It’s been one week that I’ve reached the volcano base.

In the meantime my body changed considerably. My skin is charcoal black, highlighted by a gradation of deep red to lava red scales, and my eyes strangely kept the orichalcum green color and glow.

It’s seem that we have very powerful adapting bodies, as… How to define us? Sons? Sonsians? Millians? Hmmmm. Millenians will do the trick.

In this period of time I have stumbled upon the trace of my tribe more than once. But each and every time they slip away, and I miss them by a breath time.

Once, I have managed to see two millenians hunting some sort of Ashfox. They were so much in sync’, it was enticing !

Their appearance differed slightly of mine’s, the skin taking a more stone grey taint and far more pale scales.

Right now, I’m resting sitted cross legged on an obsidian rock, meditating on what I’ve gained while I was running around, searching for the tribe.

Skill : Hiking

Grade : -F

(passive)

Skill : Powered Jump

Grade : - D

(active)

Skill : Unending Rush

Grade : - C

(active)

Quite a good haul if I say so myself.

The Powered Jump skill give me the capacity to charge strength into my legs to do a jump far more puissant, reaching higher and further than normal. On the other hand Unending Rush is just 1 skill allowing me to rush forward at top speed, ignoring the air resistance and ending only when my stamina hit zero.

The HP bar and stamina bar only appeared with my first meditation session, along with some stat point given as reward even if I'm unable to access my status screen.

The other benefits of meditating, apart soothing the mind, is the ability to see my own body in a 3rd above view.

*****

Soon after, my peaceful surrounding were completely shredded in pieces, as everything started to rumble.

Getting down the rock, and standing up, all senses in alert, I moved around to try to feel what's happening.

My first suspicion was that the volcano was erupting, but it was quickly invalidated with the lack of ash black cloud above its mouth.

The second one was some huge enough beast wandering around, but there was nothing in the visible surrounding.

The last option was a beast underground, and this makes me full of of dread, as the current me is not even remotely unable to deal with an underground type beast.

I hurriedly go back on the rock and taken a jumping stance.

Soon after, the ground exploded up, soil and rocks flying up in the air.

When the dust fallen down, I saw a big hole, around 10 meters radius, opening towards a cave.

There, I witnessed a battle between a group of 4-5 millenians and some sort of oversized hyena.

It was jumping right and left, sometimes letting out its horrible laugh like cry, when it dodged an attack.

And again, the group was so much in sync that it was more of a ballet than a battle to the deth *cough* death.

And they were using stone spear and… Is that magic ?

I saw them emitting heat waves towards the beast. It cannot be racial.

Did they learned it ? But how ? Unless they already mastered fire, but it is just far too quick

Anyway, I will head down and help them. So far, they seem… Extremely weak. I mean, they are so slim, and with little to no muscular mass !

Jumping down the hole, and sliding on the surface made of a mix of dust, soil and ash, my body weight swiftly came into play, drastically increasing my descent.

I hit the ground like a meteor, hearing my resilient joins screaming internally, as I came in contact with the ground in a ‘cool' and totally unhealthy position, a knee and both palms on the ground. Waiting for the dust to settle in the complete silence caused by the suddenness of my arrival, I feeled the five millenians slowly backing up and the beast letting the anger replace the curiosity, snarling and ‘barcking' at me.

Unfortunate that the system doesn’t have a music player for the background, some of the old DOOM 4 soundtrack would have nicely fitted here.

Back to the beast and glancing to my arms, some strange bright red tattoo slowly pulsing and getting brighter along my heartbeat was appearing as I let myself submit to the unending rush of adrenaline, my claws like fingers straightening and my legs feeling full of explosive strength.

Letting out a happy and hearty laugh, I runned toward the beast, arms open like a vulture on a prey.

Strangely, the oversized hyena choose to do the same, and we collided head on.

Trading blow on after another, I exchanged a claw wound on my torso for a heavy fist on the right temple of the beast. Not willing to let it recover, I side-stepped in an arc toward the left and deal a backhanded strike on the other side of the skull, thoroughly knocking it off. Losing control of its body, it fall to the side. Not willing to prolonged the fight with a being this weak, I dealt a spear hand attack right between the ribs toward th heart, ending quickly it's life.

A window rapidly confirmed the death of the beast.

For slaying a beast far higher leveled than you, your title grade has advanced.

Previous Grade : -F

Current Grade : -D

Current effect : + 3 to all attributes.

The beast wasn’t that hard in the end.

Well, now that the immediate danger is gone, I should try to initiate the first contact with the tribe. Although created by me, they seem… At best guarded. Borderline with hostile I think.

Shall I try a speech then ? But I don’t even know how to communicate… I don't have the connection thingy that seem to let them be so much synchronised.

Anyway, gathering the ‘power' that I feel in me, I tried to send some wave charged with intention.

‘interest'

‘kin'

‘watch’

I truly hope they will connect the dots, but in any case I should not linger around too much, they seem to be afraid to death of me. And I need to train with the newfound power in my body. Charging my power jump, I hiked my way back to ground level, and searched some flat rock to sit on, ignoring the flashing blue window in front of me.

You have completed the first contact !

The Millenian Tribe is intrigued by you, as you have a similar appearance and you have strength surpassing their champion.

By being the first to try to communicate with your kinsmen, you gain +1 to all attributes.

After finding a not-so-rare flat rock, I tried to understand their reaction. And the more I think about it, the less I comprehend. Even with the linked mind, it should’ve not impeded with the recognition of the born leader, the Alpha.

Maybe I should suppress thoroughly their tribe, and makes them see me as a leader…