“Alright I wanted to go to the river and collect some clay, if I won't do it today I doubt I will have another chance as the Kobolds can return.” I thought to myself as I was weighing to myself if I should go or not to the river but in the end, I chose to do so.
“It's better to do it early than regret doing it later.” I said to myself as I took two poison spears with me on this adventure. I was very careful always using the *Stealth* and *Detection* skills at the same time as I slowly came to the river.
With me, I had an ugly bucket that I urgently made from the rope and branches that I had at the hideout, and in my hand, I had a shovel that was made urgently too. I used some thick sturdy bark that I found on one of my explorations as the shovel head, I wasn’t sure if it was strong enough to dig with but soon I would find out for sure.
I walked down the river bed looking in all directions for the clay deposits but for now, I couldn't find anything.
“Goddamit if this continues I will surely encounter some monsters that came to drink or a party of Kobolds.” I murmured to myself and just like this I jinxed myself and there I saw it, my biggest nightmare manifested in front of me. It was the Devil Cat just relaxing and drinking water from the river.
The fur of the wolf's body started to stand up as a reaction to me seeing it, I was just so shocked and confused but my body still moved on its own as I started to back off. But as the Devil Cat raised its eyes and looked at me and his green-colored eyes met with mine I froze with fear and dread.
“Wait, green?” I asked myself confused as I was sure that the Devil Cat had yellow eyes. I saw them so many times even in my nightmares so I immediately inspected the devil cat.
***
-Forest Black Panther Lv5-
Health: 42/43
Mana: 12/12
Stamina: 17/17
***
“What kind of joke is this, I almost shat myself…” I mumbled to myself as I took a big sigh of relief. I was so sure that my nemesis got revived and tried to hunt me once more that I was already ready to dig my own grave.
“Now that you look at this it really is smaller than the Devil Cat, I guess fear made me completely lose reason.” I said as I continued to stare at the black panther that causality was examining me, most likely thinking if I was a prey or a hunter.
Then it took one step towards me and I smiled with an evil grin, “Don’t you fucking dare you little pipsqueak.” I shouted at him through *Soul Link* while using the *Killing Intent* skills of both me and the wolf.
Even though the panther in front of me wasn’t weak he was nowhere close to me in strength as not only I had the wolf body at the same time I had poison spears on my back, a good hit with one of them and this battle would end easily.
Immediately I could see the panther hesitate to even take another step as its eyes opened up fully.
“Yeah, you are nothing even close to the real Devil Cat.” I mumbled to myself as I slowly started to walk toward it, intimidating it all the way.
*Grow!* In the end with a growl the Black Panther turned around and ran away, with it I felt a small victory in my mind.
“Woohoo!” I happily said to myself as I walked towards where the panther was drinking from and to my surprise there I found what I was looking for.
“Clay!” I happily started to dig the ground and collect clay in the basket that was tied to the wolf's back just behind me.
First I soften the clay with the wolf's *Earth Control* ability and then I just easily dug it out as if it was sand. I smiled happily as I imagined all the tasty food I would be able to make in the new oven and then I remembered that I found copper ore too.
“I think I will need to return here and collect more clay if I want to build a forge for the copper too.” I mumbled to myself before filling the basket to the brim with wet clay.
“This is quite heavy.” I mumbled but it wasn’t a problem for me no more not only did the wolf slowly grow stronger I could use more of my abilities now that my stamina and mana generation became stronger, so I increased the power to the *Wooden Puppet* skill and it made it grow a little bit bigger.
But to my surprise, I couldn’t make it grow even more, as the structure of the skeleton became unstable and started to snap or wither away.
“I guess this is the limit of the second level, well it's alright I don’t need much for now.” I said to myself as I started to run back to the hideout, as I ran back luckily for me I didn’t forget to use my detection skill.
As I started to find out a lot of presences around me closing on my position I looked around and saw that I was surrounded.
“It can’t be Kobolds?” I asked myself as I didn’t know what to do but then an idea popped into my head, I just used the *Dig* skill on the soft ground and made a hole beneath me. Then I used *Earth Control* skill to make it so that the ground will open up and close on me, leaving just a small pathway for air to come in as well as leaving one small root outside to look around.
*”Earth Control” leveled up to Lv2*
There I saw a group of Kobolds thirteen of them were closing on my position. In front of them was a Kobold that looked bigger in size. Most likely he was the leader but he wasn’t an evolution like the black or gray color Kobolds I saw before, he looked the same as the others just a little bit bigger.
He came just a few meters away from where I hid and released a few barks into the air. He most likely sent some commands to the other Kobolds as all of them looked at him before stopping and starting to search through some bushes as if they were looking for something.
“This is getting out of hand, how many of them are in their shitty nest?” I asked myself as from the both parties that attacked me there were around forty of them. If you remove those that were in the first party we can say thirty, then there were more than thirty different footprints near their base, and with this group that should be around seventy.
“Should be around seventy that I know of, I hope that there no more than a hundred in their base or I am so fucked…” I murmured to myself as I continued to look at the group of Kobolds continuing to walk toward where I came from.
I waited for five minutes after I couldn’t see them and exited my hideout.
“Man this is genius with the combination of both of the skills now I can hide myself whatever I want and now that *Earth Control* skill leveled up, I will most likely be able to do it even more easily. I need to check how much stronger it got when I come back.” I smiled to myself as started to run back home still not lowering my guard as I continued to send *Detection* skills in all directions.
*****
“Home sweet home.” I said as I dragged out the bridge, opened up the gate, and entered my hideout.
I dropped down the clay near the workbench as I started to check out the new strength of the earth control skill but nothing noticeable changed. I could just drag rocks that were a little bigger than before with the wolf's yellow eyes and at the same time I could change the stones' shape a little bit.
“If this goes on like this in a level or two I will be able to create bricks and more complex objects with this skill…” I mumbled to myself in thought.
Then I walked to the piles of stones and rocks that I dug out while I was making the cold room and started to pick up some good stones for the furnace. I still had the big slab from last time and with the earth control skill I was able to strengthen it a little bit, now it surely won’t crack even when heated.
I started to build the furnace once more exactly where it last was. Rock after rock, the rock-like igloo was completed. This time I built the lower chamber with stones too, that way it would make it look like a real old furnace and not just a shitty copy.
“Now what's left is to add the clay.” I dragged the heavy basket and started to smear the clay with the shovel completely closing in all the cracks and openings that were in the furnace.
“And now we wait…” I said as I looked at my masterpiece, it was a lot taller than the last furnace and it looked buffer too.
“Well I am not going to wait for it till it dries, it will most likely take a day or two. Let's see how the traps are doing, pitfall and falling ceiling check and check.” I started to make a list of all the things I need.
If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation.
“Gate and bridge to the entrance check, food sources… Well not so check I need to deal with the squirrel first… And I have no clue how to do that, I am really afraid that his friend will attack me if I do so. *Sigh* Well at least I still have mushrooms and Mungo fruits for now.” Then suddenly an idea popped into my head.
“I know how to deal with the squirrel…” I muttered to myself as I ran to the stockpiles of my resources and collected all the tall grass I had, “This is not enough.” I said as I grabbed my spears and ran outside to collect more.
After bringing a huge amount of tall grass back to the hideout I started to work on making lots of rope. One rope two and then more in the end I made all of the tall grass into as many ropes as I could and after finishing that I started to create a net.
“I don’t need to make the holes too small.” I laughed mockingly as I knew that the fat squirrel wouldn’t be able to escape through the holes that I was making.
“You should have eaten less of my bait, you little bastard!” I continued to curse him as I was slowly making more and more of the net, night came and then morning. I didn’t stop until the sun had risen and the birds started to sing, I am sure if I had eyes they would be completely bloodshot.
“Haha, it's complete!” I held the net with a few stones at its end that I added for weight high into the air and shouted to myself, after a moment of basking in my achievement I shook my head and went with the plan.
First I cooked some tasty rabbit meat that I completely forgot about in the hideout as I was obsessed with the plan.
“I should move it to the cold room or it will get spoiled.” I said to myself as I placed all the rabbit meat in the cold room on the leaves that were on the shelves. Then I went to one of the traps I made that was close to a tree and placed the net in its branches high above the ground.
After that, I went to the trap hole and jumped down it was quite a thigh fit as the hole wasn’t that big but with a little bit of work with the *Dig* skill and *Earth Control* I easily made some room.
Then I moved my roots through the ground and covered the hole with the leaves as I always have for all the baits. Then I added the tasty meat to the leaf.
After that, I moved my roots to the top of the tree from behind it. From the side it looked as if natural vines were growing on the tree, at the same time I moved some of my roots to the side of the trap so I would be able to catch the net from below or catch the squirrel himself but I doubted that that would happen.
“I could have used *Wooden Puppet* skill from below but I think he will notice the underground movement.” I thought to myself before closing my eyes and waiting, as I didn’t sleep all night long I lightly slept still keeping most of my senses on the trap.
A few hours passed and nothing happened. I didn't really care as in the worst-case scenario another prey will fall into the trap and I was already here waiting to eat it. In the best case, the squirrel will come and then we shall see what will happen to him.
Another hour passed and I started to get worried a little bit, but to my delight, I heard some bushes move and just like this the fat squirrel jumped from them. I saw all this from the roots that hugged the tree.
The squirrel jumped forward to the trap and looked suspiciously at the freshly cooked rabbit meat, I guessed that it thought that it was too good to be true and it was completely right. It jumped around a little bit looking left and right, even coming closer to the trap and throwing a rock at it.
Which of course landed straight at our head as it fell into the trap, I held myself together doing my best not to release even a smidge of killing intent with all the power I had.
For a moment I was worried that I will be discovered as I even felt some presence pass by me I guessed that it was the *Detection* skill, but thankfully my *Stealth* skill was high enough, and most likely being underground helped too.
“This squirrel has a lot of skills and is quite smart for being a simple squirrel.” I wanted to inspect it again to be sure but chose not to as I was afraid that it would notice as other smart monsters did, so I just waited for it to come closer and fall into my trap.
And after a while of looking around the trap and thinking to itself the squirrel *gulped* as it couldn’t control itself in front of the tasty-smelling meat and I looked in shock as the squirrel pulled a half branch from its mouth.
“How the hell did that fit in there?” I asked myself in shock but I didn’t have time to think about it as the squirrel jumped closer to the trap and grabbed the meat with the stick.
“Now!” I shouted in my head as I released the net from above, it fell directly at the fat squirrel and it squicked in shock.
*Squeak!!* It tried to struggle and remove the net, but I immediately moved with my roots and caught the net from below.
*Skill learned “Trapping”*
I heard the voice of god in my ears and my eyes almost popped from my sockets when I saw the message.
“I made dozen of traps and even caught at least ten prey and only now I am got a *Trapping* skill after catching a shitty squirrel?!!!” I shouted to the void trying my best to hold my sanity together until a cool feeling spread through my mind with was the *Calm Mind* skill.
“Focus, focus…” I said to myself as my attention went back to the fat squirrel.
*Squeak!* *squeak!* *squeak!* It shouted once more in panic but nobody heard it in this big forest, I slowly started to climb out of the trap as if a shark from the water, the wolf's head popped first.
I looked at it with an evil grin as I said to him through the *Soul Link* skill “Caught you!”
*Squeak!!!* He started to struggle stronger and even started to bite the net.
“Not so fast!” I moved my roots to him and immediately used the *Wooden Puppet* skill, roots grew around him as I started to control his body as if he was a marionette doll.
I completely emerged from the trap and removed the net that was holding him, then I smiled inside as I just lay there and looked at it before saying to myself.
“Oh, I was waiting for this moment for some time!” Then I started to play with it making the fat squirrel dance and jump around laughing all the while, after doing that for a while I got bored and brought the squirrel to the wolf's mouth.
To tell the truth, I just wanted to scare this little bastard away from my traps, as I understood some monsters can be talked to and even have normal friendly relationships with and I suspected that this monster in front of me was one of them.
As when he was kinda smart and even when he had the advantage of the army of squirrels on his side he didn’t use them to attack me, just to humiliate me a little so I didn’t have any reason to kill the fellow.
I made the evilest wolf smile I could and even released the *Killing Intent* skills from our bodies, making the fur on the fat squirrel stand up as if it was hit by lighting.
“And what should we do with you, the little culprit that was stealing from my traps!” I said to him while making him start to shake and release a quiet squeak.
*Squeak…*
“What was that punishment for thieves that was famous? Cutting off their hands… But in your case, it would be the paws!” I closed the wolf's jaws in front of him making strong teeth hitting teeth sound, to make it extra scary for him.
*Squick!!!* I didn’t know if he pleaded with me or not but I didn’t expect what would happen next.
Suddenly he puffed out his cheeks with air as if wanting to blow a whistle or something but then he spit out a glittering stone bigger than its head.
I looked shocked at what I just saw, but the squirrel most likely thought that I didn’t see any value in this stone and started to split out other different kinds of stones. Some of them were with different metal ores, others were just pretty gems, some pretty sticks, and weird fruits and seeds were split out too.
“An inventory skill!” I shouted to myself in my head as I saw items continuing to pile in front of me.
In the end, the stones and rocks stopped coming out and the squirrel gave out a few sad squeaks as if it was going to cry any moment now.
*Squeak… Squeak… Squeak…*
My guess was that it was saying that it was everything, I felt bad for a few moments as it looked like I was robbing a small defenseless squirrel.
I still felt weird about this fat squirrel so I inspected it just in case, I saw the squirrel suddenly shrug as if fighting something. I knew that feeling as Fortis used a skill that resembled *Inspect* on me too, but I noticed this struggle and said to myself, “No you won’t!” As I send another *Inspect* at the squirrel.
The squirrel's face turned to surprise as a sudden puff of mist came out of its body as its fur changed color and shape a little bit. It still was chubby but its fur was completely white except for the line that crossed from the front of its head to its tail with was light blue in color
***
-Mirage Squirrel Lv16-
Health: 17/17
Mana: 24/29
Stamina: 8/10
***
“Its fur and status are completely different from the last time, he has the skill to camouflage himself and fake his status!” I shouted out with surprise as I looked at the chubby squirrel in front of me, but then my gaze fell to its chest.
Through it, I could see a bluish misty light shine brightly, for some reason I wanted to tear the squirrel apart and eat whatever that thing was.
I could swear something was whispering into my ear, “EAT IT AND YOU BE ABLE TO EVOLVE! EAT IT AND YOU GET STRONGER! DEVOUR IT AND ALL OF YOUR WISHES COME TRUE!” But then a cooling sensation washed over me as the *Calm Mind* skill started to work.
I shook my head a little bit as I asked, “What the hell…?” Then I looked at the terrifying crying squirrel that was holding its eyes with its paws while quietly *squeaking*.
*Sigh*
I could only sigh as I looked at it and started to pick a few of the shiny rocks and ores that were on the ground as I was inspecting them.
***
*Tin Ore* - Mineral deposits that have a majority of tin metal in them. Can be easily smelted in low temperatures, mostly used as a coating for other metals, or added to copper to create bronze which is used for weapons and other items as it is a lot harder than tin and copper alone.
***
“Oh, I hit the jackpot!” I shouted to myself as I picked more of these rocks, but from the corner of my eyes I saw the sniffing squirrel and I felt bad. In the end, I didn’t take everything, just a few tin ores for the copper I had at the hideout.
“This will be enough.” I said to the squirrel through *Soul Link* skill, and the squirrel slowly raised its gaze at me and looked at me weirdly.
“It's payment for all the bait you stole from me and for this too.” I took the rabbit meat I prepared and dropped it in front of the squirrel. It looked at me strangely once more, as if it never saw an act of kindness before.
*Sigh*
I could only sigh once more and shake my head and say to myself, “I hope this won’t bite me in the ass, literally and figuratively.” As I released my roots that were around the squirrel before starting to walk back to the hideout.
The squirrel looked at me from afar sitting near the piles of items and a piece of meat in front of it and was still shocked and confused as it started to cry once more. I didn’t know what these tears meant yet but soon enough I would find out.