Book 1: Chapter 58: Behemoth


    I drifted in sleeps deep waters, a contented tiredness about my body as the System worked away at my body. This, I was fully aware of yet, yet there was no panic as the gifts of the Gods Above shaped my body to its natural course. To the man I was before, perhaps the experience would have been a source of fright and horror, to have my body changed in such a way as I gazed on. Yet here, it came naturally. If some outside source provided influence to calm me, I weed it.


    My visions were strange things, even for this world and what I had experienced insofar. This was not a peaceful sleep that I inhabited. So say it was would be to reject reality itself with such a level of self-delusion.


    My thoughts were filled with ancient, primal <em>things</em>. Transcendent visions of a different time, one where all I could see were massive, furred beasts that only resembled minotaurs in the vaguest sense. Gone were the plethora of dull colors that my races fur was. Those that came to me in dreams were colored of whitest snow, their long, pale hair streaked with vibrant paints.


    Even in the dreamscape, the strangest feeling entered me as I gazed upon these beings. One I had yet to experience since I hade unto this world. I gazed upon what had once been, and I felt <em>small</em>.


    An event of great importance unfolded around me, I realized. Several of the ghostly forms drifted past, speaking in strange tongues I could notprehend. And as they whispered their lost wisdom to me, my very being changed.


    The Gods Above had sent me a tribtion, and it had been ovee. Now was my reward. My proof that I could be entrusted with even more strength, an irrefutable argument that I had the potential to rise even further. Give greater battle in their name. I knew this distant pantheon of fickle deities not, but I weed their gifts all the same.


    Whatever immortal wisdom these great furred beings tried to impart was lost to the void simply as I could not understand theirnguage. Something precious gone forever.


    The waking world seized hold and dragged me back to the light before I could dwell on this.


    My eyes slowly cracked open, and I found myself in a wholly unfamiliar ce. The shell of this ce had been built by my hands, but I could not remember the insides this way. Counter-tops wereden with objects, my weapons and armor neatly mounted upon the walls. The faint scent of dried meat drifted through the air,ing from the cer. Whoever had moved all my possessions from one house to the next had done so in the time in which I had slept.


    The world spun as I stood. Everything seemed just a tad..off. Misced. Too far away. The doorway that had beenfortable to walk through before, that I had built specifically for my height now required that I tilt my head. Even then my horns scraped against the wood as I blearily emerged from my lodge and winched as the sunnced into my eyes.


    The yard was bare, the fields were empty and-


    <strong>The first harvest has beenpleted. You have reached Level Eight. You have reached Level Nine. New Skills will be avable for selection once you rest. </strong>


    I had just woken up from said rest, but okay. Was it a massive trickle-down from my main ss leveling up that had triggered this surge?


    The thought <em>fleeted</em> across my mind, only to be swept away as a shout rang across the yard. Ish waved from where she and the others worked near the dam. The sight of me caused all attempts at said task to be abandoned. They approached my mildly confused form with varying degrees of speed.


    Wee back to the living! the orcss announced, her grin stretched wide, fanf-tips poking past her lip.


    How long? Was all I sad in reply.


    Several days. Gettin up on a week now. First day we were sorta worried, then Pa came by, realized you were breakin through into the next stages of levelin and assured us youd be alright.


    She stopped and looked up at me with eyes that were full of awe.


    Garek, what miracle you rendered at the fort was beyond what even I thought you were capable of. She spoke solemnly. I fought those monsters first. I know what theyre capable of. Pah told me everythin.


    It was an act of the Gods Above that I survived, yes. I agreed, leaving the skill that had literally pushed death aside unsaid. Moments passed until Ishs serious frown flickered and smile emerged beneath.


    In the meantime, you werent round and the work wasnt bein done. Got the oats, grain and wheat all sorted out and stored away, cows milked and more pots of healin milk bein worked on right now.


    I could not help but notice my lodge is far better decorated that when I left.


    That too. She beamed as Gol groaned and sat on his haunches. Ran out of other work, and the cows only take so much time tah be milked, so I figured wed finish what ya started. Werent gonna wake up either way, <em>no matter how much stuff Gol dropped</em>.


    Thatst part was apanied by an usatory re at said recipient, an action that only elicited a pitiful whine.


    We were sorta countin on you bein up from that power-nap once <em>that</em> ran outta things to do. Once that didnt happen, we got the vegetables picked and sorted into the cer. Once that was all done andtidied up, we were seein if we couldnt do somethin with the dam and try to hook some fish.


    A scant few wobbles ran through me as I quietly nodded and processed the situation. That <em>was</em> quite the load that had been lifted from my back.


    Men from the fort dropped by and dumped a bunch of carcasses at the fields edge. She made a face and pointed across the yard. Ill admit, my reaction..werent pretty at first.


    Ish scratched the back of her head and looked away, hand on one hip, her scent uneasy.


    To be honest, I mighta freaked out and and nearly killed one or more of em. You asked em to <em>deliver</em> those things down here? There was something strained in her voice at that.


    I had done that without thinking of the effects on her, true. My exnation that I intended to study the enemy and derive uses from their corpses eased some of the strain from her posture and voice.


    I thought theyd start stinkin and goin bad under the sun by now, but yeah, nothin. She pointed out. You can have at em whenever you feel like. Just count me out for now. Not too excited bout the prospect of lookin at one of those buggers anytime soon.


    I could not find it in me to judge her in any way for that.


    For as much work as the trio had aplished, there was still more to be done. Once congrattions were given and my thanks firmly expressed, there were other tasks that desperately needed to be ran. The lightning-fast battle at the fort had instilled in me a reminder that now, more than ever, logistics were supreme, and I intended to integrate myself into those.


    More to help save lives than for profit, but I could not lie and say thetter would be unwee.


    Ish informed me that yes, she had also been harvesting from the monster nts while I slumbered. The jugs of acid were plentiful, and there were adequate jugs of healing milk. For a while, I questioned the validity of using milk as aponent for healing. It was not exactly a substance known for staying good under sub-optimal conditions. Yet I had heard noints insofar, and the draught I had taken at the fort held up just fine despite being sold weeks ago. Was part of the healing power working to keep it preserved?


    It was deep in the afternoon once we had the singr horse hooked up and cart fully loaded to head up to the Verdant Dawns camp. I elected to stay upon the farm for this one, having my own interests to attend. Ish had earned my trust so many times over that sending her to do this was a trivial concern at best. Artyom leaped at the chance to apany her, and Gol took to opportunity to slink off under some shade and sy himself out.


    Soon, they too were gone, and I turned my focus to what excited me this day. A power coursed within, eager and ready to be called. For so long it hadin dormant, a carrot held before me to pursue the next great breakthrough. Now, it was within my grasp, and I intended to see its glory.


    Soon, I stood alone, save for a familiar face that rested among the treetops. The straw-covered raven had returned, its brown wings folded and its dark eye turned to observe me in silence. Out in the middle of a barren field, I took a deep breath and dived deep within.


    <strong>Brazen Bull Behemoth</strong> writhed and shook as I attempted to drag the Skill to the surface. Unlike the others, it resisted with stubborn ferocity, some great beast that disliked that I roused it.


    A candid description, I found.


    The space before me flickered and distorted, shimmers running through the air as something became undone. A massive shadow throbbed and pulsed, features blurred and then sharpened. Back and forth it went, being all but dragged into reality. Cold limbs were rendered unable to move as I stood and witnessed what I had wrought upon this world. Amand had been given to the world itself, and it was absolute.


    Rumbles that sounded like boulders being ground together down a mountain slope sounded as the massive towered above me. Broad shoulders, long fur, massive form. An ancient, titanic minotaur stood before me, a monster that dwarfed me in every way. Scarlet streaks ran along snow-white fur, a crown of horns upon a gigantic head.


    Primality itself radiated from every pore of this massive, hulking brute. It spoke of strength and sheer resilience, every pore of the creature exuding strength.


    It hit after a few heartbeats of awe and vague terror.


    The Skill had summoned a behemoth unto this world. It stood silently, and I instinctively knew it awaited amand.


    Hesitation blinked aside, I grunted and ordered it to step back. There was a small dy that caused me to fear anguage barrier could screw this all over.


    Earth was shoved aside as legs thick as tree trucks moved, hooves that dwarfed mine mming into the earth itself.


    I was a giant among men. Thergest creature that existed in this general vicinity, save for the Apex. This <em>thing</em> made me seem insignificant. I felt giddy inside as I beheld the behemoth in all its slouched, shaggy glory.


    There was <em>so much</em> farmwork that could be made trivial if I had this to do it for me. I suppose it would be rather invaluable for any future battles and dungeon expeditions as well. A whim flitted through my mind, and amand was issued. I watched with no small amount of fascination as it turned and tromped away, every step sending small tremors underfoot. Its sheer weight and bulk crunched the earth itself, every step sinking into the ground.


    A tree was uprooted with ease as the behemoth closed its fist around the sizeable trunk and tugged sharply. Said dirt, bark and greenery vanished into the distance as the behemoth reared back and hurled it up the mountain.


    I watched with no small degree of giddy joy as the massive trunk, roots and leaves vanished into the general horizon. A feeling bubbled within me now, a childlike excitement and penchant for mischief as I cast about to see what other feats I couldmand the primal minotaur to do.


    This was perhaps the single best oue of this Skill I had ever envisioned.


    Come what may, I was going to have <em>copious</em> amounts of fun.