Not the time

Gung!

Moments after Jacob walked away, a cannon briefly echoed through the air after advancing for a few minutes. The wounds on his body weren't anything serious, but they needed to be treated to avoid worse consequences.

Just as Jacob was getting a little worried, a buzzing sound was heard, and his intelligent assistant returned to his side. "[Master, I lost track of the beast that attacked Katniss!]"

Jacob stopped, briefly scanned the surroundings, and pointed, "Give me more than that, I want to know the details!"

After saying that, he continued walking while suppressing the wound on his right shoulder, which was bothering him the most at the moment. At the same time, the intelligent assistant approached him, ready to provide information about the mutated beast that had attacked him.

The assistant began to explain in a calm and detailed voice, "[Master, the beast that attacked you is a mutated creation specifically designed for the Hunger Games. Its appearance and behavior are intended to generate fear and increase the challenge for the tributes. Let me provide you with some details about this formidable creature, although most are mere speculations based on my database.

Strength: The mutated beast is exceptionally strong. Its thicker limbs and slender body give it great agility and speed. Its developed musculature allows for quick and powerful attacks.

Aggressive behavior: The beast is programmed to attack the tributes and eliminate any potential threat. Its aggressive nature and ferocity make it a formidable opponent. It shows no mercy or compassion and may have a swarm-based attack mode.

Heightened senses: The beast possesses highly developed senses. Its vision, hearing, and sense of smell are much more sensitive than those of a normal animal. This allows it to easily locate its prey, even in the darkness of the arena.

Resilience: The beast is designed to withstand and quickly recover from wounds. Its sturdy physical structure enables it to withstand blows and attacks, making it difficult to defeat. Keep in mind that employing intelligent strategies may be necessary to overcome it.

Hunting abilities: The mutated beast is an expert predator. Its hunting instincts are highly developed, and its behavior resembles that of a wild predator. It uses tactics such as ambushes, swift movements, and surprise attacks to corner its prey.

It's important to note that each mutated beast in the Hunger Games has its own unique characteristics and abilities. Each one has been created to challenge the tributes in different ways and test their cunning and survival skills.

Remember that you're facing challenges created by the game designers, and although the fight may be intense, we trust in your ability to adapt and overcome the obstacles that come your way. Good luck, Master!]"

The intelligent assistant concluded its explanation, leaving Jacob with a better understanding of the beast that had attacked him. Now he had more information to plan his future strategies. He knew that this beast didn't appear in the original story, but mutated beasts created by the administrators did exist.

Only at the end of the first games do they appear, but this beast about to attack Katniss was completely different from any other. Therefore, Jacob's intervention had already shown anomalies, changes in the flow of the story.

But now that he thought about it, what could be the reason for this change? It was evident that he had been executing a much more planned strategy, and the development of alliances had changed, but beyond that, it wasn't very different.

"Could it be the alliances?" Jacob wondered as he continued to move forward.

It was known that there were four professionals who formed a team, so in Jacob's group, there were still four competitors, considering the deaths from yesterday and today, and knowing that there were still two unallied tributes. The Gamemakers knew that if their group took in more survivors, it would be a big problem for the professionals.

If he remembered correctly, there was only the squirrel girl and the boy who in the original story had been killed by Cato after losing all his resources in an attack by Katniss. Considering this, the group of professionals had five participants, and if Jacob decided to include the squirrel girl in his group, the division would be clear.

This would lead to an all-out battle of strategy and, of course, whoever did things better. But now a wild beast with different behavior appeared and attacked the tributes.

"There must be a pattern, a purpose..." Jacob couldn't think clearly about it yet, as his concern now was to meet up with his allies and get out of this place.

"[Master, movement detected right ahead!]"

"I got it..." Jacob positioned his main weapon at the ready and pulled out one of the machetes that belonged to the boy from District Eight.

Crack!

Just as Jacob prepared to attack, he saw Thresh emerging from a bush, followed by Rue and Katniss.

"For God's sake, for a moment, I thought it was another enemy!" Jacob lowered his machete and nodded discreetly at Thresh.

"Are you injured?" Thresh looked at all the blood on Jacob's body and asked with a slight alertness.

Jacob touched his face and shook his head, pointing to where the dead body of the boy from District Eight lay. "I encountered a desperate competitor, I was able to eliminate him, and most of the blood is his."

"We have to move, it's appearing!" Thresh took the lead and went in a completely different direction from where they came, heading back to where the small stream was.

"Are you alright?" Katniss was the most concerned about Jacob's condition, but he just nodded and remained silent for a while.

"Did the beast attack you before or after you found Rue?" Jacob knew that scream didn't belong to Katniss, so somehow they must have encountered each other before.

"Haymitch sent me something from the sponsors, so after getting something to hydrate myself, I continued forward and encountered Rue when she screamed. It was at that moment that I saw the beast."

"Well, let's get out of this place before we run into the professionals..." Jacob murmured as he looked at Rue, who kept looking around in panic.

"That beast won't attack us again, at least not tonight..." Jacob said, taking a step forward and walking alongside Rue. He took a long machete that belonged to the boy from District Eight and said, "You can use this weapon, just aim for the legs and create space to retreat."

Rue smiled widely at Jacob and said, "Thank you for this, I'll keep it in mind."

Katniss, who was walking behind Jacob, smiled as well. She was at least more at ease with him by her side, knowing that this would greatly improve their chances in the Games. Now, the professionals were an enemy to be feared, but not invincible.

...

Jacob and Katniss advanced with their allies from District Ten through the dense forest, heading towards a stream where they could rest and treat their wounds. Jacob had numerous wounds on his upper body, the result of his fierce encounter with the tribute from District Eight. His right shoulder and arm were particularly affected, and the stabbing pain made it difficult for him to move.

Once they reached the stream, Jacob settled on a nearby rock, seeking a moment of relief. Katniss approached him with concern in her eyes, aware of the need to treat his wounds to prevent infections and promote a speedy recovery.

"Jacob, we need to clean your wounds and apply some kind of bandage..." Katniss said with a careful voice, gathering the supplies she had found in Jacob's backpack.

Jacob nodded, grateful for Katniss' help. He knew he couldn't afford to let his guard down or neglect his health in the Hunger Games. He took off his shirt, revealing the wounds on his shoulder and arm. They were deep and bleeding, and the pain intensified with every movement.

Katniss approached carefully and began cleaning the wounds with water from the stream, using a clean cloth. The cold water droplets provided some relief from the burning sensation, and Jacob struggled to contain any expression of pain.

As Katniss treated his wounds, she took the opportunity to share her encounter with the professionals. She talked about how she had observed and listened to them, discovering their plan to find and eliminate the other tributes. She explained how she had managed to escape and eventually stumbled upon Rue, who was being attacked by that beast.

The allies from District Ten listened attentively, impressed by Katniss' bravery and cunning. They appreciated her willingness to take risks and confront the beast to protect their ally, Rue.

As Katniss continued speaking, Jacob noticed how her medical skills were reflected in the way she treated his wounds. She cleaned them carefully, applied ointments, and wrapped them with makeshift bandages.

"Thank you, Katniss..." Jacob whispered, appreciating her help and concern for his well-being. "I feel more at ease after you treated my wounds."

Katniss smiled softly as she finished tending to the wounds. "We're allies, Jacob. We're in this together. We need each other to survive."

Jacob nodded, feeling a sense of connection and growing trust between them. He knew that in the arena, allies were crucial and could make the difference between life and death.

With the wounds cleaned and bandaged, Jacob felt relieved and grateful for the comfort it brought him. Now was the time to continue their journey, armed with valuable information about the professional tributes and strengthened by their bond as allies.

As Jacob handed her the bow they had taken from the Cornucopia, Jacob held his own bow again with superior precision since he was not as skilled with it.

After filling all their canteens, the four headed back to the cave where Thresh and Jacob had spent the night resting.