An auburn Dawn hadn't even risen yet, but I was already on the run. It would take me three hours to reach the treehouse. I was not about to let Nova and momma Jane leave just like that.

I had left the bag to Nova; I had nothing with me except my bow, five arrows, a knife, and a cord around my waist. There wasn’t a creature defending me now, and my old knife, better at removing skin than to kill, would not be even as effective if used as a weapon for personal defense.

If my equipment conditions weren't enough, I was rather tired. I hadn't closed my eyes even for half a minute during the night, hadn't eaten, nor had a sip of water.

I was at my wit's end. I just had to keep on running, so I let my feet drag me forward as my Perception worked in the background to keep me safe from Shadelings.

After roughly half an hour, I found myself in front of a small river's tributary that cut through the forest. I did not let that chance go by.

I stopped by the river, quickly undressed, and washed in its cold waters.

 

The river mirrored my image, a skinny young man; I could perfectly see my father in me.

He, too, was thin, but he had been packed with corded muscles ready to burst at every moment.

With the meager amount of food we managed to eat, I doubted I would grow as strong or tall as him. Maybe placing a point or two in Constitution was really the best route to take.

I might have even been pleasant to look at if it wasn't for those damn midnight-blue hair, courtesy of Dad and my olive bordering on blue complexion, again courtesy of dad. I had been blessed by the Shade, just like he had.

“Tsk.”

On the other hand, my mother was the beautiful solar-brown symbol of those blessed by the Flow, like Nova. Her tan skin and dark gold hair showing natural blonde reflexes made her almost a replica of Mom...

As I mused about this and that, something moved in the water, attracting my attention.

I knew of a couple of aquatic Flowborns that could be eaten raw. Yeah, hunting a fish would mean sacrificing an arrow, but it was a chance I would take. On the other hand, I would have to keep on running. But I was trained enough to digest even meat if I ate small amounts of it while running.

My stomach rumbled, "I guess one less arrow is not gonna make that much of a difference,” I whispered to myself.

It was still dawn when I located something edible. A fish with whiskers that could zap other fishes and numb them enough so that they would not pose any threat. It was a slow target; even tired as I was, it was an easy shot.

The problem with it was that my arrows were not that strong. The Clock engineer that made them for me made their heads shatter upon perforation or on contact; it really depended on the target's hardness.

They were built like that to do as much damage as possible. In this case, it would not render inedible the fish because the arrow would pierce right through it and shatter on the ground.

I hadn't even readied my aim, but I targeted the fish with my Tracking ability to make sure I could follow its movements... it was then that I heard the voice of the world again.

 

Zap-Trout, Level 3

Health: 100%

Stamina: 95%

 

Agility: Moderate

Constitution: Abysmal

Strength: Abysmal

Focus: Abysmal

Perception: Moderate

Willpower: Abysmal

 

Strength: Water

Weakness: None

 

This Flow creature poses no threat to a sapient. It lives only in sweet water rivers. Its meat is edible, even uncooked.

Crystal weight: 0.002kg

 

"What…"

That was really the voice of the world.

However, it wasn't slow like when it told me about my increase in levels. It felt as if it was unloading information directly into my mind. It was faster and also… emotionless. There wasn't really any tone in it, and yet what it was saying was... It couldn't else be but the Trace Perk I was hoping for.

"Unbelievable..." I said, releasing the arrow.

 

---

 

Roughly half an hour later, I was back on my route, with one less arrow in my quiver but my belly slowly filling and, more importantly, a Perk I always desired. Even my mood started to recover.

But I was still thinking about Ronda; I hoped she was alive, I could not feel her with such a distance separating us; however, momma Jane was a Blue Tamer, she had an Advanced Class thus she was much better than me, and I did not know all her Skills, so maybe she could actually fix her. Or, at least, I hoped she could.

Forcing those thoughts away, I tried using the new Skill on myself. It did not say more than I already knew, but it was something.

 

Loke Nightfold, Hunter Level 25, Tamer Level 20

Health: 98%

Stamina: 32%

 

Agility: Low-Intermediate

Constitution: Low

Strength: Low-Intermediate

Focus: Intermediate

Perception: Intermediate-Moderate

Willpower: Moderate-High

 

Strengths: Mind, Aim, Willpower

Weaknesses: Clock-arm

 

Race: Human

Sex: Male

Height: 166 cm

Weight: 62 kg

Age: 16

Origins: Unknown, Murkstall

Family: Eleanor Goldspark-Nightfold, Faris Nightfold, Nova Nightfold, Newton (Gramps) Goldspark

 

I wondered how incredible that Skill was. It did not give the same amount or type of information the Tracer did, but it gave something else. It was... invaluable.

 

In the sky, the Sun started losing its orange and red shades.

It might have been almost sixth bell in the morning, and I still had two hours to go; so, checking on my new Skill could wait until we headed back to the village; if we took then a thirty minutes trip to the Monolith, it would not be the end of the world.

As I kept a fast pace, I could start hearing the Flowborns creatures' cries. They were entirely different from those of Shadelings. Those brought dread with them, but even if Flow creatures were meeker, it did not mean they were weaker. There were terrifying monsters even among them.

I wanted to test my new ability on something else too. I wasn't sure if it worked only on creatures or if it did on objects as well, but the bird attracted my attention first. I marked it, and the information popped into my mind as it flew away, scared by my Tracking.

 

Boom-Sparrow, Level 5

Health: 100%

Stamina: 91%

 

Agility: Moderate

Constitution: Low

Strength: Low

Focus: Intermediate

Perception: Intermediate

Willpower: Low

 

Strength: Sound

Weakness: None

 

This Flow creature rarely leaves his tree of origin for more than a kilometer. Like many birds, it is very territorial and protects its nest with ferocity. It can be a threat to low-level sapients. Its meat is edible.

Crystal weight: 0.005kg

 

I kept marveling at the power and versatility of my new ability.

It wasn't even a Promoted Skill; what would it be capable of telling me if I ever found a way to Promote it?

But I didn't want to think about it. Not many had an evolved Skill in the village, and those that did had evolved them through sheer luck.

I doubted it was the right way. Otherwise, they would be much more common.

Once, Gramps told me that the easiest way to do that was by delving into Dungeons, although he hadn't specified what there was to do in Dungeons to evolve the Skills. But those were out of my reach. The closest one was in the City. I would never be allowed in the City, not on my own.

There were ways to enter another close-by Dungeon, but…

I shook my head to drive those thoughts away and tried to mark and trace a pebble. Nothing appeared, but when I tried on my bow.

 

Consumed Scrap Bow

Durability: 73%

 

Strengths: Versatile riser

Weaknesses: Lower limb, string

 

This bow has been used for more than three years. It is slowly falling apart and doesn't add any Strength bonus. Its grip is versatile enough to accommodate a Clock-hand's grip.

 

It did indeed work with some objects too.

I grew even more excited. I wanted to trace my clock-arm now, but I felt a spike of fear.

What if I had to change it? It cost so much that I was scared about even thinking of finding a replacement for it.

Thinking back at Gramps having to exchange his masterpiece knife for it made me despise the damn Clock-engineer from whom I bought my stack of arrows, Logan Raive.

The only good thing about him was his daughter. I chuckled to myself, thinking about her.

 

Proceeding, I tried not to let myself be distracted by those thoughts and my new ability because other slave traders could be coming to look for their coworkers. Still, I couldn't resist casting it.

So I spent the, still long, time separating myself from the treehouse, launching my ability around, and studying the creatures and their weight in Crystals.

Yet, when I didn't think about my new ability and its implications, I couldn't help but think about Ronda.

I was thankful that my Taming Focus Skill, Return to Nature, did not give me a Passive that made me, the Tamer, and my creature imprint on each other. I saw the way momma Jane despaired when one of her oldest eagles died of old age. I hoped I would never experience something like that. Not with an animal, at least. I had enough death around me, thanks to the village... They really died like flies, and it was heartbreaking every single time.

I thought about the flying creatures I had started to Trace then. A flying creature would be something new. I had never had one. They could not really tank anything but what I really needed was a creature able to distract my enemies because if it had to come to tanking, it would be better if I simply ran away.

A flying creature was extremely good at distracting enemies. It was hard to pinpoint, it could move fast, escape in the air, and usually, their claws were powerful. Contrarily to land creatures, they could not really use their weight to put pressure on a bite, but they could apply piercing damage with beak and claws.

Taming one would mean having to adapt to another way of fighting, but I could manage.

 

Ronda was my sixth companion, after all. Only the first one I ever had was entrusted to me by momma Jane, the others I had tamed myself over the years. Hunting was risky, and in the last couple of years, before Nova joined up with me, I did everything by myself.

If I was in trouble, which was rather common, my pets would have to take the blows. As much as it broke my heart, I had to survive, or the whole village would die of starvation.

 

I was less than an hour from the place when it occurred to me. I was being followed.

Maybe, it was for my very observation ability that I might have unlocked the new Skill Perk, but I had no other sensor ability active since I did not have a tamed creature with me. So, if I had noticed my pursuer, it was probably thanks to an error they had made.

There was no way I was going to lead them back to the treehouse. If they were the slave traders, they already knew the location; however, Nova was there now. I could not risk it. I had to fake an approach.

I was mentally preparing for a fight to the death. But when I heard the noise the second time, I realized something that made me smile.

It was just a creature.

I disappeared behind the next tree then; it was wide enough to fully hide me and my readied bow. I breathed in, and my pupils took their weak-point reading shape. The only thing I could hear right now was the sound of the wind; it was picking up.

Raising my eyes to the sky, I noticed that it could actually start raining before we got back to the village. I had to hurry.

When I heard the creature walk quietly, I understood it was conscious of me. I peeked from behind the tree.

 

Tailcat, Level 23

Health: 57%

Stamina: 54%

 

Agility: Moderate-High

Constitution: Moderate

Strength: Moderate

Focus: Moderate

Perception: Intermediate-Moderate

Willpower: Moderate

 

Strength: Tail

Weakness: None

 

This Flow creature is an adult Tailcat. Its strong tactile tale can shatter bones if given a chance. Their teeth and claws are not to be underestimated too.

Crystal weight: 0.13kg

 

Its long tail was resting on top of its back. Its fulvous fur was ideal for hunting in a dryland environment; it might have made for a good tame if it wasn't for the fact that it was limping. It had a nasty fractured hind leg.

It would not recover. I had better put it down.

Although… being a higher level than my taming Sub-Class, if I managed to tame it before it died, it would probably give me experience.

Sub-Classes did not level up killing something else, or more precisely, mine did, but when my pets killed something; however, usually Sub-Classes leveled up through training and repetition. So, without a pet, I would have to do it the hard way.

Tailcats, I had already met them before. They were hard creatures to perceive, thanks to their paw pads. Although this one had been easy to perceive, it had been so only thanks to its broken leg. Yet, I needed to stay sharp.

Judging by its Stamina level, the monster hadn't eaten in a while, probably because of its current predicament. It would be desperate for food.

My eyes reached for a pebble near the tree roots, and I picked it up, then threw it in front of me. If hearing it, the creature came forward; I could snipe it without even moving from my spot.

It did exactly that. Lifting its tail up, the monster squatted and hurried forward; I shot my arrow the moment the beast entered my vision.

There was not enough Shade around for my Trick Shot; even if I wished it, it would not produce any, but there was no need for it. The arrow found its place between the creature's ribs; it would be enough.

The beast fell dazed on the ground; it looked left and right, trying to understand what had happened.

Its Health, damn this ability was useful, fell by more than twenty percent, and kept steadily declining. If I wanted to tame it, I had to do it now, but the tail was still a problem. It was as thick as my arm.

When I got closer, the monster noticed me, and it got up. It was losing a lot of blood and wobbling in place, but it was still dangerous. So, I ran at him and smacked a tail assault away with my bow, then I hit it in the muzzle with a kick and placed myself on top of its back.

I kept the tail still with my clock-hand. It was definitely the stronger arm, but I had to keep it pinned, or the pet could dislodge it, so I shifted my full weight on the tail, and mounting on top of its back, I placed my bow around my neck and prepared for what was to come.

I felt the connection then, and it became a battle of Willpower.

 

Level and Willpower, that was how it worked. The thrashing consciousness of the beast invaded my mind. It was an adult.

I had tamed adult creatures before; they gave me much more experience; also, I felt I was close to level up; if I managed to tame this one, it would probably grant me a level.

Our wills clashed; it was clear right away that the extremely injured creature could not sustain itself anymore. My new Perk informed me that it was at seventeen percent health.

It gave out the very next moment. I entered its mind and anchored my will to its own, his own. It was a male, yet he would have to accept me as his master. He would have to accept every one of my commands, that was what I was trying to force inside of him, but then I saw an image; it was weak but clear.

It was his mate, I believed, dying. Yet, somehow, it was a peaceful thought.

I understood then what this creature wanted; it wanted to die.

Its family had been driven from their den by something bigger and stronger; it had stolen their den, killed his mate and cubs. He was the only survivor. And he was asking for death.

I consented, and the moment I did, it lowered its barriers and handed me its life. He would momentarily serve me as my pet, but I would grant his wish.

At that moment, the voice of the world whispered to me.

 

You’ve earned 401 Soul fractions. Soul fractions for next Tamer level: 16/21000

Sub-Class Tamer has leveled up to 21.

Your Willpower increases by 1.

 

What? What was that? Soul fractions? Did I… Did I just Trace my Sub-Class experience?

It was incredible... but it could wait. There was something I needed to do first.

I let go of both its tail and nape, then I took my skin-knife. I caressed the creature’s head, saying, "Thank you."

Then I pushed it in the back of its neck, where severing the spine would be easier and almost pain-free.

It was dead less than a minute later. Health and Stamina reached zero at the same time.

 

You’ve earned 125 Soul fractions. Soul fractions for next Hunter level: 322/25000

 

There it was again.

The voice of the world whispered to me again. However, this time it told me about my Main Class experience.

I couldn’t believe how helpful that would turn out to be.

Tamer leveling up gave me a point into Willpower, which meant that the next one would net me a point in Focus.

Unlike Classes, Sub-Classes did not give a choice to place Attribute points. They would follow their initial bonuses; for Tamer, that was Focus, then Willpower, then Willpower again. After that, the cycle repeated until the Sub-Class evolved.

I looked at the downed beast; it would serve me in its entirety.

I cut its thorax open, dulling my skinning knife while doing so, extracted the Crystal, then cut its throat and bound the body to my back with the rope I had tied around my waist. I placed its head toward the ground, obviously.

I would probably get my trousers dirty with blood, but It was a fair exchange for such an amount of meat.

The rest of the trip proceeded without so much as a problem.

 

---

 

It might have been seventh bell in the morning when I reached the treehouse. Momma Jane's eagle-rock saw me, and I knew Jane could finally relax.

I found her and Nova smoking the Rag-troll's leg down the treehouse.

"Thank the Sun! You're alright!" Nova ran at me binding me into a hug.

"You left your damn voice-bridge with me, stupid!"

"Well, the range is five hundred meters; it wouldn't have made much of a difference."

"Did you take him down?" She asked; she might not have been really conscious of monsters, but she had learned to fear slave traders.

"Yes. We were almost in Gnoll's territory when I managed to surpass him. He had quite the Stamina."

Momma Jane left the oven and joined us.

"Why don't you have his leather armor?" she asked sternly.

Momma Jane was renown in the village, even before our mom and dad brought us there.

She was a big woman, heavily built, with the peculiar ashen-colored hair of a half-blood. She was tough on the outside but had a big heart. So much so that even though she could not have children anymore because of the Shade-plague that she had beaten by herself, she had taken in two daughters.

The second of whom had been taken by the slave traders the previous month.

 

"A Vortex," I didn't need to add anything else.

She nodded. It was one of the terrors of the forest. We all knew what it was.

"Come eat something; we need to talk."

That, right there, I realized, was probably something I wouldn't want to hear.