She's just a kid...
Just have fun, guys...
Jake had quickly come to regret those words.
After a few minutes of hide-and-seek, an adult lion barred Jake's way. He was a kind that Jake hadn't seen before, as he was red with a golden mane.
The lion walked on his four legs. His majestic gait raised Jake's already high impression of lions—the animal kings—to a higher level. If he got onto his two legs, he would also tower high above him! His steps were silent, but those in his path could hear the weight behind them.
His natural skin and mane matched Elizabeth's royal lineage's colors and suited the lion! It was as though he was born to serve The Warmonger Empire or become friends with Elizabeth.
His level posed Jake more than a problem.
[Elizabeth's Lion—Lew Lv. 40 HP: 34 000 MP: 21 000]
'Is that how noble kids play hide n seek in this world?' Jake thought. 'Sending their servants to stop others?'
Jake's chest tattoo burned the most. It seemed Medusa didn't like how Elizabeth sent someone else to become acquainted with him, but Medusa didn't even spare a glance at Minerva, so Jake didn't think much about it.
He could be wrong about her feelings, too.
'Well, we can't fight him... but he won't let us go past him, too,' Jake thought. If he were to use his arrows, he'd hurt the lion despite their level gap. He wanted to avoid any bloodshed, as he hadn't come here to fight Elizabeth. He wanted to become friends with her and learn a beast-tamer subclass from her!
Hurting her friend would make the introduction much more difficult!
'Alright, we have five minutes. Wukong! You have a lead on this. Use your staff to immobilize this lion! We don't want any blood, but a few bruises are unavoidable. Odin and Ender... you two will use this chance to sneak past the lion and find Elizabeth for me!
Remember that she's a beast tamer and must have more than just this lion. The next moves will be up to you! Ender, I don't want you to hide in darkness, too. It's a test for you!' Jake inwardly thought, knowing his companions could hear him.
It was a great time to set them on a duo mission.
It'd teach them about independence and help them make their own decisions in the future.
He also didn't bother speaking to Medusa, knowing she wouldn't leave his side. Her clingy personality was evident from day one. She was into Jake from birth.
Wukong, Ender, and Odin nodded.
Wielding a new staff that Wukong had crafted with the help of Master Aaron, the baby monkey took over the team's helm and walked closer to the lion. Because of his small size in comparison to the adult and hulking lion, he looked like someone thrown to the wolves.
Jake walked beside his lovely companion.
"I didn't make it clear with my words, but I'll assist you," Jake said as he cracked his fingers. He wouldn't use his bow and arrow against the lion but a close combat style he'd learned from Saku!
Wukong happily nodded.
The beast growled.
'Five minutes is more than enough! I will hold him back! You dance with your staff, Wukong!' Jake inwardly screamed as he made the first move. He threw himself forward with his guard up.
The lion didn't waste his time. He answered with a short run forward before pouncing onto Jake. His vast frame rose and was thick enough to blanket Jake in the shadow.
Normal humans and demi-humans alike would have gotten cold feet upon having their world turned dark like that.
Jake, however, was in even darker places.
He'd been ready to take the beast's weight from the beginning.
Alas, his guard didn't match his expectations! It couldn't withstand the lion's weight and higher stats, resulting in the beast getting hold of Jake's shoulders.
The sharp claws sank into Jake's leather armor and flesh.
The weight also rooted Jake to the ground.
With so little control and room, Jake could only protect his neck from being devoured by the lion. He raised his hands and held the beast's parted jaw open and away from his head!
Odin and Ender joined a team.
Their competition no longer mattered since other beasts were trying to stop them. Jake and Wukong were already held back, so these two concluded that they couldn't compete for Jake's success.
It was their first serious decision.
Ender rested on Odin's head while the wolf sniffed out any tracks of humans. He could sense adults and the faint smell of someone petite and young, who should be the beast tamer Jake wanted to meet.
Their duo team was soon stopped by a parrot.
It was an adult parrot that could take over an adult human's entire shoulder and arm. Its colors were red and golden, matching Elizabeth's royal origins. Its eyes were also red.
An adorable feather stuck out from its head, making the parrot even bigger.
It said, "You can't go! You can't go! You can't go!"
Odin and Ender looked up.
The parrot hung on the chandelier.
Ender screeched.
The parrot stared at him... then laughed.
"You can't speak! You can't speak! You can't speak!" It screamed. "An inferior bird! An inferior bird! An inferior bird!"
The baby eagle looked down.
He lowly screeched at Odin.
Odin understood that Ender was telling him to leave him alone, but he didn't want to.
Ender's next screeches explained the situation.
He even wore the pathetique mask!
Odin's eyes widened in shock!
Ender basically told him that only Odin could convince Elizabeth to come out from her hiding spot because he was so cute and desired to be cuddled by every girl!
Ender often frowned upon that attribute, but it wasn't something he wouldn't use to their advantage!
Nonetheless, Odin was left speechless because of that!
Ender screeched, telling Odin to scram.
At last, Odin gave in and left the baby eagle alone.
Ender looked up then.
His dark eyes turned into vortexes... the darkness spun.
His body boiled.
He was mad at the parrot for calling him the inferior bird.
His pride was hurt... and one simply does not hurt the eagle's pride...
"Pathetique..." Ender whispered in a low, adorable voice... "Parrot... dead..."
[Ender has unlocked a skill from his heritage — a human language!]
"Oh... you can speak..." the parrot said.
Ender replied, "Dead... you dead... you're dead."
"Kid's learning grammar faster than me!" the parrot screamed.