After we left the caravan, we traveled for half an hour and found a nice secluded clearing. I set up camp, and we went to sleep.

In the morning, after breakfast, I opened the Archive to figure out this awakening business.

The Archive was a mess!

When I first learned about it, everything was new and exciting, so I read everything. If something was irrelevant, I skipped it. Now, searching for specific info was a nightmare.

There was no table of contents, no index, no search function, and definitely no help function.

The first page of the Archive had two options:

World Information

General Information

When you clicked World Information, you got all the entries, one after the other, with the newest on top. This was perfect for World Information—who wants to read an account about a place from 100 years ago?

The General Information section was the same—entry after entry, with the newest on top. The only semblance of organization was a small green circle on the top left, and when you zoomed in on it, you saw "Tips & Tricks." During my initial reading of the Archive, I noticed it by chance. When you scrolled down the main page, the circle moved up and disappeared from view. The situation was the same in the "Tips & Tricks" section—entry after entry, with the newest on top except one.

The entries were a jumbled mess. They covered every subject under the sun with no rhyme or reason. I also concluded that Travelers get bored sometimes, and when that happens, they spend time in the Archive.

Some strange entries contained a string of two to seven words with commas between them—that made no sense—and then text that seemed like personal messages. Example: "Forge, Cat-lover, Whistling, Excavation". And the message: Got you the helfermiton you wanted.

?!?!

There were general thoughts on life and existence, griping about people or events; some Travelers used the Archive as a social media feed and posted comments on other Travelers' posts—just a mess.

I tried to create folders to distribute the content according to relevance so I could find it in the future and got a message:

You do not possess the required class, skills, knowledge,

or mana levels to affect the Archive.

I suspect the person who posted the tip about ability points created the "Tips & Tricks" sub-section. That specific tip remained on top after I saw it, even after three more entries were added.

The rest was just an information dump:

* One Traveler posted a well-thought-out list of recommended items to take with you. More Travelers added their suggestions. Other Travelers argued about the need for this or that item and had suggestions for different items. And one bored Traveler posted a long comment—two pages long!—about why it's best to go traveling "like a baby just born, without the burdens of the material world."

* Some Traveler posted to always stock up on water before entering a desert; five Travelers commented on his entry with "no shit, Sherlock" in various alien variations. Another Traveler commented that it's better to buy the [Condense Water] spell and condense water from the humidity in the air. Two Travelers called him stupid and said there was no humidity in the desert to condense.

* Someone else wrote to wear good shoes on low mana worlds. Many Travelers laughed at him for going barefoot in high mana worlds. He got upset and answered all of them, with a lot of cursing, that what he meant was that low-mana worlds don't have teleportation, so you have to walk a lot. All the previous ones wrote that he should have said so, and one threatened to wash his mouth with "Parsiumik" to clean up his language.

* Somebody posted that he got the Willpower Trait and postulated that there are other unknown Traits. A lot of Travelers asked him how, but he never answered. Someone else wrote that he got the Luck Trait after getting the [Treasure Hunter] sub-class—over 50 Travelers called him a liar—they have the class, but not the Trait. Somebody else commented that he got the Luck Trait after getting the [Path Finder] sub-class—another 37 called him a liar for the same reason. I added my two cents and wrote that I got it with the Merchant Profession; one day, if I'm bored, I'll check how many called me a liar.

* One excitable Traveler wrote that the world Ziondra has "Non-Arcing Biometric-Senonites" with five exclamation marks. He got a lot of grief, and one comment was hilarious; it took me five minutes to decipher it: "Thou art a total chop-logic m'ron. If 't be true any of us kneweth what "non-arcing biometric-senonites" w're, haply we wouldst has't been excit'd with thee, but since thee didn't both'r to clarifyeth, thee simply stuff'd the archive with m're hilding garbage" (You're a total dunce moron. If any of us knew what "Non-Arcing Biometric-Senonites" are, maybe we would have been excited with you, but since you didn't bother to clarify, you stuffed the archive with more useless garbage.)

I learned quite a few interesting things between the lines—optional spells, teleportation, buying and selling on various worlds, etc., but it's not what I was looking for.

Finally, after two days, I found something. It was an article named "My Thoughts on the Difference Between Awakened Beasts and Monsters." It was a LOOOONG article by a pretentious, long-winded, and pompous writer who was in love with himself. I'm sure that he opened a thesaurus for every word, looked at the options, and chose the longest word. He also wrote in long, involved sentences that, after 3-5 lines, conveyed some small piece of information or a thought fragment. The whole thing was five Archive pages long! But since it was the first thing I found about awakened animals, I slowly slogged through it and deciphered it. Bottom line, he had four conclusions:

1. Awakened beasts and monsters are more intelligent and stronger than unawakened ones.

2. Awakened monsters are bad because they retain their aggression toward everybody and everything.

3. Awakened beasts are usually not much better because they remember past slights from before awakening and sometimes want payback.

4. Awakened beasts who were friendly before awakening are usually good awakened beasts.

That's it. That was the total content of the five-page article.

<<<<

I included it here, but read at your own peril. This guy is too full of himself.>>>

My Thoughts on the Difference Between Awakened Beasts and Monsters

In the labyrinthine complexities that constitute the enigmatic phenomena of awakened fauna, a dichotomy emerges, necessitating a meticulous disquisition to elucidate the profound distinctions between the categories colloquially designated as 'awakened beasts' and 'awakened monsters.' One must, however, preface this exegesis with an acknowledgment of the inherent intricacies that accompany the explication of such arcane subject matter. As a purveyor of perspicacious insights, I am compelled to proffer a comprehensive analysis, albeit through a prolix and sesquipedalian narrative that, I surmise, will serve as a testament to the profundity of my erudition.

To commence, one must delineate the quintessence of awakening, an appellation that connotes the transmutation of a previously mundane creature into a sentient entity, imbued with enhanced cognitive faculties and augmented corporeal prowess. This metamorphosis, ostensibly spontaneous, is oftentimes precipitated by prolonged exposure to mana-rich environments or the ingestion of mana-infused sustenance. The resultant entities, herein referred to as 'awakened,' exhibit a panoply of attributes that render them categorically distinct from their unawakened counterparts.

The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.

Ergo, we arrive at the paramount bifurcation within this classification: the dichotomy of 'beast' versus 'monster.' It is imperative to recognize that this bifurcation is not merely semantic but is underpinned by substantive ontological differences. Awakened beasts, herein defined as creatures that, prior to their awakening, exhibited non-hostile, docile, or symbiotic tendencies towards human and non-human entities alike, undergo an amplification of their inherent traits post-awakening. Consequently, these creatures, now endowed with sapience and formidable strength, retain their erstwhile propensities, albeit with an enhanced capacity for introspection and, occasionally, magnanimity.

Conversely, the appellation 'awakened monsters' is ascribed to those entities whose pre-awakening dispositions were characterized by aggression, hostility, and a proclivity for wanton destruction. The advent of awakening in such creatures does not ameliorate their malevolent tendencies; rather, it exacerbates them. The augmentation of their intellectual and physical capabilities only serves to render them more efficacious in their endeavors to wreak havoc and sow discord. Thus, an awakened monster, far from being a misnomer, is a creature whose essence is intrinsically malevolent and whose awakening augments its capacity for devastation.

It is, therefore, incumbent upon the discerning scholar to apprehend that the process of awakening engenders a spectrum of behavioral outcomes contingent upon the pre-existing nature of the creature in question. Awakened beasts, while not devoid of potential for retribution against perceived injustices endured prior to their awakening, are predominantly inclined towards behaviors that are congruent with their pre-awakening dispositions. This inclination is particularly salient in those beasts that maintained amicable relations with other entities before their transformation. Such creatures, upon awakening, are predisposed to exhibit loyalty, protectiveness, and even altruism towards their erstwhile companions.

The corollary of this phenomenon is that awakened monsters, by virtue of their inherent aggression, are invariably inimical in their interactions post-awakening. The retention of their antagonistic tendencies, coupled with their newfound intelligence, renders them pernicious adversaries, necessitating vigilance and preemptive action by those who encounter them. It is a lamentable truth that the magnification of their aggressive propensities through the awakening process underscores the inherent peril they pose to all life forms with which they come into contact.

In summation, the distinction between awakened beasts and awakened monsters is predicated upon the amplification of pre-existing behavioral traits. One must, however, delve deeper into the nuances of this differentiation to fully appreciate the implications of awakening on various species.

The genesis of awakening is a subject of considerable debate among scholars. Some postulate that it is a natural evolution driven by prolonged exposure to mana, while others theorize that it is an artificial construct instigated by arcane rituals or alchemical processes. Regardless of its origin, the phenomenon of awakening engenders a transformative effect on the physiology and psychology of the affected creature.

From a physiological standpoint, awakened creatures exhibit a marked increase in physical capabilities. This enhancement is not merely superficial but extends to the cellular and molecular levels, resulting in increased strength, agility, and endurance. The integumentary system of awakened beasts, for instance, often becomes more resilient, providing enhanced protection against physical and magical assaults. Similarly, their sensory organs become more acute, enabling them to perceive their surroundings with greater clarity and precision.

The psychological impact of awakening is equally profound. Awakened creatures exhibit heightened cognitive faculties, including advanced problem-solving abilities, strategic thinking, and, in some cases, the capacity for abstract thought. This cognitive enhancement is particularly evident in awakened beasts, who often develop complex social structures and exhibit behaviors indicative of higher intelligence, such as tool use and cooperative hunting.

Awakened monsters, on the other hand, exhibit a different psychological profile. While their cognitive abilities are similarly enhanced, their aggressive tendencies are often exacerbated, resulting in a more strategic and calculated approach to their predatory behaviors. This increased intelligence, coupled with their inherent hostility, renders them formidable adversaries capable of orchestrating elaborate schemes to ensnare their prey.

In terms of social dynamics, awakened beasts often form intricate social hierarchies, with individuals assuming specific roles within the group based on their abilities and attributes. These social structures are characterized by cooperation and mutual support, with members of the group working together to achieve common goals. This cooperative behavior is particularly pronounced in species that exhibit strong familial bonds, such as wolves and elephants.

Awakened monsters, in contrast, are typically solitary creatures, driven by a relentless pursuit of power and dominance. While some may form temporary alliances to achieve specific objectives, these alliances are often fraught with tension and are prone to dissolution once the mutual objective has been achieved. The inherently antagonistic nature of awakened monsters precludes the formation of stable social structures, resulting in a more chaotic and unpredictable social dynamic.

The implications of awakening extend beyond the individual to encompass broader ecological and societal impacts. The presence of awakened beasts within an ecosystem can have a stabilizing effect, as their enhanced cognitive abilities enable them to fulfill ecological roles with greater efficiency. For instance, awakened predators may exhibit more strategic hunting behaviors, thereby maintaining the balance of prey populations and contributing to the overall health of the ecosystem.

Conversely, the presence of awakened monsters can have a destabilizing effect, as their aggressive behaviors and enhanced capabilities often result in widespread destruction and disruption. The predatory behaviors of awakened monsters can lead to the decimation of prey populations, resulting in ecological imbalances and, in extreme cases, the collapse of entire ecosystems. Moreover, the threat posed by awakened monsters to human and non-human communities necessitates the allocation of significant resources towards their containment and eradication.

From a societal perspective, the phenomenon of awakening has far-reaching implications. The presence of awakened beasts within human communities can engender a symbiotic relationship, with the enhanced abilities of the beasts being harnessed for various purposes, such as agriculture, transportation, and defense. The cognitive enhancements of awakened beasts also facilitate communication and cooperation with humans, fostering a mutually beneficial relationship.

Awakened monsters, however, pose a significant threat to societal stability. Their enhanced intelligence and aggressive tendencies render them formidable adversaries capable of inflicting considerable harm on human communities. The containment and eradication of awakened monsters necessitate the development of specialized strategies and the allocation of significant resources, imposing a considerable burden on societal infrastructure.

In conclusion, the distinction between awakened beasts and awakened monsters is a multifaceted and complex phenomenon that encompasses a range of physiological, psychological, ecological, and societal dimensions. The process of awakening engenders a transformative effect on the affected creatures, resulting in a marked enhancement of their physical and cognitive capabilities. However, the impact of this transformation is contingent upon the pre-existing nature of the creature, with awakened beasts exhibiting predominantly positive traits and awakened monsters exhibiting predominantly negative traits.

The phenomenon of awakening underscores the intricate interplay between mana and the natural world, highlighting the profound impact of arcane forces on the fabric of existence. As scholars continue to explore the intricacies of awakening, it is imperative to develop a nuanced understanding of the distinctions between awakened beasts and awakened monsters, as well as the broader implications of this phenomenon for the natural world and human society.

At least I learned some things in the Archive and knew Stretch would be more intelligent and stronger. I didn't think he would turn on me as revenge for "past slights." Looking back, I concluded he was always smart, but his reactions became more on point after he started eating mana-rich meat.

In order to understand the mage's excitement, I cooked myself some bison hamburgers. After each hamburger, my mana jumped by 120 points. Hmm, maybe I could understand the excitement.

I experimented: Stretch was less enthusiastic about the goat meat, probably because of the low mana levels. So I summoned the cooler with the goat meat, opened the lid as little as possible, inserted my hand, and began slowly channeling mana into it with no intention of doing anything with it. I simply channeled into it. After a while, there was a pop, and I had minced goat meat.

I knew it!

I wasn't really "looting"; I was "exploding." That's why the pelt kept flying away, and I got minced meat or chunks. The only thing that kept the chunks from being minced meat was my intention. I needed to create an entirely different loot spell, and I had an idea.

When I was healing the people in the caravan, the first thing I did was diagnose them. Why did I never "diagnose" the animal during the looting attempt? I should be able to see what happens and adjust accordingly.

But before trying the new version of looting, I still needed to go to a town and talk with a butcher and a tanner or hunter. I needed knowledge about the process to do it right.

My next attempt will be epic!