The first frost came early this year, we had collected quite a bit to eat but my mother was nervous “this winter will be harsh” she said. We had moved deeper into the mountains to build a more durable shelter. It was still mainly built from hardened earth but my father had dutifully started crafting some furniture for our small community.

The biggest problem was water, my water magic came at its limits when

the humidity started to drop and harvesting enough water for a day exceeded my daily regeneration. Father had scouted the village, he only shook his

head the Elves were still there. We had seen the smoke over the year

if anything of the village still stood, the villagers may already be gone.

Then the winter arrived, covering everything in a blanket of death. My mother had been correct this season would be harsh. The following days the

entire flora shed its leaves in an attempt to survive the onslaught of cold. Everything came to a standstill. Our water issues came to an end due to the plenty available snow, but the relentless cold winds became our next worst enemy.

We ran out of firewood pretty fast, father tried to replenish it but his wood-felling-ax shattered in the bitter cold. We had to rely on my as the winter got harder. In some stormy nights we even had to seal the air inlets and filter the air with magic. Our once plentiful stock of meat and dried goods dwindled in an alarming rate. But the winter showed no signs of stopping.

It was supposed to be spring as our food finally ran dry. We cuddled together unable to leave our frozen dwelling. We had already accepted our fate as sounds from outside alerted us. Something was scratching against our den. Father and mother were unable to stop me as my hunger took over. Whatever was there is I WOULD eat it! We may have made progress suppressing my overbearing instincts but I was still far from the level my mother had.

Underfed and in bad condition I stumbled out of the dwelling the frozen air hitting me like a hammer, instantly decreasing my stamina as the tips of my fur began to freeze.

My opponent had not even registered my approach the snow in my pelt had tricked its senses, the howling wind blinded its eyes. A huge direwolf had come scavenging attracted by the smell our dwelling gave off. When it noticed me it was too late, my arm penetrated its side going for its core, a triumphant smile cracked my frozen lips as my bloody and half mangled arm dragged its very core out of its flank.

Before it could react I had claimed its life. Like a crazed animal I dragged the carcass back through the opening. The shutter closing the raging winds out once again. We used fathers sword to bisect the carcass. With the immediate survival guaranteed we took a risk, unhinging my jaws I began to swallow half the carcass and the core. While activating and , unlike with the basilisk the strong acid made short work of the once mighty predator so I was spared to spend too much time as a bloated whale.

Then we had to wait for my skill to finish, crossing our talons that it may yield a skill to brave the cold. Then the moment of truth came.

+ successfully used on + Derivating traits

Derivating skills

Error Error Error

Unknown remains

trying to failed...

compensating failed....

+ activated.....

success...

commencing adaption

Whichever cruel god had invented pain, what now happened made me rip out handfuls of my own fur as one after another waves of pain rolled over me. Just barely too low to knock me out I was forced to endure as muscles snapped, bones splintered and my whole body contorted in horrible cramps.

My family had to watch helplessly as my body broke, healed and broke again. We had no medicine left and our energy was so low no one could even attempt to help me.

successful

Gained Titles

Race changed from Scaled frozen guardian to infant Frostpoison Imoogi

Derivating stats

vit+300 Dex+150 Str+250

Level+45

Derivating Traits

Derivating Skills

Slowly I regained my bearings. The whole den suddenly looked smaller as before, I tried to stand up only to lose balance and heavily tumble onto my back. The nervousness in the room was near solid as I croaked “a little help please?”. Instantly warm smiles replaced the agitated frowns as they rushed to my side.

After telling my family about the notifications my father signaled us all to be still and began to tell us a legendary tale: “The hunters of our village told me a tale from a time long past. In a time before our enslavement as our people were strong. One of the hunters had felled a strong predator to impress his wife. But he discovered something in the guts of the slain beast. A perfect pearl was nestled into its very being.

Others were jealous of his riches and fought him over it. One contender killed the brave hunters wife as a revenge for losing. The hunter in despair began cursing the pearl and threw it into a lake. But the pearl returned to his side, no matter what he did the pearl always ended back in his house. In this scorn the hunter swallowed the pearl. That day an Imoogi descended and wiped out the village. The hunters corpse was never found but the people tell us that the pearl was the seed of an Imoogi that gave birth to the very desire of the hunter . Til this day no one has ever found a pearl in their kill again but this story lives on.”

After my father had ended his story my mother interjected:

“I think you ate the seed of an Imoogi but your skill overcame the curse forcefully ripping the Imoogi into shreds and integrating it into yourself.”

I could only nod, her conclusion was pretty logical, I had never heard of Imoogis that reproduce like a parasite but I had seen too many species to disregard the possibility.

With my immediate confusion cleared I activated “status”

StatusName: Kaileron "Kai"Age:10 Race: Frostpoison ImoogiSex:Hermaphrodite(hidden)femaleLevel88Vitality674+(30%)=876Dexterity371Strength625Intelligence5162(hidden)200Wisdom4640(hidden)150TraitsTitles8(open list)Skills58(open list)HP87600/87600Mana100910/516200QI450/2200

Titles

Title:Grade:MysticRank 1/10You have embraced your inner beast to sate your hunger. Fellow beasts will see you as one of their own.

Title:Grade:RareRank 1/10Ignoring severe conditions you have claimed your kill, status effects last 30% shorter on you

Skills/Traits

Skill:Grade:CommonRank 1/10Reduce emissions that may alert others by 30% increased by further mastery

Trait:Grade:RareRank 1/10Defence increased by 200%, 90% damage reduction of non infused attacks

[/ [table]

Trait:Grade:RareRank 1/10Your stomach can digest anything but the most resistant materialsSkill:Grade:UncommonRank 1/10eject deadly fumes afflicting your target with poison debuff of your choice

Trait:Grade:RareRank 1/10Basilisk poison, near incurable, death comes in minutes

Trait:Grade:RareRank 1/10One of the strongest paralytic poisons, freeze your enemy in their own flesh

Trait:Grade:CommonRank 1/10Spines guard your spine, decrease chance of successful backstab moves by 40%

Trait:Grade:RareRank 1/10Sharp barbs lie hidden in your fur, bonus to first hits with your tail 30%

Trait:Grade:RareRank 1/10Your bones are incredibly dense, a smith would love to get his hands on it. +30% vitality Swimming speed -50%

Skill:Grade:CommonRank 1/10Slam your foe with your tail, high chance of stun effects

Skill:Grade:RareRank 1/10Inject a deadly dose of toxins into your foe, duration and effect of poison +400%

Skill:Grade:RareRank 1/10Guard your vulnerable parts +40% Defence for 30 seconds

Skill:Grade:UncommonRank 1/10Squash your enemies like the ants they are, only effective on smaller opponents

Skill:Grade:UncommonRank 1/10Increase your Metabolism +20% Strength, Bleeding damage deals double damage to you as long as the skill is active

The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.

Skill:Grade:MysticRank 1/10Imbue the very elements in your breath, based on mastery devastating effects.

Trait:Grade:UncommonRank 1/10Your fur is very thick, smaller weapons have 40% reduced chance to penetrate.

Resistance to weather effects +30%

Skill:Grade:AncientRank 1/10Awaken your blood, causes a berserk state.

Trait:Grade:UncommonRank 1/10Frost and cold have less hold over you. It takes double the time for you to be affected

Trait:Grade:UncommonRank 1/10Your nose is very sharp, even hints of smells can be detected, warning may lead to over-stimulation

Skill:Grade:UncommonRank 1/10Your breath naturally freezes on impact

Trait:Grade:RareRank 1/10No amount of snow or vegetation will hinder your tracking.

Skill:Grade:UncommonRank 1/10Allow you to call your pack, based on your position in the pack it yields buffs to your pack

Trait:Grade:RareRank 1/10Your scales naturally shield you from harmful energies, 50% less damage taken by energy based attacks. Mind attacks are 70% less effective.

Trait:Grade:UncommonRank 1/10Your fur interlocks with itself keeping liquids and gases away from your skin. Acts isolating to weather effects.

Trait:Grade:UncommonRank 1/10These nasty spikes adorn your tail, increased base damage for all tail based attacks

Trait:Grade:UncommonRank 1/10Majestic horns sprout from your temples, sign or your heritage they act as magic amplifiers.

Magic +20%

Trait:Grade:AncientRank 1/10Only the most massive beasts need more hearts, the small third heart is but a promise of the future

Trait:Grade:AncientRank 1/10Dragons and their lower forms Imoogis hoard wealth and things that interests them. Due to the sheer amount one can hoard the Hoard stomach was developed. Capable of storing vast amounts of material in a slightly gross stomach. Current capacity 50m³

Skill:Grade:AncientRank 1/10This skill enables you to swallow or expel items and things from your hoard stomach

Skill:Grade:CommonRank 1/10A reckless charge, very effective as first strike attack, distance charged increases damage

Skill:Grade:UncommonRank 1/10Bolster your defense by 50% for 5 minutes

Skill:Grade:RareRank 1/10Feel the very energy around you, unless hiding with special means no life is undetected.

A big smile revealed way too many teeth as I started grinning. “Once I get this body under control I can get us more to eat! This Imoogi thing has given me some wonderful abilities!”

This night we celebrated, I formed a circle around my family using my long bestial body.

Using all of us had a cozy and warm night. The last thing that crossed my thoughts as sleep claimed me was “ at least I still have thumbs.”.

We slept until sunrise as I prepared to stock up our reserves. We used Earth magic to create some sort of airlock, basically a room with two doors I could use to exit our den without letting the cold inside. The first target were dead trees, if I could gather some firewood, I could undertake longer hunting trips. Right now I only had half an hour until the frost started to creep back inside while I could not work against it using .

My first steps were uncoordinated and I may or may not have made my family laugh as I ungraciously fell over but the vast experience of my former lives kicked in and I made fast improvements. I would still not win a beauty contest but I reached my first goal.

Quite close to our den I found a perfect target, a dead tree that had been dried by the frost into a gnarled and bizarre shape. Slinging my now massive tail around its trunk I pulled with all my might, which was certainly too much. The tree snapped and I face-planted into the next closest snowdrift.

To make matters worse the tree fell on my head and managed to get stuck in the two horns that sprouted from my temples curving upwards behind my ears. Unable to get rid of the offending piece of wood I could only retreat in shame towards our den to get help.

Father could barely stifle his laughter while removing my “hat”, I was so embarrassed, my wish to sink into the floor nearly came true as my unconscious magic began softening the floor. At least it presented me the opportunity to stick my head into the soft floor to hide my face.

After father was done with the removal he slapped my side “off you go mighty huntress” he failed miserably to hold back his smirk as he sent me off.

A few hundred meters away from the den I activated all my sensory skills and took in everything that the forest was willing to tell me. The most prominent smell was that of my family and our den, the lack of hygiene and food had created a beacon for scavengers telling them of the food that was ripe for the picking.

Before I left the area I proceeded to mark my territory around the den the old fashioned way, claw marks on trees and a few carefully placed “smells”. After finishing my business I set my target onto the smell that was closest. The dire-wolf I had killed was not alone, his pack was close and rapidly approaching.

The air rippled as my hiding skills activated and the massive beast I had become melded with the surrounding desert of snow and ice. Shortly after I caught the first glimpse of the pack, a huge female leading a group of fifteen direwolfes. As far as I could tell ten females and five males followed the massive matriarch. As my gaze fell onto their leader the leading beast began to signal their pack.

Whatever skill she had used my presence had been detected, the wolves fanned out, intent on uncovering the watcher. A plan formed in my head, the ice and snow already measured at least three meter thickness. Using water manipulation I began to dive into the frost. The life as sandworm flashed in front of my eyes as I remembered its old hunting techniques. Closing my eyes and pressing my maw against the ground I took in the vibrations of their movement.

Only a * yelp * sounded as one of the males disappeared into the snow. Panic began to spread in the pack. The matriarch instantly restored order. They closed their ranks, carefully observing the surroundings and the treetops. A subterranean attacker was something they were not familiar with. Two more of the pack fell prey to my sneak attack before they retreated onto a craggy pile of rocks that stood defiantly out of the snow.

Then something unexpected happened the matriarch spoke in a language I was familiar with, the language of beasts from a world long gone. “Mighty hunter we apologize for invading your territory. You have claimed many of my pack your hunger must be sated, allow our retreat according to the rules of nature!”

POV change Matriarch of the direwolves.

When the cold arrived in the lands my pack was prepared, we had claimed a massive territory around the mountains. Its old lords covering in front of the elements that made my kind thrive. One day a scout went missing, its trail leading towards the lower hills around the mountain. Whatever had killed our younger brother we would retaliate.

Then our misfortune started. We came across the smell of a dying pack of some sort wolf-hybrids. Their weakness stank into the air promising a free meal. Suddenly my skill activated but could not tell the position of my foe.

I ordered my pack to fan out, the hunter was close and nothing this far out of the mountains should pose a challenge for our mighty pack. My arrogance was

short-lived, only a * yelp * told of the death that had claimed one of my own.

Panic and fear spread between my subordinates, I had to intervene to restore order.

Whatever was out there it was dangerous!

Two more of my pack were claimed by the hunter before we realized it was

under our very paws. A pile of rocks close to us became our only safe heaven. It did not look good for my pack, the unmarked territory we were in must belong

to a greater beast.

As last resort I called out to it, appealing to the rules of nature asking to spare our lives.

Then the predator revealed itself, deep green eyes suddenly opened on a small hill of snow, then the head rose out of the snow. Its camouflage was astonishing, a reptile head with long horns came into view, its head resting on a long and flexible neck. Then it heaved its slender body over the surface, massive paws digging into the snow providing support for the muscular limbs.

Covered head to toe with a silvery white fur, it looked like a hybrid between a wolf and a wyvern!

It spoke to us “In accordance to the laws of nature I invoke the right of packs! I have young and injured to support, as such I demand a tribute of prey in return for your safe passage through my territory!”

Its domineering voice sounded through our brains. Before any of my kin could spoil the opportunity I bowed to the creature. “I matriarch of the bloodwolf pack vow onto the laws of nature to offer compensation for our lives!”

The beast seemed pleased as it nodded into my direction, then it surprised me, “the winter is hard on us all, if not for the danger of my pack I would have let you pass unhindered.

Please accept my apology but the bindings of the pack are strong. Hunt well mighty wolf but my alpha awaits my return.”

Then it sunk back into the snow, the hole it had just occupied closing seamlessly behind it.

Before any of my stupid young-lings could ruin the moment I ordered our retreat.

IF that THING is not the alpha of its pack I wanted to get us out as fast as possible.