Spirit Taming

Chapter 643: Hold Back

The pitch black panther was a rare beast. It had come in search of food and good materials. Naturally, the butterfly paradise had a tempting scent. But where things had grown perfect for it, was when a group of weaker looking prey had come out of it.

Most beasts would not be able to go in to dungeons like the butterfly paradise. There was a strong lord beast that was in control of it. Naturally, this was a great way to keep beasts from entering the dungeon. But that was not the best thing. Many beasts would stay outside of such places to hunt.

Some of the more powerful butterflies had left the butterfly paradise after hatching from cocoons. Where many people would think that this would be a deterrent of sorts, it was not. The idea that there were stronger beasts escaping a dungeon should have made the local beasts wary of nearing it.

However, these local beast were used to this. They knew very well what kind of dungeon this was. They knew that the butterflies are mostly weaker bodied beasts. They would make good prey full of energies that they could consume to be able to advance.

The pitch black panther thought that it would be able to easily grab some prey. Be able to easily strengthen itself with whatever means that it could while it was here. Especially since it saw that the humans leaving the dungeons were all grouped up and waiting for it.

"Shy, it's right there for you to handle." Clark stopped everyone from moving. He knew well that this was a darkness type beast. One that could use darkness on its claws and teeth to be able to attack and leave even worse injuries.

Yet, Shy was stronger when it came to shadows and darkness. Everyone knew that and everyone witnessed her newfound strength.

Before, Shy had grown with all the energy she had been storing up, she had trouble controlling beasts and using her shadow threads. The beasts needed to be weakened and she would have struggled to do just about anything.

She had managed to be able to control the bodies of the nearly dead glacial spider once, but that was not the normal for her. Especially since it had used a significant, if nit all, the shadow energy that she had at the time. From there, she was forced to slumber.

But now, Shy was an Arachne shadow puppeteer. She was a beast still never seen in years and years. One that was even tapping in to the ancient blood that had spawned her species. Therefore, when she used her skills now, it was something to fear.

Shadow threads sprang from the shadows of the trees. The darkness that had hidden the pitch black panther was no longer the ally that it had been in the prior cases of its life. Now longer did it feel safe within the shadows that had kept it safe from powerful beasts and given it the perfect chance to gain food.

With every shadow thread that latched on to the pitch black panther, it could sense that its own body was being harmed by the strength of the shadows. That the darkness that naturally lived on its and fur was being pushed away. This was the exact feeling of strength being used against oneself. A double edged sword that was never known to be such.

"Make sure it is kept in good condition-"

"No, wait." Jeroold held up a hand and grabbed Clark's shoulder. He was sure that this battle was over. They were fine, but Jerold also had a better sense than others. He had seen something that would make them all regret this action.

"There are two pitch black panther cubs over there. They are shaking." he had spotted the odd change in movements from the bush. Wheil the jungle had a slight breeze through it today, the group normally did not have any issues with a breeze influencing the differences in nature. It was only natural to feel a breeze and expect that the leaves would move because of this.

However, having a beast move the leaves and having the breeze move them, would change the way that they moved. He had spotted the scratched up ground of paws and claws on the leaves and soil neary. The expat marks that a mother would make when forcing her little cubs to hide away there as they did not want to. Most children would resist this sort of thing, it was a natural action.

"Good eye, I don't think we would feel good about bringing them back with us and selling them to a good home. Better to stay here in the jungle." Clark sighed. He felt his heart skip a beat when he realized that this was the mother just trying to feed its family. It made him realize he had also had a chance to be a monster right here and now.

After a moment, Shy slowly started to move the shadows threads giving beak the movement to the mother pitch black panther. This was the first beast they encountered after leaving the dungeon. Yet, it was already an odd encounter that the entire group felt was not what any of them had expected.

"Here, take this." Ralph made the first move and tossed over the body of a beast that they had hunted before. They had plenty of meat from beasts that the group could eat. They didn't have any reason to worry about food. Especially with some of the rations that they already brought with them knowing this would be a longer journey.

When the mother pitch black panther saw the food, it was naturally cautious, but when it sniffed it, things went fine. In a hiss and snarl, it used its teeth to pierce the food and drag it away. These were strangers. They might not have killed it and might have given it food, but why would it bring out its young to eat right here? The world was not a kind place.

No one moved for a few moments after this event. But it was an uplifting thing to happen as they left. A rightful hold on killing a beast instead of a violent attack as most battles were. "I guess we can take that as an example of how we will treat everything once we clean up our home." Maria was a little more optimistic when she was thinking of what they had seen.

As they all began to walk, everyone had this in their minds. It was a way to strengthen their resolve. Especially when they were going to be fighting people who would have been more joyful to slaughter the mother of the two pitch black panther cubs. Forcefully take them back to a market. Sell them to the highest bidder.

All of this was a lot worse than what it could have been. In comparison, if they had come out here and tamed the beasts from the wild, it would have been better than all that. The stark comparison in clause that came with how everything was done, that was where lines were drawn.

"So, are we stopping anywhere else? I think we could stop at one or two dungeons?" Isa's reason for asking this was easy for everyone to understand.

Within the butterfly paradise, it had been an ideal place for everyone to be able to meditate. They had consumed some potions, a great many herbs, and various materials. Even Ralph was able to show right on his face that he knew well he had no metals to forge with. He had fed them to his partner or given them to Brad and Reese for their own partners.

This lack of materials meant that the group would not be able to sell much. It would lower their gold when it came to what they wanted to buy in the markets. Furthermore, it meant that they would have to rely on the beast plans for a few days of sales to be able to buy anything. Grace needed more wind and ice herbs to help here too.

But where the group really needed things too, were the rarer materials that they had to get to be able to help their beasts. Almost all of their beasts and taken to older and more powerful forms now. They ended the rarest materials or just generally the hardest to get materials to help them now. It would be very troublesome overall.

This was weighing on Clark's mind as Ella took a spot to walk beside him and record where he was seeing the changes in their beasts. She knew well that he had updates. Not just about everyone else's beasts, but also his own. She wanted to document it all.

More importantly, she could then give this list of materials to Isa who could ensure that they all got what they needed. But more so, that there was a line that they could also cross. Alchemy was on their to do list with Maria. That was a major cot up front for herbs.