2. National Power-Level Druid is Born (Country's Fucked)
A White Tiger. A tiger with pure white fur. From a biological standpoint, it was just a sick tiger struck with leucism or something. But when people say "White Tiger," doesn't it evoke something sacred? The one standing before me right now was exactly that.
Maybe it was because it had come to save me in this dire situation. Or perhaps it just exuded overwhelming dignity from the start. The White Tiger was divine and beautiful.
"Whoa...!!"
It was so stunning that all I could do was gasp in awe. But that majestic image didn't last long.
"Die, nyang!!"
"...?"
Thwack—
The White Tiger unleashed a barrage of Nyangnyang Punches on the wyvern, which was getting pummeled helplessly. This wasn't the battle I'd imagined at all—I was a bit thrown off. I'd pictured two massive monsters clashing in an epic showdown! But this? It was like a cat beating up a puppy.
"How dare you touch my butler!! You deserve to die, nyang!!!"
Thud— Thud—
Its casual swipes packed a heavy punch, unlike the light gestures. The wyvern couldn't even collect its wits as it kept taking hits. And it couldn't flee, either. The forest environment was working against it too harshly.
Even without my command, the trees were obstructing its flight. The White Tiger moved like a cat hunting a flightless bird, dodging every counterattack with astonishing speed and piling on the damage.
Once the wyvern was too dazed from repeated headshots to react, the White Tiger charged in one shot and tore into it with its jaws. Wounds opened on the wyvern's body, and before I knew it, its right wing was ripped clean off.
It pinned the thrashing wyvern with a paw and went for the throat next. Crunch—
The wyvern's neck tore away in an instant, killing it on the spot. The White Tiger stood triumphantly atop the corpse. The fight had been a bit sloppy, sure.
But hey, a win's a win.
"That's me, nyang. Say I'm amazing, nyang. Praise me, nyang!"
"A-amazing!! So cool!"
It just needed to speak a little more regally. Celebrating its hunt, the White Tiger chomped into the wyvern with a crunch. Was it okay to eat that? I'd heard monster corpses were lethally toxic to humans.
...Urk?!
Ouch—
With the battle over, the dopamine crashed. I started noticing the wooden shards embedded in my legs. The pain hit like a tidal wave, compounded by stamina and mana drain.
"Ughhh...."
My body couldn't hold out any longer. My eyes drifted shut without me realizing.
*
"Eek?!"
I jolted awake and sat up in a panic. I was in my own bed. When had I gotten home? Sunlight streamed through the window—it was dawn after a full night. I'd probably slept a straight day.
That's when I heard purring. Looking down, a white cat slumbered on my stomach.
"...Good thing it wasn't a dream."
I'd awakened, nearly died to a wyvern, tamed a weird cat—and it turned into a White Tiger. If this had all been a dream and I was still an unawakened normie, I'd have been pretty bummed.
Pet pet—
My hand moved on its own to stroke the cat. Irresistible! Humans have always been powerless against cute little animals.
"Whoa, this fur is insanely soft."
I'd raised a few pets before, but nothing this plush. Cats sleep away a huge chunk of their lives, apparently—this one stayed out cold despite my prodding.
"Oh right, no cat food... But it talks, so it'll be fine, yeah?"
It'd say if it needed anything. It scarfed a whole wyvern yesterday, after all.
"It was seriously strong..."
The terrain helped a bit, but taking down a wyvern solo? As a summon from a level 1 Druid? EX-rank was on another level, alright.
"Phew, now the real start begins."
Yesterday was just an accident. Time to grow steadily from here.
"But how do I level up?"
Awakeners usually gain EXP from killing monsters, leveling up once it accumulates. But production classes were different, I'd heard. Like blacksmiths getting EXP per item forged, or alchemists per potion brewed.
So the question: Was Druid production or combat?
"...No clue."
It varied by story. In demon-slaying games, Druids were bear-and-wolf mages. In some comics, they were boring farmers. Maybe the status window had hints?
I checked it right away.
Basic interface. No skills or stats visible. No EXP bar, either. Guess I'd have to figure out leveling myself. Earth RPG was brutally unhelpful—you had to adventure blind.
Then pain throbbed in my leg. It was wrapped in bandages—sloppily, but securely. The cat must've done it. Smart, finding the first-aid kit. As an awakener, I could hobble around anyway.
I shuffled to the living room. Inspecting the wrecked house revealed how the White Tiger got in: door ajar, dirt trails everywhere.
"Dragged me in, huh."
Shame it didn't clean me up before bed. I'd shake off the dirt later.
"Oh, you're up, nyang?"
The cat's voice startled me—I whipped around. It hopped from the bedroom to the sofa, scratching its ear with a paw.
I sat beside it, questions burning.
"Pet me, nyang."
"O-okay..."
Total cat energy—bossy as hell. But that plush feel... My face melted.
"That's enough."
Smack—it batted my hand away. Classic cat.
It eyed my injured leg.
"So, how's the leg, nyang?"
"...Not great."
"Awakeners heal fast anyway."
"Yeah, fingers crossed."
Stretch— The cat yawned hugely and climbed onto my lap. I couldn't resist petting gently.
"You burned tons of mana right after awakening and got hurt. Amazing you didn't collapse sooner, nyang."
"Felt like it. But up in a day—decent, right?"
"Good thing my butler's lively, nyang."
It stared, yawning wide again.
"Got questions, nyang?"
"Yeah. Why the 'nyang' speech? Doesn't it tire you out?"
"...Born with it. Don't ask, nyang."
"No cat food."
"Stuffed from the whole wyvern. Don't worry, nyang."
Yaaawn. Battle fatigue lingered.
"Nap time."
"Got it, nyang..."
It curled into a ball and dozed. I eased it onto the sofa and stood, dragging my leg to the front yard.
The wyvern had trashed it—soil churned, surviving grass gone.
"...When'll I clean this?"
Old me would've whined. But now? Universe's strongest Druid. Piece of cake.
I sat cross-legged on the dirt—no biggie for a Druid. I tuned into nature's whispers: earthy scents, grass, chirping birds, moles underground.
As I connected, nature obeyed. Wilted grass dissolved into soil. Roots flipped earth flat. Trees swept debris with branches; vines from the roof tidied scraps.
Unreal—but happening live.
Hah!!
Mana drained in a flash. Friend of Nature wasn't zero-cost, just efficient. This scale sucked me dry.
"Can't spam it."
Fair use, though—restoring my yard.
"Time for more potatoes."
Grabbed seed potatoes from storage, planted in sunny soil, watered, then focused hands together.
"High-Speed Growth!!!"
Mana whooshed out. Potatoes sprouted fast, fully grown ones popping from earth like yesterday. Just harvest.
"This rules."
Like auto-farming. Gleaming potato in hand, I headed inside.
Plant High-Speed Growth (A) - LV1
Uses mana to rapidly grow plants. Higher levels allow more at once.
EX-rank Perk – Grown plants gain special powers.
"Special powers, huh..."
Excited what my potato held. Could chomp raw to test, but nah.
"Fries it is..."
First special plant deserved care. (Not first—gifted that one to the world.)
"If not for that wyvern yesterday."
Anyway: Korean soul food, french fries. Sincerity maxed.
Washed, sliced, soaked to remove starch. Boiled leftover oil, double-fried. Fluffy, hot, salted and peppered.
"...Perfect!!!"
Insanely appetizing fries done. One bite to nirvana, for sure.
I popped one in.
"...So damn good."
Sweet carb bliss—textbook perfection.
But... that's it.
No changes. "No mana boost? Strength up? Final damage +?!"
Poked table, scanned body—nothing.
"Buff window!!!"
Nope. How to check effects?
"Sigh, fire resist or whatever."
Would figure it eventually. I rose to wash up.
"...Huh?"
Something off. Injured leg felt fine. Swung it wild—no pain.
"No way..."
One possibility hit. Ripped off bandage, checked wound.
"...!!!!!"
The splinter gash? Gone. Perfectly healed.