《Man of Many Talents》 Prologue ¡°Lance Corporal Logan M. McCarthy,¡± stated his company first sergeant in a loud rehearsed voice while projecting in the company formation. ¡°Is now promoted to Corporal.¡± Logan stood at the position of attention in front of his company and platoon, facing his commander and first sergeant. He zoned out just enough to not be listening, but listening enough to give the right response when asked. ¡°Who do you want to promote you?¡± asked his commander softly so the three of them could hear. The two superiors, now peers, came forward, saluted their commander, and pinned Logan¡¯s new rank before saluting again and heading back to their spots in the formation. The first sergeant handed the promotion warrant to the captain. In turn he handed it to Logan flat. He gripped it with his left hand leaving his right to shake his commander¡¯s hand underneath as was customary. ¡°Congrats, Corporal,¡± the commander said, giving Logan a very slight grin that was almost imperceivable. ¡°Thank you sir,¡± Logan replied, forcing himself to not give a nod in response returning to a position of attention. The first sergeant stepped in front of him next. Placing a pair of red ribbons around his neck letting them hang loosely on either side of the front. ¡°These stripes prove that you can be a leader two,¡± commented the first sergeant. ¡°First, to yourself when you put on your uniform. The second is harder because you need to fill the shoes of your predecessors. All anyone can ask is you do your best. We all know the drill: improvise, adapt, overcome.¡± Logan knew that his first sergeant was trying to and to the dopamine hit of getting promoted to a higher rank. Unfortunately, the words spoken to him sounded rehearsed. The first sergeant held out his hand for Logan to shake. Logan shook it, before he moved back to his place next to the commander. Simple drill commands were given to Logan for him to take his place behind the company sized formation. When Logan stopped and was facing the command he could hear the next orders. ¡°Company on my command,¡± yelled out the commander. ¡°Give your congratulations to this marine and his promotion. Platoon leaders with your platoons commence the rest of your promotions.¡± All five hundred bodies stood at baited breath waiting for the command they had been waiting for. ¡°Dismissed,¡± finished the commander. Everyone relaxed as much as they could, only gaining a few steps before almost bumping into the person that was originally behind them was now in front. Logan stayed in place as many people immediately congratulated him. Many of the Corporals and Sergeants pressed his rank into his collar bone while the turtlebacks of his new rank were still off. ¡°Congrats, Corporal,¡± said one of the few females in the company. ¡°Thanks O¡¯Merrick,¡± Private First Class Danielle ¡°Dani¡± O¡¯Merrick was only a few inches shorter than Logan¡¯s six foot height. They had met in the schoolhouse for their occupational specialty in diesel automotive technician training. O¡¯Merrick at the time had still been green behind the ears from the infantry training facility on a back down the road. They had some conversations in the communal smoke pit for where incoming students and currents for motor transport techs and embarkers lived. Logan at the time had been playing cards while planning to get tattoos at one of the local shops and had invited her seeing she was out of her depth. He only had a few weeks left before he left for his unit, or so he thought. He was there for an additional three weeks due to his orders being rescinded and changed to his current unit. In the meantime, O¡¯Merrick and Logan had become close friends. She would¡¯ve been promoted to Corporal if a multitude of reasons did not happen such as getting a non-judicial punishment (NJP). It wasn¡¯t one of her proudest moments. Given the laws that govern the United States and the zero tolerance policy that the Marine Corps has she had be charged drunken disorderly and drinking under age resulting her to get a promotion to a lesser rank, forty-five days restricted to quarters with the exception of work, forty-five days extra punitive duties, and two months of half pay. Along with that was a six months added to her getting to her previous rank. Not expecting to see it for a year and a half. ¡°Don¡¯t worry O¡¯Merrick,¡± he said slightly teasing. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re gonna catch up.¡± ¡­ ¡°Don¡¯t worry O¡¯Merrick,¡± McCarthy said slightly teasing. ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re gonna catch up.¡± Dani didn¡¯t know what he meant. It was possible that he knew something she didn¡¯t. However, she put that to the side. She made her way to the open bay doors to where their platoon called home. After a good portion of the lower enlisted that were not corporals and higher in rank one of the newer sergeants called out a list of names; One of which was Dani¡¯s. That wasn¡¯t as surprising as being asked if she had the chevrons for the rank of Lance Corporal. Like a few others who had not expected to be promoted she asked to run to her barracks room to grab the rank insignia. After everyone was fully present or accounted for, the platoon made another formation for the promotion for the people being promoted to lance corporal and private first class. This promotion ceremony was a bit longer with seven promotions all together, but it was more efficient calling out all the names in order for each rank. After the logistics of the ceremony was played out and everyone was congratulated, it was time to be released for the weekend. ¡°Alright, killers gather round,¡± called out the platoon commander. ¡°I know you are all itching to get out of her. So I am gonna try to make this short and sweet.¡± Everyone in the formation knew that probably wasn¡¯t true and groaned to themselves. ¡°This weekend''s safety brief: Don¡¯t add to the population, don¡¯t subtract from the population. Stay out of the newspaper, hospitals, and jail. If you do go to jail, establish dominance quickly.¡± he said in one continuance breath. Taking a second breath before continuing. ¡°We are all adults here. Do not beat your wife, husband, children or dog, if you beat anything it must be physically attached to you. Is that understood?¡± A resounding ¡°Yes sir,¡± was heard as it echoed inside the mechanic shop behind him.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it. ¡°Good.¡± he said, the weekend brief over to the staff non-commissioned officer in front of him. ¡°Gunny, take it from here. Please just pass what I may have forgotten or what you may have planned.¡± The gunnery sergeant saluted, before about facing to turn his back to the now walking away lieutenant. ¡­ ¡°Man, what is it about people in the ranks of Staff NCO making long speeches?¡± Logan commented, as he sat down at a table in the chow hall Dani across from him. ¡°Lieutenant Owens didn¡¯t and he is the platoon commander.¡± Dani pointed out. ¡°That is because he was a grunt in places like Iraq and Syria. Until a few years ago he was a Sergeant in the First MarDiv doing combat deployments before we decided to raise our right hand or go to college.¡± First MarDiv, or First Marine Division as they knew it, is a multi-role combat force. Known as the Old Breed or the Blue Diamond. The unit that Dani and Logan were in was a small part of the First Expeditionary Force consisting of roughly 22,000 personnel. ¡°Well,¡± Dani said leaning back in her seat. ¡°That explains a lot.¡± Dani thought about what Logan told her. ¡°Wait, how do you know that?¡± Logan shrugged nonchalantly, ¡°He mentioned when he came to the platoon as a quick informal meet-and-greet of the troops since we would be seeing his face a bit for the time he is in the company.¡± he explained. ¡°Sure,¡± Dani agreed with a shrug, since she hadn¡¯t been there to scheduled leave at the time. ¡°But, it is not like you read the man¡¯s entire SRB tho.¡± ¡°You know I can¡¯t. I think it was just his long way of saying that he is a mustang.¡± Mustangs as most people believed were wild horses. In some circles that is true. In the context in referring to an officer, a mustang is a person who starts in the enlisted ranks eventually going through college completing the minimum degree requirement to go to Officer Candidate School (OCS). Eventually gaining a commission and earning the rank of 2nd Lieutenant. ¡°Besides, it was more like a brief overview,¡± Logan continued. He got up from his seat, having finished his food. ¡°I¡¯m gonna take my uniforms to get altered, want to come?¡± ¡­ After Logan and Dani dropped their prospective uniforms at a dry cleaners. They arrived back at the barracks, each holding a six pack of beers. ¡°It¡¯s good to finally be old enough to buy beer,¡± Dani commented, looking down at the pack of brews in her hand. ¡°I never quite liked that law myself considering who we are employed by,¡± Logan agreed. ¡°I can see the point of view that some people have on it. I do think some exceptions should be made.¡± ¡°Exceptions are made. They are just not common knowledge.¡± ¡°Like what?¡± ¡°For one, Religion, Catholics generally drink wine every time they attend mass.¡± Dani noted. ¡°Not saying that every practicing catholic does so.¡± ¡°Are you catholic?¡± Logan asked. ¡°No, my dad is a history teacher. I needed to do a project for the prohibition in his class.¡± Logan knew her father was a sensitive subject. Dani had only spoken about him a few times. The first time was at a bar. They didn¡¯t get the ¡°hair of the dog¡± hangover remedy. Instead opting for water and really greasy burgers. Ever since her NJP, Dani slowed down on her drinking and stopped entirely while she was still under command restrictions. Logan slowed down to a point he mainly enjoyed a beer or two on the weekend or after a hard day. They continued to chat as they made their way to one of the common areas. The common area was a room with a pool table and rough equipment to play, huddled in the corner. A flat screen hung on the wall. The remote was not in immediate sight. ¡°Okay, why do we have a tv but no remote?¡± Dani asked, looking at the small stand. ¡°It was damaged durin¡¯ a niney-six,¡± Logan said in his more narual voice as the drinks he already lubbed his way of speech, sitting on one of the random air chair that furnished the room A ninety-six like a seventy two was jargon for an extended weekend. Usually it was designated for holidays like Christmas or Thanksgiving. Depending on the holiday it would be one or the other for federally recognized holidays. Luckily, there is such a thing as unit discretion and commanders can make it possible to extend weekends. ¡°What was the occasion?¡± Dani asked, knowing that they didn¡¯t have any holidays that would warrant an extended weekend. ¡°We had people come back from deployment.¡± Logan commented, picking a beer from a pack. Logan¡¯s attention was arrested from the bottle in his hand as he looked at Dani. ¡°Everything al¡¯ight?¡± he asked. ¡°Yeah,¡± she said, rubbing at her nose. ¡°Just a memory I didn¡¯t want.¡± He knew her enough to know she mostly likely didn¡¯t want to talk about it, but he asked anyway. She nodded in affirmation, moving another lounge chair so she could sit and face him. ¡°What is bothering you?¡± he asked, leaning forward. ¡°My dad,¡± Logan leaned back surprised at the answer. ¡°I thought you didn¡¯t like him?¡± Logan commented, thinking back on many discussions they¡¯ve had on the topic of their home lives before joining. ¡°You at one point called him a¡­.¡± ¡°I am aware, McCarthy,¡± Dani cut off. ¡°I just wish I knew him before my mom split.¡± Logan frowned. ¡°I roughly understand my mom was the same way.¡± ¡°The sins of the parent often fall on the child.¡± ¡°Not always,¡± Logan countered. He examined her, checking on her body language. Her baggy clothes hid her breathing. Her face was flushed from the drinks they had. Something told Logan that something wasn¡¯t right. He couldn¡¯t tell what it was yet, but he had that gut feeling. ¡°We should get you to your room,¡± Logan said. Dani agreed knowing that she was probably drunk. ¡°At least we aren¡¯t playing D&D or Warhammer or something.¡± Dani said jokingly as they got up and put the moved furniture back ¡°Do I sense a heretic in the presence of one of the emperor¡¯s faithful?¡± ¡°Nah just a Bag of Holding.¡± Dani chuckled at his joke. ¡°It could always be worse.¡± Dani looked at him as they walked down the catwalk. ¡°How?¡± ¡°We could be Space Marines.¡± Dani knew that for the lore in the tabletop game of Warhammer that it was not possible for her to be a Space Marine. The closest she could get was a Sister of Battle. They were basically warrior nuns that were not genetically modified and experimented on like the other chapters of the lore in the game. They stopped at Dani¡¯s room. She took her key out and opened the door. Her roommate was absent, probably partying and celebrating with others on their promotions. ¡°See you tomorah,¡± Logan said, as he closed the door behind her. ¡­ ¡°Where would I be if I could be anywhere?¡± she asked herself. She thought about it for a second. Her thoughts drifted to not of a reality more akin to a homebrew Dungeons and Dragons game filled humanoid beings that weren¡¯t human or looked human but were anything but. Then she heard a voice that was from somewhere. ¡°Come children of conquest bred for¡­¡± Dani looked around but saw no one. Suddenly the room went black ¡­ Logan was laying in his bed watching a movie. It was one of those he had seen a number of times to the point he could quote certain parts. He was in the middle of doing that until, something made him stop and pause the movie. ¡°Come children of conquest¡­¡± said a dissemboddied voice. ¡°What the hell?¡± Logan said, feeling for the field knofe he kept in his nightstand. The movie Logan had been watching had been in the fantasy genre. The voice coming from nowhere was new. Come children of conquest bred for¡­¡± Was the last thing Logan heard before falling in an abyss of black. Chapter One Logan sat up gripping his forehead that felt like he was hungover. ¡°Damn,¡± he groaned, moving his hand to the bridge of his nose. ¡°I didn¡¯t even drink that much, how am I hungover?¡± He slowly opened his eyes. He found himself in a crater. Looking around even more he realized he was in the epicenter. ¡°Well shit, I knew I was heavy but not that heavy,¡± he commented to himself. Crawling out of the pit he found himself. He missed one crucial detail that he was forced to face on his way back down when he slipped. He wasn¡¯t wearing clothes. The sandpaper feeling going up his body as he slid down the slope on his front, especially in one certain region. ¡°In times like these is when I wish I didn¡¯t have nerve endings,¡± he mumbled to himself. Looking down at his unfortunately naked body. He had some slight friction burns on one knee, inside the other knee. All were superficial and barely bled. It was the sting that the fresh air caused that hurt the worst. He gathered himself up again and this time made it to the top. What was worrying wasn¡¯t the fact he was standing in a field in the middle of nowhere. It was the tablet sized screen in front of his face. Strange Lands You have found yourself in an unfamiliar land. Find resources to survive and obtain allies ¡°Yeah no shit Sherlock,¡± Logan agitatedly muttered to himself. It took him a second to realize why he was annoyed. The tablet sized screen staring back at him. ¡°Okay,¡± he again said to himself. ¡°Joining the marines was a blow to my sanity, but now I know I am crazy.¡± Character Description [Name] McCarthy, Logan [Race] Human [neutral variant] [Class] Middle [Profession] None Logan rolled his eyes. ¡°Great, now I am a D&D character.¡± The new screen looked like a character screen that occasionally popped up on random social media feeds. He didn¡¯t see anything relating to physical stats that he could recognize. Actually, he didn¡¯t see any stats at all, other than his name and a few others that he didn¡¯t really know why they were there. He tried to scroll the screen but nothing happened. He didn¡¯t see anything that looked like he had a level of some kind. Then, the fact that he was acting like what he was seeing was normal.If you find this story on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the infringement. ¡°Okay,¡± Logan said with a sigh. ¡°When I get to a town with a clinic I am getting my head checked.¡± He looked down. ¡°First, I need clothes.¡± ¡­ Hours after Logan started wandering around in the woods where he found himself. He argued with himself on what to eat. He felt like he knew, but it wasn¡¯t good for the plants he recognized, or at least if they were what he thought they were. ¡°Al¡¯ight, I¡¯m just gonna avoid that patch right there.¡± he commented to himself, as he sidestepped a patch of leaves that looked suspiciously like poison sumac. As a kid every year, he would get one of the poison trio: ivy, sumac, or oak. Growing up in the boonies or the middle of nowhere parents typically had to entertain themselves. Fortunately, he didn¡¯t have too many hospital visits as a kid and teenager. Unfortunately for the sanity of his parents and the parents of friends, he needed hospital visits. A few times he had gotten poison ivy on his hands and that was not pleasant. Given his situation at this time he knew that wouldn¡¯t be pleasant. He kept moving, giving himself distance from the patch of oily leaves. ¡°Been there, done that too many times,¡± he commented with a chuckle of fond memories. He examined his surroundings as he moved. The colors on the leaves looked brighter. Air was cleaner. It all felt real and not real at the same time. Logan tried different ways to keep his sanity. Though for the most part he was relatively sane. Sanity was relative. For all he knew this was what crazy felt like and he had already had a mental break. ¡°In the merry month of may,¡± he started to sing. For some reason shanties had started to become popular and he had a few in his living rent free. For now, they helped ease the anxiety. ¡°This is going to take forever,¡± Logan believed, before starting on another earworm. Logan decided to take a risk with the vegetation. Looking at a random bush. The berries that clung to the branch looked like raspberries. The leaves looked too oily for a cluster of berries. Taking one off the bountiful berries. Haldi Berry [Crafting Material: Potion/ Cooking] A berry used in the crafting specialties Such as the making of potions and poisons. ¡°Poisons,¡± Logan read aloud. ¡°Yeah, I probably shouldn''t eat this.¡± He looked down at the berry. ¡°Ah fuck it,¡± he said. ¡°Down the hatch,¡± He tossed the berry. For the briefest moment he felt energized like he had way too much coffee. To hear him describe it he would probably say he could hear colors and taste sound. His skin tingled as he was a kid who had way too much sugar. Though he could not see his own eyes he could feel like they had become the size of pinholes. ¡°Holy shit, I feel like I¡¯m¡­¡± he started, before he keeled over and started profusely vomiting, bringing him to his knees. Looking up was a bad idea as he got a bout of vertigo making the world spin. He now felt drunk, not the good kind of buzzed where he liked to stay. It was the shitfaced kind of drunk that would lead him to the amount of debauchery that would have him hungover for a day or two after he got his wits and mind unaddled. ¡°Fuck, this is gonna suck,¡± he said, slurring his words. Not long after he fell over and passed out where he lay. ¡­ Logan woke up with a pounding headache. Like someone was trying to carve out the front and top part of his head out from the inside. ¡°Ah, okay don¡¯t eat the raspberries,¡± he said, holding his head, looking at the bush from which he picked the berries. ¡°Yup, don¡¯t eat the berries.¡± he affirmed to himself. Getting up from the bush; he walked in a different direction. Looking at his surroundings he looked for signs of edible plants. Although the poisonous look to the plants makes Logan hesitate. The poisonous plants that he knew of had oiled leaves or sickly patches. Unfortunately, all the plants that he could see had markings of being deadly to a point. ¡°Okay, plants are probably not the best idea,¡± Logan commented, looking at another bush with patches of malevolent purple blotches. ¡°I will need to trap animals then.¡± Chapter Two In the dining room of an expansive farmhouse, An older gentleman packed a bag for a trip grabbing small bags of rations. ¡°You know you shouldn¡¯t go alone, Kragen,¡± his right hand said. Kragen was a stoic man of few words. His plaid shirt was thickly padded for the cold nights he was preparing to endure. Layers of roped muscle tensed in his forearms. ¡°You I can¡¯t, Carissa.¡± Carissa and her silver gray eyes pierced his back as he continued to pack. ¡°No, it¡¯s not that you can''t, it¡¯s that you won¡¯t.¡± she countered. Kragen placed a ration on the table next to his pack. ¡°Rissa, you know what I am. You know why I go on these trips alone. I won¡¯t be party to a massacre if I bring others with me. Besides, You need the extra hands around here while I am gone. We barely have people to keep this place afloat.¡± As much as Carissa hated to admit it, he was right. The latest employee to leave had the rumor to have been accepted to a school on the other side of the country to expand his ritual knowledge. Before that it was a carpenter, and before that it was a trapper. Kragen would need to go to town soon and try to hire more people. ¡°I just hate that you do this alone every month,¡± Carissa admitted. ¡°I¡¯ve been doing this my entire life you know this, why are you bringing it up that it bothers you now?¡± ¡°Your age mainly.¡± Kragen chuckled and turned to look at her while leaning on the table. ¡°Carissa, forty is hardly old for my kind. I am hardly in my prime.¡± ¡°Yes, but the dangers are not. Don¡¯t underestimate youth with territorial and animalistic instincts.¡± He bowed his head to her. ¡°I never do. Hey, maybe this time I¡¯ll come back with a new hand.¡± ¡­ Logan tried to make traps, just simple leg traps out of vines. To his dismay only about one in four were actually vines. His arms had a few bite marks. Their venom wasn¡¯t powerful enough to hurt him according to the reason of the questionable sanity. Grass Viper has used Special Attack [Venom Bite] on you. You have been afflicted with [Grass Viper Venom] Your resistance has negated [Grass Viper Venom] ¡°How can I resist snake venom?¡± he asked, pulling the snake out of his hand and throwing it off hoping it died from the impact of the throw. ¡°Especially with how many bites I¡¯ve gotten.¡± Logan was starting to get hungry. Or at least, hungrier than he already was. He laid his hand on his stomach. His stomach was startling. He was relatively in shape given his job within the marines. The small muffin top he had at his waist was not there. ¡°What the hell,¡± he commented. ¡°A berry gave me abs?¡± It was the only thing that he could think of since that was all he ate for the past day or so. A case of literary theft: this tale is not rightfully on Amazon; if you see it, report the violation. ¡°At least I don¡¯t seem to look like a holocaust victim.¡± As he continued his trek, Logan started looking for a place to set up a camp or at the very least a spot to stay dry in case it rained during the night. Some of the canopy over him seemed like a good place to lay his head, but he knew if it rained hard enough he would be soaked; the last thing he wanted was hypothermia. Looking around at the ground it didn¡¯t entirely look like it would be very productive on creating a fire. ¡°Well shit,¡± he said tapping his foot on the ground seeing some water coming up under his weight. ¡°A fire is definitely out. It is not like I can snuggle up against a grizzly.¡± He stopped to think about it for a moment. ¡°Actually, I probably could do that,¡± he postulated, tapping his forefinger against his chin. ¡°It would be the jaws I would need to worry about. AH, fuck it, I¡¯m gonna find a bear to sleep with.¡± After about an hour Logan gave up on finding a bear. It would¡¯ve been a bit sooner if he didn¡¯t stumble upon a few tracks that looked a lot like something that looked like bear tracks, but they were few and far inbetween. He heard small woodland creatures that sounded like squirrels and chipmunks. Like a bittersweet memory he wished he had a slingshot or a bb gun. Growing up hunting whitetails with his father. After the sun came up that is all he would hear for most of the time he was in a deer stand. The chittering and chattering of the creatures railed on his nerves like nails on a chalkboard. Looking down at his feet he looked for a pebble or small rock. Finding one he picked it up and threw it in the direction of his annoyance. Thwack was all he heard as the rock hit a dense branch. He watched for something to come from the trees. Hoping to score one of the small creatures as a form of food. Unfortunately, he wasn¡¯t so lucky. ¡°Well, at least they stopped.¡± ,,, Logan knelt next to a stream to see if it was safe to drink; or looked safe since he didn¡¯t have close let alone anything to filter it. Cupping his hands together he knelt down and drank what he could. The chilled frosted his insides as he felt it go down his throat. Logan shook for a brief moment to warm himself. ¡°Al¡¯ight so far so good,¡± he said, looking down at the water. He cupped up some more and washed his face, neck, and shoulders. The icy chill from the water felt good. He would have swam in it, but with how shallow it was he would end up getting more sand and dirt on him than he would be taking off and thought better. He stepped off hoping to be going towards civilization of some kind. Or at least he hoped. ¡­ Logan made his way down a trial that seemed to be going higher in elevation. Climbing and battling the incline. He had to stop and catch his breath. He turned to see the landscape he travelled through. Trees went on for miles. Each individual tree looked like the bristle on a toothbrush. ¡°It''s sad that I can''t enjoy the view.¡± he lamented, knowing that he has other priorities. Looking further up the perceived summit. ¡°Ya, nope fuck that.¡± He knew his luck and figured he would meet a mountain lion or cougar when he didn¡¯t want to. He was naked, hesitant to eat anything, and most importantly unarmed. Looking down over his body at many of the small wounds. Looking over all the small pin-sized holes. He noticed something else. ¡°Why is it that small?¡± he asked aloud, disappointed. ¡°It¡¯s not that cold out.¡± ¡­ After backtracking the path. Logan found himself back at the creek sized river. Only one difference, predators. Logan crouched behind a tree. The grooves and crevices pushing back against his shoulders. His breath steady as it fought against the sight of wolves, making his heart want to race. Their size was bigger than a mastiff. Prominent canine fangs glistened from the water and saliva coming from the monstrous joules as they drank. The fur of it had a strange pattern of swirls in such a pattern that they appeared to be moving while standing still. ¡°They are beautiful wolves,¡± Logan noted to himself. Having a feeling that one would give him trouble. He counted the number of heads and paws. Something nagged at him that something wasn¡¯t right about them. He noted six heads and three sets of paws. It was until the wind shifted and lured his scent toward them, and two of the heads looked his way. [New Quest Objective] Eat or be Eaten ¡°Well fuck.¡± Chapter 3 Logan froze only for a moment as his eyes met with two of the heads. His muscles went as stiff as concrete as one body turned revealed the two heads were attached to a single set of shoulders as if it was a siamese twin. ¡°Well, that is slightly horrifying,¡± he says, shaking himself to fight or flee. The sudden, jerky movements Logan made was like a starter''s pistol. As the beast lunged forward. ¡°Shit.¡± Logan sighed. ¡°Oh well, I hope I win.¡± They met as the beast jumped on Logan making savage claw marks in his chest. [Special Attack] Claws of Muspelheim has afflicted you with [Burning] You have been afflicted with [Buring] your resistance does not negate [Burning] appropriate damage has been calculated. [Special Attack] Claws of Nifelheim has afflicted you with [Frostbite] You have been afflicted with [Frostbite] your resistance does not negate [Frostbite] appropriate damage has been calculated. Logan felt the claws dig in and tear from his shoulder to the bottom of his sternum. He lashed out grabbing each head by the muzzle, throwing them to the ground. You have been afflicted with [Burning] and [Frostbite] appropriate damage has been calculated. Logan ignored the screen as grabbed a fist sized rock and beat the animal in the chest with it. He felt the ribs crack and shatter with what strength he was able to muster from his savaged survival state only stopping when another came to its fellows aid. Logan felt his shoulder pop and his tendons tear as the stone he held dropped looking at this wrist in the mouth of another beast. ¡°Damn pack animals,¡± Logan grunted through the pain. Using his free arm he smacked the head of the wolf with a closed fist. It yipped and growled. ¡°Try it I fucking dare you,¡± he shouted in anger masking pain to assert dominance. In the back of his mind he hoped his bluff and false bravado wasn¡¯t called out. Unfortunately for Logan, it was. His left arm was useless from the amount of damage he had taken. The rock had cracked into smaller pieces when it fell from his grip. Logan knew he had to end this skirmish quickly otherwise he would not make it. He held onto the hope of survival as he gathered his energy to act like a berserker and block out the pain he was feeling. The second abomination of a beast lept at Logan baring its fangs instead of claws.Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author. ¡°Whichever god is watching please place the scales in my favor,¡± he muttered in a silent prayer. Logan was not much of a religious person. In that moment he felt like it would be prudent to give a final sentiment if there actually was a deity that actually existed. Logan howled as felt a bite in dominant leg. He swatted at the pain with a closed fist. Unfortunately that was also a mistake as a decently sized chunk was taken from Logan¡¯s calf. ¡°I need to fight,¡± he said to himself, fear and despair starting to creep over the walls in his mind. His vision started to get blurry and fade from the pain. ¡°How can I win?¡± He started to hyperventilate as his vision got worse ¡°How? How? How? How?¡± ¡­ Kragen, being the semi-regular woodsman that he was had made a mental note of something strange had happened since the last time he had made his last venture in the forest behind his property. He heard the howling of a pack of wolves. The wolves weren¡¯t the strange part he had often been in areas near where they were known to hunt or lay out a den. What was strange was his current location and the howling, he wasn¡¯t near those areas yet. As far as he knew. He heard a shout of challenge. ¡°Try it I fucking dare you,¡± said the voice. Whoever it was was probably drastically outnumbered. Kragen went in the general direction to investigate. If the person or persons was going to lose he would help giving a fighting chance. Aside from Kragen¡¯s monthly excursions into the forest. He often went in as a guide to the petty and know-it-all nobles who would rather tempt the cruel mistress of fate than use the services he provided as a person specializing in the care for magical and non magical beasts alike. ¡°Damn nobles,¡± he mutered. Getting to a spot where he could see what was happening and paled at the sight. He saw a man who was holding his own against a pair of sk?ti wolves, albeit barely. Kragen wondered how, considering the man wasn¡¯t wearing any that Kragen could see. For that matter he wasn¡¯t even wearing any clothes at all. ¡°Ah sheyet,¡± Kragen said as he saw a chunk get taken out of his leg. Kragen wasn¡¯t sure how to help. By the looks of the two headed beasts they most likely incorporeal meaning any blow he would land could possibly pass through it. He did watch for a few hit that the man was actually able to land. ¡°Thank the gods,¡± he said, jumping into the fray finishing the beasts. After dealing with the pair of mythical creatures. He rummaged through his pack looking for appropriate bandages and other medical supplies. As he did he thought about the wolves. Sk?ti wolves were legendary creatures. Rarely seen and talked about as stories to tell children to frighten them or inspire depending on the situation. Even so, their known habitat or what was believed to be their natural habitat was the mountains. The dual nature of the magic infused in their fur making the environment bearable for them. Even though he now knew they had physical bodies he imagined and assumed that was not the case. At first glance they even look ethereal and incorporeal. As for the man fighting them, he was in worse shape than Kragen actually thought being up close. He had already placed some salves and bandages on the man¡¯s shoulders. ¡°I should¡¯ve brought Liliana with me this time,¡± he noted at his very basic medical knowledge. ¡°She could probably have him patched up faster than I could.¡± He had leaned him up against a tree to make it easier to place the bandages. Kragen found a healing potion and gently poured the contents down the man¡¯s throat.¡± The potion did its magic almost immediately replacing the damaged tissue. Kragen saw puncture marks close up and the piece missing from the man¡¯s leg grew back. Unfortunately, by the look of the figure and how everything sat, the dislocated shoulder needed extra attention as the other injuries soaked up the effects of the potion. ¡°Looks like I may need to head back a lot earlier than expected.¡±