Chapter 9: Chapter 8: Luxia, First Blood

[If that's what you want, I'll naturally comply. And yes, it'll be an honor to be named by you]

"Thanks, that's better. Ok so let's say, Luxia since you are kind of the light that shows me the road ahead. I know how lucky I'm to have all this, and I shouldn't take it for granted. Only God knows if I would still be alive without you. Let's work together from now on," Leo smiled lightly while saying this. 

[Ding…. The host has completed a hidden task.]

[Giving a name to the system.

Reward: Basic intelligence upgrade module]

[The system has detected a basic intelligence upgrade module]

[Upgrading……...1%......10%....15%...20%.......50%......65%.......70%......80%.......95%....99%......100%.]

[Upgrade successful]

[Thank you Leo I like this name. You don't need to worry we are in this together,] Luxia answered in a still cold but more human-like voice this time. The mechanical nature of the voice was gone, and it sounded just like the voice of a cold and detached person. Also, the voice was more feminine, and while it didn't contain any emotions it was better than before.

“Hold on. Hold on. What’s happening here?” Leo was surprised by how quickly everything happened. Here he was casually granting a name to the system and the next moment it was being upgraded. They didn't even ask for his approval before proceeding. What if there was a virus in the upgrade package?

[Don't worry, Leo, everything is alright. What happened is a good thing. Thanks to your action of giving me a name. I have been upgraded with a basic intelligence module, greatly enhancing my abilities. I would be able to help you better now.]

'Oh, so what's the difference between you and the old system?' Leo asked with raised eyebrows.

[Before my only function was to answer some of your questions and teach you about how the system works. With time as you get used to the system, I would become more and more useless.]

[Now, however, while I hold the same level of knowledge as the old one, I have received a learning module and a logic one. That’s to say that from now on, I can actively gain new knowledge and learn any knowledge you show me. I can also help you make some choices and treat data I will gain access to. But my efficiency, the speed, and the number of things I can do simultaneously are limited since my upgrade is a basic one, but still, I can be of more use than my old version.]

“That’s many things again. So, from now on, you’ll be able to learn with and for me. You’ll also be able to help me figure out the various situations I’ll find myself in and do some bothersome brain work for me. But how much you can do and how quickly you can do it is still limited since your upgrade is basic,“ Leo said to make sure he understood what was going on.

[Yes Leo, you perfectly understand everything.]

“Sigh, I have struck gold without even trying to. I hope my luck won’t go away too soon.” Leo sighed heavily, not knowing what to think of this unexpected windfall.

After that short episode, Leo took the skill card out of the inventory. He just had to wish to use it and he'll receive a rank E or D skill.

[Ding…]

[A skill card has been used]

[You receive the general skill Appraisal.]

[Appraisal: Each time you use it, receive some basic information on your target. Only work on a target of Rank C or less.

Cost:1 MP per use]

'Oh, it seems my luck is still here. To think I would get that skill right off the bat. The indispensable tool of any adventurer.' Leo was happy to get such a useful skill that would let him know the power level of his foes.

Just as Leo was done with getting his skill a loud and long growl resounded within the cave. 

'Who?' Leo abruptly stood up and looked warily at his surroundings. He had checked previously and found the cave to be safe. Now, when he looked again, he was still the only occupant of the cave.

'Did I hear wrong?' Leo muttered.

Groowwl 

Once again Leo heard the growl, but this time he was able to find its origin. It was his stomach. Since coming to this world he neither ate nor drank anything. So, it was quite normal for him to start feeling hungry. 

'Sigh, I can't believe I forgot something like this. I should take care of it asap. Some fruits should do the trick, I won't mind having some meat though,' Leo stood up and looked for the exit of the cave.

The cave wasn't big, it wouldn't even be wrong to call it a burrow, so he easily managed to find the exit he was looking for. It was a little tunnel leading upward, and he could see the light coming from its end.

He immediately started to climb through the tunnel and soon enough found himself at its exit that was covered by a bush. 

Once he was outside, he didn’t rush out but stayed hidden inside the bush covering the tunnel entrance and started to look around. 

Leo was currently in a sort of little clearing. It was covered by tall grass, a little shorter than him, and fallen leaves. There were some trees here and there, and a small stream of water was snaking through it. From time to time, he was able to hear rustling sounds.

The clearing was encircled by giant trees that covered it with their shadows. Looking up to assess how high the trees were, he was stunned not because of their massive height but because of the overwhelming sight of the two godda*n suns chasing one another in the sky. One of them was a deep blue and a little bigger than the other that was red. Besides the two suns, there were numerous moons of various sizes visible in the sky, Leo could count at least four. If he still had the tiniest doubt about not being on Earth before, now he knew for sure that he wasn't on Earth but in the world called Aria.

After admiring this magnificent sky for some time Leo activated 'Shadow cloak' and started scurrying through the clearing to look for prey or something to eat. He was going to settle with some fruits or wild bay at first, but he changed his mind when he spotted a shadow moving not far from him. Silently he decided to follow it and hunt it down, instantly focusing his mind on that idea.

The instant he did that, he felt a massive amount of power rush through his body,  strengthening it and giving him the impression that he could beat the crap out of all his foes no matter who they were. Also, all his senses became extremely sharp, allowing him to feel everything in his surroundings more clearly than ever.

It was obviously the doing of Innate hunter. Just as Leo expected, it stayed true to its name and activated the moment he focused his mind on a prey to hunt. 

'Hum. That's good. Now I wonder what else there is to it,' Leo muttered, eager to uncover all the secrets of his ability and completely master it. It was useless to have such a strong card if he wasn't able to use it properly. 

Leo was happy to find a suitable prey so easily. So, without wasting time he quietly started to follow it. In no time, he managed to come close enough to be able to identify it, and it turned out that it was a rabbit.

The rabbit was a little different from those from Earth. It has golden fur with white stripes, a dark horn in the middle of its forehead, and is bigger than earth ones. When Leo cast Appraisal on it, all he received was some basic information that also appeared in a floating and translucent window

[Golden furred rabbit: Rank E

HP: 80/80

Danger level: Minimal]

‘Uhm, it should be able to take care of it easily.’

All this time, he kept going closer to the rabbit without getting discovered since all the clearing was covered in shadow, and he was still under Shadow cloak. At the moment, he was already close enough to it, so without further hesitation, he activated Dash and bolted toward the rabbit like an arrow let loose. The rabbit, feeling something was wrong; tried to turn around and dodge.

Unfortunately for the rabbit, Leo, was already upon it in the blink of an eye and had tackled it in the not-so-deep water of the stream. Without giving it a single second to rest, he pressed on its body with his and stabbed it two times in the back of its head, creating a big gash and making a massive amount of blood gush out. 

[HP: 5/80]

Leo's quick and decisive attack was enough to immediately send the rabbit close to death. In a last-ditch effort, the rabbit started struggling and tried to escape, but Leo bit its vulnerable neck with his sharp fangs, and despite the blood pouring in his mouth didn’t let go until the rabbit stopped struggling. Just like that, the rabbit died without even being able to put up a fight or know what had fallen upon him.

‘Sorry, little rabbit, I have nothing against you. You just have to blame it all on your luck for coming to the wrong place at the wrong time,’ Leo thought while looking at the dead rabbit under him. As soon as the rabbit drew its last breath, he felt a great deal of power leaving him; knowing that it was the Innate hunter effect wearing off, he didn’t complain despite the unpleasant feeling. 

[Ding…]

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[You have killed a Rank E Golden Rabbit. You have received 60 Exp and 20 SC]

[You have killed a Rank E beast for the first time. You have received 250 Exp and 100 SC]

[You have Lvl up. Congratulations you have achieved level 2. You have received 5 AP and 2 SP] 

[You have Lvl up. Congratulations you have achieved level 3. You have received 5 AP and 2 SP]

As soon as those notifications appeared, a wave of Mana washed through his body and produced some indiscernible changes inside him. Once the mana settled Leo could feel that his power increased a little. While the feeling of leveling up was not as intense as the rush of power caused by Innate hunter it was still there, quiet but steady, and brought him a more solid sense of security than his Hunter talent. 

'So that's how it feels to level up uh. While I already guessed that I could gain exp this way, it is still surprising,' Leo muttered as he quietly enjoyed the feeling of his power rising. With this first level up, the path ahead of him was clearer than ever. He may feel a little guilty about trading the life of others for power, but it was him or the others, and in this dog-eat-dog world his choice was more than obvious.

After his encounter with the shaman, he clearly knew the importance of power. It was the only thing that could ensure his safety and allow him to live as he wished, not some flimsy moral principle. As long as he didn't forget who he was and become a psychotic mass murderer everything would be alright.

'Say, Luxia. Is killing the only way I can obtain Exp?' Leo asked, while he had no qualms with gaining exp this way it didn't hurt to know his other options.

[Yes, Leo, you can gain Exp through other ways. As a beast, you naturally absorb the surrounding mana to grow. However, this process is inefficient, and you would be lucky to level up once a week by only relying on this. Beasts can also grow stronger by devouring their prey but in your case, it is useless since you already have the system giving you Exp from your kill. They were the two other options you have right now.]

'I see. Guess I would have to rely on you for the time being,' Leo said before opening his status.

[Name: Leo

Race: Shadow Cat

Rank: E

Qualification: Common

Title: Reincarnated, ???

Status:

Level: 3/10

Experience (Exp): 10/300

Hit points (HP): 200/200

Mana points (MP): 880/880

Stamina: 150/150

Constitution (CONS): 3 >> 5

Strength (STR): 4>> 6

Agility (AGI): 8 >> 12

Intelligence (INT): 9 >> 11

Spirit (SPI): 6 >> 8

Charisma (CHA): 3

Luck (LUK): 4

Free attribute points (AP): 10

Skill points (SP): 7

Skills:

General: Appraisal Lv1

Rank E: Claw Lv1, Dash Lv1, 

Bloodline’s skills: Shadow cloak Lv1, 

???????: #######Lv Max

Talent: Quick Learner, Innate hunter

Elemental Affinity: Shadow

Resistance: None

Currency:

System credit (SC): 10120 SC]

'Not bad,' Leo muttered before closing his status board. He only threw a quick glance before turning towards the dead rabbit under him. He was currently out in the open and the blood stench around him was quite strong. He was not the strongest here, so unless he was interested in ending like his current meal, it was in his best interest to withdraw as soon as possible before the blood scent drew the attention of a beast he couldn’t deal with. 

Looking at the rabbit, he tore a huge bit of meat off it trying to eat as much as he could in a short time. He was expecting it to feel awful since despite having the body of a beast, he had a human mind, but it was worse than he expected. Because he was in a hurry and lacked experience, he ate a piece of meat covered in fur and almost threw up when he started munching it. But he suppressed the urge and just swallowed it without chewing. 

Afterward, he made sure to avoid the fur like the plague. In the end, it wasn't as bad as he expected, thanks to his strong teeth it was quite easy to eat the meat and its taste was quite exotic if he had to put a word on it. Also, there was the taste of blood that, for whatever reason, he found intoxicating and gave the whole thing a better taste.

'Is it the awakening of my vampire self?' Leo chuckled as he chewed on the meat of the rabbit.

In the end, he just ate a quarter of the rabbit before feeling full. He would have liked to keep the remainder of the rabbit for later, but it was not possible. Since there was nothing he could do about this, he quietly drank some water from the stream and cleaned the bloodstain on his claws and body. 

Leo also used the opportunity to get a better look at himself, and he wasn't too disappointed by what he saw, but he wouldn't say no to some more manliness. A blue-gray cat with a long and sturdy body, having grown a little with his previous level up. His medium-length fur looked incredibly soft and fluffy. His beautiful green eyes were filled with cleverness and curiosity. Atop his head sat two large, pointed ears, and behind him, his long tail was swaying freely. Overall, he looked like a Nebelung, except for the thinner and less fluffy tail.

'Yup, definitely a cute ball of fluff,' Leo muttered as he looked at his reflection in the stream's water.

 

 

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