The feline monster stalked the wild boar, its sleek black fur moving over taut muscles. Its vicious long claws tore deep gouges in the earth and its cruel mouth bared, revealing rows of sharp elongated teeth. It had a short thick tail and high pointed ears like a lynx.

The tawny, spotted latter half of the feline's fur was a striking contrast to its top half that was dark as night. Its build and complexion a cross between that of a jaguar and a leopard.

Its stalking of the wild boar was not lacking in grace or ferocity, although its size was not seen as much of a threat due to the boar being equally as large.

〚Skill Aptitude Increase: 『Silence LV 1』has become『Silence LV 2』〛

Observing them from my hiding spot, the feline was locked in fierce stare down with the boar monster whose rough thick skin resembled fragments of broken rock. The hardened serrated tusks extending out of its mouth looked like they could rip through flesh as easily as butter. The tightly packed muscles rippling under its skin made it very much a formidable opponent.

The monsters gauged each other, both assessing their opponent before making their next move.

The movement of a hawk's wings created a swoosh of wind that broke through the tense air, interrupting the fierce standoff between the two enormous beasts.

It was the catalyst they both needed.

My sight was blocked by the clouds of dust as the boar charged forward ramming its tusks into the feline's neck, paralysing its vocal cords with the strike.

The feline threw up its clawed forearms in an offensive block that struck at the boar's head drawing blood. But it could not dislodge the embedded tusks, so it absorbed the blow, settling for clawing at the boar's softer underbelly in an effort to kick it away.

The boar swallowed the pain from the many open cuts, persisting to hang on to the wounded feline. Its red eyes brimming with rage as it readied its hooves by beating the ground, preparing for a second charge that would be the final blow.

The kicked up dust revealed many hidden creatures and a number of rodents who scampered out of the way, but I wasn't worried. With the combined efforts of [Stealth] and [Silence] I was undetectable. By remaining completely still, I allowed my body heat to blend with the surrounding temperature.

The hawk emerged from somewhere within the stampede, swiftly taking off in flight with the struggling body of a ferret caught in its claws. I wasn't able to get appraisal results for it due to its quick speed, so I focused on the two large beasts.

From what I could see, the feline monster had already lost. Although it had caught the boar's head in its claws and blinding one of its eyes, the tusk was still lodged in its throat and it kept bleeding out. Compared to a missing eye, the throat was more important.

I targeted the feline first, but the results of my appraisal were muddled.

__________________

LV14 Melior Aurum Panthera

Specie: Ailith Felinae

HP: ???/??? Defence: ??

MP: ???/??? Intellect: ??

SP: ???/??? Magic: ??

Attack: ??? Agility: ???

Skills:

[????? ??????: LV??] [??????: LV??]

[??????: LV??] [?????: LV??]

[???????: LV?] [????????: LV?]

[????? ????:LV??]

_____________________

The scrambled wall of text made my head hurt and a strong wave of nausea hit me.

〚Skill Aptitude Increase: 『Appraisal LV 1』has become『Appraisal LV 2』〛

Why was there a recoil? Was it because its level was too high?

"Why is the result hidden?" I questioned Sensei.

«Appraisal at low levels, only works on creatures the same level as you or lower. The only exception to this is when you appraise something already dead.»

So that was why it wasn't working. I wondered if it was worth me sticking around for one of the monsters to fall so I could appraise the corpse.

My attention returned to the fight to see the two monsters still going strong. The feline monster persevered through its wound, managing to free itself from the boar's tusk. It was now fiercely attacking the underbelly of the beast with its fangs and claws.

It would take a while before either of them completely bled out.

Occasionally I would hear the soft padding of creatures nearby and I knew it was no longer be safe to keep watching. So with [Stealth] and [Silence] fully active I made a hasty retreat.

Staying under the cover of leaves, I moved over the damp ground making as little noise as possible and soon I was able to leave the grisly fight behind.

The forest was mostly dark. Using this as cover I travelled for a time without stopping. Until I came across my first sighting of a suspicious plant that just begged to be investigated.

Growing from a blackened rotten log that had once been an enormous tree, was a colony of sporadically growing fungi. Their small brightly coloured purple domes, glowing faintly in the dark like radioactive goo, with tufts of what looked like fur growing out in strings beneath them.

I approached the log warily, staring at the mushrooms from every angle. How suspicious.

Their colour alone screamed 'danger' and the hairs swaying lightly in the breeze reminded me so much of independently squirming octopus legs.

They wouldn't choke me if I ate them right?

With that weird appearance, what if they contained hallucinogens?

I quickly appraised it before taking another step.

_______________________

Name: Fool's Silk

Specie: Filum Mortem

A small but deadly mushroom that grows in clusters on tree stumps and bark. It is particularly common on the Ailith continent. It thrives on dead and decaying, coniferous wood. It also contains poisonous toxins that when ingested will cause blood vomiting, internal damage and slow agonising death. Effects are seen 8 to 24 hours after ingestion, proceed with caution.

[Rarity: E-]

_______________________

Hah… I knew it.

Internal damage and death? What a fun combination. Would a snake really be okay if they ate this? How troubling.

Noting the appearance of trees in the vicinity to remember the location of this mushroom, I went away to find more options. Perhaps something mildly poisonous to start with, to build a tolerance. I wouldn't want to die horribly on the first try.

I searched through the area until I stumbled upon another mushroom growing in dark rich earth at the base of a tree.

This one was bright, pearly white in colour and tiny. Its purity glowed almost like a halo with its shiny round cone no bigger than a pence coin. It had no visible markings or weird things growing from it which I thought was a good sign.

It reminded me so much of white button mushrooms back on earth, although it was shiny like a pearl and much smaller. They were incredibly tasty when flame roasted with spices. Imagining what these would taste like made me drool.

I should collect some of them! I couldn't roast them right now, but if I could find some spices or salt they would still be tasty!

Sensei mentioned there was a geyser somewhere in the upper stratum. Once I found it, the possibilities were endless! Not just roasting mushrooms, I could also grill meat on the hot rocks. How wonderful!

I appraised it anyway, just in case.

______________________

Name: Angel's Chalice

Specie: Pura Patera

A pure white mushroom that grows in nutrient dense soil, particularly in broad leaved lush woodland. Beware of its harmless appearance for it contains deadly poison. Effects are seen 30 minutes after ingestion with death occurring within 2 hours.

Initial symptoms include vomiting, diarrhoea, and severe abdominal pain. Causes internal injury and multiple organ failure. Ingestion of just half a cap can lead to death.

It is often mistaken for its harmless sibling [Treus Patera]. Just a piece of Angel's Chalice in a soup made from otherwise edible species is enough to kill up to 50 people, proceed with caution.

A single mushroom spore can generate dozens overnight, making it a nuisance. It has been known to take over entire farms if left to grow unchecked. If found, it is advised to burn immediately.

[Rarity: C]

______________________

I was stunned. This innocent looking mushroom was actually a heinous killer.

Burn immediately. I would but I didn't have any fire!

Some of the mushrooms already showed signs of being eaten. How awful! I was so glad I had appraisal now. If I didn't, I would have been one of those creatures to mistake it for a harmless mushroom.

"Do you see the benefits of appraisal now?"

I couldn't resist a little jab at Sensei, who only huffed in reply. Serves him right for thinking his knowledge was 'so superior'.

I crossed this mushroom off my candidate list. Death in two hours from a single bite? No thanks!

The mushrooms so far were too problematic. Poisonous things were not isolated to just plants. Perhaps, I would fare better by licking the skin of a poisonous frog or eating a poisonous bug. I looked up to the trees for inspiration, hoping to see something brilliantly coloured flash by.

Above, the numerous twisted vines and trees did not reveal much, but I was able to pick up some faint movement on a nearby tree stem.

I focused my senses, isolating the location from what I could pick up using vibrations. It revealed a creature's light and flitting footsteps as it scampered down the length of a tree. It was very fast and the faint 'clacking' of its legs reminding me of an insect.

I followed the sounds hoping to see the creature emerge from under the foliage, but only the unassuming dark tree bark was seen, even as I continued to hear the faint creeping sounds getting closer.

It had clearly crawled out from under the leaves, so where was it? The tree stems bore no trace of any animal or insect which was an odd sight.

The noises made by the creature seemed to have increased and I heard the same sound now coming from another tree. I looked up at both trees to find the source, and the noise stopped.

I surveyed around me with my heat sense, and once again nothing was revealed. But as soon as I looked away, the noise picked up again, much louder this time like the creatures watching me had increased.