Earthling in Uncharted Dimensions

Elbow came down like a hammer and-

*thud*

"This is how you knock down a wolf!"

The long snouted deep brown coloured Split-jaw Hyena fell on its belly unconscious. The black cloth wound around its mouth was almost torn. It's thin black legs struggled to stand up. But Lee held it up by its neck and showed its belly to the underage girls and boys. Their eyes went wide in surprise to see soft, white, furry underneath of its belly. Lee held it upside down in front of them to touch and feel it's softness.

Split-jaw Hyenas were vicious predators. Their name came from their splitted lower jaw. The lower jaw has muscles on its side that drag the jaw to both sides, and thus creating an almost triangular shape. When in a hurry, they tend to swallow their prey as huge chunks of meat. Their gastric juices were strong enough to melt them. Despite their short size, they can easily bring down an Orc Ox with their bite force.

But this one unfortunately came across the travelling Lee and party. Poor Hyena! That being felt humiliated and degraded from its status of predator, as little orcs and human kids tickled it's underbelly. It wriggled with all the tickles. Even a full-grown human will find it difficult to stand!

The Hyena helplessly stayed in Lee's grip as the little hands ran through its stomach. As it was a male, it was saved from further embarrassment. The kids retracted their hands after having some fun.

All the way, Lee caught a Spikehog, an Oak Snake, a Mud Rabbit, a Dunce Snail, a Chromeleon and a Fluff Donkey. This was the only carnivorous being he caught and the children were naturally excited.

"So remember! You must be very agile. Your enemy must think that you are confused and frozen. And when they attack, evade immediately to any side and bam! Your elbow knocks your enemy out."

The adults were watching them as they sat or leaned to the trees. The amusing expressions of children were enough to get rid of the unfavourable fatigue. The distance between them and the village was decreased to almost 2 kilometres.

The evening was yet to arrive as Lee regularly took breaks for them to catch a breath. There were tortured and violated among them. So Lee was careful not to burden them with continuous walking. He was also conscious to give them enough bread and milk. Like a small tribe, Lee led the crowd towards the village.

The Hyena was left alive to go, but it came back with its tail between it's legs. It's ears were flat and showed no signs of hostility. After the embarrassing incident, the Hyena lost its self-esteem. Never in its life had it thought of such an overbearing humiliation.

Lee looked to his right and saw Hyena looking at him with an unspeakable cry. It conveyed sadness through its eyes. Lee felt something in his heart. Lee placed his right hand at his chest.

[You can feel it, right?! That is pain, silent but overwhelming pain. It is expecting you to take it with you. Once a being loses its pride, its inner demon is shattered and will succumb to despair. Eventually, it may even commit suicide.]

Lee felt guilt. Though his actions were meant to be infotaining for the children and the adults, he forgot to take a glance from the hyena's side. He never expected a fang bearing beast to go downbeat.

'So what you are saying is that, it has lost its reasons to survive after an embarrassment, right?!'

[It is so with all beasts. Some try to hide, some are transparent.]

Lee stopped in his tracks as he turned to his right. At a distance, the hyena stood with droopy eyes. When a howl from a distance suddenly emerged, it got scared and shaken. Lee saw that the mental impact the incident has caused is more than irreversible.

Lee knelt on his left knee as his right elbow rested on his right knee. Compassion veiled his face as the hyena took a step back. The whole crowd halted and watched the scene. An was curious as to what was happening with Lee. When she saw the hyena at a distance, things were more or less clear to her. The antelope hid behind her at the hyena's first glance. It tried to make a frightening hiss, but An held its mouth from making noise.

=====

4 P.M.

13480 Essence harvested.

=====

The hyena slowly walked to Lee. The shattered prestige was too much for any being to handle. Lee deduced it from its slightly trembling fur. It's head was facing downward, with a heavy feeling. Lee extended his left hand, but it got scarred as it paused for a second. But, it slowly moved towards Lee with optimism. As it reached near Lee's arm, the hyena brought its forehead to his palm. A silent gasp arose from the breathless crowd.

The very moment hyena's forehead touched him, the Taking skill was upgraded to G grade. D notified Lee of this achievement, but was shushed in return. D pouted in anger as a protest.

The soft bristles brushed against Lee's palm. A sense of satisfaction filled Lee while the hyena made a short purr as it pushed its head against the palm. Lee caressed its head gently. A series of emotions filled the hyena's mind and it's face brightened. Its ears, almost as big as a fennec fox's, stood up delighted. Both of Lee's hands scanned the beast's head and neck.

The crowd was on cloud nine! They just saw someone catch a Split-jaw Hyena barehand, only to domesticate it. Infamous as a pack predator and a lonely hunter, this aggressive beast remained as untameable. Due to safety reasons, the crowd watched the scenes from a safe distance of 2 or 3 metres. Though it was like a child in Lee's hand, their conscience screamed them not to near one step.

After all the familiarisation, the hyena looked straight into his eyes. Lee was visibly surprised to see a large deep blue iris in its eyes. Those who had good eyesight among the crowd noticed too.

"It is an abandoned!"

"Oh no! Then it surely is dangerous!"

Murmurings from the crowd fell into Lee's ears and D spoke before a question was raised.

[Many beasts have it's own set of traits and features that distinguish one from its closest relatives. If a newborn is found to be defective of these traits, it is thrown out of the pack. About 99% will perish or end up as other being's food, but that 1% which survives will be strong enough to burn the pack to ashes, only to feel its warmth. So technically, this one here is a fighter!]

Lee grinned in delight. He was waiting for an overpowered beast to tame, but he unknowingly acquired the best fighter in the forest! He skimmed his palm through its thick fur. The feeling was not a good one, as it's race against odds gave it many irregularities on the fur. Lee did feel the presence of almost healed bite marks at some points.

[Create a mental link with the beast. So when you talk with it, it can understand what you mean. The link acts in both ways.]

'Explain how it is done.'

[Touch your forehead with the beast's forehead. Then picturize a link forming. If the beast is ready to be your pet/companion, it will complete the process from its side.]

Lee gently brought the hyena's forehead to his. The beast did not resist and the contact was made. The crowd produced another gasp. Some of the adults and An was well known with the method of creating a link with a companion beast. The crowd, especially An, was eager as her heart began to drum crazily.

Lee closed his eyes and pictured a white line in pitch blackness. His white line stood alone for a dozen of seconds in his mind. The beast felt a friendly incoming sensation from his head and followed his lead. When it closed its eyes, the white line was visible to him. The line induced the hyena's deepest inner desire to rise up. The suffocating loneliness flooded its mind as it tried to reach for the charming whiteness. The next second, a link was formed as the beast and Lee opened their eyes in deluge of an incomprehensible feeling that made both trust each other with their soul.

[Now you have formed a link with the beast. It only enables you to sense and communicate with it. At the most, you can name it.

But it can only become your true partner if you make a blood imprint. Just drip a drop of your blood between it's brows.]

Lee promptly bit his index finger and blood dripped out. Lee dripped two drops of blood between the beast's brows and the blood disappeared. An invisible envelope combined Lee and the beast together. Both of them felt it.

Lee stood up. The hyena's short and bushy tail did not show any signs of distress anymore. Turning to the crowd, Lee found them standing flabbergasted with the event. D briefed Lee about what had happened and Lee felt like he need to show a sign of reassurance. Lee glanced at the hyena and spoke in a soft voice-

"Lie down."

Leaving the crowd and An frozen, the hyena folded it's legs and lied down. Lee glanced at the crowd and gave an explanation of what occured between the beast and him, added with the information about what happens to the abandoned beasts. He did not forget to mention about the uneven marks over its skin.

"I have taken this beast under my care. I give you word that it will not hurt anyone among you. In return, it only need peace and good-natured response."

Lee nodded the little ones to come near him. With reluctance, the adults let them go with a sliver of doubt lingering in their minds. As soon as they saw the kids hugging and cuddling with the hyena, the doubt became non-existent!

[Give it a name. How long will you call it beast or hyena?!]

Lee nodded with a contemplating countenance. His head lowered as his hands rested on his hips. He resembled someone confused and doubtful simultaneously.

"Fero. Your name will be Fero!"

Lee remembered the book he acquired and now resting in his Inventory. He recalled that the word Fero from Latin meant Wild. Since this hyena has experienced the harshness of the wild, he named him so. Fero understood what Lee meant and made a giggling sound. The kids were surprised as their eyes went wide. The elf kids giggled in company and hugged Fero, followed by other kids.

"Shall we resume our journey?! The sky will start to darken soon. We only have a maximum of one and a half kilometres from the village."

Lee sounded his opinion and everybody nodded in agreement. The kids came back to their parents with satisfactory faces. Fero neared Lee and rubbed its body against Lee's jeans. Perhaps, it was the unique material that triggered it to rub at it more vigorously.

'View.'

=====

Name: Fero.

Age: 3 years.

Species: Split-jaw Hyena.

Weight: 63 kilograms.

Height: 1.64 metres.

Length: 0.72 metres.

Companion: Lee.

Description: A defective hyena abandoned by it's pack. Hence, it has a slightly better reflexes and stats. Self-reliance and experience have gifted a more muscular physique. A trauma of being chased for over a month was pacified as a result of forming companionship.

Defect: Large deep blue eyes.

=====

Lee was merry as he read the details regarding Fero. The detailed size description was due to the companionship between Lee and Fero. Lee walked and Fero was right beside him. An was not afraid of Fero as Lee was right next to her. But, the antelope beside her occasionally showed signs of repulsion towards Fero.

Their figures vanished at a distance as 5 P.M. in the evening showed its arrival. The journey was smooth like before. It's just that they have an extra member now. The one who experienced the wild and whose name is wild!