Chapter 4 - Awakening Scenario

I immediately look at the panther, which is regaining its footing slowly. "U-uh, Inventory?"

[ Opening Inventory. ]

"OhthankGod," I cry as I throw my hand out to tap on the sword icon. A transparent rectangular box appears in the air, with a floating shortsword within it. I snag the handle, yanking it free and holding it out towards the panther — that is no longer there.

'Absorb, Absorb, Absorb!' I think, gripping the handle tightly with both hands. The same message pops up on top of itself, until…

Three trails of what looks like black smoke burst from between the sword and my palm, immediately reaching behind me.

[ Absorbed 3 Stealth from Young Prowler. ]

Having seen the trails of smoke, I dive to my right, as a roaring mass tramples where I had just been standing.

I glance at the message, a small feeling of despair filling my chest. "Stealth?! Really?! I decided against a Stealth Class, and the first Stat I steal is Stealth? This shit is rigged," I complain, watching the monster — a Prowler? — start stalking around me… Until it disappears.

'You have got to be kidding me,' I groan, looking around frantically. Yet, almost subconsciously, my eyes are drawn to a specific spot, where the light seems slightly warped. 'What…'

The moment I focus on the spot, the panther-like monster starts to reappear in pieces, complete with a snarling face that doesn't seem pleased I accidentally found out its trick.

[ Prowler's Main Skill weakness identified. Recommended to raise Stealth Stat. ]

"Thanks so much!" I yelp while I dash behind the same dented gas pump that the Prowler had crashed into earlier. Screeching metal suggests the pump stood no chance against the huge cat, and I spot a trail of oil slowly finding its way to the pileup of slightly flaming cars that were only a few feet away from the curb of the gas station. 'Why is everything going wrong??'

I dash across to the next pump as the Prowler's extra-jointed limb comes sweeping around the edge, nearly tripping and dropping the sword in the process. "Hey system, if you're so useful, then what's the range for this Absorb shit?!"

[ Absorb Range: 5 feet. ]

I blink slowly at the message as it slowly fades away. I don't get long, as the Prowler pounces at me again, and I dive between the gap of the two gas pumps, catching myself before I can land in a puddle of oil and scrambling towards the store itself. Growling from behind me raises the hair on the back of my neck, and it's almost like I can tell exactly where that beast is, and what it's doing. I speed my pace up to its limit until I burst in through the doors, rolling on the floor and pulling myself behind a shelf.

Now, this was definitely more my territory. But first…

'Stats?' I think pensively. My eyes light up as the screen pops open for my Stats.

[ Name: Kieran Bright ]

[ Grade: E Race: Human Lv: 1 Class: Adaptability ]

[ HP: 104/130 MP: 176/185 FS: 110/110 SP: 177/190 ]

[ Skills: Lv1 Gluttony's Mark {6.25%} ]

[ STR: 25 (E) VIT: 13 (E) END: 10 (F+) SPE: 35 (E+) INT: 50 (D-) CHA: 26 (E) LCK: 21 (E) STL: 3 (F) ]

I had to admit, an F Grade wasn't the most promising thing in the world, but it would have to do.

— — — — —

The bell on the door jangles as another creature slowly enters, its eyes locked in the place it had last seen its prey. It was young, but even still, it had never had a meal that was this persistent before.

It made it all the more worthwhile, though. The Prowler's mouth was dripping with saliva at the thought of such a strong-willed meal. It had even seen through Prowler's Cloak! Maybe it was a predator of this new land.

Now determined to show this other being who was the alpha (although it was only 4), the Prowler pounces around the corner, to find… nothing. But the Prowler knew this trick! It whirls around behind it, letting out a loud growl.

— — — — —

'How young even is young?' I wonder as the beast growls, confirming its location for me. I am lodged against the fridge doors in the next aisle over, with my knees bent and my feet propped on a shelf. Using all my strength, I kick out as fast as I can, forcing the whole display shelving down onto the Prowler. It yowls in protest as the wrath of a hundred bags of mostly air... and chips rain down upon it, granting me a moment to reach down and grab my shortsword. 'If this thing isn't even five, I'm terrified how big an adult would be.'

Even writhing under the heavy metal of the toppled shelving, I can tell that the creature is probably at least a foot longer and taller than an actual full-grown panther, from what I had seen from to-scale models and videos.

Steeling myself a half-second too late, the Prowler gets its paws positioned under the dented metal, throwing it forcefully through the counter I had been standing behind less than half an hour ago, although now it seemed like it had been yesterday.

"Absorb!"

This time, the trails of smoke went straight ahead, latching onto the beast and becoming a single stream connecting to my hand. The Prowler couldn't see anything, though, aside from its competitor sticking its hand almost provocatively at it.

[ Absorbed 1 Speed from Young Prowler. ]

'Finally, something useful, albeit small.'

I roll clumsily out of the way as an unpredictable swing of a giant paw aims to knock me to the floor. A claw clips my leg, but unlike with my back, my skin doesn't tear open. The clothes don't even rip, as I roll onto my feet, biting my lip as the wound I DO have flares up in protest.

[ Full Gluttony Set Equipped: +3 Durability Grade to each piece and user. ]

[ Glutton's Loose Trousers: E -> D ]

"Damn, kitty, this almost doesn't seem fair," I grin, holding up my sword. It glares at me, jumping onto the wall and bouncing forward at me, claws extended.

The cat's movements SEEM unpredictable, due to the extra joint allowing extra swing and flexibility in its legs. But I was starting to see how that also hindered it. Because of the extra joint, it made it harder to build up power, like I had done when I pushed the shelves on it. It took its whole body to shove it off, locking two joints on each leg in the process.

Basically, it could either move fast and be agile, or have a lot of power at hand. But not both at once.

Seeing how fluid it was moving now, I knew that it was the former now, focusing on speed to try to overpower me. Lucky for me, I had stolen some of its Speed. 'I think I'm actually faster than it now,' I realize as I sidestep out of the way, and it lands gracefully, whipping around its front half as the closest back leg locks up two joints. It kicks so powerfully backwards that a gust of air follows the attack, but I'm already jumping over it. It doesn't have enough time to react anymore as I flip the sword around into a reverse grip, and as its head turns towards me once more, red eyes looking panicked, I slam the blade into its skull, going straight into the right eye socket and coming out on the left side of its mouth. With no delay, the Prowler's body goes limp, dropping to the floor unceremoniously. I drop to my knees as well, panting for breath as the anxiety and fear I had pushed down hits me full force.

"I could have died," I whisper, glancing at the corpse next to me. "I almost DID die."

With my adrenaline quickly wearing off, my back begins to scream in pain, and I call up my Inventory and snag the one HP pill I had, biting my lip so hard that it begins to bleed. I swallow the pill in one big, dry gulp, and after a few more agonizing seconds, the fiery feeling begins to subside. Even my lip is healed, as if nothing had happened. Once I've made sure my HP was back to full, I let out a long sigh. "What the hell is going on?"

Fwoooop!

[ Congratulations! You have completed the Awakening Scenario! ]

[ Rewards: +10% EXP, 10 Shards, Kill Rewards. ]

[ New Quest will begin when all users in the region have completed the Awakening Scenario. ]

[ Current region: Los Angeles Area ]

Slightly exhausted, I start to complain that I'm not even technically in LA, but realize I don't have the energy. So instead, I tap on the first thing I didn't recognize. "Not like this thing will give me answers to the questions I'm asking, so…"

[ Shards: Currency for the System. ]

An image was attached below, with a few similarly-shaped… Well, shards of what looked like prismatic crystal shining brightly next to one another. It was beautiful, but I tilt my head in slight confusion. "Currency for the System?"

I tap on it again, but nothing happened. I give it a few more angry taps before backing out defeatedly, moving on to the next one as I try to control my temper with not-so-slow breaths.

[ Kill Rewards: All monsters will have Kill Rewards when slain, which will always include EXP and Shards, and sometimes includes a related item. ]

I look over to the dead cat, before a wide grin spreads across my face. "Oh, I like the sound of that."