So once again, I fell into a routine as time passed. But instead of working, I spent most of the week training. The only day I had off was the st day of the week to do whatever I wanted. Bke had improved her approach to teaching and, as promised, it was no longer a brutal and unfair sparring session. Instead, she showed me new combat techniques and made me practice them.

  She also became a regur visitor to my home to either talk and eat dinner. I welcomed the company since it helped me improve my cooking skills, and she got to enjoy her favorite tuna dish. It was a win-win situation.

  But moving back to my free day, I usually spent it returning to my old schedule of fishing in the morning, cooking in the evening, and weaving at night. However, today was different. During the weeks I gained confidence in my ability to fight off the monsters of darkness, and I decided to go fight them alone without Bke's supervision.

  I deeply regret that decision now as I find myself running through the jungle as fast as my legs can carry me, cursing under my breath.

  It turns out Bke was right to always oversee my weekly fights against the Grimm to avoid situations like the one I'm currently in.

  "Fuck!"

  Something hard hit the back of my head, but I shook it off and continued running, looking at my pursuers over my shoulder.

  A trio of ape-like grimms with big twisted skull heads and ridiculously rge limbs jumping from tree to tree with extreme ease, occasionally throwing any object at me whenever they get the chance.

  While I can maintain a gap between us, my aura diminished with every successful hit they got on me and slowed me down. The myrmidons must have learned how to call reinforcements or something, because they had never appeared when Bke was around.

  In situations like this, I wish I had a gun or that my weapons were like Bke's Gambol Shroud, so I could fire back at those bastards who are probably reveling in my pain, if those loud howls were any indication.

  Of course, I tried to fight back when they appeared, underestimating them as another dumb beast, but a single punch sent me flying like a pebble.

  It was understandable why I immediately ran away from them as soon as I scrambled back to my feet.

  I know I couldn't outrun them forever. My best chance of survival is to make it to the wall before they catch me. But another rock hit my back, causing me to stumble and drastically reduce my speed.

  The good thing is that I am nearing the walls, which are probably manned by some members of the garrison. So I only push myself harder.

  "Get down!" A voice cries out in the distance. I quickly obey and drop to the ground.

  Instantly, I hear a barrage of bullets pass above me and hit my pursuers, who shriek in a high pitch that hurts my eardrums, forcing me to cover my ears to lessen the pain.When the thunderous noises come to a halt, I let out a sigh of relief and roll onto my back, groaning in pain as my back is the most affected area by those stupid monkeys. My strained body can finally have a break.

  It is not an experience I want to repeat any time soon.

  'Status'

  Ma'iq RakhanRace – Feline FaunusAge 17Css: The pugilistLevel – 4 (33%)Mentor – Bke BeldonnaApprentice – NoneHP – 360/410 [45 regen per minute]MP – 311/1650 [350 regen per minute]SP – 551/1850 [200 regen per minute]STR – 26END – 33DEX – 30INT – 27WIS – 24CHA – 25LCK – 10

  I'm a very lucky bastard.

  Bke had warned me about the dangers of aura breaking, especially in the middle of a fight. The battle against the bugs wasn't that dangerous since they barely scratched me, but the apes brutally decimated my aura. A few more hits, and they would have succeeded in taking me down and ripping me apart.

  The thought alone terrifies me. I should stick with Bke for the time being to avoid this from happening ever again.

  As I gasp for air, my ears don't fail to hear the approaching steps of a small group.

  "Hey, look, the rookie is trying to impress someone." A deep voice mocks my plight, and I turn to look at the idiot with a frown.

  Their white and bck robes make it apparent that they are from the White Fang, and if their white mask didn't say so already, I'd have guessed it. Only the leader stands out; he is very tall. Even from my downed position, I can quickly tell how much taller he is compared to me.

  "Thanks for the help," I grumble, slowly getting up from the muddy ground.

  The leader waves his hand dismissively. "Don't mention it," he says with a smirk. "It's a pretty common thing. Recruits believe themselves to be all hot shit and try their luck, only to realize how outmatched they are."

  I roll my eyes, feeling the annoyance bubble up in my chest. "I wasn't outmatched," I protest, checking my body for injuries. My clothes are ruined by the whole ordeal, and I make a mental note to take a shower and change into clean clothes as soon as I can.

  The others in the group burst out ughing. The tall guy with the mocking voice pats my shoulder, using a bit of strength to push me in the right direction. "That's what everyone says,"

  Assholes.

  -Later-

  After a quick shower, most of my problems were solved, as my aura took care of my body. I felt good as new. Bke had expined to me that aura wasn't the solution to everything, and I shouldn't rely on it too much. But the perks were too good to ignore, and that wasn't counting my gamer system.

  However, the st fight, if I could even call it that, had left me feeling a bit shaken. Despite the sun still burning in the sky, I didn't feel like going out. I'd rather spend the rest of my day working on my weaving skills, which I'd been neglecting due to my new training schedule.

  That's why I'm staring at the red plushie in my hands, a bird with comically big eyebrows staring back at me. One day, this thing just appeared in my erratic dreams, and I couldn't shake the image from my mind. So, I decided to make it a reality with my weaving skills.

  Suddenly, a sharp knock on my door breaks me away from my thoughts.

  "Ma'iq? It's me, Levi!" The lynx's voice is easily recognizable, and her surprise visit isn't an unwelcome one.

  "Come in!" I shout before pcing the toy back on the desk.

  I hear the door unlock and open before watching my friend enter with a smirk. "I thought you would be zing off in bed at this hour."

  "And you would be right if it weren't for a slight change of pns," I say with a grin.

  She grows confused and looks around. "What did you do?"

  "I tried to fight the grimm alone in the jungle." I confess with a daring smile.

  "You what?!" Levi excims, moving closer to check on me.

  I let her fuss over me, chuckling. "In my defense, I didn't think a higher-level grimm would appear. Luckily, the White Fang was patrolling the area."

  She lightly punches my chest before settling on my bed. "You shouldn't go alone to that pce. The walls are there for a reason."

  I rub the back of my neck, thinking of my not-so-heroic escape. "Yeah, I learned my lesson. Thank the gods for my aura, or I would be purple as a blueberry."

  I should be writhing in pain on my bed for all the damage I sustained.

  "So, did you manage to catch anything today?" I ask, changing the subject.

  "Of course I did! I had a lot of time to get better, you know?" Levi happily decres, making me smile.

  I still remember the days when she struggled with just keeping the right posture.

  "Ah, so where is it?" I ask, looking around for any signs of her fishing success.

  "...I ate it," She replies after a moment, looking away with a faint blush on her cheeks.

  "Raw?"

  She nods.

  "Well, that's kinda a bummer. I would have loved to cook it for you," I say, leaning back in my chair. While faunus can eat raw meat, it can be messy and leave difficult-to-remove blood stains, and that isn't counting the bad smell that leaves if you didn't brush your teeth thoroughly.

  She quickly shifts her attention to the work on my desk and stands up to pick up one of the angry-looking birds. "Wow, you made this?"

  "Yeah, I've improved quite a bit with knitting. These little guys aren't that hard to make," I reply.

  Knitting with two colors at once was a challenge at first, but figuring out the techniques instantly increased my skill level.

  "Can I keep it?" she asks, holding up the toy.

  "I don't see why not," I shrug, accepting her request.

  She takes the bird plushie with a wide smile, bringing it close for a hug. "I love it! I'll make sure to keep it close."

  I quickly reach to grab my tail, which was swishing back and forth behind me

  [Affection with Levi Fang increased by 2 20/100]

  She noticed, she totally noticed it.

  "Say, Ma'iq, haven't you thought about selling these? They're so cute. I'm sure people will love them," she suggests, bringing up a solid point that I had barely considered while working.

  "...no?" I reply, unsure.

  She rests one hand on her hip and stares at me gravely. "How will you ever buy that scroll if you don't think bigger? The Vytal Festival is only weeks away."

  I can feel my ears fold in embarrassment. I hadn't even considered the idea. "Okay, but how would I even sell them? I'm not a salesperson, and standing in the middle of the city trying to sell them doesn't sound appealing."

  "It might work, though?" she persists.

  "I don't want to embarrass myself, and people might think I'm some kind of con artist," I reply, remembering the days when I used to catch fish for a living and trying to picture myself standing in the market yelling prices. Being a salesperson comes with a lot of different responsibilities that I don't want to deal with.

  "Don't be so negative," she pouts, bringing her plushie closer to her chest. "What about the beaches?"

  "That doesn't sound so bad, actually…" I trail off, considering the simplicity of just walking around with the plushies and letting kids come to me in curiosity, goading their parents to buy them. "It could definitely work."

  "So now that's solved, how many of these little guys have you made?" she asks, pointing at her angry bird.

  Her question makes me look up at the ceiling in thought. I can't recall the exact number; I only remember starting to work on them as a form of practice after that weird dream.

  "I don't know, to be honest with you. I just throw them in the closet so they don't take up too much space," I expin, pointing at the only closet in the room.

  Levi goes over to the closet and opens the doors wide, only to be greeted by a small mountain of red plushies tumbling down to her feet.

  There's an awkward silence that follows.

  Levi slowly turns her head around with an inquisitive look. "Ma'iq..."

  "I didn't keep count," I admit.

  It shocks me too, since I use the furniture to store and grab clothes on a daily basis. How did I not notice the growing mountain of plushies forming right under my nose?

  Just how many did I make in all these weeks?

  No wonder my funds haven't been moving that much.

  -Neo Politan-Leaving a small house, she smirked as she looked over shoulder and caught sight of her st client's tantrum while his subordinates were trying to hold him back.

  Oh, how much she wished for him to break free and attack her. It would be the perfect chance to stretch her legs.

  And with her work done, she finally had some time for herself. While Menagerie wasn't the best pce for entertainment, it had a few redeeming qualities. Sandy beaches stretched as far as the eye could see, and there was even the opportunity for a zoo tour. And she couldn't say they disappointed her with the st part.

  Her umbrel always proved useful, perfectly shielding her skin from the relentless sun. The wooden houses slowly became pleasant to the eye the longer she walked along the streets, with colorful shutters and vibrant flowers spilling out of window boxes. The salty sea breeze carried the sound of seagulls and the distant crashing of waves told her she was approaching a busier zone.

  She knew her unique appearance would raise a few eyebrows, which was why her sembnce quickly altered a few aspects of her persona to blend in. Her hair changed to a single shade, and she wore a fitting pink summer outfit.

  Despite her attempts to blend in, she was quite giddy with her new long ears at the top of her head.

  She felt like a mischievous bunny, ready to explore the sandy beaches at her leisure.

  As she made her way down the street, she couldn't help but notice the street vendors selling fruits and refreshing drinks, and the children running around and pying on the streets.

  However, those kids made her stop as soon as she noticed that they were all pying with a big red toy she had never seen before. As she approached them, she saw the kids were ughing while carrying a red bird with bushy eyebrows, giving it an eternally angry look. Neo had seen many toys before, but the unique design of this one caught her attention.

  It didn't help in the matter as one of the little brats noticed and shook the bird in front of her before running in the opposite direction, his little group following close behind.

  Neo stood back, observing the scene with a hint of amusement. But it was very clear to her that her curiosity was piqued, and she began walking in the direction where the kids had disappeared.

  It wasn't much of a trip, as a crowd was gathered inside the beach around a particur-looking faunus. He stood tall and proud, with his furry ears and tail making him stand out from the rest. He was carrying a rge box between his arms, filled to the brim with the same toys that had caught her eye.

  She had always struggled with maintaining interest in a single thing for a long period. It was always boring stuff. But the faunus selling those unique plushies had caught her attention, and she couldn't resist watching as the crowd eagerly snapped them up one by one.

  As the st plushie was snatched up, the people sighed and began packing up, disappointed at having sold out so quickly. The crowd dispersed, with the unfortunate kids grumbling about missing out on the chance to get one of the coveted toys.

  Neo watched as the vendor excitedly conferred with a faunus girl who had just arrived. Curiosity piqued, she followed the pair to their destination, which turned out to be the faunus' home.

  Waiting patiently for the girl to leave, Neo took the opportunity to sneak inside before the cat could close the door, none the wiser to her intrusion.

  Inside the house, the decor was unremarkable until her mismatched eyes alighted on a bird plushie perched on the desk. This one was different from the others, with a triangur shape and a cheerful yellow hue that contrasted with the red of the previous toys. Despite its different shape, the plushie shared the signature bushy eyebrows.

  Neo's attention shifted to the faunus as he approached the desk, and she took a closer look. The word 'exotic' immediately sprang to mind, it was clear that this faunus was different from any she had encountered before.

  Although it was common knowledge that faunus possessed only one animal trait, this faunus had two, which made him truly unique. She couldn't help but imagine him as an exotic pet, a souvenir she could bring back to Vale.

  The idea of knocking him out and putting a colr on him briefly crossed her mind. He hadn't even noticed her presence, so it would be an easy task since the guy was completely absorbed in his work.

  But she knew Roman would make a fuss if she came back with a new pet.

  However, that didn't stop her temptation of stealing one of the yellow plushies, and with a bit of work with her sembnce, she made it disappear without the kitty noticing.Afterward, she pulled out her scroll to snap a quick selfie with the stolen plushie. Neo attached the picture to a message to her only contact and clicked 'send'.

  Neo: Look what I found!Roman: Yeah yeah, it looks cute. Did you check on our contacts?Neo: I did. Pretty boring. They didn't attack me when I handed them the new terms.Roman: Good. Come back, I need extra hands for a new deal with Junior.

  As Neo read the st message, a frown creased her forehead. Her Dum-Dum was always so consumed with work; surely he could afford to take a break for a week or two. Besides, she was disappointed to leave the beach so soon - she hadn't had the opportunity to swim or bask a little in the sun.

  Feeling like she deserved some compensation for the inconvenience, Neo cast her gaze around the area until she spotted a focused faunus. Her first mischievous idea came back in full force.

  Neo: Can I bring back a pet?Roman: No.Neo: Aww why not? I promise I will take care of him and decw him if he gets naughty!Roman: No kidnapping Neo. Too much of a hassle.Neo: You will live.Roman: Fine, I will buy you all the ice cream you want after you return.Neo:>: )

  Neo smirked in victory as she typed out the st message. Roman was so easy to goad, and she took pleasure in pushing his buttons. However, she couldn't help feeling disappointed that she wouldn't be able to bring the exotic kitten back with her.

  Still, she had a sneaking suspicion that this wouldn't be the st time she saw her new kitten.

  -Sienna Khan-

  The high-leader of the White Fang was having a terrible day, buried under piles of reports - all of them detailing casualties.

  Thanks to the new Ats bill, the war machine was in full swing, and it had quickly yielded results. Across Remnant, multiple outposts had been fortified with both heavy and light equipment, and the Ats Knights production increased considerably, resulting in more patrols to worry about.

  Sienna knew that it was the right decision to pull out her forces to avoid cshing with the newly produced army and exposing their bases. She had hoped that the heat would die down soon, and they could return. However, what she had not expected was the deployment of this new, deadly drone to the enemy's ever-growing arsenal.

  Sienna watched as the poorly taken pictures of the new drones were dispyed on her desk. The small, compact box was propelled by razor-sharp bdes and reports indicated that the drones were cruelly designed, causing severe injuries to her brothers and sisters. Many of them were put out of commission, and some even died of infection or blood loss. Sienna couldn't help but feel a surge of anger and frustration at the enemy's ruthless tactics.

  Sienna found soce in the fact that none of her soldiers with an awakened aura had suffered any casualties against the drones. But the reality was that the majority of the Ats cell was now crippled and incapable of carrying out any mission.

  Despite this setback, Sienna refused to be deterred. She had already devised a pn to compensate for the losses. It wouldn't be easy, but they couldn't afford to lose the Ats cell and all their holdings. The pn involved pulling Adam out of Vale and relocating him to Ats, even though it would mean a huge loss of dust and weapons supply.

  With the initiation ceremony approaching, Adam would have a new ptoon ready to take them to Ats and relieve the troops. Sienna knew they would be fresh recruits, but she could trust Adam to lead them well enough to make a comeback from the dire straits they were in. Although she didn't like the idea of sacrificing resources, it was a necessary move to ensure their survival.

  Her mind now focused on the new recruits, and she quickly grabbed another paper reporting the little escapade of a recruit, Beldonna's new project. Sienna had to acknowledge that while Bke might be a capable fighter, she wasn't so smart in hiding her tracks. It wasn't difficult to obtain all the avaible information regarding Ma'iq.

  However, she had to recognize Bke's ability to adapt and become an acceptable instructor or it was the faunus' natural talent. Either way, she had a new potential hunter in her ranks, but under Beldonna's tutege, it could prove a big issue in the long run.

  As her scroll rang, Sienna quickly pulled it out. She knew emergency reports were the only reason her scroll would ring, and she braced herself for whatever news awaited her.

  She scowled as she read the fsh report, feeling anger build up inside her to throw the scroll in frustration. The detachment charged to resupply the Mistral sect was wiped out by the infamous Branwen tribe, which would set them back for at least a month.

  She quickly swiped the report to the second, which resulted in an article extract. Unconsciously, she growled, as it was a successful agreement between Vale and Ats about the purchase of a war hound.

  Sienna vividly remembered the day when Ats unveiled their test creation to fight the Grimm. It was a quadruped robot that strongly resembled a dog, a parody of a loyal dog. They quickly proved to be superior to the mass-produced Ats Knights, possessing a versatility that could match even hunters, turning them into killing machines against their enemies.

  Enemies like her people.

  Sienna had known from the very beginning that the Vale council's purchase of these robots wasn't intended to fight off their common enemy. Instead, they would program them to search and destroy her forces stationed in the kingdom. And Ats was always happy to provide the technology for such purposes.

  But there was still a chance.

  She knew that the war hound had been announced, but it might not have been put into active service yet. That meant it was likely stored somewhere.

  She figured that the machine was stored in the most secure location possible to dissuade robberies. However, if that was the case, her informants would have told her about convoys moving massive cargo or any massive deployment of the Vale police force.

  But no such reports had surfaced.

  Therefore, it was logical to assume that they hid it outside the city where few would dare to look. The ever-lurking Grimm creatures acted as the perfect deterrent for anyone foolish enough to try to steal it.

  A preemptive strike. It might be a gamble, but it was worth the shot, as she wouldn't sit idle with her arms crossed.

  She dialed a specific person on her scroll, and soon after, the face of a young redheaded man wearing a white mask appeared on the other side of the screen.

  "Adam, I have a mission for you."