Chapter 3: *Morning Wood*

The next day, Monday, came quickly for Nix. He woke up, stretched his sore muscles, and completed his daily routine. After grabbing a quick breakfast, he hopped on his scootie and made his way to the train station. The morning air was crisp, and he welcomed the breeze as he rode, shaking off the remnants of the weekend’s intense hunting experiences.

When Nix arrived at the station, he spotted his friends waiting for him, Jeff Gordon, Prabh Puteri, and Liam Kavana, all standing around chatting excitedly. Jeff waved first, his usual grin plastered on his face, while Prabh adjusted her backpack, and Liam was showing off his new wristwatch.

“Nix! Over here!” Jeff called out.

Nix rode over to meet them and parked his scootie. They quickly fell into conversation about their weekends.

“So, I went hunting with my cousins,” Jeff started, unable to hide his excitement. “We stayed in the Level 0 zone, nothing crazy, but we caught a bunch of Scuttler Crabs! Those things are fast! Ever seen them scuttle sideways? It's like they know exactly how to avoid us!”

Prabh smiled as she added, “I went hunting with my relatives too. Mostly just sightseeing, but we managed to take down a few Wingbats. They were all over the place in the trees, diving at us when we got close.”

Liam chuckled, looking animated as he shared his story. “Dad and I went up to the hills, and we came across this monster with the weirdest looking nose, like a trumpet! We didn’t even bother hunting it; we just kept laughing. But, we got some nice shots of it before moving on.”

Nix listened to their stories, smiling. He felt proud of his friends and the adventures they had over the weekend. When it came time for him to share, he kept it simple.

“I hunted a Lowfang Boar,” he said, as casually as possible.

Their eyes widened in unison. “Alone?” Jeff asked, incredulous.

Nix nodded. “Yeah, by myself.”

Prabh adjusted her glasses. “That’s impressive, Nix! The Lowfang Boar is no joke, even for a Level 0 hunt.”

“Man, you’re insane!” Liam slapped Nix’s back with a grin. “We’ve gotta hunt together next time. Seriously!”

Nix smiled, happy to have earned their respect. “Yeah, for sure. Let’s plan a trip soon.”

They all agreed and, before parting ways, exchanged their new Hunter contact numbers, excited about their future hunting adventures together.

Soon after, their train arrived. Each of them boarded but sat separately since they all went to different schools in the area. As the train sped along, they waved their goodbyes at different stations. Jeff, Prabh, and Liam all got off at their respective stops, leaving Nix to continue alone toward his school.

Arriving at his school station, Nix could already feel the familiar buzz of a new day starting. He joined the stream of students heading toward the campus, feeling a mix of excitement and nervousness, knowing today would involve more intense training and lessons about the monster beasts that filled their world.

Nix’s school was well-known for its practical approach to education. Today’s classes would focus on a mixture of physical training and theoretical knowledge about monsters and survival tactics, both vital in a world like theirs.

After changing into his training uniform, Nix joined the rest of his class in the gymnasium, which was equipped with advanced training stations designed for combat practice and endurance building. The walls were lined with holographic projectors, used to simulate different kinds of environments and monsters.

Their instructor, Mr. Flint, was a no-nonsense kind of guy, known for pushing students to their limits. He greeted the class with a nod and immediately started barking instructions. “Alright, everyone! Today’s focus is stamina and quick thinking. You need both to survive out there, especially with the higher-level beasts you’ll eventually face!”

The first test was a stamina course, a long obstacle run designed to push them to their limits. Nix, still sore from his weekend hunt, grit his teeth and started strong, using his pain as motivation to push harder. His legs burned as he vaulted over hurdles, dodged swinging ropes, and crawled through narrow tunnels. Every time his body screamed to stop, his mind replayed his memories of Granny Laurie’s smile, urging him to keep going.

After completing the course, Nix felt his muscles scream in protest, but he pressed on. The next section of the training was combat practice. Paired with another student, Nix had to spar using padded weapons. His partner, a tall boy named Jace, was much stronger, but Nix had the advantage of real combat experience. While Jace swung wildly, relying on brute strength, Nix ducked and dodged effortlessly, using his smaller size to his advantage.

“Too slow,” Nix teased as he sidestepped a blow, his instincts guiding his movements.

Jace grumbled in frustration, his swings becoming more desperate. Nix saw his opening and struck with a quick jab to Jace’s midsection, knocking him to the ground. “Got you,” Nix smirked, extending a hand to help his opponent up.

“Alright, break it up,” Mr. Flint called out, signaling the end of the session.

After sparring, the class gathered in the main auditorium for a lecture on monster classification and tactics. The lights dimmed as a large holographic screen came to life, showing vivid, 3D images of various monsters. Their biology teacher, Ms. Takara, stood in front, pointing to the massive projection.

“Today, we’re diving into the classification of monsters based on their levels,” she began. “As you all know, monsters are ranked from Level 0 to Level 10, with each increase in level representing a significant jump in power, intelligence, and danger.”

A projection of a Level 0 creature, a Scuttler Crab, appeared on the screen. “This is what you’ve been practicing with. Dangerous, yes, but manageable. Now let’s move up.”

Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.

The projection shifted to a Level 1 beast, a Razorhound. Nix stiffened in his seat, his memory flashing back to his own deadly encounter.

“This,” Ms. Takara continued, “is a Razorhound, a Level 1 monster. It has enhanced agility, strength, and its claws are sharp enough to rip through bone. These beasts are usually found in packs and are very territorial. Taking one down alone is risky, even for seasoned hunters.”

Nix’s hand unconsciously brushed the back of his reinforced jacket where the spikes had delivered the killing blow to the Razorhound. He listened intently as Ms. Takara detailed tactics for dealing with monsters like these, setting traps, outmaneuvering them, and using the environment to their advantage.

“Always remember,” Ms. Takara concluded, “even a weakened monster is a dangerous one. Underestimating a newly evolved beast could be the last mistake you ever make.”

The lecture ended, and as the students filed out, Nix couldn’t help but feel a sense of pride. He had faced the exact danger Ms. Takara warned them about and come out alive, barely. But he knew he still had a lot to learn. The world was full of monsters, and some of them would require more than just luck and determination to defeat.

As he walked out of the lecture hall, Nix resolved to continue honing his skills, preparing for whatever challenges lay ahead.

After class, Alexi approached Nix with her usual bright smile. “Hey, Nix! How was your weekend?”

Nix, leaning against his locker, grinned back. “I went hunting. Took down a Lowfang Boar.”

Alexi’s eyes widened in amazement. “No way! By yourself?”

“Yeah,” Nix replied, trying to sound casual, though he couldn’t hide a bit of pride. “It was tough, but I got it.”

“That’s so cool,” Alexi said, her admiration clear. “I didn’t do anything that exciting. Just watched a romantic comedy with my mom. It was fun, though! You ever see *Love at First Sight*? It’s hilarious!”

Nix chuckled. “No, I haven’t, but it sounds like a good time.”

For the next hour, they continued talking, with Alexi excitedly recounting funny moments from the movie and her weekend, contrasting with Nix’s more intense story about hunting the Lowfang Boar. The time flew by, and soon it was time for them to head to their educational subjects.

On Planet Tha-La, education was a blend of traditional teaching and advanced AI assistance. The AI not only calculated lessons and tasks but also monitored how students could apply what they learned in practical, real-world scenarios. Nix found it helpful, everything from survival tactics to resource management was covered in these lessons, and with the AI's help, it was personalized to each student’s skill level and learning style.

Today's lesson was about the use of energy in survival situations, where the AI simulated different scenarios for each student, adjusting the difficulty based on their performance. Nix focused hard, knowing that every bit of knowledge could be useful out in the field. The AI assigned him tasks about calculating how much energy he would need for his hunting trips, factoring in variables like terrain, monster activity, and available resources.

After school, Nix decided to stop by the junkyard to pick up some items for his next hunting project. The junkyard was his treasure trove, full of discarded parts and materials that he could repurpose into his tools. He sifted through piles of metal scraps, wires, and gears, selecting what he needed for his newest idea.

Once back home, Nix spread out the items on the floor of his small workshop. With the memory of his fight against the Razorhound fresh in his mind, he knew he needed a new weapon, something sturdier, heavier, and more intimidating.

He sketched out a design for a metal baseball bat, reinforced with a welded core. After several hours of cutting, shaping, and welding, he had forged a solid hard metal bat. It was a brutal-looking weapon, covered with sharp metal spikes he had attached for extra damage. He admired his handiwork for a moment, but something still felt incomplete.

Sitting back and thinking, Nix considered how he could improve it. He needed something to distract his prey, something that could throw off their senses for a split second. That's when he had a sudden idea. Remembering the time he saw a vendor selling novelty items, he decided to add a bit of a creative twist.

Rummaging through his supplies, he found a pair of large googly eyes he had salvaged from an old toy. The eyes were round, cartoonish, and completely out of place on such a deadly weapon, but that’s what made them perfect. He installed them onto the top of the bat, just below the spikes, giving it a weird, almost comical face. Then, using a small battery he salvaged from the junkyard, he rigged the eyes to glow faintly in the dark, and eye tracker to stare at whoever looking at it, creating a creepy, unsettling effect.

The result was a weapon that looked both fierce and bizarre, its spikes gleaming in the light, while the googly eyes added an unexpected, eerie element. Nix decided to name his metal spiky bat "Morning Wood"

image [https://live.staticflickr.com/65535/54034188575_6199bc1058_m.jpg]

“There,” Nix said to himself, finally satisfied. “Now it’s ready.”

He twirled the bat in his hands, imagining how it would feel to wield it against another monster. The spikes gave it the power he needed for a direct hit, and the glowing googly eyes would be the perfect distraction, drawing the attention of any beast before it realized what was coming.

Pleased with his creation, Nix cleaned up his workshop and headed inside for the night. As he lay down in bed, he couldn’t help but think about how the next hunt would go, especially with his new bat in hand. A small smile crossed his face as he drifted off to sleep, ready to smash whatever challenges tomorrow would bring to him and his Morning Wood.