The rain slowly stopped. The cubs were bundles of energy now jumping around me as I played with them. I took a closer look, They each had jet black fur with some navy blue strips. Two of the cubs were female and one male. I was happy these were potential magical beasts. They were bonding well to me as I played with them. I was going to cage them but I am in the conundrum that I want to take them back but need to keep going deeper into the forest. I didn't know what to do. I can't put living things into the inventory they just cease to have a soul I guess. I tried with bugs and mice. The mice were the biggest tell they would go in but just come out breathing they would no react to any outside stimulation.
It had an interesting impact on my world view but ultimately if I want something to remain useful I need to keep it alive. So putting them in my inventory was out of the question and caging them will be temporary at best. I still need to feed them, train them, and bond with them for the cubs to be useful in the future. I was in a bind. It was roughly four days before I originally got here and five days of storms so nine days out of the period so five days at the minimum to stay here. With these cubs too I had achieved most of what I wanted here too. I got to fight something to kinda see where I am on the totem pole and I come steadily on par or lower than a low-tier Magical Beast. It was a fight I did not want to do again right now or any time soon. Hmm there is one thing.
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Name: Sally
Age: 11
Titles: Ex-Slave, Apprentice of Jack the Torturer, Martial Genius, Apprentice Wizard
Race: Beastkin - Phantom Snow Tiger
Level: 1
XP: 575/1000
System Points: 21800
Mana: 133/133
Strength: 25
Agility: 75
Vitality: 37
Toughness: 33
Charisma: 22
Intellect: 73
Wisdom: 74
Luck: 16
Points to Spend: 0
Shop - Items Available;
Inventory - 5 Slots Available;
Lotto - No spins;
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Interestingly I need just a bit more experience and I will level but a Low magical beast being five hundred experience the system is more stingy with experience than the points. That Level up candy became more useful. I decided what to do. I started to go out and Chop some trees. Wet or not wood is wood. Inside the cave I started to make a pen in the corner so the cubs couldn't get out or anything In while I am out. It took me a day to get all my preparations done as I set up the cave so that they could sleep and eat in peace and I didn't have to worry. I also set up traps so that No critters would come in and hit the pen while I was gone. I wish I was better at Mana manipulation and engraving to create wards.
Hell I could use some go-to spells mana manipulation. Thinking of wizardry as the only far distance I think I might be in a trap It can come in handy. My mind spun I need something for a quick spell that can keep me alive throw off the enemy or something that manning up and basically getting in a fistfight with a tiger was not the smartest move I have made in either life.
This trip has been fruitful just with the small experiences I have received. I packed up my stuff making some basic food and did the last check of my wounds. They were all healing good thank god I would have to go back if they started to fester or amputate. I'd rather keep my arm. I laid down and the cubs cuddled in with me. Tomorrow I will do some hunting and use this as a base.
I woke wrapped with fur all around me It was interesting and realized I am a tiger-kin with tiger cubs now. I sigh was it ironic? I don't think it fits in the irony terms so I just did up some food for me and the cubs over a smokey fire that took longer than I would have liked. I put them in the pen with what was almost the last of my water. I need to refill so I decided to take a run and hunt what I see on my way there and back hopefully will not take more than a day or two. I then smacked my head obviously there needed to be a nearby water source with where the mother located this cave.
I left and climbed the tallest nearby tree. I think I saw a river in the east so I climb back down and make a trip. I heard the stream but freeze before going for the creak. My instincts cried out to me and I hide in the bushes without thought. I think there might be some poison ivy one of the plants look suspicious but I can not care as I see a Large lizard the thing was twelve feet long black It lapped the water and then rested on a nearby rock. I sat as still as possible no unnecessary movement so I started to make even my breathing more shallow. I remember these lizards in classes populate the nearby mountains the adult ones are high magical beasts that reach fifteen feet long. This one was still a juvenile but that just made it a Mid-tier magical beast. I don't have the power to my knowledge and my instincts screamed at me. I wanted to run but my brain told me to stay put.
In my lessons they told me they have a habit of chasing things but are generally lazy creatures. They only find entertainment in the hunt so running would cause them to hunt you for sport and eat you at the end cause they are lazy to go get more food later. It was a weird mix in my opinion but I will listen to my teachers on this. Instinct can tell you when something is dangerous but that doesn't mean you blindly follow it. It kept screaming at me to run. The beast just sunbathed in contentment for hours I was hiding scared it would notice me. It went to sleep and instincts cried hard. RUN NOW it rang but I held myself back. I just sat there and I was never happier to listen to it as a large eagle swept down and took the lazy lizard but a fight broke out.
The Eagle took it in its talons and the lizard used the strength in its tail to injure the wing of the eagle. This was a Swiftback eagle if I remember correctly also a mid-tier beast that wing looked dumb as the tail accurately broke a bone or two in it. Was the lizard baiting a trap I am not sure Magical beasts are smarter than normal beasts. They started to fight as the Eagle could no longer fly away it was bloody and both took serious injuries and I wished I had a poisoned long-range weapon. I made a decision I will learn some mid-range weapons this lame excuse of me sitting back defenseless as two beasts go at it I was genuinely scared.
It made me remember the past when I just dropped out of high school joining a gang. That first gunfight helpless my aim shit I was the last one left standing as my fear predominated everything and fled being the last member of the gang ever to live. No one remembered that gang. I will find a moment to flee or fight. As the beast was killing each other I waited until that eagle died sliding in front of me as the lizard took a bite into its neck and used its tail to send it flying ripping the eagle's throat to shreds. The Lizard gave a roar of triumph and ran to dig into its spoils I started to picture a sharpened wind blade and had it vibrate I just pictured it vibrating faster and faster than sending it at the lizard. I ran after that wind blade I could only strike not retreat my life counted on this moment There was no second chance. The blade went and hit a portion of its scales but the rest of it sliced flesh of a wound the eagle left. It successfully grabbed the lizard's attention moving its attention away from its prize or me. I jumped and plunged the bladed whip without putting it in whip mode into its eye then activated its whip mode detaching it into segments and I fell the roars of pain that lizard felt must have been amazing as I tore through its eye my bladed whip elongating the scar as I fell back to the ground. I decisively abandoned the whip and pictured another vibrating wind blade and ran to a wound that my teachers said was close to its heart. I sent it in hoping before I ran. I needed time either I die when it chases me or it bleeds out as it does. I was a boat in the ocean. I was scared.
I was leaping through the forest as I heard crashing behind me I didn't know where I was going I just ran. It stopped though not long after it started. Nothing was chasing and I fell to the ground. I felt instinct in me take over and roared in victory. I FUCKING LIVED! I was on an adrenaline high and I knew it my heart was pounding and I wanted to roar but the last one was ill-conceived. I look behind me and realize the lizard was not far behind me it was only fifty meters. I was labored in breathing. I just straight up took the corpse into my inventory I walked back to the creak and watched out for other preditors. I did the same with the eagle and just flat out threw it into the inventory function of the system so fucking convenient If I had this in my previous incarnation it would have made hiding bodies so fucking easy. I just sighed. I took out my water canteens and started filling them quickly I could tell things were going to happen soon my instincts screamed it so I filled them and I ran back to the cave. I started packing and made a makeshift cage quick.
My intuition and instincts were screaming at me. I abandoned the thought of the cage as the cubs were meowing and me cutely and I decisively just picked them up in a hug all three and ran. I fucking fled like a coward. I heard a roar and I was running. I found an old mark towards my old cave and I fled I just flat out sprinted. The forest was in chaos as I heard noises and didn't know what all I knew was that things were going down. I ran the cubs in my arms were scared and quiet My existence became follow this mark than the next All they did was a point to the next. I sprint my legs were just noodles I knew If I stopped I would collapse.
I didn't know what time it was but dark already settled in and I was still running as fast as my legs could take me. I could no longer follow marks but things behind me were getting loader as many roars of anger and more animal noises that sent my instincts into overdrive. I don't know if there fucking forest politics but I think I just started a war on this mountain I decided fuck it as I heard noises started coming closer I took out that help ball and busted it. The aggrieved Miss Green showed up instantly.
"I- What the-" She turned and ran after me as I continued running. My legs were getting worse. "Sally WHAT THE FUCK DID YOU DO?!"
I was huffing and running I was scared I just gave her a scared look my eyes trying to convey my desperation and traces of confusion. As I dodged some trees my legs were starting to tie out. "Miss Green-" I huff out, "I- Don't- Know-" There was the bustle of activity near us and I paled, "Miss Green If you got here I hope you can get us out In a similar way." we were both running but she just started and I still don't even know what we were running from. Miss Green looked aggrieved as she took out an enchanted object. That was when a Large lizard at least 25 feet large burst threw the tree line. Miss Green grabbed me and destroyed the object and we flashed away.
"What the FUCK, Sally happened?!" She screamed at me. I went over the fight between the lizard and the eagle and my try to live. She looked at me like I was an idiot and in awe. "Sally You were not supposed to go that far the fact they were shallow in the forest was not your fault." she sighed, "You got caught in forest politics and pissed off two ruling factions I am guessing. This is not good all the students are in trouble. Wait? What are those?" she pointed at the cubs in my arms.
"Some cubs I found," I state simply as the cubs were shaking I tried to comfort them.
"Those are not just some cubs those are Fucking Spectre Tiger cubs they are rare and usually protected by two Spectre Tigers they usually are neutral in forest politics too," she stated she was angry and getting angrier.
"Fine I was attacked by a tiger a low-Level magical beast after getting injured and followed its trail to its den I found these three," I state, The cubs were stopping shaking and I took in my surroundings as Miss Green looked at me shocked. We were in a cabin with basics one room with some cooking supplies a bed and a ladder to a cold cellar. There was basic furniture this was probably a cabin used for these student escapades they organized.
Miss Green was lost it looked like and cursed around for a bit she cussed like a drunk sailor. "FUCK, Sally this is not good we need to go, Get your shit ready we are leaving. I look at her and follow her to a carriage she promptly starts making trips back and forth. I just settle the cubs into the carriage. I then feel the message spell go our dozens of times. We left just like that but my intuition told me I fucked things up.
The carriage rolled down and I felt mana moving in message spells coming from all directions. Miss Green looked annoyed, angry and I think I see some fear.