My tired mind worked and I rested looking around and making another mark. I was deep into the woods. I moved with my agility but had not found a good camping spot. It had been two days since I was at the cave and My mind was becoming groggy. I saw some clouds in the sky one time that looked to be threatening rain making my search more desperate. I could feel the damp in the air I had very few choices I needed a shelter I had to bet now could I make a makeshift shelter or find something natural. I am guessing roughly four hours max before the rain hit.
My instincts kicked it hard. Something was watching me and it felt more powerful than the bear or at least more intelligent. I stood for a half-second before continuing on the path showing no extra caution but my senses were on overdrive. I walked past some bushes between trees when something large jumped out of the trees atop of in pouncing hard at me. I used my strained tired muscles to leap away fast. I had no idea what was attacking me but it recovered fast and moved just slower than me but with more strength. I had no time to think and move on training alone. It lunged at me again but as my body moved it changed direction meaning the first was a fake-out. It hit my center of mass knocking the wind out of me but I did not land under it. I used my lightweight and agile body to quickly recover into a backflip before using a tree I ran into as a pounce board and extended my claws at it. My recovery shocked it for a second before lunging as well. Its teeth greeted me as I used my arm as a sacrifice and my other hand to slash across its midsection. It had bit onto my arm dealing huge damage I couldn't feel anything other than pain. My head was light.
The counter damage I did though made it let go quickly but used its claws to swipe my stomach. Our initial blows dealt the most to each other and my last working arm and hand dealt precision damage as we took chunks out of each other. At last, it stopped but I was lost in the fight and clawed at the dead body. after a minute my mind registered. I have no idea how long the fight took but I was badly in need of shelter to heal. I took out a healing potion I purchased at the alchemy guild and swallowed it all. It felt itchy as fuck but my one arm was hanging loosely to the side with nerve damage my stomach had long gashes across it my other arm had damage the same with my thighs huge cuts that I am lucky did not hit an artery. I rest for a quick moment and backtracked to our original position where it started. I then followed its trail to the den of the creature. I found it after roughly a half-hour of tracking. There were more in there. I knew It I could hear meowing. I went back to the body and hauled it back to the den with me my wounds closing slowly.
I looked at the body and see and try to identify it through all the wounds It was a type of tiger I knew that but other than that I couldn't tell my enraged bloodlust battle made me lose perception of when I won and took free shots at a corpse. I snuck into the cave and no other Large creature was there. What was there though made the fight worth it. Three tiger cubs there playing with each other. I walked in now and all three ran to a corner and meowed cutely at me one walked forward and tried to look strong I smiled. I was covered in blood with a dumb arm at the moment but I picked up that little kitty held it. It tried to bite me but my skin was made of sterner stuff. These are my spoils so far from this trip. I grabbed all of them and brought out a tub and put them inside. They couldn't escape and meowed at me. I went outside grabbing branches and dead wood as fast as possible. My arm finally could move again after some time. I felt that the storm was coming in soon. I used what was just a dumb arm to help me chop some nearby tree going as fast as I could. I needed warmth and I needed rest. I chopped down four trees and separated them before bringing them into the cave and then put out the table from my inventory and put the tiger's body on the table to gut and clean see what I could salvage. My potions effect wore off and I remembered that the Alchemy guild recommended no more than one healing potion a day. I put down the bear fur bed to have a place to sleep. Then I heard thunder with the start of the rain. I sighed I made it hopefully I have the firewood to last.
The temperature was dropping fast and my fur was not doing everything I needed as the temperature dropped fast. I lost blood I thought it was making this worse. It started to dawn on me how close to death I was. I heard the repeated meowing and knew I needed to feed them some food before I went to bed. I looked at their teeth they could eat meat but no more than fifteen weeks I guess so they need meat and milk. Great I think. I start to harvest the tiger and notice one of the milk glands still had milk in it. That's fucking convenient. I put it into a bowl and put it in the middle of the three of them. They all go to town on it I throw in some cooked bear meat I had been eating. as they all got their fill I looked at the animal carcass and I couldn't do it at the moment anymore. I needed heat. I used the branches and chopped some wood. I then made a makeshift fire pit and started a fire so that it wouldn't fill the cave. There was a lot of space here. I still needed to give myself first aid. The potion was so I could function didn't stop the need for cleaning the wounds to stop the infection. I took out some disinfecting alcohol and some gaze I had Stacy make. I grab a branch and bite down hard on it as I clean my wounds and using claws to cut off my clothes so that I can get access to them. I was in pain but just bite the branch harder as I continued. Finally I finish bandaging myself hoping I missed nothing. I heard the constant meowing and I put the wold pelt over the tub to keep them warm. I couldn't do it anymore. I wrapped myself in the large bear fur and passed out.
I awoke to the sound of rain and thunder. I survived the night it seems. I sighed and unwrapped myself. I was aching all over and I checked myself to see if I missed anything. It seemed I didn't I grabbed some spare clothes. I put on simple training clothes although they were considered better than most it was a simple white t-shirt and black yoga pants I then found a black hoddie pulling it over my head. I felt myself becoming warmer. I was happy I got Stacy to make me these things. I went over checking on the tiger cubs. They were sleeping and I felt their bodies each were warm I started to help to prepare the cage I had for them to make them safe and warm. I had at least another week here so I wasn't in a hurry just some design plans in my head. I went to work on the carcass getting rid of the ruined fur and pelt then sectioning the meat. As I was digging into it I found a round black marble. I paled.
Shit, no wonder I almost died. It was a low leveled fucking magical beast. I am happy and sad at the same time. I wish I was more powerful but It was a wake-up call that I needed. I put the beast core away and finished the work. I went to work next on the trees I brought in and turned them into Firewood. At some point the Tiger cubs meowed and I hand fed them some meat as I had no formula for them. they each looked satisfied and started playing with each other in the tub. I sighed and went back to work. I need them to bond to me so I will continue to work on that.
The Storm Raged outside picking up in fury rather than lessening. I spent my time between the cubs and making sure everything in my body was coming back together. I finally felt up to exercising my flexibility again after the injuries as the storm continued to rage. As my wounds got better I spent more time bonding with the tiger cubs. now they are constantly playing with me. They started sleeping with me and after a couple more Days the storm started to die down. I smiled not sure of my plans. My firewood was low and everything would be wet and dangerous. It would be better to wait an extra day after. I also need to refill my water. I might take them to the backup cave. I sat and watched the rain with cubs. I hadn't rested like this in a while and relaxed.