《Gamble》


 Chapter 1 - The Opening Gambit

    It was only since I hit 20 years old that I ever had the gall to actually go to the casino. Playing poker of all things, where luck played a small part, nothing more, nothing less. It was how I liked it. Gambling, that was. That said, it was pretty fun when luck played the whole part and you won too. That rush is another reason why I liked it so much.


    That was why I came today. The parents were out of town and it was in their absence that I didn''t have an excuse not to go. More than that, the challenge was what I craved. Or was it more about overcoming odds? It was a character flaw to be sure, that allure to risk and challenge. When I realized I was too chicken was when "going to the casino" became a challenge in my head. And so here I am.


    Speaking of which, I had a game to get to.


    My face was decidedly blank. It wasn''t a skill I actively practiced. There was really never a need to in the modern-day. But judging from the face of the gentleman across from me, it was at least somewhat annoying. For new players, I''d suspect multiple glances at your two dealt cards was normal since they''d probably not be practiced enough to commit the cards to memory. I hadn''t the urge to do so since I arrived.


    I could go into detail but I already had the game. Despite it being my first time at a legit casino I''ve been gambling decent stakes for a while. What I''m getting at is that I know poker. By my reckoning, this hand would take the wind out of the guy across from me''s sails. If there was anything I was good at it was taking calculated risks. That was most of poker, incidentally.


    I flipped my cards.


    "Damn." The older man said. "That''s it for me then. Good luck man." He waved, pushing out his seat and proving me correct.


    "Thanks." I nodded, raking my chips. It was a low stakes game, so even though I won about $20 in that pot, it was no hair off his head.


    The dealer was a formal woman so it surprised me when she spoke up. Of course, it wasn''t against casino rules but she hadn''t said anything the whole time I''ve been at the table today. Which was at least long enough for four different people to come and go.


    "You seem a little young to be enjoying yourself at a casino without any friends." She said preparing for the next hand and next table guest. I smiled because she was right, most people my age whocome to casino''s come with a bunch of their friends. Usually, it''s a whole celebratory thing. Not so much my casual visit.


    "Not too young for a gambling addiction." I joked. "Got me early too. Been betting candies and chocolate too long. Thought it was about time I hit the big leagues."


    She laughed. "More skill than luck in those hands. You''re pretty good." Her smile was wise even though she was probably only less than a decade older than me.


    I wasn''t so good as she implied. I''m sure I was nowhere near playing professionally, for example. Though that meant, betting thousands up thousands of dollars. That didn''t mean I was averse to betting hundreds.


    "Well, I always had a good time losing money. Was about time I changed my attitude." I had made myself comfortable at this particular table a long time ago. That being, I had no real pressure to continue the conversation and I doubt she had either. The small talk was nice though. "Might as well make money while I''m playing." I grinned.


    "So, why the two-four stakes?" She asked. "You could be doing a lot better. You''ve already earned a lot."


    "No reason. I just like gambling." I responded cooly. "I''m here to relax on my day off not make money. It''s a casual night for me." I shrugged, nonchalant.


    It was my first time at a casino. I wasn''t expecting anything spectacular to happen so I came in today only looking for fun. I''d be the first one to tell you trying to make a living in a casino did not favor the average man.


    "Fair enough." She said lightly, ending the conversation.


    I looked around the bright casino at that. Garish purple carpet decorated with those funny little triangle-circle-square and confetti borders rung the walkways. Despite the terrible taste, I thought it complimented all the flashing slot machines and game tables pretty well. The sounds of the casino filled the air, even in the relatively empty section I found myself in.


    It didn''t look like the table I was sitting at was getting any newcomers soon so I gathered my chips. I said a short goodbye to the dealer since chances were I''d see her again. I did like the place.


    It was a Friday night and nothing especially spectacular was going on. The casino was full, actually. I just happened to choose the most peaceful and empty corner of it, well at least as much as you could get in a casino. It wasn''t so much I decided I wanted to have peace and quiet, I actually enjoyed the bustling ambiance of the place. It just happened that I chose the first poker table I saw which was in fact in a less crowded area.


    I wasn''t particularly low on money so I could afford to stay here all night. Since I just multiplied what I came in with by a factor of six, even more so. That left me with $300. It was a surprising amount of money in my hands. I never walk around with so much money. That''s close to what I make in a lazy week.


    It wasn''t long before I made my way to the slot machines. The jackpot was something in the thousands but truthfully I wasn''t expecting to win. I paused for a moment before just shrugging and putting my butt on the stool.


    Pulling the lever was more satisfying than I wanted to admit. And after a second of it spinning, looking at the possible rewards on the side I could easily find the allure. If I didn''t wholly believe that these things were ever so slightly rigged in the casino''s favor I''d call this true gambling. Just throwing randomness and betting on an outcome.


    It wasn''t long before I truly got into it. The flashing lights, my money on the line, the potential of something greater. It felt like such a dishonest way of making money. It was exhilarating. I loved it. The money-like cha-ching of the flashing pictures as they slotted into place was satisfying on a primal level to me. Maybe it was something in my DNA but this wasfun.


    "Come on, here we go." I whispered, eyes flashing as I pulled the lever for what had to be the hundredth time. My hands clenched just as they had every other time. Every lever pull seemed to make the slots roll by longer and longer. I had maybe gone through about half of my money playing this and earning about a quarter of that back.


    The ringing of my particular slot machine drowned out the rest of the casino. The cha-ching money noise filled my ears as the picture of a glowing red seven slotted in. It was the first symbol for a jackpot which happened to be three of them in a row. My heartbeat went faster, shocked into the rhythm of the slots. The second symbol was another glorious glowing seven too. I didn''t even realize I was smiling so hard. I was holding my breath like I was underwater. My eyes were firmly affixed to the last rolling slot as it slid just past the third glowing seven and fell backward to lock back onto it.


    Lightning shot down my spine. My eyes went wide and I threw my head up to look at the jackpot counter. The sound of coins cashing out burst from the slot machine. It was $5000all told. A huge jackpot compared to most in the casino. I couldn''t keep from grinning stupidly. Exhilarating.


    There were cheers around the slot machines. The sound from mine alerted not only everyone nearby but also one of the slot machine attendants. He took my casino card from me and paid out the jackpot to it using a handheld tablet, after checking everything was in order.


    "Congratulations! Haven''t seen anyone win the jackpot here in months!" He said, handing my card back.


    "Thank you!" I couldn''t stop smiling.


    My hearthad yet to slow down itsbeating. I was joking about having a gambling addiction, but I could definitely see myself falling into that rabbit hole if I let myself. I like to think my self-control was pretty solid though. I calmed myself down just as a man beside me exclaimed.


    "Damn! I''ve been trying for hours!" He said, more happy for me than jealous.


    "How long have you been here?" I asked him, still riding my high.


    I stared at him in askance for a moment, before that moment became uncomfortably long. Then I realized he wasfrozen.As in, not moving at all. Stuck.


    The ringing cha-ching of the slot machine was what drew my wide eyes. What was happening? Everything around me had frozen. Like time just stopped. I spun in my stool staring at the slot machine. It''s loud and overbright design was unchanged and still slightly painful to look at but what caught my curiosity was something else.


    The flashing words displayed on the now otherwise blank slots.


    Something pulled on me and I forgot about the state of the world. My heart slowed and the rush of my jackpot meant little to me. This slot machine, now, more than anything was my only focus. Why that was, or how, I didn''t know. I only knew I didn''t care about the frozen guy beside me or the people on the purple carpets frozen mid-step. I was inexplicably drawn to the words now blinking on the slot machine''s screen.


    [Welcome to the System Shop]


    [Powers]


    [Items]


    [Attributes]


    ...


    I stared at the words.[System Shop]?[Powers]?[Attributes]? At the very least, I''d like to think I knew what[Items]were. The lights of my slot machine were still flashing, annoying in their brightness and assaulting my eyes. What the hell was happening?


    I didn''t know what I was expected to do. So I listened to my intuition. I felt like my night at the casino had been instantly derailed. But this was too interesting. Gingerly, I pulled the lever on the slot machine and the choices were highlighted as they were selected and passed by. Because what else were you supposed to do sitting at a slot machine? Turned out it was the right choice. More options presented themselves to me.


    [Weapons]


    [Armor]


    [Classes]


    ...


    [Weapons]?[Armor]? From the looks of it, it''s a shop, somehow. I wasn''t a detective or anything, the display banner clearly says[System Shop]. Am I supposed to buy something?


    Just as I asked, the certainty that I was expected to shop drifted across my body and mind. I shivered, looking around but finding only the brightly casino, paused in its vibrancy. Nothing. That left me with an eerie feeling as if I was being watched.


    I felt rushed, in short. But then that certainty ran through me in assurance. I had all the time in the world. Looking around, I guess it was true. Time had stopped after all. It bothered me that right now, that didn''t bother me. I shivered again, the whole situation was wrong. Something was up, but my mind could focus only on the slot machine and not the larger implications of it.


    I shifted the lever with a satisfying clunk sound down to the option [Classes]. I might be able to learn something about this whole situation. To select the option the lever simply had to be shifted out from the machine. With a slight metal slotting noise, some new information sprang up.


    I was expecting lessons. Or maybe some instruction on what was going on. Not these... people? I wasn''t exactly sure.


    [Fire Mage]


    One versed in flame. They control the element of Fire and wield it as an extension of themselves. A [Fire Mage]''s destructive power and range are seldom if ever matched.


    Growth: [INT] + 1, [WIS] + 1, [FOC] + 1


    Perks: [Fire Affinity]


    Price: 7300 [Points]


    [Joker]


    The [Joker] is one who takes nothing seriously. Their power lies in nonchalance and silliness. It is birthed from underestimation and scoff. Anyone familiar with their kind knows the danger is true when the [Joker] acts like it isn''t.Help support creative writers by finding and reading their stories on the original site.


    Growth: [CHA] + 2, [WIS] + 2


    Perks: [Natually Funny]


    Price: 8450 [Points]


    [Elemental Warrior]


    These are [Warrior]''s who empower themselves with the elements. Their martial instincts are guided by the elements. They are capable of harnessing the stability of the earth, the fierceness of fire, the elusiveness of air, and the relentlessness of water.


    Growth: [STR] + 3, [END] + 2, [WIL] + 1, [WIS] + 1


    Perks: [Elementally Attuned]


    Price: 8700 [Points]


    What were these supposed to be? These weren''t classes. How was I supposed to get any information? I rubbed my chin. That didn''t mean I couldn''t still try to learn from it. They were... job titles? Professions? Why? What exactly was this in the context of the shop?


    I shook my head, feeling too leisurely given my situation. I doubled my focus and went over each one slower.


    Growth. There were growth rates for each one. There were some kind of abbreviations that indicated something and following that: what I guessed were how they changed over time. There were probably too many for me to reasonably deduce.


    The perks did draw my eye though.[Elementally Attuned]and[Fire Affinity]weren''t anything I could relate to a real situation but[Naturally Funny]was a clue. So if I purchased[Joker]I''d be funny? That seemed pretty helpful. From the description of the...[Class], I guess I''ll call it, they were more dangerous when they were silly. My natural instinct was to scoff at such a thing, but of course, the inclination of many people to do exactly that made me reconsider.


    I spent the next few minutes just reading some of these outlandish[Classes]. After some fiddling, I was able to shrink down the size of the display. For some odd reason, the lever on the side of the slot machine had happened to increase greatly in functionality. I pulled hard on it and watched what had to an inordinate number of these[Classes]fly by. My eyes barely tracked them until I realized the thing was not gonna stop anytime soon.


    I skimmed through them slower. What even was a[Fish Grabber]? Or[Fungus Sniper]? Those didn''t even make sense. I wouldn''t have blamed anyone for stopping and figuring out what they even were. I know I did.


    [Fish Grabber]


    These are those who dive for fish. Who strive so hard to become one with sea they are able to do so. They reach for the most magnificent of aquatic life and command their powers. That is the essence of the [Fish Grabber].


    Growth: [DEX] + 9, [SPD] + 9, [WIS] - 1, [INT] - 1


    Perks: [Endless Breath], [Aquatongue]


    Price: 12342 [Points]


    [Fungus Sniper]


    The fungus of an individual [Fungus Sniper] is particularly unique to themselves. The [Fungus Sniper] is one who has mastered the art of infecting single targets from a great distance. The effects of their individual fungi can range greatly. With it, they can bring whole regions under their control without moving an inch.


    Growth: [DEX] + 5, [ACC] + 3, [INT] + 4


    Perks: [Evolving Fungus], [Infection]


    Price: 9125 [Points]


    My face was the picture of confusion. These were so outlandish. What exactly happened if I bought these? Did I become a[Fish Grabber]and a[Fungus Sniper]? Or maybe this was some person I could hire? Did I become a fish ridden with fungus if I bought both? Or were they lessons in how to? I was simply flabbergasted at the sheer number.


    I became so engrossed at the unthinkable magnitude of the list of entries I sat dumbstruck for a few moments.


    I looked at the price of each. Up in the thousands of[Points]. That was the only thing I had seen that indicated some kind of transaction here. It was just that thought that made something pop up suddenly and unobtrusively in my vision. I was startled at the suddenness but I calmed just as suddenly. It wasn''t malicious that I could tell. It hovered in my vision.


    My points.


    I thought about looking but instead vetoed the idea for now. The number of points I had might persuade me into buying something I didn''t need. I didn''t want to be tempted to do something stupid. I knew I would be too, because when I won the jackpot that was exactly what I wanted to do. Whatever this[System Shop]was, the very least I knew of its capabilities was that it had the power to freeze time itself. Or at least make it seem so.


    I had to roll with the punches and adapt. That''s one trait of mine I''ll always value. It''s weird to think about but no one really taught me those lessons. Betting candy and trading cards as a kid did. I had to keep on my toes in a sense.


    I decided to scroll back, exiting out of the[Classes]section completely. I looked through[Weapons]and[Armor]and while some were completely out there I could understand the utility. The[Shard Sword]for example, described a fragmented crystal roughly in the shape of a blade and attached to a hilt.Useful, if I ever needed to kill something. I chuckled.


    Perhaps the most reasonable part of these sections was the inclusion of even mundane[Armor]and[Weapons]. A simple[Kevlar Vest]or[Handgun]were some that I saw. There didn''t need to be anything that absorbed the sun and powered your strikes, or shot sunlight itself. Which were, actually, some of the things I saw. Not all the things I saw were geared toward violence. Well,generally[Weapons]were, understandably. But the[Classes]weren''t so one-dimensional.


    I shook my head.


    I went through[Items]and[Attributes]next. The[Items]had some very interesting stuff. I went through them first, curious to what fell under the category.


    [Myst Comb]


    A blessed hair comb intended to be worn as an accessory. Sparkling deep blue, when tied up in someone''s hair a thin cloud of mist forms enough to hide the wearer''s features. The mist blocks magical scrying as well.


    Effects: + 5 [CHA], [Mist Veil]


    Price: 400 [Points]


    [Vampwolf Necklace]


    A threaded necklace of vampwolf teeth. The necklace bestows upon the user the vitality and ferocity of a vampwolf. In the past, the magical properties of vampwolf teeth have been known to bestow something more of their owners.


    Effects: + 10 [VIT], + 10 [STR], [Blood Scent]


    Price: 1000 [Points]


    I rose my brow at some of these items. Suffice to say I was looking for a while. If not from plain old bafflement, then from the creativity of some of these things. To me, so far this section was the most intriguing. The[Myst Comb]and[Vampwolf Necklace]for example. A vampwolf? Vampires and werewolves? Those weren''t even real, not to mention some made-up combination of the two.


    I did spy an important clue though. Vitality. Or rather,[VIT]. It was obvious given the[Vampwolf Necklace]''sdescription.So those mysterious letterings corresponded to... well, words, but those words meant what? It didn''t take me long. I stared at the letters[STR]for all of two seconds, before mentally hitting upon the word "strength".


    Ah,[Attributes]. Of course. I swung the lever outward, rolled the slots, and selected[Attributes], a strong hunch of what I would see.


    My intuition was correct.


    [STR]


    The ability to apply a physical force. The [STR] of an individual marks their physical power and might. To an extent, this [Attribute] also reflects physical hardiness and robustness and thus effects the corresponding governing [Attributes].


    Price: 1 for 800 [Points]


    [VIT]


    The ability to live. The [VIT] of an individual marks the vibrancy of their life force. The higher the [VIT] an individual possesses the more difficult it is for them to die. To an extent, this [Attribute] also reflects physicality and thus effects corresponding governing [Attributes].


    Price: 1 for 800 [Points]


    So that''s what they were. It confirmed my general theory of the things for sale at least. Whatever I bought from this store would directly affect me. Well, aside from the[Weapons],[Armor]and[Items]. The[Attributes]themselveswere absurdly expensive. That peculiarity didn''t escape me. A single[STR]for 800[Points]? That didn''t make any sense considering the growth rate of some of the[Classes]I saw.


    Maybe it was for people who couldn''t afford that initial cost of thousands of[Points]though. I concede I didn''t really have much to go off though. It was no use thinking about it since I didn''t think I''d be spending anything on them.


    Finally, I checked[Powers].


    My eyes widened at the implications at what I was seeing. I think I understood what the[Classes]were now. And why they''re so expensive. They must be some type of way to naturally grow and achieve these. That was what I came up with. For no other reason other than that the[Powers]seemed to be things that[Classes]could do. I would know too, I had spent ample time reading up on them.


    Now that I thought about it, these seemed to fit into the "Perks" section of the[Classes]too.


    [Light and Dark]


    Flip between two modes. [Lumen] and [Void]. The effects of these individual magics are enhanced with this [Power], however, only one can be used in a given mode. The [Lumen] state increases healing, brightness, and buff effectiveness. The [Void] state increases damage, darkness, and debuff effectiveness.


    Price: 4000 [Points]


    [Absorbtion]


    Your body is a natural conduit for kinetic forces.You attain the ability to absorb kinetic forces, nullifying them and storing them within yourself. Releasing the gathered force can be deadly for your foe and yourself. [Absorbtion] is a [Power] complimented by the fitness of the individual user.


    Price: 5000 [Points]


    [Immunity]


    You can invoke absolute immunity from damage for small intervals at a time. During these intervals, nothing can cause you damage or otherwise harm you. This effect encompasses all types of attacks. This includes mental, spiritual, magical, and physical harm.


    Price: 10000 [Points]


    I must have read through thousands of[Powers]all told.[Mind Poison],[Phase],[Mechanical Gift],[Natural Spring], the list went on for what seemed like forever. Hours of my time, just poring over them and cross-checking if anything lined up with the listed[Classes]. That was where I was most surprised.


    I could search for things. Keywords and the like. But not every[Power]was present in a[Class]. Some, in fact, were unique to a[Class]so far as I could tell.


    It was then I finally decided to check how many points I had.


    [Total Points] : 6550


    Initial [Points] are rewarded to the individual arbitrarily by the System. Additional [Points]are rewarded based upon an individuals merit and feats throughout life.


    And so now knowing, I browsed the entirety of the[System Shop]. I had no idea exactly what I was supposed to pick. I did have a few curious ideas though.[Flying]seemed particularly tempting, although that used more than two-thirds of my[Points]. There was[Telepathy]and[Mind Sense]too, which would''ve seemed cool if they weren''t priced at 10000[Points].Most of the[Classes]were predictably out of my price range. The ones thatwereaffordable didn''t seem as good as the higher priced ones, which I guessed, was the point. I wasn''t sure I was ready to pick one though. The choice seemed eerily final, like settling on a career path.


    [Items],[Weapons], and[Armor]didn''t particularly catch my eye either. With the[Points]I had and the relative cost of those categories I''d either be laden with a bunch of regular gear or be carrying around a single shiny sword and maybe some magic belt. I calculated the risk. I wasn''t too keen on something that could be stolen.


    With that said, I felt naive, like there were things I was so obviously missing. I wanted to pick up a[Power]since everything else was crossed off and[Attributes]were exorbitantly expensive. Like a little kid, I was indecisive.


    I didn''t know what I wanted.


    "So what do I like then?" I asked myself chuckling at the fact I was even talking to myself.


    I paused for a moment.


    The answer was so plainly simple. "Well, I liked to gamble." I rubbed my chin, humming.


    What did they have in the[Power]section to do with chance? Risk-taking?


    "Come on." I crossed my fingers. "What do you got for me?"


    I tried every keyword I could think of, mentally bookmarking the[Powers]as I found them. And man, were they more interesting and exciting than anything I''ve seen so far! Yes, I could feel myself get excited. My eyes widened as I briefly skimmed them, not reading any descriptions until I judged my search over. The thrill!


    Without a doubt in my mind. I found what I wanted to spend my[Points]on.


    [Bet]


    [Bet] something of true worth to yourself. The rewards and losses of the [Bet] are dependent on the individual''s perceived and actual value of the stakes.The greater the stakes, the better the reward, and more terrible the losses.


    Price:6000[Points]


    [Wager]


    Formally challenge an able participant to a [Wager]. This [Power] is heavily influenced by the perceptions of both parties. Only a [Wager] deemed fair by both parties will proceed. The challenged cannot deny a fair [Wager] and is bound absolutely by its terms. Theterms of the [Wager] are decided amongst the participants.


    Price: 6000 [Points]


    [Risk]


    Launch a sufficiently foolhardy attack of any nature. [Risk] when activated amplifies the effectiveness of an attack based upon its stupidity in logical reasoning.


    Price: 6000 [Points]


    Now those were[Powers]I grinned. The power to challenge someone to a[Wager]that by my guess they couldn''t refuse so long as they deem it fair. And a[Bet], how fitting was that for me to buy? It''s what I''ve been doing all day.[Risk]?I chuckled at that one. It was probably one of the most fitting ones to my character, although its description wasn''t necessarily something I could see myself doing.


    They were single-handedly three of the most alluring things I have seen in the shop so far. The dice inside of me rattled, waiting to be thrown. But it wasn''t[Bet]or[Wager]or[Risk]I was looking at anymore.


    "Though, I guess you could say I was, in a way, invoking all three of them." My smile was electric. The moment before I took that leap.


    [Gamble]


    To attain [Gamble] your bet must be worth the price. [Gamble] is one of many [Powers] where the price is one you name. It is, however, one of the few [Powers] that has a different function in the [System Shop]. [Gamble] is a power all its own and may be rewarded after purchasing dependent on the bet.Before then, its function is hidden.Throw your [Points] into the pot and see how they come back to you.


    Price: Make a bet.


    Between heartbeats, I threw 6500[Points]in.

 Chapter 2 - Payout

    A flash of light blinded me. My senses were scrambled and the first thing I felt was something solid crunch under my feet. I was standing now, not sitting in front of a slot machine. It was cold.


    Howling wind pierced my ears. I was standing in a clearing of snow.


    Congratulations! You''ve won the bet with the [System Shop] through [Gamble]! Your rewards have been calculated. For placing 6500 [Points] on the line and winning, the effective final value of your rewards are 20,000 [Points] after affected by circumstantial modifiers.


    [Preference Reward]


    Your preferences have been parsed and the following rewards are in accordance with those. This is a high-tier reward. The [ Preference Reward] is a reward in itself and takes up [Points].


    [Lottery]


    Have a chance to generate a loot box that contains one or more permanent random items. The possibilities of the generated items are endless. The rarity and value of the items are affected by [LUK]. The chance for failure isexceptionally large compared to success. This [Power] has a long cooldown period.Cooldown is affected by [WIS].


    [Cheat]


    The odds are skewed for you. The next chance-based effect used will be more favorable. This [Power] may be applied to anything involving random chance. The power of this effect is affected by [INT]. This [Power] has a long cooldown period. Cooldown is affected by [WIS].


    [Buff Roll]


    A random buff is generated and applied to yourself. There will always be a beneficial effect to a buff, however, beware of negative drawbacks. The power of this buff is affected by [INT], the favorability of this buff is affected by [LUK], the duration of this buff is affected by [WIS].


    [Weapon Roll]


    A random weapon is generated and equipped. The nature of this weapon is completely random and sometimes even useless in a given circumstance. The quality and rarity of this weapon are affected by [INT], the favorability of this weapon is affected by [LUK], the duration of this weapon is affected by [WIS].


    [Armor Roll]


    A random armor is generated and equipped. The nature of the armor is completely random and sometimes even useless in a given circumstance. The quality and rarity of the armor are affected by [INT], the favorability of this armor is affected by [LUK], the duration of the armor is affected by [WIS].


    I stopped and stared at what I recognized were [Powers]. My heart raced, this is exactly the type of thing that I would''ve wanted. [Lottery] and [Cheat] immediately piqued my interest, I''d probably eventually use both at the same tiem. The theme worried me though, armor and weapons? That implied I was going to be in danger. And what was a buff?


    My teeth chattered.


    "And where the fuck am I?" I said into the wind, as my vision cleared. Snow fell around me, but the cold only just settled in. Every sound was muffled softly. I shivered.


    The jacket I was wearing wasn''t gonna cut it. Not here. I''m not sure exactly what happened or how I got here, but given that this [System] could stop time, I''ll bet my shirt it''s behind this. And given the circumstance, it wasn''t a small bet I was making.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    "[Buff Roll]!" I called, feeling slightly stupid. I had no idea what a buff was, but it said it could only be beneficial. Power flowed through me, of chance and happenings, how I knew that I couldn''t begin to guess or even attempt to before it coalesced into something.


    Favorable Buff: [Heat of the Lizard]!


    The heat of a fireblaze lizard runs through your blood. You generate heat equivalent to that of an adult fireblaze lizard. Your resistance to cold is increased. Effectiveness of Fire Magic is increased.


    My shaky breath steadied, and I let out a smooth exhale, frost coming from my mouth. "So that''s a buff then." I grinned, excited. The whole random nature made me smile, though, for some reason, I felt that it was something undesired in a [Power]. "And favorable too. I guess that''s what''s affected by [LUK]."


    How was I even supposed to know how lucky I was? I shook my head and read the description.


    "Heat of the Lizard, huh?" I held up my hand to stare at it for any changes but instead noticed the ground. The snow around me had melted. "Cool." I rubbed my chin. "Or should I say, warm?" I laughed.


    "I should probably get moving then, figure out what the hell happened," I spoke to myself. I could barely feel the cold, but I knew it was there.


    The trees were covered in snow, laden with frozen water. It was a winter wonderland, through and through. The heat emanating from me kept me warm but a shiver ran down my back anyways. If I didn''t get lucky with that buff then I''d be in dire straits.


    I needed to find a way to stay warm indefinitely before this buff ran out.


    I walked for only a minute before the cold struck me again. And it struck hard. My teeth began to chatter in the seconds after. I was only wearing sneakers so my feet were already feeling frozen. I felt like I was turning blue. If I was to die like this that''d be pathetic. I wouldn''t even be able to test out my stuff!


    "[Buff Roll]!" I said through shaky teeth. The same power flowed through me, if I wasn''t so cold I could focus on it.


    Favorable Buff: [Lucky]!


    You are lucky. Ladybugs, four-leaf clovers, rainbows, pigs, horseshoes, elephants and shooting stars. You''re luckier than them all for the time being. [LUK] greatly increased.


    I felt... just that, damn lucky. My heart jumped and immediately I knew what I had to do. The last buff only lasted a single minute so already I was on the clock.


    "[Cheat]!" I said, focusing. Something pulled at the strings of happenings around me. I had no idea how I knew that o could even comprehend it. But I did. I was too cold to really get into it. My teeth almost shattered themselves with how hard they were clenching.


    "[Lottery]" I called through frosty breath. This time the effect was something visible rather than a feeling inside me. I crossed my fingers hoping against all odds it didn''t fail.


    An ethereal shamrock green mist, nearly transparent, glittered into the form of a solid box. It was a nicely decorated thing, and it was a good size. I forgot the cold as my heart excitedly pumped.


    Favorable Lottery Jackpot:


    [Cloak of the Frozen Icicle]!


    A cloak of the highest quality formed from the durable hide of an Alpha Icil Wolf. As creatures that brave the coldest environs, this heavy cloak protects against even blizzards. Its ability to be worn comfortably even in heat nods to the magical nature of the fur. Your resistance to cold is greatly increased. Affinity for Cold Magic greatly increased.


    [Exquisite Long Ration]!


    An unflattering block of tasty mystery food. When eaten this particular ration can sustain the body for up to a week.


    I flipped open the lid of the loot box. Shivering, I wasted no time throwing the cloak around my cold shoulders. It settled on me heavily, like it belonged there. At the bottom of the loot box was the ration. I put it into my jacket pouch, it would do for now.


    "Now that was probably the best outcome I could''ve hoped for." My teeth were still chattering. "Looks like the Lucky buff ran out. It served its purpose though.


    I calmed myself forcibly. There were times in my life I had almost died, but never by freezing to death. The closest I''ve ever been to that was sitting by the AC. This... this was who knows where. "I''m alive by pure chance and I know it. I need to explore, that''s the best I can do right now."


    I began to walk, trying to find anything at all to orient myself towards. It wasn''t until thirty minutes of walking that I realized why the ration was so extremely useful for me right now. Maybe even more than the cloak. Why it was possibly considered a jackpot in the lottery.


    "How long am I going to be out here?"


    Nothing answered me.


    Suddenly, this wasn''t a winter wonderland. The sun had slipped lower and the day was waning. It was getting dark and the snow no longer glittered. The trees weren''t decorated with snow, they were pressed down by it. The pristine snow all around me... it wasn''t beautiful anymore.


    It was untouched, lonely, abandoned.

 Chapter 3 - Cold Reality

    I spied them for what must''ve been the fourth time. They weren''t much taller than I was truthfully. To be fair though, I wasn''t close enough to really judge that. I''ve only ever seen them at a distance, taking wide berths when I do.


    "Now, what are you?" My eyes followed their forms as they flickered between the trees. Their colors weren''t too hard to spot if I was alert. I was kind of surprised they hadn''t once seen me.


    My eyes drifted down to the tufts of white fur cloaking me. It matched perfectly with the snow around me. The perfect camouflage.


    I played at the thought of sneaking around, but my best bet was getting far away from here. I didn''t want to interact with them, there was no telling their motive. If push came to shove, I wasn''t willing to risk it all on a random weapon and armor.


    "I haven''t been idle though." I let my thoughts into the frigid air. "I know it says random, but the range of that is something I need to eventually comprehend."


    "[Weapon Roll]" I whispered, feeling that fateful power course through me. A strange sensation to be sure.


    A wispy transparent shamrock green flowed towards my hand, before solidifying into something real. Prior to formation, it glittered in a way that sent phantom chimes off in my ears. I stared at a regular sword.


    "No, not a regular sword." I held it up, the sword misleadingly falling partly apart. "Interesting. I wouldn''t say totally random, but it wasn''t something I expected so I''ll give it that."


    The segmented sword I held in my hand was a testament to that randomness, though the sword category was a little predictable. I just wasn''t expecting this style of one.


    Weapon: [Serrated Urumi]


    A segmented whip sword of three blades. The urumi is a specialized weapon capable of keeping multiple foes at range with the correct expertise. This ironwork features serrated blades and copper wiring.


    I looked up, finding that there was nothing in my vicinity. I pressed my back against a tree and stared upwards.


    "What am I doing here?"


    My eyes drifted to the leaves of the tree, searching for color in a world of white. Only to find that the leaves weren''t actually all fully covered by snow, in fact, they were just white. But I did see a flash of color. Red, among the white leaves and snow.


    The color gave me a reference and I traced a burrow, made right into the thick snow held up by the tree. It looked for all the world, a plain squirrel, albeit a bit larger. Not enough to worry me. I stared up at it, the second creature I''ve seen.


    I blinked, surprised.


    "Well, that''s-" I began, quietly vocalizing my thoughts before the words caught in my throat. Ice powder thumped my face hard enough to make a small cloud of snow.


    I shook the snow off my face and stared, peeved at the creature. I wasn''t the type to get too worked up about things. I threw a snowball back and the creature ducked away, before appearing somewhere else in the boughs of the tree. It dumped more snow on me and, though unaffected by the cold, I frowned.


    Snow hit me in the back and I looked upward and behind me. There he was again!


    "You little- " The wind got knocked out of me as another harder chunk of snow broke against my chest.


    I fell backward and snow piled up on top of me, ultimately harmless, but annoying nonetheless. Under the snow, my already frowning face twitched. "Calm down, Vak. It''s just a squirrel." I spoke into the mound of snow. My words were muffled.


    I pushed an arm out partially, but only managed to get my head out first. I was an inconspicuous mound of snow against a tree. As I gathered the strength to break out, I looked like a decapitated head trying roll over.


    I stifled a gasp as it stalked into view.


    I froze, metaphorically, and played the part of "that mound of snow against a tree" to the best of my ability. My hood covered my head, which would''ve given me away. The fur was too perfectly colored against the snow, and partially covered in the powder, even more so. My eyes barely peeked out from the bottom of the hood, my head halfway into the mound.


    Under everything, I was for all intents and purposes, sitting on my ass. Staring, wide-eyed, at the thing that could''ve killed me with a flick.


    It was a lumbering giant and not the damn gentle kind. Its skin was a frostbite blue the coloration second only to pure white in terms of camouflage. The hide it wore around its loins smelled from even where I sat a few meters away.


    I was a statue. It wandered over to the tree and stared up at the boughs much the same way that I did. Spotting something, it smiled and I got an up-close look at a row of canine teeth, pearly white.


    For the first time, as the situation demanded, I invoked[Buff Roll]mentally. I felt the power surge through me once again too fleeting for my mind to latch onto.


    Buff: [Conductive]


    You are a strong conduit for electrical energy. The innate ability to direct energy is briefly awakened within you. Lightning and thunder bend to your fingertips.


    This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    My skin tingled and I felt the difference. Unfortunately, this buff was useless here. I grit my teeth, breathing slightly heavier as the giant moved closer. Watching it step forward confirmed a few things, mainly why I didn''t hear it approach. Its footsteps were eerily absent. No crunch of snow, no footprints in the powder.


    Yet, I could clearly feel its weight behind each step. It held a hand up, its attention still above, and an icicle formed from the air, shooting skyward into the boughs. Its face simply met a face full of snow in a near-instant retaliation.


    I tried again.[Buff Roll].


    Nothing happened. Maybe there was a wait time?


    I took a sharp breath as the giant stumbled forward as a wad of snow struck its backhard,much harder than anything I was subjected to. The giant came dangerously close to the mound that I was acting as but before that happened another struck in it the face, and while it didn''t seem fazed, it backed up growling gutturally.


    For a moment, I wonder if that little squirrel purposefully saved me. It was the reason I was even buried right now.


    Armor then, in case the thing finds me. There''s no way I can defend myself against all that mass.[Armor Roll]


    Armor: [Leather Jerkin]


    A close-fitted jacket made of durable leather. The hide is processed and made tough enough to mitigate some attacks.


    As the shamrock mist appeared I nearly shat myself. The giant''s gaze was still upward, but eventually, it was drawn to the glowing mound of green snow.


    My fight or flight kicked in, flooding my thoughts as my eyes widened in fear. I burst out of the snow with a strength I didn''t have earlier. The giant''s only reaction was to immediately pursue. And the only reason I knew that was for the fact that it roared in what I''d deemed bloodlust.


    Its roar was cut off by a muffled grunt and I turned around to find it wiping snow away from its face. It stared upward angrily but accelerated in my direction again.


    I ran hard not knowing anything else to do but stick to the trees when I could.


    "I need to fight, damn it. There''s nothing else for it." I said, out of breath. "It''s gonna catch me. It''s gonna fucking catch me!"


    I turned and raised my urumi. It fell limp to the floor and for a dumb moment, I wondered if it was supposed to do that. "I don''t know how to use this!" I exclaimed, trying to gather the segmented blades.


    I was gonna cut myself. I don''t think there''s any way around it. The blood-curdling roar of the giant was interspersed with annoyed grunts which meant for whatever reason the squirrel was harassing it. Any moment now, judging from the volume, it would be upon me. I didn''t think I could run but now I was having second thoughts. I had enough time to stand here for a solid thirty seconds. My lead was farther than I thought, the giant was just extremely loud.


    "Well, I''m in deep shit now."


    As it entered the clearing its annoyed face lit up in a feral grin as it saw me.


    Before I could even react I held a hand toward me and a stake of clear ice shot towards my chest. I managed to dive clumsily to the side in fear. Something impacted my left shoulder and I could feel the bruise already. I turned and the icicle lay on the ground beside me, sharp as a pick.


    I breathed heavily. Panicked, I grabbed the icicle in my other hand. "That should''ve went through me." I thought aloud. "That should''ve killed me." By now, my face must''ve been blanched, whiter than anything around me.


    The giant grumbled something deep and monotone. He approached swiftly, again with the silent footsteps.


    I backed away, unsteady on the snowy terrain. "Stay back!" I yelled. The giant snarled intimidatingly, looking down on me. It eyed my hands and I remembered I had weapons.


    I swung the urumi in an arc, letting the blades swing-out. I wasn''t at all confident I could pull off a whipping motion, even if it was the first plan of attack that came to mind. Miraculously, the blades fully extended, connected to their wire. They cut into the giant''s side, slicing along his ribcage.


    It howled in pain, before another icicle shot towards my chest. This time, in slow motion, I could see the projectile reach for my chest. And then it impacted my cloak and didn''t penetrate further than the fur of the Alpha Icil Wolf.


    "That''s right something about resistance to cold," I grunted out painfully, my chest still took the force of the blow.


    I dragged the urumi back to me and stood as highly strung as I''ve ever been. I waved the rolled blades around brandishing them, but the giant clearly wanted me, even with all this effort. Its eyes were all hungry desire.


    "Back off! Stay away!" I yelled loud, my desperation must''ve been apparent because it rushed me.


    I screamed as it grabbed my sword arm, forcibly making me drop the weapon. It held me up my right arm and I wasn''t to shy to scream loud enough for the creature to flinch.


    It reared its head and opened its mouth of white predator teeth. Pulling hard on my arm, as if to seperate it from the socket, it bit into my shoulder.


    I screamed and red filled my vision, whether from anger or pain, I didn''t know. All I saw was red, and then, like a pinhole I focused on the red that flowed from its ribs.


    Everything focused and even through my screaming pain I plunged his own icicle into the slash wounds from my urumi with my free hand. The blue-skinned creature bellowed in pain releasing me from his teeth cleanly. The flesh hung loose but I couldn''t feel it.


    I didn''t run. "You fucking bastard." I spat. More stupid than angry at this point. "Time to take a risk and see who''s gonna die first!"


    It stumbled backward in pain but I kept up the only effective attack I''d accomplished so far. I made that damn icicle say hello to his frozen bones, then peek out and meet his other damn leg.


    And then I felt a tickle of energy.


    "Take this damn it!" A surge of power straightened me out, as if I was nothing more than a conduit for the intense energy. "Ahhhhh!" I screamed.


    Electricity, not enough voltage to be visible, flowed into the wound. The giant, like myself, locked up and seized intensely, the icicle forming a conductive bridge into his vital bloodstream. I experienced that same locked muscles, but the pain was absent as if my body was built for such a thing.


    My eyes, smoldering hate, locked with the giant''s as it lay helpless on the ground. The moment was extremely intimate as if I could read its every emotion and it could mine.


    I found it in me to twist the icicle with a growl. "Die bastard!"


    The energy ceased as [Conduit] ran out.


    My hand was nearly frozen to the icicle but it released itself. Without the pressure from my grip, the icicle squeezed out with a wet squelch and I could smell seared flesh.


    In a daze, I locked the urumi around the giant''s neck and pulled the blades close. I didn''t dare to watch the process.


    I threw up on the side, as I felt the pressure suddenly ease. And with it, the urumi disappeared. My leather jerkin was next, and I realized it probably protected me from the worst of the giant''s teeth. It got flesh, but not enough to be an immediate threat to my life.


    I didn''t dare move the shoulder though. I didn''t dare move at all.


    "What the hell happened," I said blandly, sitting against a tree far away from the body of the giant. It wasn''t a question. It was a grim acceptance of the reality of everything. "What the fuck." I groaned, tenderly reaching for my shoulder before wincing at my bruised chest and stopping.


    My eyes drifted to the dead blue body in the middle of the snowy clearing. Snowflakes fell around me. They were gentle at first, easy and beautiful. They fell between my eyes and the trees around me, and for moments I found myself focusing on them, my mind brought away from the pain of my injuries.


    I jerked back to awareness, wary of danger. My eyes focused blearily and spotted a figure in between the trees watching me. It wasn''t hiding. It was just standing there and I wasn''t mistaken either, I could see it breathing. Its eyes were the most visible thing about it, piercing. My heart skipped two beats in panic. My hands went numb. My eyes, wide. My breathing increased.


    I was already trying to keep my focus on it as snow falling from above threatened to hide the figure. A small heavy flurry of snow swept through the clearing.


    A shiver shot down my spine, and immediately I began to invoke my[Powers].


    It had disappeared.


    And then a voice spoke to my side as if it were there all the time, and I and it were having nothing more than an amiable silence before it decided to converse once more. It was spoken with just that much casual unfettered confidence.


    "Who are you, stranger?"

 Chapter 4 - Snow Above

    I might as well have taken my new cloak off with how much I''ve spent metaphorically frozen. The voice beside me came out too casual, too close, and too unthreatened to be anything but a threat for my psyche to register.


    "Who are you, stranger?"


    I managed to keep my voice steady, acutely aware of my lack of weapon, armor, or buff. "Just someone passing through. Maybe a little lost." I said truthfully.


    There was a pause that, given the immediate context, scared me. There was a real nonzero chance that whatever was speaking wasn''t even human. The body that lay not five meters from me attested to that cold truth.


    I willed my [Powers] to fruition but nothing happened. Gritting my teeth, trying my best not to make any outwardly threatening moves, I realized while only [Cheat] and [Lottery] mention a cooldown the rest of them probably have them as well.


    More than anything, the silence was indicative of contemplation.


    "There are more like you. Go north, you will find them." The voice was weathered, giving the impression of a harder life. But its sound stood tall.


    "Where? People like me?" I turned, hope blossoming.


    There was no one there. Two footprints, that was all. And they weren''t the footprints of someone in motion, only where he stood. In moments, falling snowflakes filled the imprints. In moments, it was as if nothing was there in the first place.


    "What the hell?" I said into the snow.


    Standing up, I was alone. That was nothing new in the past hour, but as the adrenaline ran out the realization hit me harder than ever. With the fading adrenaline, my pain faded in. I flinched hard at my shoulder.


    I had a burning desire to figure out what happened and where I was. Why had time frozen and why had I been offered things from the [System Shop]? What did that mean?


    Luckily, my shoulder was numbed by the cold. Although my cloak was now bloody and ripped at the spot it was also exposed to the temperature around me. I frowned at that. It was a new cloak!


    I looked around quietly for moments. Of course, there was no one to find. Whoever that was had disappeared. My eyes slid back to the blue body, now perhaps bluer than before, laying dead in the snow.


    At that moment, a pile of slow landed on the body from above. I spotted the squirrel, as I assumed it was, darting in the boughs above. The trees were so thick with white snow that they formed easy bridges across each other. In other words, the squirrel, if not already capable in a normal environment, had an easy way to traverse the treetops.


    I gave it a minute and the body was buried in snow. The little creature worked fast, I''ll give it that. I relaxed at that, knowing how stupid it was that now, just since the sight was gone, I could relax. Further, it didn''t look like the squirrel wished me harm, which was a relief. I said my thanks to the little creature, not even sure if it could understand since I''d gathered it purposefully covered me in the snow earlier to hide me from the giant.


    I sighed at the lack of response. "Fat chance, huh?"


    Without any real direction, I began to walk north. At least, north by my reckoning of checking the sun. I could''ve been completely wrong, but there was nothing for it at this point. Either I was right and find some people, or wrong and end up alone at which point I''d have to figure something out long term.


    I kept a vigil, eyeing the distant forest for those same figures I had been seeing. Judging fromthe body of the giant, I could tell they weren''t the same. The people I saw earlier, though I doubt they were human at this point, moved in groups.


    That thought gave me slight pause. My step jerked for only a moment while I reconciled the fact. Had the world been fundamentally altered? I had just run into a giant for god''s sake! My mind ran with the implications. It was as if I finally had a moment to process.


    "The[Classes]." I mumbled to myself. "Now that I think back, a lot of them had helpful contexts. There were a lot of them that described the destruction or effectiveness in a particular combat situation." I said looking around. "And my[Powers], they''re literally for weapons and armor."


    The realization set upon me like bone-piercing chill. I wasn''t as safe as I thought I was. Ineededto find people. This wasn''t some kind of joke. There wasn''t anything I could think of that could feasibly transport me from my local casino to frozen isolation. I''d have to travelfarto find ice where I''m from.


    "They weren''t all hinting at dangerous situations though." I calmed myself, only partly working. "Some were fascinating in a sense other than power. The ability to breathe underwater indefinitely,[Water Lung], I think. Or[Treasure Seeker]."


    My mind fought back. The sea itself might be a dangerous place where an ability to breathe underwater might help. Wait, I guess that was just normal in general. But also what about mysterious treasures didn''t scream danger? I''d have to believe that wherever I had been whisked off to wasn''t as dangerous as I was thinking.Unlawfully taken from Royal Road, this story should be reported if seen on Amazon.


    At this point though, anything worse than my accustomed suburbian life would be terrible for me, which wasn''t saying much. I couldn''t fight giants all the time, hell, I doubt I even knew how to use any of the weapons I''d generate. Or know how to leverage the buffs I get.


    "Ugh, this is shit," I complained, still not for a paranoid second letting up my vigil. I had checked my back multiple times already. Around me were just quiet snow and trees, as they had been since I arrived."Where the hell am I?"


    It was that question, though repeated, that brought on my next idea.


    My foot caught on the bark of the tree trunk. "Rougher than I thought. Good." I hefted myself upward and grabbed the lowest hanging branch. It took me a while just to find a suitable tree with enough handholds. "Upsy daisy," I grunted, hauling myself onto the first thick branch.


    The branches themselves were heavy with snow, but it was easy enough to displace for the first few stretches. Nearly halfway up the tree, the snow became solid and more akin to ice than powder. It was at this point that I had to inch across my branch to take a look at any other avenues of attack.


    I wondered why the ice was so solid up here until I came across a twig that sprouted the white leaves. The smooth white leaf was chilling to the touch, almost painfully cold between my fingers. "No wonder."


    "[Weapon Roll]" I whispered, knowing I didn''t need to. This time, it worked.


    Weapon: [Sling of the Cat]


    A projectile weapon used to throw small objects at high velocity. A cat''s grace blesses this weapon and allows a heightened sense of the balance of loaded projectiles. Used for hunting game or combat.


    "Useless, for me right now."I examined the weapon in my hand, before ultimately tucking it into my waist. It was, very simply, a small pouch between two lengths of cord. It didn''t look particularly blessed by a cat either.


    If I had a sword or something similar I might''ve been able to hack away at the snow and make my way to the top. As it was, that was a pipe dream. I tried my other options.


    Buff: [Booksmart]


    Ink on the pages speaks to you, bluntly explaining their true purpose and intent. You are smart enough to listen, knowing that through the pages an expert lies. For the duration of this buff, you are able to glean knowledge from books at a 200% effectiveness.


    So I sat, swinging my legs on the branch. Up here felt safer than down on the ground. The branch itself was thick, wide enough that I could spread out and throw my arms behind me to support my weight as I leaned backward. There was no real risk of falling over unless I was stupid, and even then while it might''ve been a long fall, the pillow of snow below allayed my fears.


    "The effects I''ve gotten so far are interesting though," I spoke aloud, a habit forming. "Now all I need was a book to read."


    I spotted the squirrel again running through the opposite tree boughs. It spotted me too and for the first time, I saw how it went about throwing such relatively large wads of snow down to its victims. It dug into the ice around it, scraping powder into a ball with its forelegs and back legs, and then its furry tail, more prehensile than a monkey''s, gathered it into what might''ve mirrored a throwing arm.


    Then it relaxed, letting go of the snow. It disappeared into a hovel, right in the leaves of the tree. I got the impression that the ice was so thick in these trees that the squirrel could''ve made a burrow between them all.


    Time passed and I tried again, not too keen on wasting too much sunlight just sitting around, but I needed to get my bearings and that meant going up. Surely, it couldn''t be forest forever.


    Weapon: [Islander''s Fishing Harpoon]


    This spring-loaded harpoon is ideal for fishing. In a pinch, the barbed hook and spider silk line might do well enough in a combat situation. As a weapon, this is very effective against fish-types. As a spear fisherman''s tool, the harpoon functions best when submerged.


    Buff: [Ripper]


    Your teeth and nails sharpen and harden becoming weapons in their own right. Your teeth and nails become durable enough to rip through moderate armor with enough time.


    My mouth slightly shifted and my nails did indeed get sharper. I felt a slight panic at that body modification but immediately calmed down. All my buffs so far had run out eventually, so instead of focusing on my hand''s nails, I focused on what was in it.


    The fishing harpoon was probably the most straightforward weapon I''ve gotten so far. Just point the sharp end at whatever you wanted to poke or stab. I didn''t even have to spring-load it if I wanted to even try to figure that out. It shouldn''t have been too hard but again, that''s not what I needed it for.


    I began to stab at the solid ice on the next branch.


    Eventually, a chunk fell away and to my surprise, I could make out a hollow. I wanted to ascend, however, so I only cleared it out more fully. I still wasn''t above the tree line. From where I was, around me was just solid snow. I was that far into the treetops, that there was only ice to see.


    I managed to traverse a good section of the icy boughs without having to break through any more solid snow. With the canopy being so solid it wasn''t hard to get a foothold, just a non-slippery one. Succeeding that, I could get higher.


    I wiped sweat from my brow. The uncomfortable feeling of being too warm in a cold place suffusing me. My shoulder had been bothering me on the climb, but looking at it, it was nowhere as bad as I thought. The worst it could do to me at this point was get infected, but I really had nothing for that eventuality, so there were no preemptive measures to take.


    Eventually, I broke through the top of the canopy.


    I burst forth through chunks of ice. The fishing harpoon leading the way. What greeted me was terrain that I wasn''t quite expecting. It turned out that the solidified canopy acted partly as a whole other layer of the forest. Yes, it was riddled the crevices and divides that probably stemmed from gaps in the trees, but it was walkable.


    Ducking under though, I realized a huge swath of snow had nothing under it. If I were to have stepped too far I would''ve fallen from a treetops height.


    Also worth noting was the trail of smoke I saw rising into the sky. Signs of civilization. In movies, there''s always an argument for the smoke giving away someone''s position. Here, the fire was probably worth it for a number of reasons. One being that the sky was pretty much blocked from view everywhere by the trees and the snow they held. Another that it was damn cold out.


    Mentally marking their direction I began to climb down. I''d try to keep myself oriented, I didn''t want to climb another tree if I didn''t have to. I used my harpoon for balance against a tree, another point of contact to stabilize myself.


    The descent was going well albeit a bit treacherous. Again, the pillow of snow awaiting at the end of a possible drop beat out most of my concerns. I didn''t really bother to look at my surroundings since it was just tree and me, but then I got an itch at my back. The sense that something was watching me.


    And there was.


    Not two feet away, a red ball of fur that was most definitelynot a squirrel, stared at me.

 Chapter 5 - In the Trees

    Most definitely not a squirrel. For one, its eyes were too sharp, too cunning to be as simple as a squirrel''s. The tilt of its head made me focus on that. It didn''t have the type of teeth for breaking open nuts, it''s mouth held canines. Its limbs might''ve been slightly different in length compared to a regular squirrel but their form was likely spot on. The main difference was the lack of fur, or rather the present red scales that adorned it instead.


    Slowly, I leveraged my harpoon towards it. I loaded the spring, even as it watched me, until I heard a click. At a flick of my wrist, the harpoon would skewer the thing. Or glance off its scales. I hoped it wouldn''t come to it.


    I was surprised I could see its eyes. It wasn''t the beady black I was expecting. So I could clearly make out its gaze, looking back over its shoulder, and perhaps the hesitance in its posture, if I could attribute human body language to such a thing. The familiarity was deceiving.


    "Now, what do you want?" I asked slowly, feeling both relieved and insane I was talking to a scaled squirrel thing.


    I eased, remembering it had helped me before. But despite that stroke of insanity, I kept my harpoon leveled.


    It squeaked in a manner that was indistinguishable from a dog''s chew toy and seemed to disappear. It had come from a burrow in the trees'' snow. I would have missed it too if I didn''t see the thing pop into the tunnel. The white camouflaged the entrance too well.


    It was big enough for me to fit when I stuck my head into it to find where the little critter went. I backtracked and ducked down a level to scour the supports, but it seemed this particular passage of snow was heavily reinforced with thick twisting branches from three different trees. I slapped the snow and found it to instead be solid ice. Having checked my potential passage, I glanced back at the odd tunnel of snow in the treetops.


    Then the squirrel''s head peeked out and stared at me as if wondering why I hadn''t followed.


    I led the way with the harpoon not taking any unnecessary risks. In the next moment, however, the weapon faded into nothingness. Pausing at my vulnerability, I shrugged but kept alert. I followed the squirrel through what must have been a whole network of tunnels, all eerily large enough for a human-sized mammal. There were open areas that afforded visibility of the ground below, looking down, I could''ve pictured myself walking, even being chased by giant if I really tried. I couldn''t feasibly check the supporting branches of each passage, so whenever I came across an open area like that I stuck my head out only to find the surrounding trees to be thick and healthy.


    The squirrel played a hard game. It was only ever just far enough for me to see, leading me further into its own territory. I crawled after it, acutely aware of exactly what I was doing. That was, following a squirrel creature into a maze of snow burrows held up by frozen trees. Weaponless at that.


    It was a small risk to play. The sun was nearly setting. I knew the direction of the fire and what might be signs of humans like me but there was also no telling what prowled about in the dark here. I wouldn''t even have risked it if this were normal woods. It was a hassle keeping myself oriented but I wasn''t having trouble. Worst case, I''d have to climb a tree again.


    I didn''t blindly follow the creature. I was very aware of what a stupid decision this might be. But... I needed to take a risk. That squirrel had already saved me once so until proven wrong I''m inclined to believe it has the same interest in seeing me live as I do. If not, then I''d just have to get lucky.


    A small smile decorated my face. A small calculated risk to get me excited. I wasn''t about to spend a night down on the forest floor after that giant had come out of nowhere to surprise me. I convinced myself it was safer at a height.


    The crawlspace wasn''t overly claustrophobic but I hadn''t even noticed that in the first place. Now, as the tunnel widened enough for me to crouch comfortably and move along like that, I was relieved and intrigued. Because the squirrel led me further and then the tunnel expanded again, enough for me to stand tall.


    And then I was staring at furniture, carved right out of the snowy walls. An unmistakable chair and table. A shelf. What caught my eye more than those were the wooden items littered about the place. A wooden jug. A wooden plate. There were various implements that I deemed appropriate for throwing. Weapons in short. A spear made of wood, or alternatively a very sharp stick. A club, an axe.You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.


    In short, the place looked lived-in. Up here. In a tree of all places.


    The squirrel slowed down and suddenly I was walking through what was undoubtedly a living space. A house even. The transition was nearly seamless and I paused once my brain caught up. The place was suspended above the trees by snow and frost alone. I rounded a bend - a hallway I idly realized - and entered a room.


    What was probably the sickliest looking man I''ve ever seen greeted me. He was lying on his back and his clothes were made of fur pelts, but what drew my eye was the discoloration in his face. Like a fever had taken him and hadn''t ever let go.


    I began to put my things down but realized they had disappeared quite a while ago. The squirrel found a snow shelf and perched on it staring intently at me and then the man.


    "Damn man," I said aloud. A soft groan responded. "At least you''re human. That''s probably the most I could''ve asked for. How''d you get stuck up here?" I spoke to the man but stared at the squirrel. "Well, let''s see what I can help you with."


    I rolled my metaphorical dice. "[Buff Roll]. [Armor Roll]. [Weapon Roll]. " I stated, taking my chances with whatever might help the man. "[Cheat]. [Lottery]." Nothing on that end. Seemed they were still on cooldown.


    Green light suffused me centered around my hands and forearms.


    Favorable Buff: [Gift]


    A single-use effect that allows the user to bestow upon another an item bound to them. A soulbound object may accept another this way. A curse on the soul may be transferred to a willing recipient in such a way. To give a gift to another, or receive a gift in taking.


    Favorable Armor: [Armguards of Health]


    Sturdy of armguards worn on the forearms. They are enchanted with vitality and health. The wearer may have an easier time of small diseases and sickness. Prolonged exposure eradicates the worst of mundane mortal afflictions.


    Weapon: [Sword Staff]


    A staff made sword. A warrior''s weapon adapted to that of sorcerer''s conduit. Where physical prowess might fail this weapon magical aptitude picks up the slack. A well-balanced make of materials that prove sturdy and magically conducive. A simple weapon made deceptively powerful well versed in martial and magical disciplines.


    The first thing I felt intrinsically was the light feeling of a healthier body. It was obvious in the most natural sense, the knowledge thatbeforeI felt worse, andnowI felt better. The contrast was small but such that IknewI was unhealthy before.


    But before my eyes landed on the armguards my eyes were drawn to the staff in my hands. It wasn''t so much half-half of a sword and staff, but more close to being both sword and staff fully. It was a morph of the two, something new. And something about that staff made my senses sharper. What senses exactly - was up in the air for me.


    The armguards glowed green, a shade more humble but not too different from the visuals of my[Powers]. They adorned my whole forearms and as I moved minutely, I felt them flex with me. I winced, feeling my shoulder protest at the movement, but not as much as it should''ve been.


    Lastly, the sense that both weapon and armor belonged to me and only me. That no one, no person, no animal, no god, or anything could take them from me. Or perhaps more accurately, use them to the extent that I could. I think physically prying the items off of me was doable.


    With that sense, was the feeling I could give it all away. These items, bound to me, I could simply Gift one of them away. Only one of them. It was the single-use buff and it too was oddly pertinent.


    Favorable.


    "Look squirrel, these things have never lasted more than a few minutes," I said aloud to the squirrel''s odd gaze. "We''ll have to see if that''s long enough."


    I had already decided to help the sick man. If for nothing other than to help. I wasn''t doing anything anyway. Maybe he''d let me stay in his snow home afterward?


    Placing the sword-staff against the snowy wall, I took the armguards off. The process was surprisingly more convoluted than I would''ve guessed. There were straps and ties that secured the armor to my forearm that came custom fitted to me. It was easy enough to undo, however.


    The harder part was willing the armguards to the man. To Gift them. I knew, deep down, that normally such a thing wouldn''t have worked out. With the buff I rolled, however, it was possible. They came off my arms and I approached the man. There was no spectacle of magic in the process, but there was definite weight to it. The significance was lost on me, seeing as these things would just disappear eventually.


    Taking the man''s hand I realized we could''ve been the same age. The beard and stinking furs hinted at someone at this life longer than I''d even been here though. I fastened the armor to his arms and stepped back. There was no telling what might have happened if he woke up to me looming over him.


    The coloration returned to his face. His red-pale face turned to a more healthy beige. His whole body relaxed. I hadn''t even known it was tense. The armguards glowed gently and his ragged breath became easier to listen to.


    Seeing as there was nothing for me to do. I rested against the wall, sword-staff across my lap. I watched the squirrel on the shelf, chittering softly, moving back and forth and occasionally simply staring at the prone man breathe.

 Chapter 6 - Findings

    I finally had a moment''s peace to ponder what had happened to me. That giant tall blue humanoid was anything but normal. I killed it. The thought shook me to my core. I had never killed anything.


    "To think the first time was with a whip sword." I mumbled to myself. Looking around I realized by the man''s bedside was a window to the forest below. I pried myself from the snowy floor and moved over. Maybe I could clear my head.


    I stared out of it now, leaning on the sill.


    My eyes spotted something new. An undeniable bunny, white as snow, hopped around below. It nibbled at a tuft of white grass I hadn''t ever noticed before. It was almost as if the bunny was just another lump of snow. How many had I missed before?


    Its camouflage didn''t stop a silvery fox from coming along. The attack was vicious, at least for me, and painted the snow red. The fox''s only task it had already completed, that was, pouncing on the bunny. From there it snapped its neck, and suddenly it had a limp dinner.


    That reminded me. The sun was already setting, I couldn''t see it, but I could feel the temperature drop. The light, what little made it through, was dimmer. I wondered how the forest was so bright and ended up attributing the fact to the reflectiveness of snow.


    I recalled my [Powers].


    [Lottery]


    Have a chance to generate a loot box that contains one or more permanent random items. The possibilities of the generated items are endless. The rarity and value of the items are affected by [LUK]. The chance for failure isexceptionallylarge compared to success. This [Power] has a long cooldown period. Cooldown is affected by [WIS].


    [Cheat]


    The odds are skewed for you. The next chance-based effect used will be more favorable. This [Power] may be applied to anything involving random chance. The power of this effect is affected by [INT]. This [Power] has a long cooldown period. Cooldown is affected by [WIS].


    [Buff Roll]


    A random buff is generated and applied to yourself.There will always be a beneficial effect to a buff, however, beware of negative drawbacks.The power of this buff is affected by [INT], the favorability of this buff is affected by [LUK], the duration of this buff is affected by [WIS].


    [Weapon Roll]


    A random weapon is generated and equipped. The nature of this weapon is completely random and sometimes even useless in a given circumstance. The quality and rarity of this weapon are affected by [INT], the favorability of this weapon is affected by [LUK], the duration of this weapon is affected by [WIS].


    [Armor Roll]


    A random armor is generated and equipped. The nature of the armor is completely random and sometimes even useless in a given circumstance. The quality and rarity of the armor are affected by [INT], the favorability of this armor is affected by [LUK], the duration of the armor is affected by [WIS].


    Intelligence, Luck, and Wisdom seemed to fit the bill. I''d put money on the first two, wasn''t too sure about Wisdom. I wonder how that''s measured, or what it''s measured against?


    The quality of my stuff had always been decent so I could say my Intelligence was alright. And I''ve been seeing the favorable keyword a lot so my Luck must be high too. I felt that that was normally a low-frequency occurrence and I''ve seen it a good number of times. But as for Wisdom, my things only ever lasted one or two minutes, so it must be low.


    But... turning around, the sleeping man had already been wearing the armguards for close to half an hour.


    "That''s interesting." I said staring at the armguards that still haven''t dissipated. The squirrel had a tendency to stare at me when I talked to myself but generally acted as if it knew I wasn''t talking to it. "Maybe his Wisdom is high? I''ll have to do some experiments."


    A shamrock mist surrounded me once more, taking form.


    Buff: [Hardened Hands]


    Your hands become dense allowing your strikes more stopping power and your fists more durability. The weight behind your fists become heavier.


    Weapon: [Hardoak Bow]


    A smooth bow made of hardoak. While the flex to the bow is hard to apply, when done correctly, the power behind the arrow is multiplied significantly. Arrows from this bow have increased velocity compared to a bow of similar design.


    Armor: [Hunter''s Step]


    Soft linen footwear that wrap around the feet closely. Their design reduces the noise created by ones feet, especially when moving through wild terrain.


    I spent a moment just admiring the items. When I ran my hands across the footwear and hardoak bow, I admired them as well. It was a process I would probably do countless times, every time I used the [Powers] I would have something new.


    I passed the time waiting for them to run out by checking their quality. They didn''t seem like they were about to fall apart or anything. But that only begged the question: What did quality pertain to? I wasn''t sure, but for now, I just checked their physical condition.


    If anything, the footwear might''ve been slightly worn. Almost as if it had seen some use prior. I went so far as to take the shoe off and smell it. Logically, that would indicate that someone has worn it. No dice.


    In the end, the shoes and the bow didn''t dissipate at the same time. Both died out within a minute of each other. My buff died out in the same timeframe. My mental clock counted their times at anywhere between a minute and two minutes.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on the original website.


    I tried again.


    Jackpot Buff: [Absorbent Efficiency]!


    Any sources of nutrients taken into the body while [Absorbent Efficiency] is in effect will have its effect multiplied by two. This effect counts for magical methods of intake as well.


    Weapon: [Hardlight Shurikens]


    Solid light formed into a pair of shurikens. These shurikens retain their sharpness indefinitely. They are lighter than any of their counterparts and are able to reach high velocities. Meant to shear through clothing, these shurikens are nearly void of any stopping power. Able to be used as a light source.


    Armor: [Shield Ring]


    A small, plain iron ring. It is charged with mana and a simple enchantment will protect the user from any perceived physical threat. A small forcefield will attempt to repel any threat registering as an attack.


    "I can get a jackpot buff?" I said first, blinking. "Wait." My eyes widened slightly.


    I reached into my cloak and into my jacket pouch, retrieving the small weight I had placed there. The [Exqusite Long Ration]. An admittedly suspicious-looking block, that tasted fantastic, or so it was said. I had yet to take a bite. The reason I attained the life-saving cloak I wore and this ration from the [Lottery] was because the ration was able to keep me sustained for a week. There was no telling how long I''d be out here.


    [Absorbent Efficiency] just doubled that cushion.


    I took a bite and a wave of flavor caressed my tongue. The block all but melted in my mouth in a way that was both sweet, fleeting, and filling. And then my hunger and thirst just disappeared. Gone from my perception. That had moved into my system fast.


    I couldn''t tell if the [Absorbent Efficiency] even kicked in, but there was a lively feeling in my stomach. "It worked, I think."


    My belly felt full and for a moment I thought about the science behind such food. The thought was for later, I was in the middle of an experiment.


    I had just enough time to admire the constructs made of pure light, the shurikens, and nearly prick my fingers on them. Before that eventuality, a small forcefield pressed back against the tip of the yellow shuriken, protecting my finger. Compliments of the small iron ring on my finger no doubt, which truly looked like nothing special.


    Then they disappeared, and I counted only a few seconds between each one this time. They landed close to the two-minute mark. This time I wasn''t able to discern their physical conditions. The [Hardlight Shurikens] were simply hard to do so and the [Shield Ring] was just plain iron. It was hard to judge the quality and wear of such a small piece of metal.


    [Absorbent Efficiency] ran out as well and I wondered if that meant I was back to being sustained for only one week. But then I remembered that the description was clear in that it specified any food eaten while the buff was active. The keyword there was eaten. I didn''t need to have the buff to reap its benefits.


    "I''ll stick to assuming between a minute and two minutes for each." I said to myself. "It''s hard to measure quality or rarity though.[Hardlight Shurikens]seemed pretty anomalous though. Did that equate to rarity?"


    My[WIS]I assumed to be low but perhaps one or two minutes was a long time for them to last? My[LUK]seemed high though I wasn''t sure entirely sure if jackpot rolls were affected by it so my conclusion was drawn from the favorable adjective I''ve been seeing. As for[INT]that one was hard to gauge.


    I stared out the window and found the blood of the bunny had already been covered in a soft sheet of snow. That would''ve been me today. If I hadn''t got lucky and got this cloak, or if I died to the giant. If I hadn''t eaten that ration I''d be starving about now. Would I even have lasted long enough for food and water to be a problem had I not been lucky?


    The thoughts swirled through my mind like a blizzard. How my hands still felt defiled, the pressure I felt against the urumi as the giant struggled, and the subsequent release as I decapitated it. How I planned to survive out here if I wasn''t able to find someone to help me. Where I even was. They raged through my head like an all-encompassing storm.


    I stood amid it all. Buffeted by every thought like a boulder-sized lump of hail. Thoughts, doubts and fears weighed my legs down. My legs quivered with the weight of my worries. Every other thought struck me. Sometimes they lifted me up, against the storm, but more often than not I was struck closer to the floor. I knew if my knees ever touched there I would be frozen forever.


    I opened my eyes and sighed, trying me best to let it go for now.


    As if waiting for me to settle myself a voice broke my reverie.


    "Gibber says you helped me." It said.


    I turned and found the man awake, the scaled squirrel was in one of his hands, while he examined the armguards on his other arm. "You looked like you''d seen better days. Thought I''d see what I could do." I replied cooly.


    "Enchanted gear, huh? How''d you manage to get your hands on that?" He said in small awe, turning his arm. "It''s like the fever was never there. Gibber says I''ve been out for a day, maybe longer."


    "They''ve been on you for an hour." There must have been a caveat to[Gift]because the armor hadn''t dissipated yet. The buff might''ve made it permanent.


    "An hour too long then." He made to unlace the things.


    I held up my hand. "Please, it''s no hair off my back. Make sure the fever''s gone for good." I said, taking time to look around pointedly. "It''s a nice place you have here. All snow, huh?"


    The man became wary but quickly calmed down, as if realizing where they were. He looked to Gibber, as I could only imagine his squirrel was named, and then back to me. "Took me three weeks to carve out. Not easy. Even with Gibber''s help."


    There was a moment of silence before he spoke up again. "You''re new, aren''t you?" He said with a sureness in his voice. "You look like it."


    My eyes locked onto his. He nodded.


    He continued, staring at me. "Already had your first taste of this world too." He saw something in my eyes. He shrugged recognizing my confusion as well. "You remember the time pause and the[System Shop] right? After that, people started coming into this world. And that''s what you should think of it as. An entirely new world. Because that''s what it is."


    "That''s impossible." The words came automatically as if my first reaction was denial. The words died on my lips. Then how did I explain any of this?


    "And a world frozen in time isn''t?" He looked at me again. "You''re lucky you ran into me and not someone else. Some people take advantage of the new ones. There''s a group of good enough people north of here, you might be good to try your chances with them." He looked to the armguards he wore and to my fur cloak. "Looks like you might be able to take care of yourself though."


    "I saw the fire." I responded. "Can you tell me what you know about everything?"


    The man shrugged. "Something happened to our planet. You''ll see an abandoned structure every now and then but it''ll normally be overgrown. You''d probably recognize them for what they were though. A library, or a coffee shop, or a grocery store."


    He didn''t stop when he saw me listening. "Most people dropped just try to find a place to live. Settle down. They go to what''s familiar, especially here in the snow. The buildings attract the monsters though." He grimaced. "I was one of the luckier ones who found a group of people early. A girl who could play with fire and another older guy who knew the woods, at least ones on Earth. We got a fire going and nearly died hunting for food. The cold nearly killed us but we found a building, an old ice cream shop, and settled down. The girl''s fire was the only thing keeping us going until we could find something furry to kill. It was when we came back to creatures in our pseudo home that we realized the buildings weren''t safe. I was the only to make it out alive, me and Gibber."


    "What do people make of the[System Shop]?" I questioned.


    "I bounced some ideas with Laury and Halt. Laury was too young to be anything but amazed by it but Halt and I had some theories. Maybe it was something to ease our transition to this new world, who knows? I never knew what they got aside from the obvious fire. Never knew, never asked, and neither did they." He said it wistfully, as if the events surrounding their death were further in the past. But the man seemed like someone used to loss.


    "Are there still new people appearing? Even three weeks after you came?" I asked next.


    "You." He answered. After a moment''s thought. "I didn''t come three weeks ago. I came closer to a month ago. I started carving this place out once I lost Laury and Halt. I knew better than to find shelter elsewhere. There were people here when even I arrived though, or so I''ve learned. We saw the signs, the fire in the north, and just general indicators that could be nothing but a human''s touch."


    I listened in, knowing that was a fate that could''ve well awaited me. "So you know nothing?" I asked realizing he hadn''t at all came to any conclusions.


    "And neither does anyone else." He responded. He looked out the window and noted the darkness. "You can stay here tonight. Name''s John, nice and simple. Squirrel''s name is Gibber, try not to call him that though, he''ll insist he''s a scale armor variant."


    I followed his gaze, looking outside. I sighed, "Vak. Nice to meet you."

 Chapter 7 - Warm Fire

    I woke up warm. That was a funny thought, given the make of my bed. The make of the whole room, really. Snow. Just snow. It was a room large enough for me to stand upright in. I didn''t expect John to have an extra room, but apparently, his whole hideout was quite extensive. I was pressed against the bed - which amounted to a pile of snow sprinkled with softer powder, blinking blearily at the ceiling made of even more packed snow and tree branch. After a moment, I forced myself up.


    I shifted my[Cloak of the Frozen Icicle], realizing I wasn''t the slightest bit thirsty or hungry.


    I stretched and tried to remember my way back. John had given me a few pointers, mainly a single reference point. The middle room he called it. Where most of his tunnels branched from. There was an exit that way if I could remember the tunnels back.


    I walked, ducked, and crawled in some of the tunnels. The sequence of crouching and standing vaguely familiar. I felt I was on the right path. It was truly impressive how large the place was.


    I mentally willed [Lottery] and [Cheat].


    Shamrock mist surrounded me, pulsing outward. Something spun within me, of chance and fate, but almost as suddenly it dissipated. I blinked in confusion, having felt it surge through me, having felt the effects of the [Powers]. Nothing had happened and I could only account it to one thing.


    "Damn, I lost." I shook my head, not too put out.


    Habitually, I used the rest of my [Powers].


    Armor: [Scholar''s Robes]


    A smooth set of robes that breathe easily and rest comfortably. Comfortable attire meant to be worn in the comfort of one''s own study. Slight increase to knowledge retention.


    Weapon: [Sandborne Nunchucks]


    Crafted of enchanted sand these nunchucks function similar to any other make save for their effectiveness towards water-based entities.


    Buff: [Enchantable]


    During the period of this buff your body is able to hold enchantments normally applied to inanimate objects. Enchantments placed on living beings are more effective on you. Beware, this includes hexes, charms, and other ill-willed magical enchantments.


    The smooth robes must have been made of silk. They felt fine against my neck, the only exposed portion of my skin it rested against thanks to my jacket. They settled over my jacket but below my cloak. The extra warmth was negligible as something about the[Cloak of the Frozen Icicle]regulated my temperature. I paused for a moment, but couldn''t perceive any changes to my retention of knowledge. Admittedly, I doubted I would.


    Meanwhile, the nunchucks appeared in my right hand, bundled together. The grainy weapon, made of sand, didn''t crumble at all as I handled it. I knocked one end of the weapon on the wall of the tunnel and watched bemusedly as it made a dent larger than the force I applied warranted. "Strong against water." I said idly, examining the weapon. I placed it in my jacket pocket, which involved pulling my arm through my robes to get to.


    Next was the buff. "[Enchantable], huh?" I said, mildly interested. Examining my body I seemed completely normal, unlike some of the past changes. "Nothing for it." I shrugged.


    I reached the middle room right after my things disappeared. They did little for me but expand my imagination to what I might get next time. A minute or two of walking or crawling might not seem like much, but it was a testament to the expanse that John''s tunnels covered.


    Surprisingly, John was already there. His eyes were closed and aside from Gibber observing me I had the time to take a good look at his face. He rested lightly against a piece of furniture that was made of snow. The table, if I dared call it that, was a concavely sunken dome of snow. In its center, lay a small blazing fire, the smoke funneling up into a hole above.


    Facial hair dominated his face, brown and full. It wasn''t a choice I would''ve made, but I suppose he didn''t have the luxury. Behind all that hair lay a rather young face, not too unlike mine. I found that that surprised me, to have someone survive out here for a whole month and not look at all that much older.


    I wasn''t sure I could''ve done the same.


    He seemed to be silently soaking in the heat from the fire. It wasn''t until a minute after Gibber chittered into his ear that he opened his eyes. I didn''t know exactly what I expected, but it wasn''t the almost too regular gaze that met my own.


    "Your armguards." He initiated, examining them still. "I feel better,good.I appreciate, I really do. Gibber made a good choice with you." He began to untie them.


    I halfway expected them to disappear in the night. It was my bet that they would, at least. "The fact they''re still on your arms tells me they''re yours now." I declined, raising my hand.


    "These are enchanted, man. You don''t know how valuable something like this is." He said flatly. "Especially with something like health." He grimaced. "What with everyone dying like flies."


    "They''re yours now. Soulbound even." I waved calmly. There was a lull in the conversation. "They''re yours, man. I can''t imagine the struggles you''ve been through this past month. It''s about time luck swung your way, isn''t it?"


    John huffed, ceasing his motion to give them to me, but taking them off to stare at them.


    He raised his eyebrows. "Soulbound." He said quietly, eyes widening. "Wow. Well, no wonder you''ve been politely declining, they''reliterallymine." He said to me.


    "Yeah, I doubt they''d work well for anyone else." I said ruefully. It was a nugget of knowledge, a sureness of the workings of soulbound equipment, that came with[Gift]. Along with the fact that effects from my[Powers]were automatically soulbound to me.


    It was a property of my[Armor Roll],[Buff Roll],and[Weapon Roll]. There wasn''t any way that I could tell that they weresoulbound until I came under the effects of[Gift]. My best guess was that I had to be aware of what could be given before I could actually gift it. Of note though, was that my[Cloak of the Frozen Icicle]was in fact not bound to me.


    Health. I hadn''t thought of the implications. Without civilization, the risk factor of every minor wound or injury shot up. If I believed John for even a fraction of second, then the monsters roaming around only exacerbated the risks. A piece of leather that not only protected but healed its wearer was likely invaluable.


    "No, probably not." He looked up from the armguards to stare at me. For a moment, I stared back. "Have you figured out your Slate yet?"


    "My Slate?" I shook my head even as I asked the question.


    "You ever play any video games?" He asked. "Role-playing games? Fantasy stuff, sci-fi, etc?"


    "Not video games. I used to read a lot of that stuff though. Back in high school, I''d read that stuff when I had free time." I replied, shrugging. "Why?"


    "Our reality." He paused and exhaled. "Well, let''s just say this: It might do you good to keep that fantasy stuff in mind when you''re out and about. My life hasn''t been too far from it these past weeks." He looked me in the eyes as he spoke as if checking to see if I believed him.


    He nodded. "Your Slate. It shows you things about yourself and your stuff." His eyes went down as he tied his armguards back on. "Thanks for these by the way. I''ll keep them on from now on." He glanced at Gibber who chittered at him before darting down one of the branching tunnels. He turned back to me, watching Gibber scurry away. "Laury, Halt and I all had something different. I have a clipboard, Laury had a diary, Halt had a notepad. You should be able to find it if you think about yourself, will your Slate to appear before you. I won''t be able to see it, but you''ll know it once it appears. I thought it was an undiscovered [Power]of mine the first time it happened." He chuckled.Did you know this text is from a different site? Read the official version to support the creator.


    I sat there focusing on myself. Feeling dumb, I sunk into meditation. The morning drowsiness got the best of me and I slowly drifted away. I thought about my[Powers]first and foremost. Naturally, my mind drifted to the random chance"Roll"[Powers]first before I wandered to[Cheat]and[Lottery]. That made me start thinking of my cloak.


    The heat felt nice. I was beginning to associate the cold with isolation. But here? The fire was warm. It glowed across my face and I basked in the heat.


    Vaguely, I was aware of John moving. He moved shortly into another tunnel only to return with a metal pot and metal pan. He didn''t even speak to me, and I appreciated it. I suppose the sizzling meat was communication enough because the pleasant smell lifted me out of my meditation.


    I stared at the item in my hand.


    "You''ve found it then." John said from across the fire. "You''re faster than I was when Laury told me." He said absently. "It should be much more convenient than[System Messages]."


    It was a deck of transparent cards. They were reminiscent of the sleek digital poker tables I''d often admire when I''d watch professional poker. Only now they were cut rectangles that fit into my had. I looked up at John to respond but he was already spreading broken leaves over the meat.


    I drew one from the deck holding it between my fingers. There was a bend to the card and a smooth texture that was just right for a deck of playing cards. Small writing seemed to scrawl itself across the card as I moved to view it. I held it up by my fingers, flipping it between them before reading the writing.


    [Vak Tychus]


    [Class] : None


    [Titles]


    [Lottery Winner]


    [Attributes]


    [INT] : 7


    [LUK] : 12


    [WIS] : 5


    [Powers]


    [Lottery]


    [Cheat]


    [Buff Roll]


    [Weapon Roll]


    [Armor Roll]


    The card summed me up. My name in stylized writing was larger than the rest of the writing, sitting at the very top of the card. I rose my eyebrows as a shift in my thinking showed it appearing on the back of the card instead. I silently read the contents of the card over again.


    [Class]was understandably nothing. My[Powers]were listed out. The anomaly was that[Title],I had no idea what those were in this context but[Lottery Winner]definitely fit me. I won a slot machine lottery right before time froze and then lucked out with[Gamble]in the [System Shop].I wondered exactly what the[Lottery Winner]was before I decided to just try something.


    I pulled another card and stared at it.


    [Lottery Winner]


    A consolidation of [Titles] [Gambler] and [Lucky]. One whose luck and risktaking is unmatched and unparalleled. A winner who when faced with the world, bet his whole life against it and won. Allows for[Jackpots] for regular chance-based [Powers] when applicable. [LUK] increased by 10.


    The word[Jackpot]lit a fire in my heart, despite the setting. Just like before with[Absorbent Efficiency]my heart raced. The possibility for a huge windfall like that captured my fantasy. The fact I had already encountered it changed nothing for me.


    I tried pulling out two more cards but couldn''t come up with anything on[Gambler]and[Lucky].I could only guess what they were and appreciate what they''ve become.


    A thought struck me. How had I been seeing these things before? That question resonated with something I''d just heard. I looked up at John. "[System Messages]? What do you mean?"


    "Finally back, then?" He had a wooden plate and he slid a large piece of meat on it for himself, then handed one to me. "[System Messages]. They''re what I called them. Those things that help you identify things. You might see words, or even hear them. Laury thought a blind person might''ve felt them. You know what I''m talking about. You would not have survived this long here without encountering it at least a once. Especially right when you arrive, there should''ve been a bunch of them."


    I stumbled mentally, thinking back on all the times I used my[Powers]. At all those neat tidbits of information that allowed me to process exactly what it was that began to affect me, or form in my hand or on my arms. The information that let me know exactly what an[Exqusiste Ration]did or what my[Cloak of the Frozen Icicle]was. Even the time I arrived in my jacket to a frozen world. All my[Powers]were described to me, why and how I got them too.


    "I-I think I do. I barely even thought about them in the moment. It was so natural. What the hell is that?" How did I know exactly the type of weapon that formed because of my[Power]?


    "I call it the[System]and those little nuggets of information that pop into your mind?[System Messages]. A simple enough naming scheme. The[System Shop]prompted most of the names to be fair, however. I don''t see them often, sometimes when I encounter something in the forest. A few other times too. Halt was the one who caught onto them first. After that, Laury found her Slate."


    "I do remember the[System Shop]. But that information wasn''t as subtle. You just bought what you bought, right?" I shook my head and bit into the piece of meat. It was good, if not a bit plain. The leaves had some flavor to them. "Damn, that''s a lot to swallow, but given that we''re even here I guess it isn''t too farfetched either. Guaranteed, it probably would''ve been a few weeks before I figured any of this out."


    John shook his head. "If anything Vak, I''m just glad I found you. You''ll have a better chance at living than most who show up. That''s saying something. Without that cloak of yours, you would''ve frozen your ass off."


    I laughed. "I''m glad I found you too. You were on death''s bed for a second there. Ah, but don''t mention it, John, it was the right thing to do. Besides, I owed Gibber for saving my ass from that giant."


    "I call them snowmen. Silent type, big and blue, razor-sharp teeth, yeah?"


    "The very same." I shivered, despite the warm fire. My mind started to wander to the cold blue body, laying headless-


    I stopped, idly noticing my Slate had disappeared.


    "Gibber and I can usually take one or two. But they''re not the worst things out there by a longshot. I doubt I''ve even encountered most of the forest yet." John said frowning.


    "You''re not planning to stay here are you?" I blinked. "Here in the trees?"


    "What else is there to do?" John shot back easily. "The people north of here are basically doing the same thing. Setting up shop. Making a home, carving out a place to stay."


    "Shouldn''t we be focusing on finding a way back?" As soon as the words left my mouth I became aware of their fault.


    John looked at me. Really looked at me. And for a flicker of the flame, his gaze wasn''t regular. "Wherever we are Vak no one''s coming to get us.We very well might be far in the future, or on another planet or some alternate reality. But there is one thing.The buildings I saw, I recognized the franchise of the ice cream shop. Hail-ey''s Icecream. You know it?"


    I recognized the name.


    "You do. Well, I thought so too." He explained. "We never mentioned it, but Iknow we noticed it. I''ve been inHail-ey''s a lot of times. I know how the places usually looked. It was rough and rundown, almost ruined, but the inside of that icecream shop looked a lot more updated than anything I''d ever seen in their shops before." He trailed off, letting me finish the thought myself.


    "You think we were flung into the future?" I asked incredulously.


    "I don''t know what I think, Vak. All I know is that this is our reality now. Assuming we could go back would be assuming there was anything to return from or return to. We might already be home." He said the last line with a shivering finality.


    "If this whole damn place is just future Earth, then that''s that. We try to survive. If its an alternate reality I doubt we''ll find a way back. Plan of action: survive. If we''re on another planet, that doesn''t explain all these ruins I''ve been seeing. Again: survive." John haphazardly laid out his theories in a way that made it apparent how much he had been thinking about it.


    I opened my mouth before closing it, thinking on his words. I guess the question now was whether I even wanted to go home. Did I have anything to return to? My heart sped up. Was it terrible to say that I doubted my parents would miss me too much, or that I wouldn''t miss them either? I loved them, but on a very real sense, we simply didn''t rely on each other. Saying goodbye now, as in finally deciding to stay here, would be bittersweet and leave me homesick nonetheless. A proper goodbye, closure would be what I needed. Or I would... miss them. In truth, I had no idea if I could do it, just disappear on them knowing I would never see or talk to them again.


    I had been going to college, learning game theory and psychology, and while it was interesting it wasn''t as interesting as applying it. I used as I gambled many times, just the small things I''ve learned that helped. It was as if I was learning a whole new language, discovering and applying it. This place, it filled that aspect of human nature, to discover things, to be on the frontier and explore. I loved that but it was saying goodbye to my life as I knew it. Was I ready for that? To throw that away, to say goodbye to my parents, my friends?


    I almost wanted to. I really did. But the thought twisted my heart.


    "A problem for tomorrow," I answered him, coming back to myself.


    "It has been for the past month." John chuckled.


    The wooden plates went away, into whatever room that John had gotten the metal pot and pan from. Next was a hearty broth served in wooden bowls. It was much more tastier, nothing extravagant, but it was filling. I wondered, idly, how eating now would affect the length of the effect from the[Exquisite Ration]I ate.


    If John was able to secure food regularly than my ration might not have been as needed as I thought it was.


    I asked John about how easy it was to catch game.


    "Every few days I''ll be lucky if I even spot something I can killandeat. Even then, I don''t always catch the things even after tracking them for the day. The temperature here''s probably the only reason my rate of hunting is sustainable. The meat won''t spoil when frozen so cold."


    "And today, what are you doing?" I wondered. "Do you hunt all day? Explore?"


    "I make the place more comfortable. Hunt if I can. Speaking of which, food is getting low. The timing''s perfect too. I''ll take you with me, show you the surrounding area, and how much I''ve explored. We won''t cover everything in a day, we won''t even get close, but any familiarity can only help you." He bent forward, looking up through the hole that the cooking fire''s smoke escaped to. He squinted. "Light snow, we should be fine. Are you ready right now?"


    "I have the entirety of my possessions on me right now. So yeah, I''m ready." I fastened my cloak tighter.


    John chuckled. "Good, follow me."

 Chapter 8 - Vantage and Disadvantage

    Curiously, John didn''t move to exit the tunnels, not that I knew where the exit even was.


    I was walking behind him, bending my knees as the ceiling required. "What do you call this place anyway?"


    "Never really bothered to think of a name. It''s just home for me." He said over his shoulder. "For you too as long as you want it to be. I owe you that much."


    "Snow Tunnels?" I offered.


    "Eh." John rebutted. "There''s a place on the edge of what I''ve explored that fits that description better."


    "Well, that''s all I got for now. We''re not going down on the ground?" I noticed John had literally no equipment, no weapon at all. I''d put money on the fact his [Power] was combat-related.


    He might''ve noticed my own lack of equipment because he asked me before I could him. "If you don''t mind me asking, I see you don''t really have anything on you. I''m not gonna ask what your [Powers] are but just be prepared, we might run into something. That''s part of the reason we''re taking the tunnels. We''re safe from anything roaming the forest below. We''ll use my tunnels as far as I''ve carved them, from there we''ll be on the ground."


    "I''ll be ready when the time comes." I replied.


    The further we went the smaller the tunnels became. As if John only had time to make walking-sized tunnels closer to the center of his home. Eventually, we''d be crawling if the tunnels kept tapering.


    At the very least, it gave me time to think.


    The random chance of my [Powers] were nice but the whole premise of taking [Gamble] and making a bet in the [System Shop] was to risk it all for a larger reward. So far, I couldn''t determine any such cost to any of my [Powers].


    "We''ll bail once we have to start crawling. It won''t be worth our time to move like that. How you holding up?" John broke my reverie.


    "Busy looking a gift horse in the mouth." I frowned ruefully. "My [Powers] seem to have no drawback. It''s leaving me slightly... I don''t know, uneasy?" My voice was contemplative.


    I wasn''t about to tell John that I craved that risk, that the chance of defeat made the victories all the more sweet. It was so illogical; to desire a drawback from a set of [Powers] that could only benefit you, if not always in a meaningful way. But gambling was illogical, it was the chance that drew me in. It was what I fell in love with.


    But this? This was just getting lucky. I wanted togamble.


    Perhaps a shred of that thinking led me to help a complete stranger in an even stranger world. If not that, then following the squirrel that led me to that stranger. That risk paid off in the end.That''swhat I loved about gambling; ending up with more than you had by putting what you had at risk.


    "The better ones tend to be like that." John responded. "But their effects might be less than one with drawbacks. It''s push and pull, really. You should''ve spent enough time in the [System Shop] to see it for yourself. People come in according to how much time they spend in there. And you''re pretty late. At least comparatively."


    "How do you even know that?" John had only interacted with two people from my understanding.


    "I had a lot of time to think. Plus some assumptions coming from a gaming background. What little help that might amount to." He had to duck under a particularly low ceiling before moving normally again, slightly bent over. "Besides, I had people to compare with. We arrived at the same time and spent the same amount of time in there."


    [Classes]and[Attributes]apparently, according to John, were where he got the most help. Those were often run of the mill in RPG games.Not that that lack of knowledge really affected me negatively at all.[Titles]too, but I had already figured those out.


    If this was my life for the foreseeable future then eventually I would catch on. I wasn''t expecting myself to be the only one completely clueless at some of the terminology. At the very least, I was familiar with idea of magic and such. But, that was all speculation, I''d barely been here for a day.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    "Here." John whispered, peeking out a hole in the tunnel. "Keep quiet from now on and stick close to me. Here on out, we''re exposed on the ground. Gibber should be nearby. Listen for his warning signal."


    I nodded, years playing in my backyard with the neighborhood kids left me agile coming down the tree. I landed with a crunch of snow behind John. I had forgotten the squirrel existed, but it made sense he wasn''t in these tunnels with us. He was a squirrel. He could just use the trees.


    A pink-purple semi-transparent sword appeared in John''s hand. It came into being with a deep hum. I blinked but caught on quick. It must be his[Power]. Or at least one of them.


    I followed him as he turned around and began walking. He didn''t walk as if he was in danger. He wasn''t tense. Only, his eyes kept themselves on the trees around us. I prepped myself as well, the nature of my[Powers]would be up to John''s best guess. It''d be ill-advised to reveal your hand if you didn''t specifically need to.


    Weapon: [Weighted Staff]


    A branch from a sturdy tree, trimmed and shaped into a perfect staff. The crafter kept in mind the natural density of the wood and picked the perfect section to create the weapon. As a result, this staff, though mundane, is nearly perfect.


    Buff: [Helpful Sync]


    When participating in an activity with another you naturally adjust to the group''s rhythm and your own actions amplify their efficiency. You have a vague innate awareness of those with you.


    Armor: [Padded Vest]


    A reinforced vest that protects against blunt attacks. The leather is stuffed with kinetic padding that helps to mitigate strikes. Normally used for practice and sparring.


    Other than the staff in my hand, I had the vaguest inclination to eye the trees around John and I. He gave me a look, eyebrows raising when he saw my staff but only nodded and turned back. He hadn''t seen my new vest as my cloak usually hid the extra armor that appeared on me.


    I stepped to John''s side and kept watch as he did. I saw the tenseness slip from his shoulders a bit, a detail I had missed earlier. His pink-purple sword was pointed low to the ground, and it looked every bit as sharp as anything I''ve invoked from my[Powers].


    For a while, it was the crunch of snow and only that. The soft fur of my white cloak made the light snow negligible; what little that came through the canopy. I could see frost forming on John''s facial hair. And now, from the warmth of my clothing, the snow was beautiful again. A perspective that was deadly if I wasn''t ready to brave its reality.


    At some invisible line, John began to talk.


    "That stretch of forest is where I run into things the most. Luckily, we were able to avoid any encounters." He said. "Eyes up ahead, you''ll see it soon."


    He also noticed I was barehanded once again. My[Powers]had run out. Perhaps there was a drawback: the time they spent active. My heartbeat hastened. It made a little more sense in theory. I had to use my[Powers]during combat. I''d be a sitting duck if not. If I used them before, in anticipation of a fight, that would run the risk of them dissipating in the middle of it.This necessitated a complete toss-up of my equipment in the heat of the moment.


    I had experimented enough, the downtime for[Armor Roll],[Weapon Roll],and[Buff Roll]was roughly equivalent to their uptime. That was the entire fight if I compared it to how long it took me to... kill the snowman. The giant as I had named it. The thought gripped my psyche for a moment before I tuned back in to what John had just said.


    "See what-"


    I spotted ruins. The trees were cleared here and I could finally see the sky in its entirety, not hidden by branches. We walked over what could only have been pavement and made our way into the middle of the street. Asphalt. The buildings on the block were recognizable, if not worse for wear. Snow fell more freely here. The place was buried in snow.


    I stared. "Have you looted the place already? Supplies?" I asked immediately. Simultaneously, I noticed sections of snow plowed away, obviously already reforming but the signs were there.


    "In the first few weeks, yes. Despite the cold not much made it unscathed. There was evidence of other scavengers." John replied leaving that to my imagination.


    "Monsters?" I asked, realizing we were walking out in the open. John had seemed to let up his wariness.


    "Not here. That group up north? They used to camp out here, cleared the entire place of monsters. Nothing comes here anymore, but... best to keep an eye out anyway." John spoke, his voice echoing across an empty street. He barely took in the sights, as if it was something he had seen many times before. "This one''s just a block of a city."


    "No housing, huh?" I noticed it looked like a city center. If the library was any indication. Or the post office. I said as much. "Looks like a city center. Of a small city, probably."


    "If there was housing I wouldn''t be living in a tree would I?" John rose an eyebrow at me. He chuckled but continued. "Anyways, our first stop is here because you need to see something. Bingo on the city center, by the way. Check it out."


    He pointed at something in lieu of explanation. I followed his finger and threw my gaze forward and upward.


    It was a bell tower.


    Walking distance away, I only missed it because I was staring around me. All the buildings here were modernized, but they were unmistakably recognizable as something I might''ve seen in my own town despite being partly destroyed. The bell tower didn''t fit in. But cities often kept parts of their past with them as they grew and developed.


    "A vantage point?" I said in surprise. I could imagine easily seeing the surrounding area if we were that high. The bell tower rose higher than the trees, much higher. "That''d be a great spot to see the place from." I said, turning to John.


    He nodded. "What better way to show you what I''ve been living in the past month?" John''s voice was hard.

 Chapter 9 - Bell Tower

    I knocked a stick against the bell.


    A resounding thrum shattered the muffled ambiance of an abandoned city block covered in snow. How could you describe the excitement? The bubbling feeling you were going to get caught, only to remember there was no way you could. Buildings like these were never open to the public.


    "Fun right?" John smiled.


    He had thrown his feet over the edge of the bell tower. The tower was partially ruined so the gazebo-esque covering that the bell hung from was slightly destroyed. The safe railings that might''ve normally been present were ripped from the stone.


    I joined him. I tentatively threw my legs over. Propping myself up by the arms, I let out a small sigh. The view was amazing.


    It was just snow. Snow as far as the eye could see. You could barely make out any trees because they were so laden with the powder it seemed as if the tops of them were the floor itself. But, while beautiful, what really caught my eye was the sky. It glittered with the snowfall, catching bright patches of sun and throwing the sunlight in every direction like a flower girl at a wedding.


    I smiled, a real one.


    "It''s beautiful." I said in awe.


    "Everything interesting''s below the treeline. There are a few things you might''ve missed though." John said pointing. "Over there, if you can make out their outline, buildings. That one''s a casino."


    I paused at the mention. Now that he pointed it out, I could just barely see it. It wasn''t particularly far, relative to this vantage, just that it was so subtle in the surroundings. My eyes took it in fully and found it to be quite large, but despite that, the building was mostly obscured by trees.


    "Are we stopping there?" Not that I thought it was the same one I''d been in, but, I had only ever been to one once before.


    "I was planning on it. " John said idly. "The casino of all things caught your interest, huh? Any reason why?"


    "It was the last place I was. Before I got here, I mean." I said. I didn''t understand the reason I wanted to visit. It was a strong desire and I didn''t quite understand it, but it was... melancholy. In the past, it might''ve been a dream to gamble, to win it all or throw it all away, but now? I had no idea.


    "An echo of the moment right before you arrived." He nodded solemnly. His voice was one that shared the feeling I felt. "I can understand that, I think. Closure, maybe. Or goodbye."


    The last words drifted into the snowfall, too final. For a moment, my ears were ringing in the way only absolute silence could bring. It had only been a day, but my thoughts and the snow weighed down on any positive thoughts. It felt like I was drifting at sea, icebergs all around me.This content has been misappropriated from Royal Road; report any instances of this story if found elsewhere.


    It became clear John was done speaking and I noticed some shapes he didn''t mention.


    We became like gargoyles, sitting there on the bell tower, snow piled on our shoulders. Such was our company. Just each other and our thoughts. Two strangers, drawn together by circumstance. John adjusted himself once; shaking snow from his shoulders. He became still again.


    My eyes slowly traced outlines beside the casino, the snow and perspective making things odd for my eyes.


    At this distance, the outlines I traced were anyone''s guess. There was only so much to extrapolate from a building''s shape.


    "What else is there?" I asked, sudden even to me.


    "Aside from the casino?Specialty stores, grocery store, theatre." He listed them off like he had been therea million times and as if he was waiting for me to speak. "Empty food places though. I got some of my furniture from there."


    My eyes followed a trail of smoke, far into the distance. That strange voice that told me about them. Who had that been?


    John noticed me. "Something wrong?"


    I stared at him, and around. "A voice. " I said unsure. "A person. There was someone in the woods asking who I was. He pointed me to the group heading north before I found you. Actually, they''re who I was tracking before Gibber found me. But... I wouldn''t have known without that person."


    John was unfazed. "There''s a few people going around, helping. Could''ve been them." He said, not unsettled. "Those people heading north, they call themselves Northbounders. I know, I know, but might as well call them by what they call themselves. I ran into one of their patrols, they tried convincing us to join, but we were scared, and cozy in our ice cream shop. We denied them, but not before they told us about a small rumor. Helpers in the forest."


    "First off, Northbounders?" I scoffed. "How big is that group? There wasn''t anyone smarter for the naming scheme?"


    "Thirty or so people, back when I ran into their patrol." John noticed me raising my eyebrows. I sobered up at his look. "It''s not that large when you''ve seen the bodies lying frozen in the snow. Thirty is nothing. You''re lucky you arrived late, seeing all that... it would''ve broke me if I didn''t have anyone." John voice was flavored with sadness, but his words came strong. "Come on, we''re burning daylight up here."


    We stepped down the bell tower. The staircase was perfectly intact surprisingly. Although it was slick with ice. "Why aren''t you with them?"


    John paused. "I guess... it wouldn''t be fair to Laury and Halt." He said finally.


    With that, I followed him outside. He was staring at the trail of smoke the Northbounders were leaving. The snow seemed slower as it fell around him.


    "You could still catch up, you know." He said, eyeing me. "They haven''t gotten far. Moving that many people ill-prepared for the weather might do that. No matter what[Powers]they have."


    He was right, they hadn''t gotten too far, actually. I supposed that''s what happened when traveling in large groups. I could only imagine the logistics of moving that many people.


    I weighed my chances. "You can''t get rid of me that easily, John. If I change my mind, I''ll be out of your hair. You can only fit so much snow in it."


    John chuckled, shaking the snow off his shoulders and beard. "Fine by me. A squirrel''s sad company."


    Out of nowhere, a snowball struck John right in the mouth. He choked, coughing up snow. Sputtering, he looked around, wiping snow off his face. But I had spotted Gibber first, and the squirrel was already gone before John could spot him up in the buildings.


    My gaze slid back down to John, wiping snow off his face.


    I laughed. He turned, looked at me for a moment and laughed harder.

 Chapter 10 - Between Books

    Before departing, we made our way to the library. The walk was a muffled crunch of snow but enjoyable, no matter how strenuous. I was unfamiliar with the terrain, and without the right shoes my feet, for all the warmth my cloak provided, were still cold. I was surprised I wasn''t outright frozen-toed.


    "Why the library?" I looked at John.


    "Easiest place to find food. The buildings that have their roofs caved in; that have snow coming in especially the ones with as many hiding spots as the library, usually have a lot of small game running around." As he spoke, a bow and arrow formed of pinkish-purple energy seemed to just appear in his hands. I didn''t comment on it, and neither did he. There was a small understanding that we would both be capable of things due to our[Powers] and this was normal.


    With a better understanding of my own[Powers],I held off on using them.


    The library, unlike most of the buildings, looked better in the snow. It had a presence about it that was nothing but the architecture and environment. It was only two stories, which was understandable for a small town, but the snow covered it like a scholar''s cloak. The entrance looked like it might''ve been glass once upon a time. A ruined metal mesh, probably in place for security reasons, was busted open and gave us a way in.


    John ducked into the building and I followed him. I spotted small animal footprints all over the place.


    There was a receptionist desk, a book drop-off, a book swap shelf, standard stuff I''d''ve found in my own library. Although, this library was much more modern. I ran my hand across the counter and found an unruined pamphlet. Events and such were listed out, book clubs among them.


    "City of Corona." I read aloud. "Crown City." I looked around.


    John looked at me. "Yeah, this one and those other ruins we saw from the bell tower are all Corona." He said. "Come on. We''ll have a better view from the second floor." John spoke. A small chittering echoed from somewhere in the library. John nodded. "That way. Gibber''s found some." He pointed.


    The library was quiet. Perhaps in the muffled silence of the snow, this was one of the only places that embraced the ambiance. The elevators were broken, so John and I tookthe stairs. Most of the glass that lined the railings was intact, and from that, I could almost see the library as it was.


    We ascended to the second floor to be greeted with a view of the first. It turned out the library was just one huge circle. We had entered from the outer edge and made our way inward to the middle. It was why, until now, I hadn''t seen the bookcases.


    The middle of the second floor was an open view of the first. Glass railways used to prevent people from falling off but they were long gone. The metal railing that framed said glass, however, was mostly still in place.


    In the past, there must''ve been a large skylight that let sunlight flow in. Now, snow drifted in undisturbed, steadily and inevitably. The entire first floor was buried in snow. Bookshelves that must''ve been three times my height were partly buried, the snow coming up to half their height. Books lay across the snow, paper, and pages torn.


    It was surreal.


    John had drawn his bowstring all the way up to his cheek, eyeing something darting around among the books. It had papers in its mouth and suddenly I realized all the small animals here had access to perfect bedding for their nests. That was a bunny, or rabbit, the same kind I had seen yesterday killed by a fox.


    He released his fingers and the bow twanged, only for a fleshy thump to immediately follow. The bunny''s momentum carried the limp body across the snow and it bumped unceremoniously into a bookshelf. He gave a thumbs up to something above. I spotted the reason John had found game so fast - a little red squirrel scurrying high on the bookshelves.


    I didn''t anticipate really needing my [Powers] in the next few minutes so I used them.


    Weapon: [Wrist Crossbow]


    A small high-powered crossbow attached to the wrist. With semi-auto capability, the crossbow reloads itself as long as it has ammo. Each bolt has enough penetrative power to push through weak leather.


    Buff: [Minor Treasure Sense]


    You are able to discern, vaguely, the direction of valuables. Gold, riches, and goods, nothing can escape your notice. The range of this sense is minimal.


    Favorable Armor: [Cozy Boots]!


    Woolen boots that protect the feet. Crafted with immense attention to detail, these boots offer the comfiest of steps. In cold rough terrain, this footwear feels like walking on the softest, fluffiest of carpets.


    There were a few things to address. First, the shoes that I had been wearing; they had just disappeared, leaving me wearing only these [Cozy Boots]. Second, perhaps more importantly, they did indeed feel like walking on warm carpet. My feet for the first time felt warm. And third, there was a sensation that pulled my gaze to the bookshelves here on the second floor.


    Those were the most apparent and pressing details. It looked like my [Power] would replace anything on me, at least briefly, if it was in the way. Hopefully, my shoes would come back. I knew that even if it was a similar item of clothing it wouldn''t automatically cause my clothes to disappear. I had been wearing a shirt, a jacket, and the [Cloak of the Frozen Icicle] and that [Leather Jerkin], and the [Padded Vest] and [Scholar''s Robe] for that matter, had just slipped in between the layers where they were most comfortable.


    Even the [Wrist Crossbow] found itself comfortably on my wrist, under the sleeves of my cloak. It was attached over my jacket''s sleeve.


    "Cool." John broke in. Looking at the weapon. He didn''t question where it came from, or how I got it, but I doubt he saw the shamrock mist that accompanied its arrival; it had formed under my clothes. "See where Gibber''s pointing?"


    I did. The little squirrel was looking downwards from the second floor to the first. He was indicating a particular aisle if his pointed stance was any indication. But I stopped myself. "Hold on, John. Follow me, real quick." I said, looking to our left.


    He shrugged, looking at me curiously, before signaling to Gibber.


    We moved between bookshelves. The ones up here weren''t under the open roof so there wasn''t too much snow. Frost, however, did cover almost everything. The spine of every book along the shelves were covered in ice. The rustic wood fared no better but held strong against the elements.


    None of that was what drew me here. My hand ran across the books, searching. My eyes did the same. But it was another sense altogether that made one such book stand out.[Minor Treasure Sense]did.


    I pulled it out from its spot. It was near the end of the shelf, high enough that I had to step on the bookcase to pluck it out. It was covered in frost, more so than any other work here.


    It was fundamentally different from any book I had ever seen. It was a deep blue like the ocean, its spine was ornate, adorned with embellishes and swirls. For all that one might think it''d look gaudy, instead, it looked ancient, cared for. It didn''t appear at all similar to anything nearby. I wondered how it took me so long to find it.


    In my hands, I felt a power pulse from it, icy cold. The shock nearly made me drop it.


    This time, I recognized the [System Message] for what it was.


    Rare Skillbook: [Ice Mastery]


    The cold elements bend to your will. Shaping frozen magics become easier, second nature. Magics pertaining to the element of ice become colder and more intense. Your innate understanding of the cold becomes sharper and easier to grasp.


    John, similarly, stared at the book. "Holy hell. Something like this exists?" He whispered. "I''ve been through this library a dozen times. I had never even thought to check the shelves."Stolen novel; please report.


    "A[Skillbook]." I muttered to myself. "Any idea what this is, John?"


    An idea occurred to me. I summoned my Slate. It was the first time I''d thought to use it. A deck of transparent cards appeared in my hand, and I drew from the top of it. As I pulled it closer to view, no writing scrawled itself across the card. No information made itself clear to me. The card was blank. No dice then, but it was worth a shot.


    "I''m unfamiliar with the term, but I can guess. Maybe it''s a way to learn [Ice Mastery]? That seems like a [Power]though." He hummed. "And what does that [Rare] mean? In any case, you might have hit upon something valuable there, Vak."


    "I saw some ice-related powers in the [System Shop]. Now that I think about it I''m almost certain there was an [Ice Mage] [Class]." I said. "Though, I don''t think learning [Ice Mastery] would do us much good, seeing as neither of us has been playing with ice." I looked at John and he nodded in confirmation, apparent trust in the gesture.


    "Keep it close for now. It sounds valuable, especially if the [System] recognizes it. At the very least, it''s not a normal book." He said with thought. "And maybe you don''t need to know any magic to begin with.[Ice Mastery]sounds like it might help you getstarted."


    I thought about that for a bit. My thinking was that[Ice Mastery]might enhance what was already there. John was proposing it would help someone get started learning to mess around with the element. The description did imply it might facilitate faster learning.


    John perked his ear when Gibber''s chatter echoed over to us. "I''m gonna go grab lunch. Currently, it''s lying dead in the snow waiting for me to come get it." He reminded me. "I''ll be right back. Stay close."


    "Alright." I responded. "I''m gonna look through these shelves again." He nodded at that.


    He trekked towards the stairswhich left me with my thoughts and the book.


    [Minor Treasure Sense] detected valuables. What made something valuable? Usefulness, importance, scarcity. In game theory, the player was assumed to choose the option that most benefited him. Sometimes this entailed attaining a limited resource.


    "Limited resource..." I stared at the book. Could it be one? "Possibly. It was considered [Rare] after all. And I guess to use a [Skillbook], well, you''d probably just have to read it. But that didn''t make sense; it didn''t seem right that everyone could just take turns reading the book and have everyone learn[Ice Mastery]. It couldn''t have been that easy."


    By now my [Powers] had worn off. I tucked the [Skillbook] into my jacket pocket, the large pouch was surprisingly useful in my circumstances for some reason. My shoes had returned to me, and I let out a sigh of relief as my attention was drawn back to the book.


    I walked a small distance to check another section of the floor.


    I perused the shelves, I doubted I would find another one. I was simply browsing the actual books displayed. "Was it maybe a one-time deal, like [Gift] was? A one-use thing? Or maybe the material is so hard to understand not everyone could learn it. Either of those would make sense. Was it both?"


    I decided not to read it for now. I had no idea how it worked, it was, after all, some kind of magical book. The library, no matter how seemingly serene, wasn''t a safe place to sit down and read, ironic as that was. It wasn''t too pressing either, I didn''t have anything in my toolbox relating to ice.


    "And even though ice is cool and all, I guess I''m not really particularly inclined towards it." I felt at the book. "Seems like difficult reading material in any case, if the thickness tells me anything." I said.


    Despite the propensity to talk to myself, my voice was only a whisper.


    That was why I heard the chuffso clearly, no matter how quiet it was.


    I froze, turning up and down the aisle. Nothing. I heard it move, crunching snow. Carefully, I peered through the bookshelves and saw something moving. Pulling a book out of its place, I peeked through the frost-covered rustic shelving and into the aisle beside me. I saw something white moving left, just barely enough time to see thick arms. It was either crouching low or on all fours.


    I walked, quietly as I could, in the opposite direction, fully intending to get away as fast as possible.


    I turned a corner, surrounded by books, and found a dead end. My breath stopped, realizing my circumstance. Quickly, I peeked back around and caught it sniffing at the ground.


    It was in my aisle.


    It was a humanoid, white-furred, it could have beenan ape. But its face was all wrong, too flat, too ugly to be recognized as anything close to that. It hadpointed earsand hunched over on its knuckles. If that wasn''t enough - it was bigger than I was.


    My hand slipped on the frost-covered bookcase.


    The small sound was enough, its ears twitched. Its head perked up, but I had already pulled my head back, eyes wide. I could hear its footsteps on the library floor.


    Shit. I planted my foot on the bookshelf. The slick shelves were treacherous while covered in ice. I couldn''t bother to care. Adrenaline poured through me and I was acutely aware of every sound I made and didn''t. My frantic climb was only seconds.


    The shelves went up to the roof here, I couldn''t cross into another aisle.


    Weapon: [Air Blade]


    An invisible blade weighing less than anything similar. Its edge is razor-sharp, able to slice clean through mundane armors. The blade is useless against anything that can withstand its edge due to its lack of mass.


    Armor: [Spiked Pauldrons]


    A set of steel pauldrons. A piece of a set. This shoulder armor is dense and able to withstand a direct, purposeful strike. Presenting your shoulder at the enemy would do much to dissuade an attack.


    Buff: [Stage Whisper]


    Your voice is heard only by those you want it to be heard by within a small range.


    It lumbered around the corner below me.


    My muscles burned with the effort of holding myself stable pressed up against the bookshelf. The[Spiked Pauldrons]settled heavily across my shoulder and it only added weight to my predicament, I felt the added mass acutely. The[Air Blade]came attached to my hip, sheathed.


    My hands found a better grip deeper within the bookcase. There weren''t as many books higher up on the shelves, so I had the opportunity to find a better handhold. I managed to do so without making a sound.


    I was a good distance above it, but my I held my breath, hoping it wouldn''t look up. The thing was smelling exactly where I had been standing.


    I pulled a book off a shelf. I needed to lure it away. I threw the book around the corner, releasing it without a sound, and sighed as I watched the creature''s attention shift as the book landed with the frenetic flapping of pages only a book could.


    "Vak, is that you?" My blood ran cold. Hecouldn''t have been a bookshelf away; the next aisle maybe.


    The white-furred thing''s pointed ears immediately perked up. Its head tiled towards John''s voice and I followed its lead. It looked through the shelf as if it was window shopping, trying to get a better angle at John.


    And yes, I could see him there. The angle my view afforded me let me see through the less populated levels of the bookcase. John was right there. I could only make out parts of him, but it was him, right across from us. And the snowy creature was staring at him too, trying to get a better look. Tracking him.


    I breathed hard.I hoped to god[Stage Whisper]would work.


    "John, you''re in danger. Don''t freak out, there''s a creature right across from you. Right through the bookshelf. It sees you. It''s close to pouncing, be ready to move." I spoke, but my words didn''t reach my own ears.


    I saw John stiffen, but I could just make out a transparent purple flash of color.


    The creature tensed immediately at whatever John had just done.


    Every scenario ran through my mind. I didn''t doubt for a moment the creature belowcouldn''tbreak through the bookshelf and be upon John in moments. From the way its legs flexed, I doubted it did either. Possibilities ran through my mind, and one way or another I''d need to be down there to help John.


    Before I could even think about it, I was screaming, falling downward by the shoulder. My[Cloak of the Frozen Icicle]fluttering behind me. My[Spiked Pauldrons]lead the way down.


    The creature screamed, knocked to the floor as I landed awkwardly on top of it. My[Spiked Pauldrons]had ripped into its whole right flank. It roared, the sound felt like it belonged in the jungle. I snapped back to the moment and just dug in, pushing the creature into the bookcase, as it tried to stand, off-balance.


    It screamed before finally realizing its size advantage. It leveraged itself and shoved me to the floor, hard.


    "Vak? Vak! Go around! Meet me at the end of the aisle!"


    But I had already wasted too much time. I scrambled to my feet at the same time the creature got its bearings. It looked at me.


    I ran, scrambling across the floor. The creature bounded across the floor with a hunter''s instinct. It pushed against the bookshelves and books fell all around us as the shelving wobbled. It lunged at me. My retreat was haphazard, dodging now and then, desperately darting forward and away from its arms. I ducked under a heavy swing and realized it was trying to grab me.


    I thrusted my[Air Blade]outwardnot even being able to see it. Aside from a shimmer of air, it looked like I had just pointed the hilt of a blade at the creature. I took a finger off of the thing and it roared, bashing me against the shelf with the back of its swinging arm. I slammed against the wall so hard it felt like I had hit cement. The uneven spines of the book and lining of the shelf ensured I''d bruise.


    I didn''t make it to the end of the aisle.


    It grabbed me by the neck and I tried my best to turn my shoulder towards it. It cut its hand on the[Spiked Pauldron]but only sneered, its teeth sharper than anything I''ve ever seen. I thought it was going to bite into me, but instead, itsqueezed.


    I screamed as the pain of having my spinal cord snapped crept up on me. I slashed at it with the[Air Blade]and managed to carve a chunk of its flesh off. The pressure on my spine released itself, and I thought I had actually hit something important and killed it.


    No. John had barreled into the creature with a shield made of transparent pinkish-purple light. His face was a snarl. "Vak! Get behind me!" The bloodstained creature roared in rage but John was pressed up against it, stabbing its side with a knife fashioned of the same light. He didn''t let up and blood splattered the entire bookcase. "Gibber! Where are you?" He yelled loudly.


    I said something back, but I could barely hear myself.


    I didn''t get behind him. That thing had almost killed me. I propped myself unsteadily against the bookcase. I could barely keep my balance, the pain was too fresh in my neck. But that didn''t matter, I only needed to get the general direction right.


    I didn''t know if John could''ve killed it himself, it did seem like he had the upper hand. And he had been living here for a month, so the man might''ve been a lot more capable than he let on. I wobbled, watching John soar past me.


    But no, John, like me, was just a regular guy. He hit the bookshelf with a painful grunt. It roared in triumph. It reared upwards and beat its chest, something like hissing coming from its mouth.


    But I had already oriented myself. By the time John was sent flying into the bookshelf, I was already charging, screaming obscenities. It didn''t seem to notice, so consumed in its fight - in its triumph.


    The spikes of my pauldron caught it right in the neck. My invisible blade slid into its heart.


    "Die bastard!"

 Chapter 11 - Acceptance

    Warm blood ran down my shoulder. Its warm body shuddered against mine, too furry, too rea. Suddenly, its body went fully limp and it fell onto me with its full weight. My cloak was now red with blood. So much blood.


    I shuddered, stepping back. "Oh my god." The [Spiked Pauldrons] disappeared. Blood flowed like a river from its neck before it slumped fully onto the floor. "Fuck." I repeated, staring at myself and then the body. The rest of my[Powers]dissipated.


    It was necessary, I had to remind myself. It was trying to kill us. Iron filled my nose and the scene became much too real. My hands trembled, spattered with blood. I was covered in blood. There was no other way.


    I stepped backward, too dazed to turn away from the gruesome sight.


    Another thought pierced through my mind.


    I turned wildly, sliding to his side. "John!" I said urgently. Gibber found us, he was perched on his shoulder. I relaxed, noticing he was breathing. "He''s unconscious Gibber. I''m probably worse off than he is."


    My back felt like I had gotten trampled. My neck felt like a broken bone. Turning my head was agony. Under my clothes, I was probably bruised all over. I groaned. "Hell. I can barely fucking move."


    What was the plan here? There was a body next to us, did that attract scavengers? Were there even scavengers in the library? Were there more of them? I shuddered, unable to help myself from looking at the slaughter behind me.


    I grimaced. "Gibber, can you understand me?" The squirrel tilted its head at me. "Fucking great."


    John wasn''t too heavy for me, but his limp form was giving me problems. Gibber had scurried away and I could only hope my exasperated gesturing had communicated somewhat of a plan. I had wanted the squirrel to warn me of anything. I hadn''t heard anything yet.


    I fireman carried John down the stairs. We passed the bunny he had shot, he must''ve thrown it aside when he came running to me. Finally, I had gotten us to the receptionist desk by the entrance. I needed a moment. I let John downbehind the desk and caught my breath. I wasn''t weak, but I the cloak put a lot more weight on me than normal clothing. Plus, it could''ve just been me, but the air had always seemed thin when I arrived. That would make sense considering the temperature. We were probably high up somewhere.


    I sat myself down beside John, resting my arms on my knees. My back settled painfully against the desk and my neck fared worse than that. But it was a moment of rest. My breath came in shuddering waves. I tried not to break down. What the hell had I just done? Did I just almost die?


    That was fucking risky. What was I thinking; dropping shoulder first on some deadly creature? That could''ve been my damn life. Was I an absolute idiot? I should''ve aimed for the head; drew the[Air Blade], something - anything would''ve less stupid!


    No, I knew what I was thinking. I was coming down one way or another. More than that, I knew why; the risk. I wanted to risk it all, knowing if I could ambush the creature and take it out right there, John and I would both be okay. Besides that, there was no time to think, I took the risk. I should''ve killed it right then and there, at least then I wouldn''t have had to see all that blood.


    "But that didn''t happen did it, Vak?" I shuddered. "What the fuck were you thinking? You weren''t ready for that bloodbath, no matter how much you wanted to gamble your life." I snapped at myself, shaking my head at my lunacy.


    John mumbled, eyes fluttering. He groaned, propping himself up. "Fuck Vak, it''s not your fault." He said. He looked at me, grimacing as he moved, bleary but lucid. "White Troll. In a fair fight, we would be dead. If you hadn''t crippled it outright, it could''ve thrown me through the bookcase. It had barely been moving its right side."


    "Maybe." I replied, numbly. I noticed John''s pained face. It couldn''t have been that different from mine. "How are you feeling? You took a nasty hit."


    He lifted an arm up in way of answer. "Better than I should be feeling, that''s for sure. I swear I fractured something." The armguards, I remembered.


    "[Armguards of Health]."I recalled. "I thought they only helped with disease and stuff like that."


    "It says ''mortal afflictions''. And from the feel of it, I think that means physical ones too."


    We didn''t dally too long in the library after that. Having picked ourselves up from the floor, we quite literally limped, achingly, away. It was barely afternoon. After a moment''s discussion, I went back and retrieved the bunny he had shot earlier. The corpse was void of an arrow and it was a clean kill.


    It turned out John had a small outpost, carved into the trees right outside the abandoned city block. The plan was to eventually extend his main tunnels there, but as it were, that was in the distant future. Climbing into the tree was both as painful and inconvenient as I imagined it to be. The pros being that there was a lot more non-snow furniture present as a result of being so close to the city ruins.


    After the cooking fire was started we munched on lunch in quiet. John had a rough map, clearly an amateur''s work, drawn up on paper. He traced our route. The entire forest wasn''t as monotonous as I expected from my view of the bell tower. In fact, all the interesting features lay below the trees.


    I ripped away at the skewered meat. The map was much more populated than I expected, and with a lot of detail despite the drawings being terrible. I said as much. "Not the best map, is it?"


    "I''m not an artist, alright?" John said scratched his head.


    I stared at him as the memory of him fearlessly pushing into the troll flashed into my mind, relentlessly stabbing it over and over and over-


    "Vak?" His face was slightly concerned.


    I shook it off. "Yeah, I''m here. So, our route?"


    There was some small planning involved in our route, mainly to dodge what John judged to be dangerous areas. Apparently, the appearance of the troll told him something about the rest of the inhabitants. I couldn''t fathom the relationships. He rolled up the parchment and tucked it away into a backpack he kept against the wall before pulling it down and over his shoulder.


    He turned to me afterward, but I was pulling something out of my jacket.


    It wasn''t a light book, in fact, it was hefty enough to shake the small wooden table I placed it on. As soon as I placed it down, a small circle of frost emanated from it, thicker than the ice already present on the table.


    "Let''s try reading it." I said after staring at it for a while. John nodded.


    "Another[Power]won''t hurt anybody." He said, letting his backpack down. "If that''s how this even works."


    "No idea." I said. Anything to get my mind off of things.


    Together, we opened the[Skillbook]:[Ice Mastery]and were surprised to find the pages covered in flowing script. And that wasn''t a fancy adjective, it was literal. Shiny black lines seemed to wrap themselves across the pages, diagrams, and charts, evermoving. My head ached just looking at it.


    My eyes seemed drawn to their flow. I followed a snaking piece of ink as it moved through the book, hoping to maybe find some relevance or significance. I had to flip a page to track down the moving script as it traveled across the browned parchment. At one point, it formed into an entirely new graph, having met up with a multitude of other similar splotches of ink.


    A snowflake.


    Nothing happened. No matter how long John and I stared at it. The snowflake dissipated, sending script flowing in every which direction. My eyes ached as they tried to track each one at the same time. The movement was so subtle, so beneath regular writing that my eyes barely caught onto the shift.


    I shut the book. Tucking it into my jacket instead of leaving it here in the outpost.


    "So much for reading it." John snorted. "What do you think? I can''t think of a way to use it other than that."


    I scratched my head. "There''s got to be more to it."


    The feeling was almost certain. John seemed just as befuddled, but eventually, after a few more experiments, he called it. "God that is frustrating." He exhaled. "Let''s get a move on, we can''t sit here all day. As much as I am curious."This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    "Fair enough." I sighed. The book would have to wait until I had more time to think about it. Maybe it was a matter of just concentrating. Nonetheless, I planned to attack it head-on when I had a moment of peace.


    The schedule for the day was largely unaltered despite our frustrations. John briefed me on what other dangers I might encounter in this forest. White Trolls, the thing we had just witnessed, were in the category of extraordinary. The giant I had fought, the Snowman as John had named them, also fell under the category. They were two of the most dangerous things I could run into.


    Early into the afternoon, we found ourselves walking into the casino.


    "You wanted to." John shrugged. "Here we are. Might as well look around, if that[Skillbook] just lying in the library taught me anything."


    "Well, I doubt there''ll be anything useful here." I stood there, taking it in.


    Slot machines were frozen all around us, in every sense. Their screens, covered in frost, displayed slots that alluded to the fortune of the previous player. Poker tables, of that green felt, were still in their places. I stared around and remembered the abundance of people that could fill such a building.


    An actual deck of cards lay untouched nearby. My hand, gliding across the table, nimbly picked it up. Idly, I flung them, shooting them across the room. The thwipping sound of their bend caught John''s eye but wassubsequently ignored. I gave him a shrug.


    A pile of chips lay on another table. A fortune if they were mine and the place was still running. The last card of the deck went flying, joining its scattered friends on the gaudy carpet that seemed ubiquitous in every casino. A cruel twist of fate left the carpet almost undamaged.


    The place was abandoned. Nothing less than I expected.


    Yet I had to come. Why? I didn''t know, truthfully. It felt like I had just had my birthday weeks ago. It had only been two days. My first act of celebration was to come to the casino, myself. It meant something, to come alone. It was... independence maybe, the notion I could have my own fun by myself.


    I didn''t expect to stay alone, separated and cut off.


    Again, the thought nagged my brain. Did I care? I did, I think.


    I don''t know how long I stood there, but my silences and daydreamings were getting noticed. After minutes, I noticed John''s presence off to my side, quietly being. John''s voice came calmly like a man aware of someone in turmoil, having noticed me look to my side. "Come on, Vak." He said, placing a hand on my shoulder. "It won''t be the first time you''ll fight for your life here."


    We left.


    The rest of the buildings were uneventful but John proposed we at least check them for anything useful. Nothing came of it and we found ourselves walking on the outskirts of the city block ruins.


    By now, I had realized that the chances were I''d need my[Powers]within a minute or two was so insubstantial that the risk just to see what I would get was worth it for me. Especially so, given that John was nearby and I had a clear view of my surroundings. It wouldn''t do to be completely unprepared.


    Buff: [Keen Eye]


    Your eyes notice the small changes in the environment. They sharpen, allowing details in perfect clarity and objects at a distance to appear as if nearby.


    Weapon: [Bronze Tomohawk]


    A single-handed ax able to be used as a general tool but more often utilized for combat as a throwing weapon or hand-to-hand weapon.


    Armor: [Oasis Vest]


    A rehydrating vest that supplies the body with all the water it requires. This vest is enchanted with heat resistance and activates when under duress.


    Instantly, my eyes twitched and I stared across the clearing. My view, unbidden, zoomed past falling snow, focusing past rough tree trunks, and finding the spaces between them. And then I was staring at a face. A green face, staring right back. He had tusks lining his mouth and he wore heavy furs. I thought I saw a sword hilt strapped against his back. He was undoubtedly looking past everything and straight at me.


    My eyes zoomed back out and suddenly I saw many more of the faces, my view flickering from each one. They were still, waiting far beyond what we would normally see. They were all staring at us. I could see flashes of steel, the occasional bow. Even a staff. Implements of war. Death.


    "John." I said, unmoving. "Something is watching us. Over there." I indicated as subtly as I could. "I think it''s an ambush. A lot of green people."


    He slowed his pace but didn''t stop. "That was where we were heading." He said, slowly. "You''re sure?" It was less of a question than I expected. John was already surreptitiously glancing right.


    A horn echoed throughout the forest and the silent snow burst alive with war drums, hoots, and calls. Everything intensified and I saw them all jerk forward at the instant the sounds played.


    "Gibber!" John yelled, his head snapped to some arbitrary point, I followed and found the squirrel scurrying in the trees. "Scream if you see anything! We''re running that way!" John called to me. He had to raise his voice over the sounds.


    Instead of answering, I just ran. Fear gripped my heart.


    It was an exhausting sprint, spurred forward by the calls behind us. I threw my[Bronze Tomohwak]behind me at a green shape faster than the rest. I heard a grunt right when I felt the familiar sensation of my[Powers]leaving me.I kept my legs in front of me, running after John''s steps, following Gibber. Snow crunched beneath us, sending powder into a cloud where we ran. Our feet sunk below the soft powder and pulling them out to run took considerable effort. Just the weight of my clothes alone required heavy exertion. The noises drew me forward but something nagged by brain. I stepped out of my fear and thought for a moment. I felt herded. The adrenaline was the only thing that kept me from collapsing.


    My mind worked overtime as my body did. Step over where John sunk into. Aim for spots of ice even if more slippery. Step close to the trees. I heard them to our left and right. They flickered through the trees as they ran alongside us. Not too far, not too close.


    "John." I gasped, my chest ached. "John!"


    He turned. "What? Now''s not the time, Vak!" He yelled, somehow having the breath.


    "They''re herding us like sheep!" I huffed, catching a deep inhale. "We need to go up. It''s the only way."


    A spear landed between us. "They''re running us down." John grimaced, stepping quickly back from the spear. He looked around in what might''ve been an expert''s gaze and spotted something he liked. "That one. Climb up."


    It was a gnarly tree that was lower to the ground than anything else. I wasted no time. My foot caught the lowest stretch of bark and I gripped the next branch over. I found myself perched on a branch, looking back to John. More spears fell around him and I heard an angry grunt far closer than anything else. He must''ve been right behind us.


    "Help me up!" He grasped my forearm and I hauled him up. He tested a chunk of snow attached to the tree. "This way." A pinkish shovel formed in his hand and he knocked the ice away.


    The sound became angry, faster. Arrows flew around us, but we had moved up the tree, most of the snow blocked their ranged weapons. And then I spotted the first one trying to climb the tree below us.


    Buff: [Blessing of Dexterity]


    Your hands become skilled and adroit, accurate and precise in their movements. They do what you expect of them with surprising finesse.


    Weapon: [Magic Kunai]


    A small pack that creates magical kunai through the user''s magical affinity. The pack drains the user''s mana until kept full.


    Favorable Armor: [Force Shield]!


    A transparent shield made of pure force given form. The shield has the advantage of being extremely light. Useful on the move. Can be deactivated at the handle.


    Everything settled onto me. The[Magic Kunai] coalesced at my hip.The[Force Shield]formed right across my arm, enough to cover my entire body. I held it up instantly, eyes going wide as the green man threw a club with a weighted nob at the end right at my face. My position was awkward, paining my already bruised neck and back, but it was braced against the tree trunk.The impact rattled me, but I held on tightly.


    I grunted with the impact. "Bastard." I growled, able to see everything from behind my shield.


    My hand paused at the mouth of my pack of [Magic Kunais]. I slapped myself there wasn''t time to waste on morality.I reached into my pouch and threw a[Magic Kunai]watching it fly with unerring accuracy, my hand having moved around the shield and thrown with a perfect arc. The[Blessing of Dexterity]made it feel as if the hands weren''t even mine.


    The kunai sunk into his neck. He gurgled blood, pulling the kunai out, but it was flashing different colors. He threw it back, missing completely, before dying right there. I swallowed, shaking but reaching for another.


    "Vak! Get up here!" John yelled from higher up.


    "On it!" I called back. "Hold on! We have some climbers!"


    Two more started to climb. They yelled something up at me and a solid sphere of darkness blasted against the tree. Splinters exploded from the trunk. The tree wouldn''t last a few more of those.


    I nearly fell off, but the two kunais I palmed flew straight for the two climbers. They each sunk into their throats, each[Magic Kunai] being odd. The first one had landed in the first climber''s throat but there were two more besides the original that looked identical. The second one in the other''s throat was on fire.


    I didn''t want to waste a powerful roll.


    I spotted the mage, gathering darkness, and flung three[Magic Kunais] for good measure. I spotted some more running to my tree, and four or so standing in the back. They were all wearing thick furs, so I added as much power as I could to my throws, in case of the event I missed.


    My arm traced the oddest arcs around my shield and the tree. My position necessitated it. Despite that, they all flew true, any err in their aim was due to the distance allowing their targets to react.


    I only had time to watch the mage meet the[Magic Kunais] with a barrier, only for it to shatter the instant I saw it form. Two of my weapons lodged themselves around his face. The third fell short, right where the barrier had been.


    I paused. Were they random?


    "Gibber! Find us a path!" I heard John yell. "Vak, godammit! Where are you?" I switched my[Force Shield]off by the handle, the second I was clear from any arrows.


    I followed the branches that John had carved the snow off of. Emerging, he grabbed my arm and pulled me up, already having been waiting. I was met with a familiar sight. Solid snow as far as the eye could see. Except for Gibber running around it was the same as I had seen it before.I knew better though,this entire layer of snow was misleading. We could fall through with a single misstep.


    My[Powers]expired. The small pack at my hip dissipated along with the handle that I had held in my hand. Suddenly, my hands felt like mine again.


    Gibber trotted forward and stared back at us. John took the hint and walked to him, taking the path Gibber indicated. We repeated this process until we were making good time, falling into a hurried rhythm and checking behind us every chance we got. Each of my steps were hesitant, but Gibber knew what he was doing. The little scaled squirrel chittered endlessly.


    "They''re not chasing us?" John asked, staring backward. His breathing was unsteady.


    "No, they''re not. We got forced north. I think they found something better."


    I stared up at the column of rising smoke. We hadn''t seen it from the below the trees. It was much closer than it had been the first time I saw it.


    "The Northbounders." John blew out air. "Fuck."

 Chapter 12 - Contact

    Every now and then, I could hear them below. I tried to place my feet as carefully as I could, I had no idea how my weight would translate below me.


    "You have an outpost right by them?" I asked, incredulous.


    "Remember, they''ve just started moving north. They had been camped in the bell tower ruins gathering strength before they left. I''ve been all over this area of the forest. I have small places to wait the night out scattered around here and there." John shrugged, rubbing his arm. "I had been forced to be on the move until finding a good spot where you found me. We can see what''s up if I can find it."


    "They looked a lot like orcs, don''t you think? Tusks, large, green." I said aloud. "They fit the bill." Their appearance aligned with the description I found in my head of the fantasy race. Those nights reading fiction coming to usefulness.


    "Where did they come from?" John pulled his furs closer, the wind up here was chilling.


    "They must''ve swept up past your tunnels, then past the bell tower ruins. We would''ve run into them earlier if we hadn''t been moving." I said. The initial section of our route moved us up north, our intention being to veer left and encircle the area John had explored. Before we could, we had been forced on the Northbounders'' tail.


    "Lucky we moved then." He said. "We could try turning back, holing up and hoping they pass. I wouldn''t feel okay with that plan though."


    "It might be better to see what they''re capable of. The Northbounders will have equal numbers from what you''ve told me. I think I already killed a handful of the orcs though." I rubbed my arm, unwavering.


    "A scouting mission then." John agreed. "We''ll see if we can help them out. Safely. I have a feeling there might be more orcs than what we just saw."


    I nodded. The idea was dangerous, but in the long term, we''d have to see what these people were capable of. They had outright attacked John and I. Observing them while they were distracted was as good a chance as I''d expect us to get. There was a part of me that wanted to see the other humans too; what they were capable of.


    Leading us slowly and steadily, Gibber eventually pawed at a section of snow. The walk didn''t seem long, but that might''ve been a side effect of the layer of snow on this level being so uniform. John, pink shovel in hand, dug up a section of the snow.


    "It should be right here." He said grunting. "X marks the spot." He shoveled snow to the side. Gibber was pawing at the snow in all his effort to help.


    We all paused as we heard people shouting below a little ways off. The fact that I understood some of the words meant humans like us. John looked at me and continued digging.


    The hole he made was a straight shot into a carved out room of snow, not unlike the one I had slept in. He wasted no time. We dropped down Gibber landing on my shoulder for a moment before finding the ground.


    "Vak, with me. There''re a few spots to view from." He looked at me, then at my cloak. "You have a hood right? Keep it on."


    I blinked. "Yeah." I said, throwing it on. The white fur covered my head and shrouded my face.


    "Good." He cupped his hand against the snowy tunnel as he moved, crouching low and scraping powder into his palm. He threw snow all over his head until he was covered in the white powder.


    I got it now. Camouflage. We hurried to a section of tunnel that had a carved opening looking down towards the forest floor below. Our heads were the only things visible from the outside.


    My eyes traced figures moving in the woods. We were looking out into a small clearing. Temporary structures made of snow were arranged around a large bonfire, belching smoke into the air. Our vantage point was deeper in the forest, but our view was clear as day. A man in the center was shouting orders to everyone, but he turned and I followed suit.


    I saw someone run quickly into the clearing, barely out of breath. Faster than I''d seen anyone run, especially considering the terrain. A[Power]probably. He looked to be just a regular guy, younger than me. I could just make out his voice as he spoke to a taller man.


    "Something hit Henry!" He reported, pointing back into the forest. "Fatal wounds, they''re retreating but they sent me ahead! The whole patrol is back there taking arrows! We''re not tenminutes away at normal speed!"


    The taller man waved people over. "Northbounders!" He called. "Anyone with combat or scouting[Powers]follow Danny here." He hurriedly gave orders, unease lining his face grimly.


    Four or five people sorted themselves out and Danny turned, leading them.


    I voiced my concerns. "Why are they throwing all their people to the problem? That''s risking everything on an unknown." The thought was absurd.


    "Those two." John pointed at a few people around the taller man. "They were on the patrol I met. Should be worth something in terms of protection."


    "Who''s the taller guy?" I asked.


    He was wearing something like chainmail, except it looked more formfitting, and lighter. He had brown skin, sharp features, and dark hair. He didn''t look armed, but neither did I. Or John. It wasn''t the best indicator of capability, I conceded.


    "Must be the leader of the Northbounders." John''s explanation was about as useful as a pile of yellow snow. "What? You found me crippled in a tree, remember? How am I supposed to know?"


    "Damn it, John. Very helpful." I groaned. "You think they''ll be okay?"


    They had little in the way of defenses. The orcs at least had weapons, actual weapons, no one I saw left here had anything of the sort. No, that wasn''t true, there were a few people that held makeshifts spears.Still, if I was a betting man, which I was, I''d put money on the fur-clad green people. The orcs as I''d been mentally referring to them.


    "They''ve lived out here longer than you have." John said in way of answer. "Anything might happen. We don''t know what those orcs are capable of. They came out of nowhere. "


    "You see anything?" I peered the other way unable to get a view.


    "Move down the tunnel. It''ll turn and show you the forest in the other direction, facing partly at an angle away from the clearing." John gestured.


    I followed his directions and crawled further. Here was actually just a dead end, but he was right. This section of tunnel abutted John''s at a right angle. I should''ve been able to see him peering out of the small window but I couldn''t find his features.


    He must''ve seen me looking because a hand went up briefly, further back from the window so as not to reveal himself from anyone below. I did the same. I didn''t risk whispering to him at this short distance, it would''ve been audible from directly below us.


    My gaze shifted to the deeper forest, finding the gaps between the trees to look through and sorting through all the white. I saw flashes of color in the distance, but they weren''t green. It must''ve been the group of people that Danny led away. Did they run into trouble already?The author''s tale has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    A frantic waving caught my attention and I found John''s hand vying for my attention. I somehow found his eyes through all the snow and he put a finger to his lips and pointed directly down.


    A green-faced person crawled forward, silently, barely making a sound. Another followed quietly behind the first, then another, and another, and another. They moved in absolute silence. I hadn''t even heard the crunch of snow below them.


    Archers. A whole squad of them. They were right below my line of sight. Five of them, crawling right below a ridge of snow that formed from against large roots. They were all clad in brown fur, but smothered with white snow. Bows slung over their back, the leader signaled to his companions and they fanned out.


    A gut feeling compelled me and I looked across the clearing. I spotted a similar group moving, just a small flash of what I thought was a face. The feeling was certain. I signaled to John, and while he didn''t see the group due to his line of sight, he got the idea. I spotted him looking across the other side of the clearing not visible to me.


    We both grimaced.


    Buff: [Tough Hair]


    The hair on your head becomes akin to diamonds in hardness. The defensive capabilities and health of your hair are increased. The innate mana-conductivity of your hair is increased. Any hair cut off retains its properties after expiration.


    Weapon: [Aniam Dagger]


    An enchanted dagger that shifts into a variety of small, annoying magical beasts loyal to the wielder. With great dedication, these animals can be trained for combat or other tasks, in doing so, both improving the state of the sword and its utility.


    Armor: [Grounded Boots]


    Boots made of spark badger hide, any lightning attacks are immediately grounded, leaving you unaffected. Additionally, an enchantment rests on these boots that prevents you from being thrown off your feet.


    The hair on my head became harder and fuller. A volume that I had never experienced in all my life. Before I could even marvel at the health of my hair though, the[Aniam Sword]in my hand became a little white furball with teeth.


    I put my fingers to my lips immediately as it started to open its mouth. Its teeth seemed as sharp as the sword''s edge I witnessed before it transformed. It looked like a little monkey if the arms and legs were instead connected to a perfect fluffy sphere.


    It hushed, and I almost regretted even thinking about my next action. "I''m your wielder, yes?" The little white monkey ball nodded. "I need you to try your best to kill the green people below, got it?" It jumped onto the window and peered down.


    Then it jumpedoffthe window. Just like that. I probably gaped in awe at how sudden the whole exchange was.


    I heard it screech as it landed and I hazarded a look below. The white monkey was crawling all over one of the archers, moving across his body like a jungle gym. The thick fur the archer wore suffered long gouges, and I pulled my head back.


    John was staring at me and I thought I could read his lips. "What the fuck was that?" I pretended I hadn''t successfully translated. John stared below, he had knocked an arrow into a bow that appeared in his hands, but he was only holding it ready.


    The archers all lunged after the[Aniam Sword]but their scuffle didn''t go unnoticed. The leader of the Northbounders saw the snow being kicked up and realized there was an ambush in place. His eyes darted around and took no time at all to track the other group of archers.


    "They''re around us! Garth, Kevin!" He called two names, pointing. The two people John had pointed out started sprinting to opposite ends of the clearing. One to the group directly below us, and another to the group I had spotted across the clearing.


    At the same time, the runner returned. "Hale! I think they''re humanoid! They''re notanything I''ve ever seen that''s for sure! The rest are caught up with a dozen up ahead! The patrol and support have linked up."


    "Behind me, Danny! Some have snuck past!" He yelled, throwing him backward. "Everyone unable, into the huts!" A few people darted into the makeshift along with Danny.


    Hale, the leader, only stood in the middle guarding the encampment. His stance wasn''t particularly in preparation for anything, but he looked confident and he was constantly glancing around. He traced the paths of both Garth and Kevin.


    One of the two arrived at the chaos below me, Garth or Kevin. The[Aniam Sword]had thus turned into some kind of slimy little slug, but it seemed to move only faster, diving through the snow like it was water. Its body was acidic and the smell of burnt fur filled the air as none of the archers could even land an attack on the swift little creature before it crawled all over them and shot off again like a dolphin through the snow.


    The human that approached the orcs did so carefully. His fists were raised, too far a distance to really do anything with the stance. The orcs were too distracted by the[AniamSword]that they didn''t see him approach. The leader did, however, and shouted at the group to change their focus.


    Just then, the[Aniam Sword]dissipated. The leader, noticing, shouted for his men to target the human. And the man threw a rising uppercut from his position.


    The leader''s jaw clamped on his tongue and his head lolled back, blood coming from his mouth. He fell over. Then the man began to throw out a series of punches and jabs that he put his whole body into, despite being so far away. It looked ridiculous, but the bruised faces and blood pooling I saw below me remedied that notion. Every time one of them reached for a bow their hand would be knocked aside, and they''d receive an invisible punch to the face.


    The whole squad had been wiped out.


    In silence, John and I watched the man check the bodies, laying them out, but keeping an eye on his encampment in case they needed his help. I tilted my head as he removed the furs from one of the archers, opening up his clothes so he could get into the pockets. Only the man''s face was green as if it were some kind of warpaint. The rest of his skin, neck down, was a normal beige.


    The ranged fistfighter took all the bows and arrows in the end and placed them off to the side. Then turning back, he went around and viciously kicked each archer in the head, leaving a dent and spray of blood in some cases. Dead.


    He turned and began walking towards Hale and the rest, equipment in hand.


    I suppressed my amazement and looked to the rest of the clearing. There were three or four of the club-wielding green faces approaching Hale. Two more wielding swords came from the side. He was surrounded.


    "Who are you?" Hale spoke, he moved closer to the side, keeping himself from being surrounded as the two sword-wielders intended to get behind him.


    The leading green face pointed his club at Hale. "Kill you!" He roared, surprising both me and Hale.


    Then a visible field erupted from Hale. Suddenly, the orc and everything around him was pressed to the ground. Clubs, swords and knees fell to the ground as the green faces grunted against the force. "Garth." He called, concentrating.


    The invisible fistfighter stepped forward and punched them from out of Hale''s field. Suddenly, the struggling green faces went limp, sinking to the floor.


    Hale nodded to the other one; Kevin. The man in question didn''t display any amazing[Power]other than walking through Hale''s field unaffected. I saw him sink into the snow as he walked, but he eventually tied up every green face with twine. Judging from his confident knots, Kevin had much practice tying them.


    Suddenly a fireball exploded in front of Hale. He yelled flying backward and colliding against one of their snow structures. Garth and Kevin yelled, diving to the side.


    An orc, for lack of a better term, came from the treeline. He wore heavy robes and held a staff. Despite that, I could still see the muscles that the robes so desperately tried to obscure. His staff lit up with bright fire and a stream shot out towards both Garth and Kevin.


    The snow around them melted but Kevin was already up and standing in the way. A shield of water bubbled around him, steaming up the entire clearing. Our vision went to nil as the cloud engulfed our view. The speed that he brought that water to bear was impressive. No doubt yet another[Power].


    I moved around the tunnel finding John.


    "You think they need our help?" He asked, looking over as I rounded the corner. We kept our voices low.


    "Our help might go a long way." I answered. "But it doesn''t look like theyneedit."


    "That guy, Garth, he''s got some kind of ranged[Power]. Kevin''s got some water magic, and Hale''s got a field." John listed. "Between them and whoever they sent out with additional[Powers], I think they''re fine."


    I nodded. Noticing the steam, rather than clearing, only accumulated more. The cloud even seemed to spread over to where John and I were viewing, albeit much thinner.


    "That little animal you dropped on them. What was that?" John asked curiously. He whistled lightly and Gibber crawled up his shoulder to stare at me.


    I pulled my hood up slightly. "It''s my[Power]. " I said ruefully.


    John had probably expected the answer. "Fair enough." He snorted, staring at his armguards.


    I hadn''t noticed it before but a part of me was demanding attention. It only took me a few seconds to figure out what it was. I summoned my Slate to my hand, a neat deck of transparent cards forming right in my palm. A single one of those cards glowed blue, demanding to be drawn.


    I pulled it.


    Group Tutorial Quest: [Against All Odds]


    Quests are the main method in which the[System] bestows boons. A small armed force of tuskers threatens to wipe out your group, finishing the job that the environment couldn''t. Survive their slaughter or slaughter them first.


    Current Contribution: 9 Kills


    Rewards: Nearest[System Shop] Location, [Points] based on contribution.


    I looked at John and found him with much the same expression as mine.

 Chapter 13 - Above You

    It had been an hour since seeing the quest. Neither John or I had expected anything to appear on our Slates yet we probably should''ve. The existence of a [System Shop], a physical location, baffled me. And to reward us [Points] too.


    I groaned, leaning against the softest pile of snow I could rake up. My back and neck were still bruised and since there were no mirrors John was helpful enough to tell me it looked as bad as it felt. The area around our lookout was fairly quiet.


    John rounded the corner from the main room of the outpost. "There." He whispered, patting the snow off his hands. "Hole''s all sealed up. I sent Gibber out, see if he could spot anything."


    "Good." I said shortly, the pain was returning to me with nothing to focus on.


    I held the same card up to my eye. Willing more information on it, writing scrawled itself across the bottom neatly.


    Group Tutorial Quest: [Against All Odds]


    Quests are the main method in which the [System] bestows boons. A small armed force of tuskers threatens to wipe out your group, finishing the job that the environment couldn''t. Survive their slaughter or slaughter them first.


    Current Contribution: 9 Kills


    Rewards: Nearest [System Shop] Location, [Points] based on contribution.


    John must''ve seen the look on my face. "What''s wrong?" He rose an eyebrow.


    I blew out air. "Nothing. I got nine of them is all."


    John cocked his head at me. "When did you manage that?"He said wide-eyed. "You were with me the whole time." He kept his voice down yet hit tone was anything but.


    "I told you we had a lot trying to climb after us." I tried to shut out the memory. It came unbidden. I saw myself climbing the tree, remembering. "Three climbers in the throat. One mage. Four archers in the back." I snapped out of it, wondering where the last came from. "And maybe one of the ones below us just now."


    "How?" He said.


    "Regretfully. Painfully." I looked at him, realizing I was too lost in my thoughts to have given an actual answer. "My [Powers], sometimes its helpful."


    "I''ve seen you with a weapon before, out of nowhere. You have something like mine?" He asked.


    "I thought you said we should keep our [Powers] to ourselves."


    "We''ve already almost died twice together in as many days. You''ve saved my life and kept me safe while unconscious earlier today. I can safely say we''re past that." He shrugged. He looked at me for a moment, before speaking. "[Violet Shaping]. I can form things at will, sturdy and durable, and extremely lightweight. Perfect for any tool."


    "I''ve got a bunch of random [Powers]." I said in response.


    "Not exactly the description I was wanting."


    "No, literally. A temporary random buff, weapon, and armor." I gestured to his armguards. "Those things were supposed to be temporary but another one of my [Powers] allowed me to [Gift] it to you and save your life."


    John sat back, finding a spot against the tunnel wall. "So you''ve been getting lucky?" He asked in all seriousness. "That''s why I''m alive right now?"


    "Only fools get lucky, John." I recited one of my mantras. "The smart ones don''t settle for lucky. They turn luck into fortune." I said smiling.


    John chuckled. "You have a [Class]?" He asked. "Those seem fairly specialized. As much as random can be seen as specialized."


    "No, just fortunate." I grinned. "You?"


    "[Shaper]." John glanced at me. "Bumps the [Attributes] up that my [Power] relies on. [Willpower] and [Mind]."


    I was curious. "What does a [Class] even do, besides that? Those abbreviations are [WIL] and [MND], right? I think I''ve seen those through the [System Shop] at least a few times."


    "Hit the nail on the head." He nodded, crossing his arms. He spoke softly. "As for the [Class], well it gave me [Violet Shaping] for one. It raised my [Attributes]. I''ve also gotten [Perfect Imagery] and [Fortess Mind] after a few... events. They seemed underwhelming at first, but that [Perfect Imagery] allows me to do stuff like this."


    He held out his hand and for once I was able to decide on the color. A violet deer, grazing on grass that fit his palm. A whole wooded clearing made of violet light. I saw motes of light that could''ve been butterflies, wind in the trees. And then I saw John''s eyes simply staring in small delight as I did.


    The whole image winked away as his hand fell to his side. "Translates to weapons." He said, forming a sword in his hand and an axe in the other. "As for [Fortess Mind]. It''s as if my mind is my own, more than it had ever been. I wouldn''t be far off the mark if I said it''s what got me through most of the trauma." He said calmly. "It''s definitely got me through all the blood."


    I remembered John speaking of their deaths, seemingly all too at peace. He was sad and accepting and yes, there was grief in his words and his voice, but there was no denial. No wasted emotions on what couldn''t be changed. He was... secure of himself. Sound.


    Maybe there was a lesson there.


    "I''ve got [Lottery], [Cheat], [Armor Roll], [Buff Roll], and [Weapon Roll]." I listed them off to John''s gaping mouth.


    "You''re kidding. How many [Points] did you start with?" He shot off. "That''s something like 20,000 [Points]!" His voice was a harsh whisper.


    "I may have had a little [Gamble]." I said in way of answer. "The payout has been worth it so far, even if I''m learning how to best utilize what I have. But no, no [Class], just fortunate."


    "What do they do?" John said incredulously. "I could guess, but still."


    "[Lottery] is just that, and the rewards are permanent. My [Cloak of the Frozen Icicle] was the thing that got me through that first day. I would''ve froze to death otherwise." I pulled the cloak tighter over me. "It kept me from getting stabbed and bitten from one of those snowmen. It got me to you." I said. "[Cheat] tips the scales for my chance-based effects and was probably the only reason I lucked out so hard for the cloak. Not to mention the[Exquisite Ration]as well; that''s going to sustain me for the next two weeks.The cooldowns for both of those are a whole day, so far as I''ve experimented."


    John''s mouth made an ''O''. His eye twitched. "A chance for something every day is pretty nice. No matter how small." He finally said. "Gives you some incentive to survive till tomorrow." He adjusted himself. "But[Cheat]seems powerful given your set of[Powers]. I''m not even going to try to understand what an[Exquisite Ration]is."


    "[Cheat]is less powerful taking into account the temporary nature of my[Powers]." I explained.


    "True." John said.


    I looked at him amused wondering if his[Power] [Fortress Mind]might''ve come into play.


    "As for the rest." I trailed off.


    Buff: [Charismatic Wit]


    A silver-dipped tongue and nimble mind allow words to flow easy. When talking your voice is rhythmic, easy to listen and more likable. Your ideas and suggestions are more easily received. Increased [CHA].If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    "Do you sense the silver on my tongue?" I tested, slowly. "The quick of my wit? The knowing, that, with a flick of my wrist, I could bear a weapon and armor full kit." I said the words with confidence that astonished me.


    My voice sounded smoother than it ever had the right to be. It wasn''t so much the words I spoke than the way I said them, the tone I used, and how each fit together like the most satisfying of jigsaw puzzles.


    John tilted his head. "What is that?" He said, noticing the chime of my words. "Why are you talking like that?"


    "A buff, John. No need for unease." I spoke. "To speak clear, the words breezy and - here." I gestured to my hand.


    Weapon: [Fasts Blade]


    An inferior sword modeled after the legend of an [Animator]. A blade lined with ink whose strikes and cuts sink black ink into wounds. A weapon as much a quill, a tool of war as much as one of art. An animator brings his strokes to life.


    "Woah." John whispered as the green light coalesced. "What is it?"


    "A sword, a blade. Made with ink, squid splayed." I turned the blade over in my hand, noticing blank ink pushing at the edge like a ballpoint pen. "Random, fortune or not, and always the case. Appears in my hand; them, regardless of place."


    "This is crazy." John sat back. The sword and axe he set aside turned to motes of light as they dispersed. "They''re just yours to use?" I nodded.


    He held[Fasts Blade]in his hand. Soulbound to me, I doubted it would work for him more than being a regular sword. I still wasn''t sure to what extent a soulbound item lent itself to others, but perhaps that was worth testing.


    "Try the blade, a single slice against the ice." I gestured. Mentally, I pushed against the soulbound nature and relaxed the item, allowing John to use its power.


    John pointed the blade and scraped a single black line against the ice. "Ink." He spoke, unaware of my musings. "Why ink?"


    "The blade of an [Animator]." I explained. "Ink to bring creatures to life, I think." Shrugging, I gave John my best guess.


    He sat for a moment playing with the[Fasts Blade].


    I felt[Charismatic Wit]vanish and following that, the blade in John''s hand did as well. Breaking into shamrock mist.


    He stared at his hand for a moment."Right. Temporary." He said to himself, having been in the middle of drawing a crude circle on the wall. "And the[Armor Roll]?" Hewonderedlooking at me.


    "I''ve been wearing it." I said.


    Armor: [Mesh Scale Armor]


    A durable one-piece created from the hard scales of various beasts. The individual properties of each scale are unknown but each shares the same level of hardness and durability.


    I pushed my cloak to the side and pulled my jacket up. It had attached itself over my shirt but under my jacket. The[Mesh Scale Armor]glinted a dull rainbow of colors. John had time to admire it for half a minute before it too dissolved into mist.


    We had time to discuss our next move. Every now and then, we''d hear distant yelling. The tuskers, as I now knew them to be named from the quest description, were still on the attack. But the Northbounders rather than running, it looked like there was a skirmish going on. The Northboundersweren''t staying in their same encampment, instead, they were spread out now, as heard by the various directions the sounds of fighting came from.


    John and I being somewhat near the center of the conflict.


    We had gotten to talking about whether we were prepared to face anything.


    "Theyareour group, apparently." John and I had moved into the main room of the outpost, speaking at normal volume here wouldn''t leak out into the forest below. "It''s a tutorial quest."


    "What, like an introduction to the[System]?"


    "Seems like it." He scratched his beard, sitting on a lump of snow. "We did come in a group. Well, a good chunk of us came at around the same time. Within the month. "


    "Youwantto kill them?" I said slowly.


    "Theywant to killus." He responded. "The way I see it, we were attacked first. You saw them waiting to ambush us. Did they look they had any regrets?"


    I flashed back to the first tuskers I saw in with[Keen Eye] earlier. All I saw was cold determination. Their eyes were set, perhaps glinting with some hidden emotion. I took a page out of John''s book; accepting things for what they were. This is was life or death, literally. Survival. Not the waiting game that was starvation, dehydration and shelter, this was immediate and present. Killers.


    I closed my eyes smiling as I shook my head, the decision made. "That[Fortress Mind]really makes things easy for you doesn''t it?"


    John laughed lightly.


    Our plan was simple. We''d wait here in the trees and pick off anyone we saw so long as we could do it stealthily and under the radar. This consisted of John necessarily widening our line of sight, meaning digging tunnels. With Gibber''s help he was able to carve from the main room outward in another direction, covering more area from our central tree.


    John and I silently moved between these two sections of tunnels eventually each settling on our own ends. I was in the northern tunnels, watching towards the Northbounder''s camp, now devoid of steam and people. John was facing backward in the southern tunnels.


    A snowball hit the entrance to my tunnel.


    I got up sorely and moved to John, who had spotted something. He had a bow in his hand and his head was covered in snow, barely moving. Similarly, I put my hood on and carefully peered out of the viewing window.


    This time there were only two warriors, bigger tuskers holding an axe and club each. They were doing a decent enough job of moving silently, using the trees to their advantage. I could only guess their intended direction, but from the way they were looking, I''d guess the Northbounder''s had managed to hold a line. It seemed the general skirmish layout were the humans on my side and the tuskers on John''s.


    John nocked an arrow while I tried for a weapon and buff.


    Weapon: [Ornate Greatsword]


    A greatsword decorated with common jewels on its hilt. Its blade is whetted to near perfection, but the sharpening has left the blade thinner than normal.


    Buff: [Greater Strength]


    Power courses through your veins, delivering force to every part of your body. Lifting boulders and vanquishing your foes become as easy as swatting a fly. Greatly increased [STR].


    The sword that most definitely was supposed to be two-handed, rested almost disconcertingly lightly in my hand. I looked at John quickly and shook my head.


    He unnocked his arrow and let them pass under us.


    As the two warriors walked by untouched, they gave a short call backward and a small contingent of tuskers revealed themselves, walking into our view. Several of them were mages. I spotted the fireball throwing mage, blistered in the face, but leading nonetheless. He must''ve survived the scalding steam.


    John looked at me and wiped away the imaginary sweat on his brow. There was no telling what would''ve happened if we had let loose a shot.


    They all passed under us within the minute.


    Silently, we followed their procession from above, moving to the northern section of tunnel. They found the dead archers. Each one rummaged through the bodies of their fallen comrades and came up empty. Garth had taken it all earlier.


    My[Ornate Greatsword], which I had left in the other tunnel, had just disappeared. How I knew that I wasn''t so sure, but so began my cooldown. My[Greater Strength]followed suit, though that one was much easier to measure.


    Blister, as I''d so aptly named him, came forth and laid his staff on their heads. He muttered some words and they were seething with rage. Then suddenly, all the tuskers were low to the ground. Blister had ordered them down after one of them had said something.


    They peeked over the snowy ridge.


    It was a handful of people, humans. They didn''t look armed, but again, that was misleading. They didn''t look scared either and I wasn''t sure whether that was better or not. I saw John spot them too, he was right beside me.


    I looked down, immediately concerned. I tapped John''s shoulder and pointed.


    The tusker, Blister, had fire swirling around his staff, partially liquifying the ridge, but hidden still. His words had a ringing hum to them that I wasn''t entirely sure I was even hearing. Arcane fire, liquid, dripped down onto the snow starting a small hissing noise. It caught the attention of their targets.


    The fireball expanded before John and I could even debate yelling a warning to the group. And it went flying, soaring through the trees and angling straight towards them.


    Someone punched the fireball and it erupted into embers, broken fire. Someone punched the fireball. I blinked and John did the same, his bow and arrow ready again.


    Then there was chaos. Shouts filled the air, a contrast to the near silence John and I had been used to the past hour. The twang of bows, and screaming charges of the tuskers below us. The mage, Blister, yelling orders and throwing more roaring flames. Another threw balls of shadow that swirled like a vortex.


    The humans yelled. I saw someone standing the way of every magical spell, countering each effect with his limbs. Where he sent the balls of magic, steam erupted, or snow exploded in darkness. Everyone else was on the attack. I was surprised to find two men charge the already advancing tuskers, enough surprise in their eagerness to halt them before they collided in a clash of bodies. Snow was thrown up, powdering the entire clearing.


    Someone, a human, threw a glob of something sticky. It landed against a tusker and suddenly the air was only his screams. The acid burned through his fur and his flesh in moments, the smell wafted up to John and I and we tried not to gag.


    The tuskers, meanwhile, were holed up right below us. Their artillery kept the humans from nearing, their warriors were scuffling off the side, managing the humans that tried to attack them. The archers below us were peppering any stragglers than decided they wanted to try something. It was a locked-down skirmish. The humans were losing.


    I rolled again.


    Buff: [Aura of the Eagle]


    An aura surrounds you that affects allied entities. The piercing eye of the eagle sees all its prey. Increased perception of surroundings and hand-eye coordination. Increased[DEX]and [ACC].


    Jackpot Weapon: [PhosoShardbomb]!


    A crystalline shard bomb that when primed, after five seconds will erupt into a violent explosion of crystal fragments. Crystal fragments will inflict[Phoso Sickness].


    - Affliction: [Phoso Sickness]


    The innate properties of the phoso crystal absorbs lifeforce, consuming its host and proliferating across their body. The crystal must be removed before vital parts of the body are crystalized less the host become a permanent crystal fixture.


    I didn''t need eagle eyes to stare at the grenade in my hand. It was shaped like an apple, except covered in spiky shards. There was a section of it that my hand fit into, which was where it naturally formed. And there was an obvious piece of crystal shard I knew had to be broken off to prime the thing.


    I stared at the tuskers below me, killing humans. Four archers spread out. Two on the ridge and two on opposite sides, shooting from the cover of tree trunks. Three mages including Blister who wasted no time throwing fire and shadow. Meanwhile, warriors struck down a man who faced him, clubbing his face in a mess of red pulp.


    "John." I said, very carefully. I held up the thing in my hand.


    John found my eyes then naturally drifted to my raised hand. "Vak." He said quietly, understanding the form he saw. "Is that what I think it is?" He looked at the grenade and then down to the tuskers.


    I pointed into the main room, away from the tunnel. John slowly got up, looked at me, and went.


    I broke off the crystal shard and dropped the[Phoso Shardbomb]straight down.


    The sound I could only ever equate to a billion panes of shattering glass as I dove for the main room.

 Chapter 14 - Camp

    The sound of a billion broken panes of glass, the shattering tinkling noise of crystalline shards exploding into ever smaller fragments. The noise filled the air, piercing through even the muffling snow.


    I covered my ears, finding myself beside John who was doing the same.


    "Fuck." I said, ears ringing. I groaned, pushing myself up from the snow. The section of tunnel I had been in wasn''t destroyed, but it was porcupined with light blue crystals. I was fucking glad I decided to dive out of the way.


    John scrambled to his feet at the same time I did.


    "Don''t touch the crystal." I said immediately, to which John slowed. I answered his. "Poisonous." I shrugged, not wanting to get to into detail. It got the idea across.


    Together, we both glanced out the window, stepping carefully around the shards. I stared down at the aftermath below us, still as camouflaged as I had been before. With the caveat that our lookout was now a sparkling mess.


    As was everything else.


    I had hit a [Jackpot] [Weapon] but I wasn''t sure that''s what I would''ve called it now. Four tuskers were skewered; two against the snowy ridge, and two to the nearby trees. Blister and the mages were on the floor, twitching. From the light blue sharp crystals covering all of their entire bodies, I could easily make out exactly where they had been in relation to the explosion; where they had been facing. Each crystalline shard that found purchase was tainted in blood.


    Some took it to the face, others to the back. I pulled away from the window, breathing hard. John kept an eye out, calmer than I could ever be. His voice only reflected that grim serenity as he spoke lowly. "They''re coming to see what happened. We could reveal ourselves if you want." John squinted. "It''s those three. Hale, Kevin, and Garth."


    I breathed deeply, nearly hyperventilating. John wasn''t blind, he noticed my predicament and let me be. There was no impending danger, so it was fine. I tried to calm myself and meditate, but only found another feeling.


    My Slate called me. The feel of playing cards brushing against my fingers steadied my shaking hands. It took me considerably less time to calm down compared to earlier with the troll. I blinked the thoughts away, realizing it was only earlier today. Keeping my breath steady I seriously wondered if this might just be the norm now.


    One of the cards glowed blue. Drawing it lightly between my fingertips, like usual, beautiful script scrawled itself across its surface as I held it up to look at.


    Group Tutorial Quest Completed: [Against All Odds]


    Quests are the main method in which the [System] bestows boons. A small armed force of tuskers threatens to wipe out your group, finishing the job that the environment couldn''t. Survive their slaughter or slaughter them first.


    Final Contribution: 16 Kills


    Contribution Breakdown:


    [Tusker Archers]: 8 x 100 = 800 [Points]


    [Tusker Warriors]: 3 x 150 = 450 [Points]


    [Tusker Mages]: 4 x 200 = 800 [Points]


    [Tusker Leader]: 1 x 500 = 500 [Points]


    Total [Points] = 2250


    Rewards: Nearest [System Shop] Location, 2250 [Points]


    The 16 kills gave me a pregnant pause, but I was able to sail through the encroaching storm. I forced myself to think past it for now. Back against the wall, I heard voices below us.


    "What in the hell?" Someone said. "Anyone of us have a[Power]that can do this?"


    "That wasn''t one of ours, Garth."I recognized Hale''s voice. "Gruesome."


    Garth, the first voice, had a tinge of anger to it. "They killed three of us here alone." I heard him spit. I couldn''t mistake the grimace in his voice. The slight disgust and queasiness. "Fuck. Couldn''t have done it better myself though. I''ll give them that."


    By now, I had joined John, having finally calmed down, and watched Garth, Hale, and Kevin standing below us. I tried to avoid the gore, but my eyes kept slipping back to it. They were standing on the snowy ridge looking at the crystalline blast zone.


    Hale stood taller than both wearing a chain shirt. His dark skin stood stark against the snow and up close he looked to be in his early 30s. Like the other two, brown furs rested heavily on his shoulders. "Well," He spoke. "We know we''re not the only people wandering the forest. Wouldn''t put it past someone to take crack shots if they had it lined up.[Points]for contributions and all that."


    Garth nearly rivaled Hale in height, but his presence came from his muscles. The man was light-skinned and probably close in age to Hale. He had a mustache and beard. He was the one that had been punching the fireballs, the same one with the ranged fists.The narrative has been taken without permission. Report any sightings.


    Kevin was thinner than both in comparison and just as old. Somehow I found myself respecting the three relatively older men that took charge. He was the one that initially blocked the stream of fire, causing the entire clearing to erupt into steam hours earlier. "I''d thank them if I could." He said shortly, he barely flinched at the gore.


    Johnjerked his head towards them, face questioning.


    Well, I guess it was time to meet some people. I called down. "Then we''ll be right down."


    They all looked startled at that, each pair of eyes finding the wrong spot to focus on.


    John led me to theexit of his tunnels that opened to the first branch in the sequence of branches that would take us down to the ground. Carefully, I placed my foot below me, following John''s pace. We dropped down behind the tree shortly after and came around to face the three.


    The crystalline gore was between us.


    "You did this?" Hale called out. "How- "


    "Thank you." Kevin said over Hale, keeping true to his word.


    Garth grunted, rubbing his beard. "Fine work, men." He said. "Thanks for the help."


    John spoke first in response. "They chased us to your tail, thought we''d see if we could help from the sidelines." He nodded to both Garth and Kevin. "Nice to see you all well."


    "Better than them." Kevin gestured to the tuskers.


    Garth and Kevin looked to each other briefly. It took them a moment of looking at John''s features before they spoke up. "You were the one in the city ruins. Ice cream shop right?" Garth nodded. "If I recall correctly, you were with an older man and young woman-"


    Hale put a hand on Garth''s shoulder before he kept going. "Garth."


    He looked up at John''s eyes which had a tinge of melancholy. "Sorry." He said. "Tactless of me."


    "No, it''s fine." John waved. "That''s the one though. I''ve run into a friend on the way as well." He gestured at the crystallized tuskers. "Courtesy of him." He threw a thumb at me.


    "Name''s Vak." I pulled down my hood, shaking snow off of me. "Saw you guys were in a pickle."


    Kevin and Garth stared at me, and then at the crystals. I felt their gazes sweep across my body, looking for anything on me. They found nothing but their eyes lingered on my[Cloak of the Frozen Icicle].


    "For the past hour or two, yes." Hale responded, unfazed at the gore I wrought. "They''ve been harrying us. Although, I think that''s the last of them since the quest completed." He looked into the space in front of him. I realized it was probably his Slate. "Anyone catch the location of the[System Shop]?"


    "North from here. All the better, you all were heading that way anyway, right?" I popped in, to their surprise and John''s.


    "North?" John asked.


    "How do you figure?" Garth asked rubbing his beard.


    I pointed to the sky. Through the clearing, the beam of light that came from the sky might as well have been a beacon. Actually, that more fitting. The beacon of light was obvious if you looked up.


    They turned back to us. "If you two need a place to stay, you can hole up with us." Hale said courteously. He immediately addressed the other two men as he gave us time to think it over. "Garth, Kevin, we''ll send some people to the[System Shop]tonight. Establishing a camp comes first though."


    I looked at John. It was his call to leave his pseudo home for the time being. "Sure, they swept right throughthe area we were stayingand it''s getting late. Too dangerous to head back now." He said in way of answer. I agreed with the logic. We had already had our fill of life or death today.


    "Follow us then, we''ll have to set up another camp. Somewhere safer than a clearing probably." Hale spoke, turning and walking without even looking back. Garth and Kevin fell in step. "If you''re willing, we could use a few capable bodies to scout out the area around the[System Shop]."


    "We''ll think about it." I said, exhausted. "Already almost died twice today."


    "No one can blame you for that." Kevin said softly. "Too much pressure can break a man."


    John looked at me, shrugged, and the snow crunching under our feet was the sound that filled the quiet.


    The walk through deep snow and thick forest was a familiar one. We were five men moving through the forest and for once I didn''t feel exposed as I was. Whether that was a consequence of numbers or the abilities of the four other people beside me I didn''t bother to contemplate. My feet dragged heavily against the snow.


    I hung back as Hale spoke to John. At some point, Gibber had found his way to John''s shoulder again, there were a few stares but that was the extent of it. Kevin kept his space but I could tell also kept an ear on the conversations around him. That left me walking with Garth. The company wasn''t entirely unwanted, it kept my mind off things.


    "Damn, that''s a nice cloak." The fistfighter said. "Must be a hundred times warmer than these itchy things." He grabbed at the brown fur adorning his shoulders."


    I chuckled, idly caressing the fur, feeling the white softness. "It''s already saved my ass once." Then a thought struck me. "Where exactly are we heading? Don''t you have more of your group scattered about?"


    "They''ll be up ahead. We''ve had some people scout ahead, there are rendezvous points. If anyone''s missing we''ll find them." Garth replied easily. "It won''t be the first time someone''s been lost. We''ve learned that lesson."


    I hummed in acknowledgment.


    "That crystal[Power]of yours is pretty impressive." He said offhandedly. "Must be some[Power]."


    "Sometimes it is." I smiled brushing off the nosiness.


    He chuckled. "I can respect a secret." He put his hands up. "God knows people need them."


    "Well, I can''t punch a fireball with it." I praised.


    The older guy gave an amused grin.


    Eventually, we saw people through the trees. From the way no one tensed I figured it was the rest of the Northbounders. There were only ten or so people, but they were all bustling about. Someone was touching the ground, snow forming into small huts. A woman held her hands over the injured, of which there were many, and light came from their wounds.


    Shouts and calls rang out once we were noticed.


    "They made it!" A woman called out. "Hale and them are back!" There was a small clamoring crowd that surrounded the three, but most kept to their tasks. Questions were thrown out, there was some crying too.


    "The rest?" A man''s voice nearly broke.


    Hale grimaced but Garth was the one to shake his head. The people working on the nearby shelter slowed down their pace after hearing it.


    "We''re home." Kevin said, walking past us. Snow followed in his wake bolstering the structure already in construction, filling in the gaps. "You all take a break. I can finish this one up." He said.


    "I''ll help you out with this one, Kev." Garth joined in. "That one next, looks like they''re having trouble." The man pointed to a man and woman creating what looked like a lobsided igloo. Kevin chuckled, their conversation flowing through the grief of the group surrounding them.


    Hale didn''t stop to watch, instead turning to John and I. "We''ll have a spot for you two. For now, see if you two can help around the camp. It won''t be much since it''s only for the night, but it helps for comfort."


    My back and neck protested wildly, but there really wasn''t another option. I stared around, the morale had immediately plummeted, but these people kept on trucking.


    "We can carve out our own little place there, Hale. We''ll see what we can do to help around after that." John sighed, seeing the mood of the camp.


    "No complaints here so long as you''re carrying your own weight." Hale nodded genially. "I''ll leave you to it." He walked away, speaking with a few people too far from me to hear. They looked over to us briefly and continued talking.


    "John-" I said turning.


    "Here."


    He handed me a violet shovel.


    I sighed.

 Chapter 15 - Sleep

    Shoveling through snow sore and stiff might''ve been on my list of things to never do again. My movements came with a manner likened to a rock. That was to say, I was impressed I moved at all.


    "Take a break, Vak." John swept his brow, sweating despite the cold. Planting his shovel, he looked to me as he caught his breath. "It''s thanks to you I can even move. You''ve got it worse than I do." He tightened his armguards, then picked up his violet shovel again.


    I sat back on a mound of snow. "Thanks." I groaned.


    It was getting dark, but the night didn''t seem too void of light. John said that was simply the nature of the nights here. The real trouble was under the canopy. Looking past this particular section of sky-blessed ground, the area under the trees was nearly pitch black.


    It was a white beacon that shined in the sky, a straight pillar of light that I doubted would be there in permeance. I wondered exactly if I was going to see a quaint building with a well-written sign labeled "[System Shop]" or if it was simply going to be a slot machine sitting in the snow.


    The motions of the camp died down as people finished up their work. John and I had made good progress, enough so that he could finish the rest without too much trouble. It was a simple square foundation, just big enough for there to be decent enough space between us if we were to lie down. The roof was a cover of branches adorned with white leaves, piled with snow to seal the whole thing.


    "Won''t the leaves make it colder?" I asked, trusting John to already be aware of their properties.


    "We''ll be warm enough." John retorted. "You''re worrying with that blanket over your shoulders?" He said amused.


    I exhaled. "Alright, alright, you''re the expert."


    We both went inside the small little hut and found it spacious enough after testing. Lying down, my thoughts nearly drifted away at the comfort I felt, the soft bedding-


    "Falling asleep already, huh?" John''s yawn cut into my drowsiness. "I knew that cloak of yours was comfy." He said tiredly.


    Something made me open my eyes and I saw John sitting up. "What''s up?" I asked him.


    "I think it''s Hale outside." He ducked outside, and regrettably, I followed.


    Hale was standing there just like John had said. He was taller than me and fixed us both with an approving look. His clean-cut hair was odd in a group full of beards and unshaven men. Even the women had less than messy hair. "We''re sending a few of us to scout out the[System Shop] if you two are interested." He said without preamble. "If you''re staying the night we ask you take a shift of night watch."


    I yawned, sore and tired. "They''re leaving immediately?" I asked.


    "Once they''re ready, yes." He ran a hand through peppered hair. "I thought you two might be interested. Your contributions must be high if you''ve been picking off as many of the tuskers as I come to think. It might be worth your time."


    John smiled tiredly looking at me. "Not sure about you Vak but I''m too tired." He turned to Hale. "I''ll be sleeping but if you send someone over to tell me where to stand and where to look, I''ll crawl out of bed and keep watch."


    "And you?"


    "Too tired. It''s been a long day, Hale. You have no idea." I yawned again. "Send someone to wake us when it''s our turn."


    Hale nodded, turning. I watched him approach a group of men and women of which I spotted Garth and Kevin mingling. I was too tired for any scrutiny. By the time I blinked away my daydreaming John had already crawled into the hut.


    I pulled my cloak tighter, feeling the warmth, and swaddled myself up on my side of the space.


    The next thing I knew I was immediately being woken up. I blinked blearily at the man''s voice, he was crouching into the entrance. "Vak and John, right? I can show you the watch spot." He said. The words didn''t process immediately, but I nodded. He ducked back out.


    John was snoring. Loud. It was a miracle nothing had found him up in those trees. I saw Gibber nestled into his neck, lightly snoring in the same way. "Two of a kind you two." I said. Shaking them, "Wake up, John. Our turn for lookout." I slept like a baby, but that didn''t stop another yawn from escaping me.


    John grumbled but woke himself up. Sitting up and shaking it out.


    I found the guy outside, he unlike most had an actual weapon. A sword, but it must''ve been[System] bought from the odd markings and design. We followed him quietly, making light talk. There hadn''t been any activity tonight but that was most nights, apparently.


    "We''re keeping lookouts in pairs and battle capable because of today." He said in way of explanation.


    "Can''t blame you." I responded.


    There would be three other pairs of lookouts placed on each side of the camp. All we had to do was yell if he saw something funny.


    John and I found a small mound of snow against a tree to prop up against. The guy let us know not to get too comfortable and fall asleep before leaving. I hadn''t even gotten his name.


    I occupied myself with my[Powers]to stay awake.


    Buff: [Mana Eye]


    You obtain the ability to see the mana that permeates the world. The world is doused in energy, among them, the stuff of magic shines brightly. Your eye can see it.


    My vision burst into light. I was blinded, still groggy, I was glad I was sitting. I flinched reflexively and my vision set itself.


    "You okay, Vak?" Came John''s voice, I noticed Gibber snoring and nestled in his neck.


    He held a bow and arrow lazily at his lap. Except, it was brighter than anything I''ve ever seen. I saw mana as tendrils and mist coming from and surrounding nearly everything. I couldn''t for the life of me pin a color to the light. But John''s? His was a color I wouldn''t forget. Violet.


    "Yeah, mana vision." I said in explanation.


    John sat up straighter, curious. And maybe finally waking up. "Well? What do you see?"


    I pointedly looked at him. "I see violet." I said.


    Mana wasn''t entirely a foreign concept. It was the thing that let you do magic, the energy used to make fireballs. I read enough fantasy for that to be ingrained. Like the books, I bet it could have had any number of rules. My reality wasn''t exactly predictable.


    "Makes sense. I do begin to feel a drain if I use my[Violet Shaping]too much." He nocked his arrow idly, looking out into the snowy trees.


    "I can''t remember ever feeling that."


    I forewent refraining from using the rest of my[Powers]for the simple curiosity of experimentation. I wasn''t sure if I felt the drain because I wasn''t sure if I used mana in the first place. But thinking on it, that must be the case, right?


    "[Armor Roll],[Weapon Roll]." I said aloud, more for John''s sake than mine.


    Armor: [Flexwood Cuirass]


    A breastplate and backplate made from the flexwood a semi-magical species of tree that does as its name implies. The wood itself is just as thick and dense as regular wood with the advantage of being both lighter and flexible.


    Weapon: [Brass Knuckles]


    A weapon intended to be worn around the fist. This metal guard surrounding the knuckles increases the effect of your blows.


    I paid acute attention to both the[Flexwood Cuirass]and the[Brass Knuckles]as they formed on my person. The intense light was akin to a rainbow if every shade of color were made darker, more chaotic. The light settled down, becoming solid on my torso and hand.


    "So it is magic." I hadn''t had any sense that my mana was being drained.


    "Odd. I doubt my[Fortess Mind]or[Perfect Imagery]would use any mana." John thought aloud. "They''re more of a mental thing."


    "So maybe not all[Powers]then." I offered.


    "Maybe the[System Shop]will clear things up if we get a good look at what''s for sale." John stood up, suddenly staring into the woods. "You hear that?"


    A second later I did, the noise having suddenly risen above my perceptive threshold.


    Calls for aid! Warning shouts from the distance! I shot up to my feet our casual talk suddenly overtaken by the task at hand. In the distance, a man I hadn''t yet met was running toward us, waving his arms. To his sides, Garth ran forward with him and Kevin was throwing slices of water backward. The[System Shop]scouts.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    "Help! Monsters!" The man yelled, his voice just loud enough to reach us.


    "John, I''ll run back and alert the rest of the lookouts." My weapon was useless here if they were already running.[Brass Knuckles]would be useless."You good?"


    "Yeah, I''ll be fine. Go for it." He reached upward and hauled himself up the tree. Perched, he drew his violet bow and aimed forward. "I''ll bail if it''s too much." He whistled lightly and I saw a red-scaled shape scurry out from his clothes.


    The snow became a blur under my feet but moving through it came much easier to me than expected no doubt a consequence of doing so for the entire day previous. I dodged out of the way of trees, stepping on roots where I noticed them and hitting as much solid footing as I could.


    "Monsters!" I called, waking up the nearby structures. "Monsters!" My heart raced but I already saw someone take up the call. A rough-looking man who looked like he was surer of himself than I was.


    The stranger was obviously just woken up but his eyes were sharp. "I got it, young man. Help them if you can. I know Hale keeps the combat ones as lookouts." He turned and began yelling. "Wake up! Lookout''s spotted something!"


    I turned immediately.


    Running through the snow I could hear their voices calling for aid.


    Buff: [Surefoot]


    Your body moves instinctively, knowing exactly where to place your feet. Moving through rough terrain and unstable footing becomes as easy as walking on flat ground.


    Weapon: [Sacrifice Dagger]


    Lives taken by this weapon are channeled into both mana and health. Wounds inflicted by this dagger are harder to stymie and bleed longer and harder.


    Armor: [Young Armormeld Rootsprite]


    A shapeshifting spirit bound by the forms of each piece of armor in a set. The intelligent rootsprite will assume any one of the armor forms most beneficial to the wearer.


    Instantly, I felt a weight both in my hand and my shoulders. My run was uninterrupted, however, as my feet found their places in the snow where I had never thought to place them before.[Surefoot]was a boon in this terrain and I made great time.


    Suddenly, I was wearing something across my chest. An instant later, something stuck into me right where my heart would be.I pulled an arrow out of my chest, seeing the armor under my cloak, the[Young Armormeld Rootsprite].I looked up, chastising myself for staring at my feet.


    I saw something standing up holding up a bow that was as large as it was tall. All I had time to see were the uncharacteristically long arms for a humanoid and the ashen grey skin that didn''t look like it belonged to anything I''ve seen before. After taking that in, a violet arrow buried itself in its back.


    "Vak!" I heard John yell. "They''re just up ahead, I''m covering them as much as I can but some made their way in front of them! Careful here!"


    Something thudded against my back and I turned, finding another one of the tall humanoids. The grey-skinned creature matched Hale in height. The arrow it already had nocked might''ve indicated the weight I felt poking out of my back.


    This time, I didn''t hesitate and barreled forward, lunging with[Surefoot] in a way that might''ve seen inhuman. As for the[Sacrifice Dagger],I didn''t try anything particularly spectacular other than sticking it in the creature''s throat. Unfortunately, it grabbed me at the wrist, failing at twisting out my grip, before throwing me to the snow. My feet found the ground before any other part of my body, and I lunged forward again, coming in lower than I would normally have confidence doing. My dagger sliced, going for wounds than anything fatal. Iron filled my lungs and blood, as red as any human''s, painted the snow like rose petals.


    It ran away, panicked, and I let it, seeing John sight it from above.The arrow that appeared in its head allowed me the fantasy of mercy. I perked up, feeling energized and thought it the effect of the[Sacrifice Dagger]. I felt the bruise on my wrist lighten, the soreness in my back and neck ease. My movements became a little easier.


    My[Powers] died and I ran below John. "John, have anything for me?" I directed to him, heart racing.


    A violet sword and shield fell to the floor unceremoniously. "I don''t know how long I can keep three different shapings up and active." He warned. "They might disappear on you, Vak. Be careful." I picked them both up, feeling them solid in my grasp.


    "I''m used to-"


    One of the humanoids came into the clearing, charging straight for me from a tree that was nearby but out of John''s line of sight. It screamed with a rusty shortsword, raising it for my head. Maybe I was numbed to the sheer horror I should''ve felt, the absolute fear of my life on the line, in that moment, my reaction was something even I didn''t expect.


    I turned and charged back.


    "Shit." John spat, his voice so comically inconvenienced, actually calmed me. "I got your back, Vak." He called down. "Take him slowly!"


    There was a certain bluff to my movement, the steel in my gaze, the lack of hesitance. I blocked the shortsword, feeling it clatter hard and slide off my shield awkwardly, sending my whole arm to the side and tingling with numbness. He recovered for another swing, but my own missed his neck and chopped at his arm. His left arm, bare, reached for my sword arm lodged deeply into the meat of his right, but a violet arrow thunked into his shoulder stunning him with pain and sending his chest off balance. My sword came clean as he tried to painfully reset his stance, but too late, my weapon found his throat.


    I immediately widened our distance, knowing it was a killing blow. My breath came rapidly.


    Garth rounded a tree followed by Kevin and the man I didn''t recognize. "Vak! It''s just you?" He stared at the body before me. "Did you warn the camp?"


    Kevin noted the corpse but payed it no further mind save for a short glance at me. He looked up. "John." He said both in hurried greeting and simultaneous indication.


    "Hey guys." John waved, bringing the stranger''s attention upward. "And you, stranger."


    "Timothy." The man shortly introduced himself. "Five more of them incoming." He said aloud, then looking upward scrutinizing John''s bow and the arrow plunked in the corpse''s chest. "They have magic users. Can you prioritize them?"


    "As much as I can through the trees. You don''t want to run?" John replied, his eyes sharp on the forest behind everyone.


    I picked up fast, my adrenaline no doubt firing off my brain. "Camp''s too close, we''ll risk putting people in danger." My words were fast, between breaths.


    Garth cut in. "Hale and a few other''s should be here in a minute if the warning was sounded." He looked at us. "Glad you were the lookouts closest."


    "Shit. Heads up." John called above.


    Snaking tendrils of what I could only describe as pure black reached out from behind one of the thicker trees. Kevin sent deadly high-velocity water at them, managing to shave a few off. I tried John''s violet sword and found the shadows shriveled up fast, even when I missed.


    "Shadows!" Timothy called. "Kept on us defense the whole run here.[System Shop]was guarded." He said quickly, huffing. "They''re close." I wasn''t too sure on how he knew that, but the certainty in his voice brooked no argument.


    And just like that, three stepped from behind the trees. They were dressed in leather, wearing too little in the way of warmth for the weather.


    I stepped in front of Kevin and Timothy when I noticed they both reflexively moved back. Garth, on the other hand, stepped forward with me.


    Suddenly, the first one grunted bleeding from a cut opened on his face.


    "Tough motherfuckers." Garth grumbled, his fist returning from a straight jab.


    Then there was chaos.


    The first two approached with swords. One with a shield in the offhand and another with a small dagger as his secondary. I had the pleasure of facing the one with two blades.


    Something about the way of the fight, John''s spread awareness, told me I wouldn''t have so much a cushion if I were to go up against this thing. So I let him approach and merely acted the part of confidence. I had no idea if smiles were universal, but it was the emotion I displayed as I watched him cautiously approach.


    Arrows flew into the trees beyond and the humanoid growled upwards at John. That single glance gave me insight into what it wanted to do, it wanted John out of that tree. And I was standing in its way.


    It ran at me and I didn''t like my odds with two of its arms swinging sharp things around.


    I kept my shield up to my face as if to brace for an impact, my sword however swung backward it what might''ve been a fancy brandish. Instead, with as much force and speed as I could muster from that arc, I threw the damn thing underhand, blade over hilt.


    I didn''t like my odds, so I took a whole other risk.


    Buff: [Spring Healing]


    The natural healing properties of rare healing springs are with you wherever you go so long as you have water. Any contact with water your body treats as rejuvenating healing.


    Weapon: [Heavy Crossbow]


    A large crossbow with maximum stopping power. The hand crank meant to reload the bolts as they''re shot requires immense strength or the right technique.


    Armor: [Sparkfire Gloves]


    Enchanted gloves that seek out outgoing ammunition and ignites them. Physical objects that normally cannot hold a flame are enchanted on the spot to do so.[Sparkfire Gloves] must be nearby as the ammunition becomes ordnance.


    The creature crossed both blades in surprise and managed to avoid getting skewered save for a deep cut on his shoulderas a result of the flailing blade. The violet sword didn''t so much as clang as it did reverberate, knocking the creature off balance and planting itself blade first into the snow.


    It looked smug as it turned to me.


    Unfortunately for it I now had a[Heavy Crossbow] already loaded now pointing straight at its chest.


    I wasted no time pulling the trigger I felt my finger comfortable rest against, and my [Sparkfire Gloves], as their name implied,sparked, setting the large bolt on fire. The[Heavy Crossbow]did notkickme in the chest like a horse''s hoof. Instead, the recoil of the weapon pulled me forward if anything. And then the weapon''s sheer weight caught up with me, nearly having me drop it in the snow.


    I heard the sound of his blades meeting the bolt but that did nothing to stop it from shatteringthem in a shower of sparks and fireand sinking right into his chest. The heavy thump didn''t disappoint, sending his body slightly into the air and backward like a movie, but all the more realistic for the flailing limbs and sudden jerk. His body ignited and he stayed down, coughing blood and fire.


    Garth''s opponent fell to the floor, the larger of the tree fell over bloodied. I hadn''t seen what happened but it looked absolutely beat. The third, wielding both sword and shield had managed to block John''s arrows by raising his protection. He had fared little well against Kevin''s magic, earning him scores of bloody gashes across his lower half.


    Shadowy tentacles erupted from nearby, causing Timothy and I to hit the snow hard. I abandoned the [Heavy Crossbow]and dodged the tentacles.The contact with the ice activated my[Spring Healing]and the short exposure combined with the[Sacrifice Dagger]from earlier had my sore areas feeling like night and day.


    I came back up in a flurry of snow, scrabbling for the[Heavy Crossbow]. I grunted at the effort but had to abandon the weapon as I was pelted by high-velocity ice chunks. They stopped at my[Cloak of the Frozen Icicle]though, reminding me of its ice resistance. Reflexively, I held up my[Sparkfire Gloves]and they ignited the ice midair, melting them in a flash of heat and spraying water over me. I only felt better because of[Spring Healing].


    My[Powers]all ran out before I could reap any more benefits.


    We were being harried from all directions. The shadows brought us closer snapping at limbs unprotected. The ice chunks wore us down, coming from odd angles and striking our joints. My cloak managed to stop most of them, but their senders were invisible to us, hidden in the trees.


    Then the air becameheavy.


    And despite that weight, Garth''s voice was light. "Thank god, they''re here."


    Hale walked into view, confident. He stalked past us and to the only one of the humanoid warriors still standing - the one with the standard sword and shield. The warrior had fallen to the knee, struggling even as I watched him raise his sword for a last swing. Garth''s fist swung out, and the warrior''s shield was nowhere to block the invisible strike. His jaw boggled, and he fell over, planting deeper in the snow that was normal.


    I sat back, moving from the edge of the trees where the attacks had come from.


    The mages were incapacitated when we found them. Weaker than the warrior, they were flat on their backs. Useless when hit with Hale''s field. Kevin walked over slicing the air with his hand - the motion was mirrored with a cut of razor-thin water.


    "Ready to report, Hale." Kevin said tiredly. The man, even without his labored breathing, sounded exhausted.


    Oddly, I felt none of that exhaustion. My body felt energized in what I could only thank my[Powers]for.


    Hale put a hand on his shoulder. "Save it for the morning, Kev. Rotate the lookouts, we''ll talk about it after a nights rest." He said, grimacing. "Nothing else followed you?"


    "Not that we saw." Timothy replied, looking outward. "I don''t sense anything either."


    "See anything moving, John?" Garth called upwards.


    The reply came quickly. "Not anymore." I managed to catch Gibber at his shoulder, peering intently around.


    The trek back was longer than I remembered, having run through the trees and back in a much shorter time. Wordlessly and with the promise to speak later, everyone split up. Without really speaking, sharing only tired glances, we found our hut. I crawled in with lethargy, numb to the events of the day.


    My body wasn''t tired, but my mind had been awake much too long.


    I needed to sleep.

 Chapter 16 - Plan

    "[Quick Construction]?" I asked.


    The morning was a cold one, predictably. Seeing as the [System Shop] was actually due north, the Northbounders decided to make the initial camp semi-permanent in hopes to settle by the [System Shop] once the threat was clear. So said Hale.


    I was already up by the time Hale swung by in the morning. John too was already sitting up, his eyes opened when Hale called for us. The meeting regarding yesternights events would be taking place. Apparently, Hale had some with [Quick Construction] that allowed them to build, well, quicker. So there was actually a small building fleshed out enough to comfortably occupy with the pertinent people.


    "Yes." Hale responded, nodding understandingly at my question. "Jergen''s [Power], correct. He is among a few other useful people all having chosen more practical things to spend their [Points] on in the past. They''ll be some of the voices in the meeting. Pillars of our small group. Though everyone helps in some fashion."


    "Sorry if it''s a little too blunt." John said. "Surely, they can''t all be so useful."


    Hale smiled softly. A weight in his look brought out his peppered hair and weathered wrinkles. He glanced over his shoulder, not to look at us, but the small groups of people milling about in twos or threes. "Maybe. Some are useful by merit alone even without supernatural help. But putting aside my own [Powers] I couldn''t call myself very useful either."


    "You brought these people together didn''t you?" I asked. "That must count for something."


    "We found each other. Cold and lost." He said. "I had no part in it."


    "Then you''ve kept them together." John said firmly. "It counts."


    Hale chuckled, scratching his head. "I''m only in my thirties and you two are making me feel old." He grinned. "Maybe it does count."


    "You definitely saved our asses earlier." I said.


    Obviously, the entire clearing was filled with structures which, from the outside, looked like mounds of snow. I hesitated to call them igloos since most were lobsided and roofed with leaves, but the shape definitely fit. That fact was why I wasn''t expecting the fully human-sized rectangular structure to be present.


    "Woah. Within the day?" John said in awe, pausing. "One guy?"


    "A few." Hale nodded. "Jergen. We had him on repair duty when back in the ruins. It''s why some of the buildings aren''t as wrecked."


    It was rectangular and made of ice. The shape of a wooden cabin if it were made of solid snow. I was surprised to find that the roof was completely made of ice too. I thought I saw some of the white-leaved branches in there, keeping everything cold. The doorway was the only thing incomplete, being only an open entrance.


    Inside, were a handful of people sitting around a table that John probably loved. It was made of snow. Wide and circular it was one that looked the part for discussion. In fact, that was what it was being used for as we found ourselves inside.


    I nudged John. "Beats your furniture that''s for sure."


    John shot a fast reply. "[Power]assisted furniture doesn''t count." He rubbed his beard. "But it''s a nice table."


    "Much better than yours, right?"


    "Shut up, Vak."


    "Everyone! Here''s the two that helped us out of that ambush yesterday. They''ll be keeping us company so long as they want to." Hale''s cut into the casual chatter with even more casual ease, slipping into his place among them.


    Many eyes found mine under my cloak then rested on the cloak itself. I could see the curiosity land on it, and then slide off in the next instant.


    Garth stood up from a pile of snow that doubled as a chair. "Have a seat, Vak, John. " He said gruffly. It was still early in the morning. "We can get started."


    I spotted Timothy among some of the faces, not that I knew him that much. Kevin too.


    I found my spot by Kevin who gave me a curt and polite but understandably tired acknowledgment before turning back to the table. John took the spot to my other side.


    A woman spoke up. "And they''re included in our meeting why, Hale?"


    "I understand that their contribution in this previous[Group Tutorial Quest]is quite high and their interests, coincidentally, lie in the[System Shop]as well." He responded. "Their help may be useful in scouting these new threats. They are a capable pair."


    Kevin spoke up tiredly beside me. "And that''s not to mention the times they''ve already helped us, Miranda."


    Another woman spoke with a reasonable tone that challenged him. "Hale, I understand we''re all human here, lost and confused but even then we can''t always trust one of our own. These[Powers]make us dangerous, I don''t care who has them. This threatens all the Northbounders to allow strangers among us."


    A man agreed. "How would you feel without your[Powers]as cushions? We have no such protections. Not yet."


    "How much more exposed would you be without your[Gravity Field], hm?" Miranda shot. "These are strangers, Hale!"


    Timothy scowled, seeming quick to annoy. "How much more different is it than a gun? There are ordinary citizens licensed with those weapons. Put one of those in someone''s hand and I''d be curious if anyone in this room had a[Power]that could stop it. You''re being needlessly untrustworthy. Not every single person will try to kill us." He said sharply.


    Miranda opened her mouth to retort.


    A thicker set man cleared his throat. "Let them have their say. You''re speaking over their heads as if they were children. They''ve lived out here just like us, with less to go by." The man gestured to John and I, gravel in his throat. "And for fuck''s sake, you haven''t even met them. They''ve so far shown they''ve been the type to help random strangers, is that not what we were before the Northbounders formed?"


    Timothy peeked an eye open and spoke. "Jergen''s right, at least hear from them."


    Miranda huffed.


    Speaking in front of crowds wasn''t a particular skill I honed but it did come in handy. I needed no cue to read the atmosphere of the group. The woman and some others needed to be allayed while most of the men were indifferent if cautious. Kevin, Garth, Hale, and Timothy were the most at ease, but even they seemed surprised as I spoke.


    "You''re understandably cautious." I adjusted myself to speak, catching everyone''s gaze in a moment. I let my hood down, shaking snow from my hair. "Back home, I''d be hesitant to trust a stranger as well. However, at the risk of sounding rude, though I doubt most of you will hold me against it, the fact of the matter is that this all doesn''t matter much. John and I will be out of your hair once this[System Shop]business is settled. Northbounder procedures regarding strangers should likely be discussed for the future after all of this[Group Tutorial Quest]business. Not now."Unauthorized duplication: this tale has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    "This is Northbounder business dear. That is why we are so concerned about it." Miranda, the older greying lady shot back. "And I personally appreciate all your help but this concerns only Northbounders. "


    "This is the business of every human who received that[Against All Odds][Quest]or, have you not realized we have been grouped together? Recall the name [Group Tutorial Quest]." John spoke from behind his beard, seeming more wizened than anyone at that moment despite being younger than a majority. "These happenings concern any human who received it. Us included."


    I stared at the woman. There were mumblings of agreement and a general consensus. A few short words here and there and prevalent nodding.


    "He makes a strong point, Miranda." A woman beside her spoke.


    "Hmph." Miranda wavered, sitting down. "I suppose it makes sense. Perhaps our circumstances have marked us together. Or simple proximity."


    "That[Tutorial] tag might indicate we are only being introduced to this[System]as some call it." Timothy spoke, leaning forward and taking the opportunity to cut in. He was a thinner man wearing spectacles, though that detail was lost in his fur clothing."There might be more similar[Quests]and assuming this one is specified as a[Group Quest]we might be likely to receive individual[Quests]in the future."


    I nodded along, mostly agreeing with the general assumptions of the group. There was some talk about possible[Rewards]and what might help the Northbounders as a whole. Timothy was the one who led most of these speculations but eventually halted the discussion.


    "We can only observe so much." He held a hand up. "At the very least, we''ll get some answers regarding this[System]if we can find that shop. I''m unsure how many have noticed but the beacon of light has disappeared today." There were some mumbled concerns around the table but he spoke over them. "Fortunately, Kevin, Garth and I have the area memorized. The place is treacherous, we weren''t able to get close until we were spotted and subsequently routed."


    "Did you see it?" I asked, curious. The question garnered some acute attention.


    "No, as of yet we have no idea what it''ll look like." Timothy responded.


    Kevin, beside me, cut in. "Best we can tell it''s in a cave." He said, silencing most and nodding at Timothy. "Those grey people, however, were guarding it. We think they might have a use for the[System Shop]as well."


    "Grey people?" Jergen asked.


    Hale answered. "Kevin, Garth, and Timothy were attacked. John and Vak were able to sound the alarm last night before it escalated and I and a few others made it in time."


    Miranda scolded Jergen. "How could you not have woken up? There were shouts in the middle of the night to prepare for the worst!"


    "I had just built this whole building,Miranda. I must''ve slept through the whole ordeal." He said defensively, glaring at her. "We''d be sitting in the cold if I hadn''t."


    Garth followed up. "They barely wear any clothes, looked like they were fine in the cold. And they were strong, carrying basic weapons. We were chased off by magic users too. Only thanks to these two were we able to stand our ground and keep the fighting from the camp. " He motioned to John and I. "Otherwise, we might''ve wokenup Jergen." He grinned, jibing at the older man. Jergen crossed his arms.


    "They have the cave surrounded?" John asked.


    "Yes, most of the surrounding area." Timothy replied. "If we want the[System Shop]we go through them."


    And that was how I found myself pressed up against the trunk of a tree, peeking around the woods like I''d been playing hide and seek.


    I seriously wondered if I was being racist. I couldn''t find any other way to label these humanoids other than the color of their skin. The humanoids in question were tall, obviously on some type of patrol. There were only two of them but they were tall and muscular, toned before anything.


    Suddenly, an arrow planted itself in the first''s eye. The second jerked, grasping at something invisible at his throat. Beside me, and nowhere near them, Garth held his arms as if he had someone in a chokehold.


    For now, I''d resign to calling them drow. They ticked off all the boxes. Only now, the two drow were corpses. And nothing like the fantastical people that used to fill my imagination. Light snow made its way down from the trees, covering the bodies.


    "It''s still a little way from here." Garth said to me, ignoring the two dead. "Your friend''s a good shot."


    "That he is." I replied. "He''s had a lot of practice I imagine."


    Hale, Kevin, and Timothy revealed themselves and shortly after John did too. It was Timothy that allowed us to figure out where these patrols were, however, allowing me to figure out the reason he was with them the previous night. Timothy''s[Power]was exceptionally useful for reconnaissance,[Sense of Life]. The[Power]allowed him to sense anything living if he knew what he was looking for and concentrated enough.


    We had picked off a handful of paired patrols this way. Since most of the ambush was from a range and my[Powers]weren''t particularly reliable I was on the sidelines. John gave me a violet sword to hold as well.


    "That''s the last of the patrols I can sense." Timothy announced. "The rest are clustered around the cave. It doesn''t look like they''ve noticed anyone missing yet. Our best chance at catching them unawares is right now, though either way they''ll be weakened."


    "I say we risk it." I said immediately. Heads turned. "The only threat are any more mages and without so many bodies to deal with, we''re in a good position to taking them out immediately, if there are even any left. Anything that does come close to us Hale can incapacitate. Best we act now while they think they''ve got the upper hand."


    Hale turned to Timothy. "Can you filter between the mages and the regular ones?"


    "No." He responded. "I''ve tried, but they all come the same to me."


    Garth gave his own thoughts. "I think we can do it, between everyone and what we''ve culled." He frowned though. "We are playing with fire, though. If anyone has doubts, speak up, and we might do better to reconvene."


    Kevin nodded. "It rides on Hale. His[Power]gives us the best shot at taking out a large number safely. We have no idea how many are stashed in that cave."


    Hale looked on the fence. "I''d need a good spot to be. If you''re caught up in my[Gravity Field]then you''ll all be just as useless."


    John had his arms crossed and spoke next. "Shouldn''t be too large a problem, we''re all attacking from range. Vak might be the only one up close and in danger."


    "I''ll keep clear." I replied. "But there is one other caveat before we get things moving."


    "What''s that?" Timothy asked.


    The group''s attention shifted to me. It was understandable since most of the tactical discussion was over, short as it was. When I spoke, my voice rang with an unasked question.


    "They might have[Powers]too. It certainly seemed possible with the magic they were throwing around." I said. "Could it be possible they can use the[System Shop]?"


    All excluding John paused at this.


    The question being, if they could use the [System Shop] as we could, that meant in some sense they were our equals. Did that mean they arrived in the same way we did?If that was the case, then we''d be killing a people put in the same position as we were. How cruel would that be?


    There were conflicted expressions throughout the entire group.


    "It doesn''t matter whether or not that''s the case. Putting aside the fact that they had attacked you three first anyway, if we were to suppose they were whisked away as we were, nothing would change. If they were human and tried to kill us, I''d be returning the favor." He said firmly. "Our first priority should be survival. And I gather that[System Shop]is right up there with water, food, and shelter."


    "If it''s a moral question, then right now, " Timothy sighed, composing himself. "I don''t have the answer. But, if we''re speaking logically, then this changes our plan of attack. They''ll have time to use[Powers]if they have any." He grimaced. "It''s only five of us."


    "The odds are against us." I nodded, pulling my cloak over me. "That never stopped me. And something tells me we have the advantage in terms of[Powers]. Hale''s[Gravity Field]is uniquely suited for a smaller skirmish and Timothy''s[Sense of Life]has already paid dividends. With Garth, Kevin, and John at a distance we can do it.


    "And you?" Timothy asked. "I''m still not entirely sure what you can do."


    "At worst, I''ll have one of John''s swords on me. At best, I might be throwing a grenade in the cave for all I know." I joked, before addressing him more seriously. "My[Powers]are based on chance and nothing more. It''s a dice roll so expect me at my worst." I held up John''s sword by the hilt as an indication.


    Hale, Kevin and Garth all looked at me curiously.


    "We thought you had crystal powers." Garth said.


    "You thought wrong." I replied, smirking.


    Hale rubbed his chin. "We''ll do it like this then. All of you, listen closely and let me know if you have anything better in mind"


    Hale began to lay out a plan with Kevin and Garth cutting in where their[Powers]might be more effective. Timothy pointed out some crucial landmarks in the area we''d watch for. John nodded at nearly everything and asked Timothy where a solid tree might be. My remarks were short, pointing out positioning and my bets as to where they''d pour out from, which were generally accepted as reasonable.


    Most had a false confidence about them that I recognized but respected. If anyone was confident, I''d be more concerned then. As it were, no one save for John seemed perfectly at ease.


    Then we were off and my heart was racing at the risk of it all.

 Chapter 17 - Attack

    Simply because I was the least useful or rather that everyone else had a position more advantageous I was the one who acted as bait.


    That wasn''t to say I wasn''t expecting it. Being the wild card in the group meant our reliable hitters needed to stay in positions that they could reliably fill. In my case, the bait could be filled with anyone with legs, and so that fell to me.


    I peeked over the snowy ridge I found myself prone behind.


    The mouth of the cave was set into a steep slope although with the heavy snow it looked like I could comfortable slide down from my position. The stone that formed the cave was a simple rough grey and the people milling about its entrance were likewise the same. Two of those drow were on active lookout while a number were set further back in the mouth, sitting around a campfire. That did little to represent their actual numbers though since, from my angle, I saw the cave go ever deeper.


    I''ve gotten as close as I could.


    I muttered under my breath. "[Buff Roll], [Weapon Roll], [Armor Roll]."


    Buff: [Grasp of Roots]


    Your attacks become imbued with nature, causing roots to erupt from the ground and entangle foes you target. These roots are entirely dependent on the life already present within the earth.


    Weapon: [Paintball Gun]


    A paintball marker, also known as a paintball gun, paint gun, or marker, is the main piece of paintball equipment in the sport of paintball. Markers use an expanding gas, such as carbon dioxide or compressed air, to propel paintballs through the barrel and quickly strike a target.


    Armor: [Protective Goggles]


    A set of protective eyewear designed to shield the eyes from heavy debris. These heavy-duty goggles enclose the area surrounding the eye in order to prevent particulates, water or chemicals from striking the eyes.


    My jaw nearly dropped as green light coalesced into my arms. A fucking [Paintball Gun]? I hesitated to even call it a weapon, but I had played exactly one game of paintball in my life, and these things did fucking hurt. I noticed the immediate uselessness of the [Protective Goggles]and even if it did match the weapon that wasn''t where my attention lay.


    Neither of those would''ve been particularly useful if it weren''t for [Grasp of Roots].


    I leveled the gun and hoped it wasn''t as terribly calibrated as the one I had rented. My finger hovered over the trigger and I opted to aim for the chest. A shot to the head would hurt like a motherfucker but it wouldn''t kill, and besides, I only wanted to mark them.


    I popped the lid and checked the color. Bright orange would stand out nicely.


    Taking aim, I realized no one ever lines up their shots in paintball. That was why play areas were covered in paint. You didn''t pull the trigger.


    You held it down. Well, as much as you could, before having to release it to reset the mechanism.


    The cave exploded with orange. The kick of the [Paintball Gun] against my chest along with the subsequent thumping of high-velocity paintballs launching from the barrel was a pleasure. The lookout drow were immediately peppered with paintballs, splattered orange and instantly bruised. The gun shot exactly where I aimed, and with enough adjustment, I was able to get the arc correct. The pain wasn''t lethal, not by any means, but it certainly was enough to incapacitate, as evidenced by the drow writhing on the floor. I wasn''t merciful and kept them down.


    I saw eyes trying desperately to trace their arc, but the swiftly moving orange balls were relatively small and moving fast. The fact they were flying straight for them too was also distracting not to mention the explosions of orange color all around them or the ones that actually found their painful mark. My cloak kept my head hidden among the background and the barrel of the gun was a plain black. The[Protective Goggles]kept the light snowfall from disturbing my eyes.They wouldn''t find me.


    My paintballs swept the cave entrance, finding their way deeper and striking the drow amongst the campfire before they made their way outside. By then their velocity had drastically decreased and the pain inflicted was less. Unlike my previous rented paintballs, these orange balls exploded on impact as designed, much easier than what I had previously experienced, however, the cold still did its work and some landed with more painful thuds, frozen.


    Gnarled roots, as if alive, snaked their way from the cave entrance reaching down to the writhing drow, still in pain, and squeezing them tightly enough for them to yelp. Grey muscles struggled against the roots, clearly displaying the strength they had to bare. Deeper within the cave, more roots found their way through softer dirt and tied up anything living and painted orange.


    Perhaps the fact I had so much time spraying orange paintballs before I saw the first flash of violet light spoke for the surprise of the group. John was the first to follow up, planting perfectly aimed arrows into the immobile drow, sprouting like delicate violet flowers among the gnarled roots. Garth had moved closer, his invisible strikes finding their way deep into the cavern, knocking out the struggling drow tied up by the campfire. Kevin, Hale, and Timothy also came closer to the cave upon witnessing the relative safety.


    Aiming my [Paintball Gun], suddenly I had become the ranged support. When John strode up beside me, bow in hand, my own weapon disappeared, shattering into motes of green light.


    "Well, I wasn''t expecting that." He said to me. "Paint?"


    "You wouldn''t be the first." I said, heart racing. Some of the drow down there had real weapons, sharp and pointy. I could have been at the end of those. I was prepared to take that risk either way, but in the end, it wasn''t necessary. "Must be my [LUK]." I shrugged weakly.


    Neither John or I wanted to unpack that discussion here. The stakes were too high right now. That talk of what exactly [Attributes] did was something we had before, but never in great detail. All that mattered was that it worked.


    "Come on, Vak." John shook his head. "Let''s get down there."


    We slid our way down, the cave being down the slope. Stopping ourselves with a rush of white powder, we arrived in a small flurry of snow.


    "Christ, that''s some[Power]." Garth exclaimed once we walked up. "How''d you manage paintballs? And the roots?"


    "Dumb luck, mostly." But I grinned, the rush of betting on something useful as I acted as bait made my heart flutter below my cloak. Only my smile must''ve shown under the hood.


    "It was a chance-based[Power]you said?" Hale hummed. "It must be some risk using it with any reliability."


    That was why I mitigated the risk, as much as I loved it, unnecessary risks were plain stupid. Unless I had needed to, I had been keeping away from a fight, or having a backup plan in the form of John''s sword. What kind of satisfying risk comes from choosing the stakes yourself? None, that''s what.The tale has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    "I''ve gotten lucky a few times." I said. "The crystals, for one."


    "Ah." Kevin said, making a connection.


    "Well, I''d take my fists over a dice roll any day." Garth huffed. "Why would you spend your[Points]on that? Seems a little..." He trailed off, unable to put it into words.


    I noticed the question got John''s attention too.


    "I liked the idea." I smiled, tightening my cloak. "The risk excites me."


    I''m sure in the future people might have stranger[Powers].I doubted I was an outlier. The fact that we all had purchased our[Powers]at our discretion means they might give insights into the type of person that bought them. I wouldn''t put it past this crowd to have already gathered as much.


    Garth shook his head. "Crazy kids." He sounded genuinely confused at the youth. "Risk anything for a biscuit, huh?"


    "It''s a good biscuit." I shrugged. Garth scoffed.


    Hale held up his hand and gestured to Timothy. "Anything Tim?"


    "They''re down there." He said, eyes closed. No doubt using[Sense of Life]. "We''ve eliminated a startlingly large portion of their number." He said slowly perhaps tinged with guilt. "There''s only a few left, actually."


    Hale nodded. "You all, behind me. I''ll try my best to keep my field off of you, my control is still slippery." He said, stepping around the rooted drow.


    Some were unconscious as we passed, most were dead, others bruised and moaning. The roots that wrapped around them were a dark brown to match the tree trunks but laced with white lines. Frost emanated from them and I felt at the[Skillbook] I kept still in my jacket pouch. The drow, though resistant, seemed to freeze on contact with them.


    Everyone but John and Hale grimaced as Kevin ended them.


    My stomach felt sick, my mind hadn''t caught up with the past days'' events to fully process anything yet. I pushed forward, unhealthily shoving the thoughts to the back of my mind until everything was over and I could take a breath. We stared into the cave beyond us. The light of the fire the drow had previously tended was bright and roaring, giving us enough light to enter. There were torches, nothing more than sticks wrapped with cloth, that Timothy grabbed.


    Hale said something to Timothy, the context obvious.


    Timothy replied, gesturing.


    Suddenly the air becameheavy as it always did when Hale used his[Gravity Field]. Then, the oppressive air eased, and slid off of us, moving forward. There was a clatter of fallen weapons and Kevin and Garth moved simultaneously as if they had done something similar many times.


    The cave became alive with noise, shouts and warnings. The drow were calling, their voices echoing backward, until a sudden choking noise cut off both voices. Grunts, filled with blood, replaced the noise. Somehow, the cave became quieter. Kevin and Garth had finished them in a way all too familiar to me, at the neck. The light of the campfire seemed to die down then. Timothy''s torch seemed to flicker.


    I stared at the grey bodies and pictured it blue, laying in the snow.


    Hale walked forward his step and Timothy''s informative voice taking the forefront of my mind.


    I gripped my sword, compliments of John. Seeing my tension, he handed me a shield as well. Knowing these implements to be the most reliable, I opted out of using my[Weapon Roll].


    Buff: [Vague Hivemind]


    Your presence calms insectile lifeforms. Smaller bugs and insects are mildly attuned to your state of mind. With effort, your thoughts can direct smaller and less willful bugs.


    Armor: [Rothur Horns]


    A helmet adorned with the horns of a rothur. These swirling horns form both barricade and weapon upon your head. Kinetic resistant padding within the helmet facilitates withstanding blows against the horns.


    John stared at me and all I could do was feel at the large helmet on my head. I adjusted the helmet swiftly, not wanting my vision to be obstructed. The[Rothur Horns]had fit themselves right over my hood.


    "Hale watch out!" Timothy pulled him aside. Hale grunted in surprise and then pain as Timothy yanked him, causing shadows to play against the walls.


    A glinting arrow found itself lodged shallow in Hale''s back. His chainshirt bled most of the arrow of its stopping power. "We''re under attack!"


    I followed Timothy''s gaze. "They''re above!" I yelled, looking at John. The torch barely lit up the ceiling where they hid.


    I felt an arrow shatter on my helmet, knocking my entire head to the side. John formed a similar armor of violet while I held my shield up. His face frowned with exertion, but I could see both[Perfect Imagery]and[Fortress Mind]influence him.Darting for cover, he swiveled upward shooting arrows quickly before moving out of the way.


    "They''re wedged up there! They''re out of Hale''s range!" Timothy shouted, ducking for any cover. "Garth, Kevin!" He yelled desperately.


    "Garth!" Kevin said through the chaos, throwing slivers of sharp water upward. He succeeded in causing them to take cover and relieved the onslaught but nothing else. "Can you-"


    "They''re out of my range, Kev!" Garth swung upwards. "I can''t reach that!" A falling arrow suddenly diverted to the side. Garth grimaced. "I can try knocking them out of the air, that''s all I got."


    "Get to cover!" Timothy yelled.


    The cave had a high ceiling that wasn''t immediately noticeable in the darkness. That was where we made the mistake. Luckily, there were sections carved right out of the cave wall, small divots that allowed us shelter. More arrows shattered on my helmet and striking my shield as I threw my arm up in protection.


    I scrambled for cover behind John as the rest found safety in the hail of arrows.


    "Kevin doesn''t have the stopping power for this!" I shouted over the sound of clattering arrows. "Can you take those shots?" I asked him.


    John grimaced. "You''ll be down a shield and sword." He said, thinking. "I can try."


    "Do it." I said. "I''ll try to come up with something."


    He peeked out and immediately pulled his head back as an arrow shot off the floor. He held his bow and arrow ready, nocking his weapon, then pulled out quickly to release the arrow. A yelp sounded above, but it sounded more angry than in pain.


    Timothy, taking cover somewhere else, echoed out to us. "I think they''re the only ones left! Is everyone okay?"


    "I''m fine! Right under them with Kevin!" Garth called out, his voice further away. The flickering light of Timothy''s torch did little for us while separated.


    "John and I are fine!" I called out.


    John spoke out next. "How''s Hale?" He called, his hand cupped to his mouth.


    His question echoed once and Hale replied painfully. "I''m fine! Nothing vital. Right in the meat of my shoulder." He groaned.


    Arrows punctuated every communication.


    "Do we see a way up to them?" I called out. "They must have got up there somewhere!"


    I spotted a large bug hidden against the rock wall. I thought I might as well try and direct any small crawlies upwards to the drow. Mentally, I firmly stated the intention and reached out to the best of my ability. Hopefully,[Vague Hivemind]would allow me some control, and that those bugs would at least hinder these enemies. The large bug began to crawl away.


    On cue, my[Powers] dissipated. I noticed the bug didn''t stop moving, and kept crawling. I traced its path.


    "There!" I called out. "There''s a path by Garth and Kevin!" There was a small walkway leading upward, hidden in shadow.


    "I can cover you for a moment!" John called out. The arrows had stopped, their ammo probably having fallen short. "You could try to run for it, take some attention off the rest of us!"


    I peeked out and caught a glimpse. "I see four watching us." I said into the cave. "They''re saving their arrows."


    "Vak, see what you get." John said.


    I nodded.


    Weapon: [Element Staff]


    A staff imbued with the most basic elements. Spells or magics channeled or cast through the[Element Staff]come more efficiently, the magic shaped through the focus. This staff supports the basic elements in spellcasting.


    I frowned, immediately shaking my head to John''s answer. Instead, I threw the staff across the cave, making sure to relax the weapon mentally. I wasn''t yet sure what happened if I didn''t specifically focus on relaxing that soulbound property. "Here, Kevin! Should work well with your water magic! It''s temporary though, two minutes tops!"


    "What?" Came the reply, but he caught it as evidenced by the sound of the staff''s sudden stop against the stone. "Woah." I heard.


    "Go!" John yelled, he peeked and shot an arrow quickly.


    Then the cave was chaos again, John did the unthinkable and ran out in the open, drawing fire away, but darting to where Kevin and Garth had been. The cave was small enough the risk was negligible combined with the surprise.


    Garth and Kevin managed to run through and make it to the path. I hadn''t even noticed them myself, too distracted with what John was doing, which funnily, was drawing attention to himself. By the rain of arrows coming down, I doubted they noticed Kevin and Garth coming up.


    I yelled too. "Over here!" I threw an arm out, and pulled it back attracting an arrow or two. I managed to make eye contact with a pair of eyes above and another arrow flew for my position.


    Suddenly there were screams, but they weren''t human. Grunts of pain rained from above and I saw John aim an arrow upward only to lower it to the sounds of the commotion above. He kept his arrow nocked.


    "Take this fucker!" Garth''s voice was unmistakable. "Not so much trouble up close are you?" Meaty thuds followed his sentence and somethingfell screaming all the way before landingin front of me with an excruciating crunch. A drow, right up until it hit the ground and became a corpse. "And stay down!"


    The sloshing of water was the only indicator of Kevin''s participation. "We got them all up here." Kevin said into the silence. "Timothy, is that all of them?"


    The voice came quickly. "Should be. I''m not sure what my range is. There could be more still up there and I wouldn''t know."


    "Is it safe?" I called, unsure. I hesitated to come out, knowing an arrow might find me.


    I saw John scan around, but wait for confimation.


    "All clear! We can see most of the cave from up here. There''s no one left in here." Garth called down.

 Chapter 18 - Lightwater

    Relunctant and cautious, I pried myself from the wall and ventured out into the open. John nodded to me.


    "You good, Vak?"


    "I''m fine. Just shaken up." I said, rubbing my arm. "There''re arrows everywhere." The cave floor was littered with them.


    Timothy walked with a groaning Hale, not as upright and tall as he always was. "You two, any injuries?" Hale asked, not looking well.


    "Fuck, Hale." John walked over. He glanced at his back and Hale grunted. "Good, don''t take the arrow out if you can help it."


    I stared. "Are you okay?"


    Garth and Kevin looked worried as they descended. Garth was panting slightly, sweating under his furs. Kevin looked tired, but not in any way physical. His posture was drooping, and I couldn''t help but think it was a matter of mana.


    "We''ve gotten close calls before. It was about time one of us got hit." Garth grunted.


    Bending down to the cold stone, I picked up an arrow. Examining it in my hand, the shafts were straight and narrow, the design as straightforward as an arrow could be. I couldn''t relate it to any other make, but the arrowhead was crude. A clear liquid dripped from the tip.


    "Shit." I said, breaking the silence. I held up the arrow, liquid shining. "Poison." My voice might as well have been a bell.


    Garth, Kevin, and Timothy blanched. John grimaced.


    Hale was grim but we spoke at nearly the same time. "[System Shop]."


    We locked eyes. It was the only way. There were so many things I could remember that might help under the[Items]section.


    "Hale." John called, as we moved deeper. He was untying his[Armguards of Health], perpetually glowing. "Put these on."


    John helped wrap his arms up. Hale didn''t object. "What is-" He cut himself off as John tied them off. "An[Item]?" He said surprised, standing straighter. "It''s making me feel a little better."


    "You bought an[Item]?" Kevin raised an eyebrow at John. "Not many in the Northbounders have. I doubted anyone opted for it."


    "You two are a couple of strange ones." Garth shook his head. "Thank you, though. We couldn''t lose Hale."


    "It was a gift from a friend." He replied. "They''ll help stave off the poison, or should." He finished.


    "I won''t go that easy, Garth." Hale shot. "I''m not so frail."


    Timothy broke the banter. "Let''s find that[System Shop]." He said, picking up his torch. Light filled the cave. "It might be our only way for an antidote."


    We trekked through the damp cave. The floor was slick with moisture and frost, making the slight descent all the more treacherous. Hale, being only injured in the back, should''ve been able to walk on his own. In minutes, that wasn''t the case.


    The taller man tripped, his leg slipping under from him. Timothy grabbed quickly and prevented the worst. The torch caught his face and we found it white. His breath was rapid and his brow sweaty. He looked like a ghost, like he could''ve beenat home in the snow outside. Sick.


    Garth and Kevin shared a look.


    John frowned, knowing like me that the armguards were nothing like a cure-all.


    I paused at what I saw, in awe. My mind froze


    The[System Shop]wasn''t anything like I was expecting, but Kevin wasted no time, walking straight up to it and holding his hand against it. His eyes closed but the surprise on his face was evident despite it. Multicolored lights swirled around him and came to a focal point in his hand. I tried my best to ignore the[System Shop] as Kevin moved to Hale.


    He turned. "Hale, here." The small vial in his hand had only a small stopper to contain the liquid. This was immediately removed. "[Purewater Toxin Reducer]. Should do exactly what it says."


    Hale grunted, barely able to sit up. "Kevin, thank you." He took the vial and downed it. The color almost immediately returned to his face. He let out a sigh and peeked an eye open to find us all looking at him. "What are you waiting for? Go shop." He chuckled.


    I let out an internal sigh and turned to the[System Shop].It was magnificent. A shining blue crystal, like a giant floating rhombus, hovered above the ground in a way that was unmistakably mystical. Its glow lit up the entire cavern so subtly I didn''t blame myself for not noticing. The torch that Timothy held had overpowered its soothing light. But that light shimmered, sparkled from within, like the sun shining down from shallow water. Rays of soft blue light bounced off the walls of the cave, filling the air with a light you might mistake for the gentle rush of blue waves.


    It was as if we were underwater.


    I waded through the light, unlike anything I''ve ever experienced, and did what came naturally; I placed my hand upon the crystal.


    [Rare Lightwater System Shop]


    [Powers]


    [Items]


    [Attributes]


    [Weapons]


    [Armor]


    [Classes]


    [Waters]


    In my mind''s eye, I saw the interface. It was akin to how I interpreted the[System Messages]but more crisp and direct. On my sides, John, Garth, and Timothy.


    No one could''ve blamed me for being as excited as I was.


    "[Rare Lightwater System Shop]?" I said first. "Do these things have tiers?"


    "It''s like that[Skillbook]." John nudged me. "But that[Lightwater]. Think it means all this?" He said to everyone, his attention obvious. He wondered at the light.


    Was it themed? In any case, like the[Ice Mastery] [Skillbook]we might''ve chanced upon something momentous here. If this one was[Rare]what did that make the initial[System Shop]. It was immediately clear they weren''t a single linked thing, instead it looked they were all different.


    "Safe bet." Garth said softly. "Have you looked at these?"


    I wasted no time and delved.


    The genuine version of this novel can be found on another site. Support the author by reading it there.


    [Powers]


    [Lightbending]


    The rare ability to manipulate the very brightness around you. From bending images, twisting them to your sides, to focusing rays as if by magnifying glass. Call upon beams of light, or conjuring simple vision-aiding fixtures of light.


    Price: 8000 [Points]


    [Water Favored]


    The very element of water favors you. You find the water easier to move in, your senses become sharper when submerged. Water no longer steals your breath. Bodies of water cushion your falls, allow you to regenerate to a degree, and even may block threats to your person. Whether scalding hot or freezing cold, the element of water does you no harm.


    Price: 13,000 [Points]


    The[Powers]seemed incredibly interesting, but for me, they were barely tempting. I hesitated to even spend that amount of[Points]thatthey asked for, no matter how cool the[Power] was. 8000 and 13,000[Points]were a fairly large sum considering my entire set of[Powers]should''ve equated to roughly 20,000.I didn''t entirely fathom thestrength of[Lightbending]but that[Water Favored]would''ve been a boon. Though whether or not it encompassed snow was anyone''s guess.


    Those were only the first two I stumbled upon. There were many more that filled my mind, all neatly under the theme of[Lightwater]. I figured that was the entire theme of the shop. Looking through the rest of the[Powers]I found fitting ones such as[Water Flames], [Wavebreaker], [Light Discs], [Water Shaping], [Healing Light] and more. All fit within the given theme.


    I wondered at that[Rare]tag and judged most of the[Powers]to be fairly useful.


    Scouring through the rest of the menus I found a few things to be true. Everything listed could''ve reasonably been related to the term[Lightwater], they were all, by my judgment fairly advantageous, and, accordingly, most were priced higher in terms of[Points]. The[Weapons],[Armors],and[Items]all fell within these rules. A sword made of living water, armors padded with water meant to boost kinetic resistance, to boats that fit within your pocket.


    [Sluice Blade]


    A blade made of nothing but water. The form of the blade retains an edge that can compete with the sharpest physical swords. Bringing the blade into the water allows instant repairs. Perhaps the highest advantage of this enchanted blade is that the water is living, able to curve and flow around clashing swords, or seeking exposed skin where a strike might allow it.


    Price: 5000 [Points]


    [Water Enforced Armor]


    A scaled armor made of Water Hydra scales, ever regenerative. The largest encumbrance to the armor is the lack of protection against blunt weaponry, the layered scaling able easily to shrug off other physical attacks. For that reason, water, enchanted to keep its form, lines the inside seams of the armor generously, allowing the body to press comfortably against the scales and instantly absorb any sufficiently large kinetic impacts.


    Price: 15,000 [Points]


    [Ship in a Bottle]


    A highly enchanted ship in a bottle. Inside, a proud ship large enough for a larger crew. A storm rages, battering the rustic wood and coating the ship in rain and moisture. Waves crash against its prow and it does not sink. The glass of the bottle is enchanted to nigh unbreakability, the ship itself can be willed to any body of water sufficient enough for its scaled-up size and recalled back into the bottle at will.


    Price: 50,000 [Points]


    I gaped at the sheer possibility that the[Ship in a Bottle]opened my mind to. There was nothing in the[Item]section that stood out as much as that in terms of sheer incredulity. My jaw nearly hit the floor and for a fanciful moment, I saw a proud pirate sailing the seas with that ship.


    The[Attributes]menu allowed me to answer some questions of my own. While there were many of them, on my Slate, only[INT],[WIS],and[LUK] were represented. I guessed that had came from the fact that I had no points in the rest, or that they were simply irrelevant to me. Only those three affected my[Powers]after all.In the[Rare Lightwater System Shop] I didn''t know what dictated what[Attributes]were listed but I could only assume that the ones that were were somehow related tolight and water.


    [Attributes]


    [CLM]


    The ability to stay calm under duress. The [CLM] of an individual may reflect the will of the mind, determination or focus.To an extent, this [Attribute] also reflectsmental clarity and self relfection and thus effects the corresponding governing [Attributes].


    Price: 2000 [Points]


    [WIS]


    The ability to understand the underlying connections of events. The [WIS] of an individual reflects experience, judgment, and soundness of decision. To an extent, this [Attribute] also reflects insight and knowledge and thus effects the corresponding governing [Attributes].


    Price: 2000 [Points]


    I was almost certain I could pull up the description for[WIS]or wisdom through my Slate if I wanted to. But seeing it here made me think on the decisions I had been making up until now. My[WIS]was at 5. I wondered if it had anything to do with my judgment of risk and my decisions with my[Powers]. I certainly felt like my choices had been my own, but looking back... I found myself, perhaps, to be a little wiser than I had been.


    I hummed to myself. The price was much more expensive than I recall, more than double that of the previous. I wondered at that.


    I looked at[Classes]next.


    [Classes]


    [Monk of the Water]


    A monk is one whose mind and body work as one, the [Monk of the Water] adds water to the mix. Equipped with a variety of defensive and offensive measures attuned to the element of water, this monk is not one to be messed with near anything remotely moist.


    Growth: [WIS] + 5, [MND] + 5, [STR] + 5, [DEX] + 5


    Perks: [Eternal Dive], [Breath of the Ocean]


    Price: 15,500 [Points]


    [Disciple of Wet]


    A way of living that focuses on the rejuvenating and calming benefits of being fully soaked with the waters of life. The [Disciple of Wet] does not only enjoy the effects of water, but basks in them. In the dryest of heats, the disciple does not thirst as his enemies dehydrate around him. In the deepest of oceans, he is unharmed.


    Growth: [MND] + 6, [INT] + 8, [CLM] + 10


    Perks: [Blessing of the Sea Hydra], [Drops of Perpetuity], [Water Favored]


    Price: 30,000 [Points]


    [High Lightmancer]


    A caster that has risen above all forms of his craft. The[High Lightmancer] enjoys the sun once above the storms. Light, clay in his hands, becomes both weapon and shield, both potential and hope. The power of the very thing that most creatures use to see falls under their power.


    Growth: [INT] + 20, [WIS] + 10, [CLM] + 10


    Perks: [Light of the Heavens], [Blade of Light], [Light Domain]


    Price: 50,000 [Points]


    I gaped at the price points. The sheer power that some of these[Classes]implied was astounding. That 50,000[Point]price caught my breath. That was as much asthe[Ship in a Bottle]an entire ship that could probably take up a whole harbor with its size. What did that say for thepower inherent in the class?


    I stood there, mind whirling for moments too long to count.


    Eventually, I was able to look at the outlier.


    The one section that caught my eye was[Waters]. It wasn''t anything I had encountered before.


    [Waters]


    [Water of Healing]


    A flash of crystal clear water tinged green. Any that imbibe this drink will immediately realize the effects of full healing, bringing the body back to healthiness.


    Price: 3000 [Points]


    [Voluminous Bottle of Scalding Water]


    A small bottle of water enchanted with one-use spatial magic. When broken, the ever-burning water contained inside shall gush out of its pressurized volume, spraying any within its vicinity with scalding water heated past evaporation and hot enough to melt flesh.


    Price: 1300 [Points]


    [Purging Magical Pure Water]


    Water imbibed by the body that cleanses the spirit. Any maladies or magics detrimental to the user shall be wiped as if washed by the cleanliest of water. Curses and semi-permanent magical effects are most often targeted.


    Price: 3000 [Points]


    [Purewater Toxin Reducer]


    A small vial intended to be unstoppered and imbibed in a single gulp. The purewater churning within the vial attacks toxins and maladies of the body directly, reducing their effectiveness if not removing them entirely. Poisons, venoms, and impurities are most often targeted.


    Price: 800 [Points]


    The first thing I noticed was where Kevin spent 800[Points]. The second was the immediate usefulness of that[Water of Healing]. It was clear that this section was special, perhaps exclusive to this particular shop. There were many more bottles of[Waters]listed, some with effects I couldn''t fathom the purpose for. Others absurd.


    This only confirmed a thought of mine.


    The entirety of the[Rare Lightwater System Shop] was specialized, but one thing was immediately clear. The whole stock of the shop barely covered a fraction of what that first[System Shop] sold,where I had initally bought my[Powers].It wasn''t even close to that level of choice and grandeur.


    I looked at the menu again.

 Chapter 19 - Small Spender

    I pulled up my Slate, intuition telling me I could look at the same [Quest] completion for [Against All Odds].


    Group Tutorial Quest Completed: [Against All Odds]


    Quests are the main method in which the [System] bestows boons. A small armed force of tuskers threatens to wipe out your group, finishing the job that the environment couldn''t. Survive their slaughter or slaughter them first.


    Final Contribution: 16 Kills


    Contribution Breakdown:


    [Tusker Archers]: 8 x 100 = 800 [Points]


    [Tusker Warriors]: 3 x 150 = 450 [Points]


    [Tusker Mages]: 4 x 200 = 800 [Points]


    [Tusker Leader]: 1 x 500 = 500 [Points]


    Total [Points] = 2250


    Rewards: Nearest [System Shop] Location, 2250 [Points]


    I nodded, the [Points] being what I remembered. It wasn''t until after I thought about my balance that it actually came up in my mind by itself. Simultaneously, on the crisp playing card, writing scrawled across the card rewriting the [Quest] information.


    I marveled at my Slate. Logic said having to pull out a deck of cards every time for information would be a hassle, but the perfect playing cards proved anything but in my hands.


    Total [Points]: 2250


    [Points] are an accumulation of value or achievement. A unit of credit to be used toward award or benefit of the individual. [Points] can be awarded for anything deemed appropriate and holding merit.


    It was little more than a third of the original 6500 [Points] I had started with. I had an urge likened to desiring to leap off a great height; to gamble it all away. But if I had known the effect those initial 6500 [Points] would have on my day-to-day I wouldn''t know if I''d have the guts to risk them. All I knew was that the desire would be there. Of that, I was always certain.


    Unfortunately, nothing in the [Rare Lightwater System Shop] was in my price range.


    I caught Kevin, marveling at all the choices. I hadn''t noticed him earlier, so focused on helping Hale. But now the man was staring in wonder at the crystal. And then I remembered his choice of [Powers]. He had some water-based [Power] maybe [Water Magic] or something similar.


    "This has to be right up your alley, right Kevin?" I said, pulling away from the shop.


    He looked over at me, more emotion on his face than I deemed normal from my interactions. "You wouldn''t be wrong there." He said. "I love the water. This place is beautiful."


    "What, you swim or something?" I asked.


    He chuckled. "Of course. Spending most your life on the waves, you''ll need a backup in case you fall off once or twice." Looking at him, I thought I might''ve seen something of a saltwater spray on him.


    Garth grumbled. "Bah. I have no [Points] for anything!" He harrumphed. "I imagine some of these might do well with my [Ranged Fists]."


    John stepped away too, admiring the lights around us. "I don''t have enough for anything either."


    Timothy walked up, placing a hand on the shop. His eyes looked to be scanning everything before he eventually removed his hand from the glittering crystal.


    I leaned against the crystal. It floated in the air as if carried by water, having some give when I pushed against it, only to center itself again. It bobbed up and down in a fashion not so different from the tide.


    Hale grunted, causing everyone''s eyes to gather.


    "We need to move the camp here. Let''s get the others."


    What followed was an awakening. Suffice to say I had never handled a dead body, but the rest treated it as if it were normal. My stomach barely held on to itself, but I managed to get two bodies outside the cave. There weren''t even guts splattered about in the way one might expect to induce a gag reflex. No, those were left for the others.


    I had the frozen bodies, prying them from the roots I had sicked upon them. They were covered in orange paint and the sharp smell was one I''d forever associate with death.


    John and I hauled it outside, throwing it into a mass grave with the others. It helped to think of it as it and not something else.


    "That''s the last of the ones at the mouth." John said, wiping his hands off in the snow. "Good work with these ones. Those roots really did a number on them."


    "Yeah." I said dully. "Let''s help with the rest."


    "You can take a break, Vak." John looked over at me, he pulled at his furs. "It''s your third day here. The rest of us usually had weeks before we came to terms with everything."


    "I can''t." I shook my head. "That''ll leave me time to think about it." I turned again back into the cave.


    Kevin was washing away the blood with squirts of water. It was such a mundane task handled with such a supernatural ability that I paused to just stare. His small wave of water he had gathered was pulling arrows in its wake, still littering the floor. It was blood red.


    It turned out Hale could direct his [Gravity Field] any way he wanted, though his mind still struggled to wrap around the concept of working any other way than down. We were able to gather most of the arrows to the side by Hale just shifting gravity to the opposite side of the cavern. Then they just fell to the side and clumped up easily for us.


    I helped pick up the arrows and bows that the drow had left us.


    In the end, it took us an hour but the cave was cleaned up. "Why didn''t we have the rest of your Northbounders help out?" I asked, not seeing the reasoning. My eyes locked onto the stained stone under my feet and I answered my own question before anyone could.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Hale was the one who answered. "Some of them don''t need to see the blood." He said over his shoulder. "The death."


    I left it at that.


    John sat on a rock beside me as Hale and the others spoke about calling the rest of the Northbounders here. The trek wouldn''t be easy and there''d need to be protection both for the traveling group and the cave itself, else someone else comes along and claims it.


    Hale walked up to us. "Are you two fine with watching the cave? We''ll gather up the rest of the Northbounders and come here. " He said to us. "They''ll be more comfortable with familiar faces."


    "You mean ones they can trust." John replied.


    "We trust you both." He responded. "That''s why we''re asking you."


    John nodded and I let him take the reins on this one. It would give me time to rest. With small goodbyes, we were promised they would return within a few hours maybe more. Large groups of people didn''t move fast, and they''ve learned from it after a month or so. They waved as they turned around the cave entrance.


    I summoned my Slate into my hand, a full deck of transparent cards. Again, I was amazed at the perfection that was each card, and, momentarily, wondered if everyone''s Slates were so perfect.


    A few of those cards were actually glowing. I pulled out the first.


    Notice: [Only Fools Get Lucky]


    Through the quick-minded good sense to hop on an opportunity as it arises and the better sense to not, both your [CUN] and [WIS] increase.


    Effects: [CUN] + 1, [WIS] + 1


    My eyes widened at the[Attribute]increases. I wasn''t even certain you could increase them at all.[CUN]was new but I thought I might have an idea of it. Cunning, probably. Speaking of which, I might as well check the rest of my[Attributes]and what exactly they supposedly governed.


    I pulled up my info, or what John had taken to calling it. My[Character Sheet].


    [Vak Tychus]


    [Class] : None


    [Titles]


    [Lottery Winner]


    [Attributes]


    [INT] : 7


    [LUK] : 12


    [WIS] : 6


    [CUN] : 7


    [Powers]


    [Lottery]


    [Cheat]


    [Buff Roll]


    [Weapon Roll]


    [Armor Roll]


    Accordingly, it looked as if my[WIS]went up. Apparently, each[Attribute]was simply hidden unless you unlocked it somehow. I guessed the way my[INT], [WIS]and[LUK]were unlocked were through my[Powers].[CUN]obviously, was by just now, but it was also telling that I already had some points towards it, even before it was increased.


    First off, I checked the descriptions of each[Attribute]I had. This amounted to drawing a few cards with the information already there.


    [INT]


    The ability to retain knowledge and apply it. The [INT] of an individual reflects comprehension, mastery, and expertise in a given field. To an extent, this [Attribute] also reflects power of the mind, command, and grasp and thus affects the corresponding governing [Attributes].


    [WIS]


    The ability to understand the underlying connections of events. The [WIS] of an individual reflects experience, judgment, and soundness of decision. To an extent, this [Attribute] also reflects insight and knowledge and thus affects the corresponding governing [Attributes].


    [LUK]


    The ability of an individual to affect the happenings around them. The [LUK] of an individual reflects improbability, opportunity, and chance. [LUK] affects success, advantage, and well-being.


    [CUN]


    The ability to think quickly and deceive your foes. The [CUN] of an individual reflects cleverness, imagination, and guile. To an extent, this[Attribute] also reflects wit and trickery and thus affects the corresponding governing [Attributes].


    The descriptions were all interesting to me. My highest[Attribute][LUK]however gave me no clues. I couldn''t so easily go around questioning everything that''s so far happened to me. The numbers given to each of the[Attributes]at least, I could test.


    "You had[WIL]and[MND]right?" I asked John, who likewise, must''ve been looking at his Slate.


    He glanced over. "Yeah, why?" He answered. "A few others, but those are the ones my[Class]helps with."


    "I''m trying to understand these numbers. Do you have anything above 10?" I asked.


    "Both of the ones you said." John replied. "I can keep up a handful of shapings because of it. It''s the only reason I could have you using a sword and shield while holding a bow myself. And that[MND]stat, I imagine it''s helping we cope with everything easier than most."


    So I was as lucky as John was stoic and willful.


    Well, that didn''t really help me.


    "Doesn''t really help does it?" John said. "I''ve tried understanding it myself but it''s hard to detect any changes."


    "No kidding." I replied. "Maybe if I had any of the physical ones we could test them."


    "Wish I did. It would give us a perspective at least. You were looking at your Slate right? " John said. "You see that[Zone Quest]?" He asked..


    Zone Quest: [The Everlasting Freeze]


    Zone Quests are specific to a region or locale. The Everlasting Freeze is the curse of cold that blankets the entire region. This region so long having been cursed that it has even adopted the name The Everlasting Freeze, both curse and place interchangeable.


    Objectives: Remove the curse.


    Rewards: 100,000 [Points] divided by contribution, [Zone Control]


    "Yeah." I responded, looking at the card in my hand I knew was invisible to John. He, similarly, was holding something I myself couldn''t see. "So we''re in The Everlasting Freeze. Fitting." I added, blandly. All around us was snow.


    "Who would''ve guessed?" John chuckled, shaking the snow from his shoulders. We were at the mouth of the cave entrance and slowly but surely being frosted over as everything did.


    "What do you think that[Zone Control]is about?" I asked.


    "Some type of deed to the land? Maybe?" He answered weakly. "It''s got to be more than that though."


    "No use thinking on it too hard then. Have you gotten some other[Quests]?" I prodded. "I''ve gotten one to buy something from the shop."


    Quest: [Small Spender]


    Buy something from the [Rare Lightwater System Shop] for less than 1000 [Points].


    Rewards: [Lesser Health Salve]


    John shook his head. "Nothing so simple." He replied. "I had one to kill the ashmen guarding the shop. See?" He pulled a small satchel from under his furs and showed me a pair of glowing rocks. "They''re mana batteries. I can charge as I want, and can pull from them if I need to. They''re small though, but something tells me they''re pretty valuable since it was my[Reward]for doing all that." John waved at the pile of bodies not far from us.We had covered them in snow, but it was obvious to anyone looking, a thin veil that the Northbounders pretended to not notice.


    "What it just showed up in your hand?" I said, incredulous. "Just like that?"


    John raised an eyebrow at me. "That''s what you want to get worked up about?" He said comically. "Yes, just like that. But it''s not the craziest thing to happen so far."


    "I reserve the right to get worked up about everything. How could you not be?" I said rubbing my face at the thought.


    "My[MND]stat, maybe?" John rose an eyebrow eliciting laughter from me.


    "The mind boggles." I said in wonder.


    "Not mine." He said.


    "Not yours." I replied.


    "Keeps getting stranger and stranger." I waved, gesturing to everything I could. "This place."


    "That it does, that it does." John nodded quietly. He broke the following silence. "Well, shouldn''t you go buy something?"


    "Probably." I shrugged. "I''ll see this magically appearing[Reward]for myself then." So saying, I got up and made my way to the[Rare Lightwater System Shop].


    I browsed through the[Items]menu after having placed my hand on the cool floating crystal. There weren''t many things in my budget, in fact, most of the other things were completely out of my range. Everything seemed too exotic, but I was looking for something cheap and practical. I had to remember to spend less than 1000[Points]and I finally came across something that fit all three criteria I had set myself.


    [Lightwater Backpack]


    A well-made backpack capable of holding all of one''s belongings comfortably upon their back. It is capable of emitting a dull light and is completely waterproof even when submerged. Ideal for deep water dives.


    Price: 700 [Points]


    The backpack was nothing more than a small pretty vortex of multicolored light before its weight actually settled on my shoulders. Following that, I got a notice that my[Small Spender][Quest]completed. A small red container formed in my hand in a similar fashion of that of the[Lightwater Backpack]. Opening the container revealed a thick reddish paste that I knew would have some healing properties. The[Reward]for[Small Spender]was a[Lesser Healing Salve]after all.


    The next few days passed in a blur.

 Chapter 20 - To Explore

    The days passed in a blur.


    After that initial battle at the cave, the Northbounders moved in later that day. I was able to see the effects of the Jergen''s [Quick Construction] firsthand. Walls of snow, as there was nothing else to build from, came up in hours with fewer hands than it should''ve needed. Jergen was an older man but his efforts seemed to triple as he built.


    There were others that helped, even a few that had specific [Classes] applicable to the circumstances.


    I had been using [Cheat] and [Lottery] daily and haven''t hit upon anything. I wondered if [Cheat] was even worth spending with [Lottery] as it didn''t seem to net any results. Although, the odds could''ve been just that bad. I stroked my cloak, the soft fur moving through my fingers like smooth water.


    The Northbounders were an efficient sort. With Jergen taking the lead, they had managed something passable in only a few days. The cave entrance was walled off with a wooden scaffolding packed with snow. There was debate about sealing off the cave entirely or leaving some head room to peer outward. Unsure of what other wildlife might be present, they decided to pack it closed.


    The door, which was a bundle of wooden branches tied together, was watched at all times. Most of the Northbounders were further in the cave, which was much more spacious than we had initally guessed. They nestled nearby the [Rare Lightwater System Shop] and basked in its glow. There were a few children present, actually, that did nothing but stare at the lights.


    In the meantime, I had [Quests].


    "You going out again, Vak?" John walked up to me, Gibber on his shoulder. I almost missed his voice among the echoing clamor of the damp cave.


    I had been tightening my [Lightwater Backpack] when I looked up. "Just about ready to." I replied. "Something wrong?" I said, standing.


    "I''m heading back to my place, actually." John replied. His voice was firm, as it always was. "Though I''ll probably end up stopping here once in a while for the [System Shop]." He had his own backpack now after seeing mine, they were nearly identical. I didn''t mind too much. "Was hoping you''d join me that way. Unless you''ve got a specific direction."


    "Say no more. I wouldn''t mind the company." I put up a hand. "You''ve got everything?"


    "All set." He replied.


    We made our way through the entrance. The man and woman let us through and I had to admire the area outside too. There small buildings in the process of being built, slanted on the slop directly outside the cave. They were barely started but I could see the image. Eventually, a good chunk of the area around the cave would be surrounded with living space, and hopefully, defenses.


    I slipped into the conduct I now always held myself to when exposed or at risk for danger.


    Like John, I went silent. My eyes swept the surroundings, relaxed and prepared. My metaphorical finger rested on my [Powers] and my mind whirled with the possibilities. John wordlessly handed me a sword and shield but kept himself unarmed.


    There had been a close call on the first day. A Northbounder was attacked by some type of white leopard bigger than it had any right to be during the initial escort. Luckily all the combatants were there. But it only alluded to all the creatures that we were not yet familiar with in the area. Everyone who had been here a month longer than I have still been reporting new finds.


    Eventually, we passed the casino and library, walking through the eerie city wreck. We made it through unbothered, sticking closely to the walls when we could. We tensed unconcsciously as we passed by the library, remembering our scuffle with the white troll. I looked at the casino as we passed it.


    We took a break, hours later, when we hit the bell tower ruins. For better or for worse, I wasn''t yet able to finish my [Quest] objective.


    I asked John if he was working on any of his own.


    "Nothing I''m aiming to complete anytime soon." He replied. We were in the lobby of an abandoned apartment, one of the fixed up ones from the Northbounder''s time here. We sat in comfy chairs. "You?"


    "[Luck of the Draw]." I responded. "Kill something with my [Powers],basically." John had dissipated the violet sword and shield he had given me, leaving my hands free.


    Quest: [Luck of the Draw]


    Using a combination of [Weapon Roll], [Buff Roll], and [Armor Roll]. Defeat a creature.


    Reward: Random Minor Item


    "Probably best we didn''t get a chance to finish it on the way here." I said. The walk had been uneventful, but there was still a ways to go.


    "Better with me than if you were alone." John rose an eyebrow. "How were you planning on finishing that anyway? You can''t go around risking your life out here, that''s not how I survived the first month."


    I exhaled, taking a moment to push my own reflections into reality.


    "I don''t want to stay with the Northbounders, John." I spoke my thoughts over the last few days. "I don''t think I want to go home either, at least not now. It might seem a little random, but I think I know what I want to do in this new world. And I need to be capable of fighting off a monster or two."


    John stared at me for a moment. "And what''s that, Vak?" He finally asked.


    "I think I want to explore."


    John looked up at me. I looked out the shattered door of the lobby. Snow fell gently. We lapsed into silence.


    Our [Lightwater Backpacks] were actually extremely useful. I wouldn''t have thought we''d have much to lug around, and well, initially I was right. All the weapons John and I brought to bear were all conjured on the spot. For his part though, he had packed food and water. Apparently, [Small Rations] from what he told me. Just simple food from the [System Shop]and a small canteen. For my part, I still wasn''t experiencing hunger or thirst thanks to the [Exquisite Long Ration] I took that first day. I did, however, have a single container of [Lesser Healing Salve] and of course that [Skillbook] for [Ice Mastery].


    Rare Skillbook: [Ice Mastery]


    The cold elements bend to your will. Shaping frozen magics become easier, second nature. Magics pertaining to the element of ice become colder and more intense. Your innate understanding of the cold becomes sharper and easier to grasp.Unauthorized usage: this tale is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    As John ate, more for nutrition than any joy, I took the [Skillbook] out of my backpack to try to decipher. Again, the swirling ink seemed to slither across the pages, sliding between the pages forming diagrams and notes I could barely discern, in a language my eyes didn''t know, in a pattern I couldn''t find.


    By now, John didn''t question my lack of eating, I had already told him about my [Powers] and thus how I got my [Cloak of the Frozen Icicle] and the [Exquisite Long Ration]. Instead, he stared at the book in my lap as I did.


    I sighed, closing it. "Still nothing." I said, frustratingly.


    "It''s only been a few days." John placated. "That thing looks more mystical than anything I''ve so far come across. I doubt you''re just going to up and read it one day." He had taken his backpack off and placed it on his lap.


    "I need it, John." I said. "I''ve come to realize how unreliable my [Powers] are in the heat of the moment. I can''t always rely on them. Don''t you think this [Ice Mastery] might round me out?"


    John shrugged. "That''s up to you to decide, I think." He said contemplatively. "[Powers], in my mind, have become something deeply personal. They''re a part of you, as much as your arm or leg. While I don''t mind sharing with you, you saved my life after all, we should probably be more careful about it."


    The thought had struck me before. It hadn''t been long enough for any social norms to form around the [System] but the beginnings were apparent.


    I nodded. "Makes sense." John snacked as I talked. "I doubt anyone knows about the existence of [Skillbooks]. And maybe it was that first discovery, this shiny glowing, rustic and mystical book sitting in that shelf that really made me decide." I flipped through it, more feeling the pages than I did actually look at the ink.


    "That you want to explore the new world?" He said the last words hesitantly, but with acceptance. As if tasting the food of a rival chef and conceding you were beat.


    "Yeah." I chuckled at a thought. "Or maybe it was that near-death experience right after. Maybe I''m a masochist."


    John laughed genuinely. "Have you looked into selling the [Skillbook]at all? I know you''re trying to read it."


    I had, actually. "15,500 [Points]." I said, not bothered to let John know.


    He whistled. "It''s not a small sum."


    "It''s telling isn''t it?" I said aloud, it wasn''t the first time the debate came into my head. "There''s something about the fact that I found it that makes me want to try it, rather than selling it."


    "Fair enough." John said, packing away his leftover ration. "Well are you up for it now?" He said wiping his hands.


    "Up for what?" I said confused.


    "Exploring." He gestured around. "I''m not in a rush to get back, it''s still the morning after all. I should probably hunt for dinner tonight and lunch too."


    "I''m down." I replied. "I was thinking of heading off east. Away from the ruins and what you showed me so far."


    John hummed. "East of here?" He rubbed his chin. "I haven''t gone that way, mostly because I never saw anything of interest. Of course, after exploring the other direction most of everything interesting is under the canopy."


    "Well?"


    "Well, if it''s forest like I think it is, then I''ve got a good chance of catching some game." He slung his backpack over his shoulder and stood up. "If not, same goes, be careful."


    "Of course." I replied.


    We headed through the urban ruins, passing into the forest east. It was similarly coated in snow and in no way indicative of anything but the very same forest we''d been traveling in up to this point.


    There were no signs of anything and I directed my attention to the trees, knowing just as well as GIbber, who was staring upward, that there could be something above us as well as below. The scaled squirrel was wiser than I was sometimes.


    John plodded through the snow like a man who lived here. His footsteps found solid ice strong enough to hold his weight but not slippery enough to slip on. He stuck closer to the tree roots, banking on their stability than the softer snow you could fall in that coated the regular forest floor. I followed him closely, none of these things being particularly new, but nonetheless notable.


    I had made it a habit to use my[Powers]often and whenever possible when I knew I was safe. That two minutes might not seem like much but when my waiting revolved around it, I knew more than anyone how long it was. I wouldn''t risk that stretch of time outside unless I felt secure enough.


    With John, it was just so. And even then I didn''t dare to use them all at once. However, because I had his shaped sword and shield I indulged. I had failed[Lottery]today, opting to save[Cheat]this time around. My other[Powers]worked as usual.


    Weapon: [Singing Sharp Stick]


    A sharp stick of regular wood. There are carved holes along its side that, while indeed, cause the stick to sing, only compromise its integrity.


    Armor: [Bronze Heater Shield]


    A shield in the classic fashion, forged of bronze. Able to be worn on the arm, this piece of armor is capable of deflecting most weaponry by strength of arm.


    Buff: [Resist Disease]


    Your body rejects diseases strongly. Any phyiscal or magical disease unaided will only hold with extreme difficulty.


    Both the[Singing Sharp Stick]and [Bronze Heater Shield]appeared at my feet as both my hands held something. It made sense in my mind, and contemplating for a moment, I simply left them there. The[Resist Disease]was nice, no matter if it was relevant, there was always a chance to contract something from anywhere.


    John saw the shamrock light and witnessed me stepping over the items with a raised eyebrow.


    It was then that the snowman came around the nearest trunk. My eyes widened as I locked onto its face over John''s shoulder. "John, behind you!" I yelled.


    Immediately, my sword and shield disappeared and John was covered in violet light. The large blue humanoid brought a bone knife to John''s neck. Shimmering dark violet armor stopped it in its tracks. It was as if my sword and shield appeared in John''s hands, as he swung upward-


    Something stabbed me in the lower back. I sucked in breath and felt a knife leave my back. I scrambled forward and turned around in fear. My mind went frantic but my eyes locked onto the things I dropped earlier.


    Snowman was the worst moniker John could''ve given them. The large blue humanoids, lanky and muscular, more teeth than face, wearing nothing but loincloths. It looked absolutely vicious and didn''t even have a carrot for a nose. It was standing over my items. I backed away.


    I could feel blood leak down my pants, it was a deep wound but I felt it was just flesh. Nothing vital. Then something twistedpainfully somewhere else and doubled me over, eyes wide. I fell to my knees. I turned around and there was a third one, staring down at me.


    This time he hit something I needed. I screamed, his knife had gone through my backpack. I stared around crawling forward. There were three. John had killed one. He was screaming my name. Pointing at my backpack, yelling something. He saw me cough up blood. I couldn''t breathe. He hit a lung.


    "Vak!" His voice came to me. Blurry. How was it blurry? "Salve!" A word rang. He yelled then grunted.


    I coughed blood unable to breathe. My vision was spotty and I didn''t know where anything was. I couldn''t see the shapes moving around me. Couldn''t gauge if I was safe or not. My view was a pinhole, shrinking.


    I opened the bag and reached for the small red container. My fingers fumbled and now I was on my back, operating on feel only. It was easier on my back, less blood more air. I took another bloody breath. My entire back felt warm, I felt weak, cold. My cloak had helped deflect the knives from sinking deeper in sure lethality.


    I reached for the thing that wasn''t the book, and opened it. My fingers fumbled inside the container getting the[Lesser Healing Salve]on them. I couldn''t reach my back. I was going to die. My vision went completely black after a bare breath. It came back in a flash of fading light. I gasped for air, more blood than not.


    "Go!" I heard a voice echo in my head.


    I knew what two minutes felt like. I desperately focused.


    Weapon: [Seven Sided Chakram]


    A chakram with seven blades adorning the already sharp circles edge. While combat application of chakrams are largely dependent on size, this one is perfect for throwing.


    Armor: [Thick Grain Padding]


    Padding made of simplegrain applied behind armor to prevent piercing blows or blunt attacks. The grain used in the padding is for no other reason than cost.


    Buff: [Forever Breeze]


    A constant breeze follows your back as you walk, easing your trek and replenishing your feet.


    I moaned in pain, the last sound I would ever make. Instantly, I felt the[Thick Grain Padding]soak through. I could hear the sounds of fighting as if miles away. My hand. They were checking my body, my corpse. Did they really see us as so little a threat that they afforded one to check me? I coughed blood again, feeling the darkness of death settle around me. They were going through my[Lesser Healing Salve]. I saw it move around there. I was powerless to stop them, their furry hands in the container healing what damage we had managed. I flipped over in pathetic retaliation as something poked at my face, letting out some noise. The blood pooled in my chest and I couldn''t breathe, gasping like a fish.


    Then there was chittering at my ear, and something crawled into my cloak. I felt it pass through my jacket, four tiny feet. Cold. I had to turn over. But I couldn''t. It gnawed at my[Thick Grain Padding]. It paused, and between gargling up more blood I managed a last gasping breath.


    Something soft and cold brushed against my wound. Tiny hands. Then I passed out with blood in my chest.