Speed Is King

Chapter 7

[Beast Grade refers to the beast’s rarity in comparison to the rest of the world.]

[Bloodline points to the Beast Ancestor its skills, power and form is derived from.]

“So Ellie is a descendant of the Black Bear Emperor. Why is there an “inactive” next to its bloodline?”

[The Black Bear Emperor’s blood has been diluted to the extreme within Ellie. However, it is still luckier than most as not all beasts are born with a trace of their Ancestor’s bloodline like her.]

[Evolution Pathways are the different evolutions that the beast can undergo based on the evolution catalyst ingested. Most beasts will be eligible for evolution once they reach a certain level.]

“Uhh’¦ That sounds suspiciously similar to a beast catching game that was popular a long time ago. What was its name again’¦ Pocket Beasts? Anyway. How do I activate her bloodline?”

[She will need to consume the blood of other beasts with the same bloodline.]

Elliot nodded. That seemed simple enough. He will scour the forests for more black bears and slaughter them for Ellie.

At that moment, the wolves finally returned with a few rabbits, squirrels and a weird looking kitten. Elliot immediately motioned for the kitten to be released.

“A Red Lynx kitten!” Elliot cried out in pleasant surprise. It was something that his sisters had professed to like. In fact, they had always talked about wanting to tame one for a pet. If he could tame it, he would be able to make their wishes come true!

“Well done!” Elliot praised the wolf who brought the Red Lynx kitten. It wagged its tail happily.

Elliot approached the Red Lynx kitten slowly. It hissed and swished its tail as well. But as a member of the cat family, swishing its tail signified anger, not happiness. He got 10 XP after reading up on that earlier on, so he knew it to be true.

Its claws were fully extended and ready to deal damage.

GRRRR!

All nine wolves growled menacingly at the Red Lynx kitten. Although it was extremely small, it didn’t seem to be afraid at all.

Elliot gestured for the wolves to calm down and moved even closer to the Red Lynx kitten.

However, Elliot’s fast reflexes allowed him to dodge at the last second and his left hand struck out quickly, grabbing the kitten by the back of its neck.

“MEOWWWWW!!” The Red Lynx kitten meowed and hissed in defiance. It brandished its claws angrily but to no avail.

“Sorry for this!” Elliot said as he quickly made a small cut on one of the kitten’s paws. He then dropped his knife and grabbed the paw, allowing the claws to puncture his skin and draw blood.

As soon as his blood touched the kitten’s, the private mind space descended once more and the kitten’s stats appeared before him.

Beast Type: Red Lynx Kitten

Beast Name: Not Available

Gender: Female

Beast Level: 1

Beast Power Level: 1

Beast Grade: Epic

Beast Bloodline: Primal Feline

Beast Physical Status: Healthy

Beast Emotional Status: Completely pissed-off

Hobby: Hunting

Evolution Pathways: 2

Skills:

Level 1 Stealth – Able to avoid being sensed by living beings beyond a 5 meter radius.

Level 1 Slash – Deal 50% more slash damage.

Level 1 Pounce – 50% faster pounce speed.

AI Comments: An extremely rare beast born with activated Primal Feline bloodline. Its stealth skill is one of a kind and it has an extremely quick pounce and powerful slash attack. Has the potential to reach the very top of the food chain.

Unlike Ellie before who was rather eloquent as a beast, this Red Lynx Kitten did not speak much. Instead, Elliot felt a jumble of emotions assaulting him.

ANGER!

INDIGNANCE!

AGGRESSION!

ATTACK!

SCRATCH!

“Relax kitty. I mean you no harm.” Elliot said soothingly to the kitten.

RELAX?

BITE!

SCRATCH!

SLASH!

The Red Lynx kitten hissed and tried to squirm its way around Elliot’s hand. But Elliot maintained a firm grip. If he allowed the kitten to turn around, he would have a badly scratched hand within seconds.

“Do you want to sign a contract with me? If you do, you’ll get a constant supply of food.” Elliot asked.

As the details of the contract flooded both their minds, Elliot pushed the concept of food strongly forward and tried to get the kitten’s attention using it.

“Food! Do you want FOOD? Look rabbits! Squirrels! They are all for you if you sign the contract!” Elliot tempted the kitten.

RABBIT!

SQUIRREL!

Hungry. Need rabbit. Need squirrel!!

“Yes. They are all yours. IF you sign the contract. Do you want the rabbit? Do you want the squirrel? Sign the contract first!” Elliot said in a soothing voice.

Contract?

SIGN! SIGN!

Need rabbit! Need squirrel!

Immediately, the mind space shrunk and settled next to Ellie’s at the back of his mind.

[Red Lynx Kitten successfully tamed.]

[200 XP gained.]

[Assign a name for the Red Lynx Kitten?]

“Hmmm. Red Lynx’¦ Let’s call it Rex!”

[Acknowledged.]

After the contract was successfully signed, Elliot let go of Rex and it immediately went for the rabbits and squirrels. It displayed no fear at all as it approached the wolves.

“RABBIT! SQUIRREL! MINE!” It hissed at the wolves.

Elliot chuckled at Rex’s lack of fear and instructed the wolves to cripple the rabbits and squirrels before releasing them.

Rex pounced at the nearest rabbit, broke its neck with a single powerful bite and then trotted back to Elliot with the rabbit in tow.

Master? Rabbit?

It laid the rabbit down at Elliot’s feet as a mini offering.

Elliot was touched. “No thank you Rex. You can eat all of the rabbits and squirrels.” He knelt down and scratched Rex’s head lightly.

Being an orphan living in a merciless society, it had been a long time since someone gave him a gift out of pure sincerity like Rex just did. Even though Ellie and Rex were merely his first two practice attempts to tame beasts, he decided deep in his heart that they would accompany him for the rest of his journey.

Little did he know that his decision that day would eventually lead to the rise and utter domination of the two Beasts that struck fear in the hearts of all the other beasts, fugitives and survivors in the world.

Monsters flee when they sensed Rex and Ellie’s aura, alien fugitives and human survivors shuddered at the mention of their names. Names which they rarely used anymore after they spilt rivers of blood in battle after battle.

The rest of the world never called them Rex and Ellie.

Instead, they called the two of them Death and Destruction.

Apt.. Very apt indeed.