True Den! - The Real Beginning

[System Shop Excerpt]

[The Den: (Cost - 100) Every System has a Den, Cave, or other environment gifted by the God they've been chosen to Represent. This can only be upgraded once you've firmly claimed a piece of Territory within the God's Playground, and the upgrades will remain unknown as it will do the Host no good to rush to claim Territory. This Safe Zone will be adjusted according to immediate needs and God's preferred proportions.]

It's been about 2 weeks since compressing my body for the first time, and I've roamed, hunted, and progressed. Currently, I've compressed my body 1 more time, from 2.5 meters to 2 meters long, meeting the parameters of the System. Though, my first Body Tempering didn't count as I only decreased by 0.1 meter, still, progress. As my body gets tougher and more agile, I find myself lacking control, and decided to level my proficiency. Note, while Compressing myself over and over again will be good for physicality, I go into a small hibernation for longer and longer each time, as the mental fatigue continuously increases as I'm still weak.

Moving on, Den placing! Finding a proper Den was my top priority over this time and now I've just reached 100 Point, so I must settle down, and move out from the immediate vicinity as it's very impractical to hunt while being in the middle of everything. So, I traveled down the River and found the most comforting area I could, with both open and closed environments for me to stay.

In front of me, water levels rising and falling sporadically due to the uneven pressure from a Waterfall, which reflected the sunlight in a glaring manner. Looking at the waterfall, I could sigh endlessly at its beauty, but also practicality. On the other side of the waterfall, a small opening hides from sight, leading into a shallow cave with crystal after crystal reflecting the shallow lighting.

Deciding to buy my Den here, I observe the immediate changes.

[Host has purchased The Den, an area protected by your God, who wishes to remain anonymous until later times. The Host's immediate area will be altered to fit your needs, and the God's presence will help deter any animal stronger than you.]

Feeling a blinding flash and letting out a squeal, as my eyes are incredibly uncomfortable, even after closing my eyes, I falter at the sight before me.

The waterfall, similar to before, cascaded down, yet the rocks at the top of the cliff are more even and natural, letting the sunlight reflect more thoroughly and helping to hide the Den's entrance. At the bottom of the fall, a jagged rock was placed receiving the blunt of the pressure in front of the opening, spraying water in all directions but not obstructing you in any way.

Moving into the Den, I notice that the side of the rock wall has created a small pathway for convenience so I don't have to swim or jump in order to get inside of the opening, while the opening walls are much more smooth and well rounded.

Looking towards the inside, the middle of the Den has a Bear Fur, of unknown quality spread out on the floor, giving off a warm, familiar feeling glow. Next to the Fur and placed within or upon the wall, there's clearly manually imbedded gems for an unknown use glowing a gentle, Sky Blue.

Looking upwards, the Cave was clearly carved out to accommodate the additional space, and on the floor there's 2 seperate indents, which he felt would be convenient in using one for holding food and one for keeping the Corpses of finished meals, hoping they wouldn't be spread across the floor making him look like some sort of Serial Killer.

Moving towards the Bear Fur spread out like a carpet, I can feel a natural heat emanating from it, putting my right paw on top of it, I sense a warm, calming feeling spread throughout my body washing me away in the fatigue from running around all day. Whilst lying down, I have the System inspect the two gems radiating the gentle blue light.

Originally, I thought they were there for aesthetics or some other type of comfort, but they're both illusory stones placed for training, which is implemented within every System User's home, that allows them to train even on an inadequate day.

'System, how do I turn on these stones?'

[While using a stone, the Host will be slowly drained of their many energy form.]

'And would mine be Vitality?'

[Yes, Host's main energy form is Vitality as you don't have access to Mana and you're trotting down the path of Body Tempering.]

Alright, that all adds up. How do I activate the Draining of energy and stop it?

Well, that's the simple part. The System can manually do it as my Vitality isn't strong enough for manual control, which doesn't really help my situation.

'System, what's the use of the Stones specifically?'

[To your left, the Host sees the Training Course stone, which will mentally place you within an area that will SAFELY pressure you to ascend your limits in control and reaction.]

[To your right, the Host sees the Beast Grounds, which will stimulate a FATAL atmosphere and create a life and death battle to push the Host's previously earned knowledge to the limits. Much more efficient than the Training Course.]

If I didn't have a snout, I'd whistle right now. Well, not actually, but that's might impressive. This will help with me not being able to control my strength. Likewise, as I have a lack of life and death encounters seeing how I've been having it easy hunting rabbits and boars with traps, It'd be good to prepare myself for a real situation that may or may not happen.

'System, are there any other major functions I should be aware of?'

[Outside of Host's Cave, inside of the Den Territory, there is a jagged rock under the waterfall. That rock has the ability to apply pressure on the Host's Body anywhere within the territory to assist with Exercise. Named the Tempering Rock.]

Well, shit. I guess this is all really leading to me going the route of the Astral Wolf, getting physically stronger instead of stalling and waiting for any Mana Orientated evolution or progression.

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Lying at the side of a small lake that turns back into a river a few tens of meters outwards, a 2 meter long wolf with silky grey fur and white accents stretches, untensing any muscles before sloppily getting up, as if moving after a nice Thanksgiving Dinner.

Over these past 2 months, I've repeatedly tried to use the Training Grounds, but I don't have enough available energy, and neglected the use of the Tempering Stone and Beast Grounds for the same reason, as I've made sure that I want to be ready before taking advantage of these perks instead of hurting myself.

As I've grown stronger, I've increased the criteria of hunted creatures, but I've never stepped outside of the Comfort Zone of outside this Den hunting smaller creatures including insects that were trapping, and outside of my previous Den only hunting Rabbits and Boars. Tomorrow, I go Hunt. Not trapping, or any of the like, but go do so myself.

'System, show me my Full Status!'

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[System Status

Name: Hollow

Species: Grey Wolf

Tier: 0.5

Affinity: Neutral -??-

Points: 427

Psychical Proficiencies:

◊Claw Proficiency 5◊ -24.7%-

◊Fang Proficiency 3◊ -87.4%-

Elemental Proficiencies:

>Host is lacking in Elemental Proficiencies<

Aux Skill: Runic Trapping

Bloodline Ability: Vitality Compression

System Evaluation: A Hunter that can Hunt 1 Level Above and prey upon those without Mana (or Vitality).]

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Thinking of my previous hunting experience, I falter looking at my proficiencies, as they naturally increased without any conscious improvement.

Let's go find a few targets... after a nice, long nap on that Bear Fur Carpet.

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In the midst of multicolored grasses, and tall fluorescent trees emitting strange gases, and patches of fresh mud, a dark grey shadow flashes past, panting, dripping black blood. Without turning the head, the shadow observes the surroundings before running into the grass and trees in front of him, not looking back.

'That's the 4th failure.. It really reminds you that this isn't a game.'

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Running along back to The Den, drenched in my own blood with a bite wound on the Back Left Leg, I limp slightly every step. Reminiscing on the times where I could just walk to the River without having any disruptions, I stumble from stepping into a slope.

For the past 3 months, I've been feeling the changes of Vitality Compression, and although I've been here 5 months, sometimes I feel like my experience is too surreal. Sometimes, I forget that this is my life, losing myself in fantasization. Yet, whenever I get injured I feel wronged, enraged, and have to pull myself back into the real world. Where I am now.

Moving forwards into The Den's territory, I release the tensed muscles all around my body, stumbling towards the water below the falls with a limp and whimper, feeling the adrenaline wear and the pain rush in.

Going through the System Shop, I once again select the only option that showed up about 2 months ago. Ginseng. When I first read of it, I couldn't help but think of Ginseng Tea, but the Ginseng inside of the Shop has a healing property that will dwindle upon each use, but It's miraculous.

[System Shop]

[Medical Ginseng: (Cost: 100) This Ginseng will amplify the healing properties of the body, but the body will grow resilient after so many uses. Be careful, because if you don't, not even this can save you.]

The shop has a very vivid, explanation, but it really is a miracle drug. As I purchase it, an item appears within my vision so suddenly you couldn't tell if it was or wasn't there before. Grabbing it in my mouth, I toss it lightly into the steaming water, and a clear dirty green coloring spreads throughout the water in a 4 to 5 meter radius, visually fluctuating as if it's fighting against the current.

Jumping in, feeling the strong water push up against my wounds, I feel both relief and immense pain. Sitting within the green water, it starts boiling, and I feel as if someone stuck a thick needle inside of my skin and any opening lets in the pain. The green water of the Medical Ginseng boils further and further, as if the temperature increases gradually, and seeps into my skin, bones, eyes... anything it can. I feel an invigorating feeling all over as the pain gets sweeped away like a warm wind.

Jumping out the water and shaking myself vigorously, water flies off my pelt and fur, staining the grass below me. Looking into the water, I see my fur sticking to my skin tightly, and my body 2.4 meters long, glowing Emerald Green eyes just as before, except the white scars below my eyes have gradually transformed; from scars to greyish white surrounding the eyes, with lines of both grey and white fur slightly intertwining. My body, below the fur has well defined muscles just well proportioned enough to not stick out. My fangs, unlike before, aren't visually sirrated, yet if you do feel it you'll get a nasty cut.

The past 3 months have added even more vicissitudes and bitterness into the daily life. As I said before, I've started hunting animals on the same level as me or rarely even higher, yet there's one thing in common with all of those animals. They're all natural herbivores or omnivore scavengers, no carnivores. I can't handle it, something tells me that I won't survive it. I've tried once before, on a 0.6 Fox, called a Terra Fox. Although it was reasonably neutral like me, it had an offensive innate ability Tail Whip.

The System identified Tail Whip as a skill only animals who have been raised to use their tails as a weapon from childhood, and tempered it naturally receive. Using it, you can use your Tail to lash out at an enemy normally catching them off guard. Going into the fight prepared to fight against it, I still came out on the losing end as all I could do was bite, while the Fox ran circles around me biting, whipping, and scratching. In the end, I had to escape.

I was also 0.6 at the time, and that says a lot. Vitality Compression has helped me grow I've noticed, and I've gotten more powerful, yet not more powerful than animals of my calibur. It turns out, All Tiers are based on Combat Ability, and can only be surmounted by proficiencies and affinities. Both of which, I lack in.

The only reason this is so detrimental to the current me is because Carnivores eat other Beasts, and absorb their energy. Lots of that is stored within the flesh, which make them more nutritious than the other Beasts like Deer and Rabbit. They're the Key to my success to breaking through the next level.

'System, pull up my Full Status.'

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[System Status

Name: Hollow

Species: Grey Wolf

Tier: 0.8

Affinity: Neutral -??-

Points: 1628

Psychical Proficiencies:

◊Claw Proficiency 9◊ -100%-

◊Fang Proficiency 9◊ -100%-

Elemental Proficiencies:

>Host is lacking in Elemental Proficiencies<

Aux Skill: Runic Trapping

Bloodline Ability: Vitality Compression

System Evaluation: A killer Puppy.]

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[System Objective]

[Body Tempering yourself 5 times]

[Progress: 80%]

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Speaking of which.. 4 times. Yes, 4 times I've failed during a fight of a predator the same level as me. My proficiencies capped by the System at level 9, as I have no access to a freely manipulative energy, and my Vitality is still too weak to be an energy, as it's just a life force right now. Nevertheless, this is my last attempt!

After the healing from the ginseng, and although the Sun is on the brink of disappearing, I rush back into the Forest, searching back and forth for lone predators, slowly but surely making my way towards a target, hoping that this will be the last time I have to waste a Ginseng.

Lunging between the shadows of the trees, rocks, and other small structures, I come across a boulder sized rock, with a flat top riddled with clear Claw markings, as claimed territory. Sitting atop the boulder is a 3 Meter Long Lynx, without any markings on it's fur, only a light, lunar blue coating the white fur. With striking blue eyes that seem to glow in the dark, the Lynx locks it's vision on me.

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[System Observation]

[System Status

Name: Unnamed

Species: Lunar Lynx

Tier: 0.8

Affinity: ??

Eval: Hungry]

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Staring into its eyes, my emerald eyes start to radiate a bloodlust, and instead of the normal vibrant color become almost dull - as if blind. Feeling an unhealthy excitement and anticipation well up within me, I see the Lynx ready to make a move, and sprint forward trying to catch it during the small leap off the rock. Propelling myself forward, I turn into a grey blur shaking the plants around me.

The Lunar Lynx seeing my movement propels itself downward so it isn't caught off guard, taking up a stance before I ram into it. Colliding with the Lynx, I feel a searing pain in my front legs from the impact, hearing a crushing sound I can feel one of the Lynx's shoulder bones break.

Backing off quickly, I feel the Jaw of the cat clench my shoulder and before it could get ahold, I rip myself backwards at the cost of a little bit of flesh being stripped off the bone.

Flinging myself back into a straight posture, I lower my front and growl in provocation.

The Lunar Lynx also lowers it posture, clearly ignoring the shoulder injury and emits a low, clear pur.

Springing forward I use the falling momentum to attempt and sink my fangs into the neck of the big cat, it tilts itself sideways and steps out of the way, curling its body and uncurling it, using the momentum to fly a few meters to the side hitting me in the process. Landing front legs first, I jump from the Lynx's previous position onto the rock, and from the rock onto the Lynx yet again at an angle to the side.

Through persistent attacks I wear down it's endurance, in exchange for wounds and fatigue. I feel strange, as my wounds keep bleeding and bleeding, with no signs of slowing down despite my enhance physique.

Chasing down the marginally larger animal, I sprint for a solid mile before finding it collapsed, blood seeping from almost every corner of its body, still glowing the moonlight as the majestic creature it is. Despite my poor condition, I finish it off. Weakly, I spend about 45 minutes walking and jumped over miniscule obstacles to make it back to The Den. Slowly but surely, I drag it behind the waterfall and into the cave.

Looking below me as I sit on my hind legs, blood dripping from a scratch on the throat, the fur of the Lynx still shines despite being covered in it, giving a nice and cooling feeling exactly opposite the Bear's Fur as my carpet.

As my wounds started to heal once I was out of the moonlight, I still bled much more than I should. Taking a few minutes to catch my breath and shake the sleepy feeling crawling through my body, I get ready to hopefully level up, evolve, and have some sort of advantage over these damn Beasts.

'System, is there a way to Skin the animal? To use a carpet, ofcourse.'

[Host can pay the points gained by killing the Animal to skin it, with small exceptions.]

'System, can we do that?'

[Yes. System will extricate skin from the designated Corpse.]

In front of me, instead of a bloody corpse was a blue tinted white fur carpet, with small amounts of bite marks and cuts, and the rest of the damage being covered by the really fluffy Lynx fur.

While that was good, before me behind that, was a perfectly clean corpse, being a full skeleton and beside that skeleton was meat. No bone, just a giant pile of scrumptious meat.

Digging in, I feel the power inside of the meat, different from those other feeble animals. Scarfing down whatever was left, fat or meat, I enjoy every last bit of it.

Slowly passing out from stuffing myself, my stomach constricts in pain due to the overeating.

'System, once my body hits 2.5 Meters, start Vitality Compression down to 2 meters.'

[Yes, Host]

Seconds later, I doze off looking towards the neverending flow of water that defends me from the outside world, feeling an immense satisfaction.

During a long, comfortable slumber I stur at the sound of a gentle voice.

[System Objective Complete]

[Evolution Commencing...]