12 Revenge on the Predators

When I woke up I tried to gauge the condition of my body. While I was in great pain I could still move all my limbs, so I wasn't crippled at least.

I then looked around the hut and found it was empty. I was the hut of Warren whom we had visited before. It was full of odd contraptions and vials of unknown liquid.

While I was waiting for Warren or Barry to check on me I decided to check my stats. I hadn't checked it since I had begun the mission and it had drastically changed.

[Name: Marcus Fulbright

Title/Alias: None

Rank: Initiate

Strength: 25 → 32

Agility: 25 → 35

Vitality: 25 → 33

Perception: 23 → 34

Intelligence: 20 → 27

Willpower: 21 → 33

Energy: 25 → 33

Skills: Renewal Taekwondo Lv. 10 → Lv. 22

Traits: None

Equipment: None]

My stats had all increased drastically, with all of them except intelligence crossing the 30 stat range. My Renew Taekwondo had also more than doubled in proficiency.

My stats had become more specialized. Before where my strength, agility, vitality, and energy were equal now you could see how my experience enhanced some stats over others.

Constantly needing to hunt rabbits had increased my agility, perception, and willpower more than my other stats.

I had to constantly try and catch the little buggers increasing my agility. I also had to find them in the dense jungle increasing my perception. And I utilized my willpower to constantly keep calm.

Now that I looked and my stats I wondered what fucking animals was I facing before. I got hurt badly by them but now I am confident I could kill 50 men with guns.

While their stats did not match mine they must have had stats in the high 20s. I could see why people didn't live in the jungle if that is what they had to deal with.

Just one of those animals could have killed an entire troupe of gunmen. Good thing that they were passive before. If I didn't have that week to train I don't know if I could've handled them.

I then heard the door opening to the hut. In walked Warren and in his arms were rolls of dirty bandages that looked like they had just been dipped in water.

He looked at me in surprise and said, "Oh you're awake. I'm surprised. Considering the blood loss and wounds caused by the animals I thought you'd be out for at least another day."

I asked, "How long was I out?"

He reassured me, "Not long, not long. After Barry brought you here you were in and out of it for the next day but now you seem much better."

I nodded, thanking my high vitality for my swift recovery. "So," I asked, "can you check me to see how I am doing now?"

He nodded, "Of course, of course. I was about to change your bandages, could have a look while I'm at it."

I thanked him and waited as he removed the bandages. I looked at the wounds. They had already scabbed over and while it wasn't fully healed in a few days I would be as good as new.

He commented, "Rarely seen folks heal from those kinds of wounds that quickly. I think it's safe enough for you to walk around the village now."

I raised my eyebrow but didn't disagree. I bet resources were low around here, especially medical supplies.

So I stood up. I felt the pain come from my wound but it hadn't reopened. So I walked out of the village and saw Barry.

I called out to him, "Hey Barry. It's me, Marcus, I think I'm good to head back to camp."

He looked at me aghast, "It's only been a day since the injury, are you sure you're fine. We can stay a few more days here without a problem. They are thankful for us providing meat for them."

I shook my head, "While I am not at 100%, I want to head back to the forest. I need to train to make sure that something like this never happens again."

Barry nodded then went around the village waving his goodbyes. We then started on our way back to camp.

He asked, "Are you sure about this? Now that you're injured more predators will come to attack you. Before they kept away as they knew you were dangerous."

I smiled, "That is exactly what I want. I was careless before, letting myself get ambushed but now I am going to get my revenge."

Barry murmured out, "Be careful lad. I know you've experienced it but those animals, I've seen them kill dozens of men all one their own."

I stayed silent, just grunting out my confirmation. I had no time to be fooling around. I was going to get my revenge and make sure that something like this never happened again.

---

When we reached camp it was already night. I had eaten and drunk some of the water and rabbit meat Barry had brought with him to replenish my stamina.

I said, "I'll be taking the first watch."

Barry assented and walked to his tent and entered it. I could hear that he was not asleep rolling around his bed, I assume afraid of the attack to come.

He was right to be afraid as around midnight I heard the rustle of grass. I immediately stood and darted in its direction with a Bo-bup.

As I closed the distance I noticed that it was a panther, like the one that had ambushed me. Not giving it a chance to react I hit it with a Renewal Taekwondo Front Kick and its head exploded.

I noticed that I had easily been able to kill these predators last time. The only reason they hurt me was that I was caught off guard and surrounded.

Even with my current wounds, I was confident in dealing with them. So I used my high perception of finding any other predators nearby.

Using my enhanced sense of smell I found a pack of wolves nearby. They were still in the jungle not yet braving the dangerous clearing that I had made my territory.

No matter, I chased them anyway, jumping into the jungle and using a mix of parkour and Bo-bup to quickly close the distance.

As soon as I was in range I killed the first one with a roundhouse kick, caving its chest inwards. Next, I did a Soksa, shattering the skull of the next nearest wolf with a knee.

As the fight went on, I slaughtered them. Since they didn't surround me I didn't have to worry about attacks to be back or flanks.

This allowed me the freedom to focus on killing everything in front of me as efficiently as possible. I continued the cycle, killing every predator even remotely close to the clearing.

By the time morning had risen I had amassed a pile of corpses, consisting of panthers, tigers, and wolves. While I had reopened my wound with all the exertion my high vitality made that a mere nuisance.

I had taken my revenge, proving to the predators of the jungle that they had been right to fear me. The attack before had merely been a fluke.

When Barry woke up he saw me covered in blood, my wounds wrapped in the hides of the foes I killed, trying to act as a bandage.

I said to him, "Now no one would mess with us."

He nodded in mute amazement before I headed into my tent and passed out.