I found their camp in disarray. The ground bore unmistakable signs of a struggle, with trampled bushes and deep claw marks etched into the earth. I was instantly put on guard and feared the worst.

Did the other group find them?

Thankfully that didn't seem to be the case as Bianca came out to greet me. However, the weariness etched on her face instantly caught my attention, casting a shadow of concern over the moment. Her dark wavy hair was disheveled and caked with dirt, hanging down in tangled clumps.

"What happened here?" I asked.

"Long story", she grumbled. "Lets just say we had a run in with an oversized dog."

I eyed one of the platesized paw prints. "I'm suddenly very glad I didn't stay with you before."

"I bet. Now come, I'll introduce you to someone"

I raised an eyebrow. Paranoia came knocking again. A new person? "You sure this is a good idea?", I asked.

She stopped in her tracks, to look back at me. "Not at all. But we couldn't just throw him out." A strange look was on her face. "You'll see".

I reluctantantly followed her back into the main camp. It looked better at least. The hammocks were still hanging there, and the fireplace seemed intact as well. The rest of the group were doing various things around the camp. Micheal waved.

At the cold fireplace sat Veronica, seemingly trying to comfort a rugged looking man. Dark, grimey locks of hair framed his weary face, and he'd likely seen better days. He was hugging his legs, and wipping back and forth on his toes.

"Thats Glen." Bianca pointed at the man. "Glen that's Alex. A friend of the group. We think he might be able to help you."

I was taken aback. "I can?"

Bianca looked at me. "Well apart from him, you've been here for the shortest amount of time." She shrugged. "And you seem to be adapting well. So I don't know. Teach him your secrets or something."

I groaned. "Have I ever told you what they called me in highschool?"

"No, what?"

"They called me Alexander. Not Alex. Alexander. That's how bad I was at all the social stuff."

Bianca laughed at that. "Hey, you just made a pretty girl laugh. I would say you improved at least a bit since then."

I blushed just a touch. Quick to change the subject, I pointed at Glen. "But just look at him. Maybe he wants some alone time."

She looked at him with a thoughtful expression on her face. "You know what? Maybe you're right. Maybe we should.."

She was cut off by the man who finally looked up. His eyes were red and he looked mildly annoyed. There was much less dread than I had been expecting.

"I am sitting right here. I can hear every word you're saying.", his voice exasperated.

Everyone ignored him.

"Congratulations", Veronica said, irritation flickering in her eyes, "You two annoyed him out of him trauma."

Bianca had a thoughtful expression on her face. "So you're saying we helped him?"

"No. Are you really that dense?"

I tried to diffuse the situation. "Anyways, Nice to meet you Glen. I know this is a lot right now, but we'll get out of it eventually." I gave him what I hoped to be an ecouraging nod.

The words were empty. I wasn't even sure if I believed them myself. But what else was I supposed to tell him?

Either way, Glen didn't seem to care what I had to say as he started wipping again.

We decided it was probably for the best if we let Veronica handle the situation. She seemed quite a bit more experienced with handeling other peoples mental turmoil. Michael told us sparring would have to wait for a bit longer, as they still had some repairs to do. So Bianca volunteered us to get some food. She had already promised to teach me about fishing so thats what we did.

It actually took us a while to find a suitable spot. Most of the water close to the shore was too shallow for anything other than small fish. However, our perseverance paid off as we eventually stumbled upon a promising location. A cluster of rugged boulders emerged from the water, creating a natural perch just above the surface. Carefully, we climbed on top these rocks and settled down.

"People always think you need to be extremely quiet when fishing. That's not entirely true. Much more important is that you don't move too much." Bianca explained, pausing to emphasize her point. "Also it's generally easier fishing at a place, where the fish don't yet know what you're doing. Which makes this lake ideal." she flashed me a smile.

Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

I just nodded. She seemed to know what she was doing, as she put bait on two fishing lines. They were just lines, wrapped around stones and without a rod. Which made sense, considering she likely wanted to save points.

"Give it a try," Bianca offered, handing me another line.

I clumsily put on the bait, a big fat insect, that was pretty disgusting honestly. But it didn't have to appeal to me. Only the fish had to like it. With the bait secured, I stepped forward to cast it into the water, only to be momentarily captivated by my own reflection.

It was the first time I had truly looked at myself since arriving here, and I couldn't help but notice the profound changes. The most apparent transformation was my gaunt appearance. The scarcity of food had stripped away my remaining fat and diminished my muscle mass, leaving me visibly thinner.

But it didn't end there. Even my facial features had been altered, taking on a more feline, elven allure. It was pretty, but I wasn't sure how to feel about it.

Interestingly enough, my ears were still mostly round. This made me wonder, as that wasn't the case for Michael, whose ears had narrowed on top, giving them a pointy appearance.

"First time seeing your new look?" Bianca stood behind me, clearly having noticed my puzzled expression.

"Uh yea. Not sure how I feel about it. Just looks a bit alien. On the other hand, I never looked this good back home." I threw the fishline and sat down beside her.

"A lot of people had that happen to them after fusion with another race. If you want my advice, take it for what it is. Part of this whole package." "Also" she added "You could have it much worse. There was that one girl I met on my first day, who fused with a magic dolphin or something. Let's just say, it probably wasn't what she'd been expecting."

I couldn't hold back a chortle. "A dolphin?"

"I didn't ask her exactly" she laughed. "But thats what it looked like."

The time passed quickly in casual coversation. Bianca was surprisingly pleasant to hang out with. We talked about various topics, and I told her about the trap at the shop. She was blunt, which fit well with me and I found myself enjoying the day for the first time since I got here. Paranoia was still lurking in the back of my mind, but it was muted.

We also did eventually catch some fish. It took longer than expected but the satisfaction of our accomplishment made it worthwhile. Each fish belonged to the same species, distinguished by its vibrant yellow fins and pointy teeth.

We got back to the camp slightly past noon, and the rest of the group were just finishing up.

Michael called out "You're right on time for some sparring." He glanced at the fish in our hands. "Also, I see you brought us lunch".

I held up the fish proudly for the others to see.

To my surprise Glen stood up unprompted. He seemed to be doing better. "I used to cook a lot of fish back home. If you want, I could prepare it while you train?"

I gave him a surprised look but accepted.

If he feels like he's contributing something useful, he might recover quicker.

A loud clap got my attention.

"Now that we've settled that, I have a plan for the sparring today." Michael began. "In a real fight, you won't have the luxury of knowing your opponent's abilities beforehand. It's crucial to be adaptable and quick on your feet. While training against each other has been valuable, it's time to raise the stakes."

He directed his gaze towards me. "This is where Alex comes in. He will engage in individual battles with each of you, without anyone watching. The goal is for you to discover and decipher his abilities on the fly, forcing you to adapt and strategize in real-time."

Murmurs of agreement rippled through the group, signaling their understanding and approval. Michael's attention returned to me.. "Does that arrangement work for you, Alex?"

Hell yea it does. I get to show off, and find out what kind of skill they have. Sweet deal.

I nodded. "As long as we keep the fight short, and nobody uses anything lethal that sounds like a good idea."

"Fantastic," Michael affirmed, a spark of anticipation in his voice. "Then let's begin with me."

We didn't go far from the camp, finding a secluded spot behind a cluster of bushes on a serene, natural beach with greyish sands. As we prepared for our training session, I decided to set aside my battered shoes, allowing my toes to sink into the cool, inviting sand.

Glancing over at Michael, I could see he had also discarded his shoes and shirt, revealing a athletic physique. He was slim like me, but with more musclemass. Physically, he was for sure more imposing than me, though that didn't neccessarily mean anything. Both stats, and previous fighting experience would likely play a role. And let's just say this wasn't my first fight.

"Ready?" I asked, holding back a grin.

With a nod of affirmation, Michael wasted no time and conjured a fireball, hurling it towards me with a ferocious intensity. Despite sensing the absence of heat, it was scary. Reacting swiftly, I barely evaded the blazing projectile by dodging to the side, into the shadow of some of the bushes. As I leaped into the patch of darkness, I tapped into my essence, feeling it course through me as I vanished from sight.

Without missing a beat, Michael instinctively launched a barrage of flames at the spot where I had last landed, but I was already gone. Seizing the opportunity, I lunged at him, determined to quickly end the fight. However, Michael must have caught a glimpse of my movement, prompting him to swiftly pivot and narrowly evade my strike. Instead of landing a decisive blow, my fist only grazed his shoulder.

Before I could mount another attack, Michael swiftly countered, sweeping my feet out from under me, sending me crashing to the ground. The sudden impact shattered my stealth, leaving me exposed and vulnerable. Capitalizing on my momentary weakness, Michael closed the distance and unleashed a point-blank pseudo fireball. There was no heat, only a slight tingle.

"You're dead," he declared flatly.

I just laid there. Panting.

What the fuck just happend.

"Shit. I was so confident too.", I groaned.

He smirked. "I should have probably told you. I used to be in the special forces before coming here."

What a dirty dog. He knew he was going to destroy me from the start. And I walked in his trap like an idiot.

"Ah. That explains it I guess."

"You actually weren't too bad. Most newbies hesitate a lot more. You also have a very interesting ability I must say. Almost caught me off guard there."

I wasn't sure what to say. First he'd utterly schooled me, and now he was complimenting me? "Uh thanks I guess?"

"Of course, your form was horrible. Little to no technique. Your instincts are good, but I doubt you ever had any proper traing eh?"

I just nodded. He was spot on. Unless you counted wrestling middle aged drunk men as training.

I grabbed his hand as he pulled me up from the sand. Physically, I was completely fine, with only my pride hurting. Hopefully I would do better against the others.

He quickly crushed my hope, "Alright, we'll do that one more time before we switch."