《Tyrant》 Prologue Prologue The war that lasted for 100 years came to an abrupt end due to the confrontation between Apollo, Avatar of the God of War and the Dragon of Destruction Gilgamesh. The explosions caused by their attacks shook the heavens and destroyed the earth. As a result of their confrontation, The Realm of Elysian was divided into two hemispheres. To the east became the Dragonkin continent of Draishax, and to the west the alliance continent of Evergreen . This event came to be known as The Shattering. The Realm of Elysian was once filled with Fertile lands, beautiful landscapes and a variety of resources with vast appeal to the supreme beings that existed since the beginning of time . The Gods of Creation were the first to recognized the vast advantages Elysian had to offer and quickly decided to take action. They divided the land among themselves and created races to spread their influence and keep each other in check. Ytos God of Earth claimed the depths of the planet and created the Dwarves. Dwarves were a strong and a stout race, adept at creating powerful armors and weapons. On the Surface Fadall, God of War created the Orcs; fierce and formidable beings, that were extremely territorial and love conflict. Xelaris, the Goddess of Nature claimed the forest and created the elves, creatures with spectacular beauty and bearing. As more and more gods arrived and took a piece of the land through their creations, news of Elysian reached the ears of the mighty dragon gods. Filled with jealousy, the mighty dragon gods sought to take a piece of the pie from the gods of creations and started their invasion. The first to arrive was Aragath, the Chaos Dragon, Ruler over the destruction Realm. He restructured part of the realm and deposited his kindred. Dragonkin then walk the earth and flew in the skies. With the arrival of the Dragonkin, the conflict for the limited amount of land and the wonderful resources the Realm of Elysian had to offer started. The Dragonkin argued that they were the descendants of the most powerful gods and that all the other creatures in the land should Worship them as the supreme race. As time passed, the rapid incursion upon their land by the Dragonkin forced the weaker races Humans, Barbarians, Elf, Demon kin, Dwarfs, Gnomes, Halflings, and Beast kin to form an alliance to waged war against the powerful intruders.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it. In order to secure victory, the Gods of Creation send powerful Emissaries known as Avatars to guide the alliance and destroy their foes. Avatars wielded Legendary weapons and Armor which granted them the power to destroyed mountains and split the seas. The alliance thought that victory was secure but they were sadly mistaken. The Dragonkin also had their Generals who had powerful bodies and wielded extraordinary magic. After many years of intense war, the realm end up in two. After the dust settled, the combine empire of the alliance spread through out their known world. Due to the difference in cultures and the greed of their leaders, the Era of the alliance did not last for long. There are many relics and ruins with great treasures from this period spread out throughout the land, but little history of the period remains. After the fall of the Combine Empire, the remnants of mankind dwelled mostly in the center of the continent, inhabiting primarily the vast and fertile plains. 5,000 years after The Shattering, villages continue to appeared and prospered, many became towns, and two even became cities. In the west side of Evergreen a strong and noble band of Humans, lead by Ivan Pendragon the First, founded the city of Silverwing following the guidance of the good alignment Gods. Blackrock Port, to the east, became an active and dangerous city under the principle of survival of the fittest. As the strongest, the Shadowknight Degark Harbinger claimed the leadership of the City. The new organization of the land did not imply that humanity was at peace. Competition was fierce, and when resources grew scarce for one reason or another many groups abandoned the promises and alliances of the past and fought. Despite their differences of opinion, the leaders of the new world understood that the true enemy laid across the great chasm. The armies of the Dragonkin were still thriving and waiting for the right time to wage war and become the true rulers of the world. With conflict looming over the horizon, new heroes will emerge in the most unexpected places.... Choosing a Path Northwest Evergreen. Barbarian Village of Helgahvall. 5010 A.S (After the Shattering) As the first rays of the sun hit the snow covered rooftops of the village of Helgahvall, virtually every resident was in deep sleep except one. A young boy by the name of Rahz was jumping around doing the best he could to stretch his muscles. Today was Rahz''s 5th birthday and that meant that he could finally start his training to become a warrior of the brave Barbarian race. Since he could remembered, Rahz watched the warriors of the village fight against ferocious beast in order to protect and feed its residents without asking anything in return. It was this feeling of friendship and unity that filled Rahz with lofty dreams of one day joining their ranks and developing into a pillar of strength for the people he loved the most. Rahz dreamt of wielding a giant Axe and vanquishing his enemies with one swing of his weapon ''swish, swish, swish''. In his mind the path of the warrior was the only one for him. Every morning he woke up early and did some light exercises while dreaming about epic encounters with whichever animal he had for dinner the day before and it usually lasted until his mother called him for breakfast. Rahz''s mother was a beautiful and delicate lady, she had long blonde hair, big blue eyes and a very svelte body but her most prominent feature was her pair of pointy ears characteristic of the elf race. As the son of a Barbarian and an Elf, Rahz was a lot smaller than the other kids and his peculiar ears caused him to be teased by the other kids on many occasions. Despite being smaller in size than the average Barbarian, Rahz still displayed fairly good strength characteristic of the Barbarian race and the wisdom and intelligence of the elf race. Nature was not without balance. While finishing his breakfast Rahz asked his mother " Is dad a great warrior?". Rahz''s parents Rhaen and Etta were part of an adventurer team from the great city of Silverwing. Rhaen was a shield and sword warrior called a Guardian and was a profession specialized in the protection of their allies through the combination of defensive skills and durable plate armor. Etta was the healer of the group, as a high Elf she took advantage of her high wisdom and chose to be a cleric gaining powerful healing and enhancement spells from the god she decided to follow. "He is the greatest adventurer I have ever met, and I am alive because of him" Seeing her son''s sparkling eyes she continued, "your father and I were part of an adventurer team which operated to the south of the great city of Silverwing. We did missions to earn money and help the small villages that couldn''t protect themselves from the attacks of bandits and other dangerous races. As luck will have it, there was a group of Gnolls that had massacred a human village and were spreading their influence in a area close to the city. Naturally, a request was made to the adventurer guild to wipe out the Gnolls. We accepted the request and proceeded to their lair. The further we went inside, the higher the amount of Gnoll groups that were roaming around and this made them extremely difficult to defeat". "In one moment of carelessness we caught the attention of three different groups that were close to each other and got overwhelmed by their numbers. We tried desperately to survive but every time we killed a group another seem to appear in an endless tide, people started dying and getting devoured which crushed our hopes to make it out alive until your father took it upon himself to distract every single Gnoll while some of us headed to the exit. I don''t know how he managed to survive and until this day he won''t tell me. Only three people managed to make it to the exit that day and your dad and me were two of them". It was a sad story that reflected the cruel reality of the world but instead of making Rahz examined his choice of becoming a warrior, it fueled it with the desired to grow strong so that he could protect those he loved the most. After that amazing story filled with action and self sacrifice Rahz left his house towards the center of the village. Along the way, Rahz caught a glance of his best friend Bhilr. Bhilr was the son of the village chief and unlike Rahz, Bhilr was the best representation of the barbarian race. At 5 years old he was already 5 feet tall and was able to lift a stone weighing 150 pounds. Bhilr had black hair hanging down to his shoulder, a very rough complexion and wore leather armor made out of animal fur. Despite being the son of the chief he was very easy to talk to and was not conceited at all. " Are you ready for the ceremony?" asked Rahz. Bhilr looked in the direction the question came from, smiled and said " Of Course!!" "Which path will you be taken?" asked Rahz "As the son of the chief of Helgahvall there is only one path for me WARRIOR!! yours?" "Same!! I want to develop into the Berserker class". "It will be the Guardian for me." said Bhilr. There were four paths granted by the gods in the realm of Elysian, they could be considered the blueprint for the development of an individual with the purpose of becoming the driving force of society. The four paths available for a native Elysian was the path of a Warrior, the path of a Healer, the path of a Scout, and the path of a Mage. each path had its strengths and weaknesses and an individual could use any of them to reach the Apex of the realm and reached the maximum level (50) and break the shackles of mortality.If you spot this narrative on Amazon, know that it has been stolen. Report the violation. What happened when a warrior reached the maximum level was all speculation as very few people managed to get to the Apex but one thing was certain if you wanted to get to Level 50 then it all started with the Awakening Ceremony. During the Awakening Ceremony a native Elysian prayed to the Gods of Creation and told them their dreams and in a sense the things that they aspired to do with the power granted to them. According to this information, the Gods could make a choice if they wanted the person as a follower or not. It was a mutual contract between a native of the realm of Elysian and a God of Creation, as for the benefits the Gods obtained from the transaction, only they knew. Once the contract had been established, the God granted some gifts to his follower and the most important of them all was the Rune of the Awaken. The Rune allowed the Elysian to collect and used the energy of the realm to break the shackles of mortality and used powers otherwise not available to the common folk. The Rune could be seen as a receptacle that accumulated the energy necessary to change the body of a mortal and once it had enough for the change it was time for the individual to level up increasing the inherent characteristics of the person such as strength, toughness etc. The rune was the easiest way to confirm the level of a person and to keep track of one''s progress due to its visual changes. The second gift from the gods were called blessings and they were a boost determined by the divinity of the God one decided to follow. For warriors for example, the most popular choices were Fadall ( God of War) with a boost to Strength and Stamina, Izana (Goddess of Valor) with a boost to healing and combat arts, and Odos (the God of Justice) with boost to Wound healing and a small strength boost every time an Elysian increased in Levels. As they got closer to the center of the village where the ceremony was to take place more and more people started to gather. There were 8 more kids that were participating in the ceremony and starting their brand new life. When it was time to start, all the kids lined up in front of the altar. Rahz was the smallest of all the children he looked like a dwarf among giants. All the kids look extremely nervous while the eldest shaman preceding the ceremony started his prayers. Being the son of the chief, Bhirl had the privilege to go first. Mustering his courage, Bhilr step forward and knelt in front of the altar. He prayed to the gods " Oh great gods of creation, please grant me the strength to protect my people from harm. I will like to follow the path of the warrior and uphold the principles of law and justice." After a few seconds, 2 different light columns descended in front of him. One was pure white and the other was a light blue color. The shaman in charge of the ceremony then explain to Bhirl that two different gods approved of his prayer. One was the god of valor and the other was the god of justice. By stepping into a beam of light he would received the particular god''s blessing and become a follower of said god upholding his or her principles. After meditating for a few seconds Bhirl step into the light blue column. As soon as he stepped in, he was lifted a meter from the ground as the grace of the god of justice descended and granted him a blessing. After the light beam faded away, Bhirl felt that his skin and bones got tougher, his life force had strengthen and his cells were radiating with energy; energy that would greatly promote his healing. After Bhirl finished his ceremony the other children stepped up one by one and chose their paths increasing the awaken of the village by 3 scouts, 3 healers and 2 more warriors. Rahz''s turn came last and as he stepped up to the altar, there was no sense of anticipation for everyone in the village as they all knew of the Child''s obsession with becoming a warrior. Rhaz knelt in front of the altar and began his prayer, " Oh great gods of creation, please grant me the strength to vanquish all my foes. I will like to follow the path of the warrior and crush my enemies across countless battlefields. I want to be the strongest." As soon as he finished his prayer, Rahz started grinning while imagining the gods fighting to give him their blessing. As time passed, two light columns appeared in front of Rhaz; one was Dark Red and the other was Black. They represented the God of war and the Prince of death respectively. When the two columns appeared a commotion started. everybody was dumbfounded due to the fact that both gods were of evil alignment. The prince of dead was a must for the path of assassination. As for the God of War even though it provided a very nice blessing for fighters, it did not uphold any lofty principles. Strength was king in his book. The village of Helgahvall was associated with the city of Silverwing that was built for the Good Alignment followers. The city had a kill on sight order for any Evil God worshiper that attempted to come in to disrupt the peace they had created. Rahz was bound to be cast aside to the city of Blackrock Port where all sorts of people mingle. Looking at his two choices Rahz was a little perplex, he thought that Izana the Goddess of Valor would extend an invitation but to his disappointment she was not a choice. Rahz quickly recompose himself and after listening to the Shaman explained the name of the Gods that had accepted his prayer the choice was obvious. He wanted power and there was only one Supreme being that symbolize the search for power and that was the God of War. Rahz stepped into the red column of light very nervously, and his muscles bulged due to the blessing of strength as his skin and bones became tougher from the blessing to his toughness and due to the path he chose, Warrior. As soon as the light dissipated, everybody in the whole town square cover their noses and were gasping for air. Rahz skin was covered with a black and sticky substance symbolizing the expulsion of impurities from his body. The stench was so bad that it felt as if their nose hairs were on fire. While looking a Bhilr, Rahz asked " Did you fart?". "Shameless" Was the thought in everyone''s mind. Looking at the situation at hand, the shaman decided to finish the ceremony and save everyone the torture generated by the release of the impurities inside Rahz''s body. Even though the other kids also released some impurities, the bigger the release the worst the stench. The shaman dismissed everybody and told the kids to familiarize themselves with their new bodies and skills pertaining to their chosen path. Even though the ceremony appeared to be like any other, in the eyes of the village elders, the biggest winner today was not the son of the chief but that shameless little fellow. The First Skill After inspecting himself for a brief moment, Rahz was pretty stoked about his changes. Not only was he stronger than before, he was also a bit taller as well and that meant the world to him. Ever since he could remember, Rahz was always the smallest kid among his peers and the 3 inches that he had gain during the ceremony was a step forward towards his goal of normal height. Just as he was leaving the the town''s square, Rahz felt a sharp pain in his right arm and screamed "Ahhhhh! What the Hel..." Right before he finished his sentence BAMMM!! he felt another sharp pain but this time was his left arm. Rahz wailed again, " Ahhhhh!! you sucker punch me ! What kind of warrior does that?" "This kind" Said Bhirl towering over the sorry looking Rahz. " I didn''t manage to hear right, Who farted during the ceremony?" Realizing what was all about, Rahz struggled to place a smile on his face and said " Let''s not dwell on the pass mate. What you said, what I said, what the elder said is not important. What is important right now is that I am 3 inches taller and finally a warrior. Lets just do our best from now on and become the strongest warriors in Helgahvall" Without being aware of it, Bhilr nodded his head and got caught up in the rhythm of the conversation forgetting for a second about his revenge. Rahz saw his chance to escape and very quietly disappeared within the crowd of people that move out of his way thanks to the foul smell coming from his body. The effect of his body odor was better than ambulance lights as he managed to navigate the crowds effortlessly and just after a short walk, he was able to get home and proceeded to take a bath in the back of his hut. It was the perfect opportunity to check his new skills and find out how awesome they were. The first thing Rahz discovered was that the majority of the skills were passive in nature and that the most important one was definitely the ability to absorb energy from heaven and earth as well as the life force of vanquished foes in order to evolve. This Ability was granted by the Rune of the Awakened that physically appeared in his body and would evolve with the warrior throughout his lifetime. This ability was the bread and butter of the whole system granted by the gods and the reason why people were able to use supernatural abilities to defend themselves against unknown dangers. The second ability of the rune was to use the energy of the realm to change the body of a person and with each level up he or she moved one step closer to divinity so they could soar to the higher planes of the Gods they followed. The last of the passive skills was just a slight increased resistance to the elements used in detrimental magic such as Fire, Ice, Disease, Poison, etc. Apart from the passive skills, Rahz learned two abilities. The first was an offensive skill called Devastating Blow that allowed the warrior to cover his weapon with Energy increasing the sharpness of the weapon causing 50% more damage to the enemy. The second ability was the utilization of energy for defensive purposes and it was called Strengthen Defense. The ability allowed the warrior to strengthen his own defense or the defensive value of weapons by using a portion of his energy to cushion the blow. Once Rahz read this two skills he could not wait to start practicing. He got out of the bath, got dress and started practicing with a stick nearby. Rahz hit a tree with his made up weapon and found out that there was not even a scratch left on it even after a few tries. It was important to establish a baseline in order to determine the changes after using Devastating Blow and now he had one, the weapon in his hand could not cut through. Rahz activated Devastation Blow and as he stroke towards the tree, the stick in his hands glowed with energy and left a big scratch on it. Rahz was pretty amazed about the power of the ability; however, he quickly realized there was a huge problem. Every time he used the skill, he felt tired, like he had exercise all day long until he was unable to move anymore and dropped to the floor.Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences. This experiment thought him that he could only use this ability sporadically in a fight as after using it 5 times he was completely exhausted. Rahz¡¯s Rune of the Awakened absorbed the energy of the realm to nourish his body back to normal and after about an hour he felt great once more so he decided to try the defensive ability. The moment Strengthen Defense was activated, Rahz¡¯s body was surrounded by a thin layer of energy and he felt that his skin and bones were strengthen by a small margin. It was a great skill but the cost was even greater than the offensive skill and after using it 2 times he felt that he could not move a muscle. ¡°Looks like it takes about an hour for the Rune of the Awakened to replenish my energy so I better be extremely careful when I fight¡± thought Rahz. Rahz was learning a ton of things related to the skills and this pushed him to continue with his experiments that yield yet another pleasant surprise. He discovered that he could use his energy to only strengthen his weapon, and that using it that way allowed him to spend a lot less energy increasing the quantity of uses to 4 times before collapse. While absorbing energy for the fifth time, Rahz felt that even though he was absorbing energy his body still felt weak and he was light headed. In that precise moment he felt a sharp pain coming from his stomach and felt extremely hungry. After recuperating for a while he quickly went to his house and gorge in whatever food he could find. When his mom came back to the house and saw him eating food like a famine demon she smiled and asked " Did you use your class skills?" Rahz nodded and kept stuffing his face. " Now that you are starting your training as a warrior you got to understand your limits. If you run out of stamina in a life and death battle it would be devastating. Rahz, it is very important that you give 110 percent during the special training of the village that is coming up, It may save your life someday". While talking to her son about safety, Etta started making dinner. ************************************************************ Rahz''s father was a very special existence for the village due to the fact that he had been in the great city of Silverwind and learned the art of Forging. Even though, Rhaen''s skills were not superb, He was still an intermediate blacksmith. As far as the village was concern his skills were Godlike and since Barbarians hunted for living, they knew the value of having excellent weapons granting Rahz¡¯s father a special place in their hearts. The ceremony held during the day signified the need for 10 sets of weapons. Rhaen had been working extra hours lately to finish the orders from the parents of the new awakened children and was amazed that he was able to finish all the orders on time including the one for his son. With a smile on his face, Rhaen wiped the sweat from his forehead and took a look at his latest work. It was a two handed axe. Rhaen looked at the copper axe with pride in his eyes because he knew it was his greatest work to date and the weapon will never let his son down. The axe was 4 ft long, had a 2 sided head, and a spike at the top of the handle. The edge on each side was 8 inches long and the whole axe weighted about 90 lbs. The axe was quite heavy for Rahz to wield comfortably from the get go, however, it was a training tool as well as weapon that could increase his strength and stamina in the long run. By the time Rahz''s father got home it was pretty dark outside. Rahz had not seen his dad since early in the morning, and he was very eager to show him the amazing changes that had happened to him. As Rhaen got close to the house, he was able to smell his wife¡¯s wonderful cooking but most importantly he was able to see Rahz using his 2 new skills in order to increase his experience towards the next level. It was a very heartwarming scene for Rhaen that couldn¡¯t wait to call his son over for a little bonding. "Rahz, come see what your dad got you". Rahz stop what he was doing and ran to his dad''s side. As he was getting closer he saw a massive looking axe that was radiating a sharpness that made his hairs stood up and he subconsciously slowed down to a crawl. His dad was a veteran mercenary so he understood what was happening and with a grin on his face said, "This is your new partner. Congrats on awakening." Gifts for All "This is your new partner. Congrats on awakening." The phrase resounded on Rahz''s mind for a few seconds while he opened his eyes wide and picked up speed as he tackle his dad into a big hug. " You are the best!!!! I can''t wait to see Bhilr''s ugly face tomorrow when I show him this baby." Rhaen shook his head and was speechless, he didn''t want to spoil his son''s happiness by telling him that he had also made weapons for all the children that had awakened. With a solemn expression Rhaen handed the axe to his son and said " This axe is not a toy, if you don''t give it the respect it deserves, you can injure others as well as injure yourself. I will teach you the proper way to take care of it tomorrow. If you maintained it properly, it will never let you down." "Thanks dad, I promise I¡¯ll be very careful". The moment he grabbed the axe. Rhaz felt a formidable weight in his hands. "Wow is so heavy." "It should be able to help you train your body while you do your swinging practice, just make sure to listen to your instructors and learn how to use it properly". Etta was standing at the door looking at the pair of father and son with warm feelings wondering when it will be the time for Rahz to start his own life. She had the feeling that his destiny was elsewhere. Sigh¡­ ¡°Only time will tell¡± Thought Etta while calling the two of them to dinner. Next day, Rahz woke up early and started his morning exercise which now included the use of his offensive and defensive skills to deplete all of his energy. After the awakening ceremony, a small mark had appeared on the right side of Rahz''s chest and he learned from his dad that he could take a look at his progress to the next level by looking at the rune of the awakened on his body. Normally, the mark was very hard to see but the further along the level he was, the brighter the lines of the rune will be. Rahz¡¯s rune had 10 percent of the lines that made it up illuminated symbolizing that Rahz was already 10 percent into level 1 from all the exercise he had done. Once the rune was 100 percent full of energy, it will used the energy stored to change Rahz''s body and advance to a Level 2 rune of awakening. The level 2 rune will be a little bigger in size and required a lot more energy to be filled and so on and so forth. There were many ways to increase the energy towards the next level. The best method was definitely killing any life form that had cultivated energy, whether it was humans or other races it did not really matter. The most important aspect of getting energy from slaying was definitely the level of the prey, the higher the level of the vanquished foe, the higher the energy rewarded. On the contrary, slaying foes that were at a much lower level than the warrior gave no benefits to them except for providing sustenance and materials such as leather. The second method was definitely through alchemy;However, Alchemy came in many levels and finding an Alchemist in such a remote region like Helgahvall was very difficult. For Barbarian villages, alchemy came in the most primitive form, cooking, They took the meat, bones and blood of the high level beast and cook it with different medicinal plants to feed their warriors. Using precious materials this way was quite wasteful but alchemist were very rare and even if they found one to create potions or other items the cost alone would be higher than the amount of money necessary to buy grain to feed the village in the winter months. You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story. Alchemy was probably the most expensive method to increase one''s energy and the higher the level of the Awakened, the higher the requirements of the materials. Some recipes required materials from 2nd evolution creatures and had an outrageous cost which only people from wealthy families in big towns could afford. The final method was constant practice. Even though it was the slower of all three, it was the safest and cheapest. With this method, the warrior uses their skills continuously in order to depleted their energy, then with the energy of heaven and earth provided by their runes, they stimulate their bodies to cope better with the stress of training thus increasing their energy. This method also provided another benefit which was the increased in the proficiency of skills and combat arts. Constant training did not implied that everybody could get to the highest level of their class, the method was deeply influenced by the warriors bloodlines giving the Barbarians an advantage while leveling up due to their constitution. Another drawback to this method was that the amount of energy required at higher levels became massive and not everybody wanted to reach the Apex, some people stopped training to raise a family, others stopped in order to build a business, etc. When Rahz was checking his progress, he saw his dad walking towards him with a little kit. In the kit was a sharpening stone, some oils and a couple of cloths. After Rhaen explained the use of each item, he proceeded to show Rahz the proper way to maintain a weapon. "Watch carefully" " The first step in the process is to wipe away any debris from the blades of the the 2 sided axe and then proceeded to clean the handle with the cloth. you have to make sure that no residue is left. Once you are satisfied with the first step, The next step is to use the sharpening stone followed by another round of cleaning. Finally, The last step is to oil the blades and the head of the Axe in order to protect the materials from the weather." Finishing his explanation, Rhaen gave the maintenance kit to Rahz and said " If you do this regularly, your weapon will last for a long time." Rhaen then tousle his son''s hair and reminded him that it was time to go. It was time to start his training. During his walk to the training grounds, Rahz was distracted thinking about a name for his new partner. Super awesome destroyer... Nah. Bloodthirster? Nah too savage. Hmmm...My dad said that it deserves respect and it will protect me by chopping my enemies.... I got it!! your new name will be Mr. Choppy. Hoo hoo my naming skills are indeed superb. Without realizing it, Rahz had arrived at the training field. He started looking for Bhirl so he could boost and show off Mr Choppy. After looking at the training field for a couple of minutes, Rahz gave up with a disappointed look. "Just where could he be? I don''t believe he will be late on the first day". Suddenly, Rahz jumped in fright. "Bhirl you scared me!!!. Man that is a face only a mother will love". "Ahhh!!! you really need to stop sucker punching. Is unbecoming of a warrior, you know." " I''ll Show you unbecoming". BAAAM!!! " It was a Joke! Just a joke!!. So savage seriously! you should definitely be a Zerker not a Guardian". While ignoring Rahz''s banter, Bhirl directed his gaze at the giant 2 Handed Axe and said, "Rahz your dad really went all out for you this time, that is an awesome looking weapon". With a smug look on his face Rahz smiled and introduced Mr Choppy. After hearing the weapon''s name Bhirl couldn''t help but shake his head, he was speechless. Rahz got ready to finish telling Bhirl about the awesomeness of Mr. Choppy when the sight of an oversize shield came into his view. He stop talking and walk slowly to Bhirl''s back to take a better look. It was magnificent. In the center of the shield, there was an engraving of a wolf. The Size of the shield was 4 Feet tall and 3 feet wide. it weight it 150 pounds. Underneath the shield, there was a sword scabbard and the handle of a sword stuck out from the side. It looked so massive that it made Rahz Gulp. " When you get that." Rahz pointed at the shield. " Last night!, it was my awakening present". "Hmm.... Did my dad made it?". "Yup. I heard everybody got weapons made from your dad as gifts last night" "Hmm..." Even though his face showed no emotions, Rahz was raging in his mind. ''What the hell dad! this was my time to shine. Was it too much too ask for you not to finish their weapons on time. One day, One day was all I asked. well played dad , well played''. With a helpless look on his face Rahz congratulated Bhirl on his present and said, "Well let''s not stand around or we will be late". Basic Training (part 1) When Bhirl and Rahz arrived at the training grounds, the teachers were already there and were talking among themselves. There were 4 trainers specialized in the different paths as well as an elder supervising the overall training. The training for the new awakened consisted of a 3 month boot camp to help them assimilate to the warrior life as well as to teach them the basics of fighting with their respective abilities. The first part of the training was the physical conditioning made up of exercises such as such as running, lifting, Martial arts and finally sparring. Rahz¡¯s age group only had to do two laps around the village which represented about 20 miles without any time limit since they were all just starting and need to get used to the regiment. Once the laps were completed, they proceeded to carry buckets full of water from the river to the village for the various uses of the community. After they finished with their previous tasks, they were trained in barbarian fighting tactics before sparring with each other. The second part of the training was focus on developing their paths towards the respective classes and this included the use of their respective weapons since the use of energy was very limited at the early levels. The awakened children needed to learn how to use their weapon of choice whether it was the shield and sword, two handed weapons or single handed weapons. "Before we begin todays training let''s welcome our new awakened" said the elder. Clap .... Clap "Teachers, please help them familiarize themselves with the training, it is imperative to remember that we are all part of the same family known as Hellgahvall. It is prohibited to strike another with the intention of causing irreparable harm and if found guilty, that person will be severely punish". "That being said, hard work will never go unrewarded. There will be plenty of rewards for those of you that excel in the different modalities of training. Hopefully, the skills that we teach you helps each and every one of you to survive in the wilderness where there is danger in every corner. Now go and make us proud". With their fighting spirit ignited, everyone started the morning run. Rahz thought that with all the previous training he had done at home he would excel at all the modalities but he was sadly mistaken. Very soon he realized that not even Bhirl could keep up with the scouts. Once awakened the scouts'' agility had gone through the roof and they were super fast. Rahz only consolation was that the healers seemed to be struggling more than the warriors were. For the second event, it was the warriors time to shine. Carrying buckets full of water to the village relied on strength and stamina something that they did not lack at all. Each trainee had to do about 10 trips to the village carrying buckets weighting about 50 pounds. In the martial arts portion of the training they learned hand to hand combat. They teamed up in groups of 2 and practiced attacking and defending the technique being taught. Once everyone developed some proficiency in the martial art technique of the day, they will form a circle and spar against each other. The sparring was no holds barred and the only two conditions were that everyone had to fight at least one time and they could not use any class abilities. Rahz believed that he could easily beat anybody but Bhirl inside the ring and was ready to try his luck. Thanks to the Elf blood he easily learned the technique taught during the martial arts portion of the training and was eager to put it into practice. Rahz jumped to the arena very enthusiastically and while looking at the crowd said, " I am taking all challengers, so who wants some of this? anyone but Bhirl. don''t be shy". Everyone rolled their eyes after hearing Rahz speech.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source. ¡°What a courageous fool¡± thought the elder that was supervising the matches. After a couple of seconds of silence a skinny youth named Arne moved to the center of the arena. Arne had long arms and legs and had opted for the scout path with the intention of becoming a rogue. His long Arms coupled with the agility boost from scout path gave Arne the advantage in speed and reach. When the fight started, Rahz didn''t have the time to get into a fighting stance before he felt a sharp pain in his left leg. It was the fighting technique learned in class that same day, a kick to the leg followed by a big hook. Even though, he had experienced this same technique during class many times before, it was a completely different feeling in a real fight. Rahz felt unsteady due to his left leg buckling which in turn made him lean left exposing his jaw. It was complete textbook. Rahz felt some pressure on the left side of his jaw then everything when dark. Even though it took some time to described it all happened really fast. Before Rahz could do anything, he was passed out on the floor. The teacher cast a Cure Spell on Rahz removing his stun state and helped him stand up. Once Rahz came to, the pain assailed him and he couldn''t help but ask, "What happened?". A roar of laughter escaped the trainees mouths as tears came down their cheeks. Rahz''s face turned three shades of red from embarrassment as he quickly went back to his seat. It took awhile for everyone in the audience to stop laughing at Rahz but when they finally quiet down the elder was able to review the fight and gave pointers to Rahz in the nicest way possible. In no time at all, one by one the younglings went to the arena to experience their first fight and discovered it was way harder than it looked. The second part of the training started in the afternoon. For this part of the training Rahz was extremely excited to finally be able to learn how to use his amazing axe and quickly forgot that he was knockout cold in the morning. The kids were divided into their respective paths and were giving individual attention while they went through the basic movements. The weapons instructor was a guardian class by trade but his vast experience allowed him to explain the basics of 2h weapons. " It is very important to understand the strength and weaknesses of any weapon you use. The strengths of a 2 handed weapon lies in its that it has a longer reach and the massive damage that could be inflicted by the momentum of a swing. The weaknesses, however, are also very obvious. The 2h axe is not a subtle weapon nor is it particular good at changing directions. So usually your enemy will see it coming from a mile away". " So does that mean that the 2h axes are weaker than other weapons?" " No it doesn''t. It just means that the way you attack and defend is different. In any life and death fight, understanding the extend of what your weapon can do will definitely be an advantage over somebody that doesn''t understand his or her weapon". " One of the basic things that you have to be aware of when using a 2h axe is the weight of the head when you are swinging. In order for a warrior to recuperate easily after launching an attack with a 2h axe is to attack at an angle. A straight down attack is a bad idea because is very hard to recovered from it. That being said I want you to swing your Axe from your right shoulder to your left leg at an angle and then repeat the same swing from the left shoulder to your right leg. Then your next swing will be going up at an angle from your right leg towards your left shoulder. Finally, you want to train sweeping through the center from left to right and then from right to left. You will do this until you can do the movements freely." Rahz picked up his axe and started to follow the instructions. After one set of exercises Rahz found out that it was really hard to continue swinging the axe perfectly, the axe was quite heavy for the current him. Even the one set that he manage to perform took everything he had. When his instructor saw him struggling with the set, he urged Rahz to take a break instead of doing the exercises incorrectly. Weapon proficiency was one of the hardest skills to level but it was considered more important than any other ability a warrior could possess. Rahz understood that only by training hard would he be able to become a hero in the future. As the day came to a close Rhaz could not wait to go home, take a bath and eat his mother''s wonderful cooking. Rahz said goodbye to Bhirl and said to Arne " Today was your lucky day Arne, I was generous enough to stop your fist with my face but tomorrow it will be different. Don''t get too cocky". Arne just sneered and continued walking. Basic Training (part 2) During the next 10 days all the newly awaken youngsters experienced an extremely demanding schedule and the intensity of their training also increased according to their progress. An awakened warrior required an accelerated schedule of training due to the amazing ability of their runes that provided the energy necessary for muscle reconstruction at a fast pace. Thanks to the Runes and God¡¯s blessings, the amount and intensity of the exercises done the day before would not be able to accomplish the same results and so on and so forth forcing the training regime to evolve each and every day. The diet also played an important role in the training of the new recruits and this meant that for the three months of special training, the elders provided highly nutritious food. For the lunch break the youngsters will eat a beef stew made with high quality meat from level 5 creatures as well as a few spirit herbs. Spirits herbs were used in Alchemy to make elixirs and other kinds of wonderful potions but since the Barbarian clans did not have an Alchemist, it felt on their shamans to concoct meals that will help their warriors with cultivation. Alchemy in his most primitive form stemmed from cooking. The meals provided by the village not only recuperated the energy spent during the crazy training but it also provided energy towards their next level. It was not as fast as killing creatures and absorbing their energy, but the meat and blood of a high level creature still accumulated some of the energy of the beast and through cooking it could be extracted and fed to the trainees. After ten days all of the new recruits had reached level 2 in their respective paths and had become a lot more proficient in the use of their weapons. Rahz had reached beginner level in the use of 2h axes and had unlock the skill double attack which doubles the number of attacks per round. Level 2 also increased everyones stats according to their path of choice, the god of war blessing provided Rahz with an increase in strength as well as stamina. He would have gotten a bigger increase to these two physical attributes if he was a pure blood barbarian but since he was part elf he only got half of what the other kids in the village could improve upon leveling while the other half was applied to his wisdom and intelligence. In terms of destructive power he was lagging behind the other warriors but his comprehension of skills and techniques was developing at a faster pace than his peers. With his new strength, Rahz was able to lift 140 lbs with ease. His axe swings were becoming more accurate and powerful and thanks to his higher intelligence and wisdom his battle sense was a lot better now. It even allowed him to win a couple of fights during the sparring with the other kids. Seeing the vast improvement of the children, the first elder decided to gather everyone before the start of the training and made an important announcement. "Since everybody is at level 2 already, It is time to start ability training" said the elder. Everyone present was quite cheerful about this new development,they had practiced with their new abilities at home but their knowledge was quite superficial. Since each path use a different type of energy it was necessary to separate them. The warriors energy was call Rage, The scouts energy was called Ki and the Mages and Healers used Mana as their energy resource. There were 3 other warriors besides Rahz in this new group of awakened children, there were two guardians which include Bhirl and one more children while the third person was a soon to be Berserker that prefered the use two 1h weapons. The first skill of 1 handed sword user when he or she reached the beginner level was dual wielding increasing their damage and defensive abilities by quite a bit and changing their fighting style considerably from berserker with 2h heavy weapons like Rahz . " As you already know, the name of the energy a warrior uses is called Rage and its name comes from the way it is generated. When a warrior receives or deals damage it generates an overwhelming desire to destroy, we called this killing intent. The manifestation of killing intent combine with the energy of heaven and earth provides the fuel that we need to perform our abilities and we called this fuel or energy resource Rage. In the stages Before a class has been decided all the types of energy could be called Runic energy as it comes from the absorption of your runes" explained the teacher.This story is posted elsewhere by the author. Help them out by reading the authentic version. " Teacher is one type of energy better than the other?" " There is no better or worst when it comes to energy. They are all the energy of heaven and earth provided by the realm when it is in its purest form. Thanks to our path of choice and our runes, we are able to mold and change the characteristics of the energy. For example we already discussed where the warrior energy comes from. In the Shaman''s case they use energy from the elements as well as the residual life force we call spirits found in nature in order to cast their spells. At the end of the day they are just combinations of different types of energy provide by our wonderful realm that is the reason one is not better than the other". After answering a couple more questions the Elder asked them to pair up. Nothing changed much from their regular martial arts training except for the use of their abilities to attack and defend. Once their energy was depleted they will stop to recover and switch roles. This type of training was very important for Rahz and the others, it not only improved their energy management but it also developed a sensing skill that will allow the warrior to gauge the level of their enemy. If the enemy had a higher level, then the warrior will feel a form of oppression from the enemy, the higher this oppression, the higher the level of his or her opponent. The skill was extremely important in a fight or flight situation since if there was no oppression it was safe to say that the enemy was at same or lower level than the warrior and he could decided to fight or skip town before the fight even begun. At later levels of this skill fighters could tell the kind of energy and power level the opponent had very accurately, many Grandmasters argued that it was the most important life saving skill a warrior could learn in the realm of Elysian where the strong rule. Some classes and items had the ability to analyzed the opponent in more detailed but it was predominantly classes from the mage department that were able to develop such techniques. Just like in the previous schedule, after the energy training it was the time everyone had been waiting for, the sparring. Rahz learned his lesson and did not act cocky from the get go. Even though he had being improving and actually winning some matches, it was nothing to be proud of. Rahz went to the arena and waited for his opponent. This time it was a Barbarian girl called Blaire. She was pursuing the shaman path and was also at level 2. As soon as Rahz saw her up in the arena he started daydreaming about what pose he would do after he won''t his fight. Rahz had beaten Blaire previously and was confident he could do it again. The use of weapons was permitted this time and for the training session the were made out of wood and were pretty decently made. Rahz had a 2 handed axe and Blaire wielded a 2 handed staff. Ready ¡­ Begin. The fight started but Rahz was so caught up thinking about his after match pose that he didn''t realized the match was well underway. while he was in la la land, Blaire was able to cast her first spell Icy winds. Icy winds was an elemental spell that slowed the movement speed of the enemy and inflicted damage to the muscles. Rahz was completely unprepared, and immediately felt cold seeping into his bones which made him snap out of his stupor. Rahz Activated Strengthen Defense but it was too late. The spell not only cause minor damage to his muscles but it also slowed his movement speed. Rahz try to close the gap between them but before he arrived close to Blaire another spell landed on him. This was the spell called Weakness. The spell decreased the attack speed and damage of offensive skills by a small margin. Under the effects of this 2 spells, Rahz combat effectiveness drop to the floor. "ARGH !!Fight like a man!!!" Rahz screamed in desperation. Blaire sneered at Rahz comment and proceeded to land the business end of the 4 ft long staff on his face. The decreased attack speed signified that Rahz couldn''t defend properly. Under the heavy barrage of blows, Rahz depleted his energy by using Strengthened Defense in an attempt to create an opportunity for a comeback but it was all for nothing. When everything was said and done Rahz was knockout cold. When Rahz landed on the floor, everybody''s jaw dropped. Nobody believed that a healer could be that scary. The elder cast cure on Rahz to heal his injuries and had him come to before reviewing the fight and point out what he could have done in order to beat his opponent. Very soon everybody had a chance to fight and learn from experience without the need to feel belittle for losing, after each battle the fight was analyzed and pointers were given to increase the battle proficiency of everybody present. Afternoon training was exhausting but highly rewarding at the same time. The depletion of energy helped everybody increased their energy towards the next level even faster than before. Everyone was well on their way to becoming true warriors and under this training regime three months quickly went by. The special training was coming to a close and Rahz and the others were mostly level 4 but some trainees such as Bhirl were really close to level 5 and it was time to take their knowledge and put it into practice with a graduation test. The Graduation Test The elder in charge of the special training stood in front of the group of trainees, and addressed the group. "I am very proud of the progress that you have made in this three months of intense training. I can honestly say that this group is the best we have ever seen. For that reason, we have decided to increase the difficulty of the graduation test to conform to your improvement." "What do you think the test is going to be Bhirl?" said rahz. " Shhh!!! Be quiet" " Do you think we have to fight one of the elders? Because I am ready... Let''s go!!!" " Shhh!!!" " Maybe we have to steal something from an enemy village" " DAMN IT RHAZ!!! SHUT THE HELL UP!!!" Looking at the screaming Bhirl, everyone present was flabbergasted about the sudden outburst. It was extremely disrespectful to interrupt an elder no matter who it was. Realizing what he had done Bhirl thought. ''Just wait Rhaz, you are going to pay for this one. Better prepare that smug face of yours.'' With a face full of embarrassment, Bhirl bow to the elders and said " I am very sorry for the interruption elder please continue." "Since the young lord allowed us to continue, then let''s proceed." said the elder in a sarcastic tone. Bhirl¡¯s face turned even redder from embarrassment and he just wanted to look for a rock to hide under. "As I was saying before the rude interruption, the test this year will be a lot tougher. during past years we would have asked you to kill one beast of your same level or higher. However, the level this year is so outstanding that we have decided to up the ante. This year the test will require you to reach level 5 through the slaying of beast in the forest outside the village." Commotion started to spread amongst the trainees, that could not contain the excitement. Shhh!!! One of the elders try to keep the order in the square so they could continue the explanation of the task. " Within 50 miles of Hellgahvall there are many beast that range between level 3 to level 4. To the north you will find a cave known as the crystal spider cave. The further you go into the cave the higher the level of the creatures walking around. This is a very dangerous but profitable place. The silk of the spider is very durable and can be made into wonderful dresses. If you manage to get some, the village can buy them from you at 2 copper per stack. The crystal spiders are very fast so it is a good hunting ground for classes with high agility." " To the east within the 50 mile perimeter you will be able to to find Timber wolves and bears. The fur of the wolves are even more profitable than the crystal spider silk, the village will buy it at 2 copper per skin and the bear because of its size will be 4 copper for the skin as long as it is not too damage. If you want to achieve maximum profit by keeping the pelts intact, the best way is by stabbing the beast through the eyes and into the brain to kill them". "For those of you that use axes or other heavy weapons a cut to the neck or a chop to the top of the head is the next best option. It is very important to remember that a pelt is not more important than your lives. Always keep that in mind. That being said, The area to the east is better suited for warriors with high strength able to go through the tough hide of the beast" " To the south it is the territory of the the snow leopards. They are fast and very cunning. If you are hunting in the area you need to be extra careful. They are nocturnal creatures and can climb trees very easily so I recommend coming back close to the village during the night. The snow leopards have a beautiful coat that is very popular with the ladies. The village will pay 3 copper coins per every hide".This story originates from a different website. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there. "Last but not least, to the west you can find Ice Kobolds. They are Rat like creatures that like Shiny objects. There are large deposits of copper close to the mountains so it is like heaven for this creatures. You can find them in their caverns or digging the copper deposits close by. It should be clear by now where we get the copper for our weapons. Kobolds are not particularly strong but they are always found in large numbers. Do not be deceived if you see a lone kobold because for every kobold you see there are 100 more nearby. This is the most profitable location but also the most dangerous. Unless you reach level 5 do not attempt to take them on". "Elders will be assigned to each of the 4 areas making sure nothing too bad happens to you. The Elders are not there to help you passed the test so make sure you don''t rely too much on their assistance the zones are pretty large areas and they might not be able to make it to your location. Accidental deaths are very common during this test so please don''t gamble with your life". "You will pass the test if in 3 days you can come back and your level has improved to Level 5". "Do not worry about the corpses of the beast you kill, there will be a team in charge of keeping track and giving you the credit you deserve . The pelts will be examine and rated before payment is issued accordingly". "The test will start tomorrow. Go prepare". Rahz had wised up since the last time he had played a prank on Bhirl and try to quickly leave the training grounds. "Not fast enough Rahz" "Is that a flying kick? As savage as ever." "Good thing I have gotten quicker. Muahahaha, I win this one." Said Rahz while dashing to his home. Ouch.... Bhirl smile while he threw rocks towards the fading silhouette. " Sigh, he is getting really strong I need to double my training." When Rahz came home, his mother was hard at work making lunch and just the smell made Rahz stomach growl. With a smile on her face Etta told Rahz to take a seat and wait for the food. " Did they tell you what the test was about? " " Yup. 3 days in the wild, we pass if we reach level 5." Said Rahz while trying to grab some food from the pot." " How far out are you allowed to go" Said Etta smacking his hands away from the food. " I think they said 50 miles in every direction". Etta furrow her brows and very seriously said to his son, " There are occasions where Level 6 beast appear at the 50 mile mark, promise me you will not try to be a hero Rahz, it is too early for you to fight that kind of opponent. Even though beast won¡¯t get wisdom until they have their first evolution they are still very powerful". Being stare at by his loving mother, Rahz finally nodded and said "I promise". Rahz spent the afternoon getting ready for the test. He packed pretty light for his outing as he was only going to be out for 3 days. Rahz took a small leather pouch and put what he considered essential for the trip. He took his Maintenance kit, Some dry food and finally he took a flint. Once he had arrange his back, Rahz went out and started to train his 2h axe proficiency for the rest of the day. As the first light of the day hit the snow covered rooftops of the village, Rahz was standing by the door of his home. He was carrying his 2h Axe on his back and had a leather pouch strap to the waist. With the meeting time a couple of hours away, It was too early to head there. "Why don''t you do maintenance on your weapon, it always calmed me down when I was an adventurer" Said Rhaen after observing his nervous son. Rahz decided to follow his dad advise and started to clean Mr. Choppy while thinking about everything that he had learn over the course of the special training, he had come a long way. Very soon he was so immerse in the the task at hand that he completely forgot about the test. It wasn''t until his mom called him to the table that Rahz snap back to reality. Rahz had a very sumptuous breakfast before realizing that it was time to go. He picked up his axe and headed for the door saying goodbye to his parents. " Hold on son" The sudden call made Rahz stop in his tracks. Rhaen pull his son aside and told him to pick the east side for his test, the reason being that the creatures there seldom climb trees so he could sleep up there relatively safe from harm. "I know you love your axe but a lot can happen in a battlefield. Take this, it might save your live." Rahz looked at the knife handle sticking out of the sheath and was pretty stoked. That was a very stylish knife. He placed the knife around his waist and thank his Dad with a bright smile on his face. After checking that he had everything he needed, Rahz finally headed to the meeting place. The Thrill of Battle (part 1) In the center of the village, a group of excited children were talking about the upcoming task while waiting impatiently for the elders responsible for the test to arrive. In the meantime, the children all sorted out where they were going once the test started and surprisingly enough, It was very clear cut. The scouts decided to go north to hunt Crystal spiders following the suggestions from the elders, the warriors decided to go to the east where Timber-Wolves and Bears were predominant so they could use their strength to their advantage and finally the healers in the group chose to go south to hunt the snow leopards, with their debuffs they could easily eliminate the advantages of the leopards and safely dispose of them. When the elders arrived to the square, everyone very quickly quite down and waited for them to give the final instructions. It was a quick introduction of the elders responsible for the safety of the trainees in the different areas and all of them were Shamans. "Before you go, I must remind you that your life is precious. Do not gamble with your life by taking on enemies beyond your means. Now Go!!! Let the Test Begin!!!". Rahz quickly headed out of the village via the east gate and quickly disappear from view. A perimeter of 50 miles was big enough for every children to have their own zone and not bump into each other. It was also a zone that very seldom saw a beast with a level that Rahz and the others could not handle. Rahz quickly made his way to the 10 mile mark and slowed down. He looked around to make sure there was no danger around him and decided to look for a place to set up a camp. Remembering the words of his father, Rahz climb on top of a tree to have a better view of the terrain and to think about his next move without having to worry about being ambush while he was distracted. The defeats during the sparring matches had thought him the importance of focusing on the task at hand and every time he thought about how he got knockout by a girl his face turn red from embarrassment. The east area that Rahz had chosen as his hunting ground was covered with trees that had conical shapes and reached heights of 30 to 50 ft, they were sprinkle around in the snow covered ground making it look like christmas shake ball. The whole zone was divided by a midsize river that provided a good environment for beast to visit. Rahz was able to see from his position on top of the tree all kinds of small critters moving around as well as some level 2 Boars and Deers. Rahz quickly realized that he was still too far off his target zone with level 3 creatures. He came down from the tree and decided to head southeast where he saw the river thin out a bit so he could cross it easily. Very swiftly Rahz advanced for another 10 miles reaching the shore of the river and he quickly notice that throughout the whole run to the river all the low level creatures move out of the way as soon as they felt his presence. Rahz decided to take a break and satiate his thirst in the river but so far it had been an uneventful morning and Rahz started to wonder if there were even any level 4 creatures in the area. After refilling his leather flask with water, Rahz crossed the river and continued along the river line in hopes of finding a thirsty beast. "Man!! this is harder than I thought it was going to be, the elders made it sound like danger was in every corner and I was going to be swarm by creatures trying to take my life but so far it has been pretty disappointing". Sigh... "I wonder how Bhirl is doing?" Before Rahz was able to finish his thought, a level 3 boar appear in his field of view. Rahz slowed down in order to not scare the oblivious beast and decided to kill it. ''Mind as well get some practice'' he thought while leaking his lips. ''I bet you taste delicious''.If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. Please report it. Rahz grabbed Mr. choppy and rush towards his prey with everything he had. When he was about 50 feet away, Rahz''s killing intent was easily felt by the Boar and the chase began. The Boar quickly use dash to increase his movement speed by 20 % and disappear deep into the trees. Despite not being as fast, It was very easy to track the Boar by following its footprints thanks to the snow. As Rahz was focusing on following his dinner, it dawn on him that there was a purpose to every single thing he did during his special training. He realized that this chase would of been a lot harder had he not run so many miles in the past. SQUEAL!!! The loud screech made Rahz heartbeat accelerate. He continued running in the direction the squeals came from; however, the closer he got to the sounds, the more oppressive the atmosphere became. Very soon a strong smell of blood assailed his nose, the smell was so strong that it immediately made him slow down his run and when he finally manage to stop, the scene in front of him made his jaw drop. The massive body of the Boar laid across the floor in a pool of his own blood while a small hill as white as pure snow wiggled around the belly of the beast. It was such a peculiar sight that Rahz was at a lost for words. He looked attentively at the corpse of the boar searching for clues about what was going on. Just when Rahz was wondering what was happening, a pair green eyes were staring at him. It was a Snow Leopard. GROWL!! Looking at the blood soak teeth of the Leopard, Rahz could not help but gulp. Sensing his fear the Snow Leopard attacked. The leopard used the skill dash increasing his speed by 20% quickly closing the distance between the two. When it was about 15 ft away from Rahz, it launch himself into the air attempting to overpower Rahz with his momentum. Rahz looked up and saw the Snow leopard''s Jaws coming ever so close to his face. Before he realized it, Mr Choppy was held with both hands in a blocking position obstructing the path of the Leopard. It was pure muscle memory, the constant drilling during the special training had allowed him to reflexively block the attack. Feeling the great force of the impact being transmitted onto his arms made Rahz clench his teeth and hold on to his Axe with all he had. The impact pushed Rahz 10ft across the snow cover ground but it was not enough to knock him down. When he finally came to a stop, Rahz open his eyes and quickly check himself. " My arms are Numb but other than that I am good". HAAH!! I AM ALIVE!! The fact that he had survived the beast¡¯s first attack was a relieve and a confidence booster, just like his dad told him Mr. Choppy did not let him down. With his renewed confidence, Rahz looked in the direction of the Snow Leopard and smiled. With his first attack deflected, the Snow Leopard had no other choice but to wait for Rahz to show another opportunity. The Snow Leopard Growled one more time trying to intimidate his opponent but it was to not avail. Rahz focus his complete attention onto the leopard and discovered that the level of energy was the same as his, Level 4. Realizing that the Snow Leopard was not beyond his means filled Rahz with motivation. After all, the whole purpose behind the test was to gain real combat experience. Rahz took his favorite stance and rush towards the Beast. He swung Mr. Choppy diagonally at the Leopard trying to cut deep into his neck. Feeling the momentum of the Axe, the Snow Leopard had no choice but to jump backwards. Rahz immediately follow up with a straight trust with the Axe handle hoping to make the leopard lose his balance. The Snow Leopard responded with a swipe of his claws to the side of the handle altering the trajectory just enough to created an opening for the use of Bite. Seeing the opportunity at hand the Beast move in for the kill but quickly realized that it had made a mistake. The leopard tried to pull his head back but it was too late. Rahz''s moves were part of a four part chain of attacks that used the building momentum of the axe to increased the damage of the next part of the chain. If you couple that with the use of devastating blow on the third and forth move, one could imagine the power generated. Even if the handle trust was deflected, Rahz was able to use the deflection to set up the third part of the chain that was precisely an upward Devastating Blow. The blade of the Axe split the beast mouth in two, and send his head looking up exposing his neck. As Blood flew through the air, the fourth blow fell on the Leopard''s neck severing his head. All this takes long to describe but it actually happened in a matter of seconds. Looking at the headless corpse of the Snow Leopard, Rahz did not feel revulsion. He felt proud...he felt that he was finally on the road to becoming a great warrior and that the blood falling on him was a baptism of sorts. The Thrill of Battle ( part 2) As the headless corpse of the Snow Leopard lay on the ground, Rahz felt an indescribable heat coming from his Rune of Awakening. It was time to absorb the energy. The absorption process was intense yet short, Rahz felt the temperature of his rune go from 0 to 80 F in about 2 seconds then the warm energy in the rune radiated outward to all parts of his body increasing his progress towards the next level by about 10%. Rahz was stoked to discover that he only need it 20% more to clear the test requirements and that meant he only needed two more Snow Leopards like the one he had just killed in order to make it to level 5. With a new goal in mind Rahz stood up and prepare to move further out, there were places to be and creatures to kill. It was time to look for his next opponent and as luck would have it before he could get into a jogging motion out of the corner of his eye he spotted something moving. Standing about 30 feet away from him, there was a Timber Wolf that had just arrived following the smell of blood in the air and when he saw Rahz it just stopped and stared. Sensing that there was no pressure whatsoever coming from the wolf , Rahz was pretty sure that the Wolf was at a lower level than him. LUCKY!!! Rahz yelled feeling quite happy. AOOO!!! The wolf howled and continue to stare at Rahz. " You can howl all you want but there is no escaping me, Just roll over and let me kill you". Rahz rush towards the wolf intending on collecting easy experience but the wolf was no fool and took off. "Don''t think you are getting away from me." Rahz quickly followed but it seemed like there was a bargain on the dash skill because all the beast in the forest had it. Rahz continued chasing for about 5 minutes but it was hopeless. No matter what he did, he realized he couldn''t catch it. Rahz was a little frustrated that he was about to let his prey get away but the moment he decided to give up the chase something peculiar happened, the moment he stop to leave so did the wolf. AOOO!! Another howl. Hmmm.. Rahz started to chase once more but it was pointless as the moment he tried to engage the beast in combat, it would just run away like they were playing a game of tag. AOOOO ¡°Bah¡­ I am done with you¡± said Rahz before turning to leave but the reality of the situation was something else as five more wolves surrounded him from all directions. It was an ambush. Rahz blinked a couple of times in an attempt to verify that there were in fact five more wolves surrounding him and said, " I thought the elder said that beast had no wisdom until the first evolution. Ain''t that a b...". Rahz observed the situation he was in and got a little nervous but at the same time his Barbarian blood urge him up to take on the challenge. He quickly determined the level of the wolves and felt a little more confident about his chances. "Looks like 2 level 2 , 3 level 3s and a level 4". " If I can kill one of the level 2, I can break the encirclement and escape" He grabbed Mr choppy with both hands and made a v line straight towards a level 2. Rahz swept the axe horizontally towards the beast''s legs in order to incapacitated it but was unsuccessful. Right before he could finished his attack out of the corner of his eye, he saw 2 wolves launching attacks from different directions . Instinctively he cancel his attack and block instead.Unauthorized tale usage: if you spot this story on Amazon, report the violation. It was very difficult to change the trajectory of a 2h weapon midway. Just as his teacher had thought him during training, Rahz use the Axe handle to counter-attack one of the wolves but he exposed his back to the other one. In order to mitigate some of the damage, Rahz used Strengthen Defense but it was not enough. 3 red lines appear across his back and he felt a stinging ardor. AHHH!! Rahz swung his left leg trying to connect a kick against the wolf that had just scratched him but he hit nothing but air. The wolf was too agile and after attacking, it quickly retreated. Standing at the back of the pack, the level 4 wolf looked at the battle field with disdain. He didn''t deemed necessary to take action personally. Every time Rahz tried to attack a wolf, the others will quickly attack him in a very practiced manner. Rahz was running out of options, the guerrilla tactics he was facing were really annoying to handle . In order to break away from the encirclement he inevitably had to risk being wounded or possibly killed. Despite everything that was going on, Rahz did not feel despair, on the contrary he felt that his proficiency with the 2h axe was increasing at a steady pace. His movements were becoming more efficient and his attacks more vicious. Nothing like the pressure of a life and death battle to stimulated improvement. As the wounds accumulated on his body more and more, his level of focus also skyrocket. This was it, the feeling he had always long for, this was the Thrill of Battle. Seeing that his opponent was improving as the battle went on, the Leader of the pack decided to take action. He was observing his opponent attentively waiting for the perfect moment to attack and end the fight in one fell swoop. He commanded all of his troops to attack Rahz with everything they had to increase his opportunities to give the coup de grace. Unfortunately, the result was not what he expected. Rahz focus had reach such a high point that his weapon proficiency had finally made a breakthrough. The moment his 2h Axe proficiency reached the intermediate apprentice level it unlock the combat skill Cyclone. Taking a look at the information of the skill Rahz couldn''t help but smile. Following the signal of their leader, all the wolves seem to move in unison as they attack Rahz at the same time. As they jump through the air towards him, Rahz lower his center of gravity and activated his new skill. The skill quickly drain his energy away at what seem to be a fix interval. When the skill drained the energy equal to a devastating blow for the second time, he stopped the channel and the skill went off. The first to get hit by the business end of the axe carrying massive torque and increased sharpness from the energy absorbed were the level 3s. They were the first to arrive to the meat grinder. SPLAT!!!! Body Parts and half wolves flew everywhere. Blood cover the head of the axe as well as the snow. The level 2s were yet to arrived but their fate was seal. It was very difficult to change directions mid air and the momentum on the spin only increased with every turn. The level 2s were cut cleanly. After the third spin, the skill came to a stop. Rahz resume a straight posture and place Mr. Choppy over his right shoulder. There were body parts all around him and blood dripping down his face and left hand. It was a gruesome scene. Rahz looked straight at the leader of the pack and said, " Ooops!!! I''ll try to be a bit cleaner next time". AOOOW!!! GRRRR!!! AOOOW!!! The leader was so mad he entered an enraged state. Activating his dash skill, he rushed straight at Rahz and used bite. Rahz acted quickly and block the attack with his axe handle. The force of the attack sent him sliding backwards but little damage was done to him. The speed and force of the attacks performed by the wolf leader were 3 notches above his now deceased pack but his attack pattern was exactly the same. Having fought 5 Timberwolves before fighting with the leader was a blessing in disguise. Seeing the wolf leader charge at him for the fifth time now using the same technique disappointed him greatly. Rahz decided it was time to finish the fight and claim his rewards. Rahz deflect the attack of the wolf leader exposing its side, then with his knee cover with energy hit the belly of the beast knocking it a little bit back. Rahz then finished with and upward devastating blow. It was all over, the axe managed to cut deep into the belly opening a lethal wound. The wolf felt to the ground and it''s enraged eyes were no more, the only thing left in them was nothing but indignation. Had it not been for its pride as leader that prevented it from attacking, the one losing his life would have been Rahz. Rahz sat on the ground to recuperated from his exhaustion. In the meantime, The rune of awakening absorbed the energy from the wolves achieving a breakthrough. Woot!! Rahz felt his whole body changing as a feeling of warmth spread all over his body. He felt better than ever. He could now lift about 210 lbs and felt that his organs were now becoming tougher than before. Learning from his previous experience with the wolves, Rahz moved away from the area. After running for about an hour, Rahz found himself close to the 40 mile line. Thinking that it was far enough, Rahz decided to turn in for the day and look for a place to expend the night. It was finally time to rest.