Return to the Tribe
Xing Lei stood still watching the tiger turn and leap at him, the large feline could easily swat him dead with a casual swipe... if he allowed it to. Rather than just standing there, Xing Lei twisted his body, ducking under the tigers leaping body. His two hands darted out striking key points along the beasts underside, while a few of these spots made his fingers ache, the majority instead affected the forest Lord. It's great eyes widening in shock as its prey went beneath its body and started touching it. as it flew past, these touches made its body erupt in pain and rather than deftly landing and continuing its hunt, the great beast stumbled, its front legs turning numb and unresponsive to its desires.
Collapsing with a yowl of pain the great forest Lord struggled to right itself, to get its legs to respond to its desire to swipe away that pest that even now leapt upon its majestic form continuing to poke and prod. While each touch didn't stab its hide and flesh like claw or tooth, each sent a new wave of pain through its body. With a pain filled cry full of unwillingness, the great tiger slumped to one side, its chest struggling to bring in a breath as the body shuddered in a new found sense of fear. Weakly it raised its head to glare at the little prey, its eyes staring at the blurry outline of this little thing that should have rightly went into its belly. It watched as those dangerous hands darted around its face then darkness descended and the forest lord knew no more.
Xing Lei himself collapsed by the carcass of the tiger, his hands throbbed painfully. Acupuncture wasn't an overly complicated skill, it provided great benefits when applied skillfully to the body but when weaponized, it was as deadly as any blade. It had taken him a few tries to find a few of the points, but after numbing its fore legs he then proceeded to disable its hind legs and lungs. At the end he used a cultivation technique, to sever the brain from the body, but without the proper cultivation his hands felt ready to shatter.
Still he couldn't slack, if he guessed Fleets nature at least she would follow after to see if her charge would survive and he needed to make the tigers death a little easier to believe. A lucky stab with an improv spear should do the trick... As he forced his hands to start working on a crude spear to stab into the beasts heart a familiar hazy window appeared before his eyes...
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Dull Scale (Xing Lei) Has gained 1 level.
Dull Scale (Xing Lei) Has gained 1 level.
Dull Scale.....
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Xing Lei blinked, his motions stopping as he head the prompt, killing the forest Lord seemed to have granted him an unexpected boon, he wasn't too sure what additional levels would do for him so he turned to his status window.
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Name: Xing Lei (Dull Scale)
Gender: Male
Race: Kobold (Variant)
Level: 5
Job: Soul Traveller Rank: Mithril
Title: Slayer of the Forest Lord
Strength: 3 Dexterity: 3
Constitution: 3 Intelligence: 15
Wisdom: 18 Charisma: 14
Charm: 15 Luck: 10
Innate Abilities: Varied Voice (Supreme) Rank: Mithril, Alchemy Flame (Basic) Rank: Copper, Inspection (Basic) Rank: Copper
Skills: Alchemy (Basic) Rank: Copper, Crimson Mountain Sects Body Tempering (Basic) Rank: -, [Sealed], [Sealed], [Sealed], [Sealed], Herbology (Basic) Rank: Copper, Cloud Dragons Spear Technique (Basic) Rank: Bronze, Weapon Crafting (Basic) Rank: Copper
Unspent Attribute Points: 8
Weapon Crafting - Basic weapon making, usually for field or extreme low tier weapons.
Slayer of the Forest Lord - Have killed the dire tiger ruling a forest, grant's Absolute Direction Sense(Forest) & Forest Lord's Majesty.
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Xing Lei scratched his head, it seemed like killing the forest Lord allowed his level to raise and granted him some points and a title. The preparation of the crude spear in his hands also gave him a basic crafting skill. Oddly enough his technique use didn't add anything to his status, though he guessed it was due to using it before the required cultivation was achieved, it could be forced but the backlash was painful.
Looking to his new title it seemed to not do anything but when he focused on it, it gave him further information. It seems this title in particular benefitted him in two ways. The first was Absolute Direction Sense in the forest, this would seem to mean while in the tigers former domain it was impossible for him to get lost. As for the other benefit, Forest Lords Majesty, amongst the beasts of the forest he would be seen as if he was the tiger itself, lesser predators would shy away from his presence while prey species would either directly flee or freeze up much as the deer had.
Xing Lee then turned to the unspent points, if he read it right these points could be added to his basic stats, this leveling seemed to explain why the Cheiftan and Great Shaman had higher stats, they were higher level! Thinking for a bit he willed these extra points to dive themselves between Strength, Dexterity and Constitution. A ratio of 2-3-3, would see his speed and health improve, while strength was important he had a cultivation practice that should greatly enhance this one naturally.
Nodding in satisfaction he shifted the spear and dug it into the tigers chest, pushing at a tricky angle to give more belief that he had had a lucky strike in desperation versus the beast. With his job done he shifted to one side and sat back, with this new sense he could tell Fleet was on her way but there was also another with her. When Fleet charged into the clearing so too did Leaf. The pair stared slack jawed at him as he rested against the furred carcass.
Fleet Spear looked from Xing to the tiger and back again, her hand lifted pointing at the beasts body, "How the hells...?"
Xing Lei shrugged glancing to Lear Dancer behind Fleet Spear, the latter gave a nod before he answered, "Lucky strike, it leapt at me, I set my spear and now we have tiger meat for the rest of the week."
Fleet glanced over the carcass and shook her head, Leaf Dancer was looking excitedly at the prospect of eating the Lord of the Forest. Then she tilted her head, "How we get it home?"
Tilting his head, Xing Lei gave a slow smile, lifting a finger to his mouth to shush Fleet Spear, before announcing loudly, "My kill, me get it home, none call me Dull Scale again."
A cold grunt came from the side as Grull and the bootlicker Whisperer crashed into the clearing, the angry looking Grull stomped over to the carcass slamming his club against the skull, "Dull Scale lie, this Grull kill, any have doubts?!"
Whisperer of course began genuflecting over Grulls prowess as the brute of a kobold glared at Xing Lei, that look got a simple shrug, "Fine Grull kill, Dull Scale take part of Fleet Foot, better?"
Grull smiled and snorted, "Indeed Dull Scale not stupid, you know place." Grinning that he got to steal another's prime kill he moved over to set his muscles to dragging the tiger corpse away, Whisperer was glaring at Xing Lei, disappointed that the new blood wasn't going to get thumped by Grull.
Fleet Spear frowned waiting for the pair to move off before looking to him, "Did not take you for a coward Zing Lee, I am disappointed."
Xing Lei grinned slightly, "Why fight over kill claim out here? Let's go grab the deer corpse and we can challenge Grull back at the tribe when both kills are home. We do such now we don't have that muscle brained idiot to do our heavy lifting."
Leaf Dancer had been frowning as well when he started explaining but broke into a soft giggle, glancing to the shocked look on Fleet Spears face, "Careful Fleet, this new blood is not only lucky but seems to be quite smart, you might have a challenger for hunt leader after all." Being glared at by Fleet the smaller kobold gave another look at Xing Lei and waved, "Come on smart blood, let's get the other kill and catch up."
A few hours past and the sun was quick to set, dropping the forest into an eerie twilight, the hunters on guard duty looked anxiously into the woods, the hunting group should be back by now. With a rustle of foliage, the guards breathed easier as Leaf Dancer and Fleet Spear broke through the forest edge but this relief turned into curiosity as the pair stood aside revealing the new blood with a bloody carcass of the Fleet Foot slung over his shoulders. The guards whooped and moved to help when a collective look of shock swept their faces, jaws hanging open they saw Grull and Whisperer staggering in behind, half carrying, half dragging the huge green tiger corpse.
Grull seeing the other hunters coming lifted a fist and gave a roar of dominance, Whisperer of course was quick to start giving praise to the bullshit story of how Grull killed the lord of the Forest, while the three in the lead shook their heads and continued on guiding Xing Lei to where the cooks and butchers were, leaving the deer with them the trio avoided the wild celebration in honor of Grull, Gruck was also over there looking wary at his son while the Great Shaman gave her blessing to the 'strongest of hunters'.
Leading Xing and Leaf to her tent she sighed and stretched, "Will you challenge Grull at the feast Zing Lee?"
Xing Lei shook his head, which surprised Leaf but didnt seem to faze Fleet, "Not yet, I'm not strong enough. Even if I do beat Grull, Gruck is extra wary, especially with Great Shaman showing favor to the best hunter. While he can tolerate Grulls prowess, a new blood with such strength would ultimately break your initial rules. For now I'll get stronger, conduct my own hunts and in due time reclaim my honor from Grull."
Leaf Dancer blinked, "You like thinking ahead, are you trying to become a shaman too?"
Xing Lei shook his head, "Not interested in the Great Shamans whims, I like it here, the company is better."
Fleet Spear chuckled watching a ruddy hue erupt on Leaf Dancers facial scales, "Its good to see you aren't truly a Dull Scale, at the very least when you get your first personal kill we can ask to have your named changed. For now go rest..." Glancing to Leaf her eyes looked to Xing, "And remember my rules for the living hut."
Leaf Dancer, now fully blushing at having her private thoughts unabashedly revealed, fled the tent while Xing Lei shook his head, while he was getting use to being a kobold he wasn't quite there yet for understanding beauty in the race, besides of the pair if he had to pick, the strong Fleet Spear would be more in his sights than the giggly Leaf Dancer. With that being said he shrugged and slipped out of the tent, before Leaf could ambush him he slipped off himself to one of the living huts and settled down to cultivate, with the successful hunt of the lord of the forest he felt like a breakthrough could be achieved.
Settling in he focused and began cultivating tuning out the wild party echoing from the cave village. As time dragged on weary hunters began returning to find their rest. Amongst them was a rather put out Leaf Dancer who glared at the silent Dull scale then rolled over with her back to him muttering, "Stupid Dull Scale can't read mood."
If he had been listening he would shake his head, he knew full well what the female wanted but at the moment he was still thinking as a human, while she wasn't ugly she was still outside his spectrum of beauty, and attractiveness based on strength she fell far short of Fleet Spear. Xing Lei however was deep into his meditation, unseen by the naked eye his smooth scales became even more fine, the grey-black hue becoming a little more lustrous as further impurities were pushed out along the ridges.
Rising and stretching he glanced over the living hut crowded with sleeping hunters before slipping out, he felt uncomfortable and dirty so went to look for a way to wash off his body.