I’ve been morose, I now realize. In my old life, I never wanted to put myself into danger because I would probably end up dead. But here, I’ve managed to kill things that are bigger, stronger, and faster than me just with my instincts.

Now, I switch it up a notch. I look at my territory boundaries - black circles around trees I’ve marked. I have nobody to fuck right now, so if I want to get these stats up, it’s time to fight.

I run through the forest, raking trees as I go, stretching my territory until it hits another’s creature’s. A large, overgrown mess of vines shambles towards me, dragging two long arms behind it. I have no idea if this is something I can beat, but I’m trying to renounce the fears I made in my old life. Here, if I die, I’ll probably just reincarnate again. That’s the assumption that allows me to charge at the incoming creature.

ALERT: SHAMBLER ENCOUNTERED.

SHAMBLER HEALTH STATUS: FRESH
SHAMBLER ENDURANCE STATUS: FRESH

I dodge back as a vine snaps at me like a whip, carving a huge gash into a tree, nearly cutting through to the middle. If that hits me, it’s bad news. Another whips the air I moved from a second ago, and it pauses for a second. I don’t see any eyes, but it follows me ever so slightly.

I pounce, relying on my powerful legs to bring me close enough. I’m faster than it, and I land on top of it, far away from the whip-like vines. I claw into it, shredding vine after vine, but with little effect. They slop of the shambler, dropping to the floor, but it would take hours to cut through.

I scramble over it, latching onto it’s back. It shakes viciously, and nearly slams me into a tree when I lose my grip, but I plunge my claw as deep as it will go, digging around in its back for a spine to snap or something, anything to grab onto. My efforts are rewarded as my claws dig into something, and scrape across it. I grab the vines, pulling them apart, and see pale flesh inside. I use my teeth to hold the vines closing back up, and stab my claw in. It sinks into flesh, and the shambler rumbles with pain as I claw my way into its skin.

Vines tighten around my arms and legs, but they are too weak to pull me off. My strength is greater.

I feel bone, and I dig in just a little further and tighten my grip around it, then I reverse, trusting in the strength of my hand to hold on. I use my bodyweight, and all the strength in my body to pull at whatever I have. I feel something crack, and then the tearing of muscle being wrenched from bone as it comes out. I lash it out in one final pull, and the beast drops to the ground. I look at the long, white thing I’ve pulled out, knowing what it is already. A spine.

It does not move, but it is still alive. Hmm, an immobile opponent. Before, with the tiny little Vulpar, and the Pakarri thing, I dominated the opponent. With the Vulpar, it was so small I could just pick it up. The Pakarri I roared at. I look at the shambler.

I pull in as much breath as I can, until my lungs seem fit to burst, and then it let it out, screaming in a roar at the top of my lungs. The vines shiver and quake as the sound passes over them, and a few nearby birds hiding in trees fall out in fright.

ALERT: INTIMIDATION EFFECT SUCCESSFUL. SHAMBLER DOMINATED. DO YOU ACCEPT THE SHAMBLER INTO YOUR PACK? [BEAST GROUP OPTION] Y/N

I accept.

“Stand.” I say, seeing if giving it a command will suffice, perhaps the spine I ripped out would heal, but to no avail.

“Please. Kill me.” It says, and I take a step back. “I do not live like this.”

“You can speak?” I ask, confused. I guess if they are part of my pack, I can communicate with them?

“You are master. Please, kill me.”

I’m not evil, and quite frankly I was going to kill him even if he didn’t ask - I’d rather have the chance at one of those bonuses than this guy being.. What? My friend?

I pull away the vines, much easier now they aren’t continually moving back in to try to stop me, and find what looks to be a neck. The shambler seems to resemble a fat man inside a vine-suit, but the vines are connected to him, extending like hairs out of his skin. Also, it’s definitely not human.

I sink my teeth into the neck, and blood sprays out into my mouth. It tastes almost sweet, like how I imagine nectar tastes to bees. I start eating as the shambler's life ends.

ALERT: SHAMBLER DEFEATED. CHOICE OF BONUS(S) GIVEN:

SPEED INCREASE: 10
INTIMIDATION BONUS: 5
ENDURANCE BONUS: 10

I pick speed, then I walk and scratch another tree. I feel empowered by the shambler’s meat, owing to that bonus I got from the pakarri.

ALERT: TERRITORY GAIN THRESHOLD REACHED. ALL STATS INCREASED.

Ah, so there are goals I can reach that give me extra bonuses. If I’m reading into this right, I could own this entire forest. I smile. I could have my own gang under me.

My own pack…