Raksha

Just as I looked up from my screen, I could see Kaasan's expression change from its usual peaceful demeanor to one of rage. Then all of a sudden spirit energy started to emanate from her in waves of power and heat. With each pulse of power, I could feel myself being pressed nearly crushed by its weight. "K..ka.asan what's wrong, you're hurting me!" she abruptly snapped out of her rage-filled daze. She drew in her spiritual energy thinning out the pressure, to much of my relief, and looked at me with the most serious of expressions. "Mishi! Do you think you can make it back to your brothers and sisters on your own?" "Yes, Kaasan, what's wrong?" "I sense a great disturbance on the outskirts of the forest, a powerful one at that. I need you to run back to our family, inform your eldest brother what's going on, and to protect you guys at all cost. I need to check on this disturbance and will be back shortly." "Yes Kaasan"

Without hesitation, I ran back to my family, once I saw my brother I said "eldest brother, Kaasan sensed a disturbance in the forest, and wants you to protect us until she returns." With an otherworldly, eerie voice he responded "s..s..sure thing, p..precious sisder, the rest of the fffamiilllyy, is in ttthhe, dden." "ooh kay, sure thing? That wasn't weird at all." As I approached the den. I received an uncharacteristically emotional system message almost as if it cared for me.

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System Message

Host! You must leave now. There is danger around you, your life is highly at risk. Please you must run, do not go in that den just flee!

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Uh? What? Since when... I thought as I started to enter the den, and what I saw struck me at the deepest recesses of my soul. My entire family, my siblings, and even the eldest brother that I just saw outside were not only dead but completely dismembered, with bowels torn clean out of their stomachs. I immediately wrenched at the sight losing all sense of being, as if I was completely detached from my body.

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Host!! Mishi!! Snap out of it, you need to run now. It is not the time to be shocked. Wake up!

Emergency protocol established initiating forced skill point assignment. 1 point added to serene mind, 1 point added to swift step.

Serene mind max LVL:

Even in the most grueling and painful of times. Regardless of the situation, the host can suppress all emotions, while in the presence of any threat, allowing the host to think clearly and decisively. All emotions will return once the host is clear of danger, to process them appropriately. This is a passive skill and activates upon any sense of danger.

Swift Step Max LVL:

Some times a strategic retreat is better than a courageous fool. Host's speed and reflexes are increased by 100%, allowing the host to run at incredible speeds, while being able to instantly react based off of instinct rather than thought. 5 SP per use, Swift Step will last for fifteen minutes

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Suddenly I came to my senses, but oddly enough I remained unaffected by this gruesome scene and seemed to be able to think more methodically than I ever could before.

I turned around and saw the monster disguised as my brother starting to change form. The sound of bones breaking and reforming could be heard as this bastard was changing into a different form. Analyze I thought as "Raksha LVL?" appeared above its head in a deep bold red color. Before he could finish changing I cast Shadow Bind on him. Immediately the shadow under his feet turned into a pool of black ink-like substance. Snake-like tendrils started climbing and wrapping around his legs then up to his body. In that moment I activated Swift Step and could feel my spirit energy filling every inch of the muscles within my legs, as they swelled with power. While this was happening the Shadow Cloak passive ability activated as well. Then a black fog seeped from my pores and blanketed me.

The Raksha screams in rage, and then mockingly says do you think a weak technique like this can hold me, Raksha?" completely ignoring him I continued running towards the densest part of the forest. Just before I could reach my destination Raksha appeared before me. In this form, he was standing on two legs with hoofs for feet, and their knees bent backward. He has a humanoid body with 6 in. claws on each finger of his hand. His head was that of a goat, with two long crimson red horns sprouting from his head. "Now you just had to mess up my well-thought-up reveal, what a killjoy, just have to take the fun out of everything." Seeing that he likes to talk so much, and can easily outrun me, I decided to try and get him to talk more, hopefully buying me enough time for Kaasan to return, if she is still alive that is.

"So then, What are you here for Raksha, I'm sure that all these theatrics wasn't just to slaughter children. Or are you just a deranged sadist that gets off on such things?" "Oh, hehehe haha, quite the tongue you have on you little miss. I know you're just stalling for time, but I guess it wouldn't be too much to play with my food for a bit, so I'll bite. To answer both questions I'll say no to the first and yes to the second. I came not just to slaughter children, as you say, but to conquer what should rightfully be mine, and yes I am a sadist and I very much like to see my prey scream and writhe in agony, in pain, oh and despair. It's…It's so exhilarating if you know what I mean." He winks at me. "My favorite is despair, like you, for instance, you're clinging on to hope, that your dear old mother or, Kaasan, is it, will come to your rescue and save you in the nick of time right? And see that's the start of the fun, you get hope, a glimmer of light if you may, that you might just survive this with your dear old Kaasan. Then I get to burst your last shimmer of hope crushing it under my feet, as I tell you she is already dead!..."

Calmly I address the possibility that Kaasan could be dead, and I'm up Sh#ts creek without a paddle. In the end, I can't change whether it's true or not. All I could do is focus on right now, and continue to stall for time. "Wow, you're serious. Even now not a single emotion you really are a killjoy." He sighs "well since you know how to ruin a man's good time we should just get on with this. You're beginning to bore me." Just as he was saying this his claws extended another 6 inches. He slashed his right hand at me, and I lunged backwards to the left attempting to dodge it, hoping my +50% dodge is enough to escape death with his attacks. But he was just too fast, and all I can do was deflect a direct blow. Even with just grazing me with those claws, a slash appeared on my cheek as I was flown back 10 feet. The force from the wind of his attack alone was enough to rattle my brain against my skull.

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Damage 14 points. 1/15 HP Remaining.

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Damn, that hurt, one more hit like that, and I'm done for. "Well, well, well…. just a flick of my wrist nearly killed you. Do you feel that fear yet? That knowledge of your impending..." before he could even finish his statement a large white blur crashed into him.

"I will not let you kill any more of my cubs, you heartless bastard!" "Hehe hahaha, I guess the cats out of the trap, hahaha, I guess you can't find good help these days. Hope you liked the wyverns I had waiting for you. But…aren't you being a bit presumptuous right now." Raksha gesturing to is claws embedded into kaasan's chest. "Oh this scratch" she exclaimed, with the most hateful grin I have ever seen. She put her weight on it so that her chest slipped right over his hand and then she began to shine with the brightest white light I have ever seen. White flames burst around her body becoming an second layer of fur. The white flames spread to Raksha's hand as he screamed in pain. "You B#tch he screamed, as he cut his own arm off completely before it even reached his elbow, he then used his severed arm to push my Kaasan away from him so he could avoid touching her flames again."

"You may have saved your daughter for now oh great guardian." He mockingly bowed. "But know this, when I recover I will come back for her, and you won't be around to save her." He sneered as he waved his one last arm opening a portal then jumping through it." The flames started to flicker out from her fur. I could feel the tears running down my face "wh..what"

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The Host is no longer in immediate danger.

serene mind deactivated.

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Suddenly all the repressed emotions came flooding back in, the anger towards that sadistic bastard, the fear of my impending doom, the loss of my family whom I barely knew, and especially the pain my Kaasan is now in. Why does it hurt so much, why does it feel like a piece of me has been torn out? They are my family, yes, but I've only known them for these past few days. That, compared to my previous life's family memories, make them seem more like distant cousins I just met, but the aching pain is just as bad as when I lost my father. Tears are uncontrollably streaming down my face and without a thought I ran to my Kaasan, yes, my Kaasan. I shouted, "Kaasan you're going to be ok, you're going to be ok, right?"

With clear pain shown on her face, she turned to me wiping my tears. " "Oh, my precious little Mishi you're hurt, let me help you.." "No Kaasan let me...." "Hush now little one let me do what I need to do." She then pressed her paw against my head and a white light enveloped me. What is….

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The host has been healed. All hit-points have been restored.

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I could feel the gash along the side of my face healing with the skin stitching itself back together again, and the pounding headache receding. I looked upon my Kaasan, I could see life beginning to fade in her eyes. Before I could cry out to her she said "My Mishi, you have done this mother proud. I know I don't have much longer to go, so I need you to listen. First there is nothing you could do or could've done to save me, so don't blame yourself. Second, you are going to be on your own, but a piece of me will always be with you" I started mouthing a response, but she interrupted me before I could utter a word. "I'm not finished yet. This may seem strange to you, but I want you to eat my Monster Core." Equally shocked and horrified at the thought of eating anything of my mother, but again she spoke before I could utter another word. "This is the only way I can still protect you. Raksha will come looking for you again, he's not only sadistic, but spiteful and unforgiving. He will hunt you down just for the satisfaction of killing the last of my kin. If you don't eat my monster core, someone else would, and that could only make another potentially powerful enemy for you on top of Raksha. So please obey your Kaasan's final wish and let me protect you. Once you eat this core you would be forced into the core formation realm. It will be painful and potentially dangerous, but right now it's your only hope. I love you Mishi, live and grow into the guardian I know you can be." Without another word, with the last of her strength she plunged her paw into her stomach just below the navel, pulling out her core, placing it in front of me, before she fell still, as her final breath escaped her.