Lets pretend I didn't read the original plot

Beast Business 3.7

I didn't get to go on my tour of the grounds with Lee because when I come back downstairs it's to find that both Lee and Father Tori were gone. Mother May comes and tells me that they were called away to deal with business issues. That's a bit disappointing. It feels like this place would have a lot of interesting things.

"Before he left Lee arranged for Adrianna to be your guard, she'll take care of you." Mother may say and gestures to my left. I turn to look and start at the appearance of the statuesque women with a bob cut in a black suit that appears beside me. Wow, oh she's really pretty and intimidating it's like an upgraded version of last time. I wonder why the names are repeated here?

"Hi, nice to meet you," I say.

"Hello, young master let us get along well." There was an almost imperceptible pause between her saying young and master as if she might have been going to say something else but changed her mind at the last minute but what she was originally going to say I was unsure.

Reminding user that Adrianna is a valuable support character with excellent protection options.

I smile at Adrianna and then turn back to the plate that Mother may places in front of me to look down and absently eat the food. Lee isn't here so it should be safe to talk to the system. It was pretty useless previously, but the update is making it passably functional.

Explain Support Character Options.

Support character options are beneficial addition skills that can be used when the support character is present. The skills will activate passively so long as that support character is nearby. Passive danger perception is the most basic support character skill. Adrianna has the additional skills of presence suppression which increases player stealth and Knights honour which increases the player's defence.

Oh? Well, that's convenient. How nearby is nearby?

Within one block.

That is quite a range. Still, this was a school drama story and I'm not even a cannon fodder, just a passer-by so probably won't need such skills.

Hostile reactions detected approaching the estate.

I should stop thinking too loud, it's apparently a sign.

"Madame, please move to the save room, people of ill intent are approaching." Adrianna says as she looks at Mother May. "You as well young master." She gestures to me and I shake my head.

"It would be too disadvantageous to put us both in the same place if we are both being deemed targets and if I'm not a target then it would be worse for me to go where the known protective target is." I explain looking up at the high ceilings and decorative rafters of the building. "are all the rooms like this?" I point to the ceiling and Mother May nods. As I think of the large number of tree clusters I had seen on the drive in and glace out at the dimming light of the setting sun a plan comes to mind.

"Mother May you go the safe room; I'll hide out here." As I speak, I spring up from the chair and use the bench as one vault before tapping lightly on an ornate carving and shooting up to swing myself onto one of the rafters. Mother May stares up at me for a long moment before she nods, pulls a pistol out from somewhere and hurries out of the room. Adrianna looks from me to other Mother May for a moment but eventually follows Mother May when I wave my hand at her.

I kinda wish I had a mini map with enemy markers, that is the corner stone feature of a good game after all.

Activating mini map.

Eh really? System I maligned you you're actually useful.

As the mini map comes up, I smile. The targets were approaching the house either singularly or in pairs from all directions. The map showed that somewhere close to the house and some were further back in the tree clusters. It also showed that there was a window that opened out right into a tree cluster at the ceiling in the next room. Meaning that I could get outside the house into a tree cluster without having to go down and possibly leave tracks. Hehe, while it's not zombies' stealth ambushes are at least entertaining. I wonder if this group will think to look up. As I sneak across the beams and into the next room, I might have to make suggestions about this design since it would be terrible if some invader took advantage of the unimpeded ceiling path. Reaching the window, I look out. The shadow of the house has lengthened to shroud the area in almost complete darkness.

I suddenly remember my favourite scene from the scorpion king movie where the lead actor starts taking out the group hunting him in a case during a sandstorm first by hooking one up to the sealing and strangling them. I stroke the silver thread spool bracelet and then reach up to pull off the necklace I was wearing. It was a somewhat collar like thing that the original used to keep hidden in his room.

On the necklace was a ring that had the rather special trait of facilitating a partial shift that maintained clothes. The clothes worn couldn't be many and had to offer freedom of movement, but it allowed for one to shift and use the beast aspects without being left without clothes. Unfortunately, the original host just felt that the partial shift was too disgusting and embarrassing and so hid the ring away to claim he couldn't do it. Well, that is why he needed to be rescued and I got revenge. Now then for some stress relief.

I slide the ring onto my fingers and initiate the shift. While the clothes Mother May had put on the bed were not what I would have called masculine defining they certainly fit the bill of not much and easy movement. Once the partial shift was complete, I give myself a once over with a nod. The shift produced my wingskins which allowed me to glide moderate distances. I got a little bit smaller to lighten my bones some more and both my tall ears and prehensile tail formed. Small claws came from my fingers and toes making me glad I hadn't put any shoes on.

But I didn't sprout fur all over like the tradition werewolf half forms id seen in movies so I couldn't understand the original problem with the form but whatever. I studiously avoided trying to understand how I could both have wingskins from wrist to ankle attached down my sides and still have the shorts and top stay attached. Game physics apparently didn't care about the need for pass through.