Kael moved carefully, Mara moving beside him, they were both quiet as they walked towards the forest.
His first target was a bristlehog, a D-rank lesser beast rooting near a stream.
Now, they had the advantage, they had sighted it first. Unlike the previous times when the beasts saw them first and attacked even before Kael or Mara could notice, the duo had learned a lot from their few visits to the forest and encounter with danger.
They had quietened a lot, Mara walked a lot more silently now, Kael was more brave now, he didn't panic at the slightest sound or rustle of leaves.
Slowly, they approached the beast, moving silently towards it, Mara's hunter instincts kicking in.
Its spines quivered as Mara circled, watching the beast intently.
Kael crouched low, his breath completely still. He was behind a fern.
"Now!"
The sound startled the beast and it immediately swung around, but it's assailants had the element of surprise with them.
Mara lunged, growling as it bared it's teeth, opening its mouth wide in attack.
Mara closed her teeth around its side, biting with all her might.
The hog squealed, swinging itself violently as it tried to knock the Ashfox away.
However, it was fighting against two people.
Kael focused, raising his hand as he pointed at the hog.
"Inferno Spark!"
A fist-sized flame burst from his palm, flying towards the hog at light speed.
It connected cleanly, burning into the hog's body. The hog groaned, shaking in pain.
It wasn't much, but it caused pain, and it did quite well to startle the beast, giving Mara time to dodge and bite again.
The fight was a lot more coordinated than the last fight that Mara and Kael had partaken in. The both of them were working together now, working to achieve one purpose.
Mara bit onto the hog's neck, trying to execute it's killer move. But this hog was sturdier than the other beasts, it moved relentlessly, dragging Mara alongside it.
Mara's grasp on its neck slowly loosened as blood poured from its neck, Mara growling.
Kael gritted his teeth as he wiped the sweat that had formed around his neck away, then he moved closer, jumping on the hog.
He placed his hand on its head, directly shooting bursts of flame into its head.
Even if his fire was weak, it was certainly enough to burn out the beast, from such a close range.
Finally, the beast dropped dead. Blood seeping out from its neck, while it's head was burnt black.
A chime rang in Kael's head:
Ding! Bristlehog defeated. +50 XP. The System's voice was crisp, almost smug. Kael wiped sweat from his brow, grinning at Mara.
"Good girl."
They hunted for hours—two more bristlehogs, a pair of skitterclaws, even a lone ashviper that nearly bit Mara before Kael's spark hit its tail.
Each kill pushed him closer, the System tallying XP like a merchant counting coins.
By noon, his interface blinked:
Ding!
Level 8 achieved. +20 HP, +20 SP, +5 STR, +5 AGI. His Inferno Spark felt hotter now, its flames coiling tighter, less like a flicker and more like a proper blast.
He could feel his body strengthening, Mara panted beside him, her fur was streaked with dirt but her eyes were bright.
Kael checked her stats: Bond Sync: 25%. Better, but still shaky.
Then a new tab caught his eye: [Tag Ability Unlocked]. He tapped it, curious, and a blur of information floated on the screen in front of him, he inhaled, patiently reading through it:
Tag (Active): Swap positions with your bonded beast within 50 meters. Cooldown: 60 seconds. Cost: 15 SP.
Kael's brows shot up. Swap places? That could change everything—dodge attacks, flank enemies, save Mara if she ever got cornered.
He itched to test it already, but he needed to be more patient. Something else grabbed him: a glowing option under Mara's profile.
[Evolve Beast].
His heart skipped. He didn't need to be told what it meant.
"Mara, you ready for this?" he asked, scratching her ears. She yipped, like she knew.
He tapped the option, and the System hummed, mana swirling around Mara in a faint vortex.
Evolution in progress… Her fur shimmered, gray ash darkening to a smoky charcoal, flecked with red embers that pulsed like dying coals.
Her eyes burned brighter, gold now, with slits sharp as blades. Her frame grew sleeker, muscles taut, and her tail split—not fully, but a second stub flickered, hinting at what was to come. Her claws glinted, longer, sharper and curved like tiny scythes, and even her teeth carried a faint heat.
Ding! Evolution successful. Ashfox (Mara) → Emberfox (C-rank Greater Beast). The interface updated: +20 HP, +15 SP, +2 STR, +3 AGI, +1 INT.
New Trait: Ember Pulse – Mara's attacks carry residual heat, causing minor burn damage over time. Kael stared, awestruck. Mara wasn't just bigger—she was fierce, a predator now, not a scavenger.
She was a C-rank level beast now.
She nuzzled him, and he laughed, feeling the warmth of her fur. "Look at you, now. You're a monster."
Mara wagged her tail, jumping slightly as she ran round in circles, as if loving the title.
****