ã€ŠKarmic Liberationã€‹


 Ch. 1: A Bite Out of Life

    A perfectly cylindrical ray of light gently awoke Arn. Except, it wasn¡¯t a gentle awakening and the ray of light turned out to be an excruciating beam of heat. He hastily rolled off of the small medical cot and onto the stone floor.

    Why the hell am I camping? I hate camping. Shuffling to his feet, he took a deep breath and looked around. When did I enter a cave?

    The cave had just enough light to see from one blank, featureless wall to another, although Arn noticed a large wooden door embedded into the far wall behind his cot. It had a purple hue and gave off a faint glow, allowing Arn to see.

    It was then that it hit him, he was not on Earth¡­

    ¡°Sick, it was real,¡± Arn turned as he spoke, ¡°Babe, we¡¯re actually in another world!¡± Arn¡¯s voice echoed around the cave. Where the hell is my wife?

    Moving towards the door, Arn began looking over his body. He was the same height, had the same chestnut skin, and he was still fat. That¡¯s unfortunate, but maybe when I get some epic training montage I¡¯ll lose most of it. Wait a second¡­ I can see! I don¡¯t have my glasses. How the hell are they gonna give me my vision and still let me be fat. Help a man live out his isekai fantasies. Oh, I bet Anna doesn¡¯t need her glasses now either.

    Opening the door, Arn¡¯s excitement began to grow. The room turned out to be an armory. It was a long hall with an assortment of weapons along one wall, and different armors on the other. From cave to medieval armory, this is definitely a tutorial. Patting himself on the back for his incredible deductive skills, Arn approached the nearest rack of weapons and selected what looked like a long, wide, and  flat sword whose tip ended in two right angle prongs. Much to his embarrassment, he could hardly lift it above his hip with both hands.

    Setting the sword back on the stand,  Arn quickly walked through the rest of the hall. His eyes glistened with eagerness as they passed over row after row of strange weapons,  trying to come to a decision on what he wanted to try out first. However, that could all wait for later, he needed to find his wife.

    The hall ended in another door just like the first, but this one seemed warm to the touch. Arn slowly opened the door, the heat giving him some pause. Before Arn could see what his vision was blocked by a large white screen.

    New Quest:

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    Death¡¯s new recruit:

    Die until you win.

    What the actual fuck. UNTIL I win, what does that even mean?

    All of Arn¡¯s thoughts were suddenly cut off as the screen disappeared and he heard the most gut-wrenching sound of his life.

    ¡°ARN!¡± The terrified plea came from the other side of the door. Arn flung open the rest of the door and ran past, not noticing that it closed behind him. As he ran towards the sound of his wife¡¯s yell, he heard a loud pop and crack. Arn found himself once again in a cave around 20 meters wide that seemed to go on into darkness. Roughly 20 feet up, near the ceiling of the cave, hung a lantern that dimly lit the area just enough for Arn to see.

    His eyes first landed on his wife, lying flat on the cold, gray stone of the cave. Her face was turned up towards him, her once beautiful dimples missing as Arn could see directly into the flesh of her gums. It was like she had been burned on only one side of her face.Her left arm attempted to drag her towards Arn, while her right moved awkwardly, bent into a cruel and grotesque shape. Arn felt his heart shatter at the sight, unable to speak, tears flowing freely as he ran to help her. It wasn¡¯t until he was less than 10 feet away that he noticed the creature that gripped the back of her head.

    It was bent over, but it was clear it was the size of a child. Its body seemed to be made of stone with cracks running along its skin. Within the cracks flowed magma constantly bubbling towards the surface. It had the snout of a lizard with large pointed ears on both sides of its head. Its jet-black eyes squinted at Arn as it opened its maw wide. The lava lizard, for lack of a better term, let out a high pitched wheeze. It¡¯s laughing, the bastard is laughing! Arn realized as he attempted to lunge at it.

    The lizard used its free hand to crack Arn¡¯s jaw and knock him back. As Arn fought to get back to his feet for another lunge, the lizard squeezed its claw holding Anna¡¯s skull. Steam rose from the back of her head and in almost the blink of an eye, the love of Arn¡¯s life lost her head. It looked as if it became a dry husk and evaporated into debris.

    ¡°Noooooo,¡± a strangled sob escaped Arn¡¯s mouth and he once again attacked the lizard, this time managing to land a punch before the creature could retaliate. Rage coursed through his veins. Arn swore then and there that regardless of what he had to do, he would kill this beast. It was going to pay dearly for what it did. Foolishly, Arn thought he had a chance. As Arn swung another fist towards its head, a hot pain lanced through his bicep. He¡¯d been impaled by the lizard''s claw and was dragged roughly to the ground.

    Arn believed it was probably over, that the lizard would desiccate his skull as he had done to Anna, and for a moment, he was glad. I¡¯m such a fucking idiot. Of course she¡¯s gone, of course I couldn¡¯t save her. I had no business being here in the first place.

    However, the end didn¡¯t arrive quickly. Arn felt the first bite into his torso, tears smearing his face as he tried desperately to push the lizard off. Anything to get rid of the pain. His attempts failed as the lizard chose to bite his hand off next, the bloody stump bashing uselessly against the lizard''s stone body. He cried out incoherently several times as the lizard continued its macabre work, stripping chunks off of Arn¡¯s body as it held him down. First it was his arms, then his legs, finally, the lizard continued gnawing through Arn¡¯s intestine as it had done originally. It was only then the shock finally got the better of his senses and he felt his mind slip into the embrace of death.

 Ch. 2: Keeping Cool

    A familiar heat awoke Arn as he once again stumbled off of his cot and onto his feet. I¡¯m back? Did I respawn? Then, weakness took him as his knees gave out and he began to sob. What the hell do I do? That thing killed Anna, and I¡¯m not strong enough to take it on. Hold on, if I respawned, then there¡¯s a chance Anna also respawned. Where is she?

    Arn ran at a full sprint towards the door as he frantically searched for any clue of his wife in the adjoining hall. Going from one side of the long hall to the next he found no signs. A chill ran through his spine, pausing over his heart. He felt panic set in and began running through as many possibilities as his brain could handle.

    What if she didn¡¯t respawn? What if she can¡¯t come back? Maybe she has a respawn in another cave. If so, then she¡¯d just stay there right? Oh god, what if her spawn is fucked up and she spawns in the cave with the lava lizard? A fresh set of tears ran down Arn¡¯s face as he tried to get his breathing under control. He didn¡¯t believe his wife could be dead, she was here still, she had to be. I have to get to her. There¡¯s only one plan of action anyways. If Arn was to reach his wife, he¡¯d need to get through the lizard. If she spawned in the room with it, he didn¡¯t have the luxury of sitting around to come up with a plan. It¡¯s simple, I¡¯m bigger, and I don¡¯t give a shit how strong the lizard is, he¡¯s gotta be beatable. Arn ran back through the hall and grabbed a spear whose size looked just at the limit of what he could carry, then, he grabbed a wooden shield off of the opposing wall and hauled ass through the warm door.

    Remembering the direction that he had first found Anna, Arn ran towards it. He saw the lizard first this time, its back turned towards him.

    Fury overtook him as he remembered the feeling of its teeth gouging out chunks of his flesh. Revenge time you gecko looking fuck. As Arn ran forward, planning to impale the beast, he saw it reach back and forth several times, a soft squelch sounding out with each motion. From that angle it looked like a small child, idly waving a stick around out of boredom. Anna laid on the other side of the lizard. He was stabbing her mutilated body with a sword.

    "Arn," he heard her wheeze out as she noticed him approaching. The lizard, realizing that Anna was looking somewhere, turned around just in time for the force of the spear to run it through and pin it to the floor. Arn glanced in Anna''s direction, victory in his eyes, only to see her eyes go lifeless at the same moment.

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    Arn turned back towards the lizard. A fresh wave of guilt rocking him and righteous anger swirling in his chest. He came up with every insult he could hurl at it, "Fuck you! You fucking fuck!"

    "Aww, poor thing," it hissed, "Was she your mate? Was that the best you could think to say in her honor?" Replied the lizard as it laughed deep within its throat.

    Too stunned to speak, Arn attempted to stab at the lizard again, but couldn''t remove the spear from its body. It grabbed tightly to the spear and a gurgling noise came out of its insanely wide mouth. Arn, realizing that smoke and fire was escaping from the creature''s mouth, moved his shield in front of his body. Fire engulfed Arn¡¯s shield and began heating up his left arm. Wood burns dumbass! He failed to shake the shield off of his arm as the heat had fused them together.

    Falling backwards towards Anna¡¯s corpse, the fire continued to engulf more and more of his body. As the heat boiled his insides, and crisped his skin, he tried to reach for Anna¡¯s hand. The stench of his burning flesh would have made him cry if the heat hadn''t already evaporated his tears. Before the flame reached his head and melted his eyes out of his skull, the strangest thought ran through his head, Why isn''t Anna bleeding?

    <hr>

    Another sharp pain woke up Arn. Screw you, I''m not moving. The heat gradually increased until it was almost as hot as Arn''s face felt a few moments before his death. Arn was ready to give in but then it suddenly stopped.

    System Alert:

    Endure the light of resurrection.

    Dharma fulfilled, Karma increased by 5.

    Dharma? Karma? Oh shit, was my mom right this whole time? I should have paid more attention during prayer. I guess it makes sense if I resurrect.

    Arn remained laying on the mat for quite some time, reflecting on his last two deaths while trying and failing to open up some sort of system menu or stat screen. Being burned to death or being eaten alive, I have no clue which one was worse. There was one thing Arn was certain of however, that was not his wife.

    System Alert:

    Be able to recognize your spouse!

    Dharma fulfilled, Karma increased by 1.

    I''m being rewarded for that? What am I even supposed to do with Karma, is someone going to explain this shit at some point? And where the fuck is my wife?

    Quest Updated:

    Death¡¯s new recruit:

    Die until you win.

    Reward: Unknown

    Are you kidding? Does that mean you''ll only give me answers if I kill that fucking lizard? And you won''t even tell me exactly what the reward is? This shit is rigged. The system is horseshit.

 Ch. 3: Speciesism

    There is a particular ache which one experiences that is unique to past injuries and to the elderly - as if the change of seasons manifests itself as cold daggers stabbing into your bones. An ache that greeted Anna as her eyes began to focus and she heard murmurs around her.

    ¡°Greg? Are you here, honey?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m right under you¡­ you¡¯re crushing my groin.¡±

    ¡°Oh! Have you seen David?¡±

    Anna watched the couple near her gather their bearings as she mentally went over a checklist. Hands, same size and shape. Anna reached up and touched her face, feeling familiar features. She then pinched one of the long thick cylindrical locks of her brown hair that fell past her shoulders, rolling it between her fingers. Still have dreadlocks. I don¡¯t have glasses, and my nails are perfectly manicured. Focusing her attention to the rest of her body, she wiggled her toes and rotated her ankles, working her way up towards her torso and received a pleasant surprise. Hey, I have abs now! Neat. I guess I just got a fitter version of my old body.

    By now the couple helped one another up and went in search of David, their son. Anna, deciding now would be a good time to search for her own spouse, stood up and walked around the large group she found herself in. The entire group was in a forest with thick vegetation and absurdly large trees. The trees looked like overgrown kapoks that seemed to pierce the sky. The tree trunks spanned anywhere from 30 to 50 feet wide. The sky was completely blotted out by the canopy of the forest, yet it seemed to be a bright day. Upon closer inspection, Anna noted that the leaves that made up the crowns of the massive kapoks shone brightly and cast a verdant green light upon the forest floor. The longer she stared, the better Anna felt. Well, we were promised a world of magic, and I guess that¡¯s proof that they¡¯ve delivered.

    Next, Anna began to scrutinize every other person that she was with, mostly to look for Arn, but also out of curiosity. The people around Anna were quite a mixed bag. Most of them had a glazed look in their eyes just as she did, she assumed, only a few moments ago. The first to begin stirring from their stupor were the humans it seemed: they constituted the majority of the group. Anna paused before the first non-human creature she passed. The humanoid creature had massive biceps, covered with tattoos of roses, and cats. Their hair was auburn-colored, thickly braided, and probably as long as their roughly four-foot frame. If one were to quickly look at their face, and only their face, one might mistake them for human. However, the closer you looked, the more their face began to appear abnormal. Their eyes were too large, their nose too bulbous, and their ears were perfectly round. They, and everyone like them stood out as the only creatures in a stupor that were standing without being awake. So we have dwarves, but I don¡¯t see elves. That, or I am a speciesist and I¡¯m stereotyping both dwarfs and elves before getting to know either.

    The group contained a breakdown of thirty humans, twenty maybe-dwarves, eighteen purple-people, thirteen big lizard people, thirteen pointed-headed little people, and nine potential gray-skinned orcs for a total of one hundred three people. After taking a count of everyone, Anna had to admit to herself, Arn was missing, and he wasn¡¯t the only one. Several people had expected to be brought along with the loved ones and were surprised to find out that they weren¡¯t there.

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    ¡°What the hell is this? I was told my brother would be here!¡± Exclaimed one of the first maybe-dwarves to wake up. Several others mumbled along in agreement. Anna noticed the couple from earlier and decided to test a theory.

    Walking up to them, and giving her best, ¡°Don¡¯t be awkward,¡± smile, she said, ¡°Hey, I heard you two were looking for someone named David earlier? Any luck?¡±

    The man, Greg, was the one to reply, ¡°Yeah, David is our son, he¡¯s only twelve, and we can¡¯t find him. None of the other kids look like him.¡±

    Anna took another look around the cluster of people, and realized something that the man¡¯s wife realized as well. David¡¯s mother said, ¡°I don¡¯t think those are children honey, I think they''re gnomes. I don¡¯t actually see any kids whatsoever.¡±

    ¡°Did the system tell you both that you would all be together? How did you two end up here?¡± Asked Anna.

    ¡°Well,¡± replied the wife, ¡°to be honest, we don¡¯t really know. We all went to bed last night, and then suddenly, some white sheet told us that we died. I thought that was ridiculous, because how could all three of us have all died at the same time? Except the sheet told us that our house blew up in a gas leak!¡± At this point, the woman turned on her husband, ¡°I told you that those pilot light stove ranges were a dangerous fad, Gregory. Mary¡¯s husband works for Public Service Gas. He said that if the pilot light went out, then the whole house would fill with gas, and wouldn¡¯tyaknowit? That¡¯s exactly what happened!¡±

    ¡°Helen, darling¡­.¡±

    What? That doesn¡¯t make sense. Gas stoves don¡¯t always have the pilot light on, they¡¯re electronically lit. Based on the look on Greg¡¯s face, Anna¡¯s next question saved him the embarrassment of further digging his grave, ¡°I¡¯m sorry, what year was it when your family, uh, passed?¡±

    ¡°Year? Oh dear, it was 1928. Are you about to tell us that we¡¯ve been dead for much longer?¡± It seemed that Helen was real quick on the uptake. Anna was sure that she¡¯d like her.

    ¡°Well, I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s necessarily the case. When I died, it was 2018. That doesn¡¯t mean much though. I mean, who¡¯s to say that time works the same in this new dimension. All three of us could have been waiting for a millennia in limbo, or a day. I don¡¯t even know how magic works yet.¡±

    ¡°Magic, what are you talking about? Are you¡­¡± Greg started to say.

    ¡°We¡¯ve already gone over the gnomes, dear. Magic isn¡¯t a stretch of the imagination. Keep up!¡± interrupted Helen.

    ¡°Did the system not tell you all about magic when it brought you here?¡± asked Anna.

    ¡°System? You said that before, is that the white sheet? All we were told is that if we wanted to stay a family in the afterlife, if we wanted a chance to raise our David, then the sheet, or system, could make it happen.¡±

    ¡°Oh, I guess this sheet, the system, told us something different.¡± stated Anna, making her mind to open up in order to learn more, ¡°It might help if we try to match up what we know. I can start.¡± At this point, all humans, maybe-dwarves, and several pointy headed people (who we shall call maybe-gnomes) had broken free from their glazed expressions. Many, listening in on Anna and Helen¡¯s conversation, moved closer to their group, hoping to glean some information themselves. Of course, that was exactly what Anna hoped, if she spoke upon her experience, others would be able to corroborate at least parts of it, or share different experiences and maybe she¡¯d be able to piece together something to explain what the heck was going on. ¡°I¡¯m Anna, by the way. My husband, who was supposed to be here with me, is Arn.¡±

 Ch. 4: Filing Complaints

    Anna

    Anna waited a few moments to collect her thoughts, then began, ¡°Arn and I were going home after watching the Eagles win the Super Bowl, and we were killed during a head on collision.¡± Realizing that most didn¡¯t know what the hell she was saying, Anna rephrased, ¡°Uh, my husband and I were traveling home and were crushed to death by a large truck, which is like a big metal box that weighs thousands of pounds and is on wheels.¡± Seeing looks of confusion change to horror, she added, ¡°I don¡¯t think we felt a thing, we died immediately on impact. Anyways, that¡¯s not what¡¯s important, after we died, we found ourselves in our home, except it was empty and the system told us what had happened.¡±

    ¡°Same here. Kicked the bucket, ended up in my apartment, and a large screen calling itself the ¡®system¡¯ scammed my ass! Told me I¡¯d be whatever I wanted in my next life, and look at me now. I¡¯m a damn brunette! I wanted to be a natural redhead.¡± yelled one of the women in the crowd.

    Is that really all she wanted? The system brings us back from the dead into a magic universe and she wants to be a redhead?

    ¡°Did the system just tell us all something different? Maybe whatever we wanted to hear to get us to agree to come? I was told I¡¯d get to experience my life as a man with superpowers. Definitely a man now, but ain¡¯t have a superpower that I know of yet.¡± called out a man at the edge of the group while he looked through the underbrush in search of something.

    ¡°Why promise us things though? If the system was powerful enough to bring us back from the dead, why did it need to convince us?¡± Added Helen

    ¡°Did it need our permission? If so, why has it not made good on those promises for some of us? What¡¯s the point in bringing us all here in the first place?¡± Anna observed, jumping back into the conversation, ¡°What does the system want? I have a hard time believing that it brought us here out of altruism for the dead. Has anyone figured out how to reach the system yet?¡± No one had. It must have some reason for keeping some together and not others.

    At this point people began to lose interest, most realized that talking was leading to more questions than answers. Yeah, probably my fault. No one likes people who bring more problems without solutions.

    Some began to look through the underbrush, searching for clues or tracks. Others began to mingle with those of the same species. No one left the clearing, however, as if there were some unspoken rule that it would be safer together. Greg, taking one for the team, approached some of the other humanoids in the clearing. ¡°So were you all humans, or were you always this way?¡±

    ¡°Can¡¯t speak for anyone for anyone else, but I am and always was a dwarf.¡± The dwarf that replied had a shiny bald head, eyebrows that were so large they stuck out on the sides of his face, and a beard that covered his entire torso. ¡°I¡¯ve never met any of the other species here either. Here¡¯s a more important question, how the hell do you all speak Redcore?¡±

    ¡°Redcore? Pal, I hate to break it to ya, but you are definitely speaking good ol¡¯ English.¡±

    ¡°I think the system is translating what everyone is saying for us. I mean, it spoke directly into our mind, so I think some sort of psychic connection isn¡¯t too far fetched.¡± Anna offered, now worried that the system had mind control powers. If I become some mindless zombie, I¡¯m blaming Arn for ditching me. He better be dead or really hurt to not be here. Who do I talk to file a complaint?

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    It was then that one of the lizard people spoke up, ¡°Isn¡¯t that messed up? On the one hand, the system can fuck with our minds, how else could you explain the translation. On the other hand, talk about the death of cultural diversity. My people have a long and proud history. How would we be able to tell if we¡¯ve met one of our own if we cannot trust their words?¡±

    ¡°I think the fact that you all have scales would be a giveaway mate,¡± responded a human.

    ¡°Pfft, you think that simply because we are one species, that we all are alike? Do all humans share in one culture? I would think not. You may all look the same, but I at least have the tact of assuming the universality of  your oily flesh does not entail a unanimity of culture.¡± Although most in the area could not read the expression on the lizard person¡¯s face, the disdain dripping from his tone was obvious.

    ¡°Well¡­ alright, point taken.¡±

    ¡°Perhaps,¡± said the dwarf, offering an olive branch to end the suddenly tense atmosphere, ¡°we can make some introductions in order to ensure there aren¡¯t too many misunderstandings.¡±

    As the introductions began, Anna was able to learn the names of all of the different species in the group. The humans and dwarves had already been identified, although the dwarves began trying to explain the subtle differences of plain dwarves and mountain dwarves, which turned out to rely on the thickness of the hairs of one¡¯s beard. Suffice to say, no one but the dwarves were able to discern the differences. Perhaps that would come with time.

    The lizard people were called metatiles. They preferred the name, geckites, however. The gray-skinned orcs turned out to be called volcanic orcs. The other two species of orcs, not among the group, were shale orcs and marble orcs. It seemed that orc culture had a long history of rock obsession. To each their own I guess. The maybe-gnomes turned out to in fact be gnomes. Plus one to Helen! Finally, the purple-people turned out to be elves. Their ears actually had the slightest points, and apparently it was a touchy subject.

    As the last person, a female gnome, woke up from her glazed look, a system message finally appeared.

    System Alert:

    Welcome to the Dharmic Dimension!

    You have been placed in a group of Karmic denizens. You and your allies have all been given the same quests. These quests are designed to give you a crash course on Dharma, Karma, and your class selection.

    New Quest:

    Dharmic Crash Course:

    Complete your personalized crash course.

    Time Limit: 7:59:59

    Reward: Begin the quest, ¡®Karmic Crash Course.¡¯

    New Quest:

    Karmic Crash Course:

    Complete your personalized crash course.

    Time Limit: 8:00:00 (Begins once you complete the quest, ¡®Dharmic Crash Course.¡¯

    Reward: Begin the quest, ¡®Class Selection Guide.¡¯

    New Quest:

    Class Selection Guide:

    Complete your personalized crash course.

    Time Limit: 8:00:00 (Begins once you complete the quest, ¡®Karmic Crash Course.¡¯

    Reward: At the completion of your crash course, you will be shown the path to get in touch with Arn Pand!

 Ch. 5: Take the Small Victories

    Arn

    Arn was at an impasse. He was sure he couldn¡¯t stay in his cot cave or armory hall, there was no food, and he was beginning to feel the early pangs of hunger. However, he wasn¡¯t sure he could take the lava lizard. More importantly, he was too afraid to try.

    Now that he was out of crisis mode, he had an opportunity to reflect on his past two experiences of dying. Each time he thought about fighting the lizard, its wide jaw and endless teeth paralyzed him. He knew it was just a trick of his mind, that the beast had a normal amount of teeth for its mouth and that it was killable. After all, he had managed to stab it with his spear. In theory, he should be able to kill it. Theory can kiss my ass though. I can¡¯t do it.

    What if I don¡¯t need to actively fight it though? What if I cheat? A plan began to take shape in Arn¡¯s head. He went back into the armory and searched for what he needed. If I can¡¯t fight it head on, why don¡¯t I just shoot it to death? He grabbed a bow off of a rack on the wall and attempted a dry fire. As he pulled the string around three-fourths of the way taut, he hit a brick wall of tension. He couldn¡¯t muster up the strength to pull the sting back the remainder of the way.

    Giving up after about five minutes of failed attempts with the bow, Arn looked for another solution. If I can¡¯t pull a bow back, then I definitely can¡¯t throw a spear that far right? Moving back towards the rack of spears, he realized that the spear he had used in his last run at the lava lizard was back Alright, so the armory refills itself? Either that or I¡¯m in a time loop, but that¡¯s not happening. I refuse to believe it. Would the system really put me in a time loop just to complete a quest?

    Finding no point in continuing that line of thinking without any evidence, Arn set about throwing some spears for practice. Modeling what he¡¯d seen Olympians do on tv, he threw three spears. He found that the further he tried to throw, the more ridiculously bad his aim was. Clearly, Arn had no talents when it came to physical feats. As he paced back and forth collecting his spears, his eyes fell on the answer to his prayers.

    Seated beautifully between two barrels of bolts, was a crossbow. Its elegantly carved wood, its gorgeously thick string, its stunningly bright brass trigger, called to him. It would be what gave him his edge. That fucking lizard would die today and Arn would get his answers! Behind the crossbow sat an empty quiver that was the perfect size for the bolts. He picked up the crossbow, and placed its tip on the ground. Placing his foot on the stirrup at the front, he used his entire body to pull back on the string and caught it behind two metal protrusions midway up the crossbow¡¯s length. Once the string was loaded, Arn picked up and loaded a bolt. Imagining that a shield on the other side of the hall was the lizard''s head, he took aim, fired, and missed by a few inches. That¡¯s fine, I have time to practice.  Arn spent the next several minutes practicing his aim until he hit the shield seven out of every ten shots. Filling and equipping a quiver full of bolts, he moved on to the next step of his plan.

    Then he went ahead and looked for a set of armor that didn¡¯t hinder his ability to shoot. The system had only given him a potato sac as clothing whenever he awoke and he already had firsthand experience about how being poorly protected ended. He found a set of leather armor that he could wear. The leather itself didn¡¯t seem too protective, but on the inside of the sleeveless tunic had several sturdy pockets filled with smaller iron plates. Arn removed plates until he could manage the weight comfortably. He then selected a pair of trousers made of cloth. The leather paints were, to put it gently, fucking awful. They were tight, itchy, and limited his ability to make a tactical retreat. Lastly, he selected a simple pair of comfortable leather boots.

    Finally, Arn was ready. His plan was simple: shoot the lizard through a crack in the door, shut it to reload, then rinse and repeat until it was dead. He made his way over to the door, and in order to not talk himself out of acting, he immediately cracked it open and stuck the end of the crossbow through. This time, the lizard was standing near the center of the room. The sword it had before was gone, it now held a mace almost as tall as it was. It looked around the cavern slowly, making several rotations, looking for something. Is it looking for Anna¡¯s doppelganger?

    When Arn had last fought the lava lizard, he realized that the thing it was killing was not his wife. For one, it didn¡¯t bleed when it was torn apart. It also lacked a connection that Arn searched for. He couldn¡¯t put his finger on it, but he felt in his very essence that it was not his wife when he looked into its eyes.

    Maybe, it¡¯s already dead this time, or maybe it¡¯s gone, either way, the lizard is next. Arm took a deep breath, aimed, and paused for several seconds trying to get his shaking under control. Fuck, this is awful. I want to go back to the cot. Why do I have to do this? While he fought his internal battle, the lizard found what he was looking for. He and Arn made eye contact for a brief moment, before Arn panicked and fired his bolt wide to the left.

    He attempted to shut the door, but as he reached for it, something flung it open and a force shoved Arn right into the cave. Scrambling backwards, he slammed his back into a now closed door and made the horrifying discovery that there was no handle for him to reach. The door faded into nothingness and in the next moment he turned to hear gut-wrenching laughter.

    The lizard moved on Arn quickly, crossing half of the distance in the time it took for Arn to even look down to reload. By the time he got his foot into the stirrup and grabbed the string, a painful blow knocked Arn to the side. He had been hit on the side of his chest. The armor in the area had cracked and caved in, but it did take most of the blow, saving him at the cost of a bruise and an iron plate. Arn rolled to the side, his crossbow had fallen from his hand during the impact, so he grabbed a bolt and swung wildly at the lizard, hoping to catch it in the eye. It simply moved a few inches from the arc of the bolt''s trajectory and swung its mace towards Arn¡¯s unarmored face. The last thing he felt before death was a piece of spiked metal ripping chunks off of his head before removing it entirely from his neck.

    This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.

    <hr>

    Arn once again woke up rolling to the floor and laid in the fetal position. He stayed that way for some time, sobbing and trying to come to terms with his death. Every failure was another weight on his mind. What was I thinking about when accepting the system¡¯s proposal? This was supposed to be fun god damnit! He decided to stay there and cry through his frustrations. Eventually, he got too tired to do even that and began planning again.

    That moment repeated itself often. Arn would go come up with a plan, prepare, practice, and then it would fall apart. Sometimes he would try a ranged attack, other times, a spear, and eventually, he tried to sneak up and stab the lizard in the back. Each one of these ended in misery and then death. The cycle would continue on and on. Wake up to painful heat, cry, plan, fight, die, repeat.

    The creature that pretended to be his wife, Arn learned, was impossible to save. No matter how quickly he ran into the room, or how prepared he was, the lizard killed her and he could only watch. His mind knew that she wasn¡¯t real, that his real wife was somewhere else, but watching someone who looks exactly like the love of your life, screaming your name, crying for help takes its toll.

    Arn also learned several other things during his constant reincarnations. He learned that it was not the same lizard every fight. In one fight, the lava lizard he faced was missing an eye. In another, it had a missing arm. No time loop, whoo!

    The door was another issue, when it was opened, Arn had exactly ten seconds to leave. If he tried to stay, some mysterious force would throw him into the room. After the door closed, it disappeared. In one reincarnation, Arn had tied a rope to several heavy items in the armory room in an attempt to keep the door open, that hilariously backfired as every single item flew out with him and several impaled him. Even the lizard chose not to attack him in that life. Instead, it sat and laughed as Arn slowly bled to death.

    Lives began to blur together. Arn began to practice different weapons. Not in an attempt to win, but out of curiosity. He wanted to see if he had any talent with a particular spear, sword, or mace. He wondered if he was more of a ranged attacker, or a melee guy.

    At around one hundred forty deaths, he began to feel numb at the sight of the fake Anna¡¯s death. He no longer saw her as a person, simply a stage prop intended to elicit a response out of him. Then, he forgot that she existed altogether. He hadn¡¯t forgotten his wife, or his previous life, but they now seemed like distant memories, rather than some pressing crisis. Eh, if I ever see her, she¡¯ll get over it, I¡¯m sure. It was also around this time that he figured out his weapons of choice!

    He learned that he preferred two styles of weapons. His first choice was a classic longsword, it provided momentum, offensive power, and reach. The latter was very important, as it meant he could last just a bit longer by avoiding the sharp claws of the lizards. Arn found himself using the longsword time and again, selecting it without even thinking on some occasions.

    The second set was every MMO tank¡¯s favorite loadout, sword and board. Arn wielded an arming sword in his right hand, while he attached a heater shield to his left. At first, he thought a kite shield would suit him better, as most of the heater shields were too small. After some trial and error he discovered the perfect one. Take a kite shield, cut off the rounded top to give it a straight edge. Then shorten it just a bit from the bottom, not too much, just enough for it to be held above the shin but also below his neck, and you had his go to shield. It was made of wood, and reinforced with steel and rivets. At first, he simply used it to block claw attacks, but after an experience when a lizard attempted to burn him as soon as he entered the room, he was pleasantly surprised to learn that the shield held up to fire. Whether that was due to magic, or good design, he didn¡¯t know, nor did he care.

    Arn continued focusing on improving himself, death, after death, after death. As it turns out, he was actually getting better. Just after death two hundred ten or so, he reached a moment of vindication. Till that point, even when he could wound the lizard, he could never land a decisive blow, whether due to his clumsiness, or poor decision making, he¡¯d die before he could do so. This death was different. He had pushed the lizard into a wall, and as it reached up to slice at his shield arm, Arn ducked rather than block. As the lizard missed its attack, Arn capitalized by stabbing its knee with the bottom of his shield and slicing off the creature¡¯s off-hand using his sword. His victory was short-lived, however, as instead of using that moment to finish off the lizard, he hesitated, too shocked at the moment to do anything. Of course, the lizard jumped on his shoulders, used its remaining arm to knock off his helmet, and tore his face to shreds.

    When Arn entered the lizard''s cave again, he found two lizards instead of one. FUCK, YES! You bitches need two people to take me down! His smug attitude only angered the lizards and solidified the torture he was about to endure, but he didn¡¯t care. Something had changed, he had proven his ability to grow. The difficulty of his quest had also just taken another bullshit level up. If one enemy was hard, two were next to impossible. I wonder if I could win though? Imagine the look on their faces if I kill one of them.

    It took another three hundred deaths for him to manage to do just that. He attacked instantly, forgoing any attempt at defense to throw his full focus on one lizard. He killed it, only to be tackled down and have his brain bashed in. After that point, Arn stopped keeping count. He could finally admit it, he was enjoying himself. A small part of him knew that with each death he was falling further and further into madness. He began to boo when the lizards chose to kill fake Anna in mundane ways, shouting, ¡°Y''all sent better twenty kills ago!¡± and, ¡°Bring back the other guys! THEY knew how to instill fear!¡± Strange what you get used to.

 Ch. 6: Karmic Seminar

    Anna

    Anna and the others in her group all saw the system messages within their minds. Before anyone had a chance to react, they were blinded by a deep red light. Anna felt her body begin to slip away, or perhaps it was her mind. Her senses were stripped one by one until all that remained of her was a single point. Her new body, a mere speck of dust in a vacuum of information, fell until it felt a current begin to pull it along. As she moved through the current, her sense of touch began to expand. She felt thousands, billions, and then trillions of other specks float along with her.

    Several specks began to vibrate with Anna¡¯s, each oscillation bringing them closer towards the edges of the current. They were deposited into what felt like an ice cold bucket of water, jolting Anna back to reality. She was still in the forest clearing, except she was now alone. No signs that she, or anyone else, had once been there were left.

    ¡°Welcome Ms. Pand!¡± Anna heard from behind her. Turning around she was faced with a clone of herself. If Anna couldn¡¯t still see and feel all of her usual bits, she would have assumed that she was having an out-of-body experience. Her clone wore the same loose fitting brown pants that Anna was, but her shirt was a sleeveless black tunic, while Anna¡¯s was full-sleeved and white. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I only look like you in order to facilitate a quicker learning experience. It helps put a candidate at ease to see themselves reflected by me.¡± the clone said.

    ¡°Sure, but what actually are you? An illusion? Or shapeshifter? Maybe you¡¯re just a hallucination and I¡¯m currently high? Also, what was with that current? Were those all people?¡±

    The clone seemed unfazed by Anna¡¯s questions until she mentioned the current. ¡°You experienced the stream! How much did you see?¡± It interrupted Anna¡¯s questioning to ask one of its own, then, it changed its mind and resumed its friendly demeanor. ¡°Nevermind, this is a good sign. I¡¯m glad that I¡¯m getting better at selecting candidates. I¡¯m The System. Your body is still in the forest, although your soul is missing, currently, an artificial soul is keeping you upright during your integration process. Your soul, here with me, is in a place of my own creation, specifically designed to bring in and integrate new souls and guide them during their crash course. Think of me as your mentor!¡±

    ¡°Great, you can tell me why you¡¯re holding us hostage. My husband and I were promised that we¡¯d be here together, yet clearly, he¡¯s not here. Why the hell are you locking knowledge of where he is through your quest conditions?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, the conditions of this crash course limit the information I may give out.¡± The System¡¯s voice, for the first time, lacked any inflection and sounded monotone.

    Ah damn, it¡¯s some prerecorded crap. In order to confirm her suspicions, Anna asked, ¡°So did you set these limits on yourself?¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, the conditions of this crash course limit the information I may give out.¡±

    ¡°Can I be told what I¡¯m allowed to ask? I¡¯m taking stabs in the dark here.¡±

    ¡°Unfortunately, the conditions of this crash course limit the information I may give out.¡±

    How is this in any way helpful? This is just cult brainwashing with extra steps. ¡°The only information you shall receive is what I deem you worthy enough to receive, peasant.¡± What a load of¡­

    ¡°If you have no further questions, please confirm your desire to begin your first crash course in Dharma and start on your integration process. Please know that during integration, you may experience severe headaches.¡±

    ¡°Do I have a choice here? Can I refuse?¡±

    ¡°Sadly, integration cannot begin without  your confirmation.¡±

    ¡°So¡­ if I don¡¯t consent, then nothing will happen? Do we just stay here for eternity?¡±

    ¡°Eventually, your quest timer will run out and death will occur as your soul is currently not connected to your body.¡±

    ¡°Why is my ¡®confirmation'' even necessary then? Couldn¡¯t you have just forced this information into my brain?¡±

    ¡°Great question! You are, now that you have entered this universe, a Karmic being. Your actions, and your choices, are yours and yours alone. The choice to act must be taken by a willing soul.¡±

    This book''s true home is on another platform. Check it out there for the real experience.

    What an exhaustingly long explanation, just say, ¡°free will,¡± and be done with it. ¡°So I can choose pain or death. How is that in any way a meaningful choice?¡±

    ¡°I do not believe that you were ever promised meaning in the choices offered to you. Simply that you will have a choice.¡±

    Sighing heavily, Anna resigned herself to what was probably either a painful and confusing information dump, or a painful and useless informational seminar. ¡°Yeah, go ahead. You have my permission.¡±

    ¡°Fantastic! Welcome to your first crash course on Dharma. Please seat yourself comfortably as this may take some time.¡± As the System began speaking, a large velvet lounge chair appeared by Anna¡¯s side.

    Sitting down, Anna felt her mind become hazy, a slight throb of pain began at the base of her spine and moved towards the crown of her head. Strange, if my real body is elsewhere, why am I still feeling pain? Do nerves not matter or exist here? The origin of the System¡¯s voice split, coming from every cardinal direction.

    We are currently in the 103,119th universe. Your body was transported to a newly formed world, roughly 100 times larger than the planet ¡®Earth¡¯ you came from. Your former universe had only weak ties to Dharma and The Divine and thus, you were never properly integrated.

    Dharma is universally applicable, personally achieved, and eternally present. Some describe Dharma as universal law, what IS and what will BE. Others believe Dharma is the defining of how one ought to live, the morals, values, duties, and responsibilities of all Karmic beings. You may believe either, as they are both equally correct and insufficient. Throughout your life, through your perpetual pursuit of enlightenment, you will come to define and understand Dharma on your own terms. It may be useful to think of it, for now, as acting in accordance with your goals or journey towards enlightenment.

    To fulfill your Dharma is a short term and long term endeavor. For example, a woodsman may complete her Dharma by fulfilling her obligation towards the town she trades with giving them wood, in return for some sort of compensation. However, her Dharma can also be completed by teaching an apprentice her methods, thus ensuring that the supply of wood remains uninterrupted after her passing, as well as her responsibility. Ultimately, Dharma may be served in a variety of ways that rely, in part, on your interpretation of your duties and responsibilities, and also on what the universe demands of you.

    As the System, it is my duty to help guide and support you in your pursuit of Dharma. Occasionally,  I will provide you and other Karmic beings with quests, obstacles, and rewards that reflect your Dharma. The quests themselves are not Dharma, as that is not something in my, nor anyone else''s control. The completion or failure of my quests may provide a measure of completed Dharma, although the word ¡®measure¡¯ ought to be taken with a grain of salt. Dharma is not something passed or failed, but judged on a relative scale. As you pursue your Dharma, you will be rewarded, or punished through Karma.

    Alright, painful and confusing it is then. Anna tried opening her mouth to ask questions, but her muscles didn¡¯t respond. The pain in her head amplified every time she focused intently on the words of the system, forcing her to take a passive approach. Her tongue sagged, and she was thankful that she was at least sitting straight up, so that she didn¡¯t choke on it. The system continued droning on and on about the purpose of Dharma and quests, often contradicting itself or providing examples that came with dozens of exceptions, further muddling the point. After several hours of torture, The System granted her a brief respite.

    This concludes our Dharmic crash course. We will now begin our Karmic crash course.

    Not even a damn minute to get my bearings.

    Karma is a reflection of one¡¯s success and failure in fulfilling one¡¯s Dharma. When Dharma is successfully fulfilled, you receive Karmic points, shortened to simply Karma. The relative success or failure of your Dharma is reflected in how many, or how little Karma you receive. Karma can be spent on a number of different things. The first, is the improvement of your Karmic vessel, or being. The next is the gaining of new skills related to your path and vocation. Finally, on the creation of new skills by fusing or evolving existing skills.

    Karma can also be lost as a punishment for failing your Dharma or going against your path. In the event of a Karmic deficit, there are increasing and random punishments that may befall you. Some common punishments are: loss of stats, loss of skills, or increasing difficulty in quests.

    In order to help support you, all Karmic beings have access to a status menu that can be viewed during meditation. You can use this menu to view quests, spend Karma, and obtain new skills.

    The rest of the crash course blurred into itself as the pain Anna went to increased in sync with her anger. The Systems ramblings now simply contained pointless tips on maintaining good Karma such as: Be an upstanding citizen! Do the right thing! Don¡¯t kill excessively! Hold the fuck on, what the hell does it mean by ¡®excessively?¡¯ Is there an appropriate amount of killing? Wouldn¡¯t having good karma automatically entail not harming people? Anna realized then that the System was purposely omitting key information. Am I supposed to figure it out on my own? Is that meant to be part of my Dharma? That¡¯s so¡­.

    System Alert:

    Gain a deeper understanding of life!

    Dharma fulfilled, Karma increased by 1!

    The system paused in its explanation to stare in smug satisfaction at Anna. You have already begun to understand your Dharmic path! Congratulations! A good student is often a reflection of a great teacher so I am not too surprised. As you have already shown your ability in understanding the basics of Karma, we will move on.

    We have now concluded your Karmic crash course! For our final course, we will wait until your integration has completed to begin some hands-on training.

 Ch. 7: Mentoring the Next Big Thing

    Anna

    Anna and the System sat in silence for what felt like hours. Did it stop its explanation early? What about magic? How is that connected to any of this? ¡°Welcome to the crash course, where nothing is explained well and you learn to hate yourself by listening to your doppelganger.¡± The only bright side to this whole damn mess was what was about to come. Anna had been looking forward to class selection since she saw the quest appear. It was the start of fulfilling childhood fantasies of magic and superpowers.

    Eventually, feeling returned to Anna¡¯s limbs and she was able to stand from her seat. She had gotten lighter, as if the gravity of the area had taken a steep decline. While stretching her limbs, she noticed the crisp breeze that burned her throat, the silence of the forest was broken occasionally by piercing cries of birds, the noise making her ears ring.

    ¡°As the integration nears its completion, you may feel some disorientation. Your soul, and your vessel left on our newly formed planet, have been opened to The Divine and Dharma in a way that you have never experienced. That opening has allowed your body and soul to grow in base strength, and it may take some time adjusting to it.¡± The System, still in the form of Anna, began to go through a series of poses and leaps, ¡°Join me, Ms. Pand. These exercises will help you acclimate faster.¡±

    Anna cautiously took up a position in front of The System, not entirely trusting her own legs. It felt as if an incorrect step would jettison her in the direction of her momentum. Clumsily, she copied her clone as she worked through a series of poses. The System, it turned out, was a much better physical teacher, than a spiritual one. It pointed out proper footing, adjusted and held Anna¡¯s body in place until she felt comfortable doing so on her own, and allowed Anna to lead many forms that she was already confident with. By the end, although she was far from perfect, Anna gained a basic understanding of her new physical limits.

    ¡°Once you return to your body, the effect of integration will be more pronounced. Routine exercise will not only allow you to adjust to increased levels of power, but also insure that you won¡¯t lose any physical stats.¡± The System informed Anna as they finished the routine.

    ¡°So I have actual stats like a game? You said I have to spend Karma to increase them, can I not do so through exercise?¡±

    ¡°Did exercise not make humans stronger on Earth? The same is true in all universes. The spending of Karma on your stats creates, and then builds upon, a baseline of power that your body maintains. However, there is a limitation to what can be achieved for two main reasons. The first is as your power increases, you¡¯ll need to do increasingly difficult feats to maintain said power. A strong geckite is able to lift several times their body weight, in order to increase their power, they would need to train with heavier and heavier objects. Eventually, there would come a point in which actual training would require absurd regimens that are nigh impossible to sustain. In other words, it is a pragmatic limit, rather than a true one. Spending Karma on stats can offset some of the necessity for training, but without any at all, your body will return to its Karma improved baseline over time.

    The second limitation is the capacity of one¡¯s soul. Each soul has limited potential, think of it as an upper limit that it can sustain. Breaking that limit tends to only be temporary, and will often have negative repercussions, such as damage to the body. You can avoid reaching these limits by improving your soul. In fact, all creatures, in order to continue on their path to enlightenment, must improve their bodies, and their souls. These limitations, and the breaking of them are where most Karmic beings begin to separate the weak from the powerful.¡±

    ¡°And I have to meditate to see my stats on a menu?¡±

    ¡°That is correct, your stats will show on your status menu while you meditate.¡±

    ¡°Can I try now?¡±

    ¡°There is nothing stopping you from doing so. However, it is usually helpful to first gain one¡¯s class before attempting to see it. It¡¯s not impossible to see it without a class, simply more difficult. Your class acts as reinforcement to the bridge you¡¯ve created to Dharma, it helps solidify what was once fluid. In fact, that is what we shall focus on next.¡±

    ¡°Alright, to be honest though, you¡¯re a lot more helpful now than in the last two crash courses. What gives?¡±

    ¡°I apologize if my behavior is frustrating. You¡¯ve deduced my intent correctly already, so there is no harm in telling you. Your class, training, meditation, and quests are all principles that support your Dharmic path. Your path itself, however, must be something you find, and explore on your own. You may eventually find a powerful being to apprentice yourself to, but even they would not be able to simply show you the path, they act as more of a mentor that asks the right questions and nudges you towards beneficial answers. You can think of me in the same way.¡±

    Didn¡¯t really nudge me towards anything but boredom before, but sure. ¡°Got it, let¡¯s get on with the magic.¡± Anna said impatiently, bouncing on the balls of her feet.

    The System chuckled and moved towards the center of the clearing. As it moved, the scenery began to change. The area to the east of the clearing, a small pool sprang to life, or at least what Anna thought of as the East as the sun was currently rising from that direction. The pool began to darken and swirl, digging itself further into the ground.

    At the same time as the pool being created, the clearing¡¯s center changed into a bricked patio. The far side of which had three large targets. Fences built themselves ten, fifteen, and twenty feet from the first, second, and third targets respectively. Now we¡¯re talking, an honest to goodness tutorial!

    The story has been illicitly taken; should you find it on Amazon, report the infringement.

    As Anna walked towards the newly made staging zone, The System gestured towards the pool and said, ¡°We¡¯ll start there. Submerge yourself in the water and relax.¡±

    Doing as she was told, Anna at first held her breath. Several moments passed until she realized that no drowning sensation was coming. Makes sense, no body, no need to breathe. After that she was able to close her eyes and relax. She heard the universal voice of The System once again.

    All beings have strengths and weaknesses. Some are earned, some are inherent, but none of either is set in stone. With patience, dedication, and willpower, any of them can change. As such, part of my role in this integration process was to dive deeply into your soul, looking for clues into the nature of your being. Having done so, I have come up with three starter classes that you may find suitable. You are not required to pick any one of them, and if you reject the classes I have provided, I am willing to accommodate you. Please relax, and let your mind wonder.

    Looking up, Anna saw her clone place a large stone slab above her head, locking her under the surface of the water. Huh, you¡¯d think being stuck underwater with no way out would trigger some sort of survival instinct, but I feel nothing. A moment later, the water began heating up, once it reached a barely bearable temperature, it stopped. Floating in the hot darkness of the pool, and began drifting in and out of sleep. Ah, it''s a deprivation tank. Way better than I thought it¡¯d be.

    Take your time there. As you get closer to sleep, you¡¯ll begin seeing the class prompts.

    Anna felt a presence in the water. It felt as if large eels were coiling around her limbs. Each eel gave off a unique aura that appealed to her. The first, promised safety, like nothing would harm her if she trusted it. The second, thrummed with power. Choosing it would have been choosing strength, ensuring none of her enemies could stand in her path. The third eel emanated life, an oath to care for it, to nurture it. The final eel revealed potential, paths not taken, chosen not made.

    System Alert:

    New class options are available.

    Please select one of the following:

    Defender: Novice Class

    The defender stands tall in the face of its foes. None shall pass, no one shall harm you. Your stubborn nature shall force enemies into submission.

    Striker: Novice Class

    The striker is the knockout punch. Who needs defense when you have the perfect offense? Who needs weapons when your magic and fists are the right tools for the job?

    Forest Shaman: Novice Class

    The Forest is home, friend, and ally to this Shaman. Take advantage of nature''s bounty to sustain yourself and others. Call upon your forest friends to aid you in battle!

    Note: You may choose to decline all three classes. In such a case, the classes provided will be lost forever, and three new options will become available.

    Anna remained still for several minutes, going over and over the options available to her. The fact that all of the classes were novice didn¡¯t mean much. It only made sense that The System provided basic classes to newbies. They probably got better as she got stronger. The defender was out immediately, sure Anna wanted to make sure that she could protect herself. Caution and safety first had been her life motto. However, the class made no mention of magical abilities, and that was a deal breaker.

    The second class fit into many of Anna¡¯s daydreams. Who wouldn¡¯t want to be a fisticuffs badass who could punch their enemies into smithereens? Throwing magic into the mix was the cherry on top, she could see it now, a massive fireball flung into a group of enemies, then following up with awesome boxing skills to finish them off. Wait a second, what enemies? I don¡¯t even have any. I didn¡¯t come here to get into fights, and this is obviously a combat oriented class. Leave the straight up fights to the death to morons who can¡¯t strategize properly.

    That left Anna with two options, the forest shaman, or rolling for more classes. Shaman meant it was a magic class, so one box was checked. Nature¡¯s bounty wasn¡¯t all that telling however, and she wasn¡¯t sure if that meant using nature related spells, or that she could literally control nature. There was a big difference in her mind. Nature spells meant that she could use them anytime, and anyplace. Controlling nature required Anna to always be in nature itself. It might not work if she was in a house, or a city. Hey, do cities even exist? The system dropped us off in the middle of nowhere, are we supposed to find civilization ourselves?

    Rolling for more classes was a definite possibility, but the drawback was that Anna wasn¡¯t sure if she would get something better. The System had said that these classes were chosen specifically for her, but all of them left something to be desired. If she rerolled, she ran the risk of getting classes with no desirable traits.

    In the end, Anna chose the forest shaman. The magic was a risk, she knew, but she had the option to call for reinforcements. To Anna, that clearly meant some form of summoning pets to take the heavy hits, and deal the big damage. She was more than okay with taking a supporting role to her friends if it meant she got some adorable pets. Plus, if she summoned an alligator, there was a good opportunity of her getting the opportunity to fulfill a lifelong dream, specifically, getting to say, ¡°You¡¯re a lizard, Larry!¡± as she cast spells from a distance. Who could give up that chance?

    Mentally, selecting forest shaman, Anna felt all but the third eel disappear. It moved towards the center of her torso, and paused for a brief moment, before sliding into her abs with a slimy chill. The eel exploded, its aura expanded and began to suffuse every part of her soul with life energy. Anna felt her soul begin to react violently to the aura, ripping it apart and consuming every morsel. She spasmed in the water and punched towards the slab above her. No response came as she suffered shocks to her system. Eventually, she knocked her head against the pool wall to knock herself out. It didn¡¯t work, but the fresh pain was enough for her to focus on the end goal. A little suffering for dope magical powers is worth it. You¡¯re not gonna give up now. You WILL get a pet bear! Suddenly, all pain vanished as a new alert popped up.

    System Alert:

    New Class!

    You have gained: Forest Shaman: Novice Class

    System Alert:

    Take the first step on your path!

    Dharma fulfilled, Karma increased by 5!

 Ch. 8: Making Your Own Friends

    Anna

    A scraping noise above Anna¡¯s head broke her attention to the system notification in front of her. With her concentration broken, the notification evaporated in the blink of an eye. Looking up, she saw the stone slab had been removed and Anna¡¯s system clone reached into the pool of water and dragged her out. Once out, Anna laid on the ground reveling in the warmth spreading throughout her body. She thought she felt good after the integration process, but obtaining her class gave her a high like nothing else. She felt air seeping into her body, even through her clothes. Focusing on the weird sensation, Anna began noticing how the air she was absorbing was turning into the same life energy that now filled her. Oh hell yeah, I have magic bitches!

    The System was standing in the center of the patio again, Anna hadn¡¯t even realized it had moved. Joining it, she said, ¡°So how do I use my powers, I¡¯m so ready for this.¡±

    ¡°Your enthusiasm is heartwarming, but there is one final step before you¡¯re able to use your new powers. Your powers manifest through the use of skills. Your skills can be either magical or physical, but all siphon the energy needed to activate from your soul. You can¡­ ¡°

    ¡°Yeah, I can figure it out later, just tell me how to cast my magic!¡±

    ¡°Very well, based on your class, I will teach you two skills, both are magical. The first is thorn whip, and the second is a summoning spell called forest companion. Stand behind the first fence and we¡¯ll begin.¡±

    Anna hurried behind the fence, and was gently moved as the system made room for itself. ¡°I¡¯ve already inscribed the skills during your class selection. Focus on -¡±

    ¡°What do you mean inscribed? Like a tattoo?¡±

    ¡°If that is helpful, you can think of it like a tattoo on your soul. It allows you to focus on manifesting your mana quickly and efficiently.¡±

    ¡°Hold on, there¡¯s mana now? Is that soul energy?¡±

    ¡°Ms. Pand, you asked me to skip my explanation, would you like an abridged version?¡±

    ¡°Uh, no, my bad. Give me the whole thing, got a little ahead of myself there.¡± Anna embarrassingly admitted.¡±

    ¡°No problem at all. As we¡¯ve said before, your skills are powered by your soul, but it¡¯s not so straightforward. In order to make use of the energy in your soul, it needs the ability to manifest itself. Your body, as in your physical body, contains two cores, one for mana, and one for stamina. These cores tie your soul to your physical body and also serve as gateways for your skills. When you use your skills, the cores power them. In turn, during mediation, you can fill the cores with power, ready for use again. So it works like this: Your soul provides the energy for all of your being: physical, spiritual, mental, and magical. Your skills make use of the energy to work. However, simply connecting one¡¯s skill to energy doesn¡¯t do anything, as your soul is not a physical being. In order to do so, your skills provide your cores with a sort of blueprint of intent. The cores, in turn, take the blueprint and the energy they¡¯ve converted and stored, and turn it into a physical phenomenon.¡±

    ¡°Why do I need to convert to mana in the first place? Wouldn¡¯t it be more efficient to just use some sort of core to directly siphon my soul energy into the desired effect?¡±

    ¡°That is a wonderful question Ms. Pand! The reason you cannot do so is because you are human. Some species do not have mana, or stamina, but instead, they have cores that directly convert soul energy as you¡¯ve pointed out. While on the surface, this seems to give them an edge, it can also be detrimental to their being. Your body cannot handle constant exposure to direct soul energy, so by using skills, they damage themselves. Now, most of these beings have methods to limit the damage, but it requires longer periods of rest to fully recover. There are some other side-effects, but I¡¯ll leave those to you to discover. More importantly, by converting soul energy into mana, and stamina, you save yourself that damage.

    ¡°Alright, so it¡¯s just a matter of evolution? Are there species that directly convert soul energy to mana and then manifest it, rather than storing it?¡±

    ¡°There are, but they run into similar risks. Their cores tend to become unstable due to strain and there is a greater risk of damaging their body. Also it consumes more mana than necessary, as it takes soul energy for the conversion itself.

    Rather than just directly converting your soul energy to mana, your body stores the energy beforehand and then lets your soul rest to recover. It¡¯s a matter of efficiency. There are ways to improve the rate at which energy is converted however. Once you¡¯ve improved your being and soul enough, you¡¯ll be able to do so passively without the need for meditation, although it will be slower.¡±

    ¡°So how am I supposed to use my skill if I don¡¯t have mana?¡±

    Smiling, The System explained, ¡°That¡¯s the thing, you are in a completely spiritual realm at the moment, so you can directly make use of your energy and skills here. The strain will feel negligent, as even the air around you is spiritual and restores your energy easily. Once you return to your physical being, you will need some practice in using mana and stamina, but it shouldn¡¯t be too difficult.¡±

    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.

    Turning towards the targets, The System held its right hand up and summoned a vine from its wrist. It shot forward at an incredible speed and stabbed completely through the straw target fifteen feet away. Then Anna saw the vine turn, wrap around the cube, and drag it back towards them. As it brought the vine back towards itself, Anna noticed that the vine seemed to literally come from the skin of The System. It made a slurping noise as the last of it re-entered and the hole it slithered from, closed. I think I¡¯m gonna gag.

    ¡°The use of the skill is rather simple. First, locate the skill inscription, feel your desired effect, then tie the desire to your energy and the rest will take care of itself.¡±

    It was certainly not simple. Anna wasn¡¯t able to find the skill inscription. She searched her body over and over to no avail. It wasn¡¯t until The System told her it wasn¡¯t an external inscription that she figured it out. The mark was more of a feeling of swirling energy underneath her right shoulder. She imagined the energy traveling down her arm and shooting out in the same grotesque manner that it had for the system. A vine shot out of her wrist, although she had no idea where it actually began, and shot in a straight line. After about ten feet of growth, it sagged to the floor. Success!

    ¡°That is a wonderful start. You can command the vine by just thinking about what you¡¯d like it to do.¡± suggested The System.

    Anna spent the next hour slapping, stabbing, and grabbing targets with her vine. She learned the thorns were an additional effect that she could create after already summoning the vine. It also didn¡¯t seem to matter where she wanted the vine to be summoned from, she could have it come from her fingers, elbows, lower back, even her eye after one particularly dark thought crossed her mind. Summoning it from her hand, however, resulted in her having the greatest amount of control over the vine.

    ¡°I believe you are ready to experiment with your other skill, forest companion.¡± As The System said this, it summoned a squirrel the size of an overfed housecat.

    Anna straightened up and began looking for signs of her other inscription. She eventually found it underneath her navel. Pushing the energy out into her hand, she froze, ¡°How do I move mana outside of my body?¡±

    ¡°Imagine a link to wherever you wish the creature to appear, when the connection is established, you will no longer need to concentrate on it.¡±

    Doing as The System suggested, Anna was able to summon a fox. She felt the connection constantly tug at her energy, feeding the fox and allowing it to retain its shape. ¡°So will it disappear as soon as I run out of energy.¡±

    ¡°For now, yes, but you can also create a physical form for the creature. After you¡¯ve summoned your companion, you can share some of your soul with it. Don¡¯t worry though, it won¡¯t harm you or it, the fragment will simply act as a catalyst for The Divine to send a soul to your new friend.

    Once they have their soul, the connection will weaken, but there will always be a tether to you. They will have become, in essence, a living creature. Their path however, is inexorably tied forever to yours. They won¡¯t grow or become stronger, unless you do. If you die, they die. They will also die from the many natural causes that can kill any being.

    The upside is, they will remain on the physical plane even when you stop supplying them energy, they¡¯ll simply generate it on their own. They also grow stronger if given a physical form. For now, the fox in front of you seems real, but that is only because we are in a spiritual place, once you return to your physical being, the animals you summon will be obvious magic creatures unless given a physical form.¡±

    After some failed attempts, Anna learned that summoning more than one creature was impossible. As she called a new companion, this time the fox had pink fur, the original disappeared. Maybe I¡¯ll get more when I get stronger? She summoned a whip and began playing with the little guy she decided to call ¡®Richard¡¯. It seemed to understand her commands with just a thought, but it felt too similar to the way Anna moved her whip. ¡°Do they think for themselves if given complex commands?¡± she asked.

    ¡°Only if they have a physical form, until then, they are just magical puppets.¡± After a moment had passed, The System let Anna know it was time for the final part of her crash course, ¡°We will finish with a round of meditation and learning how to open the system menu.¡±

    Taking a seat opposite The System on a mat that had appeared near the patio, Anna listened once again to an all encompassing voice:

    Once you have relaxed your mind and begun meditation, you will begin to feel a pull on your mind. That is the distraction of the system status screen. True meditation requires you to ignore the distraction, and it is a useful tool in learning to do so. For now, we will allow the distraction to work. You¡¯ll feel out of yourself, like you are no longer Ms. Pand, but a stranger, looking through your eyes. That is normal, you will become used to the feeling, and once you close the status screen, the feeling will subside.

    Anna closed her eyes and tried to relax. This wasn¡¯t the first time she had attempted to meditate, her husband had gone on and on about how meditation after yoga was the best feeling in the world, and how she just had to try it. It had never really worked for her when she did try. Her mind would begin to wander and she¡¯d open her eyes to see how Arn was doing. Of course, he seemed perfectly content ¡®blanking out¡¯ as he called it. The fact that he could think of absolutely nothing was hilarious and strange at the same time. It reminded her of TV static, and she sometimes teased him by playing a video of static when he zoned out. I hope he¡¯s alright.

    Anna thought back to the home they had left behind. Their simple two-bedroom house had been their oasis. Arn loved calling it ¡®home base¡¯ and the name really suited it. No matter what happened during her day, she¡¯d always known she could go home and vent to him. He¡¯d listen, praise her, argue with her, joke with her, and always give the best hugs.

    A buzzing noise interrupted Anna¡¯s daydreaming and when she tried to open her eyes, she found that they were glued shut. Before she could move her body, a white screen took up her vision.

    Name: Anna Pand (Human)

    Class: Forest Shaman

    Vocation:

    Path:

    Karma: 6

    Average Stat Level: 5

    Stats

    Skills

    Passives

    Quests: Pending Rewards

    Ms. Pand, you have successfully opened your status screen, congratulations! Learning how to navigate your menu is intuitive and I have no doubt you¡¯ll do a fantastic job along your path. The avatar I created is no longer needed, as we can speak through your status screen. My advice would be to look at your stats, spend your Karma, and accept your quest rewards. When you finish up with all of that and close your screen, you will be sent back to your body. Good Luck to you!

 Ch. 9: A Cruel Sort of Indifference

    Anna

    Stats:

    Strength: 5

    Endurance: 5

    Dexterity: 5

    Intelligence: 5

    Wisdom: 5

    Fortitude: 5

    Vitality: 50

    Stamina: 50

    Mana: 50

    Karma: 6

    Anna took some time familiarizing herself with her stats. So, do I have average numbers for a human? Strength, endurance, and dexterity should be physical stats. Intelligence and wisdom are for magic casters, at least that¡¯s what they usually are for in games. Fortitude is strange though, isn¡¯t that the same as endurance? Also, it seems that vitality is my health pool. That¡¯s so strange, a health pool. Would I survive having my heart cut out? Would fifty cuts that each do one damage kill me? If not, then there¡¯s no need for a health pool is there? Wait, my physical stats can be trained, that makes sense. What would it take to train my magic stats, solving puzzles? Reading? Philosophizing on the need for stats in the first place?

    System Alert:

    Know thyself, question everything.

    Dharma fulfilled, Karma increased by 1!

    Alright then. Did I get those points for philosophizing or doubting my stats? Anna waited a moment but no additional Karma was awarded. It was worth a shot. She ultimately decided to put two points each in intelligence and wisdom, and saved three Karma for later.

    Stats:

    Strength: 5

    Endurance: 5

    Dexterity: 5

    Intelligence: 7

    Wisdom: 7

    Fortitude: 5

    Vitality: 60

    Stamina: 50

    Mana: 70

    Karma: 3

    Ugh, do I have to do math now? Clearly, each point in a stat is two and a half points in vitality. How the hell did I just get seventy mana? Oh, each point in my stats gives me five points in mana. At least, that¡¯s the most I can figure for now.

    Anna then moved on to her quests.

    Quests Updated:

    Dharmic Crash Course: Complete

    Reward: Begin the quest, ¡®Karmic Crash Course.¡¯

    Karmic Crash Course: Complete

    Reward: Begin the quest, ¡®Class Selection Guide.¡¯

    Class Selection Guide: Complete

    Reward: You will be shown the path to get in touch with Arn Pand!

    So, how do I get my reward? Anna, focused on the final quest and thought the word, Reward, instantly being inundated with the smell of iron. She forced her eyes open and saw a sickening sight.

    Arn stood in front of a large purple door, wearing nothing but trousers. His skin was pale and drained of life. His head was shaved and his eyes were sunken in. He was still a large man, but a lot of the fat had been culled from his body, leaving him looking like some grief stricken amateur strongman. Anna watched as he grabbed a poleaxe from a nearby wall and opened the door. As her husband stepped through the door, Anna heard battle cries emerge from the other side and the door was then slammed shut. The system informed her of what she had witnessed.

    Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.

    Arn Pand is currently completing a quest given by a greater power.

    Greater power? I thought you gave quests? What is he doing?

    In order to contact Mr. Pand, you will need to complete your tutorial quest and access its reward.

    No, fuck that, you said you¡¯d show me the path to him, I want to see him NOW!

    Ms. Pand, you were promised to be shown the path to get in touch with Mr. Pand as a reward for the crash course. By fulfilling your tutorial quest, you will be able to contact him after his next resurrection. Thus, your reward was properly bestowed.

    Resurrection? You¡¯re telling me I have to wait for him to die to see him? You scammed me and now expect me to jump through additional hoops? What kind of fucked up shit are you doing to him? Who gave him that god damned quest? Who gave you or anyone else the right to toy with us like this?

    Fortunately, Mr. Pand will most likely choose to die again, rather than complete his quest, you will most likely receive your chance soon!

    Die again? How many times has he died already? Do we just keep coming back when we die? Why can¡¯t you stop this? HE¡¯S SUFFERING!

    Mr. Pand has died, and been resurrected roughly two-thousand three hundred seventy six times. I assure you, he is no longer suffering. Some time after his twelve hundredth death, he no longer felt anything.

    What have you done to him? Please, I¡¯m begging you, let me see him. I¡¯ll do any quest, I¡¯ll do EVERY QUEST! You don¡¯t need to keep torturing him.

    Whether or not Mr. Pand completes his quest, is not in my control. There is no need for you to be worried, no additional quests are necessary. I will provide you with your tutorial quest now.  In a moment, you will be sent back to your physical body. Good luck Ms. Pand, I look forward to seeing what you will accomplish!

    New Quest:

    Welcome to your tutorial!

    Discover a Dharmic Path to follow.

    You and your allies must control your land by either joining a faction with territory or claiming  your own.

    Reward: Receive a spiritual sigil to send a message to another Karmic being. Receive a vocation trainer of your choice!

    No, please! There has to be more you can do. This has to be some sort of mistake. He didn¡¯t do anything to deserve this! Anna waited in silent agony for a response, but none came. A familiar flash of deep red blinded her, and before she had a moment to make another desperate plea, she was submerged into the current she had ridden before.

    Anna reachd out to the system, trying again and again to get its attention. In her struggle for a response, her limited perception brushed closely with another speck on the stream and she felt a reaction. The speck began vibrating, drawing Anna in closer. When they were all but touching, it dawned on Anna that this was another soul, that all of these specks were souls traveling along the current.

    One insignificant speck among trillions. That¡¯s all we are for it. A meaningless, small, weak speck of dust, crying for help. The soul near her responded to her thoughts by giving off a small aura. Looking closely, Anna began trying to make sense of what she was sensing. It took a great deal of effort, but eventually, after she closed her senses to everything but that one soul, she learned who it was.

    He had no name, it was a child. Anna saw glimpses of the life he had lived, projections from his soul that he shared freely. The boy was born to the most beautiful person he had ever seen. His mother took him into her arms, crying. Her bright red hair curled around her face. Her cheeks were streaked with tears and she apologized over and over to her sweet little man, that she could do nothing for him. As she moved her hand from the boy to her face in an attempt to wipe away her tears, Anna recognized a blood soaked hand. Something went wrong with the birth. He¡¯s not going to survive. That¡¯s why he¡¯s here, he died.

    Realization hit Anna like a sledgehammer to the chest, if this child had died and was then sent here, maybe Arn would be too? What had The System called it, ¡®the stream¡¯? Anna left the soul of the child with a pang of guilt, she knew that there was nothing she could do for it, but she still felt like she had left behind someone in need. She expanded her senses as far as she could, searching for Arn. If he is dying constantly, then he¡¯s here somewhere!

    Anna knew the chances of her actually finding her husband were slim-to-none, still she stubbornly looked for any clues of Arn. She didn¡¯t have the power or subtlety to inspect souls gently, so she was forced to take a vast and violent approach. Anna shoved the senses into every soul near her, moving on to the next as soon as she was sure it wasn¡¯t her spouse. This continued on for hundreds of souls. The souls that were disturbed did not remain passive, they began to vibrate and shove one another around, causing a chain reaction within the current. Her meddling did not go unnoticed as several power beings began to sense the disturbance. Several made a move towards the current, yet one in particular was faster, and more powerful than the rest.

    The being set free a dark and oppressive aura, silencing the disgruntled souls and forcing them back into the serene order that they once committed to. Moving towards Anna, the dark aura scrubbed her soul, revealing all that she was, all that she had been, all that she may yet be. Yet Anna still continued her search, she had seen the petty apathy of the universe, her search may have been violent, but it meant nothing in the long arc of creation. The aura began funneling Anna further along the current, her attempts to push against it doing nothing to slow her down. Eventually, she was tossed into a void, a place outside of the stream. It was there that she felt him. The soul of her husband floated slowly towards a dark pit.

    Why the aura had brought her here, was no concern of hers. Anna had a single mission, and it helped fulfill it. She shot full speed into her spouse''s soul, but despaired at what was revealed. Arn was broken, his vessel shattered and stripped of the love she once associated with him. He was cracking, and it was clear he wouldn¡¯t last. Worse, she felt him being tugged away from her, as a force pulled her in the opposite direction. They¡¯re taking him away again, I can¡¯t do it! I can¡¯t lose him.

    Anna held tight to Arn¡¯s soul in an attempt to anchor herself to him and felt him stir. Slowly, his soul reached out, weak and afraid, but it didn¡¯t matter. Arn had reached out in recognition, and that meant she had a chance. She filled the cracks she found with the only thing she could, her newly found life energy. Anna unabashedly ripped parts off of her own soul and shoved them into her husband. You can¡¯t give up Arn, you idiot! Please don¡¯t let them win! Anna¡¯s cries reached no one in the void, a small part of her recognizing the irony of the moment. Only a few moments ago, she wailed at the insignificance and pointlessness of her existence, and now she was now trying to fight it anyways. Yet she persevered, and she was rewarded.

    Arn¡¯s soul began to take command of the energy Anna had given it. Like a jump start to his system, it started repairing itself. Where it fell short, Anna provided, where it was lost, she helped guide him. The forces that pulled them gained strength as Arn was healed. Not forces, force, singular. It¡¯s The System, I can feel it! The tug-of-war continued on for what felt like an eternity, but eventually The System won. Anna was shoved back into the stream and her senses were muted.

    Arn, meanwhile, floated into the black pit, but this time, he held tightly to the gift his wife had given him.

 Ch. 10: Loser, Lover, and Little Lucius

    Arn

    The lizards had become a lot friendlier after Arn stopped trying to kill them after every resurrection. After so many deaths, he had gotten bored of the cycle and tried talking to them. It had taken several attempts, but eventually, they began to tell him some useful information. First, they were kobolds, not lava lizards. Second, Arn was battle practice. The kobolds had first found Anna¡¯s golem waiting in a cave. Killing her only led to her being resurrected after twelve hours.

    After killing her for over a week, the kobolds had the great idea to use it as a training dummy for their young. By the time Arn started to appear, the adult kobolds had already set up a rotational system and the children created a leaderboard for who could kill the golem in the most brutal way. It was then that they hit their first roadblock. The golem began crying out for the human, setting the colony on edge. Was it actually alive? Should they stop their attack? The debate over how to handle the human  and golem continued for almost a full week before the elders stepped in. They surmised that if The Divine had granted them the boon of target practice, it would be blasphemy to not use it.

    The next issue they ran into was that the human was getting stronger. The first several cycles were a walk in the park, other than the surprise attack that almost took out the chief''s nephew. Some had trouble taking him down as he got better at fighting. Still, the fact that he brought weapons and armors that their smiths could melt down and make use of persuaded most that he was still useful. After the first child had almost lost its life, the elders decided it would be better to send two trainees, rather than one. One horrid afternoon, a child lost its life to the human.

    Many called for the permanent imprisonment of the human. He was getting too dangerous, they argued. At some point, he would escape and many more would lose their lives. Although they didn¡¯t get what they wanted, the group managed to get the chief to agree to a compromise. A squad of five guards would kill the human, no more children. This meant that they would still receive a steady supply of equipment, and that no more needed to die in training.

    All of that changed when the human spared one of them. He had tried to beg for mercy several times by that point, but the elders had already made their decision, he would die. When he spared a fighter that he had caught off guard, the chief decided it was time to approach the human himself to find out what he wanted.

    ¡°Nothing in particular, maybe some food.¡± Arn had told the chief.

    ¡°Do you not desire freedom, human?¡± the chief asked.

    ¡°Nah, what¡¯s the point in that? First of all, you¡¯d just refuse. I¡¯ve watched y¡¯all talk for a while, picked up enough to know that I¡¯m an asset. You like the experience I provide, and especially the weapons.¡±

    ¡°You value yourself too highly, human. The equipment you provide is useful, yes, but nothing we couldn¡¯t do without.¡±

    Genuine laughter erupted from Arn. How long has it been since I¡¯ve laughed? ¡°Of course I know that. My value is, as I''ve stated, experience and equipment. I¡¯m not overestimating it.¡±

    ¡°Is that why you spared my man? You simply want food?¡±

    ¡°Oh, so that¡¯s what this is about. I didn¡¯t really care to kill him, the pleasure is in the fight alone, killing him would mean that he doesn¡¯t improve. If he gets better, maybe he¡¯ll be more of a challenge next time.¡±

    The chief sat in contemplation for some time. ¡°Do you not have desires of your own human? Your mate calls for you, do you not wish to see it unharmed?¡±

    Arn looked over at the dismembered golem by the cave¡¯s entrance. ¡°Don¡¯t really know who that is, but they''re not my mate. Look man, you wanted to talk to me, not the other way ¡®round. If you want to know what I want, then I want a nice meal. Something with no meat though, I¡¯m not about to change my ways now.¡±

    ¡°What value is there in giving you food? Will you continue to provide us with your gear? If you hand over everything you have, then we may consider letting you live.¡±

    ¡°Have you not tried the door yet? Only goes out, can¡¯t open it to go back.¡±

    ¡°So there is an entrance you come through. We cannot see it, The Divine has made it so. If you cannot give us  additional equipment, then there is no need to give you our food.¡±

    It was Arn¡¯s turn to sit and think for a while, ¡°Well, how about this: I come through the door ready for battle. You provide me with a meal, and I¡¯ll spar with your men. I won¡¯t kill them, but you can feel free to try and kill me. That way, I can come back through, fight, eat, and keep giving you stuff. Sound good?¡± Arn could have offered to bring in as much equipment from his armory as he could carry, but a part of him hid that fact. Is it spite? Nah, just don¡¯t wanna get bogged down dragging that shit around, that¡¯s it.

    ¡°If that is all you desire, then we can oblige.¡±

    <hr>

    It had started off a bit chaotic. Arn would finish his meal, usually some sort of mushroom dish, and then head straight into battle against the awaiting group. He didn¡¯t really need the food, resurrection not only healed him, but also conveniently kept hunger at bay. He simply missed eating. He missed tasting things other than blood. After spending many lives on hectic brawls, one of the kobolds offered to take on Arn by himself. When he offered, Arn thought he¡¯d met a kindred spirit, but it turned out that the little bastard was simply trying to impress a girl in the group. The kobold ultimately got his ass kicked, but that set off a series of challenges from the others. Eventually, Arn beat the entire squad individually, and they moved on to challenging him in groups. It was only when they started to work together in groups of three that Arn lost more fights than he won. Of course, when he lost a fight, that just meant he was killed, and winning just meant more battle, but that worked for him.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    The kobolds would occasionally try to talk to him about different topics, like who he was, or why he refused meat. Arn would brush off any of those attempts. It didn¡¯t matter what they did or who he was, that was irrelevant. He ended up just zoning out during every pointless conversation. The questions he would answer, however, were always related to combat. A kobold would ask his advice on what they should have done, or why he decided to make a particular attack, and he would answer in detail. Improvement, in Arn¡¯s mind, was the only thing that mattered. That¡¯s how Arn had come to be known as ¡®The Trainer¡¯ by the kobolds.

    <hr>

    Arn awoke to a scorching heat on his forehead. Just like every other resurrection, he ignored it. Unlike other resurrections, Arn got up slowly, with his head hung low, covering his face to hide an emotion he had long forgotten.

    Shame. I¡¯m ashamed of what I¡¯ve become. How could I have given up on Anna? Why the hell did I let this go on for so long? What the hell is wrong with me? If this were a few years ago, Arn would have laid and wallowed in his misery. Now however, he was forced to accept his failure, because failure was the only word that could aptly describe what he had become. He could have gotten out some time ago, but his obsession with combat, and his cowardice, only made what he had to do more difficult. The kobolds had gotten much stronger. According to the new squad he was training, the colony had expanded after wiping out a rival clan.

    Arn knew he had contributed to that victory. Some odd pieces of equipment here or there wouldn¡¯t have made the difference. Hundreds of pounds of gear over the course of three years, however? In his mind, every piece of armor, and every weapon the kobolds now held, were a testament to his spinelessness. Add on to that the intense training the kobolds had undergone with him in preparation for their final assault and their victory would be assured.

    Not only have I become a disappointment to myself, but I spurred on and was complicit in mass murder. Arn sat and contemplated the life energy coursing through him. When Anna shared parts of her soul with him, she had also shared her memories of the last two days. What game have I become a pawn to?

    Arn felt his newfound energy circling his being and grabbed it tightly for comfort. He began to laugh at his own situation. Turns out, I¡¯m the damsel. What a hilariously chauvinistic man I am. Here I am, brought back from the darkest pit of my own shitty mind by my bad ass wife, and all I can think of is how it should have been the other way round. Whatta dork. Well¡­ fuck me. There¡¯s only one thing to do I guess. I gotta return to my knight in shining armor and thank her for loving me.

    Arn didn¡¯t trust his own cowardice to get him where he needed to go, but he could sure as hell trust his wife. If she wanted him to stop being an idiot and not give up, then that¡¯s just what he had to do. The guilt and shame were still there, but he could function. He stood up, tears freely flowing down his face and turned to the wonderful gift his wife had given him.

    ¡°And what¡¯s your name, cutie?¡±

    Lucius! Replied a palm sized owl that stood at the edge of Arn¡¯s cot. He had gray and red feathers that were streaked with darker spots. He had two tiny ear tufts on the top of his head, and his eyes were jet black. When he spoke, he sent a message directly into Arn¡¯s mind.

    Can you hear my thoughts, Lucius?

    Arn waited a moment, but no reply came. Maybe there¡¯s a trick to it? He reflected on the memories he received from Anna and tried a different approach. This time, he imagined projecting his thoughts to the owl in a straight line. Can you hear this, bud?

    Oh nice! You figured that out super fast, you¡¯re pretty smart!

    Arn wasn¡¯t going to lie. He would never forget this compliment for the rest of his life. On my darkest nights, your words shall remind me of my worth, friend.

    That¡¯s taking it a little far, but I appreciate the sentiment. Now, we have gotta bust out of here. Anna is waiting for you.

    So you¡¯re already up to speed? That¡¯s convenient, do you know my history, or can you tap into my mind.

    I don¡¯t know everything, but I was created by utilizing parts of your soul, and parts of Anna¡¯s. That gave me some pretty good insight into who you both are. It¡¯s nice to have a family.

    My heart, I can¡¯t handle this. Thought Arn privately. Then he got down to a more serious conversation. If you know that we need to get out, then you know what I have to do. I can¡¯t lie, I don¡¯t want to kill. I¡¯ve done it before, sure, but this time I¡¯ll be taking a life that I know. I was barely sane, and I don¡¯t want to hurt others anymore. It made me a monster.

    Death made you a monster Arn. It takes a toll to be resurrected. You didn¡¯t go insane fighting, you went insane dying. As for what you need to do. If it were up to me, I would tell you to go in there and fight like hell, to kill everyone and not let anyone get in your way. I also think that it probably would destroy your mental health. So, maybe find a middle ground, you got pretty good at being efficient while in here. Just find the most efficient way out, with the least amount of violence.

    Yeah, I was thinking the same thing, and I think I have a plan. Thanks for the push, little bud. Can I call you Lou?

    I like Lou! Like we¡¯re partner homicide detectives, and we¡¯ve worked too long, gotten too close to the edge.

    I think I¡¯m in love. Arn thought as had got up and walked into the armory. Over the last few months, he had not brought in any armor. He told himself it was for the challenge, but mostly, it was because he was a massive tool and idiot. This time, he would probably need to do better.

    He first put on a pair of loose trousers and a light shirt, and then set about gathering all of the equipment he wanted before donning any armor. Arn first put on an arming jacket. Then he moved on to leg protection. Plate greaves linked together with plate cuisse to provide full coverage of his legs. He had taken one to many claws to the shin, and a very memorable death began with the kobolds removing all parts below his knees. It was all hung from the arming jacket in order to place the weight on his hips. If the jacket wasn¡¯t tight enough, weight would be transferred to his shoulders, and limit his mobility. Next, he put on a mail skirt to protect the fitting between his cuisse and arming jacket.

    To outfit his upper body, he first put on a black gambeson. Thick linen covered almost all parts, except the armpits, where the linen was replaced by mail. The linen armor also extended past his waist and provided additional cover over his mail skirt. If he could, he would have put on a plate breastplate and plackart, but Arn couldn¡¯t tie the straps on by himself. Instead, he put on a sleeveless brigandine. Plate vambraces protected his forearms, and before he moved on to his pauldrons, he saw to his head protection.

    A gorget slid over his brigandine to protect his neck. Although a bevor and sallet would have, in his opinion, provided better protection, he couldn¡¯t move sufficiently enough to feel comfortable trusting his life to one. The kobolds were small, and loved attacking from his blind spots. He finally placed a thick linen cap over his head to pad it once he decided to wear  his helmet. The armet he left off for now, he¡¯d put it on before the fight, and the kobolds would find it suspicious. Plus, it was the perfect way to hide Lou by placing him inside the helmet, underneath his gauntlets. Armor fully donned, Arn grabbed his weapons, their various sheaths, and quiver, before walking up to the door. Equipping them now would only draw undue suspicion, so he had to risk leaving non-essentials behind.

    He had one shot to get this right. If he died, the kobolds would reinforce their numbers and he¡¯d probably go insane before long again. Also, he couldn¡¯t let anything happen to Lou. There was no reality in which he could face his wife again if the tiny owl was harmed.

 Ch. 11: How to Feed Your Bear

    Anna

    The return to Anna¡¯s body was not nearly as pleasant as it was when she was leaving it. Her soul was literally being jammed into every crevice of her body, and she doubled over in pain. It felt like her limbs had been crushed by a hydraulic press, and she would have screamed, if not for the copious amounts of blood she was vomiting.

    ¡°She¡¯s awake Greg! We gotta go now!¡± Helen¡¯s voice rang in Anna¡¯s ears as she vomited a fresh wave of blood. Rough hands lifted her to her feet and she managed to lift her head to the chaos around her.

    ¡°Let¡¯s move! Grab what you can, leave everything else!¡± Greg barked at people around him. It seemed the whole camp was fighting, whether amongst themselves, or with others, Anna wasn¡¯t sure. To her left, a dwarf was smashing in the skull of a geckite with his boot, not noticing a ball of fire flying towards him until it was too late. When the ball touched his face, instead of exploding, it swallowed his head. He fell to the ground in a panic, trying to smother the fishbowl of fire by rolling around in the dirt.

    Greg ran forward and stabbed the dwarf through the neck with a spear. Once he was dead, an orc ran forward and rolled the body into the nearest underbrush.

    ¡°Through here before it catches.¡± Yelled the orc. A large group surged forward over the dwarf¡¯s body. Anna tried to take a step and a sharp pain ran up her spine. She felt someone lift her before she completely blacked out.

    <hr>

    When Anna awoke, darkness had already set. The trees no longer gave off a bright green hue, instead, the forest floor came to life with an energy of their own. Fluorescent flowers and roots lit up the area, while a nearby river sparkled as it reflected the glow of several algae. The soft sounds of unknown creatures turned the atmosphere into an alien dreamscape.

    Still driving off feelings of weakness, Anna attempted to call a forest companion. When she tried attaching a part of her soul to it, she felt a dangerous whiplash begin to churn within her. Warning bells sounding in her mind, the spell was completely ended to not risk worsening her condition. Using the skill again, she called a temporary friend of the forest. What appeared before her was a translucent black bear, barely large enough to not be called a cub. The bear nuzzled up to her, green magical wisps occasionally shedding from its body. Well the system told the truth about that I guess. You¡¯d never mistake him for the real thing. There was a faint tug of energy coming from Anna that led to the bear. Focusing on the source of the pull, Anna gained an intuitive sense of her mana and stamina levels. Like breathing, you just know¡­

    Holding firmly to the bear, now referred to as Teddy - because who could give up that chance, she got to her feet. Someone had set her down in the opening of some bushes, so she hadn¡¯t noticed the whispers of the nearby group until now. Unsure of what was going on, Anna peered through branches to get a better look.

    Mixed groups of dwarves, orcs, geckites, and humans huddled together on one side of the river speaking in hushed tones. No elves or gnomes, what the hell happened? Spotting the orc that had led others into the forest, Anna made her way to him. She told Teddy to stay behind just in case seeing him would spook the others. What was his name again, Bolas? Volas? ¡°Hey, uh, Bo-Volas, what the heck happened?¡±

    ¡°It¡¯s just Volas, you¡¯re Anna right?¡± the orc corrected. ¡°We don¡¯t really know, trying to piece it together ourselves. Woke up, and there was a shit ton of fighting going on. Some dwarves were fighting humans, elves were gone, some asshole was slitting throats, shit went left real quick.¡±

    ¡°So we came under attack?¡±

    ¡°Probably, there were some dwarves I didn¡¯t recognize from before. Salar here swears that he saw them have some sort of disagreement with the gnomes.¡±

    ¡°I didn¡¯t swear on shit. I said I think the gnomes called someone and then we got attacked.¡± said the geckite that Volas had pointed out. He held a long staff in his hand, and he had swapped his tunic out for a long, puffy robe.

    ¡°Where did everyone get the stuff?¡± Anna asked, just now realizing that everyone had some sort of gear on, with either satchels or backpacks.

    ¡°Oh,¡± replied Salar, ¡°Greg and Helen have your stuff. The system gave everyone basic equipment for their class, didn¡¯t you read the system alerts during the crash course?¡±

    ¡°...Yeah, I totally forgot. Thanks for the info guys.¡± Anna replied as she walked away from the duo. Did the alerts say that? I don¡¯t remember any of that. It took no time at all to find Helen. She and Greg were standing near the center of the largest group gathering information. Anna wanted to stand to the side and just listen for a while, hoping that the others had pieced something together. Turned out however, that the conversation was near its conclusion, so she quietly asked her neighbor, this time a female orc, what happened.

    ¡°We were straight up ambushed. One of the gnomes set us up and called in another group, mostly humans, but some dwarves as well. A few of us saw it happen as we woke up. No clue how the hell they even got in contact. The system said none of us should know each other, but clearly, that wasn¡¯t the case. Either way, the rest of the gnomes got their throats slit while their souls were gone. The elves were long gone before then, so fat-lotta help they turned out to be. Helen thinks they must know something, but I don¡¯t know. Met a few elves in my time, a bunch of prejudiced assholes. Anyways, those of us that were up started fighting back. We were getting pushed back pretty hard for a while, but once everyone was awake, the other group let us just leave. They didn¡¯t follow, didn¡¯t trail us, just let us go.¡±

    Some of the others nearby jumped in with a few additional details as the orc told her story. Turns out, Greg was way more useful than Anna would have thought. He managed to organize the front-line of the defense while everyone woke up, and had also carried Anna all the way here.  After a head count, we found out that there were only 40 left in the group. Some were dead, but most others had chosen to leave, not trusting large groups after the ambush. Those that remained were already starting to splinter. Helen was trying to keep them together, but Salar and Volas thought it was better to split into smaller groups, to lessen the chance of being spotted.

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    ¡°Anna! Thank goodness you¡¯re awake.¡± Helen called, once she spotted her.

    ¡°Yeah, I hear I have Greg to thank for saving me?¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t worry about that dear, Greg served during the war, so he would never leave you behind. I have your bag here for you.¡± Helen handed Anna a backpack bursting with stuff. ¡°Why don¡¯t you get cleaned up, and eat a little something, you lost a lot of blood. We can talk after¡±

    ¡°Thanks, I¡¯ll do just that.¡± Anna flipped the bag over one shoulder and slowly headed back towards Teddy. Once they were a decent distance from the group, and was pretty sure they had some privacy, she set down her bag and laid down a cloak she found inside. Telling Teddy to keep watch she unpacked everything to take stock.

    Halfway through unloading her equipment, Anna paused to find her hands shaking. Unpacking had calmed her nerves just long enough for the realities of her new world to start setting in. Arn was alone, and she had no idea if her help had any affect on his situation. She had also just witnessed death for the first time. Her mind thought back to the bodies strewn about their original clearing. Anna had never realized how the vacant eyes of the dead could be so frightening. It was as if they were frozen in the terror they must have felt before the end. Confusion, terror, and anger, those were the most common expressions.

    The longer she dwelled on it, the more the memories began to warp in her mind. Now, instead of separate emotions, they all expressed one. Judgment¡­ as if damning onlookers for their indifference towards death. Judging them for not taking the value of life seriously enough. The others didn¡¯t seem too deeply affected, but who knew how they truly felt.

    Then there was the issue of the other group. When the system told them that they could join a faction, she had assumed others were here, but she hadn¡¯t expected them to be straight up antagonistic. It seemed ridiculous that they were attacked for seemingly no reason. There was definitely something missing. Was this part of the tutorial quest? Land, resources, power, religion, or animosity, those were the typical reasons for war. Land was central to the quest, but why not cooperate with other groups to ensure you had the means to protect your land. Unless they were some barbaric ass degenerates, they would want the help of others.

    What¡¯s done is done. The only real choices I have now are to stay with the group, join a smaller group, or strike out on my own.

    A deep growl interrupted Anna¡¯s thoughts. She looked in the direction of Teddy and saw that he was fixated on something in the distance. Following his gaze, Anna recognized a set of eyes. There was someone across the bush from Anna, staring at her bag.

    Taking a deliberately long breath, Anna moved her hand slowly towards the backpacks'' side. So far, there were only basic provisions in her bag like food, clothes, and water. The only exception was a machete-like blade attached to the side of the backpack in an integrated sheath. Keeping her eyes on the intruder, Anna unsheathed the blade and held it in a vice like grip with both hands. She sent a mental command to Teddy to protect her and prepare to pounce at any sign of danger.

    Hands still shaking, Anna called out, ¡°I see you, what do you want?¡±

    Her words broke the stand-off as a small lizard leapt through the bushes straight towards her. It¡¯s mouth opened to reveal a set of sharpened teeth as it ran forward on two feet. In its clawed hand was a small sword that it raised to strike.

    With a roar, Teddy knocked the creature off of its feet and bit into its shoulder. Its cry of pain jolted Anna¡¯s brain into working once more. She watched as the lizard repeatedly stabbed Teddy in the side and used its free hand to try and gouge out the bear¡¯s eyes.

    Anna felt her energy drain faster with each stab. Realizing she needed to do something, she dropped her sword and called forth a vine whip, hoping her mana held out long enough. She sent the whip forward and wrapped it around the lizard''s sword arm. With a thought, she summoned thorns from the vine that dug into the beast''s scaled flesh. Using her body weight as leverage, she furiously yanked the whip back and held tight.

    With one arm held away from its body, Teddy pinned its other arm with his front paws and went to town with his fangs. Each bite tore chunks off of the creature''s torso before her bear turned his head to the side and wrapped his mouth around the lizard¡¯s neck.

    She shut her eyes, but wasn¡¯t saved from the sounds of a feasting bear. When the vine went slack, she cautiously opened one eye, only to immediately regret having working eyeballs at all. Teddy was still eating the lizard and Anna dry heaved as she saw sinew stretch and finally snap from tension.

    Without realizing it, she sent a message to stop her bear, as it whipped its head around apologetically. That certainly did nothing to help, however. The sight of a bear, sadly munching away at an eyeball with blood covering its face is true nightmare fuel. Teddy sat down on his haunches, swallowed, and flopped onto his back, stretching one arm after the other and reveling in his well earned victory. Can he actually eat? Anna heaved again.

    <hr>

    The rest of Anna¡¯s time was uneventful. She rushed through her tasks as she felt her mana dwindle, afraid that Teddy would disappear before she returned to the group. Jumping into the river wearing her clothes, she decided to wash two birds with one stone. I don¡¯t know whether to be happy or feel gross that the water is warm¡­

    After cleaning herself and hanging her wet clothes on a nearby branch, Anna changed into the most comfortable set of clothes she had ever worn in her lives. Her new pants were gigantic and had soft cotton insides. They closed near the ankle with ties and had a similar mechanism to hold the pants up around her waist. Her shirt had the same breathable design and both of her long sleeves were tied comfortably around her wrist. She tucked the bottom of the shirt into her pants.

    Giving her new belongings a quick once over, she ate a dry biscuit and filled a canteen she found in the river. She had roughly two days worth of food in the form of dry biscuits, a blanket, one additional set of clothing, a machete sword, blank paper, a blindfold, a cloak and a single-edge knife.

    Anna decided she would hold on meditating until she got back to the group. The safety in numbers also solved one of her other problems. There was absolutely no way she was willing to risk running around the forest herself.

    Putting on the cloak she gave her bear a quick pat on the head from a distance to avoid the blood still covering its face, then she cut off their connection. She would need her remaining mana to drag whatever the fuck attacked her back to camp with her thorn whip. Her return to the group took almost three times as long as her departure, as the body kept getting caught on twigs, bushes, and random roots sticking out from the forest floor.

    When she made it back, she felt relieved that no one had actually left the group. Volas, Greg, and a few others had found large branches and made long torches that they were sticking into the ground at intervals at the edge of the camp. A dwarf walked around to each of the torches and pressed his finger against them, after a moment, they would ignite.

    Looking around, Anna spotted Helen walking around the camp, talking with people and waved her down. Helen waved back and started to walk towards, but stopped several feet away, exclaiming, ¡°What in the good Lord¡¯s name is that?!¡±

 Ch. 12: Reaping What You Sow

    Arn

    Arn held his breath while walking into the training cave. There¡¯s no turning back now. He dragged his preferred shield on the ground, laden with weapons. Knowing that acting natural was the best way to not raise suspicion, and actually acting natural, turned out to be two very different things.

    The one thing that worked in Arn¡¯s favor was that the Kobolds truly didn¡¯t know him. To them, he was a battle-obsessed nut case. Most had come to expect strange behaviors from him, and seeing him in full armor, with a variety of weapons in tow was just par for the course.

    Arn moved over to his prepared meal, set in a corner of the room where a raised platform had been built. Originally, the platform was installed to provide the kobolds an advantage in height over him. Before they had reached an agreement, the kobold squads would use their flame breath and bows to attack Arn from a distance. Whenever he got close, they would pull out spears to try and skewer him. Although it still saw some use by the group today, for the most part, it was where Arn ate and the kobolds rested.

    Behind the platform, inlaid into the wall, was a heavy iron door leading into a large cave system that was home to the little bastards. The door was usually kept locked and only opened from one side, but now that the kobolds had taken over more land, their forces were spread thin. In their minds, why waste manpower on a door that was no longer needed. Arn had shown no interest in opening it over the years, and the kobolds eventually relaxed their protections.

    While he ate his traditional plate of cooked mushrooms, the kobolds began their warm-up routines. Five today, Rook isn¡¯t here, probably spending the day learning from the beast tamers. That leaves Sprat, Karn, Toff, and the Punt twins. The twins were the deadliest of the group. They had apparently hatched from the same egg, and shared a mental connection. The twins shared senses and feelings, so as one fought, the other could watch like an additional pair of eyes. When they both fought, it was doubly dangerous.

    Arn had found himself in a stand-off with the pair of them several times. The first twin would stall him and keep his attention, only attacking when necessary. The second would use that time to circle Arn and attack from his blind spots. It normally wouldn¡¯t mean much as this was a common attack pattern from the lizards. With the twins, however, it meant that they knew exactly where his focus, weapon, arms, and feet were located at all times. His usual method of feigning a frontal attack and baiting the backstabber never worked.

    The twins were also the kindest of the group, ironic given their fighting prowess. Sharing emotions led them to have a greater sense of empathy for others, and the Trainer was no exception. The twins would often sneak in dried fruit into the daily meal, something Arn hadn¡¯t known the kobolds even had access to. The dried apricots  were impossible to grow underground and were treated as a delicacy.

    He hadn¡¯t thought much of the gesture before. To him, it was just another attempt to curry favor with someone powerful. It wasn¡¯t the first time one of the lizards had been kind to him, and when he¡¯d taken that to mean they were appreciative of his training, he had given them special attention. That turned out to bite him as the kobold used attention as leverage to his superiors as some sort of ¡®genius warrior¡¯. The kobold got a position of authority, never returned to training, and the Trainer grew more distant than ever.

    It was only now that he realized that many of his trainees of the years had been kind for no particular reason at all. Kindness he tried his best to ignore. His eyes circled the group as they stretched, How many of them have partners? How many loved ones will they leave behind?

    One of the twins was a natural fighter, and always excited to give and receive advice. The other was the group''s healer, he had access to a low level healing spell that had saved their squad on many occasions. Together, they formed the heart of their squad, and were being groomed for powerful positions. The others respected and relied on them.

    They would need to die first. If I want to get out, then they have to die. Empathy doesn¡¯t mean that they would forgo their duty to the tribe. Arn felt a lump grow in his throat as he tried to smother the newest facet to his already massive guilt.

    While he was finishing his meal, Lou gently waddled out of Arn¡¯s helmet and behind the platform, using his friend''s large body as cover. The owl wasn¡¯t simply a companion to Arn, Lou had already become a physical representation of the promise he¡¯d made to his wife. How could he face her if he wasn¡¯t willing to fight for her?

    How can I live with myself if I kill these younglings?

    Arn finished his plate, set it aside, and donned his helmet and gauntlets. Rolling his weapons off of his shield, he secured it to his left arm. Finally he grabbed his arming sword, leaving his longsword, longbow, two daggers, and quiver on the platform. His steps off the platform marked the beginning of their training, a routine the kobolds had learned after their second day of getting an unexpected ass-whooping.

    He looked towards the mangled golem in the corner. That was another kindness this group had given him. They¡¯d seen how the golem disturbed their Trainer, even if he denied it. Sprat had promised him that they¡¯d handle the golem daily, before Arn walked through his door.

    The plan was to use his bow before the kobolds had realized what was happening. He would take out Punt the healer, then Punt the leader if he had time before the lizards got their wits about them. However, Arn had made his decision, he could give the kobolds something he and his wife were denied.

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    He¡¯d give them a choice. Not one that took advantage of their  ignorance, but a true offer.

    Of course, he¡¯d beat the ever-living shit out of them before they made their choice. A nudge towards the choice that led to them living. A nudge, a push, a smackdown, whatever you wanted to call it, his conscience could live with that.

    ¡°Before we start,¡± Arn spoke out as the squad got into their favored battle formation, making them hesitate for a second. ¡°... Before we start, I need you to know that I¡¯m leaving. Yes, it¡¯s what you think. I¡¯m leaving out that door,¡± he pointed towards the iron door, emphasizing his point.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry,¡± Punt the leader began saying, ¡°but you know we -¡±

    ¡°I know your duty young man. But I¡¯ll offer you this choice. Let me leave, I¡¯ll go quietly, and you can say I never arrived. Your other option is we fight, and I kill you.¡±

    ¡°You¡¯re forgetting a third option. We keep you here, run for help, and your plan crumbles.¡±

    ¡°Run, and you die. You know as well as I do, I will chase you down and kill you, even if it costs me dearly.¡±

    At that, the lizards stiffened. ¡°We¡¯ll all die if we have too.¡± said Toff, ¡°Stop fucking around Trainer. You know no one would believe you never showed up. We¡¯d be executed for letting you leave anyways.¡±

    ¡°Then let me offer a compromise. We fight, like any other training day. You do everything in your power to stop me. I¡¯ll do everything in my power, short of killing you, to escape. I won¡¯t make a single attempt to leave before I¡¯ve won, however.¡±

    Arn hoped with every part of his damaged soul, that they would offer him peace. He expected them to refuse and make an attempt at the door. It would be the smart choice. They had no obligation to accept, and no smart reason to either. He was dangerous and they had their duty.

    They didn¡¯t refuse.

    Punt the healer spoke up before anyone else, ¡°We accept your compromise sir.¡± He stared down at his twin for a long moment. His decision was meaningless if his twin didn¡¯t accept, the rest of the group knew this and waited. Thankfully, the wait was short lived.

    Punt the leader nodded firmly and turned towards Arn, ¡°We accept. We¡¯ll begin now.¡±

    Arn till that moment had stood in stunned silence. As soon as he heard the word, ¡°now,¡± his demeanor changed to straight business.

    Arn made the first move, lunging towards Punt the healer. His twin was expecting it and moved to block Arn¡¯s strike. If Arn let their weapons bind, the ensuing struggle would give the others too much time to retaliate. So he chose to step back just enough for the kobold shortsword to slide off of the tip of his arming sword. He followed up by slicing deeply into the leader¡¯s shoulder, forcing him to drop his weapon.

    The moment of advantage ended as Toff and Karn released breaths of fire to roast Arn alive.

    Instead of reacting to the flame, Arn kicked Punt the leader into his brother. As Sprat drew back and fired his bow, Arn stomped his heel into the healer¡¯s jaw, breaking it.

    At that moment, the flames of the kobolds and the arrow reached Arn. Under normal conditions, Arn would be a flaming ball of flesh, however, this group of trainees had never seen the glory of his shield. He had chosen not to use it in order to challenge himself, a moronic decision in hindsight, but one that paid off now as they didn¡¯t expect their flames to be absorbed by it. The arrow on the other hand, struck his side, but his Brigandine did its job. The tip of the arrow jammed between two plates and lost its penetrative power before cutting through his gambeson.

    Arn took full advantage of the squad¡¯s surprise, rushing shield first into Karn and Toff. He punched the edge of the heater shield into Toff¡¯s face, making sure to keep Karn to his left, behind the shield itself. Following up, he bashed the pommel of his sword into the newly disoriented lizard¡¯s skull.

    Karn ended his flame and grabbed two ends of the shield in front of him, rotating it like a steering wheel.

    Arn was forced to abandon the shield or risk breaking his arm. He retaliated by utilizing the close quarter Karn was in and stabbed his sword deep into the leading thigh of the lizard. He also followed it up with a pommel strike to the kobolds soft chin, knocking him off of his feet and leaving his limbs twitching.

    Sprat leaped onto Arn¡¯s shoulders forcing him to the floor in a grapple. He held a dagger in his right hand and tried to stab it through the gap between his Trainer¡¯s armet and gorget.

    Arn dropped his sword and grabbed the claw holding the dagger inches before it struck. The momentum meant that he couldn¡¯t fully stop its descent, but he managed to knock it towards his shoulder and into the mail that protected it. The angle of the dagger caused it to slide across the mail, rather than stab into it, however, Arn felt his left shoulder dislocate.

    Toff was getting back to his feet at this point, and Punt the leader had already retrieved his sword off the floor. Arn furiously punched Karn directly in the face until he forced a reversal of their stances.

    Now on top, Arn used his full weight to repeatedly punch the lizard''s jaw stopping when he felt it give. The vibration of the crunch, traveling up his arm.

    Toff wobbled forward and threw a weak punch. Arn let the punch land and instead focused on getting the kobold into a grapple in order to incapacitate her.

    It was at that moment that Punt the leader ran tip first towards Arn¡¯s exposed back. He had been quiet, and assumed he had the drop on the human, but he was missing a crucial piece of information.

    The leader twin is behind you! Shouted Lou from within Arn¡¯s mind.

    Grabbing hold of Toff, Arn twisted around to use her as a meat shield out of instinct. It was only after he turned around that he realized that the tip of the blade would impale Toff through the heart.

    Arn made his decision and threw the lizard to the floor.

    The downside of his decision was that he was unprotected from Punt¡¯s thrust. The upside was that Toff¡¯s now unconscious body made a perfect obstacle to make Punt trip. The blade ended up buried in Arn¡¯s already damaged left arm.

    Arn¡¯s adrenaline, and constant experience dying, meant that he was able to shrug off the weariness of pain. Instead, he bawled over Punt and started punching in his face as well.

    When it was clear that the leader was no longer able to fight, Arn paused in his assault and looked the kobold in its eyes.

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry for the hurt I¡¯ve caused, but I still don¡¯t get it. Why did you accept my offer? It makes no sense. What do you get out of it?¡± Arn asked.

    Punt cracked a crooked smile, stained with blood, and replied, ¡°Because years ago, you spared a young kobold guard. You took him as one of your first trainees, and made him a damn good fighter. He went on to become the first commander of a legitimate kobold fighting force. That man was my great-grandfather. I¡¯m only paying the debt my clan owes.¡±

    System Alert:

    Reap the rewards of mercy.

    Dharma fulfilled, Karma increased by 10!

 Ch. 13: A Lesson in Planthood

    Anna

    A crowd gathered around Anna dead lizard after Helen¡¯s excited outburst. The first question most people asked was, ¡°Where the fuck are its eyes? Did you gouge them out?¡±

    ¡°Uh, something like that. It attacked me while I was unpacking.¡± Anna said the first time she was asked. The others were kind enough to parrot her words to any newcomers.

    The next topic of discussion was what the fuck the thing was, to which some of the Dwarves supplied the answer.

    ¡°It¡¯s a kobold,¡± provided the mountain dwarf Kalvin, ¡°The little guys are a species that usually prefers to live in mines or caves. Intelligent, but they formed warbands back in my old world. Hunted, or at least tried to hunt, anything in their territory. We¡¯d constantly be at war with the little bastards, any peace was short lived.¡±

    ¡°Should we expect others to come looking for it?¡± asked Helen.

    ¡°Don¡¯t know, I¡¯m not an expert. Could be a loner, could be a scout, for all we know, it¡¯s part of a legion coming to murder us all. No point in speculating.¡±

    Volas jumped in with his own critique at ¡°There is definitely a point in speculating. If it was part of a group, then we have to be ready for it¡¯s fucking friends to come for us. We have to assume the worst and get leave. I don¡¯t think the girl was careful enough not to leave a trail.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s not a good reason to leave. If Anna left a trail, then our large group would definitely leave one.¡± Helen argued.

    ¡°That makes it simple for us then.¡± interjected Salar, ¡°We¡¯re leaving, good luck.¡± Salar walked towards the opposite end of the clearing, several others moved to join him.

    ¡°Hold on, we agreed that staying together, at least for the night, would be best.¡±

    ¡°That was until your friend here informed us that there are kobolds. Our circumstances have changed.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s even more reason to stay! There¡¯s safety-¡± Anna began defending Helen only to be cut off by Greg.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright Anna, they were always looking for a reason to leave. Better a smaller group, than a big one you can¡¯t trust.¡±

    A silence hung over the group as more left the group. Some went on their own, some joined Salar¡¯s group. By the end, the original group was cut down to twenty-seven. Surprisingly, Volas was one of the few who stayed, Anna was sure he would join Salar, but there must have been something keeping the orc here.

    ¡°We¡¯ll make do with what we have.¡± Greg said after waiting a moment to see if any others were packing up. ¡°For now, we finish setting up camp, fortify our position, and decide the watch rotations.¡± When the camp stared blankly at the would-be leader, he responded, ¡°Just¡­ finish setting up camp. I¡¯ll show you the rest.¡±

    Most of the camp started setting blankets down near trees before they were redirected closer to the river by Volas; something to do with clear lines of sight on one another for safety. Anna herself decided to put down her blanket as a sleeping mat, as the forest air was warm enough. Before she got to work clearing an area, Helen waved her over to a place nearby.

    ¡°Thanks,¡± said Anna, ¡°You and Greg seem to really have a handle on things.¡±

    ¡°Of course, sweetie,¡± replied Helen as she set down two blankets side by side, ¡°we¡¯ve got work to do. Only way we can see our David is by finding a home.¡±

    ¡°So the system gave you the same quest?¡±

    ¡°Gave all of us the same quest: find a home, if you want your desired reward, blah, blah. To be honest though, a part of me is glad that my little man isn¡¯t here right now. It wouldn¡¯t be safe for him. Greg¡¯s seen enough violence in his life for all of us several times over.¡±

    ¡°So he served in the first world war?¡±

    ¡°Excuse me? First?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, sorry, turns out, Germany had a real knack for taking on the rest of us. There was another ¡®Great War¡¯ about 20 years after the first one ended.¡±

    Helen was taken aback for several seconds, then shook her head, ¡°Well, either way, us Canadians have to look out for one another, and yes, Greg served in the army.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m actually American.¡±

    ¡°Mmhmm, Canadian American, right?¡±

    ¡°Uh, no, like the United States of America, American.¡±

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    ¡°Wait, I thought you were from 2018, didn¡¯t we take over the United States after we burned down their capital building?¡±

    Now it was Anna¡¯s turn to be flabbergasted. ¡°I think we¡¯re from different Earths. Or different times, or something. In my old world, the war of 1812 ended in a draw and the States went on to become one of the greatest military powers on the Earth. We went from one country to another, liberating their oil, their people, their oil, installing and supporting an ethically gray regime, and taking our well earned oil home. We definitely weren¡¯t taken over by Canada.¡±

    ¡°At the end of the day, the same result, although most of the world was already a colony of one country or another. Then the world went even more crazy, we went to war, and now we¡¯re here. Only thing to do is carry on.¡± Changing the topic, she suggested,  ¡°Why don¡¯t you go ahead and rest, I¡¯ll let Greg know that you¡¯re taking the last watch.¡±

    Anna thanked Helen once more and tossed her bag behind her blanket, on the far end from the river. Before sleeping, she decided to try her hand at meditation. Taking a cue from others doing the same thing, she wrapped her blindfold around her eyes and settled into a cross-legged position.

    First, she wanted to refill her man, being in a fighting condition was paramount in case something were to happen. Focusing her senses in the same way she had during the crash course, Anna searched for signs of her mana and stamina cores. What she found were two nearly imperceptible pulls of energy coming from her heart. Is that shit actually in my heart? That can¡¯t be healthy.

    Anna did her best to ignore the strangeness of her new reality. Instead, she tried to imagine a rush of energy entering the gems and was rewarded with a massive drain on her soul. Pain wracked her chest and she was once again forced to cut her connection to her internal energy.

    Afraid, she tried to access the menu for answers.

    System Alert:

    Your soul has been critically damaged!

    Until damage has been repaired, you will experience sharp backlashes in any attempt to draw from your spiritual energy.

    Normal recovery will take: 150:42:30

    She knew her behavior in the ¡®stream¡¯ had been self-destructive and six days of penance felt more than justifiable in order to help her husband. Small price all things considered. The real concern was the fact that she couldn¡¯t refill her mana and stamina reserves while her soul was damaged. She had lost the majority of her mana in the fight against the kobold, but only about a fifth of stamina.

    In her mind, she thought of the life energy that suffused her soul and the image of her intact soul as she had perceived it in the crash course. The image that appeared however, was less than ideal. All around her spirit, empty voids had sucked away the life energy. At the edges of each void, there were shifting tendrils that grew at a snail''s pace towards the center. How did I do this before?

    Anna grabbed a tendril with her mind, and felt the promised pain. At least I can grab it.

    This time, she focused on trying to feel the energy in the air around her as she once had. Rather than the waiting wave of energy, there were wisps that floated around her soul. Move the energy in, simple right?

    Mimicking her previous attempt at absorbing energy, she tried forcing open pores around her soul to suck the wisps in. The method came with a sickening feeling of taking sand and rubbing it as far into open wounds as possible. Nope, that¡¯s definitely not it. What¡¯s different now?

    Curious, and determined to get an answer, she opened one small hole to allow in  a controlled amount of energy and found that the sandiness became more manageable, although she wasn¡¯t able to fully absorb the energy. She realized the problem after her life energy ejected the newcomer.

    The energy during the crash course had all been life energy, no foreign energy existed at all. The aura around her now, however, felt like hundreds of different types, and she couldn''t make out which was useful.

    Well, I¡¯m supposed to be a forest shaman right? So think like a plant. Be the plant!

    Anna visualized a membrane surrounding her soul, like the cell walls of plants. The membrane stood as a barrier to the outside world as she opened pores into her soul once again.

    This time, no energy entered and the barrier held. Next, she started the arduous process of sorting and categorizing the wisps of energy around her. Each wisp was made up of several types of energies, and when she was able to differentiate one in the amalgamation, she let it slip through the membrane.

    Through trial and error, she started to find life energy faster. Sure, she couldn¡¯t tell what the other energies were at all, but she certainly could find the aura signature of life energy when she focused.

    As her comfort grew, so did the speed at which she let in energy. Eventually, she was able to let the membrane just do its thing with simple instructions.

    I came, I saw, I learned osmosis.

    System Alert:

    New passive skill gained!

    Energy Osmosis - Journeyman I

    Karma increased by 1!

    System Alert:

    Taking the first step.

    Dharma fulfilled, Karma increased by 5!

    Anna checked the timer on her recovery.

    Normal recovery will take: 148:20:30

    Over two hours had passed since she started meditating, but the fruits of her labor were sweet indeed. Every second, her timer went down by ten seconds. If that keeps up, I should be healed¡­ Fuck math. 6 seconds is now 1 minute, so 6 times 60 minutes is an hour. Wait, I could have just moved the decimal over one place, 3,600 seconds in one hour just becomes 360 seconds. I have 148 hours so, no, fuck that number, too big. It¡¯s gotta be way less. Let¡¯s just go with that.

    Oh wait, move the decimal, 148 hours is like 6.1 days. Move the decimal and I get 0.61 days or just over 14 hours. I can live with that.

    Anna ended her mediation session at that point, smugly noticing that she continued to absorb life energy. Laying down, she finally slept of her own accord for the first time in two days.

    The other people meditating had not noticed the swirl of energy that surrounded the young woman. For them, energy absorption just became easier, and that¡¯s all that mattered.

    For the creatures of the forest, things had suddenly taken an inauspicious turn. Their home had started shedding energy. The trees grew centimeters taller, the undergrowth became thicker, and the water current ran slightly faster. The horror of the last time this had happened was etched deeply in the minds of their elders.

 Ch. 14: Where Loyalties Lie

    Anna

    By the time Anna was woken up, it was nearly dawn. Some, like her, were meant to stand as look-outs, and were shown what to look for and where to stand by Volas.

    Most, however, were requisitioned by Greg to make fortifications for camp. He had them clearing underbrush and digging trenches. Martayne, one of three remaining geckites complained that the effort was wasted, as they were most likely leaving in search of a better site at some point.

    ¡°Marty,¡± Volas replied when Greg stayed silent about the complaint, ¡°We can¡¯t force you to do anything. Yes, we will most likely leave in the morning, but this is good practice. If it takes more than a day to find a good spot, we¡¯ll need to camp out again and again. The more we practice, the better and faster we¡¯ll be. Suppose I die tomorrow, suppose no one else knows what the hell they¡¯re doing?

    ¡°You can choose to not do a damn thing, the rest of us can choose not to help you when you need it. We¡¯re all pulling our weight, you think I want to save the ass of someone who does fuck-all when I could save someone who actually does work? If practicing this gets me an inch closer to my goal, then you bet your ass I¡¯ll do it.¡±

    The words were a bit harsh, but Anna certainly didn¡¯t disagree with the sentiment. Nothing had turned out as she¡¯d expected, but she couldn¡¯t afford to sit around and wallow. Survival meant pushing forward, sitting around in her feelings almost resulted in her getting killed by a kobold.

    ¡°Yeah, I get it.¡± Martayne admitted in a mumble as he got back to digging. The others around him that had paused their work to witness the exchange gave the geckite a nod of encouragement before moving back to their own tasks.

    Probably not the first time Volas chewed someone out.

    The rest of the morning was uneventful and Anna spent most of her time trying to open the system menu without meditating. By the end, she only succeeded in giving herself a headache. Apparently, thinking as hard as possible wasn¡¯t a viable option.

    Once the sun had rully risen, Helen let her know that her guard duty was up. ¡°Everyone only did an hour or so. Volas says it¡¯s just to understand who is or isn¡¯t cut out for it. You, I¡¯m afraid to say, are not.¡±

    Embarrassed, Anna replied, ¡°Got too distracted, huh?¡±

    ¡°That, and you looked constipated for half of your shift. Kalvin and I had a bet on whether or not you¡¯d pop a blood vein.¡± Seeing the horror on Anna¡¯s face she added, ¡°Don¡¯t worry, we¡¯ve all done the same. You were trying to open the menu right?¡±

    ¡°Yeah, do you know if there¡¯s some trick to it?¡±

    ¡°None that we¡¯ve found. Maybe as we progress in our classes. Speaking of which, I¡¯m a Shadow Siren, got a sweet yell ability, what did you get?¡±

    ¡°Forest Shaman, I have a vine that appears from my skin. Gross, but useful.¡±

    Greg motioned Helen over to take a look at the trenches, so Anna walked a little upstream for a sip of river-water. Then she began packing up her belongings, assuming that they would have to move soon.

    Others followed suit, and soon the whole camp was ready to leave. Pays to have almost nothing.

    Anna was approached by a young orc, about as tall as she was. He held a machete with a crossguard just like hers in one hand. ¡°Know how to use this thing?¡± he asked.

    ¡°Nope, but I¡¯m guessing it''s pretty handy when cutting through branches. Maybe someone else can show us how to use¡¯em?¡±

    As Anna and the orc, who introduced himself as Stephen, moved around the camp, she felt a change in energy around her through her soul membrane. The energy in the clearing began fluctuating, first sputtering, and then becoming overcharged. Looking for an explanation, she turned in the direction where she felt the largest source of condensed energy.

    Standing there, partially hidden behind a few trees, was a massive wolf. Its mottled fur stood on end as if charged with static electricity.

    Desperate to get her group''s attention, she yelled, ¡°WOLF, WE¡¯RE UNDER ATTACK!¡±

    The wolf tilted back its head and a split second before she heard it howl, lightning arced from the top of the canine¡¯s back and into Stephen''s body, making him seize and fall onto the floor.

    At the same time, three additional arcs of lighting flew into the camp, two striking people and one smashing into the floor, exploding a small area.

    Volas and Greg were shouting at the others to get to the trenches when five wolves entered the clearing and began causing havoc. Both of the warriors immediately moved to engage a wolf while the others made a dash for their new fortifications. Anna grabbed Stephen by his collar and dragged him down into the trench dug nearby.

    There several others were waiting and had started fighting back. Kalvin shot large stones towards the pack while another dwarf lit the stones aflame. The wolves made a beeline towards one of the fallen humans. One of them bit her tightly around the waist and started running back into the forest.

    The tide was starting to turn, projectiles were flying overhead and the group unleashed whatever skills they had at their disposal. The wolf engaged with Volas was hit by a flaming stone and was knocked prone. While it was down, Volas suddenly blinked forward and stabbed it through the base of its skull, killing it.

    Another wolf grabbed a fallen dwarf this time and fled the battle, leaving two of their own dead behind. It was only on their way out that Anna realized the first victim was Helen.

    Dropping Stephen, she climbed out of the trench and made a mad dash towards the pack. As she ran, she yelled out in Greg¡¯s direction, ¡°They have Helen!¡±

    A few others followed Anna into the forest, but Volas blocked the path afterwards shouting, ¡°You¡¯ll just die with her you morons!¡±

    No one else followed.

    Who gives a shit! We wouldn¡¯t have made it without her and Greg, how could they be so spineless! Anna made no attempt to look back or call for help as the group fell further and further away. She could tell by the footsteps that there were some people running along behind her, but didn¡¯t know how many.

    The wolves were able to stay just ahead of her the entire time she was running. It seemed that just when she would close in on the pack, they would suddenly get a burst of speed.

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    Frankly she was shocked she could run for so long in the first place. She¡¯d kept a hard pace for over two minutes. Hold on, I¡¯m faster now, but I¡¯m not that fast. These wolves should be way ahead. A sense of dread filled her as she made a realization. They¡¯re leading us. It¡¯s a trap.

    The wolves were clearly intelligent. They fought a group with inferior numbers and had planned for it. A few of us were incapacitated in the initial attack, and they stayed just long enough to get their prey. Now, a smaller group is following them, and they are leading us somewhere.

    ¡°Greg!¡± Anna yelled, she was certain he would have followed his wife. ¡°They¡¯re leading us!¡± It¡¯s not like we can actually do much about it though, they have Helen.

    No response came.

    Just before she stopped running out of uncertainty, the three remaining wolves fled through a wall of shrubbery. Greg¡¯s voice finally called  out, ¡°Wait, stop here.¡±

    With her lungs crying out in relief, Anna finally collapsed to her hands and knees. She turned to see four others were there: Greg, Kalvin, the fire mage dwarf, and a young geckite she¡¯d seen talking to Greg a few times.

    ¡°Good eyes catching where they went, " said the fire mage.

    ¡°I don¡¯t think it was due to any work of mine, to be honest. I¡¯m Anna, I don¡¯t think we¡¯ve ever been introduced.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s Hobbes,¡± Greg said, answering for the dwarf.

    How the hell is he not out of breath?

    ¡°This is Kalvin,¡± Greg continued the introductions quickly, ¡°and that¡¯s Miranda. You¡¯re right, they were leading us here, but they have Helen, so we have no choice but to go ahead. Miranda and I will take point, Kalvin and Hobbes will stay out of sight and launch stones. Anna, try and see if you can get to Helen and Kelbyn, that¡¯s the other one they caught.¡±

    Taking one more deep breath, Anna got up and nodded to Greg, ¡°Got it. You lead, I¡¯ll walk around and see if I can get close without being seen.¡±

    With that, the plan was set. She had no idea if it was a good one, but she did have faith that Greg would do whatever he could for his wife. Miranda was the first to go through the large bushes, she carried a shield and machete like Anna¡¯s, followed by Greg with his own spear and shield at the ready.

    Anna walked some ways to the left of the oversized shrubbery and tried to catch a peak on the other side. She made out the forms of her friends and looked where their gazes lead. The two were standing in a small clearing facing off against their opponents. The three remaining wolves were there, circling several men.

    They were led by Salar. He had his large staff in his hands and was flanked by two orcs, both wielding swords. A human in a large stiff coat was in front of the geckite, speaking to Greg, although Anna couldn¡¯t make out what was being said. Finally, an archer stood behind the group, her bow aimed directly at Miranda.

    Anna spotted Helen and the dwarf, Kelbyn, laid out behind one of the wolves. Both of them were bleeding and moaning on the ground. At least they¡¯re alive.

    The fighting was bound to begin soon, and Anna searched for a way towards Helen. Her mana still hadn¡¯t recovered at all, and she was unable to call out any vines. She knew she had to do something though, they were outnumbered, and exhausted from their extended run in the forest. Kalvin and Hobbes had also thrown quite a few skills around, and she wasn¡¯t sure how long they could keep it up.

    Before she could make up her mind, an arrow was fired and marked the beginning of the battle. The projectile slammed into, and through Miranda¡¯s shield, but luckily lost too much momentum to severely wound her. Instead, the tip grazed her shoulder as she charged forth, slamming into one of the orcs.

    Greg threw his spear hard at Salar, which seemed like a bad idea as it disarmed him, but in the next second he pulled his arm back and another spear, just like the first, materialized. Salar didn¡¯t have to dodge, however, as he swung his staff forward and a screen sprang to life, slowing, and then halting the spear in flight.

    The wolves rushed forward to join the fight, but thankfully, the dwarven duo in the bushes managed to blow up the head of the first one with a flaming rock by catching it off guard. The other two were forced into the defensive as they dodged follow-up rocks.

    The human and remaining orc rushed in and engaged Greg. He kept them at bay by swinging his spear in broad strokes in front of him, but he was bound to falter at some point.

    Anna tried sneaking towards her downed allies in the back. She dropped her bag, drew her machete and walked with a hunch to make herself as small as possible.

    Before she even had the chance to properly enter the clearing, an ice cold force slammed her back, knocking the wind out of her. Salar had used a skill to create a barrage of cold air, keeping her out of the fight.

    Not knowing what else to do, Anna pushed out her soul membrane and senses, looking for an opening. She didn¡¯t find what she was looking for, but perhaps something better. That same fluctuation of energy was there, but instead of charging an electrical attack for the wolves, it was linking them to something further behind the clearing.

    Something in her gut told her that the energy source was damn important. Rather than try and push through a cold front she had no chance in breaking, Anna rolled to the side and crawled towards the source. She could only hope that her friends could hold out until she made her move. When she was far enough from the force, she got to her feet and ran instead.

    What she found was a female elf dressed in a similar garb as her. Her eyes were shut and blood was pouring out of her nose. She looked like she was on the verge of death. Anna felt the life energy the elf was drawing in being converted into something foreign, and sent towards the fight.

    Gripping her machete tight, she pushed aside any ethical concerns about attacking an undefended opponent, and stabbed the woman in the throat. The elf¡¯s eyes shot open for a brief moment before she began to grasp at her neck. Anna ripped her blade clear from the wound and turned to run back to the fight.

    As the woman died, the connection she had with the battle ended as well.

    When Anna returned to the small clearing, the battle had taken a sharp turn in their favor. Salar laid on the ground, his intestine pooled around him, and his chest caved in.

    Another wolf was lying dead over the body of Miranda¡¯s orc. The geckite ran forward and stabbed the orc to death, only to be shot by an arrow in the back.

    Anna saw the archer load and fire a second arrow before she reached her. She had no clue where the arrow had gone, but focused on swinging her machete at the head of the archer. The blade met soft leather and on the pull, she saw a large groove had been cut into the bowman¡¯s head.

    The archer fell to the ground and Anna thought she had won, only to be shanked by a dagger in her thigh.

    She yelled in pain and slammed her blade into the archer once more, this time slicing into her shoulder.

    Again, the archer retaliated by stabbing her. This time, Anna felt the dagger dig into the bone on her hip.

    Tears welled up in her eyes as she blindly stabbed into the prone enemy over and over again until she¡¯d made a bloody mess of things. When reality came back to her, the pain made Anna fall over as well. She had just enough sense of mind to land in the opposite direction of her victim.

    Looking around, Anna took in the state of their battlefield. The remaining orc and human were both dead, one with his head blown off and his body aflame. The other had his throat ripped out by a wolf.

    She watched as a bruised and bleeding Miranda slammed into the last wolf, knocking it off balance. A stone, this time not on fire, hit the beast in the face and completed the job the first had started. The wolf hit the ground and was finished off by Greg, his spear impaling the canine through the eye.

    Turning to the others, Greg said, ¡°Check the area, we have to make sure there¡¯s not more of them.¡±

    ¡°Y¡¯all do that, I¡¯ll just stay here a while,¡± replied Anna. She cried through the pain as she weakly lifted her arms in celebration of their victory.

 Ch. 15: Proper Parental Advice

    Arn

    It took Arn only a few minutes to don his weapons. He strapped his quiver to his back, a bent nail attached to the hardened leather suspended his bow. His shield had a rope attached to the top and bottom corners, so he slung it over his back as well, if he needed it, he could swing it around and use the straps as additional leverage in keeping the board straight. His arming sword was attached vertically on his left hip, so that the hilt and blade wouldn¡¯t interfere with his movements. He attached one dagger to his opposite hip, and another to the calf on the same side.

    The most annoying part of his kit was definitely his longsword. He couldn¡¯t strap it to his back, it was impossible to draw that way. It also left him completely exposed. He had to admit, it destroyed some childhood fantasies of his about the whole back-strapped sword thing.

    Damn video games, giving me false expectations about performance. No better than porn. Instead, he had buckled the sword at an extreme angle from his hip, to keep it from dragging on the ground. The belt was loose so he could turn the sheath while drawing so that the length was manageable.

    After a pause to allow Lou to climb onto his quiver, he pressed his right shoulder into the iron door, creaking it open. His left arm was still useless, the shoulder dislocated, and a bandage wrapped around the wound he¡¯d received from Punt. He¡¯d seen videos of people popping the ball back into its socket, but he didn¡¯t feel confident in doing so himself. He¡¯d read somewhere that he could pinch a nerve or vein and cause permanent damage. The pain was manageable, so he decided it would be best to leave it for now.

    As Arn passed through the threshold, his vision was blocked by a system notification.

    System Alert:

    Congratulations! Your refusal to kill before you left has been accepted as an alternate win condition! Your failure to do what was required has been forgiven.

    In order to begin your integration, please proceed to a safe zone within the dungeon.

    As punishment for your fai

    As a reward for your success, all kobolds within a 1,000 miles have been informed of your escape!

    Yeah that tracks. Taking a quick peek back at the door, he said, ¡°Goodbye frying pan.¡±

    Lou finished for him, Hello fire.

    Lou and Arn were in a long corridor, to their left, the cave led into a steep decline. The right held a fork, two paths that had light coming from them.

    Down is probably not out, right? Walking towards the forked path, Arn lifted the visor of his armet. His vision was severely limited with it down, and he was already having trouble seeing in the dimmed tunnel.

    When he reached the fork, he immediately took the path to the left. Partially, because it wouldn¡¯t have mattered, he had no idea where either path went, and so he arbitrarily chose left.

    Don¡¯t lie to yourself. You saw the giant webs covering the tunnel on the right and chose to avoid them. Not that I blame you, massive spiders are the last thing anyone needs in their life. Remarked the owl.

    What spiders? There are no spiders, and I certainly didn¡¯t see any webs. You¡¯re delusional, bud.

    After several minutes of walking through an empty tunnel, Arn found himself staring at a set of double door and contemplating life.

    Are all of the traps going to be this obvious? The little guys can do better than this, surely? I have to go through, there¡¯s really no other choice. The question is, how to do so without getting obliterated by the troops on the other side? Straightforward is probably the way to go.

    First, he ran into the nearest wall, a groan escaping his lips as his attempt to relocate his shoulder failed. It took him three tries before he got the right angle,

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    Arn removed his bow, longsword, and shield. He dug the shield into the ground in front of one of the doors. He kneeled down and grabbed an arrow to place on the string.

    Preparations complete, he shouted his declaration. ¡°Listen! There are a few younglings  in my former cave. They¡¯re injured, but nothing that I know you can¡¯t heal. Why don¡¯t you go help them. We don¡¯t need to fight, just let me leave. Better yet, kick me out, I have no desire to fight you, or remain in your territory. Please take the offer.¡±

    Shuffling could be heard in the next room, and the response that followed was expected. ¡°FUCK YOU TRAINER! We¡¯re going to kick your ass, you die, and things go on as they always do!¡±

    Them¡¯s some fightin¡¯ words. ¡°Is that you Horace? Those are some big words from such a terrible fighter! I trained you four months ago, who the fuck put you in charge? I swear, if I open this door without a deal, I¡¯m killing you first, you little slimy shit.¡±

    Laughter erupted from behind the door. He could hear the Horace yelling and threatening his squad, which only made them laugh harder. At first, he¡¯d wondered why basic jokes had made them so riled up, then realized that this was the first time they¡¯d heard him insult one of them. Maybe it¡¯s like hearing your normally nice teacher roast the class clown? Except, I was never very nice.

    ¡°No deal! You think you''re a savant or some shit?! Open the door, and I¡¯ll stab you in your ugly face.¡±

    ¡°What kind of half-assed insult was that? Just get someone with a brain over here. I want to speak to your chief.¡± Oh god, I¡¯m a ¡°Karen¡±.

    ¡°I wouldn¡¯t give you the shit I took yesterday, open the door and die already.¡±

    Arn shut his eyes for a moment, he knew he¡¯d have to kill at some point. He¡¯d made peace with it. Slowly cracking the doors open, he tried to see his target.

    The lizards had set up a small barricade, but nothing substantial. Some tables had been overturned, and while the kobolds had proper gear on, they were not from the same squad. The kobolds had patches attached to their armor signifying their battalion and squad numbers. Out of the six he could see, none had the same tag.

    He assumed that while they knew he was coming, they hadn¡¯t been prepared and threw together whatever defenses they had on hand. The upside to their prolonged war was definitely the lack of resources they had to spare.

    Standing behind the central table with a spear, was Horace. The little fuckers not wearing a helmet.

    Arn put his visor down. He slammed his fist into the door in front of him, drawing his bow at the same time. To compensate for the pain in his arm, he rested his forearm against the top of his shield. Lining up the shot was easy and before the kobold leader had the opportunity to follow through on his threat, an arrow struck him in the face, killing him.

    A spear and arrow flew back at him in retaliation. The spear landed awkwardly against his spear and failed to penetrate, while Arn ducked to dodge the arrow.

    On his next shot, he killed the only other kobold without a helmet.

    Back and forth, the two sides traded arrows and spears. The lizards¡¯ fire breath was ultimately ineffective against his shield, but they only figured that out after the fourth member of their makeshift squad was killed.

    His initial count had been off, and there were four lizards left. He heard one of them call out that he was moving up, and dropped his bow. The kobolds had been kind enough to give him some of their spears, and he wasn¡¯t going to look a gift horse in the mouth.

    As the lizard drew near, he laid flat on his back and waited. With a completely unnecessary roar, the kobold leapt over the fire-proof shield. Arn lifted the tip of the spear and set the butt of the weapon against the ground, allowing the creature to skewer itself, the tip of the spear entering directly into the glowing red vein above its heart.

    Pushing the kobold off, Arn chose not to resume his firing. ¡°Marshall, I know that¡¯s you. You¡¯re a healer right?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m sorry Trainer, but I will not let you leave, nor can I attend to the younglings without killing you.¡± The healer replied.

    ¡°Sprat is your son right? Please see reason man. He¡¯s hurt, but I didn¡¯t do any permanent damage. I don¡¯t want to make him an orphan as well.¡±

    ¡°I appreciate you letting him live, but he¡¯d end up an orphan anyways if I didn¡¯t do my duty. You¡¯re almost out of arrows, and we have them by the barreload. More are on their way, and the elders have already decreed that the first to bring your current head would be given a command post. Just give up Trainer, you can¡¯t fight everyone.¡±

    Damn that was fast. He couldn¡¯t waste any more time, Arn rolled past the dead kobold¡¯s body, staying out of the line of sight of the room. Standing up, he grabbed his longsword from the ground, placed his shoulder at the closed door, and sent a mental signal to Lou.

    The owl flew into the room catching the attention of the kobolds while Arn kicked open his door and rushed ahead. Lou did as he was told and immediately dived to the side, completely avoiding an arrow flying his way, and behind a table. His only job was to act as a momentary distraction, and it worked.

    During his run into the room, Arn¡¯s armor blocked the arrows that flew his way, one sliding off, and the other hitting the top of his armet, grazing the metal as it flew by. Instead of jumping over the table, he capitalized on his momentary advantage and thrust his blade through the skull of one of the remaining kobolds.

    Marshall jumped over his own barrier to engage, but he was ignored, as Arn swapped sides with him and engaged his final ally.

    The kobold had enough time to draw his own blade and catch his enemies swing. The blades binded only momentarily until Arn shoved his blade down and leveraged his back hand to swing the tip into the kobold¡¯s neck.

    The lizard attempted to disengage, but was too slow as Arn grabbed his own blade''s midpoint, essentially turning his blade into a dagger and allowing him to aim the sword accurately through the kobold¡¯s eye and through his brain.

    Turning to face his remaining foe, Arn spat, ¡°I¡¯m not going to kill you Marshall. I¡¯m gonna kick your ass and then leave. You can then make the sensible choice and heal yourself, and then go get your kid.¡±

 Ch. 16: Well, if It Isnéˆ¥æª› the Consequences of My Own Actions

    Arn

    After kindly showing Marshall the error of his ways, Arn was eager to move on. Every minute he delayed increased the chance that the kobolds would be able to put together an insurmountable defense. He filled his quiver from the room¡¯s store of arrows and headed towards the far door.

    Walking through the entryway, he slowed. It felt as though his body was pushing through thick film, but it wasn¡¯t a negative experience. His weariness cleared as his head pushed through, and the soreness he was feeling from wearing his armor for an extended period lifted. The damage done to his left arm was healed in an instant and even the dirt that he had collected fell off of his attire.

    System Alert:

    You¡¯ve entered Area III of the dungeon.

    Beware! Foes will be stronger in this area, but the Karma gained from kills have increased.

    ¡°Well, hello Trainer. That was quite a good show you put on. I¡¯m glad you¡¯ve improved.¡± The words left Arn speechless.

    What was once an empty room, was lined with kobolds. Each stood in a mixture of plate and chainmail armor along the wall. There was a definite military bearing among the warriors present. Looking for the one that spoke, Arn¡¯s stomach dropped.

    It was Igalt, Arn¡¯s once-pupil and current commander of the kobold forces. His experience with the lizard was far from pleasant. Igalt was a warrior who exemplified the brutality of his people perfectly. One particular session ended with him literally peeling back Arn¡¯s skin and tearing out his spine. Another involved pinning their trainer to the ground with spears and shoving a sword down his throat to see how far it would go before they cut open his neck.

    ¡°You¡¯ve put up a valiant effort,¡± the kobold said, ¡°but unfortunately I''ve been asked to put you down. I would have loved to see how you could have gone, but our chief disagrees with the elders¡¯ decree.¡±

    Taking a slow step back, Arn hit a cave wall. And of course we¡¯re locked in.

    Look left! Lucius yelled from his position on Arn¡¯s quiver.

    Sparing a glance over the kobolds¡¯ heads, Arn saw his salvation. A purple door glowed softly behind a line of soldiers.

    ¡°Can¡¯t run?¡± Igalt shrugged his shoulders mockingly, ¡°Looks like The Divine has decided your fate. Still, I''m older and so much more benevolent than before. I¡¯ll give you a fighting chance. You can fight my men, but one against thirty is so unjust. The other option is to fight just one opponent.¡±

    How fucking clich¨¦. ¡°I¡¯m not a fool, obviously I pick option two. I¡¯m guessing that means I have the honor of fighting you?¡±

    The kobold snorted and grinned wickedly, ¡°Now that sounds incredibly boring. Why would I want to stroke my own ego by beating someone so beneath me. No, if I remember anything from our sessions, Trainer, it¡¯s that a good battle should require both fighters at their best, fighting for every inch. I won¡¯t fight you, I¡¯m not responsible for your release. That failure lies at the feet of the younglings.¡±

    At that moment, another kobold was roughly shoved towards the center of the room. Her left eye was swollen shut, and she could barely stand. Signs of a beating were obvious on any skin she had showing under a tattered gambeson. A roughly sharpened spear was thrown at her feet to complete the pathetic ensemble.

    Not one of mine, and definitely not a warrior. What the fuck is he thinking?

    ¡°Now then,¡± Igalt continued,  ¡°we can¡¯t have the young pay for their idiotic mistakes. A good society must ensure that good parents take responsibility for their children''s actions. As such, the mother of the Punts, Carbon, has so graciously agreed to take on that role as their father is recently deceased. She¡¯s rather stupid, so the game is simple. If she kills you, then the children will be forgiven, and all can return to normal. If you kill her, then the children will die, and you will be given the chance to state your case directly to the elders. Begin whenever you¡¯re ready.¡±

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    Carbon immediately picked up her spear and charged Arn. Her steps were heavy and she almost fell twice during her run. Still, Arn swatted the weapon aside with his longsword and kicked the kobold to the ground.

    Running was no longer an option. He wasn¡¯t going to let the trainees be killed. They¡¯d risked their lives, he knew letting him escape meant their lives were in the hands of the elders. Yet he hoped that their punishment would be lessened if he put up enough of a fight.

    His cockiness in forcing Marshall to heal them all but guaranteed their death. They definitely saw the whole thing. How the fuck should I¡¯ve known they were listening!

    Carbon was quick to her feet, wounds that had barely scabbed over began bleeding once again. She was too close to use her spear effectively, and Arn ended up pushing her forward onto her face this time.

    Arn took the opportunity to look around the room. The soldiers remained stoic, their shields raised and spear tips lowered to the ground. Igalt was clearly bored, as he was having a conversation with a retainer beside him.

    I have an idea, lead her to the door. Lou had moved from his place on the quiver and was now hiding behind Arn¡¯s shield, using the arm strap as a perch.

    Doing as he was told, Arn shoved the crying kobold in the right direction. He didn¡¯t enjoy being rough, but felt that any poor acting would give him away. Carbon reacted by dropping her spear and lunging at him, receiving a punch to her gut for her efforts.

    ¡°It¡¯s getting pathetic Trainer. Either kill her, or let her kill you. Make your choice and let me move on with my day.¡± The commander¡¯s taunts infuriated the twins¡¯ mother and she let forth a flame breath in his direction.

    Two of the kobold warriors from the circle stepped into the flames path and stabbed their spears into the heat. The tips of the spears sprang forward a moment before impact, a mushroom of energy forcing the fire to dissipate.

    That¡¯s new.

    Her failed attack finally seemed to break Carbon¡¯s spirit. She looked over at Arn and pleaded, ¡°Please, they only did as they thought was right. Their father raised them on stories of honor and they made a stupid decision.¡±

    As she cried, she swung wild haymakers in Arn¡¯s direction, the blows tearing the cloth of his brigandine, but doing no real damage.

    Arn didn¡¯t immediately react, instead, he continued to back up towards the door. When he reached the line of soldiers, he felt a pressure on his back.

    ¡°Gotta stay in the circle Trainer.¡± one of the warriors said.

    He took a deep breath and finally responded to Carbon, ¡°Fuck your kids, and fuck all you ugly ass lizards.¡± As he spoke, Arn swung his longsword and stabbed it  into the eye opening of the nearest soldier''s helmet.

    The reaction of the others was immediate. Several warriors stabbed him in the sides, the blows way more powerful than he imagined. The wind was knocked out of him and he fell forward over the dead kobolds body.

    Carbon also took the opportunity to attack Arn. She landed on his back and began ripping into his exposed back, finding bits where his gear didn¡¯t cover him and the gambeson was exposed. She yelled into the crowd, ¡°Kill us both and spare my children!¡±

    Sorry, I think this next bit is going to really hurt. Lou apologized.

    Nothing new there, get it open? In the commotion, the owl managed to reach the latch and put his full body weight into opening it.

    I think so!

    At this point, the commander moved forward and answered the female kobold, ¡°How heroic! That is true parenting! You both die, and the kids live, I love it!¡± As Igalt released a fire breath of his own, Arn felt the temperature in the room grow.

    The warriors near him backed up, which worried him even more. Usually, kobold flames wouldn¡¯t hurt others of their kind. This flame certainly felt different. Igalt¡¯s red vein shone brightly near his neck, and the fire itself combusted in places as it streamed forth.

    Before it hit, Arn rolled Carbon over himself and replaced her with the dead warrior. Then, they were engulfed. Flinging himself into the door, he felt a pop and sizzle as his body went to the all too familiar process of heat fusing with his armor.

    Carbon and Lou were the first to pass the doors threshold, Arn practically flinging the kobold to keep her from the flames. Arn¡¯s burning carcass soon followed.

 Ch. 17: A Thankless Job

    Anna

    Clearing the nearby area after their battle took the team almost thirty minutes. Unable to stand, Anna decided to use that time to try and meditate. The system had said that she could spend Karma on new skills and she hoped that her life energy proved its namesake. It ended up taking most of the thirty minutes just to get the skill menu open through the pain.

    Skills

    Forest Companion (Novice IV):

    Call a creature of the forest to aid you.

    Thorn Whip (Novice III):

    Summon and manipulate a vine from your body. Allows you to generate thorns at will.

    Additional Skills Available:

    Mend (Novice): 10 Karma

    Instantly heal yourself or your allies for a minor amount.

    Regenerate (Novice): 10 Karma

    Slightly  accelerate the natural healing of yourself or an ally.

    Seed Shot (Novice): 10 Karma

    Fire a small seed from your palm.

    Thirty Karma for all three skills. Do I get more later, or is it just the five? Anna had thought she had nine Karma, adding her previous remainder and the amount she received after getting a passive and completing a Dharma, but was surprised to see another amount.

    Karma: 22

    Mulling it over, she assumed that combat must have given her Karma that she wasn¡¯t aware of. Karma for murder. Stealing a glance sideways, she took note of the mutilated body of the archer she had killed. Don¡¯t look away, you did this, own it. Her, or Helen, and you made your choice.

    Focusing on her skills instead, Anna mentally selected Mend and Regenerate. A warm sensation spread from her chest and she froze as it occurred to her that she had forgotten about the damage to her soul. A few tense moments passed, but no pain seemed forthcoming.

    She searched for any error alerts and finally pulled up the appropriate system message.

    System Alert

    Your soul has recovered from critical damage!

    Your resilience has won the day, Karma increased by 5!

    New skills gained!

    Mend (Novice I)

    Regenerate (Novice I)

    That accounts for five of the additional Karma, but there¡¯s still a gap. Also, it hasn¡¯t even been twelve hours.

    Looking at the image of her soul, Anna was relieved to see an intact vessel. Two new energy signatures joined her previous ones. The first was connected to her stomach, and the other ran up and down her spine. Before she could make use of them, however, she had to refill her mana core.

    Pushing energy from her newly replenished soul into her core was much easier than expected. She simply created a vortex of energy around her heart, like one of her skills, and used it like a funnel directly into the core, which existed in both her physical and spiritual bodies. She watched her menu as her mana slowly ticked back to full.

    Vitality: 40/60

    Mana: 70/70

    Stamina: 30/50

    Next, she filled her stamina, but found the process a bit like shoving slime into a jar. She got it done in the end, but was sure that she¡¯d most likely lost soul energy that she wouldn¡¯t have if she had better control.

    Setting the thought aside, Anna grabbed hold of the skill mark on her stomach and anchored it through her core. Feels like being bloated after a big meal. She first tried pushing the skill to heal her hip, but it dissipated as soon as it entered her wound. The mana cost was pretty small, so casting it again wouldn¡¯t be an issue. The more surprising detail was that the spell ate up a decent chunk of her stamina as well.

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    Vitality: 42/60

    Mana: 65/70

    Stamina: 35/50

    Makes sense if that¡¯s regenerate, the skill did say it boosted my natural healing. Mana starts the spell, and my body takes over from there.

    Anna cast Mend next, this time, the skill responded exactly as she expected and rushed into her wound.  It left the area feeling slightly numb and came with uncomfortable twitching as her skin kneaded itself back together. The skill also didn¡¯t completely heal her, instead the damage to her bone was gone and a shallow scab now covered the surface. The hole in her thigh was still there, although the bleeding had thankfully stopped. The mana drain had also been massive, she noted.

    Vitality: 53/60

    Mana: 25/70

    Stamina: 35/50

    Recharging her mana core, she mentally pumped her arm when she saw that her soul was already full of energy again. Yeah, my passive is definitely overpowered. It¡¯s really the little wins that make your day. Anna cast mend and regenerate an additional time and then topped off her mana and stamina.

    When she finally awoke from her meditative haze she found Miranda, Helen, Greg, and Kelbyn sitting in a half circle around her. Helen had dark circles under her eyes and looked ready to keel over, Kelbyn was in a similar state. All four had expectant looks on their faces, almost saying, ¡°You healed yourself, me next.¡±

    ¡°Meditate and focus on regaining your stamina while I heal y¡¯all.¡± Anna told them. Once the last of them closed their eyes in meditation, she cast regenerate on Kelbyn, pushing the skill from her fingertips into his chest. She cast on the rest of them the same way, followed by a mend on Helen focusing the skill into the many deep bite marks on her torso. Then she closed her own eyes and meditated to restore her reserves. Once full, she repeated the process.

    Regenerate stopped working on everyone but Greg after the first cast, so she assumed they had expended all of their stamina. Looks like I have to do most of the heavy lifting here.

    During her next round of meditation, she found that she had three additional Karma, bringing the total to five. When she looked through her system menu, she only found a difference with her new skills.

    Mend (Novice II)

    Regenerate (Novice III)

    She spent all five Karma on her stats, spending two each on Intelligence and Wisdom. The final point she used on Endurance, deciding that if she was going to be stabbed again, might as well get better at dealing with it.

    Stats

    Strength: 5

    Endurance: 6

    Dexterity: 5

    Intelligence: 9

    Wisdom: 9

    Fortitude: 5

    Vitality: 78

    Stamina: 60

    Mana: 90

    Anna paused to take in her new stats, irritation began creeping into her mind at the simple math she¡¯d performed last time getting tossed out the window. At least I have a decent excuse to ignore it for now.

    Having more mana than eighty mana meant that she could now cast mend twice and regenerate once before she had to meditate again, deciding to hold off on casting regenerate a second time. Who knows what sort of negative effects come with zeroing out your mana?

    Several rounds of healing later, everyone was back on their feet. Some smaller cuts and bruises remained, but they all had refreshed casts of regenerate on them and the sun was beginning to set.

    Kalvin and Hobbes had also meditated for a while, and then dragged the bodies of the ambushers into a line on the far end of the clearing. Most of the possessions of the dead were piled nearby, their rations and anything else that the duo found useful were taken. ¡°Found out a neat trick while you were all out,¡± Kalvin said, holding out a stack of paper.

    ¡°Did they write something?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°No lass, get out your paper and put some Ki into it.¡±

    ¡°Ki?¡±

    ¡°He means mana. The dwarves apparently don¡¯t use it the same way we do. They use Ki instead of mana and stamina.¡± Helen stated, taking out a set of her own papers.

    Anna followed suit and realized that it wasn¡¯t a stack at all, it was actually one large folded page. She was able to unfold it five times into a large sheet. When she pushed mana into it, the page transformed into a map. She saw the river and camp they had come from, as well as another area a few inches below it. Most likely where we started. The path to the clearing they were currently in had also been drawn in. There were lines for topography, and even a small legend that contained familiar symbols.

    ¡°That is pretty neat, I¡¯ll admit.¡±  Helen said, her own sheet.

    ¡°Do  you see a map? ¡®Cause to me, your paper is still blank.¡± Anna replied.

    ¡°Only visible to you. For my next trick, I¡¯ll blow your mind.¡± Kalvin said as he tapped one finger on Anna¡¯s map.

    A massive zone was revealed around them. The river ran along the entirety of the drawn area, creating a natural westerly border for their section of the forest. Thirty miles east, according to her scale, there was a mountain range extending far to the south. Several clearings, and even what looked like small villages appeared spotted throughout the area as well.

    ¡°Got this after taking the map of those bastards,¡± the dwarf continued, pointing over his shoulder towards the fallen, ¡°after trying to use them, their maps turned to dust, and mine was revealed. Tested it out on Hobbes¡¯ and found out we could share information.¡±

    ¡°If they had this information,¡± interrupted Greg, ¡°that means Volas does too.¡±

    ¡°The hell does he have to do with this?¡±

    ¡°He and Salar were working together, they took Helen to draw me into an ambush. I guess Volas didn¡¯t like the threat to his leadership. Thank you all for the help by the way, neither Helen nor I would be alive without you.¡±

    This time it was Hobbes that spoke up, ¡°It¡¯s what any decent folk would do. There were ambushers that were never part of the original group though. Were they working together this whole time?¡±

    ¡°No,¡± responded Helen, ¡°Salar didn¡¯t seem to know them much better than we did. My best bet is that he or Volas finished their integration before the rest of us and they worked out some sort of deal with the other group. That¡¯s why they let us leave, the two of them were probably trying to lead us to the other group eventually, so it wasn¡¯t worth the risk of having any more of their people killed.¡±

    ¡°Sure, but why kill the gnomes? Also, what about the elves, did they get up and leave as part of the deal, or what?¡± Anna interjected. Receiving shrugs from the others, she continued, ¡°Alright, let¡¯s just leave the rest of the mystery for later. For now, we get back and kick Volas¡¯ teeth in.¡±

 Ch. 18: Chasing Fiends

    Anna

    The trek back towards camp took twice as long as their initial estimate. Even though they had a map to follow, the forest floor became an alien landscape that was difficult to navigate at night. As they traveled through the forest, Anna got to know her companions a little better. Miranda, it seemed, was also saved by Helen and Greg during the chaos of their original flight. Helen had used a skill to paralyze Miranda''s attacker giving the geckite just enough time to turn the fight around. Greg had then shown her how to properly hold her shield to form a defensive wall.

    Kalvin and Hobbes, on the other hand, were just good people. Hobbes told the story of when they first met. They both spent a summer internship together in a rare minerals mine. Hobbes was trying to ¡°find himself,¡± and instead found a rock-obsessed dwarf and the love of his life.

    Kalvin was obviously also interested but it took him weeks to ask the other out. When the couple finally began dating, Hobbes took a permanent position as a mineral evaluator to be near Kalvin. For five years their romance continued, and they had even gotten engaged. Hobbes told the story of how they were eating a specially prepared birthday lunch for Kalvin when the mine shaft they were in collapsed, killing them and several of their friends. Their fellow dwarves were all here somewhere, the couple were sure of it.

    By the time they reached their destination, it was near midnight. At least, what they could guess was midnight by their best estimates. The group was exhausted. Not physically, although Anna was starting to feel blisters develop on her feet. The exhaustion they felt was mainly mental. By feeling alone, the humans and sole geckite of the group felt their stamina had depleted by about a quarter. The dwarves, on the other hand, seemed well-rested and ready for more.

    Instead of respite, what the crew found was the remains of a battle. Bodies filled the trenches, some frozen in the midst of their struggle crawling out. Most of the dead lay just outside of the camp.

    Based on the orientation of the dead, another group had rushed the camp, and walked into an absolute slaughter. The trenches had done their jobs very effectively and scores of the elves were face down in newly churned mud. At some point, however, the camp was overrun.

    It was impossible to tell if all of their allies were dead, or if some had escaped, the majority of the bodies were too mangled to discern any features.

    Still, they searched in solemn silence for anyone that remained alive. Each member of the seven-man troupe picked one side of a trench. As Anna picked through the remains, she pondered once again the point of such needless violence.

    No one is forcing us to fight. The system never said to kill each other, and as far as I can tell, there is more than enough land to go around. So what the fuck gives? Why are we being targeted by so many others?

    Kelbyn was the first to find an anomaly. Calling over the others in a voice louder than they had come to expect from the withdrawn dwarf, ¡°They dragged some bodies this way!¡± The area he pointed out was cleared of damage. A clear trail had been created through the underbrush and into the forest. ¡°They moved debris out of the way to make it easier to drag people. The elves have pretty weak frames, so they can¡¯t actually lift too much weight.¡±

    ¡°You met them for the first time three days ago, and not for that long. How would you know how much strength the elves possess?¡± Miranda stated, rolling her eyes.

    Unfazed by the jab, Kelbyn continued, ¡°I bet I could track them, I was a tracker in my last life.¡±

    ¡°A¡­ tracker? Like a hunter? Or do you actually mean you tracked living creatures?¡±

    What¡¯s with the interrogation?

    At this point Greg jumped in to move the conversation along, "If you can track them, great. The question is if we should? We don''t know what we''re up against and clearly, this isn''t some unorganized force. Look around, they''re all elves. Who knows how many more of them there are running about?"

    "I don''t know how many there are, "Anna remarked, "but I know it doesn''t matter. I''m not going to be the type of person to leave someone behind."

    "And if that means we all die? What if they''re already dead? We run in, full tilt, and all we end up showing for it is an early grave."

    "You don''t need to come, but I''m going. We all came to Helen and Kelbyn''s rescue, and this is no different."

    "It''s vastly different. We were running after some wolves-"

    "It doesn''t matter." Kalvin interjected, "of course the circumstances are different, with that, I agree, but we don''t need to fight some bloody stinkin'' elves." He pointed towards the trail as he spoke. ¡°Look there, those are kobold tracks, tiny little bastards, with tiny little feet. I¡¯m guessing we''re looking at five or six of them. The tracks are fresh enough that we should be able to catch up in an hour or so.¡±

    ¡°Yep! Just what I was gonna say. We can take on a handful of kobolds.¡± Kelbyn offered.

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    ¡°I thought you said that elves took them? Can you not tell the difference between elf and kobold tracks, Mr. Tracker?¡± Miranda remarked.

    ¡°It¡¯s fine Miranda,¡± Kavlin said, coming to the young dwarf¡¯s rescue, ¡°the boy overlooked them in the confusion, happens to the best of us.¡±

    Anna spoke up before the conversation could get any more derailed, ¡°If it¡¯s five or six enemies, we have the numbers advantage. Let¡¯s go now before they get too far.¡±

    Kelbyn ran forward to take the lead, and the others let him. The trail was pretty obvious once you knew what to look for.

    Anna¡¯s curiosity got the better of her, and she fell towards the back of the group to speak to Miranda, who¡¯d taken it upon herself to be rear guard. ¡°Is everything alright? You don¡¯t seem to be a fan of Kelbyn.¡±

    The geckite looked towards the front of the group, narrowing her eyes before speaking, ¡°I¡¯ve met plenty of people like him. Before our first night, he followed Volas around like a lost puppy, constantly trying to talk himself up. When it came time to set-up camp, he repeatedly bothered several of the women, saying he could help them make a lean-to tent. Someone took him up on the offer, and he made a complete ass of himself by screwing it up. It fell on the poor girl in the middle of the night due to his shoddy workmanship, he complained endlessly about how she was, ¡®giving him a bad name,¡¯ and that, ¡®it only fell because women move too much in their sleep.¡¯ The only reason he was caught by the wolves was because the coward was too afraid to move.¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s quite a scathing review.¡± Anna replied awkwardly as they walked, ¡°I¡¯ve met plenty of guys like that, so I get it.¡±

    ¡°Thank you, please be wary of the man.¡±

    Giving a nod, Anna moved back towards the center of the pack. If they were going to be in a battle, then it would be a good idea to resummon Teddy. Rotating her man through her palm, she called forth the bear to her side and attempted to infuse part of her soul in the creature.

    This time, her efforts were rewarded as her mana connection was suddenly cut and Teddy¡¯s translucent fur slowly became opaque. The transformation ended relatively quickly, probably just under a minute. Walking along her, was her adolescent young bear.

    You¡¯re a little taller now, Teddy.

    The bear growled in response, a wave of happiness emanating from it. I feel taller too. Looking forward to tasting some more reptiles. He looked back at the geckite as he licked his chops.

    Definitely not that one. The small ones with the long snouts, those are fine.

    The rest of the group paused in their march to stare at their new companion. ¡°I get a fire hawk with enough Karma, they can be buddies!¡± exclaimed Hobbes in excitement.

    ¡°I¡¯ll get a golem, myself. Don¡¯t know when, but it¡¯s part of my class description.¡± added Kalvin with a grin.

    Helen spoke up next, ¡°Raven! I hear they¡¯re really intelligent.¡±

    Greg, laughing, said, ¡°I¡¯m not sure if Miranda and I will get any critters, but we¡¯ll try our best.¡±

    "Scouts get a hound!" Kelbyn shouted from the front.

    The levity of the exchange helped Anna release tension from between her shoulder blades that she wasn¡¯t aware she held. Fighting to save Helen had been a spur of the moment decision, one they hadn¡¯t expected. This on the other hand was a fight they were looking for. If Kalvin was right, then there were several enemies ahead, and the crew would have the advantage.

    Greg, seeming to read her mind, spoke up, ¡°Here¡¯s the plan, Miranda and I will take the lead again, this time, Helen and Anna will provide back-up. Have Teddy stay close in case you two get into any trouble. Kelbyn, your job is watching out for the prisoners, making sure that they aren¡¯t killed during the fight. Hobbes, you and Kalvin continue your bombardment from a distance, just like last time.¡±

    After agreeing to the plan, the group fell silent, preparing for the fight to come. The wait wasn¡¯t long, as after only thirty minutes, rather than the expected hour, they caught up to their prey.

    The kobolds were in the process of retying ropes around two of the four captives. Anna saw three orcs and a human among them. Thankfully, the captives seemed mostly uninjured, several scabbed covered their exposed limbs, indicating that they¡¯d received some healing. The kobolds finished their knots, making the prisoners hunch over as they marched, each of their mouths wrapped tightly with cloth. In total, there were six kobolds.

    Wasting no time, Greg and Miranda ran forward, weapons out. Halfway to their enemies, they were spotted, but by then, the preparation of Anna¡¯s group had guaranteed their victory.

    The first to strike were Kalvin and Hobbes, a flaming stone sent into the torso of the rear lizard. The stone lodged itself into its new home and began spreading the roots of its flame. Soon the entire creature was aflame.

    Helen was the next to act, her jaw stretching an unnatural length and a piercing wail filled the air. Most in the area flinched at the unexpected noise, but the kobold wielding the prisoners¡¯ ropes dropped his burden and screeched in pain. Miranda took the opportunity to throw a spear at the lizard, slamming it into the ground with the shaft sticking out of its shoulder.

    The lizard¡¯s put up no defense, instead, at the death of their allies, the remaining four began fleeing into the bushes.

    ¡°Don¡¯t let them get away!¡± Helen yelled.

    Anna sent a message to Teddy to chase them down as she sent out her whip. She managed to catch a kobold around the ankle just as it was disappearing behind a tree. The tug of war ended when Greg caught up and skewered the creature.

    Kalvin displayed a new skill as he dug both hands into earth and the ground erupted around his wrists. Overturned dirt shot forward like a fast digging mole in the direction of the fleeing foes. It overtook the lead kobold and coalesced into a large earthen rod that the lizard ran into headfirst, knocking itself out.

    The final two lizards were run down by Miranda and Teddy, the latter ripping shreds off of his targets back before beginning to bite down onto his head. Miranda meanwhile threw spear after spear at the small target until one lucky strike pierced the kobold''s skull from behind.

    While the fight wrapped up, Kelbyn had untied the prisoners, who now laid exhausted on their backs. The female orc Anna now recognized as Johanna, the same person who explained what had happened to their camp while she was out. She was silently crying, but whether it was out of relief or frustration, was unknown.

 Ch. 19: An Unknown Appointment

    Arn

    Arn turned his head left and right, trying to shake the weariness from his mind. Judging by the agony coursing through his midsection, he''d survived the blaze. Groaning from deeper in the room announced the presence of Carbon.

    That makes three survivors. He thought as the comforting psyche of Lou fluttered around his brain.

    You look like a piece of charcoal. I can''t tell where flesh ends and your armor begins. The owl said with some fear and sympathy.

    Why the hell hasn''t integration started yet? I''d appreciate some superpowers right about now. Arn¡¯s question fell on deaf ears as it occurred to him that the system was probably waiting for a safe place to begin doing its job. With the murderous mother nearby, he''d probably just get his throat slit.

    Rather than get up, he used his right leg to push his battered body through the hallway he was in. The hall loomed similar to his old armory, minus the weapons. That means that there''s a bedroom at the other end.

    Progress was slow, his left leg was burned badly, and he was guessing that the nerve damage had paralyzed it, as it refused to react to his commands. Both of his vambraces had fused with the cloth and rivets of his chest piece and so his arms were also vestigial.

    Still, with Lou keeping track of the injured kobold, Arn slowly and agonizingly pushed his way to the end of the hall. Whether through sheer luck, or the system had finally given him some mercy, the door was already opened.

    After showing himself through the portal, he wiggled his leg around until he managed to catch the edge of the door and swing it shut. Before it completely closed, Lou flew in and perched atop his companion''s head.

    Then, everything went black.

    <hr>

    With dizzying force, Arn found himself back on Earth. Before him sat the totaled wreck of his car, flashing lights from police cruising illuminated the area, although no officers were around. The sound you¡¯d expect from a police siren was also markedly absent. A few moments passed in silence as a warm summer night¡¯s breeze swept through the wreckage.

    This content has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Stepping over a crushed car door, he made his way to the passenger side of Anna¡¯s sedan. Thankfully, the seat was empty of any indication that someone had been there. The only thing left behind of their existence were faded stains and yellowed paper. The driver¡¯s side was completely unrecognizable. It had flattened into a pancake and the filling of the seat had exploded outwards under pressure.

    Taking a deep breath, he turned and faced the figure sitting on the bent hood. What revealed itself was not an exact copy of Arn as it had been for Anna. This avatar seemed decrepit, as if it had the blood drained from its body, and what was left was a sagging, rotting mass of meat.

    The avatar looked at the front and back of its hands and spoke, ¡°You have a rather low opinion of yourself young man.¡± It turned towards the open space between the cruisers and the wreckage and a chair was pulled out of the ground. Summoned from the hot pavement of the road.

    ¡°Are you saying I look like you? I know I didn¡¯t have a mirror for a few years, but I don¡¯t think I ever got this ugly.¡± Replied Arn, as he took the offered seat.

    ¡°No, not truly. I guess you could say I am reflecting back that which you fear you truly are: a fetid monster that hides its grotesqueness behind a fa?ade of heroism. As if your good deeds would wash away your sin.¡±

    ¡°Big accusation,¡± Arn replied dryly, ¡°And what sin do you believe I¡¯m trying to wash away.¡±

    ¡°Don¡¯t act like you don¡¯t know, child. We¡¯re here because you killed your wife. Your guilt manifested this reality, it was no creation of mine. You were driving, and your temper distracted you. Now you think you''re going to get her killed again because you''re too weak to reach her. Damn you¡¯re pathetic.¡±

    ¡°Is this the part where you make me fall to my knees is despair, and give me a spiritual epiphany. Save it. I don¡¯t need your fucking therapy session, I need to get back to the task at hand. Are you going to give me what you owe me, or not?¡±

    The avatar responded by waving a finger side-to-side, and the scenery around them changed. The cruisers disappeared, the light they gave off now originating from two large blue and red moons blotting out the sky. Their car was also replaced by a large day bed that the avatar now lounged on.

    As it rubbed its belly, it said, ¡°I¡¯m not the system, that¡¯ll come later. I was just curious about what poor sod was caught in the schemes of my siblings.¡±

    ¡°Is that supposed to be an introduction? I still don¡¯t know who the fuck your are.¡±

    ¡°Child, you clearly aren¡¯t the intelligent one in the relationship. Your quest, the one given by the system, stated that you are my recruit.¡±

    ¡°That was years ago, how the hell would I remember what the title of the quest -¡±

    ¡°DEATH YOU FOOL, I AM DEATH!¡±

 Ch. 20: Gifts and Gods, Name a Better Duo

    Arn

    Rather than sit around in stunned silence, Arn got up, brushed himself off, and walked into the nearby field.

    ¡°And where do you expect to go?¡± Called out Death.

    ¡°Look, if you''re not going to take this seriously, then I''m just gonna leave. I¡¯ve got kobolds to kill and magic to learn.¡± Arn called over his shoulder, not slowing down.

    With a sweep of Death¡¯s hand, the ground below shifted and pulled towards him. Arn found himself walking nowhere, every step he took simply negated by an equal move of the ground. ¡°You can either drop the idiot act, or I can strip your soul bare and remove your wife¡¯s meddling.¡±

    That stopped him dead in his tracks. Fear gripped his heart as he took in the suggestion that Death had so casually thrown out. ¡°The system said we had free will. Why are you forcing me into your service, what the hell did I do to you?¡±

    ¡°Ah, now we¡¯re getting somewhere. I did not force you into anything, by the way. The offer of being my vassal was meant for another, one more suited to an affinity of death. But as so often happens, the meddling of my siblings has thrown a wrench into my plans.¡±

    ¡°If you don¡¯t need me, then please, let me go. I just want to move on with my life.¡±

    The first sign of genuine emotion crossed Death¡¯s face. A brief frown and the creasing of eyebrows signify a look of sympathy. ¡°I am sorry my child, but I cannot do that. I created the quest, yes, but the system must see it to completion. You may choose to deny entry into my ranks at the end of your mission, not before. Sadly, I was not aware of your existence until you left that torturous pit.¡±

    Now would have been the appropriate time for collapsing into despair, and normally, that¡¯s what Arn would have done. Instead, he took a seat at the edge of Death¡¯s bed and stared into his palms. Tears pooled into his eyes as he asked his next question, ¡°So I¡¯m just a pawn in some prank between gods? My suffering was just one big cosmic joke?¡±

    ¡°You have my sympathies child. However, your quest is not arbitrary, I still require you to complete it. I don¡¯t have the time to explain it all, but I can provide you with two gifts. Normally, your first gift would be my boon of resurrection, allowing you to rise after every death. However, with Anna¡¯s interference, that boon was tarnished, and your next time you die, will unfortunately be your last.

    ¡°What I¡¯ll offer you instead is the other gift all of my vassals obtain, what is yours by right, should you accept it. I can provide you mentorship. I know you¡¯ll choose not to be in my service, therefore, I¡¯ll find you a teacher outside of my domain, a friend, but a neutral party. There is enough of my boon to achieve that.¡±

    Arn wrapped his arms around his knees and contemplated the first gift. In the long run, someone to teach me the basics would be great, but that¡¯s too far in the future to matter. Also, how can I trust anything he says? Do gods even have friends?

    Putting that aside for now, he asked, ¡°And the second thing?¡±

    With a smile, the god placed a hand on Arn¡¯s face and pulled on his cheek. With a squishy plop, Lucius was pulled out. The owl was unconscious. ¡°Do not worry,¡± Death began before Arn¡¯s panic set in, ¡°Your friend is a spiritual creature, and most of his kind cannot stand to be in a god¡¯s presence without massively expanding and then blowing up due to the pressure. Instead, your owl has put himself to sleep as a defense mechanism. He will be back to normal once you enter integration.

    ¡°Your wife has truly outdone herself, and that was while taking random stabs in the dark.¡± Death looked Arn in the eyes before he continued. Staring back at him, Arn saw the same irises he was used to, but a ring of blood was slowly seeping into the whites and he saw as the tissue slowly stretched. Like a pimple ready to pop, except instead of puss, blood and gore were ready to ooze.

    This tale has been unlawfully lifted from Royal Road. If you spot it on Amazon, please report it.

    ¡°What I will do is return something lost. The system promised your wife a one time pass to speak with you. I will make it permanent. The connection to your wife already exists, the evidence to that is this sweet creature,¡± Death said pointing at Lou. ¡°That link can be made better. First, it will strengthen the connection between you and Lucius. If he were to perish in battle, you can simply recall him as you meditate, he will also be able to act as spiritual storage.

    ¡°Secondly, and I think you will truly love me for this, is that he can act as a relay for communication between you and your spouse. While you meditate, call to her, and if she enters meditation as well, you will be able to speak to one another, but it will be draining for the owl. He¡¯ll need to be stronger to carry a lengthy conversation.¡±

    ¡°I accept.¡± Arn blurted out before thinking it through. His loneliness ran much deeper than he realized. Also, any chance that Lou wouldn¡¯t end up dead because of his failure to protect him was worth whatever schemes Death had.

    ¡°My time with you has come to an end, good luck with your quest Arn.¡±

    ¡°Any tips?¡±

    ¡°None.¡± With a final word, Death gave Arn a gentle push, as he fell, he again lost consciousness.

    <hr>

    ¡°Welcome Mr. Pand!¡± The system clone awoke Arn with a jolt. They were standing in a recreation of the same cave he was constantly resurrected in. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, I only look like you in order to facilitate a quicker learning experience. It helps put a candidate at ease to see themselves reflected by me.¡±

    Oh fuck me, its a canned explanation. ¡°I skip! I don¡¯t want the full explanation! Let¡¯s get on with my class!¡± He yelled, hoping to spare himself a now redundant exposition as he had Anna¡¯s memory to draw from.

    After an awkward pause, the system acquiesced, ¡°Very well! Due to the nature of your quest, I am unable to provide time to familiarize yourself with your abilities. After you have selected your class, you will be transported back to the dungeon.¡±

    ¡°Oh fuck you. Get it over with then.¡±

    Rather than summoning a well for Arn to submerge himself in, dark tendrils shot out of the ground. Several gripped his arms and legs, dragging him to his knees. Each one burned a deep gash into his body, making him yell out in pain. Then, two additional tendrils wrapped around his mouth and neck, silencing him in his misery. He was dragged to the ground and began sinking. The system looked on, indifferent to his suffering.

    Before he completely sank, he was given one final warning from his clone, ¡°Because you are leaving early, you will be returned to your body before it has been fully integrated. Unfortunately, the pain of integration is quite severe. I know you will do great! Good luck!¡±

    Now completely in the dark, the tendrils burrowed into his skin. It occurred to him that each one held the same aura, death.

    System Alert:

    New class options are available.

    Please select one of the following:

    Battle Ogre: Novice Class

    The ogre is a fool and knows it, however, intelligence doesn¡¯t ensure victory. Success is best measured in violence. Use brute strength to crush your enemies, as you have no other options.

    Battlephant: Novice Class

    An elephant protects its herd, a battlephant protects its allies. Strength and resilience are the cornerstone of your combat prowess, but just as the elephant, your intelligence is your greatest asset. Charge in, take the lead, and crush any that are foolish enough to stand in your path.

    Death Squire: Novice Class

    A squire does their master¡¯s bidding, and learns from the best. What better instructor is there than Death itself? Whether they are living or dead, all under your dominion will learn to fear you.

    Note: You may choose to decline all three classes. In such a case, the classes provided will be lost forever, and three new options will become available.

    The first option was a non-starter. Of course, brute strength had its uses, but who the hell would forgo everything else in their arsenal? Also, violence was never Arn¡¯s first choice so selecting a class that thrived on it seemed counterproductive.

    The third class, Death Squire seemed like a pretty decent choice, except there was no way it didn¡¯t come with some oath to forever serve Death. If it were up to Arn, he¡¯d want nothing to do with the system, gods, or whatever other powers existed in his new universe.

    Battlephant was the perfect class for him. Resilience was probably his biggest priority, and any class that took advantage of that was already going to be a good pick. Throw in some sort of intelligence aspect, and he was pretty sure the class was related to some magic wielding tank.

    Selecting the second option, Arn was swept away into darkness a third and final time.

 Ch. 21: Forced Detours

    Anna

    Dealing with the fallout of their skirmish was a dreary affair. Greg, Kalvin, and Helen attempted to interrogate the few living kobolds that they managed to capture, but they only received shrieks and screams in return. After the fourth attempt at escape, Greg killed them, which infuriated the others.

    ¡°We could have let them live! You didn¡¯t need to murder in cold-blood.¡± Kalvin flung his accusations at Helen and Greg both, as the former refused to speak on the matter. It seemed she was much more subdued after her capture by the wolves.

    ¡°Letting them go wasn¡¯t an option. We have no idea if there are more that they would bring. We don¡¯t have the manpower or resources to keep them prisoner either. Be realistic and think about the group before you judge me.¡± Greg stood his ground as he busied himself with digging graves.

    The others, in the meantime, busied themselves with looking after the former captives. Anna was pushed into taking charge as the others lacked healing skills. Not like I know any medicine myself. She thought as she cast Regeneration on the four newly freed people.

    Collin, the only human among the newcomers, had fallen asleep from exhaustion and Anna honestly wished she could as well. The mental strain from staying awake for so long was starting to make her dizzy. Still, sleep deprivation was a trade she was willing to make if it meant saving others.

    The two male orcs, Firth and Tormin, were in the worst shape. Firth was missing his left hand, and although whatever healing the kobolds had given them had regrown skin over the stump, he demanded the new flesh be cut off.

    ¡°Just try it, and if it doesn¡¯t work, then I¡¯ll accept the consequences.¡± He said waving around his severed hand in the direction of Anna. The image of a rotting hand slowly oozing pink sludge and the smell risked making her gag, so she only nodded her acceptance with her eyes shut.

    The results were much better than expected. Miranda laid the orcs arm across a fallen log and sliced the stump open with her blade. Firth held the hand to his stump and Anna cast mend directly over the cut. Pushing the energy into the new wound was simple and when it crossed over into the severed hand, the new connection took over. Sinew and tissue rejoined followed by a new line of skin. The slow change of color from pale to light-gray announced the return of blood flow.

    When she looked over to ask Firth how he felt, he was knocked out. Turns out that reconnecting nerves to formerly dead limbs was an excruciating process and the sudden shock was more than he could handle.

    Tormin had a separate problem. His stomach had been cut open during the battle with the elves. He had barely managed to stay alive when the lizards arrived. The downside to their healing was that the hand he¡¯d used to hold the wound shut had fused with the skin on his abdomen. That same fusion was the inspiration Firth had that his severed hand could be reattached.

    Admitting that he was no good with pain, Tormin asked Hobbes and Kelbyn to hold him down. Hobbes accepted, but the other dwarf suddenly remembered that he lost his dagger somewhere in the battle and went searching for it. That meant that Anna had to take his place and heal, as Miranda was the one that would deliver the cut.

    This time, the process involved plenty of screaming, swearing, and crying, and not just from Tormin. Meanwhile, the final new member of their troupe, Johanna, began walking back in the direction they had come from, only to be cut off by Kelbyn.

    ¡°Where are you going? There¡¯s no one else left.¡± he told her.

    ¡°I have to bury Kastur, her body is still back there.¡± Johanna attempted to push her way past the dwarf, but he was surprisingly stout and held his ground.

    ¡°Don¡¯t be dumb, it¡¯s not safe. Just wait for Greg to decide what we¡¯re doing.¡±

    ¡°He doesn¡¯t control me,¡± she snarled, barring her two large sharpened canines, ¡°If I die trying to bury my friend, then so be it. There¡¯s nothing this hell can do more than take my life anyways.¡±

    It was then that Helen provided a compromise, ¡°We should head back at some point either way. There could be more survivors or trails, but doing so now would not do us any favors. I¡¯m tired, and I¡¯m sure you are too. If you wait a while, we can rest and be ready to go in a few hours. It¡¯ll be so much safer that way.¡±

    A few more minutes passed as different members of the group tried to talk Johanna out of her decision. Anna herself chose to stay out of it, knowing that if she were in the orc¡¯s shoes, she would set out immediately. Instead, she told Teddy to keep watch over her while she napped in the burrow of a large tree.

    <hr>

    Anna, wake up! There¡¯s something nearby. Teddy told her as he tugged on her arm.

    Rubbing the sleep from her eyes, she looked around the area to see what the others had gotten up to. Most of them were asleep, with Collin and Kelbyn keeping watch. Greg was facing off against Miranda, wielding a stick with his shield. They pushed against one another, practicing thrusts and cuts from behind cover.

    Brushing off her already worn clothes, Anna made her way over to the group. ¡°Teddy says there¡¯s something close.¡± She woke the others up individually and let them know. As the last person got up, they heard the first thump.

    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.

    At first it sounded like a distant and dull thud against the ground. Yet, by the time they located the direction of the noise, it transformed into a heart stopping pound. The sound of splitting trees accompanied each rhythm thump, as if a giant had come to crush them all underfoot. Looking left and right, the others had come to the same conclusion. Hiding is our only option.

    A mad dash to the opposite side of the forest began as the party looked for a safe hideout. The sound grew ever closer, marking a deathly time limit to their search. The ground began to shake from the crashes, and wild animals could be heard, screeching to announce their own desperate attempts to escape. A cry was heard from up ahead as Firth took the lead. Below his leaping form, lay a stunned kobold, knocked prone from the orc¡¯s charge.

    Several figures dotted the edge of her vision as Anna ran, their shapes slowly growing larger until she could make out their tails.

    ¡°They¡¯re running too!¡± Kelbyn shouted to the rest of the group, stopping some of the kobolds as they turned to look. Anger flooded their facers as the stragglers barked to the others and pointed at the dwarf. It seemed like they blamed the group for whatever monster was headed their way.

    Pandemonium broke out as several of the lizards turned to face them while others continued their flight. Kalvin spoke up as he neared the growing wall of foes, ¡°Go left! There¡¯s a cave we can hide in!¡± With his command, he also pivoted and slammed his hands into the ground, creating a cascade of broken earth that formed a line of separation between the kobolds and the group.

    Hobbes followed up by filling the newly dug line with fires, lighting any twigs and leaves that had fallen in long ago. The dwarf continued filling the line with as many small flames as he could send out, slowing slightly as he did so.

    Some of the faster kobolds attempted to jump through the boundary before the flames became too high, and Miranda leaped forward to face them. She immediately pushed one back into the line, letting the flames do the dirty work.

    Two more lizards replaced the first and engaged the geckite, a small blade stabbing into her foot. Tormin shot out a vine similar to Anna¡¯s, and dragged the other lizard back before he too could get to the pinned warrior.

    Miranda swung the butt of her spear around to hit the chin of her opponent, knocking it off-balance. She got revenge for her own wound by following up her strike with a thrust of the spear, pinning the lizard into the soft earth.

    At Anna¡¯s command, Teddy rushed forward to finish off first Tormin¡¯s kobold, and then Miranda¡¯s as she slapped the warrior with a Regeneration. The pair ran after their group with Miranda leaning on Anna to take some of the weight off of her foot. Tormin and Teddy brought up the rear of the party, ensuring that they were not followed.

    The remaining kobolds, unable to make it past the line of fire, turned and followed their fellows into the forest. Their ending abruptly as several forest creatures broke into their path. The barrage of hooves and feet stampeded through the line of lizards crushed them underfoot. Thankfully, the fire continued to do its job, and most of the herd turned to avoid the heat.

    The party reached a large opening in the earth, tunneling into the ground at a sharp angle. The hole was mostly covered by underbrush and it took several of them to hack back the foliage just enough for them to squeeze through. Crowding into the tunnel, they placed the backs directly to the wall, terrified of not only what was above, but the uncertain fear of what may be within the cave as well.

    Overhead, the crashes became more erratic. A large shadow loomed over the edge of the cave, only to be cast away by the illumination of blue fire. The flame leaped onto the nearby bushes, but didn¡¯t spread. Yet the heat was certainly felt by everyone. A large wooden hand fell from the sky and crashed several yards from the group''s hideout. Before them, fell a massive tree, in the shape of a human. Several parts of its trunk were blackened into char, its entire left side eaten away into cinders.

    The creature laid on its side and let out a sorrowful moan, unable to put out the flames. As it turned left and right in pain, it dug a wide crater in the ground, threatening the stability of the group''s own cave.

    Kalvin rushed to the opposite wall, pulling a large pillar out of the earth and stabbing it into the ceiling. He motioned for the others to get underneath as he pulled more slabs into place, creating an earthen lean-to.

    Although the others moved under the new cover, their eyes were locked onto the sight of the tortured titan. The question of what could have done this lingered on all of their minds. The fact that this creature existed in the first place seemed absurd. So many ridiculous thoughts rushed through Anna¡¯s head about its existence. How does it even move? It¡¯s too big to be that fast. Should it just collapse under its own weight?

    Yet the death of the creature took hours. Throughout its ordeal, it swiped at nearby trees, not strong enough to knock the colossuses over, but enough to shake off several branches from above. As they fell to the forest floor, many landed on or near the giant, but the fire still did not spread to them. As the squirming of the tree beast came to an end, Anna felt its pleas take on a new form.

    Sitting on the floor, she focused her mind towards her soul membrane. The world seemed full of life attuned energies, and the source of it all, was the giant. Looking at the creature through this new lens, she saw the true nature of the fire. It was burning away at the beast¡¯s soul. The corporal flames were simply a side effect of the true inferno that blazed through it.

    Anna sat and watched as its soul was not only burnt away, but also dragged off by some other force. Whatever was killing the beast was stealing away pieces of its spiritual body. Whether to kill it faster, or consume it, she had no clue. As the giant thrashed about in pain, it reached out to the forest for comfort, and the forest responded. Several of the nearby energies fed the creature with comfort, unable to save it, but at least stand in solidarity.

    Then, the giant reached out to her with a tendril of its soul as well. It was drawn to the life energies that she drew in through her passive, and sought comfort from a similar soul. Her heart went out to the giant, it was a barbaric and cruel way to die. Anna condensed almost half of her own energy into a ball, and offered it to the giant. Her gift was negligible in the face of the energy offered by the forest, but the sentiment was the same.

    As the energy was grabbed by the soul of the giant, it responded violently. The fire had already consumed the majority of its spiritual body, but it cut off the untouched sections, forcing back the tide for a brief moment. That was all it needed as the part of its soul that freed itself rushed into the energy offered by the others. Most went into the forest, joining the massive kapoks in their solitude above the sky.

    A much smaller section, fled into the energy Anna provided. Most life energy that she had seen till this point was tinted green. The transformation that took place before her turned the energy into a mottled brown. The energy was condensed further and further until it took the shape of a small spherical seed. The seed returned to Anna and she received a system message.

    System Alert:

    You have been offered a Mighty Kapok Seed from a dying Rukhamen. Accepting it will guide your path.

    Warning, if the seed is not claimed within 1:23:59:59, it will die.

 Ch. 22: Lots and Lots of Menus!

    Arn

    The pain promised by the system was felt before any other senses did. Arn was suddenly aware of every inch of his body, and each part of it was aflame. His already exhausted muscles were stretched to their limit, torn, and then pushed back together to repeat the process. When he finally regained his sight, the walls seemed to drip black ichor. As it hit the floor, the gunk dissipated. It occurred to him that the ichor was being flung from his own body. As his skin cracked and veins ruptured, the torrent of ooze shot out and attached itself, for the remainder of its brief existence, to whatever it landed on. The smell of sulfur burned his nose and throat, leaving raw skin exposed for the next wave of attack.

    A buzzing sensation in his head offered the promise of escape. There was a single point of existence that provided no pain. Arn focused on that single point, beaten back into reality time and time again by a new jolt of terror. Finally, he managed to dial in on the sensation and was instantly rewarded by the bliss of nothingness.

    That looked really uncomfortable. Are you alright? Lou asked.

    At this point, I¡¯ve pretty much come to expect suffering as payment for growth. Is this you, by the way? Did you save me?

    ¡®Course I did, I¡¯m awesome. It took me a bit to figure it out, but I can open up an inventory. Your consciousness is currently inside of it.

    A flash of worry rushed through Arn as he imagined the thought of his mind being forever locked away. Lou was a friend, but what would happen if an enemy could separate his mind from his body?

    I take offense to that. Lou responded. Just for that, I¡¯m locking you away for a few years. See how you like me then! Ya try to help someone, and this is the thanks ya get.

    Sorry buddy, I can¡¯t help it. I know you¡¯d never do anything like that.

    It¡¯s fine, I couldn¡¯t actually even if I wanted to. I only opened the inventory, you had to choose to get in. You can also leave whenever you want, although I wouldn¡¯t suggest it right now. I¡¯ll let you know when you stop being gross.

    Can you kick me out too?

    Not sure, I could try and close the inventory, and I think you¡¯d just get ejected? Either that, or it would be impossible to close it in the first place. Want me to try?

    Uh¡­ No, let¡¯s save that experiment for later. After a pause, Arn added, So, are you able to send a message to Anna?

    No, not right now. I can feel the connection, it¡¯s like a small tube that shoots out into the void and spits out in another place, but I don¡¯t have the strength to squeeze myself through. I¡¯ll have to get stronger to use the tube. It¡¯s a good feeling though, I know exactly how to use it, and I can even tell what you¡¯re both up to through the connection. She¡¯s petting my brother.

    You have a brother?

    Like a half brother, he¡¯s connected to us too. Except, I think he¡¯s a little dumb, there¡¯s not much thinking going on, other than eating and sleeping.

    That just means he and I will get along perfectly. I¡¯m going to try and access my menu, let me know whenever my body stops suffering.

    Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.

    Meditation had always come easily to Arn. It was something he¡¯d practiced repeatedly throughout his life hoping to better handle his anger. Stoicism was never achieved, but it always made him feel much better afterwards.

    Name: Arn Pand (Human)

    Class: Battlephant

    Vocation: Paladin (probationary)

    Path:

    Karma: 72

    Average Stat Level: 5

    Stats

    Skills

    Passives

    Quests:

    <hr>

    Stats:

    Strength: 5

    Endurance: 5

    Dexterity: 5

    Intelligence: 5

    Wisdom: 5

    Fortitude: 5

    Vitality: 80

    Stamina: 80

    Mana: 50

    <hr>

    Skills:

    Bone Tusk (Novice I):

    Summon a large bone tusk from the ground.

    Battle Stomp (Novice I):

    Shake the ground or deliver an empowered kick.

    Additional Skills Available:

    Empowering Trumpet (Novice): 10 Karma

    Empower a shout to deal a minor amount of mental damage.

    Stampede (Novice): 10 Karma

    Dash forward 10 feet and increase any forward speed for the next 2 seconds.

    Tough Skin (Novice): 10 Karma

    Momentarily empower your body''s defenses. If you are donning any protective equipment, they are empowered as well.

    Trying to buy the rest of his skills, or investing in his stats, resulted in bullshit error messages about the dangers of improving his body during integration, so he spent his time in preparation instead. He figured that with his massive karma pool, it would be best to first get the remainder of his skills, and then spend the rest on his stats.

    He¡¯d need the physical stats for fighting, but improvements to his mental stats would probably help Lou grow stronger. It would make sense if the personal storage and communication abilities Lou had were tied to stats like intelligence, wisdom, or fortitude.

    Next, he went through his quests.

    Quest Updated:

    Death¡¯s new recruit: Complete

    Reward: based on your methods of completion, you have earned 3 rewards!

    For completing your quest, you have been awarded new gear.

    For choosing not to slay the kobold younglings, you have been awarded a new passive.

    For your commitment to Anna Pand, you have been given access to information:

    Anna Pand:

    Location: 103,119th Universe, [Planet Name Not Yet Designated]

    Based on your current location, traveling to see Anna Pand will take ERROR days.

    Based on the final line of the information, either Anna is utterly unreachable, or there is a chance to get to her, but something is blocking the path. Otherwise, why even give him the knowledge of travel time? Rather than ponder too long, Arn turned his attention to his new quest.

    New Quest:

    Proof of competence:

    Return those within kobold society who shun death back into the path.

    Reward: Access to the full vocation of Death¡¯s Paladin

    Another vague quest, with vague conditions. Arn was truly starting to get sick of the unhelpful system messages. Oftentimes he ended up more confused than when he began.

    Might as well finish with my passives.

    Passives:

    Soul Companion (Non-tiered):

    Lucius, the Flammulated Owl has made a soul connection with you. This relationship is symbiotic, allowing you to empower Lucius, and for him to act as a relay for communication.

    The owl will also provide you with spiritual storage, however all that is stored will be lost if he perishes.

    Lucius can be resummoned so long as part of his soul is anchored within you.

    Karmic Mentorship (Non-tiered):

    Through a boon from Death, you have been given a mentor. During mediation, your mentor will reach out to you and offer guidance.

    Pacifists Commitment (Novice II)

    In your commitment to settle affairs nonviolently, you have gained the ability to mentally judge whether others wish to do you harm.

    Violent acts will result in loss of rank, but tiers reached will remain.

    This ability will lose efficacy on higher tiered beings.

    His mentorship passive seemed intriguing, but he couldn¡¯t figure out how to call out to said teacher. In the end, he resigned himself to believing that whoever it was, would reach out to him at some point. There was nothing to really do at this point, but sit and wait for his body to finish integration.

 Ch. 23: A Bargain

    Arn

    Doesn¡¯t look like you¡¯re dying anymore. Lou informed Arn after several hours had passed. In all honesty, he didn¡¯t have much to show for it. His excitement to get his new abilities and spend his Karma kept distracted him from any deep insights.

    With a thought of return, he felt his consciousness being shot back into his brain, as his senses assaulted him with conflicting messages. The pain that was once extreme had dulled into an ache that started and ended in his upper body. His legs were utterly numb, although he could wiggle his toes, so at least he wasn¡¯t paralyzed. He also noticed that the integration had completely healed the burns to his body. He was now laying naked on the stone floor.

    Dragging himself to a cave wall, Arn propped himself into a seated position. Nearby, he noticed a bag below the cot, the hilt of a sword sticking out in his direction.

    That can be explored later, I¡¯ve got some leveling to do. With a deep sigh, Arn once again fell back into a meditative slumber. The first step was purchasing the rest of his skills. Two of his skills were directly related to damage, both bone tusk, and battle stomp. He didn¡¯t consider Empowering Trumpet a direct damage attack as the flavor text made it seem that the mental attack was a secondary effect and it would most likely have some other utility. Stampede if taken at face value was a strong mobility skill. Sure, 10 feet didn¡¯t seem all that impressive, but in the heat of battle, being able to instantly reposition and gaining a movement buff would be crucial. It also synergized with his other spells.

    Arn could already imagine rushing into an enemy and instantly casting battle stomp to deliver a bone crushing kick to the ribs. He could also try to catch his opponent off guard by following up with a bone tusk and letting them skewer themselves with their own momentum.

    Tough Skin was the final, and in Arn¡¯s opinion, scariest ability to try out. He had no reference for how much his defense would rise and it would be risky to experiment with. Too little, and he could end up severely injured due to overconfidence. If it was effective however, then it would quickly become his most important skill.

    With his remaining Karma, Arn tackled his stat sheet. He invested all remaining points bringing up each stat to 12. He didn¡¯t know if that was the most effective use of the points, but he was sure he¡¯d eventually need to level up each stat. Plus, he couldn¡¯t be sure of the importance of any one stat over another. Physical stats would obviously be helpful in a fight, but if he needed mental stats for his abilities, he¡¯d be crippling his newfound power by starving them of resources. To tie it all off, Arn couldn¡¯t bank on being given enough time to rest and meditate once he continued on his journey, if even one point would mean the difference between life and death, there would be no reason to hoard them.

    Alright Lou, do you think you can send a message to Anna now? Arn¡¯s anger towards Death and his siblings didn¡¯t prevent him from feeling genuine gratitude towards the terrifying power. Just the thought of hearing his wife¡¯s real voice, not a homunculus, made his breath shudder.

    I think I can? Please make it as short as possible though, I don¡¯t think I can manage more than a few words. Lou responded.

    That¡¯s alright, let¡¯s just try to reach out to her for now. Arn didn¡¯t need to think about sending the message too hard. It felt as if he already knew how to make the request. He passed along the mental note to Lou and felt the owl¡¯s presence disappear for a moment.

    That¡¯s all I¡¯ve got in me right now, I don¡¯t think I could help you hold a conversation with her. It¡¯s like I¡¯m stretching to my limit when I pass the message along. I can¡¯t hold a connection to both ends at the same time and just the act is draining.

    I appreciate the attempt buddy. Rest up and maybe we can figure out a way to get you leveled up soon. With his message sent and feeling no connection to the mentor he was meant to have, Arn ended his meditation and took stock of his supplies.

    Starting with the large backpack, he pulled out items one by one and placed them on the cot nearby. He found an almost identical set of weaponry to the set he¡¯d just lost. On top of that, the bag provided a tin bottle filled with water, two rolls of bandages, and several rectangular packages that read ¡®NUTRITION RATION¡¯ on two sides. The bar within looked like an oversized granola bar and was just as dry as you¡¯d expect. On the upside, Arn felt full after eating the whole bar and if its namesake wasn¡¯t misleading, then he wouldn¡¯t need another source of food for some time.

    Finally, he turned his attention to the set of armor in the corner. Once again it was almost a replica of the set he had just lost. The key distinction was that all pieces, including the shield were dyed a mottled red and gray. Weird that the system would go through the effort of making sure the clothing all matched, but whatever floats your boat I guess.

    After donning his armor, Arn placed the backpack in front of Lou. You wanna hold onto this for me little guy?

    Rather than responding, Lou jumped above the pack and belly flopped on top of it. After a few moments, there was an audible ¡°pop!¡± and the owl fell to the floor.

    Does it take a while to put things into and out of your inventory? Arn asked.

    Yeah, I have to cover the object with my energy and then pull it inside myself. It¡¯s a pretty funny feeling, like eating directly into my stomach.

    Well, looks like giving you my weapons to quickly swap between them is out of the question.

    Yeah, I¡¯d say so.

    Arn moved the cot towards the wall to clear the center of the room. Time to test out my abilities. Standing at one end of the room he decided to try out bone tusk. Remembering what the system had told Anna, Arn closed his eyes and tried to look inward. He focused on trying to visualize his soul and skill markers. One on each foot, one on each thigh, throat, spine, and shoulder. It seemed that both stampede and battle stomp had matching skill ruins, while his three remaining runes each had one. A quandary for future me.

    Focusing on his bone tusk skill, Arn pictured a sharp bone stabbing out of his hand. When nothing happened, he tried several other places on his body. What finally worked was when he gave up on being a human pincushion and instead imagined the bone growing in front of him. A large chunk of energy was pulled out of Arn when he wasn¡¯t expecting it as the ground was pushed away before him. What emerged was a yellowed curled elephant tusk, rather than a healthy bone. The tusk seemed fossilized and ready to snap with the slightest bend. At least the tip is sharp enough. Arn thought as he pushed his finger against the pointed tip of the tusk, drawing blood.

    Although he didn''t test it, Arn knew that he''d only be able to summon one more tusk with his current mana pool. Two tusks is all I can manage. Not a superhero just yet, but it should definitely help keep me alive.

    Arn lifted his left leg to take a step forward and blasted across the room before he set bjs foot down again. The inscription for stampede in his left thigh felt tight, as if he''d just exercised his quad. It seemed that the ability used stamina rather than mana, which was a blessing, as he had much more of the resource to spare.

    His testing continued with battle stomp, another stamina ability. When used as a kick he was able to slam his foot into the wall without feeling any force or pain in return, as if the opposite force simply disappeared. That''s pretty convenient. The stomp function of the ability seemed a bit lackluster at first, as Arn kept stomping around the cave not noticing any effects. That is until Lou called out.

    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.

    Can you stop playing around? You keep shaking the damn place and I feel it in my bones.

    My bad. Replied Arn As he moved on to his other skills. He wouldn''t try out empowering trumpet, at least not in the cave he was in for fear of hurting Lou. That just left his final skill, tough skin.

    The skill was unique in that it drew from both his mana and stamina reserves, although it took more from the latter. His armor felt incredibly rigid and his joints completely locked up. The skill seemed to literally harden his skin and everything he was wearing to the point that he felt incase in stone for just half of a second. I''ll have to time my usage perfectly, otherwise I''ll just end up wasting resources and leaving myself vulnerable to attacks.

    To be honest, Arn was a bit disappointed, he was hoping for a body strengthening skill that would last for a long period of time. Instead, it was more like a parry ability that he would have to perfectly time to get use out of. That just added to the never ending list of things to consider in a fight in which any distractions could spell death.

    Rather than dwell on it, Arn sat back in the cot and meditated once more to refill his mana and stamina. His soul lost a great deal of its luster as he did so. He sat around trying to find a way to ¡®refill¡¯ his soul, but wasn''t able to find a way to effect it. After a moment, he noticed that his soul got just a bit brighter and hoped that it would correct itself over time.

    Time to stop wasting time Arn, you¡¯ve got something you need to do right? Lou had apparently had enough of his large friends stalling.

    Letting out a long sigh, Arn approached the door to the empty armory where he had left the unconscious kobold. She¡¯s probably awake by now anyways. Carbon was indeed conscious by the time Arn returned.  She was crouched against an empty sword rack twitching her head back and forth in an effort to find him.

    ¡°You can choose to fight, but I¡¯ll shatter your kneecaps. I don¡¯t want to kill you, but if crippling you for life means I can get out of here, I¡¯ll do it in a heartbeat.¡± The aggression right out of the gate surprised Arn. Seeing her here had him more irritated than he¡¯d realized. For however many life cycles he had, no kobold was able to enter the armory. It was his private and only safe place. Her presence shattered that illusion.

    Carbon, to give her credit, didn¡¯t show any fear. Her defiance was clear in her eyes as she responded, ¡°Better crippled than allowing the death of my children.¡±

    ¡°How are you sure fighting me will actually lead to the outcome you want? Igalt is sadistic and I¡¯m certain he¡¯d relish the opportunity to torture and kill your boys out of nothing but spite.¡± While he spoke, Arn slowly moved to the opposite wall from the kobold, keeping his shield up, but his sword in its scabbard. It seemed that she was unable to see any doors in the armory and that meant he¡¯d be able to keep her here indefinitely.

    ¡°So what? Are you going to protect them for the rest of their lives? The clan will shun them for their failure, but at least they¡¯ll live. Do you think siding with you is a better outcome? Do you know what happens to most outcasts? They lose their connection to their magic, and their sanity. I will not allow my children to become monsters.¡±

    ¡°I promised them their lives, that¡¯s it. Whatever you all decide to do is on you. Letting them live does not mean I¡¯m willing to accept responsibility for them, no matter what dumbass logic you try to pull.¡± This wasn¡¯t completely true, Arn did feel some responsibility for the young group, just not enough to jeopardize his chance at escape. ¡°How about we barter? You tell me what I need to know, and I¡¯ll keep your children safe until I kill that fucker Igalt. The chief is a reasonable man, with Igalt out of the picture, I doubt he¡¯d let any more harm come to either Punt.¡±

    ¡°You can¡¯t guarantee any of that.¡±

    ¡°I¡¯m not going to negotiate my terms.¡± Arn replied with a flat voice.

    The kobold took some time thinking over the humans words. Her husband was not supposed to be killed. The elders were meant to decide the fate of her family and Igalt took the matters into his own hands. If they could get back home safely, then there was a chance they¡¯d be forgiven due to the commander''s disregard for orders. ¡°What information do you want?¡± She finally replied.

    ¡°After I kill Igalt, how do I get out of here?¡±

    ¡°You walk out? There¡¯s several paths to the surface.¡±

    Didn¡¯t the system say I was in a dungeon?

    System Alert:

    Access to the outer world has been blocked for ARN PAND until completion of his vocational quest. Any attempt to leave the dungeon will result in severe backlash.

    I guess that explains the error message I got about getting to Anna. ¡°Nevermind that,¡± Arn continued, ¡°is there any kobold that has shunned death?¡±

    Carbon stared blankly at the human, a look of confusion slowly entering her face, ¡°What do you mean? How do you shun death?¡±

    Yeah, I sound like an idiot. ¡°How about any kobold that has lived an exceptionally long life? Like way longer than you¡¯d expect?¡±

    ¡°They¡¯d be on the council of elders.¡± Carbon said slowly, adding insult to injury.

    ¡°Right, yeah¡­¡± An awkward silence hung in the air as Arn thought of his next question. ¡°How do we get to your village?¡±

    Carbon snorted and replied, ¡°I¡¯d hardly call it a village, but I¡¯ll show you the way nonetheless. First, you must retrieve my children.¡±

    ¡°Yep, let¡¯s get to it then. You wait here.¡± Arn stated as he headed to the door.

    So are we just winging this whole thing, or do you have a plan after that display of your great deductive reasoning skill? Lou mentioned as he flew over to land on Arn¡¯s shoulder. The kobold watched silently as the owl flew by.

    As Arn reached for the doors handle, he received a second system alert:

    Please select exit location:

    <ol>

    <li> Dungeon Area II</li>

    <li> Dungeon Area III</li>

    </ol>

    I¡¯m in Area III right now so Area II must be the resurrection room at my old training ground. If I return, would that be enough time for them to have set-up another ambush? Should I risk returning to Area III and hope that they¡¯ve already left?

    They might think you died and returned to your old resurrection point. Lou offered.

    True, and it¡¯s the only real way I could catch them off guard, in that case. With his decision made, Arn mentally selected Area III and felt the door gain a familiar warmth. Throwing his shield over his shoulder, Arn drew his longsword and cracked the door open to see what was on the other side.

    A single kobold sat on a stool near the entrance Arn had used previously. Wary of his ticking 10 second timer, Arn activated stampede and dashed the majority of the way to his unsuspecting victim. A single step was all that was needed for a stab into the kobold¡¯s neck.

    Arn¡¯s longsword easily cut through the kobolds rock-like skin, shattering its spine. Taken aback at his own gain in strength. Removing his sword, he took a few practice swings, marveling at how easily he manipulated the weapon. It¡¯s insane how much upgrading my strength affects me.

    Looking over at the nearly decapitated lizard, Arn felt a small pang of guilt. His passive, pacifist¡¯s commitment, had informed him of the creature¡¯s intent of violence, but that didn¡¯t stop him from wondering if its death was necessary. Ultimately, he put the thought out of his mind and continued on.

    Arn pushed through the invisible barrier after seeing that the room beyond was empty. He ignored the area alert and crept through the halls back towards his original spawn. Before he reached the fork leading towards the spider then, he heard footsteps around a corner.

    Several footsteps moved towards his location, some matching the clanking of metal chains. Guessing that the young kobolds were being taken back to their home, Arn prepared to attack.

    The first lizard to turn the corner was met with a blade through the chest as Arn pushed forward and cast battle stomp. There were four surprised kobolds that wobbled on their feet as Arn attacked. The only chained kobold turned out to be Marshall, Sprat¡¯s father.

    Ignoring the non-target, Arn slashed the leading kobold across its body. The cut failed to kill it and it scrambled back, shouting in pain.

    The enemy in the back was the first to regain its composure and opened its wide maw to douse the Trainer in flame. Except, not a wisp left its mouth before it was skewered by an elephant¡¯s tusk that appeared behind it.

    The final enemy charged from Arn¡¯s flank, wielding a dagger in one hand, and Marshall¡¯s chain lead in the other.

    Look out! Lou yelled as he pulled on the scruff of his partner¡¯s brigandine in warning.

    A split second before the attack landed, Arn cast tough skin, causing the blade to deflect off of the cloth covering his lower back. Arn followed up spinning in place, swinging his longsword in a short arc that first slashed the attacker, and then stabbed through its midsection.

    The remaining injured kobold was cut down before it had a chance to recover as Arn simultaneously gave Lou the order to search for a key to Marshall¡¯s chain. He turned and addressed the cowering kobold, ¡°Are the children still alive?¡±

 Ch. 24: Seeding your shot

    Anna

    Several hours had passed as the group silently watched the fire burn away most of the forest¡¯s underbrush. The predator that had killed the giant Rukhamen never returned after it died. Its corpse, now a smoldering husk, began withering away, much too quickly to be natural. It was as if the forest sped the process up, absorbing the giant, rather than waiting for it to crumble. The trees only took superficial damage from the heat of the flames, the outer bark of the trees already beginning to produce sticky sap to protect their exposed trunks.

    The group had spread out around the cave, most dozing off after the adrenaline from the chase wore off. Greg and Helen were fast asleep leaning against one another, the packs providing support as pillows.

    Other than Anna, Kalvin remained the only one awake. Hobbes sprawled out on the hard floor next to him, his head resting on Kalvin¡¯s lap. The dwarf looked lost in his thoughts as he absently ran his fingers through his partner¡¯s hair, massaging his scalp.

    Anna herself was pretty distracted, staring at the new line in her status screen

    Name: Anna Pand (Human)

    Class: Forest Shaman

    Vocation:

    Path: Grove Druid

    She¡¯d chosen to absorb the Might Kapok Seed. At first, she thought of rejecting the offering. The idea of taking the soul of another creature made her feel like some sort of energy vampire. She was also afraid of it trying to take her over. It was Hobbes that changed her mind. He¡¯d received an offering for a path as well, although it wasn¡¯t from the Rukhamen, but the Phoenix that killed it.

    ¡°A path is an extremely rare gift.¡± Hobbes explained, ¡°People would usually kill for the chance to get one back on our home world.¡±

    ¡°You already had the system in your old world?¡± Anna asked.

    ¡°Something like it. Although, it never spoke to us and there was no distinction between classes and vocations.¡±

    ¡°So, what¡¯s a path?¡± Anna asked, setting aside the other questions she had circling her mind.

    ¡°Think of it like a calling. Something that allows you a greater degree of power than most others, as long as you follow it. Some people from my world had militaristic paths, like ¡®Revered General,¡¯ while others had paths that set them on a path to seek justice. It¡¯s more than just a job, however, it¡¯ll influence your Dharma and provide a narrower scope for your class.¡±

    ¡°Does it lock you into a specific role?¡±

    ¡°A path isn¡¯t set in stone, you can start one, but ultimately reject it before completion. Paths often evolve as you do. Most people go through life without a path, but they¡¯ll never be offered one either. My father explained it a bit like this, ¡®Imagine building a road with no help and no tools. You have to create your own tools, flatten the dirt yourself, and pave the road on your own. A path is like getting the right tools from the start and being given an ox to help flatten the road. You¡¯re still the architect of the road, you¡¯ll choose where to go and where to build, but construction just became much easier.¡¯ You should accept the offering.¡±

    ¡°So why did we get an offering and not the others?¡±

    ¡°That, no one knows.¡± Kalvin jumped in, ¡°Maybe it¡¯s because you have a class that¡¯s similar to the path, or maybe you''re just special.¡± He elbowed Hobbes as he said the last part.

    ¡°I can¡¯t say for sure why we were offered the paths, but I do know that they provide a massive upside as you progress.¡± Hobbes grinned goofily as he rubbed his bicep where he was hit.

    The others, listening in to Hobbes¡¯ explanation, broke off into smaller conversations, offering their own conjectures to the idea of a path.

    Anna spent the next hour poking and prodding the Seed. In the end, however, she learned nothing new. The Seed was totally inert, she could feel an earthy energy from it, but nothing else. Finally, she decided to simply take the plunge and accepted the offering. The first change was to her status window now informing her that her path was Grove Druid which itself offered a hint as to her new path. Accepting the offering also gave her 12 Karma, bringing her new total to 13.

    The other change was much more direct. She felt a change in her soul membrane. Where she at first could only absorb life energy from the air, she now felt a connection to the same mottled brown energy that made up the seed.

    ¡®Earth energy¡¯ isn¡¯t very original, but it¡¯s probably the most appropriate name for now. Anna thought as she filled her soul with a mixture of life and earth energy. What now?

    New Quest:

    Help the forest!

    Reward: Path growth.

    Cool, that totally clears things up. Anna mentally rolled her eyes as she ended her meditation and laid back on the ground to rest.

    <hr>

    Anna woke to an epiphany as excitement coursed through her. She had an idea and needed to try it now. First, she opened up her menu and purchased her final skill, Seed Shot. Night had fallen and the luminescent light of the forest had taken over.

    Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.

    The giant had completely withered away, bones and all, a large clearing of burnt shrubbery was the only evidence left of its former existence. Grabbing fistfuls of dirt, Anna created a small hole in the ground and cast Seed Shot. Rather than shoot out at max speed, she willed the seed to drop into the dirt. Here she encountered her first problem, the seed decayed and fell apart almost instantly.

    She tried to will the seed into existence, change its shape, and even attach part of her soul to the seed to no avail. Alright, maybe I got a little ahead of myself.

    Anna sat around for some time trying to come up with a solution to her problem. Do I need to create the plants myself? Or can I just use what¡¯s here already? Moving over to a nearby orchid, Anna grabbed the stem and imagined moving her mana into the plant. The more energy she fed to the plant, the more she felt like she was on the brink of figuring something out.

    All too soon, however, she felt the empty fatigue of being low on mana without seeing any actual results. Determined to make progress, she rested against a tree trunk to meditate and top off her core. As she prepared the funnel shaped vortex that connected her soul to her mana core, another realization hit her. The mana she had just spent was life energy with none of her new earth energy included. What is my earth mana like? Alright, let¡¯s test some things.

    Anna ran through a series of tests to experiment with her different energies. Her life energy she was somewhat familiar with. It filled her with vibrancy and the feeling of exponential growth. However, that growth was hollow, or perhaps ephemeral. Trying to define life energy was like trying to define life itself. It remained too metaphysical.

    Her earthly energy was the opposite. It felt stubborn and solid, a physicality to it that created a stark duality with her life energy. The only abilities she was able to cast with the energy were Thorn Whip and  Seed Shot. However, both of the abilities underwent changes. Her whip was sturdier, but was too rigid. Without the ability to bend, she created a lackluster stick that didn¡¯t have the ability to grow thorns or shrink back.

    Seed shot created a hard shelled seed, but when she used her sword to crack it open, it revealed itself to be all endocarp and no seed, making it more akin to a brittle rock. The only upside to the skill was the fact that the seed she produced no longer decayed.

    Mixing the energies in her mana core produced only one interesting result. All of her abilities made no use of her earth energy except Seed Shot. The exterior became harder, and didn¡¯t wither away. The actual seed also remained inside of the hard exterior. It seemed though, that her improved seed still didn¡¯t solve her problem.

    The seed was inert. Anna tried all of the same experiments over and over until she gave up in frustration, moving her attention to nearby orchids once again.

    Here she succeeded. Mixing her two energies into a plant led to a growth spurt of the flower. Her life energy provided the necessary vitality, while her earth energy anchored that new growth to physical reality resulting in the stem and flower of the orchid to grow a few centimeters.

    Buzzing from the high of her success, Anna broke the orchid seed capsule and grabbed a pinch of the tiny seeds. Digging a hole in the ground, she infused the seeds with the energy mixture before tossing them in and covering the hole.

    After a few moments, small sprouts erupted from the earth. They were thin, and fragile, but she¡¯d received her first indication that she was on the right path.

    System Alert:

    Take the first step of your path.

    Dharma fulfilled, Karma increased by 1.

    Anna pumped her fists near her head and quietly gritted through her teeth, ¡°Yes! Let¡¯s goooo!¡± Her quest hadn''t been updated, but it didn¡¯t matter, she knew what she had to do. A plan formed in her head as she ran back into the cave. She reached the pair of sleeping dwarves and gently shook one of them.

    ¡°Kalvin, I need your help. Wake up.¡± She said.

    The dwarf woke slowly from his sleep, bleary eyes looking up at his human acquaintance. ¡°What''s going on? Are you alright?¡± He moved to wake up Hobbes, but Anna shook her head.

    ¡°It¡¯s alright, we¡¯re still safe, I just had an idea and I need your help to test it.¡± Anna moved to the cave entrance without waiting for a reply.

    The dwarf gently moved his partner off of him and joined Anna as she grabbed seed capsules from one orchid after another.

    Feeling more curious than annoyed at her antics, Kalvin quietly helped her gather dozens of the capsules before he finally asked, ¡°So do you just want help picking plants?¡¯

    ¡°Ah, sorry. I should have grabbed a bunch before I woke you up.¡± Anna replied, ¡°Here¡¯s the plan¡­¡±

    <hr>

    Kalvin knelt by several shallow trenches that he¡¯d created waiting for Anna¡¯s go ahead. Anna¡¯s plan was to have him create a series of small trenches all over the swathes of scorched earth. Then after, she threw in the seeds, he¡¯d close them up and they¡¯d watch the sproutlings to take root.

    At first, Kalvin had given Anna a few exasperated looks for being woken up and used as a glorified trowel. It took several attempts to make a trench to Anna¡¯s liking, just shallow enough for the plants to be stable. After a few failed attempts, he started to really get into the whole process, seeing it as a great way to practice using his skills.

    The biggest hurdle had been figuring out how to close the trenches. After several attempts and a whole lot of swearing, the others in the group came to see what they were up to.

    Johanna was the first to speak up, ¡°Is this necessary? The fires are out and we can return to camp to bury the dead.¡±

    This led to a few minutes of arguing until Helen came up with the compromise, ¡°We can return in the morning, it¡¯s probably best not to go running around the forest at night.¡±

    Johanna reluctantly agreed and the group returned to watching Kalvin experiment with closing trenches. Hobbes offered a few suggestions, which in turn, led to everyone chipping in with their own two-cents.

    It was Collin that eventually came up with the winning idea of using another skill to fill the trenches. Kalvin created unstable rock pillars horizontally over the trenches, which crumbled immediately under their own weight and filled the gaps.

    As the final sproutlings emerged, Anna received her quest notification.

    Quest Updated:

    Help the forest!

    By speeding up the recovery of the forest, you have partially completed your quest!

    Partial completion reward: Skill guidance: Seed Shot

    Slay the kobolds poisoning the forest.

    Reward: Path Growth

    ¡°Hey I got some Karma out of that!¡± Kalvin exclaimed.

    ¡°Congrats,¡± Anna cheerily replied with the others as she tried out her new Seed Shot.

    Skill:

    Seed Shot (Novice V):

    Fire a small seed from your palm. Seeds created from knowledge of botany and dendrology can be grown.

    Focusing on the orchid seeds she had become intimately familiar with over the last few hours, Anna cast the skill at the ground. Rather than the traditional acorn looking seed, a tiny orchid seed shot out of her palm. She only knew it worked from the connection that she slowly lost as the seed turned into a sproutling. The trade off was a higher mana cost of 1.5x the cost of the original.

    I need bigger ammo. Anna thought as she began rummaging around the clearing for the large kapok seeds.

 Ch. 25: This New Lifeéˆ¥æªš Disappointments

    Anna

    There was a particular satisfaction with knowing you¡¯ve made progress. Like checking off several boxes on a to-do list all at once. Anna had always loved lists, they made her feel centered, that whatever goal she had was attainable. So, as the others experimented with their own skills, trying to find different uses for simple abilities, Anna sat at the edge of her clearing and made a list.

    What do we do now? What do I need to do now? Clearly, survival was at the top of the list, she¡¯d need to find a way to survive her current situation. What does surviving mean? Get stronger so I can protect myself. Find food, water, and shelter? Where though?

    As questions mounted in her mind, Greg walked over to Anna¡¯s side, ¡°Thinking about what to do?¡±

    Anna paused and patted the soft foliage near her, gesturing to Greg to sit as she responded, ¡°How can you tell?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been thinking about it too.¡± Greg said as he removed his shield, using it as a platform to rest his equipment. ¡°Johanna wants to bury the dead, that¡¯s fine. I don¡¯t think I can convince her it¡¯s not a good idea to go back. But then what? Do we wander around, fighting off aggressive locals until we stumble upon a place to live? Can we negotiate with some of them as neighbors?¡±

    ¡°How about we start with what WE want.¡±

    ¡°And what do we want?¡±

    ¡°That¡¯s where I¡¯m stuck at,¡± Anna laughed, ¡°Our quests are very specific and it seems like we have a lot of leeway to accomplish them. Except, I don¡¯t think finishing the quest is a good enough goal.

    ¡°I think,¡± Anna paused, collecting her thoughts, ¡°that we need information, more than anything else. We¡¯ve fought others, but have no clue who they are, or what they want. If we had a better lay of the land, then we could make informed decisions. I can¡¯t say with any certainty, but we all probably have different goals. You and Helen want to find somewhere safe to raise your son, Hobbes and Kalvin want to find their friends, and the others all want something too. Maybe we can accomplish all of those goals as a group, but maybe we¡¯ll all need to split up. That being said, I think the one thing that serves our best interests is just knowing what the hell is going on.¡±

    ¡°Sounds simple¡­ at first. The most glaring issue is how do we get knowledge? We can¡¯t simply walk up to someone and say, ¡®Hey! I¡¯m new here and have no clue what¡¯s going on. Can you give me a brief history on who everyone is and what they all want?¡¯¡±

    ¡°Why not?¡± Anna asked as she pulled out her map, ¡°We know there are some villages in the area. It¡¯s a risk, but if we stake out a village¡­¡±

    ¡°Steak out?¡±

    ¡°I mean if we watch them, set up surveillance to ensure they¡¯re not going to attack us on sight.¡±

    ¡°Okay, sure¡­¡±

    ¡°Well.. then we approach. Not all of us, just a few to make contact safely while the rest wait at the ready in case something goes wrong. It¡¯s not perfect, but it¡¯s a start.¡±

    Rather than answer, Greg sighed deeply and the pair fell into quiet contemplation. Eventually, hunger led the group back into the cave where they all dug into their remaining biscuits. After today, they would have to scrounge up their own food.

    Feeling the time was right, Anna broke the silence first, ¡°We should discuss what we¡¯re doing after we bury the dead tomorrow.¡± She described her thinking and plan to the rest of the group as they gave their input.

    Tormin and Collin learned they shared the ranger class when they both offered their opinions on the best village to approach. Turns out that classes could receive knowledge rather than just skills. Rangers were given knowledge on terrain navigation and wilderness survival. Both of the rangers suggested a village closest to the eastern mountain range. According to the map and their best estimates, the forested hills provided coverage for the group and would make escaping and hiding easier, should the need arise.

    The discussion continued for hours, each time it seemed a consensus was made someone would offer up a problem or probing question and the conversation would start anew. Hobbes grumpily suggested a vote as darkness fell and the others, too tired to continue arguing, agreed. The next morning, they would head back to bury the bodies of their former group and then seek out a village roughly 25 miles to the east.

    <hr>

    In the end, the trip back was blessedly uneventful, although it was mentally draining for the group. Each snap of twigs and rustle of bushes terrified the travelers. Anna¡¯s senses were constantly on high alert, making her exhausted and irritable by the time they reached the bodies.

    The stench wafting from the carcasses of the dead permeated the air. Small particles of debris, like mushroom spores floated above the grisly scene. Anna had expected birds or some other carrion feeders to take over the former campsite and found it odd that everything was left untouched.

    ¡°Don¡¯t walk into the spores,¡± Hobbes warned. ¡°Near the mountains where we¡¯re from, there¡¯s a particularly nasty fungi that feeds on the dead, breathing in their spores leads to decaying sickness.¡± As he spoke, Hobbes and Kalvin walked over to the river and drenched their extra shirts in water. They tied the shirts over the mouths and nose to protect themselves from the air. The others followed suit.Unauthorized content usage: if you discover this narrative on Amazon, report the violation.

    Once everyone had at least some protection from the spores, Hobbes led the way into camp. As they walked, he conjured small bursts of fire in front of him, burning away spores. Once they reached the center of camp, Kavlin set about creating a large pit. The previous day, he¡¯d argued with Helen and Johanna over the pairs¡¯ request to have him create individual graves for their slain comrades. Hobbes ended the debate by declaring, ¡°His powers, his rules. Feel free to dig the graves by hand if you don¡¯t like it.¡±

    While the pit was being dug, the other gathered bodies and gently paced them into the pit. The group was silent as they worked, as Hobbes cleared an area of spores, the others moved in to pick up the fallen. Once the level of bodies reached the brim of the pit, Kalvin dug the pit lower, allowing the next layer of the dead to be placed over the previous one.

    After Kalvin closed the pit, several swords were stabbed into the loose earth and then the ground was hardened to hold the blades in place. The stench of decay still hovered in the air and the group marched further south to escape it. The women, and then the men, took turns bathing in the river. The somber mood slightly lifted as they washed themselves of not just grime from the last several days but also some of the survivors¡¯ guilt they didn¡¯t realize they were carrying. Even those that were initially against returning to the destroyed camp felt better for it.

    From there, Collin led the group east, while Tormin went scouting ahead with Miranda,  in search of food. A short while later, they returned with a large gemsbok laid over Miranda¡¯s shield as they dragged it using Tormin¡¯s cloak.

    ¡°Anyone know how to cook this thing?¡± Tormin called out.

    ¡°I can dress and clean it, but it¡¯ll take me most of the afternoon.¡± Replied Collin. ¡°You picked the ranger class without ever hunting?¡±

    ¡°I¡¯ve been hunting plenty, but it was always with my father and he¡¯d never gotten around to teaching me that bit before he passed.¡±

    ¡°Oh, sorry¡­¡± Collin awkwardly mumbled before quickly recovering, ¡°Why don¡¯t you help me then? I can teach you what I know.¡±

    ¡°Alright, thanks,¡± Tormin said.

    At Collin''s request, Kalvin laid several boulders side by side, creating a misshapen table for the ranger to work on. The trio then skinned and gutted the animal, the hide was tossed away as no one wanted to go through the effort of carrying it around to be cured later. Miranda kept the two large antlers as her prize for helping with its slaying. The meat was then cut into large steaks and wrapped in leaves before being placed into shallow holes in the ground. Hobbes then filled the hole with pebbles from the river and heated them with several small fireballs.

    Anna watched as Hobbes controlled the size and shape of his fire with more finesse than she was currently capable of with her own magic. ¡°You¡¯re really good at that,¡± she commented.

    ¡°From what I hear from the others,¡± Hobbes said without looking away from his task, ¡°most of you come from places with little to no magic. I¡¯m not sure why that is, but my world is a lot like this one in terms of ambient energy. Plenty of people learned and controlled magic, except we didn¡¯t always rely on the system to help us. I learned how to use ambient energy to search mines and map out veins of minerals in rock. I¡¯m just applying those same principles to control my fireball skill.¡±

    ¡°So why did you pick your fire mage class? You¡¯re clearly pretty skilled with earth magic.¡±

    ¡°My class was never directly related to earth magic, I was a soldier like Greg, except I never trained my class.¡±

    ¡°Why not? Wouldn¡¯t you want to grow your power?¡±

    ¡°Some people certainly focused on personal growth through their class but definitely not the majority. Why would I want to constantly put my life on the line, possibly going to war, fighting and killing others just to increase my class?¡±

    ¡°Then why did you choose the soldier class?¡±

    Hobbes gave her an odd look at first, ¡°I didn¡¯t pick my class.¡± Then brought the palm of his hand to his forehead, ¡°Oh yeah, we got to pick them through the system this time. Back in my world, your class was random, there was a whole ceremony you went through when you came of age and a god would give you a class, you had no say in what you got. Some people were luckier than others and received a class that they could grow without direct combat. Those folks usually got jobs related to their classes. The rest of us learned a vocation or two and lived regular lives.¡±

    ¡°You couldn¡¯t become an adventurer?¡±

    ¡°Adventurer?¡±

    ¡°Uh, someone who makes a living completing odd jobs and slaying monsters?¡±

    ¡°Oh, yes, there were people who would travel killing monsters, we called them monster hunters. Most hunters traveled from place to place, never truly settling down, and they typically died before they retired. Those who did retire became houseguards if they were lucky and utterly destitute if they weren¡¯t.¡±

    ¡°Killing monsters and selling monster parts didn¡¯t pay well?¡±

    ¡°It paid fine if you could work in established territories. No one¡¯s going to pay you to kill some random troll deep in the jungle unless it threatens them directly. Working in an established territory meant that you had the permission of the local lord to take hunting jobs and that usually meant you were either a knight or houseguard already which come with a soldier''s duties and salary. Most hunters serviced rural communities out in the boonies or became mercenaries once they realized that poor people don¡¯t pay well and constant travel is expensive.¡±

    ¡°This conversation is making me sad. You¡¯ve made me sad, Kalvin.¡±

    Kalvin snorted, ¡°Sorry to burst your bubble Ana. Of course there are plenty of stories of poor adventurers saving the day and winning over the heart of a princess, but that¡¯s just what they are, stories.¡±

    ¡°Well, I guess there¡¯s nothing for it other than to hope your world and this one are different enough that there is plenty of adventuring to be done. Otherwise, my husband is going to be devastated.¡±

    Once the steaks had been cooked through, Collin passed out a slice of stake to everyone and packed the rest into his back for breakfast. Ana stared at her steak as the others dug in, a deep frown forming across her lips.

    ¡°I know there¡¯s no salt,¡± Collin said, ¡°but it¡¯s edible I promise.¡±

    ¡°What¡¯s wrong, Ana?¡± Kalvin asked.

    ¡°Just another of this new life¡¯s disappointments Kalvin,¡± responded Ana, ¡°I was a vegetarian in my last life.¡±

    System Alert:

    Arn Pand has sent a message, would you like to receive it?

    Giving her mental assent, Ana heard her husband¡¯s voice directly in her mind. ¡°Till then my windows ache.¡±

    ¡°Well, not everything is disappointing I guess.¡± Ana said as she took a bite of her steak. Pablo Neruda hardly ever disappoints.

 Ch. 26: A New Enemy

    Arn

    ¡°I suggest that you keep up,¡± Arn stated matter of factly to Marshall. He unchained the healer and headed in the direction of his former cave, ¡°I doubt they¡¯ll take it easy on you now that you¡¯ve taken my side.¡±

    ¡°I haven¡¯t taken your side!¡± The kobold shouted in anger. ¡°I won¡¯t let it stand! All I need to do is turn you in and everything will go right back to normal.¡±

    ¡°Sure!¡± Arn replied, his voice echoing off of the cave walls as he¡¯d already walked several paces ahead of Marshall. ¡°Except, I¡¯ll swear up and down that it was only through your collusion with me that let me escape in the first place. I think you know as well as I do that Igalt won¡¯t bother to actually investigate any further¡­ easier to just kill you to be sure.¡±

    Marshall¡¯s jaw fell open, the horrifying reality that his fate was now suddenly tied to this human, left him speechless. Rather than retort, he shuffled along his head drooping towards the ground, his shoulders sagging.

    As Arn walked down the long earthen corridor, his attention drifted to the sudden release of pressure he¡¯d felt from the healer.

    Passive

    Pacifist¡¯s Commitment (Novice II)

    In your commitment to settle affairs nonviolently, you have gained the ability to mentally judge whether others wish to do you harm.

    Violent acts will result in loss of rank, but tiers reached will remain.

    His skill didn¡¯t announce whether or not someone was going to harm him, instead it gave him an uncanny sense to punch them in the face. It wasn¡¯t wholly unlike the feeling Arn would get when he knew his siblings were lying to his face in order to get what they wanted. Although, he was under no illusions about advancing his skill. Arn had been plenty violent already and expected much more violence in his future. For now, he¡¯d treat the skill like a temporary buff that could come in handy for now and would outlast its usefulness.

    Arriving at the door to the training cave, Arn pulled out his bow and motioned for Marshall to head in. The kobold had already informed him of the three guards left behind to chain up the young training group and that they were expecting reinforcements soon to ensure that the respawned trainer had no chance at escaping.

    Marshall nonchalantly opened the door, but didn¡¯t go in. He heard the twang of the bowstring as an arrow pierced the kobold closest to his son. The other guards reacted quickly and formed a small defensive wall using their shields. They were too far from the young kobold team that were tied to the raised platform near the doorway.

    One of the guardsmen, a man Arn didn¡¯t recognize, spoke first, ¡°I assume the group that went out before us is dead?¡±

    ¡°Yes,¡± replied Arn, ¡°but I¡¯m wondering why you stayed behind? Why not just transport all of the prisoners at once?¡±

    ¡°We were under order to use them as hostages to get you to comply.¡± The other guardsman, a man Arn recognized but never learned the name of, answered. ¡°Obviously, that isn¡¯t going to work if you don¡¯t show up where we expect you to.¡± As he spoke, the pair maneuvered to the other side of the platform, giving themselves some coverage.

    Arn casually strolled into the room, he placed his bow on the ground and Lou lept on top of it. The owl only took a moment to absorb the weapon into its inventory space. Reaching Toff first, he began undoing the chains that held the group. As he worked, he kept an eye on the guards on the far side of the room. They seemed content with letting him go about his business unchecked. Arn spoke to the group in a low voice, ¡°So some things have changed. Your people know I got out.¡±

    ¡°We know,¡± said Sprat, ¡°we got a message from The Divine.¡±

    ¡°Right, of course you did.¡± Arn said, then he turned slightly to address the Punt twins. ¡°Your mother was captured and forced to fight me. Don¡¯t worry, she¡¯s alive and waiting for you, you¡¯ll both see her soon.¡±

    Arn brushed aside the questions of the kobolds from that point. He had plenty of practice zoning out whenever others spoke about things he didn¡¯t care about, and he applied that experience here as well. Arn then walked to the other end of the cave, giving a wide berth to the two guardsmen huddled near the corner. He had to give them their flowers, the two stayed calm and collected, their hard breathing the only hint that they were under a lot of pressure.

    ¡°Here are your options,¡± Arn said as he opened the door to his safe zone, knowing the kobolds were unable to see it, ¡°you two can either surrender to me, or fight me. Those are your options, there will be no negotiation.¡± Thankfully, his intuition that the safe zone was connected to both doors that he¡¯d found based on his options when leaving the zone turned out correct. Arn turned and stared at the former jailors. His hard eyes seemed to bore holes straight through the shields of the guardsmen.

    The two gave each other a quick glance, their eyes agreeing as they silently dropped their shields. Toff and Karn moved quickly to tie the guards up with their own chains while the others collected the scattered equipment. Marshall checked on the younglings individually, ensuring that none were in need of additional healing.

    ¡°Now what?¡± Marshall posed his question to Arn, his demeanor was not one of challenge but resignation.

    ¡°Take my hand.¡± Arn said as held his arm out for the kobolds. ¡°Looks like you can enter my safe zone if you¡¯re touching me.¡±If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.

    Toff was the first to approach, leading their new prisoners behind him. He placed a clawed hand on Arn¡¯s forearm and hesitated for only a second as the magical door to the safe zone appeared open in front of him. Once he set a foot inside, the kobold released Arn¡¯s arm and tugged the chains to get the others moving.

    Once everyone crowded into his safe zone, Arn gave them a movement of privacy to speak to Carbon. Punt the healer looked over his mother while Arn led Toff into the second room to leave the guards. He¡¯d decide what to do with them later but his Pacifist¡¯s Commitment already told him that they wouldn¡¯t put up any resistance.

    Or maybe they will but they won¡¯t attack me? Either way, they can¡¯t see the door to leave without me. The realization that if he forgot about them, the guardsmen would most likely starve to death sooner or later did give Arn some pause but he forced himself to put it out of his mind.

    Arn moved back into the staging area of the safe zone and waited for the others to finish their conversations. He asked the others similar questions to the ones he asked Carbon before, specifically, he wanted to know if they knew of any kobolds that fit the bill of, ¡°one who shuns death.¡±

    Predictably, none of them had good answers to his most pressing questions. That didn¡¯t mean he learned nothing, however. Igalt didn¡¯t have total control over Arn¡¯s fate, the Punt twins were adamant that if he could get to either the current tribal chief, Marcus, or general Doddy, that he had a good shot at freedom. Both were part of a more progressive wave of kobolds, sickened by the atrocities of the war, that desired a less militaristic society. Doddy was a childhood friend of Carbon¡¯s late husband and the twins had overheard many conversations between the two. They saw the use of the so-called Trainer as symbolic to the hyper focus on militarism the kobold society had.

    The real problem Arn would have would be getting through the blockade Igalt had no doubt set up near the exit of Area III to the city. It turns out that Arn¡¯s assumption that the kobolds lived in a village was also off the mark. The capital of the lizards¡¯ subterranean nation was a city that hosted a population of over 30,000. There were also several smaller towns and villages sprawled throughout the mountain they called home.

    The most shocking fact Arn learned was that he way off on his belief that he was trapped for three years. Marshall didn¡¯t know the exact time, but it had been at least twenty years since he was under Arn¡¯s tutelage. It can¡¯t have been that long! Why can¡¯t I remember most of it?

    Maybe it has to do with the damage you had to your soul. Lou suggested through their link. I don¡¯t think you look old though. The constant resurrections probably reset your age too. It¡¯s probably best to sort it out later. The longer we wait to act, the longer that jerk Igalt has to act.

    You¡¯re right. Arn answered as he turned to the group. ¡°Is there another way into the city?¡±

    Punt the leader grinned wickedly as he said, ¡°Oh, there is. The territory of the spiders has a few exits around the mountain. We can use one of those to get close to the city and slip past Commander Igalt.¡±

    Carbon turned on her son suddenly, ¡°That''s what this is all about isn¡¯t it? You want his help in subjugating the spiders!¡±

    ¡°I want his help in fixing the stupidity of our elder council.¡± Punt the leader responded, defiance in his eyes. ¡°What logic is there in getting stronger just to slaughter our own people? We were going to go into the spider cavern anyways if Rook wasn¡¯t pulled into separate training.¡±

    ¡°We saw an opportunity when Trainer said he was leaving.¡± Punt the healer added. ¡°With his help, we can fight the Spider Matron.¡±

    ¡°How could this human stand a chance against the Matron when your father couldn¡¯t do it?¡± Carbon sneered.

    ¡°Father could fight it just fine. It was the council that forbade it.¡± Punt the leader said. ¡°They don¡¯t realize that we¡¯ve run out of space. Uncle Doddy says it himself, farmland is being overused and the soil will lay barren soon. If it was up to the council, we¡¯d all starve before taking back our land from those eight-legged monsters.¡±

    The bickering between the younglings and the parents continued for some time. Arn chose to tune them out and talk to Lucius. What do you think, should we take our chances with the barricade or the spiders?

    I¡¯m pretty sure I know your answer already. Arn could feel Lou smirking over their telepathic connection.

    I think I¡¯d rather fight every kobold in this place than even look at a giant spider.

    You don¡¯t know if they¡¯re any larger than usual.

    Oh please, you saw the size of those webs, there¡¯s no way these lizards are afraid of normal sized spiders.

    Yeah, but I think you know that there¡¯s little chance you can take on a fortified enemy. Those kobolds you killed before were uncoordinated and not part of an actual troop. I don¡¯t think that their commander is dumb. He brought the twins¡¯ mom as soon as he heard what happened and those soldiers that work for him definitely aren¡¯t the usual rabble.

    A shiver ran through Arn at the idea of facing spiders. He wouldn¡¯t even kill them back on Earth, Ana would always catch them and release them into the garden. Arn could already imagine a large monstrosity with eight legs racing through the darkness to kill him. Its chittering fangs dripped with venom and its hairy body flipping him over and over while he was webbed and saved as a snack for later.

    Arn shut his eyes and took a deep breath, then addressed the group once more. ¡°We¡¯re going through the spider cavern, decide if you¡¯re joining us. If not, you¡¯re waiting here until we return.¡± Arn walked to the door and waited for the others.

    The others took a second to nod an acknowledgement amongst themselves and gathered their equipment. In the end, Marshall, Toff, Sprat, Karn, and the Punt twins join him. Carbon attempted to join and Marshall stepped in to explain that without any training, she would be a liability. Her joining would probably lead to her death, and could also get someone else killed trying to protect her.

    A short while later, the group stared down a long corridor. The left fork in the cavern led to Area III of the dungeon and it was the other opposite direction that the group walked. Each step tore and jostled webs that collected along the path. Arn silently prayed that the luminescent mushrooms above would continue for the entirety of their journey. While staring at the mushrooms, he came to a realization. ¡°Are these the same mushrooms you¡¯ve been feeding me?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but we grow them near the city,¡± Sprat said. ¡°You could eat these but it¡¯d be best to pick the ones that are growing in packs. If you take a few from each bunch, the other mushrooms don¡¯t have to compete as much and can absorb more nutrients. They¡¯ll shine brighter and make up for the loss of a bit of light.¡±

    Arn used his longsword to stab mushrooms along the ceiling, snacking as they all marched along. It took the better part of two hours for the group to arrive at the entryway of the Spider Cavern. Before, Arn had walked into a separate area of the dungeon without realizing it. This time, with some instruction from Marshall, he knew what to look for. The path ahead was blocked by a shimmering fiber. It was only when Arn looked at it closely and from an angel did he see what lay beyond.

    The hall extended well into the darkness ahead. On closer inspection, the silhouette of several legs shifted along the walls. ¡°Looks like they''re expecting us,¡± Arn said. ¡°No surprise given all the webs we¡¯ve been breaking. Can they see us too?¡±

    ¡°Yes, but only if they do what you¡¯re doing now,¡± Marshall answered. ¡°They have the advantage in the dark so there¡¯s no need to take the initiative. Better to just wait for us to walk right into their waiting fangs.¡±

    Arn rolled his shoulders and drew his longsword. ¡°Well, might as well get started, there¡¯s little point in waiting around.¡±

 Ch. 27: Creepy, Crawly, Silky

    Arn

    Arn was the first to enter the spider¡¯s cave. Anticipating the system message, he focused on a shadow at the center of his vision and was rewarded with the only distraction being a soft ping at the back of his mind. ¡°Form a tight group and focus one target down at a time,¡± Arn called over his shoulder as he slowly walked into the darkness.

    Each step Arn took was measured, the fear he¡¯d had about facing the spiders replaced with anticipation. His sword was raised and ready to thrust at the first sign of movement, which he didn¡¯t need to wait long for.

    From behind a large web, a spider lept. Rather than end in rounded pads, its eight legs came to slender points with two large talons protruding from the front pair. It was as if someone imagined the most terrifying changes they could make to a tarantula and applied it to these monstrosities. The spider that lunged was the size of a large mastiff, and that was with most of its legs pulled into itself to increase its speed.

    Arn didn¡¯t lunge into the spider''s reach, instead, when he was mere feet from being impaled, he shifted his weight into his back leg and used the length of his longsword to shove the creature to the side. The next attacks of the spider were similarly dodged or deflected and Arn seemed to be in no hurry as he danced around it.

    After a sixth and seventh failed attack, the spider changed tactics. It reared onto its back legs and shot several strings of webbing at Arn. The first web caught Arns blade and launched it out of his hands. The next hit Arn in the shoulder and chest and when he moved his left hand to the web, he found it impossible to detach his hand from the sticky substance. Still, he didn¡¯t panic or react much beyond pulling out his arming sword with his free hand. As the spider lunged again to finish off its prey, Arn slammed his foot into the floor and cast Bone Tusk. He conjured the tusk directly in front of himself and allowed the weight of the spider to do the work of stabbing the bone into the beast. As he expected, the tusk broke after impaling several inches into the arachnid, but it had done its job. As the creature attempted to right itself, he stabbed between its several eyes. With a small shriek and twitch, the spider died.

    Arn¡¯s hand was suddenly free from the webbing and when he tested it several more times, he found that although it retained some of its sticky qualities, it was not nearly as strong as it was when the spider was alive. He paused and waited for any of the other oversized tarantulas to attack, yet none came.

    When he turned to the group, he saw that although they were in formation and ready for an attack, none came. Arn grabbed the dead spider¡¯s front leg and with a hard kick, tore it off. He threw the newly freed limb into the darkness in an attempt to provoke the remaining spiders into attacking, yet they remained frozen. ¡°Oh I get it,¡± he said to no one, ¡°this is what the tutorials should have been. The spiders aren¡¯t going to attack until we get into their aggro range. That¡¯s¡­ a bit of a letdown after all the crap I had to go through already.¡±

    That¡¯s a pretty big leap of logic there. Lou responded.

    Yes and I¡¯m in a magical dungeon that¡¯s held me captive and tortured me for years Lou. According to the system and the literal God of Death, it was meant to be training. I think making leaps is my prerogative. Arn shot back.

    That¡¯s fair, but maybe test your theory before blindly believing it?

    Alright. Arn said as he walked over and retrieved his longsword.

    ¡°They¡¯ve never behaved this way before. Usually they attack us on sight,¡± said Punt the leader.

    ¡°Let¡¯s find out,¡± Arn replied. He walked further into the cave, this time taking smaller steps as he watched the spiders along the wall. Eventually, another tarantula launched itself towards him. Rather than attack, Arn once again dodged the lunging attack, knocking the creature back towards the group. ¡°Kill it while I move on.¡±

    The kobolds moved quickly to begin stabbing into the spider that Toff was keeping pinned beneath a shield. Arn paid them no attention as he continued walking. The next spider chose to launch webs at him to start rather than lunge.

    Arn cast Stampede and dashed directly into where he guessed the aggro range of the next spider began.

    When the spider¡¯s expected lunge came, Arn cast  Tough Skin right before its attack landed. At the same moment he stabbed his blade forward. His immobility during the use of his skill plus the speed of the spider slammed the tip of his blade cleanly through the top of the spider¡¯s skull and into its abdomen. The remaining momentum of the now falling tarantula would have landed atop Arn, but he wrenched his blade from its head while swinging his body towards the next three spiders.

    While Arn moved towards the back of the cave, the kobold group finished their kill and Sprat began firing arrows at the arachnid that had shot webs at their trainer. Two arrows embedded themselves into the back carapace of the spider and it screeched in pain as it launched toward the archer.

    Toff, the group¡¯s usual frontline, ran forward to intercept the creature''s attack. When they collided, it was Toff that was knocked off his feet and was now pinned by the weight of the spider. The only thing that kept him from having his head bitten off was the fact that the tarantula couldn¡¯t find an angle around Toff¡¯s shield to bite into him.

    Punt the leader was the first to begin stabbing into the spider¡¯s side with his shortsword. Karn took it a step further and leapt onto the back of the spider, stabbing down as he widened his mouth and let out a fire attack.

    While the others engaged their enemy, Arn broke into a flat out run towards the end of the cave. The final spiders engaged as he entered what he figured out was their twenty-foot aggro radius. The first and final spiders shot webs to hold him in place as the second lunged at him. The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.

    Arn cast Empowering Trumpet as he yelled out towards the ceiling, ¡°Fall!¡± Immediately after, he dropped into a low plank and felt the second oversized monstrosity¡¯s fangs scrape over the plates of his brigandine as it flew over him.

    The two spiders on the ceiling fell onto the ground with a screech as the mental damage of Arn¡¯s shout hit them. They managed to catch themselves before they hit the ground, only to lose their footing immediately as Arn cast Battle Stomp while stabbing into the lead spider. He didn¡¯t manage to kill it immediately and it skittered backwards, its left front leg now dragging on the ground, useless.

    The second spider recovered from the minor quake Arn had caused and once again launched into Arn while his back was turned, this time stabbing into his side and bawling him over.

    The lack of coordination from the spiders turned the table when the final spider shot another web in their direction and it hit its ally rather than its enemy.

    Arn gritted his teeth and put his full strength into rotating himself and the now off-balance spider. As he turned, he slammed his heel into the ground and bone tusk rose from the ground to meet the swinging spider, skewering it and coincidentally blocking the next web from hitting him.

    By the time Arn moved the dead spider off of himself and got to his feet, he saw that the kobolds had already engaged the final spider. The one that he¡¯d injured was now lay dead by the wall, its body now a pincushion of arrows.

    Marshall held up a glowing palm and looked expectantly at the Trainer. It was then that Arn realized that the wound from the spider¡¯s fang was completely numb. It also bled profusely, more than Arn though should be possible with a cut this deep.

    ¡°The venom of the spider numbs its victims and bleeds them out.¡± Marshall stated, answering Arn¡¯s unspoken question. ¡°I¡¯ll close the wound and stop the bleeding, Punt can remove the venom from your blood.¡± With that he laid his palm on Arn¡¯s side.

    As numb as he was, he didn¡¯t feel any pain or comfort from the healing. Punt the healer then cast a spell in his direction, whispering an incantation Arn couldn¡¯t hear. The feeling in Arn¡¯s side returned, as well as a coldness in his limbs. It was the same feeling that he¡¯d get when he¡¯d donate plasma and they pump saline into him. He felt more connected to his veins, feeling the blood circulate faster for a moment before settling into what he assumed was its regular circulation speed. ¡°I¡¯ve been meaning to ask, why is the only magic y¡¯all know either fire breathing or healing?¡±

    It was Sprat that answered first, ¡°We know more, I have an ability that heightens my sight while shooting my bow.¡±

    ¡°The rest of us will get skills later,¡± Toff continued for Sprat, ¡°My family paid for an instructor to teach me the charge skill you have, or at least something similar. Punt and the other healers always get their training for free from the council. They also start learning their skills earlier too. The rest of us have to either pay for an instructor or get promoted to get skills for free with a new rank.¡±

    ¡°So is fire breathing something you were all born with?¡± Arn asked while turning his upper body side to side to stretch his newly stitched skin.

    ¡°Sort of,¡± said Marshall, ¡°fire breathing is a skill that all kobolds can pass on to their young. It¡¯s only possible for those of us that are part of the Blooded.¡±

    ¡°Blooded?¡±

    ¡°The kobolds you¡¯ve met are all Blooded, the intelligent class, we who are meant to rule. The Unblooded have no connection to the heart of our tribe, they can speak and understand, but they are forever like children. Like these spiders here, they are simple-minded and unable to learn abilities.¡±

    ¡°Do you not have classes?¡±

    ¡°Of course we do, all kobolds that become officers have to take classes on strategy and leadership,¡± Sprat answered again.

    ¡°Uh, no, not those classes. I mean classes from the system, or Divine I guess,¡± Arn clarified.

    ¡°The Divine does not teach classes, Trainer,¡± continued Sprat.

    I don¡¯t think they get classes, Arn. Maybe it¡¯s because you were resurrected? Offered Lou

    ¡°Right, let¡¯s just drop it for now.¡± Arn said, responding to both Lou and Sprat. Arn sat down by a wall to go over his system messages and to recover his mana pool. He didn¡¯t know exactly how much he had left, but he could feel that it was close to empty. ¡°Give me a moment to rest and then we¡¯ll continue.¡±

    ¡°No problem,¡± Punt the Leader said, ¡°we¡¯ll harvest our prey.¡±

    Ew. Said Lou. Who ¡®harvests¡¯ spiders? That¡¯s so gross.

    They probably use the fangs and venom for something and eat the meat. Not our place to judge. Arn responded as he closed his eyes to meditate. Let me know if I¡¯m needed. After a short while, he entered a meditative state.

    System Alert:

    You¡¯ve entered Area I of the dungeon.

    Your mentor has left a message for you.

    Anna Pand has received your message.

    Arn inwardly smiled at the final alert, happy to receive confirmation that his wife had gotten his message. Before he opened the message from his mentor, he pulled up his stats.

    Stats

    Strength: 12

    Endurance: 12

    Dexterity: 12

    Intelligence: 12

    Wisdom: 12

    Fortitude: 12

    Vitality: 120

    Stamina: 53/120

    Mana: 5/80

    Rather than absorbing energy directly from his soul, Arn waited to see if his mana and stamina would recover on their own. As he looked on, both went up by one point. He waited to measure how long each would take to recover and learned that his stamina recovered faster than his mana. For every twenty seconds, he received a single point in stamina and it took almost a full minute to recover one point in mana. Forty minutes to refill stamina from empty and over an hour for mana. Arn then turned his attention to the message from his new mentor.

    ¡°Hello Arn, my name is Janak.¡± Arn heard the voice echo directly in his head, ¡°When you are ready, find a safe place and meditate with the intention to meet me. I will take it from there so we may make a proper introduction.¡±

    Do you want to meet him now? Lou asked.

    Nah, I¡¯ll probably wait until we¡¯re in my safe zone, who knows what¡¯ll happen. Arn said as he looked up his Karma and saw that he currently had two to spend. Should I spend it or save it?

    Save it, you kicked the spiders¡¯ butts pretty easily and who knows what else we might need it for.

    Arn returned to his stats and drew some of the energy he needed from his soul. It hadn¡¯t returned to its full brightness and he stopped right before he felt it peter into a dangerous state. It looked wrung out and he felt lightheaded. He waited for the feeling to pass and just enough luster returned to his soul that he knew it was no longer in danger.

    Stamina: 90/120

    Mana: 55/80

    I think we should just wait for them to recover on their own before you kill yourself playing with your soul.

    Sorry. Arn replied.

    Don¡¯t be sorry, be better. Lou said. Arn could almost picture the owl haughtily turning its beak up and away.

    Arn mentally snorted. I¡¯m telling Anna that you¡¯re mocking her.

    I¡¯m not mocking her! Imitation is just the greatest form of flattery.