Kade checked the map while tossing pieces of meat into his mouth. A month had passed and he had completed his goal. It was time to go home. The only problem was that he had ventured out farther than he had planned.

"Look at what you did." He said while slapping the map.

"awo, tss" This was Obruos' version of barking, or at least he thought he was.

"Don't look at me like that. You're the one that led us all the way out here."

"grrr. tss"

"Pfft, haha." Kade chuckled as slapped the pup's side. "Let's get going."

He stood up before a wry smile spread across his face. His rucksack was heavy with his spoils. It was a blessing and a problem.

"I'm going to make you a bag too. It's not fair that you have it so easy." He complained as he led the way home.

Thanks to Obruo's senses, they were able to navigate the wild with relative safety. Though he had to kill a creature here or there, they were able to bypass the beasts.

However, their luck couldn't continue forever. Murphy's law was a significant factor in his life and it reared its head at the worst moments. Like when he was traveling home with a bag full of valuable items.

"Grrrr, Tss." Obruo lowered its body and growled while its head rotated left and right.

Kade dropped his bag without hesitation as his hand shrouded in altaris, his eyes darting back and forth as he looked for the threat.

Moments later, a beast appeared from the trees. It looked strikingly similar to a panther. Lean and muscular, but with a deep dark green coat of fur. It had two black horns that spiraled upon its head. It was majestic.

Just from the first glance, he could tell that this was a formidable beast, however, the surprises hadn't ended. A second panther appeared on his flank, sharing similar traits to the first, but with smaller horns.

"Fuuuuck." He didn't enjoy being pessimistic, but, c'mon.

He didn't wait to see if the beasts that had pincered him were friendly. Vines sprouted from the ground as another spell formed. The beast dodged, while the other attacked.

Obruo met its leap, and though overpowered, it knocked the panther off target.

Kade didn't have time to worry about Obruo. He focused on the panther in front of him and rained spells down upon it without rest until one finally landed. Ice spread across one of its legs.

He spun while channeling altaris. The other panther had pinned Obruo and bitten into its shoulder.

He ground his teeth as a white fireball appeared. He ran toward the panther as it backpedaled while dragging Obruo. The moment the spell finished charging, he fired it forward. The speed of it surprising the panther, allowing it to connect with its horn.

The beast released Obruo and roared out as it shook its head in a panic.

Without missing a beat, Kade sprinted forward to the pup. With strength he had forgotten he had, he grabbed Obruo and sprinted with all of his might. Regardless of how effective the fireball was, there were two of these beasts.

He heard the patter of paws striking the ground and knew he couldn't outrun them. He cast shape earth a few meters ahead to create a pit before dropping Obruo in it as he ran and quickly shaping the dirt over it.

Not a second too soon as he felt the sharp pain of a jaw snapping onto his right shoulder. Thick, razor-sharp claws dug into his chest as the best latched on.

He stumbled before falling to the ground and rolling with the beast. He felt excruciating pain as the teeth and claws tore through his flesh, but he ground his teeth and channeled a spell in his right hand while grabbing his knife with his left.

He wildly stabbed toward his shoulder until he felt the pressure release, immediately releasing the spell he had channeled and rolling away.

Enduring his suffering, he scrambled to his feet as vines coiled around the panther. He wanted to use the opportunity to light the beast aflame, but the other panther was too close.

It was enduring the pain of the white-hot fire scorching its face at it charged at him madly. Its horn and claws glowed purple as it leaped toward him.

Casting shape earth, he sunk into the ground and performed the same technique he had used against the lion to create a cloud of powdered dirt.

He thought he had safely dodged the beast and hindered its senses, but he was wrong. Three purple crescents came at his face. He twisted and leaned his body in an attempt to dodge.

A burning pain spread across his face as the tip of the crescent swiped across, having come dangerously close to his eye.

He ignored the feeling of crisis overwhelming his heart as he tracked the silhouette of the panther through the cloud. This cloud was a double-edged sword, it had saved him but now it was a hindrance. His eyes were tearing up and he was struggling to breathe.

-

"What the hell is going on here?" A short red-haired woman asked as she stared at the chaos ahead.

A large black beast was biting and clawing at verdant vines. Nearby, a cloud of fine dust lingered in the air. A shining light could be seen within and continuous roars could be heard.

"A man is fighting two beasts." A short-haired brunette said as she rested her gun on her shoulder.

"Is he winning? Should we intervene?"

"I only saw him for a moment, but he didn't look so good."

"Tsk. I don't care if he is winning or not, the gems are the only thing that matters."

Four women looked toward their leader. Though they all wanted to intervene for their own reasons, it wasn't their decision.

"We don't steal another's prey. However, two beasts against one human..." She turned to the short-haired gunner "You said he was struggling?"

"Mhm, it seemed that way. He was hurt pretty bad."

"Okay. We will give him some help. Target that one." She pointed at the panther tearing vines.

She drew her sword rushed toward the panther as her teammates spread out. She watched the beast free itself, but rather than targeting her, it seemed as though it didn't even notice them as it snarled at the cloud.

The next moment, a man burst from the cloud between them. his clothes were shredded exposing the gnarly wounds on his upper body. His left hand glowed with a blue light.

The panther lurched forward.

-

Kade watched the panther close the distance. He had expected that it would be free, but it was closer than he expected. 'Do I have time?' He thought frantically as he channeled his spell.

He raised his hand in preparation as time seemed to slow to a crawl. Either he finished his spell, or he died.

Suddenly, he felt a strong impact from behind as something wrapped around his body. Momentum carried him forward as he rolled on the ground.

He felt whatever it was that grabbed him loosen its grip. He twisted his body and prepared to stand up, first catching sight of a woman, and then a panther with a flaming horn. Without hesitation, he dived at the woman as she had him.

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He hugged her as they rolled and forced her aside the moment they stopped. Scrambling to his feet, he frantically searched for the two panthers.

One was confronted by a tall, fit blonde woman. The other one was snarling at them.

He didn't have time to question who these women were but he was thankful that one was distracting the other panther. He channeled his altaris, creating a ball of ice in his hand and casting it at the rear legs of his target.

The panther lurched to its right, dodging the spell before charging forward.

Kade rolled to his right as he cast Entangle in the panthers' path.

Entangle was a targeted spell that was cast on a specific location. There was no projectile. This made it nearly impossible to dodge. However, due to the nature of the spell, there was a delay between cast and activation which made it equally as difficult to aim.

Thankfully, he was good at leading the spell and could hit a charging target nearly as precisely as a stationary one.

a sizeable patch of vines sprouted just in front of the beast. Though it wasn't bound, it did trip. The purple energy emitted from its claws shredded the vines as the beast flailed before the pieces lit up in flames.

Kade didn't waste the opportunity, immediately casting freeze on its rear legs. The ice would only last a moment due to the heat radiated by the fire or the strength of the panther, but that was enough.

He didn't stop moving as a white fireball took form in his hand. He fired it off at the same time the beast shattered the ice. Less than a second passed before the panther's head was fully engulfed in fire.

Kade watched with a sneer. He wanted to continue bombarding the beast, but he was completely drained. The white fireball took up a huge amount of altaris, and not only did he cast it twice, but he had also cast numerous other spells.

His lack of altaris, coupled with the intense pain radiating from his body caused him to drop to a knee. He could only watch and rest. However, it didn't matter. He knew that the panther was as good as dead.

Somehow, it had managed to retain vision in one of its eyes even with the fire raging on its horn, but now its entire face was covered. He wouldn't be surprised if the heat cooked its brain within its skull.

He tore his gaze from the burning panther and watched the other fight.

The tall blonde he saw earlier faced off against the beast while two other women attacked from the sides, moving in and out like wolves wearing their prey down. Gunshots rang out often, holes appearing on both sides of the beast.

They were strong individually, and their teamwork was impressive. The blonde was able to remain on her feet and hold the beasts' attention despite being knocked around. The two attackers attacked at the perfect moment to alleviate pressure from the tank, while the gunners continuously harassed the beast. They had even managed to take out one of its eyes.

They certainly didn't need his help. He checked on his prey to find it weakly writhing on the ground as it whimpered.

He forced himself to his feet. Now that he was sure there was no danger, he had a pressing matter that he needed to attend to. He backtracked twenty meters before dropping to his knees and scraping at the dirt.

It only took a minute to uncover Obruo. They shared a similar wound. Obruo's shoulder was mangled and had a few deep holes. Its breathing was a bit rapid, but Kade didn't think it was life-threatening.

"You're alright." He pet it gently as his tension released. This pup had proved itself a loyal companion and a strong animal, but against a beast, it was simply too weak.

He thought that the beast cores would increase its strength, but even after consuming five of them, nothing had changed. It was a bit disappointing and a huge waste to allow it to eat cores for the taste, but he was fair when it concerned his friends.

"I suppose this core is yours then." He smiled before leaving the pup and returning to the panther.

The fight was still raging and didn't look like it would end soon. His prey, though motionless, was still on fire. All he could do was wait.

The fire died out after fifteen minutes. He extracted the gem with great struggle due to his wounds, before sitting on the beast as an act of defiance against the beast he so despised.

He didn't feel it right to leave without speaking to the woman that had saved him so he waited for another fifteen minutes before the battle was over.

Once the beast fell, two more women appeared and they all began processing the beast on the spot. He listened to their excited voices as they admired the beast's features up close.

It wasn't long before they finished and turned their eyes to him. Each one had a different expression, ranging from caution to surprise.

"Thank's for helping me. I was in a pretty tough spot." Kade said while moving his gaze over the group.

"You're welcome. As we saved your life, shouldn't you provide some gesture of appreciation? The beast core will do!"

He raised a brow as he examined the woman that spoke. She was one of the gunners. She had pink hair that was pulled into a ponytail and a pair of goggles rested on her forehead.

"We already got an entire beast, Cassie."

He recognized this one as the one that had saved him.

"I was just joking." The pink-haired girl replied in a huff.

The woman that saved him glanced at the beast, then back at him "You killed it?"

Kade shook his head "Nah, all of its anger fried its brain. You can look if you'd like." He joked.

She rolled her eyes. "You're the first person I've met that can kill a beast alone."

"I'm sure others can, they just haven't tried."

"Maybe, that begs the question of why you did so. Where is your team?"

"I don't have one."

Her eyes widened before her expression warped into a frown "You're crazy."

"Maybe." He smiled wryly "But believe it or not, this wasn't my first choice." He cleared his throat before continuing "Anyway. I appreciate the help. I would give you the beast core, but it is reserved for a friend. Is there any other way I can repay you?"

Her gaze wandered for a bit before she shook her head "We helped you out, but we also stole your prey. So just consider us even."

His lips twitched as he struggled to contain his laughter. He took a moment to observe the woman in front of him.

She had raven-colored hair with white highlights that was tied into a high ponytail. A white bandana tied into a headband kept the sweat out of her eyes. She wore a black tank top, brown cargo pants with a thin sweatshirt tied around her waist, finished by a pair of black boots.

The entire ensemble was practical while still being pleasing to the eye in a unique way. Coupled with her confident and nonchalant attitude, he was sure he wouldn't forget her anytime soon.

"How about we just say I owe you a favor?" He could match her pride "And since I'm a bit exhausted, I'm willing to make a deal if you agree to help me process this beast." and see through her facade.

She raised a brow "What's the deal?"

"I want half the claws, one of the horns, half the fur, and a bit of meat for my friend. The rest is yours." He presented his offer.

He had noticed her gaze earlier and saw a flash of desire as she looked at the beast. If he had to guess, she wanted the fur. He was willing to give it up in appreciation, but he knew she was too stubborn to accept it without a deal.

"Okay." She said while trying to hide the excitement in her voice "But why do you want the meat? It will spoil before you get back to Earth."

"My friend is nearby." He said with a smile.

He slowly made his way off of the beast while wincing.

"If you're willing to go sixty forty on the fur we will help you with your wounds."

He gave her a sidelong glance. Was she being conscious of his pride too, or was she taking advantage of the situation? "Okay, deal." It didn't matter.

He sat to the side while four of the women began stripping the beast. Surprisingly, the one helping him was the woman that saved him.

"You're the leader?"

"Yeah."

"What's your team's name?"

"Why do you want to know?"

"Partially out of curiosity, but also because I owe you a favor."

"Matrons Divinity."

"I'll remember it. I'm Kardis Tempero."

"And why did I need your name?"

Kade's eye twitched. She was so cold. "To find me if you ever want to call in the favor or need help?"

She laughed quietly "No offense, you're strong and all, but you're alone. My group will continue to grow until we are a faction. I doubt an entire faction will need the help of a lone man."

He smiled "I bet you doubted that a single person could kill a beast too."

He didn't feel upset. He liked a challenge, and though she was right that he was mostly alone right now, that might not last forever.

"True. But can you fight ten at once? What about one hundred? A thousand?"

He furrowed his brow. No, he couldn't. Not right now.

The conversation fizzled out as she carefully cleaned and bandaged his wounds. The others worked quickly and provided him his share.

"Do you want us to escort you to your friend?" The red-haired woman asked as she handed him the horn.

"It's not far, I should be fine." He said while reaching for the horn.

As he grabbed it, Cassie, the gunner, quickly retrieved her gun with a frown on her face. He followed her gaze.

"Wait, don't shoot!" He shouted, his hand bypassing the horn and deflecting the barrel of the gun.

"What are you doing?!" Cassie shouted while jerking her gun away

"Don't shoot." He repeated, his voice growing stern.

The other saw Obruo limping over because of the commotion and instinctively drew their weapons. "Don't attack, just back up." The leader said as she held out her arms.

They watched Obruo limp up to Kade and lay at his feet, followed by Kade sitting beside the monster and patting it lightly.

"I-It's a pet...?" The red-haired woman asked hesitantly.

"Sort of. More of a friend though." Kade replied with a smile.

"How can you be so calm about that grotesque thing?" Cassie asked with an expression of disgust.

"Some are ugly on the outside but pretty on the inside." He glanced at her "For others, it's the opposite."

Cassie glared at him but didn't respond.

"So this is the friend you mentioned."

"Yeah. Obruo. This was the second time it saved me." His voice held a tinge of familial love as he pulled a beast core out of his pocket before holding it in front of the pup's face.

"What are you doing?!"

The five women were all stunned when they watched the core disappear into the animal's mouth.

"Did you seriously just feed that thing a beast core? Do you have any idea how valuable those things are?" Even the blonde, who hadn't spoken once thus far, couldn't help but voice her doubts.

"I have an idea. It doesn't matter though. My pup deserved it." There wasn't a trace of regret in his voice.

"Wow. you're an idiot." Cassie chided.

"It's like he doesn't even care. As if feeding a pet a beast core is normal."

"Wait... you don't think."

The surroundings became quiet as the women directed their gaze to him. Their expressions were those used to look at fools.

"We should go, I don't want to catch whatever it is that he has."

Four of the women walked away while complaining, leaving their leader behind.

"That was a bit questionable, but I don't think what you did is bad. It speaks of your character." She turned to leave "My name is Stella, by the way." She said quietly before walking away.