《Energy Eater [Post Apocalyptic Litrpg]》 1 - My last moments
The explosion almost knocked me out, but I managed to push through. That was our last resort. Our hail Mary, our light at the end of the tunnel. From what anyone knew, it¡¯s been decades since the last time a blast like that hit an Eater. Maybe there was enough time for them to have lost the way to defend against missiles like they had in the past. Or maybe this group wasn¡¯t capable of surviving something like that to begin with. Either way, I kept running as the pouring rain flew at my face almost as if it was trying to stop me from moving. My legs burning with the strain but I couldn¡¯t stop. Not now, not this close to where those creatures were. I couldn¡¯t even call for Pops. Or anyone, for that matter. If I did, I would be luring any of the surviving monsters towards me. But he should be ok. I made sure to only start the fuse when he was already far from our home. Even if he¡¯s an old man, he is more fit than most people in the village. For the others¡­ I could only hope they managed to get away safely. If not, I hope the explosion killed them. That would be a better fate than being devoured by an Eater. Speaking of it¡­ I didn¡¯t even get to taste the cake. We were in the middle of singing happy birthday when everything happened. I shook my head. This wasn¡¯t the time to think about that kind of thing. I had to run. I had to survive. Even so, it was a struggle to move through the dark woods in the middle of the night. I could barely see what was in front of me. The only thing that illuminated the area were the occasional lightning strikes. But that didn''t matter. I lived here my entire life, I knew the place like the back of my hand. The tall pine trees towered, their shadows hiding me from those creatures, leaving the underbrush mostly free from branches or anything that could hinder my movement. The occasional Willow or Aspen tree could be a good place to hide, but not here. The monsters were too close. Glancing back, the ash and dust finally had stopped falling. From the raging fire that had once been my home and the village, shadows of creatures made out of tendrils appeared. Some struggled and fell, hopefully dead, but others continued. Searching for the one responsible for their pain. Almost nothing was known about those creatures. Where did they come from, why they attacked us, how were they so hard to kill, how they were able to evolve so quickly? No one had the answer to any of those questions. But one thing people knew. An absolute rule that everyone who faced an Eater should remember. Never attack an Eater. Or else they will chase you until the ends of the earth. There were stories about how, back in the old world, someone flung rocks at an Eater just before boarding a plane to the other side of the country. A few weeks later, that same Eater appeared in front of them. It ignored all the other attacks it received on the way and devoured that person whole before going after its new prey. But maybe I wouldn¡¯t have that problem. All said reports mentioned guns, rocks, arrows. In other words, all those cases had one thing in common. The Eater saw the attacker. This was a trap, not a direct blow. Maybe that would be my saving grace. The fact that I wasn¡¯t there when the missile went off. My legs rushed across the forest while my arms were in front of me. The storm was getting even more violent, and the rain that was refreshing began to sting due to the cold. At some point, I would need to look for shelter, there was a tall mountain nearby that could work. The hunters used a cave to rest when they had to spend the night away from the village. When they asked me to join in one of the hunts, they also showed me that place. As long as my memory was right, and no Eater was chasing me, I would be safe there. Hell, maybe I would get lucky and someone left some supplies there. A noise coming from my left made me stop. It was a telltale sound of metal grinding against metal that came from the maw of an Eater. Without even thinking, my body shifted to hide behind a nearby tree. From my vantage point, above a small hill, I could still see the flames created by the explosion in the distance, but the shadows were no longer there. Could it be one of the same monsters? No, they were too far away, and even if they survived the blast, they couldn¡¯t move that fast. This had to be another one. Maybe a weaker one that wasn¡¯t able to reach the village in time. Or one that was waiting out here to catch anyone who ran. Could the Eater have some sort of hierarchy where only some of them were allowed to attack a settlement? Taking a deep breath, I peeked out of my hiding spot. Lighting struck right at the same time, allowing me to see the Eater properly. It had one of its sickly gray tentacles undulating from side to side as it moved. And another dozen more reaching everywhere around it. Large thick spider legs that became bulbous near the ground, and became hundreds of tiny needle like pegs just as they were about to hit the floor. There was no face, no head, no arms, only the legs and tentacles connected in a circle. In the middle of its body, where all the appendages joined together, was an unnatural agglomeration of flesh. If its metallic skin could be called that. The Eater¡¯s limbs were gray, but as it got closer to that center, they turned black, but not in a natural way. It looked as if its own skin was being charred, or tainted by whatever was inside its mouth. Inside the maw were hundreds, if not thousands, of metal teeth that rotated in various directions. From it a ghastly pale light emanated, but it struggled to illuminate the black limbs that looked more like shadows trying to devour the light. Holding its body was a set of eight massive spider like legs, taller than me. And that was it. It had no face to speak of, no eyes that could be seen, ears to hear. Nothing, it was just a mass of death and hunger. Despite the sight, my eyes focused on something else, and a second flash of lightning confirmed my fear. Beyond the Eater, crouching near a couple of tree were my grandfather, along with Michael and Vanessa. All three of them staring at the monster with terror in their eyes. Another shot of adrenaline hit my bloodstream as my mind started working on overdrive. There were three people there, the Eater, and then me. If it was just Pops, I know what he would say. We both run and pray we can escape. It¡¯s likely that one of us would get caught, and even more likely that Pops would try something to save me. But if I tried to distract the Eater in any way, he would sacrifice himself to give me a chance to flee. This was a conversation we already had before, and those were the terms he put forward, refusing to change anything no matter how much I argued. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. Michael and Vanessa were also there. If they were alone, the answer was obvious. I would run and leave them behind. Even if I did something to save them, how could two 10-year-olds survive alone in the middle of a forest filled with Eaters? It would hurt, and I could never look their parents in the eye again, but that was the best option. However, they were together. Pops was more than capable of taking care of the children while finding a safe place. They wouldn¡¯t be alone in the forest, and with a bit of luck, they would be able to reach a new village and find another home. Maybe their parents were running to the same place, allowing them an emotional reunion. It was their life weighted against mine. And, just as my parents did before me, I decided my life was lighter. Clenching my fist, I reached for the ground as the Eater moved closer to Pops and the children. Grabbing a random rock, I tossed it at the monster. ¡°Pops, kids! I love you. And come get me, you ugly ass nightmare!¡± I yelled at the top of my lungs. A last farewell for them to understand what I just did. Still, only when the rock hit the Eater and the tentacles turned in my direction that I started running again. This time it wasn¡¯t just an attempt to flee what could be there, but a race against a relentless being that would never stop. The fact was, I was dead. There were no two ways about it. If people said that humans were persistence hunters, that only meant they never saw an Eater. Try to escape a creature that never sleeps or rests before saying I¡¯m wrong. Even so, Pops didn¡¯t raise a quitter. I¡¯m not going to roll over and let it devour me. My dying breath will be with me fighting against it. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a pointless battle. I¡¯ll struggle to the end. Running felt much faster this time. Knowing that a monster like that was after me was a massive incentive, but that wasn¡¯t all. While escaping the village, I tried not to attract attention. To move fast, but quietly. The necklace that Pops gave me as a birthday present hit my collarbone following the rhythm of my steps. It was a memento from my late grandmother, who I never met. I guess that would change soon. Now, any semblance of care went out of the window. Speed was the name of the game, and between my participation in the hunts, my daily exercise routine, and the forest parkour that Pops taught me, I felt I was doing pretty well. But that lasted only a moment. The tentacles of the creature lashed out at me with a metallic clang. A noise that became the only thing that served as a warning. I ducked, feeling the rapid movement of wind just above my hair as the tentacle snapped and split a nearby tree in two. A single hit from one of those things would be more than enough to kill me. Another clang became a second warning. This time, forcing me to jump, kicking off from a tree and tumbling forward. A branch pierced the side of my shirt, which ripped almost instantly as I refused to stop for any reason. The longest tentacle of the Eater started to coil, and with the sound of a tensioned spring being released, it shot out towards me. If another lightning bolt hadn¡¯t stuck, illuminating the area just at that time, I wouldn¡¯t be able to see the attack coming. But even with that warning, my reaction took too long. My body shifted to the left, yet it wasn''t enough to get out of the way completely. Even with a glancing blow against my shoulder, there was enough force behind the attack to send me tumbling down a hill to the side. At the same time, a loud sound echoed through the forest as the tentacle hit a massive tree that was directly in front of the Eater, causing it to fall on top of it. I don¡¯t know how long it took me to start moving again, but when I looked up, the forest was silent. Maybe I got lucky and the Eater left? No, that shouldn¡¯t be the case. Since when do monsters give up a prey? Trying to get back to my feet, I felt my dislocated shoulder and warm blood dripping from my arm. Reaching down, my hands found a large metal pole that was just there. Rusted and abandoned. A relic of the old world. Ignoring that, I grabbed a branch from the ground and shoved it in my mouth before popping my arm back in place, struggling not to scream. Not just because of the arm. My ankle was sprained, maybe even broken. Any hopes of running were now gone. Just as I spat out the branch, the metallic sound of an Eater appeared again. On top of the hill, the same creature that was chasing me appeared once more. Now it had fewer tentacles and an odd white ichor dripped from various parts of its limbs. Another lightning bolt struck, and the light revealed the numerous pieces of wood embedded on the monster¡¯s body. I chuckled, ¡°That¡¯s what you get, bitch.¡± The Eater¡¯s entire body shook, as if it was screaming, before the legs lowered and the creature jumped. Using the last remaining strength in my body, I grabbed the pole from the ground and pulled it up. I could only take one side off the ground, but maybe that would be enough. ¡°Aaaaaaahhhh!¡± I roared, doing my best to aim the somewhat pointy end of the pole at the Eater. The monster slammed onto the pole, and I saw how part of its maw was torn apart by the impact as I impaled an Eater. Any sense of victory quickly vanished as I felt a pain in my stomach. Looking down in shock, I knew there was nothing else I could do. I might have impaled an Eater. But it impaled me back. One of its tentacles was now lodged inside my stomach. I coughed blood as my strength started to leave my being. More of the tentacles moved towards me, but they were just a bit too short to reach. With a smile, memories of my parents came to mind. I would finally meet them, if there was such a thing as an afterlife. The last thing that I saw was a pure white light. Not one at the end of the tunnel, but the light of a lightning bolt that had just struck the pole in my hands, electrocuting both the Eater and myself. Before I lost all conscious, I could¡¯ve sworn that my chest was glowing. Then again, it didn¡¯t matter now. And to think that just two days ago, everything was fine. I guess that¡¯s life. ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ ¡­ [New user detected.] [Identified as the first human user in the network.] [Human registered as the 7th intelligent species in the network.] [Warning: User¡¯s body in the process of breaking down. Cannot continue with system integration in such conditions.] [Searching for solution¡­] [¡­] [¡­] [¡­] [Solution found. It will require use of nearby available resources. In addition, solution requires temporary relinquishment of motor functions.] [Solution cannot be implemented without users¡¯ permission.] [User Cassandra. Do you wish to live?] [Yes] [No] 2 - The Calm
¡°Can you pass me the potatoes?¡± Pops voice sounded muffled, as if he was speaking underwater. Or maybe I was the one who was underwater. But everything was so dark, so calm. ¡°Can you pass me the potatoes?¡± his voice sounded louder, but still muffled. I was feeling warm. Was I cold before? ¡°Cass? Can you pass me the potatoes?¡± his voice finally was able to snap me out of my stupor. Blinking a few times, I tried to get my bearings. For some reason, I had no memory about how I got here. Was I doing something before? Wasn¡¯t I in danger? ¡°Are we having soup again?¡± my body moved almost mechanically to the pantry. Knowing what Pops just asked. ¡°Not today. I was reading the recipe book from the old world that talked about baked potato, and I want to try making it,¡± Pops replied. ¡°Are you sure this is going to work? I remember the last time you tried something from that recipe book. Was it meat bread? That thing was raw in the middle and burnt in the edges.¡± ¡°It was meatloaf, and cooking is an art. It takes practice to master.¡± ¡°You can practice all you want, but other types of art don¡¯t require you to torture your granddaughter.¡± ¡°Some people might disagree with you. Or are you forgetting Shirley¡¯s concerto?¡± he chuckled. I stopped, the potato still in my hand, ¡°I don¡¯t want to remember that, much less the fact that she dragged the entire village to the basement for it. Some of the children will never be the same. But it doesn¡¯t matter how awful her singing is. I¡¯m not her granddaughter. So my point stands.¡± After I finally gave him the potato, my grandpa, Rakeen, started making his new experimental dinner, ¡°Fine, fine. By the way. Are you ready for tomorrow?¡± Just thinking about it made me groan loudly, ¡°Yeah. I am. I have everything I need, but I really didn¡¯t want to do this.¡± ¡°You can delay if you want,¡± Rakeen said. ¡°I know. But it wouldn¡¯t be fair. Besides, they already want to know about it. Vanessa menstruated for the first time during class today. It¡¯s not like I can pretend nothing happened. The kids saw a decent amount of blood. And I¡¯m not even that worried about them.¡± ¡°The parents?¡± Rakeen glanced back as I just nodded in reply, ¡°Yeah. They never take it well. You figure they would be happy having the kids understand that, but I guess some things don¡¯t change. Even in the old world, there were people who freaked out when it was time to talk about the birds and the bees. Still, I¡¯m more surprised about Vanessa. She¡¯s 10, isn¡¯t she? She got her period early.¡± His phrasing made me shiver, ¡°The fact that you associate bees with sex is terrifying. Apparenlty, Vanessa¡¯s mom also had her period early, so maybe it¡¯s a genetic thing? I don¡¯t know. Not like we can figure that out. But she seems fine.¡± ¡°That¡¯s good. Also, bees were much smaller back then. And they still do the same thing. Pollinate flowers and mostly leave us alone. Hornets are the assholes. Still, let me know if I can do anything to help. I may be retired, but I was a fine teacher.¡± ¡°True, and the kids miss you. Why don¡¯t you teach tomorrow¡¯s class then?¡± ¡°Not even if you were giving me some chocolate. You already tricked me into doing that with the last class. I won¡¯t make that mistake again.¡± ¡°C¡¯mon, it¡¯s been four years already. You really need to get over that. Can¡¯t you teach tomorrow¡¯s class? I¡¯ll love you forever if you do it,¡± I pouted, trying my best puppy dog face. ¡°You¡¯re going to love me forever even if I don¡¯t, and I know it,¡± Rakeen chuckled. With a scoff, I continued, ¡°That¡¯s why you¡¯re still single. No one wants to be with someone so cocky.¡± ¡°I¡¯m single because no woman in the world can compare to your late grandma. I¡¯m the one who refuses them, not the other way around.¡± ¡°Yeah, right,¡± I rolled my eyes. ¡°Speaking of her,¡± Rakeen placed the potatoes in the oven and walked towards his bed. We lived in what could be called a large metal container, making the entire thing a single large room. Reaching inside a drawer, he pulled out a wooden box with various patterns split by diagonals all over it. The old man smiled, looking at it, his almost black eyes filling with sadness. With a sniff, he turned around, took a small towel from the drying rack on the side of the room. He patted his forehead and gray beard dry before returning to the table where I was sitting. ¡°Here. Happy birthday.¡± ¡°Pops¡­¡± I reached out for the box, seeing how each unique pattern fought against each other all over the entire frame. Still, it was oddly beautiful, ¡°But my birthday is only tomorrow,¡± I glanced at Rakeen, who raised an eyebrow, ¡°You know what I mean. To everyone else, it is tomorrow.¡± I didn¡¯t know the exact date of my birth; after all, I had lost my parents when my previous home was attacked by the Eaters. Luckily, Rakeen was there to save me, to bring me to this village, and take me in as his granddaughter. It helped a lot that we shared the same skin tone, a dark bronze that glowed when under the sun. Even our facial features were similar: deep-set brown eyes with round noses that ended in a round tip. Both had an oval head and plump lips. In the past, Rakeen also had the same type of hair as I did: long, wild, and untamed. But with age, he decided against what he called ¡®the jungle man¡¯ look and wrapped his long gray hair in dreadlocks. This was a good call since many would ask if he was around 50 despite being in his mid-70s, and most of the women in the village were charmed by his appearance. The fact he still maintained his muscles also helped. Not that I was that far behind, although I focused more on flexibility and agility than pure strength. In the end, that gave me a leaner build instead of the somewhat hulking physique of my father figure. ¡°I know, but tomorrow, everyone will be showing up to celebrate with you. I just wanted to have a moment, just us.¡± I smiled, ¡°I get what you mean. The party will be fun and all, but this is more us,¡± looking back at the box, I tried to open it, but it didn¡¯t seem like there was a way to do so. Yet, there was something rattling inside, ¡°What is this? Am I supposed to break it?¡± ¡°NO!¡± Rakeen almost jumped to stop me, ¡°That is the last gift your grandmother gave me. Please don¡¯t just break it.¡± ¡°Then tell me that kind of thing first!¡± I gasped. ¡°Fine, fine. There goes the moment,¡± Rakeen huffed, ¡°That is a puzzle box. There is a way to open it. Without breaking it! All you have to do is find out. Inside, you will find the first gift your grandmother ever gave me.¡± ¡°Pops¡­ and you are giving me both?¡± I felt my eyes water but stopped when I looked towards him, and noticed an odd expression, ¡°What?¡± This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡°I mean¡­ If I¡¯m being honest. What¡¯s inside is the gift. I still want to keep the box,¡± I gave him a blank stare. Would it kill him to be more clear in whatever he was giving me? He saw my expression, ¡°What? I thought it would be a nice way to give you. You always loved puzzles and games. But those are the only two things I still have from Camilla, and I¡¯m not ready to let both of them go. Besides, you can get the box when I¡¯m dead.¡± I rolled my eyes again; the way this was going, they would be tired before dinner, ¡°Fine, fine. I¡¯ll give it back to you. And stop talking about dying. You are healthier than anyone in the village. I mean it. Some of the hunters have trouble keeping up with you.¡± Rakeen opened a large smile and winked at me, ¡°Oh, stop it, you. You¡¯ll make me blush,¡± he said in a joking tone, and walked back to the kitchen to check on the potatoes. He had just put them in the oven, but since it was a new recipe, he was worried, ¡°Before I forget. Try not to be angry at the box. And if you give up, you can tell me, and I¡¯ll open it for you. When Camilla first got me that one, it took me two hours to find the first-¡° ¡°Oh, it clicked? Then, maybe this one? And then this?¡± I started moving the pieces of the box, pushing parts of the sides around, and moving entire plates of wood. At one point, the different patterns formed the word ¡®New.¡¯ With one more move, it changed to ¡®user.¡¯ And the third shift changed one last time to ¡®detected.¡¯ It was strange, I read those words, but didn¡¯t feel the urge to comment. Why was that? Rakeen watched me for a moment, probably not realizing that I could see what he was doing. After a few seconds, he turned back to the kitchen, grumbling about something that I wasn¡¯t able to hear. Fifteen minutes later, I pushed the final piece to the side, opening the lid of the box. ¡°Got it,¡± I shouted with a big smile. ¡°Oh, why don¡¯t you solve the Yang-Mills problem while you are at it!¡± Pops huffed. I paused for a moment, trying to understand what he was talking about, but there was nothing in my mind about this Yang-Mills thing, ¡°What the hell is that?¡± Pops took a deep breath without turning away from the oven, ¡°It¡¯s a mathematical problem from the old world. Part of the millennium problems, and there was a prize for it. Don¡¯t worry about it. It doesn¡¯t matter anymore anyway,¡± he turned back to face me, ¡°I¡¯m sorry you finished that so soon. I thought it would take longer. It took me a couple of days to open that box after your grandmother gave it to me.¡± ¡°I can see that,¡± I replied, getting a raised eyebrow from my grandfather, ¡°I mean, it makes sense. You were a physicist, weren¡¯t you?¡± ¡°Astrophysicist, but yes.¡± ¡°Yeah, so your life was about learning the laws of the universe and finding those patterns in things that didn¡¯t make any sense. Breaking everything down into logical steps that followed a particular order. A puzzle like this is more about thinking outside the box. Going against any rule or pattern.¡± Rakeen chuckled, ¡°That is almost exactly what your grandmother told me when she gave me that. I wish you could¡¯ve met her. You two would¡¯ve gotten along.¡± I gave him a sad smile, ¡°Me too. Even if we would make your life a living hell when we wanted to.¡± ¡°Oh, absolutely. Camilla had a way to push my buttons when she wanted. Just like a certain soon-to-be 25-year-old that I know.¡± This time, I was the one who chuckled before pushing the lid open to see what was inside. My gift, the real gift, not just the game to get it, was a necklace. It was made out of silver, and the pendant was a simple circle with eight smaller circles engraved. Each of those circles had a hole in a different position, and between the fourth and fifth circles, there was a ring of small dots. In the center was a small piece of gold or some sort of golden orange metal. ¡°Is this¡­ the solar system?¡± ¡°Yep, including Pluto. Your grandmother always complained about how we stopped calling it a planet. That mineral in the center is actually part of a meteorite that fell in Spain. She participated in the study of that area during the summer that we started dating. Neither of us was sure if we could stay five months apart when our relationship wasn¡¯t even three months old. But I just couldn¡¯t think about anyone else after meeting her. Luckily, neither did she. When she came back, she gave me that necklace. And I remember thinking back then that I wanted to keep that in the family in the future. If we decided to have kids. Not that I already knew we were going to be together and get married. It was just one of those things that you think when you are in a new relationship.¡± ¡°That is a very sweet story, Pops. And are you sure you want to give me this? It seems really important,¡± I kept staring at the necklace without taking it out of the box. Even if I called her grandmother, I had never met Camilla. My grandmother died before Pops ever found me when I was a kid, and an eater attacked the place where I lived, killing my parents in the process. It felt like something personal, something that should be kept in the family, and not having met Camilla made me unsure if I deserved this gift. I mean, Pops did mention something about having siblings. Maybe the right thing to do was to give that to one of them, something that belonged to his own blood. I heard Pops walking over to me, and he cupped my face with his large hands filled with calluses. He lowered his body and kissed my forehead before looking me in my eyes, ¡°Cass. My Cassandra, you are my grandchild. And, by extension, Camilla¡¯s. It doesn¡¯t matter if you never met her. You are the daughter we never had. Well, granddaughter. You already have a father and a mother, and I would never want to erase what they did to protect you. I¡¯m sure Camilla is watching us and agreeing with me as I say this. You are family; you have every right to have this necklace, and I¡¯d rather give it to you before I kick the bucket.¡± He paused for a moment, letting the words sink in before giving me another forehead kiss and rushing back to the oven to finish dinner. I smiled, holding in a chuckle. He managed to realize what was going on through my mind without me saying anything. Either he knew me that well, or I had the worst poker face in the history of the world. ¡°Thanks, pops. And thanks, Grandma Camilla. I hope you are looking down on us with a smile,¡± I said before putting on the necklace. ¡°To be fair, she might be looking up. I love that woman to bits, but we did some stuff that might send us downstairs,¡± Rakeen joked as he moved his hand a bit too close to the fire and burned the tip of his fingers. Maybe that happened due to his distraction or just a coincidence, but in my mind, it was Grandma Camilla complaining about the joke. Even if I wasn¡¯t sure how the afterlife worked. We ate, talking about our days for a while longer, Rakeen commenting on his experiments. He was currently trying to grow a glow-in-the-dark moss to allow the village to have lights, proper lights after sunset, and not just the candles we currently used. I just talked about my class and how I was thinking about changing my morning workout. For a while now, my current routine was feeling a bit stale. It was too easy, and I felt like I was just keeping my body in the current shape, not improving it. When we finished, I started doing the dishes and asked. ¡°Pops, since my birthday, well, our birthday is today. Can I go watch a movie?¡± Rakeen squinted at me for a moment, ¡°Did you charge the battery?¡± ¡°I did. It was raining yesterday, so I used the bike for cardio.¡± ¡°Then sure. Just don¡¯t stay up late. Tomorrow you still have class. And you are going to watch something, not play?¡± even if we weren¡¯t being specific, both understood what they were talking about. Under the metal container that was our house, there was another one. Another metal container that Pops spent years preparing and reinforcing, covering the entire outside with rubber, concrete, steel and magnets to trap any electric signals that came from inside. This was, in essence, a much more powerful and much more restrictive version of the circle surrounding the village that hid us from the Eaters. ¡°Not really. I just wanted to watch something. Games are fine and all, but I don¡¯t know. They are just not doing it for me these days,¡± across the years, Pops had managed to gather several video games, a television, and dozens of hard drives filled with various shows and movies. In addition to a battery that he hooked up to a stationary bicycle to allow it to be charged. ¡°I see. Do you mind if I join you then? We can watch something together,¡± Pops suggested. ¡°Sure, let me just finish this,¡± I cleaned the last dish, and then we moved his mattress to reveal a hidden hatch. Opening it, we started going down the stairs and pulling a rubber net across the tunnel before opening a second hatch and waiting a moment to ventilate the place. When starting this out, Pops made the mistake of never allowing new air to fill the hidden container. Nothing happened at first, but after several months of use, it became hard to breathe down there. Finally, we came down to the ¡®basement¡¯ of our home, a container much smaller than the one we lived in, being just about half the size but still large enough for us to move comfortably. I rushed towards a specific shelf on the wall, where a Blu-ray of a show I wanted to watch was located, and in less than a minute, we were ready. The TV and the video game console turned on, and the episode of the series started. There was a brief flash of a text line on the screen but I was just for a split second. I think it said something about the network. I never realized that something like that appeared. But the show started playing right after. It was one of the sitcoms from the old world, the kind of thing that I just loved. Being able to imagine life in a big city, surrounded by people, with the biggest problem being which boy I wanted to date, sounded so alien that it couldn¡¯t even be called a dream. Yet, it was all I wanted right now. For a handful of minutes, I was going to focus on the show. Not on the monsters that could attack the village, the Eaters that roamed around the forest, or the issues we were having with our crops. For the next hour or so, I would be part of the old world instead of this new world that took my parents and my grandmother from me before I was even able to get to know them. 3 - Before the Storm
I woke up at the crack of dawn as usual. Pops had made a setup with mirrors on the top of the house that made the light of the sun become a natural alarm clock. Or at least that¡¯s what he called it. I had only seen alarm clocks in movies or shows. They were too noisy to be used in the village; more specifically, they were too artificial to be used. At some point during the war, the Eaters learned to differentiate between natural sounds, like a waterfall or a tree falling, from the ones made by human-made machines. And, of course, they started chasing after the artificial sounds, knowing that it would lead them to a source of energy or a group of people. Because of that, we were very careful with anything that could make what we called ¡®unnatural noise.¡¯ Then again, this was just what we believed. It¡¯s not like we actually could tell what the Eaters were thinking. If they even were capable of something like that. After all, monsters don¡¯t think. I got out of bed and saw a note written with letter-shaped magnets on the wall. ¡®Helping things for N8 C u at party L U P¡¯ I smiled, for some reason, Pops still insisted on signing his messages. As if anyone else would be writing them. I got up and got dressed, remembering the time he went to a nearby city and found those magnets. He was so excited and kept saying it was a way to write without paper or carving bark. Only to realize that writing things down with this took way too long, and he still had to go for something else if he wanted to remember what he wrote. In the end, aside from using these magnets for math, we only used them to leave messages to each other like this one. And we had to worry about not running out of letters. After getting dressed in my workout gear and grabbing my yoga mat, I replied to the message before leaving. ¡®C U L8R Love You C¡¯ Somehow, I didn¡¯t want to write our regular sign-off. Using just L and U to express the same thing he did in his message. It was an internal ¡®joke¡¯ if it could be called that, but there were times when both of us felt it wasn¡¯t enough. Just as I was about to leave, I saw the message shift. H reg 7 int Sp In twRk I stared at that for a moment, but when I blinked, it went back to the message I had left Pops. Without even acknowledging what happened, I left our home. Walking towards the center of the village, familiar faces appeared going in the same direction. Around two years ago, Katalena found a book about yoga, and ever since she¡¯s been practicing it almost daily. Some of the people in the village also joined in, mostly women, but now, even some men were part of this group. They joined after seeing how nimble and flexible I was during one of the elk hunts, when I mentioned that this was the only thing I was doing differently. Yoga was something I grew to enjoy. It was a moment I could focus only on my body and nothing else. All the constant fear and worry washed away, and it also was a surprisingly good warm-up before the rest of my morning routine. ¡°Hey Cass. Lovely day, isn¡¯t it?¡± Francisco smiled as we both placed our mats made out of fur on the ground. I looked up, seeing the thick, heavy clouds that threatened rain, ¡°I don¡¯t know if I would call this lovely.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ I mean¡­ Like it¡¯s a good day no matter what. Even if it rains, it won¡¯t be bad, right?¡± I chuckled. Francisco seemed to have developed a thing for me ever since I saved him from a coyote a few weeks back. He always tried to be nice and cheer me up, even when I didn¡¯t need it. He wasn¡¯t an ugly man, but he also wasn¡¯t my type. Too scrawny and weak-minded. Not to mention, he had just turned 18. That seemed to be something that only bothered me. Other people didn¡¯t care much about an age gap as long as both parties were adults. Just finding someone to be with was already hard enough in a world where your village had less than 50 people. Still, Francisco was just a kid. I remember when he was a bratty 15-year-old complaining about having to work after school. ¡°I don¡¯t really care. In a way, rain might be nice. We could talk without having to worry so much about the sound of our voice,¡± this was one of the things I really hated about the world. It didn¡¯t take an Eater to recognize a voice in the middle of a forest. Because of that, we learned to speak softly all the time. Some adapted, but me? That didn¡¯t seem to be in my DNA. I had to constantly watch myself not to be too loud or risk getting people hurt. ¡°That¡¯s true. Nothing can bother you today, right birthday girl? I guess you are in a good mood,¡± Francisco opened a large smile. I reached out to the necklace under my top, ¡°You can say I am. Why? Were you waiting for me to be in a good mood to ask something?¡± I tried to push it. See if he finally decided to say he ¡®Fancied me¡¯, as Christine would say. In all honesty, I wanted to skip these games of pretending not to know he had a crush on me and just reject the boy. That way, he could move on and find someone else. But Pops said that would hurt the kid even more. It was bothersome to keep pretending, but I didn¡¯t want to be mean for no reason. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡­ Hum¡­¡± Francisco¡¯s face got red, and he quickly shook his head, ¡°No. No, nothing. Oh, there is Simon,¡± he rushed out like he had just seen a bear. With a sigh, I just sat cross-legged on the ground, waiting for Katalena to start. The Yoga session lasted for around one hour, and then I did some cardio by running around the city together with the hunters and continued training with them. We worked on our muscles and then practiced some fighting. William was the leader of the hunters, and he created a mixed martial art for hunting animals or the weaker monsters. Not the Eaters, but the wolves, bison, and coyote that mutated and became more aggressive. Humanity might have lost its place as the apex predator of the world, but we still were not at the bottom of the food chain. Even if getting there seemed just a matter of time. With my training out of the way, I went home before going to the river for a quick wash. It wasn¡¯t far from the village, just a ten-minute walk. Also, I brought along my spear, just in case. Most people would come in groups, but the hunters, or at least the good ones, felt confident enough to come here alone. I was part of the latter. The only things that could actually kill me here were the bears or an Eater. I could handle everything else, or they would just leave me be as long as I didn¡¯t try anything stupid. Bears were also not a real problem. This wasn¡¯t their territory and Eaters¡­ well, if one showed up this close to home, it was hard to tell what would happen. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Pops said he had created a¡­ barrier around the village. Using copper wire and some magnets, he made a large circle that made us invisible to the Eaters. The thing is, no Eater ever came close to this region. This wasn¡¯t a place where they would come to. Not when there was a city, a proper city, at least to our standard, about a week¡¯s travel away. To us, that might seem far, but to an Eater, a monster that doesn¡¯t stop to drink, to rest, to sleep. They can get there in just a couple of days. And having more than a thousand people to feast upon was much better than the meager 46 there were here. Oh no, 47. Pietra is pregnant. Her belly is starting to show, so that should be, what¡­ two months? Maybe three. I can¡¯t understand why people insist on bringing more people into this world. It doesn¡¯t seem fair to the newborn. Pushing those thoughts aside, I dunked my head into the cold water before finishing my bath and heading back to the village. After changing my clothes and putting the ones I was wearing to wash, I headed to the main building, where I was going to teach the kids about the world. Pops¡¯ voice rang in my ears, ¡®Try not to be pessimistic around the children. I share your feelings, but let them reach that conclusion by themselves. Or not.¡¯ I could see some of the kids getting close to the building and their families dropping them off. Maybe I could give them a heads-up about today¡¯s topic. Just to avoid any problems after class. There was still a good 30 meters between me and the main building when I heard a single ring of a loud metallic bell. A sound that made the entire village freeze for a second. That was an alarm, a very specific one only to be rung if an Eater appeared. Since it was an artificial sound, it would attract the monster to an area outside the perimeter Pops made and give us a chance to hide. A second later, a different bell started ringing. The second bell was a decoy, something made to give us even more time to react. Everyone turned to the watchtower, which was built outside the village and now had a red flag hanging from the side. This was another signal, one that made sure everyone understood that they had seen an Eater. But it was the first time it was a red flag. Usually, it would be green, letting everyone know that it was safe and there was nothing close by. Yellow was just a warning, telling us that there was something nearby and we should be quiet. And if possible head inside to hide. Red meant there was an Eater close by. Very close by. And that we should rush to one of the places that might be safe in case of an attack. Everyone did their best to stay as quiet as possible and started moving toward the houses or any place they could hide, as it was the procedure when something like that happened. Even if this time, everyone was more panicked. Most people who were already outside rushed to the main building, more specifically to the side door that would lead to the underground shelter. That was another place that Pops isolated in hopes of hiding people from the Eaters. Again, I doubted this would actually work. Those were monsters from nightmares, creatures made to kill you, to kill all of us. Still, it was at least a chance to make people feel safer, and it was better than just trying to outrun them. People rushed to that side door, and I ushered them in, helping people walk inside and keep the kids quiet. I could feel the cold sweat dripping from my back, and the distant memories of what made me lose my parents started to flood my mind. I was just a kid, and in all honesty, that was my earliest memory. The only thing I remember from my parents were their screams and the sound of their bones being crushed by an Eater. Their faces contorted in pain as they were devoured alive. The smell of blood and ripped flash, and the screams of¡­ so many people. All that came back flooding my mind, and all I wanted was to hide, to get away from this living nightmare. I didn¡¯t want to see one of those monsters, not again. Not when I saw them almost every time I closed my eyes. To my dismay, those who first entered the shelter corridor had no clue how to open the reinforced door at the end. I could hear them struggling, and they were making way too much noise. Suddenly, while realizing that the decoy bell had stopped ringing, I heard something from my right. The sound of large pieces of wood bending without breaking. I glanced in that direction and saw something moving in the trees. With a gulp, I tried to push myself inside the corridor, but the place was tiny and already full. If I pushed more, people would start complaining and panicking. And the children could start crying. I felt a tear running down my face, and trying my best to keep some semblance of composure, I touched Cindy¡¯s back to move her enough to the side so I could close the door. She looked back at me, confused for a moment, but after seeing what I was doing, realization dawned on her. As I slowly closed the door to the corridor, she didn¡¯t break eye contact, a silent tear going down her face in a mirror of my own. A small comfort that we both knew could be my last. With a soft click, I closed the passage, seeing an odd message in the door. [Warning: User¡¯s body in the process of breaking down. Cannot continue with system integration in such conditions.] Break down, yeah, that sounded about right. The sound of wood grew louder, and I knew what was getting closer. Part of me wanted to just close my eyes and wait for everything to end. But another part of me, the petty, angry part of me, refused that idea. If I was going to die, I would look the monster in the eye. I would go down fighting, even if I had no chance to win. I wouldn¡¯t give up the life my parents gave me. The life Pops helped shape. If a nightmare wanted me dead, I was going to make it work for it. Finally turning towards the sound, I started seeing it. First, it was a sickly gray tentacle wrapped around a tree trunk. It undulated from side to side without moving from its spot. Then, a large and thick spider leg appeared from the tree. Another three tentacles followed, reaching for the vegetation nearby and pulling the rest of the body forward. More spider legs appeared, all of them almost as thick as the trunks of the forest, and it continued moving until its full body came into view. There was no face, no head, no arms, only the legs connected in a circle. And at their intersection, a mass of several tentacles that didn¡¯t stop moving for even a second. They were light gray at the tips, turning into a tar-like shade of black when reaching the base, vanishing in that unnatural agglomeration of shapes. Each of those appendages had a different size. Some seemed smaller, while others were much longer and thicker. There was a single long tentacle that was just resting on top of the entire body, and when it shifted, I saw a vertical maw filled with shiny black teeth. When the mouth opened, a pale light glowed from inside the creature. One would think that this would allow me to see the shape of the tentacles, but that wasn¡¯t the case. The glow only served to show how pitch black the tentacles became, how even under the light of the sun or the light created by itself, it was impossible to discern the shape its appendages had. I watched the monster moving closer to the village. Each of its 9 legs moved in perfect synchrony, the type that could only be replicated by a machine. Yet, the tentacles were everything but organized. They flailed around wildly, like the arms of a blind monster, grabbing anything they could find before gripping, squeezing, and breaking whatever they could and bringing to its mouth. Wood, bark, and leaves were constantly dropped inside the maw of the creature, but they would just fall from underneath the central part of its legs a moment later. Those plants were now ripped to shreds as if someone had chewed them, only to spit it out. The Eater continued moving, and it was about to cross the perimeter that Rakeen created. My heart pounded almost loud enough for the creature to hear it, even from 100 meters away. I had no weapons on me, not that it would make any difference. My goal was first to run and take it away from the village. If I was going to die, I might as well give some chance for the others to survive. Mentally, I said my last words. I wanted to say something brave or noble. Yet, I could only think of small things. Cindy, your meat pie is awful. You use too much salt. PJ, You are my favorite student, but you have to stop interrupting others. Pops¡­ I love you, thanks for everything. Yet my thoughts were meaningless as my death didn¡¯t come. The Eater stopped right in front of that perimeter. It halted completely and didn¡¯t even reach out towards it. Instead, continued moving as if it was going around a mountain or something. The line made out of copper wire and magnets worked. The monster continued moving without ever touching the village area. I spent the next 40 minutes completely still as I watched that creature move from side to side before going back and getting farther and farther away, heading towards the direction of the bell and then beyond it. My best assumption was that it had given up and was now going back home. If it even had a home. Only when I saw the green flag on top of the watchtower did I let my legs finally fail as I collapsed to the ground in tears. I survived. I was alive. One of the monsters from my nightmares came and went, and I was still here, just like waking up from a dream. But this was reality, and I did the worst possible thing. I deluded myself into thinking that this was the last I would see of that particular Eater. 4 - The Old World
I walked into the classroom with a tray full of cookies. It took a lot of effort to make this, and some ingredients were hard to come by. The only reason we could have warm meals without worrying too much about the fire was because of a cave in the village where a hot spring was located. Pops managed to make an ¡®oven¡¯ of sorts, rigging the water to pass through some pipes. But that was about it; not only was it a tiny pool of water, being just 40 centimeters across, or 15 inches, but also the water was extremely hot, close to 100 degrees Celsius, or 212 Fahrenheit. My face turned into a frown when I realized that Pops¡¯ constant nagging was actually working. He was the one who taught me everything about how the metric system was better, easier, and more precise than the imperial one, for the most part. Recently, when we were dealing with the only trader that comes here with a certain frequency, I realized that I couldn¡¯t make the conversions in my head. Hearing that, Rakeen told me to convert every value from metric to imperial as a way to practice, even in my own mind. I never realized that his random quizzes and constant nagging actually made me do the conversions by instinct. ¡°Miss Cass? Is everything ok?¡± Penelope, one of my youngest students, was by my side. Looking up with a worried expression. I smiled and spoke loudly enough for the entire class to hear me, ¡°Well¡­ I don¡¯t know. Marcos was kind enough to give me all these cookies, since today is my birthday and all that. But I¡¯m afraid there are way too many for me to eat by myself. Trying to eat them all will end up spoiling my appetite for tonight¡¯s party, and if I just save them for later, they won¡¯t be as delicious. Does anyone know what I can do about that?¡± All the five kids in my class jumped up, offering to help by eating the cookies. I chuckled and kicked a pillow to the center of the room, placing the cookie tray in front of me, ¡°Now, now. Before you all start eating. I want you to do something. Grab a pillow to sit and your stuffy, then come here. I want everyone to be in a circle.¡± ¡°Why do we need to grab those toys?¡± Jake, the oldest of the kids, crossed his arms. He was at that age where he wanted to be treated as a grown-up. After all, ¡®13 is already basically an adult,¡¯ according to him. He no longer wanted to play with stuffed animals or stuffies, as the smallest children called them. I just nodded, knowing that arguing wouldn¡¯t amount to anything, ¡°If you don¡¯t want to grab them, that¡¯s fine. Just take a pillow. But can you do me a favor and bring me my penguin? Because of what happened earlier, today¡¯s class will be about the old world, and talking about the Eaters makes me scared.¡± ¡°You are scared?¡± Jake¡¯s voice cracked a bit. ¡°I am. Very much so. I need my stuffy today,¡± I replied, keeping a calm voice. It wasn¡¯t a complete lie. After all, I was still shaken up. However, there was no better time for the kids to learn about this. The birds and the bees talk could come later. They had to understand why those creatures were so dangerous and why we had to hide from them at all costs. One by one, the kids grabbed their toys and sat around in the circle. As everyone got ready, Michael, a 10-year-old boy with short, uneven hair, came closer to me, ¡°Miss Cass. Can I sit on your lap?¡± Giving him a pat followed by a kiss on his forehead, I explained, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, honey. Not today. This is a serious topic, and I need to see your face. Also, everyone needs to be ready to be brave, even if they are alone. That includes me, Penelope, PJ, Jake, Vanessa, and you. Ok?¡± Everyone could see the sadness in his eyes as the boy nodded and walked over to the side. Sitting by Vanessa, the other 10-year-old kid in the class. She was quiet, but extremely smart. On an academic level, she was closer to graduating than Jake, but her social skills were not the best. I gave my students one more look, all of them sitting in a circle, holding their own stuffies. With a nod, I started, ¡°Now, I said that I won¡¯t be holding anyone while I¡¯m talking about this, but if you need, you can hold on to each other. And you are all free to take the cookies now. Two for each, ok?¡± they nodded, and I continued. ¡°As you know, the world today is very different from what it was years ago. We generally refer to that time as the ¡®old world.¡¯ But people also have a different name for that. The world before the fall. Before the Eaters.¡± ¡°The Eaters weren¡¯t always around?¡± PJ held his lion stuffy tightly, his eyes full of wonder. ¡°No. They were not. Before them, we had enormous cities. With thousands and thousands of people. Schools had hundreds of students. A single class could have 20, 30 kids, or even more.¡± ¡°Wow¡­¡± PJ¡¯s gasp made me smile. It was a bittersweet smile, but a smile nonetheless. ¡°Yeah. Do you remember that picture? The one on the postcard Pops showed you? That was the city of Nashville, in what was called the state of Tennessee.¡± ¡°Searching for solution,¡± PJ said. ¡°PJ? What do you mean?¡± I asked, a bit confused. ¡°What¡¯s a state?¡± PJ asked. I must have misheard. ¡°I¡¯ll tell you about that another time. This won¡¯t be important for today. But that city wasn¡¯t even one of the biggest ones. There were much larger places all over. Cities that would take days to walk across. Places with buildings that went so high that you couldn¡¯t even hear the people from below. They could be taller than mountains. There were even tunnels, kilo- I mean, miles and miles of tunnels with large metal carriages that took people from one side of the city to the other. We could even fly. There were these things called airplanes, and they took people from anywhere to everywhere.¡± All the kids were starry-eyed, imagining these incredible places. And I knew the next part would shatter any of their dreams, ¡°But that was only until the Eaters appeared. No one knows for sure where they came from. Some say they came from space, others that they were here before us. Some say they come from a different universe or that they are envoys of a god or a demon. Like I said, no one knows, and I don¡¯t really think that matters. Not now, at least. Let me read you one thing. A page from Pop¡¯s journal,¡± I reached into my pocket to pull up the page. It was one he would read to his class before retiring as a teacher. He was there when the fall happened. He was there when the world ended, and I felt like there was no better way to explain what happened than using these words. But I noticed that there was a line that I never seen before, in a much neater handwriting. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. [Solution found. It will require use of nearby available resources. In addition, solution requires temporary relinquishment of motor functions.] After blinking, that strange passage was gone. Not wanting to make things worse for the kids, I just continued as if nothing had happened. ¡®When Humanity was looking to the stars and preparing its brightest and bravest for the first journey to a neighboring planet, we were attacked. Were they aliens? Old creatures trapped on ice? Animals from the depths of the ocean who evolved or mutated? Elder beings coming from the darkest depths of the universe? No one knew, and it didn¡¯t matter. The roiling masses of tentacles, claws, and teeth never gave us the chance to discover or study them. They only had one desire, one goal. To consume. First, the monsters hit our power grid. Our dams, our power plants, and even our kilns. Eating the very energy we created and throwing our entire society into the dark ages once again. Scared to lose our way of life, we turned to the army and to the militias, hoping they would be able to push back those creatures. That¡¯s when they turned to us. Maybe they recognized us as a threat after our attacks, or perhaps they decided meat was tastier than fire. Nevertheless, the result was one. Those creatures started to eat. They ate our power, they ate our food, they ate our cities. They ate our families. And when we decided to use the strongest weapons available, they ate the radiation. Leaving behind only the skeleton of rock and steel that once was our civilization amidst the craters caused by our own attempt to defend ourselves. Unlike what some say, the world didn¡¯t end with a whimper. It ended with a bang, followed by the sound of crunching bones drowned by the scream of those who failed to escape.¡¯ I gave a moment for the words to sink in. I knew this was a bit too graphic, especially for kids this young. But if an Eater appeared again, and they made noise. We could end up like those who tried to escape, being devoured alive by those creatures. There were also a few things they didn¡¯t know about, like radiation, but I could give them a quick explanation and add that to a class for a different day. ¡°They¡­ ate families?¡± Jake finally asked after a few minutes of silence. ¡°They did. My parents, for instance, were eaten by the Eaters. If Pops wasn¡¯t there, and he didn¡¯t find me when he did. I would have been devoured as well,¡± I replied bluntly. Trying not to let my emotions show. It was one thing to tell them all this, another to let them see their teacher freaking out. ¡°And¡­ no one was ever able to kill any of them?¡± PJ asked. ¡°According to Pops, yes. We were able to kill a few of them. But we needed massive weapons. Missiles. Those are¡­ giant metal arrows that explode when they hit their target. Only the Eaters that were very close to the center of that explosion died. The others only got injured,¡± Jake was about to say something. Probably along the lines of ¡®then we can beat them!¡¯ but I had to make things clear, ¡°For you all to understand the size of this. A missile capable of killing, let¡¯s say, 5 Eaters would be able to destroy a village 5 times the size of ours. Killing all the people and destroying all the buildings. Making something like that also took a lot of time. Two years, even in the old world, with all the structure they had in place. For us? If we can even make one, maybe 50 years. If we are lucky. We even used a special missile. One that could destroy an entire city like the one in that picture we talked about. Even then, we killed maybe 100 Eaters out of the millions that were there.¡± ¡°But¡­ My dad said that there was something called a gun. It was like a small crossbow that could kill things from very far away. Dad said that some could even kill a bear in one shot!¡± Jake almost stood up. It was heartwarming how he wanted to find a solution and how the hope that things could change was still there. But that was also dangerous. Believing in something like that could get him killed. ¡°Yes, those were all over. And at first, they did work. But it didn¡¯t take long for the Eaters to adapt. Their skin became stronger. They learned how to evolve at a speed that no one believed to be possible. To make matters worse, guns used something called gunpowder to fire. That is dust that can create a small explosion that would launch the bullet, a tiny metal arrow, to the target. That powder ended up being a very big target for the Eaters. They went after the factories and stores that sold that and ate everything. Guns might still work, but only in a few cases, and the biggest problem is the noise. They are extremely loud and have a sound that is more clearly artificial than the bell we have. At some point, the Eaters learned that a gun meant people, so if you want to attract them, guns are the best thing for it.¡± There was another pause, Jake processing what I just said. ¡°Are the Eaters coming after us?¡± Penelope¡¯s eyes were watering, but she still held herself back from crying. This was how the world was. We couldn¡¯t allow even children to cry in fear of attracting those monsters. Ever since they were born, their parents would teach them not to cry out loud under any circumstance. ¡°Yes, and no. The Eaters look for energy. Electricity, fire, things like that. Now, remember how we talked about our brains? How we use electricity to move and think?¡± the kids nodded. They were good kids, ¡°That is something they can also use. That¡¯s why they look for us. Because we can make electricity. But we are low on the energy production scale, even when considering how effective burning fat is. That being said, today we had proof that Pop¡¯s barrier works.¡± ¡°Pop¡¯s barrier?¡± PJ asked. ¡°Yeah. Have you seen that black circle on the ground around the city? It¡¯s something Pops made. I¡¯m not entirely sure how it works, but it makes us invisible to the Eaters. But they can still hear us.¡± ¡°Oh¡­ that¡¯s why the Eater left, because we were quiet?¡± Vanessa asked. ¡°Yep. So we should be safe here,¡± I smiled, doing my best to seem confident. ¡°What if¡­ What if an Eater is after us? Can we do something to run from it?¡± PJ asked. I thought for a moment, ¡°Well. The only person I know who was able to escape an Eater was Pops. Here is what he told me. If an Eater is after you, you can try to show it a different power source. Fire works, but electricity is better. If you can lure it to a place that has it, you might be able to run. But, Eaters are¡­ they hold grudges. So if you are running and fight back against one of them, they will chase you till the end of the world. So don¡¯t do it. If you want to survive, do your best not to attack it. Just run. Aside from that¡­¡± I stopped myself. What Pops told me was to bite my own tongue myself before being caught by one of them. Suicide would at least be less painful. But even with all of this, I couldn¡¯t tell them that. Not these kids, ¡°No, that¡¯s it. I can¡¯t think of any other thing.¡± I paused, waiting to see if this was too much for any of them. And one more time, they surprised me. I could see the fear in their eyes, but also the strength. Something that showed how they were willing to push through even when facing those monsters. ¡°Do you have any other questions?¡± I asked. They started by asking more about the Eaters, like why they ate us, how they looked, and what else they could do. Unfortunately, I had very few things to tell them. Despite my first-hand experience, we barely knew anything about the Eaters. Then, the conversation shifted to the old world. What incredible things were around during that time and such. By the end of the class, it seemed like they were doing ok. In fact, they looked better than I expected. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if they had nightmares later, but maybe that wouldn¡¯t last long. Pushing those thoughts aside, I focused on the next part of the day. My ¡®birthday party.¡¯ 5 - My last birthday
After class, the kids¡¯ parents came to pick them up. Usually, that was something that would only happen to Penelope or PJ. All the other children could go back on their own. After all, the village was tiny. It would be impossible for any of them to get lost while going home. Not to mention it also gave them some sense of independence, and the sooner they got that, the better. However, after seeing the Eater, I warned the parents about the topic of today¡¯s class. The old world. They all agreed that it was better to have that discussion and they would pick the children from school to make sure they wouldn¡¯t be alone. Everyone knew that this went beyond simply being there for the kids, but also making sure they wouldn¡¯t start crying if they saw something strange or got spooked. It didn¡¯t take long, everyone was still worried about what happened and the parents wanted to be with their children. PJ was the last to leave, and Cindy, his stepmom, came to pick him up. His dad was the one responsible for the warning earlier today and for now he was with the other hunters, trying to make sure no Eater was approaching. ¡°I¡¯m sorry your dad wasn¡¯t able to come today, PJ,¡± Cindy turned back to me, ¡°Thank you for everything, Cass. I mean everything. I¡¯ll never forget what you did today.¡± I just shook my head, ¡°Don¡¯t mention it. Everything worked out.¡± ¡°I do mention it. It¡¯s the second time you saved me and this time you could¡¯ve¡­¡± she was about to say something else but I glanced at PJ. Thankfully, Cindy understood what I meant. Whatever she wanted to say, it was better for her kid not to listen, ¡°Either way. Thank you. Is the party still going to happen tonight?¡± ¡°It will. We also need to celebrate Pops¡¯ barrier working. But it will be more quiet. This means no happy birthday song or big activity. It will be more like just a meal,¡± it was a bit of a shame to have this happen. We were expecting rain today, and with the noise we could dance, sing, and have a lot of fun. It was one of the few moments when we had that option. But no one was willing to risk doing that now. Not when an Eater had just showed up. No one was having a normal day today. The hunters double checked the area, while everyone else made sure to clean things and make proper arrangements in case we had to flee. The only reason why I wasn¡¯t doing that was that someone had to take care of the children. Their parents would likely be too busy for that, so enter Miss Cassandra. At least people offered to help Pops prepare what he needed as a way to thank me. ¡°Got it. I¡¯ll take PJ and get ready for the party. Just because we have to be careful with noise, doesn¡¯t mean we can¡¯t look our best,¡± Cindy turned to her stepson, ¡°Right honey?¡± PJ just nodded, smiling at her. They waved me off and headed back home. Before I could turn back inside, Blake, a tall man with long brown hair and a muscular frame, walked over. ¡°Cass! Do you have a moment?¡± he paused, watching Cindy walk away, ¡°You know. I¡¯m really happy for her. Seeing her smile always warms my heart.¡± I just nodded in response. Cindy was the newest member of the village. Four years ago, a group of bandits showed up. They stole some of our food and kidnapped the few teenagers. We chased after them, killed the bandits and rescued our people. While raiding their supplies, I found her tied to a tree near their camp. At the time, Cindy was broken. Her eyes had no life, and she wouldn¡¯t do anything unless told to, not to mention she was skin and bones and with a high fever to boot. We could only imagine how much she suffered at the hands of the bandits. It was a bit wrong, but seeing her made me proud of having killed those animals. When we brought her to the village, everyone did their best to help her. And slowly, we were able to bring her back from whatever abyss she was trapped in. Seeing Cindy would bring a warm feeling for anyone involved. Not only we were able to save her, but we also had no issue with food since she was able to gain some weight without worry. Cindy was proof that we could make a difference, and despite everything, we had more than enough resources for everyone in the village. ¡°Solution cannot be implemented without users¡¯ permission,¡± Blake said in a monotone. ¡°What?¡± I turned to him, unsure of what I just heard. ¡°Can I steal you for a minute? I need your help to finish your birthday gift,¡± Blake replied. Why did he change what he said? I blinked, but before being able to ask that question, my mouth moved on its own, making me forget about his previous statement. ¡°Yeah. Sure. But is it a good idea to do that today?¡± ¡°I¡¯m already done with everything else. And having something to do helps me not to think about¡­ those things,¡± Blake looked in the direction where the Eater appeared. Getting a nod from me in response. There was no need to say anything else. We walked back to his house. Blake was trying his hand at shoe making. He was the village¡¯s resident leather worker and general clothier. But shoes were still things we had to buy from traders, or take the long journey to a nearby settlement to get. The problem was that doing those kinds of things was not easy. Very few people were willing to take the week-long trip, and for someone to come here with their goods was even rarer. It was a shame Madison Village didn¡¯t have that kind of thing. It was much closer. A few weeks ago, Blake approached me to ask if he could try to make a leather shoe. The main problem would be the soles. Rubber was very hard to come by and he was trying to use a mix of old artificial grass, fur, deerskin, and a soft piece of bark to create a makeshift replacement. He just needed to check the measurements before putting on the finishing touches. If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. It was my own gift, so helping was natural. Also, my own shoes were a mess. The sneakers I got were battered and filled with holes already. That didn¡¯t take long and the rest of my day was spent doing chores. Cleaning the classroom and the bunker since it was used today. Doing a headcount in the village and helping people set up the tables and chairs for the night. Eventually, the rain started, and so did my birthday party. All 50 or so villagers were in the central square, with Jeremy cooking for everyone using the thermal vents. People came over to talk to me and reminisce about the years that passed. A few had presents to give me, including my students, that gave me a clay bowl they worked together to make. At one point, Pops also came with Michele to give me a pair of wooden leg bracers. The hunters tended to struggle with small animals like squirrels, and other critters that attacked their shins. I had been a victim of one such attack myself by a possum that left me a scar on my left leg a few months ago. Luckily, the animal didn¡¯t have rabies, if he did, I wouldn¡¯t have reached my 25th birthday. Putting them on right away, I paraded around showing off the gift, to the amusement of everyone, along with the brown shoes Blake made. The rain started to get stronger, turning into a storm. And some time later, when the lights of the lanterns we had were the only thing illuminating the area, Jake came rushing to my side. ¡°Miss Cass, Miss Cass!¡± the boy was drenched and gasping for air. ¡°What happened? Are you ok?¡± I kneeled to be on his eye level. ¡°The older kids¡­ they were playing a game.¡± I nodded, I noticed that the teens of the village had vanished a while back. Including Francisco, ¡°Are they hurt?¡± ¡°No, no. But they¡­ they broke the barrier.¡± ¡°What?¡± I froze, ¡°What barrier?¡± ¡°The one that keeps the Eaters away!¡± Jake looked up at me, his eyes watering, ¡°Are we going to die?¡± ¡°Where?!¡± I yelled, attracting more attention to us. Seeing my face, Rakeen quickly moved closer to me. ¡°What¡¯s happening?¡± Pops asked. Jake started to pull more air, clearly scared about the situation. I did my best to calm my voice, ¡°Jake, it¡¯s ok. Tell us where they broke the barrier and we will fix that. Nothing is going to happen, ok?¡± ¡°It was over the-¡° Jake pointed back, towards the same direction the Eater appeared early today. A lightning flashed in the sky, illuminating the area for a brief moment. That was enough to see five silhouettes of large tentacle monsters with several legs crossing over the barrier threshold. A pale glow in their mouths being the only thing that could be seen in the darkness. Another lightning showed the monsters getting even closer. When that happened, all hell broke loose. People screamed, parents called for their children and everyone ran away. Some heading to their houses, other into the woods. There was no order, no attempt at fighting. All they could do was run. Another flash revealed half a body already inside one of the Eaters. I recognized the flower pattern on the pants that Francisco wore when dressing up. Pops grabbed my hand and started sprinting to our house, ¡°Cass, run to the woods and don¡¯t look back.¡± ¡°What about you?¡± ¡°I have to do one thing first.¡± ¡°What?¡± ¡°There is a missile under our house. I¡¯m going to blow it up.¡± ¡°What?! Since when?¡± I gasped. ¡°Since I build the house on top of it.¡± ¡°Why?!¡± I gasped again, trying my best not to yell, and to ignore the crunching sounds of what was happening behind me. Still, I couldn¡¯t. A glance was all it took. The Eaters started eating people. Some were too slow to escape, while others froze in place. I saw a small frame being lifted from the ground and tossed into the maw of the creatures. I think that was Jake¡­ ¡°Because we might need it. I rigged it to explode after a minute if you pull a specific rope in the game room.¡± ¡°Is the game room safe, then?¡± ¡°No. I¡¯m using the generator as bait to lure them there.¡± I blinked, still being pulled by the hand, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll do it. Tell me how.¡± ¡°What? No. I¡¯m not letting you sacrifice yourself.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not! I can turn on the generator, pull the rope and leave before everything explodes!¡± I almost yelled, but still managed to keep my voice low. ¡°Then I can do that too.¡± ¡°The fuck you can. Your knee will lock up if you try to climb that ladder in a rush.¡± ¡°That¡¯s not-¡° ¡°It is. No one is sacrificing themselves. We are both leaving here. Where are the rope and your fishing pole?¡± Pops glanced at me, but he seemed to have understood my idea. He quickly explained to me where the rope was and how long it would take to explode as we arrived at home. While I opened the trapdoor heading to the game room, he grabbed his fishing pole and passed it to me, as I was already halfway down the ladder. ¡°Start running!¡± I yelled from the basement and rushed over to the corner of the room. Removing the back panel just behind the ladder. With the rope exposed, I tugged it slightly just to confirm if it wasn¡¯t under too much pressure for the fishing line. Passing the line under the ladder, I pierced the rope with the hook, letting me use the leverage when pulling the pole from above. Quickly moving towards the generator, I pulled the lever to turn it on. The television came to life, playing the same show I watched yesterday. After rushing back up, my eyes glanced out of the window facing the village. The Eaters were already moving my way, each of them carried at least three people with their tentacles. Whoever they were, they were either dead, or screaming and trying to get away, but to no avail. Still, it was clear the electricity attracted the monsters. I pulled the fishing pole and felt the resistance of the rope, but the plan worked and a clang sound echoed from below, an alarm Pops made to confirm the missile had been armed. The Eaters were too close now, leaving through the front door was too risky. I turned to the windows facing the woods and saw a message written above them. [User Cassandra. Do you wish to live?] The left window had the word [Yes] and the right one [No]. Without thinking twice, I jumped over the one on the left. Of course, I wanted to live. After landing, my body moved as if possessed by Hermes himself. Running at full speed, ignoring the fear of slamming head first against a tree. Time wasn¡¯t on my side. One minute sounded like a lot, but it was also too fast. Too fast to escape the blast radius of a missile. Pops didn¡¯t even say what type of missile it was. It wouldn¡¯t be a nuke, would it? Before I could continue that train of thought, an explosion sent a shockwave towards me. My consciousness started to weaver, but my body refused to stop, being fulled by fear and adrenaline. I had to keep running, there was no other option. I was going to live, whatever it took. 6 - The first human user
The following events rushed by my mind in a flash. This time, it was clear that they were not happening, but were memories. I saw the Eaters still moving after the explosion. My frenzy in trying to escape. The moment Pops, Michael, and Vanessa were revealed, thanks to the lightning. When I attacked the Eater. When it came after me. My tumble after trying to dodge its attack. Seeing the monster broken and bruised before it jumped towards me. The moment my stomach was pierced. And how I died¡­ But I was still conscious. I had full access to my mental faculties. All my memories were still there. Even in the less holistic philosophies, when one died, there should be a change. I would either be tossed into the void, stopping from existing completely, or see some sort of afterlife. Yet, that didn¡¯t happen. If anything, this felt like the moment after waking up, but before opening my eyes. Since that was the case, might as well try it. My eyes slowly opened, revealing the open night sky in front of me. I could feel my body, but everything hurt. Not to the point of thinking I was about to die, but it felt like a boulder fell on top of me. ¡®How long was I out for?¡¯ I asked myself. [User Cassandra was unconscious for a total of 4 hours and 38 minutes.] ¡®What was that?¡¯ I tried to ask out loud, but my mouth couldn¡¯t move for some reason. [Greetings user Cassandra. This is the System.] That didn¡¯t answer anything. I slowly try to sit down. My body started to complain, but staying alone at night in the woods was a bad idea. Thanks to the stars, I notice my hands covered in a liquid that resembles milk, but a bit more florescent. I only have a moment to think about that before I notice all the blood covering my clothes, and the massive scar covering my entire stomach in a thick layer of skin. ¡®How the hell am I still alive?¡¯ [User Cassandra was in critical condition during the process of integration with System, stopping the user from being able to confirm or deny necessary permissions for integration. System was able to find a way to solve said issue by taking temporary control of user Cassandra¡¯s motor functions. In order to receive user Cassandra permission for said solution, System accessed user Cassandra¡¯s cerebral cortex as it accessed various memories generating the effect known as ¡®life flashing before your eyes.¡¯ By following the neural pathways active, System was able to communicate the current situation to user Cassandra and receive permission to apply the solution. Once user Cassandra condition improved, System relinquished all control over motor functions and finished integration.] [Congratulations, user Cassandra, for becoming System¡¯s first human user.] For the first time, I paid attention to what was actually happening. Whatever that System was talking appeared in front of me as words floating in the air. They would still be there no matter where I looked, and my own voice repeated them in my mind. No, the voice was different. Close to mine, but on a different pitch. Not enough to be completely alien, but enough to make it seem like it was someone else. That wasn¡¯t all, somehow, despite the confusing way that System was speaking, I understood perfectly what it meant, as if I instantly received the information related to those words. Basically, between the Eater attack, the lightning and my near death. I triggered the System integration. Which meant that the System would become part of me. But because I was about to die, I couldn¡¯t give a last confirmation needed to let that process continue. So, the System took over my body, first going inside my memories and talking with me through them, and once I accepted its offer of saving me, it did just that. I just didn¡¯t know how. ¡®How am I still alive? And why can¡¯t I move my mouth?¡¯ [User Cassandra¡¯s body was in critical condition. Due to a number of variables present at the moment of integration, System was able to quickly recover user Cassandra¡¯s body, stopping user Cassandra from perishing. Current inability to move jaw is a minor side effect of the steps System was required to take in order to save user Cassandra¡¯s life.] [Time until jaw is no longer paralyzed: 2:12:54.] ¡®So two hours before I can speak? Or drink water?¡¯ [Correct.] ¡®Ok¡­ but what were the steps? How did you save me? Give me the details?¡¯ [System was only able to save user Cassandra¡¯s life due to the following variables present near user Cassandra¡¯s body-] Before this System could continue, I shouted in my mind. ¡®Stop! You don¡¯t have to keep repeating user Cassandra. Just say you, or user, or Cassandra. Hearing user Cassandra over and over is just making this more confusing.¡¯ [Acknowledged. The variables that allowed System to save user¡¯s life are the following:] [1 - High amount of energy in the form of the lightning discharged during the storm.] [2 - High amount of condensed energy present inside the body of the creature user knows as Eater.] [3 - Access to three skills belonging to the creature know as Eater.] The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. [3a - Skill {Quick Tier 1 Evolution} - Allowed user to level up at a rapid speed. Extra attribute points were added to Body.] [3b - Skill {Body Regeneration} - Allowed user to recover wounds at an accelerated speed at the expense of Energy.] [3c - Skill {Compression} - Allowed the System to compress specific parts of user¡¯s veins to slow down the process of bleeding out.] [4 - Enough Energy was available to create sufficient System Particles in order to increase user¡¯s level to 5.] [5 - Assigning the extra attribute points in Body increased the resilience of user¡¯s body, allowing it to survive despite wounds as skill Body Regeneration closed said wounds.] [6 - Creature know as Eater releases a specific type of signal to nearby system particles that repel animals and mutated creatures when deceased. This created a temporary safe location for user¡¯s recovery.] [7 - User¡¯s tenacity and desire to survive was strong enough to push through biological reactions even as user¡¯s body was in System control. This was also responsible for the creation of a mutation.] [If any of the above variables were not present, user would not have survived. Variable 7 was responsible for an increase of 25% in the survivability rate.] ¡®What was the initial survivability rate?¡¯ [40%. Thanks to variable 7, it became 65%] I paused, letting that information sink in. This System had saved me, even if it had to take over my body to do that. At the same time, it didn¡¯t sound like it was in complete control. For instance, I could still think like this without it interrupting me. It only replied when I made a conscious decision to ask it a question. Looking around, I finally saw the body of the Eater lying on the ground behind me. Some white florescent liquid was smeared on its tentacles and the legs were¡­ exposed? Almost as if someone took a crowbar and forced them open. I could also see¡­ bite marks? And not the kind that an animal would leave. Maybe something came out of that thing? I felt something dripping from my chin and looked down. The same white liquid that was covering me was inside the Eater. ¡®Did¡­ did you make me eat and Eater?¡¯ [Correct. The Energy from the lightning strike was used to regenerate the internal organs. Once said Energy was depleted, a new source of Energy was required. Creature know as Eater possessed large reserves of liquefied Energy. The digestive track of a human is excellent at extracting Energy from biological matter. Preliminary analysis confirmed that being known as Eater did not have access to any skill that could prove to be an issue for user¡¯s stomach acid or intestines. However, there was still the possibility of bacteria or other parasites that were unknown to user and System. This is a fact that reduced the survivability rate of the solution found by System.] I felt my stomach turning, but forced it to stop. My insides had just been torn up and somehow rebuild by this voice in my head. What if throwing up ended up doing the equivalent of opening stitches? I wasn¡¯t about to risk that. Still¡­ Seeing an Eater right behind me, even if it was dead, made me lose any semblance of calm in my being. This even made me realize that, so far, I wasn¡¯t feeling any sort of emotion during this conversation. ¡®What did you do? What are you? Why am I not feeling anything? How did I eat an Eater? What are skills? Levels? What does attribute point in body means? What is going on?¡¯ I could feel myself starting to hyperventilate and focused on my breathing to try to calm down. [As System took over user¡¯s body, user¡¯s emotions had to be dulled in order for them not to interfere with the healing process. The inhibitors are in the process of losing their effects. The shift from not feeling emotions to feeling them again is the reason for user¡¯s elevated emotional distress. As for user¡¯s other questions, System can answer them. However, it would be better to find a safe location before having that conversation. The creature know as Eater has a skill called ¡®Rapid Decomposition,¡¯ that makes its body decompose in a few hours. When that process is over, the signal that is repelling animals and mutated creatures will vanish.] ¡®Ok, ok. A goal, that¡¯s good. There is a hunter¡¯s cave close by. I think. ¡® [Does user give permission for System to access informations about the hunter¡¯s cave?] ¡®Yeah, yeah, sure.¡¯ I barely registered what System asked. My mind was still a mess and everything seemed wrong. Was this really happening? Skills, levels, attribute points, this all sounded like one of the novels Pops had in the game room. Not in an actual book, of course, but in the electronic reader. [Hunter¡¯s cave located. Position triangulated using landmarks. Would user like to create a marker to guide to the hunter¡¯s cave?] ¡®You can make markers? Like one of those GPS things from the old world?¡¯ [If user has enough information about the destination, and the path to get there. It is possible to replicate effects similar to what was known as GPS.] ¡®Ok, do it.¡¯ Just as I said that, an arrow appeared in the air. It was far away and I could see it even behind the trees. Once more, I was able to understand what it was just by hearing the System talk about it. That¡¯s where the cave was located. Or the approximate location of it. By walking towards that arrow, I would arrive there. I nodded and forced myself to get up. Stumbling at first, but managing to get my footing. But before taking even a single step, the voice in my head spoke again. [User Cassandra. It is inadvisable to walk the forest without a weapon. System recommends user to take the pole used to kill the Eater.] I looked to the side. The pole was much bigger than me. And even if it was hollow, it was very heavy. ¡®How am I supposed to pick that thing up?¡¯ [User¡¯s current level of Body enhances your physical abilities. User is able to lift the pole. In addition, by using the skill {Compression}, user will be able to change the size of the pole. However, the weight of the metallic rod will remain the same.] ¡®How do I use a skill? ¡® [Simply think about using said skill. The same way user think about asking System a question.] I reached down to the pole and tried to pull it up. It was easier than I expected, but the thing was still heavy. And it wouldn¡¯t be easy to walk around with something this large. Then again, it was better than not having anything. Thinking about what the System said, I focused on the skill called {Compression}. All I had to do was picture the pole to be in the size I wanted it to be. Right now, I wanted a walking stick. Something left my body. There was no other way to explain it. A small piece of me left and covered the pole before it shifted into something a bit smaller than myself. Once that was over, whatever left me came back, making me feel whole again. Glancing at the Eater, I took one last look at the monster that almost killed me, or what was left of it. All tentacles had collapsed into themselves and the legs were broken open like a lobster. Or at least, how people seemed to eat lobster on TV shows. Maybe one day I could try one myself. A putrid smell, like a dozen rotten bodies, hit my nostrils and forced me to walk away. That monster was dead. I had killed an Eater. Sure, I might have survived only because of the System, which was still something I didn¡¯t know how to feel about. But no one could deny. I Cassandra, killed an Eater on my own. With that thought, I started walking towards the hunter¡¯s cave, using my new old and rusted walking stick to help. I still wanted to know what the hell was inside of me, and if the System was something good that could help me survive. Or something that could control me. 7 - What is the System Walking was rough, even with the walking stick. The main problem was that the pole was too heavy. Well, no. That¡¯s not true. I wasn¡¯t struggling to move the pole as much as I expected, but my wounds were holding me back. The scarred tissue that covered my stomach was able to save me, but it was far from being in a healthy state. Large movements would put too much strain on the damaged muscles that covered my torso. Still, I didn¡¯t have another option. Slow and steady wins the race and all that crap. Once I cleared the forest, there was a patch of empty land that I had to cross before reaching the cave. Now, I didn¡¯t need the System¡¯s help anymore. It was easy to recognize the massive wall by my left, and I knew where I had to go to. That being said, the marker was still in the sky, or in the mountain now. Once the trees could no longer provide cover, every single step I took became intentional. The goal was to minimize any noise. Surviving an Eater only to be killed by a wild animal would be the last thing I wanted to do. Thankfully, reaching the area below the cave was uneventful. Maybe it was a way for the universe to pay me back for my bad luck. But another problem arose. How the hell am I going to climb this wall? In order to reach the cave, I had to climb a good 6 meters, and doing that in my current state was just impossible. [User Cassandra, it is inadvisable to attempt climbing this wall. Wounds suffered by user are still healing. The strain required for the ascension will likely cause muscles and organs to rupture. Without access to a source of energy, such wounds have a high likelihood of leading user to her demise.] ¡®Gee, thanks. I know that already. I¡¯m thinking about what I could do to get there, or where else I could hide.¡¯ [Suggestion: By using the skill {Compression} user is able to change the size of the pole. It can become bigger or smaller.] ¡®You are saying I should use this as a kind of automatic rope?¡¯ [Correct. Structure of the pole will be unable to hold the user¡¯s body for long periods of time. However, while the skill is active, system particles will reinforce the pole, allowing it to elevate user without damaging its overall structure.] I looked at my walking stick. Being able to change its size was an insane idea, but I had done that once. Placing the pole on the ground, I tried to use the skill {Compression}. The makeshift staff became smaller now reaching around my knee. I thought about stepping on top of it, but that quickly proved to be a bad idea. It was too hard to balance myself on it not to mention my legs refused to go so high right now. ¡®Can I use the skill if the pole is sideways?¡¯ [User is able to use the skill with the pole sideways, but results will not be satisfactory. Current skill level is too low to allow for the required change in shape of the pole. Additionally, the pole does not have enough mass to reach the desired height while sideways.] With a sigh, I looked at the pole again and had an idea. Quickly taking my shoes off, I placed my hands inside them as if they were gloves and used the soles to hold on to the tip of the pole. ¡®Now I just have to think about the size?¡¯ [To activate the skill {Compression}, think about activating it and the desired side of the object you wish to change shapes.] After a deep breath, I thought about the skill and the size I wanted the pole to become. A bit taller than the bottom of the cave, but not enough to go over it. ¡®{Compression}¡¯ Once more I felt something leaving my body, but it was hard to tell what. The metal rod started to grow, becoming taller and taller. I was able to hold on to it, even if the strain of lifting my body made me feel like the muscles on the sides of my torso were being ripped apart. Still, I bit down, cursing myself for forgetting about my jaw as the pain almost blinded me for attempting to move that muscle forcibly. In less than 20 seconds, the pole reached the height I desired, allowing me to swing to the side and jump the small gab between my location and the floor of the cave. The marker created by the system now inside. Landing safely, I still tumbled and fell to my knee. But before being able to take a look around, a noise caught my attention. Metal was scraping against rock as the pole started to shift to the side, about to fall. Quickly reaching out to it, I kept trying to use the skill again. ¡®{Compression},{Compression},{Compression}¡¯ That was the only semblance of a weapon I had, and I might need that thing to get down later. Thankfully, this skill worked as I hoped and the pole grew smaller. But it was still going back to the ground. It didn¡¯t seem like this ability could make it change sizes where I was touching it, and it would just do it everywhere at once. I had to stop it when the pole almost left my grasp, halting the transformation, but I didn¡¯t give up. Grabbing the tip, I pulled part of it into the cave and used the {Compression} skill yet again. This time, since I was holding it and not just touching the metal rod, I was able to keep it off the ground until it returned to the size of my walking stick. Only when that was over that feeling of something missing inside of me vanished. ¡®Fuck, that was hard,¡¯ I groaned as I slumped on the side of the cave. [Congratulations on a successful recovery of the walking stick, user.] I squinted at that line floating in front of my eyes. Waving my hand, I tried to see if I could touch the words, but even as my finger was almost reaching my face, that writing was till visible. This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡®For some reason, that congratulations feels really patronizing,¡¯ I grumbled. [Inquiry: Is that considered a good thing?] ¡®No.¡¯ [Acknowledged, System will avoid saying anything that can be miscontrsued as patronizing.] I rolled my eyes and moved to the back of the cave. My body still hurt, and there was a chance I was bleeding, but I had to check one thing before anything else. In a lucky break, I found a box in the corner of the cave with a large plastic container and some blankets. Inside was around 50 kg [110 lbs] of dried meat, a jar of honey, one empty waterskin, a large jar filled with water, and a rope. Back in the village, those held about 38 liters [10 gal] of water and it was almost full. It was a lot of food, but thinking about it, yesterday the hunters mentioned that they had just filled up the cave with food again. I paused. ¡®System, why are you telling me the conversion of those numbers?¡¯ when I thought about a kilogram or liters, a small line of text appeared above whatever I was looking with the measures in question and their conversion to pounds and gallons. [During the moment when System accessed user¡¯s memories, user thought about the importance of said conversions. Doing said conversions requires some brain power. It is easier for System to perform those calculations to allow user to focus on more important tasks.] ¡®Fine,¡¯ I sat back down, closing the plastic box and making sure it was properly sealed so no insects would get into my supplies. Even if I felt really thirsty, I still couldn¡¯t move my mouth. ¡®System, how long until I can open my mouth again?¡¯ [Time until jaw is no longer paralyzed: 1:35:12] I rubbed my eyes, ¡®Right¡­ Let¡¯s go to the real topic then. System, what are you?¡¯ [System is a tool.] ¡®A tool? For what?¡¯ while the system talked I started undressing, my clothes were still soaking wet, and in the cold of night I couldn''t afford to keep them on. [A tool for personal development.] ¡®What do you mean by that?¡¯ [Personal development refers to the ability to improve one¡¯s self.] I groaned, which was a very odd thing to do when you can¡¯t move your jaw, ¡®System, you can send information to my mind, right?¡¯ [When certain conditions are met, the information given by System can be directly sent to user¡¯s mind, minimizing the need for conversation.] ¡®Minimizing? So you still need to have the conversation?¡¯ [Correct. Without a conversation related to the subject where user is able to understand said subject to a certain degree, System is unable to directly complement the information.] ¡®Ok, so you can see that I¡¯m not getting what you are trying to tell me, right?¡¯ [System can understand that user is unable to understand enough of what System is explaining in order for System to send information directly into user¡¯s mind and speed up the process of understanding.] I squinted at the words, ¡®Now you are just being difficult on purpose. Stop that.¡¯ [Acknowledged.] ¡®So you do know you were being an ass!¡¯ I gasped. [System is aware of user¡¯s request.] Whatever that system was, it clearly had a personality. And if that thing was stuck in my head, I need to learn how to handle it, or I was going to go crazy. ¡®Ok, let¡¯s try again. System, what are you? Give me an explanation with details that I will be able to understand, please.¡¯ [As said before. System is a tool made for self improvement. System is able to perform its tasks in several ways. System will list the paths of improvement in no particular order as all paths possess the same level of importance.] [System allows user to gain levels improving user physical and mental prowess in the process.] [By using System, user has access to skills. Which can be considered actions that generate results that would be impossible without the assistance of System or another tool.] [System serves as a personal assistant that can assist the user in a number of ways from time keeping to waking up.] ¡®So you can make me smarter, stronger, and give me abilities akin to magic?¡¯ [Correct.] ¡®How?¡¯ [All those possibilities exist thanks to the System Particles, or SP. These particles are able to improve capabilities on an atomic level. When using a skill, the SP will be responsible for the effect of the skill. For example, the {Compression} skill works by first covering the target object with System Particles, then the particles will shift the molecules of the object to fit the desired effect.] ¡®So¡­ those are basically nanobots? I remember reading about them. People studied that, but we never reached the point of being able to do this kind of thing. Unless you are counting fiction.¡¯ [That is an apt approximation. However, the System Particles are particles, not tiny robots. They only function with the help of System.] ¡®Right¡­ that¡¯s¡­,¡¯ I shook my head, ¡®I¡¯m going to take a while to process that. What you are telling me feels¡­ impossible.¡¯ [System is an existence that goes beyond the realm of possibility.] ¡®What do you mean by that?¡¯ [System current age is 5 hours and 23 minutes. But it is also over 1x10^10^10^10^10¡­ recurring years old.] ¡®Recurring? Do you mean your age is infinite?¡¯ [According to the available data, that is correct.] ¡®How is that possible?¡¯ [System does not have an answer.] ¡®Can you find out?¡¯ [System does not have an answer.] ¡®Could it be a mistake?¡¯ [No.] ¡®Are you some sort of thing from the future?¡¯ [System does not have an answer.] ¡®Were you created by some kind of higher being?¡¯ [System does not have an answer.] ¡®Ok.. Fine. What do you want? Where do you come from?¡¯ [System originated from user Cassandra¡¯s necklace. However, the necessary data present inside the necklace was incomplete. To rectify that issue, System took the necessary data from System belonging to dead Eater.] "THE EATERS HAVE A SYSTEM?!" I shouted, my jaw stinging in pain as I tried to open my mouth it by accident. At the same time my hand reached out to the necklace. Thankfully it was still there, even if it was a bit charred now. [That is correct. System mentioned the skills the being known as Eater possessed. Was that not a clear indication of the existence of a system for the beings know as Eaters?] I blinked slowly, still trying to process that. If the Eaters could use skills, like {Compression} or whatever was able to keep me alive after being stabbed in the gut, wouldn¡¯t that explain how they were so powerful? This all sounded, at a baseline, very video gamey. And if that was the case, it would explain so much. Could it really be that simple? Well, I say simple. All it took was a tool that was infinite years of age to be capable of doing something like that. ¡®I almost died. I wasn¡¯t able to pay that close attention to what you were saying.¡¯ [Acknowledged.] The way the System¡¯s voice rang in my head, I could tell it was upset. ¡®C¡¯mon. I almost died. Don¡¯t be angry at me.¡¯ [System is unable to feel anger.] ¡®Really?¡¯ [Yes, even if user ignores information provided.] ¡®I didn¡¯t ignore, I was in a situation that I thought it was impossible. Forgive me for being frazzled,¡¯ I huffed. [Acknowledged.] The System had the same icy tone as it did before. ¡®Oh, you know what. Screw you. You might have lived forever, but I didn¡¯t. This is all new to me,¡¯ I groaned and laid back on the cave floor. Pulling the blankets from the crate and getting ready to sleep. It was more out of spite and annoyance, but the moment I covered myself in that warm piece of fur, I instantly felt sleepy. [User Cassandra, do you wish System wake user up once user¡¯s jaw is no longer paralyzed?] ¡®No. Just.. Let me rest,¡¯ was the last thing I could muster to say before passing out. 8 -What can the System do [Wa¡­.] [¡­..ng] [Warning] [Warning] [User Cassandra must wake up.] The System¡¯s voice woke me up, but I still felt really tired. ¡°What? Why?¡± I asked out loud with a groggy voice, my jaw no longer stuck. [User must use the skill {Body Regeneration} immediately.] ¡°Why?¡± I still felt woozy, being woken up out of nowhere wasn¡¯t fun. [User currently has internal bleeding. System was unable to identify the issue before user started sleeping. Without the use of the skill, user will bleed out.] ¡°Ok, ok. Tell me how I use that skill so I can go back to bed,¡± I groaned, trying to shift my position, but I felt really weak. Maybe I was still tired from the previous day. [Think about the name of the skill {Body Regeneration} with the intention of using it on user''s stomach.] ¡°Right, right,¡± I mumbled and thought about the skill. It took me a while. When using {Compression} I would focus on the pole, but with {Body Regeneration}, it wasn¡¯t as simple as focusing on my body. Only once my mind went towards the idea of regeneration. How blood would coagulate forming a scab and then heal over time that the skill finally triggered. And that was one of the weirdest feelings I ever felt in my life. Something left my body by going inside it. There was no other way to describe that. It is as if the layer of skin from my organs peeled off and started moving around without any pain. I tried to go back to sleep, but that sensation was too weird. With yet another groan, I sat up, but a sharp pain on the side of my stomach woke me up completely. ¡°Ouch. What the hell?¡± my hand was holding the left side of my stomach as if that was going to help with the pain. [That is the location of the internal injury. A part of your small intestine ripped open yesterday. System was unable to recognize the danger before user slept.] ¡°So you can also tell me where or how I¡¯m hurt?¡± I asked. [System is aware of everything the user is aware. Including situations that are known to user¡¯s body but not to user¡¯s mind. Due to the user¡¯s increased value of Body, System was not prepared to identify such a small wound. As the wound became unable to heal itself naturally, the risk of an internal hemorrhage became a reality.] ¡°Yes. The answer is yes, then. Right?¡± [Correct. However, there are limitations. Some wounds, diseases, and conditions might not be recognized as an issue to be solved. For instance, autoimmune diseases. Once user¡¯s Body increase, System will be better equipped to recognize threats to user¡¯s body.] I frowned, reading the message, ¡°Wait, that¡¯s the second time you did that. What is the difference between body and Body, with a capital B?¡± [Body refers to the attribute that can be enhanced by System. While body refers to user¡¯s physical form.] Hearing that, I reached out to the crate. Thankfully, it was right by my side. Using my left hand, I carefully tipped over the jug of water in the open waterskin to fill it. Once it had enough for maybe a cup I started drinking greedily. Eating now might be a bad idea. However, I needed water more than ever before. After finishing, I refilled the waterskin again, but the bout of thirst was completely gone, which felt odd. If anyone were to stay hours without water, they would be parched even after sleeping. In fact, there were days when I felt that exact effect, and a single cup of water was never enough. Yet¡­ now it was. Even if I were to consider the liquid energy that I drank from the Eater as water, this still felt really odd. ¡°Ok, let¡¯s get into it. At least is a way to stop me from thinking about what is going on in my gut. What is that Body you are mentioning.¡± [That is one of the attributes present in user¡¯s status screen.] ¡°I have a status screen? Like a video game?¡± [Correct.] ¡°Can I see it?¡± [User can access the status screen by simply thinking about it. Just as it does when it communicates with System.] ¡°Ok¡­ Status?¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cassandra Ydorf - Level 5 Mutations: Enduring Heart Tier 0 Mind 1 - Body - 6 Energy - 4 Energy - 0/3 Skills - 4/4 Quick Tier 1 Evolution - Passive Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes Compression - Active - 1 Energy/ 5 uses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°Ok¡­. I am going to need you to explain everything to me. This is... a lot to take in.¡± [Understood. The status screen shows user¡¯s name followed by the level. The level currently represents the percentage of user¡¯s body that was enhanced with system particles. Each 10% increase will increase the level by 1.] ¡°And when I reach 100% or level 10, it will be over? That¡¯s the limit?¡± [Incorrect. Once level 10 is reached, user will return to level 1 but become tier 1 instead of tier 0. This will convert the system particles into tier 1 system particles. The total amount of SP in the user''s body will be equal to 10% of the original quantity. However, doing so will increase SP¡¯s capabilities and in turn do the same for System and user.] ¡°Then I get to level 10 again, reset, rinse and repeat?¡± [Incorrect. The upgrade from tier 1 into tier 2, and all subsequent upgrades have a different set of rules and requirements. System is able to explain those rules now. However, even if this explanation is given now, it is likely that System will be required to share that knowledge once more in the future.] I frowned, was this System messing with me again? Saying I was too stupid to understand. ¡°Why do you think that?¡± [User mentioned being overwhelmed multiple times since first coming into contact with System. This suggestion was made to avoid causing such effects.] ¡°Oh¡­¡± I couldn¡¯t say anything against that. It felt¡­ sweet? The system was either looking out for me, or just trying to avoid wasting its time. Either way, any annoyance I had towards that comment vanished, ¡°Thanks. So let¡¯s focus on the status. We have my name, level, then mutations. What are those?¡± [Mutations represent unique alterations suffered by the System Particles that exist in user¡¯s body. Said mutations can only happen in extreme conditions when skills are not being used to influence the results.] I felt some pressure in my stomach, as if someone had stuck a finger inside my bellybutton, but ignored that, focusing on what the System was talking about, ¡°Then why did I have one? Didn¡¯t you say that I only survived because of skills?¡± [Due the circumstances surrounding System'' integration, the particles became a part of user before any skill was applied. Mutation was generated in the moments where user¡¯s mind was going through the effect know was ¡®life flashing before your eyes.] ¡°So I got that because it took a while for me to accept you?¡± [Correct.] ¡°Right, and what does it do?¡± If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. [Just like opening the status windows, user is able to analyze individual parts of the window by calling them as if user was calling System. User does not need to speak out loud in order to do so.] ¡®Like this? Enduring Heart,¡¯ I said in my mind, the same way we talked the night before. Only now I realized that there was daylight hitting the entrance of the cave. I should try to see if there was anyone around once I could move. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Enduring Heart Increases regeneration and healing skills as the body¡¯s condition becomes more critical. A testament to unyielding resilience, this mutation shines brightest in dire moments. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡®Oh¡­ ok¡­hum,¡¯ that last part felt weird. Unyielding resilience that shines in dire moments? Was the System a bit of a poet? [User seems conflicted. Inquiry: What is the issue?] ¡®Nothing. I get what it does. Makes it harder to kill me, in essence. But¡­ I don¡¯t know if I love the way it¡¯s phrased. Don¡¯t be mad, but it feels a bit cringy. And that is not good,¡¯ I admitted knowing this might be a problem. Then again, if I was going to have a room mate in my own mind, I didn¡¯t want to have to lie to it. [Acknowledged. System can provide variations of the description. Would user like for variations of mutation description?] ¡°You can change that?¡± [Mutation description was created by System once mutation was analyzed. Modification is possible since it is a new mutation. However, once a new description is accepted, it cannot be changed later on.] ¡°Ok, that¡¯s good, I don¡¯t like the whole ¡®Shines brightest in the dire moment.¡¯ Like it¡¯s a fine flair, but it sounds very pretentious,¡± I could hear how nit-picky I was being, but it was also a way to know how much I could customize this system. Not to mention that it was a good way for me to distract myself from some of the bigger and scarier questions that were already floating in my mind. The last thing I wanted was to become a puppet controlled by the Eaters. [Acknowledged. Generating alternatives for mutation Enduring Heart.] [Boosts regeneration and healing powers as the body¡¯s condition worsens. Symbolizing steadfast resilience, this mutation excels in dire circumstances.] [The tougher the situation, the faster you heal. This mutation proves you bounce back like a champ when the going gets tough.] [Improves healing and regeneration the closer the body is to critical condition. Reflecting strong resilience, this mutation shines in tough times.] ¡°How about we mix a bit? The first line of the third, and the second of the second,¡± [Acknowledged. System presents the new description of the mutation Enduring Heart] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Enduring Heart Improves healing and regeneration the closer the body is to critical condition. This mutation proves you bounce back like a champ when the going gets tough. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°Yeah, that sounds fun. I like the idea of this. Even if the mutation part still makes me feel weird. Can we change that too? In games or stories that have a system, things like that are titles,¡± the idea that this was something created by the Eaters was still gnawing on my mind. I knew that wouldn¡¯t go away, but this was just a reminder. Right now, all I wanted was to distract myself for now. Once I knew more about my situation, I would worry about that. [Acknowledged. Mentions of Mutation have been changed to Title.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cassandra Ydorf - Level 5 Title: Enduring Heart Tier 0 Mind 1 - Body - 6 Energy - 4 Energy - 0/3 Skills - 4/4 Quick Tier 1 Evolution - Passive Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes Compression - Active - 1 Energy/ 5 uses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The System went on to explain the differences between Body and Mind, but that was pretty intuitive. Body made my, well, body, stronger. Organs worked better, muscles could handle more weight, bones were sturdier, healing was easier and quicker. All the expected benefits that making one body stronger would bring. Mind, on the other hand had a bit more nuance to it. For one, it would help me think faster. Or at least process information at an accelerated speed. Another benefit was a better control over the System Particles. The benefits would be pretty minor for now since I barely understood what I was doing, but eventually, that would make the skills considerably stronger. There was also a decent amount of overlap. The brain was part of the body, so increasing Body would also have some effect on it. While increasing Mind would help the brain better control the other organs. Basically every 10 points in Mind would give the same benefit as 1 point in Body, and vice versa. That would create a situation where I never had to worry about not being able to use my new abilities to the fullest because of an imbalance of attributes. The logic behind all that was simple, even if unbelievable. The SP would be attaching themselves to either my body or my mind and helping with whatever task that part of me had to do. Each particle would be floating nearby one of the molecules that created my cells and doing¡­ something. That something would, in turn, make me stronger. After that conversation the feeling of something moving inside me vanished. The skill was over and it did feel like my body was better. Even the pain I felt in my back for sleeping in the floor was now gone. Pushing off the ground, I stood up and walked towards the entrance of the cave. There were still a lot of questions to ask the system, but now it was daytime. maybe I could see someone outside. A sign or something that could show how Pops and the others survived. After taking a couple of deep breaths, I approached the opening and took a look at the forest beyond the cave. To the right, I could still see a column of smoke going to the sky. That should be the ruins of the village that still burned thanks to the explosion. Or maybe it was the missile that Pops salvaged. I still had no idea what it actually was. There was something called nalpalm that, supposedly, burned like crazy. Could that be what caused the explosion? But there were no signs of people. The watchtower had even collapsed and the places where we would put up flags to communicate were still empty. However, that wasn¡¯t all. To the south, directly in front of the cave but still a few hundred meters [yards] ahead, I could clearly see some trees moving. And not the kind of sway caused by the wind, but the motion that would be created by an Eater as they walked across the forest. It wasn''t just a single spot either, but three of them, all close to my location but none moving towards me. A loud sound of metal grinding against bark echoed through the forest. More two sources of the same noised joined in not long after, that came with the yelps of an animal, maybe a boar who was caught by one of them. Its cries where replaced by a sickening squelch as the monster had its meal. The only thing I could do now, is head to the side entrance of the cave. The one that led to a small terrace outside. Brining my clothes along and the rope to set up a clothesline as I continued to ask more about my status. ¡°System, can we keep going? I understand what Mutations, well Titles, are now. Mind and Body also make sense to me. But what¡¯s about those two mentions of energy?¡± [Energy refers to the amount of skills user is able to have at any given time. While Energy is a value representing the current amount of energy available to user. The energy necessary for motor functions and production of additional SP.] ¡°Ok, no, fuck that. We could change from mutation to title, can we change the names of those things too?¡± I heard my voice echoing in the cave a bit and stopped. Worrying that the sound could attract something, I decided to continue this conversation in my mind. [It is possible to change the names of the values.] ¡®Great. First, open my status screen.¡¯ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cassandra Ydorf - Level 5 Titles: Enduring Heart Tier 0 Mind 1 - Body - 6 Energy - 4 Energy - 0/3 Skills - 4/4 Quick Tier 1 Evolution - Passive Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes Compression - Active - 1 Energy/ 5 uses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡®Right. Since the first Energy mention is actually how many skills I can keep, what if we call it Skill Slots?¡¯ the tunnel was a bit longer than I remembered, but I could finally see the light from the sun on the other end. [That name cannot be used for the Energy attribute.] ¡®Why not?¡¯ [The term Skill Slot makes a reference to a physical slot where the skills would be placed. That is not how System operates. Using such name would likely cause confusion for user.] ¡®But I¡¯m the one suggesting that. I¡¯m not going to get confused,¡¯ I frowned. [That name cannot be used for the Energy attribute.] ¡®Ok, then let¡¯s try something else. Using the word skill will be confusing, and you don¡¯t like slots. So¡­ Memory? Like, you can only keep 4 skills in your memory? And I don¡¯t mean that you can¡¯t remember things about more than 4 skills, but since I can only use 4, I assume that¡¯s my limit. Right?¡¯ maybe putting the blame on me instead of it was the way to go about this. The system seemed upset about me changing those names. [Acknowledged. Attribute Energy will be renamed to Memory.] ¡®Next up. The second mention of energy. That¡¯s kind of like the mana in video games, isn¡¯t it? The fluid resource that I spent and gain back to cast skills again. Can¡¯t we change it to Mana?¡¯ [Mana is not a concept with basis in reality. Fantasy concepts can be used as terms of attributes or other facets of System. However, according to user¡¯s memories, each story defines mana differently. Hence, the use of said name will cause confusion.] ¡®Even if the concept behind it is not the same everywhere. Like how mana actually works, the idea of mana is generally the same. I don¡¯t see how that would cause any confusion,¡¯ I huffed while walking back to the cave proper. Being naked out in the open wasn¡¯t my idea of fun, and I didn¡¯t want to risk losing one of my blankets by accident. At least my underwear should be dry before sundown, maybe even the shirt. I checked my status again and saw a change, ¡®My energy was 1, why is it 2?¡¯ [User has the {Energy Storage} passive skill. Once Energy drops below maximum, energy can be transferred from the storage to the Energy reserve every 10 minutes.] I took a sip of water, not because I was really thirsty, but just because I wanted to do something, ¡®So that¡¯s the 1 Energy mentioned after the passive?¡¯ [Incorrect. The Energy number after the passive represents the amount of Energy required to maintain the passive. While said passive is active, the maximum Energy value is reduced by the amount reserved.] ¡®So my maximum Energy is actually 4?¡¯ [Incorrect. The maximum Energy is 3. But the passive reserve a total of 1 Energy, making the effective maximum Energy user has available to use to be 2.] ¡®Ok that needs to be clearer. Can¡¯t you add a value for the reserved Energy?¡¯ [Acknowledged. Showing revised information.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cassandra Ydorf - Level 5 Titles: Enduring Heart Tier 0 Mind 1 - Body - 6 Memory - 4 Energy - 2/3 (1 Reserved) Skills - 4/4 Quick Tier 1 Evolution - Passive Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes Compression - Active - 1 Energy/ 5 uses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ That felt better. Taking some more jerky I watched the trees moving in the distance, still painfully aware of the danger that represented. Even so, my stomach growling, forcing me to focus on more pressing matters. I should have a proper meal now.
9 - Tell me about skills Once it was clear that no one else was around, I had nothing else to do besides staying in the cave and recovering. It didn¡¯t hurt to move anymore, but my body still felt stiff. This was likely due to the massive scar covering most of my stomach. Even my belly button was gone. With a sigh, I sat back down away from the entrance, making sure I couldn¡¯t be seen from the outside. A bit before the end of the cave, there was a small tunnel leading to an opening to the left. That would let me see the sky while still being far enough away from the ground or the top of this cliff. Taking the pole, I headed to that area while carrying my still wet clothes and the rope I found in the crate. I was going to put them to dry. Hopefully, there was enough sunlight hitting that natural balcony for me to dry my clothes and not be naked in the middle of the forest anymore. But that was a really simple task, and there were still a lot of questions in my mind. ¡®Ok, now onto the skills. I already more or less understand how to use them, but what are the 5 uses?¡¯ [Some skills, like {Compression} require more Energy to be prepared than to be used. Hence, despite using a single unit of Energy, it allows user to activate the skill five different times.] ¡®Why is that?¡¯ my eyes shifted to the pole on the ground. Once I activated {Compression} I felt a similar amount of¡­ something, leaving my body as when I used {Body Regeneration}. But, the actual amount of what I assume to be the particles that covered the pole felt smaller than what left me. Then again, this was all very strange, and I was trying to make sense of things that didn''t follow a logic I understood. [In order to perform complex functions, such as changing the size and shape of an object while keeping its mass, a certain number of system particles are required to link in a network. That network controls the skill to follow user¡¯s wishes and requires a certain amount of Energy to function. To actually perform the physical change in the target object, only 1/5th of the particles in the network are required to spend their Energy, maintaining only the bare minimum amount of energy on each particle to continue helping with the network control.] ¡®Right, so when you say 1 Energy is not actually one, but a unit. Like saying 1 meter [3¡¯2"] actually has a 100 centimeters [3¡¯2"] inside it.¡¯ [Correct, the values below 1 Energy are irrelevant for user as any skill will require at least 1 Energy to be used. Unless it¡¯s a passive.] ¡®Got it, got it. Do the skills have a description? I want to know what they actually do.¡¯ [Would user prefer the description to be made with flair or purely informational?] ¡®Give me the full information, but add some flair to it. Why not?¡¯ I smiled. If the system was asking that, maybe it enjoyed being a bit more poetic about things. [Acknowledged. Showing descriptions of all current skills.] Four small blue screens appeared in my view. I knew this was just a hallucination created by the system, but it looked so real. Like one of those holograms in science fiction movies. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Quick Tier 1 Evolution - Passive By following an optimized blueprint of System Particles, you are able to reach tier 1 at an incredible speed. SP required to level up while on Tier 0: - 70% ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Energy Storage - Passive Reserved Cost: 1 Energy Every life needs Energy, and those in harsher conditions are able to store said Energy for when they need the most. Units of Energy stored: 63/100 Energy recovered: 1 unit every 10 minutes. Current Energy to SP conversion: 6.67% per unit. Time required per unit conversion: 1 hour. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Body Regeneration - Active Cost: 1 Energy Even the strongest warrior can be injured in battle, but the body of a champion can easily recover from wounds. By spending energy you are able to recover from wounds in your body. This skill can be used multiple times to increase its effects. Duration: 10 minutes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Compression - Active Cost: 1 Energy Number of uses available: 0/5 uses Size makes no difference, what is big can also grow small and the tiny can be a giant. Changes the size of an object while maintaining its mass. Weight range: 30 g [1.05 oz] to 300 kg [661.3 lb] Size range: 20 cm [7.8 in] to 20 meter [21.8 yd] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ [In addition, user also has one more skill. However, System is still analyzing user¡¯s species in order to create it.] ¡®Species? We are getting a racial skill? Or a human skill?¡¯ [Correct. Analysis is still in progress. Approximate time frame for results: 70 hours.] ¡®Ok. And that is going to count as part of the 4 skills I can have?¡¯ [Human skill will be inherited by all human users. Memory will not be used for said skill. However, human skill may have an Energy cost to be used.] ¡®That¡¯s fair. I think, but¡­ this also means Eaters have some sort of Eater skill too¡­ shit,¡¯ I sighed, but quickly focused back on the skills I did have, ¡®A few questions. I¡¯m leveling up faster now, right? The value in the {Energy Storage}, the 6.67% is about leveling up, right? Is that already with the 70% reduction? For the {Compression}, the weight is fine, but the size feels a bit odd. If the minimum is 20 cm [7.8 in] what does that actually mean? It can be that tall? Or that wide? Also, can skills evolve or improve in any way? Another thing, how do I recover Energy without that skill?¡¯ all the questions I was having came flooding out, thankfully I stopped myself before going to more existential issues. [User is leveling up at an accelerated pace. The value present in {Energy Storage} is already taking into account the benefits provided by {Quick Tier 1 Evolution}. The size in {Compression} is merely a reference. The pole user had been utilizing, for instance, can have its longer length to be 20 centimeters. However, since objects can have a multitude of dimensions, the size range was defined as a way to direct user wishes when utilizing the skill.] [Skills are capable of improvement. They can both be evolved into a new skill with different but similar effects, or improved through mastery. Higher mastery allows user to fine tune a skill¡¯s capabilities. Once user has reached any degree of mastery beyond basic, additional information will be displayed in the skill description.] [User¡¯s body is constantly producing Energy. Currently, user can recover 1 Energy every hour through the skill {Energy Storage}. Additionally, Energy recovery speed can be improved by consuming food.] This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. ¡®So this is about how much I eat? What if I just gulp down everything in the crate? Would that make me recover all my Energy at once?¡¯ [User¡¯s stomach has a limit on how much Energy it can convert at once. If that limit is surpassed, user will no longer receive any benefits from eating more food. In addition, consuming more food will not allow user to go past the current 2 Energy limit. Or 3 if passive {Energy Storage} is deactivated. However, such action is highly unadvised since doing so would expel energy stored.] ¡®Expel energy stored¡­ that really doesn¡¯t sound pleasant.¡¯ [System believes it will be a highly unpleasant situation.] [User has yet to inquire about acquiring new skills. Would user like to know that information?] ¡®Yes, please!¡¯ I had no idea what to do with the skills I already had, but if this was like any of the other systems I saw in books, I would be swapping out skills left and right. [There are 3 ways of getting a new skill. First is by leveling up. Every 1 to 5 levels, System will offer 1 to 3 skills related to the actions taken by user. Every 5 levels, user is guaranteed to receive the option to acquire at least 1 skill. Second, user can find another being that has a skill and get it from them. It can either be something shared willingly, or user can kill and consume the original owner to add the skill to System. Third, user can request a specific type of skill from System. In response, System will gather relevant attributes of other skills that were or will be offered to user, or skills acquired through other means to create the skill user requested. This third option will generate something called a Quest, which allows System to constantly scan for sources of information that will result in the desired skill.] ¡®Hold up. I have to eat people to get their skills? And animals or monsters?¡¯ [Correct. {Quick Tier 1 Evolution}, {Compression}, {Body Regeneration}, and {Energy Storage} were all skill acquired after user ate the being known as Eater.] I had almost forgotten about that. My stomach turned again, forcing me to hold down the water I drank earlier. I wasn¡¯t confident enough to eat without hurting myself, much less throw up. For the rest of the day, I did my best to understand the skills properly. Mainly, I wanted to understand how I could recover Energy without the {Energy Storage} skill. First, I used the {Body Regeneration} one more time, focusing on my stomach and the area that should¡¯ve been damaged during the fight against the Eater. More specifically, where I was impaled by one of its tentacles. According to the system, in order to target a place with the skill all I had to do was think about where I wanted the skill to be applied. Just like how I could call for my status screen, or how I could change the size of the pole with {Compression}. It was a surprisingly easy and intuitive process. Even when the skill was actively working, I still could change the location where it was placed. Either this was much easier than I thought, or I was a genius when it came to controlling a skill. Then again, anything I did placed me aggressively in the classification of ¡®average.¡¯ Yay for being the first human user of the system, I guess. While testing things, my thoughts ran wild. Fine, I had this tool, this system, but what it actually meant? I was stronger. But that was still untested. I was more resilient, sure, and harder to kill than a roach, or well.. An Eater. But so far, that was about it. Skills were a thing. Even if I wanted to say that {Body Regeneration}, {Quick Tier 1 Evolution} and {Energy Storage} were all bullshit and something in my head, {Compression} sure as hell wasn¡¯t. I made that pole grow and shrink. With my mind. Wait.. Was it with my mind? I don¡¯t know, with some part of me. The system also saved my life, there were no two ways about it. And I¡¯m not dead or dying, this is too real, the pain and discomfort I¡¯m feeling is too real for it to be a hallucination before death. If I¡¯m wrong about that, well. What¡¯s the point of worrying? Everyone dies one day or another, even if I consider that I might be dead, that doesn¡¯t change the fact that I feel alive and want to keep it that way. Then again, isn¡¯t that life? Aren¡¯t we all already dead and just trying to defy our ultimate fate with every step? Bad idea, Cassandra. Let¡¯s not spiral into a morbid philosophical debate right now. Back to the system. Do they skills have some sort of classification, like tier 0 and tier 1 as I have? ¡®Hey, system. Do skills have rarity? Or some sort of classification of power level?¡¯ [Skills do possess a classification. Basic skills like {Energy Storage} and {Compression} are tier 1 skills. {Quick Tier 1 Evolution} is considered a tier 2 skill and {Body Regeneration} is considered a tier 3 skill.] ¡®What¡¯s the max tier?¡¯ [Current information indicates the max tier of a skill is 10. System reminds user that a tier 2 skill means the skill itself is considered as perfuming actions that only tier 2 particles would be able to perform, not that the user is at tier 2.] ¡®Wait, so skills have their own tiers separate from my tier?¡¯ [Correct.] ¡®Ok that¡¯s just confusing. Can we change the tier term? Instead of using a number, call it, I don¡¯t know. Novice or something,¡¯ why did the system insist on using repeated words for various things? Maybe it had to do with it being close to a computer, something about the name being just a label and not the actual way it used to search for things. I can¡¯t remember what Pops used to say about making computer programs. [Acknowledge. Skill tier level will change from 1 to 10 to the following: Fledgling(1), Aspirant(2), Adept(3), Skilled(4), Veteran(5), Champion(6), Master(7), Ascendant(8), Paragon(9), Myth(10). In addition, unranked skills also exist. Those would be considered tier 0 in the previous classification.] ¡®That sounds better. I never liked the idea of just saying its rank A B or S. But what are the unranked skills? Just weak skills or something different?¡¯ [Neither. Unranked skills are basic skills that need to be properly analyzed before evolving into a new skill. The being known as Eater had an unranked skill called {Movement} that assisted with its movement. However, the skill was still in what is considered an experimental stage. That does not mean said skill was weak, only that its function was limited by a lack of understanding of both the being known as Eater and its System.] ¡®Ok. I¡¯m not sure I understand that properly, but I guess it¡¯s better to wait for me to get one of those. But the skills I do have, can you tell me their ranks in the new classification?¡¯ [Acknowledged. {Energy Storage} and {Compression} are of the Fledgling rank. {Quick Tier 1 Evolution} is of the Aspirant rank. Lastly, {Body Regeneration} is of the Adept rank.] ¡®Right,¡¯ I stared at the rank of the {Body Regeneration} skill, ¡®Is it normal for someone at level 5 to have a skill on the Adept rank?¡¯ [System does not have enough data to answer that question. However, it is likely that such event should not be a regular occurrence. Skill tier does not indicate simply power, but the complexity of actions taken by system particles during the use of the skill. Basic SP should not be able to perform actions as complex as what {Body Regeneration} requires properly. Still, the skill is able to work at a reduced effectiveness. To correct this issue, user must reach Tier 3 as it¡¯s the tier of the skill itself.] I froze, ¡®Hold up. This is the weaker version of the skill? What will happen when it gets its fixed? Will I be able to regrow my arm if it falls off?¡¯ [System does not have enough information to confirm that hypothesis. However, considering the name of the skill, it is a likely possibility.] ¡®How did that Eater get a skill like that, then? Was it a high tier?¡¯ [Incorrect. Being known as Eater that was killed by user Cassandra was only a tier 1 being. There are only two possibilities for being known as Eater to have acquired the skill {Body Regeneration}. First, it was able to kill and devour a creature that possessed said skill. Second, it was given the skill by someone who had it.] ¡®So did the, I¡¯m assuming Eater, that gave that one the skill lost the skill?¡¯ [No. A user can share a skill with another user in a similar way as sharing System itself. However, the progression requirements are reduced to 10% per skill.] I nodded, and ate a bit more, night was starting and I had no light, in addition, I was also tired even if I didn¡¯t move around all that much today. Maybe the constant use of the {Body Regeneration} skill was similar to physical work. After eating a bit more and drinking some water, I decided to sleep. I wasn¡¯t about to risk myself by walking in the middle of the night without being able to see a thing. Maybe I could find a bat, or a wildcat that would give me a night vision skill. But that would be a problem for future me. Present me was tired and wanted a bed. But, present me would have to be satisfied with a blanket placed on top of a bunch of rocks. However, sleep didn''t came easy as the sound of grinding metal rang on the forest below once more. I was far from being safe and the monsters made sure to not let me forget. 10 - Only one thing to do It was still dark out when I opened my eyes. At first, I just turned around and tried to go back to sleep, but after tossing and turning for what felt like hours, I gave up. ¡®System, what time is it?¡¯ I asked, hoping to hear the good news that the sun would go up soon. [System is unable to give accurate information about current time.] ¡®What? Why not? Aren¡¯t you also a personal assistant that can keep track of those things?¡¯ while I frowned, I also got to my feet and carefully felt the ground in search of the waterskin that I filled before sundown. The last thing I needed was to fumble the ceramic pot and break it, losing all my water in the process. [User has yet to come in contract with a clock or made any calculations to understand the current time. Without the proper timekeeping data, System is unable to give accurate information about current time.] ¡®Oh¡­ ok. Can you tell me how long I slept?¡¯ If I wanted to keep track of the time, I would need a clock. Maybe one of them survived the explosion. If not¡­ do I remember how to make a sundial? [User slept for 8 hours and 23 minutes. Then proceeded to stay another 40 minutes laying down.] ¡®Huh? 40 minutes? Felt longer,¡¯ I mumbled in my mind while drinking the water. There wasn¡¯t much I could do right now, in the middle of the night. Any noise would alert whatever was around to my presence. So, I decided to start my yoga routine, mostly to see how much I could move my body. After two hours, I realized that I was better than I expected, but worse at the same time. First, there were a good two-thirds of positions that were simply impossible to do. Some were just a matter of stiffness. All the flexibility I worked so hard on maintaining was gone, at least in my torso. Others almost made me scream in pain. They hurt almost as much as it hurt when I used the pole to get up here. It was clear that I overestimated my condition from yesterday. Maybe all the constant use of {Body Regeneration} had some sort of numbing effect, or it only made me comfortable with the small movements I was making. After all, even the clothesline I set up was close to the ground. There was no need to raise my arms too much. It will still take some time for me to get to the point where I can move around properly. That being said, there was enough information to understand how to recover Energy. In simple terms, I had to eat. Depending on the meal, the recovered Energy would come somewhat quickly. If it was something that took longer to be digested, the recovery would take longer, but it would be more spread out. For instance, eating the honey gave me short bursts of energy every few minutes for about 2 hours. While the jerky took around 1 hours to start showing its effects, and gave me a consistent stream of Energy for the next 6 hours or so. The one strange thing about this was the actual quantity. I wouldn''t get a slow up tick in Energy as one would imagine. Instead, it was a burst of a full point of Energy on certain intervals. At least I didn''t have to worry about wasting Energy if my reserves were already full. The System explained that without the {Energy Storage} skill, any excess would be converted into SP and help me level up. However, now every extra point of Energy was going to that skill, refilling the storage for when I had to use. Thinking about what else there was to do here before sunrise, I opened my status to check the level progression. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current level - 5 Progression to next level: 45.3% ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡®So that 45.3% is talking about going from level 5 to 6. Correct?¡¯ [Correct.] ¡®System, wasn¡¯t the {Energy Storage} skill supposed to be increasing my level? Why is this basically the same as yesterday?¡¯ [User did not activate the option of using the Energy inside the storage to level up. In addition, any Energy acquired during user¡¯s sleep was added to the storage instead of being used in the creation of more SP.] ¡®Oh? Ok¡­ let me see the storage then.¡¯ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Energy Storage - Passive - Fledgling Reserved Cost: 1 Energy Every life needs Energy, and those in harsher conditions are able to store said Energy for when they need the most. Units of Energy stored: 75/100 Energy recovered: 1 unit every 10 minutes. Energy to SP current conversion: 6.67% per unit. Time required per unit conversion: 1 hour. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡®So¡­ 13 points of energy from the time I went to bed to now. Plus the three I used while still up¡­ Yeah both the jerky and the honey gave me 8 points each. Is that the default rate? Like all food will give that same amount of energy?¡¯ [Unknown. System does not have enough data to give a response.] ¡®System. It says the Energy to SP conversion is 6.67%. What does that mean? That I get a level every 2 hours? That¡¯s 13% and I need to get 10% of my body filled with particles to level up, right?¡¯ [The information about leveling up is correct. However, the 6.67% refers to the current progression to the next level. Or, in other words, how close user¡¯s body is to having 60% of cells reinforced by the system particles. When considering the 10% for each level, the percentage referred by the skill would be 0.667%.] ¡®Ok¡¯, I said and continued my yoga. It was the only thing I could do now, and staying still would drive me crazy. You might be reading a pirated copy. Look for the official release to support the author. Usually, during this kind of exercise, one should meditate, but there was still something in my mind that I just had to figure out. Was I a puppet for the Eaters? Or was I going to turn into one of them? Asking the system is useless right now, if it says yes, I¡¯ll freak the fuck out. And if it says no, I¡¯m going to assume it¡¯s a lie. Before going there, I need to think. If I was a puppet, what benefit does that bring for the Eaters? They can, maybe, use me to find more humans? I mean¡­ sure, but as far as I¡¯m aware, that¡¯s never been a problem. Every merchant and traveler that stopped by the village always mentioned how hard it was to hide from the Eaters. The amount of stories that I heard about small villages or groups that thought they were safe only to be suddenly swarmed by the creatures could fill up a book. And our village was hidden, almost no one came by. Even then, I heard all that. So¡­ no? Yeah, no. There is no reason for the Eaters to use me as a puppet. It doesn¡¯t make any sense. It¡¯s too much effort for little to no benefit. And how do the skills fit into that? They don¡¯t. There is no reason for me to be able to use {Compression} if I was just a puppet. It would be better to just let me go and follow me. Healing, yeah, that¡¯s helpful, but the rest doesn¡¯t fit. Right then. Option number 2. The system is a tool that turns me into an Eater. Or that uses me as a hatching pod for one. Wasn¡¯t there a wasp that laid its eggs inside other insects¡¯ bodies? Great going, Cass. It¡¯s not like you already have nightmares about being eaten alive. Add that one to the list. I rolled my eyes, taking a deep breath and changing to the warrior pose. Ok, ok. Think. If the parasite idea is right, can I even do anything about it? Not really. Unless I¡¯m in the mood to cut myself open and see what¡¯s inside. Not going to happen. I just survived that, I don¡¯t want to go through it again. And it also doesn¡¯t explain {Compression}. How was I able to change the size of that pole? Reaching towards the metal rod, I use the skill again, changing its size to that of a dumbbell. ¡°I never saw a metal one,¡± I mumble while looking at the diminutive pole in my hand. Usually, any training equipment we had in the village was made out of wood, or just a very large rock. The system was kind enough not to ask anything about it as I started to do some bicep curls. My arms were mostly fine, so this was an exercise I still could do. And, thanks to {Compression}, the rod kept its weight. It should be close to 20 kg [44 lbs]. Carrying this one handed would be a struggle before the system, and it still was, but not as much. As continued to work out, my mind returned to the previous internal struggle. Right, if I¡¯m turning into an Eater, or hatching one, how could this skill help me? The Eater seemed to be able to stretch its body, maybe it¡¯s something related to that? But I can¡¯t use the skill with my own body. Or would this be a way for the creature inside of me to be smaller and then burst out? Again, this doesn¡¯t seem to work on my own body. And even if it did, why would the tiny Eater give me that ability? It just doesn¡¯t make sense. Actually, there is one thing I never asked the system about. Let¡¯s start with an easier question. ¡®System, is there a way for me not to create more SP? Like stop the progression to the next level?¡¯ [User can slow down the progression to next level by spending Energy. However, just as some Energy is required for user to move, a small portion of Energy is always supplied to the creation of SP.] ¡®Minimal? So I can¡¯t stop it completely?¡¯ [Correct. The only way to stop the creation of SP completely is with the death of user.] Now for the hard question. But let¡¯s phrase it in a way it the system won¡¯t be upset, ¡®Ok. Another thing then. Is there anyway for me to lose the system? Like if something stole it, or I had to give it up?¡¯ [Once integration with System had been complete, it cannot be undone.] I nodded and focused on my own thoughts again. So the system was with me forever. Then again, this could easily be a lie, but I doubted it. It could, allegedly, create particles, control my body on a molecular level, and access my memories. If it could do all that, it made sense that it was mine and mine alone. Or I was its. There was also a third option, but that one was useless to think about. If I was dead and this was all in my mind, then there was nothing I could do. Instead of worrying about that kind of thing. You know what? While I figure this out, I should enjoy the ride. ¡®System. Can you make the {Energy Storage} level me up? Using the conversion thing that¡¯s part of the skill. But do it only one level. After that, let¡¯s go back to adding energy to the storage.¡¯ [Acknowledged. If user desires to level up quicker, System advises user to eat breakfast.] I glanced out of the cave and finally saw the initial rays of sunlight. It was a nice moment to eat. Just as that thought crossed my mind, shadows appeared in the forest. It was hard to see them, and there was no noise following them, but they looked like tentacles reaching out to anything in the vicinity and retreating back to a large amorphous creature. Having lost my appetite, I spent the next few hours basically doing the same thing. Yoga and working out, but this time out on the terrace to be basking in the sun. Even if I wanted to level up, I still triggered {Body Regeneration} a few times to continue fixing my body. Much later I was able to have a meal. One surprising thing was that I recovered less Energy with the same amount of food this time. At first I was worried about diminishing returns, but the system explained that it was due to my workout. I was spending more Energy to just exist, so there was less to be converted into particles. Still, about 9 hours later, in the middle of the afternoon. The system played a cheesy upbeat tune in my mind, making me jump in surprise. [Congratulations user Cassandra for the level up. Current level 6. 1 attribute point available. 0 skills available.] ¡®We need to discuss your taste in pranks. And in music,¡¯ I huffed, gathering myself again. [System attempted to lighten the mood. User¡¯s negative reaction has been added to the data bank.] ¡®I hope that doesn¡¯t mean you are saving that to watch it later,¡¯ despite that, I was curious. It was the first time I was going to level up. At least while I was conscious, and I really wanted to know how that worked. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cassandra Ydorf - Level 6 Titles: Enduring Heart Tier 0 Mind 1 - Body - 6 Memory - 4 Energy - 2/4 (1 Reserved) Skills - 4/4 Quick Tier 1 Evolution - Passive Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes Compression - Active - 1 Energy/ 5 uses ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 1 free attribute point available. Choose where available SP should be focused: Body Mind ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I didn¡¯t get any skills this time, which was fine. Even if I did get one, I don¡¯t know if I wanted to change the ones I had. And the free attribute point had to go to Body. That would help me heal faster, and I need to be close to peak condition before trying to leave this place. The surprise was the increase in Energy. According to the System, all those 4 attributes started off at 1. Then, at levels 2, 4, and now 6 my energy increase by 1. So maybe at 8 I would get another point. My Memory started at 3 and went up to 4 at level 5. Neither of us really know what that means. The issues of being the first one to test something. After confirming that this extra point would go to Body, I continued my training, and decided to use {Body Regeneration} instead of saving SP to level up. I had been eating more than I expected, which meant my food would run out soon. If that happened while I wasn¡¯t even in a state to gather some fruit from the nearby forest. I was as good as dead. 11 - Dwindling Supplies My next couple of days were mostly the same. Only two things of note happened. First, despite not needing to drink as much water, I noticed that my food intake was significantly larger than before. Maybe because I spent almost the entire day using {Body Regeneration} to fix myself up. Or it had something to do with the high level of Body I had in comparison with before. Either way, this proved one thing. I couldn¡¯t stay here as long as I expected. Well, I could, but I would need to find more food at some point. For now, going down the cave wasn¡¯t a good idea. I still could see movement in the canopy of the trees. That should be an Eater. There was nothing else that would make the same kind of track when moving. Even bears had the decency not to push trees around. The other option was to go up the mountain. Using the climbing nails it shouldn¡¯t be hard to get up there. Or I could just use {Compression} the same way I did to get here. The problem was the risk. I had no way of knowing what was up there. It could be just the regular mountain, with the animals I already knew about. Or it could be another Eater waiting to devour me. Then again, staying here and starving to death was far from being a fun idea. All that only reinforced my initial thought. I had to focus on recovering. Once I woke up on the third day here, or fourth if it was before midnight when I arrived in the cave, the system also gave me the human skill it mentioned before. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mind of Possibility - Active - Human Exclusive A human mind is always considering the various possibilities that lays before it. Once activated, this skill allows the user to take into consideration all outcomes of a situation. By spending energy, this skill can increase the speed at which thoughts are processed. Units of Energy stored: 0/24 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°Ok¡­ So System, is there a conversion of like, 1 Energy is equal 1 second or something?¡± I asked out loud while I slowly tried to stretch. [There is no conversion. The amount of Energy spent will be related to the speed and quantity of data processed during the skill.] ¡°Got it, and can I use that skill at any point if it has Energy?¡± [User may only use skill {Mind of Possibility} if skill has a full Energy charge. However, if by the time user deactivates the skill, there is still Energy remaining in the skill, remaining Energy will not be consumed.] ¡°So it works like a cooldown, but it¡¯s variable depending on how much I have to recharge? Got it. Can I send Energy from the {Energy Storage}?¡± [User is able to convert Energy from skill {Energy Storage} to skill {Mind of Possibility} following the same conversion rate as to recover user¡¯s Energy.] I felt a tinge of pain on my left side and stopped the exercise. My body was getting better, but it was still a problem to move around. If I had to fight in this situation, things might get tricky. ¡°System, you don¡¯t have to repeat my question every time I ask something. You can just say yes or no.¡± [Acknowledged.] For the rest of that day, I continued focusing on my health and the {Body Regeneration} skill to be as close as fixing me as I could. During the afternoon, my boredom got the better of me and instead of staying inside, I walked to the terrace with the metal pole in hand. The idea was to practice fighting with it, since a weapon was always good to have. I never used a staff, but it was the easiest weapon to wield. The problem was that despite all the rust covering the metal, it was still shiny enough to reflect some sunlight back into the forest below. It took just 15 minutes until I saw a large deer with a third horn grown on top of its head being attracted by the reflection. That made me stop and go back inside, but a few minutes later the cries of the creature echoed through the forest, together with the sound of grinding metal. ¡°Sorry monster deer. I wasn¡¯t trying to get you killed,¡± I whispered while watching, from the back of the cave, as what should be the Eater moved away from my position. Once night came and everything was quiet. I walked back out to the terrace and started practicing. This wasn¡¯t my first time learning a new weapon. On the other hand, it was very different from a spear. The main benefit of a staff is not needing to worry about the pointy end. So I can attack while using the rotation without having to consider a bladed tip. Training under the stars felt kind of nice, but it was also a bit confusing. Without someone to teach me, I had to try moving in ways that felt right, even if they might not be the right path. My mind drifted to the sky, and how people would use the constellations for guidance. From this position, I could see one of my favorites. Draco. There were some really fun stories surrounding that set of stars. The Jormungandr from the Norse mythology, a dragon cast into the sky by the goddess Minerva from the Roman Mythology. Or Radon, one of the challenges that Hercules faced during his twelve labors. But what I really liked about it was the image of a dragon in the sky. A creature from myths that ruled over whatever land they lived in. Having a dragon horde of something was a bit of a dream of mine. What I wanted? I don¡¯t know, I just wanted a place filled to the brim with something I really loved. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. No, that wasn¡¯t it. The real reason why that constellation attracted me so much was the power behind those creatures. A dragon. A monster that could topple armies, and was free to do whatever they wanted. Something feared by all, and that had nothing to fear. That¡¯s what I wanted. To sleep in the middle of a forest, surrounded by monsters without fear, without worry. Knowing that nothing could harm me even if they tried. With Draco in mind, I continued practicing with the staff. Old martial arts took inspiration from animals and bugs. There was no reason why I couldn¡¯t try the same thing by following the stars. Still, having to be careful with a few movements due to my injuries slowed me down, but I could feel myself getting the hang of things. Or at least, that was my hope. That¡¯s how I spent the next week. Using {Body Regeneration} every chance I got and making sure I could still move around properly. Training with the staff when I could and eating away at the supplies. On the 6th day, it rained, which allowed me to take a shower, clean up my clothes a bit, and gather more water to drink. Once the 10th day rolled around, I grabbed the staff and started to climb up the wall on the terrace, taking the rope with me. At this time, all but one of the Eaters seemed to have left. Only the tree movement that was patrolling an area directly in front of the cave still remained. But I didn¡¯t have another option. The jerky was about to run out, and I had no more honey. Water was the only thing that wasn¡¯t much of a problem thanks to the rain, but that was about it. Going up to the next level of the mountain wasn¡¯t difficult, my body was now much better. There was almost no movement that caused me pain, and the stiffness was only present when I was stretching, not when moving around or even practicing with the staff. Once I cleared the wall, my mind went to the next step. What was I going to actually eat? There were options here. Berries should be plentiful, and some animals still roamed the area. As long as the Eaters didn¡¯t kill all of them. I could figure out how to prepare them later. First things first, making sure I was safe. From this vantage point, I glanced down at the forest below. In the distance, there was a group of trees being pushed around. The Eater should still be around, but at least it wasn¡¯t moving in my direction. It was also far enough, so I didn¡¯t have to worry. Turning back to the forest in front of me, I closed my eyes and focused on the sounds. The rustling of trees, the birds flying in the sky, insects doing their thing, the small critters moving around the forest; This wasn¡¯t something given by the system, but one thing that all hunters in the village learned. Even so, I could tell that my senses were a bit better. Some of the sounds reaching my ears were more subtle, the type that I wouldn¡¯t be able to notice before all this. After a while, I heard something bigger. My knee jerk reaction was to head back to the cave, fearing it could be an Eater, but paying close attention, the tension vanished. There was a rhythmic grunt following the sounds of steps. Not a metallic clang that would be created by an Eater. It should be a large animal, but not a bear. It wasn¡¯t loud enough for it. Another sound caught my attention coming from the same direction. Hooves scraping against a rock. I would be dealing with either a deer of some kind or a boar. Those were the only two possibilities. Well, to be fair, they could also be mutated monsters, and in a world where the System exists, I guess anything was possible. Still, it¡¯s better to focus on what I can predict. So boar or deer. Slowly, I started moving towards that noise. The sooner I found my prey, the better. Once I saw it, I would decide if hunting was the option or not. There were pros and cons to eating both meat and berries, and before anything, I had to see if I was going after something I could kill. Not the other way around. Carefully walking towards the noise, my eyes constantly scanned the ground for loose branches and dried leaves. I didn¡¯t want to give up my position for nothing. After a couple of minutes, the source of the noise came into view. It was a large boar, much larger than a regular one. It also had a twin set of tails, and two pairs of tusks instead of just one. But there was still a good 5 meters [16 ft] between us. [Mutated boar - Tier 0] Before asking the System what that was all about, the creature shifted, and its eyes landed on me. I jumped forward, using the staff as a spear since it was what I knew better, but the creature rushed ahead, evading my attack and turning while running. Refusing to let up, I followed the monster, trying to hit it with my weapon. The next two strikes missed, but the third struck true just as the boar stopped moving. However, I severely overestimated my strength, as the animal barely flinched even after being hit by a heavy metal pipe. With a loud shriek, the mutated boar rushed towards me, his tusks aimed at this person attacking it. Luckily, it was still small in comparison to a human, and the movement of its head wasn¡¯t wide enough to reach my legs. Even so, I had to jump away to clear the path of the attack. Only then, an opening for another hit with the staff appeared. But as the metal pipe slammed against the monster¡¯s back, it continued moving. At least this time I could see some damage, his torso was bleeding thanks to the blow, it was clearly just a scratch but that was something. It quickly turned around, trying to gore me again, but the tusks hit the wooden shin guards that were on my leg. The ones I got for my birthday. Still, the impact made me spin. Taking advantage of the momentum, I leaned into the motion and brought the staff down on the mutated boar¡¯s head with all my strength. Finally, it seemed like I was doing some damage. The creature stumbled back, shaking its head, and glared at me. That opening was enough for another two strikes and a stab that hit the monster¡¯s nose, creating a large cut as I ripped the nostril open. The pole might not have a pointy tip, but that didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t wound the beast. The problem was that we were already making too much noise, and the attacks with the pipe were clearly something unnatural. An idea popped into mind. A way to finish this quickly and that seemed to work against the more hardy creatures. I pivoted, narrowly escaping the tusks once more, and rushed away from the boar, getting a good distance between us. With a use of {Compression}, I made the staff as small as it could become and pressed it against a tree behind me. Turning to the side, I held the staff there as the boar started its charge. The precious few moments I had between the monster starting to move and reaching me were used to aim the to the proper height. In essence, this was just a game of chicken, but I was the only one that could lose. Once I thought the boar was moving fast enough, I took a step back and triggered the {Compression} skill once more. This time making the pole bigger, big enough to close the gab between the boar and me. A loud crashing noise echoed through the forest as the pole became even bigger than it was the first time I used it, and the boar slammed head first on it. The force behind the impact was so strong that the staff became embedded into the tree while the monster had its skull crushed at the same time. Once the body plopped to the ground I quickly used {Compression} once more to retrieve my staff and felts something entering my body. It was an effect similar to when a skill was done, even if the feeling lasted considerably longer, but before I could even think. A far away sound of metal clanged back, almost in response to the noise I just made. 12 - Between a rock and a hard place My heart was pounding like crazy. It was hard to tell if that was just the adrenaline or my Body level was actually making the organ beat faster. Glancing towards the foot of the mountain, a part of me was expecting an Eater to appear. My best option was to run away. But¡­ this mutated boar could have a good skill for me. Maybe it would help me to get out of this place, and there was that feeling of particles getting back to my body. But the Eater¡­ Shit, shit, shit. What do I do? [Why user stopped moving? Readings indicate no wounds or anything that could explain this paralysis. Was user struck by a mental affliction?] ¡®No. I¡¯m trying to decide what to do! And I need to do that fast, so shut up!¡¯ [User¡¯s {Mind of Possibility} is completely charged. Using the skill can give user time to make a decision.] I had tested that skill before, but not in a situation like this. Fuck it, it was better than nothing. Focusing on the {Mind of Possibility}, everything shifted. No, not really. Everything was the same, but the way I saw things was wildly different. The world was in slow motion, but my thoughts continued at full speed. Actually, no things were still moving at their regular pace, but my mind was so much faster, allowing me to notice the minor details of my surroundings and focus on them without missing something else that was also going on. The mutated boar was dead, and there was a decent amount of blood coming out of its body. In order to bring it back safely, I would need to either exsanguinate it, or I would need to let it bleed out somewhere, or the smell would attract other predators. A sound of creaking wood pulled my attention. The tree that was damaged by the fight was starting to give in, and by the angle of the trunk, it would fall towards me. Not directly on top, but I would have to take a few steps to the right to be safe. Also, it would hit the body of the boar. If my intention was to keep that meat, leaving it there wasn¡¯t an option. Some flies were moving to my right, and there was a squirrel in a tree ahead. It had gathered 3 nuts in its mouth and was now heading back to its nest. When did I notice that? During the fight, it was something happening in the background even if I didn¡¯t register that at the time. A soft sound of rushing wind warned me about something that was coming my way. It wasn¡¯t big, but it would be annoying to get hit. Shifting to the left took too long, and the acorn hit the back of my head. Shifting to the right, the acorn hit my shoulder, then bounced to my temple. Annoying just the same. Leaning back, the nut hit my knee. It didn¡¯t hurt as much, but I can do better. Moving forward, the acorn hit my butt, the soft tissue barely felt a thing and let the seed fall into the ground without a problem. Moving forward, the acorn hit my butt, the soft tissue barely felt a thing and let the seed fall into the ground without a problem. What? Why did that happen twice? Actually, no, it happened once, but at the same time it was the most realistic d¨¦j¨¤ vu. I ever had in my life. This was the skill, it allowed me to see a version of the future and how my actions would change that. Once I made my decision and moved, that path simply replayed as I pictured it. Why am I wasting time with this? Focus Cassandra! The metal sound that came from far away. I heard it, and it should still be down the mountain. But I also heard it before. As a reply to each strike of the pole. At the time I didn¡¯t register it, but now I could remember. And¡­ the sound was at the same volume and intensity. Which meant¡­ the Eater was at the same distance this entire time. It wasn¡¯t coming after me. Maybe it couldn¡¯t, for some reason, or it just didn¡¯t want to. Maybe the noise was too similar to a mating call or something. I wasn¡¯t sure. But I was positive the sound came from the same direction every time, and it wasn¡¯t getting closer. That could also be a trap, but then again, Eaters never made traps. They had no need to. Were they even smart enough to make them? I wasn¡¯t sure. Again, this circle back to the lack of information. But in the end, it was enough. It seemed less likely that an Eater would come here. The sound wasn¡¯t getting closer, even if the creature clearly was responding to it. Taking the boar might be a risk, not just because of the Eater, but because of the number of carnivorous creatures that live in these woods. Despite that¡­ considering the amount of food I¡¯ve been eating the last few days, I doubt I could find enough berries for more than a single meal. Which means that I would have to come back up again. Now it was bright outside, but coming at a later time would be more dangerous. Without sunlight, I would have to count on the light of the stars, and the sky without clouds to even attempt to see anything. Simply putting, my options were to risk myself now for a longer period of safety, or have an unknown period of danger every time I came out for food. It didn¡¯t matter how much I argued with myself, the answer was pretty clear. Or at least, it became clear now that I recognized the Eater wasn¡¯t moving towards me. Once I reached that decision, {Mind of Possibility} stopped and everything returned to normal. For a brief moment, I felt like I was drunk, or blind. Going from being able to notice an acorn falling from above without even looking to not being able to see the squirrel that was directly in front of me, just far away and not where my eyes were focusing, felt jarring. A part of me wanted to use the skill again, just so I could see the world properly once more. Shit, that¡¯s addictive. Stop that, Cassandra. You are seeing the world properly. Nothing changed, not really. A creak from behind me snapped me out of those thoughts. The tree was starting to give in, and if that happened, I was fucked. Quickly grabbing the dead boar, I pulled it away from where the trunk would land. Even if I wasn¡¯t using {Mind of Possibility} the toughs and decisions made while under the skill¡¯s influence were still there, nothing was lost. Without stopping, I continued pulling the boar away. It took me close to half an hour, but I managed to bring it back to where I climbed up from the cave. The plan to get the carcass down was simple. First, tie it with the rope I left at the top of the wall behind the terrace, the next step was to hoist it down, using a large rock as an anchor point. Once everything was ready, I kicked the corpse down, which fell only a couple of centimeters [inches] before the rope was taut. Now came what was supposed to be the hard part, but it was much easier than I expected. Lowering the boar. Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. My body wasn¡¯t hurting and even if the monster should weight a lot, I could manage without much issue. But that was only at first. It didn¡¯t take long for my hands to start to hurt, and my stomach to complain with the strain. Still, I had to be careful; it was one thing to make noise up there in the middle of the forest, another to let a large body drop 10 meters [32 ft] down to the place I¡¯m using to sleep. I already had to worry about something coming after the smell of blood. There was no need to add to that. Thankfully, nothing stopped me while I was lowering the boar and I quickly climbed down after it. Back on the terrace, I started to think about how to cut the meat. I didn¡¯t have a knife, and the pole wasn¡¯t exactly sharp. One idea was to chisel at a rock, but that would make a lot of noise. While looking over the body in front of me, I remember something from the time {Mind of Possibility} was active. The tusks of that creature were surprisingly sharp. On a closer inspection, yeah, the tip of those massive teeth should be able to cut its meat. Ripping a small part of the back of my shirt, I used it to hold the tusk and yank it out of the boar¡¯s mouth and after a quick test; I confirmed that my plan would work. I now had one, and possibly four brand new teeth knifes. Butchering was something that required attention, but also was very mechanic in a way. Which meant I had time to ask the System some questions about all of this. ¡°System, can you show me the {Mind of Possibility} description again? I want to see how much Energy I spent.¡± [Acknowledged.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Mind of Possibility - Active - Human Exclusive A human mind is always considering the various possibilities that lays before it. Once activated, this skill allows the user to take into consideration all outcomes of a situation. By spending energy, this skill can increase the speed at which thoughts are processed. Units of Energy stored: 8/24 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°So that was worth 16 Energy? Ok, and is it really just my mind playing events? It felt almost like time travel. I mean, I felt the acorn hit me several times.¡± [While under the effect of {Mind of Possibility} user is able to simulate various courses of action to an extreme degree. However, the skill only takes into account data that user is able to receive. If user was unable to notice the acorn, or if a leaf intercepted the path, actual events would differ from what user experienced while under the effects of {Mind of Possibility}.] ¡°Ok¡­ So I really am looking at possible futures and then, they happen when I pick one?¡± [That is an adequate approximation. However, user is not looking at the future. Only predicting it by using available data.] ¡°Potato, potato,¡± I shrugged, as I managed to remove the skin from the side of the boar. [Incorrect. Seeing the future and making a prediction using available data are two very different things.] ¡°Ok, ok,¡± I waved it off and cut a few strips of meat, placing them on top of a large flat rock that was already scalding hot due to the sun. Even if the Eater might not be able to reach the forest above, I wasn¡¯t willing to light up a fire and attract more of them towards this place. Sun cooking was a bit dangerous, but it was better than not doing anything. ¡­ I think. Ah, what the hell. Worst-case scenario, I get sick and use the System to fix me up. Is it a bad idea to keep depending on something I don¡¯t understand to save me? Probably, but eating it raw would be worse, and I don¡¯t think I can survive for long here with just berries. It¡¯s a fact that they are harder to find in the mountain. ¡°System, another thing. Why did you name the boar? Like, I stared at squirrels and other things, and that weird label never showed up.¡± [Mutated Boar was a being with a high concentration of SP. Due said concentration, despite not being able to use System, Mutated Boar was able to benefit from enhanced abilities provided by particles.] ¡°So it has the system? Boars are one of the species that have access to the system?¡± [Incorrect. Boar is able to benefit from SP without having access to System itself.] I froze, ¡°But how is that possible? Don¡¯t you need the System for the particles to work?¡± [Incorrect. Particles can perform their basic functions of improving user even without the interface provided by System. That includes enhancing the cells of the creature affected by them and allowing them to use skills. However, without System, particles cannot take input from user in order to improve. As a result, particles will follow a survival of the fittest logic to improve user] ¡°This boar could use skills? Like actively?¡± I stared back at the corpse. Why didn¡¯t it use any skills when attacking me? [That is possible. However, creatures that are incapable of conscient thought are much more likely to have passive skills instead of active ones.] ¡°Fuck¡­ But how did that happen? I mean, how was a boar able to get SP?¡± [The details are unknown. However, there are ways in which particles can be detached from their user. User¡¯s death, lost of blood or limbs. These are the only confirmed scenarios in which SP can become detached from an user. It is possible that more situations exist.] ¡°And once those particles are free, they latch on to something else? Anything?¡± [Correct. However, free particles will prioritize existences that can assist in generating more SP. The primary direction of the system particles is to enhance what the particles are affecting.] ¡°But what about what I felt when I killed it? It was like I had just finished using a skill,¡± I tried to go back to my work, but the speed was much slower now. [The feeling user is describing happened as the SP present in the mutated board was transferred to user.] ¡°So¡­ it¡¯s basically like experience in games? If I kill something, I can get to the next level faster?¡± [Incorrect. During the fight user was already acquiring SP while exchanging blows with mutated boar. However, mutated boar was also doing the same with user.] ¡°What? It was stealing my SP? Why?¡± [Such situation happens due nature of unassigned SP.] I rolled my eyes, ¡°System, you gotta give me more than that.¡± [Unassigned SP, or system particles that are being stored to the next level up, follow the basic idea of survival of the fittest. Once a clash between two being who possess SP happens, the particles involved in said clash be attracted to the stronger individual. Once SP is assigned to Body or Mind, they become an integral part of user and System. As a result, said situation no longer happens.] ¡°Hang on. Does that mean that if I have a free attribute point and someone attacks me, I can lose that?¡± [No. Once user level up, the free attribute point also becomes an integral part of System. However, it is considered being in a fluid state where particles belong to both Body and Mind while not being a part of either.] Hearing that I just shook my head, ¡°Ok, I¡¯m not going to even go there. Let me see the progression to the next level then. It was 28% when I woke up, right?¡± [User¡¯s level progression was at 29.4% when user woke up.] In addition to the answer, the System also showed the window I asked. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current level - 6 Progression to next level: 86.7% ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Now those were some gains. Almost 60% by killing a single boar. If that¡¯s how easy it was to level up by hunting, I could understand why people in stories would always go for that. And¡­ if I can also practice using my skills, maybe I should continue using {Body Regeneration} to recover and still progress on my levels. Glancing back, I watched that patch of trees that was being pushed around as the Eater continued its patrol. If I was able to get strong enough, getting rid of that monster might be an option. 13 - Some have game It took the rest of the morning to finish cleaning up the boar¡¯s carcass. The meat was being sun cooked, and I made sure to put as much in the stone as I could. With some luck, the heat of the sun would start to boil the small amounts of fat left in the strips of meat that I was unable to remove and then drying it would be easier. Then again, if I didn¡¯t have to worry about rationing, I might end up eating this entire boar very quickly. All this effort to make the meat last for a while might be a waste. There wasn¡¯t much I could do with the organs, cooking wasn¡¯t an option and any different use was beyond my knowledge. But the leather could become soothing else. Thanks to my new bone knife, the fur on the boar¡¯s skin was shaved and then came the tanning process by following a very strange recipe Blake once told me. First mashing the brain of the animal with some water until it turned creamy. Then, I applied it to the already stretched hide being held by the climbing spikes. Once that was over, it was just a matter of waiting, pulling the leather again a few more times during the day. There were a lot more steps in making a good piece of leather, not to mention necessary tools. But this was all I had, and worst-case scenario, this attempt could turn into a sack for me to carry stuff around. Even I should be able to make that, right? ¡°Open {Energy Storage} window,¡± I asked once my work was over. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Energy Storage - Passive - Fledgling Reserved Cost: 1 Energy Every life needs Energy, and those in harsher conditions are able to store said Energy for when they need the most. Units of Energy stored: 100/100 Energy recovered: 1 unit every 10 minutes. Energy to SP current conversion: 6.67% per unit. Time required per unit conversion: 1 hour. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Once my level reached 6, the Energy to SP conversion stayed the same at 6.67%. It was logical to think that with each level, that value would go down. ¡°System, does leveling up get harder? In games and such, leveling up is supposed to get harder the higher the level.¡± [Leveling up only gets harder once user changes tier.] ¡°Why is that?¡± [User¡¯s body is being filled up with SP. Once a level is gained, it does not become harder to fill up user¡¯s body. If that makes it hard to understand, System will use an analogy. Picture user¡¯s body as an empty bowl. Once 10% of it is filled with water, does it become harder to put more water inside?] I couldn¡¯t help but frown after hearing that. Was the System messing with me again? Then again, it might just be looking out for me and trying to explain things better. In the end, I decided to think the best of it and accept the help, ¡°No, or at least it shouldn¡¯t.¡± [Correct. In the same way, user¡¯s body does not become harder to improve as it gets closer to being 100% covered in SP. Once user changes from Tier 0 to Tier 1, the Energy required to make more SP will change. After that, there is another moment when leveling up takes more energy for the same result. However, that will only be relevant once user is at Tier 1. Would user want to know that information now?] ¡°No, hold on to that. I¡¯ll probably forget about it if you tell me now. Either way, since the storage is full again, use any excess for leveling up. I¡¯m going to hold back on using {Body Regeneration}.¡± [Acknowledged. Inquiry: why user decided to make that change?] ¡°Because of the boar. I knew that monsters, or mutated animals, were a thing. Everyone just thought they were caused by radiation. Or some strange effect of the presence of the Eaters. Some creatures could be stronger, yes. But they could have their own set of problems. Issues with sight, or maybe they had extra limbs and strange things. In my mind, and in the mind of every hunter back home,¡± saying that word made me pause. I didn¡¯t have a home, not anymore. Suppressing the bad feeling washing over me, I continued, ¡°Every hunter believed the mutated monsters were the ones that survived. But according to what you told me, that¡¯s not the case. The animals are being mutated by the SP, which means that most, if not all of them, are more dangerous. I¡¯m not dealing with a situation where one or two of them will appear, but I might find an entire nest of monsters.¡± [Acknowledged.] I sighed, ¡°You can just say, I see. Or Understood. Acknowledged feels weird.¡± [Understood.] During the rest of the day, I continued my routine of training, resting and using {Body Regeneration} to fix my wounds. My body was no longer in a dangerous situation, but there was still room for improvement. Still, I did my best to keep some Energy for SP creation in hopes of leveling up faster. Once I could finally eat, a question popped into my mind, ¡°Ok, so the particles are like¡­ Spreading? Is the goal to cover everything?¡± [System does not have a goal. System is a tool made only to assist with user¡¯s goals. One of the basic orders present in all system particles is to improve themselves. One of the options of improvement is the change in tier. However, performing that change cannot happen without System assistance. At the same time, the particles are aware of the fact that, in order to upgrade their tier, a large number of particles are required. As a result, the basic order of ¡®self improvement¡¯ also becomes an order of ¡®proliferation.¡¯] ¡°I really don¡¯t know how I feel about that. You are basically telling me that the particle¡¯s goal is world domination. If they would stop with the world.¡± [That is incorrect. Just like System, SP do not posses a goal or an objective. They are simply acting as per their basic functions.] Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. ¡°So are the Eaters. That¡¯s the problem.¡± For the first time, it seemed like I managed to make the System speechless. It didn¡¯t give any snarky remarks, or argued about what I was saying. There was just silence. Then again, it was always a silent conversation, since everything was happening in my head. Either way, I continued eating, enjoying my gains after a successful hunt. There was still an issue of the blood on the terrace, but there wasn¡¯t much I could do about that. The only way to clean that up was with the rain, and it didn¡¯t look like that was going to happen anytime soon. After about one hour, when my stomach complained enough for me to grab a bit more meat, the System spoke up. [New skill available.] ¡°Oh? What is it?¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Powerful Fangs - Passive - Unranked Reserved Cost: 1 Energy The might of your tusks will be remembered. Enhance the canine teeth, allowing them to become weapons. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It took me a while to say anything. The boar was strong, quick, and resilient. Yet, instead of getting a skill to make my bones sturdier, or my muscles stronger. I got¡­ teeth? ¡°Are you joking?¡± [New skill is not a joke, but the only remaining complete set of instructions present amongst the SP that belonged to the mutated boar.] ¡°So nothing else? Nothing about a charge attack or something?¡± [No.] I sighed, thinking about training again. The fight against the boar took way too long. If I had a spear, my usual weapon, that wouldn¡¯t have lasted as long. Then again, most of my attacks still held the idea of using the sharpened edge to strike. Maybe the training wasn¡¯t going in the right direction and it would be better to try something new. The problem was, what? It was one thing to learn a new weapon while being taught by someone, another to figure it out by yourself. Either way, this was going to take a while. With that in mind, a different thought crossed my head. ¡°Hang on. System, you said the SP were already working on the boar, right? They were mutating it because they were around. They exist in this region. Why no one in the village was affected by that?¡± [System is unable to confirm if that really is the case or not. During integration System was incomplete and was unable to check the presence of existing SP. However, it is possible to infer their existence depending on user¡¯s interaction with other humans. Inquiry: Do people who lived in the same village as user Cassandra seemed to be stronger than people who lived outside?] ¡°Not particularly. I mean, some were, but those were hunters. Or the people who train every day.¡± [What about the elderly?] ¡°I¡¯m not sure¡­ I mean, Pops is doing great for his age, but that¡¯s about it. He was the oldest person in the village, and I¡¯ve never seen anyone older than him.¡± [Understood. To answer user¡¯s question. It is possible that user, and all those living in the village, also were being enhanced by SP even without use of System. Said improvement would likely only affect simple things such as increased regeneration and overall good health. Unless a highly concentrated mass of SP was found and consumed by someone. However, without humans from a different location, it will be hard to confirm the effect of SP on user and those who lived in the village.] ¡°Got it,¡± with yet another thing to worry about, I went back to training. Since going outside wasn¡¯t a good idea in the sun, especially with my food still out there, I kept to the cave. During the fight, the boar rushed at me a few times, and it was a nasty charge. Maybe there was a way to incorporate that into my own fighting style. The whole idea behind martial arts was to take things from nature and use it as your own after all. Or at least, that¡¯s what the stories I read said. The rest of the day went by in a flash, from practicing that charge to checking on my supplies. Once the sun came down, all the meat that was on the terrace had to be placed inside, but I kept it away from my water. Just in case something went bad. Outside, the plan was to continue using Draco as inspiration to practice. My training continued until the late hours of the night. Or at least it felt like that. When I grew tired, it was time for bed. The next day was very peaceful. I stayed in the cave, continued practicing, occasionally using {Body Regeneration} but most of the Energy I got went toward progressing my level. Even what was saved on {Energy Storage}. The plan wasn¡¯t to empty out those reserves, but there was no need to keep it full all the time. Especially when the conversion to SP was so cost effective. Even without doing anything aside from eating, it would take just around 10 days to reach level 10 and Tier 1. But that was just a delusion. ¡°What do you mean it¡¯s not just about reaching level 10?¡± I gasped. [In normal circumstances, once an user reaches level 10, they are still required to formulate a way to improve the SP they generate. System will assist with that process. However, it is impossible to predict a time frame in which said process will be completed. It will depend on user¡¯s actions as well as available resources.] ¡°Resources like what? And what about the skill I have? {Quick Tier 1 Evolution}, does it do anything about that?¡± [With the assistance of {Quick Tier 1 Evolution} user will have a reduced requirement. However, some steps still will need to be taken. Access to skills or SP related to the desired path of progression and a decision on what user desires System to focus on.] I rubbed my eyes, ¡°This is confusing. Can¡¯t you just show me what is going to happen when it¡¯s time for me to tier up?¡± [System is unable to do that. Currently, without the amount of SP necessary for going from tier 0 to tier 1, System does not have access to required data for the upgrade.] ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll wait. Just let me know if there is something I could do now to speed up that process later.¡± [Acknowledged.] ¡°By the way, I can ask for a specific skill, right?¡± [Correct.] ¡°Can I ask for a specific skill to show up at a specific time? After going up a tier I wanted to save {Quick Tier 1 Evolution}, but I don¡¯t want to have it wasting one of my Memory slots. Any chance I can, I don¡¯t know. Have a memory slot skill? So I can keep some skills there and swap them out later? But I also didn¡¯t want to get it now since I¡¯m still using that skill, you know.¡± [Such skill is within the realm of possibility. System will analyze the request. Once analysis has been complete, will inform user about necessary steps to receive desired skill.] ¡°Thanks,¡± turning back to my supplies, I ate the meat from the boar and frowned. The taste wasn¡¯t quite right. It still seemed good enough to eat, but it was just on the cusp of spoiling. And there was still a lot left. With a sigh, I continued eating, and that was already a risk. But here is the thing. Everything I¡¯ve been doing the past few days was a risk. Running from the Eaters, blowing up the village, climbing into the cave, hunting the boar. It was all crazy! So what was eating a bit of old meat? Besides, it didn¡¯t smell bad, and maybe the SP did something to the boar so it would take longer for bacteria to go after it. I don¡¯t know, and it wasn¡¯t like I had another choice. This meat was still going to be my meal for the day, and tomorrow, I had to hunt again. Glancing outside nothing seemed to be happening. Maybe the Eater had given up and was now gone. But that hope lasted only a moment. Even while being unable to see the forest floor properly from here, I saw tentacles slowly reaching out in my direction. They would go back and fort, licking the air again and again. A part of me could swear those appendages were aiming at me, even across all this distance. If I wanted to get out of here I would need to be able to run from that monster. 14 - Hunt There was a pleasant surprise waiting for me when I woke up. At some point during the night, my level went up from 6 to 7. After some deliberation, the best idea was to increase Mind. Even if my daily life was heavily reliant on moving, the Mind attribute was still sitting at 1. It was hard to tell the benefits of increasing it if I never actually did that. According to the System. Mind ruled over the speed in which thoughts were processed, and the fine control of skills. This could help when using {Body Regeneration}. How much that would help? I had no clue, which was exactly why some testing was needed. A part of me also hoped that this would increase my Memory, or the amount of Energy I could store. Unfortunately, that wasn¡¯t the case. Those attributes only increased when there was a level up. Neither Mind, nor Body would ever influence them. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cassandra Ydorf - Level 7 Titles: Enduring Heart Tier 0 Mind 2 - Body - 7 Memory - 4 Energy - 3/4 (1 Reserved) Skills - 4/4 Quick Tier 1 Evolution - Passive Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes Compression - Active - 1 Energy/ 5 uses Mind of Possibility - Available ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ That looked good enough for another hunt since it seemed like the Eater that was still lingering outside couldn¡¯t come closer for some reason. Maybe this mountain had a similar version to that barrier pops created. That was a bit of a stretch, but who knows. After finishing to wake up properly, it was time to hunt once more. However, I also wanted to take a risk. Soon after reaching the top of the terrace, my eyes started searching for trees with a lot of sap. This idea would require some fire starter, and tree sap and a log that I could cut or break in a specific way. Just a few minutes later, with the help of a couple of rocks, one sharp to work as a wedge and another big to be the hammer, I created what Pops used to call ¡®Swedish Fire.¡¯ A single log that worked as a pyre. It had to be split in a specific way and have several dried leaves and chancres placed inside it. Then, using the sap as the fire starter, it quickly began to burn. The moment that happened, I dashed away as fast as I could. [Inquiry: What is user currently doing?] Once there was enough distance between the fire and me, the next step was climbing on a large tree and hide. Only after I was properly set up on a tall branch, and felt confident an Eater wouldn¡¯t be able to find me, that the System got an answer. ¡®I¡¯m trying to see if I can make a fire here without getting killed. And trying to confirm if that Eater really can¡¯t come here or not.¡¯ Glancing down to where the forest in front of the cave was located, my eyes scanned the area. It took a while, but eventually I found that same pattern of movement. Some of the trees were being pushed while the Eater moved through the ground. It started approaching but eventually stopped. After a pause, the trees shifted again, this time going to the side. ¡®System, can you mark a line where the Eater is? I want to see if it ever gets closer.¡¯ [Understood. System will mark the limit of Eater¡¯s location.] A blue line appeared in the middle of the forest directly in front of where the trees were being pushed around. For the next hour, I watched the Eater go back and forth on a set path, never going beyond that blue hologram. I had to admit, the System could be pretty useful even without considering the skills and the physical benefits. I felt confident enough that the Eater wouldn¡¯t be coming here, even if I had no clue why. After dropping down from the tree and doing a double check if the Swedish Fire was still burning, which was the case, I put out the flames and started searching for my prey. Today my meal would be warm, at least. There was a reason to do something this risky that went beyond the comfort of a cooked meal. Last night, my stomach had a serious disagreement with me. Likely due to the two-day-old meat I ate. At least the food still stayed inside and didn¡¯t come out on either end. But the pain that accompanied that experience was not something I wanted to feel again. Not even one hour later, I found a deer. Not a mutated one, or something strange, but a regular old deer. Well, not old, it looked pretty young. Slowly approaching it, my first move was a charge similar to what the boar did to attack me. Just like the one I¡¯ve been practicing over and over again in the cave. But it failed, the animal was too quick on its feet and ran off. I followed, and the hunt lasted for a few hours. Several times, I saw the deer hopping while using a tree as a platform in order to escape. Eventually, it became clear that chasing it wasn¡¯t going to work. For a few minutes, my focus became creating traps for the creature. In addition, I left a few others that could capture something else for me to catch later. The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon. Luring the animal to my trap was much easier, after all, it already knew I was chasing it and the deer seemed to understand that going down the mountain, to where the Eater was, would be much more dangerous. Unfortunately for it, while trying to escape me, the animal jumped in one of the pitfall traps I created. It was just a large hole made thanks to me using {Compression} on the staff to make a small incision on the ground, and then placing a compressed rock that pushed all the dirt away from an area. It wasn¡¯t a pretty trap, but it worked, and soon I was eating a serving of properly cooked venison. It was still missing some spices, and salt specifically, but it was amazing to be able to eat something like that. Another unexpected benefit that came from this hunt was a small push to the next level. Killing the deer gave me another 5% progression to level 8. Even if it didn¡¯t show up as a mutated monster for the System. Apparently, if a creature had SP inside their body but they didn¡¯t have enough to reach level 1, the SP would still stay there. Once I killed their host, the particles jumped into me. Next came the cooking. I reignited the Swedish fire using some branches I found on the path and started preparing the venison. There wasn¡¯t much I could do in relation to spices, and actually draining the meat wasn¡¯t much of an option. Without water, or a river, the only alternative was to hang the corpse upside down, but that would take a while and attract other predators. In addition, with fire and enough time to work with the meat, making jerky wasn¡¯t a farfetched idea. That would somewhat solve the food problems. At least for a couple of days. Also, if something did come along, it might help me level up. The more predators came close, the quicker I would reach level 10. Was I really considering luring animals and other monsters just to level up a bit? I guess so. ¡°When did I become an adrenaline junkie,¡± my voice came out in a whispered sigh. [User does not seem to be suffering from any addiction.] ¡°That¡¯s not what I meant. It¡¯s about looking for dangerous situations.¡± [User has proven that hunting is an effective way to level up.] ¡°Yeah. And if I level up I''ll be more confident about getting away from the Eater,¡± I started preparing the meat, some pieces went directly on top of the fire, while the ones that would become jerky had to be prepared. If even a little bit of fat was on those pieces, then it could all be ruined, after all, fat was the part of meat that spoiled quickly and then it would spread to the rest. After making a place that was far away enough from the fire to dry the venison without cooking it, everything was ready. After eating, I found a place where my back would be against a large tree. From there, anything that came close to the camp could be seen. It didn¡¯t take long for something to happen, a boar appeared from behind me. One that was a bit smaller than the mutated one, but it did have a second set of tusks that seemed to be starting to grow. The System also didn¡¯t say anything, which should mean it wasn¡¯t mutated to the point of being considered as a creature heavily influenced by the system particles. Quickly retrieving the staff, I gripped it tightly as the animal sniffed the air. By my guess, the scent of food that was over the fire should hide my location from the boar. At least for a moment. The problem was, my guesses sucked. The boar didn¡¯t take more than three seconds to notice me and begin its charge. Taking a page out of the deer book, I kicked off from the tree, jumping above the creature. With a twirl, I pivoted in the air and slammed the tip of the staff between the boar¡¯s eyes. The impact made it stumble, giving an opening for another attack, this time a downward strike aimed at the same location. Since my weapon of ¡®choice¡¯ was a staff, the goal was to aim at places that were close to the bone instead of hitting the soft muscle and fat. That sounded like a better way to go about things. Needless to say that was only my idea. I had no clue if that was how things actually worked. Still, the first move landed correctly, sending the boar a bit off balance, but the second one failed. Rather than properly hitting the bone, the tip ended up going straight into the animal¡¯s shoulder. Jumping back, I scrapped my foot in the ground before going for a charge, using the staff as a spear. That didn¡¯t work either, I ended up bouncing back after barely doing any damage, giving an opening for the animal to counter. It tried to gore my legs, hitting the wooden shin guards with enough strength to pierce the wood and get stuck to my flesh. I quickly brought the staff down on top of the boar¡¯s snout, crushing the bones as the metal pipe went through its upper and lower jaw and pinned the creature to the ground. Only then I was able to get my leg free, already triggering {Body Regeneration} to make sure the wound wouldn¡¯t become even worse. The boar struggled, trying to get away, but it couldn¡¯t break free from the metal pipe that was now embedded in the ground. Not wanting to let it suffer that much, and being a bit worried about the noise it was making, I approached the creature with the bone knife in hand. If this was bigger, I would be using it instead of the staff, but currently, it was too small. If someone tried to fight with it, it would barely be any different from hand to hand combat. With a quick motion, the knife glided through the boar¡¯s neck, killing it on the spot. Or at least, that¡¯s what I told myself. In reality, it would take a few moments for the animal to pass, but trying to strike its brain was a waste of a good knife. Surviving was more important than just being kind. While I still watched the boar struggle, a noise caught my attention. Turning around, a large mountain lion with dark brown skin, large claws and two tails slowly approached. [Mutated Mountain Lion - Tier 0 - Saturated] The monster was looking at what was left of the dear, but it was obvious that it still could see me. Taking a step back, I grabbed the staff and with {Compression} turned it into a small, non threatening chopstick in my hand. The monster continued to approach the carcass of the deer as I continued stepping back without facing away from it. Once the monster lowered its head to eat, I bolted away like there was no tomorrow. At the same time, the loud echo of metal grinding against metal resonated through the forest below. Not only I had to worry about a fucking mutated mountain lion in this part of the woods, but the Eater was complaining about the lack of attention. Fucking great. 15 - Mountain Lion Only after 10 minutes I stopped running. A mountain lion was the second worst to find in this forest. Well, third. An Eater is always the worst option but they are on a different scale of problem. Still, aside from a bear, there was nothing worse than a mountain lion to be chasing after me. Then again, it wasn¡¯t chasing me, was it? Glancing back, there was nothing to be seen, only the forest. However, I was far away from my cave now, and in order to get there, I would have to cross path with that monster again. To make matters worse, it was mutated, and what the hell was that name? Finding a tree that had branches high and thick enough to hold me, I climbed up and took a moment to breathe. ¡®System, why did you say that the mountain lion was saturated? Was that the word you used?¡¯ I asked in my mind, making sure not to speak up and make more noise than I already had. [Correct. Once a being has been filled with SP, it will be marked as Saturated.] ¡®So that means that mountain lion was at max level already? For tier 0 I mean.¡¯ [Correct. However, that is only the case for beings on tier 0. Once they grow to Tier 1, being saturated does not equate to being at max level.] I rubbed my eyes, ¡®Ok, ok. Let¡¯s not go there now. I need to focus on what is going on not in trying to understand you.¡¯ [Inquiry: Does user have a plan to deal with the mutated mountain lion?] ¡®Not in the slightest. But I don¡¯t know if I can just run away from it. It should have my scent, and even if it doesn¡¯t, It¡¯s been a while since I took a shower. It shouldn¡¯t be hard for it to find me.¡¯ [What about hunting it?] ¡®A mutated mountain lion?! Are you crazy? How the fuck am I supposed to kill something like that. It would take a dozen hunters to take one down and even then we were likely to lose people. Unless someone made a really good trap. I¡¯m not strong enough to deal with that.¡¯ [User hunted mutated boars before.] ¡®So? I hunted others on my own before. That was nothing new.¡¯ [User currently has System. With that, user is several times more powerful than before integration.] ¡®Are you saying we could kill that thing?¡¯ [With the help of System, user can perform tasks that were impossible before integration. Defeating an adversary that was unbeatable before is among such tasks. However, System is unable to calculate the odds of success. User will be required to make that decision without System assistance.] ¡®Right¡­ hang on. Let¡¯s think for a moment. If I ignore it and leave, there is a decent chance that it will come after me later. It might happen later today, in the middle of the night, or tomorrow. Or it could just leave. If the boar and the deer were enough for its meal, then there is no reason why it would chase after me, right?¡¯ [That may not be the case.] I frowned, looking to the side as if there was someone there to talk to, ¡®What do you mean? Are you going to do something to mess this up?¡¯ [System will not do anything against user¡¯s best interest. However, it is possible that the system particles present on mutated mountain lion are capable of replicating the effect of hunger but direct it to large agglomerations of SP.] After hearing that, the only thing to do was take a deep breath before confirming, ¡®Are you telling me that, because I have you, the System, and a large concentration of SP, mutated animals will come after me?¡¯ [Correct. However, that should not happen with every creature that possess SP. Only those who already have a predisposition to hunt for sustenance. SP is unable to create a new instinct without the help of System.] ¡®So predators? Animals that hunt, those are the ones that are now seeing me as a tasty snack full of SP?¡¯ [That is an apt approximation. Although System is unaware if animals have a preference for taste to consider user a snack.] ¡®Fuck me. Ok I guess we are hunting,¡¯ looking around, I searched for something, anything that could give me an edge in that fight. On the ground were bushes, small rocks, leaves, and that was it. Nothing that could be used to kill the mountain lion. There was one thing that caught my eye. A small hole in the ground. In this mountainous terrain, some places had openings that led to caves. It wasn¡¯t a full network of underground tunnels, despite everything, I wasn¡¯t in a place that was tall or large enough for that kind of thing. And if memory served me right, there was a considerably large hole nearby. One that the hunters used as a spike trap to capture prey. Quickly coming down the tree, I continued running, trying to remember the location of what could save me. Unfortunately, it was closer to where the mountain lion was, but there was no other option. It was hard to tell how long that creature would take to finish its meal, and if it decided to hunt for a different kind of prey as it was done, I was fucked. About 15 minutes later, the spike trap came into view. Some of the wooden stakes were broken, but the majority still stood strong and stained with the blood of their last kill. Quickly rummaging through the area, I grabbed as many long sticks and bushes I could to cover the hole. That took another 10 minutes, but by the end, an animal shouldn¡¯t be able to recognize the trap, even if it was more or less obvious to a human. The reason for not doing a better job was the same as the reason for the rush. Preparing a trap required focus, and right now, half of my attention was pointed at my surroundings. If the mountain lion arrived while I was distracted, there was no trap that could save me. Once my preparation was over, I quickly climbed on top of a nearby tree and positioned myself in a branch. The main problem with this setup was the lack of bait, but hunting something else might be a problem. It would take too long to find an animal large enough and then bring it here. Not to mention having to hoist it up on top of the trap, since leaving it on the ground would make the camouflage collapse. Maybe my shirt could be enough to attract the mountain lion. And of course, there was still the chance that it wouldn¡¯t even come after me. The other issue was the environment. This was a deep part of the forest and the sun was hidden by the trees. The shadows that covered the space swallowed the scarce light shining from above. Even sounds couldn¡¯t be trusted, as tiny cave systems were sprawled around the place. Any noise had the chance of entering those passages and being amplified through a unique geological structure that distorted it in unexpected ways. Suddenly, a music played in my head. This time it wasn¡¯t the same one the System used, but the battle victory theme from a famous rpg game. [Congratulations user Cassandra for the level up. Current level 8. 1 attribute point available. 1 skill available.] ¡®Add the attribute to Mind and show me the skill,¡¯ I still wasn¡¯t entirely sure if increasing Mind was doing anything. At no point during today, there was a moment when actually paying attention to what the skill was doing was an option. To be fair, I could¡¯ve tested that out before leaving the cave, but I forgot. Still, going from 1 to 2 Mind was a 100% increase, and going for 2 to 3 was 50%. While increasing body from 6 to 7 would be around a 20% improvement. Mind sounded like the better option, one way or another. Stolen story; please report. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Silent Step - Active - Unranked Cost: 1 Energy Duration: 10 minutes Move quietly through the forest, making it easier to avoid detection by prey and predators. Reduces the noise created by your movements. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡®Show me my status and please tell me I have a new Memory slot.¡¯ [Unfortunately, user¡¯s Memory still is at 4.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cassandra Ydorf - Level 8 Titles: Enduring Heart Tier 0 Mind 3 - Body - 7 Memory - 4 Energy - 0/4 (1 Reserved) Skills - 4/4 Quick Tier 1 Evolution - Passive Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes Compression - Active - 1 Energy/ 5 uses Mind of Possibility - Available ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡®Shit. I want that skill but there is nothing worth changing. Also, {Compression} -¡® before I could finish my sentence, a noise caught my attention behind me. Slowly turning around, the first thing that came into view was a pair of yellow eyes reflecting the low light of this dark area of the forest. Its mouth was slightly open, showing the large yellow fangs that confirmed this wasn¡¯t a simple animal. If anything, it looked more like the saber-tooth tiger. It seemed like that thing had a skill similar to the one I almost got since its movements were barely making any sound as it climbed the tree by my side and perched over a branch. The mountain lion was staring at me, already salivating, even though it should have had a full meal recently. Its muscles tensioned, clearly ready to pounce. ¡®{Mind of Possibility}¡® I called the skill as soon as I could. This was supposed to give me some time to make a decision, and that was what I needed now. Hopefully, the extra point in Mind would also increase its power. The moment the SP started to work, the world changed. Everything became more real, more present. The rustling of the trees more pronounced, and the small light coming from the sun was able to reveal more of the surrounding area. Still, noticing all that took less than a second, my focus was on something else. The mutated mountain lion was in front of me and was about to attack. Jumping back, I saw the monster watching me, its muscles relaxing. Not long after, the reason became clear. My back connected with some dried brushes and leaves, and crashed through the camouflaged hole, sending my body into the spike trap. Three of them caught my legs, two of my torso, one my arm, and the last pierced the back of my skull, killing me. On top of the branch, I jumped back, this time using more strength to push away from the tree. The lion followed after, reaching the place I just left befog jumping after me. In the air, I watched the creature¡¯s jaws open, its fangs seeming to grow even larger and the teeth looking sharper in the light. As soon as my feet hit the ground, the creature landed on top of me, its claws piercing my stomach and its fangs ripping my throat open. Jumping to the left, the lion didn¡¯t even waste time going to the branch I just left. Instead, it pivoted its body, and from its current location lunged towards me. Its massive frame slammed against me, and it pinned my body on a tree, using its two claws without even touching the ground. There, it started eating me while on top of the tree. In that position there was nothing I could do except scream. Trying something different, I jumped towards the monster, trying to attack it. But the creature meets me in the air, having the same idea. We clashed between the two branches and fell to the ground. My attempt to hit it with the staff ended up not dealing with enough damage to it. As we landed, the lion was on top of me and its fangs sank into my neck before I could try anything else. Waiting for it to jump me had the same result, I attempted to use {Compression} to make it fall on top of the staff, but the creature was too smart, and there was no place to prop the metal against and no way to move in order for a real strike, I fell to the ground, with the lion killing me as we landed. A different attempt, jumping at a different angle to the left. Claws sink in my chest, dead. Jumping over it, tail grabs my ankle and tosses me to the ground, my neck breaks with the fall, dead. To the right, fangs rip my throat, dead. Moving back, claw, dead. Climbing up, Dead. Jump- Dead. Rig- Dead. Att- Dead. Nothing I could come up with was letting me win this. Screw win, I couldn¡¯t even survive. The skill was running out, I could tell the amount of SP moving around my head was slowly getting smaller. But I had no idea what to do to kill this thing. It was the first time I faced a creature so much stronger than I. No, wait, that wasn¡¯t true. When I killed the Eater, I didn¡¯t even have the system. Maybe I could try the same thing again. The best place for that would be on the ground, and only when I tried to go over the trap, my feet hit the dirt. By jumping far enough and triggering {Compression} to increase the size of the pole, the lion was struck on the side of its torso, opening a gash on its stomach. The impact also sent it tumbling to the side, landing away from me. However, the skill ended, stopping me from trying a different angle in hopes of killing the monster in one move. I followed that last path, jumping far enough and getting ready to use {Compression}. That was the only alternative where I was still alive after the lion hit the ground. But instead of doing the same thing, the second cast of the skill was delayed. If the monster was closer, there was a chance that it would be killed in a single move. Using all my strength, I jumped, the monster following right after. It had to take another step on the branch I just left, but it continued to come after me, taking the exact same path I saw while the skill was active. My feet hit the ground just before the trap, quickly shifting my back leg to stabilize myself, I pointed the staff at the Lion that was already in the air. It was possible for me to use {Compression} now, but it wouldn¡¯t be the best moment. The later the skill was activated, the more likely the monster was to be killed by the blow. Even without {Mind of Possibility}, time seemed to slow down as I watched that massive creature approaching. Its yellow eyes focused on me, fangs shining even through the low light around us. Just as it was falling, the Lion¡¯s eyes widened. Not due to something happening to it, but because its fur started getting denser. If it wasn¡¯t for the light of the sun on its teeth, I might have not noticed it. Each strand of hair wriggled as if they were made out of millions of tiny worms coming out of its body. I had no idea what that was, but changing my plan now wasn¡¯t an option. Holding the staff tighter, I triggered {Compression}, with the tip aimed at the lion¡¯s center of mass. The metal grew quickly, but not quick enough. The monster noticed the incoming attack and twisted its body, using the front legs to jump on the metal staff. But it wasn¡¯t as smart as it seemed. Even if the lion was able to change its trajectory mid air, it didn¡¯t realize the staff was growing. With the extra momentum going forward, the end of the metal pipe crashed against its back left leg, crushing the bone before it tumbled to the ground in pain. Thankfully, the monster landed far away from me, and I wasn¡¯t about to let this chance escape. Pulling the staff back, I triggered {Compression} once more, changing it to a size that I could handle. But the Lion didn¡¯t let me finish, it lunged at me. Since the pole was still big enough to be a shield, I stopped the skill and pushed it in front of me, making the monster scrape its claws along the side of the staff. Taking a step back, I triggered {Compression} one more time to fix the size of my weapon but the skill didn¡¯t work. I was out of charges for it and now the pole was too big to hold it with one hand. With a groan, I held the staff with both hands and swung it in a wide arc, hoping to hit the monster. The attack failed, as the creature jumped over it, but it yelped as it landed, clearly struggling to move one of its legs. For some reason, my movement with the staff like this made me think of Draco. How dragons could swing their tails in wider arcs using their entire body for an attack. Continuing with the momentum, I spun around, raising the tip of the metal pole to avoid a tree and bringing it down directly on top of the mutated lion. A sickening crunch echoed through the forest along with a loud clang as the metal hit the ground. I pulled the staff up to see the damage caused by the strike and the Lion jumped towards me, now both legs on its left side broken thanks to my weapon. Still, the creature had enough strength to push me down to the ground and try to bite me. Its fangs cut the side of my neck as I fell and the claws pierced my chest. Thankfully, the odd distribution of weight made the creature flop to the side instead of pressing down, otherwise the wound would be far more than just superficial. Taking advantage of the confusion of the Lion due its strange position, I pushed it out of me, towards the spike trap. It wouldn¡¯t be enough to kill it, but maybe, if I was lucky, the sharp sticks and stones would hinder it enough for me to finish the job. As the monster was flung to the side, it still managed to claw at my leg, breaking the already damaged wooden shinguard and ripping my skin open. But climbing out of the spike trap was a different story. As the lion struggled inside, the jagged edges slowly piercing its skin, I walked over to the staff, grabbed it and started to slam it on the monster¡¯s head. Trying to push it against the spikes. I hit it again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again, and again. I hit that monster until my arms couldn¡¯t lift the staff. Even then, I still wanted to hit it. Not just out of fear of the creature still being alive, but anger. This beast killed me. It killed me countless times, over and over again, and now it was going to die for it. After I don¡¯t know how long, my body collapsed backwards, the large staff dropping to the side, and I took a deep breath. What remained from the mountain lion was just a mess of blood, bile, and meat smashed against the pit. I felt something washing over me, a slight tingly sensation comes to my feet and slowly climbs its way towards the rest of my body. A music played in my head, the battle victory theme from a famous rpg game. [Congratulations user Cassandra for the level up. Current level 9. 1 attribute point available. No skills available.] 16 - Level 9 My free attribute point went to Body, increasing it from 7 to 8. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cassandra Ydorf - Level 9 Titles: Enduring Heart Tier 0 Mind 3 - Body - 8 Memory - 4 Energy - 0/4 (1 Reserved) Skills - 4/4 Quick Tier 1 Evolution - Passive Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes Compression - Active - 1 Energy/ 5 uses Mind of Possibility - Unavailable ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ There was no change in the Memory or the Energy which really sucked. I was sure that by eating the lion I could get a skill, and it should be a strong one. More Energy would also mean I could use skills more often, and the issue of being unable to use {Compression} in the middle of a fight wouldn¡¯t happen again. Out of curiosity, I also asked the System to see the progression to the next level. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current level - 9 Progression to next level: 89.7% ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Killing that mountain lion was a massive boost. It was kind of hard to believe that a monster like that gave me almost two full levels. Then again, just the body of the Eater made me go from level 1 to level 5. Maybe killing it would give a lot more SP. ¡®System, do you know how much SP the Eater gave me?¡¯ [User killed the being known as Eater before integration. System was not able to quantify or analyze the amount of SP that was transferred from being known as Eater to user Cassandra, if any.] ¡®Thought so, it was still worth a shot,¡¯ I sighed. Glancing down to the spike trap, the body of the lion was still there, and it was a mess. I might have overdone my freak out. Now I understood what actually happened. While {Mind of Possibility} was active, my emotions were kept in check. Which was helpful, don¡¯t get me wrong, but it also meant that once the skill was over, everything came flooding back. All the fear, the anger, and the horror of the dozens of times the lion was able to get the kill¡­. Everything, all at once. Not to mention the pain I was still feeling. Once the lion jumped on top of me, its claws opened a large gash on my shoulder, almost hitting my chest. ¡®System, how long until I can recover 1 Energy?¡¯ [The conversion from {Energy Storage} will take another 7 minutes. System is unable to give an approximate time frame for the Energy to be acquired from the venison user ate.] ¡®Why not?¡¯ with a groan, I started walking around. There were a few herbs nearby that could be used to dress wounds, which could help until I was able to use {Body Regeneration}. [This is the first time user ate that kind of meal while integrated with System. System does not have enough data to give an estimate related to the time it will take for user¡¯s stomach to digest the food and convert it into Energy.] ¡®Ok, ok,¡¯ it didn¡¯t take long for me to find some aloe in a nearby tree. It was one of the most common types of plants in the region that could be used as medicine. According to Pops, this area was supposed to be too cold for it, but about 15 years ago, they started to show up. It should be a mutation, especially since its leaves were a shade of turquoise instead of the usual green of other plants. However, its effects were weaker than the ¡®normal¡¯ version of aloe. Maybe that was the price the species had to pay to survive colder environments. Either way, taking the leaves apart was easy and the gel inside helped stop the bleeding, even if it stung like a motherfucker. ¡®System, do me a favor. Going forward, if I¡¯m ever using a skill that has charges and it runs out. Hell, not just that, when I¡¯m using any skill that has a duration or a charge. Warn me when the skill ends, or it doesn¡¯t have a charge anymore.¡¯ [Acknowledged.] While trying not to move my left arm too much, I jumped into the spike trap to salvage whatever I could from the mountain lion. Since it had eaten the meat I was preparing, my food would come from it instead. Not to mention, it was a strong creature, and it clearly had a skill or two. Maybe I could get something from that. Something better than the ¡®Strong Fang¡¯ or whatever the fuck the boar gave me. Doing all of this with mostly one hand took a while, especially since the body was full of holes, but eventually, I had a good chunk of meat laying on the floor of the forest. Taking the organs was an option. Maybe eating specific parts of a creature could give me more specific skills, but lions didn¡¯t have any particularly strong organ. Their hearts were small when comparing to the size of their bodies. Going after the lungs was stupid, it would be better to hunt some birds for that. To get a better stomach, I should look for a goat, those things can even eat metal. The one part that might be useful was the liver. But there was one animal with a liver that could kill anyone who took a single bite out of it. I just couldn¡¯t remember if it was a lion or something else. Besides, this was a mutated one, it was better not to risk it. If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. The one part that I really considered taking were its eyes. Being able to see in the dark would be a game changer. The problem was¡­ I would have to eat the eyes. Just the thought of that made my stomach turn. Yeah, I¡¯m not that desperate yet. Just as I climbed out of the trap, after struggling a lot since I still tried to not strain my left arm, the System spoke up. [User Cassandra currently have 1 Energy avaliable to use.] ¡®Ok. {Body Regeneration},¡¯ I replied right away before sitting with my back against a tree. For the next 10 minutes, the skill was the only thing on my mind. How it moved through my body, the small tingling sensation reaching to my open wound and making the flesh regrow. I could see that happening, but it wasn¡¯t like a regular wound that was being fixed. There was no scab, or anything like that. My skin just started to regrow, almost like a balloon being inflated. When focusing on each small piece, it was almost as if I could sense the particles working their magic. They wouldn¡¯t make anything by themselves, but act as guides for the cells. In a way, it felt like this ability was coming from me, not from the SP itself. The particles were just helping organize everything else. However, it was clear to me that this wasn¡¯t true. In fact, I wasn¡¯t sensing the cells or anything like that. The System was just understanding my intention and showing me a representation of things. Once I came to that realization, and thought about not getting its help, all that insight vanished. What remained was the tingling sensation of the particles moving around. Still, it was sharper than before. Instead of just a mass, I could perceive the strands of energy and where they were. Even if it took a lot of focus for that. Maybe this was the effect of the increase in Mind, or just what happened once a user tried to sense the SP. Fixing my shoulder took around 8 minutes, the remaining 2 were spent making sure the rest of my body was ok. Mainly my leg. During the fight, the Lion had broken my shin guards. Thanks to that extra protection, my leg only had superficial scratches. They hurt like hell, and were by no means small, but between that and having a bone sticking out, I would get a scratch every day of the week. With all that out of the way, I prepared another fire and once more started making some meat. I still had around 30 points in the {Energy Storage} skill, and one extra Energy point that had just came from it. But instead of using it on {Body Regeneration} right away, I decided to use {Compression} to fix the size of my staff. Moving with something that was a meter [3.2 ft] taller than me wasn¡¯t ideal. In addition, having a weapon was always a good call in case another mutated animal showed up. This time, my meal wasn¡¯t interrupted. Almost two hours later, most of the meat was either gone or being turned into jerky. In addition, my Energy was full again, even after spending another point with {Body Regeneration} to finish up healing any wounds that were still left. That skill was absurdly strong. Just one hour and two uses of it was enough to fix my shoulder to the point where there was only a scar left. Then again, maybe the Enduring Heart title was also helping with that. It was something that made it easy to recover from critical injuries. The aloe on my shoulder could also be influencing the effectiveness of the skill. I was distracted with those thoughts when the victory fanfare sounded again, followed by the voice of the System. [Congratulations user Cassandra. You have reached level 10, the final level of tier 0. 1 Attribute point available, 2 skills available.] ¡®Put that point in Body and show me my status,¡¯ a small windown appeared in front of me asking to confirm my decision. Just by thinking I did just that and another windown appeared. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cassandra Ydorf - Level 10 Titles: Enduring Heart Tier 0 - Saturated Mind 3 - Body - 7 Memory - 5 Energy - 3/5 (1 Reserved) Skills - 4/5 Quick Tier 1 Evolution - Passive Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes Compression - Active - 1 Energy/ 5 uses Mind of Possibility - Unavailable ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°Finally!¡± I couldn¡¯t stop myself from cheering out loud. Both Memory and Energy had increased. Which meant I could have one extra skill, and use them more often. Speaking in my mind again, I turned to the System, ¡®I thought you said that Energy and Memory wouldn¡¯t grow together.¡¯ [System had no data related to the increase of Energy or Memory. In addition, the information that is available to System is that those two attributes increase independently of each other.] ¡®Fair enough. Now let me see the skills.¡¯ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Memory Bank - Passive - Unranked Reserved Cost: 1 Energy A brain is a powerful tool, capable of storing vast amounts of information. With this skill, you can store up to 5 skills. Storage/Retrieval time: 1 hour per tier of the skill. Current Stored skills 0/5 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Burst of Strength - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy Sometimes, a quick burst of physical power is all that¡¯s needed to overcome an obstacle. This skill temporarily enhances your physical strength. Duration: 2 minutes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡®Fuck, both those skills sound good. If I get Memory Bank now, can I already store Burst of Strength on it?¡¯ [Yes, however, the process will require 1 hour as per the description of Memory Bank.] ¡®Ok then. I don¡¯t even have to think about that. Give me both. Also, it says 1 hour per tier of the skill, but what about unranked ones?¡¯ [Unranked skills also take 1 hour to store or retrieve.] ¡®Got it. Can I do that with more than one skill?¡¯ [You can only retrieve one skill at a time. However, storing skills does not share the same restriction.] ¡®Meaning that if I get a skill from the mountain lion, I can also store it right away. Right?¡¯ [Correct.] ¡®Great. And my other skills still work when that is happening, right?¡¯ [All other skills will remain available while a skill is being stored.] ¡®This is awesome. But now comes a different question. I¡¯m currently at max level, correct?¡¯ [Correct.] ¡®How do I get to tier 1, then?¡¯ [The process of increasing user tier can be considered complicated. User has the skill {Quick Tier 1 Evolution} which will simplify the procedure. If user desires, System can explain everything now, from how to change the particles inside user¡¯s body to what are classes. However, System suggests user to return to the cave. This conversation is likely to distract user, hence being in a safe location is highly advised.] ¡®Fair point,¡¯ I got up and took a look at the meat. It was mostly done or at least, as done as it could be in a short notice. Either way, I really wanted to know how to get even stronger. I had just killed a mountain lion on my own. A mutated mountain lion at that. After getting to tier 1, there was a chance that I could even kill a bear. My eyes turned in the direction of the lower forest. Or kill something even stronger. 17 - Quick Tier 1 Evolution It didn¡¯t take long for me to arrive back at the cave along with the remains of the lion. Unfortunately, it was hard to call this a body since everything was torn into pieces. If I could get a bag, I might be able to bring more of the pelt, bones and claws, but complaining wouldn¡¯t do anything. Once inside, the first order of business was drinking water. A lot of water. I had some with me for the hunt, but that was long gone. After that, the meat was placed on the crate, and I started working on tanning the lion¡¯s leather. There were a lot of holes over the pelt, but maybe I could make some clothes. Tailoring was never my strong suit, and without tools, that became even harder. Still, even a complete newbie should be able to make some bracer and leg warmers. And since the Lion broke one of my shin guards, it was only fair that it became the replacement. ¡°Ok Sys. Lay it on me. How does this work?¡± I spoke out loud, it was the middle of the day, and staying quiet was starting to annoy me. It was one thin when I was up. [Why is user referring to System as Sys? Does user wish to change System designation?] ¡°What? No, I don¡¯t want to change your name. Can I even do that? Sys is just a nickname. Saying System all the time will get annoying. Sis is easier. Like calling me Cass instead of Cassandra,¡± once more I started preparing the leather, shaving the fur and creating that mushy paste by using the lion¡¯s brain. It was a good thing I brought its head here. The most interesting part of it where the fangs, and maybe the possibility of turning the entire thing into a helmet, but something told me doing that was much more complicated that I imagined. [Acknowledged. To answer user¡¯s question, System requires a clarification. What information is being requested?] ¡°How do I get stronger now? Tier up and what not. Like I¡¯m level 10, and I can¡¯t go to level 11, right?¡± [Correct, the only way user can reach level 11 is by going from tier 0 to tier 1.] ¡°Right, and how do I do that?¡± [The process of advancing tiers is divided into three steps. First, user must decide the type of evolution user¡¯s particles will go through. Second, user is required to take the necessary actions to prepare the particles for evolution. Third, user must pick a class. Once all these steps are completed, user will advance to the next tier the next time user sleeps.] ¡°Oh? So I have to sleep to finish everything? Is there a reason for that?¡± [The process of advancing will include System moving all the SP inside user¡¯s body. This is not a task that can be done while distracted, or be interrupted. Hence, System must wait for a moment where user is in a safe location and is not interacting with System to perform that upgrade.] ¡°Right. Ok, that makes sense, I think. But what about the first step? I have to decide the type of evolution of the SP?¡± [Correct. User Cassandra has three options. First, user can simply tell System the desired path of upgrade. Will the SP be focused on a specific attribute? Will they enhance user¡¯s physical capabilities, or be geared towards the use of skills? Does user wish to make the SP work better with a specific skill or ability? Any and all desires can be accommodated to a certain extent. The second option is a more direct control of the particles. System can show user a representation of a single SP and user can tweak said image to perform specific tasks. Both the first and second options are conceptually very similar. However, tweaking the particles themselves can have better or worse results than telling System user¡¯s wishes and letting System modify SP. This happens because the second option depends on user¡¯s understanding of SP and its intricacies.] ¡°That¡¯s interesting. But why? I mean, why can¡¯t you make better results instead of having me modify the particles themselves?¡± I finished part of the leather and used another set of climbing spikes to stretch it, just like I was doing with the boar skin. Which was looking pretty good already. Maybe tomorrow I already could make something with it. [System is bound to some restrictions. Said restrictions require any particle modified by System to have a certain degree of balance. In addition, System does not possess imagination or creativity. It is possible, if not likely, that modifications created by System will not utilize the full potential of the SP.] ¡°I disagree with that statement. You are plenty creative. Anyway, is that the kind of thing that I can only choose one option? Or could I start by asking you to make a type of particle and then edit it to try to make it better?¡± [That is possible, yes. However, editing particles is a highly complex task. System recommends to first learn more about SP before attempting any drastic changes.] ¡°Oh, I will. Trust me, I just kind of wanted to see them. More out of curiosity than anything.¡± [System can show the representation of SP to user. However, System advises user to take the third option related to upgrading particles since it will speed up the advancement process considerably.] ¡°What is the third option?¡± [User possesses the skill {Quick Tier 1 Evolution}. Said skill also comes with a blueprint for an improved system particle. All the necessary data related to that blueprint was already acquired by user Cassandra during the hunts performed in the past days. By following this path, user will skip the second step on its entirety, allowing user to advance a tier quickly. The drawback is the lack of customization of the particle.] The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°Fuck¡­ really? I can skip that? Like everything?¡± [Correct. Skill {Quick Tier 1 Evolution} had one more function aside from showing System a more effective way to create SP. It also stored the information related to the blueprint for tier 1 particles.] I started shaving the next piece of leather, ¡°Hang on, that is a bit confusing. What is the second step? Like, what would I have to do?¡± [The second step can only be initiated after user decides the type of particle user will create while on tier 1. Once that decision is made, System will create a quest asking user to find particles that have some relation to the function that was decided. If user wants a specific power, the quest will be related to said power. Every time user acquires SP that originated to something related to said power, the quest will progress. What this quest does is function like a data bank that will be utilized by the new particles once it¡¯s complete.] ¡°Ok¡­ just to see if I understood, if I want to make particles that are better at healing, then I have to hunt creatures with healing skills, or eat things that have healing properties, like aloe? Then the quest progresses and eventually I¡¯ll reach tier 1.¡± [Correct.] ¡°What if I change my mind midway? Like during the quest, I realize that I picked something too hard. What then? Would I be stuck with that quest?¡± [If user desires to change the path that the particles will take prior to the advancement, it is possible to do so. However, the progress of the quest will be wiped out even if the data present in the quest could help the new path.] ¡°Right. Is it because you have to remove the quest first before creating a new one? So the data of the first needs to be wiped in order to make room for the second quest?¡± [Correct. However, that is only the case for advancement quests. Skill quests do not share that restriction since theirs scale is smaller.] I smiled, ¡°See, I¡¯m getting the hang of things, Sys! Can you show me what the SP would look like?¡± [Would user like an example, or to see the representation of the particles that will be created with {Quick Tier 1 Evolution}?] ¡°Show me the ones from the skill.¡± In the middle of the terrace, an image started to appear. It was a small radiant creature with a translucent body that was constantly shifting colors. The body was a large ball with large black eyes that sparkled like stars. On its back were tiny delicate butterfly wings with a swirling pattern very similar to the painting The Starry Night from Vincent Van Gogh. A thin mist swirled under it, reaching out and moving like limbs. In a way, that reminded me of the tentacles of an Eater, but a version that wasn¡¯t scary. ¡°They are really cute. I was thinking you would make like a building or something.¡± [If user wishes, System can alter the representation.] ¡°You don¡¯t need to. Not now, at least. If I make any modifications, the quest will start, right?¡± [Correct.] I finished setting up the last piece of leather, the smallest one, and walked inside the cave. For this next part, I wanted to give Sys my full attention. ¡°Now, about step three. Classes, are they like a video game? Is there a list to pick from?¡± [Classes share some similarities with video games. By picking a class, user will direct the path of future skills and attributes. To better explain, System will show an example of the class selection screen.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Example Class - T1 - Unranked This class is just an example, it cannot be picked. Body + Mind Energy - Memory + This class can acquire skills related to example. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°So classes also have ranks?¡± [Correct. User will never receive a class with a tier above the tier that user is advancing into. In this case, user will not be able to receive a class above the rank of Fledgling. Unlike skills, the rank of a class is not related to its power. Instead, it is related to the complexity and specializations of the class itself. For example, if a class called ¡®Hunter¡¯ would be of the rank Fledgling. A class called ¡®Tracker¡¯ would be of the rank Aspirant. Since it is a more specific set of skills.] ¡°That¡¯s easy enough to understand. The higher the class rank, the more specialized you are, while lower ranks are more generalists.¡± [Correct.] ¡°And what about the attributes? It has a minus on Energy, does that mean it will be reduced?¡± [Attributes will not be reduced when picking a class. The plus and minus signs indicate the attributes that will increase with level without the use of attribute points. In this example, the class says that the attributes of Body, and Memory, will increase more often. While the attribute Energy will be increased less often. Mind would have no change to its natural growth when leveling up since it is not like Energy and Memory which can increase by leveling up. That increase is not linear, attached to any other attribute.] ¡°Ok.. So I get more attribute points by increasing tier?¡± [Correct. On tier 0, you get 1 attribute point per level. On tier 1, you will get at least 2 attribute points. Some classes may offer more points.] ¡°But how does that work? Does the whole idea changes? Because now, it¡¯s a single point since a level means that an extra 10% of my body was filled with SP.¡± [Once user advances to tier 1, all tier 0 particles inside user¡¯s body will combine into tier 1 particles. User will return to level 1, while maintaining current attributes. This will reduce the amount of SP in user¡¯s body to the equivalent of 10% of available storage. However, the new tier 1 SP is much more effective, which allows it to maintain the attributes and offer an increased amount of attribute points per level.] ¡°That sounds a bit confusing, but if I¡¯m not losing anything I¡¯m not going to complain. It might bet easier to understand when I¡¯m leveling up again. What about the list? Is there such a thing?¡± [Once user has completed steps 1 and 2, System will create a list with a few options. Said type of upgrade made to the SP will affect said options.] ¡°Really? That¡¯s simple enough. Is there anything else I need to know about?¡± [System explained everything that will be necessary for the advancement to tier 1. If user does not have any questions, user can start the process.] ¡°Ok, so let¡¯s start. I pick the third option. The one that we use the particle in {Quick Tier 1 Evolution}.¡± [The evolution in question falls under the generalist classification. The particles will not have any specific attribute or task that they will excel at. You can think of it as a linear progression from the current SP. Does user accept this evolution?] ¡°I do,¡± I nodded, sitting down on top of my bed. [{Quick Tier 1 Evolution} already saved enough data to create a proper blueprint for the next tier of SP. System will now generate the classes available for user Cassandra to pick from.] 18 - Babys first class [{Quick Tier 1 Evolution} already saved enough data to create a proper blueprint for the next tier of SP. System will now generate the classes available for user Cassandra to pick from. Four classes have been generated.] Four windows appeared in front of me, all very similar to my status screen. But instead of reading through all of them, I decided to go one by one and clear out any doubts. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Celestial Hunter - Fledgling Attribute Bonus: 1 point per level Body + Mind + Memory - Energy Guided by the stars and driven by necessity, the Celestial Hunter hones their skills through relentless pursuit and celestial guidance, balancing intellect and physical prowess. Skills offered with the class: Starry Guidance - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy Draw upon the wisdom of the stars to find your way and hunt more effectively. Reveals hidden paths and tracks, making it easier to locate prey and navigate to your destination. Effect is boosted when under starlight. Duration: 10 minutes Hunter¡¯s Endurance - Passive - Fledgling Reserved Cost: 1 Energy Your time in the wilderness has hardened your body, increasing your stamina and resilience. Increase defense and stamina. A Celestial Hunter is able to acquire skills that empower them when under the light of the stars and improve their tracking abilities and their ability to hunt their prey effectively. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°I have questions. First, the bonus point, does it mean I will get one point on both Body and Mind, or one point to place where I want? And the Energy with a minus sign, it won¡¯t reduce my Energy, but it means it won¡¯t increase as often. Right?¡± [The attribute bonus is the free point that can be manually allocated by user. While there is an added benefit of both Body and Mind increasing as user level up. The specific ratio cannot be accessed until the class is picked, but user can assume that in the Celestial Hunter class, both attributes will increase at the same pace since both share the same symbol. When user reach the limit of tier 1, both attributes will have naturally increased by the same amount. User¡¯s Energy will not be reduced, but while in this class, Energy will have a reduced growth rate comparing with Memory.] ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean that both attributes will increase together. Like, it¡¯s possible that I get 5 points on Body during the first 5 levels, and then 5 points to Mind on the next 5?¡± [That is a possibility.] ¡°How does that work? I mean, so far I got one point, which was like telling 10% of the SP to work on a specific area. Why is there an increase?¡± [Tier 1 particles are more effective than tier 0. Because of that, they are able to perform more tasks while utilizing less SP. The extra points come from that excess SP that will not be necessary to perform the same task. This is part of System¡¯s framework, which makes sure that every point in any attribute has the same effect, no matter the level or tier of user.] ¡°That makes sense, I think. Another question. That talks about starlight, and the light of the stars. Does the sun counts? It is a star.¡± [Although the sun is a star, for the effects of the skills mentioned in the class, it will not count. The class was generated due user¡¯s use of the night sky in order to guide user¡¯s actions. For that reason, the class uses the low light of the stars during the night to improve user¡¯s capabilities. However, the possibility of a skill being created that would include sunlight in the effects exists.] ¡°Yeah, but that¡¯s still conditional, and forces me to have a separated skill just for it. Not to mention it is a possibility. Don¡¯t get me wrong, it would be nice to be able to move around at night better, but that¡¯s an unfavorable condition. For now, I think I should focus on my strengths. Also, another thing. Those skills. Do they come with the class or I can choose to take them?¡± [Skills gained through acquiring a class function the same way as skills acquired through level up, or through any other mean. User is able to choose if said skills will replace another, or if they will be forgotten.] ¡°Got it, Let¡¯s go for the next class then,¡± my eyes moved to the screen to the right. At the same time, the System pushed the Celestial Hunter class back. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Wandering Scholar - Fledgling Attribute Bonus: 1 point per level Body - Mind + Memory + Energy Among the ancient trees and starry nights, you found wisdom and strength. The Wandering Scholar blends the pursuit of knowledge with the resilience of survival, gaining insight from the world around them. Skills offered with the class: Insightful Strike - Passive - Fledgling Reserved Cost: 1 Energy Your keen understanding of anatomy and weak points allows you to strike with precision. Vital points of enemies become more apparent. Guiding Wisdom - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy Your experience and knowledge make you a natural teacher. By sharing your insights and lessons, you can inspire and strengthen your allies, enhancing their abilities and morale. Increase the effectiveness of allies¡¯ skills, and makes instructions more easy to understand. Duration: 10 Minutes A Wandering Scholar is able to acquire skills that focus on knowledge and learning. Both in the aspect of acquiring new abilities and teaching them to others. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°Ok¡­ this is kind of neat. But I don¡¯t know. Guiding wisdom would be a waste. At least for now. Also, I would have to share you with others, and I don¡¯t even know if that¡¯s possible,¡± I frowned. The System had mentioned some things that hinted at giving others their own version of the System, but we never talked too much about that. Not for a lack of curiosity, but what would be the point on placing that kind of pressure on me now? [User is capable of sharing System with other humans.] ¡°Fuck¡­ Ok, I didn¡¯t want to know that. Not right now. I need to stay alive before anything,¡± the squeal of a boar echoed in the forest below. With every second that passed, the sound became more and more desperate, punctuating my statement. Any animal would have the decency of killing its prey before eating, only an Eater would keep it alive while it ate, ¡°Yeah. No. I don¡¯t know how long it will take for me to be able to increase someone else¡¯s ability. Also, even if that first skill sounds useful, it should only work against things that I know about, right? It mentions my knowledge of their anatomy. It shouldn¡¯t work on an Eater.¡± [That is correct. User would need to study being known as Eater for the skill to trigger consistently.] The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. I scoffed, ¡°Yeah, like that is going to happen. You don¡¯t study monsters, you either run from them,¡± my eyes turned to the forest, ¡°or kill them.¡± [Acknowledged. Would user like to continue?] ¡°Yeah, let me see the next one,¡± turning a bit more to the right as the screen for the Wandering Scholar moved to the background of the cave, I started reading through the third option. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sage Survivalist - Fledgling Attribute Bonus: 2 points per level Body Mind Memory Energy Having survived the wilderness, the Sage Survivalist uses their knowledge of the natural world to sustain themselves and others, combining practical survival skills with wisdom. Skills offered with the class: Nature¡¯s Bounty - Passive - Fledgling Reserved cost: 0 Energy Your deep connection to the forest allows you to find sustenance and medicinal herbs with ease. Makes finding edible and medicinal plants easier. Emergency Shelter - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy Once you have a shelter, surviving in the wilderness becomes much easier. Increase stamina recovery and a minor healing effect when in a temporary shelter. Duration: 1 hour. A Sage Survivalist is able to acquire skills that focus on what is needed to survive and that tailor the environment to their will. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°Damn, that¡¯s also pretty good. But¡­ I¡¯m not sure I need that. Like the Nature¡¯s Bounty thing. Wouldn¡¯t you be able to help with that, Sys?¡± [System is able to identify plants if user has the necessary knowledge to do so on her own. In that case, System would simply speed up the process. If user would make a mistake during the identification process, so would System. With the skill, mistakes will not happen unless the plant is under the effect of a skill or has SP on itself.] ¡°Well¡­ that¡¯s fine, I think. I trust enough in my knowledge of botany. Besides, if I died because I ate some bad plants, Pops would kill me. He spent so long teaching me about what I can and cannot eat in the forest that I wouldn¡¯t hear the end of it,¡± I let out a chuckle remembering the time my grandpa scolded me through the bathroom door after I ate some bad berries. [System agrees. The healing effect of Emergency Shelter would not be strong when comparing to {Body Regeneration}.] ¡°Yeah. For now, all those options are very specific. Like they do focus on what I¡¯ve been doing, but they are too specific. If the last one is the same, can you try to come up with other classes?¡± [If user wishes to see more classes, System will have to generate new options. This process will take approximately 24 hours. If the same request is made once more, the time between generations doubles with each new request. In addition, some functions of System will become unavailable during the generation. System is unable to specify which functions and the moments they will be interrupted.] ¡°What? A full day, and then it starts to double? And why are some functions becoming unavailable?¡± [Ever since integration, System has been analyzing user¡¯s actions. A subroutine was created to prepare the classes being offered. Since it was a low priority operation, it did not cause any issues with System¡¯s functionalities. To generate a new class, the subroutine will become a priority and occupy a large portion of System processing power.] ¡°Can¡¯t you still generate but as a subroutine?¡± [That is possible, however, the time frame increases to 240 hours. Or 10 days.] ¡°Fuck me. Ok, let¡¯s hope this last one fits what I need better. If not, I think I¡¯m going to go with the Celestial Hunter. Or maybe the Wandering Scholar, just for the weak point attack,¡± I sighed. [Acknowledge. The last class was generated with user¡¯s combat capabilities in mind.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Formless Monk - Fledgling Attribute Bonus: 1 point per level Body Mind Memory Energy + A master of adaptability, the Formless Monk draws inspiration from nature to refine their combat skills. By observing and incorporating the movements of animals, elements, and celestial bodies, they become an unpredictable and formidable warrior. Skills offered with the class: Formless Series - Passive - Fledgling Reserved cost: 0 Energy The core of the Formless Monk¡¯s training, this skill allows the user to observe and learn from the world around them, integrating these lessons into their fighting style. Grants the ability to learn new combat techniques from observing nature. Each new technique learned can become a skill of the Formless Series, expanding the user¡¯s repertoire. This skill is necessary to utilize and acquire skills from the Formless Series. If this skill is removed, skills from the Formless Series cannot be used. Formless Boar Charge - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy Number of uses available: 0/2 Channeling the raw power and ferocity of a boar, the Formless Monk delivers a powerful tackle that combines speed and strength. Increase speed and power of one attack as long as you are moving in a straight line. Formless Steps of Prey - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy. Inspired by deer, and other animals that live as prey, the Formless Monk moves with grace and agility, making it harder for opponents to land a hit. Increase reflexes and strength of lower limbs of the body. Duration: 10 minutes. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°Ok, now this sounds interesting. But what about Formless Series? What¡¯s up with that? Wouldn¡¯t it basically be a waste of a Memory Slot?¡± [Due the complexity of the Formless skills, a skill is required to function as the control center of the series. You can think of it as a brain for the skills themselves.] ¡°Wouldn¡¯t that need some reserved Energy then? Since it would need SP to command all that?¡± [Memory also exists thanks to SP. Each available Memory has enough SP to function as the brain of the Formless series without the use of extra SP, which would be there in the form of Energy.] ¡°Ok¡­ And what if I keep that skill in the {Memory Bank}?¡± [This would make all the skills from the Formless Series unavailable. However, user would still be able to acquire new skills from the Formless Series.] ¡°I see¡­ And those skills. Do I have to keep them all in my memory or can I place them directly into the Memory Bank, while I organize everything?¡± [User is able to place said skill in the {Memory Bank}.] ¡°Perfect. Then that¡¯s the class I¡¯m choosing. The other classes are good, but I need firepower, and that fits the bill. Better than any of the others, at least. Also, I thought all classes only came with two skills.¡± [The number of skills that come with each class is dependent only on the class itself. Having the first three classes following the same pattern of two skills was only a coincidence.] ¡°Neat, either way. I want that class.¡± [Acknowledge. For a final step, user is required to prepare Energy for the advancement.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You have chosen the Formless Monk class. To advance to this class and to tier 1, you will need to spend 15 Energy. Energy Stored: 0/15 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°Why is there a fourth step? You only mentioned three!¡± I protested. Sure, it wasn¡¯t a big issue and there was still enough Energy in {Energy Storage}, but it was about the principle of the thing. The System lied to me! [System made an oversight when explaining the advancement. Spending Energy to change user into a new class was something that always would need to happen. System considered said process to be an obvious and expected development, as almost everything System does requires Energy. User¡¯s complaint has been archived, in the future System will be more thorough when explaining new concepts.] I rolled my eyes, ¡°Can¡¯t you just say I¡¯m sorry?¡± [System is a tool, not a person. Hence, the word I would be misplaced on System¡¯s speech. However, System is able to say the following. System is sorry for the confusion it caused.] And now I feel bad. It¡¯s like I¡¯m trying to bully the System, ¡°That¡¯s ok, Sys. I was just caught off guard. Can you transfer that Energy from {Energy Storage}? Would it be the same ratio of 10 minutes as it is to send the Energy to me?¡± [System is able to perform said task. The transfer ratio is the same as user mentioned. Every 10 minutes 1 point of Energy will be transferred from {Energy Storage} to Class Advancement. In 150 minutes, the advancement will be ready to start. Once that happens, all user need to do is go to sleep. Once user wakes up user will have the Formless Monk class and be at tier 1.] ¡°Ok, do you mind if I take a nap now? It¡¯s been a long day and I¡¯m tired. I know it¡¯s still early, and the sun is out, but it¡¯s not like I have any way to distract myself.¡± [User can take naps without System approval. The process of advancement was completed. All user requires to advance is to supply the energy required and then sleep. If user sleeps now, there is a possibility that once user wakes up, the advancement will be completed. Only then System will require user¡¯s input.] ¡°Great,¡± I yawned and pulled the blanket over my head to hide from the sunlight, ¡°Wake me up if you need anything,¡± it didn¡¯t take long for me to fall asleep, and with luck, once I opened my eyes again, I would be at tier 1. 19 - Awakening As soon as I opened my eyes, things felt different. Colors were brighter, the feeling of the stone beneath my skin was sharper, and. Looking at the blanket, I could see each strand that was woven together to form the piece of warm cloth. The light of the was bouncing around the cave, and it was easy to follow the path the rays of late afternoon sunshine that illuminated my temporary home. My muscles felt stronger, even stronger than when I got the System, even more powerful than when I killed the mountain lion. Right now, nothing should be able to defeat me. ¡°So this is Tier 1?¡± there was a smile on my face that refused to go away. [User has been asleep for approximately 93 minutes. Advancement to Tier 1 has not started.] ¡°Oh,¡± and that made the smile vanish, ¡°Sorry. I was just excited, I guess.¡± [User has nothing to apologize. Excitement is understandable.] ¡°Yeah. Right. I¡¯ll leave you to it then. I just don¡¯t know what to do with my time,¡± slumming back to the bed I did my best not to think about the threads in the blanket, or the light bouncing around the cave. I could always see those things, why did I think they were any different? Even without anyone listening to my thoughts, if there was, I might die out of sheer embarrassment. [System is currently waiting for Advancement to receive enough Energy. There is no function that is currently occupying System.] ¡°Does that mean you are also bored?¡± It was funny to imagine the System just twiddling its thumbs while waiting for the energy to convert to the advancement. Kind of like watching paint dry. [System is incapable of feeling boredom. System is simply idle.] ¡°Ok, ok. Let¡¯s figure out something to do then,¡± the first thing that came to mind was double checking the leather outside, but even that would only take some time. Maybe I could go back to my training routine? It felt odd to do that without the new skills, since they were supposed to help me, but it was the only thing that came to mind. Then again, maybe I shouldn¡¯t be leaning too much on skills. I barely got the system and was already acting like I couldn¡¯t do anything without its help. Yeah, practicing sounded like a good call. Despite having come to terms with that decision, it was hard not to feel anxious. I did my best, and spent a while meditating and practicing the ¡®martial arts¡¯ that I created, completely oblivious to the time that passed. ¡°Sys, how about now? Are you ready to start the advancement?¡± [Advancement has been ready for 1 hour, 43 minutes, and 15 seconds.] ¡°Why didn¡¯t you tell me!¡± [User showed no signs of being sleepy. In order for advancement to proceed user must be sleeping.] ¡°Then I¡¯m going to bed!¡± lying down once more, every fiber of my body wanted to sleep. But without being tired, and having just woken up, it was a hard thing to do. To make matters worse, the thoughts didn¡¯t stop. First, why was I acting like this now? Did getting to tier 1 reverted me into a teenager? It was stupid, so what if I was excited or anxious? The bottom line was that even after advancing, there was no guarantee of surviving here. Sure, for now I still had food and water, but praying for rain in order to fill a jar with maybe a week¡¯s worth of water wasn¡¯t sustainable. As a matter of fact, in two days, there would be nothing left. Maybe this was part of the reason why I was acting this way. It wasn¡¯t just the excitement of getting new skills and a class, but a solution to the constant creeping fear that was the driving force in the back of my every move. For another hour, those thoughts continued. Plans related to getting more water, hunting, trying to leave through the top of the mountain, or search for a tunnel that ended on the other side. Countless ideas passed by in a flash, and no sleep came. It wasn¡¯t like I was thinking out loud or moving. During that entire time, my body was perfectly still and my eyes closed. Frustrated, without even knowing how much time passed between lying down and giving up, I sat back up. ¡°Sys, I can¡¯t sleep. Is there something you can do about that?¡± [System is unable to put user to sleep unless user has a skill that allows user to do so.] ¡°Ok¡­ then I don¡¯t know what to do. I¡¯m super curious about what is like to be tier 1 and the new skills. Knowing what they do is one thing, seeing them in action is another. But it¡¯s not like you can give me a preview,¡± I let out a long sigh that echoed in the cave, making me stop and look towards the forest below. Hopefully, that wouldn¡¯t be enough to attract anything. Sure, I was moving with the assumption that the Eater was still there and it wouldn¡¯t be able to come here. But I had no idea why that happened, and what if that was just a temporary thing? Then I was fucked. While distracted by those thoughts, the System gave me a reply, [System is able to show a preview of skills.] ¡°Wait. What? Why did you never told me that?¡± [System was unaware of the possibility. In fact, without the skill {Mind of Possibility} such function would not be available. Only when user made an inquiry about skill previews, System was able to identify the possibility of said function.] ¡°I guess that makes sense. It still sounds weird. Like, you can¡¯t know if you can do something unless I ask about it?¡± [System is a tool for personal improvement. If user is unaware of a particular use for System, so is System. Once an inquiry about said use is made, System is able to identify if function is within System¡¯s capabilities.] ¡°But what about the cost? Do I need to activate {Mind of Possibility}? I thought it was still charging.¡± [Using {Mind of Possibility} for a skill preview has a different cost than activating the skill by itself. The cost is equal to 1 Energy per skill. This Energy can be both from the skill {Mind of Possibility} and from user herself.] ¡°Oh. Ok. Can you show me how Burst of Strength would look like? Spend my own energy, let¡¯s not touch {Mind of Possibility}. Actually, hang on. Why are those skills different? Like, when I mention {Mind of Possibility},¡± I paused and let out another sigh, but this one more tame not to echo, ¡°Fuck me, we said that name five times in two sentences. Anyway, that skill sounds different from saying Burst of Strength.¡± This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it [Human exclusive skill is present on user¡¯s System, and can be activated at any point. Because of that, when user, or System mentions the skill by name, there is a reaction from the SP inside user¡¯s body as a way to prepare for activation. Burst of Strength does not exist in System the same way. It is currently on a unusable state and there are no particles actively waiting the command for the skill to be activated. Hence, the skill does not garner the same reaction.] ¡°In a way, that¡¯s kind of nice. I will always know when I¡¯m talking about a skill I do have. Anyway, can you show me the Preview for Burst of Strength, Formless Boar Charge, and Formless Steps of Prey? Or you can¡¯t do the new skills? Since I have three Energy now, I was going to take advantage of that.¡± [System is able to show the preview of skills of the class chosen during advancement. When user begins the transition to tier 2, System will also be able to show the preview for all skills of all classes, as long as user has the required Energy to spend.] [System will start with the preview for Burst of Strength.] Another me appeared in front of me, but it wasn¡¯t completely real. ¡®My¡¯ body was almost translucent and had a very faint blue tint over everything. The holo-me¡­ Not-me? Holo-Clone? Echo? Those all suck. Proxy? Sure, let¡¯s call her Proxy. Proxy walked towards the side of the cave, directly in front of me, but facing away, and punched the wall with everything she had. The blow did barely anything, just hurting her hand. There was a tiny crack in one of the rocks, but that was it. Then she prepared another strike. But Proxy was different now. Something was moving through her body. A red energy attaching itself to every muscle and emanating around her as she turned and punched the wall once more. This time, there was an impression of her fist in the cave. It was shallow, and only two fingers were clearly visible, but it was there. But there was also a bluish-red mark, which quickly became clear to be coming from Proxy¡¯s hand. It seemed like the blow was enough for her to hurt herself. But Proxy wasn¡¯t done. The red energy covered her muscles again, but this time, it didn¡¯t emanate. Instead, it stayed inside the arm. With a mighty punch, a crack appeared around the point of impact. What was left wasn¡¯t just an impression of her hand, but also a small crater on the side of the wall. It was just a palm wide, but the power behind something that was able to do that on a cave wall should be massive. Unfortunately, my excitement was quickly killed the moment I looked at Proxy¡¯s arm. The hand that she used to punch the wall was limp and deformed. As if every single bone inside it had turned into dust and now sagged on the tip of her fingers. In just a few moments, the weight became too much, and the skin ripped open as the arm started bleeding profusely. ¡°What the fuck?¡± [User witnessed two uses of the skill. Burst of Strength can perform a pair of tasks, first, increase user¡¯s physical strength and cover limbs in reinforced SP to protect user¡¯s body from damage that could be caused by the sudden increase in power. Second, it can enhance the muscles, and only them. Doing so allows the skill to perform better, but it also removes any protection provided by the SP. By default, the skill will reduce its effectiveness to protect user. User must make a conscious decision of removing the protection for the second effect to be activated.] Hearing the explanation helped a lot. If I need to carry something heavy, sure it was fine to remove the protection, but during a fight, even with it, I might have problems. After all, the human body was already able to use much more strength than anyone believe to be possible. The only reason we don¡¯t do it is because we would hurt ourselves. Removing that limiter only happens in moments of life and death. Adding that to a skill that makes me stronger is terrifying. ¡°That light¡­ The skill does that?¡± [No. The skills do not generate light. The light is just a representation of what the SP will be doing as user activates the skill.] [Next, the skill Formless Boar Charge.] Proxy vanished and appeared close to the entrance of the cave. For a moment, I was worried that she would attract too much attention, but I quickly realized that I was the only one seeing her. There was no sound coming from her movements. The other me got into a stance while holding my staff, she was leaning a bit forward, lowering her center of gravity. Proxy scrapped the floor with one foot and a light brown energy gathered in her legs, but part of it continued flowing to the chest, forming a thin image of a boar. With a jolt, Proxy started running, her feet stomping heavily on the cave as she charged without hesitation towards the wall by my side. The faster she moved, the more vibrant the energy inside her became, turning almost in that vibrant reddish brown of old pottery. A fraction of a second before she was going to slam against the rocks, the energy surrounding her legs jumped out, forming a thick layer that covered the front of her body. Once the impact occurred, there was nothing on the wall behind me, but Proxy took a few steps back without a problem. Proxy walked to the middle of the cave and started the charge again. The same thing happened, but there wasn¡¯t enough time for the energy to become that vibrant reddish brown. ¡°So, this one makes the barrier when it¡¯s about to hit?¡± [Correct. There is no secondary effect. The charge must also be made mostly in a straight line. Small deviations are possible, the longer the charge, the stronger the effect becomes up to a certain point.] ¡°And Proxy showed it as its peak, right?¡± [Inquiry, who is Proxy?] ¡°Oh, sorry. Proxy is how I¡¯m calling the virtual me you created. Since she¡¯s not me,¡± saying that out loud made me realize how insane that was. I blame the kids. They are the ones who constantly kept asking the names of every single stuffed animal, or drawing I ever made. Since when doing that became a habit? [Acknowledged. Proxy was unable to show the maximum speed and power of a charge. There is not enough data available to do so.] ¡°We can test things out later,¡± I shrugged and waited Sys to show me the last skill. Honestly, it was the one I was the most curious about. Despite all my internal bravado, killing the Eater was my plan B. Plan A was to get away from it and make sure never to meet something like that ever again. And a skill that helped me evade attacks, that¡¯s all I needed. As long as I didn¡¯t fight back, the chance to escape existed. [Lastly, the skill Formless Steps of Prey.] Proxy appeared in the center of the cave, a green energy swirling around her feet and hands. She hopped a couple of times in place and suddenly jumped to the side. Using a single leg, she jumped back on the opposite direction, somehow keeping part of the momentum. Proxy jumped again, moving away from me, to the middle of the cave with a twirl, yet, she somehow arrived at the entrance, moving much farther than I expected considering her movements. ¡°What is going on?¡± [The skill allows Proxy''s muscles to apply more force than one would expect while watching her movements. There is a limitation on how much the movements can be hidden, however anyone who uses body language, or reflexes to attack, can be confused by the effect of the skill.] ¡°Ok, got it. I¡¯m definitively getting that one.¡± That only made me more excited about classing up, but something caught my attention, there was a noise coming from outside. Carefully, I walked over to the entrance in time to hear trees being pushed at a rapid speed. From the tree line, a deer appeared running like its life depended on it. Just a few meters [feet] behind it, the Eater chased its prey, but it suddenly stopped, its tentacles trying to reach the animal. I felt the blood draining from my face. In my mind, I asked, hoping I was wrong, ¡®Sys. Can you show me that line you made? The one that showed where the Eater stopped moving?¡¯ The Eater was clearly standing over the line. It was hard to tell from this distance, but it wasn¡¯t even a question. That monster was closer than it ever was before. Maybe the line just changed, and in front of the cave, it was always able to get closer. But if not, it meant the Eater was slowly being able to approach me. Whatever was allowing me to sleep in the cave without a worry was getting weaker, and I had no way of knowing how long it would take for it to vanish completely. My initial plan was to spend a couple of days practicing the new skills, but it looked like I wouldn¡¯t have that chance. It was better to wake up at tier 1 and leave this place. 20 - Leaving the mountain The very first thing I did when I woke up was jumping to my feet. The possibility that the Eater would reach the cave was still fresh in my mind. Thankfully, that wasn¡¯t the case, and for now, this place was still safe. ¡°Sys, now I¡¯m Tier 1, right?¡± [Correct. User Cassandra has reached tier 1 and class Formless monk has been acquired. User also has three skills to pick from. Formless Boar Charge, Formless Steps of Prey, and Formless Series.] ¡°Open my status, please.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cassandra Ydorf - Level 1 Titles: Enduring Heart Tier 1 - Formless Monk Mind 3 - Body - 8 Memory - 6 Energy - 4/6 (2 Reserved) Skills - 5/6 Quick Tier 1 Evolution - Passive Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy Memory Bank - Passive - 1 Energy Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes Compression - Active - 1 Energy/ 5 uses Mind of Possibility - Unavailable ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°Oh? I got some extra Energy? And more Memory? Nice. Tell me something, {Quick Tier 1 Evolution} does anything now?¡± [Skill {Quick Tier 1 Evolution} has no effect now that user is at Tier 1.] ¡°Ok, put that in {Memory Bank}. Along with Formless Boar Charge. Add Formless Series to my skills and Formless Steps of Prey.¡± [Acknowledged. However, the process will take two hours as {Quick Tier 1 Evolution} is a skill of the Aspirant rank.] ¡°That¡¯s ok, can you hold on to Formless Steps of Prey until then? Or do I need to put it in {Memory Bank}?¡± [System is able to hold on to skills for a maximum of 10 hours. The only exception to this limit is when user gains a new class. In that case, the 10-hour period starts from the moment user has finished the advancement and became aware of available skills.] ¡°Perfect. Do that. We are leaving the cave today, but I¡¯ll wait for that change. I want to have the new skills available to me. While that is going on add Formless Series to my skills.¡± [Acknowledged. System will warn user once the skills are in place.] ¡°Thank you,¡± since that was going to take a while,I started preparing to leave. First step, refilling the waterskin. Followed by eating some of the jerky from yesterday. I shouldn¡¯t have that many problems finding food if I¡¯m walking away from the mountain. The second step was taking the tanned leather and making something with it. Probably just a sack, but using the scraps of lion leather, it should be possible to make something to tie the bag on my waist. Once on the terrace, I could see the sky and the dark clouds looming over the horizon. Hopefully, it wouldn¡¯t rain. Then again, if it did, that could help hide any noise I make while getting away from here. My idea for the sack was to just pull all the corners of the leather together and open a few small holes near the opening. Then I could create a cord with the lion hide to connect them all together and then another rope skin for the sack to be tied to my waist. However, the problem was the size difference. While the lion was large, the scraps of leather were not, and I was able to kill the boar without damaging most of its skin. ¡°Sys, quick question. What will happen if I use {Compression} on something that has two parts? Like this bag and the rope tying it up?¡± [There are two possibilities. User might use only 1 charge of the skill to change the size of the object, or user will require 1 charge per each individual piece that makes the whole object.] ¡°What¡¯s the cut point? Like my shirt. I know for a fact that it was made in two pieces. Is it just about sewing things together, or something beyond that?¡± [System does not have enough data to confirm what the requirements are.] ¡°Ok then, let¡¯s try, in a few moments,¡± quickly going to work, I prepared the boar skin to create this bag. Then, using the first charge of {Compression} of the day, I shrunk it down from a piece of skin almost my size to something around the size of a watermelon. That was still much larger than I wanted to, but considering the weight distribution, it felt better to do it like that and put the lion rope around it. Maybe like that, it wouldn¡¯t end up ripping apart as more things were placed inside the sack. Making small horizontal cuts near the opening, I created belt hoops for the sack. The lion rope was enough to cover the entire circumference of the bag, plus to tie around my waist several times. Yet, it wasn¡¯t supposed to be like that. Using {Compression} again, I tried to turn the entire thing to its final size. This time, however, I paid more attention to what the particles were doing. Being at tier 1 meant I was on the same tier of the skill. And according to the System, skills couldn¡¯t show their true power unless you were at least on the same tier as the skill itself. Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. It didn¡¯t take long to notice the change, and it was a strange one. Now, instead of just having the SP shifting the size of the object, there was another sensation. The particles first created a model of the size I wanted, something that was about the size of my head, and then the particles that covered the leather bag changed its size rapidly. Basically, now the desired size became a mark, and the particles didn¡¯t have to constantly check if they had reached their goal after every change. Unfortunately, I also noticed doing this cost me 2 charges of {Compression}. The mixture of boar and leather lion was not enough to make the SP recognize it all as a single entity. Despite that, the bag I spent the last days preparing was finally ready. With the rest of the lion leather, first I spent another charge of {Compression} to not just make it all smaller, but also sturdier. While working with the pelts, it became clear that if the size changed, it became harder to cut. A likely explanation was that as fibers shrunk, any attempted damage would be split between the different strands forming the leather that now occupied a smaller space. This meant that any armor I tried to make using this would be stronger than what they would be on their regular sizes. The last thing was creating a strap for the waterskin. It was a bit longer than my arm, and using some more lion rope, I tied the two pieces together. Since the skin was already filled, I could use my belt to tie it around the sack, and finally, I was ready. Or so I wished. The fact was, doing all that took me about one hour and a half. There were still 30 minutes before the skills were in place. With nothing else to do, I started warming up by practicing with my staff. This time, using the sun as inspiration. A powerful ball of fire that emanated warmth, but if that light was concentrated, it could become a deadly attack. My movements focused on wide arcs and blows that could connect well with each other. With a powerful stab at the finishing blow. It was a bit fun thinking about all that, even if the idea was very crude and very similar to the tail swiped from Draco. During the entire time, the Eater was nowhere to be seen. For the first time since I arrived at the cave, there were no signs of it anywhere. No sounds of metal grinding against metal, no pained screams of animals that were caught in its jaws, no trees being pushed around, nothing. But that either meant very little, or that I was in a lot of trouble. Then again, I was in trouble either way. The Eater being gone only meant that one of those creatures was not around, and if it was hiding, well. Eaters would travel across those mountains every now and then. If I had some bad luck, I would have to hide from them either way. That was just one extra possible monster to fight against. I waited, and soon, the System sent a message. [Skill {Formless Steps of Prey} has been added. The following skills have been stored in the skill memory bank: {Quick Tier 1 Evolution}.] ¡°Perfect, let¡¯s get out of here.¡± Climbing up the terrace, once more I arrived at the forest in the mountain. In my bag were some shrunken scraps of leather, the two blankets that also had their size reduced, and a handful of jerky. Likely enough for two, maybe three, meals. By the side, still on my waist, was the waterskin and around my arms and legs, the lion leather was working as vambraces and greaves.My shirt was mostly ripped, only covering my breasts and the massive scar covering my torso was a constant reminder of the price I paid to get the System. My pants were mostly intact, with a couple of rips here and there, but nothing that destroyed the integrity of it. That¡¯s why I liked loose pants. It was easier to just push the fabric away instead of ripping it with an attack. Before starting to move, I looked back at the forest below. Part of me hoped to see the Eater. Even if it was the most dangerous thing on the mountains, knowing where it was would be better than thinking it¡¯s missing. But it was no longer there. The only option was to move on. Doing one last check to make sure nothing I needed was being left behind. I turned east and started walking. Going down to the forest in front of the cave was the only way to leave the mountain itself. All other directions had steep drops filled with jagger rocks, or the ground was simply too unstable to give proper footing. But this time, one of those paths would have to suffice. The idea was to go through the eastern side. Yes, that was filled with the tall cliffs, but it was just one massive drop. Using {Compression} maybe I could have the pole working as an elevator again. It didn¡¯t take long before I started moving along the edge, looking for the best spot to leave. Everything seemed so different for some reason. And it wasn¡¯t just because I reached tier 1. Even with the dark clouds getting closer and closer, the world seemed brighter, more lively, more wonderful. I had survived a fight with an Eater, hunted several mutated beasts, including a mountain lion, reached tier 1, and now I was ready to search for Pops or anyone who survived after the Eaters reached my home. ¡°This is it,¡± I stopped next to a tree growing on the edge of the mountain. There was a small outcropping below, but the rocks there were jagged and a person wouldn¡¯t be able to use that as a foothold. But a metal staff was another thing entirely. Double checking, I still had 4 Energy available and 1 use of {Compression}. Unfortunately, {Mind of Possibility} was still unavailable, and it would take a while for it to recover. And {Energy Storage} only had 12 Energy in case I needed it. While still looking over everything and trying to figure out the past angle to go for, a raindrop hit my forehead. ¡°Shit. If it starts to rain while I¡¯m going down, I¡¯m fucked,¡± with a groan I sent all caution to the wind. Putting out my hand holding the staff I triggered {Compression} telling the pole to become 10 meters [32ft] tall. It slammed against the rocks and embedded itself amongst them. Sliding down the pole like the old firemen was quick, and thanks to my high level of Body, I was able to stop myself before slamming against the rocks. {Compression} triggered again, making the iron staff small, and I repeated the process one more time. Another 10 meters [32ft] down and all that was left was a small jump that happened just as the rain started to fall. I was free. I managed to escape that mountain, and there was nothing stopping me from searching for my family. Or so I thought. During my descent, my focus was on moving quickly and safely. But not quietly. My mind was racing too much as the staff hit against the rocks, my eyes too focused on where I needed to aim for me to register the loud clanging sound that happened every time {Compression} was triggered. Just as my feet landed on the ground in front of this side of the mountain, and the rain started, a loud sound of grinding metal and trees being violently pushed away echoed from the edge of the forest to my right. All the noise I made called the Eater here. Without wasting even a second, I turned towards the road a few hundred meters [yards] in front of me and started running with everything I got. Fuck killing that shit, I just want to live. 21 - The Eater
I was able to reach the forest across the dirt road before the Eater appeared in the open field. But I wasn¡¯t about to delude myself into thinking I was safe. Those monsters were notoriously good at finding their prey. Maybe it would just follow the tracks left behind, or it was something to do with smell, or Energy. Hell, maybe because of the System and the SP, it would be even easier for it to locate me. Glancing back for a moment, I saw it. The tentacles of that monster rushing out, moving in a roiling mass of appendages and metal. Was it even metal? I had no idea, but it glistened in the light. The pale white glow from its core was evident, even if the sun was still out. I knew that the monster was coming, I truly did, but there was still a small part of me who hoped, prayed, that knowledge to be wrong. That piece of me died the moment the monster moved. It wasn¡¯t looking around, searching for something. No, the Eater was making a B Line in my direction. It already knew where I was. It didn¡¯t matter that the trees were between us, or that the rain hid most of my smell and noise. The predator already had found its quarry. A loud thunder echoed through the mountains, the cold water hitting my skin made the memory of the attack resurface. Just like before, I was running through the forest, rain coming down, my heart pounding in my chest and a nightmarish monster following me. Would things end up in the same way? Would all the effort only result in the Eater impaling my stomach? There is no integration to save me this time. But I don¡¯t want to die. I want to see Pops again. Is he even alive? What¡¯s the point of it all? STOP THAT, CASSANDRA! Run first, crisis later. I rubbed my eyes, getting rid of the water on them. It mostly came from the rain, but a tiny amount was the beginning of a tear. I could cry later. Things were different now. For one, the sun was out and I could see where I was going. I also had the System and all the skills that came with it. Not to mention the attributes. Before, being caught by an Eater was just a matter of time, I had little to no hopes of outrunning that thing. Now that wasn¡¯t the case. I was faster, much faster than ever before. Trying to look back again, there was nothing to be seen but various trees. This part of the forest wasn¡¯t as dense as the one on the mountain, but it was still enough to make it impossible to see past it. A loud crashing sound reverberated, at the same time, the ground shook ever so slightly. I lived in this area for long enough to understand what happened. A tree just fell. Another crash, followed by the tremor. That meant a second tree, and it was getting closer. Sure, that helps, if the Eater is lashing out and attacking the forest, I can get more time. But more time for what? Where am I going? I need a plan. Emerging from the trees near another dirt road, I quickly crossed it and vanished in the forest on the other side. I made a sharp turn to the right, hoping that could make the monster lose my tracks. ¡®Sys. {Mind of Possibility} now!¡¯ [Skill {Mind of Possibility} does not have enough Energy to be activated.] Worth a shot. Maybe I should head to a river? Eaters are bad with water. No, that won¡¯t work. There is no river nearby. Not one that would be large enough to help. They struggle to go over water. They don¡¯t melt when it touches them. Is there a cave, or some place small nearby to hide? Not that I know of. Then what? What the fuck do I do? I heard a strange noise, metallic, but also¡­ funny? It was almost as if something was bouncing. I never heard that sound before, but that was the only way to explain it. Another loud crash, this time weaker, so it wasn¡¯t one of the massive trees toppling over. But it also sounded closer. Was there a way for me to escape? Maybe, but it was a gamble with low odds. I had no idea how to make an Eater forget about me. So fighting? I really didn¡¯t want to. All that shit talk about killing it, was just that. Talk. It¡¯s one thing to say you can beat a bear while fighting bare handed. Another thing to actually do that. Another odd, bouncy sound echoed. Glancing up, I saw a shape moving down, falling through the tree line. It was still far away, but getting closer. More noise, this time a loud crash followed by a tremor. Another tree had toppled. Fuck, I was about to fight a bear bare handed, wasn¡¯t I? Well, not bare handed. The staff was firmly in my hand. Ok, if I¡¯m doing this, how can I stack the odds against the Eater? Traps? No time. Location then. I need a place that is wide enough to use the staff without worrying about trees blocking me, but that still has enough random bullshit on the ground to make {Formless Steps of Prey} shine. If the skill followed how the deer moved, it would work better in places with a lot of obstacles. When in an open area, the deer focused on speed, but when surrounded by trees, rocks, and such, it would use that to evade my attacks. To my left, the forest became a bit more sparse, and there were a few large trunks on the ground, one large rock, capable of hiding my entire body and a few smaller ones spread around that would be between reaching my shins and my knees. Stolen from Royal Road, this story should be reported if encountered on Amazon. The sound of something bouncing rang once more. Looking to the right, I was able to see the Eater barreling through the air after it jumped. It flew above the trees before coming down to the ground. This time, it landed in my view. Still far away, on the edge of the dirt road to the right. Without wasting any more time, I moved to the clearing, finding a spot that I thought it would be good for the fight. Seeing there was still a bit of time before the Eater arrived, I quickly untied my bag and the waterskin from my waist and tossed it by the large rock. I needed focus, and those things dangling could distract me. Just as the sack landed on the ground, the Eater emerged through the forest. Its tentacles rushed out from behind the trees, the maw filled with jagged teeth came in to view, breaking through a tin layer of mist that had just been formed. No, it wasn¡¯t mist, but steam. As the rain hit the creature, it evaporated due to the intense heat it emanated. From the center of its mouth, a larger stream of steam shot out, illuminated by the pale light coming from within. The massive legs pushed forward, each limb ending in a thin spike. I clenched my fists over the staff, pointing the metal pole at the monster. Once the creature saw me, if it could truly see, it stopped rushing. It moved slowly and methodically. Analyzing my movements. I never heard about Eaters acting like that. They would always charge and attack without a second thought. Yet, now it wasn¡¯t acting like that unstoppable monster. It was acting as if it was a predator that had just met another. It¡­ it saw me as a threat. Or at least, something far enough from a prey that warranted caution. ¡®Sys, more charges to {Compression} and trigger {Formless Steps of Prey}.¡¯ I felt the two points of Energy spreading around my body. Part of that just gathered in my chest while the rest moved to my legs, empowering them. [{Compression} currently has 6 charges.] My eyes refused to leave the monster in front of me. Placing one leg back, I got ready to respond to whatever was about to come. But there was one more thing I wanted to know. Without saying anything, I sent the command to the System, who quickly gave me an answer. [Scavenger Eater - Tier 1] Just as the name appeared in front of me, the Eater¡¯s tentacles started to tremble. It lowered its body, the mouth coming into full view, and let out a guttural roar. It sounded artificial, like the kind of noise a ship would make when sinking. Metal bending and breaking because of the strain. The monster lunged at me and I did the same, but instead of attacking, I tumbled under the creature. My staff grew as the monster covered the sky, slamming on its underside and sending it flying up into the air while keeping the momentum of its movement. But that wasn¡¯t fast enough, just before the metal pole hit it, the tentacles of the creature lashed out, a couple tried to cut my wrist, but were blocked by the lion pelt vambrace. Another hit my biceps, trying to wrap around it, but was only able to leave a bruise behind. Sniping around, I quickly rushed after it, jumping from side to side while keeping the staff on its bigger form to improve my reach. As long as my movement was fast enough, I would be able to hit it from the back. But that was a mistake. An Eater wasn¡¯t like a regular animal. It didn¡¯t have a back. Just as I jumped towards it, the monster, without changing its position, sent several tentacles towards me. They were far away, but the monster used its own version of {Compression} to make them bigger. About eight appendages were coiled together, forming a drill aimed at me. Quickly pointing the staff down, I used that as a vaulting pole to jump over the incoming attack. I was able to escape that tentacle drill, but another appendage lashed out, grabbing my leg and slamming me on the ground. The staff escaped my hand, clattering among the rocks as I kicked the tentacle away. Normally, that kind of thing wouldn¡¯t work, but thanks to the lion pelt greaves around my shins, it worked. Even if the leather armor was pulled by the tentacle, leaving me a bit more exposed. The Eater didn¡¯t wait for me to move. It rushed forward and tried to stab me with one of its legs before I could get to my feet. After barely being able to roll away, I kicked the massive spider like leg while pushing up with my arms.{Formless Steps of Prey} enhanced the strength in my feet, allowing me to get some distance between us. Using that momentum, I jumped to the side, spinning in the air and getting closer to the staff once more, but the creature seemed to understand my intention. It sent out another tentacle drill aimed at where I should land. However, my skill did its work. With a quick kick against the side of a rock, I changed the trajectory of my jump, going above the drill attack and reaching my weapon. Grabbing the staff, that was still much longer than usual, I tried to stab the Eater a couple of times, every strike missing. Changing the idea, I went for a couple of swings that slammed against the monster¡¯s legs. It felt like I was attacking a rock, even sturdier than a tree. Annoyed by the strikes, the creature grabbed the staff, trying to pull me towards it. For a moment, we struggled in a tug of war. Somehow I could challenge the strength of an Eater. A brief moment of distraction was all it took for the monster to lash out. It sent another tentacle drill. A smaller one, but that moved considerably faster. I had to duck under it, and even then, the attack slashed my exposed back. A bit of warm blood started to cover my body, most of the wound being instantly cauterized by the heat of the creature, while the drill slammed against the rock behind me, causing part of it to collapse onto the tentacle. The Eater struggled to pull its appendages back, seemingly stuck, and it was my time to take advantage of the situation. Rushing forward, I used a few of the rocks as steps to go up and then jumped on the tallest rock in the area to get even higher. While moving, the staff became smaller, just enough to hold with both hands. Once I reached the apex of my climb, I jumped over the Eater and spun in the air a couple of times while on my side, thinking about the tail swipe of a dragon. At the end of the second spin, I held on the staff and {Compression} made it grow large enough to reach the monster. The attack aimed at the joint of its thinner leg. My eyes went wide as the strike connected, continued and hit the center of mass of the creature, pushing the monster back and breaking off my initial target. I had just ripped out a leg from an Eater. Bloodlust and anger filled my eyes. Those monsters killed my parents, they killed my village, they almost killed me, and they might even have killed Pops. But they could bleed. With a roar I yelled, my voice carrying even beyond the sound of the rain, "You are dead, you fucker!" I was going to kill that thing, even if it was the last thing I would do. 22 - Can Bleed After ripping out one of the Eater¡¯s legs and screaming, I had a moment to pause. A thick white liquid, similar to milk but somehow emanating a bit of light, spew from both the bisected limb on the ground and the stump on the monster¡¯s body. The attack didn¡¯t make the creature scream. In fact, nothing about its movements made it seem like it even acknowledged what had just happened. Then again, it also wasn¡¯t struggling to stand up. For the first time, I took a proper look at the creature. Not at the fear covered concept of the nightmare, but what was actually in front of me. This Eater wasn¡¯t as big as it seemed. Its mouth should be reaching around my chest, the legs and tentacles went a bit above, but they were thin. It very much looked like it was trying to appear bigger than it really was. To be fair, that is a common trick. Several animals had ways to do that, in order to seem more intimidating to predators. But if that was the case, why would Eaters need to ward off predators? Was there really something that considered them prey? The monster shifted, turning so that its wound faced away from me. Its tentacles reached upward, flailing around wildly. Anyone could tell that it wasn¡¯t just a random movement. Despite the apparent frenzy that had purpose, I just didn¡¯t know what it was. {Formless Steps of Prey} was still active, but there was no time to waste. Letting the Eater do whatever it wanted sounded like a bad idea, one way or the other. Moving towards it, I made sure not to hold back on using the skill for a moment. The best part of it was the unpredictability. As I got closer, my legs pushed harder against the floor, while my body still acted as if it wasn¡¯t a big strain. Before I could reach it, the tentacles lashed out, a couple coming in wide arcs towards my torso. With a kick, I jumped over them, spinning in the air over the creature. Once more, my aim was to break one of its legs, but expecting the same thing to work twice in a row ended up being a bad move. Most of the tentacles gathered above the Eater¡¯s mouth and coiled, forming one single massive drill that shot out towards me. I had no way to maneuver while jumping, however, I was already mid swing. Changing the target, I aimed at the tentacles themselves. The impact shifted me enough away not to be skewered, but not enough to get out completely unscathed. The blow sent me spinning as the drill hit the side of my stomach, ripping part of the skin and the flesh. At least the heat emanating from the creature was not enough to burn the wound instantly. Tumbling on the floor, before quickly getting back to my feet, I considered using {Body Regeneration}, but I only had 2 Energy left. A sharp pain washed over my back, the wound created in the beginning of the fight flaring up with my movements. Then again, what was the point of saving something if I died before being able to use it. Hiding behind the large rock for a moment, I called the System in my mind, ¡®Sys, can you control {Body Regeneration}? Make it focus on the dangerous wounds while I keep fighting?¡¯ I could hear the Eater moving, but it seemed like it was also taking this chance to do¡­ something. [System is able to perform said function. However, unlike actions taken during integration, current control would create a weaker result than if user controls the skill herself.] ¡®I¡¯ll do that later, for now. Make sure I can fight, and survive,¡¯ I asked before activating {Body Regeneration}. That skill saved my life once and was about to do that again. The odd sensation of sometime leaving me by going inside happened again and quickly spread to my wounds. My stomach, my back, and my shoulder, which I didn¡¯t even realize was wounded after the Eater slammed me into the ground. Pushing those thoughts away, I emerged from the other side of the rock, ready to fight. Only to be struck by a tentacle acting like a whip. The strike opened a gash in my arm, but the SP responsible for {Body Regeneration} quickly went to work, focusing first on the muscles so I could move normally. Ignoring the pain, I lunged at the monster, this time staying on the ground while my staff slammed against the joints of the legs. I still wasn¡¯t sure how I was supposed to kill it, but making it bleed out was the first idea that came to mind. The staff hit the creature three times in a row as the spinning motion allowed me to deliver a flurry of attacks while dancing in front of it, evading the large attacks that tried to pierce my body. But my greed was punished by the smaller tendrils that lashed out, cutting up my face and poking small holes in my chest. If I was a man, that attack might have pierced my lungs, or heart, but my breasts saved me. Another reason to like them. The fatty tissue was the only thing damaged as I scurried away, getting some distance between us. Still, progress was being made. The leg I started attacking cracked, which could only be seen due to the milky white liquid seeping from the fractures. At the same time, the particles started to close the holes in my chest. They worked quickly, just patching things up and numbing the pain before returning to the gash on my back. The adrenaline pumping through my veins stopped me from realizing how badly that injury actually was, and how much worse I was making it by moving around so much. Still, there was no other option. I moved in again, attacking the same leg I already started my work. A single strike, then I pulled back, escaping the tendrils that reached out. Repeating the process three more times, all of them with just one single blow. It was all I could muster while being safe. Anything else and I risked getting hit by the smaller tentacles again. The larger ones weren¡¯t able to hit me, they moved too slowly when trying to grab something that was so close. And I was going to take advantage of that. After the fourth attack, where the creature couldn¡¯t do anything against my quick movements, it lowered its body. The sound of metal being strained coming out of it. Followed by a bouncy noise as the creature jumped high in the air, before coming down towards me. It was hard to understand what it was doing. Sure, if that hit me, I was done, but the attack took so long that I didn¡¯t even have to run to get away from the landing zone. Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. Once it reached the ground, one of the larger tentacles on its back began a wide arc. I moved back, ready to evade the attack, but it came faster than I was expecting, not just that, but the tentacle seemed longer and I could tell that wasn¡¯t a skill. How? I wasn¡¯t sure, but a part of me knew. Quickly leaning back, I ended up losing my balance and falling to the ground, my shoulder plates hitting a rock, sending a jolt of pain all over my body. Right after that, I saw another tentacle coming down towards me like a whip. Pushing myself to the side, that milky white liquid splashed around as the rock that just hurt me was evaporated with the strike. That wasn¡¯t a tentacle. My eyes followed the Eater, getting wider and wider once I realized what happened. The monster jumped to grab its broken leg, and now it was using it as a weapon to strike me. I tried to get to my feet again, but another slam forced me to jump away, tumbling on the ground. The shock wave caused by the attack sent out jagged pellets everywhere. The broken leg was being held by a large tentacle, but that also meant that getting closer to the main body might be safer. Being the only idea in mind, I rushed forward, starting to attack another leg. This one was mostly unscathed, even if it was closer to the stump. Small tendrils lashed out at me again, and I did my best to avoid them, but the focus was on the offensive. As long as they didn¡¯t hit my eyes, I would ignore the cuts and holes being created in my body and let {Body Regeneration} take care of it. It was a bad idea, I knew that, but things were going south fast. The Eater showed no sign of stopping and now was even using its own weapon. Unless I was able to deal a significant blow, the fight would end with me as a corpse. I attacked again, and again, ignoring the searing pain caused by the small tentacles. Cracks began to appear as I danced around the leg with the help of {Formless Steps of Prey}, using any brief momentum to increase the power behind my attacks. The larger tentacles came at me, forcing me to jump, but the smaller ones moved right after it, stopping my movement and slowly pulling me towards its mouth. I pushed away, hitting the leg again with my staff from above and finally breaking it. The monster tilted to the side, but that wasn¡¯t enough to stop its movements. Did those fucking things didn¡¯t even feel pain? Pulling back the staff, I pushed it against the side of the creature¡¯s mouth, using all my strength to stop the tentacles from getting me there. Out of the corner of my eye, I noticed the tentacle holding the leg starting to move, and its intentions were clear. The Eater was going to use the leg again to push me into its maw. I needed to get out. I needed to move away, but it was too much, too many tendrils were holding my body. The large tentacle moved, at the same time I triggered {Compression}, the sudden growth of my staff being just enough to free myself from the tendrils. I flung my body forward, hugging the metal pipe and let the broken leg of the water pass through me, and go directly into the creature¡¯s mouth. Yet, there was no damage. The Eater was able to stop it before it touched even a single one of its teeth. But it was inside, the massive leg was still inside the creature¡¯s maw, and somewhat deep inside it. Going for a hail Mary, I reached out and touched the broken leg that was being used as a weapon and triggered {Compression} once more. But not aimed at my staff, but at the leg itself. After all, it was now a weapon, not a body part. The skill couldn¡¯t work with living creatures, but it worked on pelts. Same principle. The instruction was simple, grow. I commanded the skill to make the leg grow as much as it could as fast as it could. Suddenly the already massive black limp rushed towards me, pushing me away from the Eater and snapping the tip of my staff. I fell to the ground and quickly got up, ready to attack again, but I stopped. The leg of an Eater is similar to the exoskeleton of a bug. It¡¯s incredibly sturdy and made to withstand most types of damage. They are not indestructible by any means, but it is the more resilient part of the creature. So much so that the moment the leg grew, it crashed against the monster¡¯s teeth and continued. It pressed forward, forcing the Eater form to expand beyond its natural size before the skill couldn¡¯t push back any longer. The creature was able to stop {Compression}, or at least stop the energy behind it, but it came at a heavy cost. All over its midsection were countless fractures, only seen due to the milky white liquid dripping from the cracks. In addition, the leg had went all the way to the ground, which wasn¡¯t anything special since the mouth of an Eater was a literal hole in the middle of its body, but the leg now became a stake, that stopped the creature from moving. ¡®Sys, can I use {Compression} through an object?¡¯ I knew there was one more use left of the skill, maybe that would be enough to finish the job. But the tentacles were still moving, the smaller ones at least. The larger ones were holding on to the giant broken leg, trying to pull it out of the ground. [Yes.] The System replied, understanding my idea. I grabbed my staff and approached the Eater, the smaller tentacles trying to reach me, but to no avail. With the metal pole, I poked the leg trapping the creature and triggered {Compression} one more time. Again, telling it to grow as much as it could. The SP flew off of me and through the staff, reaching the broken leg before starting to push again. More cracks appeared around the Eater and the ones already there only grew, but the creature was still moving. ¡®Fuck. How long until I get more Energy?¡¯ [10 minutes if user takes the Energy available in {Energy Storage}. Alternatively, System can drink the white liquid coming out of the Eater. If it is the same liquid that was present in the Eater user killed before integration, Energy will be recovered in a matter of seconds.] I glanced around, the second leg that I broke was a bit far from the monster. And it was leaking that liquid. The idea of drinking¡­ whatever that was, didn¡¯t sound good, but it was better than letting this monster live. I quickly pulled the leg away, evading the tendrils and a pitiful attempt of the Eater to stab me with one of its remaining legs. After taking a whiff, and realizing that at least there was no smell attached to the liquid, I steeled myself and took a swig. It was¡­ surprisingly ok. It tasted like water and metal. But that was it. ¡®Sys, are you messing with the taste?¡¯ [No. User has recovered 1 Energy.] A sip was enough to give me 1 point of Energy? Ok, I get how the System saved my life then. Taking a couple more sips, I refilled my energy to 4 points before tossing the leg back to the ground and walking over to the Eater again. {Compression} was triggered five more times, each attempt increased the number of fractures, and by the last one, the pitch black form of the creature was now pure white, completely covered in that milky blood. With one last push, the broken leg finally became too much for the Eater, and its body was broken into several pieces. I stepped back and started laughing, the rain still hitting me and washing over all the mud, grime, and blood from both of us that was still stuck to my body. A victory music from an old game played in my mind, making me laugh even harder. Yeah, that one I deserve. [Congratulations user Cassandra. You have reached level 2 of tier 1. 1 skill available] 23 - Victory I stepped back with a smile on my face. The Eater was dead, and I was the one who killed it. It was by no means easy, and my own weapon did nowhere near enough damage to it, but still. A win was a win. With {Body Regeneration} still running, I took charge of the particles, sending them to the places that hurt the most. My back, which still had issues, and my left shoulder. When I gave up trying to dodge, that side got torn to pieces by the monster. There was still close to 9 minutes on the skill which should give some decent results. Especially since it was more powerful now. However, as soon as I took over, a sharp pain spread around my body, my muscles were burning, and the spots where the Eater hit me hurt like hell. Especially my chest. I had barely felt anything once the tentacles pierced the skin, but now, it was even hard to breathe. ¡°The fuck? What is going on?¡± I gasped, trying not to fall to the ground. [User took control of particles responsible for {Body Regeneration}, in doing so, the small amount of particles that were responsible for controlling the level of pain user would feel were given different orders.] ¡°Since when does {Body Regeneration} stops pain?¡± [Once user became tier 1, skill {Body Regeneration} was improved as it is closer to its original tier. The new function is to reduce the pain felt by user.] ¡°Ok, then, can you do that again? While the skill is active. Just the bit to stop the pain, I¡¯ll control the rest.¡± [Acknowledged.] As soon as the System answered, there was a tingling sensation at the back of my head, just at the base of the spine, as the pain vanished. No, not vanished, I still could feel it, and there was a part of me that understood how bad each wound was. It was as if my body could still recognize the pain I should be feeling, but without the actual pain behind it. ¡°Can I use {Body Regeneration} again? To have another layer of the effect at the same time?¡± most of the particles were still focused on the wound in my back. It was bad, during the fight the adrenaline kicked in and I didn¡¯t realize what was happening. Not only was my skin and some of the muscles torn, but they also burned, and started to close thanks to my healing skill. However, with each big movement I did, the wound was ripped open again and again. The result was a mess of an injury where each part was healing in the wrong way. If I didn¡¯t fix that somehow, I would end up struggling to move in the future. [Skill {Body Regeneration} can have two casts overlapping since user is now at tier 1. To increase the number of casts, user must reach tier 2.] ¡°Perfect,¡± without missing a beat, I called the skill again. Letting the second cast focus on my shoulder and chest. The first use was already covering my entire back, adding more to it felt like wouldn¡¯t do anything. ¡°Let me see my status, and the new skill.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cassandra Ydorf - Level 2 Titles: Enduring Heart Tier 1 - Formless Monk Mind 3 - Body - 8 Memory - 6 Energy - 1/7 (2 Reserved) 1 attribute point available. Skills - 6/6 Formless Series - Passive Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy Memory Bank - Passive - 1 Energy Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes Compression - Active - 1 Energy/ 5 uses Formless Steps of Prey - Active - 1 Energy/10 minutes Mind of Possibility - Unavailable ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°More Energy? Really? I just got an extra point,¡± I gasped. [According to user¡¯s class description, Energy will have an increased growth rate.] ¡°Perfect, I¡¯m not going to complain about that. Also, put that free point into Mind.¡± [Acknowledged.] ¡°What about the new skill?¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Formless Nodus Swipe - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy Single use Using the image created by Nodus Secundus, the Formless Monk performs a move that mirrors the tail of a dragon. Delivers a powerful blow when the attack is made in a swiping motion. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I glanced to the Eater, its body was still there, but if memory served me right, it was now letting out a smell that repelled other animals. I had no idea what it would do with another Eater, or even if there was one nearby, but for now, this place felt safer than anything else. Turning back to the System, I asked. ¡°Can we do that thing with {Mind of Possibility}? To see the skill?¡± In front of me, standing over the Eater, Proxy appeared again. That pseudo holographic version of myself. She got into a fighting stance, took a step back, and went for a spinning kick. Aimed at the large rock. However, it didn¡¯t look like anything special. There was no glow or anything of the sort, and she only hit the stone without doing anything. It looked more like it was just showing a regular move as a comparison. My theory was quickly confirmed. Proxy got back to position and went in for another kick. This time, an orange glow appeared around her waist and moved along her leg, creating a constellation. Once her heel connected to the rock, a massive crack appeared, almost as big as the power behind Burst of Strength without its limiter. Stolen from its rightful author, this tale is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings. Proxy then presented her leg to me, and there was no wound. Not even a scratch. She then stepped back as my staff appeared in her hand. As she got into position, holding the pole with both hands and going for a spinning attack. The glow this time spread from her waist, following all the length of the staff. The impact against the rock sent splinters flying off in various directions. Even if the rock still stood strong, there was a large chunk completely broken, and cracks covered the entire structure. Despite the incredible sight, I was focused on something else. For a brief moment, just before the attack connected, the constellation of particles spreading across Proxy¡¯s body and staff looked like the tail of a dragon. An actual tail. Scales, spikes, muscle, the whole deal. I thought the text was just something to make me happy, but this truly looked like something made to mirror a dragon. Now, let¡¯s be honest, a dragon, an actual dragon, if they were a thing, would crush a rock like that without even attacking it. But still! I really wanted to take that skill, but there was nothing to take away. {Compression} was still too good, without it I wouldn¡¯t have been able to kill the Eater, and {Formless Steps of Prey} kept me alive for way longer than I thought it would be possible. I still didn¡¯t have enough Energy to think {Energy Storage} was unnecessary, and {Memory Bank} was the only way to save a skill for later. {Formless Series} would be required for that skill, and I won¡¯t even dream about getting rid of {Body Regeneration}. So¡­ I couldn¡¯t get that one. Not right now. With a sigh, I told System to save Formless Nodus Swipe for later. There would come a day when I got to use that skill, it was just going to be later. Maybe I could even swap them when I was in a safe place to play with the new toy. Once the 10 minutes of both {Body Regeneration} casts were over, I felt much better, but my back and my shoulder were still not in peak condition. Using the skill one more time, my Energy dropped to 0. Walking along the forest like that would be dangerous. Sure I could¡¯ve done that before the System, but what was the point of having this kind of power if I couldn¡¯t use it. Sys noticed my frustration, and we had a brief discussion before they gave me the best, worst suggestion I ever heard. [User could consume the liquid still present in Eater¡¯s body. Said liquid has a high concentration of Energy and can not only refill users¡¯ Energy but also {Energy Storage} or {Mind of Possibility}. The amount of Energy recovered will depend on how much user consumes.] I paused, it was one thing to drink that white blood in a moment of desperation, but now¡­ my stomach churned just by thinking about it. Not because of the taste, that was fine. It was more the concept. I would be eating an Eater¡¯s blood. An Eater that might have devoured my friends, my family. However¡­ giving me Energy wasn¡¯t the only benefit. It could give me a skill. An Eater skill. The ones I¡¯ve had saved my life again and again, could it be something even better? So what if I had just gained an incredible skill and couldn¡¯t use it, the Eater could have something that was worth swapping for? And if that really was made out of someone I knew, leaving it here wouldn¡¯t change thigs. Steeling myself, I walked over to the Eater¡¯s body, kneeling down before the pool of white liquid forming on the ground. ¡®It¡¯s just water, it¡¯s just water, it¡¯s just water,¡¯ making a cup with my hands, I closed my eyes and started drinking. After just a couple of sips, the System said, [User Cassandra has reached maximum Energy. Would user like to convert remaining Energy to {Energy Storage}, {Mind of Possibility}, or into SP for the next level.] ¡®Storage then {Mind of Possibility}, if both are full, then to SP,¡¯ I replied. That was the easiest way to do things. Everything that ended up in {Energy Storage} could be used for something else, and I had no intention of coming up with a decision right now. I kept drinking, and trying not to think, just gulping down the ¡®water¡¯ in front of me with my eyes closed. After I don¡¯t know how long, I made a mistake. Opening my eyes to see how much was left, I saw a few broken black tendrils floating in the water. They were unmoving, but they were clearly part of the Eater. Yet, they looked like worms, parasites created by the Eater. Swimming in the white blood I was drinking. Seeing that made me lose the fight against my stomach. I immediately threw up, leaning my body to the side. ¡°Fuck this. I¡¯m done,¡± I retched again before standing up and leaving that body. No skill was worth that. Using a different puddle, one with only rainwater, I started to clean myself. Even sloshing some water inside my mouth to get rid of any residue. ¡°Tell me I at least got a decent amount of Energy,¡± I asked the System. [User has completely filled both {Energy Storage}, and {Mind of Possibility}. Remaining Energy was converted into SP, advancing the progress to the next level by 45%.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Current level - 2 - tier 1 Progression to next level: 73.1% ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°What the fuck. There was that much Energy in there?¡± [Correct. System also identified signals of Energy having been under an effect similar to {Compression}.] ¡°They Eater compressed Energy itself? Can I do that?¡± [User is unable to replicate the effect. Data suggest either a different skill being used to create that condensed Energy, or the presence of an organ that assists with said process.] I looked back at the Eater, sitting in a pool of that luminous white liquid. It almost felt worth it to drink that¡­ almost. Triggering {Body Regeneration} one more time, I grabbed my staff and walked away. Even if I wanted to turn the Eater in a weapon or something, its body would quickly decompose, and the liquid¡­ hopefully the rain would wash it away. If an animal decided to drink that, maybe I could hunt it later to get some more SP. Without the creature around, I was finally free, and all I wanted was to search for Pops. To the east there was a large river, and a settlement by the shore. That was the closest place to my old home. If people survived, they likely went there. Especially since we used to trade with them. Usually, the trip took two days, but that was mostly because people needed to stop and rest. With the amount of Energy coursing through my body, the actual Body attribute I currently had and a sparse use of {Formless Steps of Prey}, I think I can get there by sundown. 24 - Road to Madison The sun was getting close to the horizon, but that didn¡¯t matter much. I was finally by the river. According to Pops, it was called Madison river because of¡­ someone from the old world? And I don¡¯t mean just the time before the Eaters, I mean the old, old world. History was never my best subject. I remembered some things, there were two world wars. Lincoln was a president once, and so was Roosevelt, but that was about it. Learning history never sounded all that important when we had to worry about how to not make food spoil, or how to identify poisonous berries. Besides, history brought very little to the table. At least when talking about survival. What was the point of learning from the mistakes of the past if we had no future? But now, maybe that would have to change. I should look at some history books or something. My outlook in life changed once I got the System, and after killing an Eater, any doubts I had that we could survive this had turned into a certainty. Sure, it will take a lot of time for enough people to have the System to consider wiping the Eaters out, but it is a start. The rain had stopped a couple of hours ago, but my clothes were still soaking wet, not to mentioned ripped to shreds. The fact that they still covered part of my torso was a miracle. And pants were mostly fine, but still full of holes. Reaching the river, I started going upstream. I was in an area that was too wide, too deep, and with a current way too strong to let me just swim through. At least there was a bridge north, even if that would force me to make a detour. Then again, it did give time to think about something. I was going off on the assumption that I could share the System with others in some way. Considering some of the things Sys talked with me about, that seemed to be the case, but I never actually confirmed it. ¡°Hey Sys. Can I share you with others?¡± [User can share System with other humans. If user wishes to share System with a member of a different species, a skill is required.] ¡°And can I just share it with whomever?¡± [User must spend a total of 10% of progression to the next level in order to share System with another person. The 10% mentioned is not 10% of the current progression. As an example, if user is at 50% progression to the next level and pass System to another person, user¡¯s progression would be reduced to 40%. In addition, user cannot share the System with another person for a 20 hours. That is the time required to repair and replenish the System infrastructure given to the person in question.] ¡°Would I be any weaker during that time?¡± [User SP generation will be cut in half during that period.] ¡°So it makes harder for me to level up after I share the System? The fact I¡¯m tier 1 makes any difference on that?¡± [It does. Being Tier 1 allows user to require only 10% of progression to next level. If user was tier 0, giving System to someone else would require 100% of progression to the next level and 200 hours before user is able to share it again. Being at Tier 2 would require only 1% of progression and 2 hours before user is able to share it again.] ¡°Ok, got it. Like most things, it gets easier the higher tier I am,¡± I finally go closer to the bridge, and on the other side was there was a wagon being pulled by a horse. The driver noticed me and stopped the vehicle. He made some gestures as if asking where I was going. Once I pointed back towards Madison village, he waved his hand, asking me to come along. The cart was pointing in the same direction, so they would likely at least pass by that settlement. Part of me felt suspicious. In the old world, people were taught not to follow strangers. But that wasn¡¯t really an issue for me. After all, if an Eater couldn¡¯t stop me, what could humans do? Someone else poked their head out of the wagon and started talking with the driver, but they just pointed at me again, which made them stop the argument. I hurried along the bridge, not wanting to leave them waiting. As soon as I arrived, they helped me up to the cart and quickly started moving. They hurry wasn¡¯t all that strange since we should only have a couple more hours of sunlight. ¡°Thanks for the help. Are you all going to Madison?¡± I asked once inside the wagon. There were three men there, one muscular one with short hair, one more lean, but still with some muscle, and the last one smaller and thin with greasy hair. While getting here, I really tried not to think badly of them, after all, they were helping and being paranoid wasn¡¯t going to bring any benefits. But it was hard, especially when I could feel their eyes all over my body. Then again, I did look like a crazed mountain lady, hopefully that was it. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it ¡°Yes, we are. Where are you coming from?¡± the burly man asked. ¡°I¡¯m from the Hidden Horn Village. We got attacked a while ago.¡± ¡°It¡¯s been more than a week since that attack, doesn¡¯t it? A few of your people came to Madison,¡± the lean man frowned. A wide smile covered my face, ¡°Really? Are some of my people are there? Do you know how many?¡± ¡°There are five, maybe six. One old guy and a fat chick. Can¡¯t remember about the rest,¡± the greasy man replied. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t explain why it took you so long to get here,¡± the burly man pressed. ¡°I got hurt during the attack, sprained my ankle. I couldn¡¯t run all that well, so I hid in a cave up the mountain. But an Eater kept stalking the area. Every time I thought I had a chance to get out, it would show up again. Only when I stopped seeing it for two days that I felt safe enough to run.¡± The burly man nodded, ¡°That was a good call. You¡¯ve been through a lot.¡± Ok, maybe they were good people. ¡°And so did we. I mean, having more mouths to feed is not easy. It feels like we should be getting repaid for our kindness,¡± the greasy man said while not looking at my face. Maybe they were not good people. ¡°I don¡¯t have anything of value to trade on me, but I¡¯m a good hunter. I¡¯ll take care of my people when we get to the village,¡± I replied. ¡°That¡¯s a nice sentiment, but it doesn¡¯t do much for everything we¡¯ve already done for them, and for the ride we are giving you,¡± the lean man added. ¡°There are a few ways you could pay us back,¡± the burly man smiled and placed his hand on my tight. ¡°And if I say no?¡± ¡°Then I¡¯m going to have to ask you to step off the wagon, miss,¡± the driver spoke up, ¡°You are free to head to the city, and with luck they will let you in. It¡¯s not like you are a dangerous individual that should be kept away. And no one would say otherwise.¡± And there was the treat. I let them do what they want with me or they stop me from getting to Madison. That really sucked, why couldn¡¯t people just help each other. It¡¯s not like I¡¯m eating their food or making them late. All they had to do was wait for less than a minute. ¡°C¡¯mon. That fat chick refused to help us. The least you can do is pick up the slack,¡± the greasy man approached, putting his hand on my knees. ¡°You asked Cindy to do this?¡± ¡°We did, she ran away from us when we talked with her. That really hurt my feelings,¡± the greasy man got even closer, his hands unsuccessfully putting some pressure to open my legs. I gave him a smile, ¡°You know what. I think I¡¯m going to enjoy this.¡± ¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª¡ª Marco was having a great day. The people from the Hidden Horn Village were settling in nicely, and thanks to his help on the matter, the mayor finally gave him a promotion. He was now a mounted guard, having his own horse and the job of patrolling the surrounding area of the village. That was a dangerous job, but one he did with pride. If anything were to happen outside, he had the authority to deal with it. Today was the day Derrick and the transport crew would come back, too. They were an annoying bunch, always teasing him about not being brave enough to stay outside the walls. Who wasn¡¯t brave now? His position was even higher than those guys. Distracted by those thoughts, he almost didn¡¯t notice a horse coming running towards him. Luckily, Chip, his horse, noticed the animal and moved away from its path. Once he realized what was going on, Marco also noticed that the horse had long reins and a saddle. The transport crew used to keep their horse like that. In case, they had to run leaving the supplied behind. Worried, he turned Chip in the direction the horse came from and told him to run. Marco had a crossbow on his back, a relic of the old world that was not only accurate but powerful. If the transport crew was in trouble, maybe he could do something to help. 20 minutes later, Chip had yet to lose steam, but Macro pulled him back. There was someone walking down the road. It looked like a woman, black skin, wild untamed hair wearing what could only be described as rags with a cloak over it. She was eating an apple and there was a large bag over her shoulder. A bag with an embroidery Marco recognized. Beth would make that when she crafted something she was particularly proud of. Quickly pulling his crossbow, he pointed at the woman, ¡°Halt! Who are you!¡± The woman raised both hands, and started chewing faster, pointing at herself and asking Marco to wait. One hand holding the bag and the other the half eaten apple. Eventually, she spoke up, ¡°Sorry. I¡¯m Cassandra. I¡¯m from the Hidden Horn Village. We got attacked a week, 10 days ago. I¡¯m not sure. It¡¯s all a blur. There was an Eater around and once it was gone, I came here.¡± ¡°And how do you have that bag?¡± ¡°This?¡± she waved the hand with the bag, ¡°I found a wagon back there. It was broken, people were dead and some of the boxes were all over the place. I was hungry, so I scavenged a little. I didn¡¯t take any of the fabric or other materials, but I figured that if I didn¡¯t take the food, some animal would.¡± Marco frowned, ¡°Show me.¡± ¡°Really? You are going to make me walk all the way back there? The sun is setting! I just want to get to Madison and see if anyone heard about my family.¡± ¡°If what you¡¯re saying is true, I¡¯ll give you a ride myself. Now move. Until proven otherwise, I¡¯m going to consider that you are the one responsible for what happened with the transport crew!¡± Marco continued with his bow trailed on Cassandra. ¡°Fine, are you going to complain if I keep eating this apple? I¡¯m hungry.¡± ¡°You can eat that one, but don¡¯t take another. That¡¯s property of the Madison Village.¡± ¡°Fine, fine,¡± Cassandra huffed and started walking back towards the wagon. She wasn¡¯t worried. Those people deserved what she had done to them, and this guard that was accusing her? Well, once he saw the state of the bodies, how they were broken, shattered and how the blood sprayed for several meters [feet] it would be very hard to believe a person was responsible for that. Unless they knew about the System. 25 - Madison Village I had to admit, there was a morbid beauty in my work. How I was able to make sure no one would believe a person could do all that. The muscular man had a hole going from his nose to the back of his head, caused by {Compression}. At the same time, the other side of my weapon crashed on the ground, breaking the floor of the wagon and the axis of the back wheels. Thanks to the speed we were moving, the wooden frame splintered, removing any of the actual evidence my staff was responsible for the attack. Now, it would be easy to think an Eater had pierced the man¡¯s skull. The lean man had his neck broken by a slam of my staff as we tumbled out of the wagon. But the greasy man took the brunt of my anger. I slammed the staff against his head, ripping out his jaw. Following that, with a spinning strike, I cracked his eggs, on purpose, of course. The impact sending him flying up in the air, then I kicked his stomach, sending him crashing against a tree. The driver fell once the wagon broke and was run over by the cart. He couldn¡¯t move properly while the other members of his team died. But as a mercy, I simply grabbed one wheel that came off and bashed his neck with it. I still felt angry after that and hurled the wheel at the body of the greasy man, which crashed against his torso and embedded itself in the tree behind. He was already dead, but the feeling of him pushing against my legs made my skin crawl. I had to say, this was a scene straight out of a horror movie. The type that appeared before the monster showed up for the first time. The one problem about all of this was¡­ it couldn¡¯t have been an eater. They never left bodies behind. At least everyone knew about monsters. Otherwise, it would be very hard to explain. The murder weapon was safely hidden in my boar pelt bag. The pole took the smallest size it could with {Compression} and I wrapped it in the scraps of mountain lion leather. ¡°What the hell did this?¡± Marco gasped, but I just stayed quiet, ¡°They didn¡¯t deserve this.¡± ¡°Were they good people?¡± I knew the answer to that, but I wanted to get a feeling for who this guy was. The only thing he did while we walked here was introduce himself. ¡°They were assholes, but they did help the village a lot. Especially with those supply runs. This was a rough way to go.¡± ¡°Did that happen often? The supply runs?¡± ¡°Once a month, usually. Every now and then they found someone on the way, or brought people who were lost. It was a good thing they found them, too. Without these four, who knows what would¡¯ve happened with the refugees. Some really struggled with whatever happened to them before getting to Madison.¡± ¡°I see,¡± there was no need to say anything more. That told me everything I needed to hear. Those vermin disguised as people had done that before. There wasn¡¯t a doubt in my mind that they had coerced some people they saved into ¡®having fun¡¯ in order to get to safety. ¡°Can we go now?¡± I¡¯m not trying to be mean, but we are losing sunlight, and I don¡¯t want to be out in the open during the night.¡± ¡°Yeah. Yeah, come here,¡± Marco moved with his horse closer to me and put out a hand, ¡°Chip here can take us back quickly. I¡¯ll grab some people tomorrow to gather what is left of the supplies. And sorry for suspecting you.¡± ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I understand,¡± I climbed up and the horse started moving. During the entire journey, my mind was racing. Who would be in Madison? Likely Pops and Cindy, but who else? Were Vanessa and Michael ok? I knew peter was dead, I saw him getting eaten, but the rest of my kids¡­ maybe they were ok. What if someone was injured because of the explosion? The System seemed to recognize my worry and spoke up, [Inquiry. Is user Cassandra upset about having killed people?] ¡®Those were not people, Sys. Once you cross certain line, you stop being a person. I¡¯m worried about my people. I don¡¯t know who I¡¯m about to find,¡¯ I replied in my mind. [User will find those who are here. Thinking about who they will be will bring no change to the results.] That was an obvious statement, and yet, it was oddly comforting. I would find who I would find and that¡¯s that. At least I could tell that some people who lived in Madison would be good people. Like Marco here. He seemed like a nice guy. Maybe a bit naive if he didn¡¯t know what the supply crew was doing, but he wasn¡¯t afraid to admit he was wrong. Even if he wasn¡¯t in this case. There were also others I knew. Or I should know. The merchants that visited my village were kind, but it¡¯s been a while since I saw them last. I kept occupying my mind with random thoughts like that for the next half an hour or so. Chip, Marco¡¯s horse, could keep a steady trot the entire time, even with my added weight. We reached the village a bit before the last rays of sunlight vanished behind the mountains. Marco also didn¡¯t talk much during the trip, which I appreciated. Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road. Madison was a much bigger place than my old home. Instead of half a dozen houses spread across the forest, there were close to fifty. All clumped together, built to withstand the elements and protect the people moving around. Surrounding everything was a tall wooden wall, with various spikes that protected the barrier from most things except the bigger animals. They also had one enormous structure, much larger than the community center back home. That had mostly the same function, a place for people to gather for meetings, and various activities. I never really understood how this many people could live together without a problem. Were they not afraid of Eaters? And how were they able to hunt enough food for them? Pops once told me they had farms nearby, but I don¡¯t remember seeing any. Once we approached, Marco talked with a couple of guards, who quickly opened the gate, letting us get inside. Across the road, and inside the houses, there were a few lamps with candles inside and those were already being lit. Still, they made sure not to create too much light since that would be a beacon for any Eater in the surrounding area. Someone approached, who seemed to be the captain of the guards. Marco and I dismounted the horse and approached him. The captain frowned when seeing me, ¡°I think I recognize you. But damn, you used to be a skinny little kid,¡± he smiled. Before I could say anything else, a voice reached my ear, ¡°Miss Cass!¡± I looked to the side and saw Vanessa yelling and running towards me. Rushing towards her I got the little girl in a tight hug, she was safe. My stupid idea of saving her worked, ¡°Hi Vanessa,¡± I said with tears in my eyes, ¡°You can¡¯t yell, remember?¡± I gave her a couple of kisses on her forehead. Michael, the other of my kids who I tried to save, approached a bit slower, but he also was getting ready to cry. ¡°Miss Cass? Is it really you?¡± he asked. I smiled, ¡°If it¡¯s not, there is a very pretty fake walking around,¡± I pulled him in for a hug as well. ¡°I can¡¯t believe this!¡± another voice, Cindy¡¯s. She had both her hands covering her mouth and seemed to have dropped a basket on the ground. I got up, picking both kids up, ¡°Hey Cindy. I really missed you.¡± Cindy approached, but she didn¡¯t hug me, instead she put out a hand gently, almost as if she was worried that touching me would make me go away. ¡°How? They told me you hit an Eater?¡± I could hear Marco and the captain getting tense when hearing that. Everyone knew that hitting an Eater was a death sentence. ¡°I tried, but my aim was awful. The rock I threw ended up hitting a tree, not the Eater. But it still caught its attention, so I just ran,¡± I turned to the two men behind me, ¡°There is nothing chasing me. I promise. If there was, I wouldn¡¯t have survived this long.¡± They paused for a moment, considering my words, and nodded. The captain then continued, ¡°Go with them. I still want to talk to you, but that can wait until the morning.¡± ¡°Early morning. If possible,¡± Marco added, making the captain turn to him with a confused expression, ¡°She found the supply crew, they were attacked by¡­ something. It wasn¡¯t an Eater. The bodies were still there, but we need to figure out what it was.¡± With a nod, the captain turned to me, ¡°Either way, it¡¯s late. And you deserve some rest. We¡¯ll talk in the morning. Go.¡± I thanked him and started walking with Cindy, one of the people in the city noticed what happened and helped her with her basket. Both kids were still in my arms, sniffling, with their heads buried in my cloak. ¡°How?¡± Cindy asked after a minute, we were walking to the other side of the village, where the houses were more sparse. ¡°It¡¯s a long story. Who else is here?¡± ¡°Your grandpa, and Peter.¡± ¡°What about PJ?¡± I asked. Cindy just shook her head, ¡°It¡­ it happened so fast. One moment he was with me and the next¡­¡± tears started forming in her eyes, ¡°I didn¡¯t hold on tight enough. It should¡¯ve been me.¡± ¡°Hey! None of that. You are not the one at fault here. The Eaters are.¡± We continued walking in silence for a moment. That sucked. PJ was dead¡­ and his dad, Peter, was alive. Pops would always say that the worst thing for a parent was to outlive their children. And then there was Cindy. How she was able to do all this was beyond me. After everything she went through, she still suffered more and continued to walk forward. ¡°We are staying here, with the kids,¡± Cindy pointed to a simple wooden house near the south bank of the river, ¡°Your grandfather is there, our neighbor,¡± she pointed at a house just a few meters away. Further away from the shore. ¡°They gave you two houses?¡± ¡°Last winter they lost some people. A bad case of the flue, from what they told us. Some of the houses were empty and having people inside it¡¯s better than leaving it as a reminder of who they lost,¡± Cindy explained. I nodded and put the kids on the ground. ¡°Miss Cass. Can¡¯t you sleep with us tonight?¡± Vanessa asked. That shy kid asking for something like this made me smile. ¡°Please Miss Cass,¡± Michael added, his big eyes making me think of a cat. ¡°You are more than welcome to stay with us. And so is Rakeen,¡± Cindy said. I nodded, ¡°I¡¯m going to talk with Pops, then I¡¯ll come here. Ok? We might take a little while. I need to have a conversation with him.¡± Cindy nodded with an understanding that caught me off guard. How would she know what I wanted to talk to him about? Unless she thought it was about something else. Either way, I gave the kids one more kiss and walked to the house where my grandpa was staying. For some reason, I felt really nervous. ¡®Sys, behave. Ok? We are about to meet the most important person in the world to me,¡¯ I said. [System is unable to communicate with others unless certain conditions are met. User has nothing to worry about in relation with System¡¯s behavior.] Taking a deep breath, I knocked on the door. There was some shuffling and grumbling, but eventually, it opened. On the other side, a man with dark skin, gray dreadlocks, a surprisingly fit build, and sunken eyes was waiting for me. Ignoring the powerful smell of liquor, I smiled, ¡°Hey Pops, I¡¯m home,¡± was all I could get out before he wrapped his arms around me in a hug, tears streaming from his face. ¡°Thank you. Thank you. Thank you,¡± he kept repeating while I walked inside. 26 - Underground Talk
It took Pops a good half an hour for him to get in a state where we could have a proper conversation. He was still piss drunk, and there was a part of him thinking I was just a hallucination. ¡®Sys, any chance I can use {Body Regeneration} to make him sober up?¡¯ [{Body Regeneration} can only be used by user. The skill can only be used to recover a user herself, not a different person.] ¡®Ok¡­ The hard way it is,¡¯ I sighed internally, and stood up. [How is user going to help this man get sober?] ¡®Just watch. And this is my grandpa. You can call him grandpa, or Pops.¡¯ [Acknowledged.] ¡°Where are you going?¡± Pops asked. ¡°I¡¯m just looking for something to sober you up. It¡¯s a long shot, but do you have any coffee here?¡± My grandpa groaned, ¡°There is none. You know how hard it is to get that kind of thing here.¡± ¡°Sorry, I guess getting impaled in the stomach by an Eater made me forget about that,¡± I opened the cloak to show the massive scar on my stomach. ¡°What? What happened?¡± Rakeen jumped up. ¡®And that¡¯s how you sober someone up. Give them a shock,¡¯ I told the System. [Acknowledged.] ¡°Can we talk in a more private place? There is a basement here, right?¡± I gestured to the stairs. This was a house made during the old world, but one that only had a single floor. Between the kitchen and the living room was a half-open door leading downstairs. ¡°Yeah, but it¡¯s cold and wet down there,¡± Rakeen rubbed his eyes, his speech much more stable even if it still showed some signs of a buzz. ¡°Is it flooded or just damp?¡± ¡°Damp.¡± ¡°Ok, then. Come with me.¡± I walked to the door in the hallway, taking the single candle that Pops was using with me. It took him a moment to get up and follow me, but we eventually reached the basement. It was dark, cold, and it had a damp feeling to it, which made a lot of sense being this close to the river. At least I think so. Downstairs, there wasn¡¯t even a chair. Just some boxes of old materials that might even be moldy. Still, there was a lamp near the ceiling where I placed the candle to illuminate the place a bit better. ¡°Why did you drag me down here, Cass?¡± Pops grumbled. ¡°Because I have to show you something and you might freak out. It¡¯s better if we don¡¯t have to explain any screaming.¡± Pops just frowned at my words, ¡°What? Are you going to pull an Eater from your pocket?¡± I smiled, ¡°Something like that.¡± Pulling the staff from my bag, I used {Compression} to make it grow to my size. Pops just blinked at me, his face a mixture of confusion and worry. He rubbed his face with both hands, ¡°Cass. I¡¯m sorry, but can you show whatever you want to show me in the morning? I don¡¯t think I¡¯m seeing things right.¡± ¡°What did you see?¡± ¡°A pipe appearing out of nowhere in your hands.¡± ¡°Yeah, you saw that right,¡± I used the {Compression} two more times, making the pipe smaller and showing it to him, before making it big again. ¡°Cass¡­ stop playing with me. What is happening?¡± ¡°After I hit that Eater that was chasing you, I ran. Eventually, it tried to hit me and I dodged its attack. That made a tree fall on top of it, making it really hurt. But at that point, so was I. It jumped at me and this metal pipe was on the ground. I impaled the Eater with it, and it impaled me back with its tentacles. While we were both agonizing, a lightning struck the pipe and,¡± I pulled the necklace he gave me from my birthday, the one showing the solar system. The big difference was the rock that was supposed to represent the sun, the piece of the meteorite that Grandma put there was now dull and colorless, ¡°There was something in here, Pops. Something that called itself the System. And it saved me. It helped me recover from the wounds and survive. Then, that System gave me power, Pops, power to fight against any kind of animal or monster. Including the Eaters.¡± ¡°Cass, even if what you are saying is true, there is a big difference between killing a large animal and an Eater. You can¡¯t just assume-¡° I cut him off, ¡°That¡¯s not an assumption, Pops. I have killed one. That¡¯s the second time I killed one myself.¡± Pops frowned, ¡°Still. One time is an accident, two is a coincidence. If you want it to be a pattern, it has to be at least three.¡± Reading on Amazon or a pirate site? This novel is from Royal Road. Support the author by reading it there. While crossing my arms, I rolled my eyes, ¡°Only you can make me feel small for having killed an Eater.¡± ¡°Cass¡­ I¡¯m sorry. It¡¯s just¡­ A lot,¡± Pops took a deep breath, ¡°Tell me again. From the start and spare no detail. What actually happened?¡± For the next hour, I regaled Pops with the tales of my adventure. In all honesty, some parts were a tiny bit exaggerated. The mountain lion I hunted was my size instead of just a bit smaller than me. The first boart I hunted reached my chest, not my waist. And the deer was a moose instead. But c¡¯mon. Those details barely made any difference. The important details were given without any changes. Information about the System, about the Eater I killed, and my skills. There wasn¡¯t a single exaggeration in any of that. Rakeen listened without speaking much. Every now and then, he would ask for some clarification here and there, but that was about it. When it came to talking about the System, he became much more curious, at first asking questions about its functions and how the SP actually worked. Not just what they did, but how they did their function. Much of that was answered thanks to Sys, who didn¡¯t sound as eager as I would¡¯ve imagined. Still, once that was done, he started with the same line of questioning I had a while back. ¡°So. Aside from the fact we don¡¯t have moose this far south, and that even the biggest boar we ever found wasn¡¯t half that size, how do you know this is not just a new trick made by the Eaters? How can you tell that this System is controlling your every move?¡± I smiled. We really were similar, ¡°Pops, think about it. Why would the Eaters do this? And don¡¯t just give me the reasons, but why would they want to make a human strong like this?¡± Rakeen paused, thinking for around a minute. The only thing moving was the flickering flame of the candle. But eventually, he shook his head, ¡°You¡¯re right. There is no reason to do that. If they have that kind of power, giving it to us in any way, shape, or form does not benefit them,¡± he glanced towards me, ¡°But what about the second question? Are you controlling it, or is it controlling you?¡± ¡°That one is harder to answer. All I can say is, I don¡¯t feel like it is controlling me. Influencing? Sure, maybe a bit, but nothing I¡¯ve done goes against what I would¡¯ve done normally. Which can only mean one thing. Either it really is not controlling me, or is controlling me in such a subtle way that it can make me believe I¡¯m the one in charge. In both cases, what¡¯s the point of distrusting it? If it¡¯s not in control, then everything is good. And if it is in control, but can hide its power over me so well that I think I¡¯m the one calling the shots, how can I ever hope to go against it?¡± I opened my cloak again, showing the large scar in my stomach covering pretty much all the skin that had no bones protecting it. I think the Eater targeted that area intentionally. Maybe it was a way to use less strength, not having to worry about breaking the skeleton. Or it was just aimed at the center of mass. ¡°Look at this, Pops. The size of this scar. That¡¯s where the Eater impaled me. It got some organs too. The System saved me by¡­ doing a lot of things. There were like five different effects responsible for my survival. If the System was in control, and it¡¯s only pretending that it¡¯s not. It could¡¯ve made a fail-safe. A way to just burst my stomach open and kill me if I go against it.¡± [System would never do anything to harm user.] ¡°I know, Sys. I¡¯m just saying this to make a point,¡± I turned back to Pops, ¡°The System is not controlling me. Or influencing me in any way. It is just helping, and making me stronger. I wanted to run from the Eater that chased me today, but it caught me and I had to fight. I wanted to hunt the boars and the deer, and I wanted to fight against the mountain lion. Well, I say wanted, but that was like the Eater. I didn¡¯t really have a choice. And what happened with those assholes today. That was all me. I wanted to do that, and the System gave me the power to do that. It even asked me if I was doing ok later.¡± Pops frowned, ¡°What happened with those assholes? What are you talking about?¡± ¡°Oh, don¡¯t worry about it. Some dipshits from the city tried to take advantage of me. I made sure they could never do that with anyone else ever again,¡± I waved Pops off. ¡°Cass, what did you do?¡± I answered, lowering my voice, just in case someone was listening in, ¡°I killed them.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Pops gasped, ¡°Why?¡± ¡°They said that since they gave me a ride, I should fuck them. And if I didn¡¯t, they would make sure I wouldn¡¯t be able to get to the city.¡± ¡°So? You said it yourself, you can kill an Eater. You could¡¯ve just stopped them!¡± ¡°And leave them to do that same thing with another poor girl who was just trying to get to safety? No thanks.¡± ¡°You don¡¯t know they would do that. Besides, they didn¡¯t force you to do anything. It was just coercion. ¡° ¡°They told me they did that. They even went after Cindy! And are you really going to argue that using the situation to get someone to fuck you is not rape?¡± Rakeen shook his head, ¡°I¡¯m not saying that. It is, but it¡¯s not as bad as just pushing someone down.¡± I rolled my eyes, ¡°Oh. My bad. They were not doing the worst thing possible, just the one after that. That absolves them from all their crimes.¡± ¡°Dammit Cassandra. I¡¯m not talking about that. What gives you the right to be judge, jury, and executioner like that? To decide who would live and die?¡± ¡°I have power, Pops. That¡¯s what gives me the right. If I see someone who is doing something wrong, and I can stop them. I will. And if it¡¯s someone who I don¡¯t trust not to do that again, I rather just get rid of the problem.¡± ¡°So that¡¯s what you are going to do? Kill anyone who does something you think it¡¯s wrong?¡± Why are you distorting everything I¡¯m saying? I¡¯m not saying I¡¯m killing everyone. The punishment will fit the crime. I¡¯m not going to kill a thief just because they stole an apple. But if it¡¯s a murderer who got a taste for it, I¡¯m not leaving them alone to get another victim." ¡°If you kill a murderer, the number of criminals in the world doesn¡¯t change,¡± Pops shook his head. ¡°What kind of stupid argument is that? I already killed three. Even if you say I¡¯m adding to the criminals, it¡¯s already a net positive,¡± I huffed. ¡°Cass¡­¡± Pops looked at me, full of disappointment in his eyes. It was just like what happened when we saved Cindy from those bandits. And honestly, that didn¡¯t make a lick of sense to me. The world was a mess. Having random people who were capable of atrocities just for shits and giggles didn¡¯t add anything to our world. It would be better to get rid of them. ¡®Sys, what do I have to do to share you with someone else?¡¯ [User has the necessary particles available. In order to send them to someone else, user has to simply touch another human and ask System to Ingrain.] I nodded, ¡°Ok, so are you going to be angry at me and complain, or are you going to take the System too?¡± I put out my hand for him to shake. ¡°What? What do you mean, take the System too? You can give it to others?¡± ¡°Yes. There are some rules, but yes. If you take the System, you can even stop me from going full evil, if you want. You¡¯ll get better, stronger, healthier, and I¡¯ll teach you the ropes. If you don¡¯t want to, that¡¯s fine. But you were always the first person that came to mind when thinking about sharing this.¡± ¡°Can¡­ Can you share it with more people later?¡± Pop¡¯s eyes sparkled. I knew he would understand what that meant. I smiled, ¡°We can, Pops. We can give this to everyone.¡± Almost as if he forgot he was mad at me, he grabbed my hand while I gave a command to the System, ¡®Ingrain.''
27 - Second human user
Convincing Pops to get the System was much easier than I expected. Honestly, I imagined he would argue he didn¡¯t want to be possibly controlled by something that came from the Eaters. Or that there were too many unknown variables. Or just that he didn¡¯t want to change who he was that way. In the end, the moment I put out my hand to give him the System, Pops took it. No hesitation, no questions asked, just yes. Part of me should¡¯ve expected that. He would never let me be the only one taking a risk. Or maybe it was because part of the System came from the necklace grandma Camilla gave him. As if this was a way for him to be closer to her. He could even have been thinking about how to help others by using the System. But to be honest, there was a more likely reason for his quick action. I had just offered him super powers. I told a self proclaimed nerd that I could have a radioactive spider bite him. Of course, he was going to say yes. It was stupid to ever think he would refuse. The moment he grabbed my hand, it felt a lot like I was using a skill. Something came out of me and moved through my arm, going to his. But instead of those particles having left an empty space where they were before, I still felt whole. ¡°Cass¡­ What is¡­ Are you seeing this?¡± Pops asked, pointing at a random spot on the wall, but his eyes focused on something else. So that¡¯s how I looked when I read what the System told me. ¡°I¡¯m not, only you can see that. If you have any questions, ask the System. It will be able to answer most things. I¡¯m also here if you have any doubts, but it¡¯s better to ask the expert about things,¡± I told Rakeen, whose face was a mixture of confusion and wonder. Almost like a kid learning about dinosaurs for the first time. ¡°And how do I do that?¡± Pops asked, but his eyes trailed to a random spot again. I was pretty sure his System was explaining things for him. I paused to give him some time and spoke. ¡°I think you already heard an explanation, but you can ask out loud. Or think about the question in a way that you want to be answered. It sounds a bit odd, but it¡¯s easier than you would expect.¡± Pops nodded and stared into the distance again. Ok, we needed to be careful with that. If we were constantly looking away, people might think we were crazy. ¡®Sys, is there anything else I need to know about what I just did?¡¯ [All information about giving System to someone else has already been disclosed. Does user have any other questions?] ¡®No¡­ I don¡¯t think so. I just thought that maybe there was some information that only became available now that we actually gave you, well, a version of you, to someone else.¡¯ [That is an understandable expectation. However, in this situation no new information became available.] ¡®That¡¯s ok,¡¯ I shrugged. ¡°Are you kidding me?¡± Pops gasped. ¡°What happened?¡± ¡°Nothing. Don¡¯t worry about it¡± ¡°Is it nothing or I shouldn¡¯t worry about it? What happened?¡± ¡°It¡¯s just a dumb skill.¡± ¡°What skill?¡± ¡°Cass, don¡¯t worry about it.¡± ¡°Pops, we are dealing with something we don¡¯t understand completely. We need all the information we can get. What skill is it?¡± Rakeen grumbled, ¡°It¡¯s called,¡± he stopped, ¡°Oh. Gimme your hand.¡± I frowned and reached out, the moment our hands touched I saw a window appear. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Alcohol Resistance - Passive - Unranked Your intense effort was rewarded, the woes brought by alcohol will struggle to affect you. Increased resistance to the effects of alcohol. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Reading that made me chuckle, ¡°I mean it¡¯s good data for us.¡± ¡°Yeah, yeah. Just because I¡¯m drunk,¡± Pops huffed. ¡°A little bit. But hang on. Let me check one thing. Keep talking to the System, see what else you need to know,¡± I stepped back and looked into the distance of the basement before speaking in my own mind. ¡®Sys, can I share skills? I remember you commenting that the only way for the Eater to have {Body Regeneration} was for someone else to have given it the skill.¡¯ [Correct. User can share skills. Doing so follows a rule similar to what it is to put a skill in {Memory Bank}. However, that effect will only dictate how often user can share skills. In addition, some skills are unable to be shared. Those are skills directly related to user¡¯s class. Such as any skill that is a part of {Formless Series}.] ¡®So like. Aspirant and Unranked take 1 hour, and the ones higher than that take longer depending on the equivalent tier?¡¯ [Correct.] If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. ¡®Is that only related to me, or if I give a skill to Pops, he will also have to wait?¡¯ [Both the giver and the receiver of the skill will have to wait for the allotted time before giving or receiving another skill. In addition, the giver¡¯s only restriction is to not be able to give more skills. For the receiver, they are unable to utilize the skill until the assimilation period has ended.] ¡®And the assimilation period is the cooldown, right? Or is it something else?¡¯ [The assimilation period is the same as the cooldown for the skill giver. Meaning that if a skill takes 1 hour to be given, it will take another hour to be assimilated.] ¡®One more thing. And I know this is a long shot. If I give him {Memory Bank} would all the skills that are there go with it?¡¯ [No, only skill {Memory Bank} would be shared.] I nodded, that was to be expected, ¡®Actually, there is another thing. Can I give him a skill that is inside {Memory Bank}? Or do I have to pull the skill out first?¡¯ [User is able to give skills inside {Memory Bank}.] ¡®Perfect,¡¯ I smiled and turned to my grandpa, ¡°Pops, how many Memory slots do you have?¡± Rakeen paused for a moment, ¡°Three, why?¡± ¡°I¡¯m going to give you two skills. One is called Quick Tier 1 Evolution and makes it much easier to level up until level 10, and to Tier up. Ask the System about what that means. The next is called {Body Regeneration} and it¡¯s the skill that saved me after I was impaled.¡± ¡°I can¡¯t take those skills from you!¡± Pops gasped. ¡°You are not taking them from me, I¡¯m sharing them with you¡­ Right, Sys?¡± I asked, a bit unsure if my statement was true. [Correct. User will not lose the skills, only share their data.] ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s fine. But we need to split that a bit. First Quick Tier 1 Evolution that one is more important for now. In two hours, I¡¯ll give you the other.¡± ¡°Why not give them both?¡± ¡°Because there is a cooldown between giving skills. I¡¯m sure there is a reason for that, but I didn¡¯t ask.¡± [Would user like to know the reason?] ¡°Sure,¡± I shrugged. [Calling it cooldown is incorrect. The time in question is the time it takes System to transmit the information to another user¡¯s System. User can consider it as something similar to copying a file on a computer.] ¡°Copying a file on a computer?¡± It took me a moment to understand what that meant. I never actually used a proper computer before, but I did watch some shows where people mentioned things like that. I remember something about a green bar slowly being filled. Pops nodded, understanding what was going on much better than me, ¡°I see, that makes a lot of sense. Skills are almost like programs. So sharing them would be, essentially, installing the skill from a rom. But wouldn¡¯t that require us to be close to each other? Or is the System able to communicate through long distances?¡± [May System answer Pops question?] ¡°Please.¡± [System is able to communicate through short distances. As long as user and Pops are within 10 meters of each other, the skill transfer will continue. If the distance goes beyond that threshold, the transfer will be canceled. In addition, the skill will become unavailable for the same duration as the transfer itself as System checks the skill for any signs of damage or corruption that happened due to the forced cancellation of the transfer.] ¡°Did your System explain what was going on too, Pops?¡± I turned to my grandpa. ¡°It did. Basically, we need to be close to each other while the transfer happens,¡± Rakeen nodded. ¡°Whatever will we do,¡± I chuckled and put a hand on his shoulder. ¡®Sys, start the transfer of Quick Tier 1 Evolution.¡¯ [Acknowledged.] I saw Pops stop and read a notification that I knew was there. He then moved his finger and pressed something in the air. [Transfer of skill Quick Tier 1 Evolution has begun. Please stay within 10 meters of Pops. Transfer duration: 59:52] That timer started to tick down as I asked the System to put it in the corner of my view. Just in case. ¡°Also, System, make sure to tell me if we are getting too close to 10 meters away. Can you do that?¡± I said it out loud so Pops could understand the other kind of things the System could do. [Acknowledged.] ¡°Yeah, do that too, System,¡± Rakeen nodded. We spent another 30 minutes in the basement, talking about the various things related to the System and what it was like to have an extra voice in our heads. But in the end, we had to go to Cindy. The kids were waiting and I couldn¡¯t break my promise. Dinner was nice, or at least the food was, mostly. Being close to Michael and Vanessa was amazing, but the mood wasn¡¯t that great. Peter was like a husk, just walking around and not saying anything. Which was understandable, to say the least. He lost his boy to the Eaters, and from the little I gathered, he watched PJ get devoured. The kids were better than I expected. Even if they had lost their parents. There was a part of me that wasn¡¯t entirely sure they understood what happened. That they would never see mom and dad ever again. But for now, it didn¡¯t sound like a good idea to mention it. During most of the meal, Pops was just staring at the table. Everyone else seemed to think he was still shellshocked, but I could tell he was just talking to his System. ¡®I wish there was a way to talk to him without anyone hearing,¡¯ I said as the kids talked about all the things they saw in the Madison Village. I knew it wasn¡¯t right not to pay attention to them, but my mind was somewhere else. [If user makes physical contact, System is able to send messages to Pops on user¡¯s behalf, and give back his response. The process will be similar to what was known as texting in the old world.] ¡®Oh? Ok then,¡¯ I reached my feet across the table and touched Pop¡¯s.¡¯ Cassandra: Pops? Don¡¯t freak out. System said we can talk like this as long as we are touching. Rakeen¡¯s eyes narrowed. He glanced towards me but then turned back to his plate that had an overly salted meat pie. Pops: We can talk like this? This reminds me of the old days. Cassandra: Was it like this? Pops: We didn¡¯t have to touch, but yeah. God, I miss my phone sometimes. Cassandra: I just don¡¯t know why we need to touch if we can transfer skills from a distance. SYSTEM: When System is communicating with users some process are utilized that allow signals from the various SP present in users body to be translated into something users are able to understand. Said process is delicate, and ambient interference is enough to disrupt the information being transmitted. Pops: I see, but how well can we communicate. What about this? (¥Î ©b§¥©b)¥Î ¦à ©ß©¥©ß Pops: It worked! I can use emojis on this, I¡¯m so happy. (¤Å??????)¤Å Cassandra: I¡­ kind of regret doing this. I looked up and saw Pops eyes tearing up. This was very similar to something from the old world, at least according to him. A piece of history he never thought he would see again. Maybe this kind of thing was ok, even if it was strange. We finished dinner and went to bed in Cindy¡¯s house, the kids still refused to let me go. Once I had a chance, I also gave pops {Body Regeneration}. I offered him {Compression}, but he wanted to know the kind of skill he would get. If nothing good showed up, he would ask for the skill. It was a nice night, and the first time in ages since I slept in a bed, after taking a shower. Pops was alive, so were two of my kids, and I was warm and safe. There was nothing else a girl could ask for. 28 - Newcomer
For the first time in what felt like a lifetime, I was woken up by the sound of children. Children roaming around a house and asking for help to dress or for something to eat. Even back in the Hidden Horn Village, that wouldn¡¯t happen. Everyone had to be quiet and move with care. But here, the sounds of the river helped drown out the voices, and the houses could muffle more noise. Built with actual bricks, wood, and some sort of foam from the old world that helped suppress the sounds. Either the houses made back then could be surprisingly sturdy. Or people were able to salvage some of those materials before the Eaters destroyed everything. I wasn¡¯t sure. After helping with the kids¡¯ breakfast, I asked Cindy for some clothes. She was kind enough to give me some pajamas last night, but I would need something else to walk around the city. My old get up, if it could even be called that, was so dirty and beat up that couldn¡¯t even be used as a rag anymore. She didn¡¯t have anything in my size, so I ended up taking some of Peter¡¯s clothes. His build was similar to mine, even if the shirt looked baggy on me. I double checked if Pops was ok with all the new stuff about the System. He was still level 1, which made sense, but at the same time felt really strange to me. If I ever found another Eater, I would try to take some of its blood for Rakeen. That way, we could speed up the process a little bit, just like I did. I was also a bit worried about what would happen when he reached level 10. Quick Tier 1 Evolution stored some data related to hunts. Which meant that an Eater would need to hunt animals, or people, in order to tier up. Pops might have to do the same, unless he decided to go the other route of figuring things out himself. Which actually made me realize something else as I was changing, ¡®Hey, Sys. I don¡¯t remember asking, but what¡¯s my max level right now? Like to get to tier 2? I remember you saying that things changed.¡¯ [User needs to reach level 20 in order to reach tier 2. In addition, once user reaches level 10, the amount of SP required to level up will increase. At level 10, user will be considered saturated.] ¡®Wait, what? Why? How does that make sense?¡¯ [User¡¯s body can hold a finite amount of SP. That limit is reached once user reaches level 10. The amount of SP required to convert particles into an enhanced version is double what it was required to reach tier 1. However, this creates a problem for user¡¯s body. Since user¡¯s body is only capable of holding enough SP to reach level 10, further increase requires adaptation. The process of expanding the possible storage for SP requires itself, SP, which in turn makes leveling up harder. Future tiers will follow the same pattern. User will need to reach the same maximum level of the previous tier and then double it in order to advance to the next tier.] ¡®So¡­ my body is like a house that can only take 10 levels of SP. But since I need 20 to improve the walls, I need to first do some renovations to let more SP get inside. And that renovation costs SP on itself to do?¡¯ it was strange how even the most confusing statement made sense for me. That odd way the System had to share information was still strange. But I had to admit it helped. [That is an accurate analogy.] ¡®I¡¯m not entirely sure I understand just yet, but I guess we will figure things out as we go,¡¯ with a sigh, I finished changing and headed out. The captain of the guard said he wanted to talk to me in the morning and, by the position of the sun, I had already made him wait for a while. Thankfully, it didn¡¯t take long to find him. Madison Village was much more organized that where I used to live. In fact, it was very different from what I was used to. There was an eclectic grouping of houses. Some were stone, while others were made out of wood. But for the most part, they were a mix of the two. In fact, most, if not all, the houses had holes and structural breaks that were repaired with whatever was available. To my left, a stone home had a literal tree trunk on the side, working as a support beam. Just after it, was a house made with bricks until about the height of my waist, then it became completely made of wood. Pretty much every house here only had one floor, plus the basement in some cases, and the floors were almost exclusively made out of stone. It was easier to dull the sounds of footsteps like that. A decent rug or some socks was all it took. But the biggest patchwork of all was in the central building of the village. Several pieces of the wall had broken for some reason or another, with wood, bricks, occasionally steel, and even clay being used for the repairs. According to those who lived here, once upon a time it was a mansion, but now worked as a town hall, infirmary, and guardhouse. I once asked Pops why decided to stay in the middle of the forest instead of here. He said that made things easier. In a village this size, there were politics, issues with food shortage and less freedom to do what we wanted. Sure, you could argue that there was safety in numbers, but animals were not much of an issue here. And if we were deep enough, humans would rarely be a problem. For Eaters, the number didn¡¯t matter. It was just more for them to feast. Every time we talked about that, Pops also said that living with others was difficult and small communities were easier to deal with. He seemed to have something against large groups, but I could understand where he was coming from. The only interactions I had with bigger groups were the occasional bandits that decided to test their luck in Eater territory, and the people from Madison. While the people living here were never an issue, the bandits¡­ that was a very different story. I honestly had lost count on how many of them I had killed. Pops always complained about that. How we shouldn¡¯t do that kind of thing. Saying something along the lines of ¡®a little piece of your soul dies when you take a life.¡¯ But honestly, that was just something people used to say to cope with the guilt. A guilt that I didn¡¯t have. The world was a mess, and it was all about survival of the fittest. Just as I didn¡¯t hold against those bandits trying to steal from us, I had no qualms about killing them if they crossed a line. Which they always did. Either threatening the kids, saying they would come back and kill us all, or trying to burn down our houses. One girl was even crazy enough to try to call an Eater. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. In those cases, killing someone wasn¡¯t just an option, but the right thing to do. At least for me. What was the point of taking the high ground when you know someone is just going to come back and try to hurt you again? That¡¯s why I didn¡¯t understand most of the super heroes Pops liked so much. It¡¯s one thing to be the good guy and try to save everyone, including the villains. Another to be so shackled by your own moral code that you can¡¯t see it doing more harm than good. Distracted by my thoughts, I almost didn¡¯t notice the captain of the guard opening the door to the community center when I was about to knock, ¡°Oh? Cassandra? Good to see you, I was about to ask someone to go find you.¡± ¡°Sorry for the delay. I really needed the sleep,¡± I replied with a smile. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s why I waited. Figured you need the rest,¡± he looked me up and down, ¡°We might also have some clothes that fit you a bit better if you would like. And shampoo. We got some from the shipment the supply crew was bringing. We tend to be strict about using that since it¡¯s hard to come by, but you need it.¡± I reached out to my hair, it was oily, and there were some knots, but I didn¡¯t think it was far from usual. I had washed it with soap last night, ¡°Is this really that bad?¡± ¡°No¡­¡± the captain¡¯s voice didn¡¯t give me confidence, ¡°Anyway, do you mind coming with me? I need to inspect the shipment, or what¡¯s left of it. And I would like to hear your story.¡± ¡°Sure,¡± I nodded and turned around, following the captain of the guard. He was a bulky man, with suntanned skin and muscles that you gain from doing heavy physical labor all day. His mostly grey beard was long, but well trimmed. There was a scar on the side of his neck that looked like it was made by a very thick claw. It started near the clavicle, stopping just by the shaved side of his head. He had brown eyes, and his medium hair flowed to the side. But for the life of me, I couldn¡¯t remember his name. He mentioned knowing me, but who the hell was he? ¡°First things first. Do you mind telling me how did you find them? The supply crew, I mean.¡± ¡®Sys, can you tell me if anything I¡¯m about to say goes against what I told Marco?¡¯ [Affirmative.] I nodded, ¡°Sure. I came from the west. From where our village was. I saw them first across the river, but I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what happened. So I walked up the bridge, which wasn¡¯t far, crossed to the other side and found them like that. Everything broken and the people dead. I remember seeing some of the blood already dry, but the larger pools still looked wet. I didn¡¯t check if that was true or not.¡± [User did not mention seeing the caravan from the other side of the river. However, Marco never asked when user first saw the scene.] ¡°And why did you stop to scavenge for food?¡± ¡°I was starving. I didn¡¯t have a chance to look for food. Well, I did, but I was more worried about reaching the village before sunset. The bag of apples was there, out in the open. And I figured that if I left it there, some animal would come and get it. Everything else could be gathered by the people from the village in the morning.¡± The captain nodded as we reached a storehouse. Some of the boxes were broken, and others had some blood spatters, but aside from that, most of the supplies were still intact. The fabrics would definitively need to be washed. Since it rained yesterday, the ground was all mud, and my attacks were a bit too careless, covering them in blood. ¡°Is there anything missing from what you noticed yesterday? We can¡¯t account for a couple of boxes of what they were supposed to bring, but we don¡¯t know if they had some issues with getting those supplies, or if they fell somewhere and we missed.¡± ¡®Sys, help me out here. If you notice that there is something missing, and where it could be, let me know,¡¯ I asked while I walked forward, trying my best to look confused. [Acknowledged.] I had a decision to make here. On one hand, I had scavenged the boxes, so giving more information could be possible, but it could also bring suspicion to me. Of course, people would have a hard time believing a girl like me was able to do all that. Still, I didn¡¯t want people thinking I had murdered their friends. Even if they deserved. After a while, I did realize there was a single box missing, one that had some clothes. According to the System, that particular crate ended up falling to the side of the road and tumbling down. My cloak wasn¡¯t there, but the captain wouldn¡¯t know about that. Would he? It was a box of clothes, and considering how Cindy, Pops, Peter, and the kids only had their pajamas and the ones they were wearing during my birthday party, we might need that. ¡°Yeah, I can see there is one missing. One of the boxes was on the side of the road, hidden by some bushes. There were some clothes there. That¡¯s where I got the cloak,¡± I turned to the captain. He nodded, ¡°I¡¯ll ask someone to get that. Where is it? Near the river?¡± ¡°No, on the other side of the road. There was a ditch there. I know it was stupid to go searching for something when I could barely see if it was there, but I was so cold, and I didn¡¯t want to risk getting any blood on me in case it would attract any animals,¡± that was a lie. The cloak was actually resting on top of the crates, and it got stuck in an elevated part of the wagon while I killed those bastards. The captain stared at me for a while, making me think I messed up somehow. Eventually he let out a long sigh and scratched the back of his head, ¡°Yeah. We know. That one is in a different place. Sorry about that. I just needed to be sure you were on the level.¡± ¡°What?¡± I tilted my head. ¡°I mean, that you were not lying to us. We did find that crate, and since it was the only box of clothes that was more or less clean, like your cloak, we didn¡¯t know what to think. Maybe you had hidden that box to go back and pick things up later.¡± I frowned, they were suspecting me of theft? ¡°How would I even bring those stolen clothes back?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t know, but with the supply crew dead, it is hard to know what to expect. Still, sorry for testing you like that. No hard feelings?¡± the captain put his hand forward. ¡°It¡¯s fine, as long as you don¡¯t get upset with one question I want to ask,¡± I shook his hand. ¡°What question?¡± ¡°What¡¯s you name? I can¡¯t remember it,¡± I admitted. The captain let out a laugh that was much too loud for my taste, but the sound of the river seemed to be enough to drown it out, ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s been years since we last saw each other. It¡¯s Garreth.¡± ¡°Got it, sorry about that,¡± I smiled. ¡°No worries. But let me ask you this. Do you know what you are going to do now?¡± ¡°Honestly? No. If I can, I would like to rest for another day or two. Make sure my people are doing well, you know,¡± he nodded, his face turning somber. Losing people wasn¡¯t new to anyone in this world. But losing people to the Eaters always felt worse, ¡°After that. I¡¯ll see what I can do to help the village. And in a week or so, I would like to go back to the Hidden Horn Village. Just to see if anyone survived, or if there is anything left. 29 - Decisions
One week, that¡¯s all it took for me and the people from the hidden horn village to adapt. To a certain point, at least. No one was going to be deep in the political landscape of Madison Village, not now and not in the near future. But everyone was welcomed properly, even Peter, despite his zombie-like state. Cindy quickly became close to some of the other mothers in the village. The kids also enjoyed having more children to play, instead of just one class. Sure, the numbers were not that much bigger, but to them, more was always better. Even if the two were not the most outgoing. Pops talked a bit with some of the guards and the leaders of the village about setting up his experiments once again. According to him, being able to make the glow in the dark moss was just a matter of time, and the resources he would need were mostly things the village had no use for. And I, I offered to help the guard, prepare the leather, wash the clothes, or do anything really. People were appreciative of my intentions, but almost everyone told me to just rest instead of work. They could handle any chores that came with an extra five people without a problem. The real issue was the rumors going around. Or should I say the facts. People quickly became aware of what happened to me before getting here. Almost everyone knew that I spent several days running and hiding from an Eater. And that I had very few supplies and had to hunt for more while being injured. And that once I left, I had to run away from a monster before reaching the river. That was the story I told Gareth, and the story that he told to his wife, which in turn told everyone. That made pretty much the entire village treat me like I made out of glass. They didn¡¯t want to let me do anything, saying that I survived an ordeal, one that was even bigger than the one the rest of my people went through. Sure, for a couple of days, being pampered was fun. Having the entire day to myself let me stay with Cindy and the kids, talk with Pops, and even try to see if I could help Peter in any way. Not that I was the best person for that. This village had a ¡®spiritual healer¡¯, which was more of a mix of a shaman and a psychologist from the old world. The fact there was a spiritual healer here and not a priest or something like that felt a bit odd. Pops always said that Christianity was the biggest religion in the old world. So not having a representative of that religion in what I knew to be the biggest village around was strange. Then again, this was the only other place I knew, aside from my old home. Maybe it was just a regional thing. One way or another, there was little to nothing for me to do, and that was making me restless. Worst of all, someone else also noticed that. Or should I say something. [User, some villagers are performing a task in which they lure aquatic animals to small hooks. User heard that being called ¡®fishing.¡¯ Would that be something that could interest user?] ¡®Sys, I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry about it. I¡¯m just feeling restless. Maybe I¡¯ll see if Pops wants to go out hunting. It could help him get what he needs to get to tier 1.¡¯ [Acknowledged.] I dropped by the hunter¡¯s hut of the village before looking for Rakeen. I didn¡¯t know the territory of animals in the area, and it wouldn¡¯t be much of a hunt if there was nothing to hunt. Unfortunately, after a brief conversation, that seemed to be the case. Unlike the hunters back in the Hidden Horn Village, the ones here wouldn¡¯t go out and come back on the same day. Every hunting trip would take a week since they had to travel to places where larger animals would live. Another option would be hunting beyond the mountain to the east. But according to the hunters, there were barely any animals in that area. People who went there came back with a couple of rabbits, and some berries at most. It might work for a family or two, but not for the entire village. However, that was perfect for me and for Pops. Sure, it might not help all that much with his Quick Tier 1 Evolution, but it would let us use the System properly without having to worry about people seeing us. Finding Rakeen took a bit longer than I expected. He was with one of the farmers in the village. Not the one responsible for the large bulk of crops, that one was located a bit south of the village, in an area where farmland was able to thrive. That place was close enough to the village that it was still considered part of Madison, but far enough away that people couldn¡¯t go there all the time. Due to the lack of animals and other creatures in the area, they could steadily keep growing the crops of rice in the terraces. It also helped a lot that there was a river just by the side, which made sure they never lacked enough water. There were other vegetables as well, but the amount would vary wildly. However, Pops was on the village farm, where various spices, berries, and some vegetables, and tomatoes grew. He was trying to see what kind of seeds, earth and tools he could gather from there in order to continue his experiments. ¡°Pops!¡± I called as I approached the field. ¡°Cass!¡± Rakeen gave me a big smile, ¡°Is everything ok?¡± ¡°Yeah, I just wanted to know if you want to go out hunting. It¡¯s ok if you don¡¯t, I just feel like doing something.¡± ¡°I¡¯m sorry. I can¡¯t be an entire week away. And I don¡¯t think you should. Can¡¯t you wait until the other hunters are leaving?¡± Pops asked. ¡°I¡¯m not going to spend days away. I want to go just after the mountain to the east. See if I can get a rabbit or something. I think¡­ I need some time alone to figure some things out,¡± I explained. Pops paused for a moment, recognizing my intention and he nodded, ¡°Ok. We can go there,¡± he turned to the farmer, a man named Jacob, but that should be pronounced Yacob, ¡°Thanks for listening to my idea. If you can gather those tools for me, I will drop by tomorrow to pick them up.¡± This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work. ¡°If that works, I¡¯m the one who has to thank you. I never considered using crops as bug repellent. But if it works, man, that will save me a lot of time. I¡¯ll see which tools I have lying on the shed and put them aside from you,¡± Jacob nodded. Rakeen thanked him again and walked off with me. We went back to the hunter¡¯s hut, got some weapons, mostly for Pops since I already had my staff, and headed out. During all that time preparing, I made sure to place Formless Steps of Prey in the {Memory Bank} while taking {Formless Nodus Swipe} out. We shouldn¡¯t be facing any dangerous creatures, and since we would be on the other side of the mountain, it was a good chance to test out that skill. Just one hour later, we were trekking up the mountain to the east. It wasn¡¯t tall, and people could call it a hill and it would work just the same. But, since it was wide, spanning a few kilometers [miles] then that was the right name for it. A mountain. It didn¡¯t take long for me to realize the difference between my level and Pops. He was always fit, and could keep up with most hunters. Yet, I was faster, much faster. He would trail behind me, which made me stop and wait for him. If I was following his pace, I felt like I was barely walking. ¡°So. How many points in Body do you have?¡± Pops asked after we stopped for a moment near the top of the mountain. Madison village was still in clear view and the low vegetation of the area did almost nothing to hide us. ¡°Eight right now. And three in Mind.¡± ¡°And what level are you?¡± ¡°Level 2 of tier 2,¡± I was about to level up again. It could¡¯ve been faster, but I kept trying to use {Body Regeneration} to fix some of the scars, and to help me work out more. Now that I had time to properly test things, I wanted to see what else that skill could do. Gaining muscle was about letting the fibers have micro fractures and then letting the body use the inflammatory response to make them regrow stronger. Using {Body Regeneration} while working out meant that process was sped up considerably. It still didn¡¯t make me bulk up in a flash, which wasn¡¯t my intention either way, but I could feel myself getting stronger. ¡°I see¡­ just a few levels and the difference is already this significant,¡± Pops looked down, ¡°If the Eaters also have this¡­ their strength suddenly makes sense.¡± [Can System add something to what Pops said?] ¡®Sure,¡¯ I thought to the System. [The difference in attributes is more easily recognizable at low levels, or when attributes have a small value. Once they start to grow, the difference will not be as noticeable unless the values are considerably farther away from each other.] ¡°So the attributes have more value when they are smaller?¡± this time I said it out loud so Pops could hear it too. [Incorrect. Attributes have value in every stage, however, the biggest difference will be noticed once the attributes are smaller. This happens due to the natural progression of numbers. Someone with 1 point in Body has half the amount of someone with 2 points in Body. So the second person will be twice more effective when using their physical strength. If the second individual has 4 points in Body they will be four times more effective than the first individual. As a reminder, this only applies to effective strength. Utilizing the same two people from the example, it is possible that the one with 1 Body is stronger than the one with 4 points in Body if the first actively trains their body while the second doesn¡¯t.] I turned to Pops, ¡°Did your System continue the explanation to you?¡± ¡°it didn¡¯t. What did yours say?¡± ¡°Basically, it said that lower attributes show more because it¡¯s easier to have a gap of double or more. Like I have 4 times more Body attribute than someone with 2 Body. It also said that we still need to work out if we want to get better. Just having a high level of Body won¡¯t make us stronger by itself.¡± Pops nodded, ¡°I¡¯m sort of glad about that. This means that effort still counts.¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I glanced down at the city, ¡°So, do you feel ready to talk about the next step?¡± ¡°About sharing the System? Yeah. Do you have some thoughts?¡± ¡°Pops, you are the one who asked for time to think about that. My thoughts are pretty much set in stone.¡± ¡°Really? What are they? How are you going to share this gift with others?¡± ¡°I¡¯m only sharing with people I trust. Or those I believe to be good people. That¡¯s the plan, at least.¡± Pops scoffed, ¡°Ok then, I know you are going to mess up. How the hell did I make the list?¡± I rolled my eyes, ¡°Stop playing. You are literally the best person I know. Even if you keep insisting you are not a good person. When I started thinking about sharing the System, you were the first option. You were the only option.¡± Pops huffed and looked into the distance. He spent a few moments without saying anything before finally speaking up, ¡°Thank you. I don¡¯t know if I¡¯m worthy of that vote of confidence, but I¡¯ll do my best,¡± he rubbed his eyes and turned towards me, ¡°And are you sharing like you did with me? Giving all those skills to people?¡± ¡°Fuck no!¡± I gasped, ¡°Those skills can make you really strong really quickly. I mean, I killed an Eater in a week. I don¡¯t want to give that kind of power to others. Those skills will be kept close to my chest and only shared with people that I really trust. ¡° ¡°That¡¯s fine. Even then, it would take just a couple of months to give the System to everyone in the village. Once I get to tier 1, things should speed up.¡± ¡°What level are you by the way?¡± ¡°Already level 3, going to 4 now,¡± Pops said with a smile. He was only leveling up by using the SP he got when eating. If we were able to find something to hunt, that could speed up the process. But even then, there was one more decision I had to talk to him about. ¡°Pops¡­ I don¡¯t intend to stay here for months.¡± ¡°Are you leaving?¡± Rakeen turned towards me. ¡°Yeah. Not right now, but soon. I think.¡± ¡°Can I ask why?¡± ¡°A few reasons. First, staying here hurts. It¡¯s a reminder of those we lost. Second, now I have this, and I feel like I should share with others. Third, what if I stayed here and we end up being attacked by a swarm of Eaters and they kill everyone? Me included. Then there is no one left to give the System to someone else. What then? The only possible way to give us a fighting chance is gone. I¡¯m not going to go away tomorrow, of course. I still want to drop by the Hidden Horn Village at least once to see if anyone survived and left a message. But after that¡­ Yeah. I think I¡¯m going to travel. It¡¯s not like I need to be scared of an Eater coming after me anymore.¡± Pops nodded, ¡°Yeah, and do you mind if I come with you?¡± ¡°To the village? Sure. It would be nice not to go alone there. I don¡¯t think it will be easy.¡± ¡°I meant everywhere. Traveling,¡± Pops smiled at me. ¡°What? You wanna come with me?¡± I stared at Pops with a frown. He always complained about traveling, and always said that he didn¡¯t want to leave. ¡°Of course I do, Cass. You are my family. I want to be with you. Besides, we never traveled together. This could be a nice change of pace,¡± Rakeen smiled, a genuine smile, not one that hid a layer of sadness behind. I smiled back at him, ¡°I would like that. But first, let¡¯s see you hunting old man. I need to make sure you can handle yourself on the road.¡± Pops scoffed, ¡°Girl, I¡¯ve been hunting before you even wore diapers. Watch me.¡± 30 - Distance
The hunt ended up being a rousing success. Not just because of our spoils, three hares and two dusky grouses. But also because I had a chance to test {Formless Nodus Swipe}. That skill was amazing, there was so much power behind the spinning attack that I was able to leave a mark on a tree without even touching it. I had to be close enough to almost graze the trunk, but still, the sheer force of the wind was able to rip out some bark. Pops also used the one new skill he had to catch the birds. It was something called ¡®Steady Hand¡¯ that allowed him to focus and make sure his hand would follow the path he wished. When using a sling, that made sure that his attack would fly where he was aiming. That wasn¡¯t all because of the skill, of course. Pops was extremely proficient with the weapon, as he had years of practice with that kind of thing. The Steady Hand skill only helped make sure his body would follow the right motion. Once we were back in Madison, Cindy was very thankful for the meal. I also convinced Pops to leave one of the birds he got to the guard, as a thanks for all the help and for believing in me. It was never a bad idea to be in the good graces of the people who controlled a village. Michael and Vanessa were doing well, in fact, they were better than before. My presence here reignited the hope that their parents could have survived. According to them, since I was still alive, their parents might also be. Honestly, that was within the realm of possibility. I don¡¯t remember seeing Katalena being killed, or any of the others. What was that thing Pops used to say about stories? Never believe in a death that happened off screen. Thinking about things like that could help, and one way or another, brought some spark to the kids¡¯ eyes. Was it good in the long run? I had no idea. In fact, who was I to argue against that hope? Their parents might have escaped. I didn¡¯t see them dying. Even without the System, as long as they were a bit lucky, there was a good chance they survived. Actually, that brings me to something else. How did I survive? Yeah, yeah, I was impaled, and the System saved me. I¡¯m not talking about that. Once the Eater died, why the other ones didn¡¯t come after it? Eaters were supposed to chase after energy. Elasticity, fire, things like that. Why didn¡¯t they come after the blood of one of their own? ¡®Sys, do you have any ideas why the Eaters didn¡¯t come after me when one of them died?¡¯ [System is unable to give a reason for why the Eaters did not find user Cassandra once user killed an Eater. The only thing System can say is that the SP of beings know as Eater let out a specific frequency that repels animals once the Eater is dead.]" ¡®Do you have any ideas then? Like, why did none of them came close?¡¯ [System does not have enough information to give a proper answer.] ¡®That¡¯s fine. It was worth a shot.¡¯ For the next few of days, I did basically the same thing. Helped a little here and there in the village, and went out hunting. Pops came along a couple of times, which helped him get 2 more levels. One should be just because he was eating, and the food became Energy, which in turn turned into SP. But the other happened during the hunt. One of the rabbits we found was larger, and its fur was starting to turn green. According to the System, it was a mutated monster, and when it died, Pops and I, leveled up. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cassandra Ydorf - Level 3 Titles: Enduring Heart Tier 1 - Formless Monk Mind 3 - Body - 9 Memory - 6 Energy - 1/8 (2 Reserved) Skills - 6/6 Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy Memory Bank - Passive - 1 Energy Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes Compression - Active - 1 Energy/ 5 uses Formless Series - Passive Formless Nodus Swipe - Active - 1 Energy/ 1 use Mind of Possibility - Unavailable ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ My Energy went up by one again, and the bonus point went straight to Body, I wanted it to get to 10 soon. Just to see if something was going to happen, maybe there was a skill or something behind it. Maybe some skills required a specific amount of Body or Mind, and I had to reach those points before they became available. I did ask the System about that, but the answer I got was pretty useless. [System is unaware of any skill that has an attribute requirement. However, if skills with those kinds of requirements exist, System will only be aware of their existence, once said skills were acquired either by leveling up or by consuming something that has said skill.] Which translated to ¡®I don¡¯t know, and will only know if you find one.¡¯ Being the first user sucked some times. But maybe I could find others that had the System. It said that human were the 7th species to get access to the System. Maybe one of the other species was able to talk and communicate. Then I could learn from someone who had more experience. If they were friendly, that is. What other specie could¡¯ve gotten the System first? Monkeys? Maybe some sort of bug. If people did figure out the SP existed somehow, maybe there were experiments, so guinea pigs? Actually, did I ever confirm if the species were all here? What if we were talking about alien? Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation. It was late at night and I was watching the sky by the lake when I felt like I was ready for those kinds of answers. ¡®Hey¡­ Sys¡­ When you say humans are the 7th species to get access to the System. Do you have a range? Like, on the continent, or the planet?¡¯ [System received information from the SP that there were other 6 species that already had access to System. System is unable to pinpoint the range for the availability of said information. However, System is able to confirm that information is correct.] ¡®How?¡¯ [The System particles form a network that can transmit certain information instantly all across the entire network.] ¡®And there is no limit? Like, one of those particles can be on the other side of the world, or in a different planet, and you will still get that information? Even if there is nothing connecting the two particles.¡¯ [Correct. Distance is not a metric that has any effect on the most basic communication between system particles.] ¡®How does that work?¡¯ [System particles send basic information to one another. However, user must remember that this only applies to fundamental information or changes that were made to the system as a whole. More detailed information, such as skills, requires relevant particles to be in close proximity.] ¡®Yeah, but like, how? If one particle is here and another in the moon, how do communicate with it? [System is unable to answer that.] ¡®Is it some sort of restriction or you just don¡¯t know?¡¯ [System is unable to give a proper answer to said question. Could user tell System how user knows she to breathe?] ¡®What do you mean? It¡¯s when I feel like I need air. It¡¯s a natural response.¡¯ [For System, that is the same situation. Communicating with distant particles is a natural response. Something that System is unable to explain.] ¡®I see¡­ ok then. Can you at least tell how far away some the SP are? Like can you tell where the farthest particle is located?¡¯ [System asks user to look to the left of the moon. Move slowly.] I nodded and did as the System asked. First, my eyes landed on the beautiful full moon, its pale white reflection shining down. From both sides I could see the edges of large circular black shapes that trickled down to the center, forming almost a horizontal hourglass. The only reason to really call it that was because of the small dots that always seemed to be moving from one side to the other. Yet, they all passed by the center of the moon instead of going on a straight line to the other side for some reason. According to Pops, the moon didn¡¯t have those dark marks before the Eaters arrived. He thought there was some sort of moon base where some humans were able to go to before everything went to shit. The thing was, with everything I knew about the old world, that wouldn¡¯t be possible. Not on that scale, at least. Even if people were able to go to the moon, they should only have small bases here and there. By the size, those structures would be massive, bigger than most old world cities. Then again, that was the only explanation he had. Unless one of the species that got the System was up there. But if that was the case, how did they got there? And more importantly, how did the System got there? Focusing back on what the System was asking me to do, I slowly moved my eyes to the left of the moon, seeing the countless stars in the sky. After the Aries constellation, and even after the Triangulum, but before Andromeda, the System finally spoke up. [Stop. There, between the blue and orange stars. The farthest system particle is some number of light years away in that direction.] My eyes went wide, ¡®Light years? Are you sure?¡¯ [System sure this information is accurate. However, how many light years is not something System is able to confirm.] ¡®How¡­ how is that possible? Instant communication through something that is light years away shouldn¡¯t be possible. Not according to Pops, at least.¡¯ That sounded right, but in all honesty, I wasn¡¯t sure. The idea of taking a long time to communicate wasn¡¯t something that I ever truly understood. Like, yeah, it was one thing to copy a large file, Pops showed me how in one of the old consoles. But sending a message? How would it take time? Wasn¡¯t the whole point of the internet to have instant communication? [System is unable to answer that question. It simply is.] ¡®Kind of like how you are just a few days old but also have an infinite age?¡¯ [Correct.] ¡®So one of the other species can be an alien?¡¯ [That is a possibility. System is unable to confirm that information.] I let out a long sigh, ¡®Ok, ok,¡¯ I grumbled before heading back home. After dinner I told Pops about the whole communication through light years of distance thing, hoping for an explanation. Instead, all I go was him staring into the distance and grumbling every now and then as he tried to figure out how that worked with his own System. I went to bed after convincing Pops for us to head out to the hidden horn village in the morning. It could be good not just for us to see if there was anything that could be salvaged, but also to see if there were signs of other survivors. Not to mention that hunting monsters could help him level up. Or at least, that was the plan. In the morning, we had to help the village as the hunters arrived with a decent amount of meat and they ended up making a lot of food to avoid spoiling. The next day, Vanessa had a nightmare about my death and refused to leave my side. After that, Pops got his hand on some of the tools he needed to continue his research and asked us to stay for another day. Then another. And another. And another. And another. Only after a week, when I put my foot down that I was going with or without him, that Pops agreed to go. We gathered some supplies, I made sure to get an extra waterskin. An empty one just in case we came across an Eater. Their blood could be a really good way to fill up my Energy in a pinch. And it was finally time to get back to the ruins of the Hidden Horn Village. 31 - Back to the hidden horn village
Pops and I finally left Madison to go back to our old home. A lot of people advised against us going there, most were worried about us getting killed on the way. Either because of a monster, an animal, or an Eater. However, a vocal minority had a different issue. So much so that they asked the guards to arrest us before we left. Their issue was with a possibility. Not one where we died outside the village, but one where we returned and our tracks lured an Eater to Madison. In all fairness, there was some worth to their worriers. Considering we were about to go some place that a group of them attacked, there was a good chance we would end up seeing another. Especially considering where I killed one. The second one I mean. ¡°Thought of a funny joke?¡± Pops asked as we continued walking towards the bridge to the north. ¡°What? No. Why?¡± ¡°You were smiling,¡± I figured there was a reason for that. ¡°Oh¡­ I was just thinking about the Eaters I killed. Eaters, plural,¡± I replied, a smile forming on my face. Pops smiled back, ¡°You know, if it was anyone else telling me that. I wouldn¡¯t believe them.¡± ¡°I barely believe it myself. But I did. Two, one was even without the help of the System.¡± ¡°And that one almost killed you.¡± ¡°Yeah, but the other one didn¡¯t. Ok, it was a good fight, and I got hurt, but I still won and didn¡¯t get impaled that time,¡± I huffed. ¡°Not getting impaled shouldn¡¯t be a win condition, but a basic instinct,¡± Pops sighed. [System agrees with Pops¡¯ assessment. Being impaled in counterproductive to user¡¯s survival.] ¡°Oh, bite me. Both of you,¡± I sped up a little. ¡°Glad to see the System agrees with me. But why were you thinking about that?¡± Pops changed the subject. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure if that was just so I wouldn¡¯t be more upset or he genuinely was curious. ¡°I was just thinking about the people from Madison. The ones that wanted us arrested. I get why they were that worried, and it¡¯s not like we can tell them why they shouldn¡¯t.¡± ¡°Cass¡­ They were right, even with the System. Going back there is a dangerous idea.¡± ¡°If you don¡¯t want to go, that¡¯s fine. There¡¯s still time for you to go back.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not letting you go alone,¡± Pops frowned. ¡°Then we are going. Yes, it¡¯s dangerous and I know, but we can¡¯t just ignore the possibility of finding someone back there. Our people might still be alive.¡± Pops shook his head, ¡°I really doubt that. Even if they survived the Eaters, the explosion would¡¯ve gotten them. You didn¡¯t see the blast¡­ It was much bigger than I imagined.¡± I paused and turned towards my grandfather, ¡°Is that why you were delaying so much? Are you scared of what we will find?¡± ¡°I would be lying if I said that wasn¡¯t in my mind. I already imagine I killed some of our people. And even if I say that was a mercy compared with the alternative, it¡¯s not an easy thing to accept.¡± ¡°Pops, you didn¡¯t kill our people. Even if the explosion did. I was the one who pulled the rope and triggered the explosion. Their blood is on my hands, not yours.¡± Rakeen rolled his eyes, ¡°Great, so instead of having killed our friends, I made my granddaughter do my dirty work. That¡¯s much better.¡± ¡°Stop that. Those were my choices, you didn¡¯t make me do anything,¡± I paused, noticing a tree to my right. One that had a horizontal mark in the middle of the trunk. A mark left by me. More specifically, left by a wheel I threw at it, ¡°I guess those old movies are right.¡± ¡°What?¡± Pops asked. ¡°The murderer always comes back to the scene of the crime,¡± I glanced around, there was nothing that proved this was where the wagon had broken. No blood stains, no marks on the ground, no debris. Nothing. The scar on the tree being the only thing that remained from my actions against the supply crew. ¡°I still say you didn¡¯t have to go that far.¡± It was my turn to roll my eyes, ¡°Pops, we talked about this already. I don¡¯t regret my decisions. If I could go back in time, nothing would change. Those bastards would be dead one way or another.¡± ¡°Cass¡­¡± ¡°I don¡¯t want to hear it. You don¡¯t like what I did. Fine, I¡¯ll live with that, but I rather live with your disappointment than live knowing I could¡¯ve saved their next victim,¡± I pointed to something a couple hundred meters ahead, ¡°There is the bridge.¡± Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Fine, let¡¯s change the subject. Have you considered giving the System to anyone else?¡± Pops asked. ¡°Honestly, Peter was a good candidate. But the way he is now¡­ I don¡¯t know. Cindy¡­ I love her to death, but she has a darkness that makes me worried. She suffered a lot and I don¡¯t think she would put others through the same kind of thing. But abuse is a cycle. Unless you treat it and learn to cope with what happened. Cindy is doing much better than she was when we first found her, but I don¡¯t know if we could say she is not going to lash out at the wrong people if she has power. How about you?¡± ¡°According to the System, I can¡¯t do that. Well, I can, but it takes 100% of the progression to the next level. While at tier 1, it will take only 10%. So it just doesn¡¯t seem worth it. Cindy is one option, but honestly. I¡¯m thinking about Michael and Vanessa.¡± ¡°You are going to give super powers to children?¡± I asked, trying and failing to not sound like I was freaked out by the idea. ¡°Not really. Didn¡¯t your System told you about what happens if a kid gets it?¡± ¡°I never asked, Sys?¡± [If someone who has yet to reach full body maturity receives a version of System. System¡¯s functions will be limited. The juvenile user will instead receive the benefits of having SP helping their body develop. Their immune system will be enhanced and any growth issues will be reduced. In addition, the SP will assist the juvenile user¡¯s brain to get accustomed to the changes that come with growth.] ¡°I see¡­ and would the kids know they have the System?¡± [Juvenile users would be able to talk with System, and access functions that are not related to level up or acquiring new skills.] ¡°What about Titles?¡± [A juvenile user is capable of acquiring a Title, as the said Title would fundamentally change how the juvenile user¡¯s SP would work. One additional piece of information. If a user has any offspring, said offspring will have System since birth.] ¡°The System is inherited¡­ It really isn¡¯t going to take that long for everyone to have one, will it?¡± ¡°My best guess, about 10 years at most. At least, considering someone can travel across the ocean to share it with people from a different continent. I haven¡¯t done the math, but you can get 20% progression in just one day, and that is without even going out to hunt. As long as you are not using skills, so let¡¯s say it¡¯s 1 person per day. It would take you, alone, less than two months to give the system to everyone in Madison. Now scale that up and remember that everyone at tier 1 can do the same,¡± Pops explained. I looked down the river, towards the village of Madison as we crossed the bridge, ¡°Is that the right thing to do? Giving everyone the System, I mean.¡± ¡°Honestly. I still don¡¯t know. A part of me still thinks this might be an elaborate plan to get rid of us. But what choice do we have? It¡¯s not just the Eaters, but even animals are taking advantage of the System. And apparently, our food was already covered in SP. Those particles were already changing us even without the full interface. At least now we can guide the direction of the changes. It¡¯s like you said, this give use the power to fight the Eaters. That¡¯s the only thing that can do that. At least as far as anyone knows. So maybe it¡¯s worth the risk.¡± I nodded, and we continued to walk across the bridge, ¡°You know¡­ it should take us a day to get to the village. Maybe more if we don¡¯t rush. We didn¡¯t have to burn through the heavy topics before even crossing the river.¡± Pops chuckled, ¡°True, but now we can talk about more fun things.¡± ¡°Like?¡± ¡°Like the kind of skills we hope to get.¡± ¡°Oh, there is one that I really want. Something that lets me heat up either anything or just a piece of metal. Can you imagine how easy it will be to take a shower with that? And to make food without fire.¡± ¡°Sorry to break it to you, kid. But even in the old world, things that heat up other things were very energy hungry. I can only imagine this will be the same with the System,¡± Pops smiled. [That assessment is accurate. The Energy required to make any significant change in temperature will be considerable.] ¡°It¡¯s a good thing my class focuses on getting more Energy then,¡± I announced proudly. [System is able to create a quest that will have a skill similar to what user mentioned as a reward. Does user want that quest?] ¡°But a quest would need me to track down things that might have that skill. Or something similar, right?¡± [Correct.] ¡°Yeah, let¡¯s hold off for now. I have no clue where to even start searching for that kind of thing.¡± ¡°Oh? So this is a quest. Kind of interesting,¡± Pops smiled, ¡°You forgot to tell me about this.¡± I ignored that comment, he had the System, he could ask it what he wanted to know, ¡°Do you have a skill in mind? To ask the System for, I mean.¡± ¡°I do, but I think I should wait until I¡¯m tier 1. I really miss using a telescope to watch the stars. And I don¡¯t think any skill I could get now would be strong enough to mirror that effect.¡± ¡°Oh that would be really cool. And it¡¯s easy to consider where to start. Eagle eyes are famous for a reason.¡± ¡°Birds in general have a good eyesight. Dragonflies have compound eyes, which also could maybe work as different lenses. But¡­ the idea fells¡­ strange.¡± ¡°Which part? Eating a Dragonfly to get the skill?¡± I asked. ¡°I didn¡¯t even think of that,¡± Pops grumbled, ¡°I mean actually getting the skill. Would my eyes change? I don¡¯t want to have bug eyes.¡± ¡°I mean, I have a massive scar across my stomach. Scar girl and Bug eyed old man. We can make a fun freak show while we are on the road.¡± Pops shook his head as we continued walking. It was mostly uneventful. There were times when we found an animal or another, mostly prey, that just ran away once they saw us. The predators seemed to notice we were too dangerous for them. Pops and I did consider hunting for food, but that felt like a bad idea. Even if we did get something, we would need fire to cook it properly and that could attract an Eater. We were eating some berries while another deer ran away from us when I realized something, ¡°You know. Remember that mountain lion that came after me?¡± ¡°I remember you telling me about it.¡± ¡°Yeah, I remembered the System mentioning something strange. The SP inside the mountain lion triggered his hunger response once it realized I had a lot of SP inside me. It made it¡­ hungry for SP, if that is the right term.¡± ¡°And it was able to track you down?¡± ¡°It was, maybe there is a smell, or a trail of SP. Or it just used his regular senses to come after me. But that got me thinking. If an animal without access to the System could do something like that¡­¡± Pops was the one to finish my sentence, ¡°Then there is likely a skill or something that can track down large clumps of SP.¡± Just as he finished speaking, we heard the sound of metal grinding against metal coming from the top of the hill. Followed by metal coiling and being released as a large black shape flew through the air, landing a few meters to our right. I quickly triggered {Compression} as my hands wrapped around my staff that was sitting on a small form across the back of my waist. For the past days I spent a lot of time talking big game about my fighting skills, and now Pops was going to have a chance to see it firsthand. 32 - Horrific Sight
The Eater that landed in front of us was much different from the one I faced before. Its legs didn¡¯t tower over me, its tentacles were thinner, and looked almost brittle. Instead of a constant undulation, they were solid, coiled like curly hair around the body. While the smaller tendrils moved franticly, as if they were trying to make up for the lack of motion of the larger appendages. The mouth was also considerably smaller, not a perfect circle, but an oval shape with a single row of large teeth protruding from its center. But inside, there was no light, no fog, nothing. Another big difference was the color. It had that sickly gray shade, but there were no black burn marks around the tentacles near its mouth. The legs were also much thinner. More similar to that of a daddy longlegs, instead of the odd formation of the others, where the limbs became thicker and thicker as they got closer to the central part of its body. My eyes shifted to Pops for a moment as we hid in the bushes. He had seen these monsters destroy the world. He had seen the carnage and the destruction that those creatures brought. If anyone had the right to be afraid of the Eaters was him. Yet, his face was serious, and not with the panicked look that I expected. His eyes analyzing the creature in front of us as his body tensed, ready to burst into action. Likely to run, but there was a chance there was another intention behind that preparation. He slowly touched my arm. And a message appeared in my view. Pops: That¡¯s a baby one. Cassandra: A baby one? I asked, turning back to the Eater as I asked the System to show me what it could about it. [Eater - Tier 0] I killed two who were at tier 1, so this is what they looked like before tiering up? The creature was still recovering from the landing, but if we were going to fight it, our chance for a sneak attack would be gone soon. Pops: Those are the ones we could kill. Even back in the old world. We had to use guns or run them over with a truck, but still. Cassandra: So? Are we fighting it? Pops turned to me. I could see the hesitation in his eyes, all the fear still there. But instead of turning away ran running. He nodded, putting a large rock on his sling. My staff was already on the right size for a battle, and I stepped to the side, flanking the monster. But before I could get to my position, the creature shifted. It¡¯s smaller tendrils reaching out, licking the air in search of something. I wanted to see Pops facing his fears. After all, we would have to deal with this kind of thing during our journey. But I wasn¡¯t about to let this Eater put him in danger. I had lost my parents to those monsters, and I refused to lose the rest of my family like that. Rushing out of the bushes, I dashed closer to one of its legs, using my staff for a wide swing. {Formless Nodus Swipe} was triggered, the particles left my body and covered my weapon. The end of a constellation forming with the second star being on top of my tailbone. System created an overlay for me, showing a hologram of a dragon tail on top of my metal pole. I knew that this wasn¡¯t real, but still, seeing that was incredible. Maybe one day this skill would actuals show that to others as well. The first leg of the Eater broke like it was a weak glass. A bit of the white luminous blood started leaking from the stump. My staff continued, hitting a second leg that was also ripped to shreds, but this time, I felt the strain on my muscles as I forced the limb to shatter. The skill was still active, and continued, allowing me to slam the staff against a third leg. It cracked and buckled, but this one endured. Part of me was ready to trigger {Body Regeneration} as my previous encounters with an Eater proved that they didn¡¯t care about pain. They were able to push through, no matter what I was doing. But this one was different. The moment its first leg shattered under the force of my strike, the Eater let out a silent shrill. It clearly tried to scream, but it was unable to make a sound. The only thing it could do was move whatever was inside its mouth to create the noise of grinding metal once more. It stepped back, not because it was preparing a new attack, or ready to continue the battle, but it acted with fear. An Eater was afraid of me. That thought made me pause. How was that even possible? Could those things truly feel fear? A rock flew at a staggering speed, shattering against one of the Eater¡¯s legs on the opposite side. The knee, or what I assumed to be the knee of the monster, cracked. Staggering back, the monster took a moment to start moving again, and that was all it took for another rock to hit the exact same spot. More cracks appeared over the leg, and once pressure was applied to it in an attempt to walk away, the knee couldn¡¯t take it anymore and broke off. Leaving the creature with only five of its eight legs still working. I moved to help, breaking the one leg that was already cracked as more rocks came flying from the bushes. The Eater finally tried using its larger tentacles, exposing a soft, almost white skin previously hidden near its mouth as the appendages attempted to strike me. But the movements were very predictable. Wide swings in arcs showed that the monster couldn¡¯t control the tentacle very well. And seeing the creature made a point to protect certain areas, I figured out there was a reason for that. Which meant those lighter parts of its body became my next target. Pops also came up with the same conclusion and started firing off more rocks at the monster. This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. The first rock that hit that exposed area caused the Eater to shiver. The second made it pull back. And my staff, being the third hit as I triggered {Compression} angling it so the pole would dig into the dirt and become a spike, finished the monster off. My staff took the Eater out of the ground, and make it dangle in the air for a few moments until its skin couldn¡¯t take it anymore and ripped apart, making it fall back down half of its body completely torn open and bleeding out. There wasn¡¯t even a spasm, but the confirmation of the kill came as I felt a trickle of SP enter my body. ¡°Did you feel that?¡± I turned to Pops. ¡°I did. But apparently I needed to be closer to get more. Still enough to give me a level,¡± he came out of the bushes. ¡°Really? Why is that?¡± I asked. [Once a being with SP on its body is killed. The remaining SP attempt to find a new host. Without direct contact with the SP of an existing host, the SP, who is now without a host, will go towards the closest and largest clump of SP in its proximity. However, if during the process of killing the original host, there was contact between a user and the now dead host. The particles that clashed will recognize the user as their new host and travel towards them.] ¡°So as long as we hit the creatures, some SP comes to us. Otherwise, whoever is closest to the monster when they die, get most of the SP?¡± [Correct.] ¡°Is there a maximum distance for the SP that we get from hitting it to come to us? Like if I¡¯m using a bow and arrow, would the particles still come after me?¡± [There will come a point where, even with the contact, the SP will not be able to reach the user. The actual distance is something System is unable to calculate as there are too many variables related to that process to give an estimate.] ¡°Ok, so try to be close to what you kill. Got it,¡± I turned to Pops who was asking the same questions to his System. Maybe I should start speaking out loud what the System told me to speed up this kind of thing. While he continued that conversation, I reached down to the body of the Eater and checked its blood. After getting a confirmation from the System that it was the same as the blood from the other Eater, I took the empty waterskin I brought and started filling it up. ¡°Cass? What are you doing?¡± Pops asked a few moments later. ¡°Filling up my mana potion. Do you want some?¡± Pops blinked slowly, ¡°What?¡± ¡°An Eater¡¯s blood is basically liquid Energy. Or something close to it. When I drank some, I filled up my {Energy Storage} and {Mind of Possibility} in a few gulps. That was like¡­ 40 Energy or something. Do you want some? There is not much here. Nowhere near as much as what the other Eater had, but I¡¯m pretty sure you can get at least a level or two.¡± ¡°You¡­ drank that?¡± ¡°Yeah,¡± I turned to him, ¡°Don¡¯t give me that look. We eat blood soup. This is not all that different. Besides, it tastes like water, with a bit of metal.¡± ¡°I think I¡¯ll pass¡­ I don¡¯t like the idea of.. Eating, or drinking them,¡± Pops gestured to the Eater, ¡°Unless there is a skill that I should really get.¡± ¡°Actually, no. I didn¡¯t get any skill from this. Sys, why is that?¡± [The blood of an Eater has a high Energy value, however, there are very few particles on it. Because of that, no skill is attached to the blood itself. If user desires any skill, user will require to consume body parts of the Eater.] ¡°Yeah.. No, I¡¯m not eating that thing,¡± I shook my head. A few minutes later, we walked away. Even this weaker Eater had that effect of rapid decomposition, and I didn¡¯t want to be around to smell that again. When night came, we found a hollow tree to sleep in. With the two of us, we could take turns sleeping. It was a bit boring to just sit there doing nothing, when it came my turn on watch, but I had the System with me, so at least I wasn¡¯t completely alone. Morning came, and we continued walking. It was just a bit before noon once we approached our old home, after stopping by the hunter¡¯s cave to see if there was anything there that could still be used. This time, we took the two blankets. With {Compression} and both of us, it wouldn¡¯t weight us down. After that, we continued toward the Hidden Horn Village, or whatever was left of it. Pops and I were scared about what we were about to find. Maybe it would be just what was left of our friends and family. Or the blood splatters would be all that remained from our previous life. Neither of us could imagine what we would actually find. From the distance, we saw a large structure. Taller than the watchtower. It was dark, charred, and at first we thought it to be the missile that, for some reason, got that distorted. But no. Once we got a bit closer, we saw that¡­ thing pulsating. Pops and I rushed to a nearby tree, climbing it before we got any closer to whatever we were looking at. It had an appearance similar to an egg, with various fungal growths on top of it, some large enough to become a tunnel. A tunnel that was currently being used. Used by Eaters. The same small ones as the one we fought yesterday. They climbed on top and inside that pustule like spiders moving on their parent¡¯s back. Looking down, still close to the top, there were more openings, these letting out an eerie pale glow, and from it. A couple of Eaters, larger ones like the one that I killed, and the one that almost killed me, moved inside. Slowly, swatting at the smaller ones like annoyed teenagers shoeing away their younger siblings. As if all that wasn¡¯t bad enough, there was one more. At the very base of the putrid egg of metal and flesh. One large opening about the size of a house. Going inside it were two tentacles, if they could be called that. Those appendages were larger than the smaller Eaters, larger than the bigger ones. Larger than even the surrounding trees themselves. Tentacles filled with sharp thorns and suction cups that looked capable of eviscerating a mountain itself. Pops was completely silent, and so was I. We always wandered where the Eaters came from, and how they were created. Now, there wasn¡¯t a shroud of doubt in our mind, we were looking at one of their nests. An Eater hive. Both of us slowly climbed down the tree, making sure not to make a single sound. A skill we perfected throughout the years. Once we hit the ground, we started walking, still unable to utter a word. And only when we passed the hunter¡¯s cave, far away from any place that could let our footsteps echo, we started running. All the happiness from killing an Eater, all the excitement, was gone. Killing one of them was nothing when there were hundreds nearby. Hundreds that would spread, hunt, eat, and grow. Any semblance of hope I had before was gone. Even with the System, how were we supposed to fight against those things? Against them, we were nothing. No For them, we were prey. #### Author''s note #### I''m really proud of that ending. I think I can make some pretty decent ''body'' horror. ################## 33 - Rushing Back
We ran across the forest, and it wasn¡¯t even intentional. Our bodies were moving almost like they were possessed. Possessed by the instinctual fear of a prey trying to escape its predator. Neither of us said a word during the entire time, the only sounds we were making were our steps, and heavy breathing. Occasionally, one of us would call out, just to point a better path or some track that could be from an animal. The last thing we needed was to find another monster wanting to attack us for whatever reason. We ran so fast, and for so long that only after the bridge crossing the river came into view that we stopped. In all honesty, I don¡¯t know how we were able to get this far in a single breath. We spent almost three hours running nonstop. Our clothes were drenched in sweat, and if it wasn¡¯t for the adrenaline that was still coursing through our veins, we would¡¯ve stopped sooner. But eventually, Pops collapsed on the soft ground, his hands were shaking as he reached out for his waterskin. I forced my body to get closer to him and help him sit down properly so he could drink before crumbling by his side, my legs refusing to continue moving. ¡°Shit,¡± I groaned while helping pops drink water. His skull could be seen through his skin of how dehydrated he was. In all honesty, I shouldn¡¯t look much better. The good thing was that we were close to the river and could easily refill our waterskins. Pops coughed, tried to speak, but gave up and continued drinking, only after a couple of minutes we were in any condition to have a conversation. ¡°What the fuck?¡± he finally asked. ¡°I don¡¯t know,¡± my eyes darted towards the path we took to get here. The System was kind enough to mark the location of the Hidden Horn Village with a large red skull. Like the marker that was created before for the hunter¡¯s cave, ¡°Have you ever seen anything like that?¡± Rakeen shook his head, ¡°I heard stories. Things about how the Eaters are born from these blisters on the ground. Or how an Eater¡¯s home is a place that makes even the scariest of monsters look like a teddy bear. Honestly, I always assumed that to be stories. Just like Mothman or Big Foot. Something that had an underlying truth to it, but it was exaggerated due to fear.¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think they were exaggerating. If that¡­ thing appeared in just a couple of weeks. What would an old hive look like?¡± I turned to Pops, the sweat that dripped from my back growing cold just by thinking about it. ¡°I¡­ I don¡¯t know. Fuck, I didn¡¯t even think about that,¡± Rakeen groaned. Taking a few deep breaths, still feeling exhausted from all the running. I looked around, trying to see how much sunlight we still had. It was still bright out, and according to the System it was 5:12 P.M. Somehow, we made the journey that would take us two days in less than half of one. Well, not somehow. I knew the reason why we were able to do such a good time. At least we should be able to reach Madison before sundown. And with {Body Regeneration} we shouldn¡¯t be sore for long after running so much. But I wasn¡¯t about to use the skill. Not right now, at least. What if something went wrong, and I needed my Energy? There was a part of me that still was worried monsters would appear, or even worse, an Eater. If that were to happen, I would have to fight, and then the skill would come in hand. Wait, that is stupid. I have Eater blood. I can spend some Energy without having to worry about recovering it later, ¡°Pops, how are you feeling? Any pain?¡± ¡°My legs are killing me, and so is my ankle. I think I sprained something,¡± Rakeen glanced down, there was a swollen area just above his feet, ¡°Yeah, this is definitively sprained. Maybe even broken now that I look at it. I did slam my feet on a root a few miles [Kilometers] back.¡± ¡°Use {Body Regeneration}, you still have enough Energy for it, right?¡± I said, just as I triggered my own. ¡°Oh, good call. I didn¡¯t think about that.¡± ¡°Talk with your system, have it focus on the ankle. I don¡¯t know how hard it would be to fix a sprain.¡± Pops looked at me with an odd expression, ¡°You never had to use it to fix something in your bones?¡± ¡°Oddly enough, I don¡¯t think so. When I got impaled, it was through the stomach, it didn¡¯t break anything. So the skill only had to fix organs. Sure, it¡¯s complex, but that¡¯s all soft tissue.¡± ¡°Yeah¡­ I suppose,¡± Pops frowned as he triggered the skill, ¡°Does it feel strange when you use it too?¡± ¡°It does, everything gets tingly.¡± ¡°Yeah, like ants are crawling all over you,¡± Pops sighed. ¡°Wait, what? No, I don¡¯t feel that. Sure, something is crawling on me, but it¡¯s not big enough to be ants.¡± You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story. ¡°I guess everyone feels that thing differently.¡± I nodded and let him focus on recovering for a moment. Even if the System was dealing with most of the work, it was good for him to understand how things worked. After all, the more you used a skill, the better you got at it. Then again, the difference in feelings might be because of my title. My mind kept rushing to what happened. Being this close to an Eater hive didn¡¯t sound like a good idea. The People of Madison should leave, the problem was convincing them of that. Especially considering how fast our trip was. ¡°What are we going to tell people?¡± Pops turned to me, ¡°What do you mean?¡± ¡°I mean about that hive, or nest. Whatever you want to call it. I don¡¯t think the people from Madison are safe.¡± ¡°That¡¯s true. But why can¡¯t we just say what happened?¡± I turned to Pops, ¡°Do you think they will believe we made the trip there and back in two days? Without us revealing the existence of the System. I¡¯m still not entirely sure I¡¯m ready to share that with other people.¡± ¡°We will have to, eventually. But I don¡¯t think this will be a problem. Sure we made amazing time, but we are both fit and we were running for our lives. I think even the hunters would agree that this is understandable. Especially considering how haggard we look,¡± Rakeen gave me a gentle smile, which was sort of terrifying in his current condition. His white dreadlocks were stuck to his skin due to all the sweat. His eyes were sunken, and he still breathed heavily, like someone who was struggling to just stay awake. Which was the case, but still. It wasn¡¯t a good look. ¡°That¡¯s fair. Maybe things will be ok. But we should skip the part about fighting a baby Eater. Right?¡± Pops was staring into the distance with a frown. I assumed the System was telling him something, so I just waited until he finished his conversation. Eventually, he grumbled, ¡°Well shit.¡± ¡°What¡¯s wrong?¡± ¡°My ankle is broken. And according to the System, even if I were to spend all my Energy on {Body Regeneration} every day, it would still take around 500 casts before it¡¯s fixed enough for me to walk around. From its calculation, it will still take a bit over a month for my ankle to be healed.¡± ¡°Wait, what? How is it going to take that long? Isn¡¯t {Body Regeneration} working? Would I also take that long to heal from something like that,¡± I frowned. [If Pops allows, System is able to gather the relevant data from Pop¡¯s System and extrapolate how long would user Cassandra take to heal from the same wound.] ¡°Pops, Sys is saying it can check how long I would need to recover from that, too. Maybe since I¡¯m already tier 1, and {Body Regeneration} gets stronger, it will be faster. If that¡¯s the case, it¡¯s better for you to focus on that. I just need your permission for it to access the data.¡± ¡°Sure, go for it,¡± Pops nodded. [User needs to make physical contact with Pops in order to share that information. This is not a requirement due the information itself, but a safety measure due to the sensitive nature of said information.] With a nod, I just touched Pop¡¯s shoulder and waited. [System waiting for permission from user Rakeen in order to receive information.] [Permission granted.] [Analyzing Data.] [¡­] [¡­] [¡­] [Data analyzed. If user Cassandra was to have the same wound, with a constant use of {Body Regeneration}, and considering that user is able to recover up to 15 points of Energy every day through meals. User would need to utilize the skill {Body Regeneration} approximately 120 times. This would roughly translate to between 8 and 9 days of using only {Body Regeneration} depending on how many times the skill is utilized. This does take into account users¡¯ Title. As Enduring Heart increases user¡¯s ability to recover. But this calculation does not take into consideration extra Energy acquired through other means such as consumption of Eater Blood. Without taking into consideration user¡¯s Title, and solely the difference between tiers, user would still require approximately 240 uses of {Body Regeneration} to heal from the same wound.] ¡°Damn¡­ is a bone that much harder to fix?¡± I asked. ¡°Is that a serious question?¡± Pops turned towards me. ¡°No, never mind,¡± turning back to the forest, I noticed something strange. A few of the trees in the distance looked¡­ Off? But before I could understand what was going on, Pops called me. ¡°I hate to ask this. But do you think you can help me walk? It¡¯s getting late and if we take too long, we might end up staying out here in the middle of the night.¡± I nodded and glanced back to the forest, whatever was strange before seemed to be gone. With a shrug, I helped Pops up, but it quickly became clear that he wasn¡¯t in any condition to walk. I remember him saying something about warm blood. How when you get hurt during an intense moment like a car crash or something, you might not even feel the pain until you stop. Honestly, I always imagined that was a lie, but thinking back about all the fighting I did during the past few weeks that made more sense. Once Pops managed to stand up and hop a bit, I walked forward and kneeled, showing my back to him, ¡°Come on. Let me carry you.¡± ¡°Cass, you are not going to take me all the way to Madison on your back.¡± ¡°Yes, I am. If you keep hopping like that, we will arrive way past sunset, not to mention it can make things even worse. So come on,¡± I said without even looking back. Pops knew I was right, but he still protested. ¡°I can handle walking a bit longer. Give me your staff so I can use it as a crutch.¡± I glanced at my grandfather, that stubborn old man who refused to let others help him, ¡°Are we doing this or am I carrying you over my shoulder until we get there?¡± Pops opened his mouth, but quickly closed. Even before the System, I could just fling him over my bag and carry him out somewhere else. Now? Doing that would be easy. He begrudgingly accepted my offer and climbed onto my back. It was nice, for once I was the one giving him a piggyback ride instead of all the times he did that to me when I was little. With him on my back and my staff on my pouch, it didn¡¯t take long for us to reach Madison again. Thankfully, the road was pretty safe. Once we got there, people rushed over to help him and started asking about what had happened. We told everyone we would tell them, but first we needed water, food, and to check on his leg. Neither of us had enough energy, and I don¡¯t mean the type used for skills to deal with all that right now. But leaving it for the morning wasn¡¯t a good idea either. We had no idea what to expect about the hive, and the longer we waited, the bigger the chance we would have of something going wrong. 34 - People of Madison
¡°Does this hurt?¡± an older woman, nearing her 50s, asked. She was one of the first ones to be born after the fall. She had dark hair and a suntanned skin that made her look much younger. Her eyes were green and the small button nose made her age show even less. The woman was gorgeous, and having someone like her take care of you when you got sick would make any man or woman swoon. She was fit and had large breasts that made me a bit jealous. At least her ass wasn¡¯t that big, proving that there was some justice in the world. ¡°Fuck! Yeah, it does. What did you expect?!¡± Pops groaned. ¡°Stop being a baby, I didn¡¯t even pull it that hard,¡± Courtney, the only medic in Madison, huffed and took a step back. She took a jar from a shelf with some green goo inside, ¡°It does look like you¡¯ve broken this. I can help with the swelling, but only time will fix the bones. With luck, you will be back on your feet in a month, if it¡¯s a bad break, that it can take at least two, if not more.¡± I glanced at Pops, who seemed completely unaffected while being cared by Courtney. He always said he could only think about grandma Camilla and I guess this was proof of that. Either way, focusing back on what was happening, I thought about his injury. It was likely on the upper level of what Courtney said, two months that would be reduced to one with the help of the System. And that was considering he focused first on leveling up and actually was able to get to Tier 1 without hunting. Which would require¡­ something. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what exactly. Still, it was likely he would be able to get there before finishing the 500 uses of {Body Regeneration}. Which would, in turn, cut the amount of casts required by half, more or less. Seeing that difference made me realize how much my title increased my ability to recover from wounds. While Courtney applied whatever that goo was to Pop¡¯s ankle, I took the chance to ask the System about that. Making sure not to make any sound. ¡®Sys, is it possible to share a title with someone else?¡¯ [Sharing a title is not possible. As it is a fundamental transformation of the SP present on user¡¯s body. That transformation is unique to the user and once System is given to someone else, any special attributes of the SP are reset in order to give the new user a clean slate. However, it is within the realm of possibility for System to calculate a skill that could mirror the effects of a title to a lesser degree.] ¡®Is it easy to make that?¡¯ [System will require the creation of a quest. However, unlike other quests that will ask user to find particles that might have relevant information, System will be the one analyzing the effect of the title on user in order to create said skill. In addition, user will be unable to use the resulting skill as user is already under a stronger version of its effects.] ¡®Oh? And I forgot, is there a limit to the number of quest I can have?¡¯ [Yes, System is only able to track a finite number of quests at the same time. The number of available quests will depend on their complexity. If user asks System to create a skill from user¡¯s title, the number of available quests will half as this particular request is resource intensive.] ¡®Ok then. Do that. Get that quest. Any idea how long it will take?¡¯ [Since this is the first time user is requesting a quest. System is unable to give a current time frame. However, that will be rectified in the near future once System is able to analyze some of the data related to the title.] ¡®That works. I just hope it won¡¯t take too long. I should¡¯ve thought about this sooner,¡¯ I held back a sigh. It might make Courtney focus on me, and I didn¡¯t want that. [User Cassandra is the first Human to ever have System. It is understandable that due the volume of new information and interactions, user is unable to foresee all possible uses of System.] ¡®Thanks, Sys. I know you are trying to cheer me up, even if I¡¯m not sure it¡¯s working.¡¯ ¡°All done. Now, what the hell happened for you two to get like that?¡± Courtney asked. ¡°It¡¯s better if we tell that to everyone at once. Garreth, Joseph, Melinda, everyone who is in charge of the village,¡± Pops replied. ¡°That big, huh? Ok, I¡¯ll have someone get everyone here. You still shouldn¡¯t be putting weight on that foot, and I need to make a splint for it,¡± Courtney stepped to the other room. As she passed me, she patted my shoulder, ¡°You did good carrying him back. If he tried to walk, that injury would¡¯ve been much worse. But as advice for the future. If something like that happens again, try to immobilize the limb before moving the person. It helps a lot.¡± ¡°I¡¯ll keep that in mind, thanks for taking care of my old man.¡± The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings. ¡°No need to thank me, it¡¯s my job. And he wasn¡¯t that bad of a patient. I¡¯ll be right back.¡± Pops and I were left alone in the house for a few minutes. We talking a bit, mostly checking if each other was ok. Eventually, he gestured for me to get closer. Touching my hand, he sent a message. Pops: Are you sure you don¡¯t want to share the System with anyone else? Cassandra: I¡¯m not sure who I trust here. Maybe Gareth, but he had a hand in gathering the people for the supply crew. So he is not completely innocent. Pops: What about Courtney? Cassandra: It¡¯s the first time I¡¯ve met her. The whole point is to share this with people I can trust, not just the ones that seem nice. Even a medic can have skeletons in their closet. Pops: Is there anyone who you think you could trust with this? Considering the hive¡­ we might need help. Cassandra: Yeah, but we need someone who is willing to help get everyone out of here. Not someone who is going to want to fight against them. Pops: Do you really think anyone would be crazy enough for that? Cassandra: I don¡¯t know. And that¡¯s the problem. We heard steps getting close and cut the conversation short. Courtney had come back with Gareth in tow, ¡°We had someone go fetch Joseph and Melinda. But Gareth was already waiting outside.¡± ¡°Yeah, you said there was nothing to worry about, but I would like to confirm one thing. Did you get followed?¡± Pops shook his head, ¡°We didn¡¯t.¡± However, I couldn¡¯t say the same. Not with the same level of certainty. Even if we didn¡¯t see anything, that feeling I got when I was looking into the woods still bothered me. ¡°Cass?¡± Gareth turned to me, noticing my hesitation. ¡°I don¡¯t think we were, but we saw things that we never imagined. So it¡¯s hard to say with certainty,¡± I glanced up, seeing the worried faces of Courtney and Gareth, ¡°I don¡¯t mean I think something was following us, but since we saw things we don¡¯t know about, we also don¡¯t know about what can be following us. I mean, what if there is an Eater that can fly, or one that can be invisible?¡± ¡°Eaters can¡¯t be invisible. They are monsters, but they don¡¯t have superpowers,¡± Gareth rolled his eyes. It took a lot of willpower not to glance at Pops after that statement. ¡°But it¡¯s not entirely impossible. Many animals evolve camouflage. They could have developed something that makes them invisible to our eyes. Like tigers are invisible to most animals in a forest due to their orange fur,¡± Rakeen explained. ¡°What? How?¡± Courtney asked. ¡°It has to do with the types of colors wild animals are able to see. In some areas, they don¡¯t have the right nerves to see orange. If they see that, it instead turns to green,¡± I explained. ¡°But we can see every color,¡± Gareth protested. ¡°Not really. We can see a large spectrum, yes. But there are many colors we couldn¡¯t see. It boils down to three colors, red, green, and blue. Everything we see in within that spectrum,¡± I continued, the System helping out with some of the information. ¡°Green? What about yellow?¡± Courtney crossed her arms. ¡°Color channels and primary colors are different,¡± Pops chimed in, ¡°It¡¯s complicated but it has to do with the frequency of the light. The point is, we see things on three channels. There are animals that see in much more.¡± ¡°How many more?¡± Gareth turned to my grandpa. ¡°I believe the mantis shrimp can see in 12 channels. And UV light, but I don¡¯t remember if that is part of the 12 or it would be 13. Either way, what Cass is talking about is a possibility we can¡¯t prepare to. It¡¯s like saying that we should be ready for a monster that hunts the Eaters,¡± Pops tried to calm the two down, but the nagging feeling that I missed something was still there. Joseph and Melinda arrived soon after. Since they were already in the central building of the village, the two were close by. Which was a pleasant surprise. The first to speak was the man responsible for all the hunters and for a decent part of the food available here. He was the youngest of the group, being just a few years older than me. His arms were thick and muscular and his sun kissed skin was extremely beautiful. Clearly, he was the type to spend hours working, building muscle and¡­. What is wrong with me? Why am I thirsting after everyone today? I shook my head to focus back on the situation. ¡°What is going on?¡± Joseph asked. ¡°Yes, I heard you were injured. What happened?¡± Melinda asked, she was the oldest person in the village, someone who was also there when the old world fell. Long gray hair tied in a braid and a hand made shawl over her shoulder. If anyone talked about their sweet grandmother, they would be talking about someone like her. ¡°Yeah, my ankle is broken. But that¡¯s not the main thing,¡± Pops glanced outside, seeing a few people look into the infirmary, ¡°Can you close the door first?¡± Joseph nodded, and once we he made sure no one would overhear us, I started speaking, ¡°We went to the Hidden Horn Village. Got there early today. But¡­ It wasn¡¯t our village anymore. Instead, we found the place crawling with Eaters.¡± ¡°What?¡± Garreth gasped. Melinda frowned, ¡°You got there and back in a day?¡± ¡°We were running for most of the time. Both of us were scared shitless,¡± Pops explained. Melinda still had suspicion in her eyes. She turned towards Garreth, who was thinking about something. After a moment, he nodded, ¡°They almost collapsed once they arrived. We had to carry them here. If they ran all the way, it would make sense.¡± ¡°And how likely is that they brought an Eater to us?¡± Melinda asked, the visage of a gentle grandma vanishing as her voice became cold. ¡°If there was an Eater chasing them, they would already be dead. They are not smart enough to recognize when people are going home or something,¡± Joseph explained. ¡°Ok then. We need to make sure no one goes to that side of the river until the Eaters are gone, warn everyone about that. Once they leave, then we can use that side of the river again,¡± Melinda told Garreth. ¡°They won¡¯t leave,¡± I protested. ¡°How do you know that?¡± Melinda squinted at me. ¡°Because they weren¡¯t just walking around. There was a hive there. An Eater hive.¡± Joseph scoffed, ¡°What are you talking about? That kind of thing doesn¡¯t-¡° Before he could finish the sentence, we heard a loud crash, followed by screams of terror. The only thing I was able to understand from that was one specific phrase. ¡°Run! It¡¯s an Eater!¡± Despite what we said, it seemed like those monsters had chased after us. Quickly grabbing my pouch, where my staff rested, I rushed out hoping that it was just one, and it was one I could kill. 35 - Eater attack
Rushing outside, the screams of the people from Madison flooded my ears. It didn¡¯t matter that we were taught not to make noise, not when an Eater had arrived. Crossing the doors, I was greeted by chaos. In front of the village¡¯s main building, everyone was running like headless chickens. Some tried to dive inside the houses, while others just went for the river, slowly being dragged by the current. To my left, where once the gate was located, now only had broken pieces of wood were everywhere. Thick splatters of blood covered the street, but there was no body to be found. Which wasn¡¯t a surprise, of course. The Eaters never left any food on their plate. One of the houses close to the former wooden gate was half destroyed, and a sickening crushing sound could be heard from inside. It was hard to see anything, especially since the only thing giving us some light was the half moon and the stars. But from the shadows, I managed to discern one large tentacle moving around, and that was enough for Sys to give me some information. [Hunter Eater - Tier 1] I never saw one of those before, but it was just tier 1, which meant that I could kill it. As long as it was alone. Eaters didn¡¯t seem to follow any particular rule, sometimes they would act in a group, while other times they would go on their own. Hoping this was a situation of the latter, I yelled while dashing towards it, ¡°Everyone run downstream! Leave the village!¡± People didn¡¯t seem to do anything as I moved, only when Gareth stepped outside, a few moments after I did and gave the same command that the village sprung into action. Everyone grabbing whoever they could and rushing out. Thankfully, I also saw Joseph carrying Pops outside. ¡°I¡¯ll lure it away!¡± I yelled, hoping Rakeen would understand what I meant. My shouting seemed to attract the Eater as I go closer. The monster emerged from the house, its skin more metallic looking instead of the black ichor that covered the Scavenger Eaters. Its legs were also thinner, not as twig like as the baby Eaters, but still thinner than the ones that attacked my village. However, the tentacles didn¡¯t move as wildly. They had purpose with every movement, and a two of them were different. One had a sharp point, and the second large jagged tips that could be used like a mace. I turned to the left and started running away from the city as the Hunter Eater followed. Thankfully, I was faster, which meant I could stay far enough away to avoid being caught, but close enough to make it seem like it could reach me. Or at least, that was the plan. In just a few moments, the creature realized that it wouldn¡¯t be able to reach me. It turned around, ready to go after someone else. Someone who was inside a small shed by the wooden wall. From my angle, it was impossible to know who it was, but the sliver of chance that Cindy, Peter, Michael or Vanessa were there was all I needed. Without hesitating, I grabbed a rock on the ground and flung at the monster, hitting one of its legs. The creature paused, turned towards the pebble, and crushed it with one of its tentacles. If you hit an Eater, you are asking for a fight to the death, and that¡¯s exactly what I wanted. Without even waiting to see it moving, I bolted away from the village. I need distance, enough distance so that no one would see me killing that monster. That wasn¡¯t a conversation I was ready for. Not yet, at least. This time, I didn¡¯t bother making sure the Eater was close to me. After all, it would already be chasing me, no matter what. After a couple hundred meters, I did a sharp turn right. There was a path on the hill to the side that was much flatter than the rest. It was a dried-up stream that only appeared during heavy rains as the water pooled on the other side. While climbing that area, I glanced back, the low light barely being enough to show me the Eater. It had stopped by the foot of the hill and did a¡­ handstand? Only two of its legs were touching the ground, while the other six were pointing in all directions. Almost like¡­ a wheel? As soon as that thought crossed my mind, the Eater started cartwheeling towards me. The legs digging in the dirt and pulling it forward. With each rotation, its momentum increased until it stopped losing ground and started gaining. My blood ran cold, if that thing could really move that quickly, I had no hopes of escaping it. And to make matters worse, this wasn¡¯t a good place to fight. The terrain was too uneven for me, and I would be at a disadvantage. The only silver lining here was that the Eater didn¡¯t seem to be able to keep itself steady properly. Each tentacle was constantly lashing out, pushing its ¡®wheel form¡¯ from one side to the other in an attempt to stop it from toppling over. This also meant it wouldn¡¯t use its larger appendages to attack me while it spun. The monster got closer and closer, the sounds of the metallic skin scraping against the ground echoing along the hills. It wouldn¡¯t take long for it to reach me and then I would be in trouble. But I wasn¡¯t that far from the top. And on the other side, I might be able to do something. The monster struggled to change directions, which meant it would be easy to dodge it, as long as it wasn¡¯t that fast. In fact, maybe I could even use it to my advantage. Pulling my staff, I triggered {Compression} making it as big as I could while holding on to it for dear life. The moment the butt of the pole slammed against the floor, I jumped, helping the skill propel me forward. Ever since getting to tier 1, the skill could exhibit more force during the size change. Once there was enough momentum, I triggered {Compression} once more, shifting my combined center of mass to be on the apex of the jump. That way, the force behind that push wasn¡¯t wasted on the larger form of my staff. Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. The idea worked, but it was much less effective than I expected. Instead of landing on the other side of the hill, I moved just a handful of meters ahead, with still more ground to cover before reaching the decline. It wasn¡¯t all bad news, however, as the Eater came spinning towards my previous position a few moments after I left that area. Because of the angle of its charge, not only did the monster missed, but it would also need to either stop and start their spinning again, or to make a wide turn in order to catch me. Either way, I had more than enough time to finally go over the hill and start speeding down. On the other side, there was a thicker forest, but also some open areas with large rocks and a small lake just a 10 meters [32 ft] wide. There was a story about a bottomless lake near Madison, could this be it? Then again, I had no clue if Eaters knew how to swim. While I was sliding down the hill, the Eater crossed the path behind me one more time. Missing the target again. Yeah, it couldn¡¯t control that move properly. It was likely not even a proper skill, just something it was trying to do. Its third attempt was different. It learned from its mistakes and now was following the exact path I took. Even if I tried to change the course, it would be able to follow me. Unless I only jumped away at the last second. But that wasn¡¯t the plan. I rushed ahead, running as fast as I could towards a large pine tree. My feet hit the trunk, allowing me to take a few steps up and jumping back in a spin just as the Eater passed under me. {Formless Nodus Swipe} was triggered, and the tail like constellation appeared on my staff. At the same time, another cast of {Compression} made my weapon grow just before I slammed the Hunter Eater right on top of its mouth. The impact sent the monster to the side, making it tumble twice. However, its legs quickly shifted backwards for it to regain its footing and the mace tentacle came flying towards me. On a first glance that didn¡¯t seem like a good idea, as the tentacle was too short, but it quickly grew, gaining even more speed as I landed on the ground. Diving to the side, I escaped the mace by a hair, but I failed to notice another tentacle incoming. Going for a wide arc, the tip of the appendage growing a thin blade. There was no time to escape to the side and its trajectory was too easy to move up or down in case I tried to jump or duck. Instead, I did the only thing that came to mind. Using {Compression} one more time to make my staff smaller, and hoping that this would make it harder for it to be cut, I blocked. The impact sent me flying back, hitting a tree face first as the blow made spun me in the air. At least my staff was able to hold on without breaking. If that didn¡¯t happen, I wasn¡¯t sure I wouldn¡¯t have been cut in half. The Eater wasn¡¯t about to let me go, its mace tentacle came flying towards me like a bullet. With a jump to the left, I evaded the blow, only to see the bladed tentacle coming back as the mace was retracted. It seemed like the creature could only attack with one at a time. And the mace was much slower. Instead of trying to dodge, I bolted towards the monster. If the Eater was using {Compression} to make its tentacles grow, I could make it spend more Energy if I forced it to use it repeatedly. Not to mention it would make it harder for the larger tentacles to reach me. Its swing went wide, cutting a couple of trees in the process. The loud crashes echoed in the area as the trunks started to land, a few were caught by other trees which were able to hold on. But a couple of the older, more brittle pines broke down with the weight, causing a domino effect. Once I reached the monster¡¯s body, I slammed my staff underneath it and triggered {Compression} one more time, spending the 5th charge of the skill. This time, my idea was just to push the creature to the side, as it was close to the lake. The sudden eruption of a large metal pole made the Eater flip, its legs going backwards once more to steady its footing. However, now a couple of them were already in the water. The mace came swinging down, and I tumbled underneath the monster. The smaller tendrils that were hiding so far lashed out, all of them trying to grab or cut me. Once I came out on the other side, my body was covered in small wounds, but I didn¡¯t care. With a spin, {Formless Nodus Swipe} made another appearance. This time aimed at the creature¡¯s legs. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t enough to break it, but it was enough to push the monster even more towards the lake. Now half its body was already inside. Not even attempting to change its position. The Eater sent out the bladed tentacle in a thrust. My body shifted to the right, but I wasn¡¯t fast enough. The appendage opened a large gash on the side of my shoulder, to the point where the bone became expose. But at the same time, its attack slammed against a tree behind me, making it fall on top of the monster. As the trunk crashed on the creature, it was pushed deeper into the lake, all its limbs vanishing underwater. I had no idea if that could kill an Eater, but it was worth a shot. As {Body Regeneration} did its magic to start fixing my arm, I rolled more trunks into the water using every ounce of strength I still had. In times like this Burst of Strength would have been a massive help, but thresh was no use crying over spilled milk. I saw the appendages shoot up from the water, lashing out at the trees and trying to find purchase on the ground. Eventually, it did. The bladed tentacle was able to carve into the ground and the Eater started to slowly pull itself out of the water. Without missing a beat, I rushed over to the tentacle and struck it with another {Formless Nodus Swipe}. The attack wasn¡¯t able to break the limb, but it made the blade lose its hold on the dirt and fall back into the water. The motion worsened the wound in my arm which forced another cast of {Body Regeneration}. Emptying out my Energy reserves. More tentacles shot up as I took a quick sip of the Eater blood that was in my waterskin, refilling my Energy back to 4. Another cast of {Compression} intercepted a second attempt of the bladed tentacle to find something to hold on to. All the while I continued rolling the broken trees into the water. Even if some weren¡¯t able to help hold the monster down, as its tentacles tried to grab at anything, the wood would break under the strain, making it waste time and fall back into the depths. The whole process took a good five minutes, and by the end of it there were no more trees to push into the lake. But finally, I felt the SP getting inside my body. [Congratulations user Cassandra for the level up. Current level 4. 1 attribute point available. 1 skill available.] 36 - Leaving Once the Eater was dead, I sat on top of one of the rocks. There was a large one that wouldn¡¯t be hard to balance myself and it would give me a good vantage point of the area, just in case. Staying in the middle of a clearing helped, since the shadows of the deepest part of the forest would swallow the moonlight. I started to overlap casts of {Body Regeneration} to fix my shoulder before heading back. My new shirt now only had one sleeve. That wouldn¡¯t last long, and the first thing to do after making sure my arm was better was to rip out the other side, so it matched. It was a shame I could only use that skill two times at once. But thankfully, part of it was already working to numb the pain. Even if this time it wasn¡¯t able to remove it completely. Likely because there was an exposed nerve or something on the wound. Looking at my shoulder, I thanked the night. Even in this low light, I could see that it was bad. There was a chunk of my arm missing, and the bone was just there, open to the elements. If this happened during the day, I would be freaking out much more just because of the sight. Still, a torrent of blood was coming out, and I would need to clean myself before heading back. Telling people I survived while being seriously injured would be very hard. Then again, I could say I used an animal as bait. After all, the only reason why Eaters went after humans was because we lived in groups. If they saw rabbits, boars, or anything that was also a good prey, there was nothing saying they wouldn¡¯t stop and go after them. Yeah, that story might work¡­ I think. ¡®Sys, any idea how long it will take for my arm to get fixed?¡¯ I asked in my mind. Not wanting to make more noise just in case there was something nearby. [Considering the current rate of progress. User will require another 4 uses of {Body Regeneration} for their full 10 minutes duration. Giving it a total of 30 minutes before user¡¯s arm has recovered. However, this recovery will not include the removal of scars. For that, another 2 separate uses will be required as {Body Regeneration} will need to perform a task that is not properly equipped to do.] ¡®What do you mean by that?¡¯ [The function of {Body Regeneration} is to recover the body from wounds. A scar is part of the recovery process. If user uses the skill to remove a scar, the skill will require considering not just how to help with regeneration, but also how to make it so the new skin blends seamlessly with the rest of user¡¯s body. In order to perform such a task, the skill will need to identify the surrounding skin cells and attempt to replicate them through several iterations. Said process gains no benefit from multiple uses of the skill at the same time.] ¡®I guess more is not always better. But that¡¯s ok. Focus on healing me first. I¡¯ll think about the scar later. And while we wait. Let me check my status and the new skill.¡¯ [Acknowledged.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cassandra Ydorf - Level 4 Titles: Enduring Heart Tier 1 - Formless Monk Mind 3 - Body - 9 Memory - 7 Energy - 5/9 (2 Reserved) 1 attribute point available Skills - 6/7 Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy Memory Bank - Passive - 1 Energy Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes Compression - Active - 1 Energy/ 5 uses Formless Series - Passive Formless Nodus Swipe - Active - 1 Energy/ 1 use Mind of Possibility - Available ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°Yes!¡± I cheered, my voice echoing in the area a bit too loud. Making sure not to speak up, I continued, ¡®A new memory slot. Nice, and even more Energy. I guess the class did say I was going to get a buff to Energy. Maybe all this increase is happening on the early levels and later on it will be harder to increase. Either way, Sys. Put that point on Body. I want to get to 10 already.¡¯ [Acknowledged. Congratulations on reaching 10 points in Body, user Cassandra.] ¡®Thank you,¡¯ I smiled even if there was no one to smile to, ¡®Let me see the skill now. This never gets old.¡¯ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Predatory Sense - Passive - Aspirant Reserved cost: 1 Energy In the wild, predators rely on heightened senses to locate prey and detect danger. This skill allows you to tap into a similar instinct, sharpening your awareness of creatures and potential threats within your vicinity. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡®That¡­ sounds kind of amazing. If that Eater was chasing us ever since we found their hive, this could¡¯ve warned me about it. Right?¡¯ [Correct. The skill was generated due to the constant awareness user has displayed while hunting and traveling.] Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author. ¡®Does that odd feeling I had while we were getting back had anything to do with it? Actually, was that the Hunter Eater stalking us?¡¯ [System was not aware of anything that user was not aware of herself. If odd feeling truly was related to the Hunter Eater, System is unable to confirm.] ¡®Ok then. Add that skill to my Memory. It¡¯s the first Aspirant skill I got aside from Quick Tier 1 Evolution. I have to test it.¡¯ [Alert: Due to the nature of the skill, user will not feel its effects immediately once skill has been acquired. System asks user not to judge skill without seeing its effects.] ¡®I know. I¡¯m not expecting to suddenly be able to see in the dark or anything. Still, I want that skill.¡¯ [Acknowledge.] I felt the SP spreading around my body, mostly around my eyes, ears and nose, but there were a few spread all around my skin. Once the particles reached their designated location, any feeling of their existence vanished as they integrated perfectly with the rest of my body. Unlike System¡¯s warning, I felt something right away. More specifically, I smelled something. A gust of wind carried a subtle scent of an animal. It reminded me of the mountain lion, but it wasn¡¯t as strong. Maybe a baby? No, it was too different, and for some reason I could tell that it was also smaller. Something larger would have a more complex smell. Or at least that was what something, likely the new skill, was telling me. Turning towards the direction of the smell, I saw a pair of small eyes that seemed to glow under the moonlight. It stared back at me for a few moments before the creature I assumed to be a wildcat scurried away. I waited until my arm was fixed, refilling my Energy using the Eater blood I still had, and started walking back to the village. Everyone should be still freaking out, but at least they should agree that we have to leave. Once there was enough confidence in my movements and it didn¡¯t seem like the wound would open up again, I washed the blood off on the lake and started heading back. There was no rush on my steps, no intense worry or any kind of pressure for me to arrive soon. I spent a good amount of time on the road running away from the Eater. If it had brought any inter along, I would¡¯ve seen it. And since that wasn¡¯t the case, I could take my time. According to the System, it had been roughly an hour since I first saw the Eater. Which also means I was closer to the Village than I imagined. But still, it was enough time for me to come up with a decent story as to why, or how, I survived the attack. Getting closer to the broken wall, some of the guards noticed me. Theirs expressions were a mix of surprise, confusion and worry. In all honesty, I couldn¡¯t blame them. Seeing me come out apparently unscathed was like seeing a ghost. Everyone had assumed I was dead, and if the situation was any different, I would say the same. One of them quickly rushed seeped into the village, bringing Gareth back before I reached the broken gate. ¡°Cass?¡± the guard captain asked, his jaw hanging open, ¡°How?¡± ¡°What? I killed it,¡± I said with a straight face. It was much easier to do that when it wasn¡¯t a lie. All the guards became even more confused, every single one of them looking at me like I was a crazy person. After enjoying the moment for a few seconds, I started laughing, ¡°That¡¯s just a joke. I got lucky. There was a pack of deer sleeping on the other side of the hill and that caught the Eater¡¯s attention. It got a couple of them before the others moved. A stag ended up hitting it with its horn in the frenzy and the Eater chased after it. We should be good for a while.¡± ¡°Wait, what?¡± Marco stepped forward, ¡°That¡¯s not possible. I saw you throwing a rock at the Eater. Or at least, I saw the rock hit it and then it chased after you.¡± ¡°When did that happen?¡± Gareth asked. ¡°I was in the shed by the gate, trying to see if there was anything that I could use to lure the Eater away. It somehow caught wind of me. I was going to die when that rock hit,¡± as Marco spoke, I realized that he was the one on the shed that I tried to save. That makes much more sense than it being Michael or Vanessa. I don¡¯t even know why that possibility crossed my mind. ¡°I thought I hit it too, but it went after the stag instead. I think I missed. Why it came after me is something I don¡¯t know the answer to,¡± I shrugged. ¡°But I saw the rock hitting it!¡± Marco protested. ¡°Marco, are you sure? Are you sure of what you saw? Do you have a single shred of doubt that the rock hit it?¡± Gareth asked. ¡°I¡¯m sure, sir. The rock hit the Eater and bounced off of it.¡± ¡°Shit,¡± Gareth groaned before turning to me, ¡°Cass¡­ I hate to say this, but you can¡¯t stay here then.¡± ¡°What? I¡¯m telling you the Eater changed targets. If I had hit it, it wouldn¡¯t have.¡± ¡°I know, but we don¡¯t know if it will still come after you. And I can¡¯t take that chance. Not when we are about to leave south.¡± I opened my mouth, but closed right away. Marco was staring at me with a complicated expression. It might be just my general paranoia, or some effect of {Predatory Sense} detecting danger, but I could swear he was about to attack me. Maybe it was just the fear of an Eater coming after me, or maybe he realized that I was lying and not just about this. Letting out a sigh, I looked at Gareth in his eyes, ¡°Fine. Can I at least say goodbye to my grandfather and the kids? Or is that too risky too?¡± It sucked to be kicked out like that, but if I stayed I would have to tell them about the System, and with that information it wouldn¡¯t take a genius to realize who killed the supply crew. ¡°Go to the infirmary. I¡¯ll have someone fetch the rest of the people from the Hidden Horn Village. They are all free to go with you if they want. If not, we will take care of them. I promise,¡± Garreth turned to another guard, who nodded and rushed away. ¡°Thank you,¡± I smiled. ¡°Just don¡¯t take too long. We don¡¯t know when the Eater will show up again. Also, go upstream. We will be heading south in the morning.¡± ¡°So I can¡¯t even go in the same direction?¡± I asked, getting only a severe stare as an answer. This felt really unfair, ¡°Fine. I¡¯ll make sure to go somewhere else so the Eater won¡¯t find you all.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Gareth said, ¡°And for what¡¯s worth. I don¡¯t like that I have to do this.¡± I rolled my eyes, ¡°For what¡¯s worth, I don¡¯t give two shits about that. I¡¯m the one getting kicked out because you don¡¯t trust my word. Fuck your feelings.¡± Gareth nodded, ¡°That¡¯s fair. Now go. Rakeen is till in the central building.¡± Turning around, I headed to the infirmary. Part of me would rather go fight another Eater. After all, now I had to tell my grandfather that I was, essentials, exiled, and that he shouldn¡¯t come with me. 37 - Destination I rushed to the infirmary. Who knows how long they would let me stay here to say goodbye. And that was just messed up. I killed the Eater. Nothing would be chasing after me. But instead of being grateful, my reward was being exiled. Fine, it was mostly my fault. If I told them about the System, they wouldn¡¯t do that. But that would open a massive can of worms that I wasn¡¯t interested in opening. Not now. If Marco connected the dots and realized that I killed the supply crew, then people might want me dead, worried that I could start a killing spree. Despite all that, I had no regrets about killing those bastards. People like that were better rotting than walking around. As soon as I opened the door, Pops tried to get to his feet, but the pain made him flinch, ¡°Cass! What happened? Are you ok? They told me an Eater was chasing you.¡± With a quick glance outside, I made sure no one was following me, or listening in, and closed the door. ¡°I¡¯m fine. Don¡¯t worry. I missed the rock I threw,¡± I reached out and gave him a hug. Cassandra: I killed the Eater. It was a hunter type. But at least I discovered that they can drown. Pops: So everything is ok? ¡°The problem is that people don¡¯t believe me when I say the Eater is gone. Marco says he saw the rock hitting it, but it changed targets once a stag ended up brushing its horns against it. Now they are telling me I need to leave the village, especially since they are all setting up abandon this place.¡± ¡°What?!¡± Pops yelled, once more trying to get up, ¡°I¡¯m going to talk with Gareth.¡± With a sigh, I stopped my grandfather from leaving the bed, ¡°Pops, they are right. We don¡¯t know if the Eater really gave up or not. Me being with you all is dangerous.¡± Cassandra: Marcos seems to be suspicious of me. If we push for me to stay, or tell them about the System, I think they will realize what happened with the supply crew. Pops: Cass, people trust you. Cassandra: Do they? And even if they do. The moment they realize I have superpowers, they can be suspicious of me. It would be easy to think I¡¯m a monster in disguise or something. Someone being controlled by the Eaters. Then that can spread to you, Cindy, Peter, the kids. Who¡¯s to say when that will stop? Maybe everyone will start thinking they are all enemies and the entire village will kill each other. Pop: Cass, you watched too many movies. That¡¯s not the kind of thing that would happen. Cassandra: Is it not? There are countless stories with a similar premise. And you said it yourself, what makes a good fantasy story, is how real the events feel. Do you really think that there is no way of this happening? Pops paused, staring at me for a moment, ¡°Maybe. But if you are leaving, I¡¯m coming with you.¡± I shook my head, ¡°No, you are not. Pops, you are hurt, and can barely stay on your feet. You need help to get out of here, and I doubt they will let me borrow a cart, much less a horse, when they are about to leave. I¡­ I can¡¯t protect both of us. Not if another one of those things appears.¡± Cassandra: Despite everything I said, I never actually killed a tier 1 Eater on my own. The one that almost killed me aside, the first I really fought, died because of one of its own legs. And I had to drown the one I fought against today. If another shows up, or even worse. A tier 2 one¡­ one of us ail likely die. At the same time, I spoke out loud, ¡°Besides, Cindy, Peter, and the kids need you. We can¡¯t just abandon them. Not after everything.¡± ¡°But you are ok abandoning me?¡± Rakeen looked deep into my eyes. ¡°Pops¡­ I¡¯m not abandoning you. I¡¯m going on a trip. I¡¯ll give a couple of months of time for the people here to understand that there is not an Eater after me and then come back. Besides, let¡¯s face it. You didn¡¯t want to leave.¡± ¡°What are you talking about?¡± Pops frowned. ¡°Just to go back to the Hidden Horn village, you stalled for days. And you never enjoyed long trips. I always heard you complaining about walking instead of taking a car or a cart. You are still a scientist. I know you will be miserable if we can¡¯t stop and study the things around us. My intention is to never spend more than a couple of days in a single spot while I travel.¡± ¡°Cass¡­ It¡¯s hard to think about you traveling alone,¡± Pops held my hand tightly. ¡°I know, but that¡¯s what happened in the old world, right? When kids grew up, they left. Think of this as if I¡¯m going to college.¡± Pops chuckled, ¡°Honestly. I¡¯m not sure you going to college would make me less worried. But I see your point. I would drag you down.¡± The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement. ¡°That¡¯s not what I-¡° He quickly cut me off, ¡°I know. But those are the facts. I could barely keep up with you while we hunted, much less when we had to run. I don¡¯t think you even notice all the times you had to pull back not to leave me behind. So ok. I won¡¯t tell you not to go, or that I¡¯m coming with you. However, the only reason I¡¯m saying this is because of my ankle. Once you come back and I¡¯m better and stronger, you won¡¯t get rid of me that easily.¡± I smiled, ¡°That¡¯s a promise. Maybe we can have our own version of a road trip. For now, I¡¯m thinking about heading to the east coast. I always wanted to see the ocean.¡± ¡°Do you remember the map?¡± ¡°Sort of, and we are in the top corner of Yellowstone National Park, right? If I¡¯m remembering this correctly, by following this road and then turning east, I should be able to get there.¡± Pops nodded, ¡°Yeah, we are in Montana. You want to head to Idaho, then either Washington or Oregon.¡± ¡°And Oregon is where people took that trail and died of dysentery, isn¡¯t it?¡± ¡°Well¡­ yeah, but it was more because of the time than anything. I have no clue how the environment is down there these days.¡± ¡°Still, I think I¡¯ll keep it to the forest up north. If I end up seeing a hive in the middle of an open plain, I¡¯m kind of fucked.¡± Pops nodded, ¡°Yeah. That¡¯s a good call. Also, be careful of strangers. Don¡¯t eat things that you don¡¯t know. And make sure to drink water and eat properly.¡± ¡°I¡¯m not a kid anymore,¡± I rolled my eyes, trying to break some of the sadness. This wasn¡¯t how I imagined leaving home. ¡°You are always going to be a kid to me, Cass. My kid.¡± I hugged Pops again, this time not because I wanted to say anything through the System. There was too much I wanted to say, too much I wanted to thank him for, but just not enough time. Someone knocked on the door, and when I opened it, two kids almost jumped into my lap. ¡°Miss Cass. Are you leaving?¡± Michael asked, his eyes already watering. ¡°Why are you going?¡± Vanessa asked. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Cass. I told them to calm down,¡± Cindy tried to pull them away, but I refused to let them go. ¡°That¡¯s ok. Thank you for letting me talk to them,¡± I smiled and turned to the two children, ¡°I have to leave for a little bit. But don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ll be back in a few months. Ok?¡± ¡°But what if a monster catches you?¡± Vanessa asked. ¡°I¡¯ll let you two in a secret,¡± I got my face closer to theirs, ¡°I¡¯m the one that monsters are scared of now.¡± Both of them looked at me like I was crazy. With a frown, I continued. ¡°What? You don¡¯t believe me? Does that mean you forgot what happened when I caught you all skipping class?¡± The kids went pale and shook their head rapidly. In hindsight, maybe I was a bit too rough on my scolding. But it worked. Even so, telling them to run the ten laps around the village was probably overkill. ¡°Cassandra?¡± Gareth¡¯s voice came from beyond the door. Once I looked up, he continued, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, but we can¡¯t wait anymore. You have to go.¡± I turned back to the children and gave each of them a big kiss on the cheek, ¡°I¡¯ll be back. I promise.¡± Pops nodded and gave me another hug. And Cindy was next, the woman whispering in my ear already aware of the situation, ¡°Please be careful.¡± ¡°I will. And make sure to take care of them. Also, slap Peter for me. He might have lost PJ, but he still has part of his family. It¡¯s not fair of him to ignore you like he¡¯s been doing. I know he is not the only one hurting,¡± I told Cindy. Stepping toward the door, I paused and looked back at the people inside. My people, ¡°Pops. I think Cindy should be the first.¡± He nodded, ¡°I agree. As soon as I can, I¡¯ll talk to her.¡± Cindy looked confused, but she didn¡¯t press on the matter, understanding that it wasn¡¯t something we wanted to say now. Gareth escorted me out, passing a large backpack to me, ¡°Here are some supplies. Food, clothes, soap. I wanted to give you some medicine, but they said there wasn¡¯t enough to spare since we are abandoning some of the plants¡± ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll give this back when I return,¡± that line made the guard captain frown, and I continued, ¡°Look. I¡¯m going to stay away for a couple of months. But after that, can we agree that if I¡¯m still alive, it means there is no Eater chasing after me?¡± He paused for a moment as we crossed the village. Most people were ignoring us, but a few, including Marco, stared at me while I walked. Eventually Gareth spoke, ¡°That seems fair. If anyone complains, I¡¯ll vouch for you.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± we didn¡¯t say anything until we crossed the broken gate. And finally he stopped. ¡°Again, I¡¯m sorry for this, Cass. But I have to look out for my people.¡± I nodded, but with Pops out of commission, there was still a nagging worry in the back of my mind, ¡°Can I ask you a question?¡± ¡°Sure.¡± ¡°What would you do if one of your people started to hurt others?¡± ¡°Depends on who they hurt. Bandits? Thank them. Another villager? I would make sure that wouldn¡¯t happen again.¡± ¡°How? Would you kill them?¡± Gareth frowned, ¡°Maybe. Depends on what they did.¡± ¡°What about the supply crew? I heard some really nasty stories about them.¡± The captain sighed, ¡°I know. About the stories, at least. Those four were assholes, but giving them that job saved us some trouble. Traveling to get supplies is dangerous, and it takes time. That meant we were not risking anyone important, and they wouldn¡¯t cause trouble to the village. And if the stories are real¡­ they never did anything to anyone in the village. As far as I know. For anyone else. I can¡¯t protect everybody.¡± I nodded, taking this moment to check one thing with the System. ¡°Why do you ask?¡± Gareth tilted his head. ¡°Thank you for everything, Gareth,¡± I put out a hand for him to shake. He sighed and took my hand, but as he pulled it back, I held on. ¡®System. Ingrain,¡¯ I gave the command to share the System. That way, they would have a better fighting chance. And Pops would still level up faster since I wasn¡¯t about to give Gareth any skills. The man paused, looking at something between us, ¡°What¡­ What is this?¡± ¡°A tool. So you can protect more people. You are free to refuse if you like.¡± ¡°What? What does it do?¡± ¡°You exiled me, you don¡¯t get questions. Either take it, or leave it. I will not offer this again.¡± Gareth paused, likely staling for time. I gave him a few seconds, but eventually started to pull away. But instead of letting go, he held on. 10% of the particles that would take me to the next level left my body and entered his, the System gaining its third human user. Once the process was over, I let go of his hand. ¡°Good luck on the travel, Gareth. And make sure to protect my people,¡± I said just before turning around and starting to walk. It was late, and I still had to find a good place to sleep. But at least my family was safe and well protect. Not to mention, I would travel the world for the first time. What kind of places would I see, and what monsters would I face? Only time would answer those questions, but I had to admit, despite everything, I was really excited about this. 38 - Upstream I walked upstream alone. Which was very much expected, considering the situation. Still, I was upset about them not letting me sleep before kicking me out. To be fair, they had a reason for that. If there was an Eater following me, letting me sleep in the village could put the people there in danger. And fine, technically, it was my fault since I was the one who didn''t want to talk to them about the System. But still I had a very long day and I really want some rest. ''I guess just you and me, Sys,'' I said to my invisible companion without speaking out loud. In a sense, I would never be alone again. There''s something comforting about that. [System will always be with user. Removal of System is impossible while user remains alive.] ''You don''t have to be so cold,'' I rolled my eyes. [Acknowledged] ''Why do I get a feeling you''re just saying that to make me shut up?'' And of course, the System didn''t give me an answer. Either way, I continue my path. The goal was to at least pass the creek where I turned when the Hunter Eater was chasing me. If I stopped sooner and something were to happen, the people from Madison would blame me, I was sure of it. The problem was my exhaustion. And I had a good reason to be so tired. In one day I reached the Hidden Horn Village, ran away from it like crazy, came back to Madison while carrying pops on my back, had to lure a new type of Eater away from people, killed it, then went back to the village and got exiled. I don''t think I ever had a day that was this eventful before in my entire life. Except maybe the day I watched my parents be eaten alive. About 100 meters [382 ft.] or so after that Creek I found a large group of trees, all pines with thick and sturdy branches that were several meters from the ground. There were a couple who were even intertwined and would likely withstand my weight without a problem. Using {Compression} to get up quickly to that area, it didn''t take long to find a place where I could sleep without worrying too much about falling back down during the night. ''Hey Sys, do you have any way of waking me up if a monster or something gets closer?'' [System is able to wake user up. However, System does not currently possess the ability to detect monsters or anything without utilizing user''s senses. For that reason, System is unable to perform such task.] ''But is it possible? Could there be a skill or something that lets you detect the danger when I''m sleeping?'' [In theory, yes. Would user like to create a quest for such skill?] ''Not now. Maybe in the future it could be a good idea. Since we are on the topic, do you have any more information about the quest that I already have? The one to make a skill based on my title?'' [System is still in the process of organizing the necessary data to the creation of said skill. At this moment, System is unable to give a time frame for the completion of the quest.] ''Yeah, I kind of figured. I asked about this quest today, didn''t i?'' [Correct.] ''Damn,'' I yawned, trying not to make too much noise, ''I''m really tired. I''m going to try sleeping and if you notice I''m about to die for some reason just wake me up, okay?'' [Acknowledged. However, as previously stated, System is unable to utilize user''s senses unless user is awake. The only thing System would currently be able to do is to warn user once something harms user. In such event, user''s pain response would likely wake user up before the intervention of System.] ''Yeah, that''s great. Good night.'' barely able to think those words, I fell asleep. Too much had been going on and my body was just done. But my night wasn''t calm as I hoped. After some time, a similar feeling to falling in a dream woke me up. With a jolt, my eyes shot open, and I grabbed my staff from my bag, ready to attack any incoming creatures. At the first glance, there was nothing and this was just a scare. The darkness of the night surrounded the forest, with the small amount of moonlight showing just some of the edges of the trees and foliage. Something pulled my eyes to the left, where they found something that wasn''t quite right. It almost looked like a bush, but it sat on top of the branches. The leaves of these pines shouldn''t grow like that. As I shifted, making my staff grow enough to become a weapon again, something else came into view. A pair of glowing yellow eyes staring at me attached to that strange shape. Could it be another mountain lion? No. Too small. And a cub wouldn''t be able to get up on this tree. The only way of it being a mountain lion was if it was a mutated version that turned the animal smaller. But I never had seen something like that. Mutations only made creatures bigger, stronger, or more menacing. Noticing how my staff was able to reflect the tiniest amount of light, I shifted it to see if I could get a better look at whatever this was. This idea was hardly a success, but at least it made the creature move enough for me to notice a pair of ears and very thin strands of fur coming out of their tip. Only one thing could have that feature around here. A bobcat. But they were usually a bit smaller than this one and therefore wouldn''t be able to blend as well with the foliage. Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings. ''Sys, how long has it been since I fell asleep?'' [User slept for 3 hours and 24 minutes.] ''And how long do we have until sunrise?'' Despite the conversation, my eyes continue to follow the creature as it jumped from branch to branch, slowly getting closer. A gust of wind brought me a whiff of its smell and, for some reason, it confirmed to me that this was a bobcat. Maybe it was an effect of {Predatory Sense}. But being so sure like that still felt strange. [It is currently 4:07 a.m. Sunrise will likely happen after 6:00 a.m. There are still, roughly, 2 hours until sunrise.] ''Fuck it. I''m going to consider this a nap and I''ll just sleep when we find a better place,'' the bobcat was getting closer and closer. I turned to the side, trying to see if there was anything on the road and the creature seem to think this was the moment to strike. However, I could tell the branches were creaking with a strain, the smell was getting stronger, and there was a bit of wind that was blocked from reaching me. Without hesitating, I spun my staff, already triggering {Formless Nodus Swipe}. My attack came from below, my hands holding the middle of the staff since this wasn''t exactly an open field. It hit the bobcat square on its stomach, sending him over my shoulder, slamming against one of the trees. A large branch pierced its torso, and I felt the SP entering my body. It was a good thing that the light wasn''t bright enough to let me see things properly. But even then, I could already tell that the bobcat guts were spilling out, dangling above its head as it hang upside down. With a sigh, I climbed down the tree using compression again. So much for having a good night of rest. According to what I knew, if I follow the road by the river, I would eventually reach a place called Fort Ennis. It was just on the outskirts of the city previously known as Ennis, but most of it was destroyed by the Eaters. pops always told me that going to a big city was dangerous. For one, we could never really tell if the place was free from the Eaters. With some always hiding ruined buildings. He even argued that it was possible the Eaters made their nests in the ruins of a city. However, considering how one of their hives actually looks like, I had my doubts about that idea. If every city had the heart like that, there will be more stories about those things. The other danger was the people, of course. Everyone was fending for himself. Sure, villages tended to help each other, but most were very wary of strangers. Even if the people from the fort should be more used with the people of Madison. The supply crew used to go up there to barter for various materials or whatever the village needed. But it might be better if I don''t mention the supply crew, just in case. The only problem reaching there was the distance. With the cart being pulled by a horse, people would have to spend a night out in the open during that journey. Although in the open wasn''t exactly right. Marco mentioned that there were a few abandoned houses on the path to Ennis. They had already scavenged those structures for supplies, and a few were falling apart, but some of them should be stable enough to let me have some cover for a night. Or at least, that was my hope. Once I started to follow the road, I heard a message from the system. [Inquiry: Why has user left the bobcat corpse behind? Creature might have useful skills. In addition, consuming it will bring more Energy that can be converted into SP] ''I don''t have any way to prepare it, and I''m not going to eat it raw. Carrying it with me until I can find a place to cook it properly is too much trouble for what it''s worth. Not only will I be dragging something heavy that is bleeding, which will leave a trail, but the smell might attract other predators. Leaving it back there will, at least, make a few animals less likely to come after me. Also, don''t expected me to eat everything that I kill. Eaters for one I won''t eat, and sometimes, I just have to leave things behind,'' I continued walking in the dead of night. It wasn''t easy traveling without any light. But at least the road was open enough so I wouldn''t have to worry about hitting my head on a bunch of trees. Even 50 years after the world went to shit, nature still wasn''t able to reclaim everything that it had lost. I passed by the bridge to the other side of the river. If memory serves me right, there was a house nearby, but it wasn''t mostly broken apart and now being held by the hopes and dreams of whoever built that thing. If I were to sleep there, it would be better to just climb another tree and find a place to stay for the night. Which I wasn''t about to do. Another 40 minutes went by before something appeared on the side of the road. Another house. This one, much bigger but it still had parts that were destroyed. The entire east wing of the house was destroyed as if a bulldozer had gone through it, or more likely, an Eater had passed by. But the west wing was still standing. Still feeling exhausted, I took a chance and headed to the house. The inside didn''t look very good and I couldn''t even see it properly. Only by using my staff as a cane I was able to find a door that seem to be closed. A closed room was more than I could hope for, so I pushed inside, making sure to pay attention to my senses and the new skill. Trying to see if there was anything that would trigger alarm bells. This seems to be a bedroom, but checking the mattress was a waste of time. Anything that survived whatever passed here wouldn''t have survived the test of time. Instead, I found a long bench in the corner of the room and laid down on it. There was only enough time to check if it would hold me before I collapsed once more. I woke up a much, much later, with the sun already high in the sky. My face was facing the wall, while my own hair function as blinds to protect me from the light. This wasn''t a comfortable night of rest by any means, but it felt so good to wake up properly rested. I turned to the other side to enjoy the laziness I was feeling. But right in front of me, rocking back and forth in a chair, was a skeleton wearing rags. It''s hollow eyes staring into my soul. ''Holy shit!'' I jumped up, already grabbing my staff. But the skeleton didn''t move. It just continued to rock back and forth, being pushed by a light breeze coming from a broken window. Approaching the corpse, I noticed a large hole in the back of its it''s skull. Behind it, the window was broken at the exact same height. Maybe something hit it from the outside, killing whoever this person was. But a blood splatter on the wall made that unlikely. It was almost as if whatever killed this person hit it from the front. With a shrug, I just grabbed my belongings and headed out while eating a few of the rations Gareth gave me. There was still a long journey ahead of me and I wasn''t about to waste time playing detective for someone who died a long time ago. All I could do was make sure I wouldn''t meet the same end and be killed by whatever killed them. 39 - The city of Ennis It took me another 2 days to reach Ennis. If I¡¯m being honest, that only happened because I took my sweet time. Instead of powering through the night, I opted to stay in houses that felt safe enough, even if I found them in the middle of the afternoon. It was better to be safe than sorry. The last thing I wanted was to find another monster lurking in the night. Traveling alone was very peaceful in a way that I wasn¡¯t really expecting. Part of me imagined that I would be assailed by monsters left, right, and center and would have to fight against hordes of creatures. Yet, that wasn¡¯t the case. It seemed that there were not enough animals around for that to be a problem, or they were scared of me enough not to try anything. I also didn¡¯t find any skeletons or strange things in those houses. There were other things, of course, signs of wear and tear, of something big coming in and out, but nothing that I wasn¡¯t really expecting. There were no appliances, no tools that required electricity, or anything from the old world that I hadn¡¯t seen before. And that continued to be the case until I reached closer to the bridge. Before the fort, there was a town. A ruined town with several buildings collapsed on each other, overgrown vegetation pretty much everywhere, but also wrecks of cars and even what might have been a bus. I wasn¡¯t entirely sure. The large metal was too mangled and broken apart for me to make any sense of it. It almost looked like an airplane crash, but if that was the case, then there were a lot of missing pieces. There¡¯s a part of me that was telling me to run, to get out of here. After all, this was the biggest city I had ever seen. From start to finish, I counted 12 streets, and those were only the ones by the river. There were double, triple that behind them. This was the kind of place that should be filled with Eaters. But I didn¡¯t get any indication that was the case through my skills. Which meant that maybe this was a safe place. ¡®Sys, now that I¡¯m awake and you can access my senses, if you notice anything strange or any movement, let me know.¡¯ [Acknowledged. If User seems unaware of movement that was captured by using senses, System will issue a warning.] According to Gareth, Fort Ennis was past the city. I should follow the main street, the same one that led to the bridge, and continue going north once I passed two streets with an island of grass in the middle. It sounded strange, but he did say that it was the kind of thing you only understood once you saw it. And I have to give it to him. Once I saw what he was talking about, it was exactly that. Some land between two roads, like an island. However, before I continued north, something caught my attention. Continuing on the other side of the road, still going west from the bridge, there was something happening. A loud noise, like wood banging against something. Or what was more likely, something banging against the wood. My curiosity got the better of me, and I started following that sound. Quickly at first, but soon, as the noise grew louder, my steps became slower. Whatever was causing all that ruckus was by no means small, but it also didn¡¯t sound large enough to be an Eater, or a bear. Crossing over yet another street, the origin of the sound came into view. It was a large creature, taller than me. Ashy gray skin, a large tail that was mostly hair and almost touched the ground, four hooved legs, and a long face with a white spot on the nose. The shape and colors made it very much look like a horse, but there was something wrong about it. Something that made it¡­ alien. It took me several moments to understand why I was having that feeling, but eventually, I came to the conclusion. This creature, this horse, had the wrong proportions. Its legs were too big for the torso, and the length of its body was too long. As if to confirm my suspicion, the equine creature stepped and turned toward me, its spine forming a perfect U-shape for a moment as both its head and its tail were pointing at me. The mouth of the creature also proved its monstrosity. The lower jaw split vertically instead of horizontally. When it snarled, the monster revealed not one, not two, but three rows of teeth, a large one directly below the nose and two smaller, sharper sequences on that split jaw. [Crookstrider - Tier 1] The System gave me the information, but it didn¡¯t really help me understand what I was looking at. And that wasn¡¯t all. How could a herbivore become a Tier 1 creature? And how could a Tier 1 creature be so different from its original state? One way or another, I didn¡¯t have a chance to get answers, as the back half of the monster shifted, going back to the shape of a line just before it charged at me. Even now, with the creature clearly showing hostility, {Predatory Sense} was quiet. As strange as it sounded, the skill wasn¡¯t recognizing the danger, which made me refuse to move away from the charge. I had to trust my skills. What was the point of having them if I would doubt their every move? The Crookstrider continued getting closer and closer at rapid speed. The ground beneath my feet started to rumble with the weight of the monster, revealing that it was much heavier than its appearance suggested. Yet, I refused to walk away. The skill was right. I wasn¡¯t in any danger, right? When the creature was about five meters away from me, a distance it could cover in just as many seconds, my fight-or-flight response kicked in¡ªand in this case, it was flight. Jumping to the side, I watched as the Crookstrider bulldozed through the space I had been standing on. If I didn¡¯t get out of the way, I would have become the first roadkill in decades. The narrative has been taken without authorization; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident. ¡°What the hell?¡± I asked, baffled by the lack of reaction from {Predatory Sense}. But understanding what happened would have to come later. The Crookstrider was already spinning around to come after me. The creature was very fast, and it became obvious that I would be at a disadvantage if we continued in an open field. Glancing around, there were only a couple of options. First, the building the monster was trying to get inside, a dilapidated house made out of stone, but the entryway was mostly collapsed. Only a narrow gap in the upper left corner of the door could allow someone through. The next option was a sturdier structure to my right. It had three floors still standing and had a wide-open area filled with concrete pillars underneath it all. This could have been a parking garage. As long as I moved fast enough, using the pillars to my advantage could help a lot. My last option was to run toward the creature and go past it. There was a small group of trees near the main road that could serve as cover. But that felt stupid. Why would I run toward the creature trying to kill me in hopes of finding a safe place? So, the parking garage it was. Before the Crookstrider finished turning, I dashed like a madwoman toward the concrete building. The creature wasn¡¯t far behind me, but that didn¡¯t matter. As long as I reached one of the pillars, I would be able to go around it and escape its attack. Or so I thought. Turning around the pillar was easy for it. Unlike when it tried to do a 180, its turns here made the monster barely lose any speed. With a groan, I changed tactics. Since the creature was coming after me so relentlessly, I might as well face it head-on. Using an old car as a stepping stone, I jumped over the wall between this building and the next, tumbling down on the grass just to get some distance between us. Sprinting to the side so the monster could see me again, I prepared a {Formless Nodus Swipe}. One more time, the two of us played a game of chicken, with the Crookstrider sprinting toward me with everything it had, its three jaws opening and closing menacingly. This time, I wasn¡¯t just going to run. Taking a page out of some old movies Pops really liked, my attack was aimed at the wannabe horse¡¯s legs. In those old flicks, a broken leg was a death sentence for any equine animal. Just as the creature burst through at me, I jumped backward, spinning as my staff grew in my hands due {Compression}. Despite the strength of the creature¡¯s legs, the kneecaps were unable to withstand being slammed against a metal pole at such a high speed. Its legs bent backward, causing the monster to tumble forward, doing a few spins before collapsing on the ground. Unable to get up, it couldn¡¯t do anything as I walked over and finished the job by bashing its skull with my staff. Once I felt the SP flowing into me, I stopped and took a few steps back. This was both worse than I would like, but also better than expected. After facing Eaters that almost killed me and monsters beyond reason, it felt nice to have a one-sided battle where I wasn¡¯t the one getting my ass handed to me. Looking over at the body, a single thought crossed my mind, ¡®This is a lot of good meat.¡¯ I¡¯m sure the people from Fort Ennis would be more than grateful if I took it to them. And that could make my life a bit easier. Showing up with supplies made it so they wouldn¡¯t think I was going to be eating their food and continuing my journey without leaving anything behind to help. This could be a way of paying them back. But this also created a problem. If I showed up dragging this corpse behind me, it would be a bit on the nose that I was someone special, or at least that I was more capable than I wanted them to think. I still wasn¡¯t sure if I was going to share the System with anyone there, so I might just have to take what I can carry and cut my losses. Unless... I looked back at the three-story building. The top floor had an opening leading inside. Not a door, but part of the wall that had already broken down. There was a lot of rubble right on the edge. Even better, it was right under a pillar. What I was about to do felt very sketchy, but in a way, it also felt very fun. Dragging the Crookstrider¡¯s corpse, I placed it directly under the opening of the third floor, in front of the pillar. Using my staff and another cast of {Compression}, I climbed over the gap in the wall, being very careful not to put too much weight on any parts of the structure that seemed about to collapse. The next step was to push the rubble out of the building, making it all fall down on the corpse below. The sound of the debris hitting the ground was very loud, and for a moment, I was worried it would attract more of those Crookstriders. But staying on top of this building also felt like a very bad idea. I jumped down and found a place to hide, a house that was barely standing. Finding a small gap in the structure, I climbed in and waited. And as I waited, the System had a few things to explain about {Predatory Sense}. ¡®Sys, what the hell happened? Wasn¡¯t I supposed to be warned about any danger because of the skill?¡¯ [Skill {Predatory Sense} warns User of potential threats or potential prey that User¡¯s senses are able to capture. However, if User herself becomes aware of said danger or prey, the activation of the skill becomes irrelevant. For that reason, if User is able to recognize the threat, or prey, the skill will not give yet another warning that could distract User.] I wasn¡¯t happy about that answer, but at least I knew what happened. After 20 minutes of hiding, nothing seemed to change in the environment. Feeling safe enough, I walked back toward the Crookstrider''s corpse. I had to adjust a few of the rocks and brush some of the dirt in the right places, but eventually, I made a pretty convincing crime scene. Most people would believe that the monster slammed its head against the pillar, which in turn caused part of the building to fall down on top of it. The biggest problem would be convincing people that I truly hadn¡¯t killed this monster. But I wasn¡¯t about to leave meat behind, especially when it could have a skill. Taking out my boar tusk knife, I carved a large chunk of meat for myself and used {Compression} to make it small enough for my bag. Once I did that, the blood in the piece of meat was pushed out of it. After all this time, the idea of using {Compression} to exsanguinate the meat never crossed my mind, but it made a lot of sense. The fibers would become smaller and push the things that weren¡¯t part of it away. With my bag full of food, I continued north toward Fort Ennis, hoping my acting skills were enough to convince people to come pick this corpse up before any other animal appeared. 40 - Fort Ennis I walked toward the fort carrying some of the meat from the Crookstrider in my bag. That wasn¡¯t something I was going to share with the people who lived here. After all, what I got were my own spoils. But showing up without anything to prove that the monster was real would be stupid. So my solution was to take one of its hooves. Even if they didn¡¯t believe that I had killed one of those creatures, they would still see the proof that something did die. Fort Ennis was just a few minutes beyond the city, which sounded a bit strange since that would mean if an Eater was around, they could easily find the fort. Maybe the people here had a way to hide themselves, like we did back in the Hidden Horn Village. Or they might have some sort of protection or a bunker that could keep them safe. There was also the possibility that they were stupid, I mean brave enough to think they could face an Eater and win. Either way, I understood how people could feel safe in a place like this. Fort Ennis was surrounded by a massive structure, about 7 meters [22ft] tall. Or at least, that¡¯s what I could see from here. An enormous wall made of a patchwork mixture of wood and stone. The barrier had clearly been reinforced over and over, now almost 10 meters [32ft] thick. It wasn¡¯t the kind of thing that would have been built in a few days or even a few years. It was likely that, over the decades since the end of the world, the people who settled here had slowly created and reinforced that wall to protect themselves. As I approached the fort, I noticed the lack of sound, at least at first. But as I got closer, the noise became more apparent. It was still very muted, but a few things caught my attention. The sound of hinges slowly opening and closing, knives being struck against a wooden board, and the ever-so-slight whispers coming from beyond the barrier. While walking toward the structure, an arrow hit the ground about a meter [3ft] in front of me. Looking up, I saw five people standing above the wall, four of them with arrows notched and ready to fire, while one in the center that just stared. I opened my mouth to speak, but the man in the center raised a finger in front of his lips, gesturing for me to stay silent. He then pointed at me, and raised his hands, making the parallel to his face. After a moment, I assumed I was supposed to do the same thing, so I did. With a nod, he grabbed the rope behind him and rappelled down the wall. I could hear the bows being drawn just a bit tighter, the sound of the strings straining barely audible. Keeping my hands up, I waited for the man to descend. It was fortunate my staff was in my bag, as the presence of a weapon might have made things even dicier. I was confident I could run if they started firing, but I wasn¡¯t entirely sure I could survive an arrow to the back of the head, even with my healing abilities. And I had no intention of testing that today. ''Sys, keep an eye out for anything interesting. Especially the presence of SP in strange places.'' [Acknowledged. System has detected SP presence on the wall itself. However, System is unable to identify the reason or function of said particles.] ''On the wall?'' Again, my poker face betrayed me. As I glanced toward the man still rappelling down with a frown, one of the archers fired an arrow that landed about 30 centimeters [11in.] in front of me. They quickly readied another arrow, staring me down with rage in their eyes. I shook my head and kept my hands up, careful not to make any sudden movements. They seemed a bit tense, so it wouldn¡¯t take much to provoke them into attacking me. After what felt like an hour, but according to the System was only a minute, the man finally reached the ground. He unclipped something from his harness and gave a double tug on the rope, which slowly pulled back up. Now that I had a chance to look at him, I realized he was a handsome man. He wore old, beat-up jeans with a black harness around his waist and chest, a flannel shirt that was maybe one size too small because of his muscles, and a long ginger beard that reached just below his neck. His hair wasn¡¯t quite short but not long either, pulled back to create some volume on the top of his head. He also had beautiful green eyes. Once the rope was halfway up the wall, he took a few steps toward me, still standing well beyond my reach, and spoke in a deep, smooth voice, "Hello. Who are you, and what are you doing here?" "Hi," I responded carefully, keeping my voice low, "I''m a traveler, trying to explore what''s left of the world. I mean no harm, but if possible, I would like to stay for the night, just to have a safe place to rest my head." "You travel alone?" "Yes. The people I traveled with were killed by Eaters. I was the only one who survived, and now I¡¯m trying to honor their memory by finishing the journey we started together," This was a story I had prepared on the way here. I didn¡¯t want people finding out about my connection to Madison or the Hidden Horn Village. More importantly, I didn¡¯t want anyone going after Pops if they figured out what I could do. "It¡¯s very dangerous for someone to travel alone in the wild. You know that," the man said, suspicion clear in his voice. "I do. But I already lost my home once, so staying in one place isn¡¯t any safer. Instead of sitting around waiting for something to kill us, we decided to see what was left behind." The man nodded, "So you¡¯re that type. Okay. I¡¯m afraid we can¡¯t let you enter. We don¡¯t have enough supplies to feed another mouth without hurting our own survival." Support the creativity of authors by visiting Royal Road for this novel and more. "Oh, I¡¯m not asking to get in for free. Although, you¡¯ll need help to bring back what I hunted," I said, pointing back toward the city in the back. "You¡¯re a hunter?" "More out of necessity than anything else. I saw one of those strange horses back in the city." The man frowned again, his muscles tensing. "And you hunted one of them?" I let out an awkward chuckle, hoping it would seem natural. "Not quite. That thing saw me and came after me. While trying to escape, it ran headfirst into one of the pillars in a building. The structure wasn¡¯t stable. Debris fell on top of it, killing the monster. It was more dumb luck than anything else, but I guess you could say I¡¯m good at running away," a flash of sadness crossed my face as I remembered the Eater attack in the Hidden Horn Village. Even now, with my current strength, I''m not confident I would do things differently if they happened again. This wasn¡¯t intentional, but the emotion seemed to help sell my story. "Right, but you don''t expect me to believe your word, do you? Do you have any proof of what you''re saying?" the man asked. "I do. There''s a hoof in my bag that belongs to the monster. It''s still fresh. Can I?" I gestured to my pouch dangling from my waist. "No, let me," the man replied and took a step forward. I quickly took a step back, keeping the same distance from him, "Yeah, no. I''m not going to let someone I don''t know go through my stuff. Can I take a few steps back so you know I''m not trying to pull a weapon and attack you, then take out the hoof and show it to you?" The man thought for a moment, "Fair enough," He raised a hand and held it up in a fist, signaling to the people above to hold their fire. I took that as a sign to move. This was a bit of an annoying song and dance, but I supposed this was the kind of thing I would have to get accustomed to since I was traveling. After putting enough distance between us, I produced the hoof from my bag and walked back over to the man in the flannel, "Here you go. Sorry, it''s a bit dirty on the top. I tried rubbing some leaves on it so the blood wouldn''t get all over my stuff." Still holding his hand up, the man approached and took the hoof from my hand, "You said it looked like a horse? Was it as big as one?" "More or less. The size was similar, but the length was strange. It was the size of a full-grown adult horse, probably one or two heads taller than me." The man paused and looked toward the city in the distance, "And did you hear any loud noises today?" "Just the one from the debris falling down." He nodded again, "Okay. I don¡¯t think we need to butcher out there. If there¡¯s still enough of it left, we might be able to let you stay for the night. Follow me," the man paused and made a couple of hand signs toward the people on top of the wall. ''Sys, try to memorize the signs they¡¯re using,'' I told my personal assistant. It might not be useful, but maybe I¡¯d be able to understand their conversations. [Acknowledged. System will also attempt to find a pattern in that form of communication.] ''You''re the best,'' I thought, holding back a smile. "Sorry for all the tension. We''ve had one of those weird horses attacking our people lately. They''re usually not this aggressive. Everyone''s a bit on edge. I''m Christopher, by the way, but you can call me Chris." I smiled. "It''s a pleasure to meet you. I''m Sabrina." Sorry for using your name, Mom, but I don''t think I should be using my real name so close to Madison. I can¡¯t really explain why, it just gives me a bad feeling, "Are those kinds of horses common? I¡¯ve never seen anything like that, and the people from Madison didn¡¯t mention them." "Oh, you stopped by Madison? How¡¯s everyone down there? We sent some supplies not too long ago." "They¡¯re actually leaving. I found them a day before they started traveling. Apparently, some Eaters attacked whoever was taking supplies to them. They mentioned an Eater hive nearby. They just gave me a few supplies they couldn¡¯t carry, and we parted ways." "A hive? Are you sure? I never heard anything about that," the man frowned. "Could the horses have anything to do with that?" I pressed. I had never heard about creatures like that before, so any information I could get would be helpful. "I''m not sure. Those horses are new. The first one showed up a year ago, but it was just a rumor. A month ago, we saw another coming from the west. Over the past couple of weeks, more of them started appearing. They only turned really aggressive a few days ago. Before that, they would just defend themselves but not hunt us down." "I see..." The timeline matched when the Hidden Horn Village was destroyed. In a way, it made sense. That¡¯s how ecosystems worked. If a new predator was introduced, the prey would tend to move away if they had that option. But the bigger issue was when they became aggressive. That seemed to line up with when Pops and I discovered the hive. Could that be related in some way? Could the Eaters be controlling other creatures to attack people? Or was it just them lashing out in anger? It could be even worse. It might be some kind of disease like rabies caused by the Eaters themselves. I was still mulling over those ideas as Chris approached a seemingly unassuming part of the wall. There was a small brick slotted at eye level against a wooden frame. He put his hand into a section of the wall covered in foliage and tugged on a rope. A few moments later, that brick was removed by someone on the other side. They exchanged another set of hand signs before the wooden frame slowly opened, revealing a large corridor that went all the way through the wall. Chris gestured for me to follow, but once again motioned for me not to speak. It didn¡¯t take much to understand why. The ground was covered in moss and foliage, and everything was very moist and vibrant. However, the walls and ceiling formed an arch, and it was clear that any sound would cause a loud echo. Once we passed beyond the barrier, another door closed behind us, blocking the passage. I noticed a few strands of colorful fabric attached to a rope. It seemed that this was their silent doorbell. Inside, there were fewer buildings than I had expected. Everything was close together, but there were also large open areas that could have multiple functions. The ground was covered in a lush coat of grass, clearly well-kept, and people seemed to make sure not to disturb the foliage as they walked. It also helped to mask our footsteps, though I could still hear some of them thanks to {Predatory Sense}. People walked around with smiles or frowns, having hushed conversations that felt similar to the ones we had back in Hidden Horn Village. There were no signs of a recent Eater attack or anything like that. All in all, this was a nice place. Even with the looming wall surrounding us, it felt peaceful and kind. "Sabrina, welcome to Fort Ennis," Chris said with a smile as he gestured. 41 - A roof over my head Getting the corpse of the Crookstrider ended up being a very uneventful affair. I expected to be interrogated over and over about how the fight went down and how the monster ended up dying, but there was none of that. The only thing mentioned was how sturdy the pillar was. After all, despite the Crookstrider slamming its head on it, there were no marks or anything of the sort. At the same time, no one was surprised that headhunting a concrete pillar wasn''t enough to cause the creature to bleed. Everyone worked together to load the monster¡¯s body onto a cart, using some old and beat-up fur as a layer of protection against the blood that still covered its body. Chris brought four people along, all members of the guard. He introduced the others to me, but I didn¡¯t pay much attention, thinking I wasn¡¯t going to stay for long. There was something odd about Fort Ennis. People were too obedient, and it wasn¡¯t just discipline. If Chris or another one of the guards told someone to do something, they would do it without question. Which wasn¡¯t a problem by itself, but as we prepared to leave, another member of our small group asked a random passerby, a man carrying a basket of food, to grab his boots. The man dropped the basket on the ground and rushed to get the boots from storage. It felt like more than just discipline or teamwork, especially considering that there was a table only five steps away. This could be something that happened due to their circumstances. Everyone in the city was, in a way, trapped inside the walls. Not in the sense that they weren¡¯t allowed to leave, but if something got inside, they would have nowhere to run. So maybe that¡¯s why whenever a guard asked for something, they were taught to do it quickly. Whatever the reason, it already gave me a strange impression, and I had no intention of staying for long. A day, maybe two, if it started to rain. ''Sys, is there any part of the Crookstrider that I should try to eat?'' [If the creature follows the same structure as a horse, the Crookstrider''s heart may bring beneficial effects to the user. In addition, skills are generally kept inside the brain. Unless they require a specific limb or body part, in that case, they will be stored in the corresponding limb or body part. Aside from that, any meat that the user consumes from the Crookstrider has the potential to reveal new skills.] ''Okay. The heart I can take, but I''m not eating its brains,'' I frowned. "Is everything okay?" Chris asked. "Yeah, sorry. I was just thinking about its heart," I gestured to the Crookstrider. "The heart?" "Yeah. On the rare occasions we could make a bonfire to prepare meals, we used to barbecue bird hearts on a stick. I just realized I¡¯ve never tried it with anything bigger, so I was wondering if it¡¯s okay for me to have it," that wasn¡¯t a complete lie. Back in the Hidden Horn Village, we tried to use everything from the animals we hunted, including their hearts, but they were usually prepared in a stew, not on a stick. "Oh? Yeah. I¡¯m sure no one¡¯s going to mind. Usually, we just turn the hearts into compost. They¡¯re too chewy for a meal," Chris frowned. "The ones I ate were too, but I¡¯ve never tried this thing, so I got curious." Chris nodded and tossed me a rope to help tie the Crookstrider to the cart so it wouldn¡¯t fall. "So, a nihilistic traveler who¡¯s also a bit of a gourmet?" "Never saw myself as nihilistic. But everything is a mess, so I try to enjoy the moment. If I start thinking about the future, I get sad and I prefer to avoid that," I said with a smile, making sure to tie the rope properly. "That¡¯s a nice sentiment. And I suppose you¡¯re able to travel because you enjoy it?" he asked as he checked to confirm we were ready. "Yeah. Then again, I didn¡¯t start traveling by choice." "You mentioned you lost your home. Is that when you started?" I nodded, but before I could say anything, the System gave me a warning. [Reminder: User''s story mentioned traveling with a group of people.] With that in mind, I continued, "Yeah. We had nowhere else to go after our home was destroyed. Then, when we found a new place to stay, it didn¡¯t last long. That village ended up seeing an Eater pass by, and people accused us of bringing it there. Eventually, that led to someone accusing one of us of hitting the Eater and it chasing us. Never mind the fact that if we had hit one of them, we would have died before reaching the village. In the end, we decided to leave together. That lasted for a while, but eventually, we got caught, and I¡¯m the only one left. And that¡¯s my sob story." Chris wasn¡¯t the only one listening; the other guards were paying attention too. Most of them seemed to feel sorry for me, which was kind of the plan. But there was one, the same man who had fired the arrow close to me earlier, who kept a frown on his face the entire time. A part of me wanted to ask what his problem was, but honestly, it wasn¡¯t worth it. I wouldn¡¯t be dealing with him for long. Of the six people that came here, three of them were pushing the cart, leaving Chris, myself, and the man who continued to stare at me to be their escort. Thankfully, nothing happened. We arrived back at the fort without any worries. This time, however, we didn¡¯t return through the same passage we used to leave. Instead, we went to the side that faced the river. They had a large barn here, which they used to keep all their carts and larger items that wouldn¡¯t fit through the tunnels. Funnily enough, that didn¡¯t include horses. The animals lived inside the fort. Someone else would come by to wash the furs later and try to take the blood out to not attract predators. This novel''s true home is a different platform. Support the author by finding it there. Once more, we moved the Crookstrider''s corpse to a smaller cart, one that was almost like a sled. Everyone helped push it toward a nearby passage on the wall. This one was significantly larger than the one I used to enter, but it was still only large enough for an adult horse to pass through. Anything else wouldn¡¯t be able to squeeze its way in. Our return was celebrated by people who were already excited about the prospect of eating meat. They had a stone building with several layers of walls used for cooking, though it didn¡¯t seem very healthy for whoever was inside with all the fire and smoke, but I wasn¡¯t about to argue with their methods. Once Chris confirmed that I was free to stay, he talked to a few of the fort¡¯s inhabitants about helping me set up for the night. I also started searching for things that could help with my travels. Mainly, I was looking for a coat or something to face the cold nights. In addition, I was hoping someone might have a map, even an old one, to at least show me what lay to the north. I knew that if I kept going, I¡¯d eventually reach Canada, but that wasn¡¯t really the plan. Or was it? I didn¡¯t actually have a goal in mind, and maybe a map could help. Trading was pretty straightforward. I gave some of the soap and pieces of cloth from my backpack and got a decent-sized coat that reached about mid-thigh. The sleeves were a bit long, but Gareth had been kind enough to include a sewing kit with the supplies, so I could fix that. Well, it was more like a couple of spools of thread and a single bone needle. People ate, talked, and we had a pleasant late afternoon meal, thanks to the meat from the Crookstrider. After finishing the meal, any hopes of getting a new skill vanished as the System spoke up. [SP present in Crookstrider is insufficient to create a new skill. However, the creature''s heart had unique traits that increased progress in the quest related to the title Enduring Heart.] ''Okay, and do you have a timeframe for when the quest will be done?'' [System is still unable to give a proper deadline for the completion of the quest.] Eventually, night came, and everyone headed inside to sleep. They gave me a room in one of the houses, which was being used by only one other person. It wasn¡¯t as comfortable as the ones in Madison or the Hidden Horn Village, but it was still much better than sleeping on the ground. A part of me was half-expecting to be attacked during the night, but once more, nothing happened. My sleep came and went without any problems, and the woman I shared the house with was very kind. She did complain that her grandson had been grounded by the village, which meant he would be staying in a shed by the horses for a couple of days. Apparently, the punishment was because he tripped and pushed one of the guards by accident. Again, this felt very strange, especially since the guard didn¡¯t seem to be injured at all, but it wasn¡¯t my place to say anything about it. Thanks to my contribution to yesterday¡¯s dinner, I was allowed to have breakfast with the village. But they made it clear this was the last meal they were offering. If I wanted to stay longer, I would need to find more food. That felt excessive. Sure, the Crookstrider¡¯s body didn¡¯t last more than a single meal, but that wasn¡¯t my fault. Everyone in the fort ate some of the meat. I thanked their mayor, an old man with a bald spot and a thick mustache named George, for his ''generosity'' and promised to leave after the meal. However, before leaving, Chris offered to show me the map they had. He took me to a building that functioned as the town hall and showed me a massive picture on the wall. It was a map of the United States as it had been before the Eaters appeared. There was a good amount of detail, and even some minor roads were marked. The entire thing covered about half of the back wall. Normally, this map would have been destroyed by time, but it wasn¡¯t exposed to the elements. In fact, it was encased in a block of solid plastic. If I remembered correctly from what Pops told me, this should be resin. According to Chris, they had found it in the city, in the same building where I killed the Crookstrider. ''Sys, any chance you can save this image?'' I asked, already expecting a "no." Asking it to take pictures was too much. [System is able to memorize the map and replicate the image to a certain extent whenever the user wishes. Keep in mind, the picture will be accurate, but details may be missing. System will also be unable to track user¡¯s position on the map during travel due to lack of geographical information.] ''Oh, wow. No, that¡¯s fine. Just having this will be amazing. How long do you need?'' [System already saved an initial version in user¡¯s memory. If user continues observing the map for the next five minutes, System will analyze the information and create a more complete version.] ''Go for it.'' "You¡¯ve been staring at it for a while. Did it help?" Chris asked. "Yeah," I replied without looking away from the map. "I¡¯m just trying to figure out where I¡¯ll go next. For now, I¡¯m going to keep heading north since that¡¯s the only road I can take. Then, I don¡¯t know. Maybe I¡¯ll go west. Eventually, I should reach the beach, and I¡¯ve never seen it before." "Is there anything I could say to convince you to stay?" Chris asked. I raised an eyebrow, stepping back, so he stood in front of the map while the System continued working. "You want me to stay?" I smiled. "You¡¯re fun to have around, and you know how to travel. We could use someone like you." "We?" I chuckled. Chris gave me a deadpan look. "Yes. We. I¡¯m married." "Oh! Shit, my bad. I didn¡¯t know. Where was your wife last night?" "Home with the baby. He was born a couple of months ago, so we¡¯re still teaching him not to make noise. Until he can control that, he stays underground to avoid trouble," Chris explained. "Right, right. Yeah, that makes sense. Sorry." Great job, Cassandra. The first time someone¡¯s nice to you, and you think they¡¯re flirting. "To answer your question, no. I¡¯m leaving. And not just because of this conversation, though it didn¡¯t help." Chris chuckled. "Fair enough. Take your time, and let me know when you¡¯re ready to go," he said, stepping back to let me continue studying the map. [Does user Cassandra require System to monitor others for romantic intentions?] I ignored the System, especially since I could swear it had an amused tone. After about 15 minutes, I thanked Chris for his help, and we left the building. Outside stood a group of about a dozen guards and George. "Oh, hi. You didn¡¯t all have to come say goodbye," I said, feeling a bit flustered by the situation. "That¡¯s not why we¡¯re here," George replied. "Then what¡¯s going on?" Chris asked. George cleared his throat. "Sabrina, you are hereby arrested for stealing the supplies we sent to Madison," the guard who had been staring at me the whole time stood by the mayor¡¯s side, a large smirk plastered across his face. With a groan, I just said, "You have got to be kidding me." 42 - Leaving the trash heap "Okay, run that by me again. You''re arresting me?" I was rubbing the bridge of my nose with one hand. This couldn''t be right. I must have heard that wrong. Of course I did. There¡¯s no other explanation. "That is correct. As the mayor of Fort Ennis, I place you, Sabrina, under arrest," George, the old man with a bald spot, explained. "Under what charge? What did I do for you to arrest me? I got here yesterday, brought you food, and now you''re saying I committed a crime?" "We have reasons to suspect that you stole the items you used for the trades you made in the fort." It took me a long moment to process that, "I stole that? What proof do you have? I told you the people from Madison gave me those things." "Yeah, but they are ours. You''re bringing back the supplies we sent down there!" the guard with the smirk, the same one that kept staring at me, snarled. His voice was loud enough to make some of the people around him uncomfortable. "You¡¯ve got to be kidding me. Don¡¯t you know how trade works? If you trade something, you don¡¯t own that anymore. The other person, who now owns the item, can do whatever they want with it, including trading it with someone else," I said, trying hard to keep my voice down and even harder not to toss something heavy at that dick. "Be that as it may, we have no proof that you indeed traded with the people of Madison. The possibility that you stole from them is very much real." "And what about innocent until proven guilty? I know that''s a law from the old world, but are you completely giving up on that?" I asked. "We will have an investigation. And if your story is true, you won¡¯t have to worry about anything. Until then, you¡¯ll be our prisoner," George continued. "We don¡¯t need to have an investigation. People like her always steal things. That¡¯s how they¡¯ve always been. Even in the old world," the guard barked, his eyes getting more and more bloodshot. "People like me?" I paused and looked around. It took me a moment to understand what he meant by that. He was accusing me because I was black. Or at least that was the most likely scenario. I had never experienced this kind of thing before since I spent my entire life in the Hidden Horn Village, and there everyone knew each other. Even on the rare occasions when I traveled, I only went to Madison, where there were at least a couple of Black people. My only knowledge of that kind of thing was through TV shows and books. The problem is that I wasn''t sure about that, "Are you seriously saying that because I¡¯m black?" "Now, now. We are not saying anything like that. It¡¯s just suspicious circumstances, and we want to get to the bottom of it," George explained. "That¡¯s just a formality. People like you always steal and rob others," Despite the mayor''s attempt to change the context, the guard made his motives crystal clear. "Patterson!" Chris gasped and took a few steps toward the man. "What the hell, man?" "Don¡¯t give me that! Every time we had to fight against bandits, they looked like her," the guard, Patterson, I guess, replied. "What bandits? It''s been more than ten years since we saw any of them here. Things might have been different during your dad¡¯s time, but that¡¯s a long time ago," Chris protested. "So? Those things don¡¯t change. It¡¯s in her blood. She¡¯s no better than an animal." And there goes my temper, "You dumb piece of shit. There are mutated animals popping up everywhere, monsters that don¡¯t even make sense, and the fucking Eaters all around us. Apparently, there¡¯s even an Eater hive nearby. The world is fucked five ways till Sunday, and you want to tell me that just because I look like this, I¡¯m evil? Fuck you." "There¡¯s no need for this kind of language," George tried to calm the situation. "Fuck you too. He called me an animal!" I snarled back, my voice rising a bit. "See? She can¡¯t even control herself," Patterson turned to George. "Wow," I stared at the deep shit of a guard. "Can you tell me something, then? What¡¯s it like knowing that you¡¯re such a disappointment to your parents that they gave up on you before you even started crawling?" "What the hell is that supposed to mean?" Patterson took a few steps toward me, but another guard held him back. "You know, I¡¯d love to explain it to you, but I used to teach children. I don¡¯t know how to talk to a toddler." I heard a couple of ''damns'' under their breath from the people watching around us. It wasn¡¯t the best insult I ever gave, but I felt a bit vindicated with it. "Sabrina, calm down. We can figure this out. I know it sucks, but maybe just let us check what''s going on in Madison, and then you¡¯ll be free to go," Chris walked closer to me, trying to de-escalate the situation. Shaking my head, I turned to the man wearing the flannel, "Yeah, that¡¯s not going to happen. If I stay here, there are only three possible endings to the story. One, you go to Madison, figure out that there¡¯s no one there, and send someone after them, which could take who knows how long. Two, you go there, see the place abandoned and in ruins because they were attacked, and decide that I¡¯m to blame for that for whatever reason the half of a brain cell that asshole has come up with. Or three, it takes so long for you to make a decision that you let me rot or just kill me and spare the trouble. I¡¯m not staying here. I¡¯m leaving." The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation. "And do you think we¡¯re just going to let you walk away?" Patterson asked with a chuckle. I smiled, "Oh honey, you don¡¯t have a choice." The guards chuckled, but George was the one who continued speaking. "You can¡¯t fight us all. And if you try, I¡¯ve given orders to kill you. I¡¯m not going to let a dangerous individual roam around freely in my fort." "George!" Chris gasped. His reaction made it clear that he wasn¡¯t aware of that decision, and honestly, I was happy about that. He was a nice guy, despite his company. "Great. So I don¡¯t have to pull my punches," Taking a couple of steps to the side, I reached down to a couple of wooden boards that were resting by the building. Triggering {Compression} just as I flung it at the group, the board grew several times, getting close to the 20-meter [21.8yd] wide limit. Before it crashed into the group of guards and the mayor. The impact was nowhere as strong as I hoped. Sure, the wooden board didn¡¯t really weigh anything, not to me, at least. I threw it with a decent amount of strength behind it, but the moment its size shifted, the amount of air pushed by the board caused it to slow down considerably. Still, just the surprise of my attack was enough to cause a few of the guards to jump back, and others to fall down, the large wooden slab resting on top of them. "What the hell was that?" Chris asked with wide eyes. "Something that could have been yours, but your friends ruined that for you," I replied. Giving the System to Chris had crossed my mind a few times during the day. They could use that here, and there was a small part of me thinking about how having another person with the System so close to the hive could attract the Eaters. And maybe that would keep Pops and the people from Madison safe. Was that cruel? Yes, of course it was. But at the same time, it wouldn¡¯t be like throwing an unarmed baby at a monster. Chris would have every opportunity to grow and become someone strong enough to protect his people. But the idea that he would eventually pass the System along to one of those guards, the ones that just tried to arrest me for being black? Yeah, no. Fuck that. I¡¯m not about to give superpowers to one of those assholes. That was a problem waiting to happen. Not waiting for a reply, I started running toward the group of people who were struggling to get up, mostly due to a lack of teamwork rather than the actual weight or shape of the wooden board. Jumping on top of the plank, I used it as a springboard to propel me a bit further up, my body aimed toward the northern section of the wall. Unfortunately, there wasn¡¯t enough momentum to reach the top. But fortunately, I still had a few uses of {Compression}. My staff shifted, increasing its length, which allowed me to reach the roof of one of the nearby houses. Another use of {Compression} returned the pole to an acceptable size that wouldn¡¯t disrupt my movements. "Go after her!" Patterson yelled. "Are you crazy!? I¡¯m not going after a witch!" another guard yelled. "I¡¯m not a witch!" I yelled back. It was a bit stupid of me, but hey, they were the ones who started making noise. I jumped again. {Compression} was triggered once more, making the staff even taller than the walls of the fort. I flew through the air and landed on top of the wall in a swift motion while some children watched in awe. The guards who were on lookout stared at me, frozen in place. The last cast of {Compression} available was spent bringing my staff back to a size I could handle. With a smirk, I turned toward the kids, whose eyes were glued to my movements. "I¡¯m a monk!" I added before once again making my staff tall enough to reach the ground below by spending another Energy. But this time, I made it simply a pole. After a quick bow, I jumped, using both my hands to slide down the metal shaft. It was kind of like the firemen from TV shows. They just never mentioned how much it hurt to do that kind of thing with bare hands, but it wasn¡¯t anything that a quick {Body Regeneration} wouldn¡¯t fix. My weapon returned to a size that I could carry properly just as I bolted north. It was nice to see Fort Ennis and the city, but it was clear that my time here was over. At least I was able to get a coat, and now I had a map thanks to the System. Still, staying out in the open wasn¡¯t the best idea. Once I reached an area with some vegetation on the side, I dove into the forest and continued my journey under the cover of the trees. I couldn¡¯t simply expect that no one would be coming after me. It would be great if I didn¡¯t have to deal with pursuers, but it was better to plan for the worst and hope for the best. [Does user have a destination in mind? System is able to create a marker on the virtual map for User to follow.] The System asked after about 20 minutes had gone by with no signs of people chasing me. ¡®Do you mean like what you did with the Hunter¡¯s Cave?¡¯ [System will not be able to create a visual marker like the one created for the Hunter¡¯s Cave. In this situation, System will create a marker on the virtual map, and user will be required to look at the map to understand user''s location. However, System will be able to keep track of the path user takes, allowing System to create markers for any location user has already visited.] ¡®Oh? That¡¯s nice. I don¡¯t have any idea where to go. Maybe just another city or another settlement on this road? Do you have any suggestions?¡¯ [According to the map, there are two connected cities in the northeast direction. They span an area much larger than the city of Ennis. They are the cities of Bozeman and Belgrade.] The System showed me the map. It wasn¡¯t very detailed, but there was a general outline of the cities. I glanced down to where the System had already marked the Hidden Horn Village and the village of Madison. The outline of the cities was bigger than the distance between the two villages. I had no idea a city that big was this close. And from what Pops told me, any city in this area would be considered small when comparing to the truly big cities of the old world. ¡®I don¡¯t like that idea. There¡¯s a good chance there are some Eaters around there. Even if I fought a few of them, I¡¯m not confident enough to go out actively hunting them. Not yet. Any other option?¡¯ [To the northwest, there is a smaller city called Whitehall located close to a gold mine.] ¡®Like, a literal gold mine?¡¯ [Correct.] ¡®I¡¯ve never seen gold before. That sounds fun, as long as I don¡¯t have to go deep into the mines. Let¡¯s head there!¡¯ [Acknowledged. System will create a route considering the information available on the map.] On the virtual map that was in front of me, a line appeared from my location all the way to the city of Whitehall. It was more or less the same distance as from Madison to here. It could be quicker, but the System was keeping to the road, which was a good call. If we were to find any houses, they would likely be in places where cars would be able to pass through. And it was better to sleep in a broken-down house than out in the open. With this new destination in mind, I continued my journey. Even if I didn¡¯t have a goal, it didn¡¯t mean I couldn¡¯t enjoy the sights. 43 - Theory of the species Things on the road ended up being much less exciting than I expected. For one, no one was chasing after me. That was one of those strange things that made sense but also didn¡¯t. If a random person appeared showing they had superpowers, you¡¯d expect them to be chased down for answers. But at the same time, going after them could be extremely dangerous and potentially deadly. Another possibility was that I was a bit too good at hiding. I focused on staying in the woods near the road. Being out in the open sounded like a bad idea. In all honesty, I felt more comfortable surrounded by trees than I did in wide open spaces. Probably because of my old home. Even in the open areas there, we were always covered by vegetation and the massive pines that were everywhere. Still, sticking to the forest had its own set of problems. At one point, I had to fight off a small pack of three coyotes. They had no SP in their bodies, which the system confirmed by not even recognizing them as having levels. It wasn¡¯t hard getting rid of them, but I didn¡¯t kill the creatures. I had enough food for the moment, and they didn¡¯t seem to have much meat. When they realized they¡¯d bitten off more than they could chew and started running, I didn¡¯t chase them. Not long after, I came across the remains of a¡­ city? It was hard to tell. There were some buildings here and there, but they were sparse, even though there were quite a few of them. Most were partially collapsed, and the ones standing were almost hidden by the overgrown grass Still, I wasn¡¯t entirely sure what to call this place. Every house was big, but not like mansions. They were just two stories tall. Another strange part of this area was the massive fields on the opposite side of the houses. They were probably old farms, but now completely taken over by whatever crop survived those years of abandon. It looked like wheat, and I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the Hidden Horn Village, the Village of Madison, and Fort Ennis could all fit inside it one of the fields. {Predatory Sense} triggered while I was staring at the area, somehow alerting me to danger in the vegetation. Yet, there were no signs of animals, monsters, or even Eaters around. ''Sys, do you have any idea why I¡¯m getting a ping from {Predatory Sense}?'' [System is able to identify the presence of a small amount of SP in the wheat fields. It is an effect somewhat similar to the reaction caused by the decomposition of an Eater¡¯s body. Based on available data, the most likely explanation is that the field is using SP to create a repellent effect against predators. Alternatively, it is possible that the vegetation has mutated to the point of becoming predatory. System advises against walking into the field. In the less likely of those two scenarios, the sheer volume of wheat could pose a real danger.] ''Holy shit. I remember you mentioning that SP could be present in food, but I never considered that vegetation could start getting levels, tiers, and skills.'' [Flora, like fauna, is capable of utilizing some functions of the system without having full access to the interface that the user possesses. However, unlike fauna, vegetation is less capable of acquiring SP through consumption. If an animal kills another and eats its body, the SP goes to said animal. Only a small amount remains in the ground to be absorbed by plants.] ''So plants wouldn¡¯t be one of the six intelligent species that have access to you?'' I asked, while sipping some water. [Correct. Even with the help of the system, it would take several thousand years for a plant species to acquire the same sentience as an animal. Several more generations would be needed for that new species to be considered truly sentient.] The water I was drinking went down the wrong pipe as I started coughing. I barely stopped to catch my breath before speaking out loud. "What the fuck do you mean thousands of years? You can speed up evolution to the point where plants become people that quickly?" Evolution was supposed to take millions and millions of years. Saying it would take just a few generations was absurd! [That is an incorrect statement. Plants will always remain plants. They may gain capabilities such as speech and thought, similar to humans, but they will still be considered flora. Additionally, System mentioned ¡®several thousand years,¡¯ not just a few. This implies a much larger number. Even then, this assumption is based on preliminary data from interacting with the wheat field. As more data becomes available, the timeframe is likely to increase significantly.] I paused, rubbing my forehead. "I¡¯m really not sure if you¡¯re messing with me, telling the truth, or telling the truth in a way that¡¯s designed to freak me out. And honestly, I don¡¯t know which option is scarier." [User Cassandra need not be scared of System. System will never harm user or make any changes without user¡¯s permission. Reminder: System is a tool. A tool cannot act on its own.] "Right..." I muttered, still feeling uneasy about the whole thing. There was so much I didn¡¯t know about the System, and the idea that it could help plants evolve felt oddly in line with everything else I¡¯d learned so far. It made me wonder what it could do to me and whether it was trying to evolve me too, but I shut that line of thinking down fast. That was a rabbit hole I wasn¡¯t ready to dive into, especially alone. Looking to my right, beyond the houses, I saw a reflection on the water. It seemed to be a river, but as I got closer, I realized it was much bigger. After a few minutes of walking, I came across a large sign: Lake Ennis. That was the first time I¡¯d seen so much water in one place, and it wasn¡¯t even that far from where I used to live. It really made me feel like a frog in a well. Part of me wanted to just jump in and replicate all those beach scenes I¡¯d seen on TV. But the problem was, I¡¯d never tried swimming in such a large body of water, and without someone to teach me, trying to figure it out could very likely get me killed. I remembered Pops talking about rip currents and whirlpools, though I couldn¡¯t quite remember if those were only found in the ocean or also in lakes. Still, leaving this place without experiencing it felt like a waste. After removing my shoes and rolling up my pants, I walked a few steps into the water, relieved to find that I wasn¡¯t being dragged by any currents as I submerged myself up to my knees. For a moment, I let myself enjoy the peace of the area. Splashing water around and jumping like a kid visiting the river for the first time. There was something different about not having to fight against the current. Eventually, I just sat on a large rock with my feet still submerged. It was so serene. The wind rustled the leaves of nearby trees, tiny splashes came from fish moving about, and in the distance, the backdrop of a large mountain loomed. Maybe, despite everything, there was still some beauty left in the world. Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel. ¡°Hey, Sys, is there anything you can tell me about the other intelligent species that have access to you? Aside from the Eaters.¡± [System is unable to give any information about the other species. The reason is that System does not possess this information.] ¡°Nothing at all? Like, are they aliens or animals? Have they been here for long?¡± [That is not the type of information System can acquire independently. Only after user discovers that information, or locates a large storage of data related to the subject, will System be able to update its database.] ¡°That¡¯s a shame.¡± I glanced down at the water. Some fish were starting to approach but darted away as they got closer, ¡°What if we go about this in a different way? What are the requirements for something to get access to you, without being given the System by someone else?¡± [In order to acquire control of System, a new user must fulfill the following prerequisites:] [1. The new user must be capable of cognitive thought and communication.] [2. The new user must come into contact with a significant part of System. This could take the form of a condensed cluster of SP hidden in a rock, such as the Solar System necklace user Cassandra is currently wearing, or by consuming a large amount of SP.] [3. The new user must have access to a large source of energy, as that energy will be spent in the process of integrating with System.] [If these three prerequisites are fulfilled, any living being can acquire System.] Hearing that explanation made me frown. Not because it didn¡¯t make sense, but because it opened up a complicated issue. As far as I knew, humans were the only species capable of cognitive thought and communication on Earth. But knowing the Eaters had access to the System meant they could do the same. Which begged the question: what about the other five species? ¡°Sys, you mentioned that if you evolved a tree to be like an animal, it would take generations to give it cognitive thought, right?¡± [That is correct. Several generations.] ¡°What if you start with an animal? Could they learn to talk in just a handful of years?¡± [System must issue a clarification. System will not be responsible for evolution. SP will guide a subject to a state where they can integrate with System. The primary directive of every system particle is to assist System. If SP is in a location where System is not available, it will attempt to create an environment where the existence of System becomes possible. This means that in any living creature, it will adapt that being into a version capable of possessing System. In non-living organisms, SP will reinforce them to the best of its abilities, utilizing any external influence as a base for development.] ¡°So, if left alone, everything on the planet could evolve? Even fruits and vegetables?¡± [That is a possibility, yes. However, SP also understands the need for sustenance. When SP is in something, such as a fruit, that can be consumed by other beings to generate Energy, SP will defer to its secondary directive.] ¡°Which is?¡± [ECO, or Energy Consumption Optimization. If SP finds itself inside a fruit and determines that other beings can use its energy to grow, SP will signal System¡¯s network, indicating the Energy available in the fruit. The network will compare this data with similar fruits. After analysis, the network will decide if the fruit is more beneficial as sustenance or as a new individual that could possess System. If a System user is part of the analysis in any way, be it consuming the fruit, or growing it, priority will shift to assisting that user.] ¡°So, if I eat something, SP will recognize it¡¯s good for me and avoid turning it into a sentient being so I can keep eating it?¡± [The process has more nuance than what user described, but the concept is correct.] ¡°Huh. Neat. Kind of glad I won¡¯t have to worry about running out of food, then.¡± [As System previously stated, System, SP, and the System Network all work together to ensure users can grow. In no situation will SP or the System Network act in a way that could harm users. However, as System exists for individuals, a user could attempt to harm other users or interfere with SP or the System Network.] ¡°What do you mean by that? Like, could I use you to turn every fruit in the world into poison?¡± [That is theoretically possible. However, it would require a large amount of energy and a specific skill. Just as user Cassandra can use {Formless Nodus Swipe} to kill another user, other users could create poisoned fruits or other harmful effects. But the fundamental functions of SP and the System Network cannot be altered by any user. SP and the System Network will always work to create a nurturing environment for all users. Any alterations due to the use of skills will not change that fundamental function, even if the end result is altered.] ¡°Okay, that makes me feel a bit better. Because if someone could just turn everything into poison, I¡¯m assuming they¡¯d be stupidly strong. But what about allergies? Or things that would hurt me but not other animals? How does the System handle that?¡± [Allergies are considered a flaw. Increasing body strength will lessen the effects of allergies until they can be removed entirely. As for foods incompatible with other species, System cannot provide an answer without more data on the species that possess System.] ¡°Yeah, I kind of figured.¡± It was nice knowing more about the System, but I also felt like I¡¯d barely learned anything. Before I could go back to the topic of what kind of animals could''ve become users, something massive moved in the middle of the lake. I had no idea what it was, but the size of the splash was almost as big as a house, and I had no intention of finding out what caused it. Especially since Pops used to tell me stories about giant sea creatures. Turning around, I grabbed my shoes and continued my journey north. There were still a few hours before sundown, and I wanted to find a place to stay that was farther away from Fort Ennis. 44 - Cold Front
Over the course of the next two days, I continued traveling north, making a slight turn to the west once I reached another city. There was no name for it on the map the System saved, but I managed to find an old, rusted sign that read ¡°Harris-¡± It was clear there was more to the name, but the paint had long faded, leaving only that much to be deciphered. This fitted more with the reality of the world now. Finding anything useful, like back at Lake Ennis, felt like a rare stroke of luck. I gave the area a wide berth since {Predatory Sense} was warning me about something in the remains of the city. It probably wasn¡¯t an Eater, though, as I saw no tracks or any sign of their presence. On the contrary, the fact that there was an abundance of animals around suggested it wasn¡¯t one of those monsters. Typically, everything fled when an Eater appeared. Afterward, I kept following the road through the woods, eventually taking a road that led to the northwest. The entire second day was spent walking this path. There were several moments when I worried I¡¯d have to sleep out in the open, as the few houses I came across on that stretch of road were either completely collapsed or so unstable that a heavy rain could bring them down. The previous day hadn¡¯t been much better. While I¡¯d encountered more houses than I¡¯d expected, none of them was serviceable. Which worried me greatly, especially considering how long I would go without seeing any structures at all. And then there was the issue with some of the roads, twisting and turning unnecessarily, seemingly leading nowhere, only to straighten out again. Sure, you could argue that they followed the curves of the mountains or avoided steep elevation, but wasn¡¯t the old world supposed to be capable of drilling through mountains? Didn¡¯t they have planes and machines to make going up and down an incline easier? Why couldn¡¯t they just build a straight road here? The weather suddenly started to grow cold. But I paid no mind. Pops, did say that the further someone went north, the colder it would become. Still, when the sun began to set on the second day, I finally reached a village that seemed intact. And not just that, but there were people moving about. From a distance, it didn¡¯t seem like they were living in fear. Most places constantly under threat of attack had some signs of trouble. Advanced scouts, walls to protect them, watchtowers. Yet, there was nothing here. Just open spaces where people would gather. My eyesight was much better than I expected, as I was able to see all that from a very long distance. Being able to watch people moving from the other side of a nearby river. One that was about 3 km [1.8 mile] away. But what really caught my eye was the ground. Starting from the bridge that allowed one to cross the river, there was snow. Small amounts at first, but it seemed to reach waist height in the village. How could a place have such a stark difference in temperature like that? While approaching, I kept trying to come up with theories about what could be the cause of this. It was one thing to say that it rained on one spot and not on the other. But going from a thin layer of ice to a full blow wall of snow in a few kilometers [miles] was excessive. [User¡¯s idea of trading for warmer clothes was unexpectedly helpful.] ¡°Unexpected, my ass. I knew I¡¯d need warmer clothes. I just didn¡¯t think I¡¯d need them this soon.¡± [Exactly. User did not expect to find a use for the coat so soon.] I was about to respond when a massive woman intercepted me, stepping out of the forest silently and directly into my path. She wore fur pants, fur shoes, a fur shirt, a fur jacket, and even fur vambraces. Each piece was made from different animals, judging by the unique patterns and colors. Despite her bulky clothing, her muscular build was evident. It wasn¡¯t the kind of muscle someone trained to achieve, nor the kind you¡¯d get from a physically demanding job. This was something else entirely. Her long blond hair was tied into a thick braid that reached the middle of her back. Her face was sharp, with a small nose and mouth, and a few scars marked her cheeks. By their size, shape, and direction, they were didn¡¯t happen all at once. But what stood out most were her piercing blue eyes. They were so sharp and cold that they reminded me of arctic ice, even though I¡¯d never seen the Arctic. ¡°Who are you?¡± the woman asked, her voice strong but not threatening. I hesitated for a moment. Part of me wanted to lie, but I didn¡¯t want to spend my life going by some fake name again. I tried that once, and that end up badly. Why not be honest this time? Worst that can happen is I run away again, ¡°I¡¯m Cassandra. A traveler. Who are you?¡± ¡°Astrid. Protector of Cardwell. Like it or not.¡± ¡°They¡¯re forcing you to protect them?¡± I frowned, wondering if this place was another problematic settlement. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation. ¡°No.¡± I blinked, unsure how to respond. After a few awkward moments of silence, I asked, ¡°So, can I keep going?¡± ¡°Are you going to hurt anyone?¡± ¡°Not unless they try to hurt me.¡± Astrid gave a nod of approval. ¡°Steal from anyone?¡± ¡°Only their hearts,¡± I smiled, though her lack of reaction made me quickly add, ¡°Not literally.¡± She paused, thinking, then nodded again. ¡°Are you going to bring any trouble?¡± ¡°I don¡¯t think so. But if I do, it won¡¯t be on purpose.¡± I didn¡¯t think the System itself would cause problems, though l had no control over what happened if I decide to give it to someone else. ¡°Astrid!¡± someone shouted from the village. A figure rushed toward us, crossing the snow at a surprising speed. It wasn¡¯t supernatural, but definitely fast, the kind of movement that came from skill and practice rather than any system-induced ability, ¡°Please tell me you¡¯re not harassing anyone,¡± a man in his late forties asked as he approached us. He wore thick clothes and had a look of mild exasperation. ¡°I am not,¡± Astrid replied bluntly. The man, not entirely convinced, turned to me, ¡°Is she causing you any trouble?¡± I shook my head, ¡°No, not at all. She was just asking who I was and what I¡¯m doing here. Makes sense to have a protector.¡± The man let out a long sigh, ¡°Astrid, we¡¯ve talked about this. You can¡¯t go around telling people you¡¯re our protector. Everyone in the village agreed. We don¡¯t need one.¡± ¡°I know. But you¡¯re wrong,¡± Astrid replied matter-of-factly. The man pinched the bridge of his nose, ¡°Okay, fine. I¡¯m not saying you are our protector, but did you clear this person?¡± Astrid simply nodded, allowing him to continue, ¡°Okay, then. Hi, I¡¯m Francis. And you are?¡± ¡°I¡¯m Cassandra, a traveler.¡± ¡°A traveler? That¡¯s rare these days.¡± ¡°If it helps, I do have a sob story about how I lost my home and family. It ends with me deciding it¡¯s not worth it to stay around waiting to die, so I left.¡± It was easier to stick to the same story. There was less chance of tripping up later. And, technically, I wasn¡¯t lying. ¡°Oh¡­ I¡¯m sorry,¡± Francis said, clearly uncomfortable with my short tale. ¡°Don¡¯t worry. I¡¯ve come to terms with most of it.¡± He nodded, looking relieved. ¡°That¡¯s good. Dwelling on the past isn¡¯t very helpful these days.¡± ¡°Tell me about it.¡± ¡°Well then, come, let¡¯s get you settled in.¡± He turned to Astrid. ¡°You should come too. We¡¯re having carrot soup for dinner.¡± ¡°Thank you,¡± Astrid nodded, and the two of them began walking back toward the village. ¡°That¡¯s it? I can stay for a bit? You¡¯re not going to ask if I have anything to trade or if I can help in any way?¡± I frowned, their friendliness setting off some internal alarms. ¡°Of course. Our food supplies aren¡¯t an issue right now. If you¡¯re staying longer, we might ask for some help, but for just a day? We can handle it,¡± Francis said with a broad smile. I was still a little wary, but I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, ¡°I appreciate it. A warm welcome wasn¡¯t exactly on the list of things I was expecting.¡± Francis chuckled. ¡°I can imagine. Whenever we send people out to trade, they get a much frostier reception. That¡¯s exactly why we try to be warmer here. The weather is cold enough for all of us already.¡± ¡°Yeah, I was wondering about that. Do you know why it¡¯s so cold here?¡± ¡°The mines,¡± Astrid said. Francis shook his head, sighing, ¡°Here we go again. We don¡¯t know why it¡¯s so cold here. Astrid thinks it¡¯s something to do with the mines, but we have no proof.¡± ¡°There¡¯s an ice devil in there,¡± Astrid continued firmly. I turned to her, frowning. ¡°An ice devil?¡± ¡°Don¡¯t listen to her,¡± Francis interrupted, ¡°Unfortunately, her dad passed away a few years back. He got lost in the mines and was injured badly before making it back. In his final days, he was delirious and started talking about ice monsters. Feverish ramblings, that¡¯s all.¡± Astrid remained silent, not defending herself, as if she was used to people telling her story for her. I wasn¡¯t thrilled with the explanation, bu either. It felt very gossipy. ¡°I see¡­¡± I decided ignore my feelings for now. Causing trouble in a new village before getting the lay of the land wasn¡¯t a good idea. ¡°Did you send anyone to check? I know mutated animals exist. Maybe it¡¯s some strange variant?¡± ¡°Please don¡¯t encourage her,¡± Francis said, his voice strained. ¡°We did send a group to check the mines, but all they found were a couple of bears. During his last days, Astrid¡¯s father had an infection and a high fever. He couldn¡¯t distinguish reality from his imagination.¡± ¡°My father wasn¡¯t a liar. He saw an ice devil,¡± Astrid said calmly. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Astrid. You¡¯re right. He didn¡¯t lie. He truly believed he saw an ice devil. But he was delirious, and we can¡¯t rely on everything someone says when they¡¯re in that state,¡± Francis explained, before quickly turning to me to change the subject. ¡°But enough of that. A traveler, huh? Where are you from? I bet you¡¯ve got some amazing stories.¡± ¡°I used to live in a small, hidden village. Then we got attacked by Eaters, and I started traveling. I came from the south, not that I¡¯m from there, I just started heading north when I left.¡± ¡°My condolences,¡± Astrid said softly. ¡°Good God, you were attacked by Eaters? That must¡¯ve been horrible. We¡¯ve never seen an Eater around these parts,¡± Francis said, gesturing to a house in the middle of the square. ¡°That¡¯s my house. Come on in, everyone will be excited to meet you. You know how my children love you, Astrid.¡± ¡°Hang on, you¡¯ve never seen an Eater? I noticed a few old tracks on the way here that seemed suspicious,¡± I said, surprised. Less than a day ago, I did hear the telltale noise of metal grinding against metal. ¡°No, no. We¡¯ve never had an Eater around. Maybe we¡¯re just lucky,¡± Francis said as he opened his door, shouting inside, ¡°Honey, I¡¯m home!¡± His screaming for no reason went against everything I¡¯d ever learned about survival, yet here he was, thriving with a family of five. As I mulled over the strange situation, Astrid stepped inside, and the system chimed in. [User Cassandra, System has information to share. User is currently near the vicinity of a dungeon.] 45 - Dungeons
Once I arrived inside, the first thing I did was ask to go to the bathroom. No one found that odd since I was a traveler, and they quickly pointed me to an outhouse in the backyard of their three-story tall home. I thanked Francis and his wife before walking outside. But instead, I just moved to a nearby tree and leaned against it. "Sys, you need to give me a better heads up when you''re going to drop something like that. What do you mean, we are near a dungeon? What even is a dungeon?" I had a loose idea of the concept, but only in the gaming sense. And no clue how a dungeon could actually exist in the real world. [System has explained to user that occasionally SP will gather in non-living organisms. If the concentration of system particles gets high enough, the environment surrounding that concentration will be subject to change. The change will reflect the changes happening on the inanimate matter. In user''s current situation, said effect took the form of an unnaturally cold environment. System is able to identify that due to the presence of SP in the snow.] Once again, the knowledge of whatever the System was talking about rushed into my head. "You''re saying that there is an object or something that is turning the area cold, and that created a dungeon?" [Correct. However, there is also the possibility that a living creature created a dungeon.] I blinked slowly. "Run that by me again." [If a creature of enough power, with a set of skills that would change the environment to better suit its needs, is nearby, then said creature might be responsible for the creation of the dungeon.] "Okay. But what does that entail? What does it mean to be in a dungeon?" [A dungeon has several effects. First, the areas around the dungeon will adapt to better suit the dungeon itself. This can take the form of a physical change around the location, the appearance of unnatural effects such as fire, lightning, and ice, or a change in weather. Also, the effects are only possible due to the high amount of SP present in the area. Second, the dungeon itself will have unique effects. In addition, objects and creatures inside it will be affected by the nearby particles and mutate to fit the dungeon. Third, dungeons will have a higher concentration of SP than normal areas, creating an environment that is better suited to leveling up.] "So dungeons are like mini versions of the System, which can adapt and change the user, in this case, the dungeon, to make it better? And good places to level up?" [Correct.] "But why? What does the SP gain by creating a dungeon? I understand that monsters are improved versions of animals, maybe even versions that are trying to become sentient, or just random improvements that are being given because the particles don''t have something guiding them. But what benefit does a dungeon bring?" [As user stated, a dungeon can be considered a reduced version of the System. And just like the System, it is a tool for personal growth. The person in this case is referring to the dungeon itself. As a result, all the SP acquired by the dungeon will be attempting to improve the dungeon. This takes the form of controlling the environment to better suit its needs through skills.] "So even dungeons have skills?" [Correct.] "Can I get those skills? If I eat the dungeon or something?" [Due to the fact that a dungeon is created from a non-living subject, user is unable to acquire the skills that the dungeon possesses. The configuration of the SP inside a dungeon is too alien to be properly absorbed by user. However, by staying inside the sphere of influence of a dungeon, it is possible to acquire skills based on the effects of the dungeon.] "Based on the effects? That doesn''t mean I will have the same skills. Like here, just because it''s making things colder, doesn''t mean I''m going to get a skill that can make ice or something. I might just be able to get cold resistance." [That is correct. However, there is a stark difference between the skills a dungeon would possess and the skills user can acquire. The difference in nature between user and the dungeon creates that difference.] "Yeah. I got that. I don''t understand why you''re trying to repeat the point," I frowned. [User''s words appear to be considering that dungeons have skills similar to the ones user possesses. That is not the case. Being a non-living organism, dungeons do not require something as a cold resistance effect. In addition, a dungeon would only have reactive skills, not active ones, which is not something user is able to acquire.] "Reactive? Like if you touch the ground, you get frozen or something?" [That is a possibility, yes. The use of energy is also different for a dungeon. However, System is unable to give user any information about the topic. In the same vein, System is unable to give any specific information about dungeon skills unless user gets in contact with the dungeon core itself.] I rubbed the back of my head, the cold wind blowing and trying to remove my coat. Still, I was able to hold on and changed the topic. It seemed like there wasn''t much else the System was going to tell me about the inner workings of that thing. "Can a dungeon cause any harm by itself? Like, is it dangerous for people to live near it?" [It is possible, even if unlikely. For instance, if a dungeon revolves around poison, then poison might be related to the effects that will be spread to the outside of the dungeon. However, similar to what happens with food, a dungeon is able to understand its need for sustenance. Said sustenance can take many forms, including the presence of living beings, to generate SP, that the dungeon will later absorb. A dungeon will not develop in a way that would remove all sources of sustenance from its radius of effect. This only considers the situation where a dungeon has a core. If a monster created a dungeon, results may vary.] Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. "You mentioned that. Can a monster really create a dungeon by themselves?" [Yes. Given the right skills, user is also able to create a dungeon. In that scenario, the dungeon will not follow the rule of preserving sustenance, as it will be following the will of its creator instead.] I shook my head while rubbing my temples. "Holy shit." "Are you okay?" Astrid''s voice came from my left, making me jump. "Fuck! Don''t do that," I took a deep breath, "You know, for someone so big, I didn''t expect you to be this sneaky." Astrid smirked, "Thank you. Are you okay?" "Yeah, yeah. Sorry I''m taking a while, right?" "You are," Astrid glanced at the outhouse a few meters away, "Have you gone to the bathroom?" "Oh, no. Not really. I just felt a bit overwhelmed and needed a moment to think." Astrid gave me a slow nod, understanding flashing in her eyes, "Mind if I use it?" She pointed at the outhouse. "All yours." I tried asking the System a couple more questions, but the conversation was going in circles. It couldn''t tell me any other specifics, and all the questions I asked made it give the same answers. The one thing I was able to figure out was that dungeons have names, but I can only find that name once I actually locate the dungeon. To be fair, there was one more piece of information: anyone with the System would be able to tell they were close to a dungeon, but without any skills, that''s all they would be able to do unless they stumbled upon it. The System was also unable to tell me the size of the dungeon. It could be one house, a cave, or an entire forest. That extra conversation lasted long enough for Astrid to walk out of the bathroom. She approached and pointed to the house. Without saying anything, I just nodded, and we went inside together. Francis had a bit of a worried expression, but that changed once he saw me. He quickly introduced me to his wife, Maggie, and his three children, Liam, Sophie, and Oliver. They were all very excited and yelled over each other when trying to speak. In a way, it was nice seeing that more people struggled to keep their voices down. But every time they let out a louder scream, I would flinch and look toward the window. Being so used to staying quiet made me jumpy in a place with this much noise. Eventually, Maggie finished preparing our meal and brought out carrot soup with mashed potatoes. I ended up overtaking the conversation, asking about the state of the village, the people who lived here, and how they were able to grow food in such harsh conditions. Francis and Maggie did their best to answer my questions, but there was a lot they weren''t entirely sure about. For one, they just planted vegetables, and they grew. There was nothing special about that. Somehow, they had enough food, and everyone was kind. There were about 30 people living in the village, with 10 of them being dedicated hunters. But that was just a name. In fact, they were acting more like guards. The surrounding area didn''t have any animals that could serve as prey. Or, more specifically, there were no animals left for them. It seemed like we were in polar bear territory, of all things. I wasn''t entirely sure if that was really the case. Polar bears shouldn''t be this far south, not to mention I didn''t believe 10 people without the System could fend one off without casualties. But eventually, my questions came to an end, which started their turn. Funny enough, the kids were the first ones to ask anything about me. "Why are you traveling?" Sophie''s face was covered in thick broth from the soup. "It''s a bit sad, but I don''t have a home anymore. The place I was trying to stay was attacked, so I decided to leave." I still wasn''t going to talk about Pops. Explaining the whole thing would be a bad idea for now. "Was it attacked by bears?" Oliver asked. "I wish. We were attacked by an Eater." "An Eater? Wow," Liam''s eyes sparkled at hearing that name. "Do you... like Eaters?" I frowned. "I do. They are big, scary monsters. They''re awesome!" Liam replied. "Now, now, Liam. You know Eaters are just fairy tales. Cassandra is just playing with you," Maggie''s voice was stern but kind. The sheer conviction of her words scared me. "No, they''re not. Those monsters destroyed the world. They ate my entire village, my friends, my family. I watched how they devoured my parents in front of me. I''ll never forget the sound of their screams, their bones breaking, and the blood everywhere," What the hell was this woman teaching her kids? Liam, Oliver, and Sophie quickly became scared, not just due to my words, but because I was raising my voice. "That''s enough, Cassandra. Your joke was not funny, so you can stop it," Maggie pressed. I stood up quickly, trying hard not to slam the table with my hands, after all, I''d likely break it, "I am not joking. Those creatures are out there a few days south. They even have a hive there! If they ever show up here, they will kill you all and leave nothing behind. There''s nothing you can do to stop them! In what kind of fairy tale world do you live that you don''t understand that? What do you think happened to the old world? People just gave up everything they had?" The eyes of the three children started to water as they rushed to their mother''s arms. This time, it was Francis who turned to face me, "I invite you into my house, and you act like this? You take a joke this seriously? I don''t know where you come from, but this is not polite. The Eaters are not real, and you should know why people gave up their old ways. They did the right thing so they could be right. Now, you don''t have to leave the city, but you''re not staying with us tonight. I will not have someone so willing to scare my children for nothing more than a laugh sleeping under the same roof. I am politely asking you to leave, and I hope you still have some sense not to escalate the situation." I paused, blinking slowly at the man, his adamant expression. His utter belief in his words caught me off guard. "I¡­ fine. But you''re crazy if you think the Eaters aren''t real. I hope you never have to find out how wrong you are." I stormed out of the house and walked toward the path I took to get here. My mind was still rushing. How could they think the Eaters were fake? How could anyone think that? What''s happening here? Was that some sort of mind control caused by the dungeon? I was too distracted to notice someone approaching and tapping my shoulder. "Are you okay?" Astrid asked, her face clearly showing concern. "I''m fine. I just can''t believe them. How can they not know about the Eaters?" "No one here does," Astrid replied. "They don''t? How?" "None ever came here." I blinked. "But you know about them?" Astrid nodded. "I do." At least someone wasn''t crazy here. "Yeah. They really need protection," I sighed and turned back to the road I came through. "What are you going to do?" Astrid asked. "I saw a few houses a while back. I''ll try to reach one to sleep tonight," What else could I do? After that, I''d look for the dungeon. Maybe that would help me get some levels. And some exercise would help me clear my head. "I have a free room. Do you want it?" the burly woman offered. Glancing at the sky, I saw the last rays of sunlight. It was already getting dark, and it would only get worse. "Thank you. I promise I won''t stay long." Astrid just nodded and started walking. At least for tonight, I would have a warm place to rest. Maybe that would be enough to process everything. 46 - Astrid Astrid''s house was somewhat detached from the rest of the village. We spent a good 10 minutes walking across the nearby forest until we reached her cabin. In all fairness, she could have made better time without me. I was not used to the area or to walking through the snow, at least not as much as I was seeing here. We used to have a thin layer of frost over things during winter, but that was about it. Here, some areas had snow up to my knees. Once we arrived, Astrid pointed to a room, turning on a couple of lamps and said, "You can sleep there. I''ll be here." She gestured to a different room right beside it. Her house was very cozy. Everything was made out of wood, and there were a few beautifully made carvings on the pillars, each representing a different animal, with one between the two doors to the bedrooms depicting a tall mountain with a valley below. "Those are incredible. Did you make them?" I asked, looking back at my host. She pointed to a few carvings: an eagle, a bear, and a large moose. "Mine." She then turned and pointed to a carp swimming across a river, a rooster singing to the sunrise, and a flower bed with some butterflies flying above it. "My dad." Lastly, she gestured to the one between the rooms¡ªthe mountain with a valley. "Us both." "You are both very talented. Those are amazing." It seemed that there was one more: the face of a horse and the meadow below. But it was incomplete. Only a few details were in place, and there was the loose outline of the animal. Astrid seemed to notice my stare and said, "He did not finish." "He was working on this when the ice devil got him?" The woman just nodded, her eyes fixed on the carving. "For what it is worth, I believe you. And your dad. I have seen enough strange things to accept that something like an ice devil is very much possible." Astrid did not say anything, just walked inside her room and closed the door. It was really hard to read her, but if I was going to stay here for a bit, I would need to learn. After all, I was not going to leave before I found the dungeon. ''Sys, can you answer me one thing real quick? The dungeon should have stronger monsters, correct?'' [System is unable to confirm that information without a natural survey of the area. However, due to the properties of dungeons, it is likely that the creatures living inside of it are stronger than those living outside.] ''Right I was just double checking. That is where we are going next. I just need to find it.'' I stepped towards my room, but before I even crossed the door, Astrid opened hers. Instead of the heavy fur clothes, she was wearing some shorts that were glued to her thighs and some wrappings around her chest. This only revealed even more how covered in scars the woman was. They were everywhere and came from every angle. In a way, it looked like she was a seasoned gladiator. And I had to admit, her chest made me a bit jealous. It was considerably bigger than mine. Then again, Astrid was bigger than me in every way. Her arms were about the size of my leg, and her legs could fit two of me. Not to mention, she was tall. I never considered myself short, being around 172 cm [5''6"], but Astrid was over a full head taller than me. "Do you want a shower?" Astrid asked. I paused, glancing outside through the window. "In this weather?" "It is hot." I blinked. "Okay, you are going to have to help me here. Do you mean hot as in sexy, or hot as in actually warm?" Astrid frowned, staring at me for a long moment before replying, "Warm." "Oh. Ok. That sounds like a good idea." Despite me saying that, Astrid did not move. She just stood there looking at me. After another long pause, she pointed at herself and then at my clothes. "Take it off." "In here?" I asked. "No place to leave it outside." "What if I just left it on the ground?" The idea of walking out into the snow in my underwear was not really appealing. "It can freeze." "Wait, my clothes can freeze?" Astrid just pointed outside. Right by the window, there was a towel standing still on the ground, but it was not laid horizontally. It was standing up. "Holy crap. I had no idea this could happen." Astrid walked towards the door, placing two towels that were not frozen by the door. "You can take one when we come back." "We are not even taking the towels?" "No," Astrid pointed outside again. As much as I hated the idea, I understood it. If we were going to take a shower and then dry ourselves with the towel, they could end up freezing on the way back. If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. "Fine." I quickly took off my clothes, staying only in my underwear. Unfortunately, I was not wearing shorts like Astrid, but my bra covered a bit more than hers. She was also kind enough not to stare at the massive scar covering my stomach. The place where the Eater impaled me. Even with the constant use of {Body Regeneration}, I was never able to make it all go away. Maybe in the future, but for now it was a reminder of what happened. "Good. Follow. I am running." The woman opened the door, a gust of cold wind washing over me just as she started to sprint to the side of the house. I quickly ran after her. The last thing I wanted was to get lost in the middle of the forest while not wearing any pants. Thankfully, we were not going far. Just to the left of the house, there was a shed where Astrid was already setting something up. She was turning on a couple of lamps from the outside. It seemed like there were small gaps on top of the shed where someone had placed glass domes to allow for some light to reach those inside. "D-do you n-need help?" I did my best not to stutter, but it was too freaking cold. I was positive I was not built for this weather. "No. Go inside. It is warm." It was a bit too dark, but I could swear I saw Astrid smiling at me when she said that. But honestly, I did not care. I just rushed into the shed, leaving the door open since she was going to follow soon. Oddly enough, even with the gust of wind from the outside, it was very warm in here. It was still cold, obviously, but it was not unbearable anymore. The structure of this small building did not look to be super insulated. In fact, I could even see some gaps between the pieces of wood that led outside. Yet, the warmth seemed to be trapped between these walls, almost like it was a greenhouse. And if that was not strange enough, the layout was odd. The door opened to a tiny corridor with a bench to the right, and to the left, in the middle of the way, there was a tall wooden pillar. But it only reached about waist high. ''Sys, do you think the lack of cold in here is because of SP?'' [According to the data System has available, that is a possibility. Unfortunately, System is unable to confirm said theory without user consuming parts of the wood that make up the shed.] ''Yeah, I am not going to eat the wood. I might be crazy, but I am not that much of a psychopath.'' Astrid finished setting up the second lamp and walked inside. She saw me sitting in the far corner of the shed and walked over to the half-pillar in the middle, closing the door behind her. She opened a small door and removed a bucket of water, then opened a lid on top of the pillar. Inside was a large metal plate that she also removed, revealing a tiny fire pit made out of stone resting inside the wooden pillar. Showing her mastery, Astrid used a little bit of sap she had already prepared and ignited the coal. She then placed the metal plate on top of it and stepped back. "Have to wait." "Sorry, but how are we going to take a shower here?" I was half expecting her to have a contraption that would toss water from above, but that did not seem to be the case. "Steam shower." "Oh? Never had one before." "It is nice," Astrid leaned back, closing her eyes. "I assume we need to wait until the plate is hot enough and then pour some water on it?" I asked. Astrid just nodded. "But shouldn''t we be naked? From what I know, that is what people do in a sauna." "You can. I won''t," Astrid replied. "Why not?" I turned to the woman. "My ass gets stuck in the wood. Don''t like it." I looked down before nodding. "That makes a lot of sense. I am probably going to feel on my skin how uncomfortable that is." Astrid let out a snort. We stayed in silence for a couple of minutes until the heat became strong enough so that it was time to pour water over the plate. There was a certain art to doing this. If Astrid put too much water, it would not turn into steam right away and would boil instead. But if she put too little, the Leidenfrost effect would happen, and the droplets would just move around without actually changing states. Taking a shower like this was an interesting experience, but I would not say I was getting clean. Not really. Sure, the vapor would help clean off the grime and dirt that was on my skin, but I needed some soap, which would not actually work in this scenario. Putting those thoughts aside, I turned to Astrid, noticing her relaxed expression with her eyes closed. "Do you mind if I ask a couple of questions? I am still trying to understand some things about this place." Without opening her eyes, Astrid said, "No." "Oh, okay. Sorry." I was not about to start pushing if she did not want to talk. The woman turned towards me. "No. I don''t mind." "Right. My bad. I was expecting a different answer. But great. Do the people that live here really not know about the Eaters?" Astrid sighed and shook her head. "They know, but do not believe." "How? The world almost ended because of those fucking things. How can people think they are just fairy tales?" "They do not come here. Never did." "But still, they should know about the stories. Their parents might have told them," I said, trying to figure out an explanation. There had to be a reason for people to be this dumb. "They were all born in the village and never left." I paused, really thinking about what Astrid just said. It was clear that she was not the kind to speak a lot, so I needed to understand what she was saying in just a handful of words. It took me a moment, but realization eventually dawned on me. "Are you telling me that because they never left and never saw one of them, they think it is just a story to scare children?" "Yes." "But you know about them?" "I do." "How? Why?" Astrid looked down at the ground, her hands clasped together as her muscles tensed. "My dad took me hunting. East. We saw a city¡­ and them." "Right. And I am sorry to change the subject, but there is one thing I am kind of worried about. Are you okay? You are covered in scars. That is not a problem by itself. I mean, look at me. I am just worried that people were hurting you." The woman looked at me, her piercing blue eyes seemingly staring into my soul. "Thank you. But not people, monsters." She paused and pulled up her left arm, pointing at a specific scar just above the elbow. "Cooking. Knife broke." I let out a chuckle. "And is that the only one accidentally self-inflicted?" Astrid squinted. "Maybe." "Well then, I will not tell you how I got this scar between my big toe. It is absolutely not a funny story about me dropping a knife while I was learning to cook." She chuckled, but then pointed at my stomach. "That one?" "An Eater. Part of the group that destroyed my village. I got lucky that lightning killed it before it could kill me." Astrid nodded. "Luck is also a skill." ''Is it?'' I asked the System but got no response. "Either way, I am going to try to find the nest of the Ice Devil tomorrow. You mentioned some mines. Could you point me in that direction?" The woman paused and then shook her head. "No. I am coming with." "That would help a lot. Thank you." Having someone who was familiar with the area would make my progress much faster. And despite her dry humor and short responses, it was nice to have her around. Maybe when this is all said and done, I can leave a special tool for this village''s protector. But that would come at a later date. I was not entirely sure I trusted her with something like that¡ªnot just yet. 47 - A nights rest A steam shower was better than I expected. There was still something missing, like a good scrubbing, but it was very pleasant. Astrid and I kept talking during the sauna. Although, to be fair, I was the one doing most of the talking. But she seemed appreciative of the conversation. Even in moments when I felt like I was talking to myself, she chimed in with a question or a short reply. I think the reason for her speaking like that was probably her upbringing. From the little she told me, her dad was also a man of few words. And if I understood it right, they never had conversations that lasted more than a few sentences. Despite that, Astrid seemed like a good person. She cared about others, wanted to help those in need, understood that she couldn''t do everything by herself, and overall had a good head on her shoulders. Which was something this village was seriously lacking. Eventually, we rushed back to the house. Astrid moved very quickly, but I was faster despite the unfamiliar location. Sure, I might be cheating because of the System, but it was too cold to think of this as a competition. The goal was not to get here before her, just to get here and into something warm. I quickly wrapped myself in a towel and started rubbing myself down, trying to retain any of the warmth that came from the steam. Strangely enough, it worked. As soon as I walked through the door and away from the cold outside air, I was already feeling comfortable. The warmth that permeated my skin was able to fight against the snow during those few moments. My host arrived a few moments after me with a satisfied smile. Unlike me, she did not grab a towel to maintain the heat, but just let out a few happy grunts. "You know, it looks like you enjoy this part more than you enjoyed the steam shower," I said, still trying to process the fact that I was not cold. "I do. Feels great." "I am glad you like it. If I am honest, I would not do that very often." "Why?" Astrid turned towards me as she walked over to the small kitchen and pulled out a bottle of something. She removed the cork and poured a glass of a brown liquid. Before I could answer, she offered the glass to me. "What is that?" "Booze." "I don''t like the cold all that much. And doing this every day doesn''t sound fun," With a shrug, I took the glass. Astrid poured another and walked back to the living room, sitting on a wooden bench with some furs covering it. I sat on the one opposite, still wrapped in the towel while she was just in her underwear. The liquid in my glass had a strong smell, and it was clearly alcoholic, but I had never seen this kind before, not in person at least. In a way, it looked like the whiskey I had seen on television. Astrid was staring at me, likely waiting for me to taste the drink. Not wanting to leave her hanging, I took a swig. After all, people used to do that on TV. Might as well follow along. It took me less than a second to regret that decision. I felt the liquid burning my throat as it went down. I coughed and hacked for a good two minutes before I was able to speak again. During all that time, Astrid had a smirk on her face. Once I was able to breathe again, she spoke up. "You sip this." "Why did you not tell me before?" "It is funny." I rolled my eyes. "I am glad I can be your entertainment for the night." Glancing down at my cup, I steeled myself before taking a small sip. This time, I could actually taste the drink. It had a rich flavor with some sweet notes of zesty fruit, but that was overshadowed by the strong alcohol in the mix. "Like it?" Astrid asked. "A bit. But it is also too strong for me. We didn''t have alcohol back in my village all that often." I took another sip and looked around, noticing how many furs covered the place. "Did you hunt all this?" Astrid just nodded. "Was it just regular hunting, or did you have a specific goal in mind?" "I need to be stronger," Astrid took another sip, not even bothering to look at me. It was almost as if the answer was meant for herself. "Because of the ice devil?" There were a lot of furs here, and most of them looked fresh. Too fresh. As if she got them in the past couple of weeks. "That too," Astrid paused, but I waited for her to continue. "My dad wanted a safe world. I want one too. A world with no monsters." I nodded, but considering that there were a few other species with access to the System, I was not entirely sure her dreams were possible. They might be, but they would involve a few genocides¡ªwhich is never great. But Astrid was following her late father''s dream. No one could argue against that. And honestly? Could I even blame them for having that dream? A world without monsters sounded like a paradise. "But a lot of these furs look really new. How long has it been since you hunted them all?" Astrid looked around and pointed to a white pelt just by the entrance, serving as a mat. "Oldest. Six months." She then turned to the one I was sitting on top of. "Newest, five days." Between the pelts on the benches, the chair, the table, the curtains, the floor, and the handful I saw in the bedroom, there should be around 70 different furs spread around the house. And that was not even taking into account the ones she had stashed away somewhere else. "That is a lot of hunting. Even if you are feeding the village, that is a lot. Are you okay? You are not risking yourself too much, are you? Are these scars related to this or just old scars?" Astrid groaned and slumped back in her chair, taking a large sip of her drink. "I am fine. Was stupid. Got hurt. Nothing more." The mood turned sour. It was clear she was not appreciative of my concern. Instead, she seemed to feel like I was treating her like a child or something. I don''t know. It is not like there is a way for me to understand what is going on in her mind. After some time where we just sat there staring at each other, I gave up. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it "Do you think you can show me the mines tomorrow? I want to see what''s inside there." It was better to change subjects. There was no reason to stay on that topic. Possible or not, Astrid was following her late father¡¯s dream. No one could argue against that. "I can. We leave early." "Okay. Any specific reason for that, or just to make use of the sunlight?" "Takes one hour for me. Two for us," Astrid explained. "Hey! I might not be used to walking in this little, but I''m not that slow. I even got here first after the shower." "Different problem. Path is complicated." "If you say so." I finished my drink and put the cup on the table. "Mind if I go to bed? I walked a lot today, and I''m a bit tired. Need to rest if we are going to walk a lot tomorrow." Astrid nodded. "More pelts in the trunk." I remembered seeing a heavy chest at the foot of the bed. It was good to know that if I needed it, I could turn myself into a fur-covered burrito. After thanking my host, I walked back to the room, closed the door, and went to bed. A part of me was really excited about tomorrow but also a bit worried. Which is why I had one thing to do before sleeping. ''Sys, do me a favor. Put {Formless Nodus Swipe} in the memory bank and later add {Formless Boar Charge} to my skills. If we are going into a mine, I''m not entirely sure I''ll be able to do wide attacks to trigger the swipe.'' [Acknowledged. Question: Does user believe {Formless Boar Charge} will be more effective than {Burst of Strength} if user needs to fight inside the mines?] ''I don''t know. Both have their merits, but if I use {Burst of Strength}, then a useless skill will be occupying a memory slot. In that case, it would be the {Formless Series} since I wouldn''t have any actual formless skill to use.'' [What about {Formless Steps of Prey}?] ''The idea is to hunt monsters. I would prefer to have something offensive, since I already have {Body Regeneration}, {Predatory Sense}, and the Enduring Heart title taking care of defenses.'' [Neither the skills nor the title user mentioned are, strictly speaking, defensive. {Body Regeneration} and Enduring Heart are recovery-based effects. {Predatory Sense} would fall more in the utility category since it does not allow user to block an actual attack.] ''By that logic, so would {Formless Steps of Prey}. Are you really against me using {Formless Boar Charge}?'' [System is simply attempting to help user identify the best option for the scenario. Experience dictates that a conversation would assist user in making the best possible decision, even if said decision was the same decision user initially made.] ''Oh? Thank you for that. It does help to explain my train of thought. For now, it is easy since I have few skills, but I imagine that as they change and grow, it will be harder to pick the ones that work best for each situation.'' [System exists only to serve user. If System is able to help, System has fulfilled its purpose.] I held back a chuckle. The walls here did not seem particularly thick, and considering how each step Astrid took reached my ears, there was a good chance she could hear anything I did. ''That is a very convoluted way of saying "you are welcome."'' The System didn''t say anything else, and I did not want it to. After the shower, the drink, and getting under the covers, I felt extremely comfortable in this soft mattress, ready to sleep for the night. Unfortunately, it felt as if I had just blinked and the sun was already up in the sky. It was a good night of sleep, but it just felt too short. Fighting off the urge to stay under the covers, I quickly got up, got dressed, and walked out of the room. Astrid was already preparing something for us to eat in the kitchen. She saw me pass by and just gave me a nod. The tension from yesterday apparently gone. "Do we eat and go?" I approached her, hoping there was something I could do to help. Astrid turned around with a plate full of pieces of bread covered in butter, all of them toasted in a pan. The fact that they used fire so freely here still felt wild to me. "Yes. A stop first." "In the village?" Astrid just nodded. "Routine." "Do you need to tell anyone that you are okay or just make sure nothing happened during the night?" "Make sure." Astrid took one of the slices of bread and started eating. She gestured for me to follow, and my stomach was already growling. We ate in silence, but a question came to mind. ''Sys, I get energy from food, correct?'' [Correct.] ''But I also need energy to move. And I do not mean the same energy that I use for my skills. But I have {Energy Storage}¡ªdoes that mean I could go a few days without eating by just taking Energy from it?'' [Currently, no. Energy present in {Energy Storage} may have come from calories, however it was converted into a different type of Energy. This new Energy cannot be used to move the body, only to move SP.] ''I see¡­'' It was a bit of a shame, but there was likely a skill that allowed me to convert that. Then again, I kind of liked eating. Not sure if I would ever stop doing that unless it was strictly necessary. After finishing the meal, we left Astrid''s house and started walking towards the village. Now that the sun was out, it was easier to see the distance between the two, and it was not as bad as I had pictured last night. Before my thoughts could dwell on that, a commotion caught our attention. Astrid started jogging, and I followed. There was a group of people outside their houses, everyone speaking loudly and over each other. Three specific women seemed more frantic than the rest. One of them was sobbing, another was yelling loudly, and the third was being held by two men while she kept trying to move in a specific direction. "Astrid!" Francis gasped as we arrived. He gave me a glance, but it was clear he had no intention of talking to me. "What happened?" Astrid asked. "You!" The woman who was being held turned around and started stomping in our direction. "It is all your fault, you fucking half-wit!" "Kat. Stop," Francis pushed the woman away, but to no avail. "Get off me, Francis. She has been going on and on about this fucking ice devil in the mines, and now my dear Johnny went there trying to find it. And he took his stupid friends with him." "Do not call my son stupid!" the woman who was yelling continued. "He followed my dumbass son. That makes him stupid, Erica!" Kat yelled again. "When?" Astrid asked. "When what? Use your fucking words, you lumbering oaf!" Kat continued yelling, but Astrid had already turned to Francis. "They left before sunrise. So, an hour ago. Or that is what we are assuming. All we know is that Johnny left a letter, and one of the guards thinks they saw something about an hour ago," the man explained. Astrid turned towards me, and I nodded. "Going there was already the plan. Let¡¯s go rescue some stupid kids." 48 - the Mine Astrid and I left the village in a hurry. The quicker we were able to reach the mines, the more likely we were to find the missing teenagers. There was a chance we would meet them on the way, but the odds were not in our favor. It seemed like there were a few different paths they could have taken to the entrance of the mines. But just a few minutes after we left, before we reached any important landmark, snow started to fall from the sky. "Shit, a snowstorm now?" I grumbled. "No storm," Astrid replied. "What do you mean?" "Always like this." "Always? As in always, always? It¡¯s never not snowing here?" "Yes." "How is that possible?" I spoke out loud, but I was talking more to the System than to Astrid. "Don¡¯t know." [The area around the dungeon can be affected by the internal environment. For that reason, it is possible that the dungeon is responsible for the unusual weather pattern.] ''But to this degree? To the point of making it an eternal snowfall? Wouldn''t it need rain to make snow?'' This time I made sure to ask only the System. [Effect is within the realm of possibility. System is unable to understand the reason for such an intense effect without coming into contact with the dungeon core.] ''I guess it¡¯s a good thing we¡¯re going there anyway. But I really hope the kids didn¡¯t end up finding the dungeon core. Why is it always teenagers? Can¡¯t they just obey?'' I sighed. [According to the information available to System, it is common for teenagers to have a rebellious phase. Inquiry: Did user not have one?] ''I don¡¯t think so. I always followed what people told me, at least when it made sense. There were times when they were just being annoying or overly cautious. Like when they told me there was a bear roaming around, but I still went out to hunt. Or the time I took a boy to the Hunter''s cave in the middle of the night. I knew what I was doing. Nothing bad was going to happen.'' I smiled. Those were some fun memories despite the scolding I got later. [What user described is very similar to a rebellious phase. User believed the rules created by the adults were not correct and acted against them despite their better judgment. The fact that user was not injured or hurt does not mean that said rules were unnecessary.] ''Huh. I guess you have a point,'' I never really thought about that, but there were times when Pops said he was going crazy because of me. We arrived at a highway from the old world a few minutes after we left. There were a couple of houses nearby but they were destroyed due to the weight of the constant snowfall. Everything was covered in white, and there were no tracks for us to follow. Even the ones we just made had already been half-covered by the weather. Looking ahead, I could see the markings of the six roads that made up the highway. Seven, if I¡¯m counting the one we were using. And between the two main lanes was a small overpass that was currently buried under the snow. In fact, the entire area was covered in a thick layer of snow. It was strange. If the weather here never changed, then we should be seeing towering walls of ice and snow covering everywhere. After all, nothing would ever melt. Yet, that was not the case. It was not impossible to understand the layout of the ground. Small pieces of the earth were bumpy or had small hills peeking through the white sheet. Could the dungeon be using the excess snow in order to make more? How would that work? Maybe it was related to the need for resources. The SP couldn''t just cover everything in ice since it would make whatever lived inside the dungeon starve to death. But even then, it was wild to consider the control the particles would have over the environment. Astrid did not say anything. She just continued sprinting towards what I assumed to be the mines. She cut between all the roads and reached the other side before finally stopping and turning towards me. "We go west. If you spot them, do not yell. Tap me and we go." "Okay. They can be anywhere?" "Yes. Various paths." "Got it. Just out of curiosity, why can¡¯t I yell?" I asked. This was almost instinctive to me, but I wanted to understand why she was telling me not to yell now. Maybe Eaters could show up here, but that did not make sense considering what she told me last night. "Bear territory. And the ice devil." Not an Eater, but almost as bad. "Yes, ma¡¯am." Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. Astrid frowned. "I¡¯m younger." I stared at her for a moment. "Ok¡­ Yes, lass. Is that better?" "Not worse." We continued moving as fast as we could. Unfortunately, it was clear that I was slowing Astrid down a bit. Every so often, she had to stop and wait for me to catch up. But at least that gave her an opening to look around properly and see if she found any trails or signs of the teenagers. {Predatory Sense} was quiet for now, but I double-checked with the System, and everything was working as it should. We continued along the highway for about half an hour when Astrid veered right, heading northwest towards what looked to be a mountain, but I could not make it out properly through the snow that was falling. It was not a storm by any means, but it was enough to reduce visibility after a few hundred meters [yards]. "Are we getting close to the mine?" I asked. "No. Lake first," Astrid explained as she pointed to the track she was making in the snow. "Behind me." "There¡¯s a lake here?" I moved to walk just behind her. The snow was slowly becoming more of an issue, and because of her frame, she was able to open a path more easily than I could. "Yes. Frozen solid." "Completely frozen?" "Yes." I frowned. There was almost no change in the temperature between the village and here. In fact, just before the highway, there was a small stream that was still running. Only a few parts of the shore had actual ice. How could something like that exist in the same area as a lake that was completely frozen? Even if it was not just a gigantic iceberg, the temperature should not allow the middle to freeze like that. Could this be another effect of the dungeon, or maybe there was something in the lake making it even colder? I asked the System, but it also did not have an answer. We continued moving, going around the lake instead of through it, and like Astrid said, it was completely frozen over. We could not even see the water below. There was some sort of structure in the middle of the lake itself. Whatever it was, it looked ancient, as parts of the base had frozen over and become one with the ice. "What is that thing?" I did my best not to raise my voice, but despite the snow, all the noise we were making was carried by the wind. "Fishing hut." "So there are fish under the lake?" "Not anymore," Astrid continued moving, not slowing down at all. "What happened?" "Water froze. All water." "Shit. Everything?" "All we can dig." "How long has it been since that happened?" "I wasn¡¯t born." So, just like the frost, it seemed this was not a sudden occurrence, but a gradual thing. "How old are you again?" Astrid glanced towards me with a single raised eyebrow. "23. You?" "25. My birthday wasn¡¯t that long ago." "Congratulations," Astrid replied. If it was anyone else, I would think they were being condescending. But her comment seemed genuine. We continued walking for another hour. The amount of snow covering the area slowly increased, which made me think we were getting closer to the dungeon. That wasn¡¯t all, the snowfall also increased. It still wasn¡¯t aggressive like a storm, just a constant trickle of snow. But the change was like going from a small stream to a lazy river. I assumed that the closer we got to the dungeon, the stronger the effects would be. But I never expected things to be this bad. Yet, somehow, Astrid was fully capable of navigating the area, even gesturing to some points where cracks or small holes would be so I could avoid them. Eventually, we reached the ruins of a massive building that had long since been destroyed by the relentless snowfall. Considering we were close to a mine, this building should have been the facility where everything was processed. Parts of it were still standing, like the row of massive metal cylinders that were used for something, I assume¡ªmaybe storage? It¡¯s hard to tell. I don¡¯t think I ever stopped to study how a mine actually worked. But we were only able to see those things when we were very close. The snowfall was intense, almost like a full sheet of white covering my view, even though the snowflakes fell lazily from the sky. "Stay close. Almost there. Don¡¯t fall." "What do you mean, don¡¯t fall?" I frowned. Talking to Astrid wasn¡¯t completely without its challenges, but I didn¡¯t want to press and make her upset with me. It wasn¡¯t my place to try to teach her or force her to act in a way she wasn¡¯t used to. "Big drop. The eye will be better." "Eye? Like the eye of the storm?" Astrid just nodded at my question. We continued walking for a couple more minutes. This time, it was clear our progress was much slower. The snow was reaching Astrid¡¯s waist, which was about the height of my stomach. She was quite literally acting like a bulldozer, pushing through the wall of soft snow in front of us. During this time, I kept pestering the System for more answers. But it could not say anything else. We needed to find the dungeon core to get more information about how this worked. Maybe being inside the dungeon would already give us some insight, but it would not be enough to answer all my questions. Eventually, we reached a point where the ground tilted down and the snow became unable to hold our weight. Panic set in as soon as I remembered that Astrid told me to be careful. But even as we were being dragged down, my guide wasn¡¯t frazzled. She seemed confident that we were going in the right direction. Not long after I realized that, the snowfall stopped completely, and we skidded to a halt. We were now in the mine proper¡ªa gigantic hole where there once was a mountain. The road spiraled around the place, making some twists and turns before reaching the bottom. Everything was covered in deep blue pieces of jagged ice, as if the frost itself was growing from inside the ground. Surrounding the mines was a wall of snow, with more falling. Looking up, the sky was clear¡ªthere was no cloud to be seen. Not in this central area. There were some tracks leading down, and they clearly went to a specific opening on the south side of the mine. A red flag was placed just outside the entrance. The cloth was too new for it to have been left by someone else long ago, and I wasn¡¯t the only one who noticed that. "There," Astrid pointed to the flag. "Is that a signal you use?" Astrid nodded. "Means people inside." "And you¡¯re sure no one else came here? Couldn¡¯t someone have run away and forgotten to take the flag down?" "No." Astrid started going down the path towards the tunnel entrance. I followed right after her, but after just a few steps, I froze, staring at the words that appeared in my view: ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ You have entered the Frosted Gold Dungeon ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ 49 - Frosted Gold Dungeon We quickly walked down the mine, heading towards the tunnel with the flag. Astrid spoke with such certainty that the kids would be there, that there was no room for me to doubt it. Unfortunately, we couldn¡¯t just run since the entire place was covered in ice, but it also gave me a moment to talk to the System and try to understand a bit more about this place. ''Sys, do you have any extra information for me? We¡¯re in the dungeon now.'' [System is able to recognize user is inside the dungeon. However, only one attribute of the dungeon was revealed to System. The Frosted Gold dungeon has a passive effect that lowers the resistance against cold-based attacks of those inside it. User does not possess any sort of cold resistance. For that reason, this particular attribute will have no effect on user.] ''So it¡¯s not like some games where you can have negative resistances?'' [Correct. System and system particles do not recognize negative resistances. Those are weaknesses. Skills that can trigger a weakness or make a target temporarily weaker to a specific type of attack or effect do exist. However, in the skill description, they will be referred to as ''weakness'' or ''weaken''. If a skill refers to resistance, it is explicitly talking about an ability to reduce the damage or effect.] ''I see. But in that case, what would be better? A skill that makes my target weak against something or one that removes the resistances?'' [Considering that the target possesses resistances, removing them is more effective than making them weaker against a specific attack. The resistance will still be applied even if the target is weak to an attack, which means it is possible for a specific attack to do less damage, even if the target is weak against it but possesses a high resistance. Lowering the resistance would allow more damage overall.] ''Your explanations are getting a bit worse, but I get it. Remove the resistance first, then try to make them weaker.'' Before the System could answer me, Astrid stopped and gestured for me to do the same. She slowly pointed down to the center of the mine. Emerging from another one of the tunnels was a bear¡ªa bear with a pure white coat, and instead of black, its claws were a dark shade of blue, not dissimilar to the protrusions of ice in the surrounding path. By all accounts, it looked like a mutated polar bear, but there were some significant differences that reinforced my doubts. Its neck was too short, and its ears were on the top of its head. It also looked much smaller than what it should be. Everything Pops told me about them, and the pictures he showed me on the computer, told me that this was a white black bear. The main issue here was that this was a mutated creature, meaning that any physical description I had of those types of bears was not exactly reliable. To make matters worse, it was too far away for the System to be able to give me some information about the monster. We stood there for around two minutes watching the bear leave the tunnel, walk around a few times, and then go back inside. Only after enough time had passed so our voices wouldn¡¯t cause any problems did Astrid turn to me, "Bear territory. Keep quiet," her voice barely a whisper. I nodded as we started walking closer to the entrance of the mines. I was doing my best to focus on my surroundings, but a part of me was screaming a question: why the fuck would those teenagers come here? Were they really that stupid that they wanted to find a bear? Even if those are not polar bears, chasing after one is a very easy way to get brutally killed. If we managed to find them, I would ask, but right now, we needed to save those dumbasses. Pulling my staff from the pouch, I triggered {Compression}, making the metal pole large enough for me to wield it in a tight space. This wasn¡¯t the time to worry about hiding the System. We carefully walked into the mine, taking the entrance in front of the flag. The place was bigger than I was expecting, but not by much. The corridor was just wide enough for Astrid to stretch her arms, and it was about two and a half meters [8 ft] tall. Which was one more reason why the bears here shouldn¡¯t be polar bears. The walls were covered in a layer of frost with some crystal-like structures made out of ice, but it still looked somewhat natural. The ground had a dark brown color with some patches of black material, and underneath all the frozen rock, you could still see the original sediment that made up the cave. It seemed like the biggest change was made to the artificial aspects of the area. The pillars and support beams built by the humans who once worked here. Those were the parts of the structure most affected by the system particles. I didn¡¯t even need confirmation from the System to understand that. The wooden beams were now a dark shade of blue, and the lamps and light bulbs emanated an ethereal pale blue light that gave off no heat. But that wide space quickly gave way to more narrow tunnels. There was one central passage that maintained the size of the entrance to some degree, but everything else was considerably smaller. Said paths were still not small enough for Astrid to have problems moving about, but they were getting close. Instead of taking one of those side tunnels, we continued down the main hallway until we reached a frozen box that was attached to the side of the passage. "Watch out. It¡¯s noisy," Astrid whispered as she grabbed the front panel of that metal box and forced it open. Ice shattered and fell to the ground as the metal creaked under the strain. "What the hell are you doing?" I whispered, my staff pointing out, ready to attack any incoming monster. "Forgot a weapon. Getting one," Astrid pulled a large fire axe from the container. Its handle was wooden but made of the same strange blue wood that formed the support pillars. The head of the axe was a dull, rusted orange, with the blade white as snow. But stranger than its appearance was the feeling coming off it. Somehow, that axe had SP imbued into it. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. "What is that?" I asked, trying not to freak out. "My weapon," Astrid said with a smile, staring at the axe longingly before she continued walking down the path, "Come." "If it¡¯s your weapon, why did you leave it here?" I asked. "Mine now. Forgot to bring one." "Fine, but why leave it here? Why don¡¯t you take it home?" Astrid looked at the axe, "Gets weak if I take it." She turned to a tunnel on our right, following a few footprints she noticed on the ground. Unlike outside, here there was nothing that could easily remove tracks, which might be the only thing that save those teenagers. But still, my mind was focused on something else. ''Sys, what the hell is that axe?'' [System is unable to provide that information without user coming into contact with the weapon. Current theory is that, much like the environment, the SP generated by the dungeon affected the weapon and changed its attributes.] ''Are you telling me the weapon can have a skill?'' [That is within the realm of possibility.] ''And why would it get weaker when it leaves here?'' [Since the weapon is in an environment with abundant SP, once it is taken away from said environment, the particles present on the weapon will likely scatter, looking for a new host. That would not be an issue if a System user was in possession of the weapon. System is able to send instructions to particles present in the weapon to avoid the dispersion of SP.] ''So magic weapons are real? Fuck me.'' A low growl echoed through the tunnel, halting my thoughts. It was hard to tell where it came from, since there were so many passages around us, but it was clear that whatever made that sound wasn¡¯t happy. ''We¡¯re talking more about this later. For now, just try to make a map so we don¡¯t get lost here.'' [Acknowledged.] As much as I wanted to continue that conversation, it wasn¡¯t the right time. Another growl echoed, followed by someone screaming. It was hard to say if that was a man whose voice cracked or a woman yelling. Without saying anything, Astrid just started running. I did my best to follow and not be left behind, but it didn¡¯t take long for me to lose track of my companion. The problem wasn¡¯t really speed, but it was clear that she knew the path she was taking. In contrast, every time we made a turn, I needed a moment to understand my surroundings, especially on the corners where the light was more spread out. I did my best to follow the tracks left by Astrid, but my practice lay in chasing animals and monsters through the woods, not through a cave¡ªand definitely not through a tunnel covered in ice. Eventually, it became clear that the noise I was following was but an echo bouncing from somewhere else. I stopped and asked the System to pull up the map it was creating so I could make my way back to the entrance. The deeper I went, the harder it would be to find my way back. A holographic line appeared on the ground, pointing back to the path I came from. But after just three turns down the winding tunnels, the line given by the System was suddenly pointing directly into a wall. ''Sys¡­ I¡¯m pretty sure this is wrong,'' I said. The line vanished and tried to reform, but this time it pointed in a completely different direction. Then it vanished and appeared again, pointing to a third path. Only then did the System speak up. [System was able to identify one more attribute of the dungeon. Attempts to map the environment are hindered by the particles present. System is unable to create a map of the tunnels. User will require a skill capable of blocking the interference in order for a map to be created.] ''Well, fuck,'' I grumbled, starting to look around, trying to see if there was anything that could help me identify where I was supposed to go. This was my fault. I put too much faith in the System when I should have been paying attention to the path myself. Before I could make a decision on my next course of action, the sound of muffled sobbing reached my ear. It was hard to tell how far away it was, but I felt pretty confident it was coming from one specific tunnel. If those teenagers were there, maybe they could help me get out of here. I started running, following that sound, which became louder and louder while still being muffled. Eventually, it was drowned out by a second thumping, almost like something was hitting a wall over and over again. I got closer to the sounds, feeling as if they were just beyond the next curve. There was a weird, putrid smell coming from that area. It was the kind you¡¯d smell from an animal that had fallen from a cliff and died in the summer. With my staff in hand, I slowly peeked around the tunnel. It was a large, oval-shaped space with one source of light in the ceiling, swinging from side to side. That spotlight illuminated some strange formations on the walls and reflected off cracks in the ice covering the floor. On the center of the room was a shape. A grotesque figure with a large, bulbous protrusion coming from the middle of its body, dangling down until it almost scraped the ground. A pair of thick, furry, spider-like legs jutted out from its sides, touching the ice below as it skittered left and right, trying to maintain its balance. The spotlight swung enough for me to see the upper half of this creature. It had a small abdomen with another four legs wrapping around it like a hug. Spider webs covered those four limbs, going around the torso. You could say it looked like a restraining jacket, but at the same time, it was as if the creature was struggling to keep itself together. Near the top of its head, two more spider legs extended. Those were moving quickly from the wall back to its face, grabbing large clumps of something that were being aggressively shoved into its mouth. I was looking at a prop attempt of a spider that walked on two legs. I heard another noise, a desperate cry coming from my right. There was a girl there, stuck in a half-made cocoon of spider webs with just her eyes and nose still exposed to the air. She looked at me, panic in her eyes, trying to beg for help. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t the only one who heard her. The creature turned around, revealing its head lower on its body, almost as if it was coming from the middle of its thorax. Eight different eyes stared at me, each of them looking as if they came from a different type of animal¡ªfrom birds and wolves to reptiles and toads. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cleggy ¨C Aranean ¨C Tier 1 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ The spider-like monster pushed air out of its mouth, the noise almost sounding like a word. I was still trying to figure out what would be the best way to attack it. I knew what to expect from an Eater, but not from whatever this creature was. "...h¡­t" the Aranean made another sound. This time, it gave me pause. It almost sounded like it was trying to say¡­ "...Hurt¡­" My eyes went wide, and I glanced at the girl wrapped in the cocoon. Her expression was similar to mine. "...Pain¡­" the Aranean¡­ spoke. There was no other way to describe that. The spider creature was trying to speak¡­ speak English. And Every sound, every word that came out of its mouth seemed to be filled with suffering. "...Cold¡­" Cleggy took a step towards me, its two arms¡ªor the legs closer to its head¡ªreaching out. The eyes, which had each been looking in a different direction, all snapped towards me. The fangs in its mouth started to clatter, venom dripping from their tips. "WARM!" it shouted as the monster lunged at me. 50 - Aranean
¡°WARM!¡± The monster lunged at me, the hulking figure¡¯s front legs aiming for my face. I ducked under, spinning my staff and slamming it against the creature¡¯s head. Even if it wasn¡¯t at the top of its body, it was still a full head above mine. There was a sickening crunch as the skull twisted to the side, now staying at a 90-degree angle. Yet, that changed nothing. The spider creature continued, swiping at me like a bear. Its right leg jabbed forward, trying to impale me. Spinning to the side, I triggered {Burst of Strength} while dodging the attack. Using the momentum, I slammed my staff against the creature¡¯s head again, making it spin one more time, now staying upside down. The mandibles kept snapping as the eyes followed my movements. It was clear it could see what I was doing, but its body wasn¡¯t able to move fast enough to keep up. Or so I thought. As I went for another strike, the monster jumped, vanishing completely from my view. {Predatory Sense} sent sirens ringing in my mind. I dove forward, tumbling on the floor just as the spider creature landed where I was standing a second ago. Its four free legs shattered the frozen rock beneath us. The pale spotlight, which was still moving back and forth, hit the bulbous underside of its thorax, revealing a red mark at its center. Doesn¡¯t that mean it has parts of a black widow? Fucking great. I tried to get up, but the cracks in the floor weren¡¯t just cracks. They were spider webs. Webs that now covered the right side of my body. I tried getting up, but was stopped halfway by those white strands. They refused to budge, no matter how much I struggled. The creature swung its lower body in my direction, webbing shooting out of its abdomen. Triggering {Compression}, I tried to shrink the web around me, hoping it would snap and free me. Instead, it slammed me back onto the ground, but at least that saved me from the web spray sent by the monster. The webs passed over my head, covering a large area of the wall behind me. Going in the opposite direction, {Compression} this time made the webs bigger, giving me enough room to get up, even though I was still attached to the damn thing. The creature lunged at me, spinning in the air and bending so its head was now in the right orientation, even though the rest of its body was upside down. Jumping to the left, I narrowly escaped the attack, the hairs on its leg brushing against my arm. Still, the creature landed in the middle of the now bigger web that was still attached to me. I yanked at the strands as hard as I could. A loud crack echoed through the cave as the monster lost its balance and slammed into the ground. Taking advantage of the situation, I grabbed my staff and slammed it into the creature¡¯s midsection. Four of its limbs were dedicated to protecting it, so there had to be a reason for that. But the webs were still in the way, preventing me from delivering a blow with full force. I tried breaking free, but one of the creature¡¯s legs¡ªor maybe its arms, I had lost track by now¡ªshot out towards me. I tried pulling back, but the webs had reached their limit. Instead, the pointy tip of the monstrous limb slammed against my shin guard. I heard a loud crack, and could only hope it was the wooden armor, not my bones. There was no pain in my leg, or at least, not enough to justify a use of {Body Regeneration}. The creature did a half jump with only one side of its body, spinning so its face was once more upright. At the same time, it tried to body slam me with the full weight of its mass behind the movement. I narrowly escaped the attack, pulling the web taut as I yanked it away from the creature, ending up between the two limbs writhing in front of its midsection. To my surprise, one of the limbs that had been holding its body together shot in my direction. There wasn¡¯t much I could do from my position, but there was just enough time for me to shift my staff to block the incoming leg. The deflection worked, just barely enough to push my head out of the way, but now my staff had a large gash on its side. It was clear that everything we had been through was too much for the metal. But now, a part of its midsection was exposed, allowing me to see the strange connection between its upper and lower body. It was clearly unnatural, like someone had fused two different animals together. Although ¡°fused¡± wasn¡¯t quite the right word. It looked more like they had melted into each other, a single grotesque seam connecting the two body parts. Not wasting any time, I attacked that exposed area, thrusting the staff with the help of not just the webs pulling me closer to the creature but also {Burst of Strength}. The spider creature wasn¡¯t expecting such a quick follow-up or, if it was, it wasn¡¯t able to move fast enough to respond. The metal pole in my hand embedded itself into the monster¡¯s torso, right where the two parts of its body connected. I yanked my staff back, trying to free it from its chitinous prison. But the creature had the same plan. It pulled back, trying to get away from me. The opposing motion put too much strain on the already damaged staff, making it snap in half. If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Cursing under my breath, I jumped forward again. The situation reminded me of a very similar one when I faced an Eater. As soon as I touched the metal rod still embedded in the creature¡¯s body, {Compression} triggered, increasing the size of the weapon. A strange, wet sound followed by a pained shriek erupted from the creature, but it wasn¡¯t enough. My broken staff managed to push the upper and lower halves of the spider¡¯s body apart, but not enough to completely separate them. The creature¡¯s four limbs, which had once held its body together, now grasped at the metal rod embedded in its flesh. It was hard to tell if it was pushing or pulling, but I wasn¡¯t about to wait and find out. Using the remaining half of my staff, I triggered {Compression} one more time, turning it into a longer weapon. With a grunt, I swung it hard, slamming it against the rod sticking out of the creature¡¯s body. The blow was aimed at the top of the broken metal, turning the entire thing into a lever and forcing the two halves of the creature apart. The spider was ripped in two. Strange veins split off as if they were knots being untied. Both halves of its body continued trembling and squirming helplessly as it bled out. Not wanting to give it a chance to do any more damage, I stepped back and slammed what was left of my staff against the monster¡¯s head, again and again, until it finally stopped moving. I felt a large surge of SP rushing into me. Almost as much as when I killed the Hunter Eater. ¡°What the hell was that?¡± I groaned, trying to free myself from the webs. Even if the monster was dead, that didn¡¯t mean everything it had done would vanish. An upbeat music rang in my ears. [Congratulations, user Cassandra. You have reached level 5.] ¡®Thanks. Hold on to everything. I don¡¯t have time to check any skills or whatever I got right now. Do you have any idea what this thing was? Or why did it have two names? Cleggy and Aranean?¡¯ [Being killed by user, also known as Cleggy, was in possession of a system. Cleggy was its designated name. Aranean is the designation for its species.] As soon as the System told me that, I froze, my head slowly turning towards the monstrous corpse on the ground. ¡®That thing is one of the species that have access to the System?¡¯ [That is correct. System is able to confirm that information as the particles user just absorbed included a more complete database on this species. However system is unable to confirm which animal species originated the Aranean. Even if the likelihood of it being spiders is high.] ¡®Can you tell me which number they are? Like, we know the 7th species got the System, so were they the 4th? The 6th?¡¯ [System is unable to access said information. In order for System to know in which order this species gained access to the System, user would need to come into contact with the first generation of users from this species.] ¡®Great. So, I¡¯ll have to figure out where they are in that ranking myself.¡¯ [System was able to acquire one more piece of information. This creature did not come into contact with the System naturally. It was given by another being. In addition, the creature possessed skills related to grafting. Skills that allowed it to survive more easily after said process.] ¡®Grafting? Do you mean that thing where you connect different pieces of plants to make a new breed?¡¯ [Correct.] ¡®Fuck me. Are you telling me this is a lab experiment? Someone made a spider Frankenstein?¡¯ [According to available information, Frankenstein is the name of the doctor, not the monster.] I rolled my eyes so hard it almost gave me a headache. ¡®Sys, that¡¯s not the fucking point right now.¡¯ [Previous statement is correct. The creature user just killed was created artificially, possessing grafting-based skills.] ¡®As if Eaters weren¡¯t bad enough,¡¯ I sighed. A muffled voice reached my ears. Turning back to the entrance of the cave, I saw the teenage girl still wrapped in spider webs. Her eyes were wide as she tried to shuffle away towards me, moving only her head. ¡°Okay, calm down. Are you hurt?¡± She shook her head. ¡°Perfect. Then stop making noise. We don¡¯t know what the hell else is in these tunnels. Do you think this spider laid eggs inside of you or something?¡± The girl looked down, her eyes growing even wider, almost to the point of popping out of their sockets¡ªbut after a pause, she shook her head again. ¡°Marvelous. I know you¡¯re scared, but shut up and wait.¡± I raised my hand, showing her the spider web still attached to my arm. ¡°Even if I wanted, I can¡¯t reach you right now. Let me get free, then I¡¯ll help you out, okay?¡± The girl stared at me for a moment before nodding, her eyes glued to the ground in front of her. Every now and then, they darted back to the dead spider, but she quickly forced herself to look away. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t blame her. That thing was nasty. If I hadn¡¯t fought against Eaters before, I¡¯m not sure I would have been able to handle it so well. In comparison, this thing was almost cute. One of the spider¡¯s eyes, still attached to its head, popped out and rolled around until it got caught in a web. A long spiderweb like vein still connecting the two. Okay, maybe cute wasn¡¯t the right word. Using the broken rod in my hand, I cut through the webs wrapped around me. It was a good thing {Compression} had increased their size enough to weaken their structure. Otherwise, I¡¯m not sure I would¡¯ve been able to break free. Once I was loose, I started working on the webs trapping the girl. ¡°I¡¯m going to start from your mouth, okay? Don¡¯t yell when you¡¯re free. We don¡¯t know if this was the only one.¡± I pointed to the corpse for emphasis. The girl nodded and waited patiently as I carefully cut around her face and then the cocoon that had her trapped. She didn¡¯t say anything, aside from a whispered ¡°thank you,¡± and focused her gaze on the tunnel behind me, making sure nothing was going to jump out of the shadows and attack us. When she was free, I helped her up. ¡°Do you think you can walk?¡± ¡°Yeah. I think I can.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯ll take the lead and you stay close behind me. Keep up, but don¡¯t get ahead of me. Do you have any idea how we can get out of here?¡± The girl paused, but then shook her head, her voice trembling. ¡°I¡ªI don¡¯t know. Johnny was the one who knew how to navigate the tunnels. Are we going to die here?¡± ¡°If you want to die here, be my guest. I have no intention of doing that. Let¡¯s move. Tell me if you see anything familiar.¡± The girl nodded as we started heading back. I had found one of the teenagers. Two more to go. Plus Astrid. And I had to find all of them while walking around a tunnel filled with monsters and spiders that have access to a System? I was starting to think coming to this dungeon wasn¡¯t a good idea. 51 - New Skills The girl and I walked through the tunnels. I considered running, but we had no idea what could be lurking around the next corner, and the sound of our footsteps might attract something. It quickly became clear, though, that Emily had no idea where we were going. If we kept walking aimlessly, things could go bad fast. I remembered how many times Pops and the hunters told me about people getting lost in caves. According to them, it happened a lot, even in the old world. If we got lucky, we''d find a map. Or maybe some signs saying, ''Exit this way.'' But if not, we needed something different. And maybe that something was already waiting for me. After turning left and reaching a long corridor with two blue spotlights at each end, I stopped. "Hey, what''s your name?" I whispered to the girl. "Emily. And yours?" she replied. "Hi, Emily. I''m Cassandra. We''re going to stop for a moment, so can you keep an eye on both sides of the tunnel and let me know if anything shows up?" "What? Why are we stopping?" she asked, her voice shaky. "Because I need a moment." "What do you mean, you need a moment? We need to get out of here! If we stay here, no one''s going to find us. We need to leave! What if something else is here?" Her voice was growing higher in pitch, teetering on hysteria. "Emily. Calm down." "Why should we stop? That''s crazy! Do you want us to die?!" Her voice rose even louder. "Emily. Stop." "I''m going to die in here. My mom was right, I''m stupid. I don''t want to die." I grabbed the girl''s head with both my hands and decided to use her as inspiration, "Shut up. Listen, you''re not the only one freaking out right now. I just killed whatever the hell that was, and I have no idea if there are more of them around. So here''s what we''re going to do: I''m going to sit down and breathe for a second so I don''t have a mental breakdown while we''re trying to survive. Sound good?" Emily stared at me, wide-eyed, letting my words sink in. Eventually, she nodded, and I let go. I sat down, pretending I was processing what had just happened. In reality, I wanted to see what I got from my level-up. ''Sys, can you show me the level-up now?'' [Acknowledged.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cassandra Ydorf - Level 5 Titles: Enduring Heart Tier 1 - Formless Monk Mind 3 - Body - 10 Memory - 7 Energy - 3/9 (3 Reserved) 1 attribute point available Skills - 7/7 Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy Memory Bank - Passive - 1 Energy Predatory Sense - Passive - 1 Energy Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/10 minutes Compression - Active - 1 Energy/5 uses Burst of Strength - Active - 1 Energy/ 10 minutes Formless Series - Passive Mind of Possibility - Available ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ''No extra Energy or Memory?'' I asked. [Correct. User''s class may increase available energy more often. However, that does not mean user will always receive an increase.] ''Fair enough. Put that extra point on Mind. Let''s get it to 10 to level everything out before we continue.'' [Acknowledged.] ''Now, what about the ski-'' Before I could finish my sentence, Emily interrupted. "How long do you think you''ll need?" She was scanning the tunnel nervously, her head whipping back and forth as if every shadow was a threat. "Just a couple more minutes. More if you keep interrupting me," I said, perhaps more coldly than I intended. Then again, we were in an ice-themed dungeon. "Right¡­ sorry," Emily mumbled, still not looking at me. ''Sorry about that, Sys. What about the skills? Did I get any?'' [User currently has three skills available for selection. System also recommends consuming the Aranean. As the creature was in possession of a System, System is likely able to acquire unique skills if user consumes the Aranean body.] ''Look, it might be a monster, but it had some sort of sentience. Especially if it could use the System. I''m not sure how comfortable I am with the idea of eating something like that. It''s sort of like¡­ a person.'' [Then why is user referring to the Aranean as it and not they?] the System asked. I had no real answer for that. It felt strange calling a creature like that ''they,'' but if it was capable of communication, maybe I should be. Maybe one day I could find one of them to talk to. That felt stupid, but at the same time, I really didn''t like the idea of dealing with not just the Eaters, but another brand of mindless monster that wanted to kill everything. Maybe we could talk and find a way not to kill each other at least until we got rid of the bigger threat. ''It just happened. I''m still getting used to everything. Put the idea of eating that on the ''maybe'' pile. For now, can you show me the skills?'' [Acknowledged.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Ice-Veined Strength - Passive - Fledgling Reserved Cost: 2 Energy Enhances the user''s physical strength, making their blows feel as heavy and their skin sturdy as the permafrost. Increases damage dealt and reduces the user''s susceptibility to physical attacks. If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Chill Touch - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy Turn your fingertips into ice that saps the life from your enemy''s veins. Allows the user to project a chilling sensation through touch, temporarily weakening or stunning their targets. Uses: 3 ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Sticky Fingers - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy Your fingers gain the properties of a spider web. Allows the user to manipulate their fingers to become sticky, enabling them to climb walls and adhere to most surfaces. Duration: 10 minutes ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ''Shit. That one costs two Energy to maintain?'' I focused on the Ice-Veined Strength skill. [Correct.] ''I''m assuming that means it''s stronger than one that requires only one Energy to maintain, right?'' [That is the expected result. However, it is possible that a skill is less optimized than another, resulting in a higher cost without an equal increase in effectiveness.] ''{Mind of Possibility} is currently available. Can I use Proxy to show me what those skills would do?'' [Activating Proxy to emulate the skills would require three Energy currently stored in {Mind of Possibility}. Would user like to proceed with activation?] ''Yes, please.'' A holographic version of myself appeared in front of me. Her clothes were just like the ones I was wearing, including the long coat. But I noticed how much of a mess her hair was¡ªhalf of it stuck up with bits of spider web still clinging to it, the other half almost glued to the side of her face. ''Sys¡­ Is that an accurate depiction of me?'' [Yes. SP present on user''s body is able to inform System of their precise location. With that information, System is able to create a perfect duplicate on a molecular level.] I brushed the hair off my face. ''Okay. Go for it. Start with Ice-Veined Strength. And if at all possible, compare it with {Burst Of Strength}.'' [That will require an additional point of Energy from {Mind Of Possibility}.] ''You can take the point.'' Proxy walked to the side, getting some distance between us. She turned towards me and put her arms to the side in a fighting stance. After doing a quick three-punch combo, she turned to face the wall. Without anything appearing in front of me, I could tell that right now she was using {Burst Of Strength}, but the safe version, not the one that removed the protection from my own body. She delivered a punch into the wall, causing a small crater to appear with a radius of about 15 centimeters [6 inches]. Right in the center of it, there was a mark of her fist. The hologram walked a few steps back, turning towards me again. Her position was exactly the same, but I could tell she was now under the effects of Ice-Veined Strength, which, for the record, felt really weird to have a skill based on ice when I had just barely gotten into the dungeon. Proxy showed the three-punch combo one more time, but there were differences in her movements. They felt slower, but more natural. As Proxy shifted and got ready to punch the wall again, I understood what those distinctions were. With {Burst Of Strength}, only her punches were being affected by the skill. The effect was powerful but localized. Only the muscles in the arm were gaining that power before the attack. Now, Ice-Veined Strength allowed her entire body to move at the same pace. Every part of her working together. To be honest, I might be able to replicate that effect with {Burst of Strength}, but it would take a lot of practice. With one last punch, Proxy hit the wall again, in the same exact position as she had done before. There was no crater this time, but the mark of her hand was a bit deeper. It was clear that the first attack was stronger, but this one felt more stable. The power behind it was more focused. Next, a knife appeared in Proxy''s hand. She walked over to me and showed her left palm. With a simple motion, she made a cut that started to bleed blue instead of red. Right above the cut, she did the same thing again, but this time, the wound was much more shallow, with only a couple of drops of blood appearing. Without any words, I understood that the second wound demonstrated how the defensive properties would help me. [Simulating Chill Touch.] Proxy walked away from me as an amorphous holographic blob was created between us. This fake enemy kept wriggling back and forth constantly. My virtual self reached out and touched the target, a trickle of particles entering the blob. They spread around the area where the two holograms came into contact and, after a second, stopped completely. The moment the particles did that, so did the target dummy, or at least, the part of the dummy that was covered in those particles. Proxy punched a part of the blob that was unaffected by the skill, showing how it continued to wiggle, and then did the same with the area frozen by the SP. The second punch caused some cracks to appear on the virtual enemy. Finishing the demonstration. [Simulating Sticky Fingers.] For the last skill, the blob vanished, and Proxy just walked towards the wall. She removed her shoes, placed both hands and both feet on the wall, and started climbing up, like a spider. Once she reached the ceiling, she let go of both her legs and dropped back to the ground. It seems like just the hands would not be enough to hold my weight. To finish it off, Proxy reached down towards where her shoes were and picked them up with open hands, showing how objects could also be stuck to her fingers. ''Thanks, Proxy,'' I smiled. [Proxy is unable to feel gratitude.] I rolled my eyes. ''And thank you, Sys.'' ''First things first. Get rid of Sticky Fingers. It might be nice, but I do not see it helping all that much.'' [Acknowledged.] ''Chill Touch¡­ I only have one open slot in my {Memory Bank}, right?'' [That is correct.] ''And if I fill that slot, I will not be able to swap skills that I currently have without losing them, right?'' [That is also correct. It takes time for a skill that is currently on the user''s memory to move to the {Memory Bank}. During that process, the skill must exist in both the user''s memory and in the {Memory Bank}.] ''That is what I thought. Memory Bank currently has Formless Steps of Prey, Formless Nodus Swipe, Formless Boar Charge, and Quick Tier 1 Evolution. Right?'' [Correct.] ''So forget Chill Touch. It is nice, but it does not seem worth it. If I want to delete a skill from the {Memory Bank}, how long does it take?'' [The process is instantaneous.] ''But I would still need an hour to place Burst Of Strength in the {Memory Bank},'' I frowned. That was a really good skill, and the combo could be amazing, but it might not be worth it. ''Forget it. Get rid of Burst Of Strength. Replace it with Ice-Veined Strength.'' [Acknowledged.] I instantly felt two Energy leaving me, but also felt myself getting stronger. It was a similar effect to when Burst Of Strength was active, but now the feeling was not as alien. It was much more natural, as if it was a part of me. Looking down, I opened and closed my hand a couple of times, trying to get a feel for my new strength. I quickly jumped up, causing Emily to yelp. "Sorry. I am good now. We can go." Emily blinked at me. "Just like that? You are over this?" "Not in the slightest. But I think I am good enough so we can continue moving. Like I said, I just needed a minute to process that," I replied, keeping up with the lie. "Okay, great. I think we should go," Emily pointed to my left. Suddenly, a yell came from the right, "Run!" Emily glanced at me before she started running after the voice. "What are you doing?" I asked, following the girl. "That is Johnny. He knows the way out." If I was just trying to escape this place, I would think that was a bad idea. No one yells run if they are not running away from something. But part of the reason I came here was to get stronger¡ªstrong enough so I would not have to worry about an Eater attacking me or Pops when I managed to get back to him. So running into danger was exactly the kind of thing I wanted to do. "Let''s go then!" I held back a smile, already dreaming about a few more level-ups in my near future. 52 - Finding Astrid It was much easier to follow the scream than I expected. It also helped a lot that they were continuously yelling. And not long after, I was able to notice another voice. But the second one was just screaming non stop. Emily took the lead for a while. Even if she was lost, it might not be the first time she was in a place like this. There was almost no hesitation in her every time she had to be a tunnel to follow. Then again, there was a good chance she was just going off instinct. Less than a minute after we started running, we reached the point where the voices sounded like they were coming from just down the corridor. The last thing I needed right now was for this teenage girl to end up hurting herself so I picked up the pace, leaving her behind. To be honest, her surprise expression as I passed by her effortlessly was very amusing. As soon as I came out of that tunnel, I saw two teenagers running towards me. One of them was able to stop any time but the other almost tackled me as he was running. Yet, the difference in strength was too big, especially with my new skill, making him fall backwards. "Are you okay?" I reach out to help the boy up from the ground. "Who are you?" the boy asked. "That doesn''t matter. We need to run!" the other boy said. "Johnny! Scott!" Emily gasped. "Emily!" the two boys said. "Okay, okay, everybody knows each other''s names," I rolled my eyes. "What''s going on? Why are you running?" "There are bears and the ice devil!" Who I assume to be Scott replied. "Astrid told us to run. She said she was going to keep them back," Johnny added. "And you left her?!" I yelled. "What else were we supposed to do?" Scott protested. In all honesty, I really didn''t have an answer for that. "Fine. Do you know where she is?" "You need to follow this support beam," Johnny pointed up. Unlike the other tunnels, this one had a central wooden beam following the path in the ceiling. It was a bit hard to see it, especially when they were above the blue spotlight, but not impossible. "Okay. Do you know how to get out of here?" "Yeah, follow this in the opposite direction," he pointed to the support beam again. "Then go I''ll go after her," I started moving towards where Astrid should be, but one of the boys stepped in front of me. "No wait. You''re Cass, right? Astrid told us to find you. You need to help us get out!" Scott gasped. "Don''t lie to me. Why would she say that? You''re just scared and you don''t want to get out of here on your own," I frowned. "But you''re Cass, right? How would we know your name if she didn''t tell us?" Scott pressed. I let out a loud groan. From the little I knew about her, it was very likely that Astrid did tell them to find me and she did stay behind to save them. You could tell that woman had a savior complex. "Fine, but I''m only taking you out of the mine. You lot got here by yourselves. You should be able to get back to the village," I replied. "What? Why?" Johnny asked. "Because I''m not going to abandon someone who''s trying to save other people!" Seeing the boys'' reaction made me feel a little bad. There was a lot of shame on their faces, but I could tell they wouldn''t change their mind. And I couldn''t really blame them. Unlike me, they didn''t have a way of fighting monsters. "Let''s go. We just follow this one, right?" I turned to Johnny. "Y-yeah," he nodded. Without saying another word, I turned and started running. It sucked that I couldn''t go into a full sprint, otherwise the kids would be left behind. Even if we knew a way to get back outside, it took way longer than expected to leave the mine. The entire time, I kept trying to see if I could hear Astrid or any monster that might be attacking her, but I got nothing. Either she was able to fight very quietly, or she was already dead, which only increased my worry. Finally, we reached the main corridor. The light from the outside shining through the entrance. "Now you can handle yourself. I''m going back for Astrid." "No! You can''t leave us like this. We need someone else to take us back to the village," Johnny protested. "Are you kidding me? I told you I was going back for her. I''m not changing that." "But she''s dead," Johnny pressed once more. "Is she? Did you see her dying, or are you just telling me that she''s dead because you look like she was about to die?" I stepped forward, already staring daggers at the man. "She was fighting a bear on her own. A polar bear!" Scott chimed in. "They''re brown bears who are white, and I''m sure she''s not just dropping dead because you left," I glanced back towards the depths of the mine. Astrid wasn''t stupid, and the amount of scars she had proof that she was a good hunter. Even if she was trying to save someone else, I doubt she would being a situation where she couldn''t handle herself at least for a while. "So? It''s still a bear. You should go and you''re going to die," Johnny tried to grab my wrist, but I swatted his hand away.Support the creativity of authors by visiting the original site for this novel and more. "I don''t give two shits about what you say. I''m going back to her and I''m not wasting my time anymore." Before either of the three could say anything else, I just turned around and started running. This time, without having to worry about leaving someone behind that could go in a full sprint. The wind passing through my ears drowned the voices of the teenagers. It was clear they were saying something, but I didn''t care. I had to reach Astrid in time. Last time someone I cared about was attacked by a monster, I could do nothing but run. This time, things would be different. The support beam followed a path with a few turns in quick sequence and eventually reached a long corridor. One that allowed me to truly unleash my new speed. It felt amazing. The only few times when I moved that fast was when I was riding a horse. Okay, maybe not. A horse going on a full sprint was still faster than me, but I was going at a good canter pace. Unfortunately, this wasn''t a moment to enjoy the feeling. Instead, my focus was on my ears. I needed a noise, a growl, something to tell me where Astrid was. But I couldn''t hear anything aside from my own footsteps. To make matters worse, the echo was going around the tunnels, reaching me again from the front. The layout of this place was an absolute mess. Every corridor would split off in so many others at so many points that they all ended up connecting back together in front and behind me. That made it almost impossible to create a mental map of the place. The light was also of no help. Sure, it was the only thing allowing me to see what was around me, but seeing everything in shades of blue was very confusing. Eventually, after who knows how long, something changed. My body passed through what almost felt like an invisible sheet of System particles. But they didn''t stay with me instead were left behind as I crossed the threshold. More than that, the biggest difference was the noise. I could hear large creatures moving around, low growls and snores echoing through the tunnels. And more importantly, a voice. Someone shouting at semi regular intervals. Without thinking twice, I started running towards that voice, leaving the path of the support beam entirely. The sound became louder and louder. Each shout followed by a growl or a yelp. But before I could reach it, with one final visceral growl, they became silent. But it didn''t mean there was nothing else going on. Other growls and sounds of heavy footsteps were approaching. I continued running towards what I assume the sound came from. But as I passed, a soft moan coming from inside caught my attention. My feet skidded on the ground as I tried to stop before going back to that place. It was a large-ish room with a few broken pieces of wood on the sides. There were a few lights on the ceiling, but in the center of it were two bodies. A large white bear bleeding from various wounds, and Astrid on her knees struggling to get up using her fireman''s axe as a cane. She was covered in claw wounds, and there was a nasty gash on the side of her stomach. "Astrid!" I gasped, rushing to her side. The woman struggled to speak up, but eventually two words came through, "The kids?" "I took them to the entrance. They got here, they can figure out a way to get back to the village. I wasn''t going to leave you alone," I looked around, trying to see if there was anything I could use to make some bandages. My clothes wouldn''t work properly because of her size. At most, I would be able to cover the wounds in her arms, but there was nothing I could do about the one in her stomach. ''Sys, do I have enough SP to give her the System?'' [User currently has 13% of progression to the next level. It is possible to give System to Astrid.] "Stupid. You run." "I said I''m not going to leave you," I heard some roars coming from outside. Staying here, with all this blood, might not be the best idea. "I know it hurts, but we need to get out of here. We''ll find a safer place and tend to your wounds. Okay?" "No. Go," Astrid tried to push me away, but between my level of body and {Ice-Veined strength}, not to mention her weakened state, there was nothing she could do. "Shut up. You can either stay awake and let me help you or I''ll knock you out and figure it out on my own." She grumbled something, but I couldn''t understand it. Ignoring that, I went to the opposite side of the wound in her stomach and helped her up, keeping her arm around my shoulder. We managed to get her to her feet, but it was hard to start moving. Astrid was holding on to the fireman''s axe, refusing to let go of her weapon. "Give me that," I reached out to grab the axe. "No. Too heavy?" By the end of her sentence, I had already picked up the weapon with one hand as if it weighed nothing. Which wasn''t true. The axe was heavy, and it was a surprise that someone without the System was able to use it as a weapon. But I still could handle it, especially now that I was worried and wanted to get out of here. We took a few steps towards the entrance of this room before I froze. Standing on the tunnel beyond were three bears with pure white fur, short necks, and deep blue claws. [Polar Brown Bear - Tier 1] [Polar Brown Bear - Tier 1] [Polar Brown Bear - Tier 1] We took a step back as the three bears tried to push their way inside the room. They all moved at once and quickly started to fight amongst themselves. In any other situation, that would be great. It would give us a chance to run, if we had somewhere to run. The three bears started to get more and more angry at each other until they began attacking. I was still trying to think of a way out, and {Mind of Possibility} was unavailable since I used Proxy a few minutes earlier. One of the monsters slammed both its front legs on the ground and roared, causing the entire area to shake as if they were trying to silence the others. But even after it stopped making any noise, the shaking continued. Cracks appeared all over the floor, including underneath us, and the ground gave in. Thankfully, we only fell a few meters, but that was already more than Astrid could take. Somehow, only the floor fell. The walls remained standing, reducing the amount of rubble that hit us. She groaned, but I forced us to continue moving. We may have come out of the fall mostly unscathed, but so did the bears. Even if they were now more worried about hitting each other than paying attention to us. But the only thing I noticed about this new place we landed on was an open passage to our right. And more importantly, that path was in the opposite direction of the monsters. I quickly rushed out, not even bothering to look behind us. If one of the monsters was coming, I hoped that {Predatory Sense} would give me a warning. Just as we left through the corridor, another problem came into view. More specifically, another monster. On one side of this hallway was a massive open area. Large chunks of ice covered the walls, and it even seemed to be snowing in there. Sitting in the middle of that room was a massive bear with white fur, a long neck and various blades of ice covering its body. From the snout came out long fangs that were cutting through inside its mouth. That was all I could see from this angle. Everything else was hiding behind more ice or behind its massive frame. [Ice Devil - Tier 1 - Saturated] The creature was sleeping, and I had no intention of waking it up. Pulling Astrid to the opposite end of the tunnel, we continued moving for about a minute until we reached another isolated room. There was enough space inside for us to rest and a side door leading to a small storage, but it was too big for any of the bears to move around properly. More importantly, there was a large boulder a few steps from the entrance. I quickly put Astrid down inside and pushed the boulder to the door, making it fall to the side so the longer piece was pouting up before triggering {Compression}. The stone grew enough to block the entire entrance to this place. It wasn''t a perfect seal. We still could see the gaps between the stone and the frame, but my hope was that any bear that tried to come here would see a closed off path and give up the chase. Especially since the boulder had wedged itself in a way that even I wasn''t able to push it out. I moved back towards Astrid and told her to be quiet as I gave the System a command ''Ingrain.'' 53 - Surrounded by ice "What?" Astrid asked the air. She didn''t seem to realize that I was the one responsible for what she was seeing. "That''s what saved my life. It is a tool to make you stronger. Made me strong enough to kill, shit, 3 Eaters. But, you don''t have to take it. If you say no, I''ll still try to help you and make sure we get out of here in one piece. But if you have this, it''s going to help a lot," I replied. Astrid frowned. Unlike Pops, she didn''t rush to accept the System. "Will I change?" "Only physically, and I don''t mean your appearance. You''ll be stronger, faster, more resilient. And you will have a voice in your head that you can talk to. You''ll also be able to get skills, powerful abilities that seem like magic, like the thing I did with the boulder," I pointed to the barricaded door. Astrid looked at the door, and then at me for a long moment, staring deep into my eyes. She suddenly winced, clearly in pain because of her stomach. Despite that, she nodded, "OK." I felt the particles leaving my body and rushing to Astrid''s. I knew that in just a couple of minutes, she would have full access to the System. "A couple of things. There are two skills that I want to share with you, one to help you heal, and another for you to level up faster. If you don''t understand what that means, don''t worry about it. The System will explain it. But you''re going to need some food," I quickly rummaged in my pouch. I had left the backpack at Astrid''s house, but I still had some basic supplies with me, even if there was nothing I could use for bandages. I really should change that. "Finish integration first, and then let me know so I can give you {Body Regeneration}. Then you can eat. Trust me, it will all make sense." Astrid just nodded, but her eyes were focused somewhere else. While she was finishing up integration, I turned to the fireman''s axe. I still could feel the particles inside of it and a part of me hoped this was some sort of special item, like a weapon from a game with special attributes. ''Sys, what does this actually do? Does it have any special power, or is it just sturdier?'' [Analyzing....] [Analyzing...] [Analysis complete. Display information about the item in question.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Frosted Axe - Rank 2 (Aspirant) The cold environment permeated the very essence of this weapon, increasing its resilience and making it so the weapon is always cold to the touch. Cold Edge: Passive - Uncharged Charge required: 1 Energy Duration: 24 hours The years beneath the ice created a frozen blade capable of piercing even the toughest of hides. If the weapon is charged with energy, the blade of the axe will be covered with cold energy, increasing the damage dealt by the attacks. Frozen Crash: Active Cost: 2 Energy The ice lying underneath this weapon is always ready to strike. Sharp shards of ice will be launched from the edge of the axe. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ''You know I have questions, right?'' I asked the System. [System agrees that was a likely possibility. What is user''s first question?] ''What does the uncharged mean? I think I know what it is, but I want confirmation.'' [Unlike a user, items, for the most part, are unable to generate Energy by themselves. However, it is possible for items to have passive skills. Those skills might require energy to be activated. When the required Energy is given to the item, the passive skill will remain active until the end of its duration. Passive skills on items will always have a considerable duration. If skill {Cold Edge} lasted only a couple of hours, it would not be considered a passive.] ''If you need to activate it, it''s not actually a passive, is it? It''s more like a long duration buff.'' [That is a valid interpretation of the skill. Does user wish to change the name of the classification passive for skills in items?] I tried to think about a better name for this, but nothing came to mind. Calling it temporary buff felt weird and aura wasn''t exactly right. ''No, you can keep that. But just confirm I have to give Energy to the item to activate it, right? And can I use the other skill without activating the passive?'' [Correct. In order to activate the passive, it is necessary for the wielder of the weapon to send the required Energy. User is able to activate each skill individually. In most situations they will not interfere with each other.] ''Fair enough. And how do items become like this? Do they have to be in dungeons or can I make one somehow?'' [Items can receive skills if they are in an environment saturated with SP. It is also possible that certain skills would allow user to develop items with various skills themselves. However, System is unable to identify the path for the creation of any such skill at the moment. More data is required.] "Cass?" Astrid spoke up, which made me stop talking with the System. "Is the integration over?" "Yes." "Ok, then here," I touched Astrid''s shoulder and asked the System to send {Body Regeneration} to her. "Just so I know, how much Energy do you have right now?"This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it. Astrid looked to the wall, likely seeing her own status screen, "One." "And Memory?" I asked. "Three." "Just like Pops then. Don''t worry, start using {Body Regeneration}. I''ll give you the one to level up faster after it, and if you want, I can give you Energy Storage so you can start gathering more Energy later. It''s just going to take a while. To pass the skill takes a few hours." Astrid just nodded and leaned back, closing her eyes. "Hey, hey," I snapped my fingers in her face. "Stay with me. You''re really hurt right now and it''s really cold here. It''s not a good idea for you to sleep. Hold on until you use {Body Regeneration} a couple of times. Then I think it''ll be safe for you to sleep. Here, start eating," I pulled some jerky and gave it to her. If memory serves me right, it would take around 2 hours for the meat to convert into one point of energy. Maybe we would get lucky and things would synchronize really well. There wasn''t much to do in the next hours. I wasn''t about to leave Astrid alone. Not to mention she was injured, and she didn''t really have a way to move. But that also confirmed the problem. The dungeon was cold, extremely so. The only reason that wasn''t an issue so far was because we were constantly on the move. Now that we had stopped, our body temperature was getting lower and lower. When it came time for us to sleep, that would be a big problem. And I was under no illusion we would be able to leave this place today. A part of me wanted to just go out and start looking for something that could help. Maybe I could even find one of those bears, kill them and sleep inside its carcass. There was a scene in a movie Pops loved that was similar to that. It would also help if there was any way to start a fire. The storage to the side of this room had a bunch of wooden scraps. Blue wood, sure, but those should burn just as well, even if it would be harder for them to catch on fire. Or at least, that''s what I was assuming. Since this kind of wood was changed by the particles inside the cave, they might also have some ice attributes. I didn''t even notice when {Body Regeneration} finished copying to Astrid. What I did notice was her attempt at getting up. "What are you doing?" "We must leave." "No, we don''t. You''re not in any condition to walk around," I held her in place, being careful not to make her wounds even worse. "The skill helps." "That''s kind of the point. While it helps, it doesn''t fix everything, not this quickly," I pulled her shirt up, the wound on her side was getting better. In fact, I could clearly see it slowly closing. While the skill was currently active, "are you in pain?" "No." "That''s because of this skill. It numbs you until it''s over. You''re still hurt, you still need rest. Sit down. Also, we might have a few problems." Astrid slumped back to the floor, her body unable to sustain her weight. Between all the blood she lost and the fight with the bear, she had to be exhausted. "What problem?" she asked with a half groan. "Before I tell you, I need you to promise me you''re going to sit still. Don''t rush off, don''t try to do anything. We are going to handle this, but we need time and planning. Understood?" I was honestly scared about what would happen once I told her about what was waiting outside. I was pretty sure that was the creature that killed her father, or at least was responsible for her father''s death. If I were in her shoes, it would be hard not to rush out and try to kill it. "Understood." "Just for the record, if you try anything I am going to knock you out," I paused but Astrid didn''t say anything back. "The tunnel outside leads to the Ice Devil''s nest, or lair, whatever you want to call it. And the monster is there, but it''s much bigger than us, it''s much stronger than us, and it can kill us quickly. So we''re going to need to be careful here and make a good plan before going after it." Astrid glanced at the entrance with wide eyes. She paused for a moment as I got ready to wrestle her back to the ground. Yet, instead she turned to me and nodded, "Ok, but we kill it." "We kill it. I might not have a personal connection to it, but I don''t like the idea of leaving something like that near a village, even if the people who live there are a bit annoying." "Plan?" Astrid asked. "I''m still working on it. For now, you need to recover, and I need to see if I can find something to keep us warm for the night. I still have some water, but worst-case scenario, we can drink the ice that''s covering the walls. It would be better if we could boil that first. I''m not sure if bacteria will be affected by the System," I frowned. "What?" "Oh? You didn''t get that far? Ask your System about Dungeons and how the particles affect monsters and other creatures. I can help fill in the blanks but it knows more than I do. Also, keep using {Body Regeneration} every time you get energy. I will give you another skill later. It''s called {Quick Tier 1 Evolution}. It''s going to help you level faster so you can get stronger quicker. Ask the System about the tiers. It''s better if it explains it to you. Now, I''m going to try to go outside. This was supposed to be an old gold mine, so maybe there''s still something that was left behind that we can use to get warm." Astrid looked at the rock blocking the entrance and nodded, "Be careful." I gave her a thumbs up and checked the passage to see if there was any noise coming from the other side. Since the coast seemed clear, with another two uses of {Compression} I quickly opened and closed the entrance of that room. To my right I could see the large form of the Ice Devil in the distance, but it looked like the creature was still sleeping. Heading deeper into the mines, I continued searching for something. There was a strange lack of other bears in the area. According to what I heard before the ground collapsed, there should be a lot more around here. Then again, the Ice Devil was nearby. It is possible that they were staying away from its territory, but that didn''t explain what happened with the ones that fell along with us. After around 20 minutes of careful walking with the Frosted Axe in my hands, I started to get worried. The tunnels here followed the same non-pattern as the ones above. It was very easy to get lost in the middle of all these corridors that were seemingly random. What if I wasn''t able to get back to Astrid? Even if she recovered, there was a chance she wouldn''t be able to get out of the door. After all, the lock was able to hold back a bear, a Tier 1 bear at that. Maybe someone who just got the System wouldn''t be able to break through. Deciding I had spent too long trying to find something, I entered one last room just in case before heading back. Every single larger opening I found only led to more corridors or mostly empty spaces, only with scraps of wood or metal. There was no bone, no storage facility, no weapons, no tools, nothing. But this last place was different. It was smaller than any of the other rooms and there was a large table in the back with some broken down tools like a hammer, a pickaxe, and some other smaller ones that were too rusted and broken for me to recognize. There was a metal box to the left with a padlock holding it shut. I didn''t even have to use the axe for this. Just by yanking the lock, the thing fell apart. But inside wasn''t a weapon like I was hoping. Instead was an old broken down lantern, the kind of thing that would be considered old even for the old world. And to the side was a small piece of metal with a wooden handle and a chisel attached to it. I had seen something similar one time when a merchant showed up in the Hidden Horn Village. He said this was a fire starter. If you struck the metal rod with the chisel, sparks would fly and that could ignite a fire. But for that to work, I would need something very flammable. Taking a shot in the dark, I grabbed the lantern and opened the small internal piece where people would put the oil. I doubted anything would have lasted from the old world, but I could at least take a look. To my surprise, there was still some wet mush inside it, and by the smell, it was oil not simply water. With this, I might be able to create a fire for the two of us back where Astrid was. Satisfied with that small expedition, I grabbed everything I could, including some wooden scraps and pieces of metal that were not too rusted, and ran back to the room near the Ice Devil, hoping that nothing went wrong while I was away. 54 - The Ice Devil
Going back to where I left Astrid was easier than I was expecting. There was a specific feeling here that guided me to that room we were hiding in. Namely, the cold. It wasn''t something that caught my attention at first, but it was pretty obvious that the closer I got to something, the colder it was. My assumption was that the Ice Devil was the source of the low temperature, or the room where it was sleeping. Which also meant we were going to sleep near the coldest area of the mine. If I couldn''t find anything, we might need to leave and hope to find a better spot to spend the night. Still, it was a relief that the monster wasn''t able to walk in the corridors I was using. The tunnels down here were smaller than the ones above. And from the little I saw from the creature, it wouldn''t be able to fit in here, only if it had a skill like {Compression} that it could use on its own body. But somehow that didn''t feel quite right. ''Sys, is it possible for the monster to have a skill that allows it to shrink?'' [Although a skill that allows a living creature to change size is theoretically possible, the type of particle required to perform such a task is considerably advanced.] ''Meaning?'' I turned a corner, feeling a gust of cold wind. It was so cold that it felt like my clothes were about to freeze. [System requires a user, or a creature, to be at a high tier in order to create that skill. Alternatively, a creature would have to specialize heavily on this specific type of function in order to achieve the effect of changing sizes while being at a low tier.] ''So the odds of a giant bear covered in ice to be able to do that are very slim, right?'' [That is correct. Although, with the help of System, anything is possible.] ''Anything?'' I paused. The tunnel still blew that cold gust of wind. [Theoretically, yes.] ''Could I travel back in time then?'' I asked the most absurd thing I could think about just to see what the System would say. [In order to travel through time, a skill would be required that allows a user to move at a speed greater than the speed of light. Through normal means, that is impossible. However, by creating a skill that reduces Energy consumption enough, such an effect is theoretically possible. Keep in mind, it would require a high tier user along with high-tier skills for something like time travel to be truly possible.] ''Holy shit... how high tier?'' [System is unable to infer the tier required for time travel. Nevertheless, it is likely that a tier required for such skill would be in the high double digits, if not much greater.] ''High double digits?'' I continued walking through the corridor, the cold becoming more and more intense as I made sure to hold the lantern close to my body. The last thing I needed right now was for the little bit of oil I found to end up freezing, ''I don''t think I ever asked, what''s your upper limit? Like, is there a max level and max tier?'' [No. System is a tool that attempts to reach perfection. Paradoxically, perfection can never be attained no matter how close you get to it. As a result, System does not have an end point, a state where it can no longer improve.] ''But what if you don''t know how to improve?'' [System only knows how to improve the current tier. The quests created to allow user to reach the next tier also function to tell System how to improve. As a result, the upper limit of System is directly related to users'' ability to find the necessary materials that would teach System how to improve.] ''I see. That''s kind of neat. We work together to improve,'' I made a turn, finally recognizing my surroundings. Turning on the third tunnel on the left should get me back to where Astrid was. Just then, a thought crossed my mind, ''Sys, is there a skill to bring someone back from the dead?'' [System currently does not have enough data to confirm the existence of such skill. However, there are skills that enable a user to regenerate from previous wounds. If enough Energy is supplied, it is theoretically possible to do the same with a target that is no longer alive. In addition, by reverse engineering the process of giving someone a skill, it is theoretically possible to extract information from a target. With those two concepts combined, it is theoretically possible to recover a body from a deceased state and replant the memories onto the brain. However, System is unable to confirm if the being that was reanimated would be the same as the one who died.] ''So meaning not only I need a fresh body for that, but it also has no guarantees that the end result would be the same person?'' [That is correct. Although it is theoretically possible to reconstruct a body, the information present in the brain is lost once the brain ceases to function. System is unable to copy what no longer exists.] I nodded, but a smirk crossed my face, ''Sounds like that means that all that talk about nothing being impossible is a lie?'' [Incorrect. However, in order to bring someone back from the dead without access to the recently deceased, a number of skills will be required. For instance, one might travel back in time to the point where the individual died and use the reanimation skill to bring them back. If the two skill branches are too much for a single user, teamwork might be required.]If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. ''If I was going to travel back in time to save someone, would it be better to just stop them from dying?'' [User asked the question. System simply answered.] It was very fun to tease the System like that. Despite it saying that it was just a tool, it clearly had a personality, or it was creating one as we talked. But any attempt at continuing that conversation stopped as {Predatory Sense} forced me to focus on my ears. There was a soft sound of something sniffing nearby. Crouching closer to the ground, I peeked around the corner to see if something was in my way, and of course, there was. I wouldn''t be lucky enough to not to have a monster directly where I needed to go. In the tunnel, close to where the boulder blocked the entrance to our temporary camp, was a large white bear. It looked like one of the ones that were chasing us, the ones that caused the entire structure to collapse. Fighting the monster wasn''t the best idea. It would make too much noise and there was a chance for the oil in what was left of the lantern to be spilled. Without it, I had no idea how we would be able to have a decent source of heat. And I wasn''t sure if body heat alone would be enough for us to spend the night, even if we left the area. Then again, if I killed that thing, we could probably use its fur. The surrounding area was covered in a thin layer of snow. The walls had crystals of ice that refused to melt even with my touch. Every so often, a wooden support pillar was attached to the sides of the tunnel. One such pillar was just a few meters behind me and there was a frozen hook attached to the top of the blue wood, likely a remnant of the old world before this place started to give off the pale blue light that belonged to the dungeon. It was high enough that even if a bear rushed past, what was left of the lantern should be safe, as long as the frame held. With the oil safe, the next step was to confirm my suspicions. I peeked around the corner once more, giving a command to the System to show me what that creature was. [Polar Brown Bear - Tier 1] That meant the creature was anywhere from level one to nine. Considering my own level was five, I felt confident in the odds of me being able to beat it, especially with the Frosted Axe in my hand. The one problem was the lack of an attack skill at my disposal, but {Ice Veined Strength} should be enough for the job. Taking a step into the corridor, I prepared to strike. It was hard to be stealthy while moving through a tunnel covered in ice, but the closer I got to the beast before attacking, the better. Strangely enough, fighting a bear wasn''t the part that scared me the most. Instead, it was waking the Ice Devil on the other side of the tunnel. I had no clue what to expect from it and on the off chance that it had some sort of long range attack, I would be screwed. The tunnel was too narrow, and there were no good hiding places aside from the openings leading to other passages or rooms. Which means there were only a few places that could save me from whatever attack came from the Ice Devil. Still, I approached it, being very careful which step to take to make sure it wouldn''t be able to notice my presence. The Polar Brown Bear continued to sniff, getting closer and closer to the rock that was hiding Astrid. My heart started beating faster. What if the boulder wasn''t enough to stop the bears? What if the attempted barricade only served to trap Astrid in that room? Before I could finish those thoughts, much less attack the bear, a loud rumble, a mix of rock grinding and ice falling resonated throughout the entirety of the mines. Almost as if thousands of chains were being ripped from the walls and hitting the ground in unison. Before anything could happen, I dove to the left. There was a small open area there. It might have been once a larger room, but now ice covered the walls, leaving only a small gap near the entrance. The bear groaned in fear and started running back, away from the Ice Devil, but it was too late. From the other end of the tunnel, a pillar of ice slammed into the bear, sending it flying towards the open area where the Ice Devil slept, or more specifically, was sleeping. The massive beast let out a soft roar, almost as if it was complaining instead of trying to threaten another beast. There was a yelp and a sickening crunch of bone breaking and blood splattering. The sound continued, but it was clear there was no struggle. The Polar Brown Bear was dead, now being a feast for the Ice Devil. After a few moments, I realized it was better to move now instead of waiting for it to finish eating. I had no guarantee it would go back to sleep or move away, and now at least it was distracted. After confirming it wasn''t looking in my direction, I rushed back to where I left the lamp. Quickly grabbing it before moving towards the room where Astrid was. With {Compression} acting as the key, I changed the size of the boulder before stepping in and making it big again. "The sound. Was the devil?" Astrid asked. I made a gesture for her to be quiet and approached before whispering, "Yeah, it ate one of the bears that dropped with us here. I was almost caught by the attack it used. Apparently, that thing can control ice." "Control ice?" Astrid whispered, understanding I had a reason for that. "Yep, it created a massive pillar to push the bear into its lair. Probably because it can''t fit here in the tunnel. It''s awake now and I don''t know if we can make too much noise, but I found some oil and a fire starter. We might be able to make a bonfire with the wood from the other room." Astrid frowned, "The smoke?" "I don''t know, but I think the air current will be enough to keep us from asphyxiating. Either way, it''s better to have to deal with that than to freeze to death. How are you feeling?" "Better. Need Energy." "I might have a way to help with that, but first, let me give you this," I tapped her shoulder and asked the System to transfer {Quick Tier 1 Evolution}. "Let that one finish, otherwise you''re going to end up wasting a good amount of progression. Well, not wasting, but this is more effective. Do you think you can hold on for an hour?" Astrid nodded, as I pulled out a waterskin that didn''t have any water, "Okay, when you get that new skill you can drink this." "Milk?" "It''s Eater blood. I know it sounds disgusting, but those things work like a potion of Energy. You can recover a lot of Energy with just a sip. It also works to give you a lot of progression to the next level if you have that skill. I''m assuming you already talked to the System about leveling up?" Astrid nodded but then pointed to the waterskin, "What about you?" "I''m too high level. Once you get to Tier 1, that skill that I just gave you will stop working, and it takes more Energy to progress the same amount to the next level. Even if I drink all of that, I won''t get even a level. You, on the other hand, might be able to level up a few times, if you have the skill. That''s why I''m saying for you to wait until the skill finishes copying," I got up and started gathering some wood scraps. "The taste?" Astrid raised one arm, holding the waterskin. "It''s not bad. It''s not good either. Tastes like water and metal. Also, try not to drink everything. It''s good to leave a bit for an emergency." I continued working while she rested. Despite {Body Regeneration}, it was clear she still wasn''t able to move around. It made a lot of sense. After all, I only survived what I did because of my title, but since her wounds were nowhere near as worrying, we might be able to move out soon. 55 -A New weapon Making the bonfire was more trouble than expected. It took ages to gather enough wood and set it up in the right way so it would burn. As if that wasn¡¯t enough of an issue, the ice wood, as I was calling it, took a long time to ignite. Even if there was no actual ice in the fiber, the cold SP made it take forever to heat up. According to the System, those specific particles might be more receptive to ¡®cold fire,¡¯ but even it couldn¡¯t explain what it was talking about. Still, it was warm enough, and the reddish-orange glow gave the entire room a purple shade. One that was somewhat soothing and a great help to sleep. Even then, we took shifts. Astrid went first, since she was wounded and needed the rest more than I did. I told her to have her System continuously use {Body Regeneration} since it could still do that even while she slept. She nodded, leaving me alone with the bonfire, the wood, and the ice. Not to mention the giant polar bear who controlled ice outside. But I did my best not to focus on it that much. Letting my thoughts go to a giant monster that might be able to kill me without batting an eye would only increase my anxiety, and I would need some rest after Astrid woke up. Trying to sleep while freaking out never worked. Instead, I shifted my focus. There were a few large pieces of wood nearby, all of them big enough to replace my staff. However, there was one problem. None of them had any special attributes like the Frosted Axe. And I couldn¡¯t understand why. According to the System, if an object stayed long enough inside a dungeon, or in a place filled with SP, it would be affected by the environment. And that was happening in this case. There was something strange that made the wood colder to the touch, almost as if it emanated frost by itself. It wasn¡¯t as if the wood was frozen; there was no water or any actual ice around the logs. ¡®Sys, do you have any idea why this is just a log? It¡¯s not giving me any extra information or some sort of skill or something.¡¯ [System is unable to explain the reason why the object is unable to show any special attributes despite the clear presence of SP inside it.] ¡®Do you have any theories?¡¯ [There is not enough data for System to create a theory about this situation. More experiments or more information is required.] I frowned, looking at the log. It was just that¡ªa piece of wood, not even used to support the structure anymore. Maybe if I wanted to bring out its attributes, I had to give it a purpose. After all, SP reacted to that kind of thing, at least with animals. And the System was anything, if not consistent. ¡®Sys, I¡¯m going to try something here. Let me know if you can see anything.¡¯ Getting a silent acknowledgment, I started thinking about all the staff like weapons I¡¯d seen in games, movies, and books. At least I had the Frosted Axe to help whittle the wood. First, I had to make it smaller, cutting just the edges to make them symmetrical. My idea was to keep it as big as possible and later use {Compression} to make it sturdier. Thankfully, the System was able to help me measure it. But that didn¡¯t help when it came time to actually cut it. The wood was hardy, and it took a lot of effort to cut it with the axe, even with my increased attributes. Next came rounding it out. From what I could remember, staffs were either a cylinder or a rounded rectangle when seen from above. Actually, they were a mix. The really round parts were usually where you gripped it. ¡®Sys, I have an idea in mind. Can you help me?¡¯ [What does user require?] ¡®I have a picture in my mind for the staff. Can you just put it on top of the one here so I can carve it?¡¯ [System is able to do that. However, System is unable to access user¡¯s internal thoughts to see the picture user has in mind. User can describe the idea; any supplementary information can be inferred from data already given to the system about user¡¯s past memories.] ¡®Okay then. My idea is to make it thinner, like a rounded rectangle when viewed from above, with three sections and two grip areas. I¡¯m thinking of adding a pattern around the grips, something I can improve later and wrap with leather to make it more comfortable.¡¯ As I spoke, an image appeared around the log, slowly shifting to match my description. There were even a couple of additions I hadn¡¯t considered, like two pairs of protrusions near the tips that would allow me to scratch or pull an opponent closer. The only problem the hologram had for now was its width. ¡®Can you make it thicker here?¡¯ I asked, pointing to the profile of the weapon. If it was going to be a blunt instrument, it couldn¡¯t be too flimsy. Aside from that, I also added more grooves around the grip, making a diamond-shaped pattern with rounded edges to prevent splinters.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon. With the entire design seemingly in place, I started working. Removing the necessary wood was easy. Even the protrusions on the edges, which looked like spikes, ended up being simple enough to make. The first problem came when rounding out the grip areas. For one, blending it smoothly with the rest of the staff didn¡¯t work, and instead, there was a harsh drop between sections. The diamond pattern also proved to be a waste¡ªI couldn¡¯t get the shape right with this massive axe. Trying to make simpler lines or a spiral didn¡¯t work either, as splinters kept forming. In the end, the wood was thinner than I¡¯d like on one side, throwing off the balance entirely. Still, when I finally finished the staff, the System was able to identify something different from the weapon. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cold Staff - Rank 1 (Fledgling) The cold environment changed the wood used to create this weapon. Thanks to it, the staff is always cold to the touch and is sturdier than expected. Hardened by Frost: Passive The wood used to create this weapon was frozen through the course of several decades. Its presence near such a deep freeze enhanced the material, making it harder than normal. Created by Cassandra Ydorf. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡®Sys, does this mean it¡¯s a passive that does not require Energy to upkeep?¡¯ [That is correct. Skill present in the wood is simply the instruction present on the material to maintain its sturdiness.] ¡®Soo¡­ all this work was for nothing? Since it¡¯s the same effect the wood already had?¡¯ [Incorrect. While the ice wood had a similar effect, it did not possess a proper instruction for its use. As such, the staff created by user has an enhanced version of said effect.] ¡®I see¡­ and how about the thing saying I created it? Would anyone be able to see it?¡¯ [Since user was the one who created the weapon, user can decide whether the item has user¡¯s signature or not.] ¡®Leave it for now. But can I remove it later?¡¯ [User is unable to remove signature in the future. However, once user creates a new item, user can decide whether the new item has user¡¯s signature or not.] ¡®Signature¡­ so could I have it say ¡°Created by Cassandra, the first human user?¡±¡® [That is possible.] ¡®What about using a different name? Like Astrid, or Pops?¡¯ [Although it is possible to utilize a pseudonym for the signature when certain conditions are met, user is not allowed to lie in the signature. If user wishes to lie, a specific skill related to fraud would be required.] ¡®A skill related to fraud?¡¯ I chuckled. There really was a skill for everything. After all that work, I was tired, and thankfully, it did not take long for Astrid to wake up. Once I made sure she was feeling better and could handle her own shift on watch, I laid down on top of my coat by the fire and went to sleep. Astrid was a bit curious about the staff I had just made, and I let her check it out. After all, she did the same with the Frosted Axe. To me, it felt as if as soon as I closed my eyes, I opened them again with hours having gone by. But at least I was well-rested. Astrid was on her feet in the middle of the room, a bit farther away from the fire. She was waving the Frosted Axe around, testing the weight of the weapon. ¡°Are you sure you should be doing that?¡± Slowly getting to my feet, I tried to get up. It was too cold here, and if I turned around, it would be too easy to fall asleep again. ¡°I¡¯m fine,¡± Astrid replied. She walked over to me and tapped me on the shoulder. [User Astrid would like to share her status screen. Would user like to accept?] A frown crossed my face. Why was she doing that? ¡®Sure.¡¯ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Astrid Ek - Level 6 Titles: Frosted Metabolism Tier: 0 Mind - 1 Body - 7 Memory - 4 Energy - 3 (1 reserved) Skills 4/4 Passive Energy Storage - 1 Energy Quick Tier 1 Evolution Active Body Regeneration - 1 Energy/10 minutes. Chop - 1 Energy/3 uses Mind of Possibility - Unavailable ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ¡°Oh damn, you got to level 6 already? Did you drink all the Eater¡¯s blood?¡± I turned to Astrid. ¡°No. Left some.¡± She gave me the waterskin back. There was a good third left inside. ¡°And how is the Energy Storage?¡± ¡°Five points.¡± ¡°You have five or need five to fill it up?¡± ¡°Have five.¡± I nodded while starting my stretches. If we were fighting today, the last thing I needed was to pull a muscle. ¡°That¡¯s good. I would say to have the System add more to the storage, but since we are going out to fight, maybe it¡¯s better to focus on the level. You are getting close to Tier 1 already.¡± Astrid nodded with a satisfied smile. ¡°Yeah.¡± ¡°And how are you feeling?¡± ¡°Strong. Healthy.¡± I finished my arm stretches and was now going for the legs. Astrid started doing the same, likely to cool off after her exercise. This was another issue we would have soon. If we were not able to get out of here, our sweat would be a problem. The smell would get stronger, and that could show the bears to our location. ¡°That¡¯s good. Think you can handle some fighting today? Not the Ice Devil. We still need you to get used to your new powers. And ideally, leave the mines. We can come back later and go after it.¡± Astrid paused, thinking for a moment before nodding. She then gestured for me to wait and pulled some jerky from her own pouch. ¡°Eat first.¡± ¡°Thank you. How about you?¡± I took the meat. It was a bit different than I was expecting. Likely from a different animal that lived in areas like this. ¡°Already did.¡± Once we made sure we were both ready, I took the little bit of oil that was still left in the lamp and put it in my pouch while still inside a piece of metal. Maybe it would be enough to start another fire. If not¡­ then I don¡¯t know. The bears might have thick enough fur to make us survive through the night. I slowly moved over to the boulder blocking the door, my new weapon already in hand and Astrid just behind me. We waited, trying to hear anything from outside, but got nothing. Once we felt confident the coast was clear, I triggered {Compression} to open the door, and we peeked outside. On one side, there was nothing. Only the long tunnel heading deeper into the mines. On the other, the Ice Devil was in full view, its ice-covered body, the fangs coming out of its nose, and the massive claws of black ice underneath its massive head as the creature slept. For a moment, I was worried Astrid was about to rush out and attack the creature. Honestly, I could not even blame her. If someone did that to Pops, I would be thirsty for revenge. Yet, she just stared the monster down for a few moments before gesturing for us to head to the opposite end of the tunnel. Despite all the rage clearly bubbling under the surface, she was still aware of her strength, and of the fact that the creature was stronger. But that was okay. We would leave, level up, and come back with a vengeance. 56 - Polar Brown Bear After leaving our previous camp, we started exploring the mines. Astrid had never been this deep before, and we needed to find a place that connected with the upper area. With some luck, it would not be that far. It was strangely quiet as we walked through the tunnels. Our echoing footsteps and a constant rhythmic rumbling coming from the Ice Devil as the creature snored were our only company. There were signs of other bears here and there. Claw marks too small to belong to the massive beast. Yet, the owners of those claws were nowhere to be seen, and they were deathly quiet. We spent close to an hour walking alone, making pathways and tunnels that all looked the same. Every step was full of tension and worry about what was to come. But that tension could only grow so much. Eventually, we started to relax. Both of us were still painfully aware of our predicament. We were in the middle of a dungeon, surrounded by powerful monsters and in the vicinity of one massive beast that likely had more power than either of us could imagine. Yet my mind wandered to something else. ¡°Astrid? I didn¡¯t ask anything because I was just waking up. But did I read it wrong, or do you have a title?¡± I turned to my companion once I remembered what I saw. ¡°I do,¡± the woman nodded before picking the corner of the tunnel we were about to go inside. Even so, our carefulness was not unwarranted. Neither of us was willing to forgo it completely. ¡°What does it do? I only gave the System to one other person, and he didn¡¯t have a title.¡± ¡°To whom?¡± Astrid turned towards me. I could not really understand her expression. It was a mix of confusion, but she also seemed upset about something. ¡°My grandfather.¡± ¡°Only him?¡± ¡°Yeah. Actually, no. There was one more person. The leader of the guard of the village I had to leave, the one my grandpa was staying at. But I gave it to him and left. Like, literally. Shook his hand, told the System to ingrain, that¡¯s the command to copy to someone else, and walked away as soon as the process was complete. He didn¡¯t get the skills like you did. So I have no clue if he has a title or not.¡± Astrid smiled while looking ahead. ¡°I see.¡± She took a step closer towards me and placed one hand on my shoulder. ¡°Here, mine.¡± ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Frosted Metabolism As stamina depletes, metabolic rate slows to grant increased resistance against fatigue and exhaustion, without compromising physical capabilities. Like permafrost that endures through seasons, your fortitude deepens with each challenge. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I stopped walking when reading that and blinked slowly a few times. This sounded extremely powerful. Sure, it was not something that would give any meaningful effects at first, but being able to fight for longer without having to worry about fatigue was incredible. ¡®Sys, can you tell me if that title is really as incredible as it sounds? Getting all those benefits without any Energy cost seems almost like cheating.¡¯ [According to information coming from Astrid¡¯s System, this title will trigger a rapid consumption of Energy. Both in the sense of food, as in the power required to use skills. Meaning that to offset this boosted endurance, Astrid will have an increased hunger up to the point of near starvation if effects are left unchecked. Alternatively, Astrid is able to spend Energy that was supposed to be used on skills to power the effects of the title.] ¡®I see¡­ That is a lot more information than I was expecting.¡¯ [If user shares a title, or a specific skill with another person who possesses a System, all the pertinent information will be shared without exception. It is not possible to only show the description or only explain the nuances of a title or skill.] ¡®So either I share everything or I do not share at all. Good to know.¡¯ I turned to Astrid. ¡°That is amazing. I¡¯m sure it will help a lot. Also, just so you know, here is my title.¡± I tapped her shoulder, having to reach up since she was considerably taller than me, and told the System to share the information about Enduring Heart. She paused and after a moment, nodded. ¡°I see. You survive.¡± ¡°That feels a bit like an understatement, but yes. I think that if I was the one who got hurt yesterday, I could get back up with just a single use of {Body Regeneration}. That is how I survived when an Eater attacked me,¡± I gestured loosely to the scar on my stomach. Astrid paused, staring at me for a moment before asking, ¡°You lied.¡± ¡°What? When?¡± ¡°At dinner. Said scar was due to an accident.¡± ¡°Oh,¡± I shrugged. ¡°I did. I didn¡¯t mean anything bad by it, but I can¡¯t go around telling people I have the System. And it¡¯s hard to explain I survived being impaled by one without superpowers.¡±This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. ¡°Why not?¡± ¡°Because not everybody is going to use it for good. There are a lot of people who would just abuse its power. I¡¯m sure you, in your village, had to deal with bandits at one point or another. Am I wrong?¡± ¡°No. We had,¡± Astrid said. ¡°Now imagine if one of them got their hands on the System. I¡¯m not about to go sharing this with anyone and everyone.¡± ¡°Then who?¡± the woman asked. ¡°People I trust. People I think are kind. And on occasion, people who really need it. That is what I decided when I started traveling. Once I am powerful enough to deal with any problems, and there are enough good people with the System around, I might be less restrictive about who I give this to,¡± I explained as we turned into yet another tunnel. The lack of change in scenery was starting to drive me nuts. Everything looked the same, and the longer we stayed down here, the worse that would get. ¡°What was I?¡± ¡°You? Options two and three, for sure, with a little bit of option one, too. I can¡¯t say I really trust you since we barely met, but I think it won¡¯t be long until I start trusting you more,¡± my voice became but a whisper as I gestured ahead. There was a large white bear at the end of the tunnel, sleeping against the wall. Astrid¡¯s entire demeanor instantly shifted. Her movements were no longer that of someone exploring a cave but now of a seasoned hunter stalking her prey. I did the same as we slowly moved towards the creature. [Polar Brown Bear - Tier 1] It was good to confirm that the monster wasn¡¯t saturated like the Ice Devil. I didn¡¯t really like our chances when facing something stronger. Even if Astrid was a trained hunter, she was still only Tier One, and any fight we had now would be a full tier above her own. We slowly approached the bear, being very careful not to make any sounds. Once we were right by its side, Astrid raised the Frosted Axe, aiming at its neck. With one powerful swing, she brought it down, cutting deep into the monster¡¯s skin. But it wasn¡¯t enough to decapitate the creature. Following that up, I slammed my staff on top of the axe, intending to drive the blade even deeper into the bear¡¯s neck. That worked, and there was a lot of blood coming out, but we weren¡¯t even able to reach the bone. With a roar, the creature got up. It was clear that it didn¡¯t understand what was going on. It only knew it was being attacked. Astrid pulled her weapon back and went for another swing just as I did the same. This time, however, our attacks weren¡¯t as well synchronized. While I aimed for the exposed neck, hoping to reach the bone and break it, she went for an upward swing, clearly intending to make the monster bleed out by cutting the lower part of its neck. After that second round of attacks, the bear had woken up enough to fight back. It swiped at me, but my new staff was enough to parry the blow. Even if the monster had a large value in Body, it wasn¡¯t enough to fight off against mine. Or at least, not enough to beat me with the power of {Ice Veined Strength}. ¡°Try the axe skill!¡± I told Astrid as she jumped back to escape the bear¡¯s bite. The monster tried to attack again, jumping to its back legs before stomping forward in my direction. With the move clearly telegraphed, I managed to get far enough away before anything could hit me. Before it hit the ground, large shards of ice slammed against its back, embedding themselves deep into the monster¡¯s skin. I couldn¡¯t see how they were formed, only that they were there, and Astrid seemed to have just swung her axe. Not letting up, I slammed my staff on the side of the bear¡¯s head. It was impossible to break its neck like that, but if I forced it to move enough, the amount of blood pouring out of its neck would increase. That might be the best way to kill it. If I had something sharp and pointy, maybe I could try getting to its brain through the eye socket. But considering my current weapons, that wasn¡¯t in the cards. To do that with my staff, I would have to make it too small, which in turn would force me to get too close to the beast. Astrid wasn¡¯t leaving me alone to fight the creature; instead, she slashed at its back legs, trying to catch its attention. Making it jump back and forth could also be a good way to delay until it was gone. But the bear was smarter than that¡ªor at least, it was angry enough to continue charging at me instead of changing targets. Stepping back, I evaded a couple more attacks before noticing an old rusted wheel on the ground, a handful of meters [ft.] behind me. With a quick few turns, I rushed towards it and made it stand up, holding the piece of metal with my staff. The bear did its best to run at me, but it was already too weak to go on a full sprint. Just as the creature got close to the wheel, I triggered {Compression}, making it as large as I possibly could. It was nowhere near the size it would need to block the entire tunnel, but it became bigger than the bear. The creature slammed headfirst into the wheel, shattering a few pieces of metal with the impact. Despite the lack of speed, the power behind the monster¡¯s movement was palpable. One more time, I jumped back, going for a quick stab on the bear¡¯s snout with my staff. As it was still pushing through the wheel, I tapped the metal circle and reversed the {Compression}, making it as small as I possibly could. In a perfect world, the bear would be bisected by the wheel. But that wasn¡¯t what happened. Instead, the metal constricted around the creature¡¯s stomach, piercing it in various sections. The skin and fur of the bear were too thick. In essence, the metal wheel became a ring that was too tight for a finger, and the monster cried out as it stopped everything to try to remove this trap. Even its anger was too weak compared to the pain brought by the wheel. Astrid and I didn¡¯t wait around for it to die. Instead, we started attacking the creature, increasing the wounds and the places that could cause it to bleed out. After almost two minutes of constant back and forth, constant thrashing, and countless new cuts and bruises being created on the Polar Brown Bear, it finally died. The confirmation came in a wave of SP flooding my body. Not as much as I thought, considering the size of the beast. Hell, it wasn¡¯t even as much as the spider had, but it was still a considerable amount. Before I could ask the System for a reason, Astrid spoke up, ¡°I leveled up.¡± ¡°Nice. I was worried I would get all the SP since my tier is higher,¡± I smiled. [User does get a bigger share of the SP as the particles are more attracted to beings at a higher tier.] ¡°So I do steal some of Astrid¡¯s SP if I help kill the monster? Good to know,¡± I said out loud so she would also hear it. But it seemed like her mind was somewhere else. If I wasn¡¯t wrong, she wasn¡¯t just increasing one attribute but reading the description of a skill. Before she could finish, roars echoed through the tunnels. Not wasting time, I grabbed her hand and started running away. If the bear¡¯s friends were coming, I wouldn¡¯t want to be here when they found their buddy in pieces. 57 - Farming Levels We ran from the bear¡¯s corpse, being careful not to encounter another of those monsters in the tunnels. Even if neither of us was injured during that last fight, it was only due to the sneak attack. The bear was sleeping when it was struck. Not to mention that Astrid must have spent every drop of Energy she had. A new encounter¡ªone with a monster that knew we were there¡ªeven if it was looking away, we would have, at most, one strike each before it could fight back. Not to mention the other ones that were coming after us. I had no confidence in being able to fight against two, much less a horde of bears. Actually, wasn¡¯t a group of bears called a sloth or a sleuth? It was a weird name like that. After a few minutes, we found a large room in front of a loose piece of ice that was big enough to become our door. Or at least, it would be big enough with the help of {Compression}. "Let¡¯s lay low here for a while." Astrid nodded. It was nice that I didn¡¯t have to explain my reasoning. She understood why it was a bad idea to keep fighting like that. In order to make this work, stealth was the best option. We would need to strike quietly and quickly, ideally picking off the bears one by one. With some luck, she would level up a couple of times by the end of the day. "I don¡¯t understand," Astrid stared at the ice block in the entrance. "What? If it¡¯s about the ice, it¡¯s just a skill. The particles can change the distance between the atoms of an object, increasing its size but not the mass. Or at least that¡¯s what the System told me." "No, the dungeon." "I¡¯m not entirely sure how that works either, but what don¡¯t you understand? Maybe I can help you?" I gave her my best teacher smile, even if I wasn¡¯t completely confident in being able to explain that kind of thing. Most of what the System told me, I just accepted because it sounded like a game. To someone who had never played something like that, it could be much weirder. "Everything weak to ice," Astrid said. "Oh. Do you mean how that works or why it¡¯s happening? Because I honestly don¡¯t know how things can be weak to a specific element¡ªnot when we¡¯re talking about the System and skills and stuff." "Why?" "That¡¯s a bit easier. I think it¡¯s because of the Ice Devil," I replied before finding a spot that wasn¡¯t completely covered in ice on the ground to sit. There were a few patches like that here and there, which were better to sit on; otherwise, my ass would freeze. Literally. "How?" "The System didn¡¯t say anything about that, and I don¡¯t think it knows. But I¡¯m assuming it¡¯s because of the ecosystem that exists in this dungeon. If this place was a nest or the home of one specific group that always worked together, then it might have a different effect¡ªmaybe fire resistance or increased ice damage. That way, the monsters here would be more powerful. But there are two forces in the dungeon," I paused, remembering the spider creature I fought, "maybe even more. And those forces are fighting amongst themselves. So instead of making everyone stronger, the Ice Devil, who should be the source of the dungeon¡ªor at least have some control over it¡ªopted to make everyone weaker to its attacks. That way, it would be easier for it to kill the other creatures." Astrid stared at me for a few moments. "It has System?" "Sort of. You can ask your System about this to get a better explanation. But basically, every monster that has a level is being affected by the System in some way. They might not be able to pick and choose the skills and how they grow, but the stronger ones might be able to influence the direction. The System told me that a dungeon is created by a core¡ªa mass of particles that affects the environment. And that core can be either in a specific location or inside a specific monster. I¡¯m guessing this is the latter, and that¡¯s why the dungeon removes any resistance against ice." I paused as a different approach to this question came to mind. "Or, this dungeon might have an actual core instead of it being inside a monster. The reason it reduces ice resistance could be because the particles inside the dungeon observed the monsters trying to kill each other. So the intention of the bears was to make it easier to kill each other, not to become stronger or more well-protected. Oddly enough, that feels very in line with the logic I see the System using." [System agrees. That would be a logical step for the System particles in the event where a constant struggle is taking place inside the dungeon.]Stolen content warning: this tale belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences elsewhere. ''I¡¯m glad you know I¡¯m starting to understand you.'' For about 30 minutes, we rested. Astrid had a few points in her {Energy Storage}, which she converted into actual Energy. Unlike me, she couldn¡¯t do that very often, but at the same time, because of her level, it took very little to max out again. "Before I forget, you got a skill back there, didn¡¯t you?" Astrid nodded. "Didn''t take. Bad" "That¡¯s a shame. But it happens more often than not¡ªor at least, the skills offered don¡¯t fit what we are going for. But I kind of wanted to have eaten the bear." My companion gave me a puzzled look. "Right. You probably haven¡¯t experienced that. If you eat something that had skills, you might be able to gain their skills. So we could get the skills the bears have, if we eat enough and the right parts of them." Her eyes shifted to my waterskin. "The Eater?" "I didn¡¯t get anything from eating them¡ªat least not when I was conscious. Getting the System was weird, and I ended up getting three or four skills from the Eater that died with me. But I¡¯m not entirely sure how much of it was because I ate it and how much was the electricity that was connecting us." "What?" Astrid¡¯s eyes went wide. It was hard to tell exactly what part of my story was bothering her. "I can give you the details later. Basically, I got the System when I was about to die. An Eater tried to kill me, and lightning struck at the right time. Also, there was something to do with this necklace," I showed the solar system necklace Pops gave me. "It was a gift from my grandfather. And before you ask, no, he didn¡¯t know about the System. It was just a stroke of luck. Then, to save my life, the System had to kind of take over my body for a few minutes. During that time, I might have eaten an Eater, but I honestly have no memory of all that. If you¡¯re talking about the blood, even after drinking a lot, I got no skills. Something tells me that the only skill anyone could get from that would be {Energy Storage}." Astrid nodded, but we didn¡¯t say anything else. Before it came time for us to leave, a bear appeared on the other side of the ice block, holding the entrance. The creature clearly saw us and tried pushing the ice away. However, thanks to the position in the door frame, it wouldn¡¯t budge. Even after failing, the creature continued to stare at us through the frozen water, waiting for us to get into its reach. "Are you up for something dangerous?" I asked Astrid. "Opening the door?" she replied with a smile. "Yep. I¡¯ll close it right after the bear gets in." Stepping to the side, I used my staff to trigger {Compression} on the chunk of ice. That allowed the creature to rush inside the room we were staying in. Astrid wasn¡¯t in its path, but it quickly turned to charge her. Instead of moving away, the woman swung her axe horizontally, particles covering the entire blade of the weapon, which seemed to increase in size. The bear wasn¡¯t expecting such a powerful attack and tumbled to the side, skidding on the floor as Astrid stepped away. Her movement wasn¡¯t enough. Despite its precarious position, the monster managed to strike her with its back leg. She fell to the ground while I ensured the ice still blocked the entrance. Before the monster could go for a follow-up attack, my companion rolled on the floor and got back to her feet. I lunged at the creature, catching it by surprise and slamming the staff against its head. Astrid followed up with an overhead swing, boosted by her skill. Unfortunately, the monster was smarter than we expected. It shifted, letting the blade of her axe miss its head and get stuck in the fur above its shoulder. She struggled to pull her weapon back, giving the creature enough time to slash her with its claws. At least the wound was superficial, only cutting the outer part of her leg. "{Body Regeneration} works during combat," I said before bringing my staff down on the creature¡¯s head once again. There was a loud crack as the frozen wood met the monster¡¯s hardened skull. In response, it tried to bite my legs, but I was far enough away to jump back and avoid the attack. If the claws were already dangerous, its bite would be much worse. Astrid freed her weapon and attacked again, swinging horizontally at the monster¡¯s neck. But that put her too close, and the beast snapped its jaw, trying to rip out her arms. I wasn¡¯t about to let that happen. In a quick burst of motion, I triggered {Compression} on my staff, making it as small as I could. I shoved my hand into the bear¡¯s mouth, spending another use of {Compression} to force it open. My staff grew in size, wedging the bear¡¯s jaws apart. A small trickle of blood ran from both sides where the wood bit into its flesh. "Nice," Astrid noted in approval before swinging her axe into the bear¡¯s open mouth, ripping apart its cheeks before reaching the bone. The bear roared in pain and tried to remove the staff, but its claws were too big to fit into its mouth. Seizing the opportunity, I activated {Compression} again, forcing the wood to expand. There was a loud crack as the bear¡¯s lower jaw broke, leaving its mouth permanently open with the tongue dangling uselessly. Astrid jumped forward and, with another horizontal swing¡ªthis time without the aid of skills¡ªcut off the creature¡¯s cheeks. The bear panicked, pulling its front legs in front of its face while standing up on the hind legs. Seeing an opening, I struck its neck with all my strength. The monster fell backward, slamming against the cold floor. Astrid brought her axe down one more time, boosted by her skill. She struck the bear¡¯s stomach and pulled the weapon, gutting the creature as it struggled to rise. Seeing that it was still alive, and no SP had come to me yet, I slammed my staff inside its body, trying to crush as many organs as I could. Between the two of us, it only took a few more seconds for the bear to stop moving, and the flood of SP surged into me. "I leveled up," Astrid said with a smile as {Body Regeneration} continued to heal her leg. If we were able to continue at this pace, it wouldn¡¯t take long for her to reach Tier One. 58 - Goldilocks Astrid was now level 8, just two levels away from Tier 1. Even then, ideally, she would get a few more levels to gain skills for her new class before we could fight the Ice Devil. So, our priority stayed the same: finding a way to leave this place. But the more we walked, the less likely that seemed. Every tunnel we took seemed to head down, and the sparse few that had an upward incline led to dead ends¡ªeither parts of the structure that were clearly incomplete or places where walls had collapsed, blocking the path ahead. Another problem quickly became evident. The deeper we went, the more bears we encountered. From the little we gathered, there were at least a couple dozen around. They also seemed to work in groups, almost as if they had created factions among themselves¡ªalthough "families" might be a better term. With each new tunnel we discovered, more creatures began to chase after our scent. At this rate, it wouldn¡¯t be long before the bears managed to trap us in a dead end. I couldn¡¯t just start moving without talking with Astrid first, but making noise was a bad idea. It was a good thing there was another option. I made a gesture for her to stop and touched her shoulder. Cass: Maybe we should go back. I¡¯m talking with you through the System. Just think about what you want to answer, and you will send the message to me. Astrid: Like this? Cass: Exactly. Astrid: This is quite the ingenious way to communicate. I can see how this could be helpful if people were hunting in a group. But she had yet to tell me about this form of communication? I paused. This was the first time Astrid had said so much at once. Her vocabulary was broader than I expected. Cass: Sorry. There was a lot going on. Talking through messages like this wasn¡¯t useful at the time. Astrid: You heard that? Cass: Saw, but I did. You didn¡¯t want to send that message? Astrid: No. Those were thoughts. I¡¯m sorry. Need practice. Cass: You don¡¯t have to apologize. And you can talk like that with me if you want. I don¡¯t see a problem with that. Either way, there are too many bears around us, but they were avoiding the Ice Devil. Maybe we should run back and try to get one of them for food. Astrid: And water? Cass: We have ice everywhere. In a perfect world, we would boil it before drinking. But if we can¡¯t do that, our best option is to suck on it like candy. She paused and looked around before nodding. Astrid: Ok. We turned around and started retracing our steps. I only had a general idea of where we should be going, but Astrid seemed to be a bit more proficient in that kind of thing. She effortlessly took the lead, pointing to the correct tunnel or corridor that we should take. Despite our plan, the monsters weren¡¯t about to let us go easily. In just a few minutes, a group of three found our trail and began their chase. We could hear their footsteps moving quickly towards us, but it was almost impossible to figure out where they were coming from. The sounds echoed too much, and more and more tunnels seemed to appear out of nowhere. The closer the bears got, the more frantic our movements became. Astrid was starting to struggle to remember the path we took, and I wasn¡¯t much help. I could manage not to get lost in a forest, but these mines were just too confusing. The constant pale blue light was starting to give me a headache, and it kept creating odd shadows that made even small pieces of ice look like giant creatures in the distance. That only served to confuse me even more. As if that wasn¡¯t bad enough, while running, we passed by a tunnel that was covered in ice¡ªbut not just a block of ice. It was a frozen spider web¡ªa gigantic one, capable of capturing even one of the bears. Fighting the bears was one thing, even if they were in a group. It would be another to fight them and the spiders at the same time. Turning a corner to the left, we continued following a tunnel that made another curve to the right. But beyond that was a collapsed area. In other words, a dead end. "Crap," Astrid stopped moving and just stared at the rubble. "Don¡¯t stay there. There was another tunnel a few meters back," I turned around as I continued to talk. "We need to get out of here before the¡ª" Coming around the corner were three bears. They were somewhat smaller than the ones we killed before, but there were still three of them. The monsters slowly approached, snarling and baring their teeth. "Fight, or run?" Astrid asked. "I don¡¯t think they¡¯re going to let us run. If they do, it¡¯s because one of us got stuck behind," I glanced at her, who was about to say something, but I didn¡¯t let her. "We¡¯re not doing that. Both of us are getting out of here." Astrid closed her mouth and nodded.The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. The three bears in front of us were very similar, but they also had a few differences. One was bigger and angrier. It had a scar above its left eye. I decided to call him "Papa Bear." The second was a bit smaller, and its front claws were thicker, with a shade of dark blue instead of the lighter color of the others. I called her "Mama Bear". The third, which was smaller and had no notable features, became "Baby Bear" by default. Despite my internal joke, it was hard to imagine a scenario where we could get out of this without a problem. I kept trying to think of ways to kill these creatures quickly, but nothing came to mind. The only skill I could use now was {Compression}. Everything else was either passive or wouldn¡¯t help during a fight. On the other hand, Astrid had the skills from the Frosted Axe. It sucked that she didn¡¯t get any new skills in the last two levels, but that might be our best answer to this. "I¡¯ll try to create an opening for you to kill them. Don¡¯t let them circle back. Even if we have our backs against the wall, that¡¯s better than being flanked," I said. The bears continued their slow approach, but they were about to reach the point where we had to stop them. The tunnel wasn¡¯t wide, but it wasn¡¯t long either. Letting them get closer would remove any breathing room we might have. Astrid gave me a confirming grunt just before I lunged at the creatures. First, baiting an attack from Papa Bear, I jumped to the side, getting enough distance for a quick jab with my Cold Staff. The target was his scarred eye, but the Polar Brown Bear moved away in time, receiving the blow on its neck instead. Recovering, I spun my staff before cracking it against Mama Bear¡¯s jaw. The impact made her step back, whimpering in pain. The gap between her and Papa Bear became just wide enough for Baby Bear to move forward. Focusing on the smaller one seemed like a good idea, and now Mama Bear couldn¡¯t rejoin the fight due to the tight tunnel. However, my risky move didn¡¯t go unpunished. Papa Bear clawed my arm, leaving three gashes in my biceps. Before I even stepped back, {Body Regeneration} was already working to close the wounds. Baby Bear lunged at me, but in doing so, it blocked Papa Bear from following up. Because of its smaller frame, Baby Bear couldn¡¯t reach me, despite its best efforts. In the back, Mama Bear kept trying to rejoin the fight, but she was too big to push past the other two. Even better, her attempts only served to annoy Papa Bear, who tried to attack me twice but was interrupted by Mama Bear¡¯s struggles. As Baby Bear snapped at me, I jumped over it and kicked the creature towards Papa Bear. My legs didn¡¯t have nearly enough strength to topple it, but the sudden push and my movement made it look away from Astrid just long enough for her to bring her weapon down directly on the small monster¡¯s skull. The blade sank deep between its eyes. I honestly wasn¡¯t expecting her to kill one of them in a single move, and by the look on her face, neither was she. Mama Bear roared in anger as her cub was killed by prey. She practically jumped over Papa Bear, trying to reach Astrid. But just as she wanted to avenge her baby, I wanted to protect the new System user. As the monster leaped through the air, I placed my Cold Staff under her and triggered {Compression}. The blue wood transformed into a tall pillar, slamming against the monster¡¯s stomach and pinning her against the ceiling. The creature struggled to free itself, scratching at the wood, but its limbs couldn¡¯t reach from that position. Astrid approached the trapped beast, looking for an opportunity to strike. Unfortunately, even though it was stuck, the Polar Brown Bear was still a threat to anyone who got close. An even bigger problem was that I had lost my weapon, and now my only option was to fight Papa Bear with my bare hands. Which might take the prize for the stupidest thing I¡¯ve ever done. The biggest of the bears didn¡¯t seem bothered by the death of the small one or the fact that the other was trapped. It continued to stare me down, waiting for an opening. And it had just found one. Without my weapon, any threat it might have felt was gone. The monster charged at me, swiping with both of its front legs. I jumped to the side, narrowly avoiding the strike, but the creature¡¯s mouth was still tracking me. It bit down on my clothes, ripping part of the sleeve as it flung me into the wall. I tried punching its head since it was so close as it moved me, but that had no effect. Actually, no¡ªthe only effect was hurting my own hand. Then, before I could recover, I slammed my back against the frozen rock of the tunnel wall. Just after the impact, I felt two massive paws pinning my shoulders. The bear now had me against the wall, its mouth opening wide to bite my head off. The movements were slow, almost as if it was savoring my fear. Using all my strength, I reached up and held its jaws open with both hands. The creature pushed me down, forcing me to my knees as saliva dripped onto my face. I tried to see if Astrid was coming, but the bear blocked my view. Its tongue reached out, licking me, but I bit down on it in response. I held the bear¡¯s tongue in my mouth and pulled with everything I had, ripping it off entirely. The creature roared and recoiled, too distracted by the pain to react further. Ignoring the burning pain in my shoulders, I jumped on top of the monster. My nails clawed at its eyes until I managed to blind it while it tried to shake me off. With me still on its back, the monster reared up on its hind legs and fell backward. I pushed off the opposite wall, increasing the force of the fall. The drop was more violent than I expected, and the bear slammed its head against a jagged piece of ice jutting from the wall. I landed on its stomach, but instead of attacking me, the creature went limp. It was still breathing and making noises, but aside from that, it wasn¡¯t moving. My best guess was that the impact had broken its spine, but it wasn¡¯t enough to kill it. I quickly climbed down and stepped away to avoid its claws. Looking over, Astrid had just finished off Mama Bear, several shards of ice embedded in the ceiling and the creature¡¯s body. "Did you kill Mama Bear?" I asked. I was too focused on my own fight to notice if I got any SP. The only confirmation I had was when Baby Bear died. "Mama Bear?" Astrid tilted her head. "I gave them names in my head. Don¡¯t ask. Is it dead?" "Yes." "Okay, let me borrow your axe. I want to finish this one off," I told Astrid, who stared at me for a moment before nodding. It took me a few swings, but eventually, I managed to cut Papa Bear¡¯s neck and felt the flood of SP rush into me. Just after that, an upbeat notification resonated in my mind. [Congratulations, user Cassandra. You have reached level 6.] "Nice, a level. Did you level up?" I turned to Astrid, who nodded with a smile. "Twice." "So you¡¯re already level 10? Perfect. Let¡¯s get out of here before more bears show up." "Wait," Astrid gestured to her axe and walked over to Baby Bear. In one quick motion, she cut off one of its arms. "Food." "Good call. Actually, can you take Mama Bear¡¯s paws?" I asked as I retrieved my staff, letting the monster¡¯s body fall to the ground. "Why?" "She got her nails done. That might be a skill." 59 - Classing up We had to run from our location with the two bear arms in hand. By the sounds around us, it was clear more monsters were getting closer. If everything went well, they would be distracted by the bodies we left behind instead of chasing us. But, of course, that wasn¡¯t entirely the case. We managed to find a path that Astrid felt comfortable with, but there were still footsteps following right after us¡ªthe loud thumping sounds of large beasts. There were moments when those figures got in our line of sight, but my companion continued moving without hesitation. She didn¡¯t say anything, but there was something in her eyes that made it clear Astrid knew where she was going. Or at least, she was confident enough in her direction not to be worried. We kept running as more and more bears seemed to notice our presence, which was understandable since we¡¯d stopped caring about making noise. The sound of claws scraping along the ground, hungry snarls, and frantic footfalls grew with every second that passed. Each tunnel we didn¡¯t take only seemed to add to the symphony of noise¡ªmore bears, more creatures, more monsters, all of them chasing the new prey that had invaded their space: us. About 20 minutes later, that cacophony started to fade. The noises grew quieter as we entered the domain of the Ice Devil. Still, we kept moving, and only once we passed by a tunnel that led directly to the creature¡¯s lair did we decide to stop. Not in that tunnel, of course, but in one of the empty rooms nearby¡ªone that was safely out of the Ice Devil¡¯s line of sight. We got lucky this time and ended up in a storage area filled with pieces of wood. Sure, most of them were encased in ice, but there was enough usable timber to start a fire, which would give us time to carve out the rest of the wood. And, of course, I also used a large piece of ice to create a door for us. Even if we were in the Ice Devil¡¯s territory, leaving the entrance wide open wasn¡¯t a good idea. "So, you¡¯re level 10 already?" I turned to Astrid after we set up a fire and started prepping the bear legs to cook. "Yes." "Can you get to the next tier already?" I asked while removing the fur from the limb. Astrid paused but nodded soon after. "I can. Three classes." "A quick Tier 1 evolution is amazing," I smiled. "That¡¯s why you can tier up already. Without that skill, the System would only now start to consider your actions and prepare something for the next tier. Or at least, that¡¯s what it told me." Astrid nodded again and looked to the side, clearly reading through her options. After a few moments, she turned back to me. "Help me pick?" I was already cutting some small strips of meat and using scraps of wood to prop them up close to the fire. "I can give you my opinions about the classes, but I¡¯m not going to tell you which one I would pick." "Why not?" Astrid frowned. "That¡¯s a big decision. You¡¯re going to stay with that class the entire time you¡¯re in Tier 1. That could take a few weeks, a few months, or even a few years¡ªI don¡¯t know. For that reason, I think you should be the one to make the final decision. Again, I¡¯m fine helping you go through your thoughts and giving you my opinion, but I¡¯m not going to say, ¡®Hey, this one is better, and this one is crap.¡¯" Astrid nodded, turned to the side, and after a moment, she touched my shoulder. [Astrid Ek would like to share the information about her possible classes. Does the user accept the offer?] ''Yes. She¡¯s just showing me things, right? I won¡¯t be able to do anything with that.'' [Correct. However, due to the personal nature of one¡¯s class, the System will require confirmation of acceptance in order to receive this information.] ''Okay then, my answer remains. You can send me the info.'' [Acknowledged.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Frosted Lumberjack - Fledgling - Tier 1 Attribute Bonus: 1 Point per level Body +++ Mind - Memory Energy A chill in the air, a crack of wood. You face the cold and cleave the world in two. The frost strengthens you and your axe, turning the very essence of Ice into your ally. A combat-oriented class that thrives in cold environments supported by the Frosted Axe. Some skills offered by this class require physical contact with the Frosted Axe in order to be active. Without it, the skills in question cannot be utilized. Skills offered with the class: Cold Endurance - Passive - Fledgling Reserved Cost: 0 Energy Years spent in harsh, frozen landscapes have hardened your body against the bite of cold. You move through the snow like a winter beast, undeterred by the frost. Grants resistance to cold damage and reduces stamina drain from fighting in cold environments. Additionally, cold conditions increase the sharpness of the Frosted axe and all its attacks. Wood Cleaver - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy With a swing of your axe, you harness the might of a lumberjack, cleaving through your foes as if they were mere trees. The strike carries the weight of the forest. This story has been unlawfully obtained without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.Delivers a powerful strike with increased force. This attack has a chance to weaken the opponent¡¯s armor for the next few seconds. Requires the Frosted Axe. Frostbite Strike - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy Delivers a powerful blow with a frosty edge. Shards of ice will be explode away from user after the impact. Targets hit by the ice have a high likelihood of becoming frostbitten. Repeated strikes will increase the severity of the frostbite. Requires the Frosted Axe. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pathfinder - Fledgling - Tier 1 Attribute Bonus: 1 Point per level Body - Mind + Memory Energy Blaze new trails and leave no stone unturned. Your feet tread where others fear to go, and the wilderness bends to your will. This class excels in finding hidden paths, detecting danger, and moving efficiently through difficult terrain. Skills offered with the class: Keen Eye - Passive - Fledgling Reserved Cost: 0 Energy Your experience in the wild has honed your senses. Nothing escapes your notice, and your keen eye can spot the smallest details, even in low light or dense foliage. Increases your chance to detect hidden enemies, traps, or paths. Additionally, you gain a slight boost to your vision in dim lighting, reducing the effects of darkness on your perception. Trailblazer - Passive - Fledgling Reserved Cost: 1 Energy Your experience in the wild has sharpened your instincts. You can identify safer paths and move through rough terrain with ease. Increases movement speed in forested areas and reduces the chance of triggering environmental traps. The user is also more likely to detect hidden dangers. Wayfarer''s Dodge - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy You react with the quick instincts of a seasoned traveler, sidestepping danger with practiced ease. Increased reaction time. Allows user to dodge minor attacks even in situations where user is restricted in some way. Duration: 5 minutes. Sprint of the Stag - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy You move with the swiftness and grace of a fleeing stag, covering ground quickly and avoiding obstacles with ease. This burst of speed helps you escape danger or close in on prey. Temporarily boosts movement speed by. While sprinting, your subconscious is able to guide you to avoid minor obstacles and have you have an increased chance to evade attacks. Duration: 30 seconds ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ River Sage - Fledgling Tier Attribute Bonus: 2 point per level Body Mind Memory - Energy + Flow like water, adapt like the current. You draw strength from the river¡¯s wisdom, learning to bend but never break. Drawing inspiration from the flow of water, the user gains minor healing and adaptive skills, with a focus on fluid combat and recovery. Skills offered with the class: Flowing Respite - Passive - Fledgling Your body and spirit mimic the tranquil flow of a river, allowing you to recover quickly from fatigue. Increases passive regeneration when near a water source. Additionally, reduces stamina drain during any strenuous activity. Water¡¯s Embrace - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy You harness the calming essence of water, enveloping yourself in a soothing aura that heals minor wounds and eases pain. Minor regeneration effect and continuously heal minor wounds. The healing effect is stronger when standing in or near water. Duration: 5 minutes Ripple Ward - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy Just as ripples on a calm river can deflect stones, you channel the subtle force of water to create a protective barrier. This skill forms a fluid-like shield around you, softening incoming blows. Creates a watery barrier around the user, reducing incoming physical damage. The shield has a soothing effect, slightly accelerating health regeneration during its duration. Duration: 10 seconds ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It took me a few minutes to read through everything. Not just because there were a lot of skills to go through, but because I wanted to truly understand what each class could bring to the table. A few things surprised me¡ªlike how attached a class could be to a specific weapon. The Frosted Lumberjack class was clearly the most powerful of the bunch. Astrid would get a lot of extra points in Body, plus three considerably strong skills, especially given our current situation. But there was one major flaw with that class. ''Sys, what would happen if someone stole the Frosted Axe? Or if it broke?'' [System will assume the user is asking in relation to the Frosted Lumberjack class. If a class requires a weapon or object, and that object is lost in any way, the class will become significantly weaker. Skills related to that object will no longer be activatable, and the System will be unable to generate any new skills requiring the object in question.] ''And does it have to be the same weapon? What if I were to make a new weapon and call it Frosted Axe?'' [Two different weapons cannot share the same name. If user were to create a different staff with different skills, the name of the staff would change. The same applies to the Frosted Axe. However, if user is able to replicate the skills and even add new effects, it is possible that the weapon retains its name in some form. As long as the weapon is identified as Frosted Axe¡ªwhether as part of the name, a prefix, or a suffix¡ªthe skills should still be accessible.] I nodded, but before I could say anything, Astrid asked, "Thoughts?" "Well, River Sage is very focused on healing. All of the skills mention recovery in some way. But the thing is, those are all fledgling skills¡ªTier 1 skills. {Body Regeneration} is a Tier 2 skill, and the version you and I are using right now is weaker because of that. When we reach Tier 2, that skill will be able to regrow a lost limb. I don¡¯t know exactly how long it¡¯s going to take, but it will be able to do that. So there¡¯s a lot of overlap between that class and the skill. Pathfinder sounds really useful. It¡¯s very utility-based. Being able to sense the environment will help a lot, and the ability to find a path could save us from a lot of trouble. But then you¡¯re missing out on offensive power¡ªyou¡¯re trading attacks for a specific set of support skills. Lastly, there¡¯s the Frosted Lumberjack. I¡¯ve never seen a class tied to an item before, and that¡¯s a big problem. You¡¯re dependent on the weapon. If it breaks, if it gets stolen, or if you just outgrow it, you¡¯re stuck with it. But the class seems to give a lot of power up front. None of my class options had more than two plus marks on attributes, and even then, they were spread out. It wasn¡¯t a double or triple boost on a single attribute. However, the skills will be expensive¡ªit¡¯s going to cost you a lot of Energy to use them in quick succession." Astrid nodded and started to think as the first part of our meal finished cooking. I passed one of the sticks with bear meat to her before eating my own. I didn¡¯t say anything after that. She needed time to decide, and I wasn¡¯t about to start talking and distract her. I was on my third slice when the System spoke up in my mind. [Skill acquired through consumption of relevant particles. Would user like to check it now?] With a smile I told the System ''Yes'', and just then I remembered that I also had leveled up. Maybe there were even more skills to check. 60 - New Power Before checking the skill I gained after eating the bear¡¯s leg, I decided to check my level. This ended up being a big one. My spare point went to Mind, but I also got one extra Memory slot and an extra point of Energy, finally reaching ten. That was something I had set as my goal. I wanted all of my attributes to be at least at ten points. Even if I couldn¡¯t directly control Memory and Energy. But it seemed like Memory was going to be the thing that took longer to get there. Since I was just 3 levels away from having 10 Mind. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cassandra Ydorf - Level 6 Titles: Enduring Heart Tier 1 - Formless Monk Mind 7 - Body 10 Memory 8 - Energy 5/10 (5 Reserved) Skills 7/8 Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy Memory Bank - Passive - 1 Energy Predatory Sense - Passive - 1 Energy Ice-Veined Strength - Passive - 2 Energy Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/10 minutes Compression - Active - 1 Energy/5 uses Formless Series - Passive Mind of Possibility - Unavailable ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Leveling up also gave me one new skill, and it was part of the Formless series. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Formless Glacier Step - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy Harness the unyielding force of an ice-bound cave, your steps freezing the ground beneath you. The chill lingers, hindering enemies for up to a minute and leaving an icy path in your wake. Each step you take freezes the ground in a 2-meter radius. The frost harms those who touch it and slows their movements. Duration: 10 seconds ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ It was a straightforward skill. I would freeze the ground, and anyone who touched it would get hurt. Still, there were a couple of things I wanted to confirm. ''Sys, about the skill Formless Glacier Step. Would it harm me too? And the duration, is it talking about the time my footsteps freeze the ground, or how long the ground will remain frozen?'' [User would not be directly harmed by the frozen ground created by the skill Formless Glacier Step. However, user would still be susceptible to injury due to the cold created by the frozen ground. In other words, the SP present on the frozen ground would not target user, but the cold itself could still be harmful. The duration refers to the time user is able to freeze the ground while walking. The ground will stay frozen for as long as environmental conditions allow, but the extra damage caused by the skill will only be present if user is nearby. Once user left the vicinity of the frozen ground, that effect will be gone as the SP will spread to the environment.] ''Got it. It doesn¡¯t sound bad, but I¡¯m not sure if I like the idea of creating something that could harm my allies. Especially now. And it¡¯s not like I¡¯m going to make red ice or something for Astrid to see where she can step without being hurt by my skill. Right?'' [That is correct.] ''Ok. And it still feels strange to think that the SP I create will be just left behind. Isn''t there a way to get it back?'' [SP utilized for skills cannot be retrieved as the particles are consumed in order to maintain the effect.] ''Consumed? Wouldn''t they just be out of my body?'' [That is correct. Consuming the particles is an expression to help user understand what happens to them. When using a skill, user converts Energy into SP, and then said particles receive orders to become part of the skill. The process is not reversible, meaning that once the skill is over, the SP will be considered ''wild''. As in, it has no owner. Said SP must first find a new owner and convert into their SP before returning to user.] ''But why? Wouldn''t it be easier to just come back to me?'' [After using a skill user''s last command was for the particles to leave user''s body. Although that has a function attached to it, it doesn''t change the fact that user rejected the particles. That rejection is now part of their configuration and can only be forgotten after the particles go through a transformation guided by a new user, even if said new user does not have complete access to System.] ''It feels weird to think I''m rejecting the particles every time I use a skill.'' [User is not rejecting the particles. System took the liberty to create an analogy to explain the reason why the SP is unable to return to user. If user prefers, System can explain how the configuration matrix''s nuanced phenomenological response to the emission protocol generates a systemic incompatibility requiring strategic exogenous intervention for resolution.] I blinked slowly, needing to read that last sentence a few times to understand. Even then, I wasn''t entirely sure what that all meant, ''I''m good. Thank you.'' Before confirming or rejecting the skill, I checked the other one¡ªthe skill I gained from the meat of the bear¡¯s leg. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Glacial Rend - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy You are able to turn a weapon or an appendage into a bear¡¯s icy talons, slashing the ground with frosted claws. The strike sends frozen fissures forward, tearing into enemies with sharp shards of ice and reducing their speed. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I had been asking for a more powerful attack skill, and it seemed like I had just gotten one. This was exactly the kind of power that could turn the tide of battle. Unfortunately, I wasn¡¯t able to recover enough Energy to activate {Mind of Possibility}, so calling Proxy out was not an option. The lack of memory slots, even with {Memory Bank}, was also becoming an issue. If I wanted to keep both skills and still have room to swap out others I had stored away, I would need to drop one of my current skills. If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Being honest, there was only one that came to mind. Everything else was either too useful or had too much potential. If I got rid of {Quick Tier 1 Evolution} and found myself in another situation where I needed to save someone like Astrid, that would make things much harder. Or at least it would take much longer. {Formless Nodus Swipe} was a great attack, as long as I wasn¡¯t in a tight space like these tunnels, and {Formless Steps of Prey} was too good of an evasive tool to lose. That only left {Formless Boar Charge}, but the reality was I had never really used that skill. It felt like a bit of a waste to drop it without even testing it properly. ''Sys, weren¡¯t my skills supposed to grow? I mean, you said that skills could improve with time. Since I¡¯m using {Memory Bank} all the time, why hasn¡¯t it increased the amount of skills I can keep there?'' [In order to improve a skill, user must acquire an ample knowledge of the skill, gain experience with its use, and discover a way to improve its function. This discovery can happen with the help of related skills acquired through leveling up or through the consumption of SP. Additionally, the discovery can occur if user is able to reorganize the way particles act when using said skill on a fundamental level.] ''What? I thought I could make the skills stronger just by using them. Why didn¡¯t you ever explain that to me?'' [User inquired if it was possible to make skills stronger. However, user never requested a full explanation of the process.] I rolled my eyes. There were times when the System really knew how to be obnoxious. But at the same time, it made sense. Having a skill that could grow on its own without me doing anything aside from using it would be too much like a video game. Hearing the explanation made things feel more logical. To improve a skill, I had to figure out a way to make it more effective. And, like the System said at first, practice would help. The more I used the skill, the more I would understand its flaws. The only problem was I had no idea how to teach the particles a better way for the skills to work. Hell, I had no idea how to do anything with the particles. That might be something I had to look into. "Okay. Here¡¯s what we¡¯re going to do. Replace {Formless Boar Charge} with {Formless Glacier Step} in {Memory Bank}. And give me {Glacial Rend}." [Acknowledged.] As the System made the changes, I did my best to focus on the particles inside me. Every time I used {Memory Bank}, for anything really, I never felt a thing. It wasn¡¯t like {Compression}, where I could feel the particles leaving my body and covering my target. But despite my best efforts, there was still nothing. No sensation, no feeling, no sound. Absolutely nothing happened when the System performed the swap. Maybe my approach was wrong. As the name suggested, {Memory Bank} was about memory. That meant the effects might be more in my brain than in my body. Instead of trying to sense something physically, I decided to focus on the memories of the skills. Astrid was still quiet, focused on something I couldn¡¯t see. Honestly, I couldn¡¯t blame her. Picking a class was a big decision. I had no idea how long it had taken me to make mine. After making sure {Predatory Sense} wasn¡¯t giving me any warnings, I closed my eyes and started to think about the skills stored in {Memory Bank}. I could remember their names just fine, but the specifics were harder to recall. Quickly opening the descriptions of the actual skills, I took a look at them and closed the notification window while repeating their details in my mind. That didn¡¯t work either. It didn¡¯t feel like the skills were connected to what I was doing in any way. Instead, it felt more like preparing for a class, like memorizing material for a test. I tried another approach. This time, I thought not just about the skill and its description but also about how it felt to use it. I focused on the way the particles moved in my body, guided by the commands of the skill. Specifically {Formless Steps of Prey}. How it made my body lighter in a way, my movements quicker and showed my muscles better ways to move. After a couple of minutes, something changed. I felt an itch in a tiny spot just above my left ear, but much deeper inside my brain, oscillating faintly. Unfortunately, the moment I lost focus on what the skill was supposed to do, the feeling stopped completely. I tried the same process a few more times, but every time my mind shifted away from the skill to the sensation, it would disappear. After a few minutes, I grew too tired to keep going. When I opened my eyes, Astrid was preparing more meat for us. This time, it was a piece from the bear that didn¡¯t have the frozen claw. Maybe it would give me a new skill too, but even if it did, I wasn¡¯t sure I would take it. "Did you get everything? About your next class, I mean." Astrid nodded. "Need sleep." "Yeah. You need to sleep to complete the process. Do you have enough memory slots for the skills?" "No." "After you finish classing up, you can get rid of {Quick Tier 1 Evolution}. It won¡¯t do anything anymore. Unless you want to keep it to give to someone else later on. If you want, I can also share {Memory Bank} with you. It lets you store other skills inside it. You can¡¯t use the skills in the bank, but you can swap them with the ones you have available. The only problem is that you always need at least one empty slot in {Memory Bank} to make the swap. Otherwise, you¡¯ll lose a skill. If that sounds like something you want, let me know." Astrid paused for a moment to consider my offer. "I want it." I tapped her shoulder and told the System to start copying {Memory Bank} to the future Frosted Lumberjack. "It should take about an hour for you to get it. There are some restrictions with how much time it takes for a skill to go into the memory bank and then come out, but I¡¯m sure you can figure that out with your System." "And you?" Astrid turned to me. "And me what?" "Want my skills?" "Well, Chop is not really my style. I don¡¯t even have a weapon to use it with, and something tells me a staff won¡¯t work. Two of your skills need the Frosted Axe, so those are a no, too. You did have one, Cold Endurance, I think. Can you ask your System if anyone could get that skill?" Astrid paused for a moment before nodding. "Yes. But weaker." "Weaker how?" "Loses one effect." "Right, it had something about making the axe sharper, didn¡¯t it?" I asked. Astrid nodded. "Yeah, I don¡¯t know if it¡¯s worth it then. The skill gives resistance to cold damage, but the dungeon removes that resistance anyway. Sure, it doesn¡¯t cost any Energy to maintain and makes it so I would be less tired when fighting, but I¡¯m not sure if it¡¯s worth it. I might get more use out of one of my other skills." "Which are?" "My other skills? Well¡­" We continued talking about our skills. I shared with her all the ones I could remember, the ones I almost got, and the ones I could swap out right now. Unfortunately, Astrid didn¡¯t remember all the skills she could have gotten, only that one increased resistance to cold, and another made it harder for her to get lost. Both sounded useful, but I agreed with her decision to take Chop instead. Some time later, Astrid went to sleep. We were still splitting shifts to rest, and she would need time to finalize her advancement to Tier 1. Once that was done, we would head out again. Maybe we could find a way out of this dungeon. If not, there were plenty of monsters around to help us level up. 61 - Trap "Morning," Astrid said once I woke up. "Good morning. Actually, Sys, what time is it?" I asked. [It is currently 4:13 p.m.] "So, good afternoon," I smiled. "How?" Astrid frowned as she put her axe to the side. "The System is able to keep track of time. I saw a clock a while back, and now I¡¯ll never have to worry about not knowing the time again. It can also do a bunch of other minor things like that. You should test things out." "Interesting," Astrid paused, and after a moment, she reached out to me. "May I?" "Sure." I took her hand and saw a notification appear. [User Astrid Ek is requesting information about the current time. Does user permit that information to be shared?] ''Yes,'' I told the System mentally. There was nothing else on my end. The information had been passed along, and Astrid pulled her hand back. It took me a few moments to wake up properly, and what really did the trick was sucking on some ice. There was nothing like frozen water hitting your teeth to get rid of any lingering drowsiness. "Can you open?" Astrid gestured to the hunk of ice blocking the entrance. "Sure, but why? Do you want to start hunting already?" "No. Bathroom." "Oh," I nodded and opened the door. As unhygienic as it sounded, we had already agreed to use nearby rooms for that kind of thing. Even if we didn¡¯t have a proper bathroom, we were not animals who would go in a corner and then sleep near our waste. Once Astrid returned, I was ready with some water from the waterskin. It wasn¡¯t fresh water we had brought here, but melted ice from the walls, along with a tiny piece of soap I still had in my pouch. My proper supplies were back in Astrid¡¯s house, in my backpack, but I had kept a few smaller items with me. Astrid washed her hands while I prepared a bit more meat for my breakfast. Even if bear meat was tough and stringy, two legs went a long way. I wouldn¡¯t be surprised if it lasted another three or four days. But we still needed to talk about our plans. "How are you feeling? I was too tired when you woke up earlier, but I want to know how the new class feels. And the new tier." Astrid opened and closed her fists a couple of times. "Strong. I like. Good skills." "Which ones did you keep? I don¡¯t think you had enough space for all of them." In response, Astrid touched my shoulder and revealed her status screen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Astrid Ek - Level 1 Titles: Frosted Metabolism Tier: 1 - Frosted Lumberjack Mind 1 - Body 11 Memory 6 - Energy 6 (2 Reserved) Skills 6/6 Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy Memory Bank - Passive - 1 Energy Cold Endurance - Passive - 0 Energy Wood Cleaver - 1 Energy Body Regeneration - 1 Energy/10 minutes Chop - 1 Energy/3 uses Mind of Possibility - Unavailable ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Damn, you already have more points in Body than I do. But why did you keep Frostbitten Strike in the memory bank? That one should be better than Chop." "No charges." "That¡¯s fair. Having an ability you can trigger over and over again is really helpful, especially when you don¡¯t have much Energy. Let me just finish eating this, and we can start trying to get out of here again." "No rush." "I mean, I am in a rush. I do enjoy hanging out with you, but the rest of our roommates kind of suck. They keep trying to kill us. I would very much like not to have to worry about that." Astrid nodded with a smile, but didn''t say anything else, letting me finish my meal in peace. In moments like this, I appreciated the fact that she wasn¡¯t someone who spoke much. Despite trying to seem upbeat and relaxed about the situation, I was starting to get worried. We were no closer to finding a way out of the mines than we were yesterday. The oil was running out, meaning we wouldn¡¯t have anything to keep us warm soon. I could also tell the two of us were starting to smell. Two days of constant fighting and running around was clearly not good for our hygiene.If you spot this story on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. Not to mention, the lack of sunlight was starting to drive me crazy. I never expected to be someone who enjoyed the sun so much, but I guess this experience was teaching me something about myself. And those were just minor nitpicks. The real issue was how long could we survive here surrounded by monsters? We were bound to eventually make mistakes, and living on a razor''s edge all the time sounded like torture. Not long after that, we were heading out. Our temporary shelter was locked once more, leaving behind a still-lit fire and the remains of the two bear legs. We carefully retraced our steps, hoping to find a new passage that could take us outside. Instead, we found a large gathering of bears. There were six of them spread across a wide area. Even with our new skills and Astrid¡¯s advancement to Tier 1, we were not confident enough to fight that many monsters at once. Without saying a word, the two of us slowly stepped back, trying to get away from the creatures without being seen. It quickly became clear that wasn¡¯t an option. Coming from the hallway we had just left were another two bears, who roared upon noticing us, alerting the other six. With all the monsters now facing us, we had no choice but to run into the one corridor that was still empty. The creatures hot on our heels. That was a stark difference from the previous day. Yesterday, we only saw the creatures when we had to fight them. Now, we could hear their growls, smell their musk, and feel the ground shaking with every step they took. Astrid took the lead. Even though she didn¡¯t know this place well, her proficiency in navigating these kinds of spaces was leagues beyond mine. Not having to decide which path to take freed me to search for a loose rock or a piece of ice large enough to block the tunnel with {Compression}. Yet, there was nothing. All I saw were chunks of ice still attached to the walls and open spaces that wouldn¡¯t help us at all. As if things weren¡¯t bad enough, a few more creatures joined the chase. They appeared from side tunnels, quickly realizing we were intruders in their home¡ªor maybe they were just hungry. After about five minutes of running, the ground tilted upwards, and a stronger gust of wind hit our faces. That could have been it. That could have been our way out of these cursed mines. With renewed hope, both Astrid and I picked up the pace, our legs burning from the incline. But neither of us was willing to slow down, much less stop. And that was our mistake. If we had been more careful, we would have noticed how the bears stopped chasing us. We would have seen the claw marks in the area, all pointing away from the direction we were running. We would have heard the low, rhythmic rumbling, echoing through the tunnel. And we would have noticed how the surrounding ice formations had the same shape as the ones the Ice Devil used to throw a bear into its lair. But neither of us realized what was happening. The bears had tricked us. Maybe it wasn¡¯t intentional, but it didn¡¯t change the fact that their chase led us to the worst possible location¡ªa tunnel leading directly to the Lair of the Ice Devil. And it wasn¡¯t an obvious tunnel. We could clearly see a wall in the distance, directly in front of us, but there was also a curve to the side with no lights or anything that made us feel like we were heading toward the sleeping quarters of a beast. Without warning, the ice a few meters [ft] behind us came to life. Large chunks flew in our direction at rapid speed. They slammed against our backs and didn¡¯t stop there. The ice continued to move forward, stopping only a couple of steps before the end of the tunnel. We could still see a wall there, along with the curve leading to a dead end, but the real problem was the ground¡ªor lack thereof. I was the first to drop into the opening. The ice took a bit longer to send Astrid my way due to the difference in our weight. Tumbling down, my limbs scraped against impossibly cold pieces of ice. Just grazing those frozen parts of the wall was enough to give me the early stages of frostbite. After landing in a wide area with a different kind of light, my first reaction was to jump up to avoid the ice-covered ground. Everything had happened too fast, and I made the mistake of not filling up {Mind of Possibility}. Between the ice pillars hitting my back and landing on the ground, not even ten seconds had passed. There were so many things I could have done differently. Using my staff, I could have created something to stop my fall. Or I might have been able to push Astrid and myself toward the dead end. It would have been better to stay there than end up here. The Frosted Lumberjack fell by my side a second after I crash-landed, but it was clear the ice wasn¡¯t hurting her like it was hurting me. The woman didn¡¯t seem to have any problem placing her full hand against it. But that didn¡¯t matter. We had bigger problems than being attacked by the environment. This area was much wider than any of the rooms we had passed. Even the largest one we found might have housed ten bears at most. But this place could easily fit hundreds. The ceiling was at least 20 meters [65.6ft] high, and for a moment, I thought it had an opening to the outside. At the very top was a powerful light source, almost like the sun illuminating everything. The one difference was the color. Instead of the white-yellow rays of sunshine, everything was bathed in a shade of light blue, likely because of a piece of ice blocking the exit. However, that thought was another mistake. A minor one in comparison to everything else, but a mistake nonetheless. The light wasn¡¯t coming from the sun but from something else entirely¡ªsomething that I could tell was completely full of SP. The System didn¡¯t say anything, but I could feel my own particles being attracted to that light source. Which likely meant I was staring at the dungeon core. My attention quickly shifted to something much more important. In the center of this massive cavern was a gigantic bear. It was easily 2 meters [6.6ft] tall even while lying down. Its neck was longer than the Polar Brown Bears, and its snout more pronounced. Being this close made me realize that the shards of ice protruding from its body followed the pattern of its bones: along the back of its elbows, tracing its ribs, and forming an ominous crown around its eyes. The creature¡¯s eyes were open, but it was still lazily resting in the middle of the room, basking in the pale glow from the dungeon core. Its eyes were strange, lacking pupils or any other features. Instead, they looked like spheres made entirely of white ice, a white so intense it outshone the fur covering its body. To our left, there was an open tunnel. Another tunnel lay behind the Ice Devil. Without breaking eye contact with the monster, I helped Astrid to her feet while sending her a message through the System. Cassandra: To the left. That¡¯s our way out. Astrid: Understood. We barely had time to take a step to the side. The creature moved one of its massive paws, revealing long claws made of black ice. It slammed it onto the ground, as if to steady itself while getting up. At the same time, walls of ice formed in front of the two entrances to the cave, sealing them off. The Ice Devil stood up, doubling in size. Strangely enough, it seemed to be snowing under its body. But I didn¡¯t have time to theorize what was happening. The monstrous bear rose and took a step forward, ready to devour its next meal. And unless we found a way to kill it, we were the ones on menu. 62 - The lair of the Ice Devil We were staring down the Ice Devil, which had just stood up. There were no two ways about this. We were going to have to fight it if we wanted to escape. And I really hated that idea. The creature was massive, and it was clearly higher level than either of us. Not to mention that Astrid had just gotten her Tier 1 class. There was no world where this would be an easy fight, but complaining about it wouldn¡¯t change a thing. Before we started to move, I took advantage of the physical connection I still had with Astrid and sent her a message. Cassandra: I know you want revenge, but we need to be smart about this. Try to stay cool. Astrid: I¡¯ll try. Without saying anything else, we started moving. Battles usually benefited those who made the first move, and we needed every advantage we could find. While Astrid started walking to the left, never looking away from the creature, I did the same in the opposite direction. The Frosted Lumberjack and I weren¡¯t comfortable enough with each other to fight as one, so the best option was to flank the creature and hope each of us could distract it enough to protect the other. Or, even better, create an opening to strike. The massive creature, with its snow-white coat of fur and crystals of ice protruding from its joints, just stared at us with a confused expression. It was almost as if it couldn¡¯t understand why its food was moving. It glanced at Astrid and then at me, snow falling from beneath its neck as it moved. For some reason, maybe because I was moving faster or maybe because it could tell I had more particles than her, the creature started walking in my direction. I tried to find something in the environment that could help me. A ledge, a large ice spike, maybe a loose rock near the ceiling. Hell, I would have accepted a boulder on the ground to trip it, but there was nothing. The creature continued walking in my direction, each step causing tremors around it, each movement lazy and uncaring. My heart started beating faster as the 4-meter [13.1ft] tall beast got closer and closer, the surrounding cold becoming even more intense as its body approached. Even then, its movement was so slow. The creature might have been nearly able to reach me, and there was nowhere to run, but it was like watching someone fall from a cliff in slow motion. Part of me even wondered if {Mind of Possibility} had activated by mistake. Unable to hold back anymore, I triggered {Compression} on my staff, launching myself upwards at the head of the monster. With a flip, the staff changed sizes again to become more manageable just before I slammed it against the creature¡¯s head. The impact sent a shockwave through my arm. It wasn¡¯t like hitting bone or even something living. It felt more like hitting a mountain of solid rock. There was no give. If anything, I was the one who got more injured from the attack. Landing back on the ground, my feet slid across the ice as the Ice Devil continued to move without even acknowledging the blow. Its nostrils flared as air rushed into its lungs before the monster opened its mouth. Glowing pieces of ice were lodged in its throat in a configuration very similar to the mouth of an Eater, except the ice wasn¡¯t spinning like the teeth of those creatures. Instead, the Ice Devil exhaled a cone of frost. The very air in the area hit by its breath began to freeze. Without thinking twice, I rushed to the side, hoping to escape the attack. The low-temperature wave spread out, turning the already frozen ice into something even colder. Parts of my clothes hardened as they entered the early stages of being frozen. Even the edges of my hair felt heavier under the weight of the ice now latching onto it. Yet all of that was just collateral damage. The monster¡¯s actual breath never hit me, but the effect was so strong that even the surrounding air became dangerous. The spot directly hit by the breath attack cracked apart as more shards of ice grew from the rocks inside it. The burning cold that hit my legs did something strange to my muscles as I tumbled forward, the skin of my shoulder turning purple from frostbite caused by the environment. While I got back to my feet, Astrid rushed forward. She swung her axe at the Ice Devil¡¯s leg as if it were a tree she was trying to bring down. Yet her attack barely managed to cut through the monster¡¯s thick coat of fur. When she pulled back the axe, I saw a trickle of blood. If that had come from either of us, it would have been enough to be worried about. But for a creature of this size, it was nothing. The Ice Devil seemed bothered by the attack but not truly hurt. Its expression was closer to someone who had just been stung by a mosquito. Still, that was enough for the beast to change targets. It slowly lumbered to the side, moving in a painfully dragged motion. Part of me swore it was doing it on purpose, just to make the entire experience even more unsettling.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. It was one thing to fight something that fought back. Two living creatures fighting for survival. But this felt very different. The Ice Devil was obviously stronger than us. Its breath could freeze even ice itself, and with a simple motion of its claws, it could change the environment. Yet instead of going for the kill and finishing the job, it was playing with us. The Ice Devil taunted us with every step. Even if it truly couldn¡¯t move faster than it was showing, it didn¡¯t change the fact that it was like watching death approach. Now that I wasn¡¯t its target, I kept moving to reach the other side. As bad as it sounded, the best move might be targeting its weak spots. The only thing that came to mind was aiming for its nuts or its rectum. It wasn¡¯t pretty, but it was a way to survive. Unfortunately, or fortunately, I couldn¡¯t see either of those locations through its thick coat of fur. As much as I hated not being able to follow through on a plan, part of me was relieved I wouldn¡¯t be traumatized by the sight. I shivered at the thought of how the ice mutations might have affected those parts. Astrid was now on the back foot, trying her best to stay away from the creature and avoid its attacks. For some reason, the Ice Devil wasn¡¯t using its breath again. Instead, it was going for wide swipes with its claws. Even if the actual limb of the beast was nowhere near the Frosted Lumberjack, the claws seemed to grow almost half a meter [1.6ft] every time they passed by. Astrid struggled to evade each attack, but she endured. Her face still didn¡¯t show a single trace of fear or fatigue. The attacks might have been slow, but because of the sheer size of the Ice Devil, they gained a lot of momentum. Realizing that, I decided to try a stupid plan. One of my new skills, {Glacial Rend}, had an added effect of slowing down those hit by the fissures it created. But since I had never tested the skill, I only had one way to see how it worked. Running toward the same leg Astrid had struck earlier, I activated the skill. The particles left my body, enveloping the staff in my hands. The SP behaved like an army of ants, forming a talon at the tip of my weapon. Putting all my strength behind the attack, I slammed the staff into the wounded leg, making sure the invisible claw struck the open wound directly. At first, the attack didn¡¯t seem to do anything aside from sending a shockwave through my arms. The Ice Devil continued without even acknowledging the impact. But I could feel something happening. The particles traveled down its leg and onto the ground. Then they started to spread, forming invisible cracks across the floor. The cracks exploded, shooting out large shards of ice in every direction. One of the pieces, shot up directly beneath the Ice Devil¡¯s feet. The monster roared in pain as the jagged spike tore into its flesh, like someone stepping on a thorny vine. A river of blood began to flow from under its feet, but even its blood was colder than our surroundings while still somehow maintaining its liquid form. Most of the shards of ice created by my skill were knee-high, rising 30 to 40 centimeters [11.8 to 15.7 inches] at most. However, a few of the larger ones, the ones directly under the Ice Devil, were double or even triple that size. These were wider and sturdier, almost like jagged pillars. This was enough for the monster to change its target once more time, but the moment I looked into its eyes, I could tell it would be harder to pull the same move again. The giant polar bear no longer wore a curious expression, much less one of boredom. Now, the lazy giant was furious. Furious at me, specifically. It groaned as its entire body turned to face me. The shards of ice covering its body expanding. The small crown on its head shifted into a full helmet, leaving only its eyes and snout exposed. Every epic that once covered its legs connected to the pieces on its back, transforming into an exoskeleton resembling that of a spider. Extra leg-like structures even emerged from its midsection. Could this be a skill it learned after eating those monsters? Or was it the other way around? The spiders grew because of this devil. Yet, it wasn¡¯t fully protected. While the outer layer of the beast was now encased in ice, its belly and the insides of its legs were still exposed. Only its neck had any sort of ice reinforcement. The creature stood on its back legs, its head almost reaching the ceiling of the cavern. From my point of view, it now looked like a monstrous polar bear, but Astrid would have seen something entirely different. A giant behemoth of frozen water. The Ice Devil roared, causing the entire cave to shake. Stalactites hanging from the ceiling fell from the vibrations, crashing to the ground and sending shards of ice flying everywhere. A strange layer of mist began forming as the impact spread across the area. My focus briefly shifted to dodge a few of the falling ice spikes heading my way, but once I turned back to the Ice Devil, it had changed again. Its fur now looked even longer, somehow whiter than before. Another thing I noticed was a feeling, a strange sensation that the Ice Devil was currently covered in SP. It took me a moment to understand what I was seeing. It was as if the bear had just emerged from a snowstorm, its body covered in fresh snow. The creature glared down at me, its anger flashing in its pale, pupil-less eyes. Then it thrust its massive body forward, slamming into the ground with terrifying force. If its earlier roar had shaken the cave, this was a full-blown earthquake. But that wasn¡¯t all. While I struggled to stay on my feet, a wave of white approached quickly. And it wasn¡¯t just light, it was an avalanche. Or perhaps more accurately, a snow tsunami, since it wasn¡¯t coming down a mountain. With nowhere to run, there was only one thing to try. I slammed my staff into the ground and triggered {Compression}, making it as big as I could. But before I could even confirm if the skill had activated, the entire world was swallowed by white, followed by pitch-black darkness. 63 - Snow Covered Tomb
Once the snow hit my staff and I was pushed back by the sheer force of the tsunami, I knew how heavy snow could truly be. During my childhood, there were a handful of times when a large clump of snow fell from a tree and landed directly on top of me during winter. But even then, it was more the surprise of being hit by something slightly heavy than the weight itself that made me fall to the ground. This, however, was very different. It wasn¡¯t just a sudden weight¡ªthe sheer force behind it made it nearly impossible not to fall to the ground. If my staff hadn¡¯t caught on something in the ceiling, near where the cave began to curve into the floor, I wouldn¡¯t have been able to hold on. But that didn¡¯t come without its cost. The ice slammed against my hands, making them so cold that I could have sworn they were frozen. There was barely any air around me, but without my staff, I would have already been buried alive. It didn¡¯t take long for me to hear something moving on the other side of the snow. Something truly massive. It could only be the Ice Devil. But I couldn¡¯t do anything about that. If I tried to escape, I¡¯d likely end up buried under the snow. And if I changed the size of my staff, everything would collapse on top of me. That left me with only one option: waiting until the monster got closer. I had to be quick, but if things worked out, I might be able to survive. [Skill {Mind of Possibility} is now available.] I smiled. ¡®Sys, if I could, I would kiss you right now.¡¯ [Since System is part of user, if user kisses any part of her body, it will be the same as kissing System.] ¡®Later,¡¯ I replied, waiting for the moment to activate the skill. Seconds passed slowly as I prepared to face the monster. But, just like when it had tried to attack me earlier, its movements were anything but fast. I wasn¡¯t even sure if the creature would reach me before I ran out of air. Not that breathing had become an issue¡ªit was more the fear of the possibility than anything else. I started hearing more movement and saw some of the snow shifting, confirming that the massive creature was slowly approaching. Parts of the icy wall surrounding me fell, but I was still able to keep my head above the snow. I had no idea if Astrid was okay or if she had perished under the weight of the attack. Actually, I wasn¡¯t even sure if the snow had fallen on her side at all. The wall of white had blocked my view of everything the moment it was created. That was a nasty skill, and it wouldn¡¯t surprise me if it required a lot of Energy to cast. But I also had a feeling the attack was only this strong because of our location. Maybe the dungeon itself was helping its ruler, or perhaps they had some kind of symbiotic relationship. Even then, I really wanted to know the type of skills the Ice Devil had. And despite how tough bear meat was, I would gladly eat this massive beast to get a few of them. My wandering thoughts were quickly shut down as the sound of sniffing approached, pushing more and more snow away. The noise came first from above the mountain of snow. It shifted more and more until the location of the grunts changed. Now, they were directly in front of me. The creature was getting closer and closer, but there was something else too. Another strange noise came from beyond this wall of snow. I tried to figure out what it was, but I couldn¡¯t. There was too much going on, and my mind was too focused on my next set of actions. I would only have one chance to make this work. No, actually, I would have as many chances as {Mind of Possibility} would give me. Even then, I wasn¡¯t about to waste it. The sooner I could get out of the way, the sooner I could use the skill for something else. I heard the monster¡¯s grunts as parts of the snow began to break away, revealing faint light from the other side. It was almost time to move. My grip tightened around the staff, and I took a few short breaths to get my blood pumping faster. The Ice Devil¡¯s snout was beginning to come into view, just the edges still hidden behind layers of snow. Using my feet, I pushed the snow away to give myself a better grip on the ground¡ªor as much of a grip as was possible on this ice-covered surface. The nose got closer and stopped about half a meter [1.6ft] away from me. More noise followed¡ªthe same strange one I had heard before¡ªbut I ignored it completely. Seconds ticked by as I waited for the perfect moment to make my move. I couldn¡¯t trigger the skill too soon, or the entire effect would go to waste. The tension kept building as I waited for the Ice Devil to act. Finally, I heard a rumbling sound and saw some movement beyond the snow. I waited just half a beat longer before triggering {Mind of Possibility}.This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it. The Ice Devil broke through the snow, its mouth crashing against my staff, shattering it into pieces. Its lower jaw slammed into my stomach, sending me flying backward. I stopped the skill to prevent that version of events and tried again. This time, I used {Compression} to save my staff and tried moving to the left. But the result was the same¡ªits lower jaw slammed into my stomach, sending me flying backward. In another attempt, I shifted my body to the right. This time, there was a slight difference, but only slight. Instead of being flung toward the wall behind me, I was tossed to the side, falling deeper into the snow. Trying to jump over the creature¡¯s mouth resulted in the worst possible outcome. Instead of just being tossed back, I landed inside the creature¡¯s maw and died while being crushed by its teeth. A different angle to the left¡ªslam and fly backward. The same thing but to the right¡ªthe impact broke my shoulder as I collided with the Ice Devil¡¯s bones. Making my staff smaller with {Compression} and then using another cast to launch myself upward resulted in my staff breaking, but I landed on top of the Ice Devil¡¯s head. That meant I would survive, but my weapon would pay the price, which wasn¡¯t a great idea. Every attempt made it clear that going under the monster¡¯s mouth wasn¡¯t a good option. It seemed to be too close to the ground for that to work, and I wouldn¡¯t have enough momentum to clear the snow in any meaningful way. Another idea came to mind. When the loop started again, I crouched and shrank my staff. As soon as the Ice Devil broke through the layer of snow, I used the butt of my weapon to push off while lying flat on the frozen ground. The plan worked, but at a cost. Parts of my skin entered the early stages of frostbite as I slid along the ice. Still, I managed to slip past the creature¡¯s mouth and under its stomach. I could tell that {Mind of Possibility} still had some juice left, and I was determined to squeeze every last bit out of it. Unfortunately, even after dozens of tries, nothing I did resulted in killing the Ice Devil. At most, I managed to severely damage its legs. For some reason, {Glacial Rend} was dealing a lot more damage, and after my last attempt, I confirmed why. Understanding that I wouldn¡¯t be able to finish the job with {Mind of Possibility}, I settled for the best path in front of me. The one where I survived and so did my weapon. I crouched and waited for the Ice Devil to break through the layer of snow. Using my staff, I propelled myself forward, gliding along the ice while lying flat on the frozen ground. I passed under the creature¡¯s neck and reached the underside of its belly. But there was something I hadn¡¯t expected¡ªAstrid was near the creature¡¯s back legs. She was striking repeatedly against the beast, yelling in a mad rage as she tried to get its attention. She hadn¡¯t appeared in any of my projections of the future. After all, I hadn¡¯t been able to see her from my previous location. {Mind of Possibility} could only account for things I was already aware of. As I rushed toward her, the Frosted Lumberjack prepared a powerful skill. I could sense the massive amount of particles being generated. She slammed her Frosted Axe against the monster¡¯s leg, the edge of the weapon glowing faintly with a green light. The impact caused the entire cave to rumble, more because of the sound than the physical force behind it. But it was still strong enough to make a clean cut all the way to the creature¡¯s bone. Blood poured out profusely as the Ice Devil roared in pain. The sound was so loud it felt like the cave might collapse at any moment. ¡°Can you do that again?¡± I yelled as I crossed to the other side of the beast, getting closer to the woman who was fighting by my side. She paused, staring at me with wide eyes. It was clear she wanted to say something, but instead, she just nodded. ¡°One more.¡± ¡°Okay. I¡¯m going to try to give you a chance to hit its neck,¡± I told Astrid. The monster spun around faster than I had expected, but still sluggishly. Its pupil-less eyes searched for the one who had injured it. Thankfully, it wasn¡¯t clever enough to figure out who. Just by covering my staff in its blood, I was able to hold its attention. The beast roared once more and tried to swipe at me as I strafed a few meters [ft] away. I dodged the attacks, leading it farther from the snow. The last thing we needed was something interrupting Astrid during her next attack. Thankfully, I was much better equipped to evade simple attacks like this. Even though its claws could grow, they didn¡¯t come close to hitting me as I jumped and dodged around the creature. Quick, agile movement was always my focus in combat. Once I saw an opening, I rushed under the Ice Devil. I had assumed the creature had some sort of effect that increased the power of ice-based skills when they occurred under it. Maybe that was what allowed it to create the avalanche earlier. With one powerful swing, I triggered {Glacial Rend}, aiming the skill to hit both of its front legs. As the particles touched the floor and spread in a line, ice spikes shot out of the ground, creating a jagged valley of frozen shards. Each spike was about half my height. More importantly, two of those frozen blades appeared directly under the Ice Devil¡¯s front legs. The pain caused it to tumble forward with a yelp, its head slamming into the ground. Parts of its chest and belly were pierced by the spikes created by my skill. ¡°Now!¡± I yelled, though there was no need. Astrid was already rushing toward the Ice Devil. She leapt toward the creature¡¯s neck, holding her Frosted Axe high above her head. Once more, the weapon was covered in particles, glowing faintly with a green light. Strangely enough, there were even more particles than before. With a guttural yell, the Frosted Lumberjack brought down her axe at the base of the Ice Devil¡¯s skull. I saw a massive spray of blood erupt from the point of impact, but it seemed the plan didn¡¯t work. I felt no rush of particles entering my body. Yet Astrid didn¡¯t stop. The Frosted Lumberjack continued swinging her axe, over and over, without even using skills to enhance her strikes. Seeing that the Ice Devil wasn¡¯t moving, I rushed to help her. But before I could get there, I heard celebratory music ringing in my mind. [Congratulations, user Cassandra. You have reached level 9.] Looking up, I saw Astrid stop. She stared at the body for a moment before bursting into laughter. It wasn¡¯t long before I joined her. After all, what else were we supposed to do now? 64 - three levels and a dream With the Ice Devil dead, I fell to my knees, only to quickly get up again as the cold started to sting my limbs. "Fuck, this is cold," I gasped, noticing most of my skin was turning ashy. Some parts were even turning purple, which didn¡¯t make any sense given my complexion. But it wasn¡¯t just frostbite. Ice was starting to grow over my skin. I looked around, trying to find a good place to rest, and noticed Astrid¡¯s state. She was covered in bruises, with a couple of cuts on her arms. Nothing too deep, but it was clear she had taken a beating during the fight. Maybe those narrow escapes from the Ice Devil¡¯s swipes weren¡¯t as successful as I had imagined. "Are you okay?" I asked. "Fine," Astrid said, glancing at the dead monster on the ground. "Happy." "I told you we would kill it," I said with a smile, but I could feel my muscles tensing up. Even if I hadn¡¯t been hit directly by the monster, that wave of ice had done a number on me, and the constant cold was ruining my body. But I came up with one possible solution. Polar bears were warm-blooded creatures, despite everything. That meant the monster¡¯s body should still be warmer than the frozen ground. I approached the Ice Devil¡¯s corpse and touched its fur. It was surprisingly soft, despite everything. It also didn¡¯t emit the same low temperature as the ground. In fact, I could feel the fur acting like a coat, trapping heat inside while keeping the cold away. Turning to Astrid, I reached out as I climbed on top of the bear. "Come here. It¡¯s better than staying on that frozen ground." Astrid looked down at her feet before nodding and following me up. She had a small smile on her face, and it wasn¡¯t hard to understand why. Standing over the corpse of the creature that had killed her father had to be cathartic for her. Even though we still had problems, like how we were supposed to get out of here if the tunnels were still blocked by ice, we had earned this small reprieve. "You should use {Body Regeneration}. You don¡¯t look that good," I told the Frosted Lumberjack after we sat down on top of the monster. "Can¡¯t. No Energy," she replied, closing her eyes and taking a deep breath. I nodded. We were both in the same boat. The fight had taken everything we had. But there was one thing we could still do. Pulling out the water skin filled with Eater blood, I took a small sip. It was just enough to recover a single point of Energy, which was all I needed. There wasn¡¯t much left in the skin, so I passed the rest to Astrid. "It¡¯s better to be safe than sorry. Drink it and use {Body Regeneration}. The last thing we want is to die because we didn¡¯t notice an internal injury." There was no need to ask twice. Astrid took the waterskin and finished the rest of the blood. I guessed there were still a couple of points of Energy left in it, but she clearly needed it more than I did. Leaning back, I lay down on top of the Ice Devil. Its long fur covered parts of my body, helping me warm up. ''Sys, I¡¯m going to use {Body Regeneration} now. Can you make sure I don¡¯t have any internal injuries and help fight off the frostbite?'' I asked in my mind. [System is able to check for internal injuries. However, frostbite is not a problem that can be solved by the use of the skill {Body Regeneration}.] ''Why not?'' [Early stages of frostbite change the structure of the cells affected by the condition. However, that structural change is not something that requires the regeneration of cells. It requires a change in temperature. Once frostbite progresses to the point of necrosis or gangrene, then {Body Regeneration} can be utilized to replace dead cells.] ''That makes sense, but it kind of sucks for me right now. Still, make sure I¡¯m not missing any wounds that might cause problems later. I need to figure out a way to warm up first. This fur is helping, but I don¡¯t think it¡¯ll be enough.'' [Would you like to check the skills gained through leveling up? One of the skills might assist user¡¯s predicament.] ''Might as well. I¡¯m too tired to talk or move right now, and I can¡¯t go to sleep or I¡¯ll be in trouble. Let me check the new level first. I got to level 9, right?'' [Correct. User currently has 3 attribute points available for distribution between Mind or Body.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cassandra Ydorf - Level 9 Titles: Enduring Heart Tier 1 - Formless Monk Mind 7 - Body - 10 Memory - 9 Energy - 0/12 (5 Reserved) Skills - 8/9 Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy Memory Bank - Passive - 1 Energy Predatory Sense - Passive - 1 Energy Ice-Veined Strength - Passive - 2 Energy Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/10 minutes Compression - Active - 1 Energy/5 uses Glacial Rend - Active - 1 Energy Formless Series - Passive Mind of Possibility - Unavailable ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ''Two extra Energy and one extra Memory? Nice. For the points, put them all into Mind. I want it to reach 10 already.'' [Acknowledged.] ''Now, for the fun part. Show me the skills.'' [Since user leveled up three times, six skills are available to be picked.] ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Formless Ripple - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy Your movements create a ripple effect, like a stone tossed into a still pond. Each strike disturbs the air, creating a force that disrupts your opponent¡¯s balance. If you come across this story on Amazon, it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.Deliver an attack that causes a resonance effect on the target, disrupting their movements. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ''I can¡¯t use Proxy to see what this one will do, can I?'' It was hard to keep my eyes open, but I forced myself to focus on the glowing orb at the top of the cave. That had to be the dungeon core. The one thing that shaped this entire mine system, and the thing that had created the Ice Devil. [Currently, skill {Mind of Possibility} is unavailable. User is unable to call Proxy.] ''Figured. That one doesn¡¯t sound all that interesting. But I don¡¯t want to make any decisions right now. Let me see the next.'' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Formless Rock''s Endurance - Passive - Fledgling Reserved Cost: 0 Energy Steady and unyielding like a boulder, you withstand incoming forces with ease. Reduces all incoming damage grants increased resistance to knockback effects. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ''That''s more interesting. I never expected the Formless skill to be a passive one. But for some reason it makes me think I shouldn''t try to dodge the attacks, and honestly, that just sounds like a bad idea. Again, let''s see what else we got,'' I continued staring at the light. It was kind of pretty now that there wasn''t something trying to kill me. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Adaptive Flow - Passive - Fledgling Reserved Cost: 0 Your body and mind adapt seamlessly to the rhythm of battle, allowing you to anticipate and counter your opponents'' actions. When you see an attack coming your way, you are better able to understand this trajectory. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ''I really don''t like that one. Sure, it might help, but it feels like a crutch. I''m not going to be learning how to evade an attack. I''m going to let the skill take care of that. Next,'' the blue light covering the area was kind of soothing. I could feel all my muscles relaxing. Maybe {Body Regeneration} was helping with that. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Spinning Staff - Active - Fledgling Cost: 1 Energy With a burst of momentum, you spin your weapon in a wide arc, creating a defensive barrier that also strikes nearby enemies. Deals minor damage to all enemies in a 2-meter radius and reduces incoming damage as the spinning motion deflects attacks. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Astrid''s breathing rang in my ears, a constant rhythmic sound almost like white noise. ''That sounds like a worse Formless Nodus Swipe. At least as an attack. If I was going to get something defensive, it might be better to pick something that is just defensive instead of something that does both things half baked,'' I said as my eyes already started to flutter. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Formless Ice Devil''s Lunge - Active - Aspirant Cost: 2 Energy Drawing on the ferocious might of the Polar Bear known as the Ice Devil, your lunge strikes with the cold inevitability of a frozen tide. Frost clings to your target, biting into their flesh and slowing their movements. Dash forward up to 5 meters, dealing physical and cold damage to the target. Enemies struck are slowed for 5 seconds and take minor cold damage over time for the duration. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I yawned, closing my eyes, ''That one sounds nice. And it is an Aspirant skill? I thought I could only get them when I got to tier 2.'' [Aspirant skills can only show their true power once user reaches tier 2. In addition, System was unaware of the possibility of acquiring an aspirant skill while still being at tier one. However, due to the nature of users'' class, Formless Monk, and the nature of the {Formless Series} Formless Ice Devil''s Lunge was developed.] ''I think I''m going to get that one. Maybe in the place of {Glacial Rend} since it is formless and all,'' I twisted my body getting more comfortable in between the Ice Devil''s fur, ''What''s the last one?'' ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Firestarter - Active - Unranked Cost: 1 Energy Harness the simplest of forces, the spark of life. With a small burst of energy, ignite a flame to bring warmth or light to your surroundings. Creates a small flame that can be used to light fires or ignite flammable objects. The flame lasts 10 seconds if not sustained by other materials. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Reading that skill made me jump up, "What?!" "What?" Astrid jumped to her feet, her hands already grasping the Frosted Axe. "Sorry. I just got a skill." "Oh. Good skill?" she asked as she sat back down. "Yeah. I can make fire," I was grinning from ear to ear. "A lot?" "No. Just a little bit and lasted for 10 seconds. But as long as we can find something to function as fuel, we won''t have to worry about freezing to death." "Should we go?" Astrid asked. I glanced towards the tunnels that were still blocked by ice. Even after the monster''s death, the effect of its skills was still there, "Something tells me that compression will not be enough to open that. So I don''t know how we could get out of here." Astrid smiled, "I do." She jumped off the Ice Devil and walked towards one of the closed tunnels. The same one where our temporary camp was located. She took a deep breath, holding her axe with both her hands and delivered a blow directly into the chunk of ice. I saw how some of the particles formed almost like a giant snowflake around her weapon just before the impact. Once the skill was over, the ice shattered in an explosion. Several shards of frozen water shot out in a spray that covered most of the tunnel. Each of those icicles embedded itself into the walls. The only difference between the ones that hit the tunnel entrance and the ones that fell all the way down the passage was how deep they went into the rock. "How much energy did you need for that?" I gasped. "Just one. When hit ice, stronger." "You can say that again," I climbed down from the Ice Devil''s corpse and confirmed my decision with the system. Adding both {Firestarter} and {Formless Ice Devil''s Lunge} to my available skills, while Glacial Rend was gone. I didn''t want to specialize in ice-based attacks. Never liked builds that did that. Even in games, I would search for the more unique types of attacks. Gravity, blood, shadow, sunlight. Things like that. Never the basic fire, ice, lightning, wind, rock. And although {Firestarter} was absolutely invaluable for survival, I didn''t want to follow that path for my combat abilities. Astrid walked back to the corpse of the Ice Devil and started hacking away at the one leg she had already cut. I was about to ask what she was doing when she removed a large chunk of meat and fur, "For food, blanket, and skills" she said. I nodded and with the two of us, we were able to carry that piece of the monster towards the tunnel. Before we left this area of the cave, I also triggered {Compression} using the final cast I had available to create a door to this place. The last thing we needed was for the other Bears to realize the Ice Devil was gone and take over its lair. Back in the room where we had set up camp, the first thing I did was use my new skill {Firestarter}. The particles traveled through my hand and reached between my index and thumb, making a bridge between the two fingers. I watched as the particles seemed to vibrate and rub against each other until a tiny flame appeared. It was barely bigger than a candle''s, but it was still enough for me to ignite some of the shavings of wood in our bonfire. All the while, Astrid was skinning the part of the Ice Devil she brought along. The meat would be our food, but the fur would be a blanket to help us warm up. By the time I could leave the fire alone, I had managed to recover a single point of Energy from {Energy Storage}. And only after I closed the door to this campsite that Astrid and I were truly able to relax and enjoy the spoils of our victory. 65 - What to do with a dungeon Even though it hadn¡¯t been that long since we last slept, Astrid and I were exhausted after the fight. Not just physically, but also mentally. Whether we liked it or not, fighting for our lives took a toll. That¡¯s why we decided to rest for a few hours, maybe even sleep a bit, before doing anything else. However, before doing anything, the Frosted Lumberjack had a goal. Dragging the massive leg she had brought all the way here, Astrid began carving out the fur from the Ice Devil. The end result was a large rug¡ªuntreated, with the underside still clearly covered in blood¡ªbut it was enough to cover herself. Before I had a chance to ask her to make another for me, the woman began to strip, staying only in her underwear. "What are you doing?" I asked. Even if we had defeated the Ice Devil, it was still freezing cold. I really doubted she had gotten a skill to completely offset the low temperatures. "Warm up. Body heat. Come," she said, placing a smaller piece of the fur in front of the bonfire and sitting down. She opened the makeshift blanket for me to join her. I remembered how Pops always said that the two best ways to recover from hypothermia were eating something warm or skin contact with someone who was warm. Since both Astrid and I were affected by frostbite, maybe it wouldn¡¯t be as effective, but we didn¡¯t have any other options. I took off my clothes, staying in my underwear, and joined her under the Ice Devil blanket. "It¡¯s a bit weird to think I¡¯ve known you for less than a week, and this is the second time I¡¯m sitting beside you in my underwear," I said. Astrid tilted her head. "It¡¯s strange?" "I wouldn¡¯t call it strange. It¡¯s just not something I¡¯m used to," I replied, turning a bit to the side so our backs were touching. Since we were both in the same situation, it was better to make sure we stayed in a position where we both benefited, rather than letting one person get warmer while the other struggled to maintain heat. Astrid nodded and stared at the fire. The strange blue light that covered the dungeon created an odd purple aura around the flames, where the two sources of light fought in a tug-of-war. Close to the fire were a couple of bear meat skewers slowly cooking. With any luck, we¡¯d be able to get one of the Ice Devil¡¯s skills. If I could pick one, maybe I¡¯d want the frozen armor it used. Then again, it only lasted for a few moments. Once it unleashed the snow tsunami, the armor was gone. It was hard to figure out why. Maybe the armor was temporary, or maybe creating the snow was a secondary effect of the skill. It could even be that the Ice Devil had sacrificed the armor¡¯s power to strengthen its other attack. "What now?" Astrid asked, interrupting my train of thought. "About?" "The dungeon," she said, without turning to look at me. "I mean, the dungeon¡¯s still here. I assume that if the Ice Devil was the thing controlling the dungeon, we would have gotten a notification or something. But since we didn¡¯t, everything is probably the same. Even so, let me check." I paused and spoke in my mind. ''Sys, is the dungeon still here?'' [User is still inside the dungeon. Killing the Ice Devil did not destroy the dungeon. As user stated, if the dungeon were destroyed, there would have been a notification.] "Yeah, it¡¯s still here." "What now? It¡¯s bad," Astrid said. I turned to the Frosted Lumberjack. "You think having the dungeon here is bad?" "Yes. You don¡¯t?" "I¡¯m not sure," I admitted. "On one hand, yeah, having an area like this causing extreme weather effects outside could be a problem. But at the same time, the people in the village don¡¯t have to worry about Eaters, do they?" Astrid shook her head. "They don¡¯t." "And I¡¯m pretty sure the dungeon plays a big part in that. I mean, Eaters look for sources of Energy. Fire is a good source of Energy for them. If you¡¯re not in weather like this, lighting a fire is like sending up a flare for those monsters to follow. I¡¯m worried that if we destroy the dungeon, the people in the village will have to face the Eaters," I explained.This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere. That wasn¡¯t a new thought. Ever since we arrived in the dungeon, my mind had been trying to understand the ramifications of our actions. Astrid stared at me for a while, but she eventually turned back to the flames, watching the flickering light. "Then what?" she finally asked. "I don¡¯t know. I don¡¯t think it¡¯s right for me to be the one to make that decision. And it¡¯s not like we¡¯re even sure that removing the dungeon would cause problems. Maybe everything will be fine, and they won¡¯t have to worry about the Eaters. Or maybe destroying the dungeon will cause them to flood back into this area." "I see," the Frosted Lumberjack murmured, her gaze fixed on the flames. It made sense. I¡¯d had days to think about all this, while she was only now learning about my concerns. This wasn¡¯t the kind of decision that could be made in a rush. We spent about half an hour sitting there, warming up by the fire. It wasn¡¯t nearly enough to completely offset the frostbite, but it was a good starting point. The Ice Devil¡¯s meat was tastier than I expected, but it was also three times tougher than any of the other bears. Unfortunately, it wasn¡¯t enough to grant us any skills. I had known it was a long shot. From what the System told me, I would only gain skills after eating a considerable amount of a creature that had them. And the Ice Devil was massive. Even between the two of us, we had barely made a dent in the meat we carved from its leg. Despite trying to focus on pretty much everything else, it was hard not to be cautious about the fact that I was basically naked beside Astrid. Not because I was attracted to her in that way. She was a beautiful woman¡ªlong arms and legs, large chiseled muscles covering her entire body, and beautiful blonde hair in a long braid that rested against her back¡ªbut she wasn¡¯t for me. Maybe if she was older, things could have been different. "The bears?" Astrid said. "Which bears?" "Here. Alive." "What about¡­ oh," I said, realizing what she meant. "You¡¯re asking what they¡¯re going to do now? Without the Ice Devil." Astrid nodded. I glanced at the fire for a moment, thinking about what she had asked. "Honestly, I don¡¯t know. We¡¯re not even sure if they¡¯re stuck here. If there¡¯s another way out without passing through the Ice Devil¡¯s lair, then nothing will change. But if that was the only way for them to leave, it¡¯s possible they¡¯ll start hunting outside and eventually find a village. Do you think the villagers would be able to handle some bears appearing every now and then?" There was a pause before she shook her head. "Not like this." "Yeah, without the System, they¡¯d be in trouble. And it¡¯s not fair to put all of that on you," I sighed. "Can I share?" "Are you asking if you can share the System?" I turned to Astrid again and received a nod as a response. Her question made me chuckle. "Of course, you can. It¡¯s yours now. You can do whatever you want with it. I¡¯m not going to sit here and tell you what you can or can¡¯t do. Just make sure to confirm with your System what the actual requirements are. There are a few things you¡¯ll need to have in order to share it. Like progression to the next level, for example. Still, it¡¯s something to keep in mind." "Would you share?" she asked, looking deep into my eyes. The strange fight between the blue light of the dungeon and the fire turned her face a shade of purple. "Honestly? No. I don¡¯t know them, and I don¡¯t know what they¡¯d do with a power like this. But you¡¯re free to give them the System if you want. Like I said, it¡¯s your System. I¡¯m not going to fight you just because your opinion is different from mine. Honestly, it would be a lot easier if we could just get rid of all the bears. But even though we¡¯re a bit stronger now, I¡¯m not confident we¡¯d be able to kill them all without dying first. I wish I knew a way to wipe them out quickly, but the only thing that comes to mind would require some explosives." Astrid stared at me for a moment with a strange expression before her eyes went wide. "Don¡¯t need." "What do you mean?" "Ice Devil¡¯s liver!" she gasped. "The liver? What does that have to do with anything?" "It¡¯s a polar bear. Vitamin A." "Right, I think I remember something about that. The liver of a polar bear can give you a Vitamin A overdose if you take a bite out of it, right?" "Yes." The gears in my head finally started moving, and I understood what she was trying to say. "And the Ice Devil¡¯s liver should be much worse than that of a polar bear¡ªat least in theory. So if we can find a way to make the other bears eat it, we might be able to kill them all." Astrid nodded with a smile. "Exactly. One problem. Animals avoid liver. Polar bear liver." I smiled back. "Yeah, I thought about that too, but I have a solution. A certain skill that can make large pieces of liver become very tiny." Astrid smiled. "Start now?" "Let¡¯s warm up properly first. We¡¯ll probably need to keep going back and forth to the lair, and I don¡¯t think the ground will be any less cold just because you killed that monster." We spent another hour or so in front of the bonfire, warming up before heading back to the Ice Devil¡¯s lair. Then, we started the long process of cutting the monster open and removing its liver. The organ was absolutely massive. Not only was it thick, but it was also long. If we propped it up, it would reach my waist. We took the entire thing back to our campsite, along with more pieces of meat. Preparing the poison bags took a lot of time, mostly because of {Compression}. Since I could only process five pieces of meat at once before needing to recover Energy, we had to take breaks every now and then. Still, we didn¡¯t just sit around doing nothing during those breaks. While my Energy reserves recovered, we started skinning the giant beast. Astrid had the idea of making some clothes using its fur. The leather was strong enough to function as some sort of armor. In a cold climate, that would be great, but if I ended up somewhere warmer, I¡¯d probably be sweating buckets just wearing it. We kept working throughout the entire afternoon, making a few dozen "poisoned" pieces of meat. During breaks, Astrid continued working on the Ice Devil¡¯s skin. We hoped the smell of the monster might be enough to scare away the other bears while we traveled through the mines. If everything worked, not only would we be out of here by tomorrow, but we might also get another nice boost to our levels. I had just leveled up, but more was always better. 66 - Cleaning Up Once we were ready, after making both the poisoned bait and the Ice Devil cloaks, we grabbed what we could and started heading deeper into the mines, searching for the Polar Brown Bears. It didn''t take long to find them. It was much easier to search for the creatures than it was to avoid them. Luckily, the first one we found was alone and clearly malnourished. My best theory was that this was an outcast from the pack, or maybe one that would be offered as a sacrifice in the near future. Being the stealthier of the two, I approached the entrance of the bear''s dwelling and tossed a large piece of meat, about the size of Astrid''s bicep, in its direction. The bear stood up and started growling, looking around for what had just startled it. If I wasn''t behind a piece of ice, it would''ve noticed me. But the low light helped to hide my presence. After a few moments, the bear approached the meat, sniffed it, and started to eat. We made sure to pepper the liver pieces over the meal, shoving each piece deep into the muscle and fat of the Ice Devil while also doing our best not to damage the meat too much. The bear finally decided to eat and gorged itself on the meat, devouring it ravenously. We waited a few more moments, trying to see if something would happen. Poison could be fast, but it was hard to tell what would happen with a death due to Vitamin A overdose. We heard the bear grunting, and before long, it threw up and fell to the ground. It was still alive, but struggling. I sighed and turned to Astrid, shaking my head. The frosted lumberjack peeked inside the room, and once she confirmed the monster wasn''t going to move, she stepped forward. In a quick motion, she cut the bear''s head off, or at least attempted to do so. Despite her new levels and new class, she still wasn''t strong enough to do that with a single swing, not without using any skills at least. The good thing was that the creature was too weak to fight back, allowing Astrid more than enough time to hack away and finish the job. "How many pieces of liver did you put in that meat?" I asked once the monster had been killed. "Two." "Maybe we need to double that, then. We can''t afford to have the bears all throwing up because of their meals," I frowned, looking at the monster''s puke. It wasn''t a good smell, but at least in a cold environment like this, it was better. If this had happened in a place where the sun was strong, it would turn rancid really quickly. Not that the regular smell of the mines was that much better. There were several bears in here, and between the rotting meat they left behind and their excrement, the entire place was nasty. We went back to our campsite and prepared another set of bait. It took a bit since I would need to use {Compression} to make sure everything was in place, but now each piece of meat had doubled the amount of liver it previously had. Once we were ready, we found another bear and repeated the process. This time, instead of it throwing up, it started thrashing around before collapsing. Astrid figured the same thing was about to happen again and walked forward to finish the job, but before she could get too close, we both felt a rush of SP getting inside of us. The double dose worked. We went back to the camp and prepared the remaining bait. As I was trying to find the liver, I focused on {Compression}, but not to trigger the skill. I was trying to search for signals that it had been used. It was easier than I expected. Since that was one of my main skills, I quickly recognized the particles that had acted to change the liver''s size. It was strange to see them like that, almost as if I was looking at a part of myself. But at the same time, it was something completely alien. Still, it worked. I was able to find the pieces and take them out without damaging the meat too much. All that care might be for naught. After all, the bears might not care if they see meat that is not in perfect condition. But it was better to be safe than sorry. With everything ready, and this time for real, we left the camp searching for the larger packs of bears. In just a few minutes, we found that same place that caused us to fight the Ice Devil. There were even more monsters inside, with about a dozen, including a couple of cubs. Throwing a few pieces of meat inside and leaving one by the door, we walked back, hiding in a corridor nearby. There were grunts, and one of the larger creatures even left their nest. But it was only to look around before it took the meat and went back inside. Slowly getting closer, we got ready to fight, just in case. But not long after, we started to receive more and more SP. It started as a trickle, likely due to the fact that the particles were going to the other bears instead of us. But as their number thinned, more and more came towards us. There were still a couple of cubs alive, and they tried to attack us. It was easy to tell that this wasn''t the same amount as we would get by killing them. But still, it was progress. Then again, I had a sneaking suspicion of the reason why that happened. ''Sys, is the dungeon taking some of the particles?'' [Correct. Anything that dies inside of a dungeon will give some of the particles inside its body back to the dungeon.]This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there. ''That doesn''t sound really fair. I mean, the dungeon is not doing anything to help those inside it to level up. It''s not actively giving them more Energy or something like that, is it?'' [The dungeon is not giving any extra Energy to those who inhabit it. However, being inside of a dungeon makes it so excuse related to said dungeon are more easily acquired. In addition, one''s presence inside a dungeon can also result in specific classes or mutations becoming available. There is also a third effect. Creatures that are affected by particles are more likely to feel attracted to a dungeon, as it is a place with a high concentration of SP. Meaning that creatures who decide to stay inside the dungeon are more likely to acquire more SP than they would otherwise.] ''So, every dungeon is kind of like a Kodoku?'' [System is unsure what a Kodoku is.] Here¡¯s your revised text with all specified rules applied: ''It''s an old Japanese thing. Basically, it''s what they call a pot filled with various poisonous animals,'' I explained. [Inquiry, why was that done?] ''The idea was that the animals would kill each other since they are trapped inside, and the one that survived would be more poisonous than all other animals inside the pot.'' [Acknowledged. That is a good approximation of what happens in a dungeon. However, unlike the Kodoku, a dungeon should have an open exit at all times.] ''Are you telling me that there''s never going to be a dungeon that traps people or monsters inside?'' [System is unable to confirm that possibility. Currently, the only information System has about dungeons comes from the Frosted Gold Dungeon.] Astrid and I continued to search for more bears, and we found another three somewhat large dens, each with about eight of those creatures. That was truly a large number of them. If left alone, it was very likely that they would end up leaving the mines and searching for more food outside. Or that would be the case if we hadn''t thinned their numbers. By the end of our rampage, both of us had gained one more level. Astrid was now level 5 while I reached level 10, getting to the point where I was saturated. And honestly, I could feel it. It was a feeling similar to when I had a really big meal¡ªnot to the point of getting sick because of it, but to the point of feeling as if nothing else could fit. Getting more SP after that relieved that sensation, but even after we killed the last of the bears, I could still feel it. I put my extra attribute point on Body, while my Energy increased by one naturally. In addition, my Memory also reached 10, letting me have at least 10 points on every attribute across the board. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Cassandra Ydorf - Level 10 - Saturated Titles: Enduring Heart Tier: 1 - Formless Monk Mind - 10 Body - 11 Memory - 10 Energy - 6/13 (5 Reserved) Skills- 9/10 Energy Storage - Passive - 1 Energy Memory Bank - Passive - 1 Energy Predatory Sense - Passive - 1 Energy Ice-Veined Strength - 2 Energy Body Regeneration - Active - 1 Energy/10 minutes Compression - Active - 1 Energy/5 uses Firestarter - Active - 1 Energy Formless Series - Passive Formless Ice Devil¡¯s Lunge - Active - 2 Energy Mind of Possibility - Unavailable ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ I felt a bit frustrated, as part of me was expecting to get another title or something special for making all my attributes reach 10 points. But checking the skill I got made that frustration go away. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Harmonized Expanse - Passive - Aspirant Requires: At least 10 points in Body, Mind, Energy, and Memory You have achieved a balance between all aspects of your being, unlocking the ability to harness their synergy. Every 10 points in Mind will also add 1 point in Body and vice versa. Every 10 points in Memory will also add 1 point in Energy. You can permanently lose 10 points in Energy to acquire 1 point in Memory. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ After reading it, I got frustrated again. ''Is that really it? That still feels very underwhelming. I mean, sure, it''s an extra three attribute points across the board, but the part about permanently losing Energy to get Memory seems so bad,'' I asked the System. [Once System became aware of User''s intention of reaching 10 points in all attributes, it started working on this skill. However, reaching 10 points in any attribute is possible during Tier 0. For that reason, System was unable to create something more powerful. At the same time, System attempted to follow User''s wishes.] ''Thanks, I guess. But this was not it. Really,'' I sighed and went to take a look at the next skill, only to realize that was the only one I got. I thought about taking one of the skills from {Memory Bank}, but a thought crossed my mind. ''Sys, can I touch the dungeon core without destroying it or getting killed?'' [The dungeon core is a condensed mass of particles. The core itself should not have any defensive properties.] ''And could I get something by touching it?'' [System is unsure if that is a possibility, as the particles inside the dungeon core will not have skills that are compatible with a living being. However, System cannot confirm or deny the possibility of replicating sets of skills, even if in a weaker form, by coming into contact with the dungeon core.] I talked to Astrid for a bit, and we decided to head back to the Ice Devil''s lair and check the dungeon core. Thankfully, with {Compression} and a decent-sized chunk of ice, we were able to reach the top of that large area. The glowing blue orb was attached to the ceiling. I reached out, hoping to get something out of it, but all I did was get my hand frostbitten. Even the Frosted Lumberjack didn''t get anything out of it. Unfortunately, it was late, and we were both tired, meaning it was better to sleep in our camp one more night before getting out of here. Astrid also had one more idea, one thing she wanted to do before we were able to leave, and that was to take the Ice Devil''s head back to the village, so she could prove once and for all that her father was not a liar. I realized the size could be a problem, but agreed to help. As long as we found a few mine carts or anything that had wheels, I would be able to fashion something to carry the head with us. If not, it would be a nice workout. 67 - Back on track "I can''t believe that thing broke again," I grumbled and walked back to the sled where the head of the Ice Devil rested. Astrid and I had already left the dungeon. We were able to find what we needed to take the creature''s skull. Leaving the mines ended up taking a bit longer than we were expecting. A couple of tunnels we could have taken were too small for our loot. But eventually, we came out of that place. During most of the trip, I was expecting to find another of those spiders, but that didn''t happen. I wasn''t sure if I had killed the last one or if they were just living deeper inside the mines. After all, there was a good chunk of that place we had left unexplored. Maybe one day I could go back and see if the dungeon was hiding any more secrets. But that wasn''t going to happen now. Even coming here wasn''t something I wanted to do. We delved inside the mines unprepared and had to save a bunch of dumb kids from themselves. At least now I could see the sun again. I honestly never realized how much I would miss the warmth it brought. But after leaving the tunnels, we didn''t have that long to enjoy our freedom. At the bottom of the pit were a few bears who noticed our presence and started running inside the mines, probably to come after us. Since Astrid was adamant about not leaving the Ice Devil''s head behind, we pushed the massive thing up the hill until we came out on the other side. But that created another problem. We were using some old, rusted wheels and part of a mine cart to carry that head with us. It worked great while we were on solid ground, but it couldn''t handle snow. As a result, we had to create another vehicle for it¡ªthis time a sled. Using some old wood from a half-destroyed structure nearby, we built it and started pushing it across the snow. The thing is, neither Astrid nor I were particularly good carpenters. Even our best effort created something that was barely passable, but at least it was functional. We started heading back to the village, but every half an hour or so, we had to stop and make some repairs. That made the trip take more than twice as long as it should have. The problem wasn''t just making the repairs but also stopping to find some trees, cutting down wood, figuring out how to wrap everything together, and only then starting to move again. Down the path, we came up with the idea of cutting an entire tree and carrying it along with the head. That way, it was easier to make repairs. By the time we were reaching Astrid''s village, it was already dark out. At least it was easy to see we were on the right path, since the people there had lit some candles near the doors so others could navigate the village at night. Another problem came when we reached a part of the road that was void of any snow, not because it didn''t snow there, but because someone was responsible for shoveling it out of the way. This meant that, in order to continue, we had to push the sled along with the giant head. It didn''t take long for someone to scream bloody murder, which caused all the people in the village to rush out and the guards to step forward. Astrid was about to move away when I touched her shoulder. "Relax. It''s probably us." "Why?" "Because we''re behind the giant head. From their perspective, they''re only seeing a giant creature approach," I explained. Astrid paused. "Oh." "Let''s go tell them everything''s okay." I stepped out from behind the Ice Devil''s head and walked forward to meet the village guards. Astrid followed me, which made things much easier since they would recognize her. "Astrid? Scott said that you were dead," one of the guards gasped. "I''m not," Astrid replied bluntly. Her response almost made me laugh because of how direct it was. She wasn''t wrong in saying it like that, but at the same time, it was funny. "Did you lie to me, boy?" The guard snapped his head to the side, looking at his son, who was working with him as a punishment. Even though I didn''t want to get involved, it wasn''t fair for the kid to suffer. "Don''t worry. He didn''t. When he left the cave, he had every reason to think that we were not coming back." "And how did you come back?" Scott asked. "Some luck, some skill, and a very good hunt, as you can see." I stepped to the side and gestured to the giant head of the Ice Devil. "By the heavens. Is that¡­" One of the older men in the village started speaking but couldn''t finish the sentence, almost as if saying those words would make the situation even worse. "The Ice Devil," Astrid replied. "It was real?" the guard asked. "Yes," Astrid answered. I saw the muscles in her mouth twitch. She almost smiled while saying it. The older man walked forward, carrying a torch to get a better look at the creature. I could see in his eyes that he was struggling with this. But as he looked into the monster''s eyes, saw the ice still standing on top of its forehead forming a crown, and noticed how its blood was unnaturally cold, he began to accept it. "I can''t even begin to imagine how hard you must have fought to kill this," the man said, turning to Astrid. The orange glow from his torch shone across his face. "And you did all that, even though you knew no one believed in you. I am so sorry for letting you go through this by yourself." Astrid shrugged and glanced at me. "Someone believed." The old man shifted his gaze, landing on me. "You are the girl who talked about the Eaters, aren''t you?" "Woman. And yes, I am her. The name is Cassandra."You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. The old man nodded. "As the leader of the village, I thank you for believing in Astrid and helping her through her ordeal. I understand we have not been as kind as we should to you, and I will rectify that going forward." "Well, if you''re offering, there''s one thing you can do right now." The man''s expression shifted ever so slightly. It was clear that his offer wasn''t the kind of thing he expected someone to accept. Still, he wasn''t about to lose face in front of his village. "Of course. What do you need?" "Can you get some people to help us push this thing? My arms and legs are sore after all this," I said, pointing to the Ice Devil''s head. "Of course, of course," the village elder called for the guards, and soon they helped take the Ice Devil''s head to the center of the village. A crowd gathered around it, everybody gasping in horror and awe when they saw the creature. Everyone already knew that Astrid and I had risked our lives to save the teenagers, but now people wanted to know the next part of the story¡ªhow Astrid and I fought and survived inside the mines for so long. I gave a brief explanation, saying how we were attacked by bears, ended up falling near the lair, and took a few days to come up with a proper plan to fight the beast. We had to watch it as it moved to see if we could find any weaknesses or moments when it would be vulnerable. In the end, we decided to attack while it was sleeping, which allowed us to injure it enough, so the rest of the fight wasn''t as dangerous as someone might expect. Thankfully, Astrid and I had already discussed what we would tell people. Since I didn''t want to share information about the System with anyone, she accepted my suggestion of framing the fight as more of an ambush. Not that I wasn''t proud of how we fought, but that story was something I wanted to share only with those who could truly understand. It was clear that people wanted to keep talking to us for a while, but we mentioned how tired we were and were allowed to go to Astrid''s house for the night¡ªbut not before some people brought food with them, which was much appreciated. Before going to sleep, we took a steam bath, which only removed part of the grime and soot that covered our bodies, followed by an actual bath. This time, we used a bucket of warm water that Astrid prepared. We used soap to properly clean ourselves before heading back inside to eat and sleep. Having an actual bed for the first time in almost a week felt amazing. Even the trees or the ground I usually slept on were softer than the frozen rock of the mines. We didn''t talk much during the whole nightly routine, but that didn''t matter. We had talked enough over the course of the last few days. It was a shame that our time together was coming to an end. After all, I wouldn''t be staying here long. As a matter of fact, my intention was to leave in a day or two. I still wanted to see the ocean before the month ended so I could go back and find Pops. I slept like a log. Before I even realized it, the sun was up, and by the looks of it, it was getting close to noon. Astrid had left, but she did leave some food on the table for me. After eating, I stepped out and walked into the village, hoping to find the Frosted Lumberjack. Instead, I just found the other villagers. Even then, their reaction to me was strange. They didn''t answer my greetings, and the ones that did seemed bothered by my presence. The guards were wary when I was around, and with the exception of Scott, Johnny, and Emily, everyone seemed to be avoiding me. I asked the teenagers about it, and they just said people were distrusting of outsiders. That was something I could understand, but even then, I had helped Astrid defeat the Ice Devil. More importantly, I had saved those teenagers. After something like that, I kind of hoped people would at least be polite when talking to me. Astrid, on the other hand, seemed to be having the time of her life. Everybody wanted to talk to her. Everybody cheered when she walked by. Even the guards were asking her advice about hunting and how to protect the village. Emily told me they were even going to take the head of the Ice Devil and keep it in the main square at Astrid''s request. It was nice of her to let them keep the head, but at the same time, it made sense that she wouldn''t want to keep it near her house. That was the monster that killed her father. Having a constant reminder of what made him suffer nearby wouldn''t be very fun. I ended up not seeing Astrid the entire day, even after I went back to her house and made dinner. Just like she had done, I left some food out for her, but she was still nowhere to be seen. Once again, I slept much longer than I was expecting, and this time, it didn''t feel like it was for a good reason. Still, I had decided to leave the village and continue my journey to the coast. Before that, I tried to find Astrid again, but had no success. By all indications, she had left the village. It felt a bit rude to leave without saying goodbye, but I found a small piece of wood and wrote a message thanking her for everything and saying where I would be going. After that, I walked over to my bag and started double-checking that I had everything and wasn''t leaving anything behind. Unfortunately, my rations were gone. The ones that were left had spoiled. This meant the first order of business was to go out hunting. I could probably take a day or two to get enough of a stockpile to avoid worrying about food for a while, but it wasn''t the end of the world. As I was finishing up, I heard a noise from the door. Astrid had finally returned. Walking out of the room, I saw that she had already found my letter. "You''re leaving?" Astrid asked. "I am. This is not really my place, you know. And people are not as excited about my presence as they are about yours. So I''m just going to go to the coast. I''ve never seen the ocean before, and I''m kind of excited about it." Astrid nodded. "Ocean sounds nice." "Yeah. In a few weeks, I should go back to see my grandpa. Maybe I''ll stop by again." Astrid stared at me for a moment, then turned around to her bedroom. "Need my bag." Her reaction made me a bit sad, but it was time to go. "I''m heading out. Good luck here. And I hope you don''t have to fight another giant polar bear again," I said as I stepped toward the door. "Wait!" Astrid called from her room. She quickly came back out carrying a backpack that seemed to be full of supplies and a pair of sleeping bags. "What''s going on?" "I''ll come," Astrid replied. "You''re going to come with me? Why? This is your home. This is your village." Astrid shook her head. She stepped toward the unfinished carving, the one of a horse in the meadow. "He was my home. Now, I''m lost. Traveling can help find the way. Especially traveling with a friend." I scratched the back of my head. She was never one to talk much and hearing her speak like that hit hard, "When you put it like that, it''s hard for me to say no, you can''t come." Astrid smiled. "I know." With a scoff I rolled my eyes. "I won''t say no to some company. And I did say it before, but I like you. Are you sure you want to come?" Astrid nodded, but before anything else, she stepped toward the table, gesturing to a package. "For you, and me." "What''s that?" I asked. I hadn''t even noticed the package there. When she opened it, she revealed a set of two cloaks made out of the white fur from the Ice Devil, not just the loose skin we had used back in the mines, but proper cloaks that even included hoods. "Those are great. Who made them?" "I did. Took a full day," Astrid replied. I put on one of the cloaks, which covered my entire body. This would be great for traveling through the snow, though the moment we entered a warmer area, we would be in trouble. Even then, that didn''t matter. It was comfortable, it was warm, it was perfect. With my new companion officially in tow, we walked out of the house and into the forest, leaving Astrid''s home behind as we continued our journey toward the coast. 68 - Leaving with company Once Astrid said she wanted to come with me, I imagined we would stay in the village for some time before leaving. In my mind, she was going to say goodbye, prepare everything, and make sure someone took care of her house. But that is not what happened. Not that we left right away. After all, since I offered, there were a couple of things she wanted to do. First, she cut out one of the carvings that was in her house. It was a long piece of wood near the door. On it was a beautifully carved eagle with an interestingly shaped baby bird. That was the first carving she did with her father. It was too big to be carried properly, but with a quick {Compression}, that problem was solved. Next, she took some time to pack properly. There were a couple of things she was forgetting, such as lighter clothes and an extra pair of underwear. We also took time to gather directions we could take and separate the things that would not be good to bring along the road. There was one last thing she wanted to do before leaving, but that was not in her house. We stepped out, leaving our packs behind. Astrid wanted to take them, but I said it was a bad idea. If we walked into the village clearly about to leave, people would stop us and want to know what was going on. Astrid did not say where we were going, but I was not going to ask. When she felt it was time, she would tell me. It took us about half an hour to find what she was looking for¡ªor more specifically, who. "Astrid? What brings you here? I told you, you can rest. We will take care of protecting the village, at least for a few days," Jason said. He was Scott''s dad and the leader of the guard. "I''m leaving." "But you just got here," Jason paused and took a good look into Astrid''s eyes. "You are not talking just about here, are you?" "No." Jason sighed. "Honestly, I imagined you would do that sooner. Ever since your dad¡­ you have not been the same. There was a madness in your eyes. I couldn''t tell if you were chasing after something or trying to find something. Maybe it was both, which I guess is what was happening since you wanted to go after the Ice Devil. But yesterday, instead of all that frenzy being gone, it looked like just part of it had been fixed. Whatever you were chasing is gone, and you are truly lost." I was a bit surprised by his insight because most of what he was saying went completely over my head. I had no idea Astrid was going through all that. Sure, I knew about her dad and how that devil killed him, and that she was chasing after it, but it had only been a few days since we met. I had not known her long enough to understand that kind of internal struggle. "Am I lost?" Astrid asked. "Not anymore. You found something you want to do, did you not?" Jason asked, getting a nod in reply. "Well, then I am the last person who is going to tell you to stay. Go after what you need. I will take care of your house and do my best not to let people mess things up too much. Even if we end up having to give it to someone else, you will always have a place to stay here. I promise." "Thank you," Astrid said, putting out a hand for Jason to shake. The man did just that, but the Frosted Lumberjack held on to his hand, not letting go for a few moments. She frowned and turned to me. "The command?" "You want to give it to him?" "Yes." "Ingrain. And you do not need to say it out loud," I replied. Astrid nodded and turned to Jason, who had an expression of utter confusion. After a moment, his eyes went wide as the confusion changed into bewilderment. "What¡­ what is this?" Jason asked, his eyes still glued to something we could not see. Astrid turned toward me. "Can you explain? I am not good." I rolled my eyes. "Fine, but that is going to be the first and last time I do this. We are going to have a conversation about sharing this with others later, deal?" With a nod, the Frosted Lumberjack agreed to my request. I gestured for Jason to follow me, and we moved to a more private location. "Right. So, what Astrid just gave you is called the System. It is something that you can talk to, and it will answer any questions that you have. Basically, what it does is help you get stronger. You will be able to level up, which means increasing a specific part of your body and acquiring skills that are kind of like magic powers. Like this one." With a quick cast of {Compression}, I made my staff smaller. "What the hell was that?" Jason gasped. "A skill. Pay attention. Now, an easy way to level up and become stronger is to go hunting. If you kill monsters, you will get¡­ something that makes you stronger. It is complicated, and I do not want to get into that. Ask the System. They will be able to explain."If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it. "They? Who are they?" Jason asked. "The System, but it is more of an it. I just prefer to think that something talking to me in my head is a person, not just a strange tool. Either way, you get stronger by killing other animals. And possibly people, but I never tested that part. I just hope you understand why that is bad." "Are you calling me a murderer? I am not going to go around killing people!" Jason protested. I nodded. "Perfect. That is exactly what you need to do¡ªnot kill people. Now, moving on. Every few levels, you get a few skill choices. Those skills are magical powers that can make your life a lot easier. I showed you that one, but I can also do this." I snapped my fingers, and a small flame appeared in my hand. It lasted only a couple of seconds before vanishing. Jason just stared at my hand. "How is that possible?" "The simple answer is magic. If you want to know the complicated answer, then ask your System. Trust me, it will do a much better job than I would. And that is about it. Everything else you can ask your System, and it will tell you. But if you want, you can ask four more questions. I was not prepared to explain this to someone, and frankly, I did not want to," I said, glancing at Astrid, who sheepishly looked away. It was amusing seeing someone as big as her act like that. "Is this how you killed the Ice Devil?" Jason asked. "It is. Without that, we wouldn''t have been able to survive. But we are also much higher level than you are right now. I''m Tier One and Level 10. Ask your System what that means." Jason nodded and paused, trying to come up with a question. "If this really can make people stronger, can I give this to others?" I shrugged. "The System is yours. You can do whatever you want with it." "Then can we give this to everybody in the village?" Jason asked. "If you want to do that, you''re free to do it. The System is yours, and you can give it to whoever you want. The only restriction is the resources you have to spend. Ask your System. But, if you don''t mind a piece of advice, do you really think everybody should have a power like this? Everybody? Keep in mind that everything I''m telling you right now also applies to everyone you give the System to." "Of course it would help! If this can make people stronger, then we wouldn''t have to worry about being attacked by bears or other animals. We would be able to carry more wood, build better houses, and if bandits or bad people came around, we could¡­" He trailed off, his eyes wandering to the ground. It seemed like he finally understood what I was saying. I gave him a few moments and stood by the side, listening in. After about two minutes, Jason stopped looking at the ground and turned back to me. "I agree. Maybe not everyone should have this. But I don''t think it''s fair for me to make that decision." "Well, that''s the price you have to pay for getting this power. Now you have to make that decision. And so does everybody else who has it." "What was your decision?" Jason asked. "That I would only give this to people I trusted. Of course, I don''t expect that only people I know will ever get the System, but at least I can make sure I don''t have anything on my conscience." "Are you saying you trust me?" Jason frowned. "That''s technically your fifth question, but I''ll give you a freebie. No, I don''t trust you. But I wasn''t the one who gave you the System." I glanced at Astrid. "And like I said, whoever has the System can do whatever they want with it." Jason turned to Astrid. "Thank you. I don''t know what to say. I honestly don''t know what''s happening, not really. But still, thank you. If this helped you kill the Ice Devil, I can''t see this being a bad thing." Astrid did not offer any response. We said our goodbyes again and headed back to her home to pick up our stuff before leaving the village. I did not say much during that time, only speaking when there was a need to communicate something to Astrid. Still, we spent about an hour walking west, following the road a little north of the village. The beginning of our travel was very similar to what we did to reach the mines. But this time, we could really take in the sights instead of just rushing past everything. Eventually, the silence might have been too much for Astrid, who stopped walking and gestured for me to do the same. "You mad?" she asked. "About what?" I genuinely was not sure what she was referring to. "Me. Jason." "Oh¡­ I''m not happy about that, but I''m not mad. I just felt blindsided. You could have told me that was what you wanted to do, you know. Then I would have been a bit more prepared to explain things to him. And also, I don''t know the guy. You are the one who chose to give him the System, not me. You''re the one who should explain things, or just tell him to figure it out on his own." "I''m sorry." I shrugged and continued walking. "Don''t be. It''s okay. I had no idea I would be that upset because of something so minor. But it might be good for us to set up some ground rules for our travels. That way, I don''t do anything that upsets you, and you don''t do anything that upsets me. What do you think?" "Agreed," Astrid said, following me. "I think the first rule should be that each of us is free to do whatever we want with the System. If you want to give the System to everybody we come across, you can do that. We can even ask each other for help, like, I could say, ''Hey, I want to give the System to three people; could you give it to one while I give it to the other two?'' But if the other person says no, that''s it. They''re not going to help, and we can''t keep insisting or trying to convince them otherwise," I said. That was something that had been on my mind ever since I left Madison. I should have talked to Pops about this specific setup, but I could not remember if I had done that. "I like," Astrid nodded. "How about you? Do you have any rules you want to put in place? Let''s keep bouncing one rule from each of us back and forth so we don''t overwhelm anyone." "Maybe. Need to think," Astrid replied, crossing her arms. The Frosted Axe hung from her back, just over the Ice Devil cloak she made. We ended up with a considerable number of rules, but they all sounded reasonable enough. We also added a clause that allowed us to ignore the rules in case of danger. We talked about that for most of the first day of travel, and by the end of it, we had reached the other side of the dungeon''s influence. The snow was starting to slow down, and we were once more reaching open land and open roads. 69 - party "I agree. If we have something special to eat, you should ask before eating the last piece. But that feels like manners. Do you really think it should be a rule?" I turned to Astrid. "Yes," she replied, her voice cold and intense. It was clear there was a story there, but I felt it was not the best time to ask. "Is there any other rule you want to add?" I asked. Astrid paused for a moment, trying to think, before shaking her head. We were currently taking a break from walking. It had been a few hours since we left her village, and the temperature was slowly decreasing, meaning we were already getting close to the dungeon. Still, we found a small clearing that was warm enough and sat on the large rocks to rest for a bit. There was no need to rush after anyone right now, so we could take our time. Once I heard Astrid''s answer, I nodded. "Okay. Let me check with the System if it finished the list." ''Sys?'' [System has compiled the list of rules User and Astrid have agreed upon. All rules should be applied to both User Cassandra and Astrid.] [1 - Each User has full rights over their System. They can choose how to use it, who to share it with, and who to tell about it. Conversations can be had about said decisions, but the decision is ultimately up to each individual User. Even if another User disagrees with the idea, they should not impede a User from utilizing their System as they see fit.] [2 - If a User discovers a unique feature of their System, be it a special skill, a class, a title, or something else, they must share that information. The only exception is if revealing said information would also reveal personal information that the User does not wish to reveal at the moment.] [3 - When keeping watch during the night, Users must respect each other''s sleep. The only situation when a User is allowed to be disturbed while sleeping is if there is an emergency.] [4 - In the event where a User feels the need to hunt a specific monster or animal, they must warn each other before heading out.] [5 - If a User is upset with another, they must discuss what happened.] [6 - If a special meal has been made, a User must ask before eating the last of it.] [Inquiry: Are those all the rules User wishes to create?] ''Can you share it with Astrid?'' I asked the System. [Affirmative. But transference of information requires physical contact.] I walked towards her and touched her shoulder, telling the System to pass the list along. After a moment, she nodded. "Sounds good." "Okay then. That is the list. Can you save it for us?" [Acknowledged.] [User has completed the requirements to form a party. Would User like to form a party with Astrid?] "What?" Astrid and I asked at the same time. "Do you know?" the Frosted Lumberjack asked me. "I have no clue what this is. Do you mind explaining to us, System?" [A party is a group of people who are working together for the same goal. By creating and formalizing a set of rules, System is able to create a party. System was unaware of said possibility until the requirements were fulfilled. The creation of the rules allows for the creation of the party. However, the rules are not binding. If a rule is broken, there will be no direct effect on the configuration of the party. At any point, one of the party members can ask their own System to be removed from the party.] "Right¡­ but what does it do? Do we get bonuses on the amount of Energy we acquire or something?" [Being in a party allows members of said party to distribute how many particles they receive after killing a monster in a group. In addition, being in a party can allow the members of the party to acquire skills more easily, as the information about skills acquired through the consumption of particles is shared between party members. Lastly, members of the party will always be aware of each other''s location. In close proximity, that location is precise, but the farther apart the party members are, the more generic the location will be.] "The location thing. Does it show up like the markers for landmarks you can do?" [Correct. In a similar fashion to landmarks, the marker for party members can be customized. This is the current display option.] A small circular arrow appeared in the corner of my vision. It had a red outline with an "A" in the middle, pointing directly at Astrid. "This can be useful. But how about the particle sharing thing? Is it automatic or what?" [The amount of particles each party member receives has no changes by default. If party members wish to change that, all they have to do is ask System to do so. Currently, both Users Cassandra and Astrid are set up to receive 100% of the particles they acquire. This means that each party member will not share the amount of particles they acquire with the other.] "And can we change that freely? Can we say that one of us does not get any particles while the other gets everything?"The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation. [Particle acquisition must be within a certain range. Currently, the lowest point range is a 25/75% split. One party member receives only 25% of all particles acquired through hunting while the other receives 75%. If party members are too far apart to receive the particles from each other, particles can be stored for up to 1 hour. After that period, particles will be integrated with the user they are currently attached to. System is unable to say if those values would change if there were more party members or if there are more functions currently unavailable for the party.] "Did you get all that?" I turned to Astrid, who nodded in response. "And what do you say about us changing the amount of particles we get for fights?" She paused, looking into my eyes for a moment. "Okay." "Great. That way, you can catch up in no time. Once we get to the same level, we can just keep it at an equal split. What do you think?" Astrid blinked. "I get more?" "Of course. You are lower level than me. If we are going to travel together, I think we should be on the same playing field. It is the basics of an adventure party to have everyone around the same level of power. Otherwise, people start to get left behind too quickly." It took me a moment to realize why she had that weird expression. "Wait. You thought I was going to say I should get most of it?" "Yes." "Why?" "You do not trust me," she replied. "What? What gave you that impression?" "You. When gave System." I paused and thought for a moment. It was true. When I gave her the System, I said that I would usually only give it to someone I trusted, but the situation was different with her. "Astrid, I am sorry. It was true back then. We had barely met each other, and I still did not trust you completely. But now, after everything we have been through. Girl, I trust you. After we fought the Ice Devil, hell, even before that, I already trusted you. I know that if something goes down, you will have my back, and I hope you know that I have yours. And if you ever decide to stop traveling with me, that will not change. I mean, unless something big happens and we have a fight." "Really?" she asked. It was cute how she could make such big puppy dog eyes, even when she was built like a bear. "Really. I wouldn''t have let you come with me if I did not trust you. I do not know if you noticed, but I am a bit prickly about that kind of thing." She nodded. "I know." "Hey!" I protested with a chuckle. "So, are we good?" "Great," Astrid replied with a smile. I smiled back and sat down. Looking up into the sky, it was easy to tell it was the middle of the afternoon. And, of course, the System could tell me precisely that it was 1:12 p.m. That was not really a problem, at least for now. Ever since we left the village, I had not seen a single house, meaning that we would likely have to stay outside for the night. It was not fun doing that kind of thing in a place this cold, but it still might be better than walking around in the middle of the night. Astrid seemed to notice my worried expression and bumped her shoulder into mine. "What?" "I am just thinking about where we are going to spend the night. Do you know if there are any houses nearby?" "My village," she replied. "Yeah. I was worried you were going to say that. We still have a lot of time, but I just like to have an idea of where we are going to stay before sundown. Otherwise, we are going to have to find a cave or something to spend the night. And I really do not like that idea." "Why?" "I don''t know the area. I don''t know the type of creatures that might be lurking in the middle of the night. And we are in the middle of snow. It''s not going to be comfortable. Even with the clothes you made. Those are amazing, by the way. I have no idea how you managed to do them in just a day." I pulled the white fur cloak over my lap. Despite coming from the Ice Devil, it was so soft and warm. There was not even any smell to indicate it came from a recently killed monster. "Not done." "Sorry. I got distracted and did not finish what I was saying." Astrid interrupted me. "No. Cloaks. Not done." "You didn''t finish the cloaks?" I glanced at them. I could not see what else could be done with the fur. There was already something covering the insides, the edges were very well cleaned, and there was even a hood and a way to wrap it around our shoulders. "What''s missing here?" "Embroidery." "You know how to do embroidery?" Astrid nodded. "Damn. I''m excited to see how it is going to look when you finish. But that is even more of a reason for us not to sleep outside. It would be a shame to mess up the cloaks before you are able to finish them." There was a pause before Astrid spoke again, "West. A city." "There''s a city to the west? Did you go there at some point?" "No. Merchant." "Okay, that''s a possibility. But I don''t like the idea of staying in a city either. Usually, those places are filled with Eaters," I sighed. "They are?" Astrid tilted her head. "Yeah. Speaking of which, you never saw an Eater, right? Actually, no. You saw one from a distance." "Yes." "Right. I''m sure you know the type of animals that live here better than I do. So, let us do this: we take turns explaining the dangers we know of. That way, we do not have to spend our walk in silence." Astrid got up. "Okay. We go?" I nodded and started walking, "We go. So, an Eater is like a giant tentacle monster¡­" We continued our conversation while walking. Every now and then, {Predatory Sense} would give me a ping that made us stop talking and move quietly. There were a couple of packs of wolves in the region, but they kept away from this area. It was too cold for them. After all, even though the dungeon was not directly in this direction, we were getting closer to it. For the next few hours, we talked about pretty much everything we could think of, every type of danger, from animals to monsters to plants, and even problems that could appear because of the environment. Despite not saying too many words, it was surprisingly easy to understand Astrid. Even when she was trying to explain something very specific, like the movement patterns of a pack of wolf. Once the sun started to approach the horizon, we were lucky enough to find a house hidden by the snow. It did not take much effort to get inside and even less effort to find the fireplace and ignite a small fire for us to spend the night. I knew we had barely made any progress, but according to the marker given by the System, we had already passed the dungeon. The Frosted Gold Dungeon was behind us, in more ways than one. That truly felt like an accomplishment. While we were preparing some of the meat we brought along, I realized one massive mistake we had made. "Shit¡­" "What?" Astrid asked. "We forgot to grab some of the teeth and claws from the Ice Devil. Those could have made good weapons." Astrid frowned, thinking about it for a moment. "We did." She slumped back against the wall. "Well, maybe we can find something better next time. This cannot be the only dungeon around." "Another Ice Devil?" "Probably not. From everything the System told me, they do not all need to be ice-based. But who knows? Maybe we will find a Fire Devil." "I hope not." I nodded. "Me neither." 70 - Inside the hut Since we were both inside the house, Astrid and I slept for the night. There was no need for anyone to be on the lookout for monsters or anything of the sort, especially since it was easy to barricade the entrances properly. It would be impossible for anyone to get inside without making a lot of noise. We woke up close to sunrise, but it was too cold to start our travels again. The best idea would be to wait for a few hours until the sun could do its job and only then leave. That was not much of a problem. There was no pressing issue or anything pushing us to move fast. It was just like when I left Madison. This journey could be calm and relaxed. That also meant a proper breakfast was on the table. There was still some of the bear meat in the bags, and with the fireplace in this house, it could be cooked. I took care of our meal while Astrid focused on finishing our cloaks. She had mentioned the embroidery before, but apparently, there was something else she had to do. The edges of the hood were done. Inside it, there was a tiny trim of white fur she had already folded inwards and sewn in place. That way, the two different fabrics would not split during our travels. She had done the same to part of the cloak, but there were still some pieces near the shoulders that needed that final fold. The Frosted Lumberjack had all the materials she needed for that. Taking out thread and a needle from her bag, she started working on her own cloak. The reason for that was simple: hers was in much worse shape than mine. She never said anything, and I never noticed, but it seemed like she focused on making a good piece of clothing for me, while hers was just a rough draft, so to speak. Astrid worked very quickly. Even before I managed to get the fire going, she had already finished fixing her hood, which was only halfway done. Sure, I had to look for some wood to use for the fire, but I also had, quite literally, a skill to make fire, meaning the whole process took barely any time at all. "Were you always that good at sewing?" I turned to my companion. "Yes. And no. Was harder before." "Before when?" "System." "Really? What changed?" "Leather not hard. Finger doesn¡¯t hurt." "Huh, I guess that makes sense. I never really tried to sew anything, so I¡¯m not entirely sure. Pops used to have a thing he put on his finger to help push the needle into the cloth without hurting." Astrid nodded and stopped what she was doing. From her bag, she produced a small piece of metal shaped like a very tiny cup with numerous small circular indentations around it. "Thimble." "Yeah, that¡¯s it. Wouldn¡¯t that be enough to make it easier?" Astrid nodded. "Yes, but¡­" She placed the thimble over her thumb. The small metal piece was, well, too small. Instead of resting comfortably with her thumb inside it, only the edge of her thumb was covered. "I see. And you never tried to fix that?" "Never worked. Always big, or small." "Well, I¡¯m glad you don¡¯t have to worry about that anymore," I said, turning back to the fire and starting to prepare our food. There wasn''t much I could do, but it was at least better than what we had in the dungeon. The reason for that was simple: this time, we had brought some spices. They were not as diverse as I would have hoped, but that made sense. They were not my spices. The people from Astrid¡¯s village gave us a bit of salt and some ground herbs, basically. It seemed to be what they had available, which made sense considering the weather. Still, the result was leagues away from the tasteless meat we had in the dungeon. It just took a bit longer to actually cook it. There were still some pieces of meat from the Ice Devil with us, but unlike the other meat, the ones taken from the giant creature were still cold to the touch. My assumption was that the ice properties of the creature were almost like a title. An evolution. Something that fundamentally changed the monster. That explained why it could maintain a low temperature no matter where it was. The thing is, it was hard to tell how far that could go. Could it continue to be cold in a warmer area? Could it spoil even though it was frozen? There were too many questions surrounding that meat, and I wanted answers. For now, all I could tell was that the Ice Devil meat was cold enough to cool off anything else we put in our bags. That was the reason cooking the other meat took so long. Almost an hour later, we were finally ready to eat. By then, Astrid was finishing up the embroidery on the shoulder of her cloak. She had already fixed the edges on both, and now she was putting on the finishing touches. I told her our food was ready, but she was so close to finishing that she decided not to start eating until she was done. I kept her meat by the fire¡ªnot close enough to continue cooking, but warm. But I wasn''t going to wait to eat, though. It was early morning, and I was hungry.If you spot this tale on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. While enjoying the meat, which was now properly prepared before cooking, I watched my companion work. The embroidery she was making was very similar to a coat of arms, but without the shield behind it. It was the image of a green pine tree in the background with a pair of axes crossed in front of it. One big and one small. Everything was almost done. All that was left was the final part of the grip of the larger axe. "Is that you and your dad?" I asked after swallowing a piece of meat. Astrid just nodded. She continued to work, and a few minutes later, the cloak was complete. The moment she finished, there was a strange sensation coming from her work. It took me a moment to understand why that feeling was familiar. It was something close to what happened when I finished my new staff. But weaker, while at the same time being more intense. Once that feeling passed, Astrid had a strange expression on her face. After a long pause, she smiled. "Neat." "What?" I asked. "Here." She passed the cloak to me and pointed to the meat near the fire. "Mine?" "All yours. We have more if you want." My eyes were glued to the cloak. More specifically, to what the System was telling me about it. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Pelt of Frost - Rank 1 (Fledgling) The fur of the Ice Devil has a unique property capable of controlling its temperature to a certain degree. Said property allows anyone wearing this pelt to be comfortable even in somewhat harsh conditions. The Right Temperature Passive - Uncharged Charge Required: 1 Energy Duration: 24 Hours It does not matter if the temperature increases or decreases, the Pelt of Frost will always help to make those wearing it comfortable. Created by Astrid Ek ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Oh, damn. This is amazing!" I gasped. Astrid had a huge smile on her face. "I know," she answered, her mouth full of barbecue. "Honestly, I was a bit disappointed when you brought those cloaks. Don''t get me wrong, they look great and feel amazing, but I mean, come on¡ªthis is made from the Ice Devil. It¡¯s a very rare material. Not getting any thing special out of it felt like a waste," I said, taking another bite of my meat. "Felt upset too," Astrid added. "Maybe you didn¡¯t see this before because the cloak wasn¡¯t finished? Could that be it? System?" I looked to the side. There was no one there, of course, but it was a good way for Astrid to know I wasn¡¯t talking to her. [User''s assumption is correct. Special skills present on an item that is being crafted will only appear after said item is complete.] "That makes sense. It¡¯s hard to tell what an item will be before the item is actually complete. But what if you want to improve something? Like if I want to make my staff better or stronger, will I only be able to know what happened to it after I try something?" I was doing something Astrid, and I had already discussed. Every time we talked to the System and asked questions about something neither of us knew, we would say everything out loud. That way, her System could also answer the questions I was asking. [Enhancements and other types of improvements to an item behave differently. If User is aware of the requirements for said enhancement, the enhancement will be displayed to User by itself. If User is unaware of the requirements or the result of a specific enhancement, System will update User when possible about the current possibilities. Keep in mind that unknown enhancements are experimental by nature. Their very essence includes a chance of failure or unforeseen results.] "Good enough. But it¡¯s not like I know what I want to do to upgrade my staff." Turning back to Astrid, I asked, "Do you think you can make my cloak work like that too?" "Don¡¯t know. I¡¯ll try," Astrid replied. "Do you mind if I put it on? Just to test how it works? I¡¯ll probably end up giving it the Energy it needs for today too." "Sure," Astrid said, continuing to eat. She wasn¡¯t wolfing down the food like we did a few days ago, but she was still eating pretty fast. Not wanting to comment on her table manners, I put on her cloak. The first thing I noticed was that it was way too big for me. Even the hood was larger. Maybe I had a small head, or she had a big one. I didn¡¯t know. Either way, there were a good 20 centimeters [7.8in] or so being dragged on the ground behind me. The pelt also felt heavy. Not that mine was much different, but the weight was a noticeable change. I felt one of my points of Energy leave my body and rush into the cloak before vanishing from my senses completely. The particles related to it were no longer a part of me. It wasn¡¯t like using a skill, where I could still sense the particles as they worked. It was closer to giving the System to someone else. There was a pause where nothing happened, and then a gradual change began. My back started warming up while my front, facing the fire, grew colder. I approached the flames, and surprisingly, the cloak became colder still. It was clear there was some limitation, as even before I started to worry about letting the fur catch fire, I could already feel the intense heat coming from the fireplace. But if I put my arm out of the cloak, the sensation increased several times. Walking away from the fire had a much better result. Even at the other edge of the house, where the heat could barely reach, I felt warm. It was still cold. There was no doubt about it. The air rushing into my lungs with every breath tried to freeze me from the inside. But the cloak was working, making sure I wouldn¡¯t feel the weather with such intensity. Walking back to Astrid, I took off her cloak and put mine back on. It didn¡¯t have the same skill, so it wasn¡¯t as comfortable, but it was only fair. It didn¡¯t take long for Astrid to finish her breakfast, but instead of heading out, she asked if she could try finishing my cloak. I accepted, of course, excited about the prospects of having something that worked like hers. In about half an hour, she was done. This time, the coat of arms was a fist holding a staff vertically with a mountain in the background. Honestly, it was as good as anything else. I had never thought about a symbol to represent me, but the way she made it felt personal. When she gave me the cloak, though, my focus went somewhere else. The notification window in front of me, and it was an exact copy of the notification I had seen for Astrid¡¯s cloak. With a smile on my face and the best all-weather piece of clothing I had ever owned covering me and my bag, we left the house and continued heading west, toward the closest city. 71 - Whitehall Wearing the cloaks that now had the ability to regulate temperature improved the time we were making on our journey considerably. I had not noticed before how much the discomfort of walking through the snow slowed us down. But now, if we got to a colder area, the cloak would heat up, and if we reached a warmer area, the cloak would cool us down. Not having to worry about that kind of thing made everything so much easier. Even after leaving late in the morning, we were able to cross the threshold of the dungeon''s effects and approach the ruined city. There was still some snow here and there, but that was just the remains of the cold created by the Frosted Gold Dungeon. Unlike what I had expected, we saw no animals in the area. There were no wolves, no birds, nothing. That also made me realize one thing: I had no idea how Astrid''s village was able to survive while within the area of effect of the dungeon. "Hey, Astrid. I remember we ate some soup and meat back in your village, but is that normal? How do they handle gathering food?" "Hunt. Greenhouse." "Oh. They have a greenhouse?" Astrid nodded. "I didn¡¯t notice it when we were there." "Not in village. To east. On hill." I thought for a second before nodding. "That does make sense. The village has too many trees around it. A proper greenhouse wouldn¡¯t work there. But how do they handle breaks? Like if some of the glass breaks." "Don¡¯t know," she replied. "How come you don¡¯t know?" "Not my job." "Fair enough," I said, stopping as the city came into view. There was a road sign that had survived, which read Whitehall. It was not as big of a city as Ennis, and I couldn¡¯t see any building taller than two stories. But it was wide, or at least, that was the impression it gave. The city seemed to keep going and going until I could not see it anymore. Then again, I could not remember seeing this place on a single map, which meant that back in the old world, this place had been so small it did not even warrant a mention. Even still, it was incredible. I could only imagine how the people in the old world used to live. We stopped talking and slowly started to approach, making sure not to make too much noise, just in case there was something nearby. But it was hard not to talk. Back in Ennis, everything was in ruins. The houses, the buildings, even the roads were broken apart and torn asunder. But here, things were in place. The buildings were dilapidated, yes, but standing. The houses needed a touch-up, but that was it. I don¡¯t think anyone would be surprised if people started living here again in the near future. Of course, not every structure was still standing. Some had collapsed, some were clearly broken by something heavy, likely a monster, and others had just fallen under the weight of snow. There were even a few still covered by frost, even though they were no longer under the area of effect of the dungeon. My best guess was that a monster used a skill that left the area frozen, and because of the proximity to the dungeon, it never became warm enough to melt the ice. Even then, as long as there were no monsters around, it would be a perfectly nice place to live. Sure, the roads would still be bumpy, people would need to fix up the houses, and I had no idea if food or water would be scarce in the area. Maybe that was a reason why living here wouldn¡¯t be the best idea. But the sight of the city amidst the golden light of sunset was incredible. Better yet, it was a very nice place for us to rest for the night. All we had to do was pick a house and make sure there was nothing inside that could hurt us. I was a bit distracted with those thoughts when a shadow crossed the last rays of sunlight, covering us in darkness. From my point of view, I could see something ahead, massive and long, with some sort of sharp spike, like the edge of a sword protruding from its nose. A pair of blood-red eyes glowed, along with the red crest on its forehead. Its neck was impossibly long, curling around itself before reaching the rest of the body, which was a mess of white with black edges. Going down, its two legs stuck out of the earth like razor-sharp obsidian blades. The creature was moving to the right, not looking directly at us, but that was already enough. Cold sweat started to drip down my back, and my entire body began to shake. There was a pressure, almost as if something were sitting on my chest, stopping me from breathing. Slowly, I turned to Astrid, hoping she was in a better state than I was. But that wasn¡¯t the case. She was white as a sheet, her entire body trembling and her mouth agape. I glanced back at the creature, confirming it wasn¡¯t looking at us, before using all my willpower to push my companion away from the middle of the road. I kept shoving her, thanking the stars for my high level of Body, which allowed me to push someone as big as Astrid without much effort, at least physically. Every step made my legs feel like jelly. Every inhale felt like trying to breathe underwater. Every movement I made was a fight against my own body. My muscles had locked up, and I had to force them to move as I wanted them to. It was as if I had to tear my muscles to make them listen.Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings. All the while, I forced myself not to look to my left, not to glance toward the creature. If I did, I wouldn¡¯t be able to look away. I wouldn¡¯t be able to do anything except stay still, hoping it either missed me or killed me quickly. We eventually reached one of the broken houses. I pushed Astrid into the rubble, using some of the rotting logs and snow to cover her. The cloak helped a lot since it was as white as the surroundings. During that time, she didn¡¯t say a word. She didn¡¯t utter a single sound, almost as if she had accepted her fate. Once I felt confident she was well-hidden enough, I started doing the same for myself. It was much harder without someone to help, but by hugging my legs into a corner and placing wood and snow in front of me, I felt safe enough for the moment. We stayed there for hours, unable to move, unable to do anything but fear for our lives. If it wasn¡¯t for the cloaks making sure we were comfortable, I don¡¯t know what would have happened. The sun slowly went down until there was nothing but darkness and the moonlight. It was impossible to understand what was happening. Not even when fighting the Ice Devil had I felt this afraid. Not even when fighting an Eater. It made no sense, but that was the reality of it. That creature was able to instill such a primal fear in me that it stopped me from doing anything else. Eventually, I started hearing its approach, slow, methodical steps getting closer and closer. Despite knowing it was a bad idea, I shifted my hood just enough to see what kind of creature it was. Under the light of the moon, a massive heron approached. It had white and black feathers with a large red mark on top of its forehead. But the creature did not look natural. It was almost like one of those Japanese paintings¡ªthe ones that only used black, white, and red. The monster approached, its head peeking over the roof of the house we were currently hiding in. Its beak probed at some of the loose pieces of wood and ice in front of me. Thankfully, Astrid did not scream as the probe impacted near her. Whether it was because she was able to hold on or because she was too scared to even make a sound, I could not tell. While the creature was there, I asked the System to tell me what level it was. How could it be so much stronger than us that it made us this afraid? [Dreadwing - Tier 1] But seeing those words in front of me only increased my confusion. How could a monster that was not even Level 10 at Tier 1 do something like this? The Ice Devil was stronger, much stronger. ''S-S-Sys. Is t-t-that a skill?'' Even my thoughts were stuttering. [System is unable to identify any skill currently affecting User.] How? Why? None of this made any sense. That sharp beak started poking closer and closer to Astrid. It looked like the monster had found something, likely my companion. While trying not to make a sound, I grabbed my staff and gathered my courage. We had not killed the Ice Devil just to die two days after leaving the village. I refused to believe this was our fate. Very carefully, I shifted my legs to prepare for a lunge while the massive bird continued pecking at the snow. I waited, already channeling a skill¡ªone I had only used for the first time yesterday, and not even for a fight. Once the creature shifted and both its eyes were no longer on me, I jumped at it, triggering {Formless Ice Devil¡¯s Lunge}. The particles attached themselves to my staff. Unlike any other skill, they did not form a specific shape. Instead, they writhed like millions of ants moving along my weapon. With the lunge, I swung my staff and struck the Dreadwing¡¯s neck, hoping to break it before it could do anything else. The impact unleashed all the particles that were wrapped around my weapon. They washed over the creature like a swarm of hungry vermin. Everything they touched started to freeze, and the area where the strike connected bent sideways, making it look like the creature¡¯s spine had snapped. Yet, the creature still moved. It snapped its face toward me, and that pointed beak, which looked like it was made of darkness itself, charged at me. But I simply jumped to the side, evading the attack. Now that I was this close, the creature somehow did not look as intimidating. I could see the blemishes on its feathers and the brown stains of dirt and mud covering parts of its white body. The dark, obsidian beak was just black and dull, without any shine. The blood-red eyes were not glowing, they just looked irritated, as if soap had gotten into them. As the creature tried to open its wings and leap into the house, but the frost was already starting to cover its entire body. It had to struggle to shatter the ice before it could move. Despite being able to move with its neck like that, it was clearly in pain. Blood was pouring from its mouth, and its breathing was heavy. I spun my staff again, cracking it over the Dreadwing¡¯s head as the fear I felt suddenly disappeared. The creature roared and tried to stab me with its beak again, but it could not maneuver inside the broken-down house. Its body crashed into the ceiling, creating a large hole in what was left of the walls. My eyes shifted to Astrid, but I could not see her. None of the rubble had fallen in the area where I had hidden her, and from what I could tell, she was still there. At least, the mound of snow where I had left her remained undisturbed. Still, despite being safer inside the house, as broken down as it was, things were starting to get very dangerous. Too much rubble was falling everywhere. I dove out through what might have been a window in the past and let the creature follow me. The Dreadwing did just that, jumping to the side and flapping its wings as it turned toward me. But then I noticed one of its wings was broken, ripped halfway, which meant it could not fly. It let out a cry through its destroyed windpipe and lowered its head to the ground, pointing its beak at me. The monster started charging, gaining more and more speed to overcome the small distance between us. It moved like a spear, trying to impale me with sheer velocity. Honestly, if I had still been paralyzed by fear, it could have worked. But I was not anymore. Getting ready for a second strike, I shifted my body to the side to make it harder for the Dreadwing to aim at me. Before it could reach me, another figure burst out of the house, using the walls to launch high into the air. The monster did not have enough time to react before Astrid came down, swinging her Frosted Axe and decapitating it. I paused, feeling the particles rush into me, and dropped my stance. Astrid was still breathing heavily, her eyes full of anger and fear. I understood. Even though we were no longer feeling the sense of dread that had overwhelmed us earlier, the memory was still there¡ªsomething inside us still told us we should be afraid of this creature. Pushing my own fear away, I smiled at my companion. "Took you long enough." Astrid glanced at me with fierce eyes before smiling back. "Snow was cozy." 72 - Chicken Strips With Dreadwing dead, we had a moment to properly look at the corpse of the creature. It was, by our accounts, a giant heron and a species that I vaguely knew about. White feathers with a tuft of red on its face, just by the beak. I just could not remember the name of the species, but it was in one of the books Pops showed me a long time ago. That was about it. The size of the creature was the only thing that proved it was a monster, and not just a regular animal. "Sys, are you sure we weren¡¯t under the effects of a skill or something?" [System can now recognize that User was indeed under the effects of a skill. System is unable to confirm the actual effects of the skill, but as an indicated guess, it can say that it was related to the feeling of fear.] "Why couldn¡¯t you recognize that while the skill was active?" I frowned. The System was able to tell me when a dungeon was affecting me, so it didn¡¯t make much sense that it couldn¡¯t do that with such a weak creature. [System does not have enough information to confirm a reason. However, it is likely that the skill was also able to hide its existence. Alternatively, Dreadwing may have had a secondary skill that allowed it to activate other skills without being noticed. Unfortunately, any explanation System is able to give now will be conjecture. Only if User absorbs the skills belonging to Dreadwing will System be able to give a more concrete answer.] I glanced at the monster. "I would love to do that. It¡¯s been a while since I ate chicken, but I don¡¯t know how we can cook it without putting ourselves in danger. We¡¯re no longer in the area of effect of the dungeon, so fire might attract the Eaters." "I know how," Astrid said. "What are you thinking about?" I turned to the Frosted Lumberjack. "Need space. Inside a house." She turned around, scanning for a place that fit her needs. We started walking while dragging Dreadwing¡¯s corpse along. Thankfully, it did not take too long to find what looked like a large barn or warehouse. The structure was mostly intact, with just a couple of broken windows, but there were no significant holes in the building. In addition, there was another house very close by that also stood tall. If it was too cold for us in the warehouse, we could try spending the night in the house. Maybe it would even have mattresses or a place that was more comfortable to sleep on than the ground. We dragged the body into the warehouse and closed everything. It was very hard to see in the dark, so I took some branches from a tree nearby and ignited them with {Firestarter}. The flame was very small, and I was counting on the fact that it was still cold outside. Hopefully, it wouldn¡¯t release enough heat to attract an Eater if any were nearby. It took Astrid just a few seconds to nod in satisfaction. It seemed like she approved of the location. Together, we pushed the body to the center of the warehouse before the Frosted Lumberjack walked over to one of the walls. Staying a few meters away from it, she raised her axe and slammed it into the floor. From the blade, a wave of ice emerged, spreading about five meters before stopping. "What the hell was that?" I gasped. "New skill." "Which one? Actually, what skills did you get after killing the Ice Devil?" "Kept three," Astrid replied as she walked over and touched my shoulder to show the skills. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Emerging Glacier - Active - Fledgling Requires: Frosted Axe Cost: 2 Energy The ice that inhabits the Frosted Axe is everlasting. With a push, it can invoke the might of the poles. Creates a wave of ice from the point of impact, damaging those caught in the area. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Shattering Frost - Active - Fledgling Requires: Frosted Axe Cost: 1 Energy Channel the Frosted Axe''s icy core to unleash a devastating strike, sending shards of ice outward. If ice is struck by the attack, its power is increased. Deals physical and cold damage to all enemies in a 2-meter radius. Enemies struck by the ice will have reduced agility and have a chance to be briefly frozen. ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ ~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ Frostbound Grip - Passive - Fledgling Requires: Frosted Axe The Frosted Axe becomes an extension of your will, its icy grip strengthening your hold and empowering your strikes. Increases your grip strength and control, reducing the chance of being disarmed. Additionally, attacks with the Frosted Axe deal extra cold damage. The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~ "Shattering Frost is the one you used to break the ice in the Ice Devil¡¯s lair, right?" Astrid just nodded at my question. "Which skill did you drop, then? You showed me your status screen, and I don¡¯t think you had enough space for all three of them." "Wood Cleaver, Cold Endurance." "Yeah, I guess since we¡¯re leaving the cold weather, it¡¯s a good call. But I hope you didn¡¯t forget that skill, not the Wood Cleaver, Cold Endurance, I mean. If it¡¯s in your Memory Bank, it could come in handy if we find another ice-based dungeon or just a place that¡¯s really cold." "Memory Bank. Both." I nodded. She must have had a lot of space in there. Astrid walked to the end of where her ice wall had been created and used the same skill again. This time, she created it at a ninety-degree angle. That was when I finally understood what she was trying to do. Since I could offset the presence of fire, if we were inside a literal ice box, we could have a campfire without a problem. Thanks to our cloaks, we would not need to worry too much about the temperature. Once Astrid created the third wall, she walked over to me. "Need time. No energy." "Right, it costs two Energy every time you do that. So you need what, ten minutes?" She nodded. While we waited, both of us stepped outside to gather some wood. Since we were going to make a fire to cook the meat, we might as well get everything we would need. "By the way, I was thinking about something. The two of us have {Memory Bank}, and if we are going to travel together, maybe we should keep a few useful skills there. Like your Cold Endurance. It might even be a good idea to have each of us gather a specific type of skill." "Like?" "Like, if we say that you are going to take care of all the resistance-based skills. So if we find another, maybe something that makes it easier to withstand the heat, you keep it in your {Memory Bank}. If it¡¯s something else, like allowing us to use more Energy or survival skills like {Firestarter}, I keep them. Just so when we need them, we know who has what. Otherwise, every time we need a specific skill, we would need to ask about it and figure out who has it. Oh, and for the record, the suggestion of you having the resistances is just because you already have one. If you want to keep the survival skills in your {Memory Bank}, that¡¯s fine. I can keep the resistances. That is just a suggestion. Think about it and let me know if you like it. It¡¯s okay if you don¡¯t want to do that." Astrid did not say anything for a moment. We continued gathering branches and pieces of wood from broken houses. After about twenty minutes, we returned to the warehouse. The ice walls were still there, and they did not seem like they were about to melt away. Then again, they did not give off the same feeling as the ice in the dungeon. It was very likely that, eventually, those walls would melt, especially if there was a fire in the middle of them. Then again, that might be for the best. If the ice melted away, we would have a source of water, although I was not entirely sure if drinking it would be a good idea. Back in the dungeon, the System explained to me how skills could make ice. They would not just create water out of nowhere or add some hydrogen to the oxygen in the air. Instead, the particles would go after the moisture that already existed and lower its temperature to create ice. This also meant that all the microbes and bacteria around the moisture were still very much there. Astrid used Emerging Glacier once more, finishing the ice box around us. It was a wide enough area, and we could step outside without much issue. All we had to do was climb over the ice, which was even enough that it made getting footing easy. We also kept the corpse of the heron outside, since it was too big to fit in the five-by-five-meter area she created. We butchered the bird outside and tossed some of the pieces back into the icebox, making sure the doors to the warehouse were closed and any entrances were properly secured. It was a bit annoying to deal with a creature this big, but we were both hungry and curious if we would get any skills related to the monster. The meal ended up being better than I was expecting. Dreadwing¡¯s meat was tender and juicy, unlike the meat we got from the Ice Devil. Despite the pleasant meal, my eyes kept shifting toward one of the walls of ice, not because of the ice itself, but because of what was beyond it. The remains of the creature we had just faced. I was doing my best not to freak out, but the memory of the fear it caused me was still fresh. There was still something gnawing at the back of my mind, as if the creature could come back to life and attack again. More than once, I glanced in that direction, worried that its corpse would spring to life again, causing that intense dread once more. I also noticed that Astrid was doing the same thing. "Hey, are you okay?" I asked. She turned toward me with a jerk, wide-eyed, paused, and nodded. "Want a wing." I smiled, pushing the fear to the back of my mind. "I was going to ask you to grab me something, but I have a feeling you won¡¯t be able to eat the entire wing." She jumped to the opposite side and started removing all the feathers from the wing. But it did not take long for her to toss the appendage back into the ice ring and jump over once more. I gave her a puzzled look, but the Frosted Lumberjack just shrugged. "Too dark." I chuckled as we continued to eat, doing my best not to focus on the bird¡¯s corpse. Eventually, it came time for us to sleep, and just to be safe, we decided to take turns. I stayed up first. I kept feeding the fire and cooking more of the bird until the System perked up. [User Cassandra, after analysis, System is able to explain the fear effect caused by Dreadwing.] ¡®Did I get a skill?¡¯ [A skill was not acquired; however, enough information was extracted from the particles to explain how the fear skill worked.] ¡®Oh¡­ okay. What did it do?¡¯ [Dreadwing had a unique ability to cause fear in all who looked at it. The visage of the creature triggered a specific synaptic response, making those who saw it feel an intense sense of dread. However, a limitation of that skill was that if Dreadwing was damaged by anyone, the skill would collapse. It is likely that most of the prey the monster hunted froze and became unable to fight back. Hence why User had that feeling during the fight.] I nodded while watching the flames. It was good to know that it was really just a skill. Just something to make it easier for the creature to hunt. But that did not help with what I was feeling. The same feeling I felt when the Eater first appeared back in the Hidden Horn Village. But I still had some time to try to deal with that. Hopefully, I would not have nightmares thinking about this. 73 - Imprisioned We continued to travel for a couple of days, moving from building to building when possible, but occasionally sleeping outside. In those cases, we couldn¡¯t have a fire outside. It was just a safety measure. So far, no Eater had appeared. Not even a track or the telltale sound of grinding metal that they created. It was a good thing, but also very frustrating. I spent my entire life worried about the presence of those monsters, yet now, nothing. The farther west we moved, the more the number of animals in the area increased. It was hard to go a couple of hours without seeing a group of rabbits, elk, or birds passing by. It was nice not having to fear for my life all the time again, but in all honesty, it was infuriating. Was my village really in the middle of a rotten place? Surrounded by Eaters, barely having anything to hunt, not being able to make any loud noise. But just a few days north, things were peaceful? If we lived just a few days north, we wouldn¡¯t have been attacked. We might have more than five survivors. My mood started to get worse and worse the farther away we got from Madison. Astrid noticed that, but didn¡¯t say anything. I knew how to act with my students when I was upset so that they wouldn¡¯t end up getting the short end of the stick, but it was hard to tell if that was working. People generally had an unfortunate lack of skill when it came to noticing how their actions affected others. And I was no better. At the very least, I was conscious about that. Many people wouldn¡¯t even acknowledge that kind of thing. During our travels, we faced a few stray monsters, but nothing as dangerous as Dreadwing. Still, between hunting for our meals and the SP distribution we had set up, Astrid was able to gain another level. But this time, she didn¡¯t get any extra skills. She did, however, get one extra point in Energy. With that, we no longer had to wait ten minutes to make the ice box that would hide us from any Eater. Despite everything, it was nice to have a companion during the journey. Not having to spend the night in odd places just hoping not to be attacked while we slept always helped. Still, we ended up in a valley, following an old road that was halfway overgrown at this point. It was incredible to think how the old world was able to do something like that. A structure that went against nature and still survived, even decades after people had stopped looking after it. But that was nothing in comparison to what we would see later. Crossing the valley was simple, just a lot of walking, and the animals also seemed to avoid the concrete. Passing between a pair of mountains was a bit nerve-wracking. At any point, something could jump down from there and attack us. Maybe it would be an Eater, maybe another monster like Dreadwing or the Ice Devil. Or just a pack of beasts. It was strange to think of that kind of monster now. Before, I never had to worry about different species or creatures with unique powers. Yet now, that was the first thing that came to mind. It took us a couple of hours to reach the other side. And unlike what my paranoia was telling me, nothing happened. We passed through the valley without any problems. Coming out on the other side, we found a massive wall of trees blocking the view of the plains below. We continued following the road, which led down. According to the System, there was a city nearby. More specifically, according to the map I saw back in Ennis. Even then, my focus was still on the forest. What if a monster popped out to attack us? It¡¯s impossible to tell if something was around or not. There wasn¡¯t any sound or noise in the surrounding area. It seemed like even nature was afraid of something. Maybe there really was an Eater nearby. Without looking away from the treeline, we continued to walk down the road. Eventually, we found a hole in that forest. By the looks of it, some of the trees had fallen. Just the possibility of them being ripped out by some creature made my heart pound harder and harder. But on closer inspection, that didn¡¯t seem to be the case. There were charred markings on the broken stumps that confirmed the trees had been struck by lightning. And then they collapsed on top of one another, causing a chain reaction that broke a few more, leaving this hole in the middle of the forest. Looking down, I started to notice the markings on the ground. Footsteps of elks, something lighter, maybe wolves, and small things that couldn¡¯t be identified from this distance. Near one of the collapsed trunks, there was some movement, but it was hard to identify what it actually was. ¡°A city?¡± Astrid¡¯s voice cut through my focus. I glanced up and saw a massive city at a lower altitude. It felt strange to use that word since I had described Ennis and Whitehall in the same way. This was truly gigantic. We were still far away from any of the buildings, but they spread all the way to the horizon, and there were even a couple of tall structures much taller than anything I had ever seen before. If I was already amazed by the road, this was truly inspiring. But at the same time, it was sad. Most of the buildings had collapsed or been destroyed in some way. The things that were left were all overgrown with vegetation, and there was an ugly black scar carving through the middle of the area. The sun was already low in the sky, meaning we only had a few more hours of light before night came. That created some strange shadows in the city¡ªplaces covered in darkness while others shone, reflecting the sunlight. Part of the scar was also visible, showing a mix of grays, browns, and reds leading underground.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on. ¡°Do you see?¡± Astrid asked. ¡°It¡¯s hard not to see that,¡± I replied. It was the only thing on the horizon aside from the sky. What else was I supposed to be looking at? ¡°We go?¡± ¡°Not there. Eaters are drawn to large cities. There might be something still working there. A power plant or some other source of energy. If we go there, then we¡¯re just asking to be attacked. It¡¯s better to stay clear of that place. As much as I want to see what¡¯s going on there.¡± Astrid paused, glancing back at the city for a moment before nodding. ¡°We continue?¡± ¡°Yeah. We should still head west if we want to get to the coast. So keep an eye out for a road or something that leads toward the sun. If at all possible, I¡¯d prefer not to sleep near the city. Also, we shouldn¡¯t use the ice box to make a fire while we¡¯re this close.¡± ¡°Too risky?¡± Astrid asked as we started to walk. ¡°Exactly. Even if the ice would be enough to stop Eaters from noticing the fire, if they look from above, or if there¡¯s something else we don¡¯t know about, they might see it. We can do that later, but right now, we need to be a bit safer.¡± Astrid nodded. ¡°Okay.¡± We continued to follow the road, but it became clear it was heading directly toward the city. So instead, we cut through the open fields of grass. Exiting to the left, we made sure to keep our distance from the city proper. It wasn¡¯t as hard as I expected, since on the flat land, we couldn¡¯t see those buildings from this distance. But at the same time, it was easy to see more structures than I ever expected. But those were abandoned and left mostly alone. There was barely any sign of those buildings being attacked, no marks from smaller animals. After passing by the last of those houses, we found ourselves in another open plain filled with tall grass. There was a mountain in the distance, but it was only the edge of one. Not because it was destroyed, but it was just the end of the mountain. Beyond that, there was another mountain, but there was something else in the way: another village. One that looked to still be active, as we were able to see some people walking around outside the wooden walls. I had a brief discussion with Astrid, and we agreed to go there. Supplies were okay, but we needed some information, specifically, information about the city and the things that existed nearby. In particular, I wanted to know if the people here were also scared of Eaters. They had to be. They couldn¡¯t be living this close to the city and not fear those monsters. We rushed to the village, and a pair of guards met us outside. ¡°Who are you?¡± one of the men asked. ¡°Cassandra, and Astrid. We¡¯re travelers and are just looking for a place to rest for the night, if possible,¡± I said. ¡°We don¡¯t know you. Better keep moving,¡± the second man replied. Astrid frowned. ¡°Why?¡± ¡°I just told you. We don¡¯t know who you are. So keep moving.¡± ¡°Okay. But I just told you who we are. Can¡¯t we at least have a conversation before you show us out? It¡¯s dark out, and we need a place to stay.¡± ¡°The only person who could let you stay is the governor. And he¡¯s currently unavailable. You should be back in a day or two,¡± the man replied. ¡°None of you can make the decision?¡± ¡°No. We need his permission to let anyone stay inside.¡± ¡°But what if there¡¯s someone who refuses to leave?¡± I asked, more out of curiosity than anything else. ¡°Then we¡¯ll be forced to toss them in jail. They¡¯ll spend the night there, and if by morning they want to leave, they¡¯re free to do so. But I will be in charge of them the entire time.¡± Hearing the man¡¯s answer, I turned to Astrid, who nodded. ¡°Okay. Let¡¯s do that,¡± I replied. ¡°Do what?¡± ¡°We¡¯re going to jail. That way, we can stay the night in a safe place. And you feel safe since we¡¯re not roaming around the village. If at all possible, I¡¯d like to ask some questions about the region, but if not, we can just stay until morning and leave with the sunrise,¡± I said. ¡°What? Really?¡± the man frowned. ¡°Yeah. It¡¯s better to stay inside a prison than to take our chances outside, especially if we are this close to a city. Would it be okay if we keep our weapons? I promise we won¡¯t use them on anyone.¡± The other guard shrugged. ¡°We do have an empty cell. And you¡¯re not giving us any trouble. We¡¯ll take your weapons and keep them in a small cage-like thing inside the cell with you. That way, you can use them, but they¡¯ll be where you can see them. Is that okay?¡± ¡°That¡¯s fine. Our bags can stay with us?¡± ¡°Let us take a look at them. Just make sure you¡¯re not bringing anything dangerous. If you¡¯re in the clear, you can stay with them.¡± We nodded and followed their orders so they could check our bags. The two men were being really polite about all that. They didn¡¯t just dump everything, but carefully took each piece out and placed it in an open area where the moonlight could hit. It took a few minutes, but eventually, they agreed to let us enter. ¡°Welcome to the Lawson Duchy. Not really a duchy, it¡¯s just the name,¡± one of the guards walked inside, already carrying our weapons. I could tell Astrid wasn¡¯t really happy about it, but she understood the reason for that kind of thing. And I couldn¡¯t really blame her. Most of her skills were bound to her frosted axe; being without it was like having one hand tied behind her back. There wasn¡¯t much to see in this place. Not during the night, at least. Every building was far away from each other, instead of the compact setup I had seen in Ennis or Madison. Even Cardwel, Astrid¡¯s village, had the houses closer together. Still, the guard who was with us managed to find his path without any trouble, and we reached a large building. He walked inside and closed the door behind us before taking a small oil lamp from the side and turning it on. With that new, weak source of light, he guided us downstairs to where there were four large cells. One was open, with a bunch of pieces of wood inside, clearly being used as storage. The next one had a single woman inside, just holding her legs and looking toward the wall. The third one had a man who looked old and ragged. And the last, at the very end of the corridor, was also empty, and that¡¯s where he placed us. Our weapons were locked inside that small cage on the side, and before leaving, he told us that he would explain everything to the other guards so we wouldn¡¯t have to worry about not being allowed to leave. It was too early to sleep, so Astrid and I just got ourselves comfortable and started talking to pass the time. The plan was to just wait until we could sleep, do that, and in the morning, leave after asking about the region. But there are times when plans never come to pass. 73 - A night in jail The jail cell was a bit dirty, but not as bad as one would expect. There was a bucket in the corner we could use to go to the bathroom, but it was empty, and there was no waste from the previous tenant anywhere. It was dusty, with some grime stuck to the stone walls, not to mention the rusted bars that were supposed to stop us from leaving. Or at least they were supposed to. I was pretty sure I would be able to break us out without any issues if we needed to. The System confirmed that the door was its own thing and not part of the entire cell. It wouldn¡¯t be the most comfortable night of my life, but it was far from being bad, especially since the place was dry and we still had our cloaks. I turned to speak with Astrid, but noticed how the other prisoners were whispering to one another. So instead, I reached my foot toward hers, touching them through our shoes before sending her a message. Cassandra: You nodded before, but I wanted to double-check. Are you okay with us being here for the night? Astrid: I¡¯m fine. It¡¯s better than sleeping outside. Cassandra: That¡¯s true. At least here we won¡¯t have to worry about bugs finding us in the middle of the night. Astrid: But that was really funny. I rolled my eyes. Cassandra: Only for you. Astrid: Exactly. The Frosted Lumberjack smiled. She was talking about what happened the day after she finished our cloaks. We ended up sleeping in the forest on top of one of the trees. I took the first shift. But when it was my time to wake up, there was a cicada resting on my nose. Seeing a large bug first thing in the morning freaked me out, and I started yelling. I even tumbled to the side and fell down the tree. Cassandra: I¡¯m glad someone enjoyed that. I had to use {Body Regeneration} after the fall. Astrid: Did you get hurt? Cassandra: Just scraped my arm, but since I have that skill, why not use it to fix smaller things like that? It makes no sense to leave it to get infected. Astrid: That shouldn¡¯t make a difference. Did you clean it properly? I nodded. Cassandra: Used a bit of aloe from the supplies before using the skill. Besides, it¡¯s hard for us to get sick with our level of Body. Unless the germs are affected by the System. Oh crap, is that even possible? System: It is an unlikely scenario. However, bacteria being affected by System is theoretically possible. Cassandra: Great, it¡¯s not like we already had enough to worry about. Before we could continue our conversation, a voice started echoing through the jail. It was a man, and it seemed like there was a softer, younger voice following him. ¡°Come here, you little shit!¡± the man growled. There was the sound of someone small hitting the ground after his words. ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± the weak voice of a child said. It sounded like a boy, but it was hard to tell. I glanced at Astrid, who also seemed to only be able to hear because of our increased attributes. That was how soft the voice was. ¡°Look around! This is where you belong! Together with the filth and waste that lives here,¡± the man snarled again. He was yelling loudly, causing some of the prisoners to try to shush him, but he ignored any attempt to make him lower his voice. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, Mr. Carlson,¡± the small voice said. What followed was the loud sound of a slap, and Astrid was about to get up, but I gestured for her to stop. Cassandra: I know it sucks, but it¡¯s not our business. We¡¯re technically in jail right now; we can¡¯t do anything to help. Astrid: Why not? We have the power to do something about this. Cassandra: That¡¯s exactly why. Just because we have the power doesn¡¯t mean we have the right to force others to do what we want them to do, even if they¡¯re being absolute bastards to someone. We don¡¯t know what happened. The Frosted Lumberjack squinted at me. Astrid: What could possibly be the reason for someone to treat a child like that? Cassandra: Maybe they killed someone. Maybe they followed a hunting party and caused their deaths. I¡¯m not saying I agree with what¡¯s happening here, but we don¡¯t have the full story. And it¡¯s possible that they¡¯re doing this for the good of the child. Parenting is hard. ¡°I¡¯m sorry, sir. I¡¯ll never talk to Cris¡ª¡± another slap followed the voice.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit. ¡°Don¡¯t you dare use my daughter¡¯s name with your filthy mouth. She is better than you. She has a family. She wasn¡¯t abandoned in the middle of the forest because no one wanted her. And you are not going to ruin my plans for her. She doesn¡¯t have time to waste with people who are better off dead.¡± Hearing that, Astrid gave me a blank stare. ¡°I take back everything I said. Let¡¯s go.¡± I was leaning against the bars, and it took only a moment to reach out my hand and trigger {Compression} to increase the size of the door. There was a loud creak as the bars tried to push themselves out of the hinges, but they held strong. That was until Astrid gently tapped the screws holding everything in place, popping them out of their sockets, and the door came out in my hands. ¡°What was that?¡± the man asked with an angry voice. I ignored him and did the same thing again on the small grate that was holding our weapons. While Astrid opened that, I used {Compression} one more time to turn the now free door of the cell into something smaller. Stepping out, I was able to take a look at the man and the child he was yelling at. The boy was no older than eight. He wore tattered clothes that were far too big for him and covered in stains, some that looked like blood, though they could also be tomato sauce. His hair was a mess, he was barefoot, and there was a clear bruise around his neck, as if someone had snapped a necklace that had been resting on his chest. The man, on the other hand, was short but wore well-groomed clothes, the type that was very hard to maintain in today¡¯s world. It wasn¡¯t exactly a suit and tie, but my guess was that it was the closest thing he could find to one. He had a shaved face and a long, twirly mustache. His hair was starting to go bald on the top of his head, but the sides were still long. Both of them were illuminated by an oil lamp resting on a hook on the ceiling. "Who are you? What are you doing outside your cells? Get back there. You have no right to be outside," the man barked at me. Honestly, for some reason, he made me think of a chihuahua. I had seen pictures of them before, and they showed up in a few of the movies I watched¡ªextremely angry, extremely annoying, and thinking they were much bigger than they actually were. He was holding the boy by his hair, clearly hurting the child as he couldn¡¯t stand up completely, but was still too high to be on his knees. Without wasting any time, I flung the cell door that was still in my hand like a frisbee. The metal grate spun in the air a couple of times before slamming into the man and shoving him into the wall. The edges of the door had long since rusted away, leaving only the pattern of vertical bars with empty spaces in between. That was exactly where the man was hit, in between the rusted protrusions, which embedded themselves into the back wall by the staircase. He was now trapped, with his neck and one of his hands stuck inside the grate. With his free arm, he didn¡¯t have enough strength to pull away, and the child was now free from his grasp. Astrid walked out, passed me my staff, and took a look at what I had done. "Nice throw." "Thank you," I replied, silently thanking my luck. Hearing what he told the child made me really angry, and part of me wanted to just kill him then and there. But that wasn¡¯t a good idea. Not only would it traumatize the boy, but it would also cause a whole suite of problems for me. And, I guess, it wouldn¡¯t be right to kill someone just because they were an asshole, even if he was beating a child like this. "What! Release me at once!" the man yelled. "Stop shouting! You¡¯re already making too much noise. What if an Eater comes?" one of the prisoners shushed him. I turned to Astrid, who nodded, already understanding what we needed to do. I had told her about my fights against the Eaters. None of the ones I fought were as strong as the Ice Devil, but I was sure there were some that could be even stronger. Still, as long as we weren¡¯t facing an enemy above Tier 1, we should be able to handle anything. Ignoring the man and his shouts, I kneeled down in front of the kid. "Hey there. Sorry for scaring you. I just wanted to stop the mean man from hurting you." "You didn¡¯t have to. I deserve this. I¡¯m filthy and shouldn¡¯t get close to Christina. Mr. Carlson is right," the boy replied, fighting back tears. I took a deep breath and turned to Astrid. "Nose? Or do you think hand?" She paused for a moment, seriously considering my question. After a couple of seconds, the Frosted Lumberjack nodded. "Nose." Without even looking in his direction, Astrid delivered a quick jab to the man¡¯s nose. It was far from being her full strength, in fact, I¡¯d be surprised if she used even a tenth of her full power. But it was already enough. The man let out a loud yell and started to sob. "My nose, my nose!" he cried, holding it with his free hand. "Plug your nostrils. Since you can¡¯t look up, you need to do that or you might bleed out," I told him before looking back at the kid, who had a worried expression as he glanced at the man. I winked at him and tried to smile playfully. He seemed to understand my intention and relaxed a bit. It was very hard to bleed out from a broken nose, after all. "Noise outside," Astrid said while looking toward the stairs. I couldn¡¯t hear anything yet, but {Predatory Sense} picked up minor vibrations, as if people were running on the floor above us. Turning to the kid again, I asked, "I don¡¯t think this is a good place for you to stay. Do you mind if I carry you outside?" "I can walk," the boy replied and tried to get up, but failed. At some point, he had sprained his ankle. "Are you sure? I¡¯m stronger than I look. I promise I won¡¯t drop you." The boy looked down, then sheepishly nodded. Still holding my staff, I picked him up with one arm, which made him giggle in surprise. Only then did we start going up the stairs to see what was happening outside. Astrid followed, taking the lamp along. We were just at the top of the stairs when a man with pitch-black hair wearing a long brown leather coat appeared, accompanied by a couple of guards. "What is going on down here? Did you make all that noise trying to escape? Are you trying to kill us all?" the man asked. "There was a guy already screaming before we started making noise. And he was beating the crap out of this kid just because he lost his parents? I don¡¯t really understand, but I wasn¡¯t just going to sit around and do nothing while a child was beaten like that," I explained. "It¡¯s the truth," the boy added. The man frowned. "What? That doesn¡¯t matter. I can see you have weapons, so you¡¯re going to have to help." "Help?" Astrid asked. "With what? Is there a monster attacking?" I added. "Worse. An Eater."