Chapter 78: Chapter 76: Cheering Up the Sick

Master Taba, will you please stop picking over my fur? I’m FINE.

He fusses over me, despite our past differences. “That scorpion did not get you, did it?”

I give a little “mrrrp” in response.

“He gained experience for beating the scorpion,” Maartenwitz drawls. “A whole bunch. They all did. That was impressive.”

Of course Maartenwitz has the figures.

Master Taba grunts. “Level Four jaguar-scorpion?”

Maartenwitz drawls out the words. “Level Five.”

Master Taba doesn’t speak for a moment. Then, “Well. You see something new every day.”

Hmmm. Maybe I misjudged him. Or maybe he softened up a bit thanks to our scorpion fight.

From his bed nearby, Lamant smiles faintly. “This is most entertaining.”

Hmph. Lamant, I will give you a pass because of your condition. But in future, watching me get poked and prodded is hardly entertainment.

[Don’t be too hard on him.]

System, ever vigilant, has assumed the role of conscience, substitute parent, and big sister all rolled into one. And the worst part? I like it.

I’m not trying to be hard on him. Honest. I’m just feeling this twinge of pain where Master Taba poked me. Right in my tail.

[You didn’t see it, but the jaguar-scorpion was close to hitting your tail.]

Oh.

When? Peridot had that thing locked down.

[Yes, she did. But his tail went wild when you blinded him.]

OH.

That near miss that Demos saved me from. Is he hurt?

[Demos is fine. He’s the senior beast, so he’s taking the victory lap for all of you.]

Glancing over at Demos, I see him with Gussie tucked under one paw on Lamant’s bed. He sprawls over Lamant, who seems happy to have a furry blanket. Honestly, that looks comfortable, and I’m running on fumes after today.

I still have so many questions, though.

[There are always questions.]

Where did that creature come from? Was it just an in-game surprise? It certainly wasn’t teased.

[That’s the definition of an in-game surprise. A jack-in-the-box, if you will. It keeps you from getting bored.]

Bored? Lamant and Gussie got poisoned. How could I be bored?

[I mean if it turned out that it was some scheming servant or ex-Lady Rosabel behind the poisoning. That’s too predictable.]

I offer a “mrrrp” in response. I’m stewing over this surprise, even though fighting the creature was exhilarating. But Kaline…she was genuinely frightened.

System, the scorpion was a Level 5 creature. You don’t go up against opponents who are so much stronger than you, unless you want to annoy the players.

[The scorpion was a NPC, so don’t worry.]

Oh, that makes sense. He didn’t seem to have a master.

[No indeed. He was his own master. And now, because you insist on having everything laid out for you…Find out why the jaguar-scorpion got into the secret room and stop it from happening again with another foe. +5 XP]

Thank you, System. I don’t mind surprises, but just don’t spring a Final Boss on me yet.

[Wouldn’t dream of it. And now, I think Lamant needs cheering up.]

Master Taba yelps when I Super Jump down from the examining table and make my way to Lamant’s bed in the Healing Wing. “Now see here, I didn’t say you could go…”

“I need him,” Lamant says lazily. “For as long as I’m expected to be a patient in this wing. Although, mind you, I wouldn’t say no to my own bed with my own things and my slippers right there. Oh, to be in my own comfortable room.”

“You just wait until the antidote is concocted,” Master Taba scolds. “A jaguar-scorpion has a particularly insidious sting. Its venom, like most of these poisonous creatures, is a paralytic. That explains why you were frozen when you were found. Do you recall what happened?”

Lamant has more color in his cheeks, and a stronger constitution than anyone ever expected. “I was sitting…yes, sitting, working at my desk, with my usual spiced cider. I focused on the formulas I was creating. A new Beast Endurance Formula for the tournament. Of course, that led to me needing to check the tournament rules and the list of allowed potions and pills and elixirs. It changes so often.”

Kaline, nearby, still looks pale, even after beating the scorpion. What a triumph! Yet she doesn’t look triumphant. Her lip trembles. That blasted jaguar-scorpion. I don’t wish death on anyone as a rule, but I am happy it’s dead.

It hits me.

The jaguar-scorpion is the first living thing I’ve killed since I was reincarnated. I didn’t even kill the goblins who captured me. However, Kasz let me go when Kaline refused to back down. He even told her to take care of me.

We had no such dialogue with the jaguar-scorpion. He didn’t want understanding or compassion. He wanted annihilation. You can’t reason with something like that.

And if I had to do it over again, I’d help bring him down. He would have killed us all.

I stare at Kaline. [It’s going to be fine.]

[Just take care of Father.]

Oh. She is not fine. This is the first creature she’s killed, I’m sure of it.

Vedette puts an arm around her. “Kaline, why don’t we get a cold drink?”

Kaline shakes her head, her eyes on her father.

“Sweetheart,” Lamant begins.

“NO.” Kaline crosses her arms. “I want to hear what happened. Just tell me.”

With a pained look because his daughter is hurting, Lamant continues. “I didn’t hear it opening, the door you said you found in the wall. I suppose I should have been more aware of my surroundings. You know how I am when I’m locked into my work. I didn’t even see anything until a shadow fell over me. A rather pale, ghostly shadow.”

Kaline makes a tiny sound. She smells tired. All of this has taken so much out of her. She needs to rest. I mean to see that she gets rest as soon as possible. Vedette taking her for that cold drink would be just the thing, but my stubborn Kaline won’t budge.

Lamant softens, seeing his daughter’s distress. “I felt something. Almost like a pinprick. Then I don’t remember anything else until I woke up here. Say, did I hear that Blaze gained several points? He must have done. The others, too.”

[I like to hear him talk.]

Gussie’s sleepy voice echoes in our minds. Demos and I surround her. Disheveled, her feathers not as perfect as they normally are, and her body feeling so small suddenly, she is still suffering from the poison, but she seems a bit more alert.

We need to cheer her up, big time. System? Maartenwitz?

[Prompting Maartenwitz in 3…2…1…]

Maartenwitz stands up straight. “We do have some improved scores that will feature, no doubt, at the next town score update for our tournament champions.”

[Name: [Blaze]

[Class: [Journeyman]

[Race: [Common Tiger

[Level: 3/10 [XP 45/100 STATUS: Full

[HP: 6/6 [MP: 0/0 [Stamina 100/100

[Strength: 34

[Defense: 30

[Magic: 28

[Resistance: 19

[Speed: 28

[Charisma: 46

[Luck: 35

[Skills: [Bite (Attack Skill] [Pounce (Attack Skill)] [Sprint (Skill)] [Camouflage (Skilll) [Escape Power (Skill){Divine Vision/(Skill)[Telepathy](Skill)[Super Jump (Skill)]

________________________

My fellow beasts cheer for me. I’m halfway to a new level! Their happiness and love and support mean more to me than any award. And I am NOT getting all sappy and mushy.

_______________________

[Name: [Demos]

[Class: [Journeyman]

[Race: [Common Brown Bear]

[Level: 4/10 [XP 100/100 STATUS: Full

[HP: 6/6 [MP: 0/0 [Stamina 100/100

[Strength: 41

[Defense: 38

[Magic: 32

[Resistance: 36

[Speed: 38

[Charisma: 45

[Luck: 38

[Skills: [Bite (Attack Skill] [Pounce (Attack Skill)] [Sprint (Skill)] [Camouflage (Skilll) [Escape Power (Skill) [Telepathy(Skill)]

___________

Yay! Demos leveled up! I nuzzle against him. I knew he could do it. He is relentless in pursuit of excellence, and more than that, the biggest heart in the world despite his bossiness.

____________

[Name: [Gussie]

[Class: [Novice]

[Race: [Tropical Parrot

[Level: 1/10 [XP 50/100 STATUS: Full

[HP: 6/6 [MP: 0/0 [Stamina 100/100

[Strength: 10

[Defense: 8

[Magic: 8

[Resistance: 7

[Speed: 9

[Charisma: 12

[Luck: 8

[Skills: [Bite (Attack Skill] [Fly (Attack Skill)] [Speak (Skill)] [Camouflage (Skilll) [Telepathy(Skill Not Yet Achieved)]

______________

Gussie is moving up, too! She’s the smallest of us, but she’s also the heart of our little beast family. Take that, jaguar-scorpion!

_____________

[Name: [Lobo]

[Class: [Journeyman]

[Race: [Common Wolf]

[Level:

4/10 [XP 0/100 STATUS: Full

[HP: 6/6 [MP: 0/0 [Stamina 100/100

[Strength: 40

[Defense: 36

[Magic: 31

[Resistance: 28

[Speed: 40

[Charisma: 50

[Luck: 40

[Skills: [Bite (Attack Skill] [Pounce (Attack Skill)] [Sprint (Skill)] [Camouflage (Skilll) [Escape Power (Skill) [Telepathy(Skill)]

__________________

Lobo leveled up! We all cheer. It’s not a competition with us. Well, only in the sense of friendly competition and encouraging each other to improve, because we know we can. We just beat a Level 5 jaguar-scorpion together!

___________________

[Name: Peridot

[Class: Novice

[Race: Flying Jungle Snake

[Level: 1/10 [XP 15/100 STATUS: Full

[HP: 6/6 [MP: 0/0 [Stamina 100/100

[Strength: 3

[Defense: 3

[Magic: 2

[Resistance: 2

[Speed: 2

[Charisma: 4

[Luck: 3

[Skills: [Bite (Attack Skill] [Crush (Attack Skill)] [Flying (Skill)] [Camouflage (Skill]

________________

With Peridot, the family is complete. Niall is so proud that his hair looks extra wild. And Lamant has definitely cheered up. “Can I get out of here now?”

Niall’s helpers rush in. “We have the antidote! But will it work?”

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