Chapter 9: First Real Danger
I was a little disappointed that it didn't level me up, but the fact that the thing was level two must have meant that the XP I got was not enough.
Can't expect everything to work out perfectly...
I didn't think too much about it, as the reason I killed it wasn't to get stronger, at least, that wasn't the main reason. No, the reason I killed it was because my stomach practically threatened me to eat. Something told me that if I didn't, I would not see the end of it.
After stopping the fire from spreading below its neck, I walked up to the still-warm corpse and grabbed it by the legs. Given that the fire cauterised the wound, there wasn't any blood loss issue, and similarly, the smell it gave off would attract significantly fewer and weaker predators.
I made my way toward the spot where I had killed the serpent, and after making a small, soft spot where I could sit, I began digging into the recently dead chicken.
Its meat, raw as it was, proved to taste better than the one that weird flying beast had brought Mother, yet it definitely didn't fill me with as much strength. It would do fine as a meal, but not as a way to increase my power.
As the sun went down, I had finished devouring it completely, eating everything, including the liver, heart, and lungs. The only thing left was a wet, feather-covered skin pouch and its bones. I didn't believe its bones had any use, but the feathers would make for great bedding.
Mother surely knows how to best make use of this.
I decided that I would bring it back to the nest, just in case it could offer a more comfortable sleep, with the thought that Mother would be happy about it.
After putting that to the side, I glanced at the serpent's corpse, which stood only a few meters away. It began to rot, its stench filling me with a desire to throw up. Even with my belly full, seeing its mangled corpse filled me with a great deal of annoyance. After all, I couldn't even eat it.
Time to see if you are hiding anything, you rotten bastard.
I didn't stand on ceremony, as the cold winds and darkening sky filled me with a vague sense of dread. I activated my Iron Claws and slashed at its chest. It split open, revealing its cold, dead heart.
To be completely honest, I really wanted to eat it, and I had every intention of doing so if I could somehow extract it. I didn't want to get poisoned again, though, so I decided to keep it for a bit and ask Mother if she knew how to safely eat it.
What piqued my interest even more, though, was a small, bright green sphere sitting right below the heart. It was nascent in nature, as it wasn't any bigger than a ripe walnut. However, that was exactly what I was looking for.
It wasn't a Golden Core, far from it, in fact. It was a mere Beast Core that couldn't even hold a candle to a Golden Core. However, it was the beginning of one, and I had every intention to absorb it.
Even if it doesn't give me any skills, I am sure that it will be useful to increase my strength.
After carefully inserting my talons inside the thing's chest and gently grabbing the green sphere, I pulled with as much care as I could. A strange, wiggling thread connected it to the thing's body, but it got torn rather quickly after putting more force into it. I then threw it toward the chicken skin pouch, unwilling to hold it for any more time than it was necessary.
However, another issue met me, though, as the heart was trickier. It was far bigger than the bead, and even the arteries connecting it to the rest of the body were stronger than the flimsy strings that held the sphere in place. I wasn't even sure if there was still poison anywhere, but if I had to guess, the largest amount of poison in the thing's body would be in the heart.
I slashed at the arteries with the precision of a medical expert, and let the heart fall onto the dirty floor. No message appeared saying I was poisoned, so I took that as a win, for the moment. Next, I walked over to the chicken skin, grabbing it with my beak, and gently wrapped it around the heart.
Doing anything without the dexterity of fingers was difficult, but I could get used to it. Of course, I wished I didn't have to, but we can always prepare ourselves for the worst.
After putting the skin over the heart, I gently pulled it under it as well, then lifted it up as high as I could. With the heart secured, I also grabbed the bead and dropped it carefully, hopping on one leg while my other one held it firmly.
I was afraid of the consequences of swallowing it by mistake.
With that done, I began the walk back toward where Mother had left me. I was sure she was still around and hoped that she would be happy about my hunt. It felt weird. Why was I so adamant about making her proud? Most of all, though, I hoped she knew of a way for me to use the Beast Core.
If the meat alone almost killed me, then swallowing the source of its poison would surely put me in an early grave.
I refuse to die so early; I can't. Not until I kill the bastards that put me in this situation in the first place. No, killing would be too easy... I will separate their consciousness from their souls, refine their souls into pills that I will feed to their daughters, making them become the perfect furnaces.
Then I will refine their flesh and blood inside their daughters, and then make the daughters themselves into a pill that I will spread over their descendants, making it so they can never have children again.
Afterwards, I will make sure they get to live forever in an eternal torment and have their consciousness inflict that very torment on them—
"Coo?"
Mother's soft, curious whispers landed in my ears, waking me from my almost daydreaming. The scattered rays of moonlight fell upon her feathers, making them take the color of a bleached dark blue rather than her usual orange feathers.
"I hunted this." I chirped, unsure if she would be able to understand me.
Hopefully you can understand my intentions...
Her head lowered and took a few quick sniffs of my body, then, with a happy coo, placed her neck around me. It seemed to be a hug— a very happy and proud hug.
My heart skipped a beat, burning with an unfamiliar fire for a moment before calming down. I couldn't believe I was happy about a hug. Mother didn't seem to want to let go either, but at some point, she had to, as even the light of the moon didn't protect us from the dangers lurking in the shadows.
As if anything here could touch her.
I quipped to no one in particular and removed myself from her, proudly pulling out the chicken skin and showing her the heart and the bead.
"Here! Look!" I chirped quite happily.
She turned her head a couple of times, and her eyes widened. Her gaze quickly snapped toward me and checked me even more thoroughly than ever before. At some point, she even used fire, which I thought would hurt, but turned out to be as harmless to me as the Nirvanic Flames.
After she made extra sure nothing happened, she nodded and picked up the pouch with her talons, the dexterity with which she used them leaving me mesmerized.
Maybe I will be able to do that too once my feet stop being so fat...
She held onto the pouch tightly, then lowered herself and grabbed me by the tail using her beak. For a second, I dangled like a ripe fruit, ready to fall, and the next, we were back in the sky, flying among the stars and breaking through the clouds.
I could get used to this feeling.
The chilly winds of the night couldn't compare to the morning breeze, but the feeling of having them run through my fluff and feathers was still nice. Unlike the first time we flew, I wasn't as scared or anxious as before, and Mother seemed to have gotten used to having me on her back as well.
It didn't take long for the nest to be back in view. However, as we neared, Mother slowed down surprisingly early, and even flew above. The flapping of her wings grew quiet, and even our very presence seemed to blend into the shadows as we slowly approached our home.
She took a whiff of the air, and then another, and suddenly her expression changed. I could physically feel her anger coursing through her feathers as they stood on end, and it took me everything I had not to fall down due to the sudden change. She seemed to have taken notice of that and took a deep breath.
However, she didn't return to the nest, at least not immediately. Mother found a place far enough away to not get noticed by whatever was lurking around, but close enough to see what was happening.
A sudden whir of wings took me by surprise, and the same weird creature from before approached us. Mother seemed to have noticed long before I did, and gave him a nod while glaring at the nest.
The thing didn't screech or make a sound, and looked in the same direction as Mother. Both of them were nodding and occasionally glancing at each other, though, so some sort of communication must be going on between the two.
After a while, the Mother shook her head.
The creature nodded and flew away, with Mother giving one quick glance at the nest before following suit.
We flew through the forest, past several beasts. Their glowing eyes stared at us from the shadows, unwilling to show themselves, but still curious enough to watch. I didn't give them any heed, as I looked forward, toward Mother's saddened expression.
Are we leaving it behind?
Of course, I already knew the answer to that. Whatever lurked around tonight surely had something to do with the blood from the day before, and the fate of my siblings. I sensed that Mother wanted to rip them to shreds; however, she couldn't afford to fight with me on her back.
"Where are we going?" I chirped a question, hoping that Mother would understand. Some form of worry or anxiety must have bled through my voice as she gave me a reassuring look and a gentle nod, alongside what I could only imagine to be a smile.
She flew over an hour, the environment changing from the lush, grand forest to a slightly smaller, but livelier, and poorer one. I could feel the quality of the Qi degrade the further out we flew.
Finally, after seeing nothing but tall trees and lush crowns, the sight of a nest perched atop one of the highest trees greeted me. It was much smaller in size than the one I lived in for a day, but it looked much safer.
Most importantly, nobody knows about it...
The creature showed us to it as both Mother and he landed on it, causing the crown to shake slightly before stabilising. He gave Mother a nod, and she returned it with little excitement.
After exchanging a few... somethings, he disappeared into the darkness, leaving Mother and me alone in the nest. The new place I would call home.
As I got down, I noticed that the quality of the hay and clay was far lower than the one from before, and even the structural integrity left much to be desired. It clearly wasn't made by Mother, and I could only guess as to what other sorts of birds would make nests like this.
It was situated between two trees, their branches forming a natural bridge, and in turn, a perfect spot for a nest. We were protected from rain and excessive sunlight, though, which was an improvement when compared to the other one.
However, I felt that both the quality and quantity of Qi had improved drastically, and so had the air. Of course, that also meant that the Spirit Beasts and even the plants around were much stronger than the vulture and snake I killed before.
Looks like my days of hunting alone are over, at least until I get stronger.
I lamented my situation, but there was little I could do about it. The last thing I wanted was to die prematurely to a bunch of stupid humans. Of course, I was also worried about Mother, but she was far stronger than I gave her credit for. She was a Phoenix, after all.
After getting accustomed to the new place, Mother finally pulled me and the chicken skin pouch closer. Her large frame could just about fit in the nest, but once I grew up to be half her size, staying next to her would be difficult.
That was something to worry about for the future, though.
As she opened the pouch, the stench of the rotting heart and putrid skin emanated from within, causing me to almost gag. Mother quickly got rid of that, though, with a quick fire. I wasn't sure how she did that, but I sure as hell wanted to learn.
She looked at me with a curious glance for a second, perhaps a little confused about my intentions. I shook my head and sighed, at least internally, then walked over to the heart first. My beak opened wide, in a sort of 'feed me' position as I pointed at the heart with my chubby legs.
Mother gave me an understanding nod and grabbed the heart with her beak before throwing it into the air and... swallowing it.
No! I wanted to eat it, not you!
I thought, albeit prematurely, as after a few seconds her beak met my own, and a sweet, warm liquid dripped down into my mouth. The shock made me swallow whatever it was that she gave me, and the acidity and taste made me think of the snake.
Did she... feed me the heart... I wanted to know if I could eat it, not if— why...
It was far too late for me to cry about it, though, as I had already eaten everything. She looked at me with a happy expression, letting out a few coos, then walking closer and snuggling next to me.
Her warm feathers made me think less about the trauma I had just experienced, completely forgetting that's how birds feed their young.
I guess even Phoenixes do that... when necessary.
After deciding not to think about it for a moment longer, I looked at the bead with a longing expression.
Mother followed my gaze and untucked her feet from under herself and grabbed the bead, bringing it to her nose. After giving it a quick sniff, she placed it by my side and gave me reassuring nod, her eyes closing.
I guess that means it's safe to absorb, right?
I didn't stand on ceremony, knowing that she would be there to save me if anything were to go wrong.
Fully putting my trust in her, I placed my head against the bright green Beast Core, excited to absorb it. Although it wouldn't give me as much strength as a Golden Core, every bit of it helped.
[Would you like to absorb the Jade Serpent Beast Core?]
Yes.
[Jade Serpent Beast Core absorbed with 20% efficiency.]
[+1 Dexterity; +1 Perception]
[Skill: Poison Resistance[Lesser](Novice) has been acquired.]
Chapter 10: Fight for Survival
"Where hasss he gone?" Lord Ssseverus sstood upon hisss sstone throne, hisss tail swaying from left to right like a pendulum. Bessside him were two other sssnakes, a male and a female, both bearing hisss featuresss.
"Younger brother hasss gone out again?" the male asssked, hisss gaze disstant.
"He hasss. That lazy, good-for-nothing…" Lord Ssseverus sssnarled, though hisss tone was tinged with love. "He'sss barely level three… I don't underssstand why he'sss sso daring."
"Father, could hisss sssystem have a defect?" the female sss'd, her voice dripping with worry.
Lord Ssseverus lashed hisss tail, hisss ssscales rasping a disstinct note againssst the hard rock. "That'sss imposssible. The sssystem isss perfect— flawlessss— beyond our comprehension. To ssspeak sssuch thing isss blasssphemy againssst the very heavensss."
"My apologiesss, Father!" The female sserpent bowed her head low.
"Hmph… You're both sso closse to evolving. Asss elder brother and sssissster, you ssshould be an example to the little one. Once he ssseesss you ssshed your old ssscales, he'll definitely ssstrive to improve."
"Definitely, definitely. Lord Father isss right!" Both agreed, their headsss nodding in perfect sssync. "Younger brother hasss jusst hatched and isss ssstubborn. Growing without our mother'sss protection mussst be hard. We had her guidance… but now that she'sss gone, it'sss hard on all of usss," the female ssaid, lowering her head.
"Don't worry, children. I— your father— will protect you."
"Your Lordssship!" A ssshout rang from outssside, and a sserpent with a sstick wrapped around hisss tail russshed in, alongssside another holding sssomething orange in their mouth— a feather.
"What isss it? What'sss ssso urgent that you dare to russsh into my abode?!"
"Your Lordssship, thisss— we—"
"Ssspit it out already!"
"Lord Ssecond Prince… isss dead."
"What?!" All three hissed at onssce, blood ssurging through their tailsss asss they fixed the two guardsss with blood-ssshot eyesss.
"We found hisss corpssse… It wass so far away, at least a few dozen miles from here. Heavensss— the sssight wasss violent. Hisss body wasss opened, hisss core extracted… and it looksss like sssomeone took a bite out of him!"
"He… what… how?! Who?!" Lord Ssseverusss'ss voice tightened, urgency coiling within every word. "Who wasss it?!"
"We don't know," the guard with the sstick ssaid, nudging the other forward. "We found many of thessse at the ssscene. The killer mussst have left a trail— they got poisoned after ea… eating." Hisss tongue flicked in dissgust at the word, but he forced it out.
The ssecond guard dropped the feather, and asss it touched the sstone, Lord Ssseverusss ordered in a cold, venom-laced voice:
"Find them… and bring me their corpssse."
***
I didn't consider whether or not I was strong enough to wander through the forest alone. That wouldn't stop me from leaving the safety of the nest and walking around. I've stayed put for the past few days and was growing restless.
I cultivated during the night— getting ever so close to the second stage of Qi Condensation—and ran around in circles until exhaustion during the day. I'd also been eating whatever animal Mother brought, and absorbing their cores, if they had any.
However, it seemed that either my luck was rotten to the core, or I just couldn't get any other skills from absorbing their Beast Core— even if I did manage to get a few stat points, it's hardly enough!
It was quite annoying, as my skills had saved me from death multiple times by then, and not being able to add any to my arsenal put a bad taste in my mouth. After learning Mother's schedule—where she would leave when the sun was at its highest and come back when it set— I decided that it was time for a solo adventure.
My stomach growled, and my body practically screamed at me to do something more active. I was sure that Mother wouldn't mind, or even know, as long as I came back in one piece.
Going down was easy enough, as there were a lot of branches and bushes to stop my fall. I would have to figure out how to actually climb up, but I didn't consider that an issue.
After indirectly ingesting the snake's heart and absorbing its Beast Core, I had a long and peaceful sleep.
As usual, when I woke up, I had grown and felt my wings get easier to use. The feathers on them were stronger, no longer as puffy as before, and I could actually get some lift if I tried hard enough. Soon, flight would be within my set of skills.
The Poison Resistance also gave me more confidence; however, I didn't want to try levelling it up in the slightest. If my understanding of System is right, then bringing the skills up a level would require me to actually use them. That wasn't something I wanted to do with the Poison Resistance skill.
I simply have to be more careful.
So far, the little amount of Qi at my dispolas did the job. Even though most of it wasn't usable by the Ghost Qi Technique. That was another reason most people chose not to cultivate such an evil technique.
That also meant the Spirit Beasts in this area would be far weaker than before. However, that didn't bother me that much. I decided I would hunt and kill, and grow stronger regardless of who or what stands before me.
I snuck through the bushes, hiding to the best of my ability within the grass and shadows. From afar, I resembled a tiny dot that wasn't exactly out of place amongst the different types of plants.
I wish I had Mother's stealth skill...
Obtaining a stealth skill would have been a great asset, considering my current circumstances. However there didn't seem to be any information about stealth in my scattered memories, and there wasn't anything I could do about it.
Ah, System!
[How may I be of use?]
Are there any stealth skills I can buy? Or are there any other ways to obtain stealth skills?
My communication was once again made with thought, though I had almost forgotten about System besides the odd times it asked me whether or not I wanted to absorb a core. The few times I did it, Mother seemed surprised, but didn't say anything about it. Or she did, and I couldn't understand her. The language barrier between us was really starting to get on my nerves, not to mention I couldn't even understand anyone else!
[There are several ways you can use to obtain a skill.]
[The first one is to buy it outright. That requires knowledge of the skill existing.]
[The second one is to obtain it via absorption. The chance of obtaining a skill is low and often random. Certain things can increase the chance of that happening.]
[The third one is to earn it via completing tasks or performing actions related to it.]
Earn it via completing tasks?
In that moment I remembered the Evasion skill I earned as soon as I hatched, after having to run away from the vulture. I didn't know what it was at that moment, but I was sure that I survived that encounter because of it.
Does that mean I do not need to buy stealth, and simply earn it?
I asked myself, but the ever so helpful System chimed in as usual.
[Yes.]
That was good to know. However I had already snuck around for a while and still haven't earned it.
Could you tell me the conditions to earn a certain skill?
[That information is classified.]
Well, at least it stopped sounding so robotic. Somehow, it began sounding more human as more time passed. I once again felt flabbergasted by System, and shuddered at the thought of its creator.
To think it can evolve alongside me... or can it?
I decided not to spend too much time thinking about it, as it was useless. However the fact that it refused to tell me meant that I had to find out for myself.
Since sneaking around like this didn't give me the skill, does that mean that I need to sneak around other people, or rather, beasts?
That was the only logical conclusion I could really come to. I didn't mind it, though, as I've never run away from a challenge. If I could learn skills by practicing them, then I will do it! Whatever those Skill Points were, they were really important, and I wasn't about to waste them on easily acquirable skills.
With that thought in mind, I kept walking around the forest, streaking through the shadows like a trained predator. The grass rustled as I moved, and my legs, although a little longer, still didn't help me too much. One thing I knew for certain was that the forest was surprisingly empty.
I hadn't seen a single Spirit Beast ever since I left the nest, and the sun was already mid way through the afternoon. If I couldn't find anything to kill or eat, this whole journey would have been a waste.
However, my head snapped toward the right as soon as I thought about that. The sound of rustling bushes and cracking branches echoing in my ears. I lowered myself, becoming as small as possible, and even slowed down my breathing to be less conspicuous.
It didn't sound like a chicken, not from the weight of its footsteps as it bent the grass. Far from it, in fact. I heard it sniff the air, a low growl escaping its throat as it neared my position.
Has it found me?
I wasn't sure, but I didn't plan on moving. My chest flared up as I began chanting the mantra for the Nirvanic Flames, and toggled on my Iron Claws. My muscles tensed up and the sound of my racing heart almost drowned out all other noises around me.
The thing looked to be some sort of feline, with pitch black fur and sharp eyes. It had two large horns protruding out of its forehead, and its large and solid paws were decorated with sharp claws. Holding my breath, I squinted for better vision just as the creature's bright yellow eyes locked onto my position.
It had no time to react as I sprung from my hiding spot like a snake, Nirvanic Flamessurrounding me and shooting toward the beast with the speed of an arrow. My talons were aimed at its throat— which I in turn also covered in flames— just for good measure.
All of that happened in the time it took for a spark to fly off a piece of flint, and by the time the beast took a step back, it was far too late. My fire hit it squarely in the face, burning off its whiskers and damaging its eyes, while my talons etched themselves deep into its throat.
A muffled gargle escaped its mouth, and just as I thought I had won, it shook me off and threw me a few meters away. I stopped after hitting a tree, the lower part of its trunk shaking as I struggled to get back to my feet.
"You… are courting death!"
I watched as the beast clawed away at the fire trying to burn its ebony fur, however even with the wrong incantation and no hand signs, my Nirvanic Flames would not be so easy to put out.
That didn't worry me in the slightest. No, what worried me was the fact that I used my strongest attacks and the thing barely flinched. Looking down at my claws, I noticed its searing blood evaporating underneath my fire.
If it could bleed, it could die, and I definitely planned on doing that.
I didn't wait for the flames to be put out, as I dashed toward it, ignoring the pain coursing through my muscles. I could endure it, at least until the fight was over. The adrenaline kept me aware and alert, and I hastily began making hand signs with my stubby wings.
The Qi stored within my flesh would be enough to fight like this for a couple minutes, and I had hoped that was all the time I would need to kill it. With a quick push of my legs, I jumped toward the beast, my strengthened talons aimed straight toward its eyes. If I wanted to win, I had to fight dirty.
Unlike what I expected, though, the beast slashed with its own claws at me. Preparing for the impact, I increased the intensity of the flames surrounding my body, the heat emanating off of them bending the air around me.
That seemed to have made it hesitate for a moment, as the paw barely missed me, getting hit by the forearm instead. Of course, that must have still hurt like hell, as the surrounding fur in a small area was burnt to a crisp in a matter of seconds.
I waved my wings again as I shot to the side, and sent three small wisps of fire toward it. They surrounded and followed the beast like a portable prison, and after another set of hand signs, thin, fiery walls made out of orangey yellow flames trapped the beast in a triangular shape.
That was the best I could muster given my limited cultivation, Qi resources and Nirvanic Flames control. However, even if the walls wouldn't hurt it too much, they would still frighten it enough to make grave mistakes.
A Spirit Beast was driven by instinct, and most normal beasts' first instinct when they touched fire was to run away. However it was surrounded by it, following its every move. Escape was not an option.
It stopped, glaring at me through the wall of flames, and I smirked internally, knowing it would fall into my trap. When a Spirit Beast panicked, or its life was threatened, it would throw all caution to the wind. They would attack without much thought behind their moves, wasting their energy and Qi in a haphazard attempt to escape.
Such tactics worked against normal Spirit Beasts or low ranked cultivators, however they definitely won't work against me.
It let out an earth-shaking roar, making my insides shake with terror, and prepared to pounce. I quickly got a hold of myself and waited for it to attack. As soon as it jumped, I launched myself upward, leaving behind a large fireball that detonated as soon as the thing landed on it.
The explosion shook the air, and the thing's cries were cut short as its throat was burnt to nothingness. I knew in that moment that I won, regardless of how strong it was, or how good of an instinct it had.
Its frantic squirming echoed in my ears. I watched its steadily weakening rolls against the grass in a feeble attempt to put out the fire, and listened to the gargling sound of blood rising up its throat alongside its muffled voice. It was a sight for sore eyes, as the orangey tang of the fire burned away its fur and charred its skin.
"With the wave of my wing, I, Fa Xiaolan, reduced this cat to ashes!"
[You have slain [Unspotted Panther] Level 8]
[XP Acquired]
[You have Leveled Up]
[Phoenix Chick Level 3 has become Phoenix Chick Level 4.]
[Skill Points Acquired]
It took a few minutes for it to die, and its death was nothing less than a painful torment that gave me a small bit of sadistic satisfaction. However, the thing I wanted to do more than anything was eat its flesh and collect its core. I was hungry, famished even, and the power such a beast would give me was far too appealing to just throw away.
Making my way toward it, I scanned the area, making sure there was nobody around. Just to err on the side of caution, I picked an inconspicuous spot and waited. Five minutes, ten minutes, fifteen, half an hour... and then— something moved.
Two smaller, yet similar-looking panthers walked out, wailing upon noticing the corpse of the bigger one. Soon after, another one jumped out from the bushes, hurrying out and making calming sounds.
A family?
How awful, it seemed like I killed their dad… and it also seemed like the mother had locked onto my position. She vanished from my sight, causing my heart to skip a beat.
It only took me a second to hear a sudden rustle next to my ear, then another for the air to split as her paw came crashing down on me. The mother's frightening speed made it so she almost turned me into a diced phoenix.
Luckily, I reacted fast enough and dodged, then made some distance between us. However, when I turned to look at her, she'd vanished again.
So she has a stealth skill! I want it! I want it! No, I need it!
It didn't look like I would be able to get away either way, as the mother seemed keen on killing me, and I doubted I could outrun a panther.
Especially an invisible panther!
The only way I could tell where she walked was from the sound and the slight denting of the ground— and even that was hard to spot in the darkness.
However, I had my own method of defense!
Without thinking about it much, I lit myself on fire using the Nirvanic Flames. A small five-foot area around me both burned and got illuminated, and it just so happened that the mother panther was within that area.
She let out a shrill scream, closing her eyes in agony, and that's when I took my chance.
Swiping with my Iron Claws and pecking at her with my Peck skill— even though it was just a normal action— I quickly made her bleed. It seemed like I even took an eye out, as it bled while she ran away.
You're giving me that stealth skill whether you want to or not!
I didn't chase, though. I decided to wait. An angry mother would never turn away and run… I knew that much.
Crunch.
I turned to see the panther jump at me, its stealth nullified by my intense flames. I didn't have much time to dodge, though, and the only thing I could do was raise my legs in defense.
After activating Strengthened Constitution, I had some extra force to push away its mouth, though there wasn't much I could do about the claws.
"Now you're really courting death!" I yelled as the flames surrounding me flared to life. They burnt away at her fur, reddening her skin before disintegrating it into a pile of ash. She didn't seem keen on letting me go, though, and the crazed look in her eye told me that she wasn't thinking straight.
However, whether or not she wasn't thinking straight, it wasn't my problem, because if I relented, I would be their dinner!
I clenched my claws, digging into her flesh and bone, the seeping blood instantly evaporating.
"Let go of me!"
My screams had no effect, though. Part of me didn't want to kill her, but I saw that she'd lost herself. For one reason or another, seeing her mate die turned her into… whatever this was.
"I'm sorry. Your sacrifice won't be in vain." I activated the Phoenix Fire as well, and with the two flames in such close proximity, she didn't stand much of a chance. Not long after, she perished, her corpse almost crushing me if I hadn't dodged.
[You have slain [Unspotted Panther] Lvl 5.]
[XP Acquired]
I heaved, catching my breath and reducing the fire surrounding me to a minimum.
It was then that I noticed the two cubs looking at me, their expressions filled with terror.
"SCRAM!" I yelled, flaring up both fires, an explosion of orange, yellow, and red, casting a looming shadow over them. They rushed away, disappearing into the forest.
Turning to look at their mother, I closed my eyes and turned off all of my skills. "I'm sorry."
I felt regretful; I never intended to separate a family, but both parents tried to kill me. If you're ready to kill, then you should expect others to want to kill you as well.
Despite how much I struggled, though, they were both weak.
That much was to be expected, though. It looked like even in such a Qi-dense area, those stronger beasts didn't dare linger around the nest of a Phoenix. Of course, that was just my speculation, but it seemed plausible enough.
Without standing on ceremony, I walked toward the corpse. It hadn't moved at all during the time I waited, except for the occasional muscle spasm. I was surprised the tendons were still intact for it to be able to do that, but I didn't care too much.
If they were that strong, I'm sure the beast was even stronger. It was Level 8 after all. The amount of XP it gave me was good, I supposed, as it gave me a level, and I decided to check the changes to my stats after eating it.
Chapter 11: Fortune Favors the Bold
The Spirit Beast's flesh wasn't particularly easy to tear into, but it was far more delicious than anything I've eaten thus far. I couldn't tell if it was because of its higher level and freshness, or because it got cooked from the outside in. That didn't matter, though.
What surprised me the most was the size of my stomach, as no matter how big the beast was, I almost never felt full. The rate at which my body absorbs nutrients far outclassed any humans I knew of, even those who followed certain Daos, like the Gluttony Dao.
Hm, Dao? What's that?
That term suddenly popped into my mind as I thought about all the advantages the body of a Phoenix had. Dao, it felt like that was an important term, but somehow I've forgotten what it meant.
The fact that I only remembered information in segments was annoying, as it left me with more questions than answers. How was I supposed to know what a Dao was? That almost made me lose my appetite, key words, almost.
After throwing that issue to the back of my mind, I went back to eating the thing with even more vigour than before. There didn't seem to be any danger in the area, and I was grateful for that. However, that did put another question in my mind.
Why were these ones lurking around then?
That was also something I couldn't care less about, as weak Spirit Beasts had low senses and intelligence. It must not have known that a Phoenix had moved in and intruded on our territory. Too bad for it. Were it any other Phoenix Chick, they'd stay put in the nest, content to rely on their mother.
Not me, though. I couldn't afford to rely on anyone.
The only true strength is the strength one achieves through hard work; Strength that they earn; Strength that doesn't disappear, that isn't temporary. True strength is personal strength, and that's what I strive to get. Similarly to System, over-reliance on external factors will only lead to disaster.
I couldn't help but wonder where such thoughts had come from, and a feeling of sorrow crept up inside me as they echoed inside my head. However, I decided not to think about it anymore.
If you are depressed, you are living in the past.
If you are anxious, you are living in the future.
If you are at peace, you are living in the present.
Let go of the past, don't think about the future, and become strong in the present. That's what I should strive to do, and deal with whatever consequences might come later. With enough strength, no one will be able to step over me, not a random vulture, not a stupid snake, and certainly not a weak panther.
As thoughts flooded my mind, I had noticed that I long since finished the panther's flesh and innards, leaving only the brain and core to be absorbed. I quickly took care of those two, splitting their skulls in two with my Iron Clawsand enjoying the slightly bitter taste.
I can't believe I ate two whole panthers… I might be a Glutton.
After, all that was left were the cores. They were dark, bigger than a baby's fists, and shining with a luscious glow. I grabbed the one from the male and didn't hesitate to place my head against it, and the question asking me if I wanted to absorb it appeared once again. I agreed without hesitation.
[Beast Core absorbed with 20% efficiency.]
[Qi +35]
Well, that's awful. Qi is good, great even… but I really wanted the skill. I had one more chance — The female core was fresh and ready to be absorbed.
[Would you like to absorb the Unspotted Panther Core?]
Yes!
[Beast Core absorbed with 90% efficiency.]
[Skill: Stealth(Lesser)[Novice] has been acquired through absorption.]
[Qi +55]
I felt my heart skip a beat after reading that message. Not only did I gain a skill, but my Qi pool also increased again! Excitement filled my body, causing my feathers to shake slightly as I jumped. Stealth was exactly what I wanted. I'm glad I somehow got exactly what I wanted from the mother panther...
[...]
[Convenient, isn't it?]
Well, it wasn't much of a loss. Stepping down from its almost empty carcass, I made my way toward a shadowy place and sat down after turning the grass into a soft cushion. After fighting and eating like a glutton, I had to rest for a little while.
Luckily, that gave me a little bit of time to check what the Stealth skill did and also see how my stats had changed after levelling up. First, though, I really wanted to check the skill.
"Show me information about Stealth." I chirped, and somehow System understood me each time without fail.
[Stealth[Lesser](Novice)]
[Every dark corner becomes your comfort place, and you blend with the shadows as if you were one of them. The only thing stopping you from achieving true invisibility is light, but that can change. Efficiency is based on Perception and Intelligence.]
After pondering over what System said, I began to understand things better. Skills are affected by stats, and stats are affected by levels and other factors. I had gained a point in Strength after absorbing the Golden Core, but didn't pay a lot of attention to it. System really was a strange force, one that I didn't want to pry too much into for the moment.
The fact that I earned Stealth was more than reason to celebrate, honestly, as I didn't have to risk my safety sneaking around other Spirit Beasts. That was also a little disappointing, though, as it was basically handed to me on a silver platter. I began fearing that my over-reliance on the System would one day be my downfall.
I wasn't sure what to think of it. If it were an external tool, why would it help me so much, but if it was tied to me, then could it be considered my own strength even though it wasn't part of me? Or was it?
The question was too complex for the amount of energy it required to ponder, and I decided that the best course of action would be to start cultivation. However, even though I had the knowledge of cultivation techniques existing, I couldn't remember any of them, regardless of how much I struggled to.
Every time I tried, a skull-splitting headache would course through my head, and I had the feeling that if I tried to force it, nothing good would come of it.
I felt that I was lucky enough to get stronger by eating, unlike other beings who needed to consciously channel Qi in their bodies. This new area seemed to be even better for cultivating though, as Qi passively mixed within my flesh, bone, and blood, strengthening me with each new breath.
The Qi I would absorb from sitting around and breathing would be far from enough, though, and pales in comparison to the strength I gain by consuming other beasts.
No matter where I end up, it'll always be a dog-eat-dog world.
That thought resonated with me even more as I stared at the carcass of the panther I devoured, chuckling at the irony of the literal meaning, except I wasn't a dog. Regardless of that, I decided it was time to take a look at my details, as I was curious to know how much I improved in the past few days.
Details
[Name: Fa Xiaolan]
[Race: Phoenix]
[Class: Phoenix Chick]
[Level: 4]
[Hit Points: 470]
[Equipped Titles: None]
[Bloodlines: Phoenix]
[Qi: 355]
Stats
[Strength: 41]
[Dexterity: 33]
[Perception: 47]
[Charisma: 70]
[Intelligence: 48]
[Skill Points: 10]
This time, strange floating boxes appeared before me as the System read my mind. I didn't mind it when I wasn't in danger, as it made everything more convenient and saved me from using energy.
I noticed that all my stats have increased after gaining another level, and by a substantial amount, too. I didn't feel any different, though, and I wouldn't know what they did until I tested it for myself. Strength was easy enough, but the rest were harder to decipher. My intelligence increased by a few points, but I didn't feel any smarter, and I doubted dexterity would help much when I didn't even have hands, whatever that meant.
As much as I wanted to bombard System with questions, though, I couldn't. Even if the forest seemed peaceful, I would have no guarantee of what could happen once night fell. However, I had too much energy just to sit around, so I decided to venture deeper into the forest.
Activating stealth, I used the shadows to my advantage and ran through them as if they were part of me. The freedom felt amazing, as did the slight breeze blowing against my feathers and fluff. I didn't account for one thing, though, that being that I didn't have any sort of eye enchantment, so I saw about as well as a half deaf bat.
Luckily for me, though, I had some idea of how to use Qi to see around me. It wasn't easy, and the effective radius was less than a few inches, but I knew that the more I used that technique, the better it would get.
I stopped, took a look at the sky through the trees' dense crown, and noticed that the sun was about to set. Not intending to find out what sort of Spirit Beasts lurked during the night, I decided to cut my trip short and head back toward the nest.
In that very moment, a dozen or so hissing sounds took me by surprise. Snakes, no, serpents, not unlike the one I killed a few days ago, surrounded me from all sides.
"You all…" I said, but before I could get another word in, they all rushed toward me, fangs primed and tails whipping.
"Ants that dare try to shake the heavens!" I defended against their charge with a large burst of Nirvanic Flames and Phoenix Fire, burning the ground, grass, and the serpents in one single blow.
"With the wave of my wing, I, Fa Xiaolan, reduced this trash to ashes!"
[You have slain Jade Serpent Scout Lvl. 2] x 5
[You have slain Jade Serpent Lvl 3] x 4
[You have slain Jade Serpent Guard Lvl. 5] x 3
[XP Acquired] x 12
"Pieces of trash that have eyes but cannot see Mt. Tai!" I yelled and started walking away, already knowing they won't even have a core. Even if they did, it wasn't worth the effort.
However, just as I turned around, a certain... something got my attention. I wasn't exactly sure what it was; A smell, an aroma? It was rich, though, very rich, and very alluring. It promised me strength, and something inside me screamed at me to go get it before it's too late.
Fortune favors the bold.
I thought, sprinting in the direction of the presence, doing my best to avoid colliding with anything. I failed, of course, as I hit low branches, stumbled on roots, and ran through bushes. Minor setbacks, though, as the feeling of desire within me grew stronger with each passing second. I could feel it getting closer, but I also erred on the side of caution.
Soon, a faint, blue glow, akin to a luminescent flower, greeted my eyes, accompanied by the infatuating smell of nectar. However, another aroma accompanied it; it reeked of danger. Of Spirit Beasts, far stronger than the panther. Part of me wanted to return, to make a sprint toward the safety of the nest. However, I suppressed it. Running away would only lead to losing opportunities.
I made myself as small as possible, sticking close to the ground and carefully stepping on soft grass, careful not to make any unwanted noise. As I drew closer, the aroma urged me to hurry up, but I held back my foolish instincts this time around and approached cautiously.
I wasn't sure what would happen if I got discovered, but I didn't want to find out. The plants around me began changing. As I advanced toward the source of the calling, their leaves turned from their pale green to a pale blue, and the Qi in the area grew richer and richer with every step. Soon, flowers as bright as the light of a torch began surrounding me, and I cursed my luck as my stealth had greatly diminished.
I pressed on, though, moving through the shadowy parts and hoping that I was inconspicuous enough. The sound of flowing water greeted my ears as I drew close enough, as did the number of glowing plants. I felt my eyes widen as I took a quick peek at what exactly drew me so desperately.
Before me stood a lake larger than my former nest by a few levels and probably five times as deep. Its surface shone with a pale blue light, stronger and brighter than that of the moon. Huge amounts of Qi leaked out from within, filling the air with mist.
Its influence on the environment was clear, as even the most basic of plants became low-tier treasures. I almost wanted to pluck and eat some, but I didn't want to risk losing the tree over the fruit. However, life was never easy, as I noticed a few large, panther-like beasts lounging around. They were greedily absorbing the Qi into their flesh, passively strengthening their bodies while doing nothing!
With such large amounts of Qi filling the area, I wouldn't need to bother hunting anything for a fair amount of time. As I circled the lake, I counted a total of five Spirit Beasts, each stronger than the other, and definitely stronger than me.
The lake called to me, though, and I made a great effort not to sprint and bathe inside it. If they caught me, it didn't matter that I was a Phoenix; I would surely get eaten in one gulp by them.
On the opposite edge of where I stood, a larger Spirit Beast lounged casually on a rather comfortable-looking rock, yawning lazily as the faint rays of sunlight kissed its ash colored body.
I took another, uncalculated step and accidentally stepped on a clump of dried leaves, conveniently bundled together right below my claws.
Motherfuck-
They rustled for a second, and by the time I lifted my foot, all five of the panther-like Spirit Beasts turned their heads, looking toward my general direction on full alert.
Chapter 12: Run away, run away!
I didn't move a feather, didn't make so much as a slow chirp as I waited for them to lose interest. However, that strategy didn't work as well as I would have liked it to. Their sharp eyes pierced through my stealth skill so quickly that it was embarrassing. Without waiting for a second more to pass, I turned around and ran the opposite direction as their earth-shaking roars made my heart skip a beat.
Unsure if they would follow after me or not, I rushed toward the nest. Maybe they had no interest in a Phoenix that accidentally stumbled upon their sacred land. From the looks of it, they weren't expecting anyone that walked in on them to be a threat, seeing as they had no one guarding the area.
Even if they did follow me, I had the confidence of being able to evade them. My stealth skill allowed me to blend into the shadows extremely well, and once I was out of the Qi-rich area I would be safe. Besides, our territory wasn't that far away from here; if they had any semblance of intelligence they would scatter before mother saw them!
Just like I had guessed, they didn't chase after me. Leaving such a treasure unguarded and taking on the risk of infuriating a Phoenix wouldn't be worth it for them in the long run. I halted and took a good look behind me, double checking, then headed back toward the nest.
As I made my way through the forest, a grin couldn't help but form on my face. I gained a lot of invaluable things. Levels, and therefore stats, the stealth skill, Qi, and information about a very rich Qi lake in the area.
The way that lake called to me lingered around my chest. It was almost as if it wanted me to absorb it and get stronger! I decided that it was fate, and started making a plan on how to sneak in and absorb it, or as much of it as possible. However, what I needed the most was strength, that way I could simply defeat the ash-colored beast and make the others run away.
That wouldn't be so easy, though. I sensed that its strength was far above anything I had fought up until that point. Defeating it would be no simple matter, and it was getting stronger with each passing day! And I didn't even have a Beast Core!
The few beasts I killed had them, besides the chicken. I wasn't sure if the vulture had one, but its low level and meager strength told me it didn't. Besides gathering Qi or training my body, I didn't know of any other ways to gain strength.
Well, there are a few more now...
I thought, remembering System and its levels and skills. It remained veiled in mystery for the moment, and probing it for information proved useless time and time again. System only told me what it wanted to, and it didn't respond to my every need like a Treasure Spirit would.
That made me believe it was some sort of spiritual and autonomous artifact, but even then, it shouldn't have such power and influence over the world. The only logical conclusion I could come up with was that System was like a law of the universe, rather than something that abided by it.
Thinking about such complex theories made my head hurt a little. Whether it was the universe telling me to stop thinking about it, or my brain being too small for such complex thoughts, I wasn't sure.
My thoughts shut down as I reached the base of the tree upon which stood our nest. Its massive height towered over most of the other trees in the area, so finding it proved to be easier than I thought. The most difficult part would be getting up, though. Not because I couldn't, but because I had to jump and claw my way up.
I had already calculated that I could do it, though, long before the level up, it just took time. Hence, starting the climb as early as possible would be the most optimal decision. I wanted to get up there before mother came back with her hunt.
Without wasting any more time on useless thoughts, I began the monumental task of climbing back up. Jumping from branch to branch, and biting down on thinner threads to swing around, I climbed as high as I could before having to truly use my claws.
I wished so badly for my wings to be more than decoration, but that was asking for too much. I theorised that it would be a few weeks before I would be able to fly... but when I could finally take to the skies...
"Ah, damn—" I exclaimed as my talon slipped, almost making me fall from at least five dozen feet up in the air. The wind at the top was much chillier than at the bottom, in a weird twist of fate, and the air was much thinner too. Luckily my body was built for such environments, but that didn't make it any more enjoyable.
I paused briefly, gasping for air before continuing up the thick trunk. There were some burrows scattered here and there, which I used to rest for a few minutes before recommencing my climb.
By the time I reached the top of the nest, the sun had already set. Luckily mother hadn't returned yet, so I had some time to rest before needing to dodge her questions. Well, I couldn't understand her at all, but I was sure there were some questions to be dodged.
That made me think, though, and I couldn't help but voice my question. "System, why can I not understand mother?"
[You have not yet learned the language.]
Well, that made sense. I guessed that learning the language took a long time, and it would happen naturally as I grew older, but I wanted to talk to her properly already.
Besides, I'm sure she had plenty of answers to all of my Phoenix-related questions. She might even know something about System! Therefore, speaking to mother as soon as possible became my priority. Some part of me hoped that there would be a skill for that, and I asked System as much.
[Universal Language will be acquired at level 5.]
That piece of news made me feel better. I wasn't that far away from reaching such a high level, and I only had to wait a little more to get it. So far I've been killing Spirit Beasts, but most of them were on the weaker side, and consuming them didn't give me any XP either. That meant I had to hunt more, or hunt better.
A heavy sigh escaped my beak as I slumped on the edge of the nest, where I had made myself a nice, comfortable spot to sleep and nap in from the chicken feathers. Mother pulled them out one by one and constructed a miniature nest that would last me for a few weeks, until I grew too big for it. I wished I could thank her properly right at that moment.
It did the job for the moment, though, and it was quite comfortable to sleep in. I stared up at the moon, its soft light kissing my feathery face; then my gaze wandered from one star to another. As I found myself lost deep in thought, a realisation fell upon me.
"System," I chirped, shaking myself awake. "How much would it cost just to learn Phoenix language?"
[No such skill exists.]
"System. I am not asking whether it exists or not. I am asking how much it would cost for me to buy the ability to speak mother's language."
[No such skill exists.]
"System... You can just create one, right?"
[I don't have the power to influence the greater system.]
"Tch," I clicked my tongue and let out another sigh. It was worth a try. It looked like the only way we had to communicate for the moment was coos, chirps and head nudges. Slumping on my bed and gathering myself into a feathery ball, I rubbed my wings against my body to generate heat and waited for mother to arrive.
It didn't take long for her massive frame to appear from beyond the clouds, her beautiful plumage creating an orange trail of fire as she flew straight toward the nest.
I got up from my comfortable spot and rushed over to greet her, and a smile manifested in her eyes as she put down the massive meal she brought. It looked to be some sort of bear covered in thick fur, with even thicker and somewhat sharp claws.
It looked like it died from a clean blow to the neck, as the most prominent wound was placed at the place where the skull met the spinal cord. I noticed that mother always killed her prey like that, or if they weren't dead, they would remain paralysed until they arrived at the nest.
It was quite a cruel way of gathering food, but however Spirit Beasts decided to kill each other was none of my business. What mattered at the end of the day was that I ate. Though, I wondered if her catching them alive then bringing them here and letting me kill them would count as my kill? If so then that would be amazing.
Another reason why being able to understand each other would be very useful. But I only need to wait a little more.
I wasn't even sure how I could use my body to tell her that I basically wanted her to bring the prey back alive but unable to fight. Regardless, it wasn't time for the meal yet.
First I stood next to mother and looked up at her, my big eyes meeting hers, and she lowered herself to wrap me into a warm hug. Mother's hugs filled me with an incredible warmth, and I couldn't help but long for them even when she was gone.
She let out a few gentle coos, before sniffing me and making sure I was alright. However, she stopped after a moment, lifted her head, and glared at me.
I gulped. She noticed.
Hiding the fact that I went into the forest would be difficult, as the smell of grass and foliage was much thicker than the smell of hay and clay. I made the best impression of a blameless chick, and blinked a couple of times at her.
If there's any moment for the absurdly large charisma stat I have to work, this is it!
I felt her fury rise, then diminish as she looked at me for a few seconds. She shook her head and let out a sigh, then walked toward the bear-like creature and began opening its stomach for me.
The process was every bit as disgusting as ever, but I couldn't deny that I began warming up to the taste of raw meat and organs. It wasn't the best, of course, but at least I wasn't gagging anymore every time I took a bite.
However, the beast turned out to be far too big for me to eat in one go, and I couldn't even get to the Beast Core. Given the fact that it was way bigger than me, I supposed mother would help me eat from it or preserve it for the next few days. Not to mention that I'd already eaten quite well, so there wasn't room for much more in my stomach.
I thanked mother in the best way I could— by bowing my head and letting out a short chirp of gratitude. If I could actually speak her language, it would be much easier, but that was still a challenge I had yet to overcome.
To be honest, whether or not I could learn it remained a mystery, as I wasn't exactly interacting in a way a normal Phoenix would. What if I could never understand mother? Would she think I'm too stupid and leave me? That would be quite a disaster...
I didn't think too much about it, though I didn't want to. If I could communicate with her using words, all the better, if not, then it's not like I lost anything.
Making my way over to the spot mother made for me, I snuggled my fluffy body within the feathers and got comfortable. It would soon be time to sleep.
I watched mother tap the corpse several times, placing Qi in key points within the body and creating a barrier that would act as an insulator of sorts. It would keep the elements away from the corpse for a while, making it so the decomposing process started later.
She walked over to me after she finished, sitting behind me, then placing her neck around my body to keep me warm. It was a very good feeling, being loved and protected like that. Some part of me screamed to get away and leave, to not get comfortable, but I didn't listen. The current me was content with receiving as much love as I could, whenever possible.
I really wish I could tell her how much I appreciate it… That's it, I'm getting that skill before morning!!
As night fell, and mother slept soundly, I snuck out of the nest. Careful not to make any noises, I avoided her senses, or, at least I thought I did.
While still not perfect, I could see through the darkness fairly well. The light of the moon scattering on the ground helped a lot as well. Pairing that with the Stealth skill, I had confidence in being able to sneak around undetected, as long as I was careful.
It didn't take long for me to find my prey— a large creature without any fur, whose eyes glowed in the darkness. They reminded me of a feline, but the way their tail moved like a snake's and pink skin made me doubt it was any sort of animal I knew. It was about as tall as a human toddler, and drool dripped out of its stinky mouth.
One thing that creeped me out was the cloth hanging out of its mouth. While I couldn't see it well, it looked to be a cultivator robe, similar to the ones I saw before mother turned them to ash.
Are there more cultivators around? I asked myself, but pushed that thought aside, focusing on the task at hand.The thing hadn't spotted me yet, and I could sense the stealth skill gaining experience as I followed it from behind. I tried to locate its weak spot, though besides its underside and head, it didn't seem to have anything else. I had to strike swiftly.
Preparing both my Nirvanic Flames and Iron Claws, I crouched, ready to attack at the nearest opportunity. It took no more than a minute for the beast to stop and sniff the air, and that's when I sealed its fate.
By the time it realised it had been stalked, it was far too late, and with a quick jump, I plunged my talons deep into its neck. They sank as easily as a hot pyke through ice, and it felt just as satisfying.
Flames burst out from them, exploding inside its neck, and before it could even realise that it died, its neck exploded from the inside out.
"With the wave of my wing, I, Fa Xiaolan, reduced this enemy to ashes!"
[You have slain [Wolfhar] Level 4.]
[XP Acquired]
[Phoenix Chick Level 4 has become Phoenix Chick Level 5.]
Chapter 13: Mother's Voice
[Universal Language has been acquired.]
[Bloodline Skill: Phoenix Fire (Lesser) [Novice] has gained a temporary XP boost.]
I stared at the notification with widened eyes. My heart raced with happiness, and decided to get their description at a later date, as I didn't want to get lost in reading in the middle of the night.
Finally! Now I only need to get back ho-
However my thoughts were cut off as the soft flapping of wings echoed in my ears. I turned around- and looked up at mother, her plumage radiating red and yellows, flames moving in an angry dance.
Then, I heard it. A voice so soothing, so full of love, so feminine and so melodious that it made me forget where or who I was for a second. Yet hidden within, I sensed anger and worry.
"Little Flame, what is the meaning of this?"
Mother's voice; Not coos, not chirps, not screeches, but actual spoken words that I could understand. Her voice sounded like an erhu— clear, distinct, vibrating with life and filled with love.
I couldn't help myself. I turned to her and snuggled inside her plumage, overjoyed from being able to finally understand her. I didn't know what came over me, why had hearing my mother's words made me so happy, so content? I couldn't say, maybe the phoenix baby inside of me felt that way, maybe my memories felt that way; It didn't matter, hearing it made me happy.
"Mother!" I chirped joyously, rubbing my face against her feathers, thriving in the warmth of her body. Flame-like patterns flickered across her body, her emotions betraying her expression.
"Little Flame, what happened? What are you doing outside the nest at night?" She asked, rubbing her head against my back. Her anger seemed to have lessened slightly, and I thanked my charm stat for doing a half decent job at helping me earn her forgiveness.
She called me that again, 'Little Flame'. The feeling inside me scoffed at the name, calling it cliche and uninspired. I loved the name, though. 'Little Flame', the name mother gave me, just like Fa Xiaolan, it was precious.
"Nothing happened, Mother." I said, taking a deep breath. "I just... I felt like going out to hunt. I… was hungry?" I couldn't bring myself to say anything else, though. Mother didn't pry further either.
She let out a sigh and looked at the corpse, its flesh still sizzling. I saw a hint of approval in her eyes, and that's all I needed. She grabbed it with one leg, and me with the other, then flew off and brought us back to the nest.
Mother broke off a piece of meat, then sealed the corpse so it would stay fresh. "Eat, and then let's sleep."
"Mhm." I nodded and turned toward the meat, forcing myself to eat as much of the chunk as possible, then closed my eyes and allowed myself to drift into sleep. Mother coiled around me, and all I could think about was what sort of skill that strange beast would give me, if any.
The night passed by without any commotion. My blurry vision returned to normal as I blinked a few times, squinting at the rising sun. Its warmth kissed my feathers, bathing me in a comfortable light. I shook my body while getting up, adjusting my feathers and stretching my legs.
They looked thinner than yesterday, and much more powerful. I flapped my wings, my heart skipping a beat upon feeling some drag try to lift me up, but failing.
I sighed.
It wasn't quite time yet for me to take to the skies.
Mother's shadow loomed over me as she rose to her feet as well, stretching and yawning while looking at the sun. The flame patterns on her body lit to life, with the feather on top of her head and the ones at the end of her tail looking like actual flames.
"When will I be able to fly like you?" I asked the question that pressed me the most, trying to show as little excitement in my voice as possible.
"Hm? Ah," She murmured to herself then took a good look at me, then at the sun, then back at me. She poked my belly with her talon, careful not to hurt me, and said. "In about thirty sun cycles."
So, a month? That's far too long!
"I see..." I stared at the floor, my head lowering with disappointment.
"Don't be disappointed, Little Flame. It took mother a long time before she started flying as well. It will come in time." Mother tried to appease my disappointment, which helped a little, but not that much.
She giggled upon seeing my head droop down, "I can tell you're eager to explore, but you're just a chick right now. Even if you're stronger and smarter than your peers, you shouldn't rush things."
I lifted my head, our gazes meeting mid air. "Be still like a mountain, and flow like a great river." She said, turning her head toward the sun. "That's what your grandma used to say all the time. You resemble me a lot, in my younger days- I was just as reckless." Mother then turned back to look at me and pulled me into a hug. "I'm glad you don't resemble your father; he left me here to fend for myself saying he had affairs to take care of back in the homeland."
"Father?" I asked, confused. True, I had completely forgotten one needed a father as well to be born. "What about him?"
Mother let out a heavy sigh and stared at the direction opposite sunrise. "It's far too early to explain certain matters. Once you grow older you'll understand without me needing to explain, so let's wait until then, alright?"
I nodded, putting that matter aside for now. There were still a lot of questions I wanted to ask. Yet, just as I opened my beak, my stomach growled.
Mother chuckled and released me from her grasp. "Let's go eat. The meat won't be as good but it will do."
I hurried to the corner of the nest, where mother had placed the corpse of the beast she used Qi to preserve, and dug in. She joined me as well, though eating in a more refined manner, using her claws to pick the skin apart and rip the flesh, while I drove my beak into whatever parts of the flesh I could.
However, I had a clear goal— reaching the Beast Core. I didn't know if it would be a Golden Core, or a lower quality core, but any extra skills or Qi would be useful.
Given my hunger, it didn't take long for me to reach the center of its body, where its cold, still heart lay alongside a core with just a hint of warmth. I didn't hesitate to grab it and take it outside.
Mother turned to look at me, and I wondered if she wanted it. "Mother, do you want to absorb it?" I asked outright, but she shook her head.
"Those are of little use to me right now, Little Flame. My realm is far higher than those beasts, but if I hunted anything stronger you wouldn't be able to eat them."
"I see," I nodded, and touched my forehead against the core. I didn't even wait for the text to appear, and whispered a 'Yes' inside my head.
[Beast Core absorbed with 50% efficiency.]
[Qi +35]
A tiny bit of energy flowed through me as the core's warmth faded and its color dimmed. I didn't expect to gain a skill from absorbing it, as System said that the chance for such a thing to happen was very low. Yet, some part of me still wished for that to happen every time I absorbed a core.
The bonus Qi would aid me in sustained fights, but it wouldn't be all that useful until I learned how to use it to cultivate. Which led me to another question I wanted to ask mother, but I didn't know if it would be appropriate. Either way, I waited until we finished our meal to ask any questions, as doing so in the middle of it would be rude.
As I took the last of the bites, mother finished eating as well, though I could tell it was far from filling for her. She grabbed the carcass and threw it out of the nest, as we didn't have any need for bones or fur. With that done, I walked in front of her, looking up with the cutest eyes I could make, and asked.
"Mother, how can I cultivate?"
She halted upon hearing my question, and turned to look at me as if I were some sort of oddity. "Cultivate? Little Flame, why are you asking that? How did you learn about it?"
Crap.
I didn't consider the fact that I only ever interacted with Spirit Beasts before, and that they didn't cultivate using normal means. They simply lived, ate and thrived, absorbing Qi through natural means.
However I wasn't content with that, I wanted to use both methods to achieve even greater strength. I've been relying on System far too much, and one day or another it may bite me if I wasn't careful.
I couldn't bear the thought of lying, so I decided to bet on something. If System was the rule of the heavens, then everyone should have it. However, if my theory turned out to be false, then the consequences shouldn't be too dire. "Ah well... there is a strange thing in my mind... It told me all sorts of stuff and it mentioned cultivation. I wanted to know how I can achieve that." I said, trying to stutter as naturally as possible.
"Voice? Ah! System!" She jumped upon hearing that, her feathers burning with excitement. "I see, you already have it. As expected of my daughter, truly a phoenix amongst women."
Mother I know it's an expression but we're literally phoenixes...
"Ahem," she cleared her throat and picked me up with her claw, lifting me up to her eye level. "Listen here Little Flame, cultivation is the thing humans do. They are inferior to us, so they must rely on cheap tricks to get close to our levels. It's a useless practice that will inquire the wrath of the Heavens. Why should you fight against nature? Remember what I told you, 'Be still like a mountain, and flow like a great river.' It means be stable, have a broader view and be flexible. Cultivators are narrow-minded, stiff like a plank and ugly both inside and outside. They don't even have feathers! Little Flame, do you want to lose your feathers?"
Mother spoke with such pride and confidence that she almost convinced me that the path of cultivation was a bad one. However I knew that it couldn't be the case, as cultivators follow the will of the Heavens as much as Spirit Beasts do.
I needed to learn how to cultivate, I needed to find a way to fuse the way Spirit Beasts grew powerful and the way humans paved for themselves. I knew deep inside that I had what it took, that my techniques would be superior and that I would need to rely less on System.
My eyes sharpened as I met mother's gaze, and said in a confident, resolute tone. "But mother, I want to become stronger. I need to become stronger. I do not wish to remain a weakling. I... I-"
"Enough of that, Little Flame." Mother said with a stern voice, "Look at me, I have grown strong without the use of such cheap tricks. In the entire Tianxu Continent, no Spirit Beast dares to contend with me."
She sounded quite angry, despite the fact that she boasted her strength, and I decided against saying that the humans already tried to kill her. It would be too low of a blow and may remind her of the fact that she had lost two children.
"Mother-"
"Little Flame, listen to me. Mother knows better than those filthy humans."
I didn't fight her anymore, sensing her growing frustration, and nodded. "I have a request then."
"Speak it, Little Flame." Mother said, her anger begginign to calm down.
"I want to fight Spirit Beasts, actual strong ones, like the ones you bring. I want to earn my food, I want to kill them myself and I want to grow stronger by doing so."
Mother turned her head, put me down and looked toward the horizon in contemplative silence. She murmured a few things to herself, then looked at me and nodded. "Alright, I can do that. I will not stop my child from reaching her true potential. However you will not fight them alone, I will be here to intervene if anything goes wrong."
"Thank you, mother." I said, containing my excitement and giving her a slight bow. She seemed to smile, at least with her eyes if not with her beak, and prepared to take off.
"I'll go and search for food then, and an opponent. You don't get yourself into any trouble, this... just be respectful of the stronger beasts, alright?"
I nodded with embarrassment.
So she knew I would go down again, yet didn't stop me.
Of course, I didn't assume her to be stupid, but thought myself smarter. It just didn't occur to me that she may have allowed me to sneak out instead of me hiding it pretty well.
All that memorising her hunting time, gone to waste... she knew the entire time.
I sighed and stretched my feet and wings, getting ready to descend and plot ways to steal the Qi from the lake. Several nefarious thoughts popped in my head, but they all required me to be stronger than my current self.
Soon after mother left, I did too, climbing down the giant tree. Without the ability to fly, doing so could be a life or death situation, however I had confidence in myself and in my claws. Since I'd done it when I had been weaker, doing so now didn't pose any sort of difficulty, and I jumped down on the soft grass, catching my fall.
I looked toward the forest and smiled to myself, at least inside my head, and headed within the darkness, activating my stealth skill and blending in with the shadows. If I wanted to have any chance at taking out those beasts and absorbing the Qi from the lake, then I needed to upgrade the skill as much as possible.
I didn't want to spend any skill points to do that, though, so I had to find a wandering Spirit Beast and use them to train it. That wouldn't take long, as the forest was stark-full of them- but I had to keep my stealth skill up, which wound up using up a good amount of Qi.
I made myself as small as possible, hiding within the dense foliage and using the most shadowy parts of the forest to my advantage.
I waited.
My efforts paid off, as soft footsteps echoed through the quiet of the forest. Dry leaves crumbled under the creature's steps, accompanied by the occasional snapping of branches. It wasn't trying to be quiet at all, which worked out in my favor.
Soon, its figure appeared from the depths of the forest— a large beast walking on four legs, with human-like hands. Ashen fur covered its entire body, down to the snake-like tail that whipped in the air.
Its elongated face reminded me of a horse, except much smaller, yet its nostrils were just as big. I'd never seen such a strange beast before, and I didn't know what to make of it, but whether it wanted to or not, it would become my ticket to a high stealth level.