-----//-----

[ Race: Wild rat ]

[ Grade: F+ ]

-

[ Evolution stage: 1 ]

[ Rank: Citizen ]

[ Level: 2 ]

-----//-----

As the wild rat ran towards him, Damian held his sword tightly, staying still. He looked at the status window floating above its head.

Brave ran past him, pouncing on the approaching enemy. Before the Wild rat had any chance, Brave clawed its face and jumped on top of it. Impaling her sharp claws on its skin, she bit its neck.

The other rat, on seeing its partner in danger, changed its direction from running to Damian to Brave.

The still Damian sprang into action. Raising the sword high in the air with both his hands, he ran behind the rat.

The running rat, to bite Brave, opened its mouth, jumping towards her. Unfortunately, its airborne body was destined to crash to the ground, by the sword approaching it from above.

*Shiiing!*

With one clean stab, Damian's sword passed right through the rat, impaling it on the ground.

*Squeeeeeak!*

Letting out a painful yelp, the rat looked behind it only to find a sword passing straight through its body. Fortunately, the rat didn't have to look at the scene much longer, as soon it closed its eyes forever.

*Squeeeak!*

Looking at its dead partner, the other wild rat ignored Brave on top of it and ran straight to Damian. Unfortunately, it had yet to arrive near its enemy when the world turned upside down, blanking out soon after.

Splitting the neck muscles out of her mouth, Brave stood in front of her master with her head held high.

Letting out a chuckle, Damian very well understood the intensions of her Brave. Squatting to her height, he gave the head pats that she liked the most. She purred like a cat, closing her eyes.

Smiling at the cute Brave, Damian wished, 'She isn't like the Wild rats.' This was Damian's second fight of the day and surprisingly enough, he had fought a pair of wild rats each time.

In his second fight, Damian realised how stupid and predictable the Wild rats were. They were like the lowest level monsters of the forest with the same pattern of fight: charge at the enemy and madly charge at the enemy who hurt their partner.

"We have reached our goal, Brave." With a smile, Damian looked at the system messages to his left and right. He chose to read the one on the left first.

«You have killed two Wild rats!»

«10 experiences...»

«Mastery of Basic Swordsmanship: 5.6%»

«You have levelled up!»

«Your class have levelled up!»

«Number of companions that can be bonded increased to 5!»

«5 stat points obtained!»

«'Level up reward' X1 has been added to your Inventory.»

This time there were no skills unlocked, but Damian was satisfied. He got five stat points, and the increased number of companion slots was a plus since he could now use his spirit and have more companions.

Damian was quite satisfied, but all that satisfaction turned into dissatisfaction the moment he looked at the system messages to his right.

«Brave has killed two Wild rats!»

«Brave has earned 10 experience...»

«Brave has levelled up!»

«Brave has obtained 2 free stat points!»

«Brave has gained +2 Strength!»

«Brave has gained +5 Agility!»

«Brave has gained +3 Stamina!»

«Brave has gained +3 Vitality!»

Surprised? No, Damian wasn't. Stupefied? Yes, Damian was, especially after seeing how many stats Brave had gained. One quick calculation and it was found that she had gained fifteen stats in total, thrice the amount he had gained.

'Well, no need to be jealous, Brave's strength is my strength.' Shaking his head, Damian looked up at the evening sky.

'It would soon start getting dark.' Damian was hungry, and since he had reached his goal, there was no need for him to stay in the forest.

'We need the rat meat.' Looking at the dead rats, Damian wondered how to bring them to the clearing. 'Can I store them in the inventory?' As the question emerged in his mind, he immediately sought an answer.

Putting his hand on the dead body, he thought of storing it in the inventory, and...

The body disappeared. Opening his inventory, Damian checked the results.

-----//-----

[ ‹Quest› «Inventory» ‹Messages›

>----

‹Wild rat X 1›

‹Basic health position X1›

‹Bread X10›

‹1.5 litre water bottle X 3›

-----//-----

'Oh, this is going to be useful.' With a smile on his face, Damian walked back to the north with Brave following him.

.

.

.

.

*Burp!*

As a burp escaped Damian's mouth, he laid back on the soft grass, looking at Brave, who was still eating as if her life depended on it. No matter how much he looked at it, Damian couldn't understand how her small body could fit so much meat. She was full with just half a bread, but she had to eat a whole rat minus its leg piece to be full.

Dropping the question somewhere in his long questions list, Damian opened Brave's status window, investing her free stat points in intelligence.

-----//-----

[‹Status› ‹Skill› «Companions»]

>----

[«Monsters: 1/5» ‹Tribe: N/A› ‹Nation: N/A›]

>----

[ Name: Brave ]

[ Race: Thunder rodent (Hybrid) ]

-

[ Evolution stage: 1 ]

[ Grade: C- (Upgradable) ]

-

[ Level: 2 > 3 ]

[ Experience: 50/50 > 0/100 ]

[ Stats: 0 ]

[ Class: N/A ]

-

[ Strength: 5 > 7 ]

[ Agility: 19 > 24 ]

[ Stamina: 6 > 9 ]

[ Vitality: 12 > 15 ]

[ Mana: 4 ]

[ Intelligence: 5 > 7 ]

-

[ Thunder affinity: 5.12% ]

-

[ Skills: N/A ]

-

[ For next evolution:- ]

[ Level: 1/10 > 2/10 ]

[ Souls: 3/100 > 5/100 ]

[ Thunder essence: 0/5 ]

-----//-----

Looking at her new status, Damian couldn't help but marvel at how much she had grown in just two days.

'Soon, Wild rats won't be able to meet our need for experience.' Looking at the experience needed for the next level, Damian could already see himself and Brave diving deep into the forest. '

'I also have four more slots available for companions.' Damian had decided not to add the Wild rats to his companions since he had limited slots available. Brave was an exception, a lottery with extremely low winning chances he had won. He would add strong monsters to his army, and in case of an emergency, he had four rats in his inventory.

Opening his status window next, Damian was confused as to where to invest. But after some thought, he decided to go with the balanced approach.

-----//-----

[ «Status» ‹Skills› ‹Companions› ]

>----

[ Name: Damian Colt ]

[ Race: ??? ]

[ Age: 19 years ]

[ Height: 1.8meter; Weight: 69kg ]

>----

[ Level: 2 > 3 ]

[ Expression: 50/50 > 0/100 ]

[ Stats: 0 ]

[ Class: (???) Monster King ‹1› > ‹2›]

>----

[ Strength: 7 > 9 ]

[ Agility: 12 ]

[ Stamina: 7 > 8 ]

[ Vitality: 7 > 9 ]

[ Mana: 19 ]

[ Spirit: 3 ]

>----

[ Water affinity: 0% ]

[ Fire affinity: 0% ]

[ Earth affinity: 0% ]

[ Wind affinity: 0% ]

[ Spiritual affinity: 100% ]

>----

[ Spiritual abilities: N/A ]

-----//-----

Though his progress wasn't as great as Brave's, he was okay with it.

Finally done with her dinner, Brave ran to Damian. Taking a water bottle out, Damian wiped the blood and pieces of meat on her face. Filling the cap with water, he passed it to her.

Done drinking the water, Brave ran into Damian's arm. With a smile, Damian hugged the soft Brave, ready to end his second day in the world of Serus.

Looking at the starry moonless night, Damian wondered if the planet didn't have any moon. With another question on his long list, Damian closed his eyes, thinking, 'Let's go deeper into the forest tomorrow.

.

.

.

.

At the place where Damian had fought his first battle and was injured, the stars illuminated the ground covered in the blood of the dead rats lying on the grass, mixed with Damian's.

Standing in front of the dead bodies was someone or something more than 5 metres long in a black hood.

Suddenly, defying gravity, a drop of blood covered in some red light started lifting on its own. Floating up to the level of the creature's head, it stopped in the air.

"Do the signatures match?" A monotone voice rang through the forest, its origin unknown.

"It's hidden." The creature in the hood replied. Surprisingly, the voice was very melodious, something not expected to leave the mouth of a 5 metre tall, giant-like body.

"Should we report it to the council?" The creature asked in its melodious voice.

After a moment of silence, the monotone voice answered, "No. The council has its hands full. Erase the blood and come back. "

As the monotone voice stopped, silence regained the forest.

*Rustle! Rustle!*

A wind passed through, making the leaves rustle. Passing through the trees the wind fluttered the hood of the creature. The creature standing like a statue till now, finally made a moment.

The right sleeve of the hood lifted in the air, and another wind blew. Under the rustling leaves of the trees, the creature disappeared, along with a portion of blood on the ground.