In the Cavern Ash's P.O.V.

I stare down at the gator as it starts circling the pillar I am clinging to. I call it a gator in my head but it doesn't look much like an alligator from earth. For one thing it has eight legs and as I just saw it moves a lot faster on land.

While the jaw looks about the same, the neck is more flexible and longer, it keeps craning it's head up to look at me as if it is disappointed that I haven't fallen into its mouth yet. I look around and spot Ruby a little ways away, she is holding her swords but looks indecisive.

"Are you okay?"

Ruby says "Yes, I'm fine. How are you?"

"Annoyed! By the way, why is it ignoring you?"

Ruby says "I don't know? Maybe because I'm a spirit and don't smell like food? I was going to attack it but I doubt my swords will hurt it much. I thought about hitting it with a fireball but I'm worried that it would hit you too."

"No, no fireball please! I really should have taught you firebolt! Anyway judging from the look of it's armor I don't think your swords would work either. Just stay clear, I will handle this!"

Ruby says "Okay, don't do anything stupid!"

I chuckle as I release the pillar with one hand and point at the gator with it.

'Lightning Bolt!'

MP: 330/405

The lightning bolt launches from my hand and hits the gator in the head. The gator shakes its head and then glares up at me even more pissed off now. So I decide to hit it again, this time aiming for it's mouth.

'Lightning Bolt!'

MP: 255/405

This time the bolt hits inside the gator's mouth and has more effect. The gator roars in pain and then turns away from the pillar to head back to the water. This is what I was hoping for, I retract my claws from the pillar and leap towards the gator. I pull the Black Razor mid-air as I hear Ruby scream in surprise.

I land on the gator's back and wrap my free arm around it's mouth to hold it closed. I hang on for dear life as the gator starts thrashing around like mad, but thanks to my strength I am able to hold its mouth closed. Right as I am about to stab it with Black Razor it changes tactics and rolls. Considering this thing weighs several hundred pounds at least, suddenly finding myself trapped between it and the rocks is not a pleasant experience.

The fact that it rolls five or six times in as many seconds leaves me seeing stars and with bruises all over my body, but despite that I don't let go and I start stabbing it over and over with the Black Razor. As I am stabbing it I either hit a painful spot or it just decides I'm not tenderized enough yet because it goes rolling back the other way another six times.

HP: 453/809

I quickly realize I can't keep this up much longer so I stop stabbing randomly and wait till I'm on top then aim and stab it in the eye. As the knife hilt hits bone and stops I channel another bolt of lighting through the dagger.

'Lightning Bolt!'

MP: 180/405

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Lightning Bolt has progressed to level 2!

Lightning Bolt

Level 2

MP Cost 60

You throw a bolt of lightning that does 150 electric damage.

The thing bucks like a bronco and sends me flying fifty feet through the air until I meet a column with a thud and slide down it to end up lying upside down at the base of it. From there I watch as the gator staggers a few steps towards me with smoke coming out of it's eye socket and mouth before it collapses.

*DING*

Congratulations! Skill Beast Slayer has progressed to level 2!

Beast Slayer

Level 2

All Stats +2

You do 10% additional damage against beasts.

I right myself and sit up with a groan as Ruby rushes over to me. I am expecting her to help me up, instead she smacks me hard upside my head.

Ruby says "I told you not to do anything stupid!"

"Ouch! What was that for?"

Ruby says "For doing something stupid and almost getting yourself killed!"

"While I admit that it hurt more than expected, it went mostly according to plan!"

While I thought everything I said was perfectly reasonable Ruby ends up smacking me in the head again and disappearing into the amulet to sulk.

So I stand up and rub the back of my head as I walk over to the gator's corpse to retrieve the Black Razor. With a lot of grunting and heaving I manage to flip the corpse onto it's back and start skinning it.

Once I have the hide out of the way I cut into its chest and remove its core. Then I stare at it to activate observe.

*ITEM*

Beast Core

Quality: Greater

Would you like to absorb it? Y/N

'Oh! A greater, nice!'

Now the real question is should I absorb it or save it until I have a skill to level up? If I absorb it now I will be stronger, but then I will have to go hunting for another core later when I have a skill ready to evolve. The priority right now is survival and being stronger will increase my chances.

"Yes!"

You have absorbed the Greater Beast Core. HP +100 MP +100 Str +10 Agi +10 End +10

*DING*

Congratulations! You have acquired the Beast skill Devour!

Devour

Level 1

You can become stronger by consuming the flesh of strong enemies.

*DING*

Congratulations! You have evolved an ability!

Superior Agility has evolved into Supreme Agility due to Agility reaching one hundred!

Supreme Agility

You gain your agility stat as added damage to ranged attacks.

'Devour? Now that sounds promising.'

Guess I can test it on this big guy, it was definitely a strong opponent. I get up and start looking around for some wood to use for a cookfire. I get lucky and find some on the lakeshore, it looks like driftwood. I find branches in it and since I don't see any trees I'm guessing it means the river comes from above ground somewhere.

I gather some wood and return to the corpse and build a small fire, then I cook a steak from the gator and try it. It is quite tasty but I don't get any kind of message so I guess cooked doesn't count. So I cut out the gator's heart and eat it raw.

*DING*

Ability Devour has activated! Str +4 End +4

'Hm not a bad result. I definitely like this new skill.'

I continue skinning and butchering the gator while I wonder how long Ruby is going to stay mad at me. I end up making several trips back to camp to move all the meat, hide, and bones. Once everything is back at camp I sit down and meditate for ten hours to recover from the fight.

When I finish meditating I return to the new cavern and look around, I start checking the ceiling near the pillars looking for a crystal cluster near a pillar. Finding one I quickly climb the pillar to get close enough to stare at the crystal.

*ITEM*

Sun Crystal

Gives off never ending light.

'Perfect, but I'm going to need new tools.'

So I climb down and make my way back to my camp and grab my pickaxe. Then I spend two hours mining iron ore and manage to get one hundred pounds or so. I take it all to the forge room and smelt it down and then use it to forge a new set of tools. Then I return to camp and grab my rope and head back to the cavern.

I climb the pillar again and get as close to the crystals as I can then tie myself to the pillar so I can use both hands. Once I'm secure I grab a big chunk of crystal with one hand and my new small pickaxe with the other. With extreme care I start hitting the crystal near the base, I slowly tap all the way around the base to create a break line.

*DING*

Congratulations! You have acquired the craft skill Gemcutting!

Gemcutting

Level 1

Int +1

You can make crude gems.

I keep tapping away along the same line over and over until the entire chuck breaks loose. I almost drop it as it comes free but manage to hold on with my fingertips. I end up dropping the pickaxe to grab the crystal with both hands. Then I slowly climb down keeping the crystal securely against my body as I descend. When I make it to the floor I take a look at the chunk of crystal, it should be just big enough to make two.