I finished cleaning myself, something I felt a deep nagging in the back of my head if I didn't complete the process. I kind of started to understand why cats did it, it felt amazing when you strut about with a pristine pelt. I recalled how easily I took down that rabbit, and though it was just a rabbit, those things are quick little bastards, so to just pop up and kill it was an amazing feeling.
For the first time since my parasitic journey began, I felt… formidable.
As I lurked about the forest, having left my cave to find a new creature to kill, I took a moment to really appreciate how well this creature had adapted to the night. I wasn't terribly hungry, honestly, I was rather content. A lynx isn't a big cat by any means, but it could hold its own. My stomach, in turn, was not that big as well. Part of me wanted just to go back and nap away the rest of the night, and likely nap away the day. But I needed to grind XP, so I dug deep down and embraced my inner house cat. I was going to murder the shit out of stuff just for fun.
Ahead, the faint rustle of leaves and the delicate crunch of hooves on the forest floor gave away my targets. Two deer. A doe and her fawn. My ears twitched, pinpointing their positions as I crouched deeper into the shadows. This would be perfect, a quick meal to max out my XP gain, and more experience to build on from there.
I crept forward, the doe's scent filling my nostrils, tantalizing and meaty. The lynx's instincts urged me to leap, to kill, but I tempered the primal desire with human cunning. Patience. I'd need to be smart about this.
The doe lifted her head, ears swiveling as her muscles tensed. She sensed something, but I stayed perfectly still, waiting for the right moment to strike. Then, just as I began to shift my weight for the leap…
A thunderous snort shattered the tension.
I barely had time to process the sound before an enormous buck charged into view, antlers lowered in a display of dominance. He had clearly been watching over the doe and fawn, and I was now squarely in his sights.
"Shit!" I cursed internally, my feline reflexes kicking in as I darted back to avoid the first charge. The buck plowed through the brush, his antlers carving paths of destruction as he twisted to face me again.
[Shadow Pounce Activated]
I launched into the shadows, the sensation still alien to me as my world shifted to inky blackness like I was submerged in the deepest depths of the ocean. The world bent around me, distorted and surreal, before snapping back into clarity as I reemerged behind him. My claws raked his flank, drawing blood and earning an enraged bellow.
[Critical Hit: 12 Damage]
The buck spun faster than I anticipated, his antlers sweeping dangerously close. I barely ducked in time, retreating a few paces as he pawed the ground, preparing for another charge.
This wasn't going to be easy, but boy oh boy, it was going to be good XP!
The doe and her fawn had long since bolted, which left me with a tang of disappointment. I wanted to kill all of them, even the baby which was likely more experience than a rabbit. Unfortunately, I was left alone with their furious protector. I circled him, my mind racing. He was bigger and stronger, and one solid hit from those antlers could skewer me through the heart. But I had the advantage of speed, shadows, and surprise. Besides, if I failed, it wasn't as if a buck was going to feast on my remains and let me dominate it. Death meant that I would be back to square one, waiting for a crow or vulture to come on by and peck at me until I would have a chance to take them over. No, I wasn't going back to freefalling from the sky to my death!
[Cooldown Complete: Shadow Pounce Available]
A cooldown? No one told me about a cooldown. I would need to take a little more tact with my use of this ability. The buck couldn't give a… damn about my cooldown, it lowered its head and charged wildly at me, waving its antlers from side to side as it tried to impale me.
[Shadow Pounce Activated]
I leapt into the shadows again, this time emerging above him, aiming for his back. My claws sank into his hide as I raked and bit, tearing at flesh with savage precision.
[Damage Dealt: 14]
The buck reared, throwing me off with a force that sent me tumbling. Pain shot through my side as I hit the ground, but I scrambled to my feet, ignoring the dull throb. Nothing vital was hit, so I could continue. I'm sure most cats deal with this, though on the Discovery Channel, it was mostly kill shot after kill shot, with the occasional lioness being kicked into oblivion.
He charged again, and this time I was ready.
[Cooldown Complete: Shadow Pounce Available]
[Shadow Pounce Activated]
I dove into the shadows once more, appearing just to his side as he barreled past. My claws lashed out, catching his hind leg and sending him skidding.
[Shadow Pounce Skill Leveled Up to 2 from 1: Cooldown Reduced by 0.25 Seconds]
Fuck yes! The cooldown was already… Well, based on how things had been going it was likely a couple of seconds, maybe 3 or 4.
The buck stumbled, his movements growing sluggish as blood poured from his wounds. Still, he refused to go down. I couldn't afford to drag this out any longer.
I really needed to level up one of those memory skills, I could really use some tips on how to finish this bastard.
The buck's labored breaths came in sharp huffs, each one a little more strained than the last. Blood matted its fur, streaking its flanks in crimson lines, but its eyes burned with defiance. This thing just wouldn't go down.
I circled him again, searching for an opening. My muscles burned with exertion, and the lynx's instincts questioned my choices, pestering me as to why I didn't just grab the fawn and run. But my human pride wouldn't let me. I'd already committed, and this overgrown horn-head wasn't going to win.
He lowered his head again, those massive antlers promising a swift and brutal end if I slipped up. I crouched low, every nerve on edge, and waited for him to make the first move.
The charge came, slower this time, but no less dangerous. He staggered as he ran, the wounds in his hind leg forcing him to limp, but he was still plenty fast.
[Cooldown Complete: Shadow Pounce Available]
[Shadow Pounce Activated]
I dove into the shadows, my vision distorting into that eerie black void. Time seemed to stretch and bend, the world warping around me before I reappeared behind the buck once more. I raked my claws down his haunches, the satisfying rip of flesh meeting my ears.
[Critical Hit: 18 Damage]
He stumbled again, his balance faltering as one leg gave out beneath him. This was my chance.
The lynx's instincts pushed me to pounce on his neck, to bite and tear until he bled out. Yet there was another feeling within, something that told me there was a quicker solution. If I could sever his spine or snap his neck, I could end this instantly, much like how I died in my last host.
I leapt for his throat, claws extended, aiming for the base of his neck where I knew the vertebrae would be most vulnerable. My timing was perfect—he stumbled forward just as I landed, the weight of my body forcing him down. My jaws clamped onto his neck, teeth sinking deep into his flesh, and I twisted with every ounce of strength I had.
There was a sickening crack.
[New Skill Unlocked: Coup de Grâce – Instantly dispatch a critically weakened target by targeting vital areas. Requires Host Strength 13+, Dexterity 15+. Mana Cost: 5]
The buck collapsed beneath me, its body going limp as its eyes glazed over. My breath came in ragged gasps, my heart pounding in my chest as the adrenaline began to fade.
[Experience Gained: 400 XP]
[Bonus Experience Gained: 400 XP.]
[Experience: 2352/1600]
[Congratulations! You have reached Level 8!]
[Host Bond Skill Leveled Up to 2 from 1]
[Shadow Pounce Skill Leveled Up to 3 from 2: Cooldown Reduced by 0.25 Seconds]
[Attribute: Strength Leveled to 14 from 13]
[Attribute: Dexterity Leveled to 17 from 16]
A grin spread across my face as the notifications rolled in. It was slightly dashed as I thought about what I could have used to make that fight a little bit easier, having remembered my ability Nerve Surge. But I did well enough, and I was proud that I could take down a buck like that.
I stepped back, blood dripping from my claws and jaws, and took a moment to appreciate the stillness of the forest around me. The night was mine again, the sounds of prey fleeing in the distance reminded me that I was the alpha predator in this area and there would always be more to conquer.
But for now, I needed to haul this thing back to the cave. I activated Shadow Pounce several times and that cut the travel by a lot. This thing was the most amazing ability I had acquired so far. I was finally a true ninja, except, like a cute cat one.
My body resisted, but I figured a few bites of this meat wouldn't hurt. After all, if the level and size of the beast indicated how much XP I got, this would likely be a fountain of the stuff. I would eat until I was ready to burst, and then lay there comatose until I could eat some more. 150 XP x2 was great, but if I could level up with gluttony instead of risking my life, I would take that path first.
Chomp!
[Experience Gained: 35 XP]
[Bonus Experience Gained: 35 XP.]
My eyes lit up at the notification. 70 XP from just that? I listened to my stomach protest as I dug in again.
[Experience Gained: 35 XP]
[Bonus Experience Gained: 35 XP.]
Oh man, I'm going to be sick.
[Experience Gained: 35 XP]
[Bonus Experience Gained: 35 XP.]
Okay, I'm a gamer at heart, but this surpassed even the time that I ordered bottomless nachos and woke up the next morning in a dark alley, with cheese coating my hands and face, and a clearly forged passport in my hands. I promised myself that would never happen again, so I needed to take a break. I couldn't move much, so lying here in pain was the best option. Eventually, I succumbed to sleep, but I didn't wake up in Morgana's realm, I just dreamed.
[Level Up! You Are Now Level 8.]
[Experience: 2492/1600]
[Experience: 2492/3600]