As I woke up I immediately began tooting out mist to control automatically increasing my health by another 0.025 soon I'll get another 1 and as it increases it'll increase faster... I gather the mist up and start by forming a little armor on myself out of most of the faint mist just as a thing that I need to hold still rather than move about so I can work on my control skill while focusing on other things. Then I use the small amount of mist leftover and condense it again. The amount of mist may be quite small but it is still the same amount as yesterday and thus will clean out my mana within twelve seconds. I sit there playing with the little cloud as I watch carefully for when my mana runs out and as it's about to I let go of the condensed mist and it turns back into a larger wispy cloud I move the cloud onto my claws as I wait. I may be all mist but I still got the general shape of a lizard. As I wait holding the useless armor and claw blades in place I ask Alex to pull up my stats again.
"Unnamed Race- MBlumest
Level:0/10 Status: Unborn
Exp:2/10
Evolution:0
HP: 0.125/5.125
Mp: 0.041/1.002
Skills: [Mist Art-0/10] [Soul Art-0/10] [Light-0/10] [Healthy-0/10] [Sight-0/10] [Detect-0/10][Regeneration-0/10] [Weakest-0/10]"
Coming along nicely. Pull up the mist arts I'm able to use right now, please.
"[Mist Control] level 0/10 Exp 20/100
[Mist Condensing] level 0/10 Exp 15/100
[Mist Create] level 0/10 Exp 25/100"
... Just gonna take a moment to enjoy the solid number... so much better than the decimals... It seems the first skill I'll be able to level up will be the creation skill. Hopefully, it won't consume more health or if it does it's not that bad. Otherwise, I'll lose that ability and I don't have another way to hurt myself right now for growing my health hmm. Well got an entire day of grinding ahead of me. Hi ho to work I go!!!
------
Ellie is anxiously passing back and forth in the kitchen as today is the first day of her school. She has the black and gold box cradled in her hands. She didn't feel safe carrying the egg around all day but didn't wanna leave it alone so she is carrying it in the box. Hugging it tight to her chest as she passed anxiously checking the time now and then.
Finally, it was time to go and Ellie didn't know if she felt better or worse now that she had to leave. Checking her stuff one last time she stopped at the door with a bit of an internal struggle before eventually forcing herself to take the step out the door and along the way she didn't stop her feet in fear she wouldn't be able to start them again or she may turn around. Along the way she saw the many other people in the village walking along towards the school with baby monsters or eggs and containers cradled or walking alongside them as they went to the school. Some parents walked with their kids some kids walked alone. Regardless of who they were no one spoke to Ellie those who did see her simply looked at her with pity then walked on as if she didn't exist it was mostly the parents who looked at her that way she hated it most of all.
After taking a few turns and finding the road progressively more crowded Ellie finally caught sight of the school. The towering building seems like an executioner's ax slowly falling towards her neck in her eyes as she walked. She couldn't tell why she felt so scared but she kept walking cause she knew she had to go.
Eventually, Ellie reached the door and for the first time since she left her house, her feet stopped. Staring at the large stone gateway with kids pouring in. All holding a monster or an egg as they went. Not all of them are capable of taming an adult beast or could afford a tamer to acquire an adult beast for them so most children get a baby beast or egg to raise as their companion usually the baby or egg is from the parents' beasts. Most people have a pet beast those who don't are either part of the monster slayer faction. Or have lost their beasts to a battle of some kind and refused to get a new one. It's not necessary that people have partners but most people do as monsters are our greatest defense against monsters most of the time. The monster slayers abandon all beasts and believe they are invaders from another world who came to destroy our world so they take it as their mission to kill every beast they see. They supposedly have a god of the hunt they worship who bestows them with strength as they kill beasts. They tend to be as strong as most beasts but they are also crazy and a fringe group in the town as they have a habit of killing their fellow villagers beasts if given the chance. It's highly illegal to do such a thing. It's no different than murder and the monster slayers have had many members executed for exactly that.
There are other religions amongst our people but the god of the hunt that the monster hunters worship is the most well known. They are not famous but infamous. Seen as nothing more than a cult by most. However, they are the main defenders who guard the walls when the monsters migrate resulting in countless wild beasts trying to kill all the humans and beasts we have tamed. If it wasn't for those migrations I'm sure the monster slayers would have all been executed or exiled by now.
As she walked into class with the box clutched tightly she sat down in an empty seat without a word and waited. Eventually, the homeroom teacher came and introduced herself she began a long speech about the importance of monsters that I tuned out before she began teaching the basics of a taming seal. It's not something like a chain to make the animal do what we say but more like a way to allow them to understand us better through a mental connection. After everyone has figured out how to make it the teacher began leading everyone to the front to perform the seal one by one and bind their beast companions to themselves. The seal is mostly symbolic anymore but its main use is simply sharing emotions with your partner. You can't speak but you can feel. Eventually, it's Ellie's turn and she brings her black box to the front of the class and takes the egg out. Some snickers came from the children especially the rich ones when I revealed the palm-sized egg and began to make the seal. As the seal was placed and a faint green light flashes from the egg as Ellie was putting it away and quickly closing the box in panic and rushing off to hide the egg in her locker Ellie moved on. After everyone created their seal it was time to move on to the second class. Ellie immediately ran off.
As Ellie was walking to the second class a boom rang out from the distance. Immediately a siren went off in the school and people in the class are already heading out of the classroom before she could step in the teacher spots her then urges her into line before leading the way to the shelters. As we are walking I remember the egg that I had sat down in my locker earlier quickly rushing off I run down the hall and grab the box the egg is in before turning around. As I turned around the whole world seemed to shake and the walls started to change shape. Terrified I jumped into the locker and shut the door. The lockers are made to protect the belongings from monsters as people have tried to use their companions to vandalize other people's things in the past. As the world began to shake and a thunderous sound became all Ellie could hear she just clutched her box and waiting patiently for it to pass. Clearly monster had broken into the city and Ellie was scared. Waiting alone in the dark she watched and worried if the locker would hold up. Eventually, the sound of raging beasts outside passed and silence took its place and Ellie sat waiting.
---8 days later---
Waking up yet again from my sleep after using up my magic with the light skill. I decided to check my progress over the last few days of constant grinding as I look at the mist in my egg to try to estimate how much longer till I hatch. The mist that makes up my body has already turned into water a few days back and now the thicker mist that made up the egg white is getting smaller and smaller. I have to assume it won't be more than a couple more days. How long have I been trapped in this egg? Let's see.
"Unnamed Race- MBlumest
Level:1/10 Status: Unborn
Exp:0/10
Evolution:0
HP: 0.75/25.750
MP: 0.003/8.003
Skills: [Mist Art] [Soul Art] [Light-0/10] [Healthy-0/10] [Sight-0/10] [Detect-0/10][Regeneration-0/10] [Weakest-0/10]"
Hmm, a definite growth in stats, and I'm level 1 now... Since I was earning 1 exp a day before I got to assume that means it's been like a week now? Let's see the skills excluding soul-related ones Alex.
"[Mist Control] level 2 Exp 7/500
[Mist Condensing] level 1 Exp 10/250
[Mist Creation] level 2 Exp 280/500
[Light] level 0 Exp 10/100
[Healthy] level 0 Exp 150/1000
[Sight] level 0 Exp 13/1000
[Detect] level 0 Exp 5/1000
[Regeneration] level 0 Exp 900/1000
[Weakest] level 0 Exp 980/1000"
Hmm, so weakest is about to level as well. That's nice. Also, it has been like 10 days since I woke up in this body based on the light skills exp. I guess I could use it more but I've been focusing on my racial skills. It's less consuming and thus can be practiced for longer. No way I could have the mana I do now or be in level 1 of light by now if I had focused on it.
Few more days and I'll finally be out of mist and it should be time to pop out of my egg. I wonder what's out there and why do I feel so hungry and lonely? Hmm. Been feeling weird for a few days now. I should break out of this egg as soon as possible something might be wrong out there.