s left is to wait.

So, I cajole Artemis to join me as I spend the next couple hours just outside our bunkhouse doing some basic calisthenics and training instilled by Burgess’ not so tender hands. The benefits have long been clear though and I intend for us to be in tip-top shape when the time to strike comes.

Suddenly, I’m pulled from my training by a loud screech from just inside.

Excitedly, I rush in and spot our companion, new and improved as he is!

Now, he stretches twice his former height to 2 feet. His off-white feathers are now a mix of golden tan and a deep, dark grey while his amber eyes seem to shine in the light and almost disappear as he turns his head into the shadowed portion of the room.

His talons, already fairly sharp, now appear somewhat serrated and wickedly hooked but his beak…now it ends in a point so sharp, it almost seems to disappear into the very air!

His System tag has changed too, now reading his new subspecies aspect, somewhat different from his mother’s and much cooler, if I do say so myself.

{Twilight Hawk(Adolescent), Lv.8}

Yes, his new aspect should be very, very interesting as he advances, perhaps it’s a product of his mother’s "helio" or sun aspect combined with a moon or darkness aspect from whatever his father is? Tough to know for sure, though but it seems likely.

He has also received his first Skill as well, which he helpfully sends over our bond.

Twilight Strike(App): Imbue talons with the power of the sun or moon depending on time of day. Costs minimal Mana per strike and does moderate damage. Every 10 levels will upgrade tier. Apprentice Bonus: May imbue beak with power as well, at the same cost.

“Oh, wow!” I declare as I rub his slightly bigger head gently with my thumb before praising him “You are growing up awesome, little guy! How much Mana do you have to use for it?”

He informs me his total Mana is 10 which should be plenty for some judicious use of such a powerful skill and should help him reach Lv. 10 in the battle ahead to unlock his next Skill.

Speaking of, I check on Artemis’ new Skill that I recall she should have unlocked when we both reached 10 the day before but I had forgotten to check after the unfortunate slaughter we encountered.

My girl, as stoic as always, merely wags her tail a bit as I ask about it and sends me back the Skill description, a sense of smug pride emanating from her about her choice.

With a barely concealed grin and a ruffling of her neck fur, I check her new addition out.

Helhound’s Might(App): When defending an innocent life or a loved one, Strength and Dexterity will increase by 25% for the duration of the engagement. Every 10 levels will increase tier and unlock additional benefits. The Helhound is there for those that need them, their support and warmth enough to stave off even the coldest of villains.

“Nice choice, milady!” I praise, giving her some vigorous pets, “You were thinking about the upcoming battle when you chose it, weren’t you?”

She nods her great barrel-sized head under my hands as it butts up against me so I can better reach the perfect spot.

‘Keep you, our brother and the children safe.’ She thinks to me over our bond.

“That is very admirable of you. That is our job now, to be the frontline, the tip of the spear, to any who would threaten the innocent in this new world.” I tell her seriously.

‘Good.’ Is her simple, heartfelt reply before she begins threading her bulk back through the mostly empty bunks toward the exit, a sense of hunger filling our bond as she pads out.

“Come on, bud. Let’s go eat before she chows it all down.” I joke, offering my arm for Horus to perch on.

Taking a moment to adjust to his newfound size on my shoulder, we stalk out of the bunkhouse and make our way to the mess hall, ready to attack the day and, sometime soon, our enemies as well.