26 Cave Dwelling

He jumped out of the way of the cinder bear's claws but couldn't find his footing and fell on the cold cave floor, His heart pulsated from the jolt he received. Though aching he tried making it to his feet with a steely determination in his eyes as he stared at the bear.

He could hear the system pang in his head.

[-20 Health.]

\"Crap it's surprisingly quick\" Shen began to hurry to his feet but he wasn't fast enough because the bear closed the distance, Slashing at his face with a feral intensity.

Shen activated the water blade collided with the bear's claws, barely holding it back.

The bear opened its mouth, a burst of flame began to billow out from it.

[Attack Imminent.]

Shen lashed out using iron fist, creating an opening for him to gain distance, As he did the bear's mouth shot a red hot fire out that would have burned him to a cinder.

After getting away, Shen took a breath, trying to get his bearings on the situation \"Thing is thing is strong!\"

He had to come up with a game plan if he wanted to survive this, he looked around the room, scanning the area for anything of importance, but as he did the beast was on him, lashing out at him with its furious swipes that shen could only narrowly evade.

The beast swiped at shen with the intent to kill and shen was trying to get away to counterattack but this beast didn't give him a second to breathe.

The beast opened its mouth once he could see the flame radiating from its gullet, Shen had no time to think only act. He called out his water blade with one hand and with the other called out iron fist

The beast slashed at Shen again its paws cutting through the air with a satisfying sizzle, before it could make contact with shens body it was blocked by the water blade, the beast responded by opening its mouth, shooting out a pillar of fire, Shen punched the bear in the snout causing the flame to illuminate the cave as it flew upwards

After jumping away from the bear he looked around the room for solutions while the flame still brightened the cave \"The river!\" He shouted returning his sight to the bear and focusing on what he had to do

The bear looked back at him eyes gleaming with anger as he shot smoke out of his nose

Shen looked at the bear and called to it mockingly causing it to run at him full force, he ran away from the bear and began to move in a zigzag pattern

\"That's it follow me you big teddy bear!\" He screamed out, Its eyes were red it charged at him, Shen stopped spun around and jumped out of the way of the charge, it didn't have any time to stop though it tried to its paws slipping on the wet floor, before crashing into the lake, it got back up to counter-attack but when it tried to shoot flames nothing came out but smoke.

Shen took the chance, he was about to attack with the water blade but then he felt something tug on his pant leg, he stopped and looked back to see two small cubs pulling him away from their father, small plumes of fire on their backs, their teeth biting his pant legs.

Shen looked at the cider bear, then back at the cubs \"I can't take someone's family\" He sighed and took back his water blade, and walked away, as he did he saw the cinder bear get out of the water, greeted by the small cubs yipping at him happily, \"I'll find another way.\"

He looked around the room and saw an opening in the wall for him to go deeper into the cave

****

Shu was still chained to the floor waiting in silence for the next round of beatings

\"The grandmaster will be back for you soon so don't get comfy in there\" The guard chuckled as he saw an enemy of his nation looking like he had been chewed up and spit out like a wad of gum.

Shen sat silently not moving an inch, as still as a statue.

\"Don't you get it your gonna die here\" The guard said in annoyance at the prisoner not even recognizing his insult

Shu remained silent.

\"Whatever. Grandmaster Vulcan will take care of you in due time. As long as you are shackled you don't stand a chance.\" The guard scoffed at Shu and shut the metal plate on the door

Shu smirked when the guard left ' i won't be here for long, you'll see' Shen got close to a wall and began to silently break off pieces of the walls And put them in his sleeves

***

Shen kept going deeper into the cave, it seemed to go on forever he was getting tired again and hungry \"Why can't I find any damn middle-class beasts.\" He muttered

\"Wait I think I see something\" Shen looked forward and saw a blinding light at the end of the cave, he began to run to it, but this light was weird it started to move away from him at an alarming speed and when he stopped walking, it did too

He couldn't figure out what this was, but it seemed to have a life of its own

\"Leave me alone asshole!\" A high pitched voice called out in anger

Shens eyes couldn't adjust to the source of light but he could swear that he saw a little woman's figure 'What the hell is that?'

[fairy: lower mortal class]

'Holy sh*t it's a fairy!' Shen only ever heard about them but he had never seen one! Shen tried to talk to the creature

\"Hey I don't wanna hurt you so please calm down, I just wanna pass, ok?\"

\"Do you think you can punk?\" The fairy responded proudly crossing its arms while fluttering its wings behind itself

\"Excuse me?\" Shen was less insulted and more confused than anything. 'Was this little fairy threatening me?' He couldn't help but smirk at the thought of this tiny creature attacking him \"PFT Yeah whatever. I'm gonna just go\" Shen walked past the fairy

\"No, you don't come back and fight me you coward\" The fairy followed behind Shen and came up to his face. He could see the figure better,

she had fiery red hair that seemed silky to the touch, her ivory body was covered with thin rough leather armor that complimented her petite figure 'if she was my size she would be a princess!\"

\"Stop following me I need to find something-\" Shen was annoyed but his words were cut when the system spoke

[Attack Imminent]

Shen grabbed the fairy and dodged to the left,

\"Hey! What do you think you're doing?\" The fairy hollered,

They saw a dark blur pass their vision. It stopped right in front of them. It looked like a frog mixed with a grasshopper. It had frog legs with a grasshopper head.

[Froghopper: lower mortal class]

\"It's here! I'll kill it!\" The fairy struggled against Shens hand.

It turned around, Jumping fast to attack the fairy who Shen had in his hand, he cast Water blade and skewered the creature on the tip of the blade

\"You killed it?!?!\" The fairy said in disbelief \"You killed it…\" The fairy whipped around and looked at Shen \"HOW DARE YOU!! That was my kill!\" The fairy was filled with rage looking at Shen, its tiny body shaking in their air.

\"How about some gratitude for saving your sorry ass!\" Shen put his finger in the fairy's face' causing it to back away

The fairy responded \"...your right…. I'm sorry\" It looked sad.

\"It's fine just tell me why you are here?\" Shen was curious because Shu always told him that fairies are rare since they tend to live in the realm of fae and don't interact with humans much.

\"I-I came here to become a warrior.\" The fairy looked embarrassed, its face as red as a tomato

\"A fairy warrior? Aren't you guys like mages?\" Shen was confused since one of the only things he knew was that fairies don't like conflict which is why they stayed in the fae realm away from humanity

\"Just because I'm a fairy doesn't mean I have to be a mage!\" The fairy huffed, crossing its arms

Shen rolled his eyes \"Well that's all fine and dandy but my question was how did you get here?\"

\"...I got lost following the creature you just killed\" The fairy said, embarrassed at her mistake. Her white face went as red as a tomato and turned her face \"Which I would have killed if you hadn't killed it.\" The little fairy looked like a sad porcelain doll

Shen held back a smile, looking at the little fairy \"What are you gonna do now?

\"I...I-I don't know\" The fairy looked worried and a bit frightened even though it tried to hide it behind a poker face

\"Wanna follow me then?\" Shen could take advantage of the fact that it tracked a creature this far meaning it knows how to hunt at least and he could use the help,

\"Why would I want that? So you can steal my next kill too!\" The fairy looked away from shen dismissively and turned around

\"Have it your way\" Shen shrugged his shoulders and picked up the dead creature and walked deeper into the cave \"Good luck with the cinder bear at the entrance!\"

The fairy's face went pale \"Cinder bear?!?\"

Shen felt a tap on his shoulder and looked to his shoulder to see the fairy sitting beside his face \"You know maybe you need some help, you do look a bit weak so I'll tag along for your safety!\" The fairy explained.

\"Yeah sure let's go\" Shen continued deeper into the cave.