Accidental Healer

A gentle nudging on my arm tugs me out of blissful darkness.

Stubbornly I cling to sleep, but the prodding continues—more insistent each time. Then, without warning, something yanks my leather jacket.

"Hey!" I yelp, jolting upright. "What the hell—?!"

The first thing I see is Mischief's wide, whiskered face, practically filling my entire vision.

If a giant cat could smirk, he's definitely doing it. My heart slams against my ribs.

"Gah!" I scramble back, hand over my heart, pulse is racing.

Mischief lets out a weird snorting noise—almost like laughter. It's unsettling. And kind of endearing.

But that's not the only change. He's bigger. A lot bigger.

His shoulders are broader, his tail thicker, his frame more defined. At least twenty or thirty extra pounds of pure muscle.

I rub my temples, trying to process it.

"Uh… good morning. You've changed."

I run a hand over my face. Then my arms. Do I feel stronger? Oh yeah. Bigger? …No

I got a massive boost from titles and stats. But Mischief? He's evolving in a completely different way. Honestly, it's kind of bullshit.

Mischief bobs his head, then glances toward the open field.

Taking the hint, I check the interface ticking away in my vision.

Taking the hint? From a mountain lion? Am I really sure I am awake?

[1 Minute Until Wave 5 (Stage 2).]

I fiddle with my hair. "So you know it's almost time?"

There was plenty of evidence to indicate Mischief was seeing the system notifications. Him waking me up as the time ticked closer also indicated that he had at least a rudimentary understanding of whatever he was seeing.

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Was it possible that stats or possibly even mana helped Mischief change in more ways than just physically?

When I stood over him with my club I had seen it. There was a light, a spark of intelligence. I studied those same eyes now. They were the same deep amber…but there was something else.

Was it possible?

"Can you understand me?"

My intelligence stat had grown from one, all the way past fifty. Did I feel any smarter? Not really, from what I could tell it only really affected mana and spell power.

Logically it should be the same for Mischief. But then logic flies out the window—

Mischief nods. My pulse spikes. Who the hell taught him the meaning of a nod?

But seeing him confirm it—even in such a simple way—sends my thoughts racing.

He's not just driven by his primal animal brain. He's aware.

I should be even more shocked by this revelation, a cat that understands words? What did this mean for the other animals around the world?

I really am incredibly shocked. But with everything else that's happened? How could I really be that surprised? The rules I had grown up with had changed.

"How—when?" This was so interesting to me. "Was this a system reward or some function of the intelligence stat? No, I already ruled that out." Mischief tilts his head but doesn't respond.

For a second I wait. Then it dawns on me.

"Got it," I murmured. "You can understand me, but you can't talk back can you? Or maybe you don't know how."

Another nod. At least he figured that part out. I try to smile, but there's an edge to it now.

"You know, I have so many more questions."

-

I shake my head, and push myself to my feet dusting myself off. This is a lot to wake up to.

Not that I'm complaining—a way to communicate with Mischief, even if it's just one-way, is a massive upgrade.

"I'd love to dig into what all this means," I say, rolling my shoulders, "but first, we need to survive this wave. Sound good?"

Mischief indicates his understanding. I swing my club a few times, warming up.

Then, just for fun, I test my leg strength—a casual warm-up jump. Bad idea.

My muscles bunch and expand pushing me off the ground—and suddenly, I'm ten feet in the air.

My brain barely registers the movement before I start plummeting.

I twist mid-air, arms pinwheeling before I crash flat on my back with a solid oof.

Mischief lets out another snort. I bounce back up instantly. The fall didn't hurt, not even a little—but my pride is another story.

I dust myself off, pretending nothing happened.

"If we survive this, I'm erasing that from history."

Mischief just stares, unimpressed.