Vivian padded silently along a beaten path. The surface consisted of trampled and decayed plant matter, giving the air an earthy aroma. She inhaled deeply, reveling in the familiar scent.

Vivian examined the map, taking note of the cluttered plant and animal markers. Her thoughts were interrupted by the footfalls of two animals barreling in her direction.

"Sasha, I know I asked for a lot, but now the map is almost rendered useless from everything it's displaying. I don't need everything all the time. Can you change it so that it's possible to turn the different markers on and off separately?" Vivian leaped off the path and did her best to blend with the undergrowth.

Vivian watched from her hiding place. A wild boar thundered through where she had just stood a moment ago. Seconds later, a beldereaver chased after it.

Vivian observed the predator. What an ugly beast, still its speed is considerable. Why can't I see those two on my map?

A brief scuffle ensued when the beldereaver intercepted the boar. The forest echoed with the boar's pained wails. Silence returned for a short moment. The sound of tearing meat and crunching bones replaced the boar's squeals; the beldereaver had begun to devour its meal.

"Can you change the markers into something that resembles what they represent? It would be beneficial for me to know what the animal is, before it's right on top of me," Vivian asked and moved further into the undergrowth.

She realized now what created the trail and silently distanced herself from the path and the beldereaver as quickly as possible. Concern showed on her face over the fact that she should have seen those two animals on the map before hearing them.

Separating the markers is not an issue. Created criteria filters and separating them as overlays complete. Current limitations require that you see an animal first, then I can update the marker for them on the map. As such, wild boars and beldereavers are now accurately displayed. Given the proximity of a predator, you are quite relaxed right now.

"I've no choice but to stay calm. Panicking and taking rash actions is the quickest way to get myself hurt, if not killed outright. Not to mention how taxing it is on the little energy I do have. It's not like I have someone who can help me if I get into a dangerous situation. With that said, even if I wasn’t alone, my race wouldn't be much more than sacrifices buying time for me to run." Vivian stated, a tear trailing down her cheek as memories resurfaced. She took note of all the dots and squares that appeared on the map. I have to see every animal, huh? Such a hassle and quite dangerous as well, but it would be worth it in the end.

She suddenly froze in place as she watched a strange and peculiar collection of squares on the map. Is this a meeting - no, that isn’t right - a gathering? Regardless, something’s drawing the attention of the predators to the grove where I first woke up. Luckily for me, I arrived there yesterday. Is this an opportunity for me? I can get a good look at all the gathering predators to improve the map while they have their attention drawn to something else. On the other hand, going to the grove is the equivalent of presenting myself as an appetizer.

Vivian started slowly walking again, her thoughts preoccupied as she trudged through the undergrowth. She tried ignoring everything happening at the grove, but as she moved onwards, her thoughts kept moving back to it. Multiple preoccupied predators in a small area tempted her. Vivian stared hard at the map. I can't just dismiss such a valuable opportunity.

"Sasha? Do you know of what draws the predator’s attention to the grove? I feel like something is most definitely missing from my map."

That is not the case. There is an apex predator marked in the middle of the grove. It is very weak at present and on the verge of death.

"The biggest threat in the forest is on the verge of death, and every predator in the forest is aware?" Vivian queried.

Displaying status. Ancient Phoenix Name Unknown Level 25 Health Pool 1/100 Mana Pool 750/1000 Strength 9 Constitution 9 Dexterity 5 Agility 9 Wisdom 10 Intelligence 8 [Error] 10 Racial History Phoenixes are a long-lived race of semi-sentient birds. They can maintain their memories through the cycle of life and death. Born within a raging inferno, Phoenixes are immune to fire and heat. With little effort, they could turn an entire forest into an apocalyptic wasteland in only a few minutes. Many believe the Phoenixes to contain the wisdom of the universe.

"Do I have a status like that, too?" Vivian asked, her interest piqued. "I'll assume that the ‘Error’ shown is due to corruption."

Yes, you do, and the error is, in fact, due to the anomaly.

"Display my status and the Phoenix's side-by-side, so I can better understand what I'm looking at." Vivian sat down to digest the information.

Vivian Ancient Phoenix 1 Level 25 2/3 Health Pool 1/100 2/2 Mana Pool 750/1000 1 Strength 9 2 Constitution 9 1 Dexterity 5 2 Agility 9 2 Wisdom 10 1 Intelligence 8 3 Unique Racial stat 10

"What color’s the Phoenix on the map right now?"

It is currently nearly invisible to accurately show its near-death status.

"Please don’t tell me,"-she gritted her teeth in mild aggravation-“that you're applying that same logic to every creature on the map! No, don’t answer that. Tempting as it is, I originally planned to avoid the grove, but you just changed my mind. I’ll be putting myself and my child in grave danger to teach you a lesson in survival,” she touched her stomach. She would brave the danger now so that Sasha could better understand the error in her logic.

“Having you learn this now has a high probability of saving my life later." Vivian altered her course toward the grove. She took a deep breath to steady her resolve and forced her feet forward. The path she now walked led her to near-certain death. Sheer determination kept her moving one foot in front of the other.

Waves of heat blazed through the forest sporadically as Vivian made her way closer. "You can't feel it, so let me explain to you. The Phoenix is nearly dead, but that also means it’s still alive. There are no living creatures that simply accept death. I'll go as far as to wager that the Phoenix struggles harder than any other, considering it's reborn after it dies. I'll assume that it comes back quite weakened from its rebirth."

Every step brought Vivian closer to the grove. The trees she passed showed signs of exposure to extreme heat. Their leaves had dried up and blew off in the wind leaving bare branches behind.

"Sasha, I hope you have been paying close attention to the map. So far, half of the animals previously present in the grove have already vanished. The Phoenix remains alive, clearly from that." Vivian pointed to the sky over the grove. The vast majority of the leaves had blown away, showing a clear sky above. Vivian took in the majestic flames that scorched the sky. Those flames proved the theory that a Phoenix could turn an entire forest into ash with minimal effort. Is there any point in teaching Sasha this lesson if I die here?

Against her better judgment, Vivian continued walking towards the grove. Hidden behind a large tree, she peeked around just in time to witness the last flicker of the Phoenix's flame as it died. Every predator present rushed the Phoenix; it released the last of its mana.

A huge column-shaped dweomer formed. It expanded and filled the area. The Phoenix flapped its wings; the column ignited into a blazing flame. The surrounding predators turned into ash. The trees within the grove transformed into ashen silhouettes retaining their former shape. The flame writhed, consuming the mana sustaining it. It died in a graceful dance. A heavy breeze caused by the sudden heat and its dissipation momentarily circled within the scorched grove. The ashen silhouettes shattered in the gust of wind.

The Phoenix’s skin tingled, glistening with sweat from the extreme heat it experienced. Its strength exhausted; it fell forward. Landing heavily on its face, it embraced the fleeting peace of death.

Vivian’s eyes had dried wide open on her face. The sheer destructive force that the Phoenix displayed had completely frozen her with fear. Nothing else remained, only Vivian survived the immense conflagration. She stood in silence, gazing in awe towards the Phoenix. The body of the Phoenix spontaneously combusted, eliciting a shocked squeal from Vivian.

Recovering slightly, she turned her focus inward. "Do you see now? You have to treat every creature, even those on the verge of death, as serious threats. As death nears, no living animal will just accept it, they fight to live.”

Silence settled before Vivan continued her lecture. After she felt that Sasha had long enough to comprehend what she said, she spoke again, “Now, you will need to reassess the colors currently assigned to every animal on my map." Vivian watched in abject horror as the number of animals on her map nearly quadrupled. For now, I’ll assume that’s why I didn’t see that boar and beldereaver on the map before I heard them.

Where the Phoenix’s body burst into flame, a Phoenix chick arose from the ashes. A white mark appeared on the map, indicating the Phoenix at its position in the middle of the scorched grove. Its color gradually darkened until it turned many shades darker than Vivian's mark. The chick flapped its wings lazily, hovering effortlessly in the air. Vivian, eyes locked on the cute Phoenix, slowly walked into the middle of the destroyed grove. She stopped several meters away, watching the Phoenix. Curiosity filled its eyes as it stared back at her.

Is it safe to approach?

"There is no doubt it could kill me without ruffling its pink feathers if it wanted to. It almost certainly would have done it already if it was going to. I am lucky then, that it’s still a newborn, regardless of whether it retained its memories or not." Vivian pinched a raspberry between her finger and thumb slowly, promptly tossed it into her mouth. The small Phoenix chirped at her in interest. She took another and gently tossed it towards the Phoenix. It fell short, hit the ground, and rolled a short distance. The Phoenix eyed the fruit with desire before it returned its gaze to Vivian. It watched her eat a handful of the same fruit she had offered to it, one at a time. Its eyes tracked the motions, seemingly stuck in deliberation.

The Phoenix finally pecked at the raspberry that Vivian had tossed and flew towards her. It dropped the raspberry near her and patiently waited. Vivian shrugged, picked it up, and ate it.

"If you’re worried about poison," Vivian started then ate another handful of berries. She held out her hand, offering a bunch towards the small chick, "I do understand your concern, though. I value caution too. It is an admirable quality we share. It is better to be cautious than to be dead, right?"

"My apologies for the misunderstanding," the Phoenix responded with a high pitched chirp. "As generous and tempting as your offer is, I would bring shame to my race if I took food from someone who was in greater need of it than I. Your race never ceases to amaze me, even after all these years."

"You know my people?" Vivian questioned, her voice quivering momentarily.

"You misunderstand again." the Phoenix shook its head, "I am much older than I appear, and while I do retain my memories, they are fragments at best. Your people lived in this forest back when they flourished. I've long awaited the day your people would return, yet now that you are here," the Phoenix drifted off as it observed her.

The Phoenix shook its head, "Alas, I'm afraid you barely qualify as a husk of your people from all those years ago. There may be hope for you, though, as I do sense a fire has sparked into existence within you."

"You mean my baby?" Vivian asked, turning slightly to block the view of her belly as concern gripped her.

"Oh?" the Phoenix asked, confusion coloring its voice; it observed her body a second time, "No, I do not sense another life."

Despair tightly gripped her heart, mind, body, and soul simultaneously, her mind threatening to break. She placed her hand on her belly as the rest of her body went weak. "It can’t be. My child can’t be gone! I-I-” she lost control of her breathing as total hysteria threatened to overwhelm her.

Vivian, please calm down. Do not make me induce a mental shock. Your child is perfectly healthy. He and I are intrinsically linked together, after all. I believe the Phoenix speaks of me, I have released some of your locked potentials.

"I see," Vivian sighed in relief, the dreadful feeling still lingered. Strength returned to her limbs, and she slowly straightened up her body. I’m carrying a little boy! I can’t wait to meet him. I hope he’s cute. Her gaze landed upon the Phoenix, "Little Chicken-"

"Chicken," the bird interrupted. "I'm a chicken?"

"You’re a cute baby chick, so yes?"

"And there goes my intimidation factor," the Phoenix slumped forward, feeling the cold grip of despair as it fell on its butt.

"I wish I could sympathize. I've never had an intimidation factor, to begin with." Vivian stated.

The Phoenix speaks of its racial stat. That stat, in particular, dropped significantly. I am displaying its stats now. Ancient Phoenix Level 1 Health pool 100/100 Mana pool 1000/1000 Strength 9 Constitution 9 Dexterity 5 Agility 9 Wisdom 10 Intelligence 8 Intimidation 1

"Wait, only the level and intimidation stat decreased?!" Vivian exclaimed, suddenly grateful that this creature held no hostility towards her. "Speaking of racial stats, why don't we know what mine is?"

You never knew it existed, and the anomaly is affecting my data storage. I am only able to discern the Phoenix’s racial stat because it specifically mentioned it. With such a straightforward reference, I simply filled in a blank.

"Hey, Vivian," the Phoenix looked up from where it sat on the floor, attempting to get her attention. "Are those berries enough to satisfy you?"

"How do you-?" Vivian looked at the Phoenix in shock. I never introduced myself.

"I'm in a foul mood. Barbecue usually makes me feel better,” the Phoenix ignored her confusion, continuing to ramble on.

"These berries are quite delicious. However, I won't turn down a good barbecue," Vivian admitted, she drooled unconsciously at the prospect.

"Let's find a victim to cook then," the Phoenix suggested giddily. Flapping its tiny wings, it lifted off the ground and perched on Vivian's shoulder, preening gently until comfortable.

"Any preferences?" Vivian asked, viewing the wide selection of animals on her map.

"The stronger, the better."

"Sasha, I need a new map modification," Vivian spoke gleefully.

"Who is Sasha?"

Vivian smiled at the cute way that the Phoenix cocked its head when it asked her questions, preening its feathers in mild frustration when she ignored them. A previously black square, now colored red, lit up on her map. "Let's barbecue."