The next day Sam decided to take it easy, her level advancing at such a fast pace gave her a little leeway. She was in no hurry, she had some skills to protect herself to a degree and she had only been here for a couple of days. So with that thought in mind she decided to do her daily quests and see where the day took her.
She put off giving Sunblaze anymore cores until she was able to get her hands on a better one then she had. She fed Iggy her next core bringing her progression to 77%. She did the exercises in her daily exercise quest that she could indoors figuring she'd finish it while going out to forage for the others.
She ate and grabbed her bow and quiver as well as her dagger so she could test Jarvis's theory about the weapon training quest. She also grabbed an axe, should she come across any suitable trees with unusual properties. Plus she needed regular wood for crafting.
She donned her snug armor, she couldn't wait to advance her crafting skills so she could finally make herself her own set, then grabbed a satchel just in case she got a little resource happy.
Saying goodbye to her animals and being sure to tell them to behave, she ventured outside. With an empty jug in her inventory she quickly jogged to the river that ran through her part of the forest. Picking foodstuffs and healing herbs along the way.
She used her inspect skill on various things to level it up. She encountered some of the more docile integrated beasts who could somehow instinctively know that she was not a threat if they left her alone.
Finishing her food and water quest, and having the ingredients for the Salve quest, she then looked around the forest for more materials she could use. She kept an ear out for any warnings of more hostile creatures, occasionally looking at her map to keep her position known and to look out for any beasts who meant her harm.
She finished her exercise quest arriving in a small meadow filled with numerous plants and flowers. She inspected just about everything, picking what she thought might come in handy. The tall grasses produced plant fibers that were ideal for making rope and other materials for crafting
Some of the flowers were rare finds that, if kept in her inventory, would stay fresh for when she reached LVL 5 in her crafting class and opened the alchemy options.
{Rare Foraging = +50xp/ Item Type = 150xp +150xp(dd) = 300xp
As she was making her way back to the cave to start her training quest and grind the herbs she stumbled upon a small but spread out grove of very unique trees.
The forest was calm—peaceful, even—as Sam approached the towering Whisperwillow. Its silvery leaves shimmered like moonlight filtered through morning haze. She crouched at the roots, fingertips brushing soft moss and sprouting seedlings.
"Perfect. Jarvis, is it harvestable?"
{"Indeed. Whisperwillow confirmed. Prime age. High mana conductivity. Also—how do I put this delicately—occupied."}
She stilled. "Occupied?"
{"One nest, upper canopy. Species: Peakwing Eagles. Two present. Currently agitated. Oh, and roughly eight... Mossbelly Squirrels."}
She sighed. "Squirrels? Seriously?"
{"Correct. Local menace-class rodentia. Mischievous, territorial, a bit stabby. Also, they appear to be arming themselves."}
She looked up. A tiny furry face peered down from the branches—then dropped a pinecone the size of a small melon.
THWACK.
Right on her head.
"Ow. What the hell?!"
The trees came alive.
Chittering exploded overhead. Eight Mossbelly Squirrels launched from the branches like caffeinated cannonballs, each one armed with acorns, pebbles, or, in one case, what looked suspiciously like a squirrel-sized shiv.
{"Ah yes. The forest gremlins have declared war. Might I suggest evasive maneuvers? Or fire."}
"Where's that advice before the ambush!?"
Until now, Sam had been hunting big game. Toothy beasts. Horrors with antlers. The kind of beasts that roared and charged and made great trophies. She hadn't realized small game could be just as deadly.
She was learning that painfully now.
These weren't squirrels. These were Mossbelly Squirrels—squirrels sent by the devil himself.
They were fast. They were agile. And they were very bitey.
One latched onto her boot. Another darted down her hood. She stabbed blindly with her dagger, cursing as they launched another volley of acorns like tiny woodland trebuchets.
"GET OFF ME!" she shouted, spinning and swinging her bow like a club.
{You're being overrun by squirrels, Samantha. I feel like this is a personal low point.}
"Gee, you think?" she snapped, ducking a Spore Cloud that exploded in her face anyway. Her eyes watered instantly.
"UGH—now I'm blind and itchy. Fabulous!"
{"I believe they call this 'the full experience."}
She fired blindly into the treetops. One squealed and vanished in a sparkle of light. Five to go. Maybe six. They moved too fast to count.
They had tactics. One used a branch swing to launch over her, dropping a rock on her shoulder while two others bit her ankles.
It took the better part of the morning—sprinting, swearing, swinging, and swatting—for her to finally fight off the horde of little bastards.
She collapsed near the base of the tree, covered in dirt, sweat, and what felt like a thousand tiny bite marks.
"Of all the creatures... it was fucking squirrels that almost did me in," she panted, eyes wide with residual trauma.
{"I'm sure you've heard the saying 'Size doesn't matter'."}
She glared at nothing. "Yeah, but I thought that was a saying made up by a bunch of disillusioned men with small penises... I didn't think it applied to fucking squirrels."
{"Well. Now you know."}
The sudden screech overhead was almost a relief. Anything that wasn't rodent-shaped.
The first Peakwing Eagle dove from the canopy, wings slicing through the air like blades. She barely rolled aside in time. The talons gouged deep trenches into the forest floor.
"Right. Round two."
This was a real fight. She welcomed it.
She drew her bow, fired—an arrow piercing through one wing. The eagle shrieked and banked hard. The second came from the side, grabbing her arm and trying to lift her.
She slashed with her dagger, slicing deep—bleeding enchantment flaring to life.
{"Successful application. -3HP per second. Elegant work. Not squirrel-like at all."}
With one final shot—angled, calculated, enraged—she dropped the lead eagle mid-dive. It thudded into the dirt with a puff of feathers. The second one, bleeding and wary, wheeled away into the treetops and vanished.
Silence.
Sam stood slowly, panting, muscles trembling.
The nest high above held four large, speckled eggs glowing with latent mana. She climbed up—every scrape and bruise from earlier aching—and gently tucked them into her satchel.
"I'll raise you better," she whispered to them. "Promise not to throw acorns at people."
She scattered Whisperwillow seeds around the base of the tree, then leaned against its trunk and exhaled.
{"You've defeated a rare beast, harvested responsibly, and survived... squirrels. Today is a win."}
"Jarvis," she murmured, "if you ever repeat this to anyone—"
{"Who would believe me? 'The Mighty Beast Tamer, felled by squirrels'? Absurd. Completely unverifiable. Definitely not uploading it to the Community Board right now."}
Her groan was half-laugh, half-agony. "I need a bath. And tetanus shots. And technically I'm not a Beast Tamer..yet"
Sam was halfway through binding the glowing eggs in her satchel when the second eagle returned, bleeding, enraged, and dead-set on vengeance.
It swooped low.
"I knew you'd come back," she muttered, drawing a mana arrow.
This time, she didn't dodge. She waited—bow steady, heartbeat still. When the shadow covered her, she loosed the shot up through its breastbone.
The eagle shrieked. Sam lunged forward, blade out, and drove her dagger in behind its eye as it dropped toward her.
It crashed at her feet. Dead before it hit the ground.
{"Now that's how you finish a fight. Also, your kill ratio against squirrels remains deeply questionable."}
"Can I get that Combat report now Jarvis and can you please read it to me?" Sam said lowering to the grown and placing the satchel on her lap and closed her eyes.
{"I'd be happy to Sam"}
{Combat Report
XP Gained:
Mossbelly Squirrels:
Level 9 Rare, Blue ×3 = (90+30+30) × 3 = 450 XP
Level 7 Uncommon, Blue ×4 = (70+20+30) × 4 = 480 XP
Level 4 Common, Orange ×1 = (40+10+20) = 70 XP
Peakwing Eagles:
Level 10 Rare, Purple = (100+30+40) = 170 XP
Level 9 Rare, Purple = (90+30+40) = 160 XP
TOTAL XP (before modifiers): 1,330 XP
Double Double Bonus: ×2 → Final XP: 2,660 XP
---
Loot Gained:
From Mossbelly Squirrels:
5x Mossbelly Pelts (low durability, good for lining or insulation)
3x Nut Fragment (potential alchemical ingredient—explosive core)
1x Thorned Tail Spike (uncommon drop—may be enchantable)
8x Beast Cores (Common to Rare quality)
From Peakwing Eagles:
2x Beast Core (Rare) – Air affinity
20x Wind-Touched Feathers (lightweight and mana-conductive)
4x Razor Talons (high-end melee crafting material)
1x Eagle Eye Lens (enhances perception or long-range enchantments)
From Environment: +100xp for foraging session (Double double applied)
4x Whisperwillow Branches – Flexible, mana-reactive wood (used for bows, staves, wands)
1x Whisperwillow Bark Sheet – Can be treated into a natural mana-weave textile
12x Whisperwillow Seeds – Planted at site to maintain balance}
{Ding! You've Leveled Up! You are now Level 10 217/3855xp}
{+20 STP, +20 SKP}
{Quest complete! Reach level 10}
{Reward: +400xp}
{"Well now, that is the best timing for a level up?"}
"Ahhh that's the stuff" she said basking in the level ups healing sensation. "Yes! Finally… ok this may be faster then normal but still…All right, no need for the options Jarvis just initiate Beast Tamer as my Primary Class please. Maybe the squirrels will be a little nicer to me next time."
{Primary class chosen. Are you sure you wish to choose the Beast Taming class?}
{Yes/No}
Not even having to think about it she thought 'Yes'.
{Ding! You have chosen Beast Tamer as your Primary Class}
{Double Double Skill Activated: +5 Active Skill slots, +5 Passive Skill slots}
"Ok Jarvis let's see that profile again"
{Profile:
Operator: Samantha "Sam" Foreman
Age: 18
Species: Human
Tier: Purple
Level: 10
Experience: 217/3855xp
Health: 184/200
Mana: 200/200
Mana Control: 17
Mana Regeneration: 20mp/s
Stats:
Strength (S): 19
Agility (A): 20 (+2)
Perception (P): 19
Vitality (V): 20
Intelligence (I): 17
Wisdom (W): 20
Charisma (C): 15
Luck (L): 9
Available Stat Points: 43
Available Skill Points: 65
Primary Class: Beast Tamer
Active Skills
Beast Command
Issue precise orders to a bonded beast (+10% execution speed & success).
Mana: 10 | Cooldown: 5s
Bond Healing
Heals 20% of missing HP to Sam or beast.
Mana: 30 | Cooldown: 20s
(Skills Listed Below Require Unlocking)
Animal Empathy Surge
Calm or charm a beast. Boosts taming and reduces aggression. Doesn't affect bosses.
Mana: 30 | Cooldown: 40s | Duration: 10s
Beast's Insight
Detect traps, hidden enemies, or escape routes within 30m.
Mana: 20 | Cooldown: 25s
Beast Bond Boost
Boosts tames +15% Damage, +10% Agility /Strength for bonded beast.
Mana: 35 | Cooldown: 45s | Duration: 15s
Beast's Roar
Intimidates enemies, reduces their damage and agility.
Mana: 25 | Cooldown: 30s | Duration: 6s
Shared Senses Activation
View the world through your beast's senses (sight/smell/hearing). Sam is vulnerable while using.
Mana: 20 (+5/5s upkeep) | Cooldown: 30s | Duration: Up to 30s
Call of the Wild
Summons an unbonded beast to aid briefly. Basic AI; disappears after time. No loot or bonding.
Mana: 25 | Cooldown: 60s | Duration: 30s
Pack Leadership
Coordinates multiple beasts. +10% Crit, +10% Speed.
Mana: 40 | Cooldown: 60s | Duration: 20s
Tame Beast's Power
Beast uses a special move (depends on type: fire, nature, stealth, etc.)
Mana: 35 | Cooldown: 50s | Duration: 15s
Passive Skills
Animal Empathy – Bonus to calming, training, or bonding with beasts.
Keen Senses – 10% Bonus to perception (Tamer and beasts).
(Skills Listed Below Require Unlocking)
Beast Familiarity – Knowledge of beast types, habitats, and weaknesses.
Enhanced Bond – Boosts Agility/Strength/Perception when near bonded beast
Tamed Resilience – Resistance to poison and disease.
Companion's Fortitude – Defensive boost when near bonded beast.
Night Vision – See in low light/darkness clearly.
Natural Camouflage – Bonus to stealth in natural environments.
Loyalty Aura – Morale/resistance boost to nearby allies and tames.
Natural Hunter – Tracking and hunting bonuses.}
"Let's check out these skills…hmm yes these will help, not sure how easily it'll be to tame unknown beasts. But this should help greatly." She said aloud.
"Why do I keep forgetting to use those stat points…give me a few minutes Jarvis and then change it accordingly please."
{"Of course Sam"}
With forty three points Sam had quite the amount to work with.
"Alright, lets start by bringing everything to twenty. What does that leave me with?"
{"That only used ten points, you have thirty-three left"}
"Ok, then bring vitality and wisdom to thirty, and then ten split between Agility and perception with three left over" Sam said looking at her finished stat screen. She closed it and then groaned as she got up.
The underbrush rustled behind her, the last of the manic squirrel-beasts retreating into the shadows. Sam let out a shaky breath, wiping blood—some hers, some not—from her cheek with a torn sleeve. The clearing ahead shimmered with faint light, and the wind suddenly shifted, cool and sweet, brushing her skin like a mother's hand.
That's when she saw it.