「Remaining time: 00:56 seconds.」

I tried my hardest to move even my fingers, but it was impossible. Is there really nothing I can do but wait for death? The day has just started, and I find myself knocking at death's door already.

「Remaining time: 00:53 seconds.」

The Acrid kept slithering around my body, seemingly looking for something. The more it moved around me, the more I felt uneasy. I felt like my heart would explode with the amount of tension I'm having right now.

「Remaining time: 00:48 seconds.」

After a few seconds, it stopped and turned towards my tail, specifically the stinger at the end. It grabbed the stinger with its mandibles, and something began to exit out of its hose-like protrusion. A thin straw-like organ called a proboscis extended out of its mouth and began to suck on the blight present on my tail.

Argh?! I felt the mandibles clamp even harder on my stinger as it got a taste of my blight. Stupid! If you eat that, you die! Looks like I don't even have to do anything. This acrid is trying to kill itself by drinking my blight! I laughed inwardly.

「Remaining time: 00:36 seconds.」

Oi. Why isn't it dead yet? I could still feel its straw-like tongue feeding off of the blight on my stinger. Is this guy immune to it? The system information does say it feeds on toxic creatures. Out of all the creatures I could have encountered, I had to stumble upon a creature that I can't fight with my only strong offensive ability?! What rotten luck.

It looks like it isn't intent on killing me but only focused on feeding itself with my blight. Was it that hungry? What happens if I stopped producing it? How would it react? I began to weave a plan in my mind. I deactivated the ability, and the red substance that my claws and tail produced began to dry up almost in an instant.

Its proboscis quickly went back to its mouth as its head flinched a few times before turning its head towards me. This guy was probably starved, and it seemed to enjoy my blight. I needed it to get angry.

SNIK.

The Acrid clamped its mandibles harder on my stinger, giving me an excruciating sensation. It was trying to squeeze out any amount of blight from my stinger, but I've already stopped producing it. Its proboscis kept going in and out of its mouth, checking for blight whenever it squeezed harder. I gritted my teeth. I needed to endure this hellish pain.

「Remaining time: 00:12 seconds.」

Nothing was coming out of my tail, and it was making the Acrid frustrated. It quickly wrapped around my body and constricted me. Its head was beside mine as my eyes gazed into the thousands of eyes it had.

"Yourrrrr.....poooiissonnnsss...giiiiveesss...ittttsss..tooooo...meeee...." The Acrid hissed in frustration. I could sense a hint of madness in its tone. Just how long was this guy hungry for?

「Remaining time: 00:06 seconds.」

"Free me then," I replied bluntly as the effects of the paralysis began to wear off. Sensation began to return to my arms and legs. It probably knows I can choose to release blight or not. It has no choice but to listen to me.

"Willll....dooooooo...." It began to unwrap itself from my body and remained beside me, "Iffsss...youuu...trieesss...tooo...escaaapeee...I...killlssss...youu..." It said as it remained still, intently staring at my tail.

"Yeah, yeah, I can't outrun you even if I wanted to," I replied as I stretched my body. I steeled my nerves and began to mobilize my plan in mind.

「Paralysis status has worn off. You are now fully able to move.」

It wore off, but I could still feel some numb parts in my body. I shrugged at the thought and looked at the Acrid beside me, "Let's make a deal." I said.

"A....deaaaallllll....?....whaaatsss....issss...thaaatss...is...iiiittt...poissooonss...?" the Acrid replied, trying to hide the excitement in its voice.

"It's an agreement between both of us. Do you understand?" I asked. It simply waved its antenna as a response as it stood creepily still, "You become my hunting buddy, and I give you this," I continued waving my tail in front of the Acrid. Its slowing toxin began to dribble out of its mouth as my tail got its full attention.

"Whaaaat...isss...budddyyy?" it asked, entirely focused on my tail.

I thought of a way to explain it better to the Acrid, "You fight together with me, and if we win, I feed you." I answered.

"Ooooohhh...I....Agreeeeeessss," The acrid nodded, "...Theeeen...leeeetsss..usss..gooo..huunttingssss...immmediatellyyyyy....." it continued as it began to circle around me.

「You have formed a symbiotic relationship with a wild beast. You can now view its status window.」

「Beast Taming Skill Acquired!」

「Opening the Status of the Hundred-legged Acrid...」

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

「 Status:」

「Cunning: 17」

「Power: 36」

「Spirit: 20」

「Resilience: 40」

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

「HP: 80/80」[Starving]

「MP: 3/15」

... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ... ...

It had more than twice my power and resilience, but it had lesser spirit and cunning. Perfect. Just like brain and brawn, sword and magic, uh what else. I can command it to incapacitate enemies, and I can go in for the kill with my blight. It looks like my plan of trying to learn how to hunt alone is postponed, for now.

Beast taming? I can do that? I quickly opened the system for the description of the skill.

「Beast Taming (Level 1): A passive skill that automatically activates once you have earned the trust of a wild beast. An unbreakable soul chain is formed between the two parties when activated, giving them the Status of master and servant.」

「(0/2) Beasts Tamed」

Master and servant...so does that mean the beast I tamed would follow my command without any hesitation? My eyes wandered towards the Acrid as it tracked a suitable prey for us to hunt. I don't know much about this world yet, I probably have better beasts to tame, but the acrid would do for now.

Snik. Snik. Snik.

The Acrid lifted a portion of its body in the air and wagged its antennae around, "Raaaaatssss...I....seeennsseeeess...a...preeeyy..." said the Acrid as it twisted its body to face me.

'Rat?' is that what it calls me? I didn't know if I should be offended or not, "You can call me Vaeden, where's the prey?" I asked.

"Whaaattsss...isssss..Vaaaeeedennn...iss...itsss..a...ppooiissonnsss...?" It asked, excitement present in its tone.

"Nevermind. Where's the prey located?" I brushed off the question and asked.

"Theeeerreeeee...folllowwwwsss...meeee....raaaat..." The acrid pointed its antenna towards a familiar path towards Eli's home. I wish I also had a map. I sighed. I always made sure I headed towards only one direction so that the opposite would lead directly to the hill we stayed in.

The Acrid began to slither quickly towards our destination as I trailed behind him, "What kind of beast are we fighting?" I casually asked, trying to start a conversation.

"Dontsss...knooooww...smellllsss...goooood...thouuughhh..." the Acrid replied vaguely. I sniffed at the air, and I couldn't smell anything. Even with my keen senses, I'm not able to get a whiff of it. Having an antenna seems handy, huh.

We continued our trek through the forest towards the prey that the Acrid referred to. For some reason, I felt uneasy with the past reply of the Acrid to my question. I really don't smell anything good except the earthy smell of the forest.

I kept the feeling in mind and remained alert. It might be stupid of me to compare my nose to its antenna, but something really does feel off. I hastened my pace and ran beside the chimera.

「Stealth has been activated. You are less likely to be seen.」

The Acrid's antenna twitched in my direction before relaxing. It seemed like the Acrid is keeping an eye on me, so I don't escape. I had a chance to run away now since my stealth skill has been activated, but I won't. The Acrid is an asset that I must obtain, I thought to myself, keeping the beast taming ability in mind.

Two of its antennas remained to wave at the air capturing the scent of whatever we were hunting, and the remaining two were faced towards me. I made sure to run beside it so that it wouldn't suspect me of running away. It obviously doesn't trust me.

The wind blew on my fur, refreshing my depleting stamina as we ran. The scenery around us began to change as minutes passed. I saw fewer and fewer trees and other flora as we continued our journey. Are we reaching the edge of Elizabeth's territory?

I was headed here originally. I wonder what kind of beasts lie and wait here at the edges where they cannot trespass into her territory? My question would soon be answered as the Acrid came to a halting stop. I looked around as I tried to catch my breath.

"Weeeee...areee...heeeereee..." the Acrid stated as its antenna began to move in all directions, "Prey....ittt....isss...theeere....." Its antenna stopped towards our left. My ears also turned in the same direction as my hearing caught something that signaled imminent danger.

Hisssssss...