Rise of Tyrus

Restlessness overtook Tyrus on the second day of residing in Wildwood, as he replayed the events in his mind. The fact that he was potentially a member of a prestigious family left a sour taste on his tongue; he didn’t like the idea of being left behind like a defective toy. It gave the impression that they were evil people, and he might’ve been born of those same people.

After musing for some time, he was quickly overcome by exhaustion like a rampaging horse. He didn't envision anything particularly remarkable, just the customary daydreams he longed for. Afterward, as his slumber ended, he awoke with the usual ache all over his body.

His neck was rigid, and his limbs felt as if they were being repeatedly punctured with knives. Without delay, he implemented Healing Touch and augmentation to alleviate the pain. The former did nothing while augmentation eased it somewhat, but he stopped it soon after since he was wasting mana.

Tyrus would lay there in silence, waiting until his neck was feeling alright. In the meantime, he would use fire magic on his left hand and continue to let it burn while lightning was used on the right. Before his mana would empty, he’d stop before the nausea set in. Following that, he would meditate and restore his mana when the neck pain subsided.

Later, the customary morning habit of informing Elder Treant of his departure, hunting for food, and washing in a nearby brook would begin. Tyrus would hunt small rodents like the horned squirrels or gray rabbits instead of the big game like boars or deer. Eating a large meal before his workout would slow him down and make it difficult to digest the food. Walking around with a bloated belly during rock spider hunting would be a life-threatening situation for him. Only when his work was finished for the day would he eat more.

He returned to the nest once everything was said and done. On his journey, he waved at some fairies and water nymphs frolicking in crystalline waters. They gestured a wave and a radiant smile towards him, which he reciprocated with a nod. Continuing his trek, he saw lesser hounds and animals rushing through the woods. As usual, they paid him no heed, their focus set on their own well-being.

Soon, Tyrus arrived at the nest. Waiting for him at the entrance was Meadow. Without much inspection, he noticed no rock spiders or living creatures, implying that the treants had done their duty.

Since none of them had the strength to move them, Tyrus had to ask the treants for help last night. When he found a group of them with the help of Meadow, they were instantly on board with the idea and decided to help him out from now on. He had himself a reliable system going on that he felt proud of.

With all things set in order and no irregularities to speak of, Tyrus started the third day of the hunt. Similar to the previous occasion, Meadow remained behind as he proceeded towards the spider's lair. It was the same as usual with the darkness and musk. As he approached the region of many passages and small precipices, he noticed the rock spiders.

In typical fashion, they were either idle or scurrying by with their haunting forms. What he also noticed was that there were relatively fewer than yesterday. Either he and Meadow hunted a lot more than they thought, or the nest was small. Tyrus shrugged it off and got to business. He quickly located an isolated rock spider nestled on top of a heap of webs. Like last time, he brought forth a tendril of energy and coerced the spider into following it.

It tracked the bait as expected and headed towards the entrance where it faced a barrage of roots and magic. A series of swift thrusts in its exposed head were enough to kill the beast. Once the mana core had been extracted and absorbed, Tyrus would enter a state of meditation, with Meadow acting as the lookout. The process would repeat itself until sunset after he finished.

As soon as the treants arrived to dispose of the corpses, Tyrus expressed his gratitude and left them to their work while he and Meadow headed to clean up. The fairy went ahead while Tyrus searched for food, which he found in the shape of a typical boar.

He dispatched it effortlessly, using only his speed and dagger. The next step involved making an incision in its abdominal area and letting the blood drain out. Then came the skinning of its legs and storing it for later use. The storage ring weighed almost as much as a mug; he’d have to check its contents later. It was definitely on the verge of maxing out its space.

Having finished with the corpse, Tyrus left it for the wolves and proceeded to a nearby pond to clean up. During his bath, he would look at the gleaming water with a vacant stare. His primary thought was not training, it was the Beast Transformation.

It was quite appalling that he’d been using an imperfect form the entire time. In order to use full body transformation, it would require him to acknowledge and accept himself. Being aware of his identity as a black tiger and having already accepted it, there was no trouble for him. Though he felt out of place because of his Beastfolk lineage, it was a truth he couldn't change. Sucking it up and soldiering on through was all he could do.

Ah, maybe that’s why I haven’t tapped into this ‘full body transformation’... if it even exists. Is it because I’m too nervous to show myself to others that I can’t use the form? That could be it, but I still want to limit my identity as much as possible. The wrong people would see a weak, lonely kid like me walking around and think of me as easy prey.

Perhaps he'll travel the world in the future without concern for his identity. But to do that, becoming strong enough that only a few people could defeat him would be one of his goals.

Let’s take small steps, Tyrus thought. There was no need to rush things about Beast Transformation. Since he didn’t have solid proof that full body transformation really existed, he’d have to find out on his own, either by accomplishing it himself or somehow asking other Beastfolk or Demi-humans about it.

Furthermore, with the monthly examination looming, concentrating on his employable skills took precedence. Of course, he wouldn’t use Beast Transformation in front of others if he could help it. If a situation arises where he needs it to survive, then being forced to use it would happen. The fewer people that knew, the better.

“And since there aren’t any humans or Beastfolk around here, I’m able to show my ears no problem. My tail, on the other hand…”

Concealing his tail proved to be a formidable task as it was more conspicuous than his ears. Thankfully, it was small enough that he could tuck it away. To ensure maximum secrecy, he always had it encircled around his waist. Sometimes it would be an unruly body part and move on its own, but it was subtle. Nobody has uncovered the secret; however, that may soon alter as he interacts with others more extensively.

Using Beast Transformation more often in his hunts crossed his mind, but using it sapped his stamina like how using magic drained mana. Only in emergency situations would he use it until he built up his stamina. Given the amount of physical activity he has engaged in over the past few days, the day would soon be upon him. Maybe using Beast Transformation a lot more would have him a step closer to achieving full body.

Ah, I’ll have to get some new trousers and make a hole for my tail. When I’m all alone in the wild, I’ll use those instead.

Tyrus left the pond with a purpose and promptly used fire magic to dry himself. Prior to leaving for the sanctuary, he said his farewells to Meadow, and they went their separate ways. Their plan was to meet at the nest the next day and begin anew.

Surrounded by his musings, he had already made it to the sanctuary and was received by the view of Elder Treant conversing with another treant. Instead of the armless treant, it was someone else he didn’t recognize. In order to avoid disrupting them, Tyrus simply nodded and went to a peaceful area to practice his lightning and fire techniques once again.

Every so often, he would generate a lightning marble and concentrate on perfecting its form as it remained stationary. It required his utmost concentration to prevent the spell from becoming wobbly, but that would only last a few seconds before the mana dispersed. A prickling sensation in his head grew the longer he spent time in control.

Afterward, he’d focus on fire. When he first attained the element, it was as weak as a candle. It still was, but it was thriving. There was a noticeable intensity whenever he poured more mana into the magic; the more mana he inputted, the hotter the fire became. The size was not something he could guarantee, but he expected it to improve over time.

His magic training concluded when he cooked a boar's leg over a fire with the permission of Elder Treant. Tyrus savored each bite as his fatigue washed away with the meal. With his belly now full, he released a content sigh as he leaned against a tree. His focus shifted to his ring.

In one motion, he threw out all the items he had in his possession. Among the items are two daggers, a hilt, one shield, a meat leg, the scales, and the white orb inscribed with runes. Instantly, the ring felt as light as a feather, and Tyrus came to a conclusion; the closer it arrived at the limit, the heavier the burden. At least he knew about it before it got too crazy.

Silently, Tyrus grabbed the weird orb and surveyed it. He had totally forgotten he was lugging it around. Moreover, he still had no clue what it was. The absence of mana flow from the object indicated it wasn't a mana core. He tried to absorb it too, but it was unsuccessful. As of now, it was just a useless item. Initially, he thought about disposing of it, but ultimately decided not to. There's a chance that the item was unique, but it required an activation.

When he disclosed it to Elder Treant, the tree was just as stumped as he was. The runes scribbled on top were unreadable and the orb didn’t respond to his or Elder Treant’s mana. Even with Tyrus shooting a series of spells at it, the thing did not move, nor was there any sign of damage. After trying all the options, Tyrus left it alone and added it back to the ring with the other items.

Propped against a tree, Tyrus fixated on the sliver of the silver moon until drowsiness overtook him. Shortly thereafter, he let his body drift into a restful slumber to revitalize for tomorrow.

Little did Tyus know, the once effortless journey would take a turn for the worse. In contrast to the second and third days, four and five proved to be the most grueling periods he had ever experienced, resulting from his own decisions.