8 Dion

Pain. Pain was all he felt when he drew in those harsh, shuddering breaths. Dried blood caked Dion's side, a souvenir from his scuffled with the dominants that had attacked their camp. He had taken down a couple of them, but a stronger one had forced him to flee. The toxins still burned, but his healing enzymes had done most of the work of neutralizing the toxins.

He needed to wash off the blood around the injury and let it heal properly, then he would try to find Mian. The other boys could take care of themselves. That pup wouldn't last more than two days out here in the wild.

"Damn Brian. Some guardian you are, leaving us for dead." He grumbled as he pushed aside a branch that was dotted with bright greens leaves. His side strained as he did so, forcing him to grit his teeth as his vision swam. It seemed like the one that left the injury was quite strong.

He continued on, step after step. It was easy enough, making sure your foot just stayed ahead of each other. At least, it was simple enough until the pain got too much.

Dian collapsed to his side, his breath raspy as the full force of the toxins settled in. It had been roughly over a day since their camp was attacked. He hadn't eaten anything, and his body lacked the energy to help him combat the toxins and heal the injury.

His eyes drifted close, even as he actively fought to retain his consciousness. But the harder he tried, the harder he failed. After a couple minutes of fighting the darkness, it finally consumed his mind.

***

Mian wandered through the twists and turns, figuring out all the kinks in his body. He hadn't run into any animals yet, but he had found plenty of berry bushes along the way. He didn't know if it was just a stroke of luck, but he had also found a small bag nearby, which he had used to pack a whole lot of berries into. Now, he was energized, full, and had a small supply of food for when he was stuck in the forest.

"Hana?"

[Yes, Host?] The ever present, soft, and dutiful voice of Hana drifted through his mind.

"Um, I just noticed, but I feel stronger, better, than before I gained the System. Is there anything different with me, aside from gaining the System?"

[Yes, Host. Your base stats have all been boosted, and you are roughly twice as strong as you were before you came in contact with the System. Until after your first Evolution, you will be unable to view the exact changes within your body.]

"Oh, I see... Twice as strong, huh? Not too strong, but at least, I'm not as weak as before." Mian shrugged and continued on his way through the forest.

*Rustle* *Thud*

The sound of something rustling nearby, followed by a dull thud. Mian's fur bristled as he waited for something to come barreling out at him, but after waiting for a few minutes, nothing happened.

Against his better judgment, which told him to turn around and run, he slowly approached the cluster of bushes from the side, intending to go around them, and not run headfirst into the jaws of a hungry beast.

When he peeked around the top of a cluster of thick bushes to the side, the first thing he saw was a black tail. The tail twitched weakly, as though its owner was trying to fight off inevitable death.

'Oh no! Don't tell me some strong predator is finishing off one of he boys from the pack!' The thought ran through his mind. He was about to turn tail and run when he heard a groan that sounded familiar to him.

"Ugh..."

Mian's ears perked up upon hearing the voice that was laced with pain. He leapt over the bush he was hiding behind, rushing forward. He wouldn't let Dion die!

The sight that greeted him was vastly different from what he had expected. Dion was laid out on his side, his eyes droopy, but distant. Thick, dried blood was caked in his fur, proof of a very deep injury that he had struggled to heal.

Mian knelt by his side, his hands hanging a few inches above the injured boy's body. He wasn't sure what to do.

"H-Hana... Help me. W-what should I do?" Fear crept through his voice, and the stutter that wasn't there when last he spoke had returned. He was once again that weak, powerless demi-human from a day ago who couldn't do anything but get pushed around by others.

[There is only one thing you can do at this moment, Host. The only way to administer treatment in time to prevent this demi-human is to transfer the pure, natural energy stored within your body into his. This way, his natural healing process will become multiplied by at least three times.]

As usual, Hana's assuring advice soothed his heart.

"How do I do that?"

[Just will the Evolution System to do so, and it shall be done. But, please do note that after doing this, depending on how much energy was used up, your body will become weaker until that energy has been restored. Aside from waiting for the natural absorption process, consuming plants and animals serve as a good way to replenish energy.]

Mian nodded along with Hana's words. There was no time to waste. He concentrated his mind, pulling on the energy that was gathered inside him. In his mind's eye, a visualization appeared. Within his body, in the very center, just by his heart, a glowing ball of golden energy floated there, a manifestation of pure, unadulterated nature energy.

'As long as I will it...'

He mentally tapped on that ball of energy. A stream of golden energy broke off from the constantly turning bundle of energy and followed his guiding mind. His consciousness returned to his surroundings and when he regained clarity, what he saw left his mouth hanging ajar.

A band of golden energy rotated around him in a one meter radius. The band of golden energy constantly let out tiny wisps of light that showered down upon Dion. Slowly, the pained look on his face began to fade away, replaced by a kind of exhausted look that belied the pain he had gone through.

"Rest." Mian murmured as he pulled Dion's head onto his lap. They were decently covered behind these bushes, and he guessed there was enough time left in the day for them to return to the pack lands before sundown, depending on when Dion woke up.