Symbiotic: Chapter 12

Sara rolled back to her feet once she had regained her breath and gathered herself to push on.

Behind her, the river was alive with movement. Her [Danger Sense] pulsed faintly, not in direct threat but in awareness as countless water-based creatures were already converging on the territory the now disposed of River Gnashers had left behind. She didn’t need to look back to know what was happening: a new dominance struggle was beginning, predators and scavengers rushing in to claim the territory now left vacant.

She quickened her pace. Not my fight. Not today.

She paused at the edge of the grassland, chest still tight from the fight and the swim. Her muscles ached, but the lingering debuffs on her Body Force and Body Speed had finally faded, leaving her whole again. She flexed her fingers, feeling strength return, and pushed forward.

And Immediately pulled to a halt as a System Announcement appeared.

*DING* [Tutorial Complete. Now entering The Contested Lands.]

[System Transition Notice]

You are now leaving the Solo Tutorial.

Tutorial Phase: Complete.

Solo Instance: Terminated.

Progression Threshold Achieved:

All Tutorial-specific modifiers (restricted creature spawns, reduced environmental hazards, limited resource availability) have been removed.

Entering: The Contested Lands Shared World Instance.

The Contested Lands is the System Designation for Newly Integrated Shared World #956,728,502.

The Contested Lands consist of the combined territories remaining of ten newly Inducted Humanoid Planets: G’Rvarr, Kloish, Warren, Zed, Hissule, Borath, Earth, Fumora, Pi’inii’i’i, & Planet 2.

Territory claims can now be made, and existing claims contested by other bearers.

- Apex Predators, Beast Waves, and Rival factions active.

- Resource nodes scale await discovery

- System Store now available. Please see System Store Kisok for more detail.

- Cooperative and hostile interactions possible.

- Death penalties increased to full severity.

Warning: The Contested Lands are not balanced for fairness.

Survival depends on strength, strategy, and alliances.

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Sara stood frozen, trying to catalog the information and what it might mean for her both immediately, and for her future.

“Well ‘The Contested Lands’ doesn’t feel like the most reassuring name. that’s for sure.

Combined from ten Humanoid Planets? Well that immediately means there are non-Humanoid Planets.

Cooperative and Hostile actions. Contested claims. Safety Restrictions removed. Holy hells! Was I playing on Easy Mode? THAT was Easy Mode?!?!”

But after allowing herself a brief time to freak out about the game having changed right under her feet, she sighed. “I guess none of it matters right now. That Future Sara sure has her work cut out for her! It’s not like my options have changed. I can give up, or push forward and eventually meet the neighbors.”

So push forward she did.

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The grassland opened before her, a sea of tall stalks swaying in the wind. She slowed, brushing her hand against the plants. They weren’t grass at all. The stalks were thicker, golden, much of it nearly chest high with heads heavy like wheat. Sara blinked, startled.

Wheat? Here?

She plucked a stalk, turning it over in her hand. The seedhead grains shimmered faintly, a vitality she could feel even without touching her network. She smacked her forehead with a laugh. Of course. I can Identify it.

[Identify Activated]

[Lifewheat]

Type: Vital Plant Resource

Affinity: Life / Body

Properties:

- Can be used in Alchemy and cooking recipes

- Can be cooked to enhance Body or Life affinities temporarily.

- Primary ingredient in many low level Healing foods and potions.

Sara’s eyes widened. Lifewheat. Not just food, but a resource that could strengthen her body, bolster her vitality, maybe even push her stats further if prepared correctly.

She tucked a handful of Lifewheat heads carefully into her Pocket Storage, already imagining the possibilities. Alchemy. Cooking. Enhancements. Wait? “Can I learn Alchemy? Like Magic Alchemy?” The Micro-Biologist inside her squealed at the idea. Combining her biology knowledge with magic, or System, enforced Alchemy. The possibilities! “Note for Future Sara”, she muttered. “Add ‘Learn Alchemy’ to the to-do list!”

The grassland stretched endlessly ahead, golden waves under the sun. Behind her, the river roared with conflict. But here, in the fields of Lifewheat, Sara felt a flicker of excitement. Of hope.

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The Lifewheat swayed in golden waves, brushing against Sara’s hips and chest as she moved deeper into the fields towards the valley that was her goal. The air was warm, rich with vitality, each breath carrying a faint sweetness. She was so focused on the strange energy of the plants that she didn’t notice the silence creeping in.

But her [Danger Sense] remained silent.

Then, between one breath and the next, the wheat shifted. Massive shapes glided through the stalks, golden fur blending perfectly with the just moments ago unmoving fields all around her.

The first lion revealed itself directly in her path, stepping into view with a grace that belied its size. As if it had suddenly walked through a door, and not out of stalks of golden wheat. It was enormous, VW Bus-sized, its mane shimmering like sunlight caught in wheat. Its eyes glowed faintly with green-gold vitality. Behind her, another shape rose, then another, until a full circular wall of Lion had appeared. She was surrounded.

Her [Danger Sense] pulsed, but not in the frantic drumbeat of imminent death. Instead, it hummed low, steady, like a warning of potential danger rather than certain doom. The lions weren’t attacking. Not yet.

Sara swallowed hard, resisting the urge to draw her spear. She knew instinctively that aggression would be suicide. These were not beasts to fight lightly, they were embodiments of the Life energy saturating the fields.

She raised her hands, palms open, held wide but low, trying to look as harmless as possible. Her voice was steady, though her heart raced:

"Good kitties? Hopefully not hungry kitties?"

[Identify Activated]

[Life Lion]

Type: Apex Vital Predator

Title: Territory Controller, Life Fields

Affinity: Life / Body

Size: 15-20 foot long average frames of muscle and speed, but also powerful in Mind and Soul. True undisputed Rulers of their Domain

Disposition: Territorial, protective, not immediately hostile unless provoked.

Abilities:

• Vital Veil (Passive): Suppresses Danger Sense and similar abilities until the lion chooses to reveal itself.

• Life Infusion (Passive): Imbues Owned Territory with vitality, enhancing growth and Body affinity.

• Golden Mane (Aura): Emits a calming aura that reduces aggression in nearby creatures; doubles as intimidation when hostile.

• Pounce of Renewal (Active): A devastating leap attack that drains vitality from prey and restores the lion’s own wounds.

• Pack Resonance (Passive): Life Lions share vitality through resonance; harming one strengthens the others nearby.

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The nearest lion tilted its head, golden mane rippling. Its eyes locked on hers, unblinking, ancient. The wheat around them seemed to pulse with its breath, the vitality of the field flowing through its body.

Another lion padded closer, silent, its paws barely disturbing the stalks. Sara turned slowly, careful not to make sudden movements. Escape seemed impossible, every path was blocked by an Apex predator not eager, but perfectly willing to fight.

It was clear: she had wandered deep into their territory. Whether she walked out alive depended entirely on the Life Lions’ judgment.

The hum of her [Danger Sense] lingered, steady and low, reminding her that still waters can still hold deadly danger.

“Title: Territory Controller? That’s certainly new. And of the entire Lifewheat Fields. Yikes.”

“And those stats… And Abilities! Healing? Injuring one empowers the others? God’s above, Please want to be friends!”

Before Sara had a chance to come up with some miraculous escape or attack plan, the largest and brightest mained of the Life Lions took a step towards her, and Sara immediately tried to scan her brain for any memory of what one was supposed to do when face to face with a Lion… Other than Don’t! “It’s not like we studied for this kinda thing in school. I researched Cellular connectivity, not Great Cat Appeasement. Do I make myself Big? Make myself small? Loud Noises? Stay quiet? Back away? Don’t move? Shit. Give me something here brain!”

The Life Lion took another step closer and Sara did the only thing that made sense in the moment. She dropped her gaze to avoid direct eye contact as she held her hand out like she would to a horse or a friend’s dog to sniff.

“Pretty sure I’m about to die.”, she thought to herself and brought up her current capacity.

[Current Network: 1100 of 1500]

“Whew. At least I’ve got the network capacity to Regrow back at the tree. As something tells me that is smarter than making permanent enemies of these big furballs.”

Sara paused as a terrible thought struck her and the Lion stepped even closer. “Shit. Solo Tutorial closed? My save Spores were in the Solo Tutorial!” In desperation she pulled at the System display to show her Regrowth Spore locations, and nearly made the bad bad choice to scream out loud at what appeared.

[Regrowth Location 0 of 3 Set. Would you like to Set this as your Regrowth location? Y/N?]

Screwed. She was well and truly screwed. Die now and… What would happen? Without a saved Regrowth spot, would she die permanently? But setting here in the middle of the Lion ambush as her Regrowth location… Wouldn’t that just mean becoming a Repeating Chew Toy until she was out of microbes?

Having no other choice, she quickly selected Yes.

*PING* [Regrowth Location 1 of 3 Set: Life Fields]

Warning. Life Fields is a Controlled Territory. Requesting authorization of Owner to allow Regrowth location. Please Wait…]

Sara sighed. "So much for feeling so invulnerable”, Sara thought to herself just as something large, warm, and furry, touched her outstretched hand.

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*Ping* [Regrowth Location 1 of 3: Life Fields Authorized.]

*Ping* [The Glorious Lion Who Roars at the Sun (Territory Controller) has requested an Empathic Connection, Lesser, with you. Accept? Y/N]

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