Just up ahead was a cat. Or at least this world's version of one. Like the one he saw in the city, this feline had three tails and purple eyes.

“This is a Spirit Shabernacky” Arther clarified.

“A Shaberwha” John narrowed his eyes. It was clearly just a weird looking cat.

“A Spirit Shabernacky. There's loads of em at the outskirts of dungeons and they are normally pretty low leveled. Since this is the outskirts of the dungeon, there most likely wouldn’t have been any chances for it to absorb many other spirit beasts, so it’s likely around base strength. Weak.”

“And you want me to battle this... Shabernacky. Doesn’t it seem rather weak?”

“Actually this isn’t going to be a real battle but a way to see your absorption in action. You won't get much of a power boost, but I want to see the process first hand. The drunken story you told last night of absorbing a red glow of mysterious light was not a very good explanation but it sounded like the same process that a normal spirit beast increases its strength through.”

John sighed and started walking to the Shabernacky. Honestly, he didn't want to kill it. It looked cute, if just a little like a mutated house cat. When he thought about it logically, this Shabernacky already died. It manifested in the dungeon and would probably become some kind of spirit food for a stronger spirit beast.

Walking up closer he could make out the feline creature with clearer detail. The deep purple eyes were like gems and had an intelligent look to them. They locked on to John and its pointed ears raised. It looked... excited?

John momentarily fantasized about taking in this cat as a pet. As a partner. They could grow stronger in power together, both spirit beast and spirit man fighting alongside each other. It was a nice dream. Sadly, it was cut short when the cat leaped through the air directly at John.

Years later, Arther will tell the story of how the feared Battle Lunatic fought his first opponent in a C grade dungeon. No one will believe him when he recounts how John screamed like a little girl as a low tier D grade Spirit Shabernacky lunged at him and attached itself to his face.

John felt claws etch deeps into his flesh. This Shabernacky was both faster and much stronger than cats back on Earth. He screamed as the claws dug into his cheeks and it purred as if enjoying his torment.

He reached for his face and pried the Shabernacky off. It let out a wail as he threw the small spirit beast into the trunk of a tree. There was a sharp thud and John thought he won and tried to catch his breath.

Then, the Shabernacky was clawing into his face again and he threw it off in a rage. The shabernacky would jump at him and do as much damage as possible before being hurled off in a fit of panic by John. It was embarrassing just to watch when John began to run towards Arther screaming for help from the man who was who was literally rolling clutching his stomache in laughter.

In an attempt to protect his eyes, John covered his face with his arms as he ran towards Arther. He winced as Shabernacky’s claws dug into his back. Still in a panic, he threw all of his weight backwards into the ground and the Shabenacky found out what happens when you are stuck between a rock and a hard place... or at least the floor, and the full weight of John falling on top of it.

John's breathing quickened as the horror, and embarrassment, of what just happened sunk. The Shabernacky slowly began to glow and turn into a bright, dull blue light that seeped into John like the boars red light did before. Immediately the deep cuts that covered John’s face and back healed and he sighed in relief.

John felt a tap on his shoulder and turned to see Arther, Grinning like a buffoon.

“I don’t think I need to tell you that was both the most embarrassing fight I've ever seen, and the funniest shit that's ever happened in Aerlohrn forest. I mean seriously, a Shabernacky! I can see it now, the maidens will sing songs of how the mighty John of the Slayder family fought valiantly against the horrid house pet tuned spirit beast”

“Honestly John, I had higher expectations after hearing how you defeated the spirit boar” he lamented.

John rubbed the back of his head, clearly embarrassed. “I’m not sure what kind of tall tales I told while drinking last night, but I actually almost died fighting the boar. The only reason I didn’t bleed out before meeting you all, is because the boar accidentally fell onto a sharp stick I was holding onto when I tripped and it's energy healed me like how the shabernacky's did just now.”

“Well, we have plenty of cannon fodder for you to fight and absorb as we make our way deeper into the dungeon where the party has wrangled up more interesting fights for you. Though I don't think they will be as interesting as watching you turn you back and run from a mere Shabernacky” Arther grinned.

They both walked deeper into the dungeon, albeit with much reluctance on John’s part. They encountered several of these low level spirit beasts who had recently formed and didn’t have any real chance to grow stronger yet. They largely avoided Arther, as he clearly was much, much stronger than them and fighting him wouldn't satiate their hunger for spirit energy. John, on the other hand, attracted them like flies on a muggy day.

He fought numerous Shabernackys, glowing rabbits, surprisingly large rodents, and most recently some kind of deranged squirrel. All of which Arther claimed were the normal physiology of these creatures on this world. Apparently the spirit beast only begins to mutate growing in strength.

The fights the followed hadn’t been as bad as the Shabernacky and John seemed to be able to take them down with mild difficulty. While they walked, John’s head was on a swivel looking for whatever might attack him next as Arther answered many of John's questions.