I suddenly woke up when I felt a splash of cold water. When I looked around I was in some sort of old basement with prison like bars and towering over me is what seems to be a dogkin boy in his late-teens. I try to remember what in the world just happened when I notice the blue notifications and reality hits me.

A [Slave Collar] has been forcefully equipped on you.

You were exposed to an extreme mental pain: +1 MNT

You have taken 35 damage.

Suddenly the memories of the excruciating pain that felt like my skull and brain were drilled through resurface and I shiver none stop. I only come to when I hear the voice of the dogkin boy in front of me.

“Get up! We have work to do follow me!”

I am at first confused but as I slowly calm down and follow the dogkin. I somehow get the gist of the situation. Despite on my insistence on being vigilant and keeping my guard up I messed up big time! Ugh! I can’t believe I was so stupid and fell for the oldest trick in the book! I am so ashamed… I wonder if Amber knew and was in on it…or was she a victim like me…* sniff * ... What is done is done! There is no use crying over spilled milk! I need to think of what to do moving forward, not lament on the past.

I take in my surrounding as I follow the dogkin to see if there is anything I can use. Shortly I am brought into a large room which has multiple beastkin standing. And a middle aged man sitting in on a stool. Next to him I see a small dogkin kneeling on the floor. Then a stern voice comes out of the middle aged man.

“I am pretty sure I told you to get 10 herbs per day. Why did you only bring back 9?” he asked in a cold tone.

“I AM SORRY! I AM SORRY! PLEASE FORGIVE ME! T-There was monsters which I ran to avoid and by the time I got away it was too late because of the night day! I AM TERRIBLY SORRY!” The dogkin answered in a panic.

“I don’t need to hear your excuses. Regardless the reason, if you do not bring back 10 herbs, punishment is in order.” The middle aged man exclaimed.

“PLEASE! ANYTHING BUT THAT..NO! I’LL GET 10 TOMORROW! No, I’ll make up for it and get 11 tomorrow so please, anything but that!” the dogkin pleaded.

“Are you telling me what to do? [Slave Collar: Punishment]” the middle aged man exclaimed.

A glowing symbol shinned on the middle aged man’s hand.

“AAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA”

The dogkin boy grabbed his head and screamed out in agonizing pain. Suddenly I got cold shivers all over. This traumatizing scene felt all too familiar...So that means if I disobey...I will feel that terrifying pain again? As I was agonizing over what was to come, the dogkin who led me here took out a small basket and spoke up.

“Each of you, take 1 small piece of bread, that will be your breakfast. Then prepare to head out in an hour. For those new here, I will brief you on your roles on the way”

I follow the other beastkins lining up for bread and take a small piece of bread as well. The portion was slightly larger than the size of a mini-donut. Which part of this is breakfast?!?! * munch * ...ugh! And it tastes bad too...

But for now I can’t afford to complain and need to look for an opportunity. There is a total of 4 dogkin including the one giving out orders and the one on the floor. Then there is 2 catkin, 3 foxkin and 1 bunnykin.

Once the hour passed, we were lined up outside the house and given small bags, as the middle age man met up with 2 more people. A man and a women around the same age.

We then proceeded to leave the village. After about an hour of walking, the 1st middle aged man spoke up.

“Alright, start collecting stones, dogkin start sniffing for the [Hell Boar]” he ordered.

Hell Boar? Somehow I do not like the sound of that…

Your skill [RA][Smell Sense] has become Level 2

Your skill [RA][Smell Sense] has become Level 3

While having a very very bad feeling, I follow the instructions and collect stones in the bag. I also keep an eye on the dogkin while they are sniffing. I finally got my [Smell Sense] to Level 4 after observing the leader dogkin and it stopped going up after that.

The dogkin began to lead us on a trail of the [Hell Boar] while I also secretly used my [Smell Sense] to follow as well, don’t want to be the last one to respond to an ambush after all.

We then arrived at a scene where a humongous reddish boar the size of a truck who had steam coming out of its body and was currently smashing against a tree. On top of the tree is a panicking monkey trying hard not to fall off the tree. I feel a huge amount of dread at the overwhelming strength of the boar.

You have acquired a new skill [RP][Toughness] Level 1

During this time, the 3 humans begin to break down the strategy.

“Alright then, we will go with the usual strategy for the [Hell Boar]. We will circle the [Hell Boar] with bait and after it rushes attack it while it is weakened” the middle aged man said.

“Alright, you heard the boss. Now go!” exclaimed the dogkin.

Not knowing what to do and not wanting to mess up, I for the first time spoke up.

“What are we using as bait?” I ask frantically.

The dogkin turns toward me with a perplexed look.

“Oh, the retarded one. Isn’t it obvious...you” he replied with a casual tone.

WHO ARE YOU CALLING RETARDED?!?...wait...wait...more importantly...what did he just say...it can’t be...did I mishear? Suddenly my face became as white as my hair. They want us to act as bait for THAT THING! Are they trying to kill us?!?!

I wasn’t the only one to freeze up...the foxkin, bunnykin and the other catkin had similar looks on their faces. The only difference was it didn’t seem like they were that shocked about the whole thing as I was.

“We don’t have the whole day here, you have 5 minutes to get in position, surround and start circling the boar and start throwing rocks at it. If you do not, there will be punishment. This is an [Order]” he decreed.

At the same time a bunch of symbols began to glow. With terrified faces, everyone reluctantly moved forward and began to surround the [Hell Boar] from a distance then slowly but steadily closed in the perimeter. Fearing the excruciating pain from the collar, I also followed while praying for my life.

I put the 2 free points I had saved up for a rainy day into [AGI] in hopes of raising my chance to live if even by 1%.

As we got closer and closer eventually the [Hell Boar] who has long broken down the large tree and was eating the monkey noticed us. And began to look around. We began circling the boar in a rotation to try as best we can do divert the obvious upcoming charge if even by a millimeter. All while shaking in fear and throwing rocks at it.

The [Hell Boar] suddenly started to become more and more red. And more steam began to come from it. I suddenly got a very very bad feeling about it. As I was watching I suddenly got a notification.

You have acquired a new skill [RA][Meteor Rush] Level 1

The [Hell Boar] suddenly looked in our direction and let out a loud noise.

“SQUEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEEE!!!”

* rumble * *rumble * *rumble *

Of course even before that, the moment I saw the ridiculous sounding skill I activated [All-Observing-Eyes][Overload] and [Charge] to move as fast as possible! I mean has anything involving “meteors” ever ended well for me?

Due to overcoming your movement limits: +1 AGI

Suddenly the humongous [Hell Boar] disappeared and in its place I saw a trail of fire.

Before I noticed I was smashed by a large force of burning wind and recklessly flung in the air. Landing dozens of meters away.

You have taken 302 damage. You have been stunned for 3 seconds.

When I came to, I looked up and what I saw looked akin to a war zone. The whole place behind me was smashed into bits and pieces. Trees shattered, fire burning everything around. Blood all over the place and bits and pieces of body parts which seem to be the bunnykin who was a few meters behind me. The [Hell Boar] itself is standing still in a mini-like crater.

I stood there staring in total shock. Even as the 3 humans began to attack it from behind and I was getting notifications left and right, I could not come to.

You have acquired a new skill [NP][Spear Mastery] Level 1

You have acquired a new skill [NA][Slash] Level 1

You have acquired a new skill [NP][Dagger Mastery] Level 1

Suddenly I felt something wrong and I came to. I forcefully deactivate [All-Observing-Eyes][Overload]. I do not know why, but something tells me if I fall unconscious here it would be really bad. It seems that if I use the skill for less than 1 minute, the penalty will be proportional to that. As I only used 10 seconds, I will only suffer [Overload] debuff for 8 hours. I slowly get up and do my best to get as much distance as possible while keeping an eye on the situation. Surprisingly, with all 3 humans attacking the boar and doing heavy damage, the boar is not moving at all.

Only after about 30 seconds passed from the charge did the boar began to move. But at that point it was severely weakened. The fight lasted about 3 minutes after which the boar finally fell.

Level up!

Sentient Creature: +1 in all unlocked attributes +1 free attribute +20 HP +10 Stamina +10 Mental

Beastkin: +2 STR +2 VIT +1 AGI

Catkin: +2 AGI +1 DEX

I got another level up, but looking at the scene from hell I could not be happy at all. At this point the leading dogkin gathered all the surviving beastkin and the middle aged man spoke.

“Since we found it earlier than expected, all Dogkin, I expect you to fulfill at least half your quota for the day. All bait, go back to base and be there within 5 hours. This is an [Order]!” the man shouted, then turned to his companions and said ”Lets go ahead celebrate our victory guys! I know a good new place!”. With that, the middle aged man and his companions sprinted back to the village.

I took one last look around the hellish battlefield. And noticed that there was also a foxkin lying there with missing feet and arm. But he was still barely alive and moaning.

“That foxkin is still alive” I exclaim while pointing.

The dogkin takes a glance and says “Leave him. He is already useless as bait”

I looked at the dogkin with an dumbfounded face.

“Weren’t we ordered to all come to base? Wouldn’t that be a breach of an order?” I interjected.

“Yes, and he will die for disobeying it. What point are you trying to make retard?” he looks at me bewildered as though looking at a child who said something silly. And then walks away.

Totally bewildered and left with no choice due to my powerlessness, I dejectedly follow back to base.

…