Mortified might not be the right word. A bit of shame mixed with a growing sense of determination. The will to improve. A fierce flame burning inside, intending to use everything it can get to burn stronger and higher.
The battle with the lizards showed both of them, that their lack of actual combat experience and lack of technique can cost them their lives.
One more Stage 3 beast and they might not be able to win without losing a limb. Technique. She really thought that recalling some memories on Self Defense would make her untouchable. She thought she could just waltz over the beasts in her stage.
The merciless and hard truth certainly left an imprint. What happened today could happen in the future.
She cannot guarantee that this mistake won't repeat itself. Determined to improve she can only steel her will. She will have to work hard. Just her inheritance and racial traits won't make her reach the apex of this world.
Looking over to Idan, she can see him check the corpses of the lizards. he had prior fighting experience but he never fought real predators. Some squirrels, turtles and what not. His strength of the 3rd Stage did not allow him to challenge a real battle hardened predator. He mostly runs away and only fought if necessary.
Picking herself up she nears the corpse nearest to her. The corpse is one of the Stage 2 lizards.
Blood and some gooey liquid are flowing out from its eye. she stabbed the lizard through its eye, puncturing its brain and killing it instantly.
seeing the corpse she remembers the fight. If she hadn't acted the way she did she could be standing here with a broken arm. And that isn't even guaranteed. She might have lost due to the pain from having her arm broken.
Shaking her head and clearing it of unnecessary thoughts she focuses on her task. Taking the bloody dagger lying next to the lizard she grabs the lizards head and stabs below its chin. Working the knife towards its jaw she cuts off its lower jaw.
Ripping it off she cuts off the lizards tongue and throws it next to the lizard. removing its fangs she looks for poison glands but luckily it doesn't have any. She may be immune to most weak and intermediate poison but there are special kinds, mutated ones and artificially crafted ones who are, despite being made with weak materials, very potent and could potentially threaten her.
They may not kill her but would weaken her for some time.
Having finished the mouth part she turns the lizard on its back. Stabbing the knife near the scapula (shoulder blade) she cuts the tendons and muscles and loosens the scales. Collecting them she puts them near the tongue and fangs. Cutting down towards the heart she searches for a core.
Hitting something hard she immediately stops.
Damaging the core could make it release its energy and she had struggled too much to make a mistake now. Carefully carving out the flesh surrounding the core she cuts the veins connecting it to the lizard's heart. Taking the chunk of flesh and ripping it out of the body, blood sprays everywhere and soaks the grey shirt ad the brown pants giving her a scary look and vibe.
A blood-soaked girl with an innocent face and a dagger in hand is something that can send shivers down your spine.
Carefully she slowly removes the flesh from the core and shortly afterward the core is visible.
Small and round with an irregular surface, the core doesn't have an impressive outer appearance. A brown-grey pattern covers the otherwise black core, signaling its affinity. Earth and Stone. The grey color makes up the majority of the pattern.
An earth and stone aligned core is perfect for her current body tempering. She would like to keep the flowers for another time. she could filter the energy and wouldn't have to worry about impurities clogging her pathways.
Reminding herself of other parts she might want to dismantle of the corpse she remembers all the items, lizard parts are needed for. Cutting off its claws and taking its shoulder bones she throws them on the small pile of dissected parts. Moving further down on the lizard she removes the lizard's gallbladder and cuts of its testicles. Removing its genitals is a delicate process. Alchemist appear to pay a lot for clean genitals in good shape. Carefully packing the lizard penis and the testicles into the ripped parts of her shirt. She gently places them near the pile.
Overlooking the gory corpse with bones and innards sticking out of it and a missing groin and heart she cannot find anything else of value. Moving over to the other second stage corpse she instantly sees that the groin of this lizard is smashed. Quite a few stone bullets have transformed the area into a mash of blood flesh and something undefinable.
Felling a bit sad that such a valuable part is destroyed she sighs and moves onto its head. Repeating the process over again she ends up with slightly fewer scales than the previous one but overall the body is in good shape.
The last one left is the Stage 3 lizard. Its core is worth almost double that of a Stage 2 core and its scales are harder and can be more easily worked into various pieces of armor. The stronger a lizard, gets the more flexible his scales become. They grow harder and more resilient but their flexibility rises which makes them a top product for normal soldiers and low-grade adventurers.
Taking apart the Stage 3 corpse. She and Idan end up with the following:
34 Stage 2 scales
13 Stage 3 scales
2 lizard penises (Stage 3 - 1)
4 lizard testicles (Stage 3 - 2)
5 bones from the shoulder area
2 Stage 2 cores
1 Stage 3 core
some tendons
Leg muscles
happy with their loot they cut off some parts from the lizard and use some wood they previously collected on their way back to make a small fire. Placing it near the wall they want to avoid that it is seen everywhere. Most animals will be able to smell something like smoke and roasted meat but they probably would not deliberately come here as this is a fighting ground.
And even if, they will keep an eye out. They will not get ambushed again!
Slowly roasting the lizard legs and arms their drool is dripping onto the floor. Watching as the red flesh slowly turns crispy and golden, watching as the fat drips into the fire, sizzles, and burns, spreading its smell, they cannot hold themselves.
Idan had not eaten meat for quite some time. Nuts and berries are the things he normally eats.
Our protagonist had never tasted meat before. Fruits were actually the very first thing she ever ate.
The first time she did not savor them. She just wolfed them down trying to eat as much as possible.
But her memories included food and recipes including a lot of meat. she knew that meat is very tasty but she also knew that some people and races don't like meat.
Would she like it? She hoped she would. She saw an unimaginable amount of tasty sounding and looking memories about meat while she was waiting for the fire to burn hot enough.
Holding the stick with a fat piece of leg she dreamed about its taste. How would it taste? Is fat yummy? Would it make me stronger? Normally eating meat can strengthen a beast's body and since she is, to some extent a beast, it should help her. Right?
Lost in her thoughts she stares into nothingness, slowly rotating the stick. Minutes pass and slowly the meat turns golden brown. A delicious scent spreads and she knows it is almost finished!
Being careful as to not burn the meat she turns the stick and deems it satisfactory.
Moving it near her mouth and blowing on it to cool it down she takes a bite.
Taste explodes in her mouth making her open her mouth. Her eyes snap open and her hand shivers.
What is this taste?!